Over the course of the past week or so, we’ve celebrated the wonder of the STARZ series, Hightown, and dug deep into how this series has offered audiences, a powerfully dynamic examination on the power of addiction. Thanks to the fact that it has presented addiction in the raw, even going so far as to show us exactly what rock bottom looks like for addicts and how people come away from that moment with hope in their heart or sorrow from the spoils of what they deem to be outright failure. But while that has made for some compelling television for certain, eventually we all knew deep down that this saga was going to shift gears and focus heavily on the crime aspect of the plot, and well… it just so happens that the next episode in this storied saga is when that transition got underway.

For ‘Everybody’s Got a Cousin in Miami’ mostly put the show’s exploration of addiction on the back burner to allow instead for the audience to take part in a manhunt, one that involved Junior. Because in this particular tale, Frankie Cuevas decided the time had come to tie up all the loose ends in this case, so that the cops couldn’t point a single finger at him and that led to some ugly carnage in this tale. The kind that saw Scotty get knifed while he was in line to get his daily methadone and where Frankie ordered a hit on Junior, as a just in case. Which meant it was now a race against time to keep him away from Osito and Kizzle and oddly enough, Jackie was the one to get to Junior first. Which isn’t a bad thing by any means, since they share a powerful connection as friends and that should have allowed for her to convince him to talk to the cops.

But alas, the arrival of Osito and Kizzle, derailed that plan and that forced Jackie to call Ray and get the police involved and it’s a good thing she did. Because it not only got her involved in the hunt, but it also got the police moving on this case like never before, since Ray’s team opted to spring to action and search for Junior in places Osito was known to hang out. But despite their best efforts to find Junior in the most obvious of places, he was nowhere to be found and with good reason. For Osito knew the cops would take that route in their search and that is why he and Kizzle took Junior out to the middle of nowhere to handle Frankie’s business and well… that’s when quite the surprise came into play. Because when given the opportunity to put Junior down, Osito realized that all of this was wrong and that killing a father and loyal employee, accomplished nothing.

Which in turn, motivated Osito to put down Kizzle and use his connections with Wayne, to give Junior the second chance he desperately needed. And it was simply wonderful to see Junior get that bus ticket and a pep talk from a man that a few episodes ago was demanding the worst of him, and once Jackie and Ray were able to figure out where Junior was headed and on what bus… it really seemed as though a happy ending was about to take place. But when a search of the bus revealed that Junior wasn’t on it, that happy ending faded away and the show put addiction back in the spotlight of this story. For in the closing moments of this tale, it was revealed that Junior decided to enjoy one last score before hours before the bus left, and sadly… this goodbye injection, cost him his life.

Which is a moment that really does serve to remind the viewer that without proper treatment and proper support, the wrong moment can motivate an addict to completely give into the joy that drugs provide and if they’re not careful, that desire will cost them everything. If anything, that revelation makes this quite the tragic story when all is said and done. One that will have a lasting impact upon Jackie and Junior’s family, and that is undoubtedly something this show will find a way to explore in some form or fashion. Because it truly wants us to understand the power and the risks of addiction and well, it is definitely hammering its messages home in a devastating manner. To the point where this writer is truly hoping the season one finale that awaits us, will finally see Frankie be brought to justice, so that Junior’s death has some kind of meaning and so that there is some sense of victory and good in a season of storytelling that has seen evil and addiction, win the day. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two finale of ‘See’.
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When we last settled in to enjoy the fascinating AppleTV+ series, See, the situation was quite grim. For despite assembling a grand army to fight the forces of Trivantes, Pennsa simply could not match their numbers. In fact, they were outgunned two to one and the lust for war that Edo Voss had in his heart, allowed for the arrows to fly and for heroes to scatterm post haste, leaving all of us to wonder what would come next for Baba Voss and his family and this merry band of freedom fighters. For there was an actual chance that the heroes in this story could lose and thankfully, the season two finale of this dynamic show… wasted zero time in informing us as to what comes next.

For ‘Rock-a-Bye’ picked up mere moments after the arrows soared, and once the Pennsa army was behind the gates of their chosen battlefield, they received some good news. In that, the hidden tribes came along to fight, and their arrival evened the odds and once the battle plan was decided upon… hell was unleashed upon Edo Voss’ forces. In fact, Trivantes suffered a humiliating blow at the hands of this coalition of the willing and when the dust settled from this epic fight… the time had come for two brothers to settle a score. For Edo wanted his closure and his victory over Baba and alas, he simply didn’t get it. For Baba bested him at every turn to the point where it seemed as though he could just walk away and never worry about betraying his oath to keep Edo alive. But sadly, Edo forced his hand and brought about his own death, leaving Baba in a dark place. 

