Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season one finale of ‘Soulmates’.
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Over the course of the past few weeks, the AMC series, Soulmates, has offered up some incredible explorations when it comes to matters of love. For this intrepid and bold saga has taken the time to show us how communication and hard work are key elements in maintaining a healthy relationship with our partner (or partners if the case may be), along with providing us with some dynamic and powerful lessons on how love can be used as a weapon or send us into some dark places when we seek it out for all the wrong reasons. But while it has been quite amazing to explore aspects of love and romance that few televisions shows ever bother with, it turns out that this particular series was saving its most powerful lesson, for last. 
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Because there is one particular aspect of love that no one likes to discuss and is often considered taboo, simply because to do so removes the wonder and the majesty of a notion that we all seek. But the harsh fact of the matter, is that sometimes, love Is something that is quite unhealthy for us. For there are partners out there that quite frankly; bring out the worst in us. Because their abusive and manipulative tendencies tend to put us in a dark place often, or they motivate us to reciprocate the negative emotions that are sent our way, creating a cycle of emotional violence and abuse that never seems to end. Or in the worst case scenario, the ugly that this sour kind of relationship brings to the surface, motivates us to do something we will forever regret when we feel trapped and unable to escape and exploring all of these elements made ‘The (Power) Ballad of Caitlin Jones’ the show’s darkest and most shocking entry to date. 

Now in this particular tale we are introduced to a woman named Caitlin Jones, who is in quite the sorrowful place when we catch up with her, here. For she is in a loveless and hollow relationship with an old friend named Doug, and she’s accepted this as her reality because of some horribly abusive relationships in the past. But that doesn’t mean that she’s necessarily given up on love, in fact… she’s eager to find the right man and settle down and enjoy everything that a real relationship has to offer. Which is why she takes the test and is over the moon when a match finally arrives in her inbox, and to make matters better, dear Nathan appears to be everything she could ask for and more. For he’s smart, handsome and put together and eager to help her grow as a person. But as is sometimes the case in life, looks can in fact, be quite deceiving and it doesn’t take long for Caitlin to learn that Nathan has a horrifying secret. One that he is choosing to reveal to her, because he firmly believes that they are alike in more ways than the test leads on. 

So, at this point, it is definitely safe to say that none of us saw the twist in this particular tale coming in the slightest. Because the thought of falling in love with someone that is capable of causing great harm to others seems impossible, but it’s put on display here and it makes for a horrifying and shocking experience for certain. One that definitely leaves the audience uncomfortable from the instant it is revealed because we are hoping that Nathan is wrong about Caitlin and her actual desires in life, and watching her devolve right before our eyes into something so primal and so twisted really does leave the viewer in need of a stiff drink and a hug once this particular tale has come to its end. Because it wasn’t supposed to end in this manner and it wasn’t supposed to go this dark, but it does, and it is a downright brilliant decision to take the story in this direction. Simply because it truly does allow for the lesson that this is story is trying to get across, to be properly explored.
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Because Nathan really does serve as an enabler for Caitlin’s darker side. For he is eager to have her embrace her pain and the fury that comes from being marginalized and abused and use it to her advantage. Which should be a positive thing for certain, since we are taught to transform our past into something positive. But he does it in that perfectly manipulative manner that only a toxic partner knows how to do. By offering his lover a positive path forward before gently corrupting those positive thoughts into far bleaker ones and that is what allows for Caitlin to indulge the darkness and embrace it and become an equal to Nathan in every way imaginable. Which in essence, makes her particular journey a grand tragedy when all is said and done, one that feels woefully familiar and painfully relatable, unfortunately. For we have known women like Caitlin in our time on this planet, or we’ve been her and indulged in that darker side and we try to not think upon it.

