You come to expect certain things from the television shows that you watch on a weekly basis and when it comes to Agent Carter, action, adventure, comedy and a sense of satisfaction have become a standard in their storytelling style week in and week out. 

So imagine my surprise when this week's double dose of episodes decided to change everything up by going into new territory this go round. I say that because, for the most part this is a series that has always kept everything on the lighter side of the gritty Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I guess it was high time they decided to take us to some uglier places in the right kind of way because "The Edge of Mystery" and "A Little Song and Dance" showed us a side of several characters we never expected to see, especially when it came to Edwin Jarvis.

Truly, our favorite butler and future disembodied voice had the darkest journey of any character this week and I'll be damned if it wasn't heartbreaking. I mean come on, Whitney Frost's escape plan killed any chance for the Jarvis' to ever have children and who knew that Edwin could exhibit that kind of fury? There was a fire in his eyes that I had never seen before and that made his decision to put two bullets into Whitney Frost all the more stunning. But the surprises didn't end there. Dr. Wilkes was willing to point a gun at Peggy to get what he needed and hell, Jack Thompson is clearly ready to do whatever it takes to make sure Whitney is gone for good since his plan to blow her up to Kingdom Come included the sacrifice of Vernon Masters and Dr. Wilkes.

But despite all those stunning moments, the other surprise this week is the fact that I was a little disappointed in this week's pair of episodes. Not because of the decision to go darker this time around, after all this is a spy drama and Peggy is facing an unconventional villain this season. No I was a little let down due to the fact that the show couldn't find consistency in its storytelling this week. One minute it was a gritty spy drama where no one can be trusted and then the next...it was full of the light hearted silly moments we enjoy but they seemed out of place. A fine example of this is the musical number that went down inside Peggy's mind. Was it fun and hilarious? Yup. But at the same time, it just didn't feel right and this late in season two, everything should be feeling a tad more cohesive.  

However, I can forgive all of this for a couple of reasons. For starters, I applaud the ballsy move to go to darker places on a show that has never really tried it before and because, Whitney Frost continues to fascinate me as a villain, and the fact she has completely evolved as a character now, well...that made these two hours worth watching. She has gone from aging actress, desperate to stay in the limelight and be loved by others for her beauty, to completely in control. She knows how to get what she wants from those around her...and they fear her. But more importantly, the best villains fully believe that they are in the right and that's where she is at this moment, convinced her control of Zero Matter will do wonderful things. Either way, the stage is set for a final showdown between Peggy and Whitney and I can't wait to see what happens in the season two finale. Until next time. 

Over my many, many years of being a comic book and comic book show fan, I have come to realize that there is one particular storytelling element that all of them use that I love over anything else they put forth...their lessons in morality. Those little nuggets about what is right and what is wrong in life are essential to these tales since they reinforce all the things mom and dad teach us, often on a more subtle level.

But to me, the finest stories in this genre come about when the hero is forced to face their own morality. When a decision they make or are about to make could fundamentally change who they are and what they do forever. It's a struggle we see from the greatest of heroes from time to time and it's always a fine reminder that we should strive to be better and make the better choice and this week on Supergirl, it was the grand debate of morality that took center stage for Kara in "Truth, Justice and the American Way".

Now before we get too deep into that, the first thing I really enjoyed about this episode, was its opening, specifically the funeral for Astra and the surprising class that went along with it. To date, Non has been nothing but a jerk so to see him put aside his Kryptonian fury over the death of his wife and invite Kara to be there to perform their people's burial rites made for an incredibly classy and gentle moment. One that was of course never meant to last because hey...he's planning on coming back in two weeks to start a war but, at least we saw the man actually has compassion after all. But once that was out of the way, it was into the meat and potatoes of the story where Kara was forced to face off against herself and a guard out for justice from Fort Rozz, the Master Jailer.

