What I’m Watching: The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 1, Episode 9 “The Bridge” (B+)

There’s such a notable disparity between the pleasant, composed language of these Gilead rituals and the reactions of some who remember what it’s like to be an actual person before this dangerous cult rose to power. The cruel ceremony in which Ofwarren was required to give up her baby so that the nobler parents could raise it almost seems like a joyous occasion, until the handmaid formerly known as Janine realized that she couldn’t just let go. She has good reason for it, too, since, for all her terrible qualities, Serena at least wants to care for a child, not simply ignore it while complaining about the despicable behavior of the woman who actually gave birth to human life. Ofwarren then having to become Ofdaniel since, apparently, in this new order one child per family is just right was a traumatic experience since, even in a subjugated role like the one she had, there was some comfort in being with what she considered family that was just ripped away when she was transferred. To me, the harshest part of it all is that, after jumping off the bridge without the baby in her arms, she still wasn’t able to escape it all and is being nursed back to health to endure more of the same in this brutal world. It’s worrisome that Fred has been paying attention to what’s going on, and spotting Moira makes you wonder what else he’s caught on to. It’s at least positive to see Moira and June both taking steps to take back their lives, and I’m excited for what I hope is a satisfying season finale.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge (Season Finale)

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 13 “Jubilex” (B+)

This show has never been particularly optimistic or happy, and therefore it’s understandable that its more triumphant and accomplished moments would still be laced with a certain negativity. Romina proved to be an effective partner in the field for Marco, helping him to turn the tables on their captors and, against all odds, bring Galvan in to face justice. That Sonya was the only person he felt he could trust to call to help him bring him in was a sign of their enduring friendship, and she returned the favor by calling him to figure out what to do with Eleanor after she shot his father. The looks on everyone’s faces in the police station when Marco brought Galvan in were quite memorable, and while I think being captain wouldn’t suit Marco because of his desire to be in the field, it’s worth something that he was the obvious choice for the promotion in Robles’ absence. Hank extending a courtesy to Daniel and Adriana was nice considering the fact that they haven’t exactly gotten along famously over the past two years, and it’s good to see the two of them, particularly Daniel, seemingly back on track. Sonya has reason to be cautious about turning Eleanor in given what happened the last time she arrested her, but I suspect that this is the last we’ll see of her. That said, the show hasn’t yet been renewed for a third season, which is worrisome since FX might decide its other series are stronger hits. I, for one, do hope that it returns again since it’s an extremely compelling and good show.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Franka Potente as Eleanor

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 12 “Quetzalcoatl” (B+)

Things aren’t looking particularly good for Marco at this point, especially considering how quickly Galvan’s demands were met by a man who supposedly wasn’t going to negotiate him. It’s so interesting to watch Marco interact with Galvan, pleading for his fellow prisoner to be given medical attention and then expressing unsurprised dismay at Galvan’s order to have the man shot. At least it appears that Marco and Sebastian’s daughter will be used as bargaining chips for Galvan to get out and may actually survive this whole thing. It’s a relief that Robles wasn’t around when Steven stopped by, but his world is collapsing too with the rape charge filed and his career set to be stopped dead in its tracks. You have to hand it to Hank for being so eager to leap out of his hospital bed to help Sonya decode the ledger, and it looks like Eleanor is only one step ahead of them at this point. It’s always a blast to see Hank and Sonya interact with Daniel and Adriana, particularly Hank expressing a definitive lack of patience for Daniel’s antics and his squirrely nature. With just one episode to go this season, I do hope that this show will be renewed for a third outing since I think that this season has done a marvelous job of making the conflicts internal after the first season was focused much more on an individual killer unrelated to the law on either side of the border. It’s sure to be an intense hour next week either way.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episodes 10 and 11 “Eidolon” and “Beholder” (B+)

