Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 308 of ‘Big Sky’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.        

​Jenny and Beau are among the swath of law enforcement officials that descends on Sunny Barnes’ camp after the discovery of Mary’s body in the woods. Sunny is upset that Buck brought her body back to camp, but he assures her it’s for the best. There may be lingering DNA evidence of Buck on Mary or vice versa. Sunny’s losing her composure but Buck calms her with the reminder that Luke is still out there and pinning the murders on him still makes sense.
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Carla and Emily are relieved at Beau’s arrival, Avery less so. Tension between ex-husband and current husband is immediately palpable.

Jenny is instantly suspicious of Tonya and Donno when she learns that they are current guests at the camp. They claim they are merely there vacationing, and the murders are wrecking the experience.

With the entire camp now a crime scene, Jenny and Beau go about questioning everyone. It’s common knowledge that Luke and Mary were hooking up. Buck puts extra effort toward making Luke sound like a jerk. Sunny feels like they failed Mary. Carla found Luke to be stressed and nervous, to Emily he seemed scared, warning her there were bad people at the camp. Avery can’t resist mentioning the $15 million in crypto that Luke had, though he says he thought Luke was joking about it.

Jenny wants to make another sweep through Luke’s tent. She tells Beau she thinks the money changes how they need to look at things; Beau thinks that Avery is likely full of it. Jenny finds Paige’s phone under Luke’s mattress where Sunny planted it. Jenny and Beau find it strange that Luke would go through all the trouble to bury Paige’s bag in the woods to cover up having killed her, kill Mary when she finds Paige’s bag, then leave behind evidence in his tent. Something doesn’t add up.

A large search of the woods turns up yet another body, this time it’s Luke. His body is found by the rocks, shot by a bow and arrow.

Cassie is surprised the next morning to learn Cormac Barnes is missing from his parents’ camp and thus is a person of interest, as she spent last night with Cormac at the Boot Heel. He had told her he was going back to the camp when they parted ways.

Cassie finds Cormac at his parents’ house. He went there to find a bill of sale for the blue and white Suburban but was only able to find the title. He also found mysterious baby items in the attic but doesn’t mention this to Cassie. Cormac is surprised to learn from Cassie that Mary and Luke are dead; his parents hadn’t told him a thing.

Jenny and Beau decide to talk to Tonya and Donno again after learning that Luke and Paige used fake last names to check in to camp just days after they both quit their jobs as data entry clerks. Beau and Jenny surmise that the $15 million in question may be stolen, thus explaining Tonya and Donno’s presence at camp.

Tonya is happy to point Beau in Avery’s direction. Avery is an expert at archery after all, and he was the one to mention the money. Tonya tells Beau he can even confirm how much time Avery and Luke spent talking with his daughter, Emily.

Jenny’s unsure they should proceed with the information Poppernak uncovers when he investigates Carla and Avery’s backgrounds, but Beau insists they leave no stone unturned. It turns out that Avery’s company is under investigation by the SEC for defrauding investors. $15 million would be tempting to someone in Avery’s situation. Avery also hadn’t told Carla a thing about being investigated. Carla is livid at the discovery and tells Avery she will be taking time and space from him when they return to town.

After returning to camp, Cormac confronts his parents over the discoveries he made in their attic and their failure to inform him of the murders at camp. They blow him off, telling him they have far bigger problems than things he’s finding in attics, and warn him away from Cassie. He tells them he’s sick of being lied to as he leaves.

Once alone, Buck wants to come clean to Cormac about everything, including his half-brother, but Sunny isn’t on board. Buck insinuates that with Luke dead, he might be willing to throw Walter under the bus.

Cassie tells Jenny that Cormac has a solid alibi, but Cassie wants to take a closer look at Buck who lied to her about selling the Suburban. Jenny and Cassie question Buck about moving the body, he says he didn’t want bears to get to Mary. Buck does acknowledge recognizing the man in Cassie’s composite sketch but claims he doesn’t know who he is or where to find him.

Cassie is now convinced this man in the woods is the one responsible for the murders. With Cormac’s help, they locate on a map where Luke saw a light the night of Paige’s disappearance. It’s outside of all the marked trails of the camp, Sunny was keeping campers clear of the area.

