Faith is an important part of our everyday lives because it’s fundamental as to how we function. After all, we ALL believe in something, but what that is specifically varies from person to person. Some of us believe in ourselves and the notion that we forge our own way and our own luck while others, well they believe in a higher power, that something greater is out there in the universe that is trying to teach us a valuable lesson about our life and the world we inhabit.
 
Regardless of which school of thought you subscribe you, you’re not wrong by any means, and you should believe what you believe as long as it makes you whole, and doesn’t harm anyone else and it is that part of religion and belief that people truly fear, when it consumes someone to the point where others suffer because of their beliefs and oddly enough, that darker scenario when it comes to faith ended up being the subject of last night’s episode of Supergirl and tossing that theme into the mix, made ‘The Faithful’, one supremely fascinating episode.
 
Because in essence, Supergirl and Superman have always had a sense of Godhood floating about them, and in many instances and stories, they have both served as a loose allegory for modern Judeo-Christian beliefs by sometimes resembling Jesus Christ, but I personally cannot think of a story where either of them were outright worshipped as a savior of mankind, that is, until last night. Because as it turns out, a man that Kara saved on the night she became Supergirl, one who was supremely lost in his own right, decided he needed to dedicate his life to showing others a path toward salvation, and that path involved seeing Kara as a Messiah of sorts.
 
Of course, this quickly became more dangerous than hopeful since some of his followers committed crimes and put themselves in harm’s way to have Kara save them so they could properly join his little group of worshippers, but what made this episode so incredibly fascinating was the entire exploration of how Kara and Clark’s superhuman skills are perceived. Because Kara sees her abilities as a gift, and her timing as luck, yet even James Olsen, a practical man with a practical mind finds the beauty and miraculous nature of her and Clark’s abilities and while the show didn’t quite give us a direct answer as to whether or not they are gods, it was nice to spend a little time dissecting such a unique perspective on how superheros can be and are viewed.
 
Yet, while this in many ways seemed like a standalone episode, there were other important tidbits present when it comes to a few overreaching plot threads in that, Maggie and Alex’s relationship is now in serious trouble with Alex coming to realize how badly she wants to be a mother, yet the love of her life does not. It’s clearly creating a serious rift between the two, one that doesn’t bode well for their future and of course, one cannot forget that something sinister and Kryptonian in nature is haunting Samantha and I get the feeling those disturbing visions are only going to get worse as time goes on. Either way, this was another brainy episode from a series that refuses to give anything but its best in season three and kudos to the series for tackling the power of religion and doing so in the classiest of fashion. Until next time. 

When one thinks of Star Trek as a whole, and the various storytelling ideas it's brought to the table through the years, quite a variety of concepts come to mind. Social commentary is perhaps at the top of that list, since the show has tackled just about every single real world topic that a television show can and it is that commentary that helped put this storied saga on the map. But sometimes, the power of Trek and what it means to our current day society eclipses the science prevalent on the show and how sometimes, that science can make for one entertaining story.

Enter the notion, of time travel. It's a concept that every single series has toyed with at some point or another, and while some of the fan base has lamented its appearance in the franchise, firmly believing that a reliance on that kind of storytelling isn't central to show's core values, from time to time...that style of storytelling has brought forth some amazing tales. After all, The Voyage Home was one of the finest time travel stories the franchise ever put forth and 'Year of Hell' from Voyager was an utter delight since it allowed for the crew to do new and exciting things without penalizing the timeline and that's precisely why I personally love the time travel episodes, because so many wondrous storylines can be explored with zero constraints. Which is precisely why last night's episode of Star Trek: Discovery, 'Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad', was such a joy to watch, because time travel and temporal loops came into play...with a twist of course. 

Actually, I should say several twists because everywhere this episode went, it offered up something unique and intriguing, starting with Harry Mudd. Because we've always seen him as a quasi love-able yet selfish oaf, hell bent on making a profit. But last night, well Harry went to the dark side in style as he used his time crystal to lock the Discovery in a temporal loop so he could figure out how the Spore Drive works so that he could of course, sell the ship and its crew to the Klingons and goodness, who knew that Harry Mudd carried such a vengeful streak? Because time and time again, he punished Captain Lorca for abandoning him in that prison cell, killing him in unique and exciting ways (in Harry's mind) and well, that certainly made for some dark humor this go round. 

