Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 205 of ‘See’.
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When we last settled in to discuss the wondrous and fascinating Apple TV series, See, we talked at length about how the story in question, spent a lot of time examining how reunions aren’t always a pleasant experience. For it really did a deep dive on how they can evoke old memories that bother us and can be quite sour in nature and well, there’s good reason to revisit that particular examination today. Because as it turns out, the writers’ room of this series, saw an opportunity to continue to dive deeper into such a concept. Because the reunion really can be quite the dynamic and supremely sour experience for certain, depending on who is attending and what their intentions are, and the endless possibilities that can come out of that, is precisely why the reunion took the center stage once again in this week’s episode.
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A feat that the ‘The Family Dinner’ accomplished, by having Baba Voss and his troupe of travelers arrive in Pennsa at last. Which meant he would finally be reunited with his family and Haniwa could hold her mother and brother and again and at first… the joy of reunions was explored in this tale. For the Voss family was indeed able to embrace and celebrate in the wonder of reunion and of the bonds that a true family shares. But alas, that joy simply wasn’t meant to last. For Queen Kane quickly interjected herself into the moment, as she had a right to do since she too is technically family, but her strange mindset and outright rudeness helped the reunion to quickly sour when the family dinner in question came around. For not only was Baba Voss forced to dine with Maghra’s new husband, but he was forced to learn what the queen had planned for the future.

Which was indeed supremely upsetting because she was putting someone that he held near and dear in great danger. Since there was a plan to have a peace summit between Trivantes and Pennsa and who better to negotiate prosperity than Princess Magrah herself and of course, Baba had little faith in the plan, and he firmly believed that the Pennsa delegation would suffer on this journey as well. A concern that grew with every waking word the Queen spoke since she hinted greatly at trying to flex muscles she didn’t have at the conference, an act that would lead to the war she’s been clearly planning for ages now. If anything, this really was more than Baba could bear in the moment and that motivated him to leave the meal early, to sulk and seethe and really in the end, this segment did a wonderful job of hammering home the fact that sometimes, the rotten apples in our families can indeed make a wonderful reunion an emotional chore and sadly, the only way to put an end to that, is unity against them. Something that is impossible in Pennsa since the pain in the rear in the Voss family, is royalty. 

But all deeper analysis aside, there was good reason for Baba to be worried and concerned and angry about everything he heard in this tale. For back in Trivantes, war preparations were getting underway since Edo saw this peace conference as a grand opportunity to teach the queen and her delegation a lesson. In fact, he appears to be so eager for war, that he might have been behind the horrifying headless message that was sent to Lord Harlan at the end of this tale and that, along with the queen’s aforementioned plans, made it appear as though Baba’s fears that his family will suffer will come true. But not all is lost. For Maghra is making moves behind the scenes to curtail her sister’s wild plans and if that means that Queen Kane must be removed in some form or fashion to keep the peace… well then so be it. But those moves will have to come quickly. For Kane is clearly losing her mind and is going to great lengths to execute whatever wild plans are in her broken brain quickly… as evidenced by that supremely unsettling ending. 

If anything, this really was quite the incredible episode when all is said and done. Simply because it offered up quite the epic moment since that reunion is something that we’ve been waiting for, for ages now. And while the queen might have sullied it with her utter madness, the significance of it cannot be ignored. For this family is and will forever be stronger together and when they are unified, they can accomplish wonders and that’s a good thing for the future of Pennsa. Because let’s be honest, the queen has her new kingdom on a collision course with disaster once more, and she clearly has no qualms with deadly failure and renewal, and it will take a strong force to stop her and the Voss family… might be that force in question. Which means that the wait for next week’s episode is going to be a difficult one. Since we are all now eager to see if Baba and Maghra can stop the machinations of mad monarch and find peace in the process. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 207 of ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’.
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I’m not going to lie, yesterday was an insanely busy day, and it got to end in the coolest way ever, by watching this with John. Lower Decks is the medicine I needed after chasing my nephew around all day. That kid can crawl like nobody’s business. This is probably how Captain Freeman feels after a busy day of Starfleet business. Like wrangling an evil supercomputer that caused a hundred-year civil war on a planet. The good news is they did figure out it was the computer causing the war and ended things peacefully. Freeman and Ransom help secure, Agimus, the evilest supercomputer of all evil supercomputers. Because he is super manipulative, and almost talks Ransom into getting him near a computer terminal. Now at this point, I probably would have just smashed him with a hammer and called it a day… however that is not the Starfleet way.
 
