The Magicians 4x07 "The Side Effect" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

I was screaming at this episode. The side characters got much-needed attention, and everything I love / hate about writing books came to light for the audience. Penny 40 is back in the picture, and fully explains why the side characters: Kady, Fen, and Zelda. I’m so happy they addressed what happened to Kady in the last few episodes.

Penny 40 is watching over his friends in an interesting way, and the storytelling reveals how the audience cares more about Quentin and Alice than all the other side characters. How the camera angles in the episode showcase the side character over the main character in the room is a great example as we revisit the Margo-Josh-Fen scenes and seeing it from Fen’s POV.

This also lets us in on Penny 40’s adjustment to “being dead” and how he’s handling his new job at the Underground Library. The twist that the new guy was actually Penny’s superior was strangely impressive, and the cliffhanger had me wanting more from all the storylines. The seeds are planted for the second half of the season.

Fen’s prophetic dreams are an interesting and entertaining, but they do not help make this Fillory storyline stronger. It’s the weakest one, but it was super fun seeing Fen have the spotlight for once. The refresher on last week’s scenes helped too.

Zelda’s time in The Order, and how she handled Alice’s escape made her much more sympathetic. Although saving Harriet got convoluted at times, it did work to solidify the ending where Zelda seeks Alice’s help with Henry Fogg. I’m not sure why Zelda lied about Alice’s book in the first place, but it’s whatever.

Kady’s new story arc with the Hedge Witch Revolution is easily the best part of the whole damn thing. We had no trust in the writers, but they pushed Kady on her own path. She’s done being a sidekick to the shit Quentin and friends get into. I love the growth here, and how going in this direction will have direct effects on The Library and apparently the Fillory Quest.

Season four had a lot of fantastic episodes, and the tight-writing makes the series really engaging to watch. I’m excited to see how all of these storylines click with each other.

Good Trouble 1x09 "Willful Blindness" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Marianna took a backseat in this episode, but it allowed Malika to get center-stage alongside Callie for a drama-filled episode. I’m not a fan of the flashback scenes / fake-outs, especially when they do not add anything. Callie is missing Gael and regretting the decision to not go exclusive with him. The bringing documents and bringing them back made me realize something important.

I believe this is the first episode where Callie and Gael do not have sex. It’s weird but entertaining how even Gael got sick of being in Callie’s world. He’s also pursuing his art and working out his Queer Latinx identity.

Malika’s brother and mother are absolute monsters. Well, the mom is awful and makes Malika “apologize” when she did the right thing. The scene worked because it made the audience uncomfortable seeing her submit to her mom’s lies just so she can bond with her brother. I cried when Malika got back in the car and slammed the steering wheel.

Alice’s drama with Sumi is ruining her life. Meera is fleshed out in this episode, and she is not pleased when Alice talked bad about Sumi on Joey’s radio show. How they covered up their argument for this woman is crazy to me. I don’t get what Alice sees in her, or why she’s having a hard time letting go.

Rebecca made her stand and filed a sexual harassment claim against that Judge! Yes! But this leads her to exiting the series. She takes a different job in Denver but leaves on a good note with Callie, who suggests they get a drink if she’s ever in Denver. She also told Callie to tell Ben to “Go to Hell”. That’s a great way to go.

Judge Wilson is a great complex character. His relationship with Callie is interesting because she just keeps digging into other people’s businesses. Callie told Judge Wilson about the another judge, but he cannot do anything despite implying he knew this whole time. Then the show reminds us about his bias opinion in the Jamal Thompson case.

Overall, this episode had me screaming at my television. The fake out scenes and time jumping to give context isn’t that helpful to the structure of the episodes, and hopefully, like I’ve said in my past three episode reviews, season two phases this gimmick out.

This Is Us 3x14 "The Graduates" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please review with caution.

After a fantastic Beth-centric episode from a few weeks ago, this episode really disappointed me. The Big Three are not making great decisions, looking at you Kevin and Randall, but Past Rebecca’s story was heart-wrenching, reminding us that Jack died. The drama piled on with Kate’s early labor and Kevin’s relapse in drinking and lying to others.

Let’s start with Past Rebecca. The story of the video camera, and how that single dad asked Past Rebecca out on a date… the expression on her face was perfect. Mandy Moore is an amazing actress. I was thrown too that he asked her out, using Jack’s death as his opening… I’m glad she just walked away and made it awkward for him.

Randall’s parental justice against the English teacher was worthy. Deja is getting made fun of at school because the teacher published her personal essay online for the other students to read. After resolving the mess and crying it out, Randall learns that Deja can skip to high school next year. He got so happy to hear the news! But, Deja does not share his enthusiasm. She doesn’t want to ruin her routine and decides to stay in middle school for stability.