All Tonya and Donno want to do is get Paige’s journal and get out of there. However, Tonya flips through it to find that someone got to Paige’s journal first; the key pages have been torn out.

Avery has taken the pages, and with them in his possession, he sneaks off in the night to leave camp.

Sunny makes it to Walter’s cabin ahead of Jenny, Beau, Cassie, and their posse to warn Walter to run before it’s too late. Walter is resigned to his capture, but Paige is desperate to escape, claiming she’ll be killed if she’s found. Walter decides to show her his escape route and stay behind to buy her time.
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As Sunny watches, Walter surrenders without struggle and is taken into custody. Jenny agrees with Cassie that it was too easy. Something about this is off.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 307 of ‘Big Sky: Deadly Trails’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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After a break-in at Dewell and Hoyt involves only materials related to the Bleeding Heart Murders, Cassie and Denise update Beau and Jenny about the connections they are finding between the murdered backpacker and the 2002 murder of a teen in which her heart was cut out.
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At the sheriff’s station, they go over the police file for the murder of 18-year-old Blaire Lucan. There are a multitude of similarities between the murders. Blaire had also gone missing from the Basin trailhead and her body was found at the bottom of Deadman’s Drop. Cassie is incredulous to discover a photo in the file of a familiar red heart carved in a tree, photographed at the trailhead where Blaire had last been seen.

The facts uncovered lead first Cassie then Beau and Jenny into a tense standoff with Blaire’s father Del Lucan in his work shed, for it was he who broke into Dewell and Hoyt. They believe he was the one who killed Blaire all those years ago as well, but when accused, his face breaks and tears well in his eyes at the thought alone. Del is simply trying to generate enough interest that someone will solve his baby’s murder after all this time.

Cassie carefully documents the information Del has assembled regarding his daughter’s death when she finds an eerily familiar composite sketch. The kid spotted in the woods the night of Blaire’s death has the exact same eyes as the creep that Cassie saw driving that blue and white Suburban.

Meanwhile, outside of camp, Sunny and Buck solve the problem of Buck killing Mary by framing Luke instead. They stage her body with Paige’s things and bag to attempt to make it look like Luke killed Mary when she found Paige’s bag. They devise and propose a rather suspect night hike under the super moon to the campers to discover her body.

Back at camp, Avery makes a snide comment at the bar to Tonya and Donno which makes them suspect he knows more than he does. Thinking Avery was also sent to find Luke, Paige, and the money, they decide to arrange a meeting in town with their employer to negotiate an increase in their pay.

The meeting does not go at all how Tonya and Donno had hoped. Instead of a pay increase, they now are supposed to kill Luke unless they want to risk their lives and their restaurant.
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Back at camp, Tonya and Donno make the upsetting discovery that Luke has taken advantage of their absence and made a run for it. Tonya sends Donno to track down Luke while she keeps an eye on Avery at camp.

Sunny overhears Tonya and Donno’s conversation as she sneaks around camp to Luke’s tent. She’s there to cast further suspicion on Luke by planting Paige’s phone under his mattress. His leaving camp will fit nicely with the narrative she’s painting.

Unfortunately for Sunny and Buck’s plans, Emily saw Luke leaving camp and decided to follow him. As night falls, she realizes she’s lost her way. Her mild fear at finding herself alone in the woods after dark reaches full blown panic when she finds Mary’s body. Hysterical and screaming, she tears through the woods until she runs into Buck. He instructs her to show him Mary’s body.

Buck returns to camp with Emily, Mary’s body slung over his horse and Paige’s bag. As Emily reunites with her mother, Buck declares they need to call the sheriff.

Skilled at tracking, Donno is hot on Luke’s trail as he makes his escape through the woods. While he knows he’s being followed, he’s completely shocked to encounter Paige and her new friend Walter.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘The English’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When one thinks of the Western, certain images and concepts come to mind. That of beautiful visuals that reflect the wonder of the Western United States at a time where law and order didn’t quite exist out there and speaking of that… we also ponder upon intense action and showdowns for the ages with enigmatic and vibrant villains. To properly reflect upon that lawlessness and the raw violence that earned the Frontier the nickname… the Wild West. But that’s really about as far as our thoughts on the Western go and rightfully so. Because it is the Spaghetti Western that popularized those concepts and made them staples of sorts, but there is so much more to the Western than eye popping images and bloodshed. 
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Because the best westerns out there, are the ones that also feature character development and detailed storytelling to go alongside those elements, for the genre is in fact, a true character study often. One that explores what drives our darkest instincts and need to indulge them, and that is why The English on Prime Video continues to impress. For it truly is a modern classic Western, one that does indeed make the characters and their stories the true focus of the series, as evidenced by the next episode in this saga. For ‘The Wounded Wolf’ is a story that delivered upon the hint that the last episode sent our way. In that, this was going to be the moment when we finally learned about the past and what has driven Eli and Cornelia to such dark places. 

