Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 203 of ‘Ted Lasso’.
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Something that's supremely unique about sports films and television shows is that they make a grand effort to stay away from examining modern struggles or offering up commentary about our world, and it makes some sense as to why. The sports genre has worked hard to establish itself as one of inspiration— But as the storytelling landscape continues to change and shift, and as audiences demand depth that reflects upon the realities of the world, it's only a matter of time before social commentary becomes the norm in the sports genre. It appears that the Apple TV+ series, Ted Lasso is looking to lead the way in this change as evidenced by its latest episode.

‘Do the Right-est Thing,’ is filled to the brim with fascinating commentary on a matter that no sports show is addressing at the moment, and it approached this particular examination by outright surprising us. Early in this episode, it seemed as though this chapter in Ted's story was going to focus heavily on the reintegration of Jamie Tartt into the squad— something that was, quite frankly, not going well. Everyone on the team saw Jamie as the enemy, and that motivated Ted to bust out his ‘evil’ alter ego: Led Tasso. A nasty (for Ted, anyway) coach that used yelling and language as spicy as chipotle mayonnaise to motivate his team. Ted's plan for busting out ol' Led, was to get to the team to hate him instead of Jamie, and his plan worked in spades. Not only did the team quickly become sick of the schtick, but it was Jamie who called "Led" out on it. In doing so, Jamie was suddenly respected and welcomed again by the team, and oddly enough, the resolution of that little problem is what allowed the story to ease into social commentary.

After Sam Obisanya was free of his frustrations of having Jamie back on the team, he had to deal with a moral conundrum because in this episode, he was selected to become the face of Dubai Air which included photoshoots and an entire ad campaign revolving around him. However, after Sam's father informed him of the heinous acts that Dubai's parent company participated in back at home, Sam decided that he needed to make a stand. Sam stepped away from the campaign and used his star-status on the team to speak out against those injustices. Sam's decision leads to some beautiful moments such as when Rebecca stands with Sam and basically tells Dubai Air to "take a hike" when they express their desire to have Sam cut from the team over spurning their ad campaign. And it even led to more solidarity amongst the team because when Sam took the time to block out the Dubai logo on his jersey, and when he explained his reasoning, everyone followed suit— including Jamie Tartt.​

Although that moment definitely made for some feel good moments on our phones, tablets and televisions, let's be honest— the way that the team rallied behind Sam and supported his decision gave us pause because it was an outright allegory for the Black Lives Matter protests that swept the NFL just a couple of years ago. Wherein Colin Kaepernick and other players knelt during the national anthem to protest how African Americans are treated by police. What gives the viewer pause here is that in this area of T.V. Land, everyone did the opposite of how this was handled in America. There were no cutaways to incompetent politicians decrying Sam's act as "wrong for the nation." Nor were there any fools with two followers on Twitter speaking out of their backsides about freedoms with impunity. Instead, the right thing was on display; nothing more, nothing less. Going this route, rather than the alternative, brought about a powerful analysis on this type of act from athletes.

This episode made it clear that athletes are indeed seen as genuine heroes in this world; for they accomplish wonders and bring joy to lives everywhere with their incredible athletic feats, and they could —and should— use their 'powers' for good. Athletes can raise awareness about issues that are important in our world, start conversations, and enact change. Equally important is that we as fans should be encouraging them to do so, instead of telling them to 'shut up and play'. This an opportunity for athletes to influence the young minds that look up to them to be better people, to fight for what's right, and teach them that if they're strong enough in their conviction and show others the way, wonders of equity and unity can eventually be achieved. This kind of change was evidenced by the NFL's eventual and mostly proper handling of these protests and the ones that swept the United States in 2020: The league put the proper message on helmets and in end-zones to raise awareness, and they committed to causes to end systemic racism.
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The commentary explored in this episode leaves viewers in awe because everything we just analyzed was handled in a supremely subtle and intelligent manner that will stay with the viewer because they'll be thinking about all of those elements for days on end. This also goes to show that sports shows can, in fact, offer more depth in their stories. And if handled correctly, sports entertainment can also analyze the troubles of our world and give us plenty to think about when it comes to how we solve our challenges. Hopefully, other sports shows take a page from Ted Lasso and make their own attempts at speaking to our world. But while we wait for that day to come, we can bask in the wonder of one brilliant tale, the one that "did it first" and pulled it off in a hilarious but meaningful fashion. As always, the humor here was simply sublime; specifically the Led Tasso sequence and the return of Flo. In the end, all of this just goes to show that Ted Lasso really is the finest sports show on the airwaves, and it will undoubtedly continue to wow us and blaze trails as season two rolls along. Until next time!

