Written by John Edward Betancourt
It is definitely safe to say that there is a fever pitch surrounding the new STARZ series, Heels, and it makes sense as to why. After all, it boasts a ridiculously stellar cast and its plot is incredibly original, since there are no other stories out there right now revolving around independent wrestling. So, the potential to see where this story and cast can take us, has us counting down the minutes until Sunday’s series premiere and well, in an effort to give us a taste of the majesty of this series, STARZ provided us with quite the gift.
For earlier today, the network released the opening credits sequence for Heels, alongside a bevy of information on the creation of the show’s theme song, all of which you will find below, and well, hopefully this tides you over as we wait for August 15th, when this highly anticipated series finally premieres on STARZ at 9 p.m. EST. Follow this link to see the main title sequence if the video below does not work. ‘In advance of the highly anticipated premiere of the already critically acclaimed upcoming drama series, “Heels,” STARZ today released the main title theme song, “Love in War,” a song co-collaborated on by Ben Bridwell, front man of the Grammy-nominated American rock group Band of Horses, alongside series composer Jeff Cardoni. “Heels” premieres Sunday, August 15 at 9 pm ET on STARZ. The main musical theme wasn’t originally in the line of duty for Cardoni, until music supervisor Jonathan Leahy suggested that Cardoni and Bridwell pair up. Together, they created a main title theme that is emotional, uplifting and poignant. “As a southern kid who grew up watching wrestling and waiting after the matches to get autographs, I was thrilled and honored to be asked by Jeff Cardoni and Jonathon Leahy (music supervisor) to contribute to the Heels theme,” says Brindwell. “It really does feel like a dream indeed. I was stunned when they liked my rough demo, and then chose to use the final version. I’ve wanted to work more in television and film, and I am so grateful for the opportunity." This series is a story about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel. But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.’
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Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 204 of ‘Ted Lasso’. Ask anyone why they fell in love with the AppleTV+ series, Ted Lasso, and you'll get a common answer; one that revolves around how the show's feel-good vibes and incredibly positive and hopeful nature sucked that person in, and well… that's an honest and accurate answer. This series really is the anthesis to the angry nature of the world because it takes the time to look on the bright side of literally everything. Plus, it offers us endless hope on days when it seems as though there isn't any. To ensure that Ted Lasso maintains its status as the most feel-good series on the market, the next episode of this phenomenal show opted to crank the joy and hope up to eleven. ‘Carol of the Bells’ takes place at a particularly joyous time of the year: the holidays. This meant that everyone at AFC Richmond was assembling their holiday plans, and those very plans are what allowed for some incredibly positive messages to come our way. One example is how it's incredibly important to reach out to people in times of need, even if they claim that they're doing just fine because often we know that they're not. You never know how much that gesture could mean to that person or how it could give them strength, and this gesture was handled by none other than Mister Lasso himself. Without his family to spend time with him in England, Ted's initial plan was to sit at home and watch It's a Wonderful Life on repeat while he drowned his loneliness in some holiday whiskey. Thankfully, Rebecca didn't let him do that. Instead, she asked Ted to come along on an adventure of Lasso proportions. She drove around town with Ted so they could give back to the community by providing under-privileged children, who wrote letters to Santa, with gifts and holiday cheer. This experience lifted Ted's spirits right up because it let him spread good in the world and do something uplifting and joyous. These are the kinds of actions that Ted lives for, and seeing the smile on his face and on the faces of the children that he brought cheer to drove home the theme of this segment in a beautiful way. A little kindness went a long way here, and everyone that was touched by it had a wonderful holiday. How can you go wrong with a story segment that's so wholesome and heartwarming? What's even more amazing is that the good vibes in this tale didn't end there. The story also took the time to explore how Leslie Higgins and his family handle the holidays, and what they do is nothing short of spectacular. The Higgins family offers up their home and their dinner table to any and all team members without family in London, and this year just about everyone showed up to break bread with them. This scene was just beautiful to watch because it spoke to the wonder of the holiday season, unity, and how important it is to be surrounded by people that care about you during the holidays. It was just magical to see the Higgins home be full of joy and witness everyone come together this way—mainly because it makes one wistful for the holidays and the wonderful sense of belonging that comes with a dinner like that. Yet, while those two segments alone could have provided us with a perfectly wholesome and complete episode, especially when one considers that both of the plots ended with a neighborhood holiday sing along, there were more beautiful and uplifting moments to be found. Keeley and Roy went on a very special