As it turned out, all of their problems are tied to one man and one man alone. A rough and rogue ‘gentleman’ known as David Melmont, and not Thomas Trafford as has been implied. In fact, Trafford might be responsible for the acts happening in Hoxem, because of what Melmont inspired back in 1875. For during that fateful year, Trafford and Melmont were traveling through the Wyoming Territory in the hopes of laying down roots for future business plans. But alas, Melmont’s proclivities toward violence and disgusting prejudices toward Indigenous Americans, led to an ugly and dark day. Where he used that hatred and fury to inspire violence toward those very Americans, the very slaughter that haunts Eli to this day and emblazoned names upon the depths of this soul. 

But what made this backstory equally as poignant and powerful, is how it tied to Cornelia. Because she too, had dealings with Melmont. Simply because Trafford once asked for her hand in marriage and Melmont wanted to use that, and a grand lie for extortion. And when Cornelia exposed the truth his way, he made sure to make her pay for crossing him by harming her greatly. Which in turn, set in motion… well… everything. For this is what drove Cornelia to head state side and hunt this man and this is part of Eli’s pain and that makes this… a brilliant episode through and through. Because there’s just something poetic and supremely Western about one man shaping the fate of so many through their evil deeds and what’s wild… is that we still have more episodes to go.

The kind that will undoubtedly see Cornelia and Eli’s desires to bring Melmont down grow and showcase what kind of evil monster he’s transformed into now that he has some semblance of wealth and power in the west, and of course… we will explore what our flawed heroes will become when they do indeed take revenge upon this dark man. Because that is the only outcome we can expect now that we have a fine understanding of the deep-rooted pain that our heroes harbor and the evil that Melmont has sent their way, and that truly does compel us to continue the journey. To see what other tributes await the Western in this series and to see what kind of brutality will be on display when good and evil clash at last. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘The Devil’s Hour’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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The vast majority of us, will never have to worry about concepts of justice. For so many of us go through life without ever having experienced the impact of a major crime. Sure, we will encounter crime in some possible way, say someone breaking into our car to steal something worth little value or perhaps having a brief encounter where someone has stolen our phone. But the truly impactful stuff, where a child goes missing or someone we know, and love is harmed or worse… will elude us and it is safe to say that we are thankful for that. For some part of us knows deep down, that it could create devastation in a person’s life and potentially drive them to dark places and that is something that is top of mind today, because what such darkness drives folks to do, was explored in the next episode of The Devil’s Hour on Prime Video.
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For when we caught up with everyone in ‘The Half of Ourselves We Had Lost’, that devastation was on full display. For DS Nick Holness was gone forever, and while Isaac was home and safe… the man responsible for his kidnapping and potentially Nick’s death, in a roundabout manner, was still out there. Which left Lucy wondering how she could do more to keep her son, safe, and bring this man to justice and well… a dream took care of that. One that took her far into the future where she met a supremely old Gideon in prison, and she herself was in rough shape from what looked like a cancer diagnosis. But that dream gave her a name and that name… led to a search. One that revealed Gideon’s ugly past and a chance to perhaps, bring justice forth at last.

Which in turn, motivated a badly broken Ravi to break every ounce of code and decorum that accompanied his job, to work with Lucy off the books on hunting the man down. Complete with a visit to Gideon’s brother. To learn more about Gideon’s sorted past and to finally garner some answers into his nomadic lifestyle and come to learn of his whereabouts. A feat that came about from Lucy’s keen ear since she realized that he was hiding on the outskirts of town near a train route and that… sent Ravi out to that location… where he came to discover a house of horrors really. Since Gideon had a young man tied up and watching something awful, next to a pile of rotten meat in the hopes of somehow conducting aversion therapy, and the ugliness of this sequence didn’t end there.

