Please enjoy this exclusive sneak peek and synopsis of this week’s new episode of Night Court, which debuts on NBC tomorrow night at 8:30 -9p.m. ET/PT.
 
Episode 306 – “THE JAKEOUT” (Airdate 1/21/25)
After learning that Jake has never been in a long-term relationship, Abby is determined to find his secret “dealbreaker.” Dan and Julianne go head-to-head to prove they don’t have feelings for each other. Ryan Hansen, Kate Flannery and Gilles Marini guest star. 

Caution: This rapid recap of Episode 556 of ‘Love During Lockup’ contains spoilers.
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Please enjoy this rapid recap of Episode 556 of Love During Lockup on WE tv, along with a refresher clip!

Love During Lockup - Episode 556 - “D*CKMATIZED”
Sam fears the worst when Krystal goes MIA. Kate and Kaleigh lawyer up for the love of Hunter. Donny drops shocking news on Jakeema. MJ faces her true feelings for her ex. Tia’s dream day with prison bae Rob is cut short when she’s forced to share.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 303 of ‘The Way Home’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

It really is quite amazing how every single season of The Way Home on the Hallmark Channel harbors a central theme for the characters to explore. Simply because that is no easy act in this modern world of television, since so many shows have so many ideas and moments they want to get to. But this series holds to its idea’s year in and year out, and that’s allowed for us to explore the complexity of family and the power of grief, and season two dug deep into how we heal and come together and well… season three is quickly making known what it plans to dive into. Since this week’s episode informed us that year three of this journey will be about how our parents/grandparents aren’t heroes but people and a search to learn the secrets of the Pond.

Which ‘Live and Let Die’ accomplished, by way of many voyages back to 1974. For Alice felt the need to return once again to see how her grandad was getting along, following what she learned about Rick’s fate. Which allowed for her to see the man behind the mythos of her grandfather, and that helped her to learn that Colton was a complex man. One that was emotionally in touch, an outlying trait in the 70s, and that he was in fact… close with Evelyn. To the point where she confessed her love for him to Alice, and even made her own special note to accompany the one discovered at the house. All of which showcased a young man trying to figure everything out and that’s our parents and our grandparents to a tee, people that had to figure it out as well and that is something we should always keep in mind. 

In fact, that lesson was further explored by El and Vic. Since El was furious over his father’s decision to try and steal from him. To the point where he demanded that Vic leave as soon as possible. But understanding his pain and understanding how badly that broke him, prompted El to try and make nice with his dad, to be better and be stronger. Which seemingly worked, only for El to learn… that his father used that moment of peace to accomplish his ultimate goal. Which served to reinforce the lesson and enhance it further by pointing out that not only were our parents flawed in their youth, but sometimes they don’t outgrow those flaws and carry them into adulthood in a messy nature, and all we can do… is act accordingly to protect ourselves. 

However, there was mention that this story set up a bigger exploration of the Pond and the 1970s did indeed expand upon that. Since we learned here, without a doubt that Colton traveled through time often and that so many more were aware of the Pond’s power, including Evelyn and Kat’s great grandmother. Who while suffering from dementia, knew more about the Pond than anyone else. Which truly expanded upon the majesty of this mysterious location and set the stage for an epic exploration. For now, Kat and Alice are determined to know more about it and are ready to coast through history to understand its power, and why it is so important to the Landry family line.
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All of which made for a mysterious and engaging tale. One that offered up some fine lessons regarding how we should see our parents and our elders in a far more realistic light. So, that we understand them a little better and can offer a little more grace when we need to, along with setting up an epic exploration of the Pond. Not to mention, it even offered some everyday life lessons as well, through Jacob’s drunken journey here since he taught us, we will make mistakes as we adjust in life, along with a reminder that we should always keep old friendships alive for our mental health, courtesy of Del’s journey. But it is the Pond that has us eager for next week’s adventure. So, we are so ready to learn more about it, and why it has outright chosen this family to be its protector. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘The Couple Next Door’.
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While we live in a connected world, one where we can outright reach out and talk to someone around the globe with a mere tap of our thumbs… we also live in quite the isolated world. For so many of us want to keep to our digital inner circle and the handful of friends we carry and that’s given rise to a unique social setting in our world. Where we no longer know that much about our neighbors and people that are just up the road from us… when we used to seek them out and try to make them part of our lives. Which has of course, sparked a great debate about where our society could be headed and whether or not this type of connected isolation is good or bad. 

