Anytime I see the word paradise used in the title of a movie or a show, I’m immediately curious. Because the notion of paradise, and what it means to people and how far they’re willing to go to seek it, always makes for a fascinating journey to say the least. So when I saw that ‘Paradise’ was the title of the next episode of Lodge 49, my curiosity turned to outright excitement, because exploring that kind of notion in a series as brilliant as this one was going to be quite the outright treat to say the least and well, as is always the case with this show, it did not disappoint in the slightest since everyone in this story was searching for some kind of paradise to bring them bliss and joy.
 
For Dud, he firmly believed that such a place existed in the arms of another woman. And his relationship with Gloria seemingly brought him all the paradise and euphoria he needed in life, to the point where he was able to find all kinds of special beauty when it comes to Gloria. But while it was wonderful to see Dud on cloud nine with his sweetheart, the red flags here were outright evident, and it was only a matter of time before this fling came to an end and when Gloria finally revealed the fury in her heart over having to care for her invalid mother, Dud finally had enough and his little slice of paradise disappeared when he broke it off with Gloria.
 
As for Liz, well her idea of paradise, was simply being able to feel something, anything, once again in life. Because despite the fun that she had the party, and the obvious chemistry between her and Corporate Guy, once the power of liquid courage wore off, it was back to business for Liz, and the walls she’s carefully crafted to keep people out went right back up and she also went back to believing she’s worthless and undeserving of happiness and she’s so desperate to feel some sense of worth that she briefly took advantage of her Jerry’s confession that he had feelings for her, just to enjoy that thrill of life once again.  

​Yet perhaps the most poignant moment of the story came forth when Dud and Liz had a little fight regarding their father’s fate, since Liz put it out there that dear old dad committed suicide, rather than deal with the problems that were brewing in his life, something Dud vehemently disagreed with and well, the shouting and the hitting that came about from this spat served as a fine reminder of the fact that sometimes paradise in our minds, comes from sheer ignorance. For by ignoring or not talking about a particular problem in our lives we can maintain that sense of bliss and while this was sad to watch, since it is clear that Dud and Liz do love one another, they did need to talk about dad, and the possibility that he did indeed give up on life. 
 
However, while all of this was fascinating to watch in its own right because it made for some powerful T.V., the show made a point to not abandon its roots thematically, when it comes to the notions of fate and destiny. Because Larry’s return to the Lodge, and his sudden acceptance of Dud seemingly brought some kind of magic to life within its walls since Blaise’s imaginary parasite became a reality, allowing for him to be free of it in front of everyone and it was equally as fascinating to see Larry take Dud under his wing and speak to something important happening because of Dud’s arrival in the Lodge and while the end of this episode was awkward and funny in its own right thanks to Larry’s impromptu burlesque show at the ceremony designed to transfer the title of Sovereign Protector to Ernie, I did have to check twice to see that the picture of Larry’s mom, blinked before he went out there drunk and as naked as a jaybird…
 
If anything, this series just continues to reinforce the fact that it is one of the smartest shows out there, because it’s just so rare to find a story this grounded in its characters and real-life strife, while it toys with notions of magic and mysticism and fate and destiny and well, I love this series and I loved this episode. Its subtlety writing wise was just sublime, and it was filled with some powerful moments to say the least and well, I simply cannot get enough of this saga and I am dying to know if Dud and Liz will find the peace they seek and I’m so ready to learn more about the magic brewing behind the scenes and well, I simply need more of Lodge 49’s brilliance. So, on that note, I’m off to watch another chapter in this magnificent story. Until next time.  

​You know that a particular television series is doing a great job in telling its story, when you simply cannot get enough of it. When you’re dying to know where its headed next, and your mind is swimming with the possibilities of where the story is going to go, the show simply has you and well, that’s basically where I’m at with Homecoming at this point. Because as ‘Test’ came to a close, I didn’t even hesitate to hit the play button to start the next episode, ‘Protocol’, because I needed to know what was going to happen next, for this was it, Heidi was about to return to the facility that haunted her and who knew what kind of surprises she would find in this place.
 
