With Cottonmouth behind bars, Luke is ready to move on with his life and with Claire helping to give him a little guidance, it may be for the better. But things are about to make a change for the worse as Cornell Stokes is being released for lack of evidence against him and with Detective Rafael Scarfe not surviving the gunshot wound from the gangster, there is nobody that will testify against him. Seeing that the system will not work the way it should, Luke is ready to leave since nothing he did made Harlem any safer, but Cornell wants to have a conversation with his foe once again and this time he will make it known that Harlem belongs to him and not the former fugitive turned vigilante that is standing up for what is right.

After getting blasted in the media and her cousin being sent to jail for a minute, Mariah is having more problems than she knows what to do with. Getting a visit from an old political rival is not making her day any easier and the talk of having her need to resign is getting on her nerves. When Shades is witness to seeing how weak the Stokes family is becoming, he wants to light a fire under Mariah’s butt to have her step up and be the leader, like Mama Mabel was when he was growing up. Not having too much time to think about it, Mariah gets the official call from the council telling her that she will resign and not knowing where to go, she heads off to her cousin’s club to try and get something worked out. Not knowing what to say or do, but knowing that the Stokes name is being tarnished, Mariah finds out what she is really capable of when the pressure finally makes her crack.

Misty is in trouble at work and after seeing Cottonmouth leave without even a slap on the wrist, Internal Affairs is ready to look into her case and see what she is and is not doing. With an old partner, Inspector Ridley watching the young detective work her magic, she sees one common piece in all of the cases around Harlem; Luke Cage, and does not understand why Misty has not brought him in yet. Knowing that the Harlem hero is not responsible for everything that is happening around the city, she does know that he has a story to tell and she needs to find out what it is before more people die around him. But knowing Luke and seeing his actions thus far, there is little she can say or do to make him take a seat and speak with the police, especially after Cottonmouth was released.

But this episode was about Cornell ‘Cottonmouth’ Stokes and how he became the crime lord of Harlem that also happens to have a get out of jail free card. Seeing the young Cornell under the watch of the infamous Mama Mabel, he was more interested in music than anything else and his uncle Pete would do anything to encourage his passion to keep the kid out of trouble. But Mama Mabel has other plans for the boy and forces him to jump into a life of killing to make sure he understands what it takes to be the head of the city, especially when things get tough. Even though he is resilient, he still follows the orders given by the queen of the underworld and is forced to show that no matter what happens, family will always come first, until they betray you. Having to put a bullet in his uncle for crimes against the family, Cornell shows that he has the chops and Mama Mabel has a street captain ready for the future to carry on the family legacy.

Damn you Netflix, you made me watch this episode twice because you decided to crash right in the middle of it. Actually, that's not a bad thing since I got to watch the Cornell backstory twice and it was really good. Made me feel bad for the gangster that is able to kill people and always get away with it, but all is not all right for Cornell as he challenges his cousin and loses the fight of a lifetime to her. With knowing who Luke Cage really is, Cottonmouth is ready to exploit that information to bend the Power Man to his will, but that is not what Diamondback had planned, so Shades is kind of put in a rough place. Luke wants to run, but Claire is able to convince him to stay in Harlem and do some more good for the community and knows that the people will not lose respect for him if they find out he was a criminal, since he is trying to do the right thing now. But the former councilwoman is the biggest surprise of the episode, I never thought Mariah would have it in her to put a physical beat down on anyone, but she proved me and the world wrong and showed who the dominate Stokes child really is. With an ending that I did not see coming now out of the way, I am pretty sure I have no idea what will happen next, nor do I have a clue how the Judas bullets can pierce Luke Cage’s skin, but I bet that it will be explained very quickly as the Power Man’s kryptonite has been located and it was not a woman like I thought it would be.

Trying to save face is the only thing that Cornell Stokes can do in Harlem and since he is not willing to leave it all behind, he will have to find a way to break free of his latest issue. When Rafael Scarfe tries to blackmail him for a hundred grand, Cornell does the next best thing and shoots the cop. Fleeing the scene and telling his cousin Mariah what he has just done, she wants him to pack up and leave as soon as possible, because if word gets out about what they have been able to do, it will end them both. Putting the hundred grand on finding and killing Rafael may be the best money Cornell has ever offered, but will his goons be able to find the crocked cop before the cops do?