While one would think that the hunt for Master Jailer, since he decided it was time to become judge, jury and executioner of other aliens escaped from Fort Rozz would be the centerpiece of this morality tale, but he wasn't in the slightest. He was merely another awesome comic book character come to life. No, the battle for right and wrong ended up being the whole issue with the DEO locking up Maxwell Lord and that was nothing short of a stroke of genius since James was the voice of reason this go round, by pointing out the fact that Lord was being held against his will, without bond or the chance at Due Process and it was all Kara's doing, something not indicative of those who wear the "S", and well, her anger around the issue and her desire to keep the world safe by keeping him locked up merely confirmed it. 

It took the gentle moment between her and the alien professor who learned his lesson while in Fort Rozz for her to see the light that for one, people can change after all and that hey, he served his time legally whereas Lord did not and she let Maxwell go, with the caveat that if he rats on the DEO and Supergirl's identity, he'll pay the price and be behind bars legally. Either way, what a smart episode through and through. There was the opportunity here to handle the whole discussion of what's right and what's wrong in heavy handed fashion and the episode never took that route. Supergirl continues to impress me with its top notch writing and this episode was no exception. Plus, it also set the stage for another villain last night since we saw the introduction of Siobhan Smythe, who most likely will become the television version of the comic book villain, Silver Banshee...and that's freaking awesome. I just wonder how long it will take before Siobhan goes from assistant to Cat Grant to full on evil...we'll just have to stay tuned to find out. Until next time.

There's really no two ways about it, season ten of The X-Files has been nothing short of spectacular. This revitalization of the show has turned out to be a six week highlight reel of the best elements of the series as a whole. I mean think about it, everything we ever loved about the show popped up in this short six episode run and my only concern coming into last night was whether or not the season finale would live up to expectations. 

After all, it had to be bold, it had to stay in line with the greatest hits mentality season ten has sent our way and most importantly...it had to wash away the blandness of the original "series finale", and as it turns out, "My Struggle II" not only delivered all those things, but it took us on one incredible ride, giving us everything we could possibly want in a season finale and more, by upping the stakes in an unexpected way...giving us the apocalypse the show has been eluding to for years. 

Yes, that's right, a show that has always been more than happy to give us a slow burn on its biggest storylines and do everything it can to set up the story for the future went all out last night and I'll be damned if the end of the world wasn't impressive to see on the small screen. This was through and through a terrifying episode, all thanks to the art of subtlety. It wasn't giant starships coming out of the sky and raining fire down upon humanity, or a horde of monsters unleashed to tear us to bits...it was a virus, a genetic abnormality passed down to all of us from generation to generation so that our immune systems would fail and mankind would catch basically every single cold ever.

It was a wonderful stroke of storytelling, to have us fade away quietly into the night, but what I loved most about last night was the fact that the show FINALLY gave us some answers. Now we know that Scully's abduction was to protect her from this darkest of days and that the Cigarette Smoking Man did it to try and woo Mulder to the dark side and I'm so glad it didn't work. Seeing Mulder agree to a deal with this evil son of a gun would have been nothing short of heartbreaking, like it was when we discovered that former Agent Reyes decided to join up with him to save her own hyde, but despite all of these awesome things, we do need to talk about that cliffhanger of an ending. 

I say that because it raises one big question in my mind, is that ship friend or foe? The last time we saw that ship it was more than happy to blow Sveta into a million pieces, but it's clear now that not everyone agrees with Old Smokey's plan to wipe out humanity, so is there a chance whomever is piloting that ship is there to help? Well...sadly we are going to have to wait to find out and I'm oddly okay with that. I say that simply because, this is what the series finale of the show should have looked like all those years ago. This was bold, no holds barred storytelling that upped the ante every single chance that it could and well, despite the fact that season ten has come to a close, considering how well this revival of the show has done ratings wise and considering how much we have all loved it...the wait to find out whether or not Mulder and Scully can save the world may not be that long. Until next time.

New beginnings are far from a bad thing, why else would people always makes toasts to them? Changing your life by getting married, moving or even getting a new job can make all the difference. But what if you asked for everything to change and it cost you your family that you knew inside and out, only to have them replaced by a better model?  Would you be able to join them on their new path, even though you have not really been a part of it?  An interesting question to ask yourself when you want to make a new start for you and your loved ones and it pays to be careful when making that kind of a wish.

