Milkshakes and Vacations: The Good Place "Chapter 51: Patty"

Welcome to The Good Place or is it?

As Eleanor and the gang travel in the air balloon to the Good Place, what they see looks like paradise. As things look amazingly peaceful and warming; Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason go to a party of their own taste that had combined due to entering the portal together. As Jason races gocarts with monkeys, Tahani and Janet meeting with other people; Chidi meets with Hypatia with Eleanor and not only freaks out from talking to one of the great minds. But things aren't what they seem as the gang realizes that the good place is the borning place.

Meanwhile, as Michael thought that he was being sworn in to be a member of The Good Place; but the board members tricked him into signing to be the management of The Good Place. While trying to figure what's going on, Michael, Eleanor, and the gang figure out what to do and that the best thing to do is have the option of knowing that there's a door to the end.

After announcing the plan to the rest of the people that have been around for over five hundred years; everyone had a party and later on Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, Jason, Janet get to live in their Good Place places with Michael making his office close to them. Eleanor and Chidi talk while looking at the sun setting by the mountain as they take-in the moment.

"Patty" was such a great episode that it really felt like it should have been the finale. The performance from the cast was good and the writing was as good as ever. The episode showed that the good place wasn't all that what it seemed; our gang needed to help fix the issues and to provide a solution was good and around out the problem.

But it leaves our characters with when will they go through that door and what will become of them after they go through that door? Is it death? Is it a rebirth of life? This episode would have been an excellent ending; that would have our gang be where they are and had us play out in our minds of what they do after.

I'm pretty anxious, nervous and emotional for this series forking finale. From what I've read in the interviews and such, this could be like the Parks and Recreation finale as it was too a jammed-packed full of emotions and laughs. Move over This Is Us, The Good Place fans will be needing the tissues this week.

Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch the one-hour series forking finale of The Good Place Thursday, Jan. 30 at 8:30/7:30c and the post-show interview with Seth Meyers at 9:30/8:30c on NBC

Need to Talk:This Is Us "A Hell of A Week, Part 1"

This starts the first of the Big Three Trilogy with another powerful story. Here's a recap!!

In this another installment of the Big Three Trilogy; we start off with Randall as we pick up from the moment the previous episode ended when Randall face to face with a burglar in the house that started to relive his past once again.

After Randall stands his ground and offers the burglar his money; the guy ran off and we start to see Randall become unhinged when it comes to protecting his family and the fear that comes to it. After placing home security, it takes a real toll on him that it even takes him away from his job; as the city council and the talk about the big bill that the residents have big concerns.

Randall gets a call from Kevin, who's in Pittsburgh to visit Sophie as her father past away; but Randall doesn't tell him about what had happened. Night terrors start to come back and we see how after Jack's death that these night terrors started and continued throughout his life even when meeting Beth. After taking his run, Randall stops a robber from stealing from a lady and kicks the shit out of him. When he returns to work as a hero, he runs back home as it took much and later calls Kevin to tell him that he wasn't okay and tells him about what had happened and needed a talk.

This episode was so powerful and truthful about not only fear can conquer us but that it's okay to talk about anything Sterling K. Brown gives such a strong performance in this episode along with the actors that played the young and college Randall. The writing was strong and had so much character development. It does leave to preview of what to expect in the next two episodes; with Kevin meeting Sophie and Kate's history with the so-called boyfriend that ended with a shocking cliffhanger in this episode. Overall, I give this episode a 9.5/10.

You can catch This Is Us tonight at 9/8c on NBC.

The Path: This Is Us "Lights and Shadows" Winter Premiere

This Is Us returns with a winter premiere that was full of powerful emotions. Here's a recap!

After the fall finale, we see our characters going through the stuff that we were expected to see. Randall trying to get an appointment for Rebecca during the holidays; Kate confronts Toby about his text messaging with another woman and Kevin trying the online dating world.

Coming in the new year, Rebecca gets an appointment and does some memory tests; but while doing those tests we see how she fought to stay with Jack. Randall and Miguel argue over about the situation and after learning that there could be something going on with Rebecca the two put their feelings aside and focused on Rebecca.

Kate is about to throw a surprise birthday for Tobey and can't wait to meet the lady from his Zumba class. As she works and worries, it turns out that during the party she wasn't there and that Tobey has switched to a different class group. After Tobey tells Kate why he switched classes and the reason he didn't tell her as Kate gives him his gift of a vacation retreat that helps with parents for blind children. But in the end, they have a moment when baby Jack sees the pineapple lights really spark the love back with one another.

Kevin tries to get in the online dating world and it's not going so good. After a few bombs, Kevin decides to stop and late the universe take it from there; until he meets this woman at the coffee shop. He confronts her and the two talk and after sparks really fly with one another the two go out on a date with John Legend performing for them. It all stopped after learning she's married and this was just a hall pass. But as Kevin goes back to work he gets a call from Sophie.

As Randall comes back home seeing him look at his girls and later kiss Beth; he goes downstairs and sees a burglar and we leave the episode like that.