It is definitely safe to say, that television fans everywhere… love to see cast members from shows gone by, reunite in something new. In part because it elicits a sense of wondrous nostalgia, since we are reminded as to why we love those particular actors int the first place, but also because… having old friends reunite on the screen is simply an electric experience. Since they had incredible chemistry in the first place, the kind that glued us to our sets on a weekly basis and well, it just so happens that a big reunion between two beloved actors from a beloved show is drawing near.

For earlier today, Acorn TV announced that Lucy Lawless will share the screen with her Xena: Warrior Princess co-star Renee O’Connor in season two of My Life is Murder and well, this is about as epic and as awesome as it gets. For they were a perfect on-screen duo and played off of one another in a magical fashion and well, rather than ramble on… here are the details on this reunion, alongside some updated details for season two of this magnificent series, courtesy of Acorn TV.

Acorn TV’s ‘My Life is Murder’ is reuniting Lucy Lawless with her former castmate from the iconic ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ series, Renee O’Connor, in season two, which premieres on AMC Networks’ acclaimed streaming service Acorn TV on Monday, August 30. In an upcoming episode of the hit New Zealand mystery series, Alexa (Lawless) investigates the death of a self-help guru and finds herself in a cat-and-mouse game with the victim’s mysterious wife (O’Connor).

Season two will reunite Lucy with several former castmates from her most iconic series, including Anna Hutchison (‘Spartacus’), Graham Vincent (‘Spartacus’), Jay Ryan (‘Beauty and The Beast’, ‘It Chapter Two’, ‘Mary Kills People’) and Bruce Hopkins (‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’), as well as an array of previously announced guest stars including William Shatner (‘Star Trek’, ‘Haven’), Martin Henderson (‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘The Gloaming’), Michelle Ang (‘Fear the Walking Dead’, ‘Triple 9’), Sara Wiseman (‘A Place to Call Home’, ‘Rake’), Bill Bailey (‘Black Books’, ‘Spaced’), Matt Whelan (‘Narcos: Mexico’, ‘The Sounds’) and popular drag performers Kita Mean and Amanduh La Whore.

Alexa finds herself back in her home country of New Zealand for the first time in years and can’t help herself when she is asked to look into a bizarre unsolved murder. Joined again by her partner-in-crime-solving, Madison Feliciano (Ebony Vagulans), as well as series newcomers including the charismatic detective Harry (Rawiri Jobe) and café owner Reuben (Joe Naufahu), she quickly finds herself investigating other murder mysteries in surprising, glamorous worlds filled with intriguing characters who are hiding dangerous and deadly secrets.

If anything, this reunion is proof positive that season two of this series, is going to be nothing short of spectacular. Since Lucy and Renee will undoubtedly provide us with more incredible performances and memorable moments and well, all today’s announcement does, is make the wait for season two of this series about as difficult as it gets and we here at Nerds That Geek, cannot wait for August 30, 2021, to get here. So, we can indulge in a brand-new case and a grand reunion between two ridiculously talented actors.   