Because it reminds us of how weak we can become when the wrong lover promises us the world and happiness untold with a come-hither look or an electric kiss. If anything, her journey in this tale just serves to remind us, of how easy it is to lose ourselves in matters of love and how terrifying a prospect that can be, especially when the person we love is bad for us. But alas, that is perhaps the finest lesson of all that this episode sends our way. In that, love is powerful and intoxicating and when the circumstances are right, it will indeed consume us and whatever happens after that, happens. Yet we will still search for it, regardless of the emotional danger because it can set us free and provide us with endless joy and in the end, those are some powerful lessons to find in a series about love. The kind that will stay with us and haunt us until the next season of this dynamic series arrives and it should be interesting to see what kind of powerful lessons await us in year two, since year one… held nothing back. Until next season.    

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 2904 of ‘Top Gear’.
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​At this point in time, we can all agree upon the fact that 2020 has made for one wild and unsettling year. For reasons that we don’t have to rehash here. But the chaos of this particular year does matter for one reason and one reason alone, in that… it’s definitely prompted all of us to get creative as to how we have fun and that’s something that’s started to seep into the television industry as well. Because some shows simply cannot function in the manner they once did before Covid, such as Top Gear. Since this particular series is all about the road trip in populated places. But a pandemic can’t keep our intrepid hosts down and not being able to travel abroad, motivated them and the producers to put together an episode that offered up one unique and entertaining adventure. 

After all, there are plenty of beautiful places to visit in the United Kingdom and everyone agreed that Wales would be the perfect place to hop into some grand touring vehicles in order to properly explore the majesty of Wales and well, once again, our intrepid hosts picked some fascinating cars to accompany them on their journey. For Chris Harris went with the refined Bentley Flying Spur, whilst Freddie Flintoff opted to go with something slightly sportier by choosing the McLaren GT and of course… Paddy went the unconventional route as he is wont to do, by selecting the Aston Martin DBX and well, once the lads got some good natured ribbing about Paddy’s ride out of the way, the lads were off to drive around the countryside for a bit.

But it wouldn’t be Top Gear if all they did was drive around and enjoy the scenery and thankfully the producers figured out that this episode was the perfect time to put together a competition unlike any other. And that gave life to a grand competition between Germany and Great Britain, one where the lads would face off against racing legend Heinz-Harald Frentzen in cars that rivaled the boys’ selections and of course, the winner would enjoy bragging rights. Which seems like an unfair competition from the get-go, since Mister Frentzen knows racing inside and out. So, the producers were also nice enough to enact rules to level the playing field, the kind that sadly, didn’t help Freddie out in the first race. Since the rule was to use cruise control and not hit the brakes or accelerator and since Freddie didn’t gauge distance quite right in one spot of the track, he slammed on the brakes and lost the match.

However, he would quickly redeem himself in perhaps the most unique challenge ever seen on this series. For in round two, the Bentley and its German counterpart would hit up a nature themed course and try to get through it as quickly as possible, without terrifying the passenger that was strapped to the roof of these lovely cars, and yes, you read that right. Someone was actually strapped atop the roof of each car and the victim – er, passenger that saw the least increase in heart rate during this challenge, combined with the fastest time would be declared the winer and well, Freddie saved the day. Because he was captain cool whilst atop the Bentley, whereas poor Paddy lost his marbles when he rode atop Heinz’s ride and that allowed for, Freddie and Chris to tie it up for Team GB, and that left one last competition to decide the whole thing. 

One that would see Paddy race Heinz to the top of a quarry in a winner-take-all final battle, and if by chance Paddy couldn’t overtake him, all he had to do was stay within a certain time frame to clench a victory and wouldn’t you know it? Paddy McGuinness pulled it off and locked up a huge win for Team Britain and in the end, this episode was just a blast. Because it was just pure fun from beginning to end and it really did feature some incredibly creative challenges, the kind that undoubtedly left the audience in stitches, especially that wild rooftop challenge. If anything, this particular tale just goes to show that a little ingenuity can go a long way and it should be interesting to see what other types of creative and innovative ideas the show is going to bring to the table, for next week’s season 29 finale. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the premiere of ‘Earth’s Great Seasons’.
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Each and every one of us, have an outright favorite season. Some of us for example, are all about spring and the wonderful sense of renewal that it sends our way. While others are a big fan of summer and all the beauty and freedom it affords us. Then there are those of us, who love fall, and all the wonderful colors it provides us with and of course, there are people who love the stark beauty that accompanies winter. But while we all have our own tastes when it comes to the various seasons of the year, and have our own habits that accompany that change, in nature; seasons mean so much more. For the changing of the temperature and the landscape brings about different priorities for the animals that populate our world. 