This is where it gets messy… Randall tells Beth that she should “put a pin” in her dreams because they can’t afford a babysitter who can take care of their girls. So, of course, he decides her dreams are less worthy than his and suggests she go back to being a stay-at-home mom. Biggest mistake of Randall’s adult life. Luckily, Kate’s drama comes into play before the two of them get into this inevitable argument…

Overall, the episode was uneven with the timelines (high school graduation and Kate’s 16 year late graduation), and the whole Big Three emotional scene with “I promise” seemed too forced. We’re supposed to root for them after this episode?

Yeah, that isn’t going to happen. I need to cry watching this show again.

The Flash 5x15 "King Shark vs Gorilla Grodd" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

The hiatus is over! The Flash has presented the long awaited “King Shark vs Gorilla Grodd” showdown. The episode title sounds more fan fiction, and some of it was indeed… the big CGI fight was amazing for a TV show’s budget, but everything else going on hindered the inevitable showdown.

At this point in the show, Cicada should’ve been taken care of, so the writers dug themselves in a corner for that villain. I guess we’re waiting until the bombshell concerning Eobard Thawne and Nora Allen comes into play. Cicada is absent in this episode, but Team Flash is finally addressing how to use this metahuman cure.

Now, Cisco and Caitlin have agreed to use it on metahumans who actually want it. Barry initially agreed until he didn’t. After Barry chose to use the cure on King Shark against his will (?), Cisco and Caitlin are rightfully pissed off. But, earlier in the episode, they agreed with Barry to use the metahuman cure on Cicada to change the future. Kind of wished they debated more on this… that would’ve been fun.

However, everyone is officially on board to offer the cure to Cicada and not force it on him. This is an interesting way to end the conversation because it’s going to involve a lot of talking to each other and debates on what’s going to happen onward… is this even a part of Eobard and Nora’s plan to stop The Flash from disappearing?

I’ve rambled too long on this… let’s get to the epic fight between a talking shark and a telepathic gorilla. The romance was a nice touch to add, but the episode could’ve done without it, and the other side story involving Iris West sent a great message… I’m just having a hard time figuring out how Iris remembered trauma from an alternate timeline. Only Nora experienced the time loop 50+ times, but Iris only recalled the last one, where Cicada didn’t rattle her at all.

But Joe West has returned in this episode, so why does it matter? I’m happy he recovered and ready to get back to the swing of things. Let’s see how the show will use him and Cecile moving forward.

Overall, I enjoyed the episode for the literal episode title. It was a lot of fun, a good distraction from the boring Cicada storyline, but now I’m ready for Reverse Flash and Godspeed to do things… if you didn’t know, Godspeed is confirmed to appear this season. Yay!?

Arrow 7x14 "Brothers & Sisters" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Arrow has to figure out its plot, but at least the relationship between characters are shining out. The problem with the overcrowded cast was the progression. Sometimes, the show would pit characters against each other more than seeing how they’d get along. This is not the case with Felicity and Laurel Lance Earth-2 / Black Siren. Their friendship is earned, and how Laurel is the first one to learn about the pregnancy feels earned rather than forced.

These two are officially friends, and even the morals have shifted between them.

Laurel being the one to talk down Felicity from killing Ricardo Diaz is a great example on the tight bond between the women. It makes me think Laurel’s going to become the “cool aunt” to Felicity’s daughter… We actually don’t know if Black Siren makes it to the flash forward story, but I can see it happening based on how well they get along.

In the flash forward, William is shocked to learn Oliver and Felicity had another kid. This is interesting because in the present, Oliver is seen calling his son but getting no responses. Those grandparents must’ve cut them off without William’s knowledge. Hopefully, we get more answers on this.

The series is due for a time jump soon. I am getting more interested in the flash forward story than the present day, but the latter did get a nice reveal in: Emiko Queen is working with Dante, the guy ARGUS went after. Apparently, Dante is more dangerous than Ricardo Diaz and has the Longbow Hunters at his disposal too.

Guess that means Emiko Queen is a member of the Longbow Hunters? Please let her become one of them. That’ll add excitement, tension, and a reason to bring back those three assassins.

Oliver Queen and John Diggle showed a lot of growth in this episode too. This is the best part of the episode because it’s a reminder that the heart of the show should be the Original Team Arrow. It isn’t anymore, but the secret they carried about Felicity being pregnant and then keeping their daughter a secret from their friends seems promising.

Also, John earned Felicity’s trust back, and he took the fall for his wife at ARGUS, ruining his career to ensure she stayed the Director. This gave him redemption for not putting his friends first, and a good reason to put him back on Team Arrow as second-in-command. Hopefully, Diggle doesn’t bring up the past issues he had with Oliver taking charge all the time. Or maybe he will?

Let’s talk about Connor Hawke, adoptive son of John Diggle. I’m confused. Does this mean he’s not John Diggle Jr. anymore? What’s going on there?

Suicide Squad / Ghost Initiative story carried the most weight because it’s also a reminder on how Arrow almost launched a spin-off on this task force. Ricardo Diaz, Joe Wilson, China White, and Cupid maintained a good villain dynamic, but alas, Diaz has overstayed his welcome. Let’s light him on fire, hopefully he dies, and then the rest of the season can be: Who killed Ricardo Diaz? And why do we care?