One particular storytelling quirk that continuously shows up in the masterpiece that is Breaking Bad, is that the series loves to expand upon concepts that fascinate the writers’ room. Which is why from time to time, we see several episodes that ponder upon whatever it was that left everyone going ‘hmm’ and season four is no exception to this particular pattern. For the next episode in this series, ‘Open House’, takes the time to expand upon the notion that was introduced in the season four premiere. Specifically, how we handle adversity when it comes knocking and it does make sense as to why this excited the writers of this series so. After all, the possibilities are endless when it comes to how people deal with tough times and Walter and Jesse’s respective journeys were merely the tip of the iceberg of that exploration.
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But to truly keep this deeper exploration on the matter, dynamic and engaging, writer Sam Catlin opted to do something quite bold, by having a secondary character deal with this conundrum. For this particular tale focuses heavily on Hank and Marie and the stresses their marriage is currently enduring, largely due to the fact that Hank takes his already insufferable nature to a whole new level here. Because at every turn he is just ripping on Marie and abusing her verbally and demanding the world of her, and while she does indeed love Hank and knows that this is part of the healing process… she sadly doesn’t say all that much about his actions and internalizes the abuse and that’s not healthy in the slightest. In fact, it motivates Marie to take out her frustrations in a supremely unique manner… by escaping into fantasies that she creates in her mind and using them to sneak into open houses so that she can steal from said houses. 

An act that quite frankly, works like a charm for her. Because in that moment, she can truly be someone else and speak to a life that isn’t filled with a cranky husband that sulks and surrounds himself with rocks, since collecting minerals is his new hobby and for a time… it appears as though this strange therapy is going to be quite successful for Marie. But alas, as is often the case, negative behaviors bring about negative consequences and eventually… one particular real estate agent became wise to her game and got Marie in trouble with the cops. To the point where Hank had to call in some local favors to free her and well… this really was quite the fascinating take on how we deal with adversity. Since this just goes to show that under the right circumstances, some people won’t deal with their problems in a healthy manner… they’ll use their anger to punish others. 

However, as season four is wont to do, there were more juicy plotlines present within the framework of this tale. Such as the thread involving quite the win for Skyler. Since she was able to convince Walt and Saul to go along with her plans for securing the car wash, and after a little Goodman inspired trickery, she landed it. Plus, we also came to learn that Jesse Pinkman is still suffering badly from his traumatic experience involving Gale, in fact… he’s diving deeper into drugs and parties and whatever temporary joy he can find so he doesn’t have to deal with the fact that he killed a man. And speaking of Gale’s death… well, this is the episode that informed the audience that that closing shot of his infamous notebook was of supreme importance after all. Since Albuquerque P.D. gave that very notebook and their case notes to Hank to look over, as a return favor for getting Marie off the hook.

Which means, it is only a matter of time before some serious clues about Walter and Gus and the operation come to light and that’s terrifying to say the least, since no good will come from that. But while we wait to see where that unfortunate surprise takes us, we can revel in the majesty of one fascinating tale. One that really did offer up a quality exploration on what happens when we turn adversity into something quite negative and more importantly, it allowed for Betsy Brandt to really shine. Because up until now, her character has been relegated to heavy background duty, so it was nice to see Betsy take the center stage and remind us of her vast talent and well, now that this fascinating exploration has come to a close, it’s time to dive into the next chapter of this grand and sweeping and downright engaging, tragedy. Until next time.    

