Fear: Chicago Med "Nothing to Fear"

This week's episode dealt with one doctor coping with what seemed to be a mistake and another not seeing the clear picture of a patient even though she might be right. And a relationship is once again close to dangerous territory.

After a few late nights being up with Robin, Rhodes learns that the patient from the last week of his heart stint was leaking. It drew Rhodes to find out what went wrong, and looked like hell to prove it, too. Latham orders him away from the case, but of course, this is Rhodes, and later tells the patient that the surgery to fix the stent is slim to none to survive. Latham and Bekker do the surgery while Rhodes is benched for any surgery. But looking at the view from the screen, Rhodes sees that the stint is ineffective.

April and Ethan's relationship goes up again when April's patient comes in just for medicine, but Ethan wants to do some tests and workup to make sure. That turns into a genuine love fest when Ethan does more and more tests, and it upsets April that he asks for her opinion about it, too. While this was happening, Maggie could see the tension between them and pull them like a mother bear would do to their young and threaten to pull them away if they couldn't work together. Soon, Ethan gets the test results that Aprl's patient has lung cancer and asks April to inform him about it because the patient feels comfortable.

#Manstead seems alive and kicking as Natalie and Will plan to go out on their first date. But before that, they treat a patient who is eight months pregnant but shows about five months. The patient has been very healthy and has not used any foods that have been made and such. Will and Natalie try to nourish her well, but she won't allow it. Natalie does try to give the patient treatment but fights and almost comes to a lawsuit. Natalie gave one more shot while the patient was having heart trouble and got her to consent to do an emergency c-section, which was successful, and the baby was given meds, fluids, and such.

Natalie and Will go on their date but miss their dinner, and instead, Will takes her to ride the Ferris wheel. This was after Natalie gave a heartfelt speech about fear. And as the wheel moves, the two then kiss.

With all that, Reese and Charles seem to be on excellent but separate terms. Reese gets a patient who happens to inject insulin into herself. The patient seemed nice and told Reese that she didn't mean to do it and said she was stressed over the divorce hearing. But when the patient asked Reese for a medical note, Reese wouldn't do it, and the patient turned from pleasant to a Mrs. Hyde and demeaned to talk to Dr. Charles.

Dr. Charles sees that the patient needs to be heard by Reese, and when she does back and talks to her again, the two make up and hug. Later, Reese seemed to lose her medical pad and saw that the patient was leaving quickly, so she stopped and found her pad in the patient's purse.

Reese is upset about what the patient has done and expresses it to Charles. Charles sees that the event of him getting shot by Kellogg got her emotions on high, which we can understand. Even Charles tries to calm her down by reviewing his medical chart after the shooting and tells her that what she's feeling will pass, and well, that may not be the at all the end when the patient seems to slash her tires.

"Nothing to Fear" was another excellent episode. The performances of every one were outstanding, and the writing was strong and intense at times. Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.

You can catch Chicago Med Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

Opinions and Relationships: Chicago Med "Speak Your Truth" Season Premiere

Chicago Med is back!!

In the season premiere, after the event of last season's season finale, the show picks up right back up with Dr. Charles and Kellogg on the ground after Kellogg shot him and himself. Goodwin gets there and talks to Charles through til they get into the ER where Rhodes comes in and takes him up to the OR .

The episode jumps three months, Charles is still feeling some pain but wants to get back to work. He's going to Kellogg's trial to testify. Mostly everyone in the hospital as the same opinion about Kellogg but Charles, who thinks that Kellogg deserves to be in a mental hospital where he can get help.

But of course, the one person that thinks that it's a total bull was Reese, who expressed her opinion about Kellogg. With that in mind, Reese took it in her own hands and testify against Kellogg saying that he's acting out for attention and gave examples but Kellogg gave the perfect example by showing his anger and tries to attack her.

Of course, Kellogg was found guilty and will be taken to prison and get treatment. But Charles what's the guy not in jail because he'll probably not seek the treatment that he deserves. For which he might be right but Reese was right to do what she did.

Meanwhile, April and Ethan's relationship is trying to be on the down low but some are picking up what they are showing, even some of the other nurses. Ethan wants to go public but April doesn't and sees that he's given her special treatment among the others by having her run test while others didn't and had to clean up and such.

Rhodes has his hands full when it comes to work and relationship as  Robin has been release from the hospital. Reese tells Rhodes that she may not be the same and experience some personal changes. Those changes happen to be sexual as she wants more and he had to get to work. As for work, Dr. Lahtam gives his surgery  to Dr. Bekker, who shows a bit of competition with Rhodes.

The one story that we all were looking forward to was #Manstead. Manning comes back to work after a three months off and got everyone thinking that she wasn't coming back. She gets back to work with Halstead, who misses her too, with a couple who got into a car accident. The wife needed to tell her husband that she's sorry but never got the chance as his injuries where too severe. After the shift had ended, both Halstead and Manning talked about that couple and as soon as they were to walk apart, Halstead opened up to Manning about why he broke it off with Nina. He tells her that he still has feeling for her and that it hasn't left him at all and soon Manning kisses Halstead to finish off how she feels about him.

"Speak Your Truth" was a really good season opener that really had some conversations to talk about, with the Kellogg case no doubt. The episode was strong in the writing that brought good haracter development and even some really good emotional moments. I thought Rachel DiPillo was really good in this episode along with Nick Gehifuss and Torrey DeVitto. I really enjoyed Norma Kuhling as Dr. Bekker. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Chicago Men Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

"Best Wedding Ever!" Supergirl "Crisis on Earth-X part 1"

I agree with Heat Wave: "Best Wedding Ever."

