You have to love it when your favorite television shows find a way to completely and utterly surprise you in ways you never imagined and that’s precisely what TNT’s The Librarians managed to pull off last night, a massive surprise that no one saw coming. Because I truly expected last night’s episodes, ‘And the Bleeding Crown’, ‘And the Grave of Time’ to be more of the same fun/quirky adventures we’ve been enjoying thus far in season four, and in many ways it seemed that’s precisely where we going before Darrington Dare and Nicole dropped a few bombshells in our laps. 
 
So, with that in mind, let me just get this out in the open now, this is going to be a vastly different recap than we normally do here at NTG. Because while there were plenty of fun and awesome moments to be found in this episode, we really need to talk about the revelations that came about in these two tales, because the ramifications and implications that came forth in this set of stories are game changers when it comes to the landscape of the show and Flynn’s journey for that matter as well and a day after watching this one I’m sitting here both stunned and intrigued at what transpired last night.
 
Because judging from how things played out, it would seem that our big bad for Season Four won’t be some mystic monster or an evil group of priests after all. No, instead, this year’s villain is a far bigger threat to the group and the Library than we ever expected, because fear and doubt are powerful weapons that can destroy anything and they spread like an infectious disease, and right now, everyone in the Library has caught them and in a way, Darrington Dare, despite his best intentions in this tale to protect the Library and get Flynn to also protect it at all costs, is more or less Patient Zero when it comes to this whole mess.
 
After all, he’s the one that brought up the whole notion of a Librarian Civil War, wherein this intrepid group of heroes would want to consolidate the power of the Library for themselves and while I honestly don’t believe that the group would be capable of such acts on their own, fear and doubt are powerful tools in motivating that kind of behavior and for proof, look no further than what happened in the second episode with Jenkins and Eve, because their ire and their concern at technically, one of their own, almost allowed for Rasputin to return to power in the world and the aftermath of that whole mess left Jenkins without his immortality, and Flynn so rattled that it would seem he has left the Library and his position altogether. 

​So yes, the group is now fractured and broken, and I’m fairly certain there will only be greater challenges for the Librarians in the days ahead as they try their best to pick up the pieces and keep all those negative thoughts in their head from taking control, and while it seems like the series is suddenly headed into some supremely dark territory courtesy of these distressing surprises, I still see hope on the horizon for both the Library and those sworn to protect it, and I think that honestly, this could signal a brand new era when it comes to the Library.
 
Because in many ways, the Librarians and everyone that came before them, have always been at war. There’s always been a powerful evil force for them to combat, and I think part of what we saw last night with Jenkins, Nicole and Dare, is some of the unfortunate focus and paranoia that could come about with being at war for that long. After all, when you spend every single day of your life fighting, all you know is conflict and perhaps part of the problem when it comes to what we are witnessing right now, is the fact that a warrior mindset is coming into play since Nicole and Jenkins were quick to focus their fury on the easiest target available to maintain their belief that they need to be ready to go at the drop of a hat to address any and all threats, and while that’s effective in many ways…it’s simply no longer necessary.
 
Because the final battle, has come and gone. Apep is defeated, which means that an unprecedented peace awaits the Library and the Librarians at last, provided of course, they stop giving in to fear and doubt and stop chasing shadows that may or may not be there, and that’s of course going to be easier said than done. They have to find a way to unify once again and look ahead rather than toward the past and if they do, well then, an era where the Library is viewed and used as a force for good can come into play and really, what gives me hope that such a thing can come about…is the fact that once again last night they were able to prove what wonders they can achieve when they work together as a team.
 
But, in the here and now, the situation is grim and my goodness, this one tugged at the heart strings. I mean come on, Flynn leaving the library is earth shattering to say the least and credit is due to writers Tom McRae, Marco Schnabel and Larry Stuckey and directors Marc Roskin and Jonathan Frakes for being able to deliver a pair of stories that managed to surprise and engage all of us. This season just continues to get better and better, and I’m truly impressed with the fact that the enemy this time is the enemy within, because that’s the hardest thing for anyone to overcome and well, with the way this pair of episodes ended, it’s going to be a long and painful wait until next Wednesday’s episode, because I am dying to know where the story goes from here. Until next time.  

