I think it's safe to say that fans everywhere are really enjoying Star Trek: Discovery. After all, it's loaded to the brim with quality writing, fascinating stories and characters and most importantly, it's Gene Roddenberry's vision come to life on the small screen once again and it's simply wonderful to have Star Trek back on the air. But despite all the wonder and joy that this show is providing the fans and this writer as well, I came to realize as I re-watched the fourth episode one more time to refresh my brain before last night's new episode...that one particular element is missing from this series, the tale of redemption it hinted at a few weeks ago. 

Sure, we've been enthralled and impressed with the time this show has taken to explore the darker sides of war and the impact it's had upon the United Federation of Planets, driving this proud organization to places we never thought it could go, but that's about as far as we've gotten. Commander Michael Burnham hasn't really started her long road back from the darkness she has surrounded herself with, and as I settled in to watch last night's episode, 'Choose Your Pain', it appeared that we were most certainly in for more of the same; because this particular tale started off in some supremely dark territory, with Captain Lorca finding himself captured by the Klingons. 

That came about due to the fact that the U.S.S. Discovery's success with the Spore Drive finally caught the attention of the Klingons and they sought out the Captain to learn more about said Drive and well, while it was indeed disturbing to see how the Klingons treat their prisoners by forcing them to do as the title describes by either taking a beating or passing it along, it was a touch difficult to not geek out during this segment of the story since Lorca found himself in captivity with a true Star Trek legend in Harcourt Fenton Mudd. Yes, that's right, Harry Mudd made his triumphant return to this storied saga and it was simply wonderful to see this intergalactic charlatan appear on the screen once again and kudos to actor Rainn Wilson for bringing him back to life with an enriching performance that did Roger C. Carmel, the original actor to portray this iconic character, proud. 

However, once you get past the wonder of Harry Mudd, there was the unpleasant matter of Lorca's incarceration to deal with and well...this is where the episode surprised me in a way I never expected. Because this episode bucked the storytelling trends we've become accustomed to by bringing the notion of redemption right back to the forefront of the story, starting with the captain, since we learned last night that Lorca's determination and focus on winning the war by any means necessary, comes from a regrettable act in that, he destroyed the U.S.S. Buran, his former command to spare his crew a fate worst than death on Qo'noS and it's clear now that to honor their lives, Lorca will do whatever it takes to end the war and while his ends may not always be justified by his means, his heart is in the right place and there's something comforting in knowing that Lorca is also seeking atonement for his sins. 

But Lorca's story was merely the beginning of a more hopeful storyline, because while the captain worked on figuring out how to escape his captors, Burnham ran into a new and pressing matter aboard the Discovery that brought forth a grand debate revolving around one of the Federation's most important ideals...the value of life. Because Michael came to discover that the jumps were having more than a mere emotional impact on the Ripper, they were slowly killing the creature, forcing her and Lieutenant Stamets to try and find an alternate source to make use of the Spore Drive and unfortunately for these two, despite their best efforts to find a replacement being for the Drive, with the captain missing, the poor creature was forced into service, one more time.  

Now what made this part of the story so compelling and so hopeful, was the fact that Burnham inspired the best parts of everyone when it comes to this revelation. Everyone rallied behind the notion of taking the high road and preserving the creature's life, and Lorca's for that matter as well and it was simply refreshing to see the crew concerned with something other than the war effort and dedicate themselves to preserving a life and finding a better way. Thankfully, the creature was eventually freed back into space where it thrived once again and for that matter, Burnham's quest to save the Ripper inspired Stamets to use himself as the conductor for the drive, giving the crew more options at last. 

In fact, the more I think about this part of the story, the more I love it because it was so supremely Star Trek. Here you had a crew with an impossible task before them, and rather than fight and divide, they figured out a way to handle this mess and for the first time in the short history of the series, they were unified and I loved the feeling of family that came with this, and that for the first time in a while, we enjoyed a happy ending on this series, wherein Captain Lorca returned home safe and everyone put aside their differences, especially Burnham and Saru for that matter as well since they managed to bury the hatchet over all the unprofessional and angry things that Saru has said to Michael. 

However, not everything in this episode was wrapped up in a neat little bow. There is the building mystery of what brought about the strange echo of Lieutenant Stamets that we were privy to in the closing moments of the episode and of course, the secret is out about the Discovery and what she can do and that will no doubt come back to haunt the crew. But in the end, this episode simply blew me away. This is what we've been waiting for, that perfect of blend of hope and grit and if this is the series finding its stride, well it means we're in for some incredible storytelling down the line. But above all, the most rewarding part of this episode, is the fact that at long last, Commander Burnham is no longer giving in to her fears and is starting her journey back into the light and I cannot wait to see what progress she makes toward becoming a hero that inspires in the weeks to come. Until next time. 