Part one of the four-part epic crossover event, kicking off last night with Supergirl, delivered such an entertaining episode and set a great tone for the next episode.

In the parallel world, Earth-X, where the Nazi regime has ruled the planet, a dark hooded archer called Dark Arrow kills the American loyalists and others that are part of the resistance. Dark Arrow takes on The Guardian and, after a couple of seconds of battling, kills him. He joins his team as they are about to take a machine that will make sure they spread their hatred. Dark Arrow orders his team but changes when his partner Overgirl gives her orders.

Meanwhile, there's a wedding coming with Iris and Barry. They wonder if the others (Supergirl, Arrow, and the Legends) have RSVP their invitations, for which we get to see some kick-ass fighting scenes with our favorite DC TV heroes, but Kara and Alex get a moment during their bond time and decide to go.

With the girls having their time, Barry and Oliver have their Groom/Best Man talk about settling down, which is excellent and funny, with Barry making a joke that Oliver doesn't laugh at all. During the dinner, with everyone there, Iris' father gives a heartfelt speech about how they helped him find his way back to love again. The dinner had other great moments, one being Alex and Sara drinking up and having a one-night stand. The other Oliver is talking to Felicity about settling down, but she doesn't want to and walks away.

As the wedding begins, Kara sings, and just as the wedding starts, the minister is killed by Overgirl. After a fascinating and entertaining fight scene, Kara injures Overgirl during the fight, and the Nazis retreat, but our heroes capture Dark Arrow's partner Prometheus.

Dark Arrow and Overgirl discuss the plan and meet with the yellow speedster, who discuss their next step. Dark Arrow and Overgirl unmasked themselves and are revealed to be the parallel universe doppelgangers of Oliver Queen and Kara. The yellow speedster is Barry's presumed deceased nemesis, Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash.

"Crisis on Earth-X Part 1" was nothing but stunning. The first part of the crossover event delivered such a kick-ass start with such thrilling to humoring moments, mostly coming from Heat Wave and even the moments with Sara and Alex, for which I'm down with that relationship if anyone has any objections. The drama between Oliver and Felicity was excellent, and I assume it'll carry good for the next episode. I think this might be one of the best crossover events than the one last season. The writing was excellent, and the performances go to an equal amount of everyone's effort. Overall, I give this episode 9/10.

You can catch the epic crossover event with Arrow last night and tonight's episode of The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow beginning at 8/7c on The CW. You can see the fall finale of Supergirl following Monday at 8/7c on The CW.

The Moment: Supergirl "Wake Up"

It's the moment that we've all been waiting for until a twist will shatter those hopes.

When Kara, J'onn and Wynn investigate an unknown ship that's under National City. What they find was truly a shocking moment for Kara as they found Mon-El. As they take him back to the DEO and run some test, questions begin to wonder how he has been in that ship that apparently has been under the city for years.

With Kara, being the only person to believes Mon-El is fine, she finds him trying to escape and then locks him up in the cell. Mon-El convinced Wynn to help him back to the ship, where there's a life support system that's going unstable. Kara follows them and learns the truth from Mon-El that after leaving earth in the pod, he was picked up in a wormhole taking him to the 31st Century, where L Crop developed cure for the Daxamites. But what has been only seven months for Kara is really seven years for Mon-El .

And if that wasn't shocking enough, when the life support system was going critical, Mon-El was trying to save one pod by opening it but Kara opens it and finds another person in there. That person happens to be Imra Ardeed, Mon-El's wife.

If that wasn't shocking enough, Samantha visits her foster mother and learns about her Kryptonian origins and soon finds the Fortress of Sanctuary. There a hologram of a female A.I. tells Sam that even though the changes she's experiencing were suppose to happen earlier, but her having unplanned child delayed it, that she is destined to become Reign the Worldkiller. And soon experiences painful changes and losing  her humanity.

"Wake Up" was an episode that had both heartwarming to heartbreaking moments, mostly coming into with Kara and Mon-El. When seeing them together for the first time you feel so relieved with joy and all but later you get the feel that something doesn't seem to be right.  There was some good humor, mostly the scene where Kara, J'onn and Wynn looking for the spot where the ship was located. Also not to mention pretty thrilling when it comes to when Sam is learning about who is really is. Even though the Kara-Mon-El story was focused more for us to disgust, it was Sam's story that really was equal or better than the other. The writing was solid and the performances from Annable as Sam along with Wood and Benoist. Overall, I give this episode a 8/10.

You can catch Supergirl in the two night crossover event of the fall Crisis on Earth-X beginning Monday at 8/7c on The CW.

Chicago Med Season 2

Can you believe it's just a day away from the exciting season premiere of Chicago Med? Let’s take a moment to recap the thrilling events from the end of Season 2 together!

Escape: Supergirl "Midvale"

Ever wondered how Alex and Kara been so close to one another? Well, this episode really gives us the origins of how they became the best sibling relationship.

After a heartbreaking breakup with Maggie and a rough couple of weeks, Kara takes Alex to a trip back home to get away from it all and recharge their batteries. Kara tries to get Alex to open up about her feelings but she attacks her with how she handed losing Mon-El and the two go to bed.

We jump ten years back to when Kara and Alex were in high school and the two seemed to be not on good terms at all. Alex didn't like Kara for all the big sister reasons that you would think.

