Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 208 of ‘Hightown’.
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One particular notion that a great deal of us believe in, is that pressure is a healthy thing, and it makes sense as to why we hold to that. After all, when we are on a deadline or under great pressure to perform admirably at our jobs… something awakens within us and we quickly find ourselves motivated and ready to do whatever it takes to meet that deadline or to impress the brass and that end result… where we accomplish wonders we didn’t think we were capable of, is so impactful, that we quickly come to believe we can apply this to everyday life and well… that is where this particular notion becomes quite problematic and sometimes scary in nature. Because in the real world, pressure isn’t a good thing in the slightest.
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For we all lead lives filled to the brim with personal goals and habits that genuinely keep us happy and having that interrupted by excessive pressure, can make us sour in nature and motivate us to push back upon those expecting us to change when they turn up the heat upon us and of course, in the criminal world… applying pressure is a terrible idea, especially when the police are the ones that try to do it. Since there is no criminal out there eager to go to jail and they most certainly have no desire to have the cops barreling down upon them and they’ll do what they must when pressured to stay free… as evidenced by this week’s episode of Hightown on STARZ. For ‘Houston, We Have a Problem’ saw pressure be applied to Frankie Cuevas and his family in the hopes of bringing him in and that led to disaster.

For Frankie has zero desire to return to jail and well, all it took was a hefty push from Ray to really bring Frankie’s wrath down upon just about everyone, and all Ray had to do set the pressure in motion, was sit back and wait. For his words to Renee in last week’s episode, where he basically made her fear for her own freedom… finally motivated her to do something about her situation. Because she was nervous and worried and upset over what she thought was about to go down and that brought her back to Ray’s arms… wherein she finally offered up all kinds of information as to how Frankie gets the drugs into the Cape with Charmaine and that in turn, put Ray on a potential path back to the CCINU. One that he cemented by way of a verbal agreement with the Major before kicking this plan into high gear, by informing a shaky Jackie Quiñones of what was about to go down.

Which for a time, made it seem as though at long last… Frankie was going down and going down hard. Since Jackie and Leslie set up a wonderful sting operation at the airport to finally catch him in the act. But alas, a quick phone call from a spotter, informed Frankie of the worst-case scenario awaiting him and the business at the airport and that kind of pressure… unleashed the disaster in question. Since Frankly quickly kidnapped the pilot, he’s been paying, and threw him in the trunk before bringing Charmaine out to the middle of nowhere to teach her a powerful lesson. In that, he was in charge and what he said was gospel, and if she couldn’t stand by that, she’d end up in an unmarked grave… much like the pilot and Frankie’s reign of terror over potentially being discovered, didn’t end there.
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For he also took the time to visit Jackie at the end of this episode and put the heat on her as well, making it clear that he was done messing around with the police and that they needed to back off and that was quite the stunning move to see on Frankie’s part since he’s tried so hard to keep a low profile this season. But clearly, he’s snapped… all because he was pressed too hard by Ray and the police in general and what’s wild… is that those weren’t the only consequences to be found from applying pressure in this particular story. Since Ray’s big plan to get back onto the force exploded in his face and his ability to track Renee is done for the time being since Frankie discovered that as well, putting newfound pressure on him in regard to getting his job back.

Plus, Osito is facing a potential return to gen pop because of his continued interactions with Charmaine and Frankie’s surprise visit and that has put undue pressure upon him and well, in the end… this episode really does a wonderful job of hammering home the fact… that pressure outside of personal matters, really is a terrible idea. Since we just don’t know how people are people are going to respond when we put their backs against the wall and what’s wild… is that this story is only going to get more intense from here. Because an unleashed Frankie and a refocused Jackie, who is starting to understand the consequences of her actions, is a dangerous mix, and with only two episodes left in season two, I think we can expect nothing less than explosive collisions between the two of them, as this fight for the soul of Cape Cod reaches its conclusion. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘Wild Patagonia’.
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When we last settled into discuss the wondrous new BBC America series, Wild Patagonia, we talked at length about the beauty and majesty that the series premiere sent our way. For we truly were able to see to how diverse and lush this unique part of the world truly is and how humanity and wildlife have figured out how to use the resources in this place to call it home. But what’s truly amazing about that premiere… is that it only scratched the surface of what it has to offer. For we only focused on the Western Slope and Patagonia has so much more to it than glaciers and lush environments. For the Andes have allowed for some serious changes to come to this part of the world east of the mountains, and that dynamic landscape served as the focus of last night’s episode.

For ‘Heat and Dust’ informed us of the fact, that the Andes rob the east of the lush landscapes we explored in the west, and they do this… by transforming the very air that sweeps toward the Atlantic Ocean. For all the moisture present in the Pacific winds is locked away by the glaciers in the West and since the wind has to travel incredible heights, it is thinned out and dried further and well, once it gets past the peaks… it harshly hammers the environment below. To the point where shrubbery and other vegetation have transformed to survive the battering winds and the animals in the foothills, have also figured out how to survive under such conditions so their respective species can survive and thrive in this harsh landscape.

Yet what’s amazing, is that the winds don’t stop impacting just the foothills of the east. For they also impact how life functions in the Patagonian Steppe. For these winds keep the area so dry and arid, that the plains here grow little else but specific types of grass and oddly enough people and animals’ flourish in this segment of the Steppe. For that grass and the dry air coming from the mountains, allows for the wool industry to thrive. Since the wool the sheep here grow is as clean and as pure as it gets, and an economy thrives because of that, and it was quite fascinating to see wool shearers traveling about this somewhat unappealing landscape to work on endless herds to sheep to get their gorgeous wool out to other parts of the world. Largely because it served to remind us of how well people adapt to difficult situations.