Because he has spent his life working to do the right thing and preserve life if it all possible, and of course… he gave his word that he would never bring harm to Edo and breaking that vow… left him questioning a great deal of things. Specifically, what kind of man was he and whether he was the noble soul that he thought he was. For killing a family member is simply the lowest in his eyes and that motivated him to do something that was both bold and heartbreaking. For one fine morning, he quietly kissed his love while she slept and gently gave his children an embrace, before heading back out into the wild to find himself and figure out what kind of man he truly is and what he stands for. Which is quite the powerful twist for certain and his decision to find peace within could not have come at a worse time.

For despite there being peace in Pennsa at last, to the point where a stable queen is on the throne and a new era related to sight is on the horizon, there are still enemies within this once proud kingdom. For the now disbanded witchfinder army was filled to the brim with those who still believe sight to be an evil thing and now that they are out in the world, who knows what trouble they will cause, plus… there’s the whole matter with Kane. For while she is alive and well and with Kofun’s child, she has plans brewing in her mind. The kind that will see her return to power and harm those who didn’t believe in her and well, she clearly isn’t wasting any time in executing them or the people that didn’t stand by her side. Since Paris suffered painfully at Kane’s tormented hand, and that is a huge loss to this series and this story.

In large part, because Alfre Woodard is just a phenomenal actress through and through but also because… Paris has been the moral core of this story. For she has done a lot to keep Baba and so many grounded in these trying times and without her, plenty will struggle to find direction. But what truly makes her death so incredibly unsettling, is the sheer fact that Kane is actively working behind the scenes to regain power and her ability to manipulate people into doing her bidding in such a smooth manner, might bring trouble for Maghra, the kind that Paris would have helped her recognize. But the good news is, we won’t have to wait all that long to discover what will come from this devastating twist. For season three of this wonderful series is a go, meaning it is only a matter of time before we return to this fascinating and broken world. Until next season.  

When we last settled in to discuss the powerful and dynamic STARZ series, Hightown, we talked at length about how the show did a phenomenal job of portraying what rock bottom really looks like for both addicts and everyday people. Which in turn allowed for some powerful and realistic epiphanies to take place for both Junior and Jackie, the kind where they finally understood the gravity of their actions in regard to drugs. But what makes that important exploration of note today, is that the show wasn’t quite done with exploring the importance of rock bottom and what it really looks like and that’s a good thing. Because once someone has reached that point, they have to decide what comes next for them and that is just as important as the epiphany.
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Because in reality, a shocking realization about our life and our personal world, can have quite the incredible impact upon us, the kind where we simply go one of two ways. In that, we can rise to the occasion and pull ourselves into the light, which is the path most addicts take in storytelling… or there’s the far darker option. Where understanding the harm our actions caused, help us to slide into the darkness, where we could in fact be lost to the world and it just so happens… that the next episode of this series showed us both sides of that proverbial coin. For ‘The White Whale’ saw Jackie and Junior each take one of those paths and as it turns out, Jackie took the high road. Because she genuinely realized that her drinking cost someone their life and that she could never let that happen again and she finally buckled down and opted to get clean… and more.

But we will get to that in a moment. Because we need to talk about Junior’s sour journey. Because watching Krista die in front of him, thanks to the fact he chose to immerse himself into the criminal underworld of P-town… broke him. And he simply couldn’t reconcile his choices and where they brought him, and he quickly slid deeper into the darkness. To the point where he began to neglect Donna and his baby girl and he even went hyper aggressive in regard to selling the new drugs that Osito ordered him to, all because… the death of Krista made his soul numb, and he desperately needed a new high… the kind that would allow for him to feel something and eventually, he did get his wish. For a deal gone wrong in a hotel room with three strong dudes, brought forth a devastating beatdown for Junior, one that finally let him feel something other than the numbness surging through his body. Which was a powerful and visceral way to show us how easy it is to slide into the darkness when we’ve reached our lowest.

However, since we are closing in on the season one finale, there are still crime related plot threads that need to be resolved and thanks to Osito’s decision to take matters into his own hands, Ray and Alan were able to finally close in on him. For there was photo evidence galore and witnesses, the kind that dropped names. But they didn’t offer enough details to directly tie Ostio to Krista’s murder. Which in turn motivated Ray to just go for broke and bring Osito in, and while that didn’t quite end as he hoped since Ostio lawyered up fast, the fact that Ray was able to rattle him and get close to him speaks volumes to the borrowed time that Ostio is enjoying at the moment, and this also bring us back to Jackie’s journey. For she decided come hell or high water that she was going to make things right and help to solve this case, and that motivated her to use the agency’s database to uncover who took out the boat on that fateful night when her life changed, and what she found was shocking to say the least.