As it turns out, Heidi would only find heartbreak and sorrow in this facility, but not in the way that would one expect. There wasn’t a skeleton of a building waiting for her, one that seemingly carried all kinds of ghosts within its walls. Instead, when she and Colin finally arrived at Homecoming’s doorstep, they found…the unexpected. In its stead was the Mirror Pond Wellness Clinic, a place bustling with life and activity and well…confusion for Heidi. After all, this shiny and beautiful place was not at all what she was hoping to find and rather than accept what she was seeing at face value, she felt the need to dig further and look for some kind of clues.
 
Yet what made this search for knowledge so compelling, is that Thomas arrived right behind Colin and Heidi and while they went in the wrong direction, and deeper into a world of pastels, Thomas found that chilling skeleton, and all the echoes of Homecoming surrounded him as Thomas finally came into his own in this story, since he stood up to his boss, and broke into the facility, to get the answers he had been searching for. Oddly enough however, his best chance at understanding and getting the truth wouldn’t come from the remnants of this failed experiment, it would come from Heidi, because despite Colin’s best efforts to prove to her that her mind was playing tricks on her, a steady squawk from an old pelican friend allowed for something important to happen.
 
Because shortly after hearing that big bird honk, something clicked in Heidi’s mind, and every moment in this place, and every bad memory came washing back over her, along with a complete understanding of who Colin is and, this was heartbreaking to watch. Because despite a grand showdown in the front of the building, wherein Colin’s ego took a bruising, he still got away since Thomas could not arrest him and all of those memories and emotions took hold in Heidi’s heart, breaking her at last and leaving her in tears and well, that’s where we leave her in this tale, with sorrow in her soul…
 
Yet, what surprised me the most about this twist, is that we still have two episodes to go and everything is in essence out in the open with all that story left to tell, which leaves me wondering what kinds of surprises are waiting for us down the line. But in the here and the now, this was…an intense and satisfying episode, because at long last, Heidi now has the truth in her hands, and she can do some good with it hopefully since Thomas is by her side and well, at this point, you’ll have to excuse me. Because once again, I need to know where this powerful tale is headed, and it’s time to hit play on my Amazon app and start the end of this wild journey. Until next time.

You know, I’ll just come out and say it now, this really is one of the finest seasons of Doctor Who to ever grace the modern era of the series. Because every single episode has something incredible to offer its fans since this year’s stories have been thought provoking and powerful and filled to the brim with social commentary, and if by chance that’s not something you want to tune in and deal with, that’s okay, because there’s plenty more that this season has to offer. After all, the wonderful sense of adventure that accompanies the Doctor is present this year as well, and there are plenty of incredible destinations and fascinating creatures for fans to enjoy.
 
But what has impressed me the most about Series 11, is the sheer fact that the writing is simply top-notch. The scripts find a way to blend all of those elements together in seamless fashion, providing the audience with a rich story through and through and last night’s episode, ‘Kerblam!’, was no exception to that rule. Because one again, this was a story packed to the brim with all kinds of fascinating commentary and adventure, and to top it all off, this particular tale came with a few bonuses as well, since it dropped a grand and sweeping mystery into our laps, and it also found a way to have some serious fun along the way in doing so, especially when one considers the lovely tributes present in this episode to past Doctors.
 
I mean come on, the Fez was clearly a tip of the cap (pun intended) toward Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor and the talk of being best friends with Robots was clearly a nod to 12, and those little winks and nods set the stage for the grand mystery in question. Because the arrival of said Fez, and a note labeled ‘HELP ME’, led Team TARDIS to the headquarters of a futuristic version of Amazon, known as Kerblam!, in order to discover who sent that all important S.O.S. and that’s where the big mystery took shape. For everyone that the team met was put under scrutiny as they worked to figure out who needs help and that’s when the more cerebral aspect of the show came into play. 

