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The Good Place Review – An Imperfect Paradise (4×12)

THE GOOD PLACE -- "Patty" Episode 412 -- Pictured: (l-r) D'Arcy Carden as Janet, Kristen Bell as Eleanor, William Jackson Harper as Chidi, Ted Danson as Michael, Manny Jacinto as Jason, Jameela Jamil as Tahani -- (Photo by: Colleen Hayes/NBC)

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We finally make it to the Good Place and it is everything that’s been promised. Unfortunately, everything that’s been promised isn’t necessarily everything one would hope.

Nor was this episode “Patty” exactly what I had hoped, so let’s start at the beginning.

The front half of this season is too slow. I mentioned in my review for “Help is Other People” that the show seemed to be treading some water the first half of the season, and now with “Patty” under our belt, I’ve even more reason to feel this way.

This show needed another episode dedicated to discovering the Good Place. Some of what happened in “Patty” is what I referred to in my review for “You’ve Changed, Man,” when I discussed the potential pitfalls of the humans coming up with their new afterlife plan too quickly. That episode avoided those pitfalls by having the crew take the length of the episode to debate and discuss the best plan moving forward.

“Patty” does not avoid those pitfalls. It barely raises its problem before offering the solution, and therefore greatly undercuts the drama.

The problem is that the Good Place isn’t quite all it’s cracked up to be, as the residents there lose their passion and joy and lead meaningless lives. Turns out that everlasting perfection tends to get boring, resulting in brains becoming mush and hopes and dreams becoming empty.

Good ol’ Eleanor Shellstrop comes up with a solution, though; let people leave. For good. Let them walk out a door and let their existence in the universe end, AKA permadeath. The idea behind this solution is that an ending will give the residents’ afterlives meaning again, and being allowed to leave once they feel they’ve accomplished everything will give them peace.

Let me be clear here – the solution to the Good Place is perfect for this series. I absolutely love it. It makes me sad and happy all at the same time. It’s a commentary on life and on stories, and is a culmination of the series’ messages and ethos.

But damn, if it isn’t a quick turnaround.

Due to the fast pace of this episode, the story has to plow through the set up of the problem. Hypatia of Alexandria, AKA Patty, ends up mostly telling the characters what the problem is instead of letting them, and us, naturally find it.

If there had been an extra episode dedicated to the Good Place, we could have not only seen more of Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason’s fantasies come true, but started to piece together that something isn’t quite right on our own.

Jason would have been the perfect vehicle for this as well. His impulsiveness makes him the perfect candidate to encounter the Good Place’s soul draining euphoria, as he would have burned through each of his fantasies quickly, leaving him the first to feel the emptiness of eternal heaven.

The episode tries to do this with Jason, but his entire journey happens off screen, and by the time he returns we already know what the problem is so his journey is inconsequential.

Imagine if the reveal at the end of season one happened three episode into the show. There would be too little time for the characters and audience to build up their own interpretations of the environment before the reveal. This is what I feel happened in “Patty.” We barely spend any time in the Good Place, and don’t get to discover for ourselves what it is about before we’re told what it is about.

I wish the experiment at the start of season four would have ended an episode sooner. That time could have been used to journey around the Good Place with our characters, giving them time to settle into their paradise only to feel something was off and for us to discover that with them.

As for Eleanor’s solution; it comes too quickly. There is no build up to her revelation and no input from any other character. I also feel this solution maybe should have come from Michael.

Michael has grown so much and learned all about what it means to be human, it would have been a very touching moment had he been the one to recall his lessons from Eleanor and realize what the people of the Good Place need.

Despite my gripes, the problem of the Good Place and the solution provided are excellent.

Providing the lifeless eternals an avenue for what is essentially true death is a haunting and beautiful sentiment. I wish there was more time spent with the rumination of this concept, because it really hits the themes of the show out of the park.

The Good Place has a plot about characters in the afterlife trying to avoid eternal damnation to achieve eternal bliss, but it’s always been about the connections the characters make with each other during this journey.

Based on the The Good Place’s philosophy, being a person is about making these connections and trying to be a better person today than you were yesterday. If you have eternal tomorrows, though, what drives you to improve? What drives you to do anything?