Annie MacIntosh and her family have just moved into their new home and she could not be happier.  When hanging her family portrait, she wants to have the family that was in that picture for her new home as well.  But the kids are always fighting and she is the only one that tries to control it while her husband is moving in the rest of their boxes.  When the dog comes in and christens the fireplace, Annie has had enough but when she goes to get the cleaning supplies to clean up the mess, she is greeted by a new dog that is not hers. When her husband Phillip tries to explain that it is her dog, Annie will not believe him, but when she looks at the family portrait, she sees that it is her dog and her life is starting to change.

Not being able to get her mind off of the dog, Annie has to shut down her husband for the night, but when she wakes up she sees a new person in the house. Getting a kiss before he heads off to school, Annie asks her daughter Tess who the individual is.  When Tess answers that the boy is her son Sean, Annie starts to freak out and is calling for her husband to come and help her.  Looking back and seeing another stranger in the house, Tess has changed as well and Annie tries to escape whatever madness that is going on.  Falling down the stairs and bumping her head, Annie sees that the kid’s pictures have changed in the portrait as well and when Phillip promises her that she will be all right and gives her a kiss, she sees another new addition to the family, a new Phillip who she does not know.

Trying to cope with what is happening to her, Annie calls her friend Yasmine to come and see who her new family is.  Although Yasmine does not see anyone different, she listens to her friend's rant and tries to console her.  But Annie is on an island all by herself and with her new family trying to make sure that she is all right, they take notice that the bump on her head may have taken away her memories. While at dinner, Annie realizes that she has gotten her wish, the perfect family, even with dog that she always dreamed about, but when she hears her new family talking about what they need to do to protect her, Annie has to find a way to escape before she is sent to the looney bin.

A pretty dark look at what could happen if your dreams actually came true.  Annie wants the perfect family, but when it costs her her children and husband, she is beside herself.  Not believing what is happening to her, Annie is forced to come to terms that the perfect family cannot be her old one and is being replaced by others, but will she be next to go?  Starring Susanna Thompson as Annie, Timothy Carhart as Phillip, Robert Wisden as New Phillip, Alexandra Purvis as Tess, Heather McEwen as New Tess, Jaren Brandt Bartlett as Sean, Sam MacMillan as New Sean and Laara Sadiq as Yasmine.  It would be hard to believe that two different sets of actors could encompass the screen in this episode, but they do it flawlessly as a night a day difference.  It is always good advice to be careful what you wish for, because if you get it, you might find out you never wanted it.  Happy Viewing.

​While everyone has a dream of becoming rich and famous, many of us do not have the talent to achieve this goal.  There is nothing to be ashamed of as you keep watching and seeing how the stars react to the media and have to fall back on their vices to get along with their lives. So many people have a hard time containing their inner emotions when they become famous and it makes you see that they are just the same as you and I and even sometimes much worse off than us.  It takes a special person to hit it big and keep their name out of the papers and off TMZ, but just know that everyone is flesh and blood and has their issues like the rest of have, it just seems so much worse when you're in the spotlight.

Corey Williams wants to make it big in the world of music, but he has one problem, he does not know how to play an instrument.  While rummaging through the local pawn shop with his friend Ricky, Corey sees a guitar that has caught his eye.  Trying to play it, it is apparent that he does not have the skills to make it sing like the greats, but even that will not hold him back since it is a 1957 Stratocaster, the same one that his idol Bobby McCain used to play.  Getting the guitar home, he and Ricky see that the guitar is covered in blood and the story was that when Bobby McCain went out, he did it in a blaze of glory, blowing his brain out all over the guitar.  Looking at the old school poster, everything matches, even the chip in the pick guard and somehow, Corey has gotten ahold of his idol’s guitar.

Being able to play like he never has been able to before, Corey practices his craft and becomes very good.  When going to an audition for a fading one hit wonder, Corey gets his own contract and starts recording right away.  With every take being better than the last, Corey is not able to stop since the guitar is making him better and better every day.  After a recording session and fifty eight takes on one track, the record producer sees that Corey is going to be a star and will put the entire backing of the label behind him.  Corey does not know what to expect, but he is able to gain fame and fortune overnight.

