​At some point or another in our lives, we’ve all pondered on just how far we would be willing to go to achieve a particular goal. Would we lie, would we cheat, would we put ourselves at risk, all in the name of getting what we want? They’re solid questions to ask, because they challenge our character and what we are capable of and it’s never a bad thing to ponder on such matters because there may come a day where we are faced with a scenario where we have to make those kinds of decisions in our lives and oddly enough, that tough scenario came forth for several characters on last night’s episode of Designated Survivor.
 
In fact, ‘Home’ managed to explore both the good and the bad of going the extra mile to achieve a particular goal by way of two key characters, Seth, and President Tom Kirkman and unfortunately; Seth’s storyline explored the darker side of all of this. Because in this particular tale, Seth found himself under arrest after a routine traffic stop for carrying narcotics, meaning that Kendra had to find a way to get him to evade the charges to keep a mess like this out of the news cycle and well…if this seemed like an out of left field moment for Seth, you’d be right. He was covering for his little brother the entire time since the younger Wright had just passed his MCAT’s and a drug conviction would ruin his future prospects and while it was noble for Seth to cover for his baby brother and do whatever it takes to keep his future safe, his is now at risk. He’s in hot water with Emily and it’s only a matter of time before the President hears about this little mess as well.
 
As to why exactly the President doesn’t hear about Seth’s indiscretion right away, that’s because he’s tied up exploring the other side of this story’s philosophical coin in Afghanistan, as he tries to broker a deal with powerful Tribal leaders to accomplish what many think to be the impossible…and make peace happen in this troubled land and this…this was vintage Kirkman through and through. Because despite the trouble surrounding him, and the danger that his life was in, Kirkman refused to back down and leave the area and for his troubles and his dedication to getting this task done above all else, he was able to uncover which of the two Tribal leaders betrayed his trust and had a bone to pick with America and one has to admit, it’s pretty badass to see a President on screen stand in harm’s way like that and get to tell the bad guy off before taking him into custody.
 
But really, what made this storyline so incredibly memorable, was the fact that it found a way to take the time to put Tom’s humanity back on display and really, this season hasn’t featured enough of these moments, wherein the President sheds the title and everything that comes with it and is just a man who wants to know more about what makes people tick and I loved every single scene that he spent with Harry. Because those moments, just go to show that Tom has never forgotten where he comes from, and that he fully understands that he has been afforded an incredible opportunity in life and rather than bask in the power of the office or the wonder of the title and let all of that go to his head, he understands what the Presidency means to the people he serves and that once in a while, a private conversation with someone as respected as he is, on how to improve one’s life when things are rough, can do far more good than a Tax Bill.
 
As far as transitional episodes go, this one wasn’t too shabby. It’s always a wonderful thing to see Kirkman do his thing and it was neat to throw a hint of Columbo and Air Force One into the mix when it comes to this episode as well. But while it was great to see Tom continue to do the right thing, I have to admit, I’m genuinely concerned about Seth and his future in the White House because none of that stuff reflects well and there are people beyond the walls that know about his indiscretion, and while I imagine that President Kirkman will likely be forgiving of Seth, it’s the Chief of Staff he ticked off that is of far more concern because violating her trust is never a good thing. Either way, this episode was just plain entertaining and it looks like next week, we are getting back into the thick of it since the trailer hinted that trouble awaits in paradise when it comes to Patrick Lloyd’s lasting legacy. Until then.  

​Every journey has it its end, and that is unfortunately a fact that few of us ever want to accept, especially when it comes to our favorite stories and the characters that inhabit those wonderful tales. Because often times, a journey’s end involves sorrow and heartbreak and last night on Legends of Tomorrow, all of that came into play as we said goodbye to a beloved character during the finale of the epic ‘Crisis on Earth-X’ saga. 
 
The character in question? Doctor Martin Stein, a man who has been with us since the early days of The Flash and despite the fact that he and the others escaped Earth-X quickly enough to get the good Doctor aboard the Waverider where Gideon could hopefully heal his wounds, it was simply too little, too late. There was no coming back from his injuries and in a tearful and beautiful moment, Stein said his goodbyes to his surrogate son and made use of the serum that Cisco designed to free the both of them from Firestorm’s effects, and faded into the great beyond.
 
