There are some people that have the ability to be the best at everything that they do.  Most of these people are very popular and need to stay in the limelight at all times to feel good about themselves.  While everyone looks up to them, they are not always able to catch their eye since they are less popular than their hero, but they still try everything within their power to get noticed.  With the feeling of being stuck in the shadows, it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it is there and if you are persistent enough, anything can happen.

Brad Bender is at the top of his game.  Being named all state in every sport that he has played, everything is on the up and up for the star, but he still wants more.  Brad now has his eyes set on becoming Prom King and has to decide on who he wants to make his queen. Thinking that there is no way that he can lose the race to the class president, Cliff, Brad is ready to accept his crown when some disheartening news comes across the intercom.

This year’s Prom King will not be based on popularity, but it will be whomever is able to sell the most raffle tickets for the school fundraiser.  Even though Cliff has gotten at head start on it, Brad is none too worried about losing to him, since all of his sales will come from the girls that want to be his queen.  But Brad has one admirer that will stop at nothing to catch his eye.  Shirley wants to be seen by the high school stud, but he is not willing to tarnish his image with the dorky girl and keeps trying to shun her away.  When he is supposed to be watching the meteor shower, Brad is on the phone with Cliff, trying to rub his opponent’s nose in his impending victory, but what Brad does not see is that a meteor is coming straight for him.

After crashing into his room, Brad continues to be the talk around town, but something is slowly starting to change with his body.  With everything else around his room becoming magnetized from the meteor strike, Brad is not an exception.  Trying to hide what is happening to him from his friends and family, Brad tries to get out of going to school for fear of losing face, but is still striving to become Prom King.  As he waits for the announcement to come over the intercom, Brad has to stay away from anything metal since it is all attracted to him.  When the scientists come to the school to find him and see if he is hiding anything from them, Brad tries to hide, but there is nowhere to run when his new attraction brings him face to face with his fate.

This episode shows how hard it is for someone to let go and allow themselves to change in any way.  Even when Brad becomes magnetized, he is still trying to show off for everyone how great he really is.  Even when his secret comes to light, he still tries to hold his head up high, even though he is beyond ashamed.  But when he finds out that his little dorky crush Shirley is affected by the same thing, there is nothing that can keep them apart, literally. It seems like everyone gets what they deserve in the end, no matter how good you are at something, or how popular you may be, your just rewards are always waiting for, no matter if you want them or not.  Always keep one eye to the sky, as you never know what will be coming down to you.

It's been a long and sometimes frustrating road when it comes to Sense8. For all of its amazing potential, this first season has seen its share of stumbling blocks that have left me frustrated at times, and even at the end of episode ten, I still found myself dying for the Sensates to fulfill their potential and become something more and wonderful. 

Well it turns out my patience has finally been rewarded because the eleventh episode of the series, "Just Turn the Wheel and the Future Changes" was one filled to the brim with the right mix of action, adventure, character development and of course...a purpose for the Sensates at last and a grand setup for what appears to be a big time season finale. So let's get right into breaking down this wonderful episode. 

When it came to character development this go round, much of it focused on Kala and Sun, as they continued their respective journeys. After all Kala has big decisions to make about her future marriage and Sun...well Sun unfortunately came to learn from her idiot brother that her father passed away shortly before finally revealing the truth about the embezzlement his son committed. Granted it looks like Sun's brother killed dear old dad to keep his sorry ass out of prison and Sun's journey toward the dark side was completed when she beat the tar out of him for killing their dad. I mean really, she's had the ugliest journey so far of all the Sensates and her words to Kala at the end of the episode speak to how hardened she has become. 