For now, she knows that Junior was the man at the wheel of the boat on that night and now Jackie will have no choice but to take this information to Ray, and that won’t go over well with Frankie or Ostio or Junior for that matter as well. But it has to be done, for the sake of justice and safety and that likely means the final two episodes of season one will be a masterclass in crime drama tension. Which also means our grand examination of addiction will likely take a back seat but that’s okay. Because already… this series has broken incredible ground on the subject and of course, there are still opportunities to examine it on a smaller scale in the next two episodes. But all pondering aside, this really was quite the powerful and amazing episode, one that really gave us an idea of how recovering addicts are lost to the world when it seems as though progress was made and, in the end, this is a story that definitely leaves you worried when it ends. Because Junior is in genuine danger right now on an internal and external level and hopefully can get to him soon… so he can finally enjoy the second chance at life that Jackie is chasing. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 205 of ‘The Morning Show’.
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We are taught from a very early age, two important and vastly dynamic concepts. In that, we need to live in the moment and live without regret, and there are some important reasons as to why those lessons come our way. Because we simply cannot see what tomorrow will bring, so worrying about that above all else ruins the experiences of the now and of course, living without regret, means that we will carry ourselves through life, without any burdens of the past and those really are solid lessons to learn. Since they do in fact, keep us on a focused path where only now counts and we can reflect upon its wonder in a relaxed and regret-free manner when the times comes to ponder upon the nature of our life. 
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But what is unfortunate about the latter of those two lessons, is that we don’t really take the time to teach one another… how exactly you live a regret free life. Because despite saying to ourselves that we will shake off the difficult moments and/or move ahead when we experience something traumatic… we don’t. It stays with us, lurking beneath the surface or coming to it until we do one important act to heal. In that, we must face our past and resolve it, and only then, can we walk away from it in a peaceful manner and even then… that’s no easy task. For some of our darkest moments are our own doing and living with oneself when you realize that, requires a lot of quiet time and a lot of internal work and sadly, not everyone is able to pull that off, and it is that difficult aspect of the human condition… that serves as the focal theme of the next episode of The Morning Show.

For ‘Ghosts’ is a story that sees several of our main characters, be forced to reconcile their sorted pasts, with mixed results for certain, especially when one considers that their continuous missteps also showed us, how hard it is to avoid making another mistake when you desperately want to be rid of that painful memory. Which is something that Cory did in this tale. For it was finally revealed that he was the one that authorized the buyout for Fred in the hopes of just getting him to go away and he knew now, that doing so created all kinds of harm and the only way forward… was to confront his mistake and try and make his actions right with others and well… he failed at all of that. In large part because he kept the truth a secret and tried to manipulate his way of out this and since that brought him no peace, he is ready now to make another mistake to keep his initial one under wraps.

But he wasn’t the only one that failed miserably in reconciling yesterday, for Alex struggled with it too. Because the voyage to Las Vegas to handle the debate, forced Alex to think back on how her life changed the last time she was out there, and it didn’t help that Maggie Brener was in Vegas as well, since Alex was terrified of the contents of the book. And really, all of that pressure and all of Alex’s unresolved trauma and memories more or less washed over her and left her in a conflicted place. One where she felt the need to hammer Maggie in her hotel room to get answers on what the book was going to feature about Alex, in the hopes that she could be seen as the hero she wants to be. Instead of the person that operates in the grey areas of life. Something that she could reconcile on her own with a little work, but since she refuses to do that, there is no peace for her just yet and it will be interesting to see if she finds it by season’s end.
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However, while it was powerful to see so many people stumble in this tale and struggle with really taking the time to resolve their darkest memories from yesterday, one person did learn the importance of this lesson and it is the last person we thought it would be. For Paola was finally able to convince Mitch Kessler, to go in front of the camera and pour his heart out about what happened with Hannah and amazingly… Mitch finally faced his past in a powerful manner. For he was honest with himself about his dark actions, and he finally understood the gravity of what he’s done. Which is the beginning of a new chapter for Mitch, one that still may not come to fruition unfortunately. Since we simply don’t know what the future holds for Mitch and his new friend, since they are still in the incubation period for Covid and waiting to see where that takes them.

Which means that all we can do in regard to that plot thread, is live in the now and relish in the fact that Mitch finally had a damn epiphany about his scum bag ways and well… clearly more of these characters need that epiphany as well. Since Alex and Cory are struggling badly with the things, they’ve done to themselves, and others and all these elements really did make for one powerful episode in the end. One that once again put the human condition on display in a manner that was poignant and powerful and pertinent. Since actions have consequences on this show and there will be plenty for both Cory and Alex, since they can no longer run from yesterday and like it or not, the time has come for them to face up to what they’ve done and that will indeed make the wait for next week’s episode quite difficult. Since we are all eager to see, what will come out of the revelations present in this magnificent tale. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two finale of ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’.