Granted, we all knew this moment was coming, since Victor Garber had announced earlier this year that he was leaving the show, but I think we were all hoping for a happier exit, not this tear induced nightmare. But at least there was some good to be found in Doctor Stein’s farewell. Because his death galvanized these ailing heroes and they were more than ready to not only avenge his loss, but to put an end to this Nazi threat once and for all and just like that, we were privy to some of the most stunning action sequences I’ve ever seen on the CW.
 
Because these heroes were not messing around, and they beat the ever-living hell out of the Third Reich, dropping one super villain after another, and the true magic of this sequence is that every respective hero was able to deal with their evil counterpart and of course, since everyone worked together in impressive fashion, they were all able to save the day. But let’s be honest, despite the end of the Reich and the happy ending we enjoyed with Oliver and Felicity and Barry and Iris finally tying the knot, this was in many ways a pyrrhic victory since the Legends lost one of their own.
 
When all is said and done however, this was an absolutely epic crossover event and I’m honestly not sure that the CW can ever quite top this one. I mean come on, there was action and adventure, laughs to be found and tears to be shed, it was just a perfect story through and through and I’m truly sad that it’s over since sprawling and powerful stories such as this are just so hard to come by. Either way, it’s back to regular adventures from here on out and we’ll have to wait another year to see what wonders await us in the next crossover event. Until next time.

Every great superhero story out there, features a ‘darkest hour’ for the hero or heroes in question. It’s that terrifying period of time where we the audience, aren’t quite sure if they will be able to escape their trying situation or find a way to save the day and that ugly moment for the CW’s superheroes arrived last night on The Flash, because ‘Crisis on Earth-X, Part 3’ dropped us right back into the waking nightmare surrounding Barry Allen and his friends.
 
Because the last time we saw the Flash and his compatriots, they were trapped on Earth-X behind enemy lines, with what appeared to be no hope for escape. But thankfully, a fellow prisoner had made plans with Earth-X’s version of Leo Snart and after a harrowing escape, our beloved heroes were thrust right into the heart of the resistance on this troubled world, complete with a General Winn Schott making all the calls and unfortunately for the group, their desire to return home to their own world was stymied by the General since he saw an opportunity to end the Reich once and for all with the Führer trapped on Earth-1, prompting Alex to do her best to appeal to Winn’s good side and let them return home to save countless lives.
 
While Alex did her best to change his mind, the situation was indeed grim back on Earth-1, considering the fact that Kara was strapped to a gurney and powerless thanks to a healthy dose of Red Sunlight and just when it seemed that there was no escape for Supergirl and her heart would find its way to Overgirl, Felicity and Iris came through. Because this dynamic duo of ladies were able to move about S.T.A.R. Labs undetected and shut off the power, giving Kara a fighting chance to regain her powers. But alas, Evil Olly’s lackeys were able to capture everyone and rather than see her friends perish horribly, Kara in essence sacrificed her own life by agreeing to the transplant in exchange for their safety.
 
Yet while that sequence of events were harrowing in their own right, none of it compared to how this episode ended. Because an assist from Ray and Captain Cold changed the General’s mind, and the group now had one hour to secure the Breach facility and head home and while they fought valiantly and with plenty of heart, disaster struck in the middle of their assault. Because in order to get the breach open, Firestorm split up and as Doctor Stein made a move to flip the switch, he took a bullet in the back and that’s where Part 3 leaves us, with Jefferson calling out to the man he’s come to know as his surrogate father, and with the good Doctor slowly bleeding out…
 
So, yeah. That’s how this one ends, with a collective gasp at the sheer surprise of seeing Stein take a bullet and really, when all is said and done, this one really took us through the wringer. Aside from some lovely moments of levity from Snart, this episode was about as dark and dreary as they come. There was quite frankly, zero hope at the end of this one and serious credit is due to this episode for being so bold and so bleak and I won’t lie, as the finale kicked off, I was definitely filled to the brim with nervousness and dread because it’s clear that this story is no longer messing around and an tough ending awaits us whether we like it or not. Until next time.  