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Leverage: Redemption’.
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It is definitely safe to say, that Leverage: Redemption, has been quite the satisfying series. Because not only has it reunited the team in a dynamic and compelling manner, but it is definitely giving a frustrated audience what it wants. For week in and week out, fans everywhere are being treated to satisfying justice. The kind where unjust jerkfaces in positions of power, are getting exactly what they deserve, courtesy of the team’s wonderful skill set. But while it has been nice to see a real estate mogul and a seedy former congressman and a rich fat cat obtain their just desserts, sticking with just that would be too easy for Dean Devlin and his crack writing staff. For they enjoy challenging themselves and the viewers and covering all the bases of the story they’re telling and that’s top of mind today, simply because the next episode in this magnificent saga offers up a different kind of story that accomplishes those very goals.
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Because Dean and his team are keen to the fact that there are other jerkwads in the world taking advantage of the innocent. The kind of twerps that enjoy preying upon folks that aren’t technologically adept or are easy to scare… or for the sake of today’s recap, are emotionally vulnerable and hurting. For ‘The Paranormal Hacktivity Job’ wastes zero time in introducing us to a woman named Tina, who is indeed in a tough place emotionally. For Tina’s beloved aunt has passed, and the only memory she has left of her is the house that’s been gifted to Tina and well… unfortunately for her… others want the property as well. In fact, they want it so badly, they’re willing to make the place look haunted to clear her out. An act that leads to fiery disaster.

But thankfully, Tina had a run in with Parker after this spooky scam went sideways and well, it didn’t take long for Parker and Sophie and Breanna to put together that some low-life wannabe real estate barons wanted to seize the property for their own nefarious purposes and well, this trio wasn’t going to let that slide. Which in turn motivated them to set up a delightful trap for these guys, one that would teach them a valuable lesson in preying upon the innocent and the broken. Which uh, of course went sideways. Since these dudes were actually working with an elite assassin, who needed an empty house to properly operate, and that in turn allowed for all kinds of wild shenanigans to take place before the team brought the right guys to justice, giving Tina and her new property a fresh start in the process. 

But all of that aside, what makes this episode of note, is that writers Chris Downey and Jill Weinberger, do a wonderful job of encapsulating the smaller scams that we honestly don’t give enough thought or attention to. Because what Tina went through here… is happening around us at any given moment. It just comes in the form of a phone call, one either laden with grave concern for the lack of an extended warranty on a car or one filled with worry revolving around a potential virus upon your laptop. And the point of spotlighting everyday scams that we brush off or lament, is to remind us to not brush them off and take whatever steps necessary to flag these guys or expose them. Because scumbags like that, don’t do well under pressure or in being exposed and tend to fade away when that happens and well… that’s just the show’s way of saying, we can do more, we can be proactive, and we can make a difference.

Who knows, if perhaps enough of us take that message to heart, shows like this will become more fantasy than reflective fiction since scammers will be thinking twice about going for it and that message is just… wonderful to see present within the framework of this episode. In fact, it made it quite uplifting, as did Parker and Breanna and Sophie’s actions. Because you can never go wrong with heroes dropping everything to watch out for the everyday folks of the world and well, this episode just goes to show without a doubt, that Leverage: Redemption is going to surprise us at every turn. By way of thoughtful stories that challenge the viewer while pleasing them and this reviewer cannot wait to see what other storytelling surprises await us, as season one chugs along. Until next time.

Please enjoy a sneak peek of tomorrow’s brand-new episode of Ted Lasso, streaming exclusively on AppleTV+.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘The North Water’.
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We are taught when we are young, that disaster brings out the best in humanity. A lesson that is reinforced by the disasters we watch play out on television, since we see first responders rushing toward the danger and when the dust has settled, we hear about people that are eager to donate blood or provide those in need with supplies, truly helping us to believe that our darkest hour is when we shine. But as we grow older, we come to realize, that particular lesson is horrendously incorrect. For what we saw back in the day was nothing more than a façade. For in reality, those dark moments were disasters on a small scale, the kind that impacted a limited number of people, and that matters because we eventually come to learn that when disaster happens on a large scale, or we are in the midst of it with others… human behavior is nowhere near as noble.
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In fact, disaster motivates some individuals to become quite selfish, or apathetic, or even worse… it brings out the worst in people since they believe now they can act without remorse or impunity since the end is nigh and well, for proof, look no further than the past year and a half, or on a smaller scale… by way of this week’s episode of The North Water on AMC+. For ‘The Devils of the Earth’ saw the survivors of the Volunteer more or else fall to pieces when faced with the harsh realities of surviving in the middle of the arctic, outside of Patrick Sumner, who desperately tried to keep the morale of the men thriving… with mixed results, of course. For they were indeed filled with apathy and dread and in many ways, were ready to accept their fate and honestly, had it not been for Sumner’s pushing… they might have wasted away, and that was just the beginning of this grand exploration into how we handle a disaster in negative manner.