Three weeks after his record hits the streets it sells a million copies.  Not being persuaded by the groupies or the fame, Corey just wants to keep playing the guitar.  But young executive Ashley is able to convince him to have a night out and partake in the better things life has to offer.  After a long hot night, Ashley puts the guitar on and tells Corey the history behind it.  Finding out that it was not just Bobby McCain’s, but that it belonged to other artists that met a tragic end, Corey starts to believe that the guitar is cursed.  After finding Ashley dead in the guitar’s strap, Corey tries to distance himself from the haunted instrument, but no matter where he goes or what he does the guitar is always there for him to play.  After a botched video shoot where Corey tries to smash the Stratocaster, he has to find a way to get away from the guitar once and for all.

Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll right?  Not in this tale, just the rock-n-roll that Corey had dreamed about all of his life.  Gaining a relationship with the guitar from the get go, Corey was chosen for the life by the Strat, but once he starts enjoying it for a reason outside of the music, it gets angry with him.  Not allowing anyone else to be close to the star, the guitar will kill anyone that tries to take Corey away from her.  Kind of freaky right?  A guitar that can make your dreams come true, yet not let you go all the way?  Starring Lukas Haas as Corey Williams, Sticky Fingaz as Ricky and Tangi Miller as Ashley.  This is a great telling of what fame can do to someone who thinks that they are ready, but really has no idea of what to expect when their world starts to change, especially if their gift is not earned.  It helps to be mindful of who or what got you to the top before you start thinking it was just you and you alone.

​​It's rare that I ever side with a villain in a story because hey, they're usually pretty freaking evil and that whole drive toward chaos and the end of mankind isn't really something I can get behind. Now, sometimes they're quite good at getting you to at least understand their psychotic reasoning for the plan, but for the most part they're nuts and you root for the hero.

But I did make mention of the fact that once in a great while, the bad guy or gal actually happens to have a valid point and I know that I find myself a little disconcerted that I'm sitting there, nodding and agreeing with them. Which is why I'm glad that it's a rare occurrence and quite honestly, it's been a while since I've seen it...until this week that is. In fact it turns out that Dottie Underwood just so happened to have the best observation by a baddie in a long time when she told Peggy Carter that her "idealism would be her undoing."

If anything Dottie more or less summed up every single action on Agent Carter this week, because "Life of the Party" and "Monsters" ended up being nothing more than one mistake after another for Peggy, all in the name of doing the right thing, and that was an interesting change for the show, since last season, doing her own thing, off the books was the best idea ever since her actions eventually saved the day. But this go round, Peggy doing what Peggy does best seems to be causing everything to unravel around her. Her decision to use Dottie to snag the Zero Matter from Whitney Frost turned into an all out disaster since it led to Dottie's capture and brought the heat on the SSR like no other and man...even the rescue plan for Dottie turned out to be a mess since it inadvertently led to Jarvis' beloved wife, Ana, to taking a bullet in the gut as Whitney drove away.

Do all these things mean that Peggy is incompetent? Heck no, this is merely a matter of her facing off against all new kinds of enemies. Leviathan was the traditional type of villain she had come to know in the war. An organized group of people working toward one goal. But Whitney Frost and the Atlas Club, well they are something special. It's all about power and domination for our group of villains this season and that's not an ideal that's easy to beat and I love the fact that Whitney all but confirmed this week that her disdain for her mother and the world that only sees her as another pretty face is driving some of her madness. That's something new for a Marvel baddie and it's working well. But, despite Whitney and her power play on the Atlas club being the focus this week...a new question came into my mind...is Jason Wilkes also a villain in the making? 

After all, he sure found himself bristling with fury over the rescue mission for Dottie and he eluded to something sinister during his tirade about her. Plus in the waning moments of the show he exhibited a temper we had to yet to see against Whitney. There may be something more sinister to this man and I wonder if Whitney will bring out the worst in him. But in the end, my only complaint about this week, is the fact that ABC is airing the show in two hour blocks now. While it's cool to get an extended run of the show in one night it also means we're barreling toward the finale and well...this is a show that's just too good to rush, but alas, not my call. At least we're getting more Agent Carter at the moment and that's all that really matters. As for this set of episodes however, well done. I loved the fact that Peggy was challenged in new ways and it was an absolute treat to see Dottie return in a larger role, hopefully she sticks around for the rest of the season. Until next time.