“Patty” posits that the gift of time is only a gift if there is a limited amount of it (even if that limit is decided by you). What you do with your time is only valuable if there is only so much time you have to fill. It makes what you choose to fill it with important.

I love this concept so much it hurts, and it makes me super salty that we didn’t get more time to explore this idea with these characters.

Take away “Employee of the Bearimy” and add in another episode of the characters in the Good Place so the plot here has time to thicken and build some tension. Let the humans personally begin to feel the lackluster bliss of the Good Place and have Michael’s tenure as the head honcho of the Good Place force him to reflect on his time becoming human.

Maybe we even could have been given enough time with one of the Good Place residents to develop an attachment to them, and experience the elation they feel when Eleanor announces the ability to leave.

As it stands, though, I feel “Patty” is a great concept slightly muddled by some imperfect execution.

There is one episode left, and just as I said about “Mondays, Am I Right?” it’s hard to completely judge “Patty” without knowing what is coming next, since the ending of this episode’s storyline feels very finite.

“Mondays, Am I Right?” gets a minor bump upwards in my viewing due to this episode. The team’s success at creating a system that will push more people into the Good Place provides some good tension for this episode, since soon, due to their new system, more people will end up in the Good Place and suffer the same soul sucking paradise that’s been plaguing the Good Place for centuries.

Anyway, salt aside, there is a lot to love in “Patty.” The Good Place feels fully realized and milkshakes are made of stardust. Tahani talks about caviar on Jello-O shots and Chidi has never been more excited than he is meeting Patty.

Beautiful touches such as the squad walking arm and arm into their perfect party together and Jason realizing that he’d rather be with his friends than go-karting with animals are examples of what has made the series sing over the past four years. The story of these characters is here, and it coalesces nicely with the plot of the episode.

As time passes I know I will look back at this episode and be happier with what it provides instead of being disappointed in what I feel was left on the table. The story here is excellent; it’s just a bit too quick.

For now, though, I wish their time this season was a bit better spent.

Other Musings:

  • Janet slips up and says she was born.
  • I thought Michael’s anxiety over being in the Good Place was going to be his focus in the episode. This would have been a GREAT storyline if there was an extra episode here.
  • Michael’s line about never signing his name before pulled at my heartstrings for some reason. I wish there was more time for moments like these.
  • Michael’s robe is ridiculous and classic Good Place visual comedy.
  • Love that they rebuild the neighborhood. Gave me some Lost vibes, as the most important time in their lives was the time they spent together, so their paradise is a return to their original afterlives.

NEW MUSIC CUE ALERT – I believe we finally have a new major music cue for when Eleanor reminds Michael that he is in charge of the Good Place and can make a door that allows residents to move on. This is my favorite moment of the episode and a reminder at how essential music is to make your moments land. This cue almost saves the moment from not having enough build up. Almost.

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Nobody Wants This

Nobody Wants This Season 3 Recap—Everything Plunges Into Total and Necessary Chaos

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Nobody Wants This Season 3

We’re back in the Joanna and Noah’s orbit, and Nobody Wants This Season 3 is fully making up for its lackluster second season. 

The first season had us falling head over heels. It was a breakout hit, captivating audiences before the series lost some of its momentum and faced criticism for becoming increasingly repetitive.

But Season 3 plunged into total, necessary and enjoyable chaos, breathing new life into the series and injecting much-needed momentum into its central relationships.

And while yes, the focus was still very much on Noah and Joanne, fan-favorite duo, Sasha and Morgan essentially stole the show and got way too messy for their own good, giving the people what they’ve been wanting.

Let’s get into it—SPOILERS from season 3 AHEAD!

The Engagement

Joanna and Noah’s relationship took on many different shapes in season 3, as their commitment to each other intensified and they found themselves on solid ground, embracing all the firsts of a relationship.

They moved in together, but the bliss faded almost instantly as they discovered just how many of each other’s quirks they’d yet to uncover—like Joanne’s messiness, though you’d think Noah would’ve picked up on that during the dating phase.

However, through it all, they proved that communication is key—and worked through every issue head-on and, most importantly, together and with a united front, which was especially important after their engagement. 