But of course, humanity isn’t the only species on this planet that is able to adapt to supremely difficult conditions, as evidenced by how things go in the desert portion of the Steppe. For at the end of this dry and arid place, where it seems nothing should survive… life thrives as always. For there are penguins that have figured out how to burrow into the landscape to create grand nests where their little ones can rest and grow while the adults hunt for food all day and that was, stunning to see. For there are genuine colonies of thriving penguins in the middle of nothing and while there is of course, great risk for the little ones thanks to birds of prey, this is a system that outright works since generation after generation of penguin is born here.

If anything, this was just a magnificent tour of a part of the world that is clearly forgotten more often than not. Since a fair chunk of documentaries tend to turn their attention away from the barren and the desolate and the harsh to celebrate beauty and traditional wildlife and this documentary proves… that every corner of our world should be documented and examined. Simply because life figures out a way to survive in the ugliest of environments and creates its own beauty in the process… as evidenced by the incredible sights we saw here and well… in the end, all this episode does is leave us hungry to see what other wonders await us in Patagonia. For it is quickly becoming clear that this contrasting part of our world is filed to the brim with surprise beauty and tenacious life. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Fifteen of ‘Leverage: Redemption’.
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We are taught at a very early age in life, that our image and what people think of us, is unimportant. Instead, it is our actions and the legacy we leave behind that matters more, and we do our best to hold to that lesson, until the world shows us that few bother to take it to heart. For it doesn’t take all that long for us to realize when we set out on our own, that image is everything for a great deal of people and it is so important to corporations and businesses, that they will do whatever it takes to be seen in a good light. Which is a reality that leaves us beside ourselves, wherein we can decide to let that ugly truth break us and join the masses or do our best to stick with a lesson we know to be just and true.
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If anything, the power of image and perception and what it can do it to us emotionally is top of mind today, because it served as the focus of the next episode of Leverage: Redemption. For ‘The Muddy Waters Job’ saw Harry Wilson’s own daughter, Becky, come under fire from what appeared to be nothing more than a petty thug who was out to harm her stepfather, Ethan. An oil magnate that likely was in someone’s crosshairs for taking his company in a green and productive direction and well, Harry thought it best to have the team step in and help out Ethan and his daughter and his ex-wife Grace. But it didn’t take long for the team to learn that Ethan… wasn’t the hero he made himself out to be.

For the man that scared Becky on that fateful night, was trying to bring Ethan’s company to justice. For they lied about an oil leak and changed their image to cover it up and well, once the team confirmed that Ethan was lying and was as sleazy as they come, an angry Harry went all in on bringing him down. Which in turn led to one risky mission aboard one of Ethan’s rigs to prove without a doubt that his company lied to the masses and was still poisoning people and well… for a brief moment there, it truly seemed as though our heroes would be triumphant in teaching Ethan and his company a lesson. For they exposed the truth and were about to help so many find financial compensation for Ethan’s lies. But what’s when the power of image and perception came into play.

Because Ethan had done such a good job of putting on the disguise of being a great human being… that Grace saw this as nothing more than an attempt to discredit her new husband and to top it off, rather than properly deal with the consequences of his actions, Ethan just had more people killed by having his own rig destroyed. Making it clear to all of us how important image is to people and how far they will go to maintain it in the real world and how easy it is to fool us with a positive image. Since this PR push claimed the logic and sanity of Harry’s ex, and seeing the bad guy win in such a powerful manner, put Harry at that crossroads in question, and rather than explore the positive side of this conundrum… the writers’ room saw this as a chance to potentially explore something quite bold. Specifically, how being burned in that manner could break a person and motivate them to give up.

Because at the end of this tale, Harry joined forces with R.I.Z., who helped in Ethan’s disgusting act to destroy the rig. Making it seem as though he snapped in this moment and decided that if good deeds and honesty couldn’t bring justice around for a guy like Ethan, and lies and distractions could fool Harry’s family… what then was the point of doing good? Which is a valid question and Harry will either find that answer in the finale, or he’s already figured it out… and he snapped in a healthy way here and wants to bring bad down from the inside. Which is quite the cliffhanger, one that serves as the perfect exclamation point to a perfect episode. For this one really did hammer home the power of image and how a façade could potentially break someone and well… the only way to know for sure if Harry is putting on an image of evil to fool the folks at R.I.Z., is to continue the journey and see how this season ends. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘The Wheel of Time’.
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One question that we ask ourselves often in life, is how far we are willing to go to achieve our goals and we ask ourselves that question… simply because our quest to have exactly what we want in life, will challenge us in ways we never thought possible. To the point where we wonder if we are on the right path and if the sacrifices necessary to get what we need are worth it and well… truly only the bravest of the brave will answer that question with ‘anything’ and stand by it. For it takes incredible sacrifice and courage to truly cross that proverbial finish line and well, that push and desire to really give it one’s all is top of mind today, because it served as the focal theme of this week’s episode of The Wheel of Time.
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But it sure didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case at first. For ‘The Flame of Tar Valon’ took the time early on to introduce us to the Amyrlin Seat and with good reason. For the time had come to deal with the False Dragon and how an Aes Sedai was lost in that particular battle, and we quickly came to learn in this introduction that Siuan Sanche is not a mother to be crossed, since she was quick to dole out tough words and punishments for failure. Making it appear as though Moiraine was going to be in a difficult place going forward, when one considers her actions and her desire to continue to keep her hunt for the Dragon Reborn a secret to all.
 