In fact, this debate is so great and so engaging, that there is no clear answer. For some speak to the fact that this may merely be the evolution of societal norms while so many are worried, we are losing out and well… that is likely why storytelling is getting on this debate. To focus the debate and help people find answers and direction and it just so happens that a new series on STARZ is helping with that. A feat that the STARZ series, The Couple Next Door, accomplishes, by taking us into the heart of modern suburbia to meet a pair of modern families that are so dynamically different. For there is Evie and Pete, a pair of expecting parents that are eager to raise their family in their new home, and there are their neighbors, Danny and Becka, who… are not what they seem.

For Danny is a cop that is struggling with his finances while Becka coasts about life, and they harbor sexual tastes and proclivities that others would find both provocative and offensive at the same time. But only the audience is privy to whom these people are behind closed doors, because of the way the world is structured, and those two polarizing couples help us to understand the debate. Since Danny and Becka showcase why we would be okay with perhaps not knowing more about people around us. Since they do have some secrets and do tend to treat people akin to playthings, but not exclusively mind you. But enough to inspire pause and concern, while Evie and Pete showcase why we should want to know our neighbors.

Because their journey in this tale is devastating, since they come to learn they won’t be parents after all because of a pregnancy complication and they are indeed broken emotionally upon learning this, and they are isolated in their emotions because we isolate from the world. But they could use friends, use real family and support. Which is in short supply here. Since all they really get are some soft words of encouragement from their neighbors. All of which alerts us to the possibility that… what we should be doing, when it comes to this grand debate, is go out into the world and meet folks and get to know them well enough to decide promptly if they should be around. To truly build a world that nurtures us. Because to do otherwise, can lead to uncomfortable surprises.

Such as being hurt by people that we thought cared… or we find ourselves sucked into a world that we never wanted to be part of because it appeals to moments of weakness and unfulfilled emotions. The latter of which appears to be on the horizon for Evie and Pete. Since they find themselves enamored with their neighbors who clearly have a real dark side to them. All of which makes, for a unique series premiere. One that offers up a story that is indeed refreshing and original and explores complex ideas through and through. Which of course, prompts us to continue the journey. To see what other commentary this series will offer on the modern world, on modern relationships and the ups and downs that accompany isolation and desire. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Eleven of ‘Happy’s Place’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When we talk and reflect upon the power of grief through loss, we tend to focus on the darker side of it all and rightfully so. Because losing someone we love is devastating in nature. It shatters our psyche, it plunges us into grief, it forces us to face the fact that death is inevitable. But above all, we become aware of the fact that someone that means the world to us… is gone. And we can never see them or hold them again and that is a lot to process and a lot to go through, so it makes sense why we see this in a negative light because so little of that is positive. But the fact of the matter is… there’s a lot of positive things we can take away from this experience and we should spotlight that as well.

In fact, last night’s episode of Happy’s Place on NBC did just that. Through a surprise involving Emmett no less in ‘Heart of the Matter’. For on this fine day, Emmett was late for work and that… just wasn’t like him. So, naturally, the team pondered on whether or not that meant he went home with a lovely lady the night before and was recovering from a wild evening. Which just ignited something within Bobbie, a real fury and a real concern. Which was only further exacerbated when he finally did arrive to work, and quickly left with a medical malady. Via ambulance no less, with Bobbie and Izzy, because they were worried something awful was about to happen to Emmett (thankfully he was okay) and well, this whole thing brought forth a unique truth.

In that, Bobbie had some deep-rooted feelings for Emmett, and she was finally ready to acknowledge that because of everything, really. Because her daddy’s passing helped her to understand that life was short, and that it was precious, and that seizing the moment was worthwhile and powerful. So, she had begun to think upon telling Emmett about her feelings for him and see where it might go. Granted, she didn’t say anything here, since she did clue into the fact that he wasn’t quite ready to hear such words. But she clearly learned a lot from death and embraced aspects of life she normally would not have because of those lessons, and that’s a wonderful thing. Because Bobbie is growing and becoming a better person from what we always see as a negative experience, and that made for a powerful and impactful story. 

One that was complimented by some real beauty back at the bar. Simply because… there was healing happening within its walls as well. For Steve let it be known that he was doing new types of therapy to help with his OCD and for his efforts, he was able to make real progress in treating it, in this moment. And his journey… inspired Gabby to think upon her own issues and her own psychological maladies. Because Steve was confronting his own head-on, and in a brave manner, and that just opened up Gabby’s eyes to the possibility that she could find some peace in her mind and her soul if she followed Steve’s lead. All of which made for a beautiful segment about healing and how our journey can sometimes inspire others.