Wanting to get the word out about the new and safer Harlem, Mariah has been able to get a live interview at her home with reporter Thembi Wallace. With her message always being the same, Mariah tries to stay with the script that has always managed to serve her well, a stronger Harlem, but Thembi wants to get the truth out of the Councilwoman. Bringing up her relationship with Cornell Stokes and talking about the Luke Cage raid that rid the gangster of millions of dollars, most of it hidden inside of Mariah’s headquarters, there is not much more to the story that the Councilwoman is willing to add. Trying to throw the reporter and her cameras out, little does Mariah know what is coming down the line.

Knowing that his life is in danger, Detective Rafael Scarfe has found the only place in the city where he can be safe from the cops and Cottonmouth’s crew; Pop’s Barber Shop. When arriving to see the detective bleeding on the floor, Luke has some questions that need to be answered while Claire does what she does best, and saves the man’s life. As Rafael comes clean to Luke about working for Cottonmouth, he is hesitant to give everything up to the strong man, but has little choice when he knows that Luke is his only hope for survival. Willing to give up his notebook that has enough information to put Cottonmouth away, Luke is forced to leave the shop and make a trip to Rafael’s apartment to pick it up, but that is not the only thing he finds as Misty and her new partner Lieutenant Perez are staking it out. 

Knowing where Rafael is hiding out, both the cops and Cottonmouth decide to move on the barber shop, only to find it vacant when they arrive. With word of Rafael being in a green van driving in the streets of Harlem, Cottonmouth’s men are the first on the scene and are able to give chase, but not landing the kill shot proves to be fatal for them. Hearing on the radio that shots have been fired around the police plaza, Misty tries to get a jump start at finding her partner, but when Perez tries to stop her, she gets mighty suspicious. Taping Perez admitting to being a dirty cop, Misty starts to understand how deep Cottonmouth’s grip is on the city and hopefully she will be able to get to her partner before anyone else does that is willing to put a bullet in him to secure their own freedom.

This is the best episode of the season thus far since you have to rely on the goodness of people to do the right thing and when Luke finds out that Rafael killed Chico and is still willing to go the extra mile to save his corrupt ass, well, he is the good guy. I am also loving Luke’s new friend Bobby Fish who is still planting the seed of Heroes for Hire in his mind when Cottonmouth is put away. Doing right by Pop and putting the gangster behind bars is all Luke wants to accomplish and when it is done, he is willing to call it quits and leave the city. I must admit that the news cast was awesome in my eyes, I would love to see a reporter call out the corruption of a politician on a live show and see the reactions that are given. Now with Cottonmouth behind bars, I am not sure how the war will come to the streets, but you never know how deep the gangster is connected and if he will be able to run the city like Fisk was able to in Hell’s Kitchen. Not sure where the storyline will head to next, but I am sure that Claire will be able to excite and inspire something in Luke when it comes to his drive to serve up justice that will bring more trouble his way, especially since she will not have coffee with him. 

There seems to be a certain expectation that surrounds our fictional Presidents in television and film. We want them to be bold men and women, ones that are willing to make the tough decisions and keep our nation safe. But while it is awesome to see a President that kicks butt while waving the American flag, there's a downside to that style of storytelling since it makes our Commander In Chief look like some kind of a superhero that can instantly solve any problem at any time and well...that's just simply not the case.

The office of the President of the United States of America is hands down, the toughest job on the planet. It ages leaders prematurely, and these civil servants are faced with incredibly tough decisions that weigh on their souls and that's one reason I supremely appreciate Designated Survivor. This is a show that takes us inside those ugly decisions, and also bothers to take the time to show what kind of lasting effects these decisions have upon a man and when it comes to President Tom Kirkman, he dealt with some of his greatest challenges to date on last night's episode 'The Enemy' where he faced threats domestic and abroad...and finally came to realize in the process that the 'nice guy' and 'goody two shoes' approach he has been taking to his own administration, is no longer a viable option.

