I think it is completely safe to say that there are few of us out there that are truly engaged and fascinated by the intricacies of politics. There's a lot that goes into running a government and most of us are just fine leaving the politics up to the politicians and there's wrong nothing with that. 

But once in a great while, something about the whole nature of politics catches our attention and one of those moments for me came courtesy of Battlestar Galactica. Yes, leave it to a science fiction show to make the political arena interesting, but that's just what the eleventh episode of the series, "Colonial Day" managed to do.

In fact the events of this particular tale revolved around the episode's namesake, as President Roslin decides to resurrect the Colonial government aboard the luxury liner Cloud Nine as Colonial Day draws near, and while this episode features plenty of action and adventure when it comes to a potential plot to assassinate the President, the best parts of this episode come from all the political posturing and behind the scenes strategy executed by Roslin as she deals with the terrifying prospect of seeing former terrorist Tom Zarek ascend to the Vice Presidency of the Twelve Colonies.  

This of course comes courtesy of Mary McDonnell's fine acting skills as she constantly evolves on screen from friendly diplomat to seasoned politician, ready to strike on a moment's notice to get exactly what she wants and I loved every single second of it. Because while much of the rhetoric in our modern world revolves around the personal agenda of our elected officials, this story features none of that. Roslin's agenda is for the betterment of the fleet and making sure that a wild card such as Zarek is never put in a position of that kind of power. 

Of course she gets what she wants when she finds the perfect candidate in Gaius Baltar, a decision that at the time seemed quite silly. But while this episode merely passed the time as we waited for the season one finale, it did a great job in keeping me enthralled because this went beyond filler...this was setup and while some of the plot threads were never resolved, like who killed the Assassin, even though it's implied it might be Ellen, this was a nice little self contained story that ended up laying for the foundation for an incredible journey for Gaius Baltar that would eventually take all of us by surprise. Until next time.

As I settled in to watch Agent Carter this week, there was really just one word that kept coming into my mind as the latest adventure of Peggy Carter unfolded before my eyes...magical. I say that because every single thing we loved about the first season of the series finally came into play on Tuesday's episode and while "Better Angels" may not have the most cerebral episode, it served as a fine little spy story, one worthy of the Bond franchise as our mystery villains came into focus and after a brief absence in the series premiere, we finally saw the return of the mighty Howard Stark, and just like he did last year, he managed to steal the show in every single scene he was in.

But more on Howard in a moment, because as I mentioned before, the spy part of the show was top notch this week as we finally learned that the mysterious group of men that met to shut down Isodyne last week belong to the Atlas Club. It's apparently the same organization that Dottie was trying to steal from and well...they seem quite powerful and I'm dying to know more about them. I mean, they can influence elections and stock market crashes and while they don't quite seem like Hydra, one has to wonder if the two are related. I'm also fascinated by Vernon Masters, played by the iconic Kurtwood Smith, and his ties to this organization and why exactly he and the Atlas Club are so intent on keeping Zero Matter a secret.

The highlight of the night however, was of course Howard Stark and it's great to see that well...he hasn't changed a bit. It was a little weird to see him sitting in a director's chair plugging away at making motion pictures, and Peggy's little jab about making a silver screen version of a comic book movie was a cute one to say the least. But once Howard was all in on the Zero Matter mystery it was vintage Stark as the mystery flat out consumed him and the twist of having Dr. Wilkes be trapped on a different plane was a nice touch. Simply because it brought back that romantic tension between he and Peggy and well...because it's clear he's one of the good guys and losing him permanently would have been quite the waste.

I was also a huge fan of the ongoing mystery with Whitney Frost. It was downright awesome to learn about her war record, the fact she put together technology that more or less helped the Allies win the war...and it's wild that she's masquerading as a Hollywood star now that the war is over. Clearly she's no longer the same person/hero she was a few years ago, this is a darker and more twisted person we are witness to, and I'm dying to know what her interest is in Zero Energy and why she and this little side effect of atomic testing have become one. She truly is the greatest mystery of all on the show and I'm digging the subtle setup the series is putting together for her. For what exactly, well we don't quite know just yet, but I have a funny feeling she's our super villain this season.