But while it appeared at first that this particular storyline was going to stay in bleak territory, with the crew suffering through the destruction of the Discovery over and over again, this episode ended up being far more lighthearted than expected. For starters, there were a surprisingly fair amount of laughs to be found in this one. Between the party that kicks off the time loop, and all the awkward romantic interactions between Tyler and Burnham, I found myself chuckling often before the plot went serious again and really, what I enjoyed about this one, is the best twist of all, in that, this particular temporal loop tale...found a way to take its exploration to the next level, by allowing for events that happened within said loop...to not be forgotten after things went back to normal. 

Because the budding romance between Tyler and Burnham wasn't forgotten in the slightest and the two of them were finally a touch more open about their feelings and emotions and it was quite touching to see Lieutenant Tyler speak to the fact that he was willing to be patient with Michael, so that she didn't feel uncomfortable or rushed in this situation and it was lovely to see a pair of crew mates start their potential romantic journey since that's something we rarely see in this franchise and I'm actually quite curious to see where this goes because let's be honest, it's relatable. We've all been in that situation where we don't quite know how to interact with our crush/romantic interest and while the power of honesty they displayed is easier said than done...who knows, maybe we can learn a thing or two from them on how to handle such matters. 

If anything, the romantic sub plot in combination with the temporal loop made this episode supremely philosophical in a way as well, and much of that comes courtesy of Lieutenant Stamets. Because he completely understood the fact that time was limited in this tale, and that with the clock ticking, there was no time to waste on the little things we often waste time upon, including romance and his gentle pushing for everyone to be honest, and cut to the chase in life was refreshing and the subtext that comes with all of that, and the fact that Mudd got his happily ever after with Stella (for now), makes this perhaps the most uplifting episode of the series to date with its reminder to, and allow me to paraphrase Captain Jean-Luc Picard, seize the moment, because it will never come again. Unless of course, you're in a time loop. Details. I know.

In fact, I think it's safe to declare this episode of the show, the most Trek-like story in this particular saga to date, because it truly was a best of reel of the franchise through and through. We got to explore bold new territory for the characters, and the best parts of humanity were on display throughout and for the hardcore science nerd in all of us, we got our time travel fix! But most importantly, it was uplifting through and through, and it once again featured people coming together to solve one heck of a problem and if that's not all the wonderful things this franchise stands for, I don't know what is and really, I'm glad we enjoyed this now because we cannot forget, tough days are still ahead for this intrepid crew. 

After all, the Klingons still have Admiral Cornwall in custody, Captain Lorca hasn't dealt with his proclivity to put others at risk nor has he made peace with his past and it would seem, judging from the trailer at the end of this episode, that next week's story is going to focus heavily on the first of those two storylines. So, it's back to the war after this one and that's fine by me because it is a compelling and powerful storyline to work with, but it was nice to take a break from all of our war weary worries and have a little fun with the crew for a change and really...who knew that Disco was still a thing in the 23rd Century? Until next time. 

Social media has in many ways, revolutionized the world and our society. It's not only allowed for us to get in touch with people we haven't spoken to in years, it's allowed for us to in essence, follow the pulse of the planet and the lives of strangers at any given moment and really, there is something beautiful to be found in being able to experience other people's lives from afar, or share our own when we so choose. But like anything in life, while social media has done plenty of incredible things for us...it also has its dark side.

Unfortunately, the power of this platform has given less honorable people a voice, and allowed for hate to spread and its even managed to erode the logic of science from time to time as people push beliefs over facts and some folks have flat out become obsessed with the various social media programs out there, believing that the like button is the only form of validation they need. Thankfully though, a fair majority of us know when to ignore the noise and when to simply put our phones down and go about our day, but what would our world look like if social media ruled all things? If everything in our lives, including our destiny was decided by a like? Well that chilling scenario is something that Seth MacFarlane decided to explore in brilliant fashion by way of last night's episode of The Orville, 'Majority Rule'. 