If anything, this whole episode was beautiful in nature. Since it really did look at so many positive aspects of life. Of how powerful it is when we realize the precious nature of life since it motivates us to do wonderful things to ensure our happiness and the happiness of those around us, and of course… the power of being open about our healing journey and how that can inspire so many. Which just serves to remind us of how special this series truly is, and how refreshing it is to finally enjoy a sitcom that is both honest and hilarious and well, now that we’ve reached the end of this journey, we are absolutely ready for more. So, we can enjoy more positive angles regarding life, and to see what comes out of Bobbie’s admission that Emmett has set her heart a flutter. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 311 of ‘Lopez vs Lopez’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When we are working to heal and put our lives back together, a bevy of surprises come our way. For instance, we come to learn of the impact of our actions when we were at our lowest, and that can be a supremely powerful and sobering moment emotionally, one that motivates us to be better and continue to improve. Not to mention, old haunts find their back to the front of our minds. For when we are a mess, the past is something we bury and it is something we try to ignore to help us cope in the moment, but it never leaves us, and it always finds us, and we do have to handle it accordingly or we will never complete our healing journey. If anything, that is something that is top of mind today, simply because the beginning of that journey got underway for George during this week’s episode of Lopez vs Lopez on NBC.

But before we dive into the heavy nature of that, let’s take a moment and spotlight, the storyline that offered some laughs and kept this story from never slipping into darkness. Wherein Quinten and Mayan, worked to fix Rosie up with a decent guy. Specifically, Quinten’s boss. Granted, they were trying to make nice to also make sure that Quinten locked up a couple’s trip to Cupertino for an Apple event, but they also wanted to see Rosie date a good guy and learn what it means to feel valued in a relationship. But alas, that went south, and they didn’t get their trip. But they did learn, people have to be ready for such a change, and you cannot push anyone to be who they are not, in the most hilarious way imageable. Since they tried to make Quinten’s boss a bad boy to entice Rosie.

But while they were learning that lesson… George was dealing with the bigger lesson at hand. Which came forth because of the fact… that Mayan let it be known she wanted to have some home movies of her as a kid at the wedding. But alas, George let her know that he lost them ages ago, and her response made him feel pretty awful. To the point where he revealed to Oscar in confidence, that they weren’t lost but locked away in a place that would bring up bad memories and great pain. But for his little girl, the time had arrived to deal with that. So, he and Oscar made their way to the Lopez Family Storage Unit. Wherein lie years of emotions… or so George thought. For upon opening the locker he found nothing but old mattresses, leading George to believe the old locker was no longer part of the family’s portfolio. 

So, he decided to make it up to Mayan, by using puppets and voiceover to recreate old memories for his daughter. An idea inspired by Chance and well… it went over well… until the past came walking through the front door. For an older woman knocked on the door and asked if George was around, mainly because… she had the old Lopez family tapes, and was made aware someone was looking for them, inside of her locker. Which allowed for a stunning truth to come forth. In that, the grandmother that Mayan never knew, because George claimed she died… was standing in front of everyone. For Elsa was alive and well, but George declared her dead because she was dead to him. Which was… a stunning and moving end to this story. One that made it clear how much of the past George has buried to forge a better tomorrow.

But as mentioned… it always comes back to haunt us and this will rock the family for certain, and rattle George like never before. For this was a life changing moment in so many ways, and it will bring up all kinds of pain and challenges for George. Which will indeed lead to some powerful episodes down the line as he deals with this and well, this episode deserves a thunderous round of applause. For this is the kind of stuff we need more of regarding stories about recovery and healing, for these kinds of things happen. Where people cut off parents because of their toxic nature and where… they eventually have to deal with them and their past in some capacity. All of which leaves us eager for next week’s episode and beyond… to indulge in what will be a stunning journey that will teach us so much about healing and the peace we seek. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Seven Finale of ‘Outlander’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

We often view ugly moments in this life, as nothing more than tragedy, and it makes sense as to why. After all, ugly moments produce a bevy of negative emotions for us. Since they can induce fear and worry, and potentially make us angry in a manner where we scare ourselves. Not to mention, they can change our lives in a sour way and force us to forge ahead, into a future, where nothing is the same. But we cannot always view ugly moments as the absolute worst. Because sometimes they are a wake-up call for us, or an opportunity to make stunning changes to our lives, and they can even bring us places we never thought we would find ourselves, as evidenced by the season seven finale of Outlander on STARZ.