In the end though, I really appreciate the fact that everyone behind the scenes made an epic setup episode fun and engaging, since often times they end up either dragging on or feeling like a filler episode. Plus it even had a couple of Iron Man easter eggs with Jarvis' quip about hoping to never serve as a disembodied voice and I'm pretty sure I saw some stained glass that may eventually inspire the Arc Reactor. Either way, I'm glad that after a day or two of mentally digesting so many plot points that this episode still leaves me smiling. It really did accomplish something special, and everything that was laid out before us this week has me anxious to see what next week will have in store for us. Until then.

Over the years, I've read a countless number of comic books, and watched a countless number of comic book movies as well. It's led to what seems like endless discussions on the respective powers of the various super heroes out there in the world and which ones happen to have the coolest or most practical powers in their respective universes.

But there's one particular power that I don't think we discuss enough when it comes to these characters...their heart and what's inside of it. That may seem like an odd thing to think about or even discuss for that matter, but it's important. Because it's what makes some super heroes a little darker than the rest and others...stand out as beacons of hope and goodwill. 

It's also important to discuss because...it was one of the big themes that came about on Supergirl this week since as it turns out, a good heart is one of the greatest super powers revealed to date for Kara because when she wasn't out and about saving the world from a White Martian that had come for J'onn, she was finding ways to save people's souls and relationships as well...and I absolutely ate it up. I mean who didn't enjoy watching Kara sit down with both Cat and her son Adam to moderate a tense and hurtful discussion between two people who really didn't trust one another at this point in their lives and were letting hurt and anger get the better of them. 

I also made mention of saving someone's soul, and that's exactly what Kara had to do for J'onn as well, who was so disturbed and haunted by the White Martian that came to earth...and the horrible things that happened to him and his family because of their kind that he was ready to simply lay down and die...or rip his enemy's heart out, which ever happened to come first and Kara was there every step of the way. Doing everything she could to let him know that he had to keep going in life, had to keep moving and well, it was simply beautiful to see her doing so much to save a single life on a more fundamental level. It's really something that I've yet to see on a comic book show and it led to some incredible moments from J'onn and Kara and even Alex.

Yet what impresses me more, is that all of this stems from a simple plot thread, facing one's past. Cat had to face the past when her son came calling and J'onn had to face his own when the White Martian arrived and while every character's storyline was able to wrap up in neat and happy fashion, there were plenty of consequences they had to face along the way. J'onn faced up to the cowardice he believed was deep within him and Cat...well she had to own up to the difficult decision of giving her son up and never being there for him. It was some powerhouse writing this week and I'm glad they went that route. It demonstrated that Kara's greatest power is her humanity, and how much she cares about people...and it made for an engrossing episode where you truly cared about what happened or was going to happen to every single character. Until next time.

One of the finest things that Battlestar Galactica was able to accomplish in its four year run on Syfy, was the fact that it was able to dismantle so many of the classic tropes we find featured in science fiction. It was essentially devoid of technobabble, and completely free of detailed scientific explanations of its technology, it was always about the characters.

Which means that on several occasions the characters would be faced with another real world issue, finite resources, and in surprising fashion they would deal with such an important matter twice in the first season of the show. We already saw the fleet's struggle to find drinkable water in the second episode of the show and as it turns out the always important fuel would take front and center in the tenth episode of the series, "The Hand of God".

As it turns out, all the jumps and constant escape from the Cylons had basically depleted the fleet's resources of Tylium and well, that's simply a stroke of genius and another sci fi trope sent packing on this series. So much of space travel based science fiction in essence gives the characters infinite energy to work with so to see this on the show was absolutely refreshing and equally as precarious as the water based problems they encountered earlier on. But this time there was no saboteur involved and it gave the episode a completely different tone to say the least.