I suppose that if there is one word to properly describe the Doctor Who Christmas Special as a whole, it would have to be bittersweet. Because despite all the heroic and uplifting moments we’ve witnessed the Doctor perform during these particular specials, they have also signaled the end of incredible eras for incredible doctors and while they often times go out like champions, doing amazing things that save entire civilizations, make no mistake about it, it’s an utterly heartbreaking experience to say goodbye to them, regardless of the fact that we know the Doctor will continue on by way of Regeneration.
 
What makes their farewell so incredibly heartbreaking is the sheer fact that we find a way to connect with each and every Doctor we are introduced to. Something about them simply resonates with us on a deep and personal level and that makes the goodbye all the more difficult when the time for them to depart has finally arrived. It’s why we see fans lament Regeneration openly on social media and why we all watch these specials with baited breath because we know the end is coming and last night, the clock struck twelve for the talented Peter Capaldi, who said his own farewells to the series in his final performance as the Twelfth Doctor in ‘Twice Upon a Time’.
 
So, let’s just get it out there right now…this finale was as the Thirteenth Doctor put it, ‘brilliant’, simply due to the fact that this was by far the boldest Christmas Special I’ve seen when it comes to the modern series. Because this particular special, didn’t deliver some impossible task to save the universe, instead this story turned out to be nothing more than a powerful character study. One that took the time to answer a question that has plagued Steven Moffat’s Doctor for the entirety of his existence, as to whether or not he’s a good man, and as an added bonus, it also had an inspiring message to deliver unto the audience as well, when it comes to the notion of letting go of the past.  

​It accomplished all of this, by forcing the Doctor to stare down the possibility of true death for the second time in his existence since The First Doctor was pondering upon skipping regeneration as well, but for vastly different reasons, and that’s where the story quickly piqued my interest. Because as it turns out, the First Doctor contemplated the end simply due to the fact he was struggling with an important question; as to how exactly good can succeed in the universe and well, and that question gave me some serious pause because it was the first time that I can recall where the Doctor viewed the universe as a bitter and ugly place where things rarely go right and it was refreshing to hear him say such a thing, and that his question led to so many enlightening moments for the Doctor as well.  
 
Because the reason that good succeeds is because there are men and women in this universe that don’t believe that Evil should prosper in the slightest and the Doctor is of course one of those people, and seeing the good that Twelve does in this episode, is what inspires The First Doctor to go on and regenerate…and oddly enough, One’s decision to do so and why, is what finally answers Twelve’s burning question. Because One finally saw what he would become, a good man, one that gave his all to make sure that evil will not succeed in the universe, and after coming to realize that his past iteration viewed him in that manner, and after some fine prompting from those that meant the most to him during his existence…Twelve finally relented, and let Regeneration take its course…
 
If anything, this was truly a magnificent way to say goodbye to Peter Capaldi. Because not only did it wrap up every storyline he’s ever dealt with, it let Peter truly shine and deliver his finest performance as the Doctor and I love how intimate this story was when it came to Twelve’s struggles, and I also like that it had something to say to the audience about letting go of our past to move forward. Either way, this one was a tear jerker through and through, and sadly, Twelve’s time has finally come to an end and we will have to wait to see what incredible adventures await a new Doctor and a new era of the show, and I might add, if the tone and design of the Thirteenth’s Doctor introduction are any indication of what’s to come, we are in for the quite incredible treat. However, while we wait for Jodie Whittaker to take control of the TARDIS, we can bask in the glow of a beautiful story that reminds us all that we are the difference between what makes the world a good place or a bad place with the acts we perform every day and sometimes all it takes to make the world a better place…is to simply be kind. Until next time. 

​I have to admit, that the ending of last week’s episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., definitely left me extremely excited about this week’s episode because hey, Fitz found a way to the future and really, how he got there is what made the wait for this week’s episode, ‘Rewind’, so excruciating since I was dying to know not only how he pulled it off, but also what kind of answers were about to come our way because there was no way in hell that Fitz was going into the future without plenty of knowledge.
 
So, what exactly did Fitz learn? Well for a short while there while incarcerated he learned more about his dark side and what was and was not his fault while he was trapped in the Framework, which allowed for him to find balance internally. He also figured out how to get ahold of Lance Hunter to help break him out of jail so that he could finally figure out what the heck happened to his teammates and once he was free, other wonderful little nuggets of truth came our way once this dynamic duo found the alien who abducted the team in the season four finale.
 