Turns out, they respect all sentient life, including evil supercomputers. Which, like, come on! What even! It’s fine, because Mariner is assigned to take Agimus to supercomputer prison while Boims hits up a class M planet and murders giant centipede monsters for funsies. Also, centipedes are really just gross. I hope with all my heart they don’t exist on other planets, their existing on this one is bad enough. There’s just nothing worse than finding one on your kitchen floor and you’re only wearing socks because wearing shoes in your house is also gross. Not speaking from experience here or anything. Good news for Boims is he gets sent to go with Mariner instead, or is that bad news? Good news for Mariner but bad news for Boimler. They two are happily on their way to their mission destination when they encounter an anomaly that sends them crashing into an unknown planet.

Mariner breaks her arm in the crash and pops that compound fracture right back into place. Now, there are very few things that make me actually queasy, and this is one of them. John popped his dislocated knee back into place in front of me once… I still haven’t forgiven him for it. Boimler is equally not cool with Mariner’s treatment of her broken arm, Agimus survived, the ship is broken, and the replicator is only making black licorice. Who even eats black licorice? Who’s out there willingly buying it and keeping it in business? Like Long John Silvers! Who even eats there? Agimus probably would if he could eat. He spends the entirety of the show trying to manipulate Boimler and Mariner into fighting. The sad part is, they do a few times. The wounds of the past are still not fully healed with Mariner and Boimler.

She doesn’t think he’s ready for harder missions and she’s tired of hearing about his time on the Titan. Abandonment is a hard thing to recover from, also not totally speaking form experience here. Things comes to a head when Agimus shows Boimler a clip from Mariner’s data padd. Apparently, she went to Ransom on purpose and got Boimler transferred to her mission. In fairness, she’s also afraid he’ll die by giant centipede. Boimler is angry, rightfully so, and actually stuns Mariner in order to break into an abandoned ship with Agimus. We think he hooks the evil computer up to the ship’s main computer as it desires, but he doesn’t. Instead, he uses Agimus to boost a distress signal. Boimler is definitely more ready than Mariner gave him credit for.

So what about Tendi and Rutherford? Well, the Cerritos was hailed by another ship requesting help. It just so happens to be head engineer Billups’ mother. And uh, this whole segment of the episode was just… interesting. Apparently, Billups was a prince who abdicated his throne in order to be in Starfleet. Only his mother, the Queen, would much rather see her son take her place as King. Which… apparently can only happen if he loses his virginity. I’m not joking about that. That is literally the plot point. Still, Billups takes Rutherford to examine his mother’s ship and see what’s really going on when she asks for help, and also because he wants to prove himself. Only, it’s a trap. Billups is called back to the Cerritos and part of his mother’s ship explodes. The fake outs! I can’t even with them! We’re led to believe that Rutherford died, again, in that explosion. I can’t handle losing Rutherford! And neither can Tendi. Thanks to her, we learn that Rutherford is alive and well, thank the universe. But it might be too late as Billups resigned from Starfleet and went to… well. You know.

Thankfully Rutherford arrives in time and alls well that ends well. Billups takes his position back on the Cerritos, a happy virgin still. Rutherford is alive, Tendi needs therapy, and Mariner and Boims help get Agimus where he needs to be, supercomputer super jail. His episode was amazingly fun, but I can’t help but feel like I should be worried about the next episodes to come.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 202 of ‘The Morning Show’.

When life becomes something of a slog, and our spirits are at their lowest because of it, our minds tend to reflect upon moments that made us happy. In large part because we need the boost, but also because sometimes reflecting upon days gone by allows for us to cherish the good times and work harder to maintain them when they arrive… all so we can avoid future slogs and sorrowful evenings. But what’s funny about that particular mental reflex, is that sometimes people are so low and so upset with their current situation that they decide the best way to escape their pain is to try and recreate the moments that brought forth great joy and well, that is usually a decision that ends in disaster. Simply because, we can never recreate what once was and to try and do so… might ruin those good memories and that’s a harsh lesson that Cory Ellison must learn in this week’s episode of The Morning Show.
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A feat that ‘It’s Like the Flu’ accomplishes by having all of Cory’s plans to resurrect The Morning Show of past… go south. Because right out of the gate, his admission to Bradley that Alex was coming back to the show, sent Bradley’s fury over the top and understandably so. After all, she has in fact, been carrying the show since Alex left and would once again be a sidekick with Alex’s return and that motivated Bradley… to partake in quite the gambit. Wherein she basically called out sick for three whole weeks, in an effort to show the network how much they need her and what she brings to the table and for a brief moment in time, it seemed her ploy might work since UBA sent reps to her hotel to offer her concessions. Ones that were of course, pathetic in nature… which motivated Bradley to keep her little strike going.