But the action and adventure kicked off courtesy of Capheus' story, as he brought Silas' daughter to a safe place with his business partner before confronting the gang that told him to give them the girl or see his mother perish. Displeased with the fact they didn't get the girl, Githu revealed that he had captured Silas in the hopes of killing his daughter in front of him and demanded that Capheus kill Silas as retribution and to settle their debt. But Capheus would not do such a thing, channeling Sun's fury one more time and even bringing Will in on the fun to become Van Damme one more time and save the day. 
But perhaps the most troubling storyline of the episode was that of Riley's and the danger she is in. Indeed the clock is ticking and despite Nomi's best efforts to keep Riley a secret, Jonas returns to warn them that Whispers knows about her and well...he's planning to meet Will in Iceland.  

So man, this is the first episode that I was on the edge of my seat the entire way through. It was one incredible moment after another and while it's clear now that Whispers grand plan is to find every Sensate he can to lobotomize or murder, what's not clear is if Jonas is truly helping the mad man...or the cluster he helped give birth to. Either way, this is what I was waiting for. So many characters featured in this episode were bold, brazen and heroes at last. Not to mention they finally used their powers the right way, working together in seamless fashion and it truly made for one fine episode. Now onto the season finale and the race to save Riley. Until next time. 

As you get older, you start to remember things that have happened in the past that you were responsible for.  Even though there is nothing you can do about it now, if something bad happened, you still feel responsible. If someone lost their life, or even just lost their job over what you did so many years ago, it still sticks with you and you are left to wonder what you could have done to make things better.  Even if you might have done the wrong thing back then, is there a way that you will be able to make up for it going forward?  It is a question that many people will leave unanswered in life, but if you think about it before your final days, you might be able to make it right once again.

Old Pa is being taken to his son’s house in the country.  Although it seems like he is enjoying himself on the trip, when he arrives at his new home, he is less than pleased. Even with the house being something out of this world, Old Pa knows that there is something coming in the night that will make it less desirable to live in, even if his son will not believe him.  But Old Pa does know that there is someone that will listen to every word that he says, his grandson Brian. When Brian sees his grandfather, he is beyond ecstatic.  Without being able to have his friends come over to his house due to its location being so far out of town, Brian is in need of someone to talk too other than his parents.  With Old Pa in the house now, Brian can hear all of the old stories about Indians fighting on the land, but he then hears a story he did not expect.  Old Pa takes a moment in the quiet to listen to an old railroad track that has been dislodged when the old Highball Express derailed seventy-five years ago and he hears the train coming again after all this time.

Telling his grandson about what happened so many years ago, about how he fell asleep on the tracks and the train derailed because of him, Old Pa is finally ready to board the train.  But there is one problem, the trains tracks are leading right though the house.  Trying to warn the family that there will be problems when the old train comes through, Old Pa is sedated and left in his room that is right in the way of the oncoming train.  But Brian does not give up on his grandfather and listens to the tracks on his to train set to see what Old Pa has heard.  When hearing the train coming, Brian tries to get his parents attention, but they are less than willing to admit that an old man’s ramblings are valid.  But Old Pa is ready to take his train and when it arrives in the living room of the house, he is none the wiser and happy to see it once again.

This is a great opening to a new series, and although it happened in the eighties, it is new to me.  With a story that thinks outside of the box, I am happy to see it on my screen today.  I loved how this story came to life with Old Pa and his grandson Brian.  The two have a bond that only a grandfather and grandson can understand.  With Brian wanting a new play friend and Old Pa looking to take the train that he missed so many years ago, it is a story that will last you a lifetime.  Old Pa needs redemption for what he caused so many years ago and even though Brian does not understand the gravity of the situation, he will do everything in his power to make sure that his grandfather his happy and on his way.

Amazing Stories is just kicking off and one of the reasons I was willing to give it a chance is that Steven Spielberg is a producer.  I am not one to give in to a name like this, but when the series came out in the eighties and he was just starting to hit it big and after one episode, I don’t think I can pull back.  Everyone knows Spielberg as a huge Sci-Fi nut, but his stories can be darker and more out of this realm than you could ever imagine.  The kids that can actually remember the eighties should know this pretty well, but if you have not seen his shorts, or anything besides his Indiana Jones movies, you need to widen your horizon a little bit, for he has a mind that could blow yours away and some of the stories that he has been involved with are stranger than anything you could ever imagined. In the end, some stories are never what you expected.