His first incredible challenge came by way of Governor Royce in Michigan. After getting him to stand down a few episodes ago, the charming Governor saw a fresh opportunity to challenge the Kirkman Administration by citing the interview that Tom gave, where the question was posed as to whether or not he was fired by President Richmond, as a fine example as to why Tom's Presidency is as illegitimate as they come shortly after reactivating the policies and procedures of his police state. It's a bold move that required a bold answer, forcing Tom to declare a state of emergency and federalize the National Guard but Royce was ready for that too, and Kirman's order is ignored since the Guard is still in Royce's back pocket. But before Tom could put and end to this insurrection, another one began to brew in the situation room.

Because in the midst of that ugly mess, the search for Al-Sakar's leader, Majid Nassar, finally came to a close. He was discovered to be in Algeria, thanks to the work of an Agent who went dark after revealing Nassar's location and providing evidence that unequivocally linked the terror organization to the attack. That meant General Cochrane was ready to strike, but Tom pressed for patience, in the hopes of one, getting a diplomatic solution with an ally and also that their agent would eventually check in. That call for patience was the final straw for Cochrane, who ordered an air strike without the approval of an ally or from the President himself and that's when Kirkman finally realized that a more straightforward approach was going to be necessary to put an end to these constant challenges, forcing Tom to relieve the General of his command...and that decision, was just the warm up act since he still had Royce to deal with. 

To solve that matter though, took a touch more finesse, and Tom made use of Emily's plan to get Royce on a plane to Washington to speak with Kirkman in the hopes of finding a peaceful resolution, to go all out to make sure the people of the nation clearly understood he was indeed their President...by arresting Royce for treason upon his arrival. It was a decision that didn't sit well with Emily, but let's be honest, Kirkman is in the right. It's been one attack after another on his Presidency and these two bold moves are establishing he is not a man to mess with, and a leader that is now looking at the bigger picture over always doing the right thing and while these two issues are finally put to bed, a bigger one awaits, since Tom also gave the order to attack Al-Sakar. It looks like war is brewing on the horizon, and it will escalate for certain, if the Administration finds out Alergia is harboring Nassar. Either way, what a wonderful episode of this show, and it's heartbreaking yet satisfying to see Kirkman shed his nice guy persona...to keep America united. Until next time.

After pulling his land lady out of the rubble of her fallen building, Luke has finally accepted his role in life and that is to take care of everyone that is being hurt. Not shying away from the camera and making sure that the baddies in Harlem know that he is looking out for the little guy, Luke Cage is on the minds of everybody.  Watching as the massive man digs through the rubble of his own home, Misty does a little digging herself and when she finds the picture of Reva, she wants to know what she is up against. Knowing that Luke is going to cause more of a problem than being the solution, she has to find a way to make sure he does not get anyone else hurt and hopefully she can help him to understand the tough road ahead for him.

After losing over seven million dollars in the Luke Cage raids on his money, Cornell is ready to try a different approach to get to Cage.  Sending out his goons to go and collect everything they can from the neighborhood, he wants the people to turn against the new savior that is walking the streets. Over thirty shops are hit and people are told that it is Luke Cage’s fault and they all want their new hero to deliver a little payback on Cottonmouth’s men. Luke has other things on his mind for the day, since it is the memorial service for Pop, but if he is able to help the living, he will have to do that first. 

Claire Temple has returned home to Harlem and has seen that not much has changed. Having her purse stolen after getting off the train, it is easy to see that she knows how to protect herself.  Kicking the crap out of the mugger, Claire makes it back to her mother’s shop to try and figure out her next move after being fired from the hospital. Talking it out with her mother, Claire has come to the realization that the super hero people need her help after all she has done for Daredevil and Luke Cage in the past and that is what she wants to do, help those with super abilities recover from their crime fighting. Although her mother thinks that she is crazy, she knows that there is nothing that she can say or do to keep Claire from following her path.

After picking up a picture of a woman at the blown up restaurant, Misty returns back to the station to get ready for Pop’s funeral, but the top brass is waiting for her. Getting word that her partner is being investigated by Internal Affairs, Misty does not believe what she is hearing. But when the facts are laid out in front of her, since Rafael was the last person to see Chico and he arrived at the blown up restaurant long before she did, she may have to ask some questions of her own. Being told by a lieutenant that he is being watched, Rafael has bigger problems as he will have to get the guns from the heist a few days ago out of lockup for Cottonmouth. Knowing that there is going to be more trouble coming his way, Rafael is being very quiet about what is happening and is trying to find a way to break free before he gets caught.