For ‘A Hundred Thousand Angels’ saw everyone find light in the dark. For instance, Roger managed to reunite with his family in the 1700s, since the thought of him did bring everyone to him through time, and that allowed for this couple to catch their breath and find joy after dealing with harrowing events this season. To the point where Brianna found gratitude for the opportunity that Brian offered them regarding safety and shelter and where… she and Roger began to ponder upon their future. Because while they had built a life in 1980, it was clearly more trouble than it was worth and they began to wonder more so… where they fit in, in the timeline, and that’s a fair question to ask and it all came forth out of darker times.
 
As for young William, well, he learned of the power of being brave, because of love, in this story. Since he learned that Jane was going on trial whether she liked it or not, and the chance of her having any measure of freedom was slim at best. For she committed a crime and would pay the piper and that prompted him… to seek out his father and use his skills with guile to try and break her out. Granted, that sadly went nowhere since Jane checked out of this world of her own accord. But William grew on this day, and found a level of bravery he had never known, through heartbreak no less, and it even pushed him to confront Jamie about how he came to be and declare how he would never let his father in. 

Speaking of Jamie, well, his ability to help his son regardless of the outcome, was made possible by wondrous news. In that, Claire was going to be okay. Granted she was in rough shape because of the surgery that was performed, but pain or no… she would live. She merely needed to heal and that allowed for this power couple to spend endless hours together and reaffirm their deep-rooted love for one another and decide… they wanted a different life than the one they were currently leading. In fact, they were both ready to return home to the Ridge and just live and love and enjoy the majesty of the moment, since they had both survived scary scrapes with death. Which was wonderful to learn and wonderful to hear and oddly, the peace they found in their love… and the close brush that Claire had with the end, seemingly brought her to a unique place in this tale.
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In fact, one could easily call it fate, really. Because in the wake of Jane’s death, they agreed to take care of her tiny sister, Fanny. Simply because she obviously had no one, they had the room and had always wanted a daughter of their own, so why not open their doors to a little one in need. Which led to some beautiful moments where they quickly filled in the parenting roles she needed. But before returning to the Ridge, with Young Ian and Rachel no less, little Fanny stunned Claire, by singing the song that Claire once imparted upon Faith. Leading Claire to believe that all along, their daughter may have survived. If anything, it was as though, fate needed them both to go through some ugly moments to prepare them for this one.

As to whether or not Fanny is Faith, only time will tell. But that moment was a neat little bow on a supremely thoughtful and moving season finale. One that forwent tension and worry to just… let these characters heal in just about every way imaginable, and they outright deserved that. Because they’ve all been through hell this year, courtesy of the war and courtesy of just… life. Because it can be quite cruel, and it does send ugly moments our way. The question always is, how we respond to those moments and what we take from them, and seeing everyone’s strength here, regarding that… was inspiring. Not to mention, by wrapping all these plot threads up, the series can now… offer up its proper farewell to the many fans that have supported it for years on end, when it returns for its eighth… and final season. Until next time.

​Truly, the Love After saga on We TV, has offered up supremely positive and unique perspectives regarding couples that enter into an incredibly unique and difficult type of relationship. For it is not easy to build a relationship when one’s better half is behind bars or adjusting to life after prison. But these couples do their best to try and make it work. Sometimes they are successful, sometimes they are not. But this series makes sure to showcase the ups and the downs of this type of relationship, and now the franchise is preparing to explore even more, as evidenced by today’s announcement.
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Because earlier today, We TV let it be known, that they are now going to look at the entire picture for the individuals featured in this saga. Because we don’t always hear about how they found their way into jail, nor do we get any information on who they were before we meet them, and what motivated their crimes. But Love After Lockup: Crime Story will indeed cover that, and to give us an idea of how comprehensive this limited series will be, We TV was kind enough to release details on the show, along with a trailer and key art. Which we will share with you now, as we prepare to uncover the whole story from this epic new series.

‘We TV today released a trailer for the new, highly anticipated limited series, Love After Lockup: Crime Story, premiering on Friday, February 7th at 8pm ET/PT / 7pm CT and streaming exclusively on popular AMC streaming service ALLBLK.