Yes—Noah and Joanne are engaged, and while getting to the moment was a bit rocky (Erin Foster, the show creator, really did a number on them as Nicole, the airport fan) and almost got them on the no-fly list, the actual proposal was magical and caught Joanne by surprise, as she was expecting to attend a wedding instead.

Admittedly, there are so many moments during this show where I catch myself wondering how much money they all have to afford renting out an entire venue for a fake wedding. Or Sasha getting his own 3-bedroom apartment. This is LA we’re talking about—these properties aren’t cheap. And yes, I know Joanne has a successful podcast, but honestly, her job was an afterthought for much of this season, with Morgan taking the career spotlight with her “Make Them” philosophy going viral. And Sr. Rabbis do not make that much, my Google search revealed.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, the engagement stage was short-lived because it went into full wedding planning, mostly against Noah and Joanne’s wishes. 

Bina simply couldn’t help herself, as she had a vision for the wedding that she needed to execute. Overbearing mothers-in-law are definitely something many people can relate to, but the issue was that Joanna just got Bina to like her, or, at the very least, accept her, so she didn’t want to just shut down all of her ideas.

Admittedly, I was surprised by all the concessions Joanne was making, despite wanting her Julia Roberts wedding. She went from wanting to have it outdoors and intimate to accepting that it would happen in his backyard with the whole congregation invited.

The season gave us a new and improved Joanne, who often put Noah’s happiness above her own, and began to realize what truly matters in life. Of course, that doesn’t mean she lost all her qualities and made life easy for him, as that couldn’t be further from the truth. She challenged and tested him at every turn—and that man has the patience of a saint. She also let her insecurities get the best of her when her ex Travis turned out to be their next-door neighbor.

I wasn’t too fond of the whole Travis storyline, nor did I particularly think it was necessary. Yes, it gave us a better picture of who Joanna was in her past, the absolutely terrible experiences she had in the dating world, and even underscored how much she’s evolved as a person, even in light of those insecurities and “her lower self” taking over during their housewarming party, but we also knew all of that. Travis was a distraction that didn’t really add anything to the storyline, nor did he pose an actual threat to their relationship. 

Nobody Wants This Season 3

Nobody Wants This. (L to R) Michael Hitchcock as Henry, Stephanie Faracy as Lynn, Tovah Feldshuh as Bina, Paul Ben-Victor as Ilan in episode 310 of Nobody Wants This. Cr. Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix © 2026

Intro to Judaism Conversion Classes

Joanne’s conversion classes were also a big part of the season, as she was finally taking the plunge so that she could be with him. But being the rabbi’s wife meant that she also had to sell the image and course-correct the narrative, so he was able to get his job back at Temple Chai, where he belonged. 

In previous seasons, we saw just how much Noah was willing to sacrifice to be with her, but this season, we saw Joanne living up to that sacrifice. Along the way, she also realized that she wasn’t just converting for or because of Noah; she was doing it for herself, the future she wanted, including the family that she was hoping to start with him. The internal motivation is key to showcasing Joanne’s growth through the course of the seasons, as she aims to be better and do better. 

The Wedding

Everything about her relationship with Noah has been a surprise she didn’t see coming, so it only made sense that he decided to get married right there on the beach after her mitzvah. And it was exactly what she wanted (though not the way she may have envisioned it panning out)—outdoors and intimate. 

It helped them recenter and refocus on what had been the goal since day one—being together. Without all the frills and noise, the guest list, the party, the DJ, the mother-son dances and everything else.

It wasn’t conventional, but then again, nothing about their relationship ever has been.

It was about the two of them, embracing their connection and taking the next step for the right reasons, when it finally felt right. 

And I’m sure the party will follow eventually—Bina will make sure of it—but for now, it was the perfect way to end the season, especially after previous finales repeatedly leaned on breakups and the pressure of conversion. This time, the ending emphasized growth and change, driven by choices they made together and on their own terms. They’ve learned enough throughout the seasons not to get rocked by anything else happening, and simply focus on themselves.  

Nobody Wants This Season 3

Nobody Wants This. (L to R) Jackie Tohn as Esther, Timothy Simons as Sasha in episode 302 of Nobody Wants This. Cr. Katrina Marcinowski/Netflix © 2026

The Love Triangle

Now, for the extremely messy parts of the season—Sasha, Morgan and Esther!