holiday mission that involved finding a dentist for young Phoebe. Unfortunately, her breath was a touch on the sour side, and a classmate even put her down for it. This motivated Roy to find a dentist, come hell or high water, so Phoebe could feel good about herself. It also to gave Phoebe a reason to find vindication in the eyes of her bully; finding a cure motivated her to point out to the bully that he was being cruel for something that was easily fixed. If anything, this segment spoke to the wonder of family—how much it means to our family members when we support them and how important it is to be kind to all because you never know what kind of impact negativity will have on a person. In the end, this was nothing more than a supremely bold episode from this series, which is saying something for a show that often pushes the envelope (in a good way) and blazes new trails. So, it was a bit of a shock to see the series halt its usual push for character development and moving the plot along and let loose and immerse the audience in excessive joy. This was a surprisingly brilliant and risky choice to make storytelling wise because it had the potential to become annoying and too sweet, but at no point does it overwhelm or annoy. Instead, it plasters smiles on our faces and motivates us to clutch our hearts at the cute— likely due to the fact that this series has engendered such goodwill with its audience that it can pull this off no problem! And now that we've come to the end of this holiday cheer, it will be interesting to see what other storytelling surprises await us as season two continues. Until next time! Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Leverage: Redemption’. One thing that we can all agree upon, is that taking medications on a consistent basis is about as much fun as playing with a bag of rocks. Because there’s just no joy to be found in guzzling down pills, but we understand that they are paramount to our health, so we take our meds and don’t think twice about it, before we go on with our day. But what’s fascinating about that mundane aspect of life, is that it is suddenly something of concern for a great deal of us. Because these days, some of the pills that we need to function, are skyrocketing in price, alongside other medications and well… that’s downright scary to say the least. Because no one should ever have to choose between paying rent or paying for medication that keeps them breathing. But thanks to the greed of certain pharmaceutical companies and individuals, here we are, with prices of something as important as epi-pens spiking and what’s scary… is that this inflation trend doesn’t seem to have any end in sight. But thankfully, fiction is always there to give us some kind of comfort and resolution to our woes and it just so happens that the next episode of Leverage: Redemption takes the time to tackle the evil that is big pharma in a beautiful and satisfying manner… by having the team take on one nasty little Pharma-Bro in ‘The Card Game Job’. One that is so greedy and so evil, that he actually jacks the price on an important treatment up so high, that people might die from their affliction because they cannot afford the medication. Which of course, springs the team to action to figure out how to best bring this monster down and well… as it turns out, the best way to bring down a greedy monster is to find a way to appeal to his greedy instincts. A feat the team accomplishes by making it appear as though a popular card game company that Jim Cordozar has a stake in, has interested buyers, the kind that will pay stupid money to buy it out from under him. And the hope of this particular ploy, was to motivate Jim to counteroffer to not lose part of his empire and once he did that, the bottom would fall out of this fake deal and ruin him in the process. Which is a plan that came close to fruition, until the real owner of the company, Deric Springer, decided he actually wanted to sell his company to Jim. A twist that forced the team to take part in the game itself in order to try and convince Deric that selling to such a weasel was a bad idea and thanks to everyone’s efforts, they pulled off that feat and saved the day and even exposed a cure that Jim was hiding. But what matters more, is that it was so wonderful to see the team use honor and integrity as weapons in this instance, since that is what brought about Jim’s downfall. In part because the high road rocks, but also because that sends a message to the viewer that perhaps one of the best ways for us to stop guys like Jim… is to speak up, to really make people question their integrity and their morals in a manner that forces them to rethink their course of action. Giving us power against monsters like that at last. Which just serves to remind us of how brilliant this series is and how uplifting it can be and as an added bonus… let’s be honest… that card game finale was just the best. Because it was beyond hilarious to see everyone try and blend in as knights and mages and everything in between and Eliot’s solution to winning the joust was about as efficient as it gets. But in the end, what truly makes this episode so worth our while, is the sheer fact that it hammers home that Dean Devlin and his team are going to examine every corner of corruption and bullying in this world, so that the right conversations take place at last and that truly makes this show quite influential in nature. Because a conversation is often how change begins. Until next time. Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains spoilers for the finale of ‘The North Water’. Stories that feature redemption, tend to follow quite the baseline formula. One that revolves around a broken person that goes through utter hell in order to learn a valuable lesson so they can become strong and overcome their demons and well, that formula exists because it is inspirational in nature and allows for the viewer or reader to walk away from the story with wonder and awe in their eyes. But while that particular formula is quite lovely and cuddly in nature, and popular to boot, it really is something of a fantasy scenario. Because not everyone gets redemption in this world and sometimes their resolution to the journey is sour in nature. Which is why you have to celebrate stories that focus upon that darker side, because they offer up a raw and visceral journey, one that gives us pause and reminds us that redemption takes work and not luck and that’s precisely why the finale of The North Water is of note. For ‘To Live Is To Suffer’ saw Patrick Sumner take some time to rest and recuperate in the hut that he was brought to at the end of the last episode and while he rested and learned about indigenous ways and religion from the missionary that saved him, his attitude toward life changed considerably. For he came to realize that he found no meaning in what happened, just sorrow and strife and the best way to deal with it was to move on. That motivated him to return to London when the time was right and try to do just that. By collecting his wages and hopefully helping the police to keep an eye out for Henry Drax so that some justice would come from this and that… only brought forth more strife. For Drax was alive and well, and in the care of the boat’s owner, Mister Baxter and well… the possibility of having Drax and the insurance plans exposed was enough to have Baxter send the beastly man to kill Sumner, a move that went poorly for this predator. For Sumner was ready and waiting to teach him a lesson and when the chips were down, Patrick did the unthinkable and took Drax's life in order to survive and realizing that Baxter was likely behind this attack, motivated Patrick to do something quite bold. In that, he went back to Baxter’s in the middle of the night and forced him to gush about his plans for Sumner and the insurance scheme at gunpoint. And when faced with the fact that a civilized man of stature, one that Patrick wanted to be so badly at one point, was capable of plotting murder and using human beings as pawns for his financial gain, he opted instead to do whatever he wanted, and he promptly robbed Baxter and killed him and went into hiding for the rest of life. For there was no point in being anything more than a thief and murderer that did not want to be found, not when his perception of the world was bleak and hopeless and well… that’s how Patrick’s story ends. With nothing more than him hiding away from a world he could no longer stand. Which is a supremely bleak way to bring a bleak tale to an end and the show deserves a round of applause for going this route. For that is incredibly realistic in nature, since redemption doesn’t come for all and sometimes people get lost to the world and the horrors that it can send our way and well, that’s really all there is say about this episode and this story. Aside from the fact that it really was quite the impressive ride, because it is rare in this day and age to find stories that embrace hopelessness and anger and darkness in this manner, but they are necessary for certain. Since they serve as cautionary tales, the kind that show us what we can become when we let go and let the world wash over us and hopefully, this bleak journey helps others to learn to fight and stand tall, so they don’t become the shell that is Patrick Sumner.
Please enjoy a sneak peek of tomorrow’s brand-new episode of Ted Lasso, streaming exclusively on AppleTV+.
Written by John Edward Betancourt Something that we don’t talk about all that often in regard to professional wrestling, is the sheer fact that it has managed to touch the lives of so many. Which is a statement, that undoubtedly raised some eyebrows, because there are some folks who do not like wrestling in the slightest. But the fact that there are people who don’t enjoy it, speaks to that particular point. Because somehow, some way, people are aware of wrestling, and they know what it is about and have some kind of emotional opinion regarding it and that’s just incredible. Because it takes something special to touch people in that manner. But this sport (yes, it is a sport) has managed to pull off this particular feat and enjoy strength and longevity because of it. However, what’s truly fascinating about wrestling, is the sheer fact that it has yet to become a true fixture in everyday pop culture. Because one would think that its long and winding and engrossing storylines would allow for writers and directors everywhere to build upon its wonder. But alas, most wrestling movies and shows are relegated to comedy and parody and/or dark explorations of the trappings of fame. Or the good ones are short lived, in nature. But it would seem that in this era of peak television, where we crave new ideas, the time has finally arrived for wrestling to enjoy its day in the pop culture spotlight, courtesy of a brand-new television series. For on Sunday, August 15, 2021, STARZ will debut a dynamic series entitled, Heels, and well… make no mistake about it… this is a quality show about independent wrestling. One where the Duffy Wrestling League has captivated the town of Duffy, Georgia to the point where the city shuts down when it is time for the wrestlers in this league to throw down and well… that wonderfully unique setting for this series leads to a bevy of wonder and awe, courtesy of some fascinating elements. Such as the fact that this series takes wrestling seriously from the get-go, by