​The last time we left the crew of the intrepid Battlestar Galactica, the ship and the fleet were in dire straits. The food supply for the last surviving members of mankind was tainted, and it took incredible sacrifice and bravery to find a new food source and save everyone in the process. Which means that the next episode following such a harrowing one should mean that the story is going to give both the characters and the audience a breather, right? Yeah…not when it comes to this series.
 
Because ‘The Eye of Jupiter’ turned out to be just as tense an episode as its predecessor as the chief stumbled upon quite the find; an ancient temple that was clearly a product of the Thirteenth Tribe and according to the all-important scriptures, this place, and the item it holds that shares the namesake of this episode, would help the fleet find a solid path to Earth. However, the complication therein is that the Cylons, who appear in orbit around this planet as well, are also hoping to find the Eye and use it as a guide to Earth, and that’s when the tension went to the next level in this story.
 
In part because…having both sides in the same place made for an immediate standoff, one where the Admiral was more than happy to let the Cylons know that any attempt to go near the Eye and the Temple would result in the use of nuclear weapons on humanity’s part and also because…there were some rough revelations that came about story wise. For example, Boomer let Sharon know that her daughter was alive, prompting some tough moments as that fact finally came to light, but while it was unpleasant to see that kind of heartbreak come to fruition, the real ugly moments happened on the planet below.
 
Now what made this episode so incredibly interesting, was the sheer fact that there was a real sense of value when it came to life and that’s something that’s a tad jarring on this series because people have died often on this show. So, to see Anders and Lee worry about Kara shortly after her Raptor came under fire speaks to the fact that these people are starting to truly struggle with the losses and considering that Kat is still fresh in their minds and that the fleet is slowly dwindling, seeing their concern bubble over into anger completely makes sense and raises the stakes for the story. 
 
Of course, the tension present on the planet was nothing compared to what came about during the closing moments of the episode when the Cylons made their move in order to get D’Anna and Baltar on the ground, prompting Adama to arm and aim his nukes and well…that’s where this one left us, with a cliffhanger and lives in the balance and while this one was not filled to the brim with deeper meaning or commentary, who cares? This was simply an outstanding episode that kept me on the edge of my seat and with that in mind…I do think it’s high time to hit play on the ol’ Blu Ray player and see how this mess wraps up. Until next time.

For the most part, season two of AMC’s Preacher has been a pretty uplifting affair. Because despite the tough spots and the tension that Jesse Custer and his friends have faced, they’ve found ways to present a unified front and watch each other’s backs in the process. That is…until last night’s episode, since ‘On Your Knees’ featured a story where quite frankly, everything went wrong. All the good, all the joy and all the unity these friends have enjoyed went flying out the window because Herr Starr is a brilliant villain and he always gets what he wants, plain and simple.
 
Yet oddly enough, this episode was touch deceiving when it came to its final goal of shattering Jesse’s world, because there was a serious bright spot in this one by way of Eugene’s tale. After all, the last time we left this young man, he and Hitler had jumped back into the Hole as part of Hitler’s escape plan and well…as it turns out, in order to escape this dark place, one has to resist the horrors the Hole has to offer and believe it or not, Eugene managed to do just that. He stood up for himself in impossible situations, allowing him to escape that awful place with Hitler at last, and while there’s a fair chance that nothing good will come from having one of history’s biggest monsters free from his cell in Hell…it was great to see Eugene finally take control of his life.
 
But that is where the joyous moments in this episode come to an end, because after that little slice of sunshine, it was back to business; specifically, Herr Starr’s grand plan to break Jesse Custer in order to get him to become the new Messiah and the first step in making that happen, was to unleash the Saint of Killers from his watery grave. In fact, it would seem Starr has kept the Saint in mind for some time now since the whole reason we didn’t see this deranged cowboy in the back of the truck last week is because the Grail did ye olde switcheroo to rescue him and prepare him in the event Jesse turned down Starr’s offer and once he did…the Saint was free to finish his business with the Preacher. 

​Killing Jesse Custer is a task that the Saint was more than happy to resume and well…his return to Denis’ apartment was nothing short of brutal. He was able to avoid Jesse’s commands from Genesis with a well-placed hit to the throat and he made short order of Tulip and Cassidy before putting Jesse on his knees. But before he could deliver a drawn-out and painful end to our intrepid preacher, Hell stepped in and took the Saint back where he belongs and unfortunately for Jesse, once again being unable to defeat the Saint and have his friends put at risk once more only helped to shatter their confidence in him further, allowing for Starr to take the next steps in getting exactly what he wants.
 
Because shortly after the attack, Starr brings Tulip and Cassidy to the Grail’s offices and explains to them point blank, how useless they are to Jesse and his future and well, his words and their bluntness were the final steps to his powerful plan. Because it doesn’t take long for Tulip and Cassidy to confront Jesse about their meeting and his meetings with Herr Starr and well, shortly after questioning their worth to Jesse…it would seem this close-knit group is parting ways, and judging from the closing moments of the episode, it would seem Jesse Custer has made a choice after all, and is embracing the notion of becoming the new Messiah…
 
When all is said and done, credit is due once again to this show for delivering unto us one incredibly intelligent villain. Sure, Herr Starr can murder with impunity but to do this; to break a man without him even knowing it to further the Grail’s agenda, is pure evil genius and well…Starr’s actions made this episode heartbreaking on so many levels. You could see the hurt in Cassidy and Tulip’s eyes, and you could see that Jesse was at his absolute lowest as well and because of that, the bad guy wins this one and it should be interesting to see what happens in next week’s season finale as Jesse works to fulfill a role that deep down he knows isn’t right for him. Until next time.