Esther’s decision to separate from Sasha (whose bleach-blonde hair was a midlife crisis that made him look like a Hemsworth or Ellen DeGeneres, depending on who you asked) to find herself and prioritize her happiness takes center stage, as they initially try to hide it from Bina, before getting to a point where there’s no way to keep explaining Esther’s absences from family events. 

As expected, Bina doesn’t take well to the “nesting” (the new conscious uncoupling), but the reality is that things just weren’t working between Esther and Sasha. She wasn’t happy; by the time he realized it, it was too late, and the hope was that time would help them see their relationship in a new light. 

Esther, however, found her newfound freedom liberating. In addition to nerves, there’s a thrill to getting back out into the dating world after so long. She could see who she was outside of being a mother and a wife. 

After getting her real estate license, she was wooed by Julian, an older, wealthy man who showed her what it felt like to be taken care of for once, rather than always being the one taking care of everyone else. We don’t dig into this relationship as much as we should, so the fact that she fell so head over heels is a little strange, but maybe that’s intentional for season 4.

For Sasha, however, the growth happened more so in the fact that he had to man up and face life alone–no longer coddled by Esther, who took care of everything. He got used to her doing everything, so he didn’t even try, essentially taking the backseat to his own life. But when he’s forced to do it on his own, he realizes he’s actually pretty self-sufficient. 

The problem with finding yourself is that, in the process, you run the risk of losing what was once yours—a lesson Esther and Sasha learned almost immediately.

Esther was one of the only people who, for some reason, didn’t anticipate that the decision to let him go would bring him closer to Morgan. Of course, the chemistry between Morgan and Sasha’s characters is likely the only reason the show even split Esther and Sasha up to begin with (and fan demand). But the truth is, even if Sasha never cheated on Esther, he was emotionally crushing on Morgan for quite some time. Even his dad thought he’d slept with her “last year.”

It was only a matter of time before those feelings took over.

I’m torn on this storyline, because I wanted to see them together, but it was also a good time to emphasize that men and women can just be friends, which would’ve been a refreshing take for TV.

Instead, the series opted for dramatic destabilization, disrupting their established worlds and relationships to force new developments—see what happens when you throw it all into disarray.

And it gave us the best episode of the season—Sasha and Morgan’s trip to New York, allowing us to really dig into their connection. They were forced to finally admit to feelings they’ve been circling for quite some time, which snuck up on them. The focus was all on them without any other interruptions, which has never happened before. And they felt more comfortable exploring this away from their home turf, swept up in the magic of NYC because it felt more like an escape, where the stakes didn’t totally matter. 

Esther later held all of this against them when, in reality, Morgan and Sasha never intended to fall for each other—they just did. It was pure and innocent, and they tried to fight it as best they could, even considering how it would affect the people around them before realizing that the pull was just too strong.

Sasha was a huge source of support for Morgan, but the more time they spent together, the more they realized their feelings ran deeper than friendship. What made their connection so special was that it was rooted in a genuine friendship. They knew each other better than anyone else, accepted each other despite their flaws and genuinely enjoyed spending time together. Their romantic feelings developed naturally from a foundation of trust, understanding and simply liking each other for who they were.

The episode was so well done as it captured the sexual tension between them, as the dynamic shifted from friendly to more intense. This is the perfect scenario when “ruin the friendship” does make sense. Cue the Taylor Swift song.

But then they both decided it wasn’t worth the risk, as they cared about each other too much and couldn’t afford to lose this. 

The scene in their suite, where Morgan was pacing from her room to the couch and kept finding reasons to go check on him, was exceptional, as it captured exactly what they were feeling—the tug and pull of anticipation, lust, desire, and the frustration of wondering whether they should cross the line—until it finally bubbled over. 

But instead of making the friendship worth ruining, Morgan sabotaged it the very next morning by running away from anything serious and catching an earlier flight. She then ignored all of his texts and calls before having a heart-to-heart with Joanne, which started off with her yelling at Morgan about how sleeping with Sasha, her fiancés brother, was the dumbest decision she could’ve made before eventually morphing into the realization that she really did love him. 