After the deadly shootout that occurred in episode nine, putting the pieces back together hasn’t been easy, and has nearly led to more bloodshed on the part of our favorite protagonists. It’s a relief that this show transformed into an action series with an intense chase scene when Eleanor was ready to go torture Hank’s wife to make him confess where he had hidden the ledger. Unfortunately, the successive episode, in which Sonya got herself pretty easy access to Eleanor before being interrupted by Adam Arkin’s straight-faced federal investigator, showed that Eleanor is far from out of the picture. Ian Hart always plays seedy characters, but the fact that his CIA agent immediately released Eleanor and is now planning to get the ledger back and ensure order to things is immensely disconcerting. That’s not to say that Marco’s journey to the mountains to find Galvan is going any better, since his police escorts were stupid enough to get themselves killed and now Marco’s cover has been blown. With Hank in the hospital and Eleanor on Sonya’s trail, who will be able to rescue Marco? Maybe Sebastian can help if he’s not too distraught about his daughter, but I think that Daniel and Adriana may actually be closer to unraveling the truth and stepping in at just the right moment. On an unrelated note, Steven looks so normal and a whole lot like Daniel Day-Lewis with his beard shaved. Kudos to Eva for the good idea, and it’s great to see them finally get together in a normal way.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 9 “Rakshasa” (A-)

This show really knows how to craft a grueling episode. Sonya’s abduction by the Chopper could have been just a filler plotline, one which involved far too much plodding and pausing on her would-be killer’s part, literally challenging her to get away, with her survival entirely assured due to her role on the show. But this killer was just like this show’s other two big bad guys, David Tate and Eleanor, who relish the ritual of killing just as much as the necessary act itself. This turned out to be a harrowing experience for Sonya, who held out and tried desperately to escape, only to not recognize Marco when he finally came to save her. This show’s walls are closing in, as Marco helping out Sebastian’s daughter led directly to Marco finding out about the hit on Sonya and rushing to her aid. I’m glad Marco didn’t hesitate to shoot the Chopper, ready to shoot first and ask questions later to ensure the safety of those important to him. Events at Red Ridge started out much more calmly despite a brutal suffocation, but they ended far more brutally than anyone could have expected. Eleanor and Cesar getting arrested by McKenzie and Hank seemed too clean, but I wasn’t prepared for the shootout that resulted in the shocking and devastating loss of one of this show’s best characters, Charlotte. Let’s hope that Hank survived, since I don’t think Sonya could bounce back from that loss, especially after coming so close to death herself.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 8 “Goliath” (B+)

There’s a sense that things are coming together more than ever before, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. It’s hard to remember what side of the law some of our favorite characters are on these days, particularly with Robles being taken in by Mexican police who wanted to know where Galvan has hiding. That he was ready to leave Marco in charge while he was away before the unsuccessful raid on Galvan’s location says a lot, though I think that would have presented more challenges than advantages. Agent McKenzie poisoning Sonya against Marco by telling her about his past with Galvan was very counterproductive since now she has pushed him away just as she needs him most. The Chopper is a fearsome American counterpart for Eleanor, and things don’t look good for Sonya, though her being one of the leads on the show suggests that she’ll make it through okay. Daniel continues to make poor life decisions, going after Sebastian at his son’s school. Sebastian calling the police represents just how little he considers Daniel to be a threat. I like that Adriana went to Marco for help to get him out of jail since it’s good to see these connections. Eleanor and Cesar make for a great odd couple, and I’m intrigued to learn more about Eleanor’s prospective buyer. It’s strange to see Eleanor in such a standard business setting because of how we met her, but it also underlines the fact that, when she wants to, she’s perfectly capable of blending in and flying under the radar.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 7 “Lamia” (B+)

While nearly all of the other shows I watch are nearing the end of their respective seasons, it’s nice to have a show like this that’s just getting into the meat of its events and building up its story to rev up for an intense second half of the season. This episode, more than any before it, brought all of its characters together in a clear and defined way while also examining the nature of what it means to be a good guy, which it could be argued that none of our characters are. This was the most normal that we’ve seen Eleanor be as of yet, but she sure didn’t react well to the idiocy of Ray. First and foremost, however, she’s an employee, and therefore she doesn’t let her twisted murderous tendencies get the best of her when she has a job to do. It’s devastating to see Adriana affected very personally by what she’s doing, and I suspect that won’t be the last of such suffering. Agent McKenzie cut right to the chase with Charlotte, whose life is now on the line since she so quickly decided to become an informant, albeit not on her own terms. Watching Marco present to the class was very powerful, although this episode’s most dramatic moment was Sonya finding out that Hank shot her sister’s killer when he was unarmed. There’s a lot going on here and adding such personal trauma in the midst of a draining separate investigation can’t possibly make anything better.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 6 “Harvest of Souls” (B+)