showing us how much work goes into preparing a competition both physically and mentally and by taking the time to play wrestling straight and show us the commitment that goes into it, the series then blossoms into so much more. Because this is also a show about family and the difficulties that come with working with them and navigating their needs and wants and dreams in the workplace and everyday life. Speaking of dreams by the way, well that notion is what allows for this particular series to shine. Because it offers up a powerful exploration on the power of dreams, and why we chase them and hold onto them tight and that leads to some powerful moments in this show for certain. The kind that are genuinely relatable since a lot of what drives our heroes and villains in this story, drives us in our hunt for the dream. Such as how some of us chase it for fame and glory, while some of us see the dream as our ticket out of our current situation, while others… chase it because it is truly their calling and nothing else in this life will ever satisfy them and having that present here… makes this a genuinely incredible story. One that takes us on quite the emotional ride as the warriors of the DWL fight to taste their dream and truth be told this is hands down, the most realistic examination of the grand pursuit of dreams to ever grace the small screen. However, none of this works without a cast that sell both the majesty of wrestling and the ups and downs that come with chasing our dreams and thankfully, that’s present here too. Because the entire cast from top to bottom is top notch, with veterans Stephen Amell and Mary McCormack and Chris Bauer leading the charge and they’re complimented nicely by the dynamic Alexander Ludwig, Alison Luff, Kelli Berglund and James Harrison and Allen Maldonado and Mike O’Malley and well, their fine performances and everything else we’ve discussed today make this an absolutely brilliant and flawless series. One that blends humor and drama and emotion and philosophy together to create living poetry, and truly… this writer cannot wait to dive deep into every incredible episode with all of you in the weeks to come as we journey through the world of wrestling in a series that finally gives this sport the respect, it is due. ‘Heels’ premieres on STARZ on August 15, 2021, at 9 p.m. EST.
Please enjoy this clip from the series premiere of ‘Heels’, which makes its debut on STARZ on August 15, 2021 at 9 p.m. EST.
Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season one finale of ‘Blindspotting’. Having a plan for tomorrow, is something that is paramount to the human condition. For we are taught from an early age, that we are the masters of our domain and because of that, with a little planning and a lot of effort, we can scheme or mold our future as we see fit and doing so, will provide us with endless rewards. Such as genuine peace in our souls, and happiness because we have what we always wanted and of course, it gives us wisdom and standing because we proved that planning and execution works. But while there is merit to that particular mantra, since we’ve seen people take it to heart and garner great success with it, there is an unfortunate twist to this concept that we don’t talk about enough in everyday life. In that, few things ever go according to plan in life. For the universe is filled to the brim with chaos and randomness, the kind that will take our plan and blow it up in a singular moment. Which should in turn, spell disaster for us since the odds are seemingly stacked against us. But what truly allows for people to ‘follow a plan to a tee’ is adaptability and creativity. So that one can use the twists and turns the story sends our way to one’s advantage and get the plan, albeit slightly changed, back on track. For only then can we truly see our plans come to fruition and enjoy the benefits that come with that and really, this particularly frustrating part of life is top of mind today, simply because it was on full display in the season one finale of Blindspotting. For ‘Bride or Die’ saw Ashley take a moment and reflect upon her journey… and how little went according to plan. Because life wasn’t supposed to be quite like this, with her beloved person in jail and her raising her son on her own. But this was indeed the reality of the situation and well, she believed the time had come to embrace adaptability and change and do something bold to get some semblance of what she really wanted. Which was a life with Miles as husband and wife, and a house where they could be together with Sean and well… in order to obtain a sliver of that reality for the time being, she opted to take the family to jail, dressed to the nines of course, so she could marry Miles right there in prison. A plan that ironically… saw more road bumps and twists and turns come into play. Since silly snafus and missing IDs and a flaky priest made it seem as though the magical day wouldn’t take place. But thanks to Janelle’s heartwarming and powerful admission and thoughts on the nature of love, Ashley quickly found herself emboldened and eager to continue to roll with the punches to get what she wanted and deserved and eventually… she found herself face to face with Miles, in a wedding dress and with the ring on and she was able to have a wonderful heart to heart with him. One where they both professed their love for one another in an honest and beautiful manner and where a newly ordained Trish… was able to finally get to the two of them to commit to the ultimate union and well, that was a wonderful way to bring this family’s journey this season to a close. Since it really did hammer home that perseverance and adaptation will indeed pay off for us when we have