As it turns out however… that was nothing more than deception and theatrics. For in reality, both Moiraine and Siuan were in love and put on a little show for all in the Tower to keep their love and what brought about their bond a secret. In that, they were both working hard to find the Dragon Reborn in the hopes of saving all of humanity and the rift they put on for show, helped Moiraine to go out and hunt for this hero and well… with the Dark One in a weak place, the time had come for Moiraine to face that all-important question. Because now was the time to strike, but to do so would require great sacrifice on her part… the kind that would put others in danger and ruin her standing with the Aes Sedai for quite some time. 

But Moiraine knew, that her sacrifice professionally and personally… would do wonders in the long term if she was successful in slaying the Dark One and that’s why she demanded exile from the Tower and brought everyone that could be the Dragon, together. So that she could explain to them the plan, one that would see them venture to The Eye of The World to fight the Dark One on his own turf. A mission that was filled with danger and risk and required others to commit to the same sacrifice Moraine was committing to, especially when one considers that it was strongly implied that not all would survive the journey or the final fight with pure evil. But the none the less, Moiraine’s honesty and willingness to risk everything to bring peace to the world, motivated most of the group to join her on her quest. 

For everyone but Mat stepped through the gateway, and his shocking betrayal only cements his cowardice and selfishness, since it was Moiraine that saved him from the darkness, and it will be quite interesting to see what this twist means for the final battle. But while we wait to learn that we can offer up a round of applause for another quality episode. One that was yes, transitional in nature… but also quite impactful. Since we came to learn a great deal about Moiraine and what she stands for and believes in and what kind of hero she can be. For she was able to inspire those who don’t trust her to fight alongside her and once again, we are left waiting impatiently for what should be another incredible chapter in this story. One that will see this ragtag band of heroes be tested like never before as they inch closer… to the heart of evil. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Anna’.
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For the most part, post-apocalyptic stories, find a way to inject hope into their nightmarish landscape and understandably so. After all, there is only so much darkness and mental stress that the human psyche can take. So, giving us a sliver of a better tomorrow or a chance at a return of civilization in these types of stories… removes that ugly stigma from our minds and engages us deeply in the story. But once in a great while, you run into a story in this vein, that decides to go hard and remove any and all hope from the equation. Which results in a harrowing journey that genuinely makes it feel as though the end is at hand, leaving the audience in a bleak and unsettled place and it just so happens, that the AMC+ series, Anna, accomplishes all of that… as evidenced by its next episode.

For ‘The Invisible Boar’ informs us of the fact that the lost children that Anna is spending time with, genuinely have no hope for a future. In large part because of the lack of adults in this world. For without the guidance and wisdom of parents and older siblings or anyone beyond the age of 15, these children aren’t gaining an understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Nor do they remotely comprehend boundaries and safety and common decency and not having any of that present in their minds and hearts, is sending them down a dark path. One without redemption or any possibility of a tomorrow and that was made apparent, by way of the cruelty that Angelica imparted upon Anna and others in this bleak and harrowing tale.

Because Anna tried to save her brother from this place and was captured in the process and sadly… in an attempt to escape she was bitten by a snake, and rather than let her rest or attempt to find any semblance of knowledge on how to solve this problem… Angelica went to extremes. In fact, she ordered Anna’s arm to be amputated for no good reason and that horrible act spoke volumes to the dangerous places’ ‘society’ is now headed without common sense and education present for these kids and it also hammers home the reality… that darkness awaits mankind in its final days. Since base instincts and emotions are driving what's left of humanity and that never ends well, and while that alone should have been enough to rob us of hope in this tale, another twist only sank our spirits further.

For we finally were able to get to know the ‘Little Lady’ that Angelica has been keeping hidden away and learn that Katia is their name, and they are indeed immune from the virus and have made it to adulthood… wherein they will die. For Angelica could not stand the fact that someone was going to outlive her, since the Red Fever had indeed taken hold and she planned for both Anna and Katia to be burned at the stake. Wherein their ashes would be fed to the Blue Kids and well… that’s about as bleak as it gets. Since Katia’s antibodies will be bathed in fire, cementing the reality that there is zero chance that humanity can survive this plague, and well… that definitely leaves the viewer in a sour place when this story comes to a close.

Since it means there is a fair chance, all we will do… is watch humanity flicker out before our very eyes and see the proud legacy we built be left to nature and silence and that made this quite the sobering story for certain. One that also frustrates and infuriates because of the wanton chaos present here. But that is the point of this tale, to shock us and stun us and leave us beside ourselves and really, all this episode does… is leave us wondering how much darker things can get. Because there are still two episodes left in this riveting first season and, there is a real chance we haven’t even hit rock bottom yet and what’s wild… is that this bleak entry in this tale, compels one to continue the journey. To see if it will go to the darkest places imaginable, or surprise us with the tiniest silver of hope and it will be quite interesting to see which way this story goes as season one comes to a close. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 404 of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’.
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There are always those who believe that there are things always beyond that which we can grasp; and then there are those who believe that all things are possible. In the end there is only one truth and that is dependent upon each individual. Yet, possible is always a matter of perspective. It is one thing to say all things are possible and it is another to believe it. What if all things actually are possible? What happens when we choose to believe in this sentiment? In the case of this crew of the U.S.S. Discovery, there is a split between beliefs. Dr. Culber is very busy with crew members and their various existential crises while Discovery stays in Ni’Var’s orbit. Ni’Var is in talks with the Federation about rejoining them. The crew is ordered to take some more down time to help with their mental health, and Dr. Culber is playing both CMO and Therapist.
 
I’m not saying that’s a huge conflict of interest or overextension of duties… but it is both and that is worrisome. Still, he’s doing his best to help Tilly and Book. Tilly’s struggles are a little easier to deal with. She’s struggling with still feeling off and lost, so he sends her back to the Academy to assist in training exercises. He even encourages her to bring Adira along, which she happily does. Adira reluctantly goes, they’re not the most outgoing when it comes to meeting new people, not that anyone can blame them. They’re used to having Grey around all the time. Grey is the more adventurous of the two, however it’s time for Adira to shed some of their co-dependence and branch out.