You know I have to admit, I’m really enjoying how the CW is handling this year’s Superhero crossover event. Because by squeezing it into two nights, the painful wait that came with last year’s Dominator-themed crossover is greatly reduced, allowing for fans everywhere to get their action fix and the answers they so desire in prompt fashion and that’s precisely what Arrow brought to the table in ‘Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2’; plenty of answers to our burning questions from ‘Part 1’ and holy cow, lots and lots of action.
 
Now when it comes to the answers we’ve been seeking, well the story wasted no time in getting those to us since we learned that the mysterious Nazis in question hail from a fifty-third Earth in the multiverse known only as Earth-X. On this world, the Third Reich developed the Atom Bomb first and used it liberally to take over the planet and unfortunately for the other Earths out there, it would seem they now have their sights set on taking over every planet in the multiverse, and in order to do that, they need a few things from our world.
 
First and foremost, they’re hunting for a device known as ‘The Prism’ and it would seem this little do-dad will allow the Reich to build some incredible weapons as they begin their push into other worlds and they also need Kara. Because Earth-X’s super champion, who calls herself Overgirl and landed in the Fatherland when she arrived on Earth-X from Krypton, is dying thanks to a supercharge from flying too close to the sun and after one hell of a super fight, the forces of evil are successful in snagging the Prism and capturing just about every last one of our heroes before dragging them to the horror that is Earth-X.
 
But in addition to the action and adventure and groovy moments in-between, there was still some heart to be found in this episode as well. Because Oliver and Felicity were dealing with the revelation Ms. Smoak dropped on Olly in the last episode in that, she doesn’t ever want to marry him because she feels that their current arrangement is absolutely perfect and it was heartbreaking to see these two long time lovers reach a powerful impasse in their relationship at an equally tough time and I am curious to see as to whether or not they will manage to resolve this mess by the end of the crossover.
 
In the end however, this was quite the powerhouse episode of Arrow. There was just so much action and adventure to be found in this tale and it was a refreshing little change of pace since these stories focus on the characters over anything else, which by the way, is a wonderful thing. Either way, what I appreciated most about this particular tale, is the fact that it raised the stakes through and through and I’m dying to know exactly how our group of heroes will be able to escape captivity and regain their powers on Earth-X and alas, we will have to wait until later tonight to see how this incredible crossover wraps up on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Until next time.    

​Ah, it’s that wonderful time of the year again. Where we find ourselves thankful for the wonderful people and everything else that we have in our lives. Where we ponder on the perfect gift for those we love to bring a smile to their faces and it’s also that magical time, where geeks and nerds are given the greatest of gifts on television…where their favorite heroes on the CW come together to save the world from incredible evils beyond our wildest imagination.
 
Yes, that’s right, the time has come for the CW’s annual four-part crossover event, wherein Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and the Legends of Tomorrow unify to kick ass and take names and let’s be honest, this event truly is becoming one of the must-see events of the year thanks to its size and scope and well, I know I’m not alone in wondering exactly how on earth this year’s crossover would not only bring everyone together, but how it would it manage to top last year’s battle royale with the Dominators and thankfully, Supergirl was quick to answer both of those questions in ‘Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1’.
 
So, in order to get everyone together to make this whole thing work, it turns out that the wedding of the century between Barry Allen and Iris West was the perfect way to unite every last hero we know and love under one roof and I’m quite happy that this is how the show kicked off the event. Because this is where the audience was able to have one heck of a good time thanks to plenty of endearing and joyful moments celebrating Barry and Iris’ forthcoming nuptials and there were even plenty of laughs to be found as well before the big day arrived, and unfortunately it didn’t take long for disaster to strike once Barry and Iris stepped up to the Altar.  
 