It is always healthy to have dreams, I mean if we didn’t have them, what would be the point of getting out of bed in the morning.  Some people dream about power or money, while others just dream out being happy.  Since the prior two are supposed to lead to happiness, it is easy to get them mixed up and take over your life style, but as a wise person once said, money isn’t everything.

Telephone repairman Tyler Ward is a dreamer and wants to find a way to get rich quick.  Spending his money on lotto tickets to make it happen, he continues to wonder how great life would be when he hits it big.  With the occasional glace towards his supervisor Shannon, Tyler knows that she would have nothing to do with him unless he had something more to offer than just his winning personality.  His best friend Buddy does not feel the same way, since he knows Tyler inside and out and believes that his friend can be something much more than the loser he thinks he is, he just needs to make up a plan and stop wasting his time on these get rich quick schemes.

After a massive rain storm blows over, Tyler is given the order to get up and work on the downed phone lines by Shannon, but the storm is not over.  A strange electrical build up takes place over Tyler’s head and before he is able to get down a blast of lightning hits him.  Being revived in the ER after being dead for over three minutes, Tyler is a medical triumph, but something has changed inside of him.  Suffering partial amnesia, Tyler has selective memory coming back to him gradually, but he is starting to see strange lights coming out of people’s faces.  Not being able to explain this, along with the voices in his head, Tyler does some more digging around and finds out that the Sprite that has hit him is not out of the ordinary, but now he is holding onto an electrical charge that he cannot control.

Finding out that he is able to read minds, Buddy encourages him to put it to the test.  Winning at a high stakes game of poker, Tyler sees that his new gift will allow him to live the life he has always wanted.  Taking his powers to Wall Street, Tyler becomes one of the top traders in the game and everything is going right for once in his life.  But there is a draw back as he is trying to get closer to Shannon who feels responsible for his current condition, but she tries to push him away since he is becoming more money hungry than ever.  Thinking that this is what she wanted in a man, Tyler refuses to back off, but when he sees Buddy and Shannon kiss outside of his apartment, he loses his mind.  Turning up the juice, Tyler finds Shannon and tries to force her to love him with his gift, but it has to be a conscious choice in her mind and she refuses.  Trying the same tactic on Buddy, Tyler finds out that he is all alone in his quest for happiness and knowing that he will not be able to win either of them back into his life, tries to find a way out.

This is a very powerful episode, no pun intended, but you get to see how the human psyche works in someone that gets everything that they dreamed of.  As Tyler tells his story about how his family never had any money, it becomes clear that he refuses to go out that way.  With just this taste of information, Shannon is willing to be with him, but when he starts to take his gifts to the extreme, it scares her away.  Knowing how to control his new gift, Tyler puts it to work since he really loves the woman, but the harder he tries to convince her to love him, the further he pushes her away.  Starring Jeremy Piven as Tyler, Olivia d’Abo as Shannon and Vincent Laresca as Buddy, this is the cast that shows how true emotion can be a benefit and a burden at the same time.

Finding a way to escape the madness that life brings is far from a bad thing. But you must remember that where ever you allow your mind to go, it must come back to the real world when all is said and done.  There are so many ways in escaping to a different realm, movies, TV shows, books, artwork and so on.  It can be easy to get lost with the help of these and allowing your imagination to take you to places that are better than your current situation is easier than facing the reality that is right outside your window.  Just make sure to come back when you are needed since you may have someone that needs you to stick around in the real world, even if it is just for being you.

Young Craig Hansen has found a way for himself to gain release from the real world, his comics about Azoth.  Knowing that Azoth is always the hero and can defeat any foe, Craig knows that being with him would make him safer than he has ever felt.  As his father gets into another fight with his mother over not having enough beer downstairs, Craig is afraid that he will get the wrath of his father's abuse again.  When his father enters Craig’s room, he sees that his boy has been beat up by the bullies in the neighborhood once again and getting sick of seeing his son as a victim, the verbal abuse makes Craig feel worse than he ever has before.