It turns out that the alien in question goes by the name of Enoch, and he’s actually not a bad guy, he’s an anthropologist from another world that will only intervene and help in matters when an Extinction Level Event is on the line and his transporting of the team to the future, 2091 to be exact, was all part of a larger plan to save mankind as per the Prophecy, something we’ve heard plenty about this season and the only reason Fitz was left behind was because he wasn’t part of that master plan, that is until he seeks out ‘The Seer’, the person who discovered the end was coming in the first place.
 
Which meant it was time for another wonderful throwback in this episode, since the Seer turned out to be young Robin Hinton, whom you might recall from season three when Daisy stepped in to help her and her mother out and after saving her from the Feds, she was able to see that Fitz was indeed part of the equation and after placing a few weapons around their hiding spot so that the team could make use of them in the future, Fitz froze himself in Enoch’s pod, only to awaken in the future shortly before we saw him at the end of the last episode…
 
So, when all is said and done, it would seem the darker side of Fitz is going to be crucial to the team’s survival in 2091 and I love the fact that now we know that Fitz and the team are indeed in the midst of this wild and crazy mess so that they can save all of mankind. But while this one answered all kinds of questions, one big one still remains, who exactly is that mysterious and angry general working for and I get the funny feeling…her boss is the individual responsible for the end of the Earth. Either way, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. now finally have a fighting chance in the future thanks to Fitz, and we will have to wait until the New Year to see where this exciting storyline takes us next, until then.

Redemption is something that so many of us seek, simply because of the fact that there is something supremely powerful and inspiring about being able to come back from the dark places where our souls sometimes reside in order to enjoy a happy and healthy life. But there is a flip side to that coin, in that, some people out there believe that everything that they’ve done up to this point in their lives, makes them unworthy of redemption, so there’s no point in putting in the work to climb out of the darkness because it is simply where they belong and really, that darker view of life as a whole, is where Frank Castle’s mind resides.
 
For proof of that, look no further than the last episode of The Punisher, wherein Frank declared the darkness in his heart to be home these days and as I settled in to watch the season one finale, ‘Memento Mori’, I was left wondering exactly how dark this finale was going to go. After all, while Frank was badly injured, it wouldn’t be long before he would be on the mend and on the hunt for Billy Russo to fulfill the need for revenge burning within his heart and as it turned out…this finale was harboring an incredible surprise storytelling wise, because believe it or not, it actually turned out to be quite the uplifting affair.
 
Yes, you read that right, but you wouldn’t know that’s where the story was going to go judging from the first three quarters of it. Because for a better part of this tale, Frank and Billy spent a lot of time playing an unhealthy game of cat and mouse. One that put Curtis’ life in danger when he tried to help Frank in bringing Billy down, an act that finally allowed for the two enemies to speak and formulate a plan to settle this once and for all and wouldn’t you know it, the place where their final showdown would take place would be the precise location where Frank lost his family, making it difficult for Frank to focus since this decision immediately allowed for a flood of bad memories to come rushing back into his mind.
 
But somehow, someway, Frank managed to push through the pain and meet Billy at the Carousel at midnight, and despite a few road bumps, like the fact that Billy took hostages and badly wounded Madani when she showed up, Frank was finally able to face off with the last real symbol of his pain and oddly enough, the Punisher didn’t murder Billy Russo with impunity. Instead he lived up to his namesake and injured Billy so badly that he would never look the same, in order to be reminded of the evil he harbors within, and this errand of mercy, albeit a touch twisted, signaled quite the change in the tone and design of this particular tale. 

Because come on, the Punisher kills those who have wronged him. There’s no mercy, no lesson to be taught, just a swift and brutal kill and this sudden change in his line of thinking didn’t end there. He let his heroic side come through once again since he saved the hostages and stayed with Madani so that she didn’t bleed out and in doing this, Frank put himself at grave risk since the authorities were on their way and really, why this is so significant is that this served as the moment of redemption for Frank Castle. He had the chance to truly commit to the darkness and take another life, but it would seem the sum of everything he’s been through finally sunk in and he tried a different approach and was handsomely rewarded for it.
 
For in the days that followed this final showdown, Frank was given the greatest gift of all, a second chance. By helping to bring down a bevy of dirty Federal officials, and solve an unsolved crime, he had in fact done his country a great service once again and his reward was to have his criminal records removed from any and all databases and have his alternate identity returned to him so that he could go off and live a normal life for a change and while that gesture was beautiful and powerful enough in its own right, the show had another wonderful moment to send our way.
 