Simply because, that young man was killed once Gideon returned, and when DI Dhillon made every attempt to apprehend Gideon, he was met with an impressive skill set on Gideon’s part. Where he was able to counteract anything Ravi sent his way, as though he knew exactly what Ravi was thinking, and sadly, Gideon beat the living hell out of Ravi to stop him and almost got away. But thanks to Lucy, and her foresight and worry regarding this wild solo mission on Ravi’s part… she was able to slam into Gideon’s car and knock him out, bringing us at last… to present day. Where Lucy and Gideon, and Ravi, have spent a great deal of time talking about the strange events that everyone has been having to deal with for some time now.

That means, at long last… we’ve come to the moment in the story, where all will be revealed, and we can finally come to understand what Gideon’s plan is and the meaning of all the strange moments that Lucy and her son have been encountering. Not to mention, we all want to know what exactly is going on with Mike and his strange behavior in this tale. But as we wait to dive into that, we can in fact, celebrate one harrowing story. One that put the desperation that comes with not receiving justice on display since both Lucy and Ravi were at their lowest here and went to extreme lengths to find peace and the sense of justice they crave and well, time will tell if Gideon provides them with that, or if more heartache awaits them, as this story comes to its close. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two premiere of ‘Whitstable Pearl’. To revisit the season one finale, click  here.
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Truly, one of the most refreshing mystery shows of 2021 was the Acorn TV series, Whitstable Pearl. Simply because this particular series not only offered up unique crimes for Pearl Nolan to investigate, the kind that were human and realistic in nature, but it truly made sure that the characters were the focus of this series. Since we were able to watch everyone present in this world, grow in a natural manner and make the mistakes that all of us make. Giving rise to a stunningly realistic show, one that ended in a manner that would allow for season two, which made its debut on Acorn TV earlier today, to explore the consequences of our actions.
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For when we caught up with Pearl in ‘Babylon’, her decision to handle the investigation regarding the truth about her father and shake things up regarding her budding relationship with DCI Mike McGuire in the process, had consequences. The kind that saw she and Mike go to great efforts to more or less avoid each other and move on in matters of love. Since Pearl caught the eye of a local teacher and Mike found a new love as well and what made this so powerful and so significant is that this was in fact, super realistic. For so many of us do similar things when we cannot reconcile the raw power that real love gives us and we settle and we avoid and of course, it is only a matter of time before we, and star crossed lovers, cross paths again.

Simply because a missing child in this tale, and the request of the supposed kidnapper, his father… brought Pearl back into Mike’s orbit again. For the police knew that Pearl was critical to uncovering the answers they sought, and just like that… these forbidden lovebirds were working side by side again, digging deep into a complex case where nothing added up. Because while there were warning signs that dad might have crossed a line, there was no motive and no real substance to support kidnapping. But eventually, Pearl came to realize that this was an escape, and that the missing kid was trying to be free of a toxic environment.

Which in turn allowed for this episode to shift gears and become quite tense as Pearl and the police, and the twisted guardian in question, and Charlie for that matter too… conducted a desperate search for that young man and thankfully, the heroes won the day. In fact, quick thinking in that moment, gave a broken father and his son a fresh chance at life and being back on the case and in communication, gave Pearl and Mike a different kind of fresh start as well. Since they re-opened lines of communication and found ways to spend time with one another with their new beloveds at their side. A move that reminds us that deep connections should never be denied and should be held onto, the only question is whether or not… they will ever lower their guard and be honest with one another.

But while we wait to see if they will or won’t… we can celebrate one magnificent season premiere. One that did a magnificent job of easing us back into Pearl’s amazing world and reminded us of what we’ve missed, and it doesn’t hurt… that the case in question was about as compelling as it gets. Because there were some high stakes there, and some fine commentary on the family unit and how scary it can be when the wrong guardian is involved. But what matters most, is that once again, one of the best mystery shows on television is back on the airwaves, and it will be a true delight to settle into this show once again and enjoy everything it has to offer. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for episode 1008 of ‘Doc Martin’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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There comes a time in our lives, where we feel compelled to leave home, usually when we are young. Because there’s a world out there, we’ve never seen, one that features adventures untold and wonders galore and the thought of missing out upon that in our twenties, is chilling to say the least. So, we venture out into the world and find our way and enjoy what the world has to offer before settling down and what’s funny… is that sometimes we settle down, right back where we started. Because for some folks, home is where they’ve always belonged and they see that in their later years, after their adventures, and vow to never leave it, ever again. 
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To the point where possibly doing so, might be the hardest decision they will ever make, since it is all, they’ve known and well, the importance of knowing where home truly is and the difficulties of leaving it behind are top of mind today, because all of that was made apparent to Doctor Martin Ellingham in the next episode of Doc Martin. But it sure didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case early on. For when we caught up with Martin and his family here, they were ready. The house was packed, Martin sold two of his clocks and the practice was being shuttered. Because this was it, it was time to move into a new chapter. In fact, even the good people of Portwenn were ready to throw them a farewell party to properly say goodbye.