For Cavendish and a few of the other crew members, helped to the explore the selfish nature we can take on when major trouble arises, as evidenced by the wild behaviors they exhibited. Cavendish for instance, immediately took a hard leadership stance when some indigenous hunters dropped by with seal meat to offer in trade, demanding that they stay and feed them, nearly jeopardizing the safety of the group since they nearly left over such wild demands. Plus, he also… in a supremely desperate gambit, released Henry Drax in the hopes that Henry would do right by him and get him back home when Henry announced he was going to venture with the hunters back to their camp. A move that ended in disaster when Henry murdered both the hunters and Cavendish in an effort to save his own hide before escaping into the night. Which in turn left everyone hungry and that motivated the rest of the crew to set out on their own to try and find a whaling station to get help, leaving Sumner and Otto behind. 

Which in turn, allowed for the story to explore how disaster can make us desperate, to the point where we will do whatever it takes to get what we want at the expense of others. A feat that the story accomplished by having Sumner push himself into the wastelands of the arctic in a desperate attempt to hunt a polar bear for food. A move that reduced the camp to just Otto, and he was without supplies or hope or survival and it nearly killed Sumner as well. For he was surrounded by nothing more than ice and snow and his growing hunger related madness, and while he did indeed kill his bear… it was a pyrrhic victory. For there was no way he was going to drag that carcass back to camp, and there was no way to cook it in the midst of a blizzard. So, he resigned himself… to simply using the corpse for warmth and wait out an uncertain future. One that likely would have ended in death, had it not been for quite the surprise.

For a stranger in this wasteland, found Sumner and brought him back to his cozy little shack/oasis in the middle of the ice and snow and it would seem that Patrick is going to survive after all, thanks to the kindness of this gent and his servant, which makes for a bittersweet ending for certain. Since so many are likely dead or dying while Sumner recovers from the cold. All because everyone buckled during this crisis, and it is that collapse that definitely gives one pause. For it truly did give us a harrowing examination of what we can become when there is a grand and sweeping disaster at hand and that made for one bleak tale, one that hopefully teaches us a lesson about humility and cooperation in the face of adversity. But all lessons and observations aside, this episode also deserves credit for making us quite eager to see what comes next, now that we know that Patrick has survived the harshness of the arctic. For such a twist, might allow for him to finally enjoy his second chance at life once he returns to the warmth and chaos of everyday society. Until next time.  

If there is one universal truth about humanity, it would have to be that we process dark and traumatic moments very differently. For some, see brushes with the ugliness of life as a reason to run and hide, in an effort to protect themselves from further harm. While others see that kind of adversity as an outright challenge, the kind where they can seize the day and make a bad moment their finest hour and what’s wild, is that is but a sampling of how we deal with such matters. Since others handle it through humor, others aren’t bothered at all, and the list just goes on and on. If anything, this is top of mind today, simply because the contrasting manner in which we handle adversity, served as the focal theme of the next episode of Breaking Bad and understandably so.
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After all, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman stared down death in the last episode, and despite coming out of the showdown with Gus Fring physically unscathed, emotionally… they were in a rough place. Because Gus did make it clear that he was ready to act violently toward them at any given time and well… that motivated Walter, to take the bravery route. Because he saw this as a chance to show Gus that he wasn’t afraid of him and to make it clear they were equals. Which motivated him to buy a gun and try and finesse Mike to get him in a room with Gus to assert that a world of fear wasn’t going to fly with Heisenberg and well, if it didn’t go well… Gus would pay. A move that failed and ended with a fist to the jaw from Mike. But all that aside, this segment really did demonstrate nicely how the euphoria of fear can be turned into something quite motivational, if we focus on the upside.