Overall, the episode had uneven moments, but it succeeded in finally getting Diaz out without compromising any of the characters’ morals.

Supergirl 4x13 "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

The Elite made their grand entrance in this episode… but it didn’t help much. Manchester Black, his friend Hat, and Menagerie from last week’s episode teamed up to stop the prejudice… with more prejudice. I didn’t know how to feel about this episode, but there were a lot of references going around to racism, social media, and Aliens being immigrants metaphors. There may have been too much, but the anti-hero group have potential to justify their presence on this show.

Ben Lockwood is taking meetings with the President of The United States and is starting to question his leadership in The Children of Liberty. He’s suiting up and looking nice for the camera… but he wonders if he is making a real difference. The political allusions / metaphors / allegories / whatever you want to call them sometimes works on this show, but it has consistently been over-the-top or repetitive to the point where it’s obvious Supergirl has no real story this season.

The fight scenes were impressive in my opinion. I’ve been doing research on writing good fight scenes, and the prison escape with Manchester Black was a good one. The last fight scene was good too when The Elite goes off against the Super Friends. We need to address J’onn’s inability to fight and his ongoing struggle to find peace… the Manchester Black / J’onn dynamic is repetitive and not moving forward.

Brainy / Nia Nal moments are highlights. Their training sessions in the Fortress of Solitude brings up an interesting scenario since the DEO HQ is no longer safe. I love how in-sync their powers are with each other. Nia can dream his movements while Brainy can calculate where she’ll strike next, and his worried expression whenever she pulled a fast one on him.

Alex / Supergirl dynamic is readdressed, and interesting to watch because Alex is not aware of the secret anymore. Their meetings happen at Alex’s apartment, which reminded me that Alex actually does not live with Kara at her rent-controlled loft. This blew my mind because I subconsciously must’ve assumed Alex lived there after she broke up with Maggie. I miss Maggie, but I’m getting off-topic… Alex and Supergirl are friends again!

Let’s hope Alex is the smart one and finds out her sister is a superhero. C’mon Alex! Slap some glasses on Supergirl or rip them off Kara and see the truth. Throw Lena into the learning moment too because it’s kind of insulting that she hasn’t figured it out yet. Especially since Alex and Lena are going to work together to protect the superhuman research.

James Olsen… I’m not going to waste words on you. Figure him out.

Overall, this episode had some fun moments. Menagerie is a great character: her camera angle and “merry-people” inclusion were in-character for her. Alex and Lena have potential outside of the “Kara Danvers is Supergirl” secret now that they’re working on this secret project without the government getting involved.

Doom Patrol 1x03 "Puppet Patrol" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review.

The status-quo has been established. The opening moments being Crazy Jane put up fliers and having the citizens hate on her fits what the show’s trying to say about the misfitted group. They bring too much chaos whenever they venture outside of Doom Manor. This leads to Cyborg’s idea to leave town to search for the donkey’s—I mean Mr. Nobody’s—origin story in Paraguay.

Having Cyborg try to maintain the group of misfits is incredibly funny, especially with Robotman nagging him every step of the way. Victor Stone is also without his father’s or STAR Labs assistance, so he had to find a working bus to travel there. It took two weeks. The montage of switching drivers and having this adventure center around Negative Man’s / Larry’s beef with the entity inside him deepened his arc.

I’m glad we didn’t sit through an entire episode of them traveling to Paraguay. Once the team needed to be there for the plot to keep moving, one of Jane’s personalities took over and teleported there, taking only Larry and Robotman, leaving Cyborg and Elasti-Woman behind at the motel with the bus.

The Paraguay action took over from there. Whatever was going on with Cyborg and Elasti-Woman was a nice moment about Mr. Nobody exposing their trauma, but it didn’t mesh well with everything else going on. Although, I do want the show to get back to Victor’s mom and Elasti-Woman’s unstable powers soon.

Crazy Jane, Robotman, and Negative Man’s time in Paraguay was filled with tons of fun. They met a tourist named Stevie, found out Dr. Fuchs was a Nazi, and the three-hour puppet show was a great way to get us that backstory on The Chief, Dr. Fuchs, and his greatest creation, Mr. Nobody.

Haha… still laughing about “Fuch-topia”.

The fight scenes with Crazy Jane and Robotman were bloody. The “signature” hallway fight scene was included. It seems Daredevil established a tradition most superhero shows need to have. The violence and the dismemberment was satisfying to watch indeed, but it reminded Robotman how unprepared / unstable he is to call his daughter.

Larry’s story had the most emotional depth, and that seems right considering his out-of-body entity is used for laughs occasionally. He blames the entity inside for ruining his life and making him this way, but the flashback story reveals how he is mostly the cause for his life way before the entity even existed.