When we take a moment and think about our enemies, our blood will often boil. After all, these are people that have wronged us and hurt us and we want nothing more than to see our enemies fade from our lives so that we never have to think about them again. Most of us, do everything we can to avoid our enemies, so we can live a life free of the negativity they send our way, but sometimes...well sometimes it seems that can simply never happen, and we find ourselves in a perpetual battle with our nemesis. It is that never ending back and forth, that is something central to good storytelling, because what are the good guys without their nemesis? But sometimes we often forget, that bad people, are still people.

Yes they do awful, awful things, but they believe that their cause is just and necessary and it is the reasons behind what our enemies do that oddly enough became central to the story of last night's episode of The Orville. Because 'Krill', took us deep into the world of these mysterious and aggressive interstellar beings and what we learned about them last night...was nothing short of fascinating as the series delivered another wonderfully thought provoking episode. If anything, this particular tale may be the most intelligent episode of the series to date, simply because of how relevant it is to modern times and really, its analysis of the Krill and their culture focused on three important areas and concepts; the power of religion and how it can drive a society, that the darker parts to people is something they sometimes learn and most importantly, the need to take the time to understand other cultures.

It accomplished all of this, by sending Mercer and Malloy on a mission where they were forced to infiltrate a Krill vessel in the hopes of learning more about these aggressive aliens and it didn't take long for us to learn that they are a species driven by religion. They believe in a deity named Avis, yes, just like the car rental company, which led to many a wonderful joke from Malloy, and that Avis has bestowed upon them, the honor of being the finest species in the Galaxy and his teachings, found in the Ankana (the Krill equivalent of The Bible), remind them to go out and remove inferior species from the face of existence so that the Krill and Avis' teachings stand above all things and well, here was our real world parallel, for there are religions that currently believe this on Earth and it was fascinating and chilling to see how much these beliefs mean to the Krill, and how their unwavering faith drives them and while it seemed this was more an observation, this fascinating vignette would come back to haunt both the audience and Mercer. 

But before that could happen, the story took quite a left turn by showing all of us that cultures that feed off of religion in this form and fashion don't just spring up overnight, it's something that is taught since Mercer and Malloy were able to step into a Krill classroom and see what their young learn first hand and goodness, was this a fascinating twist. Because day in and day out, these Krill children are taught that humans are an inferior and soulless species that should not and cannot exist, and what made this part of the story so heartbreaking, was the innocence these children displayed. Because despite the lessons presented to them, they were still inherently curious as to all things humanity and what made mankind tick and it was just devastating to know that despite Mercer's best efforts to make peace here by way of sparing their lives, that his efforts would eventually be all for naught.

Because this is where the religion theme came back to haunt our favorite captain, since he and Malloy were forced to put down the crew to save a Union Farming Colony from being wiped out by a Krill super weapon, and after saving the day it was pointed out to him, that these children would grow up to see him as the enemy one way or another and well, it's true. They will go back to the Krill home world, and be taught that mankind is a species hell bent on deception and that man murdered everyone on board to instill fear in the innocent and send the message that they want the Krill gone from existence and in turn these children will rally behind Avis' teachings and believe even more that their cause is just and true and well, that was quite the devastating way to end the episode. But really, the moral message of this one was clear, we as a species have to take the time to understand one another and our respective cultures if we ever expect to get along and in many ways, the Krill served as the allegory for humanity and our ability for us to often believe that our respective way is the only way in life and that if we cannot take the time to understand and respect one another, the conflicts we suffer from will continue along and finding a way to slip that message into the story once again proves that The Orville is hands down the smartest science fiction show on television right now. 

It's also one of the funniest as well, because wow, did this plot line allow for Scott Grimes and Seth MacFarlane to improvise and riff in amazing fashion and their fine comedic timing this week made for some beautiful moments of levity and some hearty laughter. Either way, what a brilliant, brilliant episode and I love the fact that the Krill were presented with incredible depth in this story and it should be interesting to see what comes out of this whole incident since the Union now has their hands on Krill technology and a copy of the Ankana and a day after this one, my mind is still reeling over how incredible this episode turned out to be. After all, it's rare that any story forces me think twice about taking the time to understand the perspective of those that have done me wrong regardless of what they've done and really, this is what television should be doing on a regular basis; challenging the audience with intelligent stories filled with just enough depth and entertainment to leave the casual fan and those looking for more, satisfied, and considering the fact that The Orville is only getting bolder and stronger in telling these kinds of stories, who knows what kind of stunning adventures are waiting for us down the road...until next time...