​For we eventually came to discover that a place that is ninety percent automated, engenders fury from a capable workforce that is desperate to enjoy employment and that kind of resentment can inspire violence from the right kind of mind and in the end, it was the facility that needed help, because one of the employee’s, a maintenance man named Charlie, was putting together a plan to kill countless innocent people using the company’s delivery system, which is when the fun and the mystery came to an end in this particular tale. It was instead, replaced by a grave series of moments, ones that saw a sweet and gentle character die thanks to Charlie’s vendetta, and despite the fact that the Doctor was able to upend his twisted machinations, the lingering commentary that came about from this twist, stayed with me long after this episode came to an end.
 
Because Charlie’s story, and Kerblam! in general, took the time to question the power of consumerism, and automation and well, I honestly didn’t expect to see the series tackle the dangers of automation in this fashion, but alas it did and I was equally impressed with the fact that the Doctor straight up called out indifference to progress and a desire for convenience as the causes for both the benefits and the problems presented in this episode and this just reinforces the fact that Doctor Who really is pushing to move into more philosophical and meaningful territory, and I love this creative decision and the fact that every episode like this continues to reinforce the fact that the Doctor truly is a beacon of hope and someone that can make a difference in the universe.
 
Because despite the fact that Team TARDIS keeps running into some unsavory characters, mostly humans at that, they are determined to help others and inspire the citizens of the universe to be better and do the right thing and that’s just magnificent and they were even able to influence Kerblam! to find the balance between technology and convenience and decency since they’re going to hire more humans in the facility and well, I flat out loved this episode through and through. It was entertaining, it was fun, and it was engrossing and thoughtful and I hope the series just keeps churning out more wonderful stories like this one because this kind of hopefully storytelling is definitely a necessity right now. Until next time.

Normally, when a television show takes the time to examine something about our world or our humanity, such a move is designed to make us think and perhaps impact some change in our society. Or it’s simply designed to remind us of parts of our humanity that we don’t ponder upon enough. Any way you slice it, it’s often about putting our kind under a microscope, meaning that we are mere observers when it comes to this story, and we aren’t supposed to feel what the characters do. Unless of course, the show in question is Homecoming. Since the next episode of this series, ‘Test’, brought back a concept it explored just a short time ago, by immersing us within it.
 
After all, a few episodes ago there was quite the examination in regard to the truth and why we seek it, and how there are sometimes consequences that come with seeking it out. But this particular tale, well, this one reminded the audience of the fact that sometimes, when we finally do uncover the truth, we simply won’t like what we find. And well, this is the episode that finally revealed exactly what Homecoming’s purpose is, and this grand reveal, one that should have been satisfying to say the least, ended up leaving this reviewer unsettled and uncomfortable, especially when one considers how the show unveiled the facts in question.
 
For in this story, we saw exactly how effective the drug is at deleting someone’s memories since Walter was no longer able to recall the day that Lesky died, nor was he able to remember anything involving the Titanic Rising prank, and that outright terrified Heidi because there were chunks of Walter’s life now missing and while he’s feeling better, that is quite the cost for health and security and when she reported these results to Colin, that’s when the show dropped its special bombshell, in that…this is exactly what Geist wants, so that they can send these soldiers back into conflict without a worry in their mind, making them more efficient killing machines in the process. 
 
Which meant that Shrier was right all along, deployment was the key and the fact that Walter is missing memories, only seems to lend credence to the possibility that Heidi was given the same drug as the men in this facility. Which brings us to the storyline set in the future, because Heidi was still working hard to remember what the heck happened to her ages ago, and thanks to some fine cooperation from Walter’s mom, Thomas was able to show Heidi that she was indeed at Homecoming and that she knew Walter and faced with this knowledge, Heidi made one hell of a choice, and decided it was high time to head back to Tampa, and the facility and face her past head on.
 
