Please enjoy this exclusive sneak peek and synopsis of Episode Seven of You Would Do It Too (Tú También lo Harías), which you can stream on Apple TV+ tomorrow!
 
Episode 107 - Free Again
Weeks go by and the media frenzy around the case quiets at last. Garza gets an unexpected visit from two of the passengers. 

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 110 of ‘Brilliant Minds’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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We are taught from a very early age, to handle healing in a very specific manner. In that, when we hurt, we need to suck it up and forge ahead. For pain, in any capacity is fleeting, and one should never feel it. So, we learn to push through it and if we cannot, we find new ways to and well, there are definite pros and cons of healing in this manner. On the plus side, it does show us what we are made of and what we can handle from a pain tolerance standpoint. Not to mention, it does teach us how to cope sometimes with the minor stuff that is worth shoving aside. But the cons, truly outweigh the pros. Because as mentioned, when we don’t get immediate results… we find ways to get what we want, and that is troublesome.

Because such a decision can bring about real problems down the line, the kind we will eventually have to face, as evidenced by the next episode of Brilliant Minds on NBC. Which ‘The First Responder’ showcased by way of an introduction to an EMT named Katie Rodriguez. Who was a regular at Bronx General and was suddenly in peril, physically. Because she passed out in front the ER and her health deteriorated quickly. Mainly because, she had caught a nasty case of meningitis, one that only made itself present in older individuals and that brought forth a health reckoning for Katie. One that showcased why we cannot just forge ahead when we are ill or injured and in need of healing.

For it was revealed that Katie took a bullet in the line duty, and pushed herself back to service ahead of schedule, and because she wasn’t ready… she opted to use steroids to function. To push through. Which made her immunocompromised and nearly cost her, her life. Which made it clear, while the world says we must shove ahead and be the rock and figure out how to heal… we cannot. We have to slow down, take the time to heal and reflect on our pain. For that is what gives us strength when we are ready and oddly enough, Dr. Wolf helped to showcase, that truth behind that statement. Since we learned about how he handled pain, of the emotional sort, and how he used to push through it in a negative manner. But Carol and time helped him to understand how to handle it better and how to prevent himself from slipping into old haunts, and he applied that here with positive results.

But while it was fascinating to learn this lesson, as is always the case, the show had more to offer us. For in between Katie’s journey and Wolf’s reflections, was a fascinating case involving a boy named Finn. Who we learned could not process pain at all, courtesy of Ericka’s keen observation skills regarding Van’s ability to empathize to pain, and that led to some fascinating lessons on how someone would recover from such physical apathy. Not to mention, we saw Van and Ericka make more effort in being together and it would seem the secret will soon be out regarding their affair, since Jacob stumbled upon a clue in his attempts to romance Ericka. And of course, we’d be remiss to not talk about Carol’s journey here. Since she not only had to confront her husband about his actions and suffer through some hard truth… but she had to try to save the life of the woman he’s been having an affair with, since she would not let go of Carol as a therapist… or the dark emotions this all brought forth.

All of which gave rise to a wonderful hybrid episode for the series. Since it featured the mystery cases we love and adore alongside the character studies we are learning to crave. Because the people that make up this universe are equally as compelling, and so like us and so fascinating in general and well, you simply cannot go wrong with a story that gives us both. Since it made for one compelling tale that left us with plenty to ponder upon and look forward to. Since it would seem that Josh and Oliver are really working toward something sustainable, and Carol is finding agency while Van, Ericka, Jacob and Dana keep working to find themselves, and it will be interesting to see how all this growth pays off as we inch toward the end of season one of this brilliant show. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’.
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It is definitely safe to say that every Star Wars fan out there, shared in similar emotions the first time they settled in to watch a story told in a galaxy, far, far away. In that, they were in left in awe and with a real sense of wonder. Because it was just incredible to see a universe so rich and so diverse, where good and evil duked it out in a manner that defied the limits of our imagination, and that sense of awe and wonder extended well beyond our first viewing. For Star Wars basically infected our minds in the healthiest way possible. Since we quickly became obsessed with it and what it had to offer.

To the point where we held lightsaber duels with our friends, quoted our favorite lines and carried our lunchboxes to school proudly. Because those first days with the franchise simply unlocked something special in our imagination, and well… sadly… like all things in life that sense of wonder faded over time. Instead replaced with satisfaction and joy as we watched more and more Star Wars throughout the years, and we of course… have always wondered if by chance we can recreate just a taste of that feeling of our first experience with the franchise and believe it or not… we finally can. Courtesy of the latest offering from the franchise, which debuted on Disney+ last night, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

A feat that ‘This Could Be a Real Adventure’ and ‘Way, Way Out Past the Barrier’ accomplished by transporting us to a special location and special time in the franchise. For this story takes place post Return of the Jedi, in the heart of the Outer Rim where pirates plague the trade routes and where… a group of kids on a cozy world are just doing their best to get by. Because Wim, Fern, KB, and Neel, don’t quite fit in and they often feel they are meant for more and well… they will get their chance to see what more looks like. For Wim comes to discover that hidden on his world, is a crashed starship, one that he and his friends manage to reactivate while aboard and soon… they find themselves lost in space and searching for home and all they have to help them is their salty ship droid SM-33, and potentially a mysterious pirate they meet along the way. 

All of which, offers up first and foremost, a vastly different kind of Star Wars story. For this one doesn’t quite harbor all the elements we are used to when it comes a story set in this galaxy. After all, the Empire is gone, the First Order is a mere thought, and others are battling Imperial Remnant. So, there’s no great evil for these kids to face. They’re just lost. They just want to go home and perhaps regale their family with tales of a galaxy beyond and that’s refreshing to see. Since it offers this story freedom, and a sense of adventure and fun. Not to mention, it lets comedic elements shine and above all, this newfound adventure allows for something quite magical to happen for the audience, especially those of us who have watched these stories for ages.
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In that, it recreates that sense of awe and wonder, and the characters themselves help that come to life. Courtesy of the fact that Wim is enamored with stories of the Jedi, and the heroism they provided to the galaxy. In fact, we even see him and Neel get into lightsaber duels as we did as kids and truly… the thought of touching the stars and seeing the galaxy beyond, ignites that sense of awe and wonder we felt when we first watched the franchise, and that’s amazing. Because it is so hard to replicate a feeling that powerful, but we truly live vicariously through these kids and it really is quite the delight to feel as though we are starting a powerful journey for the first time and in many ways, we are. 

Simply because, the world that Wim and his friends inhabit has quite the mystery surrounding it, one that is new to the franchise. Not to mention, we have a bevy of questions regarding Jude Law’s character and his ties to the Force and of course… who doesn’t want to learn about the pirates that populate this place? Which means we are in for quite the adventure. One that is funny, charming and downright engaging and thrilling, courtesy of a refreshing new series that truly does remind us why we fell in love with the franchise in the first place, and it will be interesting to see what lie ahead as these kids work to return home from the vastness of the galaxy. Until next time.