Today is the day for Harlem to come together and pay tribute to Pop for all that he did for them over the years. While Misty wants Luke to stay away from the ceremony, she knows that he will be there come rain or shine.  Wanting to clear his slate after talking to Luke earlier in the day, Cornell wants to pay off his debts to Domingo so he can get some help to kill Luke once and for all. While it may seem like a somber day, so much has happened around the city, but everyone drops their guard for a couple hours so proper respect can be paid to Pop. While Cornell has known the man the longest, Luke has the fonder memories of the old man and they two try their hardest to win over the neighborhood for the war that is coming.

The only person that ties together the Netflix Marvel Universe returns in this episode, that’s right, Claire is back and looking for a new job. I don’t know how long this will last, but I think it will be fun to see what she brings to Harlem when Luke and Cottonmouth go at it once and for all. I was a little more blown away with Shades character this week as he is trying to advise Cornell on how to handle his business around Luke and with the easy way out being thrown out the window by the gangster, Shades knows that his employer will not help unless a price is paid. It should be interesting to see what Cornell ‘Cottonmouth’ is able to work out with the mysterious Diamondback who is only looking for power and nothing else.  As Misty has said in the past, Luke being in the city is going to cost many more people their lives and when the war comes to the streets, it will be difficult to guess who will be caught in the cross fire. On a finale side note, this episode's music act is a rapper named Jidenna whom I have not heard of, but he gives us a good beat and I may want to hear a little bit more when after the series ends.

The new season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has thus far been quite a fascinating reinvention of the show. Gone are the days of campy jokes and light hearted storylines. Those have been replaced with a darker world and atmosphere that quite frankly has drawn all of us in, but there is one glaring flaw that has come about because of these changes...the fact that the show is missing a true villain.

We've spent the last few weeks getting to know the Ghost Rider only to find out he's a misunderstood vigilante in the same vein as Daisy, that there was at some point an experiment that turned a handful of people into ghost like creatures that drive mortal men insane when they touch them, and we've met the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and learned that the agency is about to return to the public light...but as of yet, there's nothing major for this team to defend against, no grand threat to give them a true purpose...that is until last night. Because 'Uprising' gave us a grand conspiracy that is now brewing behind the scenes and judging from what went down in this episode...whomever is behind it has deep pockets and far reaching power.

The conspiracy in question was hidden under the guise of an Inhuman uprising, where electromagnetic pulses were deployed in various cities around the world to knock out the power and leave the people in chaos and panic while 'Inhumans' demanded the end of the Registration Act, and equal rights...or more cities would go dark. That meant it was time for Coulson, Mack and Fitz to spring into action, and their mission took them to the heart of Miami to find Yo-Yo and the location of the EMP and that's when things got interesting. During their travels they encountered a few men trying to capture and harm Yo-Yo in the name of keeping the people safe, but after a quick struggle, because hey, guys like that are no match for S.H.I.E.L.D., we quickly learned that they were part of the Watchdogs and that this particular hate group was responsible for deploying the EMPs and generating the fear gripping the planet.

But while Coulson and the gang were busy saving the day, other problems were being posed by the Watchdogs and their attack upon America, one being that May nearly lost her life. As it turns out, the end result of making contact with the weird non corporeal 'ghost' people is prolonged madness and eventual death as is, so with the help of Dr. Radcliffe, he and Jemma were to able to determine the cause of what these creatures do. These beings more or less induce a waking nightmare on their victims, leaving them in a perpetual state of heightened awareness, meaning that the cure, would be to stop the heart, let brain activity fade and then resurrect the patient. But in the middle of letting May's brain cool down, a Watchdog power outage struck the D.C. area, forcing the Doc to think quick and use the power source from his android to save May not only physically but mentally, since she is finally free of the madness that has been plaguing her the last couple of episodes.