Seeing an inscription on the bottom of the model of Azoth that he is painting, Craig recites it and his hero is brought to life.  Not knowing where he is, Azoth has to get used to this new realm he has been brought to, but Craig needs him to take care of his battles.  Returning to the basketball court where he was beat up, Craig and Azoth confront the bullies and send them packing, well, at least Azoth does.  With great power, Azoth is ready to meet his worthy foe in this realm before he is ready to return home.  Not being able to stay in Craig’s room, he is placed in the apartment’s laundry room until he is needed once again.  Being a good friend to his hero, Craig steals some food from the fridge and allows the large man to eat, but little does he know that his father will rage about this as well.

Hearing his parents fight about what is not in the fridge, Craig tries to break it up by admitting that he took the food.  His father does not believe him and then his focus turns to someone much taller and hairier as Azoth has entered the house.  Preparing to defend Craig and his mother from their abusive father, Azoth holds back and allows himself to get beaten by the man the family fears.  Craig is shocked that his hero could not defeat his father and wants to know why.  Azoth is a great warrior, but this battle is not his to be had, Craig must step up to the plate and defeat his father on his own.  Sending his hero home, Craig tries to get his father’s attention by wielding Azoth’s sword, but that is not the weapon that can defeat the evil being held by his father, Craig will have to use his mind as well.
​
I am sure that everyone has had a fantasy of seeing their hero come to life and help them out, even nowadays.  It would make everyone’s life easier if they could have someone else fight their battles for them, no matter how small, but what we do not seem to understand is that it is the battles that make us who we are.  No matter if you win or lose, these are the things that define you as your own person.  Craig has his eyes opened by Azoth to this fact and is slowly starting to understand what he must do to protect himself and his mother from the abuse that his father is bringing into their home.  Starring Rory Culkin as Craig Hansen, Patrick Warburton as Azoth, Peter LaCroix as Darrell (the father) and Suzy Joachim as Lorraine (the mother).  Everyone has troubles when they are growing up, either with other kids picking on them, an abusive house hold, or just a crazy person making their lives a living hell.  These are the things that change us into the people that we are today and even though these events can be the worst times in our lives, we must remember that we need to battle through them for ourselves and nobody else.

During the course of its ten year run The X-Files has provided all of us with plenty of jaw dropping or terrifying moments but as far back as I can remember, none of them were as bone chilling or real world relevant as last night's episode because holy cow...the show decided to pull out all of the stops in one its trippiest and most religious themed stories to date. 

I was actually, ill prepared for the surprises that "Babylon" threw our way last night and I mean that in the best possible way, simply because of the fact that this episode completely drew me in with its compelling storyline that kicked off with one of the most powerful cold opens I've ever seen on television. Sure, I knew what was coming but part of me was really hoping that something supernatural was about to go down, instead of the horrific and graphic depiction of a terrorist bombing that played out instead. 

That of course led to one incredibly dark storyline that took us to Texas this week with a race against time to stop any further bombings from happening and well, I was a little surprised to see the show do a touch of social commentary because it's really not the show's style, but I'll be damned if they didn't do it well. There was a monster of the week after all this go round and it turned out to be the personification of hatred, racism and xenophobia that we see a lot of these days as everyone in this tiny Texas town was more than ready to exact their revenge on the young man who was responsible for, and survived, the bombing. It all made for some extremely uncomfortable but strong moments, and for a second there I was wondering if this one was going to be completely grounded in reality, something extremely rare for this series.

But leave it to The X-Files to surprise by taking us into the realm of the supernatural after all, and believe it or not this episode completely managed to lighten the mood on several occasions, since Mulder and Scully meeting their younger doppelgängers in Agents Einstein and Miller was absolutely delightful and well, who didn't love that hilarious moment when the magic mushrooms kicked in and sent Mulder on a wild hallucinatory ride? Plus, it was nice to see the Lone Gunmen during all of that, if only for a moment. Of course Fox's psychedelic and other worldly experiences eventually lead to the FBI saving the day, since he was able to recognize the bomber's mother and recall what the bomber said to him in the "afterlife" after coming out of his trip, but when all was said and done, this episode left me with a couple of questions that continue to nag at me on this morning after.  