Now I call this episode brilliant, simply because Seth MacFarlane's screenplay for this episode is in essence, flawless science fiction. It not only had something to say our about our world and its current love affair with social media, but it also explored the dangers of it as great sci-fi is wont to do. So really, let's examine those two elements in depth today, starting with those real world parallels because let's be honest, the whole mess with John and how quickly he went viral on this distant world was chilling in its similarities, wasn't it? I mean think about it, these days when a faux pas from an elected official or a celebrity happens in front of a camera, it's all over our feeds in a matter of seconds and we're instantly discussing it and sharing our opinion of the matter with our friends and family. 

Yet despite that being the most obvious commentary on social media's power in this world, the story found a way to integrate those parallels into just about every moment, since past that particular point the dangers of letting social media control our days and our lives were on full display and really, there were two key things that stood out to me when it to came to the darker side of social media that this story explored; specifically...how some firmly believe that their opinion online is above the opinion of anyone else, and how some truly believe that everything they read on these platforms is fact and really, the first part of those two storytelling elements was just about everywhere in this story because as John tried his best to explain his side of the story, and that he made an honest mistake, he quickly found himself in a proverbial no win scenario because every host of every show pointed out his mistakes, or expressed their disdain for him, making his life all that much harder, which brings us back to those little slices of the real world since we've definitely seen that happen on our feeds before when the court of public opinion makes up its mind.

Not to mention, we even saw opinion/individual perspective take charge in the everyday world for this society, since Alara took some serious heat for wearing the wrong kind of cultural clothing and she was quickly informed that in doing so, she was insulting and offending one particular man's perspective in how said clothing should be worn to the point where it was either remove the hat, or face the same fate as John. As for the whole element of using social media as a guide to life, well that was handled in brief but powerful fashion when we came to learn that everyone on this world follows the Master Feed's collective opinion, whether it is right or wrong and Captain Mercer asking simple questions such as 'how do you know if a medicine is safe to take?' spoke volumes to the posts we sometimes see in a similar vein that leave us shaking their head and really, what made this episode so brilliant, is that it wasn't trying to sway your opinion on social media or make you believe that it's bad...it simply wanted to point out its power and that if used properly, it could achieve wonders. 

After all, once the people of this world saw and read good things about John, their opinion suddenly swayed and fake memories or not, it reminded us of the fact that we let negativity on these platforms speak louder than anything else, and if we took just a moment to think before we react...we would find beauty and wonder and perhaps we would be a touch more understanding and willing to look at the facts first when people make harmless mistakes online. Either way, this was another beautiful episode from a series that quite frankly, seems to have its pulse on our world and our lives week in and week out and my goodness, this really has become my absolute favorite television series of 2017 and once again, I'll be counting down the minutes until next week's episode to feed my brain another powerful and intelligent story that will no doubt leave me thinking long after the story has come to an end. Until next time.

We are taught from an early age, that words are just words and they should never have any power over us when people use the harshest ones imaginable against us. But as we grow and set out on our own, we come to learn that words most definitely have power, and what we say matters because what comes out of our mouth can either lift someone's spirits to the sky, or completely shatter their psyche and the sheer power of words is precisely what took the center stage on last night's episode of Designated Survivor. 

Now one might think that a story revolving around a poor choice of words would have no place in a show about politics and normally, I'd agree with you. But this series, well, it's so damn good that it can take just about any subject and make it fascinating and this episode is proof of that, because 'Suckers' was one half brilliant character study when it comes to Tom Kirkman and one half socio-political commentary on how words most certainly have gravity with the public and how using the wrong ones can change public opinion in record time.  

However, as this season is wont to do, it's commentary didn't become a heavy handed lesson on our current world, nor did it offer any easy answers in that same vein, it just made you nod your head and grin with recognition at whom exactly it was taking a jab at before allowing you to get lost in the story and watch Kirkman go from public darling to an enemy of the people all because of a glib and sarcastic remark to a Senator he was trying to woo on a relief bill, and really, it's how Kirkman handled the fallout that made this episode so supremely interesting. Because once it was public knowledge that the word 'suckers' was used in reference to the American people, Kirkman in essence had two options in dealing with the matter, lie to the American people and say he never said that, or smear the Senator in question that leaked this information. 