The more time I've had to think about last week's episode of Designated Survivor, the more I found myself pondering on where the show would go next. Because, while the end of Patrick Lloyd made for a satisfying and powerful episode, he was Tom Kirkman's biggest challenge to date and by removing a villain of that magnitude so quickly, what kinds of challenges would the Kirkman Administration face from here on out?  Well as it turns out, the series has plenty of issues for Tom to face down the line and last night's episode, 'Outbreak', packed in a buffet of problems for our favorite Commander-in-Chief as he dealt with a hint of life imitating art, nature doing its thing and an idea of what Patrick Lloyd was up to before he passed into the great beyond. 

The notion of life imitating art came about in a fairly direct way since the White House was posed with the problem of what to do with a Confederate statue that some wanted removed and I won't lie, I definitely sucked some breath in when it came to this portion of the story because I was curious as to how the writer's room was going to handle this sliver of the real world. This is of course, careful territory to tread upon at the moment and the show handled it in classy fashion. Rather than slam down a heavy handed message, the story settled upon the need for compromise and understanding to solve matters such as these and that made for the quite the satisfying ending to this particular series of tense moments.

Speaking of tense, let's talk about the centerpiece story of the night, the flu epidemic that broke out in Louisiana because that, was the stuff of nightmares. With visuals straight out of movies like Outbreak and Contagion, the series explored what might happen if an outbreak such as this hit our shores and this made for some incredible television. Because not only was it scary in its own right since we've all pondered upon this possibility, but watching Kirkman spring to action to save American lives, going so far as to dress down and damage the reputation of a Pharmaceutical CEO to save the people already infected and to stop the flu from spreading further was downright magical. Kiefer Sutherland is at his best on this series when he gets the chance to let loose and speak the President's mind and this was another one of those perfect moments. 

But, while it was nice to see both of those storylines wrap up in happy fashion, there is something ominous brewing on the horizon for the President and his family and I guess we can call it a parting gift from the late Patrick Lloyd. Because Hannah figured out that Lloyd's attack on the President's mother-in-law wasn't random, nor was it an attempt to be seen by the FBI. He was trying to reveal something and slowly but surely, she came to uncover the fact that Alex's father had a heart transplant in 1987, and her mother had something to do with getting her dad moved up on the transplant list in record time, leaving Hannah to wonder as to whether or not something illegal occurred here and considering the fact that people in the know when it comes to this matter are turning up dead, Lloyd has clearly helped Hannah uncover something significant.

I'm certain of course the exact details of this little mess are on their way in future episodes, but I think the core of what Lloyd is trying to accomplish from beyond the grave is to generate doubt in the public's mind when it comes to the United States Government. If the squeaky clean President, the same one who brought the country back from the brink of disaster has skeletons in his closet, that could be disastrous for his future and perhaps further a hidden agenda from the Pax Americana followers we've not seen yet. Either way, holy cow was this episode packed to the gills this week. In fact, I think this is the only series that can pull off this kind of 'story sandwich' with any measure of success and while it didn't have any heavier meaning or advance the plot too much, it was still a joy to watch and I love that there is indeed a bigger plot thread/threat brewing without Lloyd completely in the picture and it should be interesting to see what kind of family secrets are going to be revealed down the road. Until next time.

I've always enjoyed stories that feature what a world looks like without a particular hero simply because, I think heroes are often taken for granted in storytelling. After all, there's a sense of comfort that comes with having them around and having them save the day as often as possible, so when they disappear or briefly pass into the great beyond, what they leave behind is downright fascinating and Barry Allen's temporary exit from Central City, is precisely why I was super excited to tune in to last night's season four premiere of The Flash. 

Because 'The Flash Reborn' delivered on everything I hoped for and more. We got to see what life is like in Central City and for Barry's friends and family without the Flash in their lives and well, that made for some damn fine storytelling to say the least. Because by not having Barry in the equation, at least for a little while, we got to fully understand just how much he meant to all these people, especially those closest to him. Case in point, Iris, who saw the need to push the team to fight crime and be bold in doing so as a sort of tribute to Barry. She truly believed it was up to her to carry the torch of Barry's morality and make the city a better place for everyone that lived within it, and what made her quest so heartbreaking was that in a way, she seemed to believe that Barry was dead and by keeping his legacy alive, she could hang on to her feelings for him for just a little bit longer. 