Which is a lesson that served in grave contrast to Jesse’s journey in this tale. Because being close to death again and being forced to murder another human being in cold blood… left Jesse in a dark place and well, he’s the kind of person that will retreat and hide and do whatever it takes to bury the dark emotions flowing through his veins. As evidenced by his desire to fill the house with good tunes and big parties, since that allowed for Jesse to just get high and full and relish in the wonder of making others high and happy and while that is obviously the wrong way to handle this since he needs to confront the darkness… in this moment, little can be done. Because this is how Jesse has always handled his tougher days. But hopefully, he gets through this tough spot faster since Gus will undoubtedly continue to ratchet up the pressure.

But all worries aside, it really was quite refreshing to see this on display in a crime drama, since the characters are always tough as nails and expected to just forge ahead through dark times in this genre. So, episodes like this remind us that even drug dealers are human, and they choose this path and all the emotional consequences that come with it, and it does indeed change a person since Walt and Jesse are vastly different now than when we first met them. But while this examination on how we deal with trauma could have carried this episode, there was more juicy storytelling to be found in this tale. For Hank is in fact, getting worse when it comes to his mental state, to the point where Marie appears as though she is ready to snap and that’s not good since Marie deals with adversity by doing some highly illegal stuff.

Plus, we also saw how much Walt’s career choices have influenced Skyler to go above and beyond to get what she wants, since she marched right into Bogdan’s office with figures and charts to show him why he needed to sell his place to the White family, an offer he promptly and rudely refused and well, it will be quite interesting to see how Skyler handles that ugly of a ‘no’ when she is convinced this is the right business for husband’s dirty money and well… in the end, this was just a great episode through and through. One that made the characters the king once again and that always pays off in spades in this series well, all this episode does… is compel one to quickly continue the journey. Because season four of this series isn’t messing around and is building toward something huge and the only way to find out what, is to hit play on the next episode, ‘Open House’. Until next time.

In the everyday world, we celebrate power plays in the workplace. Simply because it means that a whip-smart employee figured out how to game the system and take control, showing upper management their business acumen and desire to move up in the world and move up they shall. For corporate America is all about rewarding that kind of initiative since it speaks to the ingenuity and creativity that capitalism was founded upon. But while it is commonplace to see a line level employee fawned over for taking charge in the workplace, thus securing their future with the firm… what’s wild about this long celebrated and almost… expected process… is that it doesn’t really work anywhere else outside of the office.
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Because people see it in the everyday world as nothing short of rude or out of place, leaving one to wonder why it is encouraged in the first place since it has no merit outside of a bigger payday for a job that is undoubtedly soul sucking. But all of that aside, what’s equally as amazing about this process, is that it can in fact… also be dangerous when applied to the wrong kind of workplace, such as say… the criminal underworld. Because that is a career path were power is everything to those in charge and when someone challenges the boss or tries to wrest that power away, well bad consequences can indeed come about and it just so happens that the dark side to a power play in the drug trade, was explored in frightening detail in the season four premiere of Breaking Bad.

For ‘Box Cutter’ saw Jesse Pinkman and Walter White be detained in the Superlab after Gale died and well, in order to gain control of the situation and reclaim the power that Walter tried to take away… Gus went to some extreme measures. Such as making them wait for hours on end, to the point where the cook was in jeopardy, and to make things more uncomfortable, once Gus showed up at the lab… he had nothing to say. He simply and calmly changed into one of the cook suits to prepare to send a powerful message. One that involved slicing open Victor’s throat, all to make it clear… that power plays would no longer be tolerated, and that Walt and Jesse would abide by his rules, or else, and well, that was quite the frightening sequence to sit though, since there was a real chance that Gus was going to blow his top and indulge in wanton carnage, over having his power and standing as the boss, threatened.