Which in turn, made life difficult for Cory since the brass were pressuring him to either get her on the air or remove her. But he believed wholeheartedly that staying the course would solve his problems and recreate the magic from months ago and in order to properly execute his plan and bring forth synergy, he decided a grand dinner was in order. Since breaking bread is always the easiest way to break down barriers and create unity and well… this is when Cory finally learned his lesson. For despite getting Bradley to attend and return to the show at last, dinner was a beautiful disaster. One where everyone put up more walls and, in the end, all dinner did was lead to strife amongst the team, especially between Bradley and Alex. Because shortly after the meal Alex and Bradley let loose on one another and all the unresolved pain they experienced in going through something so powerful and well, in the end, hopefully Cory can use what this evening taught him to forge a new era for this series, one that creates a different kind of magic.

But what was wonderful about this storyline, is that it wasn’t a total loss. Because Bradley’s words and Daniel’s shocking and powerful admission that he was angry with Alex for her actions and would not forgive her for them, finally gave her pause and left her pondering up the possibility that perhaps this second act in her television career could in fact… create some positive moments and heal some wounds. Which led her to the doorstep of the person she hurt the most, Chip. Because he also spoke aloud in this tale to the fact that Alex had done him dirty and that she was difficult to handle and selfish for certain. But seeing that she made the trip all the way out to his new home to see him personally and ask for him to return to TMS, served as the grand apology he needed and helped him to understand that Alex was growing and that is likely why, he outright said yes to returning to the chaos and thrill of big network television. 
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But as this series is wont to do, it also took the time to revisit someone that was seemingly and rightfully forgotten by the story in the season two premiere, one Mitch Kessler. For he was indeed a ghost at UBA and a forbidden word in ‘My Least Favorite Year’, but he managed to pop up here and with good reason. Because his journey here had a lesson to offer us, one that came to fruition by way of Mitch’s discovery that his desire to just wait for his actions to be forgotten by the masses… will be downright impossible. For despite flying off to Italy to hide and reflect upon a career gone wrong, he was once again spotted by everyday people and held to account for his disgusting actions, and therein lie the lesson. Since that reminded us of the fact that the only way to find peace in regard to our poor choices is to own up to them, regardless of the outcome and the consequences.

If anything, this was just a fascinating character study, one that celebrated the dynamic nature of the characters that populate this world and once again left us hungry for more with its powerful cliffhangers. Since we are dying to know if synergy will ever return to the show with the demons hanging over everyone’s heads and if Mitch will ever get a clue and try to do right for a change and of course… we’re all curious as to how this story will handle Covid since it is quietly inching closer to impacting their lives and well… all of these elements just serve to remind us, that this series is one of the most unique dramas out there. Since it can tackle any topic at any time and still find a way to grow its characters in a powerful and often relatable manner and truly, it will be quite amazing to see how The Morning Show team grows and responds to the incredible challenges that are drawing near. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Foundation’.

​There was a time in television and cinema’s past… where adapting a popular science fiction epic, was quite the risky affair. For special effects could only take a filmmaker or television director so far and that could limit the scope of the screen story and potentially harm it as well. Since audiences have always made it clear that they want to truly be immersed in a story and refuse to accept anything less than perfect visuals to create the world the trailers are selling. But that didn’t stop some from forging ahead to try and bring these tales to life in an era where limitations were present, with mixed results of course. For David Lynch’s Dune, while ambitious and engaging in nature, feels cheesy at times because of the limitations that special effects suffered from back in the 1980s. 
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But as time has marched on and computer-generated graphics have become ridiculously refined and realistic, more and more studios and filmmakers are opting to bring epic and sweeping stories from all genres to life and well, their decision to do so now, is paying off. Because we genuinely believed we were in Middle Earth in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and Dune is getting a second chance on the silver screen and even Apple TV is getting into the epics game. For today sees a grand and sweeping and ambitious Issac Asimov tale, come to the network in adapted form and well… Apple TV definitely deserves a round of applause for bringing the world of Foundation to life. For the visuals present here do a phenomenal job of creating the galaxy of the future that Asimov envisioned in a realistic manner.