All right, this is probably a long time coming, but I finally sat down last night and had the opportunity to watch the Netflix show Daredevil. If you’ve read most of my blogs, than most of you know my hate of the character. Which is probably unjust and I’m sure I owe the character an apology. I should start by saying my first interaction with Daredevil was the movie. Previously I had heard of the comic, but never read it. Because, well, I don’t know. I found it offensive. I suppose that is something most people should know about me by now, but I am easily offended by some things. Particularly when it comes to vision.

For me, I live in purgatory; too sighted to be blind and too blind to do most actual adult things. Like driving. So, when I heard there was a blind superhero I was excited at first. But then the movie happened and I was no longer excited. Perhaps its because the movie played up the stigma that blind people had better sense than everyone else. I’m here to dispel that lie. In fact, we don’t…we just pay more attention to what we hear, smell, touch and taste, to make up for what we can’t see. The reality is, the thought of this superhero out there doing things because he couldn’t see, was awesome. Yet, even at that they cheated. I’m sorry, but the whole “seeing through sound vibrations” thing really ticked me off. Especially in the movie, because let’s face it. He wasn’t so blind then. I guess that’s when my hate began.

The show, so far, is a lot different. I actually really like the character. I like the origin story and how they tell it here. And yes, I get it, chemicals took his vision away so other things were probably enhanced  because that’s just a typical hero story. And, this time around, that’s fine. The show actually grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go. I’ve literally just started watching it and I’m excited to watch every episode after. While some aspects of Daredevil’s powers will probably still irritate me, the way this story is being told actually makes me like the character. It’s a wonderfully put together show…and yes, I did text everyone after seeing the first episode. After all, sometimes you have to rescind your angry dislike of something once you find out you like it. Except for raspberries…those are pure evil.

If you’ve not seen the show I highly recommend that you do. Not only is it worth watching, it’s worth binge watching. Because, e power of Netflix is amazing and filed with all kinds of love. I'm looking forward to one massive binge watch of this show. I have to know how it ends, it's really that good and I'm honestly sorry I didn't quite give it a chance sooner. But that's okay, because I'm enjoying it now and if anything, this show has already taught me one valuable lesson that I didn't think it would...don't judge a series by its movie. 

I noticed an interesting contrast when it came to episodes nine and ten of Sense8. Episode nine, while beautiful and rich really seemed to focus on regret and reflection on the hardest parts of our characters' lives. That's not a bad thing by any means, it's just that episode ten turned out to be a story filled with stark contrast, a celebration of life if you will.  

Yes, "What is Human?" turned out to be an extremely, hyper positive and fun episode and as the series nears the end of season one, it was welcome and refreshing in a way. Of course we received more information about the Sensates courtesy of Jonas as he educated Will on the subtle genetic nuances of how they came to be and the fascinating fact that somewhere along the way mankind lost its ability to communicate with nature and the world the way the Sensates do. It wasn't a ton of information from Jonas, but it did show us all that a fascinating world and mythos is being born right before our eyes and I love it.

But the episode also served as redemption for what could be considered two of its weakest characters. To date Lito and Wolfgang haven't had a lot to do really and while Lito's story has slowly been gaining steam, Wolfgang's took off as he dealt with the man who shot his best friend in impressive fashion and with an assist from Lito. Of course the Sensates help one another so when Lito finally decides to set things right in his life, Wolfgang is there to help him rescue Daniela from the clutches of the psychotic Joaquin.  In fact that was the most satisfying storyline of the night, Lito's redemption. It was great to finally see him embrace who he is and what matters in life and the good vibes didn't end there. 