When all is said and done however, the truth was indeed a regretful discovery in this particular tale for there really is something chilling about knowing that these poor men are having their minds slowly erased all for the sake of contributing to a war again because such a move is downright cruel. It means that once again, they’ll face awful horrors untold and suffer and shatter, and it wouldn’t shock me if the plan is to send them back to Homecoming when another tour of terror ends to begin the cycle anew. But alas, that’s where my mind went with this particular reveal and we may or may not learn all of those facts down the line. But what matters now, is that Heidi is headed back to where it all began, and it should be fascinating to see what she finds when she and Colin return to Homecoming…until next time… 

I’ve said it before, and I will say it time and time again, there’s really no greater reward for an audience, than when a mysterious story begins to reveal its secrets and/or brings its intricate story together and well, that’s starting to happen with Homecoming. Because moment by moment, Geist’s secrets are beginning to reveal themselves and every answer to the questions on our minds are starting to come forth and what I appreciated most about the next episode of the series, ‘Toys’, is that it managed to provide us with an important answer to a burning question in this series, all while allowing for something horrible to dawn upon the audience.
 
But, before we get to that horrific surprise, let’s talk about the answer that came about in this tale, since we came to learn exactly who filed the complaint that Thomas is investigating in the future. And that matters because, there’s no bad blood or friction between Heidi and Walter, nor is there really any trouble hanging over his head at Homecoming, so no one at the facility could have filed that complaint and well, I suppose we should have known all along that such a complaint would have been submitted to the Department of Defense from an outside entity, and as it turns out, the person who called to fuss was Walter’s mother and well, with good reason.
 
Because a mother knows things, deep down in her bones, and after discovering that Geist was the company running things at Homecoming, she made a point to head down there to bring her son home and get him away from whatever Geist has planned for him and well, this ended up being one hell of a twist and it led to some powerful moments and moving performances as Heidi and Walter and his mom worked to figure out their next steps and eventually, Heidi was able to convince Walter to stay and continue his recovery, for his own benefit and for the benefit of their budding relationship and with that, his mother felt that her only recourse, was to make the call and tell someone at the DoD that she was worried about her son.
 
But alas, that complaint would take ages to be discovered, in the future of course and speaking of tomorrow, it’s time we talk about those disturbing moments. And yes, all of them revolve around the fact that Colin used Heidi’s memory loss to manipulate her into a sexual encounter and well, all of that was downright disgusting and I hope that Colin gets his comeuppance as soon as possible. But all of that aside, something important dawned upon me in this story, in that…there’s a fair chance now that Colin’s interest in Heidi’s ‘problem’ relates to the drug that was administered at Homecoming and well, I’m now fully convinced that Colin saw to it that she took the ‘medicine’ while she was in the hospital in order to delete her memories and that he’s making sure now that it properly takes hold and that’s just terrifying.
 
I suppose the only positive when it comes to all of that however, is that Heidi is at least trying to figure out this mess now, since she seems hell bent at the end of the episode to shed the fog hanging over her head. The only question now is, will Colin allow her to continue her quest, or continue with his gaslighting and really, when all is said and done, this was a damn disturbing episode. Everything Colin did here was twisted and unsettling and he’s proven just how big of a scumbag he truly is and all I want at this point, is retribution for Heidi because she doesn’t deserve this, and hopefully that will involve Colin ending up behind bars when this whole mess comes to its end. Until next time. 

Sometimes, a television show packs in so many plot points and important moments in a particular episode, that I straight up don’t have the time to talk about other surprises that came about within the framework of a particular tale in a recap and well, that’s something that happened to me when it comes to Lodge 49. Because the last episode had so many wonderful moments to chew upon that we didn’t even get to discuss the ending of said episode, wherein Dud and Ernie found a secret room in the Lodge that just so happened to house a mummified corpse and well, it’s a good thing in the end that the episode ended there and that said moment was overshadowed, because it allowed for ‘Sunday’ to explore this incredibly important discovery, and so much more.
 