Because in the closing moments of this story, we saw Frank Castle pull off his most incredible feat to date. He showed up at the group that Curtis runs, and he opened up at last when it comes to his pain and well, I won’t lie, this part of the story brought me to tears because of how relatable it turned out to be. In that, let’s be honest, we’ve all felt emotions similar to Frank’s when it comes to trauma and loss. We’ve experienced anger and fury, we’ve been crippled by the pain in our hearts to the point where we are no longer functional. But what truly made this sequence so incredible is that the story had a message to offer to all of us: if a man like Frank Castle can come back from the brink…so can the rest of us, and I truly hope that anyone who is currently going through a tough time in their life, that watches this story to escape, finds that message and grabs hold of it tight.
 
If anything, that powerful message and flawless ending in essence makes The Punisher my flat out favorite when it comes to the bevy of Marvel related shows available on Netflix, because this one…this one truly found a way to inject some powerful humanity into its storytelling, which gives it a gravity and depth that Marvel has quite frankly been lacking and it’s left me hungry for more. Bug sadly, despite the joy to be found in this finale, there is one dark cloud still hanging over this story…Billy Russo. Because it’s clear now that Billy will indeed follow in the footsteps of his comic counterpart and become Jigsaw in season two and it should be interesting to see how the Punisher will handle Billy’s eventual return. But in the meantime, Frank Castle has finally found the peace he deserves, and hopefully he enjoys it and relishes in it for as long as possible…until next year.  

It has been quite some time since fans of The Librarians enjoyed a pure Holiday themed episode since larger plot lines have been the focus over the past couple of years. But seeing as to how the series has established the fact that season four is going to be a year when anything goes, the right time has apparently arrived to bring forth another Holiday episode because last night’s first tale in our Wednesday two-fer, ‘And the Christmas Thief’, once again put us right in the middle of the holiday in a story that turned out to be an uplifting affair.
 
But, giving us just a happy and go lucky episode wouldn’t quite be enough. We need our mystery and intrigue and character growth and thankfully the episode delivered on that as well by giving us an Ezekiel Jones centric storyline, wherein he returned home for the Holidays to celebrate ThanksTaking Day, a day where thieves celebrate their haul to honor the Patron Saint of Thieves and what made this part of the story so interesting is the sheer fact that we finally met Ezekiel’s family and learned how he is in fact, nothing like them. They love stealing, they love greed, and here’s Mister Jones, focused on doing good in the world and in order to prove to his mother how much he’s grown as a man he takes her to the Library, a mistake that he quickly regrets when his mother steals the Traveling Globe and uses it to basically steal anything and everything she can get her hands on.
 
Unfortunately for the group, she’s swiped a rare piece of art that belongs to someone of grave importance, the Patron Saint of Thieves himself, and despite Ezekiel’s best attempts to give it back to the man, he’s exposed and captured and this is where the episode took a turn into the uplifting realm. Because with a grand assist from Santa and his sleigh, not only are they able to foil and escape the Saint’s clutches, Ezekiel finally gets a chance to explain and demonstrate to his mother why he focused on giving away the endless riches that could have been in his possession simply due to the fact that he could make life better for others and it was simply magical to watch a mother and her son give back to the world and in doing this, the series could not have found a better way to remind all of us what the season is really about.
 
But while that storyline was awesome in its own right, there were plenty of other wonderful moments present in this story that made it outright fun as well. After all, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the joy that poured out of Jake when he got the opportunity fly Santa’s sleigh, and who knew that Cassandra was so incredibly good at personalized Christmas sweaters and of course, the biggest treat of the night was Steven Weber as the Saint of Thieves, who stole every single scene he was in when he appeared on the screen and really, the fun that came out of this episode simply set the tone for the night because hour two would follow in this one’s footsteps.

If anything, the second Wednesday episode, ‘And the Silver Screen’ took the fun to a whole new level by answering a question that many of us have asked ourselves at some point or another, what would it be like to actually inhabit the world of our favorite films? Now this was explored by way of Eve and Flynn, who were sucked into one of Eve’s favorite films and wouldn’t you know it? It turns out that being a part of a movie that one admires can actually be quite the amazing experience.
 