The season finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks has finally dropped and so did my feels! Right into the trash because I was not ready for this. To be honest, I was never going to be ready for this season to end. The good news is that season 3 has already been announced, so we have hope to look forward to! The one thing I love most about this show is how they slowly build their plot, bit by bit, throughout the season in such a way that it just wraps up in a perfect way.  The episode starts with the Cerritos being assigned to help make first contact with the Archimedes, which is pretty amazing! We then promptly find out that Captain Freeman has gotten a promotion. The problem is she can’t take her command crew with her and also hasn’t told them yet.
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Mariner overhears this and decides to do the most Mariner thing about it and tells the command crew. The bridge crew holds it in until they’re en route to their destination. That’s when Ransom really breaks out the sarcasm right before Captain Freeman commands them into Warp. Shaxs and Billups do very little to hide their own animosity towards the captain. It’s Mariner who stokes the fire even more by openly admitting on the bridge that she told them about the captain’s promotion. Carol demands everyone into her Ready Room. Clearly, her crew feels betrayed. Especially since she can’t take any of them with her. Mariner is the most upset, considering this is her mom, so it’s a bit deeper of a betrayal.  Maybe Ransom has the right to be the second most upset, he is the Captain’s Number One after all. 

The drama is put on hold when Red Alert sounds. The sun in the system they just entered has sent off a giant solar flare that ends up destroying a nearby planetoid. Not a huge problem, right? Well, the planetoid was heavily charged, and when its blast wave hits the Archimedes, the ship is shut down completely. The Cerritos narrowly avoids being hit by any of the planetoid pieces, only from sheer luck at first. They were well behind the Archimedes and saw what happened. They can’t go through the new asteroid field the destroyed planetoid caused without risking the same fate. As it is the Archimedes is plummeting towards the planet it meant to make First Contact with at an alarming rate. The impact will cause catastrophic damage. It’s a scary situation. The crew of the Archimedes only has 20 hours to get the ship back online. The Cerritos is their only hope of survival, but they have to figure out how to get to the Archimedes without getting shut down.

As for Rutherford and Tendi? Well, Rutherford has been getting an error message all day in his implant. And Tendi was summoned by Dr. T’Ana, apparently, she’s being removed from medical and transferred off the ship. Upon seeing her file deleted by Dr. T’Ana, Tendi freaks out and runs to Rutherford who says they should explore their favorite places on the ship one last time before she leaves. They end up in the Captain’s Yacht which is where Mariner and Captain Freeman end up coming in to fight. Captain Freeman plans to take the shuttle in hopes of reaching the Archimedes and Mariner thinks her mom is being a reckless idiot. When Carol explains her plan, and the desperation the situation, Mariner loses it even further, telling her mom that she never wants to work with her again. Tendi and Rutherford make themselves known and Rutherford has the idea to strip the outer paneling of the ship off. It makes the ship vulnerable but at the same time it doesn’t magnetically draw the pieces of the planetoid towards the ship. It takes the entire crew of the Cerritos to pull off the outer paneling removal, but eventually they do. Well, all but one panel remains. The Cerritos has to move now or there won’t be enough time to save the Archimedes and her crew. 

It’s up to Boims, Mariner, Rutherford, and Tendi to save the day.  Mariner is about to dive into the water pool that has the panel switch at the bottom of it, for some reason, when she has a panic moment. They might fail and they might lose everything and the last thing to happen between her and her mom was a fight. Rutherford sends her off to make amends and sends Boims down to get the panel detached from the inside of the ship. Mariner manages to make things right with her mom and helps to navigate the ship through the new asteroid field while Boims struggles to get the panel unlocked. He finally does manage to get it detached, in the nick of time, of course. He almost drowns in the process, but he’s saved. It’s actually Tendi who ends up doing CPR on him and gets our Boimler breathing again.

The Cerritos narrowly makes it in time and saves the Archimedes from crashing into the planet they were meant to make First Contact with. It’s Captain Freeman who beams down with a landing party and makes her first, first contact. Everything goes well and she returns to the Cerritos a bit drunk. Oh, and Tendi? Well, she’s being moved to the Science division. Dr. T’ana thinks her quick thinking and skills of mastering things quickly are much better suited for science than medical. Rutherford unlocked a memory he wasn’t supposed to know about. Looks like he didn’t volunteer for that implant of his. As for the Captain and her promotion? She’s turning it down. She loves her crew too much to ever leave them. She plans to tell Starfleet this when some members beam on to her ship, except they aren’t here for her promotion, they’re here to arrest her. Captain Freeman is being blamed for the bombing of Pakled Planet, in a twisted conspiracy with the Klingons. We all know it’s not true, and she knows she didn’t do it. But Starfleet doesn’t. They arrest her and we’re left with the biggest cliffhanger of the series! What’s going to happen? How will this get cleared up? When will season 3 premiere!? All the questions!