With of course, Trantor being the centerpiece of that work. Since its stunning sky bridge is brought to life here perfectly and the planetary city below, one filled with life and bustling with billions of people is just as realistic and engaging. For every single corner catches your eye and feels organic and natural and at times you easily find yourself lost in what you are seeing since the show holds back no details when it comes to this majestic world and the others we are introduced to in this premiere. But what is more important is that once you’re comfortable with what you’re seeing, you are eager to embrace the story that awaits and that doesn’t disappoint either. Since David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman’s powerful script… does a fine job of bringing this powerful tale into the modern era in a shockingly relatable fashion.

For this story’s grand and ambitious plot, one revolving around the reveal that the great empire of the galaxy is dying and will soon collapse and put mankind into eons of dark times… unless Hari Seldon’s plans to save the foundation of mankind is given a green light, takes on new life in 2021. For it serves a grand allegory to the problems we currently face, such as climate change. Since our own dark age is awaiting us unless we act now and seeing that parallel here and seeing the fight that the government of the galaxy puts up over making any changes… really does leave the viewer uncomfortable. Since that comparison strikes a little too close to home, as do the challenges that the empire faces in this particular set of tales as well. Since ‘The Emperor’s Peace’ and ‘Preparing to Live’ dive deep into how the empire is being challenged at every turn by outside forces.

Which in turn serves as a parallel to the various challenges that the United States of America currently faces, since it has seen new enemies rise from the shadows to challenge its military might and embarrass it as the empire is embarrassed here and it even throws in a little sour and deserved commentary on American Imperialism and exceptionalism and how that too, has only contributed to the cause those new enemies have taken up. If anything, all of this just goes to show that Asimov’s writing is timeless and prophetic and this premiere also hammers home the fact, that television is the perfect home for this story. Because now, the story can take its time in weaving its tale and as an added bonus, the surprises it sends our way, such as the one that pops up at the end of episode two… will have gravity. Since we now have to wait a week to see what will become of Gaal and to learn if Hari is okay and how the journey to Terminus will end.

But while we wait for those answers, we can truly revel in the wonder of a flawless series premiere. Because this felt polished at every turn and immediately immersive, which is no small feat since so many shows feel different when you compare the pilot episode to its second entry. But that just speaks to the love and care that went into this particular story and the end result benefits the audience through and through. Because it means that we are going to be treated to a wonderfully engrossing and powerful tale, one that sees a select handful of good people… that know what it is at stake, engage in a grand fight to save humanity’s future and really in the end, this is simply science fiction and its finest and it doesn’t hurt that the cast is stellar and turns out top-notch work from beginning to end and it will be quite interesting to see what other powerful commentary and stunning visuals and moving moments await us… as this grand journey continues on. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 210 of ‘Ted Lasso’.
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When we're young, we're taught that we're should treat the death of a family member with great reverence because they're family and family deserves all the respect they can get. But as we grow older and come to learn more about the world and how it really works, we realize that not every family member we encounter deserves our respect and awe. Their sour actions in life can lead to a rotten legacy left behind. We also learn that it's definitely okay to feel a range of emotions when someone passes because it's natural, healthy, and the only way to properly grieve.

If anything, these fascinating lessons are top of mind today because they wove their way into the storytelling fabric that composed this week's episode of Ted Lasso, making ‘No Weddings and a Funeral’ quite the poignant and powerful but oddly hilarious tale. This episode took the time to explore how humor is something that people use to cope with death— evidenced by Roy Kent's incessant mocking of the end and by way of the surprisingly tasteful gags throughout the story. The sub plot involving the team dressing to the nines for a funeral offered some stunning levity, and we were also offered some more quietly emotional moments, such as Jamie's admission to Keeley about his feelings— something that was motivated by the age old awakening that death tends to provide us with. But while all of that was fun and fascinating for certain, it all paled in comparison to what death meant to Rebecca and Ted.
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In fact, it was Rebecca's journey that really brought about this entire examination. While she was enjoying the good romantic life with Sam, her mother broke the news that her father had passed away. One might think that this news would have broken Rebecca down, but instead, her response to his passing is how the show chose to explore how sometimes we feel nothing for a relative in death, especially when their past has sullied our memory of them. We came to learn that Rebecca hated her father and paid him no legacy because he consistently hurt her mother by cheating on her. Rebecca's speech about that and why it led to a lack of respect of the man was genuinely powerful. We all have relatives or people that we've known that we can feel nothing for when they pass because of their actions, and it was wonderful for the show to point out that apathy, in some cases, is healthy and normal and that we should be honest with ourselves about our feelings and to never sugarcoat an unpleasant past.