Yet what made this plot thread so intriguing is that not everyone shared Iris' sense of doom since Cisco firmly believed that he could bring Barry back, and his desire to see his friend return home was quite frankly a wonderful touch to this story, since it gave Cisco growth and depth as he focused on making his life and the lives of others whole again, and that genuine need to reunite the family, drove him to confront Caitlin, who has apparently recovered from her Killer Frost affliction, more on that later, and bring her back into the fold to accomplish the impossible and free Barry from the Speed Force at last and while that should have signaled a warm and fuzzy reunion, the show wasn't quite done demonstrating how important Barry is to his hometown, or the people that love him so.  

Because with Barry back, the clock was ticking to stop a super powered madman dressed in a Samurai suit, one that requested a showdown with the Flash, but sadly, Mister Allen was simply not ready to stand up to a villain. He was...confused and out of sorts after his return from the Speed Force and it was beautiful to watch his friends and family do their best to care for him in this outlandish state and eventually, Iris was finally able to figure out what might make the love of her life snap out his strange little funk and by putting herself in danger, she was able to bring Barry back to the real world at last and boy...is it great to have Barry back. Not only does he seem faster than ever, he made mention of the fact that he suddenly feels free of the pain that's been attached to his soul for the past three years and it seemed as though this season of The Flash was about to venture in some cuddly and joyful territory...but only for a moment.

After all, this episode presented us with some ominous moments and fascinating mysteries for season four. For starters, how exactly did Caitlin find a way to control her powers, and who is this mysterious Amunet that she no longer wants to work for? Plus, who exactly is our villain for the year? We only caught a glimpse of him, but it's clear this Borg-esque looking bad man has quite the fixation on Barry Allen and I'm sure it won't be long before we figure out exactly what he's up to and what he wants with our favorite Speedster. Either way, I really enjoyed this premiere. There's definitely a different tone and feel to the show so far in season four and I'm excited to see how happy Barry deals with whatever this evil dude is preparing to throw his way, and of course, I'm looking forward to learning exactly how Caitlin figured out how to control her icy alter ego. Until next time. 

When we last left the incredible Kara Zor-El, she was in quite the bittersweet spot. On the one hand, she had established herself as the earth's champion by defeating the ruthless Queen Rhea and her bloodthirsty forces and what made her victory so bittersweet, was that it came at a great cost. In order to save her beloved Mon-El from suffering a painful death by way of the super weapon she deployed to make the planet uninhabitable to Daxamites, she sent him away to find a new fate amongst the stars. But despite the power and anguish that came with such a tough decision, Kara would find a way to get by...wouldn't she? 

Well as it turns out, there is no easy way to get by when making that kind of call and last night's series three premiere of Supergirl, 'Girl of Steel', ended up being quite the fascinating character study, where we saw the more human side of this incredible heroine, despite the fact that she wanted to keep that humanity hidden and buried. Because the fact of the matter is, Kara really couldn't live with herself after sending Mon-El away and she came to believe that by opening her heart to just about anyone, family and friends included, she now put them at risk every single time she unveiled her cape and well...that sent Kara into one isolated place. 

She stayed away from social gatherings. She ignored her duties at CatCo, she simply wanted to become the only thing that she believed stood for good in this world; Supergirl, and this was a genius stroke in storytelling because in way, Kara wasn't wrong. Supergirl can't be hurt, can't be stopped, she's an extraordinary heroine so why not hide behind the S and bask in the glory of saving the world and innocent lives time and time again? But unfortunately for Kara, she can't hide from who she really is forever, and thanks to a harsh reminder from Alex and her own heart for that matter as well, Kara was able to steer clear of the void and find her way back to her friends and family. 

However, despite that amazing storyline, this particular tale was rife with plenty of the cool moments we've come to know and love from this show. For starters, it continued it's strong political commentary with a few thinly veiled pot shots at a particular world leader that came courtesy of Cat Grant from her new post as Press Secretary for the President of the United States and the side plot involving real estate magnate turned murderous villain in Malcolm Edge was nice little touch as well and the twist at the end with Lena Luthor outright buying CatCo to save it from a fate worse than death under Edge's leadership was simply wonderful since Kara can at last work side by side with her best friend. 

But while all of that was fun and interesting, I'm still in awe of the wonderful exploration that was put on display when it comes to Kara's journey and pain. What has made Supergirl a cut above the rest when it comes to superhero shows is the fact that it is more than willing to shatter the tropes of this genre, specifically in that the hero and/or heroine must remain bold and strong at all times regardless of the circumstances and I love the fact we were able to see Kara feel and hurt like the rest of us, before slipping back into inspirational mode and becoming the true hero that she has always been from day one. If anything, I'm hoping season three continues exploring her quest to heal her broken heart because to have everything fixed in a single episode would feel cheap, and I'm curious to see how long before Malcolm Edge is dealt with since it seems the big bad for this year, the one that the season two finale hinted at, is starting to realize her power and potential...until next time...