something we genuinely want in life. However, as this series is wont to do, it still found a way to inject some powerful commentary into the story as well and that was accomplished by way of Earl’s journey in this tale. Because despite finally feeling free and as though his life was turning around in a wonderful manner… Earl ended his day with fear and sorrow. Because the tugboat had another boat to bring in, which put Earl dangerously close to missing his curfew of 7 p.m. and well, thanks to the incompetence and lack of care from his employer and James for that matter as well… Earl violated probation and was brought back to jail, and this was just both devastating and poignant. Because it really does speak to the high and unrealistic expectations that surround former prisoners, and how they are in many ways… prisoners even on probation. Despite the fact that they’ve done their time and paid their debt to society, and until there are real reforms in the system, there will still be men like Earl that suffer on a daily basis and well, how we get there is anyone’s guess. If anything, all we can hope for is that the series has some ideas to express in its second season and well, that powerful journey and the moving and unconventional wedding that took place in this tale, make a second season a downright necessity. Simply because this really is one of the most refreshing and original shows on the airwaves right now, thanks to its brave storytelling and dynamic commentary on the justice system in America and well… television needs a show like this right now. One that blazes trails and forces us to have difficult conversations and hopefully we get a second season announcement soon from STARZ. So, we can see where this story goes, and where that Daveed Diggs cameo will take us as well. But while we wait for that, we can bask in the wonder of one incredible season of storytelling, one that really did wow us at every turn by holding up a mirror to greatest ordeal of all… everyday life. Until next year. Written by John Edward Betancourt Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Eden: Untamed Planet’. The further we continue along in our journey through the various paradises that populate the globe, via the series, Eden: Untamed Planet, the more it is becoming apparent that this show is designed debunk some of the tropes that are stuck in our minds when it comes to the word, ‘paradise’. Because in our minds that word is associated with vast resources and beauty and sustainability and harmony, where a person could get lost in the majesty of nature at its purest and this series is making it clear, that paradise is a flawed concept. Because to nature, the creation of paradise involves creating perfect balance, the kind where every creature that populates said Utopia can eat and thrive and continue to survive for generations on end and that revelation, is bringing about some fascinating lessons. Such as how the true oases of the world… are wrought with savagery and fights for survival, set to the backdrop of beauty of course and it just so happens that the next episode in this majestic series hammered home that particular point. For ‘Luangwa: The Emerald Valley’ introduced us to a part of Zambia that is completely and utterly the human definition of paradise. For it is untouched by mankind thanks to its unique soil structure and it is filled with lush green landscapes and iconic wildlife, making this place appear to outright resemble something from a storybook. Upon closer analysis however, we can see that this part of the world is indeed nature’s definition of paradise since the animals here must fight hard to see another day and their tenuous relationship to one another and the earth itself… creates that aforementioned balance. For every creature here, lives by rules of one particular entity… water. Specifically, the waters of the Luangwa River. For this massive body of liquid changes shape throughout the year and its standing with the changing of the season, dictates how the animals around these parts, live. For instance, leopards tend to thrive when the waters have started to recede in the dry season, since they can use the riverbeds that are now flush with vegetation to properly hunt the antelope that eat what grows in the riverbed and while it is wonderful to know that some animals adapt easily to the dry season… others are not so fortunate. There are monkeys for instance and other herbivores that must fight both the elements and one another for food, giving us a better understanding of how savage this beautiful and lush part of the world can be at times and truly, the harsh nature of the dry season stands in fascinating contrast to when the rains arrive. Because the wet season brings forth a renewal of life, since animals breed en masse, knowing full well that the lush waters and greenery that follows the rush of liquid will sustain them and their brood and it was just fascinating to see how nature ebbs and flows in this manner and how some of the animals we saw struggling in the dry season, act quite different when water is everywhere. Those very monkeys for instance, are now able to eat with impunity and their fights are instead related to enjoying a meal in silence versus battling for the last morsel and the leopards that once were able to hunt with ease, now have to plot and plan how to capture a meal. To the point where they will even utilize mating rituals to their advantage by attacking when the guard of a battling male is down and well… this really was a wonderful way to teach the audience that paradise really is something that mankind creates. Since chaos and fights for survival were everywhere to be found here, and that makes this particular oasis no