Because in order to escape this black and white detective tale, Eve and Flynn had to become the characters through and through and work out the plot to a tee and that’s where the fun came into play because it was downright hilarious to watch Flynn adapt to a world he knew nothing about and the laughs that came out of this segment of the story were only further enhanced by the fact that Cassandra, Jake and Ezekiel also traveled into the movie world in the hopes of rescuing their friends, only to find themselves caught up in wacky situations and a side splitting musical number as well.
 
But this is a show that believes in adding as much heart as it can to its storylines and despite the hilarious antics, the story found a way to inject all of that into this tale as well, by adding a twist into Eve and Flynn’s adventure in that, despite managing to follow the film’s plot a tee, they were still trapped within it because the magic that made all of this happen, was related to a secret that needed to be made public. Thankfully, by doing a little legitimate detective work, this impromptu duo of sleuths were able to help a mother and daughter reunite and reveal that all important truth, which finally allowed for them to escape this hard boiled world and return home.
 
If anything, I love the fact that season four of the show is simply throwing caution to the wind and telling stories that are bringing smiles to our faces and they’re doing such a fine job with this, that the lack of a big bad or focal point this year isn’t hurting the show in the slightest. This year it’s all about the adventure and doing good for others and there’s not much more you can ask for when it comes to this show. Either way, this was another two hours of pure joy. Season four has been an utter delight to watch thus far and I cannot wait to see what magnificent wonders await us come next Wednesday. Until then.

As I settled in to watch the next episode of Marvel’s The Punisher, an idea that I made mention of in my last recap, wherein I pondered upon what exactly Frank Castle was up to since he was suddenly playing nice with Homeland Security, kept rolling through my mind. Because it just seems so unlike Frank to play well with others and do anything by the book when it comes to justice since he has become so accustomed to doing things his way, and as it turns out…I was right to be suspicious, because Frank was indeed up to something.
 
But executing his incredible plan was merely the gateway to an incredibly special episode. Because ‘Home’, gave us powerful insight into Frank Castle’s mind, and how his pain and thirst for revenge drives him and by giving us all of that in this story…well, it made for quite the sweeping tragedy when all is said and done and the only way we were able to travel with Frank on this painful journey, was to follow his sneaky plan to a tee.
 
In essence, he used Agent Madani and her quest for justice and closure as the catalyst to get him the revenge he so desperately desires. He gave her testimony and even helped set up a prisoner swap and grand deception so that David could be reunited with this family. But his real intent was to be captured by Billy and Anvil, because he knew full well that his capture meant he would finally get the chance to see Rawlins face to face, and potentially put him down once and for all and it was during his capture and subsequent torture that we finally went inside the mind of the Punisher and what we found, was completely and utterly heartbreaking.
 
Because deep within his mind, are memories upon memories of his beautiful wife and they are the only thing that brings him a semblance of joy or a reason to go on, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing because love can make us soar, the issue at hand with these memories is that Frank has clearly viewed his mission as a one way ticket, and the reason he was so morose and lost at the start of the series, is due to the fact that he expected to die somewhere along the line so he could find his Maria on the other side and live those memories out for all eternity and to hear him admit to Billy in straight forward, non-sarcastic fashion, that he wanted to die was heartbreaking to say the least and gravity of that admission hung heavy over the rest of this tale. 

​Because suddenly, this episode felt like Frank Castle’s swan song, and that feeling only intensified once Rawlins showed his ugly mug at the now defunct hideout, since every single punch that Agent Orange threw, brought Frank that much closer to the end and to watch the Punisher, take that kind of punishment, knowing full well that the memory of his darling wife kept him going for one minute longer, just so he could finish the mission and go ‘home’ made this entire sequence a sobering affair because now we truly understood just how much his pain and his desire for revenge fuels him since this kind of abuse would have killed any other man. 
 
However, despite the fact that it seemed his revenge would never come to fruition, a stunning assist from Billy helped his dream finally come true and in powerful and uncomfortably violent fashion, The Punisher made William Rawlins pay the price for his crimes with his life and at long last the mission had come to an end, and as Micro and Homeland Security converged upon the facility to save Castle’s life, the final choice to live or die was up to Frank and in what appeared to be his final moments, where he could finally let go and hold Maria in that place where we all go when our lives come to an end…Frank Castle managed to surprise us all by choosing to leave her behind and live…
 
While that should in fact be a happy ending of sorts, in reality, his decision merely adds to the tragedy of this episode. Because by declaring a world filled with revenge and fighting to be his home, Frank has in essence let all of us know that he might be lost forever to the anger and fire within his soul. He was able to get his revenge, he ruined Billy Russo and William Rawlins by getting a taped confession, but he still needs more and I have no doubt that once he recovers from his vast amount of injuries, Billy Russo will become the focus of his fury.
 