Because in the midst of Barry and Iris’ special day, the church came under attack from Nazis, yes, freaking Nazis. Because that’s you how top last year, by giving everyone a villain far more despicable than ruthless aliens, and their arrival forced everyone to come together to beat them down with impunity and while our intrepid heroes were able to drive them back, they were completely in the dark when it comes to the origin of these unexpected monsters. But thankfully, the audience was privy to the unknown and we quickly learned that these Nazis come from another Earth in the multiverse, one where the Reich still rules and unfortunately for our heroes, it would seem that evil versions of Oliver and Kara over see this world and with the help of Eobard Thawne, they’re planning something nefarious when it comes to Barry’s world…
 
As to what that is exactly, well that would have to wait until the next chapter of this awesome crossover, which we will get to later on today. But in the meantime, I loved, loved, LOVED this episode. It brought forth the best parts of what we love when it comes to the CW’s superhero themed shows and what’s equally as wonderful is that we had an opportunity to see these sometimes-brooding heroes let loose and have some fun. But alas, any further joy and laughter will have to wait for another time, because the inter-dimensional Nazis have arrived and it should be interesting to learn more about them in the next chapter of this four-part crossover on Arrow. Until next time.  

It was only a matter of time before every single plot thread that’s been introduced in The Punisher came together and wouldn’t you know it, the fourth episode of the series, started the process of making that happen. Because ‘Resupply’ finally allowed for Frank Castle and Dinah Madani’s worlds to collide, and oddly enough, this is the first time in the short history of the series that it managed to scale back much of the deeper meaning we’ve seen in previous episodes, but it didn’t abandon it entirely.
 
In fact, it would seem that the introduction and examination of PTSD was designed to go beyond Frank’s world, since a plot line that’s been slowly simmering came to a boil in this tale by way of the troubled veteran Lewis. Because after firing a round at his father at the end of the last episode, his troubling behavior only intensifies when he digs himself a comfortable foxhole in his backyard, something that garners Curtis’ attention and despite his best effort to talk Lewis out of that hole, he refuses, opting instead to be comfortable for the time being before signing up to return to the Middle East by way of Billy’s company, Anvil.
 
Of course, Lewis excels upon arriving at Anvil, and he even seems to find a sense of peace at last, but Curtis knows he’s hiding his anger and will in fact, endanger lives when he gets back out in the field, prompting him to have Billy remove him from the program, which goes as well as one might expect. Now while this sequence was fascinating to watch, and one has to wonder what the future holds for Lewis on this series, I find myself far more curious about Anvil and their purpose at the moment. Yes, they say they’re a private security company, but nothing is ever quite what it seems in this story, and Billy’s almost cultish speech when Lewis first arrived has me concerned as to what this company is really up to.

However, the truth about Anvil, be it good or bad, will have to wait for another time, because the big plotline in this episode, revolved around Frank getting the guns he needs to Punish those responsible for ruining his, and Micro’s, lives and of course a lovely shipment of weapons coming in from some Greek dealers was the perfect fit for Frank’s needs. But in order to get his hands on it all, he had to contend with Homeland Security and come face to face with Agent Madani and in the process, admit to her that he put down Wolf, which means that Madani will no doubt dedicate her time from here on out to stopping whatever Frank has planned, unless of course he presents her with some compelling evidence on the case that haunts her. But really, while this was cool to watch and thrilling to say the least…what made Frank’s story so special, was the fact that it still showed that his humanity isn’t quite gone just yet.
 
Because in between the hunt for the guns, he once again spent some time helping Sarah Lieberman, and yes, he needed a little prodding from David to make that happen, but to see him show her kindness and go above and beyond to help her was simply wonderful. He still believes in doing good and charitable things and oddly enough, this was even further expanded upon by the fact that he took the time to save Agent Madani. He could have left her be, seen her as the enemy as well since she represents a government that took plenty away from him, but he risked his life to get to her safety and I’m hoping we see more of this gentler side to Frank as the series rolls on.
 