Because for them, daily life is all about survival and the changing of the seasons lets them know where they are at, in their quest to thrive and see another day. But what exactly goes into that quest for survival is something that remains relatively unknown to us since we live in a vastly different world, one where we can steer clear of the seasons if we so choose. But thankfully, that’s why we have nature themed shows, since they can offer us that in depth look at how the world gets along with the harsh environments that no longer bother mankind. And it just so happens that BBC America is going to take the time to explore exactly how wildlife and plant life, survive as the seasons change around them, by way of the fascinating new documentary Earth’s Great Seasons.

A feat that that this particular documentary is going to accomplish, by taking us around the globe to see how animals and plant life interact with a respective season in great detail and what better place to kick off a journey this epic and this powerful, than by starting within the framework of ‘Spring’. For this is when life more or less reawakens in nature since the harsh cold of winter has come to a close and that’s really the first thing that this particular documentary showed us; the process that animals go through, as they wake up and re-acclimate to the world. For so many animals take the time to hibernate in winter, and once the thaw begins, the time arrives for them to venture back out into the world in order to find food and prepare for the most important part of the spring… starting a family.

Because keeping the species going is the ultimate goal for every creature on this planet, and that’s why so many of them take a mate during the spring. Because now is the perfect time to raise their young and teach them how to function in this wild world before the winter forces so many creatures into hiding, and it was just incredible to see how some animals court one another during this season, such as the Clark’s Grebe. Since these birds will dance in a celebration of love before settling down. Plus, it was equally as amazing to see animals from every species out there, prepare their young for a future where they are on their own and to see how far they travel to feed and breed. Since swallows will traverse all of Africa to lay eggs in Europe, and Humpback Whales and Caribou will travel thousands of miles to enjoy the bounty of plentiful feeding grounds. 

If anything, this particular documentary taught us that spring, is a busy time for nature. Because it really does seem as though every creature out there uses the warmth of this season to get a ton of goals of accomplished. Since we saw nature just moving without taking a break in this tale. Which makes for a fascinating contrast to our own world. Since we’re getting ready to enjoy our first hike of the season, or picnic when spring hits, and it just speaks to how unique and special our lives are. Since we are masters of our domain and don’t have to worry about scrambling to get our lives and our future in order when the snow comes to an end. But what matters more, is that this documentary truly left no stone unturned in regard to how much goes on during this season of rebirth, and it is truly going to be interesting to learn what nature’s agenda is during summer, when Earth’s Great Seasons returns for its next episode. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Ten of ‘Long Way Up’.
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What is truly amazing about the AppleTV+ series, Long Way Up, is the sheer fact that this documentary has outright managed to perfectly encapsulate the wonder of the road trip and everything that goes into it, both good and bad. Because it has done a fine job of reminding us, of how tough it can be to plan a big one, and how the unexpected can surprise us as we chug along our route. All while celebrating the best parts of hitting the road and how wonderful it is to see new places and enjoy the majesty of the world and really this is relevant to today’s discussion for one key reason. For as we near the end of this 13,000-mile-long journey north with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, it’s quickly becoming clear that this show isn’t going to deviate from this style of storytelling in the slightest.

