Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 205 of ‘The Mosquito Coast’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One common belief that a lot of us share in, is that it is easy to just start over in life, and it makes sense as to why so many of us hold to this. Simply because the world is indeed a big place, and with a little effort and little cash… we can in fact, go wherever we wish and be who we wish to be. But what we don’t talk about or think about all that often when it comes to this mantra, is that such a move doesn’t mean that we will fully escape whatever it is that we are trying to leave behind… or the problems we thought would fade in our rearview mirror. For that which haunts us, never leaves us unless we truly take the time to resolve it to its completion. Which is why so many struggle when the past comes calling in their new home and that’s a fine lesson that Margot Fox learned during this week’s episode of The Mosquito Coast on Apple TV+.
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For ‘Positive, Front-Facing Optics’ saw the past come rolling into Casa Roja in a powerful manner. Because Isela has plans for this place and in order to properly execute them, she needed some outside help. The kind that Margot was quite familiar with. For one fine day, Richard showed up at Casa Roja, a move that left Margot… beside herself and rightfully so. For she truly believed she had outrun her past and escaped every last vestige of it by coming this far south. But this was proof positive that the past cannot be outrun, especially when so much of it remains unresolved and it was powerful to see Margot face it head on at last and oddly enough, deal with the reckoning that came forth from it. Because not only was Margot face to face with the man that helped to put her and her family on the run in the first place, but at long last… truths came to light for the rest of the family.

Because Dina made sure to listen in on Margot and Richard’s conversation, one that included an admission of what happened on that fateful night so long ago, which in turn… brought forth devastation in Dina’s soul. For now, she knew the lies her mother and father had told her, and how she and Charlie were put on a path they never wanted, nor were they ever given a choice to take a different one. For mom and dad just decided what was best, based upon a choice and dishonesty and that brought forth some powerful moments. The kind that explored how low Margot had sunk after dealing with the reality that she helped to take a life and of course… she had to deal with that reckoning from her daughter. Since Dina made it clear how hurt and frustrated and angry, she rightfully was, and who knows where the family dynamic goes from here now that it is in fact… shattered.

However, while it was incredible to see the past come back and haunt Margot, this story also took the time to build up future plot threads and give us some insight as to what’s really happening regarding Casa Roja. Which was explored via Allie in this tale. For Isela came to learn about Charlie’s little dust up with the poachers and that brought Allie and Isela before the landlord, who turned out to be Guillermo. Who made it clear that Charlie messed with men that worked for him and that such acts were dangerous to the future of Casa Roja, which was already under fire from nefarious forces. Which in turn meant that if Allie wanted to stay there, with his family… penance would need to be paid in full. Which of course, Allie agreed to. That sent him on a unique mission with Wild Bill to assault the senses of people eager to buy up Casa Roja to keep that from happening. A mission that of course went south because both men weren’t quick enough.

Which is a plot thread that indeed made it clear that Isela is carefully playing a long game to ensure Casa Roja’s security. One that could involve violence if Richard is now in her care, since we know that he has no problem crossing the line to get a point across. But while we wait to learn about her ultimate plans, we can celebrate what turned out to be a brilliant character study. One that truly put Margot in a tough spot and forced her to finally face the past and her transgressions and that’s huge. Because it’s something she hasn’t done, and it puts her at a crossroads. Where she can decide to finally own up and do better in the name of her family or collapse and let this whole mess wash over her, and it will be fascinating to see what she decides in the weeks to come, as this fascinating and powerful season of storytelling, continues along. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Echo 3’. To revisit the series premiere, click here.
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Stories that feature special forces soldiers that rush in to either bring down a bad guy or save countless hostages, always end happily. Where freedom rings and evil is defeated and life goes on in a joyous manner, and if by chance, there is failure in that story… it happens in the middle. All so that same wondrous ending can come into play, and it makes sense as to why this is the case. For everyone loves a happy ending, and in America… our special forces don’t fail in their mission. But while that does indeed bring about some entertaining and patriotic storytelling, it isn’t realistic in the slightest. For heroes do fail and have failed in our lifetime and sometimes… hostages don’t make it back home and there is fallout for failure and struggles that come with that as well.
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Which is why the next episode of Echo 3 on Apple TV+ is of note. Simply because ‘Upriver’ isn’t a story that saw Bambi and Prince regroup and bring forth an all-out assault to heroically bring Amber home. Oh no, this was a story, mired in the failure of the first operation and the political and emotional fallout of that. Which made for one compelling tale, one that quickly hammered home the failure and the tone of this tale, by allowing for us to watch in horror as our villains teased and toyed with Amber’s life before dropping her off at a compound in Venezuela. One that was sanctioned by the state and that of course, made it off limits to everyone involved and that… put Bambi and Prince into some unique places mentally.