The episode depicts on the origins of how Alex and Kara became the sisters that we have seen them for the past two and a quarter seasons.  Kara's good friend, Kenny, gets killed and the two put their heads together to solve the case. Kara finds her friend's laptop and tries to decrepit the computer with Alex's skills but when they couldn't they see that Kenny gets an email from a teacher that knows that Kenny knows about him and Alex's friend are in an illegal relationship.

You would think that it would just be that til later when Kara and Alex are walking home they almost get hit by a car. Soon Alex's friend comes by and tells her that the teacher had been arrested and she was with him at the time. That gives Alex the idea that the teacher wasn't the suspect at all and goes to the local sheriff to inform him.

Kara gets word from her friend, who decrepit the rest of Kenny's laptop, that there were photos and one of them being the local sheriff dealing with drugs. Kara quickly calls Alex to inform her and quickly hears her saying she with him at the game and flies there to save her.

After the arrested of the local sheriff, Alex and Kara get a special gift from Kenny's parents ('m going to say mostly his mother) of Kenny's telescope. That apparent telescope was a symbol or a key to the beginning of their wonderful sisterhood.

As they young Kara and Alex go to bed, we come back to the present to see Alex waking up and walking towards Kara, who was looking through the telescope. Soon they open up and quickly come to realize that everything is going to be find. They leave but in the style of listening to Gwen Stefani's "Escape."

"Midvale" was a really good standalone origin episode of depicting how Kara and Alex became such great sisters. It was overly dramatic at all. It really had a good balance of humor, drama and a simpe case of the week. Izabela Vidovic and Olivia Nikkanen were amazing and played the young Kara and Alex. With everything this episode had show, the one moment that really stuck in my mind was when Kara was visited by an agent from the FBI that looked like her mother. But when she leaves after telling Kara not to use her powers, she walks to her car and changed form into Hank as it was J'onn J'onzz. That moment was so touching as how important he is to Kara and Alex. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Supergirl Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.

A Freight Train of Emotions: The Blacklist "Ian Garvey (No. 13)" Fall Finale

The fall finale of The Blacklist wasn't at any point a disappointment as it delivered a finale that will have everyone talking about through the hiatus.

With Tom Keen no where to be found, Liz is worried after trying to call him a lot. They soon pick up clues to where Tom has been around from the motel to the gas station. Liz thinks that Tom is trying to kind Nick's killer.

While Liz is searching for Tom, Tom, who happened to open the flood gates of trouble, is being held by Ina Garvery in the woods. Ian tries to make Tom talk about the suitcase but won't speak of it, not even when both Pete and his girlfriend's dead bodies in the wood clipper. Ian makes Tom call Red and telling where to meet, unaware that he and Dembe are a couple of minutes away but plays to their plan.

With Ian gone to meet with Red, Tom escapes along with the suitcase and runs into the woods, guns a blazing. As it looked like things were coming to an end, Tom runs into a car that has Red and Dembe and gets in even after getting shot in the back. The three rushed off.

Now with Tom being with Red, you know there's going to be some father-in-law/son-in-law bonding time happening here. As they find shelter for the moment, Tom and Red talk about not only the suitcase but the whole reason why Tom got the job to look after Liz and we see flashbacks of Tom getting the information about Liz and only interact but never to fall in love. Well, love is a powerful thing.

Soon Ian and his men get to the house that Red, Tom and Dembe are at, the three hide til when Tom's blood drips down from the vent. Red and tom get out but not without leaving a bit of a warm getaway package for Ian, burning their vehicles. As they stopped at the gas station, Tom asked again about what's in the suitcase, Red talks about how he heard about him and Liz getting married (the first time) and talked about how mad he was but know how Tom makes her happy.

After their talk, Tom makes a getaway with the bones and DNA results. He gets to the Union Station and looks at the results with an expression that quickly makes him call Liz to tell her to meet him at home alone (having the babysitter take Agnus somewhere safe). Red gets word about Liz gone MIA and gets word that the last call came from the train station. He makes a call to Tom at the station and tells him that he doesn't have to do this, but Tom won't stop.

As Liz gets home, she's with worried and excitement but that goes away when she sees him tied up and beaten. That's where Ian and his group surround them. Liz of course, punches Ian in the face. Ian makes Tom pay for what he had done, by stabbing him in the stomach. And again when he asked Tom to call Red but wouldn't. Liz gets punched and falls to the floor where she suffers a severe head injury. There Ian lets his guys clean the place up and to kill both Tom and Liz while playing "Southern Cross" playing in the background. But Tom grabs the knife that was left from Ian and free himself and goes after the guys and then Red and Demeb get there with their guns going off blazing. And when Red gets to Tom, he doesn't kill him, but kills the other guy behind him on the floor.

With Tom and Liz severely injured, Red and Dembe rush them to the hospital with the help of Cooper and the FBI escorting them there. Just before they get to the hospital, Tom and Liz try to tell one another to stay alive and make sure that Agnus remembers her. As the rush in the ER, both in the same room, Liz is put on a tube and gets her head drilled of fear of a brain bleed while they try to get Tom's heart going and fixing up his wounds, but in the end....Tom dies.

We jump to with Red reading off a lovely verse from the bible and gets shocked when Liz wakes up. She asked how long she's been under and Red informs her that it's been 10 months and the next question was about Tom and he tells her that he'd died. And we see Tom's body in the morgue with Cooper as witness being put in the cooler in spite that he is really gone.   