Because ‘Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala & Mexico’ took the time to explore an important element of this time-honored tradition, the push home. For there comes a point when we are on the road, that the end is in sight, and that oddly inspires us to just go for it. Because when we are so close to reaching the end of our long and epic journey, we decide to just forge ahead and get it done and relish in the wonder of completing our goal. Which is precisely the mantra that Ewan and Charley embraced in this episode. Because they went on a tear in this tale, cruising through country to country, on an outright mission to reach Los Angeles as quickly as possible. But while that makes it sound as though this episode was filled to the brim with a lot of footage from the road, complete with narration about these countries, the guys still made time to explore the world around them.

In fact, Ewan and Charley picked up a companion on this leg of the journey, since Jamyan McGregor (Ewan’s daughter) hung out with these guys for a little bit. Which allowed for us to see first-hand that Ewan full-on embraces the dad lifestyle, since he’s all about those dad jokes and being a goof around a daughter that he loves dearly. And it was just lovely to see Jamyan spend time with her pop as they explored some of the volcanoes in this part of the world, even going so far as to camp in the caldera of a dormant one. Plus, it was equally as amazing to see Ewan and Charley spend a little time in impoverished areas of Central America where crime runs rampant, and see how these communities are fighting back with education. All to keep kids from joining gangs and taking part in crime and speaking of crime… that’s oddly another reason why these guys needed to move quickly on their journey.

Because it turns out that Mexico is one dangerous place to traverse. For the Cartels in this part of the world still run rampant and do as they please, and the last thing the team needed, was to come to harm. Which motivated David to prepare a unique idea in Oaxaca while Ewan and Charley traversed the safe portion of Mexico. In that, the team would retrofit a party bus, something commonly seen in Mexico, so that the bikes and Ewan and Charley and the team could be stored safely at night. All while someone else piloted the bus through the darkness, allowing for them to travel safely at night and move this journey along. As to whether or not this unique plan is going to work, we’ll have to wait to see. For more ugly security briefings about the danger ahead, leaves one to wonder if trouble awaits the crew before they finally reach the United States.

If anything, that is perhaps the most epic cliffhanger to date when it comes to this series. Because the stakes are now super high, and no one wants to see that kind of rotten trouble come anyone’s way. Which means we are likely in for a tense series finale, one that will likely keep us on the edge of seats before it dives into the most important part of the road trip; the home stretch. Because we are closing in on the end of this journey, any way you slice it, and hopefully this last part of the trip will indeed be uneventful and introspective and downright safe and secure, as Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, complete an incredible journey, sixteen years in the making. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 202 of ‘The Mandalorian’.
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When we last settled in to discuss the wondrous Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, Din Djarin found himself in quite the solid place. After all, he was able to defeat the Krayt Dragon and save countless lives in the process, and he got his hands on some iconic Mandalorian armor. Since Boba Fett’s gear was part of the prize for putting down that monstrous dragon. But alas, while it was nice to see Din save the day and continue to grow into a true galactic hero, he was sadly no closer to uncovering any information regarding the Jedi and The Child’s home world and native people. 

A sad reality that clearly is beginning to create and air of desperation for Din, as evidenced in the next episode of this magnificent series. For ‘Chapter 10: The Passenger’, made it clear early on that Din is ready to do whatever it takes to get The Child home and quickly, because his mission matters above all else. Which is why he was fine with taking on a passenger to transport to a nearby world, simply because his guest could lead him to information regarding the whereabouts of his people. But it didn’t take long for this particular mission to slip into outright chaos. Because the New Republic had questions about the whereabouts of his ship and that led to a frenetic chase through the skies of an icy world, one that ended with the Razor Crest in bad shape. 

Which put Mando in a tough situation. Wherein he either had to decide to abandon the mission and figure out how to get off this rock in one piece, in order to get the ship to a safe harbor for major repairs. Or push the ship to its limits in order to get his passenger where she needed to go, and with a little prompting to his better nature, he decided upon the latter. But getting the ship out of this icy tomb was no easy task. For this world had some hostile life to go with its hostile environment and the unfortunate discovery of the ice spiders that call this frozen nightmare home, led to one horrific battle. One where our hero was victorious of course, thanks to an assist from the New Republic, but this is a fight that definitely left his ship in utter ruin for the time being.