Tilly is happy to escort a small team to a class M planet for some team bonding. The Federation is struggling after the Burn with team morale and even recruitment. It’s hard for a lot of different species to come together after what happened. Harder still when so many were isolated from each other for so long. A lot of humans haven’t experienced meeting other life forms, and this is a huge problem. The team Tilly is assigned is clearly struggling to acknowledge each other let alone get along long enough to communicate. Tilly struggles to get any of them to talk during the mission, that is until their ship crash lands on a class L planet. Things are still a little wonky in space, and these things tend to happen. If Starfleet could also invest in seatbelts, that might help cut down on crew injuries during emergencies. As is, one Cadet doesn’t survive the crash.
 
Tilly has the misfortune of discovering this as she tries to save him. Now down to three Cadets and one Ensign, Tilly takes charge the only way she knows how. With pure authority. Tilly, the usually bubbly, happy, Lieutenant, is much more serious during this crash landing. Getting everyone out alive is always her top priority and she knows when to turn off the silly and bring that commanding presence out when needed. The moon they are stranded on is home to a giant jellyfish like monster that is really comprised of a bunch of tiny life forms that make one big one. Later it splits into two, and it hunts by sensing radio waves and frequencies.

This means they can’t risk turning the ship on. They have to abandon the shuttle and figure out how to get a signal to the U.S.S. Armstrong, the ship they were originally supposed to meet up with after this mission. There is danger, and Adira almost dies, but is saved by the Cadets and Tilly. They all finally open up to each other and manage to actually bond and become friends, even learning to get over some wrongful misconceptions they had about one another. Tilly saves the day by distracting the monsters long enough for the Cadets to get ahold of their rescue ship and get beamed out, and of course Tilly isn’t far behind them.

With all this, Dr. Culber is also working with Book on his grief. He even shares bits of his own personal life to really relate to what Book is going through. Losing an entire planet is different than losing an uncle, but the point is the traditions of how we honor the dead. Culber finally talks Book into doing his own grief ceremony, knowing full well the traditional one from his home planet will forever be lost. That doesn’t mean he can’t recreate it to the best of his abilities or even create a new method for mourning the loss. Grief never goes away we just learn how to manage it. That is the whole point of this exercise. Learning to manage your own grief in a productive way.

Meanwhile, Captain Burnham and Saru get thrown into the political ring as mediators between President Rillak and President T’Rina over the reintegration of Ni’Var into the Federation. Ni’Var wants a clause within their agreement that allows them to pull out of the Federation at any time if they see fit. This is due to a lack of trust in the Federation. Rillak refuses these terms. It leads to a very interesting statement. T’Raina gravitates towards Saru and vice versa when it comes discussing the possibility of a compromise. Rillak isn’t budging on her stance either and she’s more than happy to tell Burnham how she really feels about all this. Burnham and Saru come up with the perfect way to solve this. Burnham will act as an independent council in between the Federation and Ni’Var, until she is no longer needed. Being a moderator could easily be added to her title. It’s enough of a compromise to get Ni’Var to agree to rejoin the Federation at last.

As for Tilly? She’s finally made up her mind on where she truly needs to be and what would make her the happiest. She’s going to become a teacher at the academy. Burnham is obviously upset but extremely supportive of her decision. Truthfully speaking, this whole crew needs to retire, with everything they’ve already experienced. The ship also needs a dedicated therapist because Dr. Culber is definitely going to snap at some point. Either way, we have to say goodbye to Tilly when we’ve already lost so much. It hurts, but sometimes, a new path is the best path. All things are possible if you choose to believe it.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 206 of ‘Big Sky’.
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As Jenny scrambles to her feet, Travis has his gun trained on Cassie, who in turn has her gun pointed at Deitrich and Smiley. Cassie implores Travis to drop his gun and she and Jenny will go. Deitrich demands to know why the two women were following them. Cassie tries to explain it away as a bit of girls’ night fun that got out of hand, suggesting they all walk away and blame the alcohol. Deitrich insists that Cassie lower her gun, and Travis assures her no one will be hurt. Reluctantly, Cassie complies. Deitrich and Travis tell Cassie and Jenny to leave. They walk back to the bar, after Cassie quickly unloads the gun and sets it on a nearby vehicle. Jenny gives Travis a long, dirty look as she passes him. Smiley can’t understand why they didn’t shoot them, so Deitrich points out the security camera overhead and tells him it’s not the place to execute a cop.
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The next morning, Harper notices the familiar van is again parked across the street from her house as she exits her front door. She goes over and knocks on the window, waking the man they previously referred to as “The Creeper.” She climbs into the passenger seat and thanks him for saving them. He gruffly tells her they shouldn’t have even been there in the first place. Harper wants to know why he’s helping them, but he tells her that’s his business. Harper opens the door to leave but pauses, thanking him again. He warns her they won’t stop looking for them, she tells him she knows. Once Harper is gone from sight, it is apparent that the man in the van is badly wounded from his encounter with Harvey, still bleeding from his wounds.

It is apparent to Cassie’s father that the previous night was more of an adventure than just tequila shots when they meet in the kitchen at the coffee maker. Before he can ask her more about that, she notices a keychain on the counter and asks him about it. He says he thinks their babysitter must have left the keys; he had found them in the cushions of the couch. Cassie grabs the keychain with a knowing look on her face and tells her dad she needs to go.