This episode was a freight train of emotions and such memorable moments that it still as I'm writing this had me choking up. I had a feeling Tom was going die, he did open the flood gates to trouble, but did it for the all the right reasons, love and the truth for Liz. I thought that performance between Spader and Eggold was solid and special watching these two in their character moments of the past and present. Even Jonny Coyne's performance of Ian Garvey was thrilling as well. Boone's Liz carries a lot of the emotional scenes through part of the episode til it was between Liz and Tom at the end. The writing was so strong, the directing captured so many great moments from the character's prospective. Even the song choices were should I say memorable and yet very emotional as well.

As for what will happen in the second half of the season, I think Liz is going to probably have a tough time getting back to business. Hell, I can't wait to see how Ian is going to use the bones and DNA results against Red. I do think and I'm saying that I think that maybe those bones are those of Liz's mother.

Overall, I give this episode a 9.5/10.

You can catch The Blacklist when it returns Wednesday, January 3rd at 8/7c on NBC.

True Relationship: The Blacklist "The Kilganoon Corporation"

This week's episode of The Blacklist was one to remember.

"The Kilganoon Corportation" might as well be best remembered for the character growth and understanding of what the relationship between Reddington and Dembe really means.

After Liz tells Red about her and Tom getting married in the previous episode, Red lays the next line of work of a human smuggling ring that he use to be a part of, but thanks to Kaplan I guess that ship had sailed. In order to stop, they must go undercover and send in Dembe, who really shines in this episode.

Putting his life at risk, Dembe does what it takes to find where they put these people that are just dying to leave the country because of war, law or freedom. Just as things were going well, Liz and the gang goes in to take down the men that are sending refugees. But one truck leaves just as the FBI move in and Dembe has it.

Red hunts for the driver of the truck that Dembe is in.  He does what he can to find Dembe, as you can understand that Dembe is the one true person that has shown Red the light of good and evil. This episode really revealed the meaning of the two.

With the truck stuck and only a few hours of air left, Dembe does what he can to have order in the truck without people killing one another. Also he was protecting a scared little girl who was separated  from her parents. But just in time, Red gets there and drives Dembe and the girl to the hospital for the girl to get treatment.

When the FBI get there, Ressler has a change of heart when he sees the refugees and tells Cooper that once you actually see it, it really takes a whole affect on you. Red and Dembe reunited the child with her parents.

Meanwhile, Tom gets a lead of where Pete is located. The so called girlfriend/fiance looked up her credit and sees that Pete purchased a few things at a local gas station. There they met and looked around, Tom search through the security cam and spots him and takes photos. They found a clue to where he might be, which happens to be in a motel.

There, Tom goes in and demands answers until it was too late and he gets knocked out cold. Later, he wakes up with a man speaking about the brief case. He too demands of the suit case, he kills Pete and the woman and threatens Tom. Tom gives Red to him saying that Red trusts him and he can bring Red to him. The leads one of Red's henchman to call and inform that there's a situation.

"The Kilganoon Corporation" was such a memorable episode, mostly the relationship between Dembe and Reddingotn. Yeah we know that Red saved Dembe but in return Dembe saved Reddington in the process of being a better man. That scene when Dembe had to go back undercover again and Red didn't want to and when all was agree, Dembe asked Red for one thing, one being to watch Dembe's family but it mainly to have someone watch him to care for him. That got me choking up a bit. Another memorable moment came when that little girl scared, Dembe comes and shows her a bunny rabbit out of a tissue and his hands, which was so so cute.

Also let's not forget Tom and his doing in this episode that happens to be in serious trouble at the end. Could this be the end of Tom when the fall finale comes tomorrow? Everything seems to point to that, but even though Red doesn't like Tom, I still think that Red will do everything he can to keep Tom alive for Liz. I just have that feeling. But with someone being so happy, it all has to come down sooner or later and sooner is coming fast.

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch the fall finale of The Blacklist tomorrow at 8/7c on NBC.

Chicago Med Season 3, Ep. 1 "Speak Your Truth" Preview, Clips and Promos

We're just one week away from the season premiere of television's best medical drama, Chicago Med. Here's a look into the season premiere.

"Speak Your Truth"

The doctors of Chicago Med take their opinions to the extreme as they try to bring justice to the perpetrator in the shooting of Dr. Charles. Dr. Halstead and Dr. Manning work on a heart-wreching case that forces them to examine their own matters of the heart. Though Robin's brain tumor was removed and she is discharged from rehabilitation center, Dr. Rhodes remians on edge that her problems are not quite resolved. Maggie sticks up for a patient while Dr Choi and April try to move their new working relationship in the right direction.

Here are some clips and interviews:

You can catch the season premiere of Chicago Med Tuesday, November 21 at 10/9c on NBC.

A Bond and Separate: Supergirl "Damage"

This episode was all about damage control, both professionally and privately.

Let's get to the pulling off the band-aid part of the episode as Alex and Maggie finally talk it out again about whether they are done because Alex wants kids and Maggie doesn't. When they finally talk it out, it turns out that they have to break up.

But there's some bright side to breaking up, mainly between Alex and Maggie. As Alex was packing things up and listening to a depressing song, Maggie changed the music to a friendly and upbeat one. The two kiss and move to the bed, where they spend one more time together. Maggie packs and leaves, but not with a long, emotional goodbye kiss.

Meanwhile, Lena deals with her crisis when Edge blames her for the lead poisoning of the kids from the lead bomb in the season 2 finale. With the whole city hating Lena, she tries to calm the storm, but one of the parents tries to assist her but fails. Samantha takes Lean in until they figure out the whole problem. Kara and Samantha investigate and figure out (mostly Samantha) that all the kids who became sick were at a local pool.