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Foundation’.
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It is definitely safe to say, that the science fiction market is flooded with new stories and that’s not exactly a bad thing. Because for the longest time, this genre was limited in print to a handful of maestros who were entrusted with Sci-Fi’s security and in television and film, limitations special effects wise kept the genre focused on a select few franchises. But now, with technology at an advanced state and the demand for new stories in print at an all-time high, everyone is telling science fiction stories and dreaming of a better tomorrow. But with so many Sci-Fi stories on the market now, how does one determine which are the best of the best? Well, the answer to that is simple, the ones that are digging deep into the human condition and asking the tough questions are the ones that rise above the rest and that is precisely why we need to celebrate the AppleTV+ series, Foundation.
 
For this phenomenal science fiction series continues to ask tough questions about our world and who we are, and this week’s episode is no exception to that rule. For ‘Upon Awakening’ took the time to catch up with Gaal in her hyper sleep, wherein she was dreaming of the past and how it brought her to her new ship amongst the stars and well, that allowed for some tough questions to be posed. Because we came to learn that her home world was once a haven for science and logic, but rising sea levels and other environmental disasters, motivated this world to return to a more theological grounding and ban science and well, learning about that and seeing this world, is what motivated the story to ask… what is it that allows for a technologically advanced society, one where knowledge is available to all, to slip into notions of Gods and monsters and faith and abandon science and every comfort it has to offer. 
 
IN part, this episode theorizes that it is related to an atonement of sorts. That a society that does harm to its environment and sees their way of life change because of it, holds to a collective subconscious remorse. One that demands they absolve themselves of their sins and returning to religion allows for that, and it most certainly gave Gaal’s people purpose and direction, despite how incorrect they are, and the parallel here was obvious. Since our world is currently suffering through a divide of sorts. One where conservative Christian beliefs somehow take precedence over science and logic and facts because of this deep rooted feeling that modern man needs to atone for sins and it does leave one to wonder if this plot thread is also designed to serve as a warning. One that informs us that a lack on our part to halt climate change’s progress, might push man back into darker ages of misinformation and zealotry.
 
But while that made for some powerful commentary for certain, there was more to this episode than mere examinations of our modern world. For this episode did also see Gaal learn that her former lover set up her rescue ship and designed it to test her mind and send her back to Seldon’s home world, an idea that worries her to no end. Plus, we also came to learn that everything that’s been happening on Terminus has been grounded in age old vendettas, since the Anacreon’s basically set a trap up for the Empire. One that they walked right into hook, line and sinker. Allowing for evil to rule the day in a place that is supposed to be humanity’s last hope, and it will be quite interesting to see how Salvor and her friends get out of this mess. Since it will be some time before the Empire can dispatch more warships to the edge of the galaxy.
 
However, while we wait to see what comes next for so many characters, we can revel in the wonder of a top-notch science fiction story. One that not only impressed us with breathtaking visuals and compelling performances and moments, but truly dug deep into questions that are burning in our minds right now about our world and what makes this episode genuinely impressive, is that it offers no easy answers to our problems with misinformation. It simply gives us a root cause, one that it will be up to us to figure out a solution to and that is brilliant to say the least, and it does leave one to wonder… what other commentary and fascinating explorations about our world and our society await us down the line. Or if the time has come for this series, to shift its focus onto the Vault and the outright cataclysm that awaits all of humanity. Until next time.

One particular phrase that is used often in regard to the road to recovery for addiction, is ‘rock bottom’. Which is the particular point in an addict’s life, when they come to realize that their substance abuse is hurting themselves and others and if they don’t change course, bad things will happen and normally, it is a very bad moment that allows for an addict to achieve rock bottom. Because sometimes in life, it takes something awful to really wake us up and that’s why in stories revolving around addiction, the protagonist goes through quite the terrible experience when they’ve reached that point. To hammer home the dangers of drugs and unchecked addiction. 
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But not every rock bottom moment for addicts has to revolve around the destruction of their lives or painful experiences that see them lose so much. Sometimes just understanding how their actions have harmed others is enough, and sometimes the inaction and selfishness that addiction brings forth works as well, and what’s amazing is that rock bottom extends beyond the world of addiction as well. Because sometimes the poor choices we make put us at our lowest and this more dynamic side to this age-old phrase is of note today, because it served as the focus of the next episode of Hightown. For when we catch up with Jackie and Junior in ‘The Best You’ll Feel All Day’, they’re barreling toward a pair of different rock bottom experiences, and for Junior, that involved experiencing some supremely dark and difficult moments.