He was an All-American pilot who had a wife and children but lived in the closet with a male lover. The series of scenes reveal that his wife eventually left him for moving them around all the time, but his lover (John) was willing to stay by his side, only for Larry to banish him from his life. The entity didn’t make him leave. It was all Larry.

In his old life, Larry tried to escape his sexuality but it ultimately cost him everything. Now, that he knows he is to blame… I wonder how he’ll move forward from here. Will those ground rules actually stick now that Larry is done accusing the entity for ruining him? Time can only tell.

Overall, another fun episode and the ending was incredible. It also shows how little control all the heroes have over their situations. Crazy Jane is not even the original personality, and I feel bad for defaulting the Jane personality as the main core. Plus, Steve needs to return somehow.

How To Get Away With Murder 5x15 "Please Say No One Else Is Dead" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

I was not a fan of season five. This was a mess that tried to tie it back to the season four finale. The Castillos are back in the game. Maybe they never left? Do I even care anymore? Annalise Keating is definitely tired of being involved in the drama. She literally screams at Frank for thinking with his penis and at Laurel for never thinking about anything she does. Nate also gets his senses knocked back into place because he is still that character who does what the plot tells him to do. I’m sick of it all, but I’m here for Viola Davis, who is the sole actress keeping the show alive.

Did we really doubt Miller’s innocence in the whole mess? He was not involved in Nate Sr’s death, and to add on top of that obvious revelation, he was actively trying to save Nate Sr from Xavier Castillo. What a heartbreaking flashback story, especially knowing how it ends for the guy. Annalise made the right call on this… Bonnie and Nate can never know the truth about killing an innocent man.

Laurel’s getting on my nerves. She should’ve let the friends in on the truth about the immunity deal. Also, her family troubles are thinning out their patience too. Frank is the only one on her side, which is good, but their history makes it too complicated. Then, her disappearance is a great twist. In my opinion, I want her to have bailed with Baby Christopher, but if the show gets renewed for season six, they’ll probably reveal it as a kidnapping.

Emmett Crawford can die. I accept his fate because his character didn’t do anything for me. Tegan has more stakes in this story, but she didn’t get nearly as involved as I had hoped. I thought she would try to romance Annalise, but I guess that’s a story for next season. Having Annalise get involved in their issues crowded season five more than I liked.

Xavier Castillo being back for the finale didn’t feel right. I think all the left and right turns at who killed Nate Sr was too convoluted, and at this point, I was more distracted by the Governor’s involvement. Her place on this show is understandable… she hates that Annalise won the action class case against the Supreme Court, but I’m having a hard time remembering that at times. There’s too much plot going on here, and not enough characterization for our protagonists.

Overall, what a mess. I’ll let you know if I’ll be reviewing season six if the show gets that renewal. Thanks for reading and sticking with this series. I shall do the same.

Side note: Gabriel’s story is moving forward… his mother’s getting involved.

Grey's Anatomy 15x15 "We Didn't Start The Fire" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Did anyone else try to figure out how the fire started this whole damn episode? I was literally eyeing all the signs / red herrings, and got excited with Alex Karev when the fire appeared… yes, Alex Karev got so damn happy when the fire spread in that fancy apartment. This episode also officially beat out ER as the longest running medical drama. That’s right, Grey’s Anatomy rightfully claimed its throne and accomplished it with little to no effort.

The best part is this episode had little to no medical emergencies and was a celebration in their honor. Amelia and Koracick saved Catherine Fox’s life, and Jackson wanted to throw a party for all three, and procured hundreds of eggrolls for the occasion. I’m still not 100% sold on the Jackson-Maggie romance, but it’s honestly not the worst thing on this show.

Amelia and Owen argued for most of the episode… Owen is upset about Leo and Brittany leaving their home and how Amelia is running from their love again, while Amelia is tired of being trapped in a love circle with him and Teddy. Speaking of Teddy, her romance with Koracick is adorable, but Owen is not a fan of the guy. This comes to a head after Jackson and Richard add onto his frustrations (his hookups with April and flirtations at Catherine)… and then Owen told him he wasn’t a father, Koracick lost it and punched him out. Fun times?

Meredith and DeLuca are trying to spend time together the whole episode… she also tells Alex about the relationship and Richard Webber walks in on them at the party… only making out though! Regardless, the situation gets Meredith to “act normal” by doing the servers’ job. She even prepared the eggrolls in the oven for them.

Bailey and Catherine had a wonderful time in the limo, and a heart-to-heart about how her cancer didn’t lose. She still had to fight to stay alive, and the party was a reminder that she had a long battle ahead with every checkup and scan. But, Bailey gave her the speech on how “everyone could die tomorrow” so they had to celebrate the “right now”. Yes, this may start to become a cliche, but one that’s still needed to help along those who struggle in the real-life. They got us… and hopefully, Grey’s will always have us.

Alex’s mother returned, and the misunderstanding about her arrival was entertaining. It also reminded me how little Alex and Jo have done this season post-marriage. I heard rumors that Jo’s getting a standalone episode soon, and I can’t wait to see how they play it out. Jo Karev is one of my favorite characters on this show, and she deserves to shine again.