Max is obviously surprised to see Cassie at her door, and Cassie apologizes for showing up unannounced and produces the keychain from her pocket. The look on Max’s face turns to relief, she had been looking for them. Cassie asks her about the charm that Max had gotten for herself and Harper. Max claims it’s a silly thing from school, lots of people have them and it simply means she’s single. Cassie seems to know Max is lying as she hands over the keys, but before she can say more, T-Lock appears from within the house. Max introduces him as her mom’s boyfriend Tracey, and Cassie as the woman for whom she babysits. T-Lock immediately corrects her and invites Cassie in for a smoothie. Max abruptly leaves, saying she needs to meet friends. T-Lock again invites Cassie in, but she declines and bids him good day.

The teens meet at their hang out, where Harper confesses that she can’t find her keychain but hopes she can still find it. Max worries she might have dropped it at Harvey’s because of the way that Cassie was looking at her own keychain and thinks Cassie might know something. Madison thought Max said Cassie was cool, and maybe she could help them. Bridger scoffs that it’s way too late for that and they are in it alone. Harper is hopeful that they’ll figure it out together, but no one looks convinced.
Cassie finds Lindor sitting at Jerrie’s desk when she gets to Dewell and Hoyt. Lindor and Denise had just been discussing Wolf Legarski, his creepy identical appearance to Rick, and that Jerrie had found an address for Wolf before she left. Lindor jokes with Cassie that he’s taking over Jerrie’s desk, then adds, “Kidding,” when she says nothing. Cassie matter-of-factly informs him that she could use him and that they should go to lunch.

As Jenny and Travis sit in her truck, he asks her if she’s okay. She tells him she’s fine other than the hangover she’s nursing, but she is quite upset that he pointed his gun at Cassie’s head and told Deitrich that she’s a cop. Travis assures her it would have been worse if Deitrich had found out that he’s not really Stone. He tells her that they need to slow down, he can’t have another encounter like they had last night.

T-Lock calls out to Max the moment she returns home. He and her mother are sitting at the table together. T-Lock looks incredibly smug as her mom tells her they need to talk. Max instantly realizes that her mom has told T-Lock everything she had confessed. Max implores her mother that she promised not to tell him, how could she? Her mom tells Max that T-Lock will turn it over to the police, he will call anonymously from a payphone. Max is incredulous at the stupidity of the plan, so T-Lock threatens to make her tell the cops instead. Resignedly, Max tells him about the bag of drugs. T-Lock asks if she also found money. Max admits to finding some money but says she spent it all getting her mom’s tooth fixed. Far too eagerly, T-Lock asks about the location of the drugs which Max tells him are at a friend’s house. He wants the drugs here, now, claiming that Max is in danger as long as she has them. With a slithery smile, he promises to take care of everything. Max rolls her eyes as she leaves the table.

Donno makes breakfast for Ren while she muses about her brother Jag, and his impulsivity. She relates it to the way they built Lego fortresses as children: Jag would simply destroy his if it wasn’t perfect or a piece wouldn’t fit, throwing days of work down the drain. As Donno places a plate in front of Ren, she recalls being able to see and solve problems instead of smashing everything. Donno asks about Deitrich, and with a grin, Ren tells him she has an idea she thinks he’ll enjoy.

Seated across a table from one another in the bar for lunch, Lindor is curious why Cassie wants to pick his brain. She shows him the photo of Harper’s keychain from the scene of Harvey’s murder and tells him that her babysitter has an identical charm on her keychain. Lindor suggest it’s a coincidence, but Cassie is certain that Max is lying about something. Lindor asks if she’s shared this with Jenny, Cassie has not. He jokes about Jenny breaking down her babysitter’s door guns blazing, and Cassie confesses she is finding Jenny 2.0 quite different.
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Lindor tells Cassie he is still hunting for Ronald, and that he’s going to visit Rick’s brother Wolf, that he has an address, but Cassie says to leave her out of it and that she’s the same Cassie she’s always been. Lindor doesn’t buy it, presses her to confess something. He seems surprised when she admits that every time, he had asked her out she should have said yes. He chuckles that she didn’t say yes, to which she replies that she is saying yes now.

Back at their hangout, the teens are appalled by the plan involving T-Lock and the drugs. Max doesn’t trust T-Lock, at all, she tells them, but he was going to force her to go the cops. Max then reveals that she told T-Lock only about the bag of drugs and the accident, not about the bag of money. She also didn’t tell him that anyone else is involved with her. Relieved, Harper assures her that they are all in this together and Madison agrees. Max just wants it all to be over, Harper says they’ll turn over the drugs to T-Lock, but at least they’ll still have the money.

Travis is at the motel’s vending machine when he receives a text from Smiley. Smiley knows he’s screwing Jenny and Travis is now Smiley’s bitch. He rushes back to his room upstairs, latches the door and turns to find Donno with a gun pointed at him.

Cassie finds Max walking through town and calls her over to her truck to talk. Max tentatively approaches the passenger side window. Cassie asks her pointedly if Max heard about the cop that was killed in the woods. Max replies that she heard about it on the news. Cassie tells Max that a keychain with a charm like hers was found at the crime scene which Max agrees is weird but reminds Cassie that she still has her keychain. Cassie implores Max to tell her if she knows anything, that Max can talk to her. Max defiantly declares she had nothing to do with it and strides away.

Music plays in the background as Ren pours herself a glass of wine, while Donno sits holding Travis at gunpoint. She asks Travis how it is to be a lapdog for Deitrich, having to stay loyal while living in fear. Travis plays dumb, telling her she should talk to Deitrich which Ren retorts isn’t an option, as the only thing Deitrich hates more that women is women asking questions. She wants to know if Travis would die for Deitrich but he claims not to know what she’s asking. Ren is becoming fed up, telling Travis she didn’t think he was a dumb cowboy. Travis swears to her that Deitrich doesn’t have her drugs or money. Ren is disappointed with this response from Travis, telling him she thought he was smart as well as cute.