For Frankie got wind of the fact that Krista was talking to Scotty and knew about Sherry’s death and that meant that Junior had to accompany Osito on an assassination run to put her down before she could talk to the cops. Which Junior saw as no big deal, but when Osito demanded that Junior deliver the hot dose that was going to take her down, Junior started his downward slide toward the bottom. One that was completed when he came face to face with Krista and failed in his instructions. Which led to Osito’s arrival in Krista’s hotel room, wherein he brutally beat her to death while Junior watched and well, that was his rock bottom moment. For this man that once lived between worlds and thought he was making a difference in his baby’s life, came to realize… that he was involved in some genuinely dark acts from which there may be no escape.  

As for Jackie, well… her journey toward the bottom was a bit more traditional in nature. Because she found herself quickly slipping back into old habits in this tale. Because that one night of fun turned into an outright bender, one that cost her a second chance with Devonne and that in turn, plunged her deeper into her need to heal through substances. To the point where she might have missed being open and honest with herself about the root causes of her addiction. To complicate matters further, she got higher and higher as the night went on, to the point where she finally felt bold and brave enough to swing by Krista’s hotel room to save her. But her friends and the allure of another beer and another bump was too hard to pass up and well, sticking to that, led to her rock bottom moment. For when she emerged from her inebriated cocoon, she came to learn that Krista called her and when she dialed Krista back, Ray picked up and informed her… that Krista died in the middle of the night.

A revelation that broke Jackie when she realized that had she been sober, or at least clear enough to stay on her mission, she might have saved Krista and been a hero and found a sliver of the peace she’s craving. But alas, her addiction cost her and Krista so much and well, that’s a powerful way to end this tale and hopefully now… Jackie can emerge from the darkness and heal at last. But what’s wild, is that this episode had more rock bottom explorations to offer, since clearly… Ray is barreling toward his own. Because he cannot quit Renee and that will undoubtedly drag him down because he’s so close to a critical case. But all of that aside, this really was a brilliant tale, one that truly put the downward spiral on display in a palatable and intelligent manner, one that didn’t feel fictional in the slightest and well, now that this powerful exploration has come to a close, the time has come to turn our attention to the next chapter in this story… so we can see which characters will escape the darkness surrounding them and step into the light at last. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 202 of ‘Big Sky’. 

​We begin where we left off, in the holding pen where a disheveled Ronald takes in the face of his captor, Big Rick Legarski’s twin brother Wolfgang. He greets Ronald cheerfully and asks if his brother had ever mentioned him. Ronald snarls back that his ‘friend’ did mention having a degenerate hippy for a brother. Wolf chuckles, tells Ronald that Rick had no friends, and shares that he has made it his mission to undo everything evil his brother did, including helping Ronald to conquer his urges. Ronald demands to see Scarlet, a privilege he is informed that he has not yet earned. Wolf then presents the plate of eggs and bacon on the floor at the door of the pen. He tells Ronald he needs to ask permission before he can eat, to which Ronald responds by glaring back, promising to kill him, and defiantly biting a piece of bacon. Wolf pokes him with the massive stick he’s carrying as a warning and again tells him to ask permission to eat. After yet another bite from Ronald, he knocks Ronald off his feet and onto his back with said stick, picks up the plate and unceremoniously dumps its contents to the dirty floor. “Bad dog,” he admonishes.

Later, Ronald emerges from the shed that encases his pen into daylight and immediately eyes the rack of sharp tools and implements that hangs along the outside of the shed. Wolf notices straight away and warns him against his plan. Again, he pokes Ronald with his sizeable stick. Ronald stares straight into his eyes and grabs the stick, only for Wolf to easily flip him onto his back on the ground again. Ronald is instructed that he is currently less than a dog and must learn his place in the pack.
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Ren blows into town on a private plane, accompanied by her lackey Donno. She blows off the offer of the gentleman that greets her on the tarmac to carry her bag but does want his cowboy hat. When he refuses to sell it to her, she simply takes it right off his head and struts away. He protests and makes to follow her when Donno flips open a switchblade to make clear that the hat is no longer his. Ren demands the keys to the waiting SUV from Donno, and looks out at Montana for the first time, taking in the scenery as if she is surveying her new kingdom.

At the scene of the truck crash, Jenny and Deputy Poppernak find no driver, and Poppernak suggests that perhaps a drunk simply stumbled away from the scene. That is until Jenny notices the VIN has been removed and there is blood in between the cushions in the backseat.

The siblings discuss their situation with the drugs, money, and murder in the modern kitchen of their well-appointed home. They debate back and forth, but again agree to just wait and see for now. As they talk, the same lurking individual with the hoodie and beanie from the Ridge, sits in a van, observing them from outside.

Lindor, days away from being reinstated, stops by Dewell and Hoyt so he and Jerrie can go gun shopping for her. Before they head out, he ducks into Cassie’s office under the guise of discussing the Ronald Pergman case, but without access to the files, he has little new to report other than the state police are doing their best to hinder the investigation. Cassie, clearly still shaken by the discovery of the photos of herself and her son, tells Lindor to keep her updated, but that she, for the safety of her family, is done chasing Ronald.