Either way, this story will stay with me for a long time, because you so rarely see comic book stories add this kind of depth and agony when it comes to their characters and now more than ever, I am rooting for Frank Castle to find the peace he so desperately seeks because he truly deserves a chance to know what that kind of tranquility feels like, especially now that we know what kind of powerful pain this man is carrying in his heart. Until next time. 

I think we all knew, that consequences were going to come about from Frank Castle’s grand reveal to the world. But the bigger questions at hand when it comes to that, were just how severe and how sweeping those consequences were going to be. Well, as it turns out, The Punisher was quick to answer both of those questions in ‘Danger Close’, and unfortunately for Frank, neither of those answers were positive in the slightest.
 
But before we get too deep into the big time action and nail biting moments that this episode delivered our way, let’s take a moment and discuss the first consequence that the story provided us with because Frank…once again found himself staring into the abyss in this tale when he came to realize that his best friend and surrogate brother had betrayed him, and this painful revelation put Frank in the darkest place imaginable, to the point where it seemed he was ready to make one last push to deal with Rawlins and Russo and if it meant the end of Frank Castle, so be it.
 
However, fate sometimes has a funny way of changing the course of our destiny and as Frank and David debated the value of the Punisher’s life, the next consequence arrived since David’s family came under fire from Anvil and Sarah and his son were kidnapped while his daughter managed to escape and upon discovering this…the good parts of Frank came back to life. Because he quickly formulated a plan that allowed for David to rescue his daughter and keep her safe, and he saw a grand opportunity to deal with and confront Russo since it was now obvious to Frank…that Anvil was coming to the hideout to deal with both men and that meant, it was time for The Punisher to do his thing.
 
If anything, the arrival of Anvil at the hideout provided us with one of the most intense action sequences the series has offered up to date, simply because, this was Frank in his element. He was clean, efficient and deadly and it was stunning to watch him work with such gory efficiency. But alas, Billy didn’t make the trip because he’s no dummy, but he did get to speak to Frank and it would seem there is a plan in place to perform a prisoner exchange in order to get Sarah and Zach to safety and unfortunately for Billy…that plan is going to involve Homeland Security since Frank has pulled Madani into the mix in order to take down Rawlins and Billy once and for all. 
 
So, there you have it; another action themed episode, filled to the brim with intense moments, except this one did have a gentle twist to it. There really was something special in seeing David reunite with his daughter and the shock and the joy that came with that, and it was touching to see Frank’s fatherly side save him from the darkness once again, and considering the fact that Castle reached out to Agent Madani, one has to wonder if Frank is finally seeing the error of his vengeful ways, or if he has another plan in place to end the war raging inside his mind with swift and brutal violence, and with only two episodes to go, I’m fairly certain it won’t be long before we find out which path Frank is going to take. Until next time.

When we last left Frank Castle on The Punisher, the situation was…worrisome. After all, thanks to Lewis and his plans to take on the world and the establishment, Frank was once again in the public spotlight for all the wrong reasons, and sharing the title of Public Enemy Number One with dear Lewis. Which meant, we were all left wondering what exactly was going to come next for the character since every single person in law enforcement was going to dedicate their time to finding and arresting Frank. 
 
Well thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long to find out what was waiting on the horizon for the Punisher, because ‘Virtue of the Vicious’ wasted no time in advancing the plot since Lewis jumped right into the next phase of his plan by making Senator Ori his next target and really, the first thing that made this episode so incredibly interesting, is how it told its story. Because rather than let what would come to be revealed as a final showdown between Lewis and the Punisher unfold in standard storytelling fashion, the whole mess was revisited by way of memory, hours after Lewis made his move and well…that allowed for a couple of magical things to happen.
 