As for Ted's journey, it explored the importance of how healthy it is to work through our feelings but threw in some powerful twists for good measure. Moments before Ted was supposed to meet with the team and head over to the church for the funeral, the past— specifically the death of his father— came washing over him and triggered a panic attack. This panic attack was so severe that Ted called Dr. Sharon Fieldstone and asked her to make a house call to help him deal with these waves of pain. When the "Doc" settled in with Ted and got him to open up about the fateful day that was haunting him, we were privy to some genuinely emotional moments. Ted recounted every harrowing second of the day his father died, right down to his actions following the discovery of his dad's body. Talking about that day not only allowed Ted to feel the pain of that day and cry over it, but it also allowed him to offer up a powerful admission: He hated his father for what he had done— not because he viewed his father as a bad man that worked hard to hurt his wife and son with this act, but because he was a damn good man. He was a man that went the extra mile for his son and really was a fine father. Ted's revelation teaches us that sometimes seeing those we love falter and fade when they don't know their worth can create disdain. Their actions can leave us filled with regret over what might have come had we taken the time to tell them their value to us, and this is why Ted is so kind to all and will do whatever it takes to get someone to open up to him. But what matters more is that Ted finally faced the pain of his past, was open and honest about his feelings, and learned the value of introspection— and that's powerful stuff for certain.

This segment was so nuanced that it will undoubtedly be dissected by countless writers and scholars for truly capturing the confusion, the shame, the anger, and the pain that comes with losing someone in our lives that never understood their potential or their power. However, Ted's story might not be the only storyline from this episode that's discussed and examined because Rebecca's journey is a perfect exploration of self-care and honesty that was further enhanced by her decision to put her and Sam's love affair on pause so she could properly heal and not hurt him.
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All in all, this was another brilliant episode from this endlessly brilliant series. It once again tackles some brave and uncomfortable topics— the kind that outright drove this writer to a stream of tears because this episode truly resonates with you and stays with you long after the credits roll. With only two episodes left in season two, who knows what other powerful lessons await us. Until next time.

​Please enjoy this sneak peek of tomorrow’s brand new episode of See, streaming exclusively on AppleTV+!

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Kin’.
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Over the course of the past couple of weeks, we’ve talked at length about how the AMC+ series, Kin, is turning the crime drama upside down and with good reason. For the first two episodes of this series have done a phenomenal job of shattering just about every single trope that exists within the genre, providing the audience with a story that is both moving and uncomfortable and painfully realistic. Since the emotional responses we’ve seen from the Kinsella family regarding the painful experiences they’re currently going through feel oddly organic and relatable and that same realism has allowed for us to understand their need for revenge against Caolon Moore, since there is no other way to find peace or justice in their particularly strange world. 

But while it has been quite incredible to enjoy a different kind of crime drama, one that is so dynamic and human, there is undoubtedly in the back of our minds… an expectation that the series has to eventually go by the book in some form or fashion. After all, that is what crime dramas do. But wouldn’t you know it? Writer Peter McKenna is refusing to let this series slip into anything traditional from this genre, as evidenced by the next episode in this harrowing journey. For when we catch up with the Kinsella clan in ‘Episode 3’, they’re preparing to lay Jamie to rest and that alone… shatters all kinds of tropes in the genre. Because there should be nothing but fury and discussions of a level of revenge that will lay waste to the Cunningham empire. But instead, there is nothing but what the rest of us experience when a loved one dies: hard sorrow and grief and regret. 

In fact, it is Amanda that leads the way on those elements. Because for the first time since we’ve met her, she seems quite eager to isolate herself from the life of crime she’s surrounded by. Even going so far as to ask that a great deal of the crew not attend her son’s funeral. Not out of cruelty, but out of the hopes of having a normal funeral for her boy. A move that you just don’t see in this genre in the slightest, since the loyal always surround the top brass in these stories, but that need for humanity and a raw connection with this moment supersedes that for Amanda and sadly, she doesn’t completely get her wish. For Eamon Cunningham swings by to pay his last respects, reminding her of the cruelty that surrounds her and that in turn, only solidifies her decision to exact revenge, on this important day no less.