Joanne told Morgan to go after him and profess her love, and for the first time ever, Morgan was so deeply honest and vulnerable, it was like watching a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. And then Sasha rejected her. 

It was brutal and frustrating (on purpose), but it also made sense.

"A smiling couple sits at a table indoors, holding hands and posing for a photo taken by another person. Bright, cozy setting with large windows, plants outside, two glasses of water, and a yellow tablet on the table."

Nobody Wants This. (L to R) Justine Lupe as Morgan, Timothy Simons as Sasha in episode 306 of Nobody Wants This. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026

He was hurt by Morgan and still reeling from a divorce in which his best friend and life partner had decided she wanted more out of life. Naturally, his fear of abandonment kicked in, leaving him terrified of losing another person he cared about.

And so while I wanted nothing more than for Sasha to embrace Morgan, I understood his hesitation and concern. 

Naturally, it didn’t bode well for Sasha and Morgan’s friendship, blurring the lines further and making it difficult to go back to how things were. How do you just erase those feelings? You want to spend the day with someone but don’t want to be with them? Morgan couldn’t reconcile it. 

And then, in another twist, Sasha and Esther ended up sleeping together while he gave her a tour of the new apartment. One might’ve argued that it was one final hoorah post-breakup, but they also seemed to really enjoy the new situation they’ve found themselves in. Without the pressure of marriage, they were rediscovering each other and finding what made them fall for one another in the first place. There was plenty of love still there, so the door was open for a reunion, even if they were both enjoying their freedom right now without being forced to keep the spark alive. 

I would’ve been rooting for them, had it not been for Sasha’s thing with Morgan, which he didn’t even mention to Esther—not that the opportunity ever came up.

Esther and Sasha didn’t seem to mind that they were seeing other people—embracing an open, go-with-the-flow relationship—but it stung when Esther found out he’d slept with Morgan. 

She felt betrayed because their hook-up was more meaningful; Morgan was a woman Esther worried about since they’d met, but was also assured that there was nothing there. 

In a moment of revenge, and in front of all the parents, she told Morgan that she slept with Sasha the day prior. 

This prompted Joanne and Morgan’s dad to bluntly ask him, “Why are u sticking your dick in everyone’s hole?” Honestly, probably the best quote of the season, though there were some strong contenders! 

The truth is, Sasha isn’t doing anything Esther isn’t doing, but there are more repercussions.  

The season ended with quite a love triangle—giving us a cliffhanger worth waiting for to resolve. At the very least, it will force Esther and Sasha to actually make a decision about the future of their relationship. 

In a surprising turn of events, Noah and Joanne weren’t the most problematic couple around for once. While everything was crumbling around them—and everyone was fighting, including the parents, as Bina questioned, “What did we do to deserve this family coming into our lives?” and Lynn responded that she has to stop infantilizing her boys—Noah and Joanne stayed grounded, prioritizing what was most important to them.

Who knew everyone would be fighting over Sasha and that it would make for the most compelling drama? Who are you rooting for?

Also, I really hope the fact that Joanne kept Sasha and Morgan from Esther doesn’t ruin her friendship with her former sister-in-law because that was one of the best parts of this season. They’ve gone from hating each other to being best friends, the very proof that people can change, and while Esther felt like she was being cut out and excluded because this was Sasha’s family, Joanne promised she was stuck with her for life. However, her loyalty is now torn between the two women she cares most about in the world, which is a tough spot to be in!

What did you think of Nobody Wants This Season 3?

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Line of Fire

‘Line of Fire’ Season 1 Episode 5 Review: The Jack Mystery Takes a New Turn as Another Conspiracy From Mike’s Past Deepens

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Line of Fire Review

Line of Fire delivered another solid hour of television with Season 1 Episode 5, titled “Cul-de-Sac.”

Most importantly, the episode deepened the mystery surrounding Jack, while also introducing another one involving Mike Hollingsworth’s past. 

They say the past always comes back to haunt you, and that couldn’t be more true for these two unfolding storylines, both of which threaten to upend the Hollingsworth family.

And amid all the twists and revelations, there was still room for a case of the week that potentially introduced a new love interest for Clare, complete with a classic enemies-to-lovers dynamic.