But while it was great to see May pull through her living nightmare, and see S.H.I.E.L.D. return to prominence, this conspiracy is quite the concern and it would appear the backers and brains of this...are domestic. The exact person behind this whole mess still remains a mystery, but so far the signs are pointing to Rota Nadeer, an outspoken, anti-Inhuman member of Congress, since she is someone who would have access to the Inhuman Registration List. However, despite her joy at hearing that seventeen Inhumans were slaughtered during the blackouts, we still don't one hundred percent know her exact role in this mess, but we do know she has a deep hate for Inhumans, one that is no doubt related to the fact that someone in her family is waiting to emerge from their Terragen Shell. Either way, someone is declaring war against Inhumans, and is ready to go to extreme lengths to ensure that their kind are wiped out, meaning this season has now revealed its true direction...a grand battle to keep the Inhumans safe. Until next time.

Each and every one of us, have a moment in our past that we are simply not proud of. While the consequences of that moment define us in present day, it's one that haunts us enough that given the opportunity, we would do anything to go back and time and change it, regardless of how altering that single moment in time may change everything about who we are and who we have become. It's a fascinating idea that we all toy with due to the fact that we know deep down, that opportunity will never come and we move on with our lives, doing our best to make peace with that moment. 

Unless of course, you're the fastest man alive. Then you take that opportunity, consequences be damned, or rather, to hell with it until you realize that toying with those all important moments can cause more harm than good...which brings us to last night's episode of The Flash, 'Paradox'. Because in this chapter in the life of Barry Allen, we finally came to understand exactly what the Reverse Flash meant in his warning since when all was said and done, Barry's decision to change the timeline...and then change it again has led to one bleak and angst filled timeline, where Barry Allen remains the Flash, but is viewed as a bit of a jerk and is lacking support from those he loves the most.

In this timeline, Iris and Joe aren't on speaking terms since Joe kept quiet about the fact that Iris' mother is alive. Cisco lost his brother and is grieving and broken and Barry is now sharing space at work with a Meta Human CSI Specialist named Julian Albert...who cannot stand Barry in the slightest. It puts our intrepid hero in one precarious place as he tries to figure out what exactly happened in this timeline, without being disrespectful in the process before finally deciding that he's had enough of this sour world and decides to head back in time once again to repair the timeline...once again. But before he can make anything happen, Jay Garrick returns to have a little chat with Barry, pointing out that what's done is done, the timeline is something that can never be set 100% right again, and Barry is going to have to figure out how to live with the changes he has made.

It's a talk that Barry thankfully takes to heart and he returns to this strange new world, opens up about his selfish mistake to his family and friends and asks that the team finally come together, something they are all reticent to do, despite Barry's pleas. But before he can work on that further, he has a meta human to deal with, one that he tangled with before...the Rival. Yes, the cocky and evil speedster that appeared on the show last week returns, restored to his former villainous glory by a new bad guy in town, a mysterious entity known as Doctor Alchemy. The return of the Rival leads to a powerful battle where the team comes to realize something, that they love and support Barry and that they are a part of something bigger and with him being in trouble, the team decides it is time to stand behind him...and once the Rival is defeated with their help, they also come to realize that perhaps it's time to move on from all of their pain and hold on to what they currently have in front of them.  

But while this episode wrapped up on a much happier note than last week, there's still plenty of danger ahead for Barry and the gang. For starters, the sheer hate that Julian has toward our favorite speedster is clearly grounded in more than just the simple distrust he spoke to. There's definitely something bigger going on here between these two and hopefully Barry can figure out what his jerky former self in this timeline did to fire up the ire of this intelligent and observant man before the Flash's secret is out. Plus, there's the matter of Doctor Alchemy. Why is he creating meta humans, and quite frankly...what's his end game? Either way, this bleak style of storytelling is new for the show, and while this was in essence a filler story since it was not quite as engaging as the season premiere, at least they did a fine job of quietly setting up a few things for the upcoming season as poor Barry continues to deal with the fallout of Flashpoint. Until next time.

When we last left Kara Zor-El on Supergirl, she was a hero that had everything she could ever want. She was out from under Cat Grant's thumb, able to choose her own career path. She had finally come into her own as National City's savior, fully embracing and understanding her role as the hero known as Supergirl and heck, she even got the guy. It was quite the happy ending for our intrepid Kryptonian, which left us wondering, where exactly would the story go from here?