In the end however, this was a true transitional episode through and through. Sure, it started to tie elements together, but the action and adventure was really designed to just move us forward to the next plot thread and I’m oddly okay with that. Because this show’s transitional episodes are still as compelling as they come and I love that this saga is taking its time in telling its story so it can come together properly. Either way, the whole world knows The Punisher is alive and well now, and it should be interesting to see how Frank will execute his plan with the Department of Homeland Security hot on his tail. Until next time.

I am always extremely appreciative of television shows, and stories in general for that matter, that bring forth a concept or notion that we deal with in our own lives and take the time to explore them and their impact upon us in detail rather than simply gloss over them and move on. It signals that the people telling the story, care about it and the audience greatly and that kind of respect is precisely why I am continuing to thoroughly enjoy The Punisher.
 
Because, when you take a moment and think about it, this series has already had every single opportunity to abandon the deeper meaning it provided us in the series premiere. It could have just acknowledged the fact that Frank is haunted by his past, moved on, and narrowed its focus to his skills as a one man wrecking crew. But instead it continues to bring the power of anger and revenge into the forefront of its storytelling, and the dangers that come with it and oddly enough, the next episode, ‘Kandahar’, took this kind of exploration to a new level by examining further, what exactly helped make Frank the way he is today, by taking us deep into his past.
 
In fact, the past was a big focus for just about every single character in this episode, since this story also took the time to dig into prior events when it comes to David Lieberman as well, taking us back to the titular moment where that all-important video fell into his lap and the deep moral conflict that swirled in his soul when it came to doing something about said video. Obviously, David made the call to do the right thing and revealed the contents of that video before paying the price dearly for his crisis of conscience.  

​Yet while David was able in many ways to get off easy and go underground for his righteous decision, we know that Frank’s luck was far worse, something that made him into the blunt instrument of vengeance we know today. But his anger and fire go far deeper than mere revenge, in order to become an agent of fury, one has to learn how to let go of their emotions and their humanity and sadly, it turns out that Frank was able to accomplish all of that while in the service, specifically in the place that shares a namesake with this episode, Kandahar.
 
It was here that while working to extract high value targets under the guise of Operation Cerberus that of course the ugly mission where his commanding officer lost an arm took place, but his unit’s escape from that awful situation is what sticks with me more. Simply because of the fact that my goodness, the anger and brutality we’ve come to know from Frank was born in that moment as he singlehandedly put down one Tango after another and that matters simply because…by helping to strip this man of his humanity, those who did him harm helped their own cause.
 
After all, we’ve seen the end result of letting all of this darkness consume Frank. He’s been left a paranoid and shattered shell of his former self, one trapped within his emotions, unable to find internal peace. But it would seem that Micro has given Frank his proverbial way out. Because now that The Punisher is aware of the fact that everything ties together when it comes to how he lost his family, he’s ready to settle the score once and for all. When all is said and done however, serious credit is in order when it comes to this episode, simply due to the fact that despite being transitional in nature, and filled to the brim with backstory, it was downright intense. Plus, it was just incredible to see the true origins of The Punisher and explore what it means for a character like Frank to simply let go and let the darkness consume him. Just goes to show how wonderful the writing is, and now that Frank has a purpose again, I’m dying to know if getting revenge once again will finally provide him with the peace he so desperately seeks. Until next time. 

The more time I’ve had to ponder upon the series premiere of Netflix’s iteration of The Punisher, the more I’ve come to appreciate it. After all, this is a premiere that in essence, moved in the slowest of fashion and put nothing forward about the plot, but managed to engage all of us with Frank Castle’s personal plight. I mean think about it for a second, outside of a brief discussion at Homeland Security about Frank, there really was no buildup, structure or introduction to the overreaching story in ‘3 AM’, and that’s quite a feat.
 
However, that kind of storytelling simply isn’t sustainable, at least, not for a Marvel themed story. Which means that the next chapter in Frank’s harrowing story, ‘Two Dead Men’, takes the time to assemble a bigger plot filled with bigger threats for The Punisher to face. But, serious credit is due when it comes to the Writer’s Room and the powers that be behind the scenes, simply due to the fact that the depth we all thoroughly enjoyed in the first episode is still present here, and for proof, look no further than the fact that we actually find Frank afraid in this episode.
 