Bridger, ignoring a text from his sister, marches into the sheriff’s station to report the crime they witnessed, without the knowledge or consent of the others. He’s dismissed by Poppernak and the woman manning the front desk goes to look for someone else to take his statement, telling him to sign in and have a seat. As he waits, Bridger hears a hauntingly familiar tune being whistled, the tune the man who shot Big Sam was whistling that fateful night. The deputy catches him staring and asks if there’s a problem, to which Bridger shakes his head no and assures him there is none.

Jenny is summoned to take Bridger’s statement, but he is nowhere to be found when she walks the waiting area. She asks the whistling deputy, Harvey, if he knew where the boy had gone. Smiling, Harvey replies that perhaps he changed his mind.

Max returns home to find her mom blasting early sixties music and dancing away in the living room. It is obvious that her mother has been drinking, after supposedly being sober for three months. Her mom tells her the relapse is due to the pain in her tooth, so Max insists on paying for the crown procedure she needs, claiming she has saved up her babysitting money.
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Back at Dewell and Hoyt, Cassie finds a young waitress, Tonya, nervously waiting for her in her office. Tonya’s boyfriend, Sam Teske aka Big Sam, is missing and she wants to find out what happened to him. She tells Cassie that Sam was coming to pick her up the night he disappeared, then suddenly she never received another call or text from him. Cassie agrees to take the case.

Later, Denise has gone wild decorating the office to celebrate Jerrie passing her P.I. exam. Cassie and Jerrie discuss the Sam Teske case, having found him to be self-employed and living well beyond his apparent means. Max pops in to see Cassie, as she was nearby when she got a text. She agrees to babysit for Cassie when she spots the picture of Big Sam in a file lying open. She is spooked by the image, and Cassie implores her for information, telling her that the man in the picture is missing. Max claims ignorance.

Once again at the farm, Ronald is allowed to see Scarlet, at a distance, for the first time. He shouts to her and begins to run, but a woman gardening next to Scarlet brandishes a sharp trowel and a look that stops him in his tracks. Wolf tells Ronald he is getting a glimpse of what new privileges he might earn, and that Scarlet has already settled into her place there. Scarlet and Ronald hold each other’s gaze for some time, and one can only imagine what those two twisted minds could be thinking.

That evening, the group of teens meet in the dark. Bridger admits to attempting to report the crime only to realize that someone who works for the sheriff committed the murder. Max confesses to using $2000 to buy her mom’s dental work. They all begin to argue, their previous agreement to simply wait and see having already fallen apart. Harper diffuses the situation, stating that they at least now know they can’t possibly go to the cops. Max gives each of the teens $2000 of their own to make amends to the share she took, and everything seems copacetic for now. Except that they are again being watched by the same man in the van.

As Harper and Max walk home together, he exits his van and begins to follow them, telling them he saw them. Harper yells at him to leave them alone, Max sprays him in face with pepper spray and the girls sprint off.

Deputy Harvey meets with Ren and Donno that night, telling them that he took care of evidence at the scene of the truck accident as best he could. Ren is unsatisfied, especially since the drugs and money are still missing. She asks Harvey about Sam Teske’s girlfriend, who Harvey is quick to defend. He offers to take care of her but is dismissed. Ren tells him that she and Donno will handle it from here.

The next morning, Travis appears at Jenny’s door as she is preparing to head for work. He demands to know why she showed up the night prior at his motel room. She jokes about him catching her and he very seriously reminds her that her presence could have blown his cover. She seems to have an intimate understanding of the nature of undercover work herself. They settle things, and she tells him she needs to go continue investigating the crash involving a truck with no VIN. Travis mentions that there is a missing drug shipment that may have some connection to her accident.
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Poppernak tells Jenny that they are still waiting on the results of the blood found in the truck as she slowly circles the now impounded vehicle. She climbs into the driver seat, turns the keys in the ignition, fiddles with a few buttons and switches, and voila, a smuggling compartment pops open, revealing a hidden gun.

Jerrie has discovered that Sam had purchased two one-way tickets to Cabo booked for the night that he disappeared. Cassie goes to ask Tonya about it at the diner where she works. Tonya anxiously tells Cassie that it’s complicated and that she can’t talk now without risking being fired, but it’s clear she doesn’t want to discuss it. As Tonya goes to tend to one of her tables, we see that Ren is sitting at the counter also waiting to see Tonya. Ren and Donner order pie and tell Tonya that they are old friends of Sam Teske, which terrifies Tonya.

The next time we see her, Tonya is hurriedly packing a suitcase when there is a knock at the door. She opens the door with chain engaged to find Ren and Donno. They bash the door open and Donno immediately begins tearing thing apart while Ren demands to know where Tonya has her drugs and money. Tonya pleads ignorance so Ren cold cocks her in the face, rendering her instantly unconscious.