In this new series, Love After Lockup cast favorites from the past and present reveal what led them to a life of crime and landed them behind bars. We have seen them walk out of prison gates and into the arms of loved ones, but who were they before prison? In-depth interviews provide a no-holds-barred look at the pre-prison life of the franchise’s most loved and not so notorious characters, as they return to the scene of the crime, reflect on their origin stories and discuss how far they have come. We know their LOVE story; this is their CRIME story.

MEET THE CAST:
Lindsey (Corinth, MS)
Lindsey has always been smart, in school and on the streets. As a big-time drug dealer, Lindsey had it all - money, houses, cars and even two nannies as a teen-mom. But she lost it all and learnt a very valuable lesson – there really are no shortcuts in life! Lindsey now must relay that lesson to her teenage daughter, Miley Grace.

Garrett (Tampa, FL)
Garrett explains how drug use took him down a dark road in his teens, leading to a revolving door of arrests and a lengthy criminal record. His record is so long, he struggles to remember all the crimes he has committed. Now Garrett seeks forgiveness for the one crime he will never forget…will his father ever be able to forgive him?

Brittany (Las Vegas, NV)
As a 14-year-old, Brittany was separated from her older sister Sarah and left on her own in Vegas to fend for herself and turned to a much older man for protection. Unfortunately, he did not have her best interests at heart and Brittany set out on a path that would lead her to prison. Brittany reunites with her sister and shares how this defining moment changed her life.

Cameron (Cincinnati, OH & Tampa, FL)
Cameron has never followed the rules, his cheeky personality has always had his family worried about where he would end up. As a teen, Cameron was cashing fake checks into his personal bank account for a year, before being arrested. Once his aunt recognized his photo on the evening news, Cameron was forced to turn himself in. Today, Cameron contends with how his past actions impact the way he lives his life as a family man today.

Louie (Highlands, NJ & Atlanta, GA)
We know Louie as the high school hunk, mostly from the POV of his girlfriend, Melissa. But Louie will reveal who he REALLY was back in high school, when he was selling drugs and had his first arrest.

Lizzie (Portage, WI)
In 2006, Lizzie had her 8th DUI (the famous one with the sexy mugshot) and was awaiting sentencing. She flew to California for one last party with her friend Krista before being sent to prison for the first time. Hours after landing in California, Lizzie got arrested again, this time for running over a man’s foot while driving. Lizzie never knew who the man was, and her friend Krista didn’t stick around to find out. Lizzie hasn’t seen Krista since and wants to track her down and see how her life turned out.

Quaylon (Olathe, KS)
The first time Quaylon got into trouble was for stealing a pair of shoes. He was caught and the store called the police. He went to Juvenile detention for 4 months. That pair of shoes cost him so much more than he could ever have imagined.

Lisa (Salem, MO)
Lisa’s crime story involves her entire family. Her parents, brothers, aunts and uncles all have a record. As she works to put her checkered past behind her, she revisits the scene of a life changing drug bust, reconnects with her brother about their shared criminal past, in the hopes he will get the second chance she’s been given.

Michael (Providence, RI)
Michael grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands. His father left the family, and his mother was struggling to pay the bills. Michael started bagging groceries and doing odd jobs to help his family out. Eventually, Michael started selling drugs and giving all the profits to his mom. It was a quicker cash grab than working at the grocery store. Michael always wanted to support his family, but in the process – he landed himself in big trouble.

Destinie (Redding, CA)
Destinie’s childhood was anything but easy. When she was sexually abused and found herself pregnant at 13 years old, her entire life changed. After having her first daughter, she signed off her parental rights when the baby was nine months old. After that, she turned to drugs and crime.

Amber (Atlanta, GA)
Amber considers herself a former drug kingpin, but her mother Monica is a close second. This mother-daughter crime duo reveal how they managed to build and run their lucrative but risky operation. Amber’s loyalty to her friends is something that has gotten her in trouble time and time again. Now Amber will face her demons and learn why she allows her friendships to rule her life, time and time again.

Mikey (Richwood, OH)
When Mikey was 7 years old, his father died, and when his mom later remarried during his teens, he rebelled by using drugs. Mikey regrets missing the last few years of his mom’s life because he was in prison and gets the opportunity to be face to face with his town sheriff.