Because finding the body of Wallace Smith, the Sovereign Protector of the Lodge from 1959-1962, allowed for some important thematic concepts to return to the forefront of this tale, since fate and destiny were suddenly on Dud’s mind and with good reason. After all, he was the one to find Wallace’s body and that kind of coincidence is something that cannot be ignored and the mystery surrounding Wallace’s self-imposed death motivated Dud, and eventually Ernie to try and find Larry to get some answers and well, this impromptu road trip through their own home town, ended up leading to some fascinating observations about life and how to enjoy it since both Ernie and Dud opened up to one another as they searched for Larry.
 
If anything, it would seem that Ernie and Dud can and should learn from one another since Ernie was able to express to Dud the importance of appreciating the moment, since it will never come again and Dud was able to show Ernie how awesome it is to actually live in said moment and that’s just simply brilliant writing because it’s a subtle nod to fate and destiny since the Lodge brought them together and it’s also just outright a beautiful part of life to explore and as an added bonus, this search also served as a jump off point to explore Dud’s respective trauma since he actually opened up to Ernie out of the blue to talk about his fear of death and his fear of what awaits us in the great beyond and that’s important because…it’s about damn time Dud acknowledged his emotions and that he can indeed contribute to this world. 

​Yet, as this series is wont to do, it wasn’t quite done with exploring our character’s emotions and their painful experiences in life and Liz helped continue said exploration since in this episode we came to learn that she is also reeling badly from the loss of her father, to the point where she’s terrified to be alone with her thoughts. And this issue is crippling enough that she straight up went into work on her day off to try and get a shift, and ended up staying the entire day to snack, and drink and reflect upon moments she’d rather not care to, which motivated Liz to get drunker and party harder and well, this was heartbreaking in its own right to watch because it’s obvious she needs help as well, but as Liz put it, seeking out help is something she simply can’t afford right now and well, once again this show finds a way to hit close to home for so many of us, since we’ve either been in Liz’s shoes, or know someone who has.
 
However, what I appreciated most about this particular episode was its subtlety storytelling wise. Because everything that it introduced here was done in the smoothest of fashion, allowing for it to seem more like a road trip story when it is in fact a beautiful parable about life, and what it can mean to us and well, I have to admit that this one left me with plenty more to chew on when all is said and done because this one was supremely philosophical to say the least and I really am appreciating the fact that the overall story continues to tie into fate and destiny since the Lodge continues to be at the center of everything. 
 
But all thoughtful and beautiful moments aside, we do need to take a moment and appreciate how this episode broke up the heavier moments with some top-notch comedy. Because everything involving the corpse, or mummy, which is all a matter of perspective apparently, was downright hilarious and only a show as quirky as this can make a room full of boy scouts, playing with a dead body, a rip roaringly funny moment and really, when all is said and done, I truly am enjoying every single second of this show. It just offers so much more than traditional television and I love that no two episodes are the same, and that it can become incredibly intelligent on a moment’s notice and I definitely need more of this beautiful series, so on that note, it’s time to return to my AMC app, and enjoy another brainy adventure in the Lodge. Until next time.

While examining thematic concepts is a norm for just about any television series out there, it’s rare to see those concepts interconnect in some form or fashion. Shows simply like to compartmentalize ideas into a single story, which isn’t a bad thing by any means, simply because it allows for the series to explore as many ideas as possible as the season rolls on. So, imagine my surprise when I settled in to watch the next episode of Homecoming, entitled ‘Helping’, only to discover that this particular series was going to continue on with something it started looking at in its last episode; an exploration on both the good and the bad that comes with searching for the truth.
 
Except this time around, there was no good to be explored in the matter, everything in this tale showed us the consequences that come forth from searching for the truth, and perhaps the biggest takeaway when it comes to that particular notion is that…sometimes others don’t want the facts to be revealed. Yet as this show is wont to do, it provided us with various extremes when it comes to this concept, and for proof, look no further than Thomas Carrasco’s storyline. Since he caught up with Shrier in this episode and well, dear Joe was a shell of his former self, afraid and unwilling to speak until he knew he wasn’t being watched and even then, he spoke in clues, mostly about ‘the trees’, and it was obvious he was terrified to spill the beans about Homecoming for fear of retribution and well, there’s good reason for that.
 