I think we can all agree upon the fact, that war is complete and utter hell and the spoils that come with it and the impact it has upon the human soul and mind have fascinated us time and time again when it comes to both fiction and science fiction for that matter as well. Yet, if there is one franchise that has made a point to avoid exploring the worst parts of war, it would have to be Star Trek, and the franchise's reason to avoid such matters is obvious; because what the United Federation of Planets stands for; a better life and the betterment of every sentient species in the galaxy...matters over everything else. 

Granted, the saga has highlighted the uglier side of war from time to time, mostly by way of the entire Dominion War storyline in Deep Space Nine, but even then, there was a sense of prevailing hope and dynamic heroism that came with that entire mini-saga. Despite having to make tough choices, we knew that Sisko and his crew were fine beings that stood for something more, somehow making the Federation's cause and decisions just and true, and that sense of nobility in war, is precisely what made last night's episode of Star Trek: Discovery so supremely fascinating because 'The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry' was the polar opposite of that notion, taking us right into the heart of the spoils of war and everything ugly that comes with it.  

Take for example the fear that permeated this episode. Sure, Starfleet is a strong and powerful organization, one that has done a fine job of training its officers how to fight and fight well. But as we all know, the Klingons are a different breed of enemy. They are ruthless, and they are relentless and I'm constantly brought back to the moment in Lorca's Ready Room, where he chatted with Admiral Cornwell about his forthcoming mission because normally, there's a real sense of confidence that pours out from the Admiralty, one that inspires a ship's captain to do their mission and do it well, and that was simply not present here. Cornwell was worried, and that's the first time I've seen that high ranking of an official in the fleet, exhibit genuine fear in that fashion.

If anything, fear served as the engine for this episode, because with lives at stake on Corvan 2, and the possibility of Starfleet losing the war if the Dilithium Mine there were to fall, Lorca pushed his crew like never before. He berated the bridge crew for failing to succeed at battle simulations and of course, with the clock ticking, Lorca pressed the Spore Jump Drive into service, without giving Lieutenant Stamets the proper time he needed to calibrate the navigation portion of the Drive, resulting in a near collision with a giant star, which then led to a gruff confrontation between Statmets and the captain, something that drove Lorca to continue to hammer home what's at stake for the crew if they fail, by playing the harrowing distress calls from the colonists/miners living on Corvan 2. 

To make matters worse, this push to get everything that Lorca wanted accomplished in record time, cost one crew member their life. Because Burnham took the slow approach to her mission, which was to discover how to use/weaponize the being the away team discovered aboard the U.S.S. Glenn for the war effort, prompting Commander Landry to speed things up and let the being know known as the 'Ripper' out of its cage to cut off the creature's claw to study it, and that foolish decision ends in bloodshed, and her subsequent death. However, despite Landry's costly mistake, Burnham firmly believes that cooler heads will prevail in getting the answers the captain wants and well...Michael's approach to this whole mess was a welcome respite from the madness flowing from the crew and wouldn't you know it...her calm demeanor helps her to discover that the Ripper is essential to making the Spore Drive work. 

Somehow it and the spores interact in a symbiotic way, and when Burnham finally figures out that the brain of the Ripper, in conjunction with the spores can get the Discovery where she wants to go, the ship is able to jump to Corvan 2 and save the day and Starfleet as well, but her epiphany comes at a great cost. For this innocent creature, one that has zero understanding of what's happening here, has to be physically connected to the Spore Drive, and put through incredible amounts of pain and suffering to make it work and it would seem this particular jump, after enduring so many aboard the Glenn, are breaking this creature's spirits down and filling it with fear since it did its best to hide from Burnham, even when she showed kindness, because it now knows that humans mean it great harm and great pain...

​Yet while all of that made for some tense television, the show did find a way to break up that tension, by following up with the Klingon misfit, Voq, and his crew aboard the massive vessel we saw in the premiere and we quickly learned that despite T'Kuvma's pleas to unite, the Empire has only accomplished some of that goal. Because Voq and his crew, despite playing a vital role in the opening salvo of the war, have been left to forage in the depths in space, to the point where they're out of food and hope and to complicate matters, the return of Kol to the ship, to get his hands on its cloaking technology, seemingly signals the end of Voq's role in uniting the Empire, since Kol gets the crew to turn their back on Voq, before dumping him aboard the remains of the U.S.S. Shenzhou to rot. But it would seem, Voq has made at least one ally in the Empire since L'Rell offers him sanctuary at great cost, all in the hopes of making him the true savior of the Empire, and the Torchbearer to unite the Twenty-Four Houses at last...