That quandary put some incredible pressure on the President because of course, Kirkman wanted no part of either option. To lie to the American people would be a violation of his honesty and to smear someone else would make him a true politician, something he has always tried to avoid. But with his agenda stalling in Congress, and everyone quickly turning their backs on a President that was supposed to be for the people, it seemed as though Tom had no choice but to pick one of the uglier options to get his Administration back on track, and just when it seemed he was going to go down that darker road...Kirkman found a way to handle this in classy fashion and win the people back and that, was simply magnificent to see. Because the incredible moral compass that Kirkman operates from is central to what makes this show such a joy to watch and it was a relief to see him own his mistake and use his honesty to his advantage.

Yet, while it was wonderful to see the Commander-in-chief avoid temptation in this episode, what truly stood out to me in this one, is the fact that Tom Kirkman is becoming supremely presidential. Gone is all the doubt and fear that we saw from him in season one, that's all been replaced with confidence and a level head and as evidenced in the closing moments of the episode, leadership that inspires people to be better all around, and while this particular tale didn't do much to advance the overall conspiracy plot, who cares? This was an hour long acting clinic from Kiefer Sutherland and honestly, if the series is going to deliver more episodes like this, wherein we are treated to the President inspiring others to believe that they can achieve wonders, then they can spend the next three years on that plot line because this...this was truly a magnificent story and the best of what this series has to offer. Until next time.

I've always found it quite interesting how people interpret the concept of luck. Some people firmly believe it is related to karma in many ways and your fortunes are determined by the good vibes that you put into the world, while others are of the opinion that we forge our own luck and our own way, and some...well they simply believe in pure destiny, wherein the universe decides what kind of fortunes will come your way. But regardless of which school of thought you subscribe to, the beauty of the mystery of luck, is that it can be explored in wonderfully creative ways thanks to fiction. 

Which is precisely what The Flash did last night, by injecting a little artificial science into the notion of luck and by toying with it, the series delivered another utterly hilarious and fun episode that still found a way to keep the audience thinking. In 'Luck Be a Lady' we are introduced, by way of our grand mystery villain, to a young lady named Rebecca Sharpe, who simply cannot get a break in life. It seems everywhere she turns something bad is waiting to happen to her, that is until a 'lucky break' from the universe gifts with her Meta Human abilities, and now she enjoys wonderful luck and good fortune everywhere she goes, the only problem is...the more good luck that is bestowed upon her, the worse things go for those around her...

So I have to get this out of my system right now...I loved, loved, LOVED this episode. Everything about this one was just completely and utterly on point. The comedy that came about from the bad luck that Rebecca bestowed upon Team Flash was simply amazing and on several occasions I found myself having to pause my DVR to get the laughs out so I wouldn't miss another moment in the episode, and speaking of the comedy, who knew that Grant Gustin and Candice Patton had such amazing comedic chops? Because the entire Church sequence was perfect and utterly hilarious. But all comedy aside, there were some important moments that popped up in this episode as well. We learned that Barry's return is what created the twelve new Metas that our big bad is currently hunting for, and there was also quite the heartbreaking moment as well since Wally had his heart shattered by Jesse so badly...he's leaving Team Flash to find himself and a purpose in life. 

But what truly caught me off guard last night, was our villain. Because Rebecca Sharpe, aptly nicknamed Hazard, turned out to be quite the different breed of baddie. While most evil doers that come in contact with the Flash have a vendetta in their hearts or murder on their minds for being wronged at some point in their lives, Rebecca was the polar opposite. She was just an everyday woman, one that truly did see an incredible streak of misfortune in her life, and well...it makes sense that seeing her life improve in such amazing fashion would send her spirits soaring and drive her to enjoy it to the fullest. Yet I'm constantly reminded of the moment in Jitters with Barry, where she pointed out that it was high time that others understood the pain she experienced and it was simply stunning and tragic to see a character that devastated and jaded by the world to the point where she was okay with being selfish in that manner, and I'm wondering if more of the Metas we encounter this season are going to be like her and I kind of hope they will be in the respect that there was some serious depth to Hazard and the notion of a villain pushing forward out of frustration and pain is something new for this series. 

In the end however, I love how season four is shaping up. It's wonderful that the characters are finding new ways to grow in the absence of a massive crisis and I certainly hope that Wally's self imposed exile helps clear his head and that Earth-2 Harrison finds peace as well since his daughter has now shunned him and it should be equally as intriguing to see how Joe deals with the fact that Cecile is pregnant, since that will definitely change up his role on the team. Either way, there's a wonderful family feel that is permeating this season, and the slow burn that our villain is building to is downright fascinating and while this one may not have advanced the plot by leaps and bounds, all that matters is that we had some serious fun with Team Flash and I'm glad to see that this lighthearted approach to the plot appears to be here to stay.  Until next time. 