Because clearly, Colin wants to keep this incident as quiet as possible, and well, Colin’s literal journey in this tale provided us with perhaps the most terrifying bookend when it comes to the dangers of searching for the truth, since the man actually traveled to Tampa to have a little showdown with Heidi at the restaurant. Thankfully, Heidi didn’t recall him in the slightest, but make no mistake about it, the fact that he took the time to come down there and practiced potential threats to drop upon Heidi and asked home office for more information on Thomas, is chilling to say the least. He’s clearly willing to do whatever it takes to keep 5/5/18 a secret and his disturbing behavior in this episode, is starting to make me wonder just how dangerous Colin really is.
 
Because, the scary moments from Colin extended into the past as well. For just when it seemed that Heidi was gaining the trust of the soldiers and making them truly feel more comfortable at Homecoming by way of a hilarious prank war, Craig’s frustration with her not sticking to the script, led to a phone call to Colin about the time she spent in Walter’s room and that…led to one hell of a phone call to Heidi. For during this little chat, Colin unloaded on Heidi, in a way we’ve never seen before. Gone was the usual salesman talk or silly persuasion that Colin is so good at. Instead that chatter was replaced with dangerous threats and a fury we’ve never seen before and well, this was simply unexpected to say the least. But his fury cannot be ignored and I’m sure this anger and nastiness plays into the incident on 5/5/18.
 
But, in the here and the now, this was another episode full of surprises to say the least, since it started off in hilarious fashion, because who doesn’t love a good prank war? And I love that Heidi opened up a little bit and jumped into the fray for this. But alas, I doubt the good times will continue now that Heidi has been told to either get with the program or get out. Either way, it’s wonderful to see that this series can take a break from the mysteries of Homecoming and not miss a beat and now that we are at the halfway point of season one, I won’t be surprised if things ramp up from here as the mystery begins to unravel. Until next time.

The truth is something that all of us seek in our lives and with good reason. After all, it really does set us free since we are able to learn more about a particular situation in our lives and if we come to discover that something is no longer beneficial to us, we can leave it behind once we know the truth about it. But there is an inherent danger that comes with the truth sometimes, in that, the search to discover it can be a long and arduous process, one that uncovers dark and ugly facts once we have completed the proverbial digging, the kind that unsettle us and can potentially hurt us, and the good and the bad of searching for the truth just so happens to be the central focus of the next episode of Homecoming.
 
Because ‘Redwood’ does indeed provide our characters quite the sweet and sour hunt for knowledge. But oddly enough, the future is where answers awaited the audience and before we get into the uglier side of this quest, let’s talk about the good side of things first, since the search for answers in this tale only helped to embolden Thomas Carrasco. For his investigation led him to Geist Headquarters, and an odd interaction with Colin, only reinforced the fact that he was on the right trail, and that something supremely suspicious was going on here, and digging deeper would benefit him greatly and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him scare the crap out of Colin by letting Heidi’s former boss know that he had a solid lead when it comes to getting to the bottom of what happened at Homecoming.
 
But while it was good to see Thomas finally find a good lead on this whole mess, it’s time we talk about the ugly side of searching for the truth, which came about from Heidi’s story in the future. Because after coming to the realization that she didn’t remember a thing about her time in Homecoming, she felt the need to seek out answers and dug into the box of her personal effects from the hospital and came to discover a map of California, and the fact that for quite some time in early 2018, all she did on the phone was speak with a man named Colin over and over again and well…with a little prodding from a friend from work, she steeled her nerves and called Colin in the hopes of learning something about her former life, only to receive a chilly and disturbing reception on the phone, the kind that involved uncomfortable silence and a quick exit from the call on Colin’s part and regret and fear upon his face when he realized that Heidi made an effort to reach him.
 