If anything, I love the fact that this series is adding a new wrinkle to the Klingon mythos with this whole notion of using religion to unite a race of warriors that only believe in honor and battle and it will be interesting to see where this plot thread goes. But when all is said and done, I loved the fact that this episode was again a grand exploration of the dangerous places that Starfleet is suddenly starting to go and it would seem that officers like Burnham, ones who value life and what it stands for, are going to be the ones responsible for saving Starfleet and the Federation from evolving into a bloodthirsty war machine. Either way, what a wonderful episode, every single week this show just sucks me in and it's simply a joy to have quality Star Trek, back on the air. Until next time. 

While utopian style science fiction often provides its fans with inspirational and uplifting storytelling, it comes with one inherent flaw; a false sense of security for the people enjoying the story. After all, regardless of how wonderful a future one can craft, there are inherent dangers that still exist out there in the void. Enemies that simply don't believe in what the good guys are trying to accomplish, or the rogue being that doesn't believe in anything but themselves and quite frankly, it is the latter of those possibilites that are far more dangerous and a renegade in that vein showed up on The Orville last night, and holy cow, did this little twist turn out to be quite the game changer.

After all, this entire series has been a wonderful and lighthearted romp through the galaxy, one that shown us a wonderful and beautiful future for all of mankind, and by adding a selfish character that will stop at nothing to achieve their own personal goals, The Orville accomplished something that quite frankly I didn't think it was capable of...it went into darker territory. Not in the traditional sense that Seth MacFarlane has tried to avoid, because there was no shift toward an ultra gritty storyline or suffering for the characters to be found here. No, instead, MacFarlane introduced a character in Captain Pria Lavesque that in many ways was the foil to everything the Planetary Union stands for and by dropping that kind of person into the story, it made 'Pria' another brilliant episode that challenged our intrepid crew in new and exciting ways.  

Because Pria is exactly what I made mention of a moment ago, someone who is in it for herself and nothing more and it was simply fascinating to meet someone in this universe who had zero regard for life in this manner. She didn't give a damn about the crew of the Orville, or what they wanted to accomplish in their lives. It was all about profit for her and sometimes we forget that the best villains don't necessarily need to topple institutions or murder with impunity. Sometimes pure evil comes from apathy and that's exactly what was on display here and it made life difficult for Ed because when someone simply doesn't care, how do you reason with them? How do you find common ground or make them believe in something greater, like the Union? The answer is, you don't...you outsmart them like Ed did and really, major credit goes to Charlize Theron for bringing Pria to life with an engaging and powerful performance. 

Yet despite the darker nature of this episode, there were plenty of bright moments to be found. Take for example the fact that this episode really took the time to examine the inner workings of Captain Ed Mercer, something the story really hasn't allowed for since the series premiere and goodness, did this make for some beautiful storytelling. Because despite the strides Ed has made in working with his ex-wife, the pain from that whole mess is still buried deep within his soul and it was heartbreaking and wonderful to see him open up to Pria and try to start something special with her and while it is unfortunate to see him hurt once again...it was wonderful to see him face his fears and speaking of that, something Pria said shortly before vanishing is still at the top of my mind because while it appeared to be ominous at first, the more I ponder on it, the more hopeful I'm finding her words to be. 

Because we cannot forget that there was quite the sobering moment in this story when we came to learn that the U.S.S. Orville was supposed to have been destroyed in that dark matter storm, and because Mercer and his crew fought back against being dragged to the 29th Century, their fate is now their own and there's something supremely hopeful about the fact that Ed and the crew get a second chance now and it makes Pria's attempt to insult Ed about never quite getting over what happened with he and Kelly seem more like a challenge. Because now that the future is in essence unwritten, Ed can do anything and everything he pleases and now that we've seen him open up and try to love again, perhaps he can finally find the internal peace he is looking for and considering the hints we've seen all season long when it comes to the chemistry that still exists between Ed and Kelly and the feelings they still have for one another...maybe they too will get a second chance down the road as well.

If anything, this episode turned out to be quite the character study and I also love the fact that this tale put the crew and how close they are becoming on full display, plus...holy cow the whole Prank War between Issac and Malloy was utterly incredible and the laughs were so good when it came to that, I had to pause the show and get all the giggles out of my system before moving on when it came to the whole leg thing. But truly, what made this episode so special, is the sheer fact that this story stood on its own. There were no major homages to Star Trek that I can think of here and that's a sign that this show is becoming its own unique entity and considering the fact that Seth MacFarlane is basically putting on a screenwriting clinic by delivering a story with this many layers and nuances, the future for this show is as bright as the future it inhabits and this particular tale is going to stay with me for some time thanks to its utter brilliance. Until next time. 