To no one’s surprise, when T-Lock learns that Max paid for her mother’s crown, he is very keen to know where she got the money. Upset, she meets with Harper outside her house. Max tells her about T-Lock’s suspicion of the money, and the fact that Cassie had a picture of the man they saw killed because she is investigating his disappearance. Harper talks her down from sharing any of this new information with Madison and Bridger. She also convinces Max that instead of disposing of the drugs, they could sell them, through someone Harper knows. Max is rightfully concerned by this plan, but Harper warmly reassures her with a kiss. However, that night as Max tries to sneak away into the dark, T-Lock catches her and pries the small bag out of her hands. He grins menacingly as he holds out the baggie of white powder.

Jenny meets Cassie to discuss a warrant when they discover that the missing boyfriend Cassie is looking for is also the owner of the gun found in the wrecked truck’s secret compartment. They decide to pay a visit to Tonya together, but when they arrive at her place, it is completely trashed, and Tonya is nowhere to be found.

As Ren and Donno drive through darkness, Ren glances over her shoulder to reveal Tonya is bound and gagged in the backseat. She is quickly coming to the realization, that she is grave peril.

​Please enjoy this sneak peek of tomorrow’s season two finale of See, streaming exclusively on AppleTV+!

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Kin’.
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It has often been said that pride comes before the fall and that particular phrase is repeated often, because it is completely and utterly true. For time and time again, we’ve seen prideful men stick to their path over anything else, out of the belief that they know what is right… only to fall flat upon their faces in a disastrous manner. But thankfully, when that happens, most folks can quickly recover and learn a valuable lesson in humility and inclusion going forward, but in some parts of our world… pride can be deadly and it can cost people so much, and this is especially true in the crime world. Since one wrong and prideful move can change everything, as evidenced by the next episode of Kin on AMC+.

For when we catch up with the Kinsella family here, pride and arrogance is running rampant through the family and understandably so. After all, they just pulled off the heist of the century, Eamon’s boys haven’t hurt anyone else within the inner circle, so why not celebrate a huge win and gloat about it? But the only problem with that mantra, is that it leads to dangerously prideful and equally as arrogant behaviors. Such as Michael once again going out to see his daughter in plain sight and it also motivates Frank… to run the family business as though nothing as changed. Which in turn helps Frank to decide that Eric should stay out of jail and that there’s little to worry about in regard to what the police want. In fact, he's so certain of these paths, that he tosses off any of Amanda’s concerns and unsettling observations, and well… being prideful in this manner and believing as though no one can touch the family, leads to some quick falls.

Because Eamon’s boys come to discover that Michael is spending time with his daughter and are quick to go after them and it is a quirk of fate that allows for Michael and Anna escape death, but others are not so lucky. Since Frank loses his right-hand man during a late-night quest for a hookup, and Eric is taken to jail and the police seize the business… all because Frank wouldn’t listen or change course because he thought he knew best. And if by chance, he listened to Amanda about her worries in regard to Eric and if Michael had taken what Amanda had to say about there being a rat in their operation more seriously… perhaps all these tragedies could have been avoided. But alas, they were not, and the family is now left reeling and uncertain as to what comes next, leaving their story in a very dark place.

But while that harrowing storyline could have carried his episode from beginning to end, as this series is wont to do, it had more surprises in store for us. Because while the family was indulging in ego and pride… Eamon Cunningham was on quite the sabbatical. For he promised his wife he would attend a harmony themed ceremony, one designed to give his love peace with her impending, cancer related fate and to also perhaps give Eamon some clarity as well. Which it seemingly did. For a drug fueled trip into what is clearly a tragic past for the man, rattled him like never before. To the point where he is left shaking and lost when he comes out of that trip and that’s a huge deal. In part because we’ve never seen Eamon Cunningham in such a state. But also, because, he’s clearly had some kind of epiphany by the end of that wild journey, one that will either spell doom for the Kinsellas… or hope.

Because it is entirely possible, that such a trip down memory lane inspired Eamon to perhaps change the course of his life and it will be quite interesting to see where that plot thread takes us in the next episode. But while we wait to see how that pans out, we can offer up a round of applause for another brilliant tale. One that once again dug deep in regard to the darkest recesses of the human condition, to offer up a fascinating morality tale. The kind that will indeed have a lasting impact on the Kinsella family since one of their own is in jail and because, quite frankly… their small but proud empire is falling to pieces right before their eyes and there might not be any hope for a solid future for them. Which means they too have hard choices to make and that really is going to make the wait for next week’s episode as painful as it gets. For we too are beyond eager to know what comes next for this now broken and listless and once proud, family. Until next time.