But the fact that Chicken went missing in a different part of town, put Martin in a very unique place. For when he and Louisa went to go find the dog at a nearby cattle farm, Martin suffered a scary injury while trying to outrun a herd of cattle that weren’t keen on people getting in their path. For he nicked an artery, badly in fact, to the point where Louisa had to play impromptu surgeon and save him from death. Which she did in a prompt and amazing, and brave manner, and once he was stable, it was off to the hospital where Martin had time to rest and think about the future and the decision that he was making. Because… a brush with death always makes one reflective and well, what he discovered during his short time away in the hospital about himself and home, is what changed the tone of this tale.

For Martin came to understand… that Portwenn was home. And that being a GP and solving the mysteries of health that were before him, and seeing people heal before his eyes and find peace from their suffering, while being surrounded daily by those he loves and cherishes… was too much to walk away from. Because he in fact, had everything he ever needed in this beautiful seaside community and that prompted him to talk with Louisa and make one bold decision for certain. In that, he and his family were going to stay put in the only home they had ever known. And the practice would survive and thrive, and life would go in Portwenn as it always had. With its blunt and wonderful GP, keeping everyone together with his honesty and deep-rooted kindness.

Which means that this season of storytelling threw us for a loop. For it truly made it seem as though it was going to be about hard-set chapter changes in our lives, rather than the subtle ones we don’t think about. Because finding the worth of home, is its own chapter in our journey and now that Martin has discovered it, he can begin it and explore it with his children and beloved wife. And with only two episodes left, it will be quite the wonderful experience to watch Martin enter that chapter and find the value and peace in doing so as his long and winding and wonderful journey, comes to a close in a few weeks. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episodes Four, Five and Six of ‘Mammals’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve talked at length about the horrors that go into discovering the reality that our significant other has cheated on us, and why we might not step away from that immediately, simply because… that’s precisely what the Prime Video series, Mammals, focused upon in its first three episodes. Since we watched Jamie see the truth about Amandine unfold before his eyes and stun him and shock him. To the point where he struggled mightily with letting go, before walking away from their love to find agency and a new path forward from being hurt, leaving us to wonder where the story was headed next. Was it going to be about picking up the pieces? Or would it work to understand the true motivations behind infidelity?
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Well as it turned out, the final three episodes in season one, focused on none of those things. Simply because… this was an opportunity for this series to point out a few realities about love that we tend to ignore. Such as how… we shouldn’t expect the world of a relationship… that is founded on infidelity in the first place. For we came to learn in the show’s fourth chapter, that Amandine and Jamie met on a whim on a boat ages ago, and both of them were unhappy with their lives and their current relationships, and seeing what appeared to be signs of fate surrounding them, motivated the both of them to just dump their significant others and go for it from a love perspective, and what makes that problematic is… it keeps the door open for this to happen again when one is unhappy.

Simply because the relationship is now predicated on the needs of the moment, and a precedent is set. In that, if by chance someone isn’t getting what they want in love, it is easy to just walk away and start over fresh and enjoy that thrill once again. Not to mention, the whole foundation of this kind of relationship is now built upon fantasy. For the belief that ‘signs’ determine whom we should be with over connection and fulfillment is also a recipe for disaster. So, these revelations made it no surprise that this relationship reached the breaking point that it did, because there was nothing solid for it to stand upon to begin with. It was born out of a chance to escape a miserable one and when that magic faded, and hearts began to wander… the end arrived through infidelity. 