But at least this pyrrhic victory wasn’t a total loss. Simply because he is one step closer to finding more Mandalorians and reuniting The Child with its own kind and well, in the end, that’s really all there is to say about the plot in regard to this tale. Because there was no deeper meaning to be found within these events, nor was there anything revelatory. It was just an action-packed adventure, one that definitely entertained. In fact, The Child's antics added to this particular story, since his hunger for frog’s eggs made for some incredibly hilarious moments for certain and the whole battle with the ice spiders and their giant momma made for some epic sequences as well, the kind that undoubtedly gave arachnophobes nightmares.

If anything, perhaps the only surprise of note in this tale, is the sheer fact that it featured the New Republic. Because they’ve been nonexistent in this part of the galaxy, so it was quite nice to see them pop up in this story, since it helps to fill in some of the blanks in this part of the Star Wars timeline and really, that’s all there is to say, when it comes to this particular chapter. Because this was nothing more than an adventure through the stars and there is nothing wrong with that. Since a sense of adventure is one of the many reasons that so many of us fell in love with this franchise in the first place and now that Din is back on the task, it should be interesting to see where this story takes him next, now that he's going to be without a ship for a while. Until next time. 

Caution: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 304 of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’.
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If there is one unfortunate lesson that we all learn quickly when we reach adulthood, it would have to be that it is supremely easy to lose our way in this world. Because chaos is everywhere in the world and everything moves at a breakneck pace, and despite our best efforts to always stay grounded and keep our eyes on the proverbial prize; those two elements help us to lose sight of what is important to us. Which is why we keep certain habits and routines and people close to us, simply because they can help us re-focus our vision and plan for life and reel us back in when we truly find ourselves off course and adrift. 
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If anything, this is relevant to today’s discussion, simply because losing one’s way served as the focal point of this week’s episode of Star Trek: Discovery. For ‘Forget Me Not’ saw the crew struggling and with good reason. Because this was really the first time, they’ve been able to catch their breath since arriving in the 32nd Century and having a moment to think about their situation and reflect upon what brought them to this moment, allowed for them to quickly get lost. After all, everything they held near and dear in the 22nd Century was gone, including their families and their friends and that definitely had an impact upon their psyches and that motivated Captain Saru to try and bring this team together, with mixed results.

Because initially, his efforts seemed fruitless. For the crew was indifferent to enjoying a night off, and the senior staff was quick to fight and mudsling at a dinner, making it seem as though there would be no peace aboard the ship and that eventually everything would fall apart. But Saru’s attempts to make peace and remind everyone of why they were here, was exactly what they needed to find focus and it wasn’t that long before the crew started to realize they still had one another and they had quite the noble mission to accomplish and that eventually brought everyone back from their respective void. And it was just wonderful to see Saru pass his first test as the commander of the Discovery with flying colors and to see this crew make peace with their decision and embrace it at last.

But while that made for a lovely exploration as to how we refocus when we lose ourselves, the story was able to dive deeper into this concept, by way of Adira and Burnham’s journey. For while Saru worked his magic aboard the ship they made their way to the surface of Trill in the hopes of uncovering everything Tal knew in regard to the new location of Starfleet Command and Federation HQ and well, what should have been a simple task, turned out to be a monumental nightmare. For the people of Trill were disgusted by the fact that Adira was host to a symbiote and they refused to help her in the slightest. But one of their kind knew that this was something of a miracle, the kind that needed to be embraced since the Trill dealt with devastating losses in The Burn and well, getting Adira into her memories is where this segment’s exploration got underway.
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For in many ways, the Trill and Adira were adrift due to the trauma they experienced, something that can definitely put people off course. But facing that trauma and realizing that there are people who want to see us succeed, is the easiest to way to find our way back from that particular type of void. And once Adira came to embrace her symbiote and her pain, since it was a lost love named Gray that shared the symbiote with her, she was able to finally find some measure of peace and focus. Plus, she opened the Trill’s eyes to a viable future, allowing for them to find focus and peace as well and all of these elements made for one lovely tale when all is said and done. One that took the time to remind us that people are the stitches that keep the fabric of our lives together and when we take the time to remember that and embrace it, everything will turn out, just fine.