 

Jack’s Identity Is Revealed—Sort of

With mysteries like this, it’s easy to drag things out unnecessarily to keep viewers invested, so I was really hoping someone would finally figure out Jack’s identity.

That’s especially important because both Nia and Jane have been established as exceptionally intelligent agents. Jack’s training may allow him to execute federal agents without raising suspicion, but if anyone should be capable of outsmarting him, it’s these two.

When Nia informed Jane that Jack had left a paper crane at her apartment, she pointed out that very few people knew she was there on assignment. That meant Jack wasn’t just aware of her presence. He was close enough to be watching, waiting and following her every move.

Jane came *this* close to figuring out that the crawlspace above the secret office was compromised, but she didn’t follow through on that hunch.

Instead, the two decided the office was safe enough to bring Jane’s deputy marshal, Stevens, there for protection, even though he had been identified as the serial killer’s next target.

It seemed like a questionable decision. If you suspect there’s a mole or that your supposedly secure location has been compromised, wouldn’t you move somewhere else as a precaution?

Jane was also beginning to piece together a connection between the agents Jack was targeting. But before Stevens could explain how he knew Libby, the agent murdered before him, he was shot from above.

It was a brutal moment for primetime television, but I appreciate that the series isn’t afraid to raise the stakes and make the danger feel real. Jack clearly knows they are getting close and will do anything protect the truth from coming out. But how far is he willing to go? Would he hurt his family? Or is he protecting them in some way?

Stevens didn’t get the chance to reveal the full nature of his relationship with Libby, but he did manage to say they’d worked a case together. That should give Nia and Jane enough of a starting point and something concrete to investigate.

And while Jack is swift and always one step ahead of them, he didn’t anticipate that one of the dental assistants would identify him in a photo Nia possessed: a family picture of the Hollingsworths.

Just like that, his cover was potentially blown.

Now the biggest question is whether Nia will tell Jane that her son may still be alive—and that he didn’t die while carrying out his longtime undercover assignment.

The cat-and-mouse game just became more personal and dangerous. Jane deserves to know, but there’s no telling whether her instincts as an agent or a mother will take precedence.

Jane was right about one thing, though: This entire investigation feels like she’s chasing Jack’s ghost. He may not be dead, but the Jack she knew seems to be, as he’s a completely different person than she remembers. 

The playing field has been leveled now—so may the better agent win. 

Still, I’m not entirely convinced this man is Jack. Is it possible Mike has been hiding the fact that Jack had a twin?

And what about the case connecting all the agents Jack has been killing, with their deaths made to look like they occurred in the line of duty at the hands of suspects? What happened that was so damaging that everyone involved now needs to be silenced?

More importantly, could that case somehow connect to the new mystery surrounding Mike?

 

Mike Hollingworth Is a Hero—Or Is He?

Mike saved President Barnes (guest star Sam Waterston) from an assassination attempt six years ago, making him a hero in the eyes of the public.

But the details surrounding that incident have never sat right with him.

For years, Mike believed the wrong man had been convicted of the crime. Despite repeatedly revisiting the evidence, he could never prove his suspicions or find anything concrete to support his instincts.

Until now…. 

After Barnes announced plans to dedicate a wing of his presidential library to the Secret Service, he asked Mike to deliver a speech at the ceremony so people could see what a real hero looked like.

But Mike wasn’t comfortable accepting that honor, especially when he remained convinced that something larger had been at play and an innocent man had taken the fall.

Rather than participate, he decided to resign.

That prompted Micah and Russ to revisit the investigation, determined to prove to their father that the original findings were correct and no one else had been involved or pulled the trigger that day.

And while the evidence initially seemed to support the official account, a closer examination revealed that Mike, who has spent his career trusting his instincts, may have been right all along.

A deeper dive revealed a mysterious individual wearing red gloves that day, an agent later identified as Sam Antasca, whose presence Mike had personally authorized and who was also expected to attend the upcoming library celebration luncheon.

Would he try to finish the job then?

And could this be the very case Jack wants buried? Was he somehow involved?