The celebration of life that I mentioned came at the end of the episode when Riley came to see her father play at the concert hall. All of the Sensates were able to enjoy the wonder of the music and the concert and all somehow were able to remember the moment of their birth as they did. That was something quite frankly I'd never seen in television before, and well it worked for this show.  But all good things must come to an end, and in the process of feeling this overwhelming emotion, Riley flashed back to the tragic moment she lost her husband and child, sending a torrent of blood down her face as she collapsed at the concert.

I get the feeling things are going to get ugly from here. After all, Riley is in Iceland, the land of BPO and Whispers. That means she is going to go to the hospital, tests will be done and they'll discover the changes in her brain like they did with Nomi and I'm sure the wrong kind of people are going to get involved quickly. That means it will be up to her cluster to save her life and save the day and I'm hoping her imminent capture will at last lead to some answers about Whispers and the purpose of his organization.  Either way, just like that, the stage is set for the season finale and at long last, the stakes are high. Until next time.

What a wild evolution Sense8 has gone through over the last couple of episodes that I've completely and utterly enjoyed. Gone are the boring moments of "Hey I can talk to someone else" followed by hints of something special. There is a plot now, there is a purpose and at last...depth. 

I've had my share of complaints about this show, and one of them I've overlooked up until this point. While the show has been filled with a unique concept and vibrant characters, those all important people have been missing depth. We have never really understood them or who they are, that is until the ninth episode, "Death Doesn't Let You Say Goodbye". 

But before we get into all of that, this episode did give us a little more insight into the Sensates and how the BPO ensures that they rarely survive or succeed in the world. The woman that "cursed" Riley away from Iceland revealed that the BPO loves to run genetic testing on potential Sensates, no doubt stopping them in their tracks before they can unify with others and create a cluster. But we also learned one potentially disturbing "fact." That Jonas and Angel used to work with Whispers to help bring down clusters. It's hard to say if that's truth or not, but it's definitely food for thought.  

But, as is often the case in this show, the bigger plot revolving around Whispers was not the focal point and this go round I didn't mind it because wow, we were treated to some of the finest performances in the show to date as we learned more about what some of these characters have been through to this point and how much it tears at them. Capheus, Riley, Nomi and Lito have all been through some seriously traumatizing times. Nomi and Capheus it seems have embraced their pain and moved forward in life with it while Riley and Lito let it haunt them. But all those wonderful moments, including some heartbreaking scenes with Lito at the end of the episode were absolutely beautiful. 

I really was blown away this episode with everything it brought to the table when it came to these characters and it was something the show needed desperately, to finally bring the characters to life in a way where we connected with them on some level and quite frankly it is my favorite episode to date. It also feels in a way like so many in the cluster are without purpose and direction because of their pain and whatever is yet to come will give them what they need. While in many ways this episode should serve as a transitional one, it really isn't. I feel like there was a purpose and reason to learning so much about everyone and that this was likely the calm before the storm as we head into the home stretch of the story as the end of season one draws near. Until next time. 

Have to admit, part of me was a little bit nervous settling in for the eighth episode of Sense8. After all it's not uncommon to see a television show provide you with everything you want one week, then go and surprise you the next by either veering off in a whole different direction, or returning to the format from the week before. 

Thankfully that was the not the case for this episode, in fact in many ways "We Will All Be Judged by the Courage of Our Hearts" turned out to be a clone of episode seven and that's a damn good thing. But there was a a little something extra to go with this one, this was an episode that focused heavily on the consequences of our actions, while once more pushing that plot forward just a little more and at the same time, giving us some heavy insight into some of the characters that haven't always been at the forefront of the show. 