But thankfully, peace came to the lab again and Walter and Jesse can make their money and go about their business, and they do have job security since Gale is dead. But that doesn’t mean that trouble won’t find them soon, since the police now have their hands on the ‘Lab Notes’ notebook that Gale left lying around and it will be quite interesting to see what comes of that, and the other little plot threads that this episode introduced. Such as the fact that Skyler still cares about her husband dearly, as evidenced by how she went the extra mile to check on him, and that’s a huge deal. As is Hank’s standing in this tale, since he is clearly at his lowest point now with his injury and pushing Marie in ways that aren’t healthy.

However, while we wait to see what blossoms from those plot threads, we can bask in one stunning premiere. One that ramped the tension up to eleven in the simplest way imaginable… by introducing the unknown to Walter’s world. Because his future was quite uncertain here, and that was terrifying to say the least and it really does go to show, how stupid the power play can be in the real world and criminal underworld as well. But what matters most, is that this stunning premiere sets the stage for what season four is likely going to look like. Which means we are headed into some supremely dark territory here, the kind where safety might not exist. Because if Gus Fring is willing to gut a trusted associate to assert his power over others… then anything can and will happen and it will be fascinating to see who is left standing when we reach the season finale. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season finale of ‘The Real Manhunter.’

One of the biggest stereotypes that surround police investigators around the globe, especially the ones of fame and note, is that they are in fact, so brilliant, that there is no case that they cannot solve. For we believe that they are able to connect the clues that no one else can and that they have an innate ability to see as only a killer can, giving them a special insight into the madness that drives a murderer. Which in turn helps them to bring the case together and solve it in a breathtaking manner. And that stereotype exists because that is the narrative in crime stories both real and fictional, since such notions make for a compelling and powerful story. But the fact of the matter; is that detectives and investigators aren’t like that in the slightest in the real world.

Because they are in fact, human and sometimes, mistakes are made, or the trail goes cold, and the crime is never solved… or the bad guy gets away, and it just so happens that the season finale of The Real Manhunter takes the time to remind us of those unfortunate facts. A feat that ‘The Disappearance of Maureen Hale’ accomplished by taking us through a particular case that Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton didn’t bring to completion. But it sure didn’t seem like he was going to fail in this case early on. Because he and his team opted to dive into a concerning cold case shortly after they finished up with the Bellfield case and what garnered the attention of the police in regard to this case related to a few key things.

For starters, the double jeopardy laws had changed in the United Kingdom, allowing for the police and the courts to go after murderers that were acquitted in the event new evidence came to light and well… the fact that a great deal of the evidence in Maureen’s case was gravely concerning, meant that this case was quickly reopened. Because somehow, it was missed that days after Maureen’s disappearance was filed with the police, her husband Martin opted to take part in some strange behaviors. Such as offering to rent a pet crematorium for a weekend for reasons unknown. Plus, he made a point to borrow the beater company car one night and a spade that was normally at his place of business went missing for days on end… only to be returned by Martin.

Which is evidence that all pointed to a husband that lost his temper and did something awful on the fateful day that Maureen went missing and well, this was believed to be enough circumstantial evidence to prosecute Martin and undoubtedly get a guilty verdict. But once the case went to trial, things quickly went sideways for the prosecution and for Colin’s case. Because the jury started to have doubts that Martin was indeed a killer. Especially when one considers that a key witness, one that Maureen took on as a lover at the lowest point of her marriage, was viewed by the jury as suspicious. For his temper and threats made the jury believe that perhaps he could have committed this crime instead, and that was enough… to bring back a not guilty verdict for Martin. 