It’s interesting that we’re seeing less and less of this season’s big villain, Eleanor, as it goes on since our primary characters are plenty intriguing enough. The most devastating development was the abduction and murder of Aberlardo. He, almost more than Marco, was an emblem of justice from south of the border on this show, and his calm but sad response to be forced into a car was representative of his attitude towards the law and towards justice. While Sonya and Marco will definitely be in the crosshairs now, it means worse things for Eva, though she clearly has decided it’s time to take care of herself, bludgeoning Steven and Bob’s captive to death once she realized who he was. Sonya and Marco came a bit too close to comfort with violence at the end of the episode in a way that seems to have rattled and shocked Sonya, since she shot someone in Juarez and also witnessed Marco execute those who were left alive to ensure that they wouldn’t be implicated. For all the rule-breaking that Sonya and Marco do, Daniel takes the cake for showing up at the office after his story was published in a less than incendiary and much-edited manner. As he pointed out, peeing into a cup in front of all of his coworkers isn’t something that could (necessarily) get him fired, but pouring it out on the floor probably could. I suspect that his being dismissed will only prompt Adriana to press on harder, which is worrisome given the fact that Sebastian requested dirt to be found on her rather than Daniel since he didn’t consider her alcoholic colleague to be nearly as much of a threat.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 5 “Eye of the Deep” (B+)

Watching the “previously on” segment is always telling because it indicates that certain plotlines that haven’t been referenced in a long time are sure to bubble back up to the surface in a way that might be entirely surprising if not for the heads-up from that introductory segment. In this case, that meant that we barely saw any of Eleanor and instead returned to two characters largely unseen since season one: David Tate and Eva. Tate clearly is not having a good time in prison, and though it was brutal to watch, Marco’s destruction of his eye was probably a more fitting and enduring punishment than a swift or even long and painful death would have been. Marco’s absence got noticed by just about everyone, and he really should have been present when Eva identified Robles as one of her assailants. Sonya, who herself was distracted by attending the funeral, if you can call it that, of her current boyfriend’s brother, managed to step in to save the day and Juarez’s most determined lawyer from certain doom. Learning that Agent Mackenzie is Daniel’s secret source is a major discovery, though it’s certainly understandable given that the DEA is getting just as little cooperation from other agencies as he’s giving to Hank and Marco. It was great to see Ian Hart, a familiar face from “Dirt,” “Luck,” and “Rogue,” in a less seedy role than usual as the CIA agent who rather matter-of-factly stepped in to ruin Mackenzie’s day on behalf of his agency.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 4 “The Acorn” (B+)

It’s always reassuring when a show as multi-faceted as this brings its characters all together for a rare opportunity to be on the same page, or at least near each other in close chapters. Daniel and Adriana went to talk to Mr. DeLarge right before he killed himself, prompting Marco to come talk to them when he and Sonya caught the case, while Galvan officially pardoned Charlotte and Ray before meeting in person with none other than Eleanor, who started all this by visiting DeLarge and a result exposing the corrupt nature of what he was doing. Among this episode’s most interesting moments were the death of Jim Dobbs and the subsequent transformation of whatever Sonya and Jack into what might be termed a real relationship. Marco looked truly surprised when his visit to the bank brought him face-to-face with Sebastian Cerisola, played by Demian Bichir’s real-life brother Bruno, and it really underlines the overarching nature of how corrupt the entire system is. I like that Ray was obsessed with talking about tacos and children while Charlotte was trying to figure a way out of everything, and it seems like they’re off the hook for now, though I doubt it will be that simple. Eleanor continually asking if it’s safe and then refusing to stop humming was just more of her odd behavior, and she managed to hold her own opposite Galvan, though clearly there’s more at work here with whoever that mysterious prisoner in the cage is, which I’m sure we’ll find out in due time.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 3 “Sorrowsworn” (B+)