First and foremost, it allowed for several simmering plot points to come to a head before the action went into overdrive, specifically anything and everything involving Agent Madani. Who returned to work in this tale and promptly let her boss know the details behind everything that’s happened to date, and she even came to realize that Billy was likely involved in Stein’s death, something that he surprisingly copped to in his own way in the midst of the chaos that came shortly after Lewis went after the Senator and well, it was nice to finally see all of this come together and know that Homeland Security is ready to move on Rawlins, and that they need Frank’s help in the matter. 

Speaking of Mister Castle, his storyline made for the most satisfying journey of the episode by far. Because at long last, The Punisher finally looked like a hero. Of course, Senator Ori had a different story when it comes to that, since he fully believed that the Punisher was working with Lewis to see him dead. But thankfully, Karen Page’s cooler head and honest nature revealed the fact that Frank took several bullets for Ori, and that he was with her every step of the way when Lewis took her hostage, and really, it was damn impressive to see Frank do everything within his power to save lives in this story.
 
But alas, one can never forget that the Punisher is an anti-hero, and he believes firmly in punishment for the wicked and that was completely on display in his final showdown with Lewis in the kitchen of the hotel, wherein Frank helped Karen outwit Lewis to the point where the young and troubled man felt he had no recourse but to take his own life and it was a tad chilling to see Frank watch and make sure that Lewis went through with it to atone for everything that he had done on this dark day. But despite that disturbing moment, Frank was still a hero on this day, and unfortunately, the broken narrative that exists from this incident, may keep that fact under wraps.
 
In the end however, holy cow, what an amazing episode. Despite the fact that it was told in a ‘reflective’ fashion, it was still an ‘edge of your seat’ affair as you watched and waited to see how everything unfolded at the hotel and I love the fact that Billy’s evil deeds are finally out in the open and that at long last, Frank has an ally in Agent Madani and really, with the Lewis storyline having finally come to a resolution, I have no doubt that the hunt for Rawlins is about to resume and judging from the intensity of the past two episodes, I’m also fairly certain that the story is only going to continue to ramp up as we come to the end of season one of this magnificent show. So, with that in mind, it’s time for me to start the next episode of Frank Castle’s harrowing journey. Until next time. 

I have to admit, that I spent quite a fair amount of time, starting at my television screen in silence after watching the next episode of The Punisher. There were, in that moment, no words to describe what I had just seen, because what played out on my television screen, was nothing short of brilliant. So brilliant in fact that I think I can hands down declare ‘Front Toward Enemy’ to be the best episode in this series to date, because not only did it neatly gel together all the plot threads that have been slowly brewing in the background all season long, it did something that you rarely see in comic book themed stories…it fired off some serious social commentary on our world, all while questioning the purpose of our lead character.
 
But before we get too deep into all of that, let’s take a moment and talk about Madani’s storyline in this episode, because of the fact that her journey once again added to the incredible realism of this show, since she was struggling badly with Stein’s death. She hid in her bedroom, she barely slept, she reached out in desperate fashion to remotely feel good and this was so refreshing to see. Normally in crime themed television shows, if an officer loses their partner, their death is either avenged, or used as a plot device to make the character stronger. But here, it shattered Madani through and through as it would in real life and I truly appreciated that the series chose to give us a frank and powerful look at how death can impact a law enforcement official, and that it had other surprises in store for us as well.
 
Because in a stunning turn of events, this story scaled back the hunt for William ‘Agent Orange’ Rawlins to deal with a plot line that quite frankly, I’ve neglected speaking of simply because, I needed to see where it was going, and the storyline in question, is the one involving Lewis. As it turns out, his journey escalated into some dangerous territory when Lewis’ murderous machinations went to the next level when he opted to detonate homemade explosive devices all around New York in the name of fighting back against a corrupt system before reaching out to Karen Page, in the hopes of having her view him as a hero, much like she did the Punisher and that’s when the story truly dipped into the social commentary pool by generating its own brief discussion on the gun control debate. 

​Of course, the story offered no easy answers on the matter, nor did it push either side’s particular agenda; it merely pointed out that we’re a long way off from finding common ground on the matter, but I thought it was incredibly fascinating for a series that features the heavy use of guns to even weigh in on the issue in the slightest. But the show wasn’t quite done posing interesting questions since I made mention of the fact that this episode questioned the purpose of Frank’s fight and it oddly enough accomplished that by way of the same storyline since The Punisher in essence created and inspired Lewis and if this is what he engenders, then what does Frank Castle really stand for? Is he a true vigilante? One that will dispense justice because of a flawed system, or is he a hero, fighting from the shadows to handle matters that are best left shrouded in darkness?
 