Now who started the fire? MEREDITH! She put plastic in with the egg rolls and soon, the whole place went up in smokes. But, the twists do not end there! Brittany’s parents returned to give Leo back to Owen and Amelia because they are too wrapped up with helping their daughter, that they realize Leo needed his parents too… OWEN AND AMELIA! The happy family is reformed, but I don’t think their troubles are over yet. Then, DeLuca’s father also makes his grand appearance with Carina in the last moments. This sounds like more drama on drama.

I’m ready.

Legacies 1x12 "There's a Mummy on Main Street" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

This episode mainly focused on love triangles and the antagonistic relationship between Lizzie and Hope. Kaleb was included to “get real” with Alaric about how he’s running the school and how he’s desperately in love with his boy’s girl. Josie was there to mediate between Hope and Lizzie, only for a twist that made my heart race / break. Josie is the reason Lizzie and Hope never got along!

Lizzie hates Hope Mikaelson because she ruined their family breaks and made up rumors about her being “witch bipolar”. Ouch! That doesn’t sound like Hope… because she didn’t do any of that. Lizzie believed Hope burned down her dorm room (years ago) on purpose to get Alaric’s fatherly attention, but Hope reveals she would never do that being the daughter of a Mikaelson. She also lost the only drawing she made with Klaus in that fire and was devastated over the loss.

Yep… it was a predictable twist based on Josie’s behavior, and how the show finally reached a point where we needed her to have a character “flaw”. Something to make us question how perfect she really is, but at the same time, Josie had a secret crush on Hope and accidentally burned the dorm room in an attempt to destroy her love note. I enjoyed it for how soon they addressed the animosity between the three girls, and now moving forward, they all may become friends…

BUT! Josie and Lizzie as sisters is definitely fractured. Josie spread rumors about her sister and redirected the hate to Hope… Oh please don’t let Lizzie snap over this. Remember, The Merge and Lizzie’s “fate” to kill Josie is in effect here. Having this knowledge is just us waiting for that shoe to eventually drop on them.

Emma was our “screamer”, and boy did I love how a powerful witch school counselor has a fear of “creepy crawlies”. She and Dorian are cute together and opening the episode with them established how “in like” they are with each other. It’s a great way to introduce tension and stakes into the love triangle… it resolved faster than I anticipated. By episode’s end, Emma confessed how she kissed Alaric while having the slug inside her, but Alaric didn’t have one. So, Dorian punched Alaric in the face and quit. That sounds about right.

Kaleb is growing on me. The writers know what they’re doing “sort of” with the characters, and having him included in the group without MG helped the audience understand his frustrations with "animal blood” and the effect it has on his vampire powers. The TVDU haven’t really dived into this concept since like season 1 / 2 of The Vampire Diaries with Stefan.

Overall, I love the road trip sequence, the inclusion of Triad and creepy guy whose name I have forgotten, and he’s also opening Malivore for some nefarious plot with the supernaturals trapped inside. Next week will focus more on the boys it seems: Rafael, Landon, and MG. That sounds pretty fun, and the love triangle drama will most likely be addressed too.

The Magicians 4x06 "A Timeline and Place" Episode Review

Major spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

The brief detour to address Penny-23 was great. This episode didn’t move the plot much when it regarded the Monster’s hunt for his body or Margo’s time in Fillory, but it did put Penny-23 together with Marina-23 for an adventure through timelines. Using the pair to illustrate their morals through humor worked 100%., and I hope we get more of them later on. Marina-23 seducing her ex-girlfriend’s counterpart in Timeline 40 was also a great touch.

Penny-40 and Penny-23 meeting each other in the Underworld was everything I hoped it would be plus more. The mystery deepens with these two, and the reason why Penny-23 has to stay in Timeline 40 remains unclear, but I’m sure it’ll be worth waiting for. We need more Penny(s) screentime. What an amazing scene!

The storyline for Alice is compelling and in tune with her character arc.

Alice is not my favorite character right now. After her resurrection in season two, something felt wrong about her story. Plus, the great betrayal in season three might’ve made her irredeemable… at least that seemed like the case until she met Shelia. Positioning Alice to mentor Shelia while also working through her issues was a highlight in this episode… Her time with The Library is not over.

Margo and Josh seemed like a week-late aftermath of their time together in the cage. While Margo delivered stellar iconic lines, she really ultimately didn’t do much beside hurt Josh’s feelings. Her grief over Elliot is also addressed, but nothing progressed about it.

Also, Julia’s “goodbye” to the revived mummy was a great moment.

Overall, an excellent episode that allowed Penny-23 and Alice to get more of the spotlight. Hopefully, the action picks up next week because this season, in my professional opinion, is better than season three by a long shot.