Thankfully that question was answered during last night's season two premiere, 'The Adventures of Supergirl' in the only way that this series knows how, with gentle and thoughtful moments that remind us of our humanity and the importance of teamwork along with empowering Kara to make her own educated decisions as she spent the episode learning how to live a fulfilling life when all of your dreams come true. After all, it's not enough to simply achieve the dream, we have to maintain it, and find ways to keep life exciting and fulfilling. But before we get too deep into that, there was one other issue the show simply needed to address, because it was something that hung over all of season one...her cousin Superman. Yes, this larger than life character only cameoed from the shadows last year and rather than continue to tease his existence and let him loom over the show, they brought him right into the mix...and it was simply magical.

Seeing these two iconic heroes on screen together, performing super-feats, was childhood imagination come to life. But more importantly, Superman's arrival on the show wasn't done in gratuitous fashion, nor did it take the lime light off of Kara, it was all about enhancing the story, building a world outside of National City and also...it was just so freakin' cool. I mean come on, they dropped easter egg after easter egg in this episode when it comes to the Man of Steel and a lot of credit as to why this storyline worked so well falls to actor Tyler Hoechlin who did an amazing job of owning the dual role of Clark Kent and Superman. When he wore the 'S' the man simply became the part, playing the Last Son of Krypton in cool and collected fashion, but what was more impressive was his portrayal as Clark, since he channelled a touch of Christopher Reeve to make Clark goofy and forgettable, for all the right reasons.

But while it was amazing to see the Man of Tomorrow return to the small screen after all these years, Kara's journey was truly the centerpiece of the night because her story, the need to find out who Kara Zor-El is as an everyday person, was a refreshing and subtle character study. So often our superheroes are just that, heroes and nothing more. Sure they have their secret identity but that identity often serves as relief to the overall story. We don't think about the hobbies that most of us require, or a passion that fuels our mind, body and soul because in a matter of minutes our heroes are back to saving all of mankind. But Kara, she's different. She needed something to fulfill a greater calling within her and the scenes between her and Cat, as she poked and prodded Kara to let go and be more in life and find a personal purpose were outright beautiful and touching; especially when Cat flat out told Kara that she was an inspiration.

In the end, Kara discovered that perhaps following in her cousin's footsteps and becoming a reporter at CatCo is the life she needs to lead, and what matters most...she did it on her own. Sure Lena Luthor threw her a bone, but she always knew deep down what her calling was, heck so did Cat and that's quite the empowering message to send to the viewers and while it was heartbreaking to see her decide to call it quits with James, that's another important moment. It's about Kara being happy with who she is and where she is going in life before adding romance into it and that's another wonderful message to send, that another person isn't always what we need to be whole and well, with that kind of storytelling in front of us, it's clear that we are off to a great start for season two. This will be a year of personal discovery, with just a hint of saving the day and I cannot wait to see what other incredible adventures with Supergirl await us. Until next time. 

After two units have been retired, Bernard is looking for answers, but when talking to Dr. Ford, he winds up not getting any. Knowing that the glitch can be much worse and that they lucked out by it only singling out a couple of units, he may have to start digging on his own. When talking to Elsie who has continued to analyze what happened to Abernathy, she believes that there was something intentionally done to him to have his prior programing come back to the surface, but there is no way of telling unless she is able to talk to Dolores or another one of the bots that was close to him.

Arriving to the park for his first visit, William has so many questions about what is happening around him, but his friend Logan has his own agenda. Knowing what the park is bringing to the new comers, Logan is able to direct William away from the silly adventures in order to have a meal before the experience fully takes effect.  But William is here for an experience as well and his trip is getting more violent with every turn and he is seeing a new side of his co-worker that he has never seen before. Waiting to see if William is able to find what he is looking for, it may become deadly for one or both of the new participants. 
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Tracking the glitch has not been easy and it has taken over the Madame at the saloon, Maeve, as well. Having memories of a battle, she is not able to complete her story to the customers and her production has been tapering off. Even her next in line bot Clementine admits to having dreams, which is something that none of the bots are supposed to experience. With guidelines in place to keep the bots at full efficiency Maeve is sent into the shop and tuned up to a higher level that no one should be able to resist, however it has not stopped her memories from coming back and now has given her the possible power to hurt someone that gets in her way.