Love After Lockup: Crime Story is produced by Sharp Entertainment, a part of Sony Pictures Television. Executive producers are Matt Sharp, Dan Adler and Alan Madison. Angela Molloy SVP Development & Original Production, Unscripted and Lisa Marie Angelo, Director Development & Original Production, Unscripted, executive producer for We TV.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Love After Lockup: Crime Story – Episode 561: "Lindsey & Garrett" – Friday, February 7 at 8pm on We TV & ALLBLK
Lindsey and Garrett share the unbelievable details of their pre-prison life. Lindsey returns to the scene of a high-speed chase and faces an arresting officer. Garrett revisits his childhood home and confesses to a shocking theft in his family.

Love After Lockup: Crime Story – Episode 562: “Brittany & Quaylon” – Friday, February 14 at 8pm on We TV & ALLBLK
Brittany and Quaylon reveal the shocking details of what landed them behind bars. Quaylon returns to the neighborhood where a burglary gone wrong almost cost him his life. Brittany revisits a crime scene and her harrowing journey as a teen runaway.

Love After Lockup: Crime Story – Episode 563: “Lizzie & Louie” – Friday, February 21 at 8pm on We TV & ALLBLK
Lizzie and Louie reveal what landed them behind bars. Lizzie and her arresting officer share the unbelievable details of her crime story that went viral. Louie returns to the scene of a robbery where he almost lost his life.

Love After Lockup: Crime Story – Episode 564: “Lisa & Mikey” – Friday, February 28 at 8pm on We TV & ALLBLK
Lisa and Mikey share the unbelievable details of their pre-prison life and what landed them behind bars. Lisa reveals her family crime history and revisits the location of a drug bust. Mikey details his shocking arrest and faces his local sheriff.

Love After Lockup: Crime Story – Episode 565: “Destinie & Michael” – Friday, March 7 at 8pm on We TV & ALLBLK
Destinie and Michael share the shocking details of what landed them behind bars. Destinie reveals the tricks of her fraud scam. Michael returns to the scene of a big drug bust.

Love After Lockup: Crime Story – Episode 566: “Amber & Cameron” – Friday, March 14 at 8pm on We TV & ALLBLK
Amber reveals what landed her behind bars with her mom. Cameron shares the unbelievable details of his airport bust. Amber gets a shocking call from Puppy.

About We TV
We TV is AMC Networks' premium destination for relatable characters, authentic stories, and high-stakes drama. We TV creates an inclusive experience where culture, passion, and drama thrive with buzzworthy moments and shareable content that dominates social engagement and drives everyday conversations. From daring reality series to emotionally charged procedurals, We TV’s curated offerings provide an authentic approach to the human experience with a touch of glamour and aspiration. For real people, real drama, and real life – We TV. For Real.’

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 209 of ‘Found’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One particular belief that we hold to when we start to work to heal in this life, is that when we cross the finish line and make real progress, nothing but good days are ahead. And it makes sense as to why we hold to that. Because that gives us something to look forward to, and we think we are more prepared than ever to handle the ugly stuff, so it stands to reason that what lie ahead will be brighter days and fresher air and a real peace within our soul, and a sense of readiness for what lie ahead. But sadly, we eventually come to learn that when one door closes, another one opens, and tough new challenges and hard lessons await us. The kind that might arrive years down the line… or right away, as was the case in this week’s episode of Found on NBC.

For ‘Missing While Targeted’ saw the team use a new case to continue their healing journey. For instance, Zeke found a way to cope and find purpose without technology at his fingertips. Something that came forth via Lacey. Since she needed to hack into a laptop and used Zeke’s knowledge to make it happen, giving him that little extra and giving her new skills and a new sense of confidence that she used to lead the charge in this case. After all, Margaret was still away and healing and Gabi, well we will discuss her journey in a bit. But the goal was to find a missing man and former addict that just disappeared out of the blue and that prompted Lacey to really step up here and direct traffic and even inspire Dahn to claim agency as a member of the team and in his life.

Granted, taking a bullet was part of that process. But it did help him to reconnect with Ethan and start to discuss their life together and that bullet came forth because they cracked the case after all. For it turned out the person they were looking for, was in witness protection and being moved around by Trent and finding him allowed for a happy ending there. Not to mention, Trent even found some measure of healing and progress in this tale. Since his anger and borderline illegal decisions were called into question by his friends here. Prompting him to back off a bit and offer grace, and work to heal his wounds accordingly, rather than just be an angry cop that abused his power. Which could not have come at a better time.