The two break in (thanks to Kara) and look around with a sample of the pool water that turned out to have lead. Samantha and Kara quickly found the chlorine from a company that had information in it. Kara informed Lena about it and asked the company if she ever heard of it. She tells her no, but she knows it's Edge's company.

Lena confronts Edge and threatens him with a gun, but he gets the last laugh as one of his guys knocks her out and leaves her in an airplane carrying the same chlorine. Edge controls the plane, but with Lena's quick SOS SOS call, Kara gets there just in time and saves both Lena and the chlorine barrels. 

Kara confronts Edge about attacking Lena, and the two butted heads until Kara steps away.

Lena and James' relationship seems to be going better than it had been since Lena bought CatCo. Kara, Lena, and Samantha have a lovely sisterly evening to celebrate. Kara later confronts Alex about her break up with Maggie, and at the end of the episode, Samantha finds out that she was shot but didn't get injured.

"Damage" was an episode in which I endured intense emotions and excitement. The Alex and Maggie scenes were so good and, at times, faced with real raw emotions. With that, the Lena, Samantha, and Kara storyline was even out with thrilling and fun at times, mostly watching Samantha and Kara scenes. Katie McGarth, Oddette Annable, and Melissa Benoist show naturally good chemistry. Chyler Leigh and Floriana Lima gave an excellent performance. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Supergirl on Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.

Here's a promo for the next episode:

Chicago Med - Next: Charles' Life Is in Jeopardy on the Season Premiere ...

Just one week away til the season premiere of Chicago Med. Here's first look clip of next week's episode:




The new season of Chicago Med begins Tuesday, Nov. 21st at 10/9c on NBC.

Chicago Med Season 3: Cast Photos

Here's are some cast photos for the new season of Chicago Med. You can catch the season premier Tuesday, Nov. 21st at 10/9c on NBC.

"Bitchin'" Stranger Things Season 2, "Chapter 9: The Gate" Season Finale

Everything has been leading up to this moment! The Season 2 finale, "Chapter 9: The Gate," delivers an explosive and emotionally resonant conclusion, tying together critical storylines while setting the stage for what's next.

Reunions, Rescue, and Reckoning

The episode kicks off with a long-awaited and truly emotional reunion between Eleven and Mike. The secret of her living with Hopper for a year finally comes out, leading to a heated exchange with Mike, who then lets his anger out at Hopper before receiving a comforting hug.

After a quick round of hugs and greetings with everyone, including Max, Joyce takes Eleven to see Will. Seeing the "Close Gate" message, Eleven realizes she can close the Upside Down gate. Concurrent to this, Joyce devises a desperate plan: instead of letting Will die with the gate closing, they must superheat his body to force the creature possessing him out.

Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy take Will to Hopper's cabin, cranking up the heat with fires and space heaters, aiming to make it hotter than the sun. Will awakens, screaming that he's burning. As they watch, the heat initially seems ineffective, but Joyce pushes the space heaters even higher. The creature begins to emerge, and in a shocking move, Nancy grabs a hot poker and burns Will's side, forcing the entity to fully evacuate his body.

Closing the Gate & A Father-Daughter Bond

Meanwhile, Hopper and Eleven head back to the DOE building to close the gate before the monster can escape. Before they reach it, the two share a robust, long-overdue conversation, making peace about her disappearance and his overprotective behavior. Once inside the DOE, Eleven experiences vivid flashbacks of her terrifying stay there. They press on, and after receiving confirmation from Jonathan that the creature has successfully escaped Will's body, Eleven prepares to close the gate.

The Kids' Fight & Steve's Sacrifice

While the critical missions unfold, Mike refuses to sit on the sidelines, despite his hatred for sports analogies. He tries to convince Steve to take them to the pumpkin patch. Steve vehemently denies, but Max's volatile older stepbrother, Billy, with his keen "lie detector," senses Steve's deception. A brutal fight ensues, with Steve initially holding his own until Billy unleashes a mad fury. As Billy kicks the crap out of Steve, Max bravely intervenes, grabbing a syringe and injecting her stepbrother with the same sedative Will received earlier. After a tense few minutes, Billy finally goes down, but not before Max threatens him with Steve's bat.

Mike and the gang then head out to the pumpkin patch, with Max driving Billy's car – a truly humorous highlight of the episode. They arrive and enter the Upside Down tunnels, led by Steve, where they begin spraying and dumping gasoline everywhere before igniting a massive fire. This deliberate act of burning mirrors Will's own ordeal at the cabin. Mike and the gang escape, but not before Dustin pauses to give his once-pet Dart a couple of Musketeers, a poignant goodbye.

Eleven's Triumph & Aftermath

As Eleven struggles to close the gate, she remembers Kali's (Eleven's) teaching to harness anger. Drawing upon her deepest resentments and frustrations, she channels her immense power, pushing the creature back and slamming the gate shut. The closure instantly kills all the Upside Down creatures, including Dart.

A month later, things are looking up for Hawkins. The DOE lab has been shut down. Hopper has lunch with a surprisingly alive Dr. Owens, who gives him a momentous gift: the official adoption papers making him the proud father of Jane Hopper (Eleven). Hopper asks how long it will be until she can go out freely, and Owens suggests a year – but then makes an exception for one night.

The episode culminates at the Snow Ball dance. Dustin, sporting a new Steve-inspired hairstyle, sadly loses the chance to dance with Max but finds solace dancing with Nancy. Will also gets a dance partner. Hopper and Joyce share a quiet smoke, reminiscent of old times, hinting at their potential future. But the moment everyone's been waiting for arrives: to the tune of "Every Breath You Take," Eleven (now Jane) appears in a beautiful dress. Mike walks up to her, they dance (awkwardly at first, then sweetly), and share a tender, long-awaited kiss.