A decision that was humbling for Sutton and his team to say the least, since they so rarely lost cases and often brought incredible evidence to the table. But it happened and there was little that could be done since due process deemed Martin to be innocent and well, that loss led to the case being closed once again and forgotten since there was little left to pursue and, in the end, that made for a humbling story for the audience as well. Since it really did show us that sometimes, even crack investigators don’t get the convictions they want and that… the bad guy wins from time to time, unfortunately. Because whomever harmed Maureen, got away with it and is still out there and that’s tough. Either way, this really was quite the powerful finale when all is said and done, since it provided the audience with a genuine look at the life of a police officer and hopefully, Acorn TV commissions more episodes of this series, so we can really come to understand the career and the life of a phenomenal detective, one that genuinely worked hard to bring justice to the streets of London. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of ‘Jack Irish’.
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One common belief that we all share in, is that our respective tragedies in life are designed to teach us something poignant and powerful, to the point where our lives should be shaped and formed by that awful, awful moment. But while we hold hard to that belief and do our best to right the wrong that has come our way, what’s fascinating about the chaos and pain that comes our way, is that sometimes… its lesson inherent isn’t as deep or as powerful as we might like to think and sometimes, there might not be a lesson at all. We just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and saw our lives change for the worse because of it. Which leaves one to wonder, what do we become and what do we do when we reach that epiphany? And it just so happens that the final episode in the Jack Irish saga explored that question.
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A feat that the series finale accomplished by exposing every detail revolving around Operation Great White and well, what was uncovered brought Jack Irish great heartbreak. Simply because, as the web of deceit unraveled before his eyes, Jack came to learn that Izzy’s death, was not part of some grand plan to harm Jack. No instead, her death revolved around collateral damage, the kind that was set in motion by Great White, and there wasn’t a single officer involved in that operation that chose Izzy for termination through Wayne’s shaky hands, nor were they even aware of Jack Irish. They simply started his heartbreak through their greediness, and because they pushed Wayne a little too hard at an inopportune moment in his life, Izzy ended up being on the end of the gun on a dark day and well, that left Jack beside himself.

For he had spent decades trying to put away scumbags to feel whole about her passing, and of course… he dedicated hours to finding answers to her death, and sacrificed his safety to do so, and well… that’s what led to the exploration of that aforementioned question. Because being faced with the reality that he dedicated his life to righting a wrong that had no depth, forced Jack to reassess his life and his future and everything he’s done since the day she died and well, while he tried to process what should come next for him now that he realized he dedicated himself to fixing a fury that rose out of falsehoods, he figured he could at least do the right thing in the meantime, and bring Troy and his mother to justice. For he also learned that Nina was lying about her true identity and that she told Troy a great deal of lies about who is father actually was in life and well… after quite the hunt, everything came to a head in the most appropriate place possible, a graveyard.

After all, death surrounded this case and death haunted everyone touched by that fateful day when Izzy died. So, what better a place for a massive cash drop… then where the dead rest eternally? And well, it turns out this final showdown with the Milovich family… was actually quite the healthy thing for Mister Irish. For Troy’s decision to put down his mother and himself after learning the truth, brought an end to decades of chaos from a family without self-control and without that family around to haunt him… Jack had no choice but to quietly face that all-important question and really figure out what Izzy’s death was designed to teach him and well, what he learned out of her passing at last… was quite upbeat and powerful. To the point where he actually decided to quit his current gig and move out to the countryside to be with his son and be the father, he always dreamed of being. 

Which means that Jack Irish finally came to realize that since Izzy’s death was meaningless in the end, and born of cruelty, that the only way to truly honor her and her memory… was to live. To go on and not let the darkness of the world swallow him whole and live the full life that he and Izzy once dreamed of and well… clearly Jack is finally doing just that and that is… a wonderful way to bring this saga to a close. Since it finally gives Jack freedom from his pain and outright happiness and peace. Plus, he can now teach his son to be a better man than the ones, he put behind bars and well… it doesn’t get more satisfying than that and you really cannot go wrong with a series finale that asks the audience to instead look at what good can come out of our darkest hours instead of breaking down their ‘meaning’ ad nauseam. For to do so gives us hope and a desire to get to tomorrow… so we can see what wonders await us beyond the darkness.