Needing to get away from the possible problems of the park, Dr. Ford heads in and takes a walk to clear his head. Talking to one of his creations, he is able to reach a conclusion for what needs to be done next, but will not let anyone else in on the little secret. When listening to Lee’s new storyline for the park that will have plenty more action and a killing force for everyone to fear, Ford declines it since it does not encompass why people come to enjoy themselves. The adventure of getting away and having better relationships with the bots is what the park has been designed to do and while some people crave the action, most need a release from reality and someone to listen to their problems as well.

The Man in Black is back and looking for something more than what the park has been able to offer him in the thirty years he has been coming to it. With the scalp of another bot, he is looking to have his old bad guy running mate in Lawrence help him locate the next step. With a map to a maze in an unseen level in his possession, he just needs to know where it starts and there has to be a host in the park that knows that location. Bringing Lawrence home to be with his wife and kid, the Man in Black asks the right questions, but is forced to fight his way out of the situation, but that is what he lives for. Offering to put a bullet in the little girl's head, he is able to get directions to what his heart desires the most and is taking Lawrence along for the ride.

Quite the little episode to keep you wondering what will happen next. Seeing that some of the bots/hosts are starting to be able to remember things and seeing the outburst from Maeve that could have harmed a human, well, wow. As Dolores is not free from these actions as well, she has not been seen having issues as of yet and I am sure that when she does, all bets are off, especially for the creator. Doctor Ford is looking for answers as well, as his programing has ignited something in the bots that he did not expect and I am sure that he wants to see how far it can go. Then there is the little quip about corporate and moving the hosts to the next step, which who knows where that is going to take the programming in the park, much less how many regular people will be harmed in the process. This series had me from the get go and now I don’t think I will be able to get it out of my head, which means I'l need another dose of it next week. Pretty sure I am not the only one who is enjoying it, especially since HBO was kind enough to give us a sneak peek a couple of days early for this episode.

There's a lot to love when it comes to Blunt Talk. It's hilarious, filled with colorful characters, it's refreshing and original, the list simply goes on and on. But of all the wonderful things this show manages to accomplish storytelling wise week in and week out, one particular element comes to mind every single time I settle in to watch it, the fact that it is able to completely connect with its audience, without us ever having a clue that it is reaching us on an intimate level.  

This is a show that manages to resurrect memories in subtle fashion, and the show's ability to bring us closer to its characters and storylines through our own experiences was on full display this week. But what made this little trick so obvious, is the fact that the show went right after something we've all experienced in both positive and negative fashion...love, and the strange effect that it often has on all of us. But, 'If It Comes in a Plastic Bag, Don't Eat It' made sure to take such concepts and possibilities one step further, by tossing fear into the mix because let's be honest, fear is a big part of love and really the show narrowed its focus on these all important matters by way of a handful of characters; Walter, Jim and Celia. 

Walter's journey this go round evoked flashbacks for all of us when it comes to communicating with those we love early on in a relationship, as he lamented the fact that Cornelia was silent and non responsive to his text messages and well, it's incredible just how deeply in love Walter is with Cornelia. The wait, and the desire to hear from her and just know he is on her mind drove the man all over the place. One minute he was crabby, the next calm and together and it was also equally amazing to see that Cornelia brings out the best in Walter. After all, she does eventually respond to Walter, letting him know that she's on to one hell of an incredible story and possibly in danger because of it, and it leads Walter to lament the fact that his career settled upon showmanship over hard journalism.  

But the centerpiece of this week's love fest was Jim and Celia's story because last night, Jim decided to drop the biggest bomb that one can drop in a relationship, by letting Celia know that he is madly in love with her. It's something that clearly terrifies Celia considering all that we've learned about her and that's where the fear came into the mix. Because in the midst of Jim's colonoscopy, while he was high on mescaline, and through the help of some good bacteria in his gut by way of hallucination, Jim came to the stark realization that Celia is everything to him, and rather than risk losing her...he proposed to her on live television...and while thankfully she didn't break it off, it sure didn't end well. But these two lovebirds are clearly happy with one another, they're just in different places mentally since Jim is terrified of being alone and Celia is terrified to let anyone in. 