With everything seemingly tied up with a nice big bow, the final shot pulls back to reveal the Upside Down version of the school's gym, with the massive shadow monster Will had been seeing still looming over it. Could it be that it's finally going to stay in the Upside Down for good, or will we see this terrifying entity back in Season 3?

Review: A Perfect Season Capper

"The Gate" was one hell of a good season finale. It beautifully wrapped up several storylines, some of which had been building since the series' inception. The resolution of Dustin's crush on Nancy culminating in their dance, Mike and Eleven finally sharing a kiss at the Snow Ball, and Joyce and Hopper's quiet, intimate moments (they would make a fantastic couple!) all felt incredibly satisfying. I can't pick who outperformed whom because everyone in this episode delivered an outstanding and equally pivotal performance. The only lingering question I have is about Max's stepbrother, Billy – what was his ultimate purpose this season beyond providing intense scenes with Max and Steve? The writing of the episode was simply superb, balancing all these moving parts.

Overall, I give this episode a 9 out of 10.

Stranger Things Season 2: Overall Review

I wholeheartedly believe Stranger Things Season 2 was a significant step up from Season 1, particularly in its writing and character growth. The performances were consistently outstanding across the board. Winona Ryder's portrayal of Joyce was compelling and absolutely deserves consideration for an award. Finn Wolfhard (Mike), David Harbour (Hopper), and Noah Schnapp (Will) were all phenomenal. And Millie Bobby Brown, despite having slightly less screen time than in the first season, still delivered another impressive and impactful performance.

Sean Astin's portrayal of Bob Newby really grew on me throughout the season. While I initially didn't care much for Bob or his advice to Will about facing fears head-on, his later actions, helping Joyce and Mike, and ultimately becoming the superhero he claimed to be, made me genuinely love the character. I also can't leave out Paul Reiser, whose performance as Dr. Owens was excellent. He masterfully balanced the character's initial mysterious and somewhat dark demeanor with a surprisingly kind and caring side by the end of the season.

The anticipation for this season was immense, and it certainly did not disappoint. While there were a few storylines that felt a bit lighter or left me scratching my head, such as the Nancy and Jonathan relationship or the arc involving Max and her stepbrother, the strength of the other narratives, especially those centered on Will and Eleven, made me easily overlook those minor quibbles. The writing was truly amazing, expanding the world and deepening the emotional core.

Overall, I give Stranger Things Season 2 a 9/10!

You can catch seasons one and two of Stranger Things on Netflix now. Also, you can see the Blu-ray/DVD of Season One available in stores now.

Runaways and Judgement Days: Things Season 2, "Chapter 7: The Lost Sister"/"Chapter 8: The Mind Flayer"

Chapter 7: The Lost Sister

In "Chapter 7: The Lost Sister," Eleven embarks on a solo journey, delving into her mother's fragmented mind to uncover the truth of her past, a quest that ultimately leads her to a startling revelation: the existence of a lost sibling.

Eleven's Search for Connection

Venturing out on her own, Eleven sets out to find what she believes is her "sister" — a person who, as her mother's memories suggest, was with her during their time with Papa. Following clues gleaned from her mother's mind and papers kept by her aunt, Eleven tracks down Eight (Kali, the individual introduced at the beginning of the season premiere) in Chicago.

In Chicago, she finds Eight leading a street gang, who possess a certain rebellious spirit reminiscent of The Outsiders. Upon Eleven revealing her identity and purpose, the two quickly form a powerful, albeit complicated, connection. Eight, however, has distinct ideas for how she and her gang can utilize Eleven's formidable powers, primarily for vengeance against those who wronged them and their "mama."

A Near-Fatal Confrontation

Soon, Eleven joins Eight and the gang on a mission to confront and seek retribution from the man who ruined their mother's life. As they corner him, and just as Eleven is about to deliver a fatal blow, she spots a photograph of the man with his daughters. This glimpse of his humanity causes her to hesitate and stop. Eight, unyielding, pulls a gun, but Eleven intervenes, physically preventing her from firing. The man's children, startled by the commotion in their bedrooms, call 911, and the police are quickly en route. Before their escape, Eleven delivers a chilling warning to Eight: never to stop her again.

A Difficult Choice

Back at their hideout, Eight attempts to manipulate Eleven's mind, creating a vivid hallucination of Papa walking into the room, prompting Eleven to apologize. But just as the illusion settles, the Chicago PD storms their location. Using her own mind-bending tricks, Eight helps the group escape. However, in a pivotal moment of self-realization, Eleven chooses not to remain with Eight and her gang. Instead, she makes the difficult decision to leave them, opting to return to her friends in Hawkins, recognizing that Eight's path is not her own.

Review: A Powerful Standalone Journey

"The Lost Sister" stands as a strong and unique episode. I thoroughly enjoyed this standalone adventure, focusing on Eleven's quest to find her lost sister and the subsequent realization that Eight's darker philosophy and methods are fundamentally different from the values she has learned from Mike and her friends. Millie Bobby Brown once again delivers a powerful performance, showcasing Eleven's internal struggle and growth. The writing was excellent, effectively delving into Eleven's past while advancing her character arc.

Overall, I give this episode a 9 out of 10.

Chapter 8: The Mind Flayer

HOLY SHIPS! From beginning to end, "Chapter 8: The Mind Flayer" had me either standing up or perched on the very edge of my seat. This episode is a relentless onslaught of tension, delivering one of the season's most intense and pivotal chapters.