Yet, these little twists and turns weren’t the only treats this episode had to offer, because as is always the case in this series, we needed to spend a little time in the past as well, and back in the day we were treated to a fascinating sequence that helped us learn how the drug that Geist is feeding the veterans is processed and delivered to Homecoming, and that…something quite intimate and powerful is brewing between Heidi and Walter. Because the more they interact, the more they come to realize that feelings are bubbling up between them and Heidi’s decision to rescue Shrier’s harmonica to help Walter cope confirms that, as does the embrace they shared in private. For that was the kind of embrace that sends one’s heart soaring and I’m wondering if this budding relationship is part of what went wrong on May the 18th.  
 
Time will tell of course, but in the here and the now, it was nice to see the characters working hard to uncover some truth at last and I dig the fact that the series continues to slowly unravel this nightmare and that nothing is stopping the characters from uncovering all the facts in the slightest. But, judging from Heidi’s story in this tale, she may not like what she finds when total recall arrives, and likely neither will the audience since clearly something ugly happened and man, this grand mystery more or less makes this series irresistible when all is said and done. So, on that note, I too need to continue my own search for the truth with this show, regardless of the consequences, which means it is time to start the next episode and return to the horrors of Homecoming. Until next time.

What I’ve always found interesting about our desire to belong, is that we rarely think about the benefits that come with fitting in, we simply seek it out blindly because perhaps…we don’t need to think about the benefits, we simply know them deep down. We know that being around people that share in our interests and welcome us into their home and their hearts brings peace to the soul and it helps us appreciate the good in life and well, who doesn’t want those kinds of feelings and that kind of peace surrounding them? But sometimes, our desire to belong can have unintended consequences when we expect it to heal issues that it simply cannot, an issue that served as the focus of the next episode of Lodge 49, ‘Corpus’.  
 
Of course, at first glance, one wouldn’t have a clue that anything bad could come about from rushing into a sense of brotherhood because Dud was basically on cloud nine in this episode. After all, he was now a fancy squire, he got his own freakin’ mug to drink beer with and he even found himself working again since Temp Joy found him a job putting together termination packets at the Orbis plant and well, it was all smiles for Dud in this tale and everywhere he went, he kept that grin plastered on his face and well, it really seemed as though joining the Lodge and the Order of the Lynx was exactly what he needed in life and that at long last, he was on the road to recovery.
 
But those that love us and know us best can tell when something is amiss and despite the joy present upon Dud’s face, Liz knew something wasn’t quite right with her brother, and after a hilarious sequence involving some top-notch drugs from Blaise’s shop, and a conversation about closure with the local priest while she ate a massive burrito in church, Liz came to realize that the Padre was right, it was time to properly say goodbye to their father and bring about some closure in their lives at last so the family (more so Dud in this case) could move on and heal and she worked with Monsignor Guzman to put together a memorial service for her beloved father.

​Which brings us at long last to the dangers of rushing into something that simply cannot fix us. Because at the memorial, where it finally seemed that Dud was indeed using this moment to heal and say farewell, we came to learn that he’s using the Lodge and what it stands for, for all the wrong reasons, as evidenced by his ‘farewell’ speech to his father. For said speech was anything but a farewell, it was a distressing and powerful diatribe on how he believes alchemy, a staple of the Order, can help him see other worlds and realities and help to re-shape time and because of that, he’ll never have to say goodbye to his father, since all that he is learning will help him find a way to contact a dad that in his view, has never left his side in the slightest.
 
If anything, this little twist was heartbreaking to say the least. Because Dud really is a genuinely good guy who is looking for a break from the pain and suffering in his life, but at the same time he also refuses to deal with it or let it go and that’s…powerful and relatable because we’ve either been Dud or known people like him and well, it just adds incredible depth to this series when all is said and done. Yet what was equally as surprising, is that this episode found a way to focus heavily on the Dudley twins since it’s done such a fine job with its ensemble work prior to this. But it didn’t completely forget about the other characters, since we did spend some time with Ernie in this tale, and his quest to get to Captain to enjoy the deal of a lifetime and hell, he came close, since he at least got on a conference call with the man and on a side note, I must say that Captain sounds a lot like one of my favorite actors, Bruce Campbell, so I’m now genuinely hoping that it is Bruce and that he is going to pop up in this tale.
 