If there is one key thing I've always been fascinated about when it comes to villains, it's their motivations. To know exactly what drives a human being to turn their back against humanity and everything they've ever known is downright fascinating and for some time now on Designated Survivor, the true motivations as to why Patrick Lloyd did everything he possibly could to destroy the United States of America as we know it, have remained in the shadows. Sure we know he believes that the country is fundamentally flawed and needs a new direction and focus, but why? What is it about America that truly makes Lloyd's blood boil? Well, at long last, the answers to those questions have finally come to light.

Because last night's episode of the show, 'Sting of the Tail', brought forth that grand reveal by picking up right where it left off last week, with that bone chilling, yet utterly fascinating and surprising moment where we discovered that Lloyd had returned to the country he so despised. I call that moment fascinating and surprising, because many of us were left wondering as to why on earth this man would return to the nation he spurned, especially considering the fact that Hannah Wells and the FBI would be watching and waiting for him the instant he set foot on American soil. So naturally, he was quickly flagged by law enforcement and the hunt was on. But while it seemed at first that Lloyd made a critical error in returning home, it turns out that this was all part of the plan. 

Lloyd wanted to make his presence known, and quickly, so to get the FBI on his trail he did something incredibly bold...he went after the President's family; breaking into the house where Kirkman's mother-in-law resides, putting Hannah on his trail and leading her and Damian to property once owned by Browning-Reed that just so happens to house a bunker that Lloyd can use for cover and once he locks himself within said bunker, he makes his demands known to the President via video. Either provide him with a full pardon at the White House Correspondents Dinner, or see more innocent Americans die by way of a Sarin Nerve Gas attack, putting Tom in quite the tough position; either take out Lloyd in a pre-emptive strike since he finally has him cornered, or try to call his bluff and potentially risk American lives if by chance Patrick indeed has the gas in question. 

But while all of this was tense and powerful storytelling, what truly made this episode fascinating and worthwhile to watch, was the epiphany that President Kirkman had when it comes to Patrick Lloyd's motivations for his crimes...his need to feel a sense of family for the first time in his life. After all, Lloyd's father was sent to prison for white collar crimes and died behind bars and there were issues when it came to his own son since a bitter custody battle kept Patrick away from his boy, to the point where they hadn't spoken for a decade and oddly enough, Pax Americana's core values speak to unity and family when it comes to its creepy new vision for the nation and all of this gave Kirkman quite the idea and he promptly asked to speak to Lloyd, face to face. 

It was in this moment, when Patrick answered the call from the President, that we came to learn that Kirkman was one-hundred percent correct in his hypothesis. All of this, the Captiol bombing, the insurrection and the threat to end more innocent lives with nerve gas was motivated by a need to exact revenge against a system that Patrick believed had ignored and failed him. He blamed the system for robbing him of his family and for the first time ever, we saw Patrick Lloyd the man and not the monster and while this was quite the incredible moment, it quickly became clear that Kirkman's pleas to end this peacefully would fall upon deaf ears. Lloyd's anger had consumed him and this standoff ended the only way it could...with Patrick's death when Kirkman ordered a drone strike to obliterate the bunker, putting an end to the man who wanted to end America.  

Yet while that should be completely satisfying, Patrick's final act may make this victory only temporary. Because as it turns out, he was uploading something at the time of his death and while his motivations for revenge against the government may have been tragic and personal, what he created in Pax Americana is far more powerful and twisted since the people who believe his teachings likely gloss over the family message, instead embracing the notions of anarchy, revolution and empowerment, and despite the government's efforts to round up Lloyd's followers, there have to be more out there, and it is likely one of his disciples that will download that partial file, so trouble may still be waiting on the horizon. Either way, what an episode. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, I love the depth that went into this one, and the show deserves some serious credit for wrapping up the Patrick Lloyd storyline in prompt fashion, and while his followers may still be out there, in the here and the now, the story can move in new directions and I cannot wait to see what new challenges President Tom Kirkman will likely overcome. Until next time. 

The last time we settled in to discuss the wonder of Star Trek: Discovery and it's bold new world storytelling wise, I pondered upon the possibility that this story was going to be a journey of redemption for the now fallen Commander Michael Burnham, and as I settled in to watch the third episode last night, I found myself wondering exactly how her redemption was going to come about. After all, most stories that feature someone coming back from their particular darkness involve a massive act of heroism, wherein the character can easily step back into the world they left behind and use their skills and morality to save the day. 