Yes, you read that right, Frank Castle is scared in this tale, and all of that is thanks to a mysterious man named Micro who makes contact with Frank early on in this story and lets him know that he’s fully aware of Frank’s past and well, I loved this segment of the story. It’s just so rare to see anyone have leverage over Castle and to see him in full on panic mode, asking everyone he knows as to whether or not they betrayed his trust, and seeing him on the run and keeping an eye over his shoulder in this fashion…is downright heartbreaking to say the least. But clearly, Micro makes a grave mistake in putting Frank Castle in a corner and it doesn’t take long for The Punisher to strike back. 

​Because after enlisting Karen’s help on the matter, all kinds of information on Micro comes to light. First and foremost, Frank discovers that Micro’s real name is David Lieberman and David was once an intelligence analyst for Homeland Security and was supposedly killed while resisting arrest for leaking intel. This leads Frank to pay a little visit to Carson Wolf to learn more about the man and unfortunately for Frank, this visit seems to reveal that he has in fact…been a pawn in way, since his family may have died as part of a larger conspiracy to conceal an ugly secret for the United States Government. What that secret is exactly, will have to wait for another time, since Frank still had business with Lieberman.
 
In fact, dear David quickly learned that it is never wise to back The Punisher into a corner and make demands of him since Frank took the time to visit the Lieberman household and meet David’s wife. Something that completely and utterly struck fear into Micro before Frank launched the next phase of his little vendetta against the man by changing his look to evade Micro’s surveillance of him before finally being able to get the upper hand and play a stressful cat and mouse game with David to teach him a lesson and of course…to finally get face to face with the man on his own home turf…
 
So, if anything, I have to say, I’m quite intrigued by what Wolf had to say in this particular tale, because it’s clear now from all of his actions over the past two episodes that there is some serious truth when it comes to what he told Frank. Something stinks behind the scenes and it would seem that this conspiracy is going to permeate the first season of show, and it should be fascinating to learn what exactly got Frank’s family killed. Either way, this was in my eyes, another quality episode. I loved the fact that this story didn’t let up on the emotional weight surrounding Frank by finding a way to weave it into an episode filled with adventure and revelations and it just goes to show that The Punisher is determined to be a unique viewing experience. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m ready to learn more about what’s going on behind the scenes in Frank’s world, so I’m off to watch another amazing episode. Until next time.  

I have to admit, season four of The Flash continues to impress me week in and week out. I’ve already been blown away by the fact that the powers that be managed to shift the tone and design of this series back to more lighthearted fare, but what dropped my jaw this week, was the incredible writing that came about in last night’s episode, ‘Therefore I Am’. Because this particular tale not only managed to deliver unto us a quality origin story for this season’s big bad, it also provided us with an amazing character study when it comes to Clifford DeVoe.
 
Because as it turns out, Clifford DeVoe came to the world of evil, with only the best of intentions in mind, since all he ever wanted was to make the world a better place and he was willing to put himself in harm’s way, by way of the accelerator explosion, in order to make that happen and oddly enough, his plan to increase his intelligence worked like a charm, and that’s when tragedy struck. Because it didn’t take all that long for Clifford’s brain to begin to pull all the energy it needed from the rest of body, making him weak and frail, and this turn of events gave him an unwholesome perspective.
 
It simply seemed unfair to him that others were given these beautiful gifts, only to waste them on petty crime or grand schemes while he rots away because of his abilities and despite his wife’s best efforts to extend his life and his dream by designing the chair that we’ve seen all season long, it’s clear now that DeVoe will impose his will upon humanity and deem whatever plan he’s come up with for mankind as a necessity to save it and what truly blew me away about this portion of the story, is that we didn’t meet him before he became a villain last week, he has been living a dual life all along and has been this evil monster for some time now, and already we’re getting a taste of his malice since it’s clear he likes to toy around with his nemesis.
 