For starters, if Agent Einstein gave Mulder a placebo Niacin pill and not the psychotropic drugs he so desired, how the hell did he get into that hallucinogenic state? Sure we can go with the "power of suggestion" theory posed throughout the episode but I don't buy it...especially not after those trumpets sounded for Mulder and only Mulder at the end of the episode and that's my other question, why was Fox the only one able to hear those trumpets blare? Is it foreshadowing for the season finale next week or is it simply another moment of mystery for the show? Time may or may not tell all things considered but that's what I loved about this episode, it challenged so much about our world and it left so much to our imagination and really...this is the only show that can put real world events and the supernatural together like this and do it in seamless fashion. It really is a shame that the season finale arrives next week, makes me feel as though this religious twist would have been a fascinating plot thread to explore. Either way, the end is near and judging from the trailer...it looks our new conspiracy is about to come around full circle. Until next time. 

There are times in life when you have to do what you can to get by.  Sometimes that means having to take a job that you may be overqualified for and extremely underpaid for what you are doing.  There is no shame in doing this to make ends meet, as we have all had to do it at least once in our lives.  Money might not be the most important thing in our lives, but we are required to have it in order to live at any level.  Just make sure that if you are forced to take one of these jobs, that you do not take advantage of the situation, there may be something more dangerous hiding behind it.

Ritchie Almares is just the standard over aged pool guy that is not looking for anything better.  He knows the gig is nothing special, after talking to a coworker about how great his job is not, he does not get the love and affection of all of the ladies that you read about in fiction or see on television, he just gets sunburned while cleaning other people’s pools.  As he walks back to his truck, he sees a newspaper on his windshield and when he reads the story, he sees a man with a gun pointed directly at him.  Not able to run, Ritchie is shot in the chest, but it was a good thing it was only a dream.

Waking up in his bed, his roommate Lenny comes in to check on him since he has been screaming for a while now.  Ritchie tells his friend about the dream, but when he takes his shirt off, he sees that he has been scarred.  Going to the doctor’s office to get the wound checked out, Ritchie is met again by the strange man with a gun in his hand.  Telling Ritchie to wake up before he shoots, he is shot again, but this time in the stomach.  Ritchie does not know what to do or what to think as he wakes up again. Being pestered about paying the rent on time, Ritchie has a new client whose pool he is going to clean today, so the money will be there on time. 

Arriving at the large house, Ritchie is approached by the hot wife living there and Mrs. Hunt is looking for something from him.  Being drunk and kissing her new pool boy, the two are caught by Mr. Hunt who knows exactly what and why his wife is doing this.  Ritchie sees that this is the same man from his dreams that keeps shooting him and wants to get away with just a beating.  Waking up on a table in the Virtuacorp offices, Ritchie finds out that he is undergoing dream therapy.  Not believing this is happening, he is approached by Mr. Hunt once again and shot.  Waking up for real this time, Ritchie finds out that he is being billed by Virtuacorp, but he does not remember signing any contract for the dream therapy to take place.  Sneaking around the office to try and find some answers, he finds out more than he bargained for when seeing that he has been arrested for the murder of Mr. Hunt.  Being shot again, Ritchie wakes up, but is starting to understand that his life is nothing more than a bad dream.

Dreams can be a frightening thing, especially when they start to feel real.  There have been many a nights I have woken up in a cold sweat, not knowing what is real and what was the dream.  Imagine if you were not able to wake up and kept having the same dream over and over again.  That would be the most uncomfortable thing that could ever happen to someone, especially if they do not understand why it is happening.  But by the end of the episode all is answered in the typical Twilight Zone fashion and you may not see it coming.  Starring Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Almares, Erik King as Lenny, Jana Mitsoula as Mrs. Hunt and Mackenzie Gray as Mr. Hunt.  I really dig how this story played out in the end, although I wish it had proof that Ritchie was the killer, just so he and us could have seen it to prove that his torture is justified.