However, while that makes it seem as though this series was indeed leaning toward talking about the genesis of infidelity, that simply isn’t the case. Because what truly blows one away about season one of this saga, is how the story wraps up. Because we come to learn in the closing minutes of this tale, that Jamie is just as much at fault as Amandine. In fact, pardon the crudeness of this statement… but he started it. For she caught him looking for the next best thing at one point, and that… changes the perspective of this story by reminding us of the fact… that women aren’t the ‘villain’ in every instance of infidelity. We tend to forget that men are just as shady when it comes to matters of love and tend to be ones that initiate such pain in the name of well, being a mammal, and needing to ‘sow their oats.’ Whatever the hell that means.
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Which meant that everything Amandine did here, including sleep with Jamie’s best friend, the elusive ‘Paul’, was an act of revenge, one designed to teach Jamie what it means to really hurt someone that loves you, which makes for a poignant lesson on how we reap what we sow in relationships. Giving rise to great pause when this season comes to an end since it subverts your expectations and shocks you through and through since you really thought you were following a hero and not a scoundrel here. But there were clues along the way that should have indicated otherwise, but we are taught that only women weaponize love, and are always at fault in matters of infidelity when in the end, both parties here are the villains of sort.

Because neither of them ever gave this relationship the agency it deserved, and they never truly worked at making it something special. They instead… believed in magic and signs and fate regarding their love, rather than build the right foundation between one another and really connect. Not to mention, they put great stock in gestures over substance and genuine meaningful love and this is the end result and that makes this story, a cautionary tale. One that reminds us that love is actual work, not fluff and pomp and circumstance, but something we must fight to maintain, and we have to nurture it and appreciate it and our partner… or this is what you get. All of which makes this a poignant first season of storytelling, one that truly exposed the complex and unfortunate nature of modern relationships… where fantasy and expectation outweigh the reality of what actually goes into making love work.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 306 of ‘Big Sky: Deadly Trails’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Despite burning the blue and white Suburban in a field, Cassie is still able to get the VIN off the engine block the next morning and trace it back to Sunny’s husband, Buck. Cassie is greeted by Cormac when she arrives at camp and tells them she too has seen the hearts carved into trees.
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Sunny is annoyed to see Cassie when Cormac shows her to their tent to ask about the truck. Sunny shoos away Cormac before insisting on staying for Cassie’s conversation with Buck. Buck tells Cassie that he’s had many vehicles over the years due to their family business and tells her he sold that truck ten years ago, though he can’t recall who bought it. Cassie seems skeptical, while Cormac has been listening to this exchange from outside the tent.

Avery and Emily annoy Carla by again discussing Luke over breakfast. Avery thinks Luke must be out hiking with Mary, the girl he’s been spending lots of time with since Paige went missing, but Emily tells him that Luke is off with the newly arrived couple, Tonya and Donno instead. Carla is miffed by their obsession with Luke but glad at least they’re bonding.

Tonya and Donno force Luke to return with them to the last place he saw Paige before she disappeared. Luke does his best to recall details, he did sustain a head injury, and assure the pair Donno’s continued threats with his knife are unnecessary. He knows his best chance of survival is to work with them. Tonya calls off Donno and then questions Luke about the $15 million journal that Paige had. He tells her the journal contained a seed phrase, equivalent to a long password, needed to unlock an account. Luke knows the words, but Paige never let him know their order.

Tonya and Donno also want to hear more about the flashing light he saw in the woods that night, but he can’t recall anything helpful. Donno notices one of the carved hearts then, and muses that perhaps someone Luke never saw took Paige that night.

At Dewell and Hoyt, Cassie, and Denise share information over lunch. Cassie has decided to have a composite sketch done of the creepy guy they saw driving the blue and white Suburban after having no luck searching records of the truck. Denise wants to share what they’ve found so far on wannabe detectives’ message boards because she’s convinced the dead backpacker is related to the Bleeding Heart murders in some way, Cassie consents to this.