What I've always found magnificent about superhero stories in either print or television, is the fact that when they throw caution to the wind and worry about the story over anything else, they can truly accomplish wonders storytelling wise. It's a rarity because let's be honest, we expect action, adventure and amazing one liners from these types of tales, and the people behind the scenes know, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But once in a great while, these shows seize an incredible opportunity and deliver those perfect storylines that move you and leave you thinking and that's precisely what Supergirl is accomplishing in season three. 

Because really this season of the show has shed everything that most superhero shows thrive upon. Sure, there's still action and adventure, but all of that is now an accessory to the saga since this show has shifted to far more intellectual concepts. The season premiere focused heavily on dealing with loss and the trauma that comes with it, while last week's story was all about the power of fear and overcoming it and this week, well this episode, 'Far From the Tree', followed in this new tradition of philosophical storytelling by giving us a story wherein two key characters faced severe pain from their past to move forward into the future and holy cow, did this make for one moving tale.  

Now what truly made this dynamic fascinating is the fact that it examined both good and bad results for confronting said pain and the more uplifting storyline in this matter came by way J'onn, who ventured to Mars with Supergirl in order to deal with M'gann's distress call from last week and upon his arrival, J'onn came to learn something shocking; that his father was still alive after all these years. Which meant that J'onn was forced to confront his decision to leave Mars and the fact that his father firmly believed that abandoning the planet is a coward's decision and it took incredible effort on J'onn's part to not only convince his dad that he wasn't a trick or illusion created by the White Martians to get information out of him, but also that J'onn was a good and just man, and that his decision made sense and well...in the end everything worked out great for J'onn. He was able to reconcile with his father, and even gets to make up for lost time with dear old dad since he returned to Earth with with his beloved son.

Unfortunately however, to balance out the story, there was some sadness to be found as well and that came by way of Maggie and Alex and their upcoming wedding shower. Because while Eliza took the time to get to know her future daughter-in-law, and pondered as to why there were no pictures of her in a collage made up for said shower, Maggie revealed a painful memory; the day when her father disowned her and abandoned her because of her sexuality. It's a memory that broke Alex's heart and with the best of intentions she suggested that Maggie reach out to her dad to see if time has made things better and surprisingly, Maggie did indeed, inviting him to the shower and he even bothered to show up. But it didn't take long for him to make a scene and when Maggie confronted him, he tore into her about her inability to be normal and how he wanted nothing more than for her to fit into a world that saw different as ugly and the only beauty to this heartbreaking story, is that Maggie took the time to confront him over his beliefs and point out that she was in fact...accepted and loved and fit in just fine. 

Yet while there should be joy to be found in what Maggie did, in the end it's really just bittersweet. Because while it's wonderful to see her lay down the hammer when it comes to her father's ignorance, there's really no resolution for her when it comes to that fateful day, and while she's strong and will no doubt endure regardless, I think we all wanted to see her father soften and provide just a smidge of hope that maybe, just maybe...he would come back into his daughter's life. But life isn't always full of happy endings, and it's bold that the show didn't deliver one here either. Regardless, this truly was another beautiful episode, one that allowed us into the hearts of a pair of characters that seemed impenetrable emotionally a couple of seasons ago and this new style of storytelling continues to impress and I really cannot wait to see what other storytelling wonders await us down line when it comes to this magnificent series. Until next time. 

For the most part, television shows as a whole, work incredibly hard to maintain a particular tone and design because brand recognition and knowing what you're getting into when you settle in to watch is an important part of the T.V. landscape these days. But the boldest of television shows love to buck that trend and surprise their audience through and through, and that's precisely what's happening right now with Star Trek: Discovery. Because for the past two weeks, this stunning new entry into the Trek universe is evolving right before our very eyes as it begins to shift away from dark and gritty stories in order to tell hopeful and heroic tales that explore the human condition.