I’m growing increasingly suspicious that these two mysteries are connected. It would make sense for the series to bring its biggest ongoing storylines together, particularly given how deeply both are rooted in the Hollingsworth family’s past.

And did the president know more than he was letting on?

He spoke so casually about Mike’s longstanding belief that someone else was responsible for the assassination attempt. Yet he didn’t seem particularly concerned about getting to the bottom of it, as if he wanted it to remain untouched and was relieved when Mike said he was letting the burden go.

Is it part of a larger conspiracy?

One thing that did bother me, however, was how quickly Russ and Micah uncovered information that had somehow eluded Mike for years.

We’re talking about a man who had spent an extraordinary amount of time examining every detail of the case, convinced he’d missed something. He’s also far better connected than either of his sons.

Are we really to believe they could uncover such significant evidence in a matter of days when Mike couldn’t find it over several years?

And wouldn’t their requests for old footage and case files raise some red flags for whoever went to such lengths to keep the truth buried?

There’s also the fact that a woman, Emily, was trying to flirt her way into Mike’s life, which is an automatic red flag to me. While he pushed off her advances, clearly dedicated to his ex-wife, when Jane finally reminded him she wasn’t his wife and that he wasn’t her priority, Mike finally took off the wedding ring and gave Emily his number. 

Line of Fire Review

LINE OF FIRE — “Cul-de-Sac” Episode 105 — Pictured: (l-r) Sam Waterston as Barnes, Peter Krause as Mike Hollingsworth — (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/NBC)

Clare’s a Married Suburban Wife in Her Undercover Life

Meanwhile, Clare tackled a case of a federal witness whose cover kept getting blown. 

The man, Cassali, was preparing to testify against a CEO accused of stealing his employees’ pensions. Without his testimony, the entire case could fall apart.

Clare was assigned to work alongside another agent, Raul, whom she met at the shooting range. Unfortunately, their first interaction didn’t exactly go smoothly, so posing as a married couple hit a couple of snags. 

The two were tasked with determining whether Cassali was inadvertently exposing his location and allowing the CEO to repeatedly track him down and make attempts on his life.

The fact that they couldn’t get along or even nail their undercover story was far from the problem, as a shooter opened fire, forcing them to abandon their cover almost immediately.

But Cassali wasn’t the intended target of that assassination attempt, as Jane discovered a paper crane and realized Stevens was the real target.

Unfortunately, the chaos surrounding the overlapping investigations caused Clare and Raul to let their guard down. As their bickering intensified, Cassali slipped away. 

Clare eventually figured out how Cassali’s location kept being compromised. He had been forwarding packages from his previous alias to his new address, unintentionally leaving a trail that made him easy to find.

After hours of searching, Clare and Raul finally located him back at the house, but the CEO found him first and was threatening his life.

Clare and Raul jumped into action, putting their “fighting newlywed” shtick to good use, and taking down the CEO once and for all, this time, with federal agents as witnesses to his crimes, including attempted murder.

In the end, the case taught Clare something she clearly needed to hear: She has to start trusting people again. Understandably, she was shaken by her boyfriend’s death, especially realizing that he was also an agent, but being a lone wolf doesn’t help in many situations.

And judging by the romantic sparks between her and Raul, I have a feeling this won’t be the last time we see him.

 

There were a lot of moving parts in “Cul-de-Sac,” but I’m increasingly convinced they’re all pieces of a much larger puzzle, especially as every case somehow connects to Jack or finds him at the scene of the crime. 

Between Jack’s apparent survival, the suspicious deaths of federal agents and the conspiracy surrounding the assassination attempt on President Barnes, the Hollingsworth family’s past is becoming impossible to escape.

And now that Nia has identified the “serial killer” as Jack, it’s only a matter of time before the family discovers that the son and brother they’ve spent years mourning may actually be alive.

What did you think of the episode? Do you think Jack poses a threat to them, or is the case actually to protect them? Was he involved with President Barnes’ assassination attempt? Share your thoughts in the comments, and let us know how you’re enjoying the NBC drama so far! 

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Tracker

‘Tracker’ Season 4 Episode 3 Sets the Scene for Two Potential Romances – Are You Invested?