These are all valid questions because to date, Frank has only stood for himself and the war raging inside him has yet to produce anything worthwhile outside of satisfying his vendetta. But, for a brief moment in this tale, Frank was able to make something good come out of his bravado since he quite literally put his life on the line to save Curtis, who found himself strapped to a chair and rigged to claymores as punishment for his own attempt to stop Lewis from hurting more people and well, this really is the first time we’ve seen Frank play the hero through and through in this story and he even stood up to Lewis in bold and powerful fashion by questioning the young man’s motives as well and while it’s wonderful to know that Curtis is going to live and that Frank is the reason as to why, all of the good in this episode became a pyrrhic victory as best. Because Lewis called the cops and it would seem he let them know that the Punisher was responsible for the bombings and to top it all off, a dashboard camera captured images of Frank’s existence and now everyone knows that Frank Castle is alive and well…
 
So yeah, this was quite the massive left turn for the plot to take and my goodness, the more I write about this episode, the more I like it and the wonder of this tale starts with the script quite frankly. Writer Angela LaManna did an amazing job of blending together a deeply layered screenplay and her fine work made for an incredibly compelling episode where not a minute or a moment is wasted and it’s another script that is in essence, a game changer for the series. Because now Frank is faced with a serious roadblock when it comes to finding internal peace, since being back in the public light makes his quest to take down Agent Orange all the more difficult and to make matters worse, he appears to be the bad guy now thanks to Lewis and at this point, there’s a good chance it’s going to take an active choice on Frank’s part to play the hero for a change in order to clear his name and keep Lewis from hurting anymore people. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to know how this little mess gets resolved, so it’s time to press play once again…     

​I distinctly remember that shortly after the season four finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., that many of my fellow nerds and I enjoyed quite a few discussions about the power of the Framework storyline and how supremely dark the show had become by bringing this particular plot thread to life and really, how it was likely impossible to top said storyline when it comes to the sheer darkness that it brought about. Well, as it turns out, I was wrong when it came to that.
 
Because season five has managed to completely ramp up the darkness, and really, things have managed to go from bad to worse for the team when you think about it. After all, the Agents are trapped in the future, on an Earth that has been destroyed by Daisy’s powers (or so we are led to believe) and the team is without any kind of support, weaponry or knowledge to get themselves out of this mess, plus, Daisy and Jemma are now under the thumb of the vicious and conniving Kasius and really at this point…are these intrepid heroes ever going to get a break? Well, last night’s episode of the show, ‘A Life Earned’ took the time to answer that question with an ambiguous…kinda?
 
I mean, on the plus side, we at least learned that Deke is playing every card that he has in his hand in order to survive and that he is looking to save lives because he’s right. By taking Daisy out of the equation a lot of people are going to see another day, and it was nice to see him help Coulson and May figure out what was happening on Level 35. Speaking of that, Level 35 allowed for us to learn that there is at least some hope for humanity, in that the Kree are breeding Inhuman friendly babies to be raised within the facility and one can never go wrong with the knowledge that they will be given to good families that are determined to see them grow up healthy and happy, as was evidenced by the family that received an infant in this tale.
 
But that’s really where the joy in this episode comes to an end. Because any breaks the team enjoyed were quickly wiped away by some disturbing revelations. First and foremost, there’s the sheer fact that Daisy is likely to be auctioned off to the highest bidder since Kasius is certain he can now retire from his current position with the money he will earn from her sale and to make matters worse…he plans to destroy what’s left of Earth and the vast vestiges of mankind after he leaves as well. Plus, the icing on the cake? At this point we don’t know if May’s okay after her run in with Kasius’ lackey…
 
So, when you take all that, and combine it with Mack’s powerful storyline, wherein he’s basically told he’s unworthy of having a child, something that rips at his soul considering the fact it’s only been a short time since everyone was inside the Framework, we’re left with quite the bleak story once again. However, there may be some hope to be found in the midst of all of this mess. Because in the closing moments of this episode, we came to discover that Fitz has arrived in this awful place at long last, and while it seems as though his evil persona from the Framework is front and center once again, I get the feeling it’s all a ruse to help save the day. Either way, it should be fascinating to learn how Fitz made it to this timeline come next week, and if he holds the key to getting everyone home. Until then.