Finally, we have the return of all of our familiar first season characters who hadn’t yet appeared this year. While I’m much more partial to Charlotte than I am to Steven, it’s fantastic to see that all of this show’s plotlines are truly interrelated, and that what initially seemed like separate threads are all intertwining now. This show has truly found its funk, as Hank enthusiastically welcomed back Marco and offered to cover for him with his captain before Agent McKenzie rudely refused to share intel with a Mexican cop in the room. Steven initially seemed very passive about the Mexican cop Bob found trespassing, but that changed quickly into an aggressive beatdown which will surely produce some answers. Ray and Cesar getting their supply carjacked was an odd but intense moment, and it’s great to have Charlotte back, and I do hope that she doesn’t take her boyfriend’s ill-advised idea of going to Alaska seriously. She did well fending for herself before, and I feel like a meeting with Galvan could turn out well for her. As Daniel and Adriana worked to uncover their own piece of the Eleanor story, it was sad to hear Raul ask his killer what would happen if he screamed before he was unceremoniously put out of his misery. Sonya as usual is quite blunt with her sexual partners and with those she works with, hardly demonstrating a proper bedside manner with Dex when he asked if his friend was okay. Marco, on the other hand, is back in the game and doing a great job of appeasing those Sonya offends. Unfortunately, though Eleanor spared Dex, her plans are only going to get more evil and horrifying, especially with her new assistant Jaime on board.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 2 “Ghost of a Flea” (B)

Last season, we didn’t know the identity of the main villain but we had an idea of the message he wanted to get across. In this season, we’re well aware of the primary threat – Franka Potente’s deadly Eleanor Nacht – but don’ really know just what she’s up to, only that it’s extremely malicious. Somehow she’s more terrifying stringing a poor and all too willing teenager along by promising him the opportunity to touch her than with her ear-slicing henchman in tow. Her identity has become immediately clear, as the corrupt Mexican authorities want to make sure that she is found right away and Sonya managed to grab a screen capture of her walking through immigration. It’s hard to tell where Marco falls at the moment since he’s struggling to stay on a good path but is being pulled in multiple directions mostly as a result of the vengeful favor he requested at the end of last season. He was awfully frank with Sonya about what he had been told to by his superiors but left out the very crucial detail of needing to bring Eleanor in before she did. Abraham Benrubi’s DEA agent is sure to further complicate things, and then there’s Daniel’s investigation with Adriana, which are getting more and more serious by the minute with an especially pungent and deadly development. I’m still waiting to see more of Annabeth Gish’s Charlotte, who has gone unmentioned in both this episode and the season premiere but is definitely one of the show’s strongest characters.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge (Season Premiere)

The Bridge: Season 2, Episode 1 “Yankee” (B)

In the midst of Emmy season, it’s strange not to find this series, which I named the fourth best new show of 2013, completely absent. What this premiere, which isn’t entirely cohesive, does demonstrate is that it has two of the most fascinating lead characters currently on television. Diane Kruger had to grow on me for a bit as Sonya, but I’ve gotten used to her and now find her intensely awkward demeanor highly appealing. Her behavior in this episode was considerably bolder and more brazen than usual, though her appetite for sexual affairs was previewed last season. Hooking up with the brother of her sister’s murderer is rather twisted, even if she doesn’t have some sinister, manipulative plan at work to get revenge (I suspect it’s just a case of trying to connect to someone). Marco is a mess, and it’s interesting to see him appointed by his corrupt captain to deal with the lawyer who wants to make a name for himself. At first sight, Marco might not seem like a clean cop, and unfortunately his season-ending efforts to kill David Tate don’t suggest that he’ll be able to be seen as one for much longer going forward. Hank continues to be a strong supporting character, and I’m also happy to see a drunken Daniel and Adriana used well. It was jarring to see Brian Baumgartner of “The Office” as Daniel’s friend, but I suppose he’s well suited to play the straight man in a more comic plotline. Franka Potente’s Eleanor is pretty terrifying, and watching her command her all-too-eager disciple to cut off an innocent’s ear makes me question whether watching shows like this is worth it due to their disturbing content. I think I’ll stick around due to the general quality of the show.