Max carries a bag to the kitchen table. “Big bag,” T-Lock brilliantly observes. Max agrees, taunting him that it’s probably worth lots of money. Max listens to her mother and T-Lock’s assurances with an eyeroll and then unceremoniously tosses the bag onto the kitchen table and storms away. T-Lock unzips the bag and sees that it’s loaded with drugs. By the look on his face, it’s apparent that he’s plotting something.

Ronald and Scarlet are bickering in the garden over where she had gone during the previous night when Agatha interrupts them and insists, they go with her immediately and that she’ll explain later.

Lindor’s jeep is approaching the property at that moment. Inside the vehicle, Lindor removes his US Marshals badge and grabs his gun. Jim the Dog, who has made the trip with him, is in the passenger seat. Lindor begins to walk the grounds with Jim on a leash. He hasn’t made it far when Wolf appears behind him, carrying his big stick. Wolf greets him and welcomes him to Holy Wolf Ranch.
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Meanwhile, Agatha forcefully shoves Ronald into the shed, Scarlet complies more easily. Agatha instructs them not to make a sound. Ronald, realizing someone is there, begins to yell and pound on the wall of the shed. Agatha swiftly initiates the choking mechanism of Ronald’s collar. Scarlet rushes to his side. As Scarlet looks at Agatha in fear, Agatha releases the collar and apologizes for using it, but this is the last warning. She locks Ronald and Scarlet in as he gasps for air.

Lindor’s ruse for coming to Wolf’s property is that he’s a roofer with a troubled dog who happens to be such a fan that he’s come to seek Wolf’s assistance. As they walk, Wolf continues to probe Lindor’s story and observe him closely. Wolf doesn’t think Jim the Dog seems troubled at all, nor is he buying Lindor’s story. As they near the shed, Jim begins to bark. Wolf continues to question Lindor, now shouting questions over Jim’s increasingly loud barking. Jim continues to bark until Wolf commands him quiet and to sit. Jim instantly obeys. Wolf informs Lindor dogs aren’t the only creatures he can read.

As Max and Harper meet to walk Harper to work, Cassie watches from a distance. She witnesses Max and Harper kiss twice and walk off holding hands.

Travis is now hanging by his wrists which are tied together above his head. Donno has apparently been beating him with a large hardcover book for some time now. Ren talks about how she had been certain that she could simply “Mean Girl” the hell out of Deitrich, Travis tells her she’s insane. Resigned, she signals to Donno. He drops the book and opens a long case that contains a weapon with a long, curved blade, serrated on one side. As Donno moves toward Travis, Travis breaks out into hysterical laughter. Ren turns her chair back to face them and also laughs, speculating they have popped his brain. Still laughing, Travis informs Ren that Deitrich doesn’t give a damn about him, for her to think that she’d have to be dumber that her fatass lackey Donno. Pleased by his turn in attitude, Ren knew that Travis would make a good “Mean Girl.” Travis tells her that Smiley is Deitrich’s nephew and his blind spot, that Smiley has been skimming for months. Smiley may have been working with Big Sam to rip her off. Ren smiles, and politely requests an address as Donno finally cuts Travis down.

That evening, T-Lock approaches Smiley and nervously asks to speak to him alone. T-Lock hands Smiley a small bag of the drugs. Smiley eyes it and demands to know where it came from. T-Lock tells him never mind that, and there’s plenty more to be had. Smiley grabs him and accuses him of stealing from them. T-Lock of course denies stealing. Smiley tells him his boss will kill them. T-Lock suggest that they could give the drugs back to the boss or better yet sell it themselves. T-Lock swears he’s the only one who knows about the drugs.

Later, Smiley calls T-Lock from home after snorting a sample of the drugs, to tell him he’s in and to meet tomorrow at his place.

Wolf, Lindor, and Agatha are seated around the table in Wolf’s house as Jim the Dog lays calmly nearby. Agatha offers coffee, Wolf suggests tea, Lindor politely declines both. Wolf says it’s rude not to partake and Agatha excuses her husband, as he is sensitive when it comes to the subject of his brother. Lindor explains that he is a US Marshal looking for Ronald Pergman. Wolf knew that Ronald worked with his brother but is insulted when Lindor insinuates he knew more. Agatha explains that Wolf is ashamed he didn’t help his brother. Lindor wonders what Wolf could have done. “I could have fixed him,” Wolf says.

Lindor finally agrees to coffee, and as Agatha is in the kitchen fixing, he notices a box of Ronald’s favorite cereal sitting there.
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The drugs are still on Smiley’s counter when Donno busts in his door. Donno and Smiley struggle and fight with each other as Ren casually strolls in. When it become obvious that Smiley is getting the upper hand and choking out Donno, Ren drops Smiley with a single stab to the back with a knife.

As Smiley’s body lays on the floor with the knife still in it, Donno tears the house apart, finally finding the bag of drugs Smiley got from T-Lock hidden in a terrarium. Ren immediately recognizes it as their drugs. Ren concludes that Deitrich has had their drugs and money the whole time, that he killed Harvey, and lied to her face. She is too busy plotting her revenge to take her brother, Jag’s call and hits ignore. Jag is incensed and tells a large gentleman named Dhruv that they are going to Montana.

Cassie stops by Rosie’s that night to order a coffee to go from Harper. After a little small talk, Cassie leaves carrying the coffee cup by its lid. Once out of sight, she slips the cup into an evidence bag.