Under Siege: Will's Connection and Bob's Sacrifice

The episode picks up immediately from Chapter 6, with the Upside Down creatures having breached and overrun the lab. Mike urgently tells Joyce to put Will to sleep, believing that Will's connection to the Mind Flayer is what's allowing the creatures to communicate and track them. After asking Will a crucial, rapid-fire question, Joyce makes the agonizing decision to sedate him.

Dr. Owens and Hopper manage to reach Joyce, Mike, Bob, and Will, leading them towards the control room, which appears to be their only apparent escape route. Once inside, the power suddenly goes out, leaving it up to Bob to heroically save the day. Bob not only works to restore power but also bravely navigates the creatures away from their escape path.

In a truly heartbreaking sequence, Bob is the last to make it out. With Dr. Owens's guidance, he's made it to safety. But in a tragic turn that viewers have come to dread (the "Barb treatment," as you aptly put it), Bob momentarily slips up. As he steps out of a closet, he knocks over a broomstick, the sound alerting one of the creatures. It chases Bob, and just as he appears to escape death, the creature bursts through the doors and brutally attacks him, a devastating blow to the group.

The Interrogation and a Crucial Message

Hopper escorts a distraught Joyce out, and they, along with Jonathan, Nancy, Lucas, Dustin, and Steve, manage to escape the facility in Nancy's car. They all head back to Joyce's house, desperate to understand what these terrifying creatures are. Mike and the kids theorize that the creature is communicating through Will's mind, and they soon realize that Will himself is still trapped within, communicating via Morse code. What follows is a compelling "interrogation," where they communicate with Will by recounting cherished memories – from birthdays and drawings to music and the very first time Mike and Will met. These scenes, particularly those delivered by Joyce and Mike, are deeply emotional and memorable. They successfully extract a vital message: "Close Gate," which likely refers to the gate to the Upside Down that Eleven previously used.

Eleven's Shocking Return

However, all plans are fragile. The phone in the house rings twice, a clear signal that the creature has located them. Joyce quickly sedates Will again, and everyone is on full alert, bracing for an attack. A beast appears to be circling the house until it emits a piercing scream, and what looks like it jumped through the window... but then it's revealed to be dead. Suddenly, the locks on the front door begin to click open, one by one. As the door swings wide, everyone's faces register pure shock: Eleven is back!

Review: A Masterpiece of Tension and Emotion

Oh my gosh, "The Mind Flayer" was definitely one of the most exciting episodes of the season! It had the perfect mix of edge-of-your-seat suspense, hilarious moments, and some really touching emotional scenes. And can we talk about that iconic ending with Eleven’s return? So amazing! I’m also curious, like your brother, if Hopper might end up being a father figure for Will – their bond is so strong! Additionally, Mike’s heartfelt eulogy for Bob was a truly touching gesture; it effectively demonstrated the profound impact Bob had on the group. The performances from Winona Ryder (Joyce), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), and especially Noah Schnapp (Will) were just incredible and super memorable. I definitely had to grab some tissues for this one! 

Overall, this episode is a tour de force, delivering on all fronts. I give "The Mind Flayer" a 9.5/10!

You can catch Season 2 of Stranger Things available on Netflix now, along with Season 1.  

Chicago Med Season 3 First Look

Last time we last left Chicago Med, it ended with a bang. The hit NBC medical drama returns two weeks from today, Tuesday, November 21st at 10/9c. And for the hard core fans of the show let this be a warning as you are being urged to "keep your tissues close by, just in case."

TV Line has the exclusive first look of the third season with Marlyne Barrett (Maggie) talking about how this season "is about the heartbeat of who we are as a team." Colin Donnell (Dr. Rhodes) agrees with Barrett's statement and adding, "The incident with Dr. Charles is affecting everyone going forward because it happened to one of our own."

For those of you who haven't caught up, Dr. Charles was shot at the end of the second season finale. But it's not the only source of drama that's going down this season as the video shows that the doctors' personal lives are in different states of flux. From Dr. Manning and Dr. Halstead's relationship to Dr. Choi and April keeping their relationship a secret as one of them is tired of sneaking around.

You can catch the season premiere of Chicago Med Tuesday, Nov. 21st at 10/9c on NBC.

Blind Faith: Supergirl "The Faithful"

Faith is challeneged in a way that even Kara has never seen before with cult following.

Back in 2015 when a plane's engine blew and Supergirl saved the plane and the passangers in it, that included Alex. There was one passanger, Trevor (Chad Lowe), who took her into inspiration. Back to the present day, when Kara spotted a pamphlet of a religious group on Samantha's desk and took it to investigate it. When her, Winn and James investigated it, they find that it's a religious cult of those that have been saved by Supergirl and believe that she's the one. And this is founded by the man who saw Supergirl, Travor.

Kara comes to realizes that these cults followers are causing trouble just to be saved by her for which seems like a crime but to Maggie it really isn't. Kara meets with Trevor to talk about his group and soon he sees that Kara is Supergirl. 

Soon the group goes attempts to blow up the stadium with over a thousand people in it. Supergirl tries stopping them and while trying to stop the bomb, there happens to be kryptonite inside. Alex gets there and tries to help a weak Supergirl. Kara has one last idea and used all of her strenght to use her heat vision to create a hole that goes all the way down in the Earth so Alex and Trevor can push it down. 

Kara meets with Trevor in prison and asked him if things are okay and if she has to worry about him knowing that she's Supergirl. Of course, he says he has no clue who Karas full name was so the close is clear for no, I guess. 