What I’m Watching: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Season 1, Episode 10 “The Bridge” (B-)

This episode didn’t do much for me, and I’m not sure exactly why. Maybe that’s because the villainy on this show is far too cartoonish, and that mixed with Skye whining about wanting to find her parents is becoming grating. This show has proven that it knows how to handle solid action plotlines, and bringing a character back from its pilot episode just didn’t do the trick. He was much more charismatic than I had expected, relatively evolved from the “I want to be a hero” sensibility yet still tethered to the notion that he should be doing good things for people and atoning for his past sins. He didn’t mesh all that well with the team, received positively only by Coulson and by Skye. An enhanced, non-exploding team breaking Po out of prison was a worrisome start, and things only got worse when the Po pulled a kill switch on one of his men when he was about to be interrogated by Coulson about who was pulling the strings. Mike making a deal to get his son back which involved turning Coulson in rather than himself ups the ante considerably, and he did try to be heroic after getting to his son to safety by running back to save Coulson. Unfortunately, I suspect that Coulson is in for a dangerous ride, and let’s hope that whatever answers Raina is seeking about the details of his resurrection aren’t going to be used in the service of harming him or anyone else.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge (Season Finale)

The Bridge: Season 1, Episode 13 “The Crazy Place” (B+)

I looked back at my review of this show’s pilot to see what I thought about this show when it started and to determine how far it’s come. It took a bit, but Diane Kruger grew on me as Sonya, and Demian Bichir was charming and terrific as Marco from the beginning. The show was driven quite a bit by its plot for most of the season, and it looks much different from how it started. That’s a great thing though, since its trajectory was extremely interesting, and now there are a few new threads that are set to continue into season two, which was announced recently by FX. Daniel finding the hundred-year-old woman dead with $65 million, some in euros, sitting in her home, opens up a great can of warms that’s sure to be fascinating next season, though his number two is going to be considerably distracted by the disappearance of her sister. Ray and Cesar starting to work together is intriguing, and Charlotte getting confronted by the FBI but not explicitly told anything suggests that everything involving the new kingpin is going to be mesmerizing. The biggest part of the finale, of course, is the fact that Marco, seemingly fine after helping Sonya get Eva back with the use of some excessive force, sought out Fausto to ask him if he could get to David Tate in prison, only to reveal that he wants to be the one to kill him. As this season progressed, I was riveted, and I’m eager for the show to return next year.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Demian Bichir

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 1, Episode 12 “All About Eva” (B+)

In the aftermath of last week’s devastating hour, it was hard to imagine this one topping that. This was a transformative installment for all involved, and featured Steven and Charlotte, who we didn’t see last week, having their own issues moving on and adjusting to events as they are now. Steven’s hunt for Eva was determined if nothing else, and coming to see Sonya to ask for police help in finding her meant he was really serious, as did taking her to his place to convince her that he was telling the truth. Those two shots of Stephen surrounded by seemingly endless images of missing women, one when he was putting up the posters and the other when he was digging in the desert, were quite powerful. Charlotte making a new deal was yet another instance of her seizing power, though, like the woman she killed, her new business partner feels that sex should always come on the side. Daniel isn’t doing too well, but it was good to see him adjusting back to his old self after a visit to Adriana’s family dinner table, even if that didn’t work out productively for her because of the lifestyle she chose which so offended her mother. Marco was in truly bad shape, and that made it all the more marvelous to see Sonya step up to take him home when he was drunk, make him breakfast in the morning, and motivate him to get back into her newest case with a stirring speech, the best line of which was “So don’t tell me you’re not my partner.”

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 1, Episode 11 “Take the Ride, Pay the Toll” (B+)

What an emotionally wrenching hour this was. After orchestrating so many things to bring to the attention of law enforcement the great discrepancy between how murders in Mexico and in the United States are handled, David Tate saved his most devastating and personal act for last. Encouraging Marco to kill Daniel in order to save his son’s life was a horrible game, and it’s a testament to Marco that he didn’t give in to it. The editing of this episode was enormously complex, telling multiple narratives at once without full disclosure about when their events were transpiring. Sonya reaching into the tub and yelling Gus’ name before the show cut to commercial was worrisome enough in itself, and then having her run to Marco on the bridge screaming that they found Gus while David was trying to get Marco to kill him was enormously intense. This was a tour de force performance from Demian Bichir as Marco, indicating so much in just his face and then expressing his agony in the way that he shouted at those parties around him. Ultimately, Sonya acted nobly by shooting them both, but it’s clear that it’s going to take Marco a while to forgive her. His words were harsh, but it’s also quite shocking that Gus actually died. This show has turned out to be very competent, and though the main action is probably done with for the season, I’m very interested to see where it goes next, especially since David is still alive and Marco won’t be too happy about that.

What I'm Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 1, Episode 10 “Old Friends” (B+)

I was initially unsure about the longevity of this show and the premise of its premiere, but I’m really quite impressed with the relationship that has been created between Sonya and Marco. This season is proving to be quite compelling, and this episode in particular slowed things down but kept them very interesting. Marco ditching Sonya when David called to come meet him alone was a noble if unintelligent thing to do, and it’s entertaining, even under such miserable circumstances, to hear Sonya react and tell him that she can’t lie for him. Marco hitting David as soon as he saw him was unexpected but very effective in conveying his passion, and David truly has sprung a horrific trap, endangering Gus’ life while keeping Marco occupied. Taking Daniel just adds to the maliciousness of his plan, and every time David does something else, his reasons for doing all this become increasingly clearer. Seeing Sonya in such rough shape was jarring, but, unsurprisingly, it didn’t phase her, and she was intent on coming back to work and making sure that she’s able to help find Gus before his time runs out. What I liked most about this episode were the scenes featuring Charlotte. Her anger at her bratty stepdaughter getting more than she did at the reading of the will was justified, but it didn’t compare to the harsh brutality she expressed when she told Ray to shoot Tim and then took the gun and did it herself. It’s always been somewhat hard to read her, but I’m very glad that she’s a character on this show and that we’ll hopefully get to know her more as time goes on.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 1, Episode 9 “The Beetle” (A-)

This was the best installment that this show has delivered yet, mainly because it didn’t go anywhere too unexpected but still unfurled its developments in the most mesmerizing way possible. Kenneth, who I’ll continue to refer to as Kenneth despite the fact that he is very much David Tate, calling Marco from Alma’s phone was definitely one of the most heart-pounding moments, but nothing was as intense as Kenneth pulling up to the abandoned house in the middle of the desert and setting his nefarious plan in action. Distracting the young children while telling Alma to close her eyes as he put the grenade in her hand was a perfectly creepy way of setting the stage for misery for Marco’s family, and I’m continually impressed by the fact that he’s still a compelling character who hasn’t gone off the deep end following the revelation of his true intentions. Marco went into desperate mode as he hunted for Alma, and it was good to see Hank step up to help him find his family. Sonya, meanwhile, had the opportunity to read about her apparently MILF self (“I know what it means. I don’t have children” was one of the episode’s best lines) in Gus’ text message history as it became clear that Kenneth had been working another angle to get close to Gus while romancing Alma. It was obvious that Sonya’s car was going to be plowed into and Gus would be taken, but that final scene was extremely well-done, and it makes the next installment so incredibly enticing.

What I’m Watching: The Bridge

The Bridge: Season 1, Episode 8 “Vendetta” (B+)

After last week’s surprising break in the case, it makes sense that Sonya, in keeping with the tradition of ardent law enforcement officials intent on never giving up, would already move to pursuing new leads while everyone else thought that the culprit was sitting right in front of them. Her supposedly aimless search for the dead David Tate turned out to be more accurate than she could have expected, and it’s a major reveal that definitely proves shocking and satisfying. I did feel that Eric Lange might be more useful than in a small role as Alma’s coworker and lover, and it’s good to see the man who played the irritable Stuart Radzinsky on "Lost" suddenly turn into a killer with a personal axe to grind with Marco, who seems to have a habit of engaging in affairs. Watching him slit Santi’s throat so casually was a harsh wake-up to the fact that Alma is in real danger if Kenneth decides that he wants to harm her rather than use her to harm Marco, and, thus far, I’m impressed with the depiction of him as a controlled, subtle person whose personality didn’t shift entirely once his true intentions were unveiled. I’m not sure what happens next, and I can’t imagine that catching Kenneth, if that’s even slated to happen soon, would resolve everything neatly. Gus’ meeting with Sonya was interesting, and she actually handled it pretty well. Ray’s new business plan is not working out well, and Tim is going to get him into much more trouble than he could ever have bargained for.