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Tracker

Tracker Season 4 Episode 3, titled “Original Parts,” took Colter Shaw to a very small and rural town in Texas, where a woman’s disappearance was connected to a drug cartel. 

And all because she chose to stop on the side of the road and throw her husband’s phone out the window before leaving him there stranded. 

At that point, I was sure something was going to happen to the husband, but women are never safe anywhere, not even in their own car in the middle of nowhere. 

And to be fair, I’m not saying her husband didn’t deserve her wrath over constantly texting his co-worker (an emotional affair is still an affair), but I also don’t ever want to tempt fate in a place where there are wild animals and other things that go bump in the night.

Either way, the husband somehow made it back home in one piece, but it was his wife, Britt, who ditched him on the side of the road and stopped a ways down to consider if she should turn back, who ended up missing. 

Colter flirting with a woman who works at her dad’s car repair shop, where he’s become a local as he works on his late father’s truck, was interrupted by the call of duty. 

But not before Jenna (played by Gillian Bolt) suggested getting drinks, an offer Colter eagerly accepted. I love that he’s carving out time to have a personal life.

The series is laying the foundation for a more permanent love interest—and while I thought the woman he crossed paths with on Tracker Season 4 Episode 2 had potential, I’m not opposed to seeing where things go with Jenna. Turns out, he has chemistry with everyone. 

And he’s not the only person whose romantic life will be more of a focus this season, but more on that in a bit. 

Colter made his way to Texas, quickly piecing together that Britt didn’t run away—she was taken by a man who was injured and used her to rob a nearby pharmacy. There wasn’t much small-town hospitality or kindness going around here, as everyone he encountered was basically like, “Who are you and why are you here?”

Fair questions, but as usual, no one would’ve made a dent in the case if it wasn’t for Colter. In this situation, there were two cases happening that were connected. Colter was focused on finding Britt, who unfortunately crossed paths with Cyrus, who was on the run after a drug exchange gone bad. While the other two men were shot and killed, he got away with some serious injuries, which is when he decided to kidnap her and steal her car. 

The Sheriff’s department was working the two dead bodies, hoping to figure out who the sniper was who targeted them. 

Randy was able to scope out some properties owned by Cyrus’ uncle that were good hiding spots, allowing Colter to find Britt in time before any harm came to her. However, he wasn’t the one who took the shot at Cyrus—it was another officer who just so happened to arrive in the nick of time. 

It was suspicious timing, as Colter didn’t call for backup or tell anyone where he was. Unfortunately, he didn’t immediately listen to his gut, but once he realized that the cop was dirty, it was too late, as he’d already driven off with Britt and Logan in the squad car. Instead of taking them to the station, he took them to the desert so that she would tell him where the drug money was buried. And once he found it, he took his shot at her—with pretty terrible aim, might I add. 

Colter was able to get there quickly to save the day—as he always does—as the Sheriff realized he needed to launch an investigation into his department to check for “rot.”

Sometimes, the call really is coming from inside the house. 

Now, back to the multi-episode storylines—Reenie’s reunion with Adam (The Vampire Diaries’ Michael Malarkey), a private investigator for high-end law firms working with Mackenzie, who she has “history” with.  It’s clear that these two were in a relationship when they were younger, and things went badly, as Adam apologizes for making a “mess of things.”

He offers a catch-up over drinks, which Reenie declines because she’s a firm believer that people don’t change. 

But Adam is charming enough that he’ll surely get her to agree to a martini in the future. He seems like the persistent type.

There seems to be plenty of chemistry between them still, and a lot unsaid, that will make for some good scenes down the line. 

Reenie deserves a good man after her rollercoaster romantic life, so I’m hoping that for her sake, Adam is a changed man who won’t let a good thing go twice.

And if he isn’t, hopefully Reenie isn’t swayed simply by his “disarmingly handsome, intelligent and sophisticated” personality.

Maybe they won’t be reunited romantically but will tackle a case together—perhaps the one involving Mel Day’s mother’s death? Mel’s character has been largely underutilized since she was introduced, so give the girl something to work with! 

What did you think about this week’s episode of Tracker? Does Jenna have what it takes to navigate Colter’s complex and dangerous world? Will Reenie give Adam another shot? Should we believe him when he says he doesn’t have an agenda?

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