But, I digress, because I’m getting ahead of myself and what matters in the here and the now is that this was a powerful and outright incredible episode. Because this is character development at its finest, and it’s clear now we are going to go on quite the emotional journey with Dud and Liz since this episode really showed us how much they’re hurting, and how far they have to go before they heal from the shock of losing their father and at this point, I’m beyond hooked on this series, I’m outright invested. I have to see this to the end to see if all of these characters, who are suffering through some hard times, find the peace they so seek because that’s always inspiring to find in any story. So, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to return to my AMC app, and see where this emotional journey is headed next. Until next time. 

While I often find myself analyzing television shows to understand what they’re about and what they bring to the table, the ones that I truly fall in love with, are the ones that find a way to keep me guessing and surprise me at just about every single turn. And it just so happens that slowly but surely, Doctor Who is falling into that category because just when I think I have this new season figured out thematically, it goes and takes a powerful left turn that leaves me speechless and last night’s episode of the show, ‘Demons of the Punjab’, stuck with that particular criteria to a tee.
 
For once again, this seemed like a pretty by the number’s affair for the series since Yaz wanted to learn more about her Nan and why she was so secretive about a particular part of her past and the Doctor was mostly happy to oblige Yaz’s wishes to learn more about said past by taking the team into yesteryear to meet a younger Nan. But when Team TARDIS arrived in 1947 India, on the day of Partition, wherein the country was to be divided into India and Pakistan, the Doctor and her besties quickly came to learn that strange things were surrounding Yaz’s Nan and her forthcoming nuptials, in the form of demon-like aliens who seemed to be out for blood and that of course put Yaz’s family in harm’s way. 
 
Which, really is pretty standard Who fare when you think about it. I mean, often times we get a menacing alien (or aliens) on the show, and they seem hell bent on taking lives and doing their own thing before the Doctor defeats them, which is about as ‘Monster of the Week’ as it gets. But that’s where that wild and crazy left turn comes into play. For the aliens in this episode, weren’t the galactic-ly renowned assassins the Doctor thought them to be. They were instead, galactic mourners, the last of a race that now take the time to comfort those who are about to pass into the great beyond and do what they can to preserve that creature’s memory for all of eternity, which meant they weren’t the big bad of this particular tale. 

​Instead, the villain here turned out to be a part of humanity that we’ve yet to shed from our species, hate. Because the idea of Muslims and Hindus living together in harmony was more than Prem’s brother Manish could handle and well, the reveal that he was the man responsible for Prem’s passing, and Nan’s escape to England was heartbreaking to say the least. Because he turned his back on family, all in the name of what he believed to be a greater and more powerful concept than just being decent to one another and really, what made this episode so incredibly powerful, aside from Prem’s fate of course, is what this story had to say about hate.
 
Because this tale reminded us, that hate is something we learn, and that it is something that is difficult to unlearn and when it infects a person’s mind and heart and soul, they do terrible things in its name and that was all we saw from Manish. Disdain, disgust and that burning hate and it was just a shame to see someone lost to its power. But, despite that bleakness, the episode did offer up plenty of hope as well. After all, it was beautiful to see love blossom and shatter borders and despite the ugliness present here, this story reminds us that the dark times always pass, and that love and being kind always win out in the end and that’s a wonderful message to provide the audience with in these troubled and erratic times.
 
Yet, all of this aside, I love that this series continues to work hard to provide the Doctor’s new companions with depth and substance. No more are their everyday experiences a plot device to move the Doctor’s agenda along, they help to shape new adventures with the Doctor and that’s just wonderful. And I really am digging how this series keeps using the standard Who formulas to build new tales that have all kinds of depth and power and this really was quite the beautiful episode to say the least, one that reminded us of the wonder of family, and why we often see our elders as heroes in their own right and once again, this leaves me hungry for more, and I’ll be counting down the minutes yet again for Sunday to roll back around so we can all enjoy another fascinating adventure with the Doctor and Team TARDIS. Until next time.