But while it was nice to find another uplifting message present in this series, we would be remiss to not discuss the fact that this episode’s ending holds a lot of weight for the future of this season. Because Adira did finally dig into Admiral Tal’s memories and discover the location of Starfleet Command and the Federation’s new base of operations and that is huge. For now, this lost vessel can reunite with the agencies that asked them to be more in this galaxy and to make an impact. And it should be quite interesting to see if the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery and the ideals that they carry in their hearts, still exist in a Starfleet that is clearly broken and scattered and afraid, and that is going to make the wait for next week’s episode, a difficult one indeed since we are all dying to find out what Starfleet looks like in the 32nd Century. Until next time.

It is definitely safe to say that the Star Trek Universe is the most influential and inspirational science fiction series in American history. Simply because, some of the technologies and ideologies it’s dreamed up, have found their way into our everyday lives. After all, the communicator introduced in The Original Series helped to bring about the creation of the cellular phone. Plus, Google clearly got the idea for Glass by way of the similar device used by the Dominion in Deep Space Nine and of course, the PADD that was introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation clearly helped to bring forth the iPad and tablet computing in general. But while technology from a fictional future has been reimagined in our modern world often, there are some notions that this franchise has brought to life that have proven to be far more difficult to embrace in the 21st Century.

For sadly, we still have yet to fully embrace equality as a people, and we still focus heavily on the acquisition of wealth and items to determine our standing in society, when in the STU such matters are long and distant memories. However, while we are working toward equality, however slowly; the wealth aspect is one that we seemingly cannot let go of. Largely because, we have no idea how such a notion would work for our society and how it would drive us toward a sustainable future where everyone contributed, and for that matter, neither does the STU. Since it is always referenced and discussed as a passing measure, but never explored in great detail. But once in a great while, the franchise has tried to explore how a future free from our current economy would actually work, as was the case in the next episode of The Next Generation. 

For ‘The Price’ sees the crew of the Enterprise arrive at the planet Barzan to begin negotiations on who will control the traffic and the rights to the first stable wormhole in the galaxy. And well, it doesn’t take long for us to learn that in the 24th Century, a society that can create food out of thin air works with the barter system outside of their utopian society. For protection and whatever resources, the Barzan need are what the Federation offers them in this particular tale and well, that’s fascinating for certain. Since that offers up some unique insight into how they do business, and it is interesting to learn that the UFP and Starfleet are keen to share their resources in order to grow their influence in the galaxy. But alas, that is as far as we go in this tale in regard to our understanding of 24th Century economics, since a different theme takes the center stage in this story.

Because a mysterious negotiator named Ral shifts the tone of the plot to become an exploration on the nature of greed and how the pursuit of acquisition thrills and motivates us. Something that it accomplishes by making Ral a 21st Century man that is eager to close a 24th Century deal. Because Ral is all about winning this contract and everything it offers, and he goes the extra mile to make that happen. Since he’s able to shake one bidder loose by using fear and he even makes a behind the scenes deal with the Ferengi to close the contract with the Barzan and keep the Federation out. And of course, he gets his comeuppance when the wormhole is revealed to be unstable and when he’s outed as an empath by Troi, who he manipulated as well and really… the messages in this part of the story are pretty clean cut and dry. In that, greed is bad and until we as a species understand that, we can never move on from our current economic system.