Because this entire episode was one long con really. One where Clifford played innocent, and turned Barry’s friends against him since Mister Allen had a sneaking suspicion that DeVoe was more than meets the eye and his push to reveal the truth didn’t sit well with Team Flash at first and well, that final scene with Barry and Clifford, wherein DeVoe revealed his true identity and the fact that he was just screwing with Barry to test his mettle and his strength was downright chilling. He is a cold and calculated villain and I love the fact that he has been keeping a low profile as a professor by day and it was eerie to watch him transform into his evil persona in the closing moments of the story.
 
But when all is said and done, this kind of engaging tale can only be successful with what I made mention of earlier, quality writing, and every word that went into the script for this episode was simply top notch because it sold our villain. You almost feel for DeVoe in a way and more importantly, you understand him and revile him now since it’s clear his good intentions have been turned into a twisted vendetta and really, what made this episode work for me was that final conversation between Barry and Clifford, because it’s always a joy when the good guy and his nemesis are able to meet face to face and size each other up. Either way, The Thinker has taken the center stage and it should be interesting to see what his next move will be. Until next time.  

​There is within all of us, a romantic element that firmly believes that people we love or have loved in our lives, the ones we’ve had to let go of for various reasons, will someday to return to us and the magic we once shared can begin anew. Sometimes, that part of our heart is one-hundred percent correct and we get exactly what we want. But more often than not, their return is a mere reminder of what once was since sometimes, people change and grow and move on and that’s unfortunately a lesson that Kara was forced to learn on last night’s episode of Supergirl.
 
Because ‘Wake Up’ featured what should have been a wondrous moment for Kara, in that, the ship beneath National City’s coast, the one that it’s safe to assume all of us believed was nefarious in nature, turned out to be so much more in that…it housed Mon-El and after seven months of strife in Kara’s heart, it seemed as though she would finally find some peace with her love returned to her. But this reunion was anything but joyful. Mon-El was detached from Kara and silent as to how he found his way back to Earth and how exactly he managed to develop an immunity to the lead in the air, and despite Kara’s pleas and attempts to get him to talk or even remotely acknowledge her, he refused to do so.
 
However, the true reasons for his silence and his general distance, were far more heartbreaking than I think any of us could have possibly imagined. Because aboard that ship, was someone incredibly important to him, his wife, and at last the truth about Mon-El was revealed. As it turns out, shortly after leaving our planet, he slipped through a wormhole and ventured 400 years into the future, where L-Corp was able to cure his illness and of course, the future is where he met his bride to be and well, I may never quite forget the look on Kara’s face when she saw the love of her life, kiss his wife with such joy upon his face, because in that moment, you could see Kara’s heart shatter.
 
To make matters worse, while Kara was dealing with all of that, Sam finally felt the need to explore her powers further and a re-affirmation of her invulnerability led her home to discuss with her true lineage with her adopted mother. As it turns out, mommy had quite the surprise waiting for Sam in the barn and in a twisted version of Superman’s origin story, Sam was able to retrieve a powerful crystal from the ship that brought her to Earth, and let it guide her to the desert, wherein a dry and desolate version of the Fortress of Solitude was constructed for her and inside its walls, she came to learn of her Kryptonian origin and despite her best efforts to resist the ugly fate that was laid out for her, she eventually succumbed and accepted her fate as the world killer…Reign.
 
So, if anything this episode was a stark contrast in tone and design from what the rest of season three has offered up so far and it was a touch surprising to see this episode take us to such bleak territory and also offer up little when it comes to social commentary this go round but the latter of those two surprises was a bit necessary. After all, at some point Kara needed some sense of closure when it came to Mon-El, and she definitely got it in the worst possible way and the show has also been toying with Sam and her destiny for some time now as well, so it was nice to see that plot line progress in such epic fashion. Either way, lack of commentary or not, this was still an engaging episode and it should be interesting to see how Kara deals with the loss of Mon-El all over again and I wonder how long it will take before Reign beings her assault on the people of Earth. Until next time.