This was an angrier episode, only because we quickly find out that the Cylons have found the only source of Tylium in close proximity and have installed a refinery, and rather than try and find another supply, Adama believes it's high time to stick it to their enemy and enjoy a solid victory for a change. It leads to some fascinating scenes where we bear witness to Adama, Kara and Lee piece together a delicate plan to take the refinery from the Cylons and a tense and powerhouse finale where the plan finally comes into action before settling into our happy ending where the Galactica wins the day and the fleet is once again saved since they now have enough fuel to last them for several years. 

I really found myself enjoying this episode way more than I did the first time I saw it because upon initial viewing, I really didn't take the time to appreciate all the subtle character reveals this episode bothered to drop our way. We discovered that while Lee is a talented pilot he often doubts himself in the cockpit, and that Kara could be quite the top level officer someday with her brilliant plan to take the refinery. While this episode doesn't advance the plot a heck of a whole lot, it truly works as an important stand alone to remind us how precarious the situation is for these intrepid survivors and that when their backs are against the wall...they can pull off miracles. Until next time.

I always love when a show gets a big time discussion going and The X-Files seems to have done that with its triumphant return to television because I happily spent a lot of time yesterday talking about the season ten premiere with so many of my friends. From what I've gathered, everyone, myself included, is beyond pleased that Mulder and Scully are back and well...the new conspiracy has all of our attention.

One point of discussion that seemed to be posed by everyone was exactly how the rest of the episodes would deal with said conspiracy. Would the show go back to its classic "Freak of the Week" format of old and bring us some weird and creepy monsters and some quality scares along the way before tackling the conspiracy at the season finale, or would the revelations of what was going on behind the scenes continue along as a central plot line. Turns out the show would combine a couple of those elements for at least one more episode as "Founder's Mutation" gave us a little more on the conspiracy while bringing back some of those classic horror moments. 

It was the horror vibe that I dug the most last night to be honest simply because it was vintage X-Files and because the show delivered on those creepy moments right out of the gate with Sanjay's untimely demise. Everything about those first five minutes or so on the show was absolutely sublime and incredibly uncomfortable. From Sanjay's blood filled eyes, to the horrible noise in his mind that we the audience shared in...it set the tone for this particular tale and while it seemed at first we were shifting from that horror vibe as the conspiracy slowly snuck back in, I'm glad we came back to the terror in the final moments. Genetically enhanced or not, Kyle and Molly were a scary pair and how they handled their father...well that's the stuff of X-Files legend and as Mulder put it, something you simply cannot un-see.

But last night featured one incredible surprise that came out of left field, the fact that we took some time to revisit Mulder and Scully's son William and the decision they both made to give him up. Obviously there's concern now regarding the possibility he too may be genetically enhanced and fighting for his life but there were two powerful scenes where Mulder and Scully took a little time to wonder what their lives would be like had they kept William and well...these little imaginary vignettes were absolutely beautiful pieces of storytelling. It was a touch odd to see these two as mother and father at first but as the moments grew, you really could see the two of them being wonderful parents to William and their respective fears about their work and their life settling in to ruin their fantasies was nothing short of heartbreaking.

The most magical part of last night however is the awkwardness of a reunion was completely removed. This particular episode felt like home through and through. We had our scenes in darkness that required the classic flashlight search and I'm also loving the evolution of Skinner who clearly knows something crazy is going on behind the scenes. This Skinner is not the "company man" of old and it's wonderful to see how much he trusts this duo and how much they trust him and that perfect working relationship is clearly going to get things done. Either way, I am completely and utterly hooked and already I'm finding myself filled with anticipation for next week's episode, this season is already just that damn good. Until next time.

I distinctly recall the last time I saw Fox Mulder and Dana Scully on my television screen. They were in a motel room in Roswell, New Mexico, having just survived one incredible final showdown near Anasazi ruins where The Smoking Man met his final demise but not before revealing that the alien colonization of earth was coming on December 22, 2012.  I also remember feeling cheated immediately after the end of that episode.