Because failure wasn’t something that Bambi was used to dealing with in life, and once he realized that the CIA and the White House were going to leave this be, he collapsed under the weight of not being able to bring his baby sister home. Which in turn, motivated him to just… stay and keep overwatch as best he could in a nearby town and when that wasn’t an option, getting drunk and eating food and running his mouth and his fists kept him busy. Making it clear that Bambi truly hit rock bottom because of failure, and it was powerful to watch a special forces soldier collapse mentally in this manner and push to live a simple life to try and heal and reconcile the horror of losing his sister to the evil of the world. Since he also took the time to basically become a fisherman in this quaint little town.

As for Prince, well his journey post-failure was vastly different than Bambi’s. For he was sent home to heal in a hospital and once his wounds did that, it was… back to work. For his father wanted him to just forget about this mess and forget about Amber. Which was stunning to say the least, but it spoke volumes to the kind of world that Prince grew up in and well, Prince did his best to abide by his father’s edict. Which did indeed bring him back to the office and the hum drum of daily life, to the point where he even began to ponder upon a political run. But make no mistake about it, Prince was haunted in this tale. Haunted by failure, haunted over a love lost… and despite doing his best to handle it in the worst way, having her in his arms before losing her would not and will not leave his mind. 

All of which made for a powerful episode. One that really put on display what failure actually looks like in the armed forces and political world and how the lives that we see as numbers or blurbs on the six o’clock news… matter to those that lost them and haunt them daily. Which really did make for one compelling hour of television. In large part because Michiel Huisman and Luke Evans turned in an acting clinic to really sell the gravity of this mess and most important of all, it compels us to continue this journey. So, we can see if healing is in the cards for these two broken men or if this will indeed haunt them to the end of their days, and to learn Amber’s fate since that remains up in the air, and that will indeed make the wait for next week’s episode quite difficult to say the least. For we are all now invested in this powerful and refreshing journey and simply have to know… what comes next in matters of love and war. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘The Suspect’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One thing that fans of The Suspect on Sundance Now can all agree upon, is that this series has done a phenomenal job of keeping us guessing. For we simply don’t know if Dr. Joe O’Loughlin snapped and committed the ultimate crime because of the pressure he’s been under, and his mental standing. Or if his best friend of forever framed him in an effort to take control over Joe’s life and family since it was obvious at the end of the last episode that Gerald ‘Jack’ Owens had a thing for Joe’s wife, Julianne. But since the show has done such a wonderful job with surprises such as that and through instilling doubt in our minds regarding Joe’s sanity and stability… we simply do not know. But at long last, it would seem, the truth is coming into focus.

For the next episode in this series offered up all kinds of new surprises, the kind that might finally be leading us toward who really killed Christine and all it took… was confrontation. For Joe couldn’t let Jack’s actions stand in his own home, and that prompted him to head inside and put his cards on the table. A move that embarrassed Jack and exposed that Joe’s investigation had turned up some facts. Such as how Jack was involved with Christine and pushed her Joe’s way, but not to bring about this level of trouble. In fact, he really didn’t offer a solid answer as to why he did this, but one could easily infer that it was related to trying to break up the marriage to get near Julianne and perhaps have her heart completely at last. But what mattered more is that standing up to Jack, set so much in motion. 

Because obviously, Joe’s request for Jack to tell the police what he knew… would bring them to his doorstep again and that was unacceptable. Which in turn prompted Joe to head to the countryside and spend time at his parents’ house to recoup and figure out his next moves. Because while it was helpful to teach Jack a lesson in humility, it brought him no closer to the killer that was clearly trying to frame him, in his mind, and spending time at home… led him toward a potential truth. Because his mother informed him that dear Bobby had spent some time at the homestead and learned a lot about Joe and well, that had him questioning so much more regarding his most troublesome patient, and that in turn… prompted him to dig deeper regarding Bobby and it’s a good thing he made that decision.

For a visit with Bobby’s dying mother, revealed that there was more to the case than he initially knew. In fact, Bobby might have been caught up in a lie, one that broke him and pushed him down a path of revenge to those who altered his life and that hunch, had a lot of gravity to it. Since a return to his old stomping grounds revealed that Bobby had seen his file and that everyone involved with that case, had faced some kind of strife. In some cases, it appeared quite accidental, in others, supremely coincidental. But one way or another… it was becoming apparent that Bobby had seen every name in that file, including Joe’s. Giving rise to the possibility that this young man, was brilliantly playing everyone at once and committing great crimes in the name of revenge.