It all started last week since 'Choose Your Pain' was a tour de force in storytelling where we finally saw Commander Michael Burnham start her long road back to redemption, and it was also filled to the brim with heroic moments that spoke to the Federation's values on life as a whole and well...all of that truly signaled a tonal shift for the show and last night's episode, 'Lethe', continued this new tradition of uplifting storytelling by once again throwing heroism into the mix, all while adding a brand new wrinkle to the fold by digging into the age old concept of our past, and how it can control us if we never bother to confront it. 

It accomplished all of this by unfortunately putting Sarek in harm's way since his ship was nearly destroyed by a logic purist while he was on his way to attempt to negotiate a peace treaty between the Federation and the Klingon Empire and thankfully, in his injured state, he was able to reach out to Burnham mentally and make a request for help, one that Captain Lorca was happy to grant. Which sent the crew into a nebula to rescue the injured Vulcan and well...while that alone should have been enough to provide us with another uplifting and heroic story, because really, how can you go wrong with bravery, this episode decided to go above and beyond and instantly began to dig into the notion of confronting our past by way two key characters, Captain Lorca and Commander Burnham. 

Now what truly made this portion of the story so worthwhile, was the fact that it offered us two varying perspectives on what happens when we are forced to face the past and Burnham's journey, ended up being the more positive of the two. Because last night, we learned that Michael's quest to be the best and go as far as she can in Starfleet comes from one key moment from her past, the day that she was rejected from the Vulcan Expeditionary Group. She saw this harrowing moment as the grandest failure she could ever accomplish in life, since she didn't fulfill Sarek's hopes and dreams for her and she clearly was not good enough to achieve such an honor on her own, but as it turns out, there was more to that memory than she was aware of and thanks to a scientifically designed mind meld, she was finally able to discover the truth in that...Sarek lied to her on that fateful day.

She was never rejected, nor did she fail, instead her surrogate father was forced to make one heck of a decision in that...only one of his children would be accepted into the Group and in an effort to save face and preserve the Vulcan way, he chose Spock over Burnham. This revelation allowed for Sarek to finally open his mind so the Commander could save his life, and the truth in many ways set Burnham free. She came to realize that she had dedicated her life to serving other people's designs as to who or what she should be, and by confronting this memory head on and realizing that she is indeed good enough, she can now carve her own path in life and take the days as they come and it was refreshing to see Michael confront her past and learn something valuable from it rather than allow for it to continue to haunt her. 

Which brings us to Captain Lorca, whose sorted past served as the engine to drive a harrowing tale of what can happen when someone refuses to deal with their past in the slightest. Because after weeks of bravado, and odd decisions and disobeying orders, the Discovery received a visit from Admiral Cornwall while Burnham searched for Sarek and well, it was here that we learned that the Admiral not only cares for Lorca on a professional level, but a personal one as well and that care prompted the Admiral to flat out ask if the Captain is doing all right considering everything that's happened to him in the past few weeks and months, and of course, Lorca says he's doing just fine. But after a romantic evening together, Cornwall comes to discover that he is most certainly NOT all right since he pulls a phaser on her after she accidentally wakes him up. 

The revelation that Lorca has in essence lied his way back into the command chair after experiencing trauma puts his career in jeopardy since the Admiral is ready to make a leadership change aboard the ship until disaster strikes. Because with Sarek unable to attend the potential peace negotiations thanks to his injuries, Admiral Cornwall takes his place and wouldn't you know it, it's a trap so that the Klingons can get their hands on a high ranking Federation official and really, one has to wonder if at the end of the episode the discipline and restraint that Lorca shows when it comes to rescuing the Admiral is related to him learning a lesson, or him taking advantage of an opportunity to keep his career thriving and I hate to say it, I think it's the latter. Because Lorca in essence refuses to deal with anything from his past, he just pushes forward and lets the pain grow and grow, firmly believing that somehow sitting in that chair and doing good deeds for the war effort will free him from the burdens of yesterday.

If anything, Lorca's storyline made for some sobering moments to say the least, ones that served as a reminder of how hard it can be to hold the rank of captain, and here's to hoping Lorca gets the help he needs and soon, because the Admiral is right. At some point, he could become a liability with how hard he's pushing his crew. But when all is said and done, this was quite the wonderful character study and it was fascinating to learn what makes these two characters tick and it should be equally as fascinating going forward to see how they apply what they learned in this episode when it comes to their future. Either way, it's wonderful to see this series moving into more traditional ground storytelling wise, the kind that does the franchise proud and I cannot wait to see where this powerful story goes from here as Burnham continues to piece together this crazy thing we call life. Until next time.