This time Travis is there to answer when Jenny comes calling at his motel room. Her anger quickly turns to concern when she realizes he’s injured. Without going into detail, he tells her that he is under the wing of the dragon, which Jenny knows means he’s now in with the cartel.

Jenny is helping him ice his bruises when Deitrich shows up pounding on the door of the motel room. Travis jumps up, closing his shirt to hide the bruising from Donno, as Jenny, against her better judgment, hides next to the bed. Deitrich grabs Travis’s gun from the dresser and forces him out of the room at gunpoint. Deitrich is taking him to see Smiley to clear the air.

As Harper is taking out the trash in the alley behind Rosie’s, she notices the van is parked there. She rushes over and finds the man who saved them bleeding and in terrible shape. He begs her for help.
Wolf bids Lindor and Jim the Dog goodbye at Lindor’s jeep with a handshake. Wolf warns him to be careful of the curves in the road in the dark and watches suspiciously as they pull away. Down the road a bit, Lindor stops his vehicle, something obviously chewing on his mind.

In the dark, Lindor skulks around the property with his gun drawn. He eyes the house lit up in the distance as he creeps toward the shed.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘The Pact’.
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The vast majority of crime dramas, steer clear of genuinely examining the fallout of the crimes they spotlight, and it does make sense as to why. For sticking to the case, itself and moments filled with tension, maximizes the experience for the audience and it also keeps the story palatable. Because let’s be honest, crime isn’t a pleasant topic in the slightest and digging into every detail might make this a sour and uncomfortable experience for the viewer or the reader. But while that is perhaps, an act of kindness on the part of the creative team, it does do the audience a bit of a disservice. Since it borderline glamorizes and romanticizes crime and that’s why shows like Sundance Now’s The Pact, should be spotlighted, and celebrated.

Simply because this is a series that refuses to shy away from the details of a crime and its outright impact on the family members and instigators of the crime in question and for proof… look no further than this week’s episode. For this particular tale picked up immediately after last week’s powerhouse introduction to this broken world and in the wake of Jack’s death, our four friends aren’t doing so well with the fact that they were involved in a murder. In fact, it’s eating at them day and night to the point where they’re paranoid and scared to just go into work, especially with the police poking around, and perhaps the most effected by what happened on that fateful night, is Anna. Because she is simply beside herself in this tale and downright despondent and it was quite powerful to see the people involved with a crime actually feel something in a crime drama, since more often than not, death is no big deal in these types of stories.

But there was mention of this examination going beyond Anna and Louie and Nancy and Cat and that was honestly handled by way of Arwel and to a lesser extent Louie. Since they helped us to see how the murder of a human being could impact those left behind and it should come as no surprise that neither of them handled that part of this mess, all that well. Granted for Louie that happened mostly through a few good cries, leaving the heavy lifting for Arwel and he was… truly beside himself. To the point where hid away from the world and made angry demands of the police whilst obstructing them because he simply could not process the harsh reality that his son was dead and murdered at the hands of another human being and that reality was difficult for him to deal with, so much in fact that he was ready to just burn every memory of his son in a desperate effort to not deal with it and this was quite the powerful sequence for certain. One that genuinely made it clear how impactful and devastating this kind of crime is upon other people, especially family members of the dead.

However, while those elements could have carried this episode from beginning to end, we would be remiss to not talk about the other important part of this story. Specifically, the fact that someone has some kind of knowledge about what happened that night and is eager to get a payday for it in this episode. Which is important because it helped to inform us of how afraid these characters are of getting caught and how far they’ll go to keep it a secret, since they did indeed scrape up the cash to keep their blackmailer (or blackmailers) off of their backs and it was simply incredible to watch all four of them struggle with being helpless and powerless in this situation. But it would seem, on the bright side, they’re in the clear regarding this uncomfortable aspect of the murder… since the interested party had nothing to say after receiving their payday. Besides, clearly these four friends have more pressing matters looming on the horizon.

For you’ve also noticed by now that murder has been the word associated with Jack’s end and there’s good reason for that. Since this episode made it inherently clear that Jack was asphyxiated on that fateful night. Meaning that someone took the time to pull the life out of him and that will undoubtedly change a great deal about this case going forward, since the police will be pushing hard to find a murderer. But while we wait to see how this revelation ups the ante for the story, we can revel in the wonder of a powerful story. One that held nothing back in its presentation of how death impacts everyone it touches and how hard it can be for people to move forward when someone in their family passes on in such a horrifying and abrupt manner and going this route makes this an incredibly relevant and poignant tale. One that removes the glamor and glitz and romance from a genre that needs to be straight with us about the lasting impact of crime. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Hawkeye’.
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When last we left, Clint was being held at sword point in Katie Kate’s house, by her mom’s definitely sketchy fiancé. Kate easily explains it away that her and Clint are working on a secret mission together and Clint needed Kate’s help. Much to the un-amusement of the Clint and Eleanor. It’s a good opportunity for Clint to take back the Ronin sword though, and he does. Eleanor escorts him out with a firm warning to leave Kate out of whatever is going on. Do I think Katie Kate’s mom is up to something? Yes. Yes, I do. Clint leaves and contacts Laura, who helps him track down another missing piece from the Avengers Compound. Now, nobody is going to tell me Laura just randomly speaking German isn’t a giant red flag. Like she’s not some past S.H.I.E.L.D. agent? We know she is. She has to be. She’s way too cool about Clint possibly missing Christmas for her to not be a former agent. The kids are disappointed, but that’s fine because we all know Clint will make it home for Christmas.