Now what was truly surprising about this episode, is the fact that it ended on such a starkly down note. It's not a bad thing, it just mixes up the show's formula a little bit, because at this point in time we have no clue what will become of Jim and Celia's relationship after that wild proposal and well, I think we're all wondering at this point whether or not Cornelia is safe since her rushed meeting to contact a source in regards to her story, results in her disappearing without a trace. But, despite that slightly darker finale, this was still a wonderfully hilarious episode with the return of Herschel and the shenanigans that ensued from that and well, this is the only show I know out there that can have darker moments such as these and still make you smile over featuring a porn parody about the title character entitled Blunt Cock. Either way, Sunday can't get here soon enough, so we can find out if Cornelia is okay, and if love will continue to endure for Jim and Celia. Until next time.

It seems like there is no way to get a nice peaceful night in Luke Cage’s Harlem, especially if you have made enemies with the dreaded Cottonmouth. Firing a rocket launcher at his new arch nemesis, Luke’s home, his restaurant and his land lady Connie are in the midst of being taken off of the planet forever. But Luke is strong and was able to keep Connie safe from the falling rubble and with a little bit of livable area, the two will be fine, that is until they start smelling a gas leak. Needing to get them both out of the rubble before a spark sets off the gas, Luke has to let Connie know that he is super strong and she needs to keep it quiet.

Arriving at the scene, Misty and Rafael are blown away to see what happened to the restaurant. With Rafael giving up the who was behind the heists of Cottonmouth’s money, he also gave the gangster the address, but does a great job in showing surprise in what has happened. Taking note that the explosion was external and not internal, the two are able to find a surveillance tape that shows a rocket launcher being used and while they know who is behind it, they cannot find any proof to back it up that can be used in court. With more questions than answers, Misty gets a call from the fire crew as they have noticed something strange happening in the rubble and she is astonished to see who is coming out without a scratch.

That is all that happened in real time because most of this episode was a flashback to find out who Luke Cage really is. Arriving at Seagate prison, the new inmate Carl Lucas (Luke) is not about to make any new friends, especially when the other inmates find out he was a cop. Trying to keep his head down, and remain strong enough to keep himself safe and of sound mind, Carl finds out that such a feat will be harder than he could imagine. Going to group sessions every week to see how others react when being asked questions, Carl finds that Reva is a breath of fresh air. After his new friend Squabbles helps him open up emotionally, Carl starts to understand how important it is to have friends on the inside and he starts to open up in the sessions.
 
Putting Reva in her place, she is impressed on his thoughts and knows that he was not guilty of the crimes he was imprisoned for. With little she can do to help him in his situation, she can be a friendly ear, but that only goes so far when Carl is being asked to do something he wanted to avoid. When Guard Rackham gets to Carl when he is alone, he offers the oversized inmate immunity from the system on one condition, he must join the fight club they have set up. After declining once, he is threatened with the loss of life, but not his own; if he does not fight, Squabbles will die instead. Entering the ring, Carl cleans up and becomes a threat to be reckoned with, but when Reva sees the state of decline he is going through, she wants to know why. With feelings for the young doctor, Carl comes clean with her about the fights, but he knows that if he stops, something bad will come his way.  Being beaten within an inch of his life, Carl is inserted into a healing chamber, but when the process is interrupted, he is given the gift that everyone wants, but no one really needs as he becomes the Power Man...Luke Cage.

Not a bad back story overall, but I still want to know what he was sent to prison for as it is not answered in this episode, but besides that it was good. We finally get to see Reva for more than a couple minutes and how much she cared for the inmate who became the vigilante Luke Cage. We also got to see how the human side of Luke worked in prison, and even though he was forced to do something that he did not want to do, he came back from that mindset pretty quick and was ready to make a new life for himself. The attempted breaking of Luke in prison by Rackham was great and even though I did not know where he was going with it, it turned out pretty bad ass, along with his enforcers Comanche and Shades doing his dirty work, it was pretty epic. I could not get over the fact that every time a guard or doctor got the chance to announce it, they did, saying that Luke was a cop. It was like they were trying to give him a death sentence in Seagate, but what was funny is that none of the other prisoners attacked him because of that. Well, it is time to see what Luke is able to do next since Cottonmouth tried to blow him up and failed because there is nothing that can hurt Power Man, except for maybe a broken heart.