But it became clear early on in 'Context is for Kings', that such a simple road back is not going to exist for Burnham. By becoming Starfleet's only mutineer, there's no easy way for her to step back into Starfleet and when we cross paths with her in this episode, six months into the bloody Federation-Klingon War, she's questioning her morals and who she is in every way imaginable, which made her story and this episode downright fascinating. Because this particular tale made two things incredibly clear to the audience last night. First and foremost, that Discovery is going to take its time in telling its story and in doing so, it will examine every single nuance of its characters that it can, and it also let us know, that it is going to challenge fans of this storied franchise in ways they never quite imagined. 

However, before we break down the latter of those two elements, let's continue examining the slow burn style of storytelling this series introduced to us last night. Because this episode really took its time in examining Burnham's actions about the Shenzhou, and the aftermath of her decision to commit mutiny and once we got past the obvious disdain people harbored for her...there were actually some beautiful and powerful moments to be found when it came to the regret and admiration that some in Starfleet had for her regarding the fact that her brilliant career had been thrown away, and I truly appreciated the fact that people didn't just view her as a pure monster, and the fact that so many seemed curious as to why she did what she did...allowed for Burnham to start the long road back toward redemption.  

Granted, she's going to be a reluctant hero to say the least, but considering the fact that Captain Gabriel Lorca of the U.S.S. Discovery spoke to how he understood and admired her actions about the Shenzhou, she finally has someone in her corner that wants to see her succeed and the fact that the captain was willing to put her on an away team and send her on a dangerous mission speaks further to his confidence in her abilities. But what matters most about Lorca's decision to send her to the U.S.S. Glenn, is that she had the opportunity to shine once again. She was brave and bold and fierce during the away mission, and she even saved lives in the process and Lorca's offer for her to join the crew of the Discovery and everything that preceded that offer is clearly the beginning of the long road back for Burnham, and if she can conquer her fear, she will obviously achieve wonders and it was wonderful to see a television series not rush a matter like this and really dive deep into the consequences of Burnham's actions.

As for how the story is going to challenge fans of Star Trek, well we need to take a little time and discuss all the suspicious stuff that's happening aboard the Discovery, because let's honest...whatever is going on here, is not exactly the kind of stuff that speaks to the highest ideals of the Federation. It's rare to see a Starfleet ship lock down its operations in this kind of fashion and keep everything a secret, but that's life aboard this ship and despite Lorca's explanation to Burnham at the end of the episode, about developing an organic transwarp drive, it's obvious that this ship is working to find anything and everything weapons wise that can help win the war against the Klingons and therein...lies the challenging moment. 

Because I'm certain there were long term and short terms fans of the franchise that were no doubt immediately stunned and appalled to come to the realization that there's a chance the Discovery's mission is to develop black ops weapons for the war effort, but let us not forget that this isn't the first time, nor the last time that Starfleet will blur the line between good and evil in order to save lives. That doesn't make it right necessarily, but this is an organization that understands what's at stake and it won't be the first time the saga has challenged us on how the Federation should conduct itself.  I mean heck, let's not forget that that the highly decorated and morally grounded Captain Benjamin Sisko took part in some dubious and shady actions to get the Romulans involved in the Dominion War in Deep Space Nine. 

If anything, this realization and challenge toward the audience seems fitting for this series and leads me to believe that the series is going to expand on a tiny idea that it brought forth in the series premiere, in that...Starfleet and the Federation have grown comfortable and complacent with the world they've created and with the Klingons challenging the Federation and no doubt dealing some devastating damage to its world and its people...perhaps this storied institution is ripe for a redemption of its own. After all, in ten years time, when we join the crew of the Enterprise on their five-year mission, there seems to be a renewed and fresh sense regarding what the Federation and Starfleet stand for, and I truly get the impression we find that in this series and I'm curious to see how that will unfold as the weeks progress.

In the end however, this was simply a fascinating character study. I loved the extended time we spent with Burnham and her new shipmates as we got to know each and every one of them in detail and I truly appreciated everything that this episode put together. We got to enjoy mystery, intrigue and action and adventure in this story, and possibly an Easter Egg as well since I'm fairly certain the black badged Starfleet officer we caught a glimpse of is part of the mysterious Section 31. Either way, we are finally aboard the titular U.S.S. Discovery and I'm curious to see how the story will unfold after this grand introduction and setup to the rest of the season, because this show is allowing for one epic tale to take shape and once again, I'm counting down the minutes to next Sunday. Until next time.