Walter is once again watching his mother’s camp when he is surprised by Donno. Donno informs Walter that he’s been watching him watching the camp. Donno asks Walter if he lives in the woods, and Walter steps closer, showing Donno his knife. Donno is obviously not the slightest bit frightened. The two seem to share a strange understanding of one another and a kind of empathy. Donno tells Walter that strange and dangerous are his superpowers. He leaves Walter with the parting advice to be quieter when sneaking around camp; Donno heard him five minutes ago.
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Paige’s disappointment at Walter’s failure to find her bag is forgotten the moment he tells her that someone dangerous is looking for her. Paige completely freaks out at the idea that the people she and Luke stole from have found her. Walter tries to calm her down which confuses Paige. Walter explains that in addition to never hurting her, he won’t let anyone else hurt her either. She has him wrapped around her little finger.

Not long after an observation by Emily to Avery at the archery range about poor Mary being ditched by Luke for the odd couple, Mary is jogging by herself in the woods despite being expressly warned to use the buddy system. During a pause, she notices an article of clothing, then a trail of women’s clothes leading to a leopard print bag with P tag attached. It’s Paige’s bag, Mary recognizes it immediately.

Confused by her discovery, Mary soon encounters Sunny and Buck. Mary is frantic to show them what she’s found. Buck starts to go, but Sunny insists on accompanying Mary. Sunny is nonchalant as Mary leads her to Paige’s bag, but Mary is musing wildly aloud to Sunny that Luke must have buried Paige’s bag in the woods and an animal unearthed it.

Then Mary has a thought that gives her pause. She recalls that Sunny told everyone that she had heard from Paige and that Paige had made it home safe. Sunny says it must have been Luke using Paige’s phone to throw everyone off. Mary is momentarily satisfied until she remembers that it was Sunny who went to Paige’s tent after Luke got back to camp, that Luke couldn’t have had time to get her bag before that. That’s after Sunny gave it away by heading directly toward the bag’s location undirected.

Mary is growing more suspicious by the second, beginning to panic when Buck appears behind her, spooking her even more. Mary begins to scream for help, but her cries are cut off when Buck plunges a knife into her back. Sunny catches her body as the life slips from Mary.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 307 of ‘Step Up’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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We are taught from a very early age, that love… is a cure all for so many things in life. For finding true love will not only make us whole but give us a peace we’ve never known. One where problems don’t exist with our partner because we’re soulmates and understand each other and our respective needs, and of course… we’ll never hunger for another love because we finally have the one, we need. But it doesn’t take long for us to learn as we enter adulthood, that all of that is nonsense, and that in reality, love is quite the complex concept. One that requires a ton of work to maintain the spark, and a level of honesty and communication we never knew existed and that… it doesn’t always last because of how we change and grow and well… those harsh realities are top of mind today, simply because everyone dealt with them in the next episode of Step Up on STARZ. 
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For instance, Odalie came to learn that storybook love is impossible when one goes on a journey of discovery regarding their sexuality with a closed-minded and insecure partner. Because she finally gave into the desire and attraction she felt toward Angel and explored her sexuality, and she made a point to tell Davis because of how whirlwind the whole matter was, and even offered to have him join in on her exploration… only to be rebuffed and hurt. Simply because Davis saw this as an attack on his character and what he’d done for Odalie, and their relationship, and quickly broke things off. Rather than take the time to understand her and what led to her decision. Making it clear that communication, real communication in a relationship is critical to finding success and happiness in love. Since open discussion and understanding could have led to a different outcome here and not the mess that both sides were left with. 

But that wasn’t the only honest exploration of love present in this tale since the whole matter with Collette and Sage boiled over into something stunning here. For after seeing chemistry between Rigo and Collette on stage, Sage worked to basically love-bomb Collette. By preparing the perfect wedding in record time. Complete with an exotic look and the finest details for a bride that money could buy. Which would be the dream of so many out there, but for Collette, it was a nightmare in the making. Simply because… once again, it was all about how Sage wanted life to go, without giving a second thought to what Collette actually needed and wanted. Which was passion and desire and the opportunity to feel as though she was more than just ‘his woman’ and ‘his trophy,’ and she expressed that on the big day and left Sage at the altar.

Of course, that meant she ran to the one man that provided her with those very things in Rigo and their night of renewed passion also provided us with other commentary regarding follies of love. In that, the ‘Right Now’ partner is just as unhealthy since they only provide people with the temporary fix they need and the somewhat ugly foundation which brought these two together could and will likely lead to disaster since they are just feeding off of what they can in this moment. Reminding us to try and be logical when it comes to matters of love and steer clear of what desire demands of us in that moment. But that of course, is easier said than done. For when the heart wants, the heart chases and what happens, happens.