Over the course of its magnificent, albeit brief run, I've always admired how Designated Survivor can in essence be a chameleon when it comes to storytelling. One minute this show can be a fascinating political drama, and just like that, it can shift gears to become a powerful thriller, one that leaves our hearts racing. But despite the fact that the series can wow us on a regular basis with its ability to transform at will, let's be honest, there's one thing we love about this show above anything else...it's sheer dedication to telling a story that shows humanity at its absolute best.

That last element is something that quite frankly, has slipped into the background of this series and with good reason; the whole matter with Patrick Lloyd simply had to be dealt with. But last night's episode, 'Equilibrium', signaled the return of a more uplifting show...by giving President Tom Kirkman one hell of a crisis to deal with; a trade dispute that spiraled out of control, when the life of a Mexican trucker was lost when he attempted to run a blockade at the border that was set up by American truckers to protest the loss of American jobs to immigrants and while at first glance it seems as though the series was going to potentially dig deep into current events once again and offer it own solutions in harmonious fashion, that was simply not the case. 

Because this episode went far beyond the standard debate on immigration, nor did it offer up any easy answers on how the United States should handle said debate. Instead, this particular tale opted to take a different route and remind the audience that race should never be an issue when it comes to debates such as these, and that we should focus instead on the fact that we are all human beings and in this whole mess together and I truly appreciated the fact that this story condemned how politics often uses people from different cultures to paint a picture beneficial to a particular politician and it was wonderful to see Kirkman lead the charge there and turn his back on all of that, and take it one step further by hammering the Mexican representative in the matter about the value of human life and how wrong it is to use it further an agenda. 

But while all of this was simply wonderful to watch, the show didn't forget about the bevy of discoveries that Hannah made last week, and this whole mess is simply continuing to grow and grow. Because as it turns out, Alex's mother did indeed take that bribe after all, and while that's a stunning and heartbreaking revelation for Alex to discover and one that will no doubt paint the White House in a negative light, the bigger problem at hand is that the FBI is now getting involved in the matter since a company named Icarus Astrotech landed a juicy three billion dollar defense contract shortly after Patrick Lloyd got his hands on the information regarding the nation's defensive capabilities, and the person who signed on the dotted line when it comes to this deal, just so happened to be Eric Little, the man who bribed the First Lady's mother and who also turned up dead last week...

So it would seem that Lloyd's parting gift goes far beyond merely smearing the President and his family, he wants to expose some kind of greater conspiracy in the Federal Government and how Little and his company tie into that has yet to be seen, but something big is clearly brewing now and it should be fascinating to see what comes out of this dark discovery. But, in the meantime, we can all bask in the wonder of this incredibly wholesome episode, and I'm hoping that the series delivers a few more of these uplifting episodes before President Tom Kirkman has to deal with whatever mess the FBI is starting to dig into. Until next time. 

You know, I have to admit that I completely and utterly missed something when it comes to last week's recap of The Flash, in that...I forgot to bring up the fact that this series is suddenly a whole lot more lighthearted. Because sandwiched between the wonder of Barry's return home, and the matter of nursing him back to health, there were truly some fluffy and hilarious moments to be found and the reason that I bring that up today, is because it is clear now that a lighter and more adventurous tone is going to permeate this show in season four. 

For proof, look no further than the opening moments of 'Mixed Signals' wherein we were treated to a speedster version of Risky Business wherein Barry made breakfast in style and the joy and smiles that particular moment produced didn't end there. This episode was truly loaded to the gills with hilarious one liners from Cisco or gut busting comical moments and really, it's a wonderful sight to see. After two years of tough storylines and heartbreak and sorrow, it's nice to see the characters and the audience be rewarded with a break from the darker storylines and as an added surprise, in between the laughs there were some genuinely touching moments to be found as well. 