Because in the midst of all of this, was the new challenge for the team to face, one that revolved around Gabi. For she confronted Sir in this episode only to learn that he was not ready for that. For he told her, he had something bigger to handle, first, something involving Trent. Which led to her being knocked out cold, to the point where she was able to help with the case but never lead. Since she had to recover and be the primary person to hammer Trent on his nonsense. But Sir wasn’t lying when he said that he was onto something big. Something that could involve Jamie, and he revealed at the end of this story, to Trent no less… that Trent’s dad did a poor job of handling a serial kidnapper case, and that he was ready to expose such incompetence to the world. Unless of course, Trent dropped the charges against Gabi. All because, he still expected he and Gabi to be together and needed her to be free from issues with the law. 

All of which brings this story back to its central conflict, Gabi versus Sir, and the twisted little game they play, and that also sets the stage for an epic back half of the season. One that even included a cliffhanger here. Since Trent did fight Sir and there was a gunshot. Leaving us to wonder if Trent is okay because we all know this isn’t the right time to bring Sir. But while we wait to see if this show made a bold call with Trent, we must celebrate one amazing story. One that really did move everyone forward in their healing journey and it did a wonderful job of refocusing the story on the central fight here. Not that we didn’t enjoy the other side bits as they’ve progressed, but a showdown between those two has always been the core expectation of the story, and it will be interesting to see what lie ahead with team members injured and with Sir preparing to execute the next phase of his hideous plan to capture Gabi. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 2609 of ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. This article also contains discussions revolving around sexual assault, which may be triggering to some individuals.
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We firmly believe that when we say ‘I do’ to our once and future partner, and enter into the realm of holy matrimony, that the person we love… will be everything we hope for and more. They will be our support network; they will love us unconditionally and of course… grow with us. But above all, they will protect us from harm and do no harm. For they love us and need us as much as we love and need them, and sadly… that doesn’t always end up being the case. For sometimes we grow apart in love, and fall out of it, and sometimes harm is imparted in a relationship through a variety of means. Everything from infidelity to dark acts we could never dream them capable of.

But thankfully, we can, with the right support network… exit a bad marriage and if things went supremely south, get the help we need to heal and recover and find the right person for us. But one common denominator when it comes to seeing our love fall to pieces, is that the actions that lead to its end are quite visible in nature and allow for us handle them head on. But what if… someone we loved and adored was trying to harm us from afar, and did everything they could to keep it a secret? What would that look like and what kind of harm would that impart? Well, it just so happens that the next episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, explores just that. 

A feat that ‘First Light’ accomplished by introducing us to a lovely couple that really seemed to be couple goals. For Katherine and Harris Vernon lived in a nice home, had that vibe that perfect couples always have and even worked in similar fields to nurture similar interests. But one fine, day, their garage was defaced with the word ‘whore’, and a thumb drive showing a sexual encounter between Katherine and another man was sent to her workplace and her husband’s. But there was a big problem with this. In that, Katherine had no memory of being with this man, and she looked inebriated on the recording, leading her to believe that she was assaulted. Which put the team into action, and they quickly found the man responsible and in doing so, uncovered a hideous secret.

In that, it appeared that Harris drugged her and set this whole thing up. But of course, more proof was needed to solidify that and eventually the team found evidence. Since there was a professor at Harris’ school who assaulted Katherine in a similar state because Harris claimed it was her fantasy, and he of course, observed. Plus, the team found that Harris set up a fake account on a forum for such acts, with the same story. All because, Harris had dark fantasies and desires that he wanted fulfilled, and rather than be open about them with his wife, he decided it best to just make it happen whether she liked it or not. Which spoke to a disgusting betrayal of trust, and the show properly explored not only how this could happen, since a lack of a sexual spark motivated these interests, but also how badly it could rip a person to shreds emotionally.

Thankfully though, Harris paid for his crimes and Katherine found closure, and we learned… so much. Such as how people can change, even those we love, and we have to be cognizant of that possibility and act accordingly. Preferably through healthy communication and actions that are healthy to our relationship, and that made for a powerful episode. One that really did shock the audience for certain but won us over in the end. Thanks to that proper ending, and through Carisi’s journey in this tale. Since we also learned he was still struggling with the events of ‘Cornered’ and it was impacting his work here. But a good support network will put us on the right path, and he’s back on that now and will undoubtedly find his way forward and that’s a good thing. Because the team needs him to help bring down more of the twisted individuals that choose to bring great harm to others. Until next time.