After all, this was it, The X-Files was going off the air. We would never know how mankind would fight or even potentially survive the alien threat, and while we were gifted with one more motion picture, none of that was addressed. It was another moment where I felt cheated because let's be honest, the alien stuff was the cornerstone of this show and while it branched out into so many incredible places storytelling wise, we always wanted to see that plot line resolved and because of I Want to Believe...I never thought I would get my wish. That is until Fox announced a six episode revival of the show, and after an excruciating wait and endless teases by way of pictures and advertisements...the wait finally came to an end last night with the season ten premiere, "My Struggle".

So let's get one thing out of the way...who didn't lose their absolute mind when Mulder and Scully reappeared on the screen after all this time? Because...I know I did. It was a total reunion with old friends and seeing the two of them together once again was simply magical. I appreciated the fact that the characters were still true to who they were on the show so many years ago, especially Mulder who is still as driven and bullheaded as ever and I also appreciated the fact that the show wasted no time getting into this season's juicy plot. I mean seriously, this was an episode that moved at a breakneck pace, something I'm not used to when it comes to The X-Files. This was a series that liked to slow cook its conspiracies and while I'm sure it's related to the short season order, it was a wonderful change for the show.

But, the centerpiece of the night was one thing and one thing alone...the return of the alien conspiracy. It's what brings Mulder and Scully back together and it's what will clearly fuel season ten and quite frankly, I'm beyond excited about last night's twist to the whole thing...the fact that in essence man is behind everything. It explains why the colonization never occurred since the threat of it was central to control and well, there's something far more ominous about the fact that many of the horrible and crazy things our two favorite agents have squared off against over the years are more or less a product of the evil that men do. Man always makes for the finest villain and this little twist puts Mulder and Scully up against their greatest challenge yet...

Either way, this was a damn fine season premiere. Sure it started off a little clunky but I think we all expected that, seeing as to how it's been fourteen years since the show was last on the air, but it doesn't take long for the magic to reappear and really that final scene where we learn that the X-Files have been reopened and that the Cigarette Smoking Man is alive and well is the one that sticks with me the most. It embodied all the magic of the series in that short little window and managed to give me chills as well, simply because it summarized so much. For one, the truth that we have been seeking after all this time has been revealed to all of us, and it's awful...but more importantly...everything we know and love about this show is back and with the truth in hand...nothing will ever be the same. Until next time.

About this time last year, I distinctly recall settling into enjoy Agent Carter with a touch of trepidation on my part. I was worried that the show wasn't going to do Peggy Carter justice and by the end of the pilot episode, I was completely proven wrong. Season one turned out to be simply magnificent and I was beyond overjoyed when I found out that season two was on its way. 

So needless to say, my emotions were far different this time around when I settled in to watch the two hour premiere of the show...because all I could feel was pure anticipation to reunite with these old friends on another grand adventure and "The Lady in the Lake" and "A View in the Dark" absolutely delivered on that front. In fact what I enjoyed most about watching the show this week is that it feels as though we never left. The lovely tie in with Dorothy Underwood made for a seamless transition between the two seasons but it didn't take long for this new season to gain a life of its own.

Obviously, all the things we know and love about the show are back in full force this season. I love the little twist of sending Peggy out to Los Angeles to be reunited with Agent turned Chief Sousa and the lovely tug of war their hearts continue to play despite the fact that Sousa has a new lady in his life. Of course the show would be nothing without Edwin Jarvis as well and thankfully he is back and actually...better than ever. I love that he is dying to go on more adventures after spending his time helping Peggy in season one and I also love the fact the show is giving him more depth than ever. Jarvis is quickly becoming more than a quirky butler for Mister Stark and introducing us to his lovely wife is an absolute stroke of genius this year.

But what matters most about this show...is the big time plot lines and it's quite possible season two is about to top the whole Leviathan plot thread from last year with the grand hunt for Zero Matter. Yes, this strange little surprise from the race to get the bomb during the war seems to be the item that everyone is after this year and to top it off...we have another mysterious organization that is involved in the search for it as well. We don't know their name, we just know that they are damn powerful to say the least, and shrouded in mystery of course. One has to wonder if this is Hydra, but I think that would be too easy and well, these guys already tipped their hand logo wise and there's no Octopus to be found.  Either way, these guys are trouble and clearly extremely powerful and I can't wait to learn more about them.