Good Trouble 1x08 "Byte Club" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

The drama went gunning out of order! The jumping between timelines was really distracting. Season two has to get rid of that annoying aspect of the show. I’m not a fan of it. Otherwise, the storylines worked well, and the crying didn’t stop… Jesus made his grand return from The Fosters, and he reminds us how charming he really is. Noah Centineo brought his fame from the Netflix Original movie, To All Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Opening him in bed with Rebecca presented an interesting situation for Callie, and helped connect Jesus to almost all the storylines in this episode. He was literally the center piece because of his involvement with Dennis, Callie, and Rebecca. He also presented a solid foil to Mariana’s workplace issues.

Most of the other characters didn’t appear, but it made the arcs stronger by focusing on this handful.

Honestly, Jesus needs to appear more often on this show. His character would make a good addition to the Coterie family, and his twin chemistry with Marianna feels fresh. The “I love you” scene made us cry! Don’t deny it!

Callie and Rebecca’s story was beautiful. How Callie shared her rape in foster care (Rot in hell, Liam!) made me so proud. Her journey in The Fosters shaped her into this successful woman, and this also connects to the Judge Wilson of it all. He has an emotional / heated argument with his son, and when he learns Callie heard everything, he tells her to never changer her character.

She also has a hot make-out session with Jaime in the bathroom.

I am so happy this show exists.

How Marianna navigated the small victories in getting noticed was worthy. In my opinion, this was the strongest part of the episode, which is a first for the series. Granted, this is the first season, Callie was definitely hogging screentime in the earlier episodes.

Overall, this was a victory in my book. Marianna and Raj made amends, Alex got put in his place, Callie’s about to reveal Rebecca’s secret (?) or Judge Wilson’s (?)… never change, Callie Adams Foster. The horror on Dennis’s face when he learns his soon-to-be ex-wife, Jennifer, was dating his friend broke my heart. I want him to find happiness. Ben pissed me off in this episode, that asshole. I will ship Rebecca and Jesus together if it means he keeps appearing on this show.

Doom Patrol 1x02 "Donkey Patrol" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

This episode strangely improved on the series premiere by introducing Cyborg into the mix. Yes, the same one who is usually on the Teen Titans or the Justice League. His introduction opens the show up to the DC Universe, but doesn’t go over-the-top with it. Thank goodness… But in my opinion, this is the best live-action version of Cyborg / Victor Stone. He has the heart and fits in Doom Patrol more than I’d initially think.

We pick up right where left off from last week’s episode. The narrator is a continued joy, and his presence on this show is earned. Everything is bad, and the remaining misfits (Robotman, Negative Man, and Elasti-Woman) blame themselves for what happened to the town, Crazy Jane, and The Chief. Everything and everyone got sucked inside another dimension.

Robotman is the only one who wants to help Crazy Jane after she is spat out of the donkey, while Elasti-Woman goes into denial about the whole situation, and Negative Man decides to bail, only for his shadow self to stop him numerous times from getting on the bus.

Robotman and Crazy Jane are trying to understand each other. He is trying to get Jane to come out, and must contend with her other personalities. At the same time, he is trying to become a better man, but gets outdone by Cyborg, a “superior” robot man. The PB&J scene was heartwarming, and a reminder that he failed his own daughter as a human, and doesn’t want to make the same mistake with Crazy Jane.

Having Cyborg’s flashbacks revolve around his bond with The Chief makes his inclusion more plausible, and his motive for sticking with Doom Patrol is pretty solid. He aspires to become a superhero like The Flash and wants to join the Justice League someday. His strained relationship with his father is still here, but an added twist… implanted memories?

Negative Man’s arc was devastating but despite the tragedy, he is still getting played for laughs… the bus station scene is the prime example. The last scene with him and his shadow self was pretty good… and I can’t wait to see where this leads… I’m starting to like him too.

Elasti-Woman got nasty! The whole show is gross for making her go down a donkey’s throat, and then the whole “getting eaten” part… you know, because the donkey was the portal to Mr. Nobody’s dimension and where the town was trapped. Mr. Nobody’s time as a narrator is incredibly humorous and how it keeps the plot together is impressive to say the least. However, Cyborg is right about one thing. He’s the narrator, but if he was so powerful, why is trying to break them at all?

I love this show. Superhero shows / movies are getting me exhausted, but watching these episodes are a good refresher. I’m excited for next week’s episode!

How To Get Away With Murder 5x14 "Make Me the Enemy" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

I’m officially done with the supporting cast: her students particularly. They’re not working out with what’s been going on this season: Connor, Oliver, Asher, Michaela, and Laurel have overstayed their welcome, and the show itself is running out of ideas and throws the characters where it’s convenient.

Viola Davis is honestly the only actress that matters on this show. Whenever we shift from Annalise Keating to any other character, I would lose so much interest. Gabriel is getting annoying too. The aftermath of him being Sam’s son is not living up to the build-up we had to endure to get there.