Which means, it will be a race against time to prove that this is the case. Since Bobby is getting bolder in his actions since he even went after Julianne in this tale and gave her a scare. And of course, the police are closing in on Joe minute by minute and well… that’s one heck of way to set up the finale and one heck of a way to give us some answers. Since it means that Bobby has been the villain all along and unless there is some other massive twist waiting in the wings, it would seem we have our answers and it will be genuinely interesting to see if Joe is able to prove to the world that Bobby Morgan/Moran is a criminal mastermind or if evil is going to take quite the win here and bring down a man that while flawed, doesn’t deserve to be behind bars. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 204 of ‘Gangs of London’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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For the most part, gangster stories and stories about crime… tend to hold back in their presentation of how badly things can become in the crime world and understandably so. After all, such stories are entertainment and showing us the cruelty that a gangster will commit, to get their way in a world without rules… might be more than an audience can stomach. Plus, putting that on a backburner allows for quality character development to take place, the kind that gives us something to care about in a world that quite frankly… we fear and know little of. But now and again, you run into a crime or gangster story that defies those rules and offers up both quality character development and a true look at the harsh nature of that world and one show that has mastered both elements and still manages to entertain, is Gangs of London on AMC+.
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For this really is that rare gangster series that knows how to juggle the ugly, so it is never completely overwhelming. It just makes use of it when necessary to remind us of the dark world we’ve ventured into and how twisted and cruel it can become and that’s top of mind today, simply because it reminded us of that reality in its next episode. For this week’s journey into the underbelly of London put Koba’s true cruelty and working style on display. In fact, people feared this man so much, that even those tasked with bringing him down… were done with dealing with him. Such as Elliot, who continued to defy his ’bosses’ in the hopes of getting the hell out of this nightmare so he could be free and keep his father safe. To the point where he was even covering for others, such as Shannon, to keep her from Koba’s wrath and rightfully so.

After all, this is a story that revealed to us that Koba took Luan’s wife and buried her alive, complete with wireless camera so that he could easily make demands of Luan. For he came to learn about Luan’s lack of loyalty to him, and informed Luan that if he ever wanted to see his wife again, he had to show his loyalty at an evening meeting. Which would run the risk of ending her life since she only had so much air left. A move that quite frankly, broke Luan and left him listless regarding his career choice. For all that mattered was his love and with Ed’s help, he tried to release her from her prison in the ground… only to be captured and hauled before Koba and his peers at the meeting and well… it doesn’t get much darker than that. Especially when one considers that Koba handed Luan a phone with the camera feed on it and the show deserves serious credit for showing us just how twisted Koba can be and for shocking us with this level of cruelty. Because that was hard to sit through for certain.

But there was of course, a grand payoff to going that route. Since it gave a new ‘hero’ in the city a chance to rise up. For while Luan was being tortured by Koba, the Wallace family was in the midst of making quite the decision. In that, what was their next move going to be? Because they discovered their funds were depleted, their lawyer had to be dealt with for such problems, hence the whole mess with Shannon and Elliot, and what little they had left would take time to collect. Which prompted Sean to make a grand move now. To express his intention, stun Koba and buy precious time to collect the funds needed to really stick it to the Investors and well… he certainly impressed in such matters. Because while Koba was grandstanding and putting fear into the rest of the criminal underworld, the Wallace alliance struck hard at Koba’s budding Empire and Koba for that matter as well. Making it clear that war was on the horizon and if the Investors left now… they would be spared great pain. 

Which of course, they won’t… because come on, this is the Investors we are talking about here. But what matters more here, is that sequence of events and the horrors that preceded it, truly reminded us of the darkness of the underworld. How it is a bad place where bad things happen and where the rules of the world don’t apply in the slightest, and this show once again deserves a massive round of applause for sending us that reminder. Because it helps to de-mystify and de-glorify a genre that is often held in the wrong regard and also because… it offers up some powerful storytelling. For this truly moved us and left us in a tough place watching Luan fight to save his wife and oddly enough, his ability to do so and Sean’s decision to be the hammer at last… offers hope to the audience as well. Hope that Koba can be defeated so that perhaps a new era can come to London’s underworld, one where decorum and class rule the day, now that everyone has had a taste of how low their world can go. Until next time.  

Please enjoy this sneak peek from Episode Four of Echo 3, which debuts on Apple TV+, tomorrow, 12/2/2022.

Please enjoy this Sneak Peek from Episode Ten of Shantaram, which debuts on Apple TV+ Friday, 12/2/22.