But all in all, this was a solid two hour premiere and quite frankly, I'm glad they aired these two episodes back to back because of how tightly the two of them tied together and really...these are the episodes that set up our grand mystery. After all the biggest question remaining to me is who exactly is Whitney Frost? It's clear she is pulling plenty of strings behind the scenes when it comes to Isodyne Energy and her whiny and weasley husband Calvin, and it's clear she knows more about Zero Matter than the rest of us. Either way, it's damn good to have Peggy Carter back on our television screens. Even better to see her as a respected agent and an integral part of the SSR at last and I am so excited to see where this whole Zero Matter plot line is going to take us because even though we're only two episodes in...I'm hooked and I have to know how it ends. Until next time.

Once in a great while, and I do mean once in a GREAT while, Battlestar Galactica would do the impossible and actually bother to have a little bit of fun. It might only be a joke here or there but it was always welcome since the show always carried with it much heavier themes, and let's be honest, a truly silly or camp episode would have undoubtedly damaged its reputation as a whip smart show. 

But in the first season, it's clear Ronald D. Moore and the writers room wanted to inject at least a healthy amount of humor into one episode to see if something might stick and the ninth entry in the series, "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" was that grand experiment. Now I remember watching this one during its original broadcast and having fond memories about a story that reunited Saul Tigh with his estranged wife but as the years have progressed, and as I watched it again the other day...it's not as strong as I remember it.

In fact, it may be the weakest entry of the first season and quite frankly, it is the dreaded filler episode, designed to quickly wrap up the big time revelation from "Flesh and Bone" that Adama was a Cylon. But while this particular chapter in the series may not be as earth shattering as some of the other ones, it still has merit. For one, I do love the fact that this is a tale permeating with fear and doubt because that little nugget from Leoben plants just that within the fleet and watching the President consistently question whether or not Adama is the enemy is quite interesting to say the least. 

Of course that madness only grows throughout the episode when Ellen Tigh returns to the fleet and that's where the humor begins. Ellen is...as wild as they come and the dinner scene with her, Saul, Lee, Bill and Laura is something that is incredibly anti-BSG. I mean hey, the Tighs are drunk as all hell throughout the whole thing and this was the first time we saw some classic comedy tropes pop up on the show when Ellen tries to "seduce" Lee in the middle of dinner and while it definitely establishes what a pain in the ass Ellen is and how much she influences Saul...it comes off a little awkward.

But there were still some important things that went down in this episode. For starters, we gained a little more insight into the Cylon's guile with the mystery Raider that felt the need to toy with the crew before making an attempt to slam itself into the Galactica and we learned that Baltar has way too much power when it comes to his Cylon Detector since he never quite reveals the results of Ellen's test. I know that was designed to continue to create doubt as to whether or not Adama was a Cylon, but that tends to lose its luster on a second viewing of the series when you know how it ends...and quite frankly how season one ends plays into that as well. But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet, there's only four more episodes to go in this inaugural season and thankfully the next one packs a serious punch. Until then.

Supergirl has shown us some incredible range as a television show when it comes to its themes and storytelling and that's a wonderful aspect about the show because it's not afraid to take chances. But thus far the series has made a point to stay away from the grittier style of storytelling that has permeated the superhero genre...until last night.

I guess it was inevitable when you think about it. It's what we the audience have craved from these tales for some time now, but this is a show that keeps things fresh and original and despite the fact that it stepped into the shadows last night, it did so in impressive fashion because "Childish Things" went not only beyond my expectations, but also brought forth some incredible moments and development for Winn and even J'onn J'onzz.

The highlight of the night was truly Winn's story and I was thoroughly impressed with the modern day twist that Winn became for an age old villain of the DC/Superman/Supergirl Universe...the Toyman. Yes, this bloodthirsty psychotic escaped from prison on the show for one important reason...to be reunited with his son, Winn. That's right, they made a main character of this show the son of a mad man and it made for some stunning television last night as we delved deep into Winn's mind. We learned that Winn despised his father for his actions and that he lived in fear of the man, not only because of his crimes, but because there is always a chance that he could become a monster as well.