"Lights and Shadows" was such an amazing and powerful episode that had such rich and emotional moments.  The Rebecca story was so damn good and one of my favorite performances from Mandy Moore so far. Kate and Toby were good as well; while I was convinced that Sophia Bush could be the woman for Kevin; I'm still hoping for him to get back with Sophie. It has to be that Kevin and Sophie will get back together and have that child that he wants. Strong writing with strong character growth in this episode. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch This Is Us Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

"It's so Basic!" The Good Place "Chapter 50: Mondays, Am I Right?"

Can Michael get the employees of the wrong place to use his method in the new plan? Is Chidi good for Eleanor? Here's a recap!!

As Michael and the gang meet up with the employees of The Bad Place, Michael tries to get them to come together and follow his method for his new plan. But when some do not like it or do not get it, it takes Vicki to grasp the concept through their heads with some healthy understanding. Even though Michael is upset about Vicki teaching them quicker than him, he learns a lesson that follows his pushing the rock up a hill.

Meanwhile, Eleanor, Chidi, and Jason must find a thousand people that will fit well with the formula so the plan can work from Mr. Rogers and Susan B. Anthony. But when Eleanor sees her file, she jumps to Chidi to not read it, but when she tells him to, Chidi doesn't think he's good for her. Thinking more about it, Jason helps Chidi while Chidi believes he is assisting Jason and gets his confidence back about loving Eleanor.

As the plan seems to be working, the jingle that someone's going to the excellent place comes, and it's Eleanor and the gang going. Michael brings the air balloon for them and goes along with Janet, and as they ride off waving bye to the people of the medium place, Jason yells out Folies.

"Mondays, Am I Right?" was a good and hilarious episode. This was a great Michael episode as he had to deal with Vicki, helping him explain how the new method to the point system works. Hell, I just loved that scene when Tahani was in the VR room and got attacked by a chainsaw bear. That has to be a T-shirt. Why do I feel this is only the calm before the storm as we get to the series finale? We get a Wizard of Oz ending in this episode. Does anyone think we'll get Eleanor to wake up and see Chidi somewhere and go after him?

Anyway, overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch The Good Place on Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC,

The Healing Powers of Dude, Season 1

Last week, a new Netflix series premiered, and while it has some wacky moments, it's got enough heart and inspiration to win over.

The first season of The Healing Powers of Dude is about an 11-year-old boy named Noah (played by Jace Chapman) suffering from a social anxiety disorder and the one thing that could help him is a dog named Dude, who's trained to be a support therapy dog. After getting the dog, Noah makes new friends with Amara and Simon (played by Sophie Kim and Mauricio Lara). He even has a crush on a girl named Valerie (played by Gabrielle Quinn).

But he also deals with fun and supportive parents (played by Larisa Oleynik and Tom Evertt Scott) and a young but wise little sister in Embry. While anxiety is Noah's enemy, Dude has his own in the school's principal, who dislikes dogs and pulls off a sad, cruel, and yet exciting way for season two.



I very much enjoyed this first season, and while it has some goofy yet funny moments, the show has heart and inspiration and tackles mental health head-on in the rightful way of social anxiety. This ensemble cast is fantastic, and while Chapman steals the show, Kim and Lara give such an excellent performance as Noah's best friends, while Oleynik and Scott are amazing and hilarious. The writing was as good as it has some strong character growth.

While this show has heart and inspiration, it hits close to home for me as I, too, have a social anxiety disorder. Whether at school, family gatherings, or public places, I was the kind of person who shut down like a hermit crab, and while therapy support dogs weren't a thing, I had the one thing that had helped me, and that was television. Watching one episode of a comedy or a drama helped me calm down my nerves before going anywhere.  I think this show is for parents to watch with their kids and not only watch but also teach.  The show serves a great message, and I hope that the show gets another season.

You can catch the first season of The Healing Powers of Dude available on Netflix now.

Animal Among Us

If you think that "Animal Among Us" was a film that you know all too well without seeing it, guess again. This film keeps you guessing until its mind-blowing ending. 

When a campground is reopening celebration fifteen years after two girls were murdered and lead to a best-selling novel, Anita and Penelope Bishop (played by Larisa Oleynik and Christine Donlon), deals with issues of an animal like creature on the campsite, after two people had been attacked and killed. But when the author. Who wrote the book on the previous murders comes for the celebration at the Bishop's mother; the plot twists and turns about man and creature.

"Animal Among Us" is a horror film that might have the same plot devices as previous classic horror films like Friday the 13th. I enjoy some originality in this film; while for a 90-minute movie with some slow parts, it builds to an ending that I would have never had thought of. Larisa Oleynik, who won Best Actress in a Feature at Northen Horror Fest 2019, gives a stunning performance unlike we've seen her do from her previous roles. Even Don Frye and Erin Daniels were outstanding and stood out in the film as well.

I give the film an 8/10.

You can catch "Animal Among Us" available now on DVD and digital.

Supergirl "The Bottle Episode" Preview

After a crazy and thrilling Crisis event, Supergirl returns with a much, much deeper threat. 

A new threat comes upon Supergirl and it's Lex Luther. Here's a promo of this Sunday's episode:

You can catch Supergirl Sundays at 9/8c on The CW.