Knowing how much Clint is struggling with this mess, Kate shows up to the apartment with pizza, movies, and a tree. She’s doing her best to cheer him up, and if margaritas are involved, then that’s just a bonus. They work out a few things, like where the Trick Arrow heads are being stored, and how to get them. And then Kate drops the bomb that she knows Clint was Ronin. She’s a smart kid after all, and she won’t be silent about it. Surprisingly she understands, the man lost his whole family in the Blip and in her mind, he continued to save people. Clint doesn’t see it like that. He confesses that he’s just a weapon and was just doing the only thing he’s good at, hurting people. Katie Kate disagrees, he’s her idol and hero, of course she disagrees. Either way, we at least see how Clint really views himself. I’ve always loved that Clint doubted himself but was always this secretly competent agent and fighter. It’s a fun path to bring everything on, because now we get to see Kate later knock some sense into him.

But first, they have to get the arrowheads back. Even if there isn’t a boomerang arrow, yet, they still need the trick arrows. Kate makes contact with Clint’s LARP friends and offers them a favor for getting the arrows from evidence. Is it breaking the law to bribe the police into doing so? Yes. Does she still do it? Also, yes. Mad shout out to some inclusivity with having the officer that gets the arrowheads back be married to a woman. We love some LGBTQAI+ representation, and she was a beautiful woman of color to boot. I’m just saying, maybe they need their own spin-off show from this. Kate even teases asking one of the LARP-ers if they would like  a chance to make two new costumes for her and Clint. Which Clint is not a fan of. With arrows in hand, they’re off to get back that missing watch. The missing watch that is definitely Tony’s old one. Kate breaks into the apartment and gets the watch back, only to be attacked by Maya while Clint is attacked on the roof across from the building. When Kate and Maya make it over the fight intensifies.
 
Kate isn’t as trained for this as it seems, but she holds her own really well. Clint is a master at getting his ass kicked and fighting his way out of things, but even he struggles. He struggles more when the masked attacker knocks Kate over the building. Thankfully, Kate is unharmed, but it doesn’t stop the fear from ebbing in. Clint cuts her free and tells her to go home. Katie Kate doesn’t listen, why would she? Instead, she marches back up to the roof and knocks some sense into everyone. Okay, she shoots a flash bang arrow, and it knocks everyone on their ass. Maya isn’t about to give up, until she gets shot with an arrow by Kate. With her gone it’s just the masked assailant who Clint unmasks before taking a widow bite to the throat. Yelena is unamused, but she leaves Kate unharmed when Kate backs off. Yelena leaves and Clint literally tells Kate to go too. This is serious. A Black Widow operative is involved now. Only, Yelena is there for revenge over Natasha, right?

With only two episodes left my heart isn’t ready for this to be over!

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 302 of ‘Lost in Space’.
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Most television shows entering their final year on the air, follow a very specific set of rules to ensure that they provide their fans with a complete and satisfying conclusion to an adventure that started years ago. For instance, they’re big on tying up every single plot thread introduced over the course of the series, so no stone is left unturned, and no questions remain at the end. Plus, if the opportunity is there, the end… in and of itself, will be quite epic in nature so the audience feels as though they got their money’s worth and their time was well spent and at first, it seemed as though Lost in Space on Netflix was heading down that particular path in its third and final season.
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After all, years of plotlines were coming together in the season three premiere and there was a sense of tension building. The kind that spoke to an epic finale that would satisfy and inspire awe. But as it turns out, the final season of this phenomenal show, is going to try and mix things up a bit and dabble in concepts that break from formula and for proof… look no further than the next episode from this final season. For ‘Contact’ is a story that quite frankly, introduces a new character and puts one in a difficult and big emotional situation. For early on in this story, Judy Robinson finds the Fortuna lander intact and to add hope to her mission further, she also finds her father in stasis. And after a harrowing sequence in which she has to race to save his life after breaking him out of hibernation… she finally gets to spend with him and help him rescue his crew.

Which of course, leads to more action and adventure and eventually… an admission that she is his daughter. Something she tried to keep a secret for as long as possible to not overwhelm him and well, this sequence was huge and absolutely broke from formula. Because you just don’t expect to see new characters and new emotional conflicts this big come into a series in the final year. But it’s here in this story and holy cow, it works because in a roundabout way, this too feels like resolution since Judy has been searching for her father for so long now and what’s wild… is that despite shaking things up and adding quite the surprise twist into the mix, the story still found a way to stick to the more traditional format in putting together a final season. Something that was handled by the remainder of the Robinson family.

For John and Maureen and Don were hoping to find the remains of SAR in the hopes of using his corpse to power the Resolute and get it to Alpha Centauri and while they conducted that search, Will and Penny and Smith were exploring the strange cavern that Robot discovered and those two parallel stories matter, because the Robot found a way to connect this family across the stars. For somehow, Robot reactivated Scarecrow and sent him to the Jupiter 2, wherein Robot was able to take control of Scarecrow and get him to stand down so the family could communicate wirelessly and so Scarecrow would help the crew of the Resolute get to their new home and well… that was quite the intricate way to set the stage for a grand fight for the future. Because the robot army won’t like having one of their own, volunteer to help humans and to complicate matters further, SAR is functional again and eager to find Will.

Which is a revelation that definitely adds all kinds of tension to the end of this episode. But while we wait to see how Scarecrow is going to save the day and how on earth the Robot is going to keep Will safe from a resurrected SAR… we can celebrate one unique tale. One that not only had the traditional tense feel from a show in its final season, but also shook things up at the same time. Because the arrival of Grant is a game-changer for certain, as is the fact that Will and the Robot have in essence realized this planet is the birthplace of the Robots that terrorize the galaxy and truly, it will be quite interesting to see how the show reconciles these surprise twists before the end of the journey and the final fight between man and robot… arrives. Until next time.