Which is a fine message to inject, but let’s be honest. This really was the best opportunity for this series to show us what the future would look like without the economic system we’ve relied upon for millennia and it would have been quite cool to have explored that, instead of the end result. But then again, that might be a concept that is too big to properly explore in a single episode, so it also makes sense as to why this played out the way it did and, in the end, this isn’t a bad episode by any means. Because it does keep your attention, and it features some entertaining moments and it also sets up a plot for the future, since the wacky Ferengi that got left behind would re-appear on Star Trek: Voyager. Which makes this story an efficient affair, and that’s just fine when one considers that it could have been a far hammier tale and now that this one-off journey is in the books, it’s on to the next one. Until next time.   

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Soulmates’.

​When it comes to stories that revolve around loss and trauma, they tend to focus upon one specific type of loss. Such as losing a parent or a family member. Which makes sense, since losing a person that brought us into this world and outright raised us to be the person we are today, is devastating for certain and the resulting trauma from their passing can and will put us in a dark place for a very long time. For family is our world and we only get one and making that the focus of a particular tale, makes it relatable and palatable to an audience since it is a fear, we all share for certain. But while that particular concept is quite accessible to audiences everywhere and allows for folks in need of direction on the matter to find something to guide them toward healing, locking onto that particular concept alone, does the audience a disservice.

For there are other types of loss out there that can cause severe trauma to a person and put them in a rough place and for some odd reason, the vast majority of stories tend to avoid them. Why exactly, is hard to say, but it likely relates to the fact that we still treat certain types of loss as taboo, since they are simply too painful and uncomfortable to discuss out in the open. Such as say, losing a partner. Because the thought of losing the person that we love completely is a horrifying one indeed. For they are our rock and our equal and seeing them fade away leaves an incredible void in our hearts and our souls since they filled a void, we didn’t know needed filling. But thankfully, some stories out there are willing to examine this incredibly rough style of loss in order to help those through it, and to examine a harsh reality of our world that few wish to, and it just so happens that last night’s episode of Soulmates dove full bore into this topic.

For ‘Break on Through’ introduces us to a younger man named Kurt Shepard who has found his soulmate thanks to the test. But there is just one problem when it comes to this revelation, in that… his one and only passed away in a car accident and well, that news devastates Kurt in ways he never thought possible. Because he wanted nothing more than to share his life with someone that he connected with on a fundamental level, and now that he is faced with the prospect of that never happening, since his true match is gone forever… he sees no point in living. Thankfully though, he survives his initial attempt to end his life and tries to get his life back on track, to no avail. For all he can think about is his one and only and how he has no purpose without her and at long last, he may finally have his exit strategy in sight, thanks to a religious group populated by people that share in his pain. Provided of course, the feelings he has for one member of the congregation, aren’t genuine. 

This is by far, the heaviest episode of this series to date. Since it really does put some taboo topics on display by taking us right into the heart of one man’s darkest hour and that makes this episode brave and brilliant for certain. Because we simply don’t see shows explore this kind of pain and this kind of sorrow in the slightest, but this one holds nothing back in showing us just how broken Kurt is when it comes to the possibility that he is going to spend the rest of his life alone because his soulmate is forever gone, and that makes for some powerful moments. The kind where you genuinely feel for Kurt and hope that he finds his way out of the darkness, since the story also does a fine job of showing the audience that he is a good man with a good heart that has plenty to offer the world and someone else if he can move past the pain in his heart.

Which is a revelation that leads to quite the healthy examination of loss of trauma and after all. Because in essence, this episode takes the time to explore how we come back from losing the person that more or less completes us and what this story offers in regard to that, is quite powerful. For eventually, Kurt comes to realize that there is still a life to live, and wonders to see, if he takes the time to understand that his love is always with him in his heart. Which is a fluffy message to send across but one that is valid none the less. Since living life to the fullest is a perfect way to honor those we’ve lost since they would want that for us. Plus, it was also quite fascinating to see this episode point out that it is okay to love again when we’ve lost someone that captured our heart, and to take chances when we get out there once again simply because… you never know what the future will hold until you let loose and see. And all of these elements, make this a stunningly solid episode when all is said and done.