At one point in this episode, Gabriel went to Annalise for help with his mom… You do not bother her with such trivial problems, especially one that he can easily handle himself. What a child! Get out of Annalise Keating’s face, she’s too busy seducing Emmett and covering up more things.

The Governor. I’m not sold on her. And she lied anyway. Emmett did not kill Nate Sr, but Annalise gave it to him in the final minutes of the episode. She told him he and his white boys weren’t in charge anymore, and that was amazing. We need to figure out how to give her all of the screentime.

Michaela and Gabriel are blah. Seriously, let’s not talk about this.

Oliver made me proud on how he handled getting his laptop back. He is so charming. The package Laurel received… my mind immediately went to “It’s a bomb!” and I hoped it would go off on them. That would’ve been crazy.

Overall, I’m over season five and can’t wait for the season finale next week. Put me out of my misery, and let’s not renew this show please.

Grey's Anatomy 15x14 "I Want A New Drug" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

A massive overdose floods Grey-Sloan Memorial, and the situation is all hands on deck. Betty is one of the patients, and needs surgery. There was a lot of emotion going around in this episode, and Amelia / Owen spirals along with Betty’s parents, who have officially claimed Leo, their grandson. The complexity on their situation brings them closer, and another Private Practice reference to Amelia’s dead fiance. I was really invested, and having Teddy be the surgeon officially resolved the love triangle. Teddy is happy dating Koracick, and Owen / Amelia are back on the path to being together again.

Meredith was largely absent in this episode, doing a surgery that broke the hospital’s record. This woman can do anything, and I’m so proud of her. Maggie doesn’t want to go camping with Jackson, and he ends up using the gear to help out a homeless man who came into the ER. Jo and Alex had to watch a family break apart, reminding us how much Alex cares about little kids, and how his first memory was being scared his dad wouldn’t come back for him at age six.

Levi and Niko were also incredibly cute. The relationship is evolving from steamy hookups to adorable breakfast dates. I’m liking Levi’s transition from Glasses to the guy he is now. Link is trying to figure out where he fits in this show, and he doesn’t address how Meredith stood him up last we saw him. He helps Amelia when she breaks down over Betty’s condition, and the news that her boyfriend died from an OD.

Overall, the tight story was mainly focused on the crisis and how Betty was in critical condition. I loved the episode, and how DeLuca is literally the perfect guy for Meredith right now. They are slow-burning us with their romance, and I’m here for it.

Legacies 1x11 "We're Gonna Need A Spotlight" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

OMG Talent Show gone wrong with parasitic slugs? Not the best monster of the week, but I did enjoy how this monster piggy-backed on a unicorn to hide its presence. Also, love triangles are everywhere on this show… while the Josie, Lizzie, and Rafael love triangle dissolved, a new one rose to take its place.

Rafael has jumped ship to Hope and Landon. I think the show is trying to establish them as the new Elena-Damon-Stefan trio, and the chemistry between Rafael and Hope is really there, but I’m completely undecided on how to feel about it.

Okay, the first love triangle (Twins and Rafael) had promise, but it wasn’t living to the hype of Josie and Penelope. However, I have to remember every major character is a legit teenager, and Alaric Saltzman is the only somewhat functioning adult here. Dorian and Emma are around too, but they’re only supporting characters.

The adults are also trapped in a love triangle. Alaric and Emma make-out using the slugs as an excuse, but Emma still chooses to date Dorian. I don’t know what’s going to happen here, but until I see Emma and Dorian interact more romantically, I’m not going to invest too much thought into this story.

Although, Alaric and Emma singing karaoke had me rolling on the floor… where’s Damon and his snark when we need it the most.

Anyways, the episode is about showing off everyone’s musical talents. A typical CW move, but it’s one I don’t mind because I love musical-type episodes / shows / movies / real life. The musical performances blew me away! Landon, Kaleb, and Josie have amazing voices… Kaylee Bryant awakened my soul with the original song, “Stepping into the Light”. I cried and never stopped. The video is below:

i love her so much omg Can someone tell me where I can purchase the studio version of this lol - I just made the lyrics real quick for y'all lol I'm pretty sure it's correct but if not let me know.

Lizzie is still bothering me as a character because she can’t recall her centric episode. This is a long-game arc for the character, and we all have to be patient. Her development is a slow burn… She’s an Alex Karev (Grey’s Anatomy) / John Murphy (The 100) type protagonist is the best comparison… it may take seasons until the growth is earned, but it’ll be worth it.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this episode. It reestablished the new status quo with Lizzie and Josie returning to the fold. The few things moving the plot along was the cliffhanger and why the slugs chose not to infect Landon… the mystery of what he is deepens.

Side: I love “fun” Hope. Klaus would’ve been so happy for her.

The Magicians 4x05 "Escape From The Happy Place" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode. Please read with caution.

The latest episode, “Escape from The Happy Place”, knows how to put us through serious turmoil. How Quentin, Alice, and Julia + friend try to defeat the Monster, while at the same time, Elliot and Charlton are fighting for his way out, was hard to watch. These are two scenarios we desperately want, but we know neither would be achieved at the same time.