different than any other part of the world, it just so happens to be surrounded by beautiful and lush scenery and powerful landscapes. But while that made for a sobering and powerful lesson in humility since it speaks to how fortunate we are to live in beautiful places, free from this level of chaos, this kind of beautiful environment does have some paradise-like benefits. Because there are rare animals out there, the kind that we have pushed to extinction, that have discovered this place and call it their home now… and that in turn is allowing for their numbers to grow once again. Which is about as storybook as it gets and who knows, perhaps if we finally band together and push to leave places like this to their own chaotic and beautiful devices, perhaps our definition of paradise will change at last, and we can associate that word, with rebirth and survival… for the world’s most endangered species. Until next time. Written by John Edward Betancourt There are a great many reasons as to why fans and critics hold the AMC series, Breaking Bad, in such high regard. Because not only was this story a modern great American tragedy, one that truly showed us how the American Dream can corrupt us as much as inspire us, but it also told its harrowing tale in an unconventional and fresh manner. One that felt painfully real at times, since it was complete with the ebbs and flows of everyday life and it remains one of the few shows out there, that was able to change its pacing on a moment’s notice and still satisfy its audience. Which is a testament to its writing and its character building and well, the show’s ability to shift gears on a moment’s notice is of note today, simply because the next episode in this series utilized that storytelling tool once again. For ‘Bullet Points’ is a story that is one-half character study and one-half crime drama, and it pulls off this particular feat by once again immersing us in the strange life that Walter and Skyler White now lead. Because with the purchase of the car wash nearing completion, questions were quickly going to arise about how the White family managed to pony up the dough for such an item when Walt was out of work and recovering from major surgery and that motivated Skyler to put together one epic backstory. One that answered any and all questions people might have and well, the plan was to try this routine out in front of Hank and Marie at dinner… since they would notice such a big transaction first and really, this was just a fascinating sequence to watch. Since it took a drug dealer’s conundrum and normalized it and made it mundane, creating a strange sense of realism. Plus, it really spoke to how far Skyler and Walter have transformed themselves as characters. Since they now have no problems with breaking the law and getting theirs, provided of course they can do it without any scrutiny and that just goes to show that a transition to ‘evil’, for lack of a better word, is quick in nature once someone makes the choice to embrace it and well, while we could have watched more of that for an entire hour, there was mention of a crime drama twist to this tale. Which oddly enough, came about at dinner with the Schraders. Because Hank couldn’t resist showing Walter his new side project, and no… we’re not talking about the minerals (rocks) in his bedroom, although he did show those off, we’re talking about Gale’s notebook. Because it was a damn blueprint to the superlab and it had a hint that Walter was involved in all this. A clue he thankfully was able to deflect and well, that motivated Walt to speak with Jesse right away. Because he had to know if there were any clues left behind at Gale’s, that might bring this wondrous wall of money crashing down around everyone and sadly… Walt was unable to get anything out of him. For Jesse was still in his dark place, where drugs and sex and partying were the only cure to his blues and that in turn… led to some trouble for certain. For Gus has been watching closely for some time now, and Jesse’s detachment left him quite concerned. To the point where he had Mike step in and handle a thief that stole all of Jesse’s drug money, and when Mike’s attempts to get through to Jesse didn’t work… well, he took some extra steps to show him how important discretion and care are in this job, by taking Jesse into the desert. Hopefully to have a little heart to heart, and really, in the end, all of these elements make this another great episode from a truly iconic franchise. Simply because everything here, keeps your attention from start to finish by way of compelling and intimate and powerful moments and, as an added bonus… it’s a keystone episode as well. Because Walt’s long talk with Saul Goodman about how everything is falling to pieces because no one wants to be a professional, brings up mention of a man that helps people to permanently ‘disappear’ without a trace, in a positive manner of course. And that mention sets the stage for some big moments down the line, the kind that start in the climax of this tragedy and wrap up in season five of Better Call Saul, and that’s just epic and huge and a fine reminder that things are going to get very ugly in the days and weeks to come. But even if this episode didn’t have that welcome bit of connective tissue, it would still stand on its own as quite the powerhouse tale, one that has some fine cliffhangers for us to chew upon. For what Mike wants with Jesse remains unresolved and of course, one must be quite curious as to why other criminals are eager to attack Los Pollos Hermanos shipments and well, the only way to resolve those mysteries… is to continue the journey, post haste. Until next time. |
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