Simply because, it genuinely dug into some powerful concepts and it really does deserve some serious credit for putting Kurt’s pain completely on display. Because we don’t talk about suicide enough in popular culture, nor do we see people suffer in the same manner that Kurt does on the silver or small screen, and that’s a powerful step in the right direction storytelling wise. But all bravery aside, this episode also deserves props for offering up one unique exploration of love and how it can heal us at the right moment and really in the end, all this episode reinforces; is the sheer fact that this series is going explore every aspect imaginable when it comes to love and its impact upon us. Regardless of how dark or how unhealthy it might be and with only one episode to go in season one, one has to wonder what love related topics this series is going to explore next, now that it is digging into braver and bolder territory. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 2903 of ‘Top Gear’.
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Something that each and every one of us can agree upon, is the sheer fact that obtaining a rental car is quite the pain in the rear. Simply because, you never quite know what you are going to get when you arrive to pick it up, and that sometimes leads to a sub-par ride. One that doesn’t feature Air Conditioning or any other creature comforts that we enjoy when we drive. Or it gets awful mileage, or the car is a beater because the company in question loans it out often. The list just goes on and on. Which really leaves one to wonder; is it at all possible to get one’s hands on a slick and affordable rental ride? One that can exceed expectations on the road while we use it on vacation or business?

Well thankfully, the lads at Top Gear decided those particular questions would be worth exploring in the next episode of this phenomenal series. But in order to properly uncover which economy rental car is the best bang for the buck out there, the boys had to immerse themselves in the vacation experience. Which is why they flew to Cyprus, armed with thirty pounds each to find that perfect ride and well… what they got was pretty unique to say the least. For Freddie received a slightly aged Suzuki Jimmy, Chris was assigned a Kia Picanto (without AC) and of course… Paddy got himself a Ford Focus CC, because that’s how just how things go with Paddy, and once the lads had their new rides in their possession, the time had come to put them to the test in classic Top Gear fashion.

Which meant, that we needed to see how these cars performed in some real-world style conditions and that led to quite the unique challenge. One where the guys would have their cars superheated to resemble the summer months, before they were required to speed through oncoming traffic. All in order to see how these cars would handle high speed maneuvers and wouldn’t you know it? Paddy’s Focus took the first round no problem. Making it seem as though once again he was going to dominate the competition, but the next two challenges changed all that for him. For round two involved using the cars to power the boys across a lake on waterskis, and since Chris Harris was the only one with this kind of experience, his Kia won the day, leaving either he or Paddy within striking distance of having their rental declared as the winner of this grand competition. 

But as luck would have it, the final challenge on the agenda, would continue to shake things up and with good reason. Because no one was expecting a snow related challenge, especially not one that required a race down a snow-packed ski course. But driving in snow is part of the game, so why not push this challenge to the limit and this just was pure madness. Because these cars were slipping and sliding all over the mountain, and minor damage from earlier in the show became major damage and, it turns out that Freddie was the winner of this match, making the whole thing a stalemate. Which means that when all is said and done, it’s up to us to make the most of a rental car, and that we should expect the unexpected when we get one, and that we should also pick up the insurance. Because uh… it stinks that Chris had to pay for the vast amount of damage that these cars endured in the final challenge alone.   

In the end, this was simply a magnificent episode through and through. In large part because it was a lot of fun. Because all of the shenanigans that the lads got into during their challenges made for some laugh out loud moments. The kind that likely motivated a few folks to hit the pause button, so they could get the giggles out of their system. But most important of all, this is a story that everyone at home could relate to. Because we’ve all dealt with rental car woes and honestly… we’ve all wondered what would happen if we took our rental off roading and returned it worse for the wear, and this episode let us live that fantasy out and it helped to remind us to just remember that a goofy rental is only temporary, and it also helped us to realize, that this series is continuing to evolve. For this really was a ‘blue collar’ episode, a rarity from this series and one has to wonder if we’ll be seeing more relatable competitions akin to this one, as season 29 chugs along. Until next time.