Margo had a difficult time at Fillory ruling the kingdom while also keeping it together. Fen’s over-the-top grief was a prime example on why Margo was not ready to cry over her best friend yet. This, in addition to Elliot’s journey down memory lane, made her heartbreak more palpable. Summer Bishil plays this fierce character wonderfully, and she is forever getting praised.

Alice finally returns to the main storyline. She also sent Christopher Plover to a horrible world. Quentin is not ready to forgive her and officially kills their friendship / romance. Julia is also not in the mood for Alice and gives her the middle finger for taking away her Goddess powers… damn it we need Goddess Julia again.

Elliot and Quentin’s time together from season three, “A Life in a Day”, was readdressed as the memory with his way back to his body. This made my heart jump, and made how Quentin ditch Alice way more satisfying. Quentin also learns Elliot is alive and changes the mission from killing the Monster to saving Elliot. I am really on board with this season and the Quentin / Elliot romance.

Overall, this episode was well-structured with “fuck” humor, suspense, and mystery. The set-up for the Monster rebuilding his body, Julia reclaiming her Goddess-hood, Penny 23’s kidnapping, Margo ruling Fillory in grief, Quentin trying to save Elliot, and Alice’s redemption are all blended well in this episode.

All of them carried equal weight for the most part except for Penny 23’s kidnapping… that was in the beginning of the episode. Hopefully, it’ll be addressed in the next episode.

Good Trouble 1x07 "Swipe Right" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Honestly, there isn’t much to report in this episode. The hour was mostly filled with steamy romance for the girls. Marianna, Alice, Malika, and Davia rely on each other to pick great dates on the Tinder-like app called Shipper. Callie is studying for the bar exam, but keeps getting distracted with Gael sex. This part of the story does have ramifications for their causal thing.

Callie decides to break things off with Gael until she passes the bar exam. This might backfire on her because first, she is giving up hot sex with this man, and second, Gael’s other causal hook-up, Bryan, recently told Gael that he is no longer interested in being a causal thing.

Marianna ended up in a threesome… that’s pretty awesome, but she ends up breaking the rule of hooking up with the guy alone, but she still had a good experience. I thought this was whole thing was too much for our girl, but she owned it. Davia would be proud…

Speaking of her, she hooks up with her Shipper date out of spite to Jeff, the married guy she’s been seeing. He lied to her about not being in LA and decides not to bother with him anymore. This seemed too easy, so I’m going to assume Davia is all talk and will indeed hook up with married guy again at some point.

Alice needs to get over Sumi, and it needed to happen yesterday. Sumi, heartbroken, runs to Alice while she’s hooking up with someone who works in radio, and the whole thing is torture. Alice ends her date early to take care of her ex/best friend/love interest, and then Sumi has the nerve to get back together with her fiance.

Malika and her basketball guy’s story was too cute. The whole favorite move, Love & Basketball, and their make-out scene have potential to develop in future episodes. I would prefer the show to get back to the Jamal Thompson case, but I’m also glad we got a break from that storyline.

Overall, this filler episode was a lot of fun. There isn’t much going on with the plots of the season beside Gael and Callie, but there were great character moments in all the stories told in this episode. This show was a good investment.

This Is Us 3x13 "Our Little Island Girl" Episode Review

Major spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

We finally got our Beth-centric episode! Yes, I have a waited a long time for this episode. I think a lot of fans were. Beth Pearson is easily a fan-favorite, but the show has primarily focused on the Pearson Family, and there was no real mention of Beth having her own family prior to Zoe appearing. It’s weird to think about… according to this episode, Beth appears close to her mother, but there have been mentions of spending holidays with her or calling her, etc. In fact, this episode firmly states Beth’s other siblings have stopped visiting her mother years ago.

I’m mad the show took too long to deliver on this story. Beth’s flashback story complemented her present-day struggle to find purpose. In the present-day, Beth and Zoe drive down to her mother’s to convince her to retire from being high school principal. The problem is Beth hasn’t told her mom about getting fired. I was already sensing the dread on her face.

The name change helps separate present-day Beth and flashback ‘Bethany’ to further show the missing piece in her life goals. The best scene in the entire episode was the flashback to her father telling Bethany to “never forget”, a juxtaposition to Beth speaking to her dad’s chair about needing to forget. I was in awe for her! She deserved this episode for the longest time, and I’m glad we’re finally here.

Beth and her mother also had an intense scene about the past, and how her mother’s harsh expectations took away the little girl she used to be. This was quite potent, and honestly, it shows that This Is Us is more than capable of pulling off tear-jerking moments. At times, I forgot this was a new episode because it had the freshness of season one.

Beth also reignites her passion for dancing and gets on the flash forward path to that studio. She wants to teach dance! Yes, I’m here for all this.

Overall, I cried. Susan Kelechi Watson is an amazing actress. Let’s give her more episodes.