For example, we learned a ton about Wolfgang's past, why he does what he does and why he is so damn loyal. This was actually the most touching storyline of the episode in fact, one I thoroughly enjoyed. We also learned this go round that Lito is a self centered coward. I think perhaps we always knew he had a certain level of shallow to him, but nothing like what we saw in this episode I mean, come on, he freaking let Daniela get beat up by her crazy ex, who is once again her crazy boyfriend all in the name of keeping his homosexuality a secret  and save his career and well, I think Hernando's decision to walk away from the whole thing was a great call and I'm glad someone finally put Lito in his place. Plus things are getting ugly for Capheus, since the gang that he beat down has returned...and they want him to bring Silas' daughter to them or his mother's life is in danger.

But best part of the show was our baddie, Mister Whispers showing up once more as Will and Nomi continue their in depth search to discover exactly what the hell his organization is up to. They do discover that Whispers is part of the Biological Preservation Organization and that Metzger had traveled the world performing his dangerous and brain destroying surgery, before of course the BPO and Whispers show up at Nomi's doorstep. It leads to another impressive action sequence where the Sensates once more work together and that's one part of this show that always impresses, these guys and gals are a force when they come together and I'm sure that's one of many reasons the BPO wants them out of commission.  

Thankfully Nomi escapes their clutches, but the hunt for information gets Will suspended from the Chicago P.D. and we learn that the BPO is well connected, which is equally as scary. They have ties with the FBI and local Police making them one hell of a force to be reckoned with. But, even though the episode only gave us a spoonful of answers, it was enough to keep me hooked and excited for the next chapter in the story. I'm dying to know exactly what Whispers is up to, and we still need to discover the true purpose of the Sensates and it does feel like we are getting closer to both of those things. Until next time. 

I decided to take a break from watching Sense8 after my last blog and with good reason. I was extremely frustrated after episode six and rather than dive right back in, frustration and all, I figured it would be best to back off for a little while and let that irritation subside. After all this really is one original and intriguing concept and I genuinely want to find all the good the show has to offer.

So I'm glad I did take a little break after all, because the seventh episode of the series, "W. W. N. Double D?" finally got the series' plot development rolling, giving us some chilling moments that relate to that all important moment in the opening part of the series and it was refreshing to finally see it happen.  Granted, there were some other important things that went on in the episode, so let's start there.  

We got to see that Sun will be okay in prison, she is making friends fast and her lie about embezzling from the company has her new friends seeing her as honorable. Hopefully her secret remains just that and keeps her in high standing. Riley made it home to Iceland, and it was nice to see the warm and loving relationship with her father. But the episode went super dark outside of that. Wolfgang saw his business partner gunned down before his eyes and Capheus' mission to help Silas' daughter took one hell of a turn when we saw exactly how ruthless Silas truly is. Hell, even Lito is facing tough times since Daniela's psycho ex has pictures that she never should have taken that could blackmail him or ruin his career. But none of this compared to what we have all been waiting for...the big plot hiding in the shadows. Nomi and Will sought out knowledge and while Will saw pictures of the man with white hair we saw in the pilot leaving the scene of Angel's suicide during his detective work...Nomi learned so much more.

It turns out that Doctor Metzger had indeed performed the surgery she was scheduled for before and the end result was two deaths and a vegetable. As she digs deeper, she hacks Metzger's phone, discovering a Doctor Matheson, who already knows who she is. It only gets better from there when she and her sweetheart break into the good doctor's place before Metzger returns home to find them, and she is warned by Jonas that "Whispers" is coming. It leads to a shocking action sequence where Metzger is gunned down by the one man who survived his procedure, before the poor, lobotomized man turns the gun on himself, clearly under the influence of the man with the white beard, Whispers. 

So needless to say, I was freaking thrilled with this episode. The Sensates are finally facing some real challenges rather than just talking to one another about how wild and crazy it is that they have some odd connections and...the plot is finally advancing. It isn't a massive leap forward by any means. But we finally have a name to our villain, an idea of how powerful he is and the fact he is willing to throw down to protect whatever he is up to. Exactly what that is just yet, we don't fully know, but I have faith once again we fill out soon enough. Until next time.