After all, genetics are genetics and such thoughts made Winn more vulnerable than we have ever seen him before on the show. To the point where Kara did her best to intervene and help and found out exactly how Winn felt about her by way of a stolen kiss and a full profession of his love at the end of the episode, but before that final moment where Winn told Kara exactly how he feels we were treated to a subtle moment in the midst of chaos that showed us exactly what kind of man he really is since his dad kidnapped him after the kiss and told him that he had to kill the man that put daddy away, or watch hundreds of innocent people die at the hands of explosives. It almost looked for a moment there like Winn might do it, but his choice to fire the gun into the air was one relieving sight, and showed that deep down...he is nothing like his father.  

In the end of course the Toyman is brought back to jail, but we do need to take a moment and talk about Maxwell Lord since J'onn and Alex did their best to find out what he was hiding in that secret room. It force J'onn to shape shift and since he was discovered...use his powers to wipe a man's memory. It's a move that is clearly haunting J'onn and while it may not be as prolific as Winn's journey, I'm sure this will come up again. To top it all off tonight, the quest to get into Room 52 has revealed Kara's secret to Lord since he planted a camera on Alex's purse during their night out and while I feel like that final moment should have had more weight...it didn't. It was horribly overshadowed by some top notch writing and one powerhouse story and if this kind of quality work continues...Supergirl is about to become one of the finest superhero television shows out there. Until next time.

I always loved it when Battlestar Galactica just decided to let loose and take a shot at the world we currently live in and see what happens with the story. Because when they did just that, and took a slice out of our lives the results were simply fantastic and utterly uncomfortable for the audience. 

After all, a show that held nothing back in its standard storytelling would apply the same rules to social commentary of our modern world and the eighth episode of the series, "Flesh and Bone" was not only one of the finest episodes season one would have to offer, but it was ripped from the headlines of the War on Terror and the power of the story and those images are still as strong as they were back then since I felt uncomfortable watching this one once again. 

The plot was simple, Leoben, the Cylon we met in the miniseries is discovered and captured and happy to reveal in the process that he has planted a nuclear device somewhere in the fleet and it will detonate in the next nine hours. This of course prompts the Commander to send a team to the Gemenon Traveller, the ship where Leoben was captured, to interrogate him and discover where the nuclear device is hidden. The honor of breaking him down falls to Starbuck and this is where the episode goes above and beyond. For starters we are treated to an incredible cat and mouse game between Leoben and Kara as she tries to figure out the location of the bomb, but this is also where things get ugly.

After all, there is really no regard in this universe between human and Cylon and Kara is more than happy to put this machine's physical limits to the test. Leoben is brutally beaten on a regular basis as part of the interrogation process, but will not yield any information. But that does not deter Kara from trying to break him and she even goes as far as to waterboard him in the hopes of finally getting the information she desires. It's simply brutal and devastating to watch and despite Starbuck's hardass nature, it's clear that she takes no joy in what she does either but it is her job, plain and simple. Of course Leoben never cracks but eventually reveals that there is no bomb when Roslin comes aboard and the President is the one to put an end to all of this by blowing him out of the airlock, but not before he plants a seed of doubt in her mind...that Commander Adama is a Cylon as well.

Now I did neglect to mention the Boomer storyline that was also going on in this episode, specifically the fact that Baltar discovers that she is indeed a Cylon but covers it up to save his hyde, because well...we already know her true identity and that little thread was designed to do one thing...to give us a break from the horrors of Leoben's torture. The show quite simply unleashed its realistic fury in those scenes, especially the water boarding segment to the point where I found myself wincing and looking away. It was magnificent storytelling through and through simply because of the fact that the show never points you in the direction of whether its right or wrong, it's simply up to you to decide. This is truly one of the best episodes of the series ever had to offer and one that leaves you thinking days after you've watched it. Until next time.