For she and Jimmy realize that now is the perfect time to strike, since Moore and everyone else involved in Jamie's death will be of the belief that the Kinsella family will retire to their homes to grieve, giving them license to move about freely. Which puts Jimmy and Michael on the job to hunt down Caolon and teach him a lesson and even this seemingly traditional moment… finds a way to go deeper and shun what’s come before it. A feat that this sequence accomplishes, by showing us that ending the life of a man, regardless of what he has done, isn’t an easy or simple task. For it sent Michael’s heart racing and triggered his uncomfortable stress response, but despite being on the edge of blacking out, he did finish the job and bring justice to his family and in proper fashion for this show… that too came with unique consequences.

Such as the fact that the family is now on edge, for Cunningham knows what happened and he has declared war on the Kinsella family. Which forced Frank to scramble to protect their assets and well, what comes next is anyone’s guess. For an unconventional crime drama will undoubtedly bring forth an unconventional gangland war. But while we wait to endure the stress of Eamon Cunningham’s fury, we can bask in the wonder of a downright incredible tale. Because this one really did offer up some raw emotion and powerful humanity and it helped us to truly understand the family’s desperation and need for justice and that in turn, leaves the viewer in a dark place. Since we are now fully aware of the fact that these are decent people that have made hard choices in life, the kind that they will now regret in the weeks ahead... as war and suffering begins to surround them. Until next time.

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

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

For the most part, the Star Trek Universe has done its best to steer clear of throwing shout outs to or analyzing viral popular culture trends and it makes sense as to why. Because to do so would be counterproductive to what this saga stands for, since the only ‘cool’ things to do in the 22nd Century and beyond are to work toward a better tomorrow and to be a better person, and by not chasing trends, the franchise has been able instead, to dig deep into heavier matters. Such as commentary on our modern world and the issues that have been plaguing us for decades on end. But despite doing a fine job of steering clear of pop culture trends… now and again the draw of them seemed downright irresistible for some of the producers and they would in fact instruct the writers to inject such stuffs into stories with… rough results. 
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For instance, throwing a little sex appeal into Star Trek: Enterprise, since that was the hot thing to do on television at the time, was off putting to fans, as was trying to be kitschy with famous people in Star Trek: Discovery. Since the mention of Elon Musk as some sort of legendary scientific mind… went sideways when Elon felt the need to offer up some woefully dangerous views regarding the pandemic. If anything, only one show in this storied saga has managed to do a decent job with pop culture references and that just so happened to be Star Trek: The Next Generation. For back in the 1990s, alien abduction stories suddenly became all the rage in popular media and that motivated the production team and writers’ room to assemble a story that toyed with that notion in ‘Schisms’.

Which… seems like quite the odd plot to put in a series where humanity travels the stars and interacts with aliens in a peaceful manner, but the story did manage to assemble a fine way to accomplish this. All by having a species from another dimension, one composed of solanogen, become curious about the crew of the Enterprise when the ship conducted experiments near a massive region of space that had been heretofore unexplored. And they satiate that curiosity by straight up kidnapping several members of the crew to conduct scientific experiments upon them and where this part of the story works well… is in the mystery surrounding all of this. Because it takes hard work from Counselor Troi and those who’ve been abducted to figure out that something nefarious is happening here and that leads to some genuinely eerie moments.

The kind where the audience can experience the fear and horrifying realization as to what’s happening to this innocent bunch in real time and sadly… the truth about the matter and the plan to stop these aliens from poking around further, is where this story begins to falter. Because, it offers little new to the audience. Since we are treated to a by the numbers finale, wherein the crew scrambles to close the door these aliens use to come through and where Commander Riker has to play action hero to save himself and Ensign Regan from a horrible fate at the mottled hands of these aliens and that’s just disappointing to say the least. Since TNG is well-known for always spicing up anything familiar. But alas, all we get here are cliché cop outs, and resolution that is horrendously unfulfilling for certain.

Simply because, in the end; these aliens are aliens of the week. Since we never hear another word about them and that’s odd too. Since this kind of encounter and curiosity shouldn’t be a one off and kudos to Star Trek Online for being the vessel that took the time to explore more about these beings and to offer some kind of a follow up to their story. But all of that aside, this really is nothing more than a so-so episode. One that really did start off strong before puttering out, but it surprisingly, does a decent job of answering the pop culture call. Because it did find a way to create a relevant story in a universe where such things shouldn’t happen and it captured the fear and the zeitgeist of this early 90s Sci-Fi obsession and now that we’ve come to the end of this up and down mission, we can definitely turn our attention to quite the exciting adventure. One that just so happens to feature the return of one of the finest frenemies to ever grace the bridge of the 1701-D, courtesy of a grand a morality crisis for the Q Continuum. Until next time.