If anything, all of this reminds us… that love is messy and chaotic. But we chase it because there are people out there… that will listen to what we have to say and stand by us when we make surprising discoveries about who we are and who we will become, and treat us right, as an equal no less if not their world. Which is why we submit to the chaos and the strife… in the hopes of finding that partner that will in fact, complement us, and well, a round of applause needs to go to this show, for doing something quite bold with the story. Because this was quite the surprise to experience, but a welcome one none the less. Because there’s nothing wrong with a show that is grounded in the power of chasing one’s dreams and how hard that can be, exploring what else we crave we chase as our journey rolls on, and it will be interesting to see what other surprises and life lessons await us as we inch toward the end of season three of this magnificent show. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Dangerous Liaisons’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One thing that each and every one of us swear we will never do in this life, is commit to a toxic relationship. Simply because we see what they do to people that are close to us, or we hear stories of their destructive nature, so we do our best to avoid them… only to discover at some point down the line… we’ve been in one or are in one. Not to mention, we likely let it persist longer than it should have, or stayed in touch with that toxic individual for longer than necessary, and we are often left to wonder… why? Why on earth would we, someone who fully understands the gross nature of such a relationship and such a person… let this happen when we knew it was wrong?
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Well, the answer to that question is quite simple. In that, toxic individuals, and the relationship we take part in with them… give us something we needed in that moment. Which might sound twisted to say since why would we need anything negative in this life, but we are human beings, complex creatures for certain… who sometimes let our darker instincts take over and indulge themselves, and toxic people and lovers help with that. For they feed the darkness and encourage it and we crave it since it sends a thrill down our spine, and is justified all in the name of love and well, the power that toxic relationships can have over us and how we allow all of that to persist is top of mind today, simply because the next episode of Dangerous Liaisons took the time to explore how all of that works.

A feat that ‘You Don’t Know Me’ accomplished, by finally showing us what Valmont and Camille do for one another from a toxic perspective. For Valmont made it clear that he was done with the little game that Camille had him playing regarding Jacqueline. Prompting him to storm off and try to forge his own path, which in turn prompted Camille… to try and barter with her former lover to get him to continue this plan. In part to flex power over him but also… to deepen her revenge plot, since it was revealed that Jacqueline is the woman responsible for all of Camille’s woes. So, to make her pay would make Camille whole again, making every other act of revenge a dry run for the big show. But in order to get that… quid pro quo had to come into play. For Valmont needed help in his own revenge act, against his own family no less.

For he needed to learn how to gain leverage over the family fortune, and in order to have that… Camille would need to step in and play nice and work to figure out those details. Which she did, by playing innocent and impish with Ondine and in the process, she learned more about how to gain agency in this life and how to further secure her own noble future. Since she knew that full power over Jean would be necessary if she wanted to steer clear of the life she left behind and in order to fully ensure that… she needed more dirt upon him, and Ondine oddly supplied that. Which allowed for her and Valmont to travel to a secret sex club in Paris, to speak with the right parties and attempt to gain that leverage… which they did in a harrowing manner.
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Which may have come too little too late since Jean got his hands on the letter and exiled our flawed heroine. But while we wait to see if the dirt, she found upon him will pay off immediately or not, it is the interactions between these two toxic lovers that matters most. Since this story made it clear that their love, ignited a freedom within each of them. Where they felt safe to not only open up about their respective pain in their own way, but to indulge in their darkest instincts to right their wrongs or double down on bad behaviors, because both sides encouraged that in one another. Which just goes to show how love can easily fool us into doing the wrong thing and embolden us because love can be as ugly as it is beautiful, and the show deserves a round of applause for pointing that out and for exploring its darker side.

Since all too often it must be seen as pure in storytelling when we all know deep down, what it really is and what it can be. But what is equally as amazing about this particular exploration, is how it is also managing to grow these characters in a unique manner. Because they are feeding heavily off of the darkness, and it is driving them to do bold things that while beneficial may come at quite the cost from the perspective of the soul. Which means the final four episodes in season one, should offer some fascinating perspective about how those who don’t extract themselves from toxicity, live with the acts they perform and how they sleep at night and that alone compels us to continue to the journey. Since it will finally give us a chance to see, how that other half, lives. Until next time.