Because oddly enough, this episode made relationships a focus, as both Barry and Iris and Cisco and Gypsy worked on their romances accordingly, with the first couple finally taking the time to deal with the fallout over the impact of Barry choosing the Speed Force over Iris and while this was indeed handled in fluffy fashion with some wonderfully cheeky moments in a therapist's office, it was a necessity to have these two handle this matter and it was touching to see them address it and move on and it was equally as sweet to see Cisco and Gypsy shed their tough guy and tough gal personas and open up to one another for a change and express just how much they care for one another. 

But what would this show be without an evil Meta showing up and of course it delivered on that front too, by giving us Kilgore. This former programmer turned meta had the power to control any electronic device near him, and he wanted revenge upon a creative team that profited heavily off of an idea/app that they stole from him and well, Kilgore was quite the ugly villain. He was all about the most elaborate kill possible and unfortunately for Barry, taking this vengeful man down was no easy task. Because Barry's shiny new suit was filled to the brim with fancy new technology that Kilgore was happy to exploit and it look a little trust and a healthy dose of electricity to get Barry back in control in order to bring the bad guy to justice.

However, that sequence was also packed with some hilarious moments as we learned just how much stuff Cisco jammed into that suit and while this episode seemed purely transitional in nature, Kilgore's arrival actually served as a grander setup for the mystery villain we met last week. Because it would seem that Kilgore is a new breed of Meta, one unrelated to the explosion that gave birth to the Flash four years ago and it would seem our cybernetic mystery fiend is hell bent on finding a specific set of Metas one by one and it should be interesting to see why he wants to find these people, and what plan he has for all of them. Either way, this was just a joy of an episode. I was smiling and laughing heartily throughout the whole thing and I really do hope the series sticks with this new and improved iteration of The Flash. Until next time.

If there's one thing we all expect from our superheroes at any level, we expect them to be fearless. After all, these are the men and women who are supposed to thrust themselves into harm's way to save the day and make the world a better place and really, in our minds, fear has no place in what they do. If anything we admire their courage and their ability to leave fear behind when they enter a dangerous situation and that bravery is why we love heroes so much, because they inspire us to be better and be bold in everything that we do.

But, as the years go by and these incredible stories continue to evolve, we are coming to realize that the best superhero stories feature more than bold machismo. We need to connect to our favorite heroes on a personal level and because of that, we are starting to see superhero stories that feature these iconic characters going through the trials and tribulations that we all go through. Sometimes it's successful, sometimes its not, but last night's episode of Supergirl, 'Triggers', opted to go that more personal route by allowing for Kara to explore something few superheroes ever get to, fear, and the power that comes with it and wow...did it make for one engaging episode.  

Because this go round, every ounce of pain and trauma that the Girl of Steel has gone through in her life came to the forefront of her mind thanks to a villain named Psi who used everyone's darkest fears and pains to get what she wanted and wow, did this make for some compelling television. Sure we've seen Kara struggle and battle all kinds of issues, but she's never acknowledged the pain that came with leaving Krypton, nor has she really confronted her decision regarding Mon-El and well...all of it was on display here and for the first time ever, we saw Kara become incredibly invulnerable and weak in ways we never thought possible and quite frankly, it was a brilliant stroke of storytelling to see this. Because not only did it allow for Melissa Benoist to turn on her acting chops and wow us all, but because it did exactly what I made mention of a moment ago, it made Supergirl relatable on a whole new level.

Sure, she can accomplish wonders, but now we know, her mind wanders to dark places like the rest of us and she struggles with her past, just like we do, and I love the fact that the series was willing to strip away the image that Supergirl exudes and remind us that when she's not fighting evil, she's fighting her demons within, and what matters most about last night's episode, is that she was able to overcome it. Something that I'm fairly certain inspired any audience member currently going through their own struggle in life right now, to perhaps take their issues head on, and I love the fact that season three is becoming a character study on the human condition in ways this series has never explored before and well, I'm loving every single second of it. 

Because this series is almost serving as the antidote to the gritty superhero trope that permeates the industry right now, since Kara isn't burying her problems deep down into the depths of her soul and using that angst to fuel her, she's facing her problems head on and dealing with them as they come and if that's not unique and quite frankly, inspiring, I don't know what is and if this is what season three is going to revolve around, then please keep it coming. Either way, this is two back to back top notch episodes from this show and it looks like the character study continues next week since we are headed to Mars with J'onn, a place that will no doubt bring up bad memories and plenty of pain for the Martian Manhunter. Until next time.