Meanwhile, Samantha is having a hard time balancing work and her daughter. Trouble with the merge of L Crop and another became a huge priority while her daugther wanted her to help practice her song for the talent show. Samantha gets to hangout with Kara, Lena, Maggie and Alex as a girls night out, which was really. With the merge a success, she gets to her daughter's performance along with Lena, Alex and Kara just in time to see her perform. 

After Samantha's daughter's performance, Alex got so emotional that she walked away and talked to Kara about how Maggie doesn't want to have kids and she does. Kara believes that Maggie will come around. 

And not if Samantha's night wasn't tough enough, as she prepares for a bath, she spots numbers and letters on her face and sees a vision of a monstrous creature walking towards her to tell her that soon it will "reign." 

"The Faithful" was a very good episode that had a really good growth of characters with Samantha and Kara as they face some challenges with life and faith. Not to mention Alex with her wanting kids and Maggie doesn't. The writing was really good. I very much enjoyed Annable's performance and even her storyline so far as it's really building quite well. Overall, I give this episode a 8/10.

You can catch Supergirl Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.

Reunited And It Feels So So Good!: Blindspot "Back to the Grind" Season Premiere

The one way that best describes the season three premiere of Blindspot: Adventureful blended with fun.

In the season premiere we jump into a flashback of Jane and Weller's wedding and living the happy family life. That was until a group of assisans came in to collect the bounty on Jane. Thinking that Weller and Jane will worked together on this, think again as she goes her way to run so she can protect Weller.

We soon jump eightenn month later in the present day, Weller gets a visit from the director of the FBI and gets informed that Reade, Zarpata and Patterson have been kidanpped and was left with a case that has Jane's name on it. Weller soon reunits with Jane and discovers that she's covered in new, bioluminescent tattoos that form in a pretty cool way.

The clue that they get leads them to Venice, where in fact little brother Roman is there and is responible for the tattoos. After talking and battling, Roman gives Jane a choice to stop the bounty by faking her death, for which she and Weller did and showed the one who put the bounty something to think about.

Things have chnaged since the last time we saw the other team members: Reade is now the head of the FBI NY field office, Zapata is with the CIA and Patterson works with a tech company. But the three of them get kidnaped by Venezuelan soliders, who demand that they decrypt a CIA computer. But Patterson came up with a way to escape by blowing up the computer with their meal bag that they were given and as soon as they escape, they get rescued by Weller and Jane in like one of the best rescues of the television season: with a tank.

Back in New York City, the FBI and CIA create a joint task force to deal with Roman and the new tattoos. The team is back and it just feels so good. But not only does the orginal team reunit, they are added with a few more, let alone of them being Rich Dotcom, who he and Patterson have been secretly been contacting each other.

Also, Zapata mentions the mysterious dragonfly tattoo to KEaton, which she wants to keep that a secret.While Jane stashes cash and passports from Weller, while Weller gets accosted by Roman, who threatehns to tell Jane "what happened in Berlin" unless he follows his demands.

"Back to the Grind" was one hour of fun, thrilling episode. The writing was so good that for the first twenty minutes of the episode was literally on the edge of my seat. This episode had such good balance of drama and comedy and I feel it had a lot more humoiest moments that some like Jane and Weller kicking ass in the church, the gang (Weller, Jane, Patterson, Zapata and Reade) in the tank, to even Patterson deciding to come back to working with the FBI after learning that Rick Dotcom is working with them. Performances from everyone was so good as well. I feel that this might be a really strong good season. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Blindspot Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.

The Blacklist "The Travel Agency (No. 90)"

This week's Blacklister isn't quite your normal to catch a villain kind but more of a capture before he's harmed as well.

"The Travel Agnecy" is another one good hour of television that leaves you wondering til the very end about this week's blacklister. With some twist and mostly coming near the end of the episode, one being that the blacklister isn't really all in the head as he's suffering from a relaps of memory (think of it as 50 First Dates). The blacklister is given the same assignment but killing those that were part of The Travel Agency.

The other twist comes when after watching the blacklisters get taken down, Liz gets thinking of what she really wanted to do, get married to Tom right here and right now at the end. As much as I loved the first non-wedding, this one was good enough.

While Liz and the team go after the blacklister, Cooper goes out his way to help a son of a friend out of danger and thinking that he's doing drugs again. He and Red team up and have a nice adventure in this episode that had they given demands on where the kid was by given the drug dealer the ulitmate high to even almost given their head blown off from the kid that they're saving.

I've every much enjoyed watching Cooper getting a nice story. We got to see him be a badass at times. There was a scene with Red given a speech about how the justice system protects the police officers no matter if they kill someone one accident or on purprose.

And not to mention Tom's search for Peter McGee, whos' taken the suitcase of bones. McGee's wife/girlfreind gets a message that she no longer knows the guy or ever met the man from a strange dude. And when Tom gets her to help him dig in Pete's computer and finds out that he's using her name for credit cards and such. That strange dude informs his boss about the girlfriend and Tom working together.

The episode had some very good moments from Red and Liz at the putt putt course to Cooper and Red during their adventure, Liz and the wife of the blacklister talks about being a mother,  and not to mention Tom and Liz getting married. I do wonder who the strange dude is talking to and how bad this guy is that he wants those bag of bones. I will say that with a small scene of Tom and Red talking about suitcase was chilling at times. I thought that writing of this episode was very good. Overall I give this episode a 8/10.

You can catch The Blacklist Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

Here's a promo for next week's episode: