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Category: NBC Universal

Debris Materializes On Earth Via Wormhole Pilot!
Welcome Back WormholeRiders,

Images and videos courtesy NBC Universal

A brand new program named Debris, arrived on our television screens tonight. Debris explores a science based subject that is certain to make viewers on the NBC Network absolutely ecstatic. Kudos to NBC Universal making Debris become reality in 2021!

As you are aware, TeamWHR loves science fiction movies and television programs. New entries in the field on a major broadcasting network are a rare event and fantastic when they occur. We believe all such efforts must be supported if our beloved genre is to flourish.

The arrival of aliens on Earth, believed by many to have already occurred, is an even rarer event. The wait is over science fiction admirers and fans, Debris has de-materialized on Earth! This evening on NBC, Debris, a fantastic news series kicked off with the Pilot episode.

Debris is described by NBC as follows:

“When wreckage from a destroyed alien spacecraft scatters across the Western Hemisphere, it soon becomes apparent the pieces are messing with the laws of physics, changing lives in ways we can’t comprehend. Two agents from different continents, and different mindsets, are tasked to work together to recover the debris, whose mysteries humankind is not quite ready for.”

The CIA and MI6 agents arrive. Image courtesy NBC Universal

The Debris creator and showrunner is the legendary J.H. Wyman of Fringe, Almost Human and many other fine entertainment products. Wyman will write and executive produce the series alongside his company, Frequency Films in conjunction with Legendary Television. Jason Hoffs (Edge of Tomorrow), Jeff Vlaming (The 100) and Samantha Corbin-Miller (Lie to Me )who will also executive produce Debris.” Tanya Swerling, also of Fringe fame and Katie O’Hara (Homeland) will serve as the series producers. Ms. Swerling serves a dual role, also editing the superb pilot episode.

Image courtesy NBC Universal

The Debris ensemble cast features many TeamWHR favorites including Jonathan Tucker (Westworld) as agent Bryan Beneventi, Riann Steele (The Magicians) as Agent Finola Jones, Norbert Leo Butz (Bloodline) as Task Force Leader Craig Maddox, Scroobius Pip (Taboo) as Anson Ash, Michael Eklund as the artifact dealer, Jennifer Copping (Van Helsing) as Julia Maddox, Julia Benson (Stargate Universe) as Mary Vandeberg, Sarah Desjardins (Riverdale) as Nicole Hegmann, Christopher Shyer (V Series) as Richard Hegman, Sebastian Roché (The Man in High Castle) as Brill, Zak Santiago (Continuum) as Gary Garcia, and Rowan Schlosberg (Ghost Wars) as Holloway.

Debris features many more great supporting actors all of whom will add realism to the story arc! Courtesy of NBC, we include the first ten minutes of Debris below for your enjoyment before we begin our review analysis.

WormholeRiders gives the Pilot episode of Debris a straight “A” for concept, originality, series quality, awesome acting, superb screenwriting, concept and cinematography!
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Debris Pilot:

Image courtesy NBC Universal

Produced by Frequency Films and Legendary Television in association with Universal Television, the “Debris” Pilot, opens in a hotel room in New York City with Anson Ash (Scroobius Pip) and his sidekick Holloway (Rowan Schlosberg) are purchasing a mysterious object sealed in a shielded plastic case from an unknown black marker artifact dealer (Michael Eklund) who accepts a briefcase full of cash promising he has another artifact that can be made available for more money.

Anson and Holloway appear interested in the second object as they conclude the transaction on the first. We do not know at this point what the object in the sealed plastic is or why the objects are worth a briefcase full of cash.

Debris– “Pilot” — Riann Steele as Finola Jones, Jonathan Tucker as Bryan Beneventi — (Images courtesy Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)

The action immediately begins when our heroes Agent Bryan Beneventi (Jonathan Tucker), and Agent Finola (Riann Steele) arrive at the hotel with a squad of government agents hot on the trail of Anson, Holloway and the artifact objects dealer.

Bryan Beneventi and Finola Jones have apparently been tipped off regarding the transaction of the mysterious objects. They quickly head to the fourteenth floor subsequent to the hotel front desk revealing where Anson, Holloway and the artifact dealer are in order to arrest the parties involved. Soon we will learn that the trio are trafficking what appear to be alien objects with unusual properties.

Image courtesy NBC Universal

However, an eastern European operative (Andrei Kovski) associated with the purchasers of the object, tips off Anson Ash who hightails it out of the hotel room with Holloway!

The man selling the alien artifact objects grabs the briefcase, but gets caught in the hallway when agents storm the fourteenth floor. Obviously knowing that the object artifacts are forbidden, he stashes the second object he brought with him (wrapped in plastic) in a piece of furniture near a maids room service cart. The artifact dealer then follows Anson and Holloway down a stairway hoping to flee the hotel.

Michael Eklund as the artifact dealer who is trapped in a dead end in the hotel kitchen. Image courtesy NBC Universal

Anson and Holloway arrive in the kitchen downstairs on a lower hotel level with the seller of the objects not far behind. The seller suddenly turns a corner in the kitchen to find only a dead end hall. Anson and Holloway have completely disappeared, but how?

In fact both Anson and Holloway have apparently transported away to safety by using some sort of alien power associated with the artifact objects! Now we know why the CIA and MI6 are so interested in these two people!

Image courtesy NBC Universal

Meanwhile, the seller of the alien artifact objects is observed landing on a vehicle outside the hotel after what is suspected as being thrown from the second floor by Anson and Holloway since the briefcase with the money is no longer seen in his hand after he impacts the vehicle which appears to have killed him.

We move back to the fourteenth floor where a maid observes the plastic bag with the second object sticking out of the drawer in the furniture. When the maid removes the object from the plastic bag and touches it, she is de-materializes and reappears flying through the ceiling of a ballroom on the ground level, killing her in the process!

Pilot Opening Theme Sequence. Image courtesy NBC Universal

As the Pilot unfolds into the introduction and theme sequence, we observe that a spaceship, an alien mothership has broken up in orbit with chunks of the ship witnessed entering Earth’s atmosphere in a wide swath, that Finola works for the United Kingdom’s MI-6 and Bryan works for the United States CIA, Bryan and Finola have teamed up to perform containment of the crashed alien ship of unknown origin.

In the next sequences we observe the Debris team investigating the ballroom where the maid died after falling through the floor to the ballroom. Once again we witness the piece of Debris that is able to defy gravity floating above the carpet in the ballroom.

Containment team arrives. Image courtesy NBC Universal

A team of agents wearing hazmat suits arrives. They are equipped with special containers to hold the alien object safely so that it does not activate again. The CIA and MI6 containment teams have developed special technology to temporarily deactivate and then place the Debris into special metal alloy cylinders so that it can be safely transported back to their secret testing facilities.

Based on the disappearance of Anson and Holloway, who are not associated with the CIA and MI6, it becomes apparent that the object(s) can transport people using some sort of alien technology not available on Earth.

Also of interest is a secure phone call Finola has with MI6 Agent Priya Ferris (Anjali Jay) who is in London. Here it becomes apparent that although MI6 and the CIA and working together on securing the alien artifact objects, each agency has it’s own agenda. This will make for an interesting tension as the story arc unfolds in coming episodes.

Norbert Leo Butz as Maddox – Image courtesy NBC Universal

We next meet Task Force Leader Craig Maddox (Norbert Leo Butz) while learning more about the containment team and their mission to attempt to track and contain the events that have occurred across the western hemisphere. In this way, the Debris events are similar to the 1947 Roswell incident that many to this very day was covered up by the United States government. The Debris difference is that there are many crash sites and the governments involved will have their hands full trying to contain the secret!

It becomes clear when Bryan Beneventi is talking with Maddox that Anson and Holloway, who were teamed with an eastern European agent, are likely working with agents not affiliated with Russia or China, or so they say. Who, and what countries are seeking to obtain samples of the crashed space ship remains to be revealed.

Kieran Vandeberg portrayed by Benjamin Goas. Image courtesy NBC Universal

Then we are introduced to a young man named Kieran Vandeberg (Benjamin Goas) who is observed with his “mother”. We learn a bit later that the woman is not Kieran’s actual mother Mary Vandeberg (Julia Benson) when Kieran is seen with another woman who thinks she is Kieran’s Mom!

In fact Kieran was killed in an automobile accident seven months earlier and is an alien entity is projecting itself as Kieran for an unknown purpose. In this sequence we witness the modus operandi of young Kieran. He meets women he has taken control of in what appears to be a learning process about humanity convincing each of them they are his mother.

Kieran Vandeberg the alien sends his victims away defying gravity. Image courtesy NBC Universal

Each person Kiernan takes control of ends up near death. Each victim is sent floating away using Kieran’s alien ability to float objects above the ground and defy gravity! Kieran who we learn is in Kansas, sends a woman named Amy Morrison (Amanda Marier) that he has paralyzed on her way to a destination. At this point, only the alien in the body of the deceased Kieran knows why!

Upon their arrival in Witchita, Kansas, Benveneti, Jones and their containment team specialists find Amy Morrison, Mary Vandeberg and several others. All appear to be dead with blood seeping from their eyes. Amy Morrison is observed defying gravity, hovering or floating above the ground with her sweater caught on a barbed wire fence.

Investigation reveals that all are being drawn to the same location when Beneventi releases Amy whose sweater got stuck on barbed wire. The next scene is creepy when Beneventi and Jones follow the hovering Amy to the middle of a field where several other bodies are floating in a circular pattern in mid air!

The containment team finds another gravity defying victim. Image courtesy NBC Universal

The bodies are taken to a field containment unit setup to conduct examinations to be performed. Dr. Sharon Bhandari (Kendra Westwood), an Orbital EMT (Josh Panagiotou) and others who are part of the containment team. Dr, Bhandari discovers that the people are not actually dead when their eyes exhibit movement!

The victims appear to be paralyzed with their life force being slowly drained by the alien who has inhabited Kieran’s body manifestation. Dr. Bhandari’s testing conforms that the victims are not dead, only that their motor movement skills have been inhibited and that they can likely hear and see what is going on around them.

Dr. Bhandari reports that their condition is deteriorating, likely because of the alien infested body of young Kieran Vandeburg is no longer around to sustain them.

Julia Benson as Mary Vandeberg – Image by Sergei Bachlakov, courtesy NBC Universal

All the victims, especially Mary Vandeburg, Kieran’s biological mother, are somehow connected to the accident that happened seven months earlier that killed Kieran. Beneventi and Jones head to the Vandenburg farm when it is reported that they have not returned a call to local authorities. Here they find Mary Vandeburg, floating like the other victims. Beneventi and Jones speak with Kieran’s sister and learn that he died in the accident seven months earlier.

As the mysterious adventure continues, a large pile of Debris is located in a forested area near the farm owned by Mary Vandeburg and her husband. The Debris is almost completely intact seemingly of a semi round cohesive state, floating above the ground with bits and pieces of nearby dirt and leaves swirling above the grave site memorial of Kieran.

While waiting for the containment team to arrive, Beneventi and Jones search the Vandeburg house for clues and discuss the Debris floating above Kieran’s grave. Things turn crazy when Beneventi states that Kieran how could this happen? How was Kieran exhumed by the alien and “meat” was placed back on his bones. Jones reveals that in her discussion with the sister, only Kieran’s ashes were at the grave memorial because Kieran was cremated!

Debris over Kieran’s memorial at Mary Vandebergs home. Image courtesy NBC Unoversal

After the containment team arrives, Finola Jones wants to take another look at the Debris before it is taken away for containment. As she approaches the large pile of debris, it becomes apparent that she is affected by it but pulls back before she becomes contaminated or transported away but only after Finola hears her own voice calling her own mother. Somehow the artifact was pulling memories from inside Finola’s mind!

Kieran’s sister Isla Vandeberg (Alisha Newton) then reveals to Beneventi and Jones that she was supposed to come home after her mother Mary Vandeburg called saying she had good news about Keiran. Suddenly the next day Mary Vandeburg cancelled the homecoming. The reason is that Kieran had taken control of Mary Vandeburg, killing her in the process.

The question is are these deliberate killings or some sort of tragic accidents as the aliens are trying to learn about humans by extracting or reading memories from their minds subsequent to being activated by the grief of Mary Vandeburg?

Mary Vandeberg brought the alien to life by her feelings of loss. Image courtesy NBC Universal

While Dr. Bhandari continues her examinations at the field containment facility, Beneventi and Jones piece together that the alien entity must have been using each human victim as a “human battery” in an attempt to understand the grief of Mary Vandeburg over the loss of her son. Dr. Bhandari calls Beneventi and Jones to tell them that the bodies are speaking two words: Jenna Goldman, the name of Finola Jones mother. Beneventi and Jones deduce that the Debris at the Vandeburg farm that Finola communicated with is somehow connected to all the paralyzed bodies in the field containment facility!

Suddenly Anson and Holloway appear at the Debris site on the Vandeburg farm while the containment team is at work. Agent Tom Gordon (Thomas Cadrot) spots the two intruders ordering them to freeze! Instead, Anson and Holloway each place a fragment of the alien artifact objects in their mouths and vanish, rematerializing under a freeway underpass lord knows where!

This detail appears to prove that Anson and Holloway know more about the Debris than the CIA and MI6. Unfortunately for Holloway, he rematerializes inside a concrete pillar supporting the freeway! Anson kills his former partner and leaves the scene immediately but not before the containment team are alerted to an atmospheric disturbance.

Rushing to the scene. Image courtesy NBC Universal

Beneventi and Jones rush to the scene to find Holloway embedded in the concrete from his chest down. Although Anson has escaped, the technology, a type of “Phased Transport” system the aliens utilize is not without consequences for those who are not trained to use it properly.

Tracking down Kieran in Kansas via law enforcement and video cameras that the CIA has tapped into, we see the woman from the restaurant at the same service station that Kieran visited with his mother Mary Vandeburg. The woman thinks she is Kieran’s mother!

While Bryan interrogates the woman seen at the restaurants, now at the service station, the alien entity pretending to be Kieran takes control of Finola Jones mind when she approaches the vehicle while Bryan Beneventi is interrogating the woman from the restaurant.

Jonathan Tucker as Bryan Benventi, Alisha Newton as Isla Vandeberg, Riann Steele as Finola Jiones. Image courtesy NBC

Kieran, now in control of Finola Jones mind, is forced to drive the vehicle to the scene of his accident. As the pair leave the gas station restaurant, Beneventi alerts his containment team after figuring out that Kieran, who had been killed months earlier, is still attached to Mary Vandeburg as the anchor holding the alien to the circumstances.

Beneventi brings the sister, Isla Vandeburg, to the field containment facility in an attempt to speak to her paralyzed mother and convince the Kieran the alien, who is monitoring all the paralyzed humans, to break the mental connection and free all the victims, including his partner Finola Jones, from the mental grip of the alien entity that has materialized the body of Kieran Vandeburg.

Thankfully, the strategy works. Mary Vandeberg, all the victims and Finola Jones are released from the alien mental control. The alien that was materialized as Kieran to relieve the grief stricken Mary, did not mean to harm anyone. Kieran is last seen in the field near the accident and then disappears.

Finola’s father is involved! Image courtesy NBC Universal

The same cannot be said for Anson Ash who clearly has ulterior motivations and has somehow learned about the aliens artifacts and their power. At this juncture, we are uncertain how Anson has obtained his insight into the aliens, but it is absolutely clear that he committed to obtain more of them, and use the alien artifacts for what are certain to be less than honorable, likely political purposes.

As the episode winds down, during a conference call with Craig Maddox, Brfayn Jones and Finola Jones learns that the body found embedded in the concrete pillar is an ex SAS agent connected George Jones (Tyrone Benskin), Finola’s father!

The CIA is reconstructing the alien escape pods. Image courtesy NBC Universal

The final sequences reveal the startling truth, Bryan Beneventi is ordered by Craig Maddox to not inform Finola Jones and MI6 that George Jones is directly involved with the plot to appropriate the alien artifacts for their nefarious purposes.

The final shot visually illustrates the motivation of Maddox and the CIA, the round alien objects we have witnessed previously are being reconstructed in a top secret hanger. As camera pans back, the objects are clearly alien escape pods that have crashed to Earth, and there are more than one of them being rebuilt inside the CIA hanger!

As we proceed to the future with Debris in our thoughts, Team WHR will return with more analysis of our favorite series including select science fiction book and television reviews. Additionally, we will be migrating the entire WHR YouDecide interview series here during 2021! Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future!

Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR
March 1, 2021
Saving Hope: Stars Erica Durance, Michael Shanks and Daniel Gillies Ride Wormhole to NBC!

Welcome back Michael Shanks, Erica Durance and Daniel Gillies fans!

This evening something very special is about to happen on our television screens! From everyone’s friend, the great team at NBC Universal is bringing a fantastic supernatural science fiction flavored series called Saving Hope premiering at 9 PM E/P TONIGHT!

Long awaited by their fans, NBC has selected starring roles for many favorite celebrities, including several of our own, starting with the gorgeous and talented Erica Durance of Smallvile .

Many will also remember Erica from the Stargate SG-1 episode “Affinity” when she portrayed a female friend of Teal’c known as Krista who suffered from domestic violence. Stargate SG-1 is where I first became enchanted with her acting, Ms. Durance is a perfect choice for the role of Dr. Alex Reid in the series.

The leading male character in Saving Hope is the outstanding actor, handsome and enigmatic Michael Shanks whom all remember as the often ascended archeologist Dr. Daniel Jackson in MGM Studios hit Stargate SG-1.

Shanks is also known for many other roles on Syfy and as a guest star in another fan favorite series, Burn Notice. Shanks will portray a ghostly comatose Dr. Charlie Harris in Saving Hope. After suffering from a near fatal car accident which “attaches” his character to the “Hope Zion” hospital facility, the adventure is just beginning!

Michael Shanks is also wildly anticipated at this years Creation Entertainment Stargate Convention is Chicago! We have no doubt this “doctor” will be a most interesting character in the series that he will share about at the convention!

Rounding out what appears to be the love triangle in the Saving Hope series is long time resident of Mystic Falls, Daniel Gillies from The Vampire Diaries portraying Dr. Joel Goran (a human being this time around) who has a long standing relationship with Durance as Dr. Reid. This ongoing crush will no doubt delightfully spice up the romance and good natured banter in Saving Hope.

Bringing drama fans an exciting summer series for us all to enjoy, NBC describes the new program as follows:

“Saving Hope is a new, hour-long original drama series that stars Erica Durance (“Smallville”), Michael Shanks (“Stargate SG-1“), Daniel Gillies (“The Vampire Diaries”), Huse Madhavji (“Combat Hospital,” “Star!,” “Daily”), Julia Taylor Ross (“Rookie Blue”) and Kristopher Turner (“Rookie Blue,” “The Listener”).”

“The series is from acclaimed Gemini Award-winning producers Ilana Frank and David Wellington (“The Eleventh Hour,” “Would Be Kings,” “Rookie Blue”).”

“In Saving Hope, when charismatic Chief of Surgery Charlie Harris (Shanks) at Hope-Zion Hospital ends up in a coma, he leaves the hospital in chaos – and his fiancee and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Durance), in a state of shock. Along with newly arrived star surgeon, Joel Goran (Gillies), Reid races to save Harris’ life. “

“As the action unfolds, the comatose Harris explores the hospital halls in “spirit” form, not sure if he’s a ghost or a figment of his own imagination. Reid, along with her fellow doctors, press on to save his life and those of their other patients as they deal with the complicated and courageous decisions that are made in their daily struggle to keep hope alive.

“Saving Hope is produced by Ilana C. Frank Films (ICFF) with Entertainment One (eOne), in association with CTV and NBC. The series is executive produced by Ilana Frank and David Wellington for ICFF, Noreen Halpern (“Hell on Wheels,” “Call Me Fitz”) and John Morayniss (“The Firm,” “Haven”) for Entertainment One and Lesley Harrison.”

Executive producers and showrunners are Morwyn Brebner (“Rookie Blue”) and Aaron Martin (“Being Erica”). The series was created by Malcolm MacRury (“Crash and Burn,” “Republic of Doyle”) and Morwyn Brebner. David Wellington directed the Saving Hope pilot.

This exciting new offering by NBC also features solid veteran actors Benjamin Ayres, Wendy Crewson, K.C. Collins, and Salvatore Antonio to name but a few. Having seen the extended promotional trailers many times, we are more than excited to provide them courtesy of the NBC Universal’s Saving Hope publicity unit. We include all of them here in one special 28 minute HD promotional entertainment news video for your enjoyment!

Believe when I say this is a show you do not want to miss!

Thank you for reading. viewing, listening and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

Please feel free to leave a comment here or if you prefer, click the social media icons below to share this news article.

Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, WHR on Facebook or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and Team WHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side“!

Thank you.

Best Regards,

WR_Systems (Kenn)

June 7, 2012
Chuck Versus The Baby and How It All Began!
https://wormholeriders.org/audiox/Chuck-Theme-Full.mp3
Welcome back Chucksters,

It is hard, even difficult to believe, but it is true. I say this with a heavy heart, however in two short weeks from we will all experience the end of Chuck!

Originally brought to our attention by MeaganSue in 2009, and after members of our team (including Meagan and I) attended Comic-Con to watch and or cover the Chuck festivities in San Diego in 2009, 2010 and 2011, it is with a heavy heart we must all face that the adventures of our beloved Nerd Herd will come to an end after five seasons on Friday, January 27, 2012.

Meagan promises to conclude the series finale, but we know she is busy. We shall see.

Before continuing our review we include a fun sneak peek from the episode courtesy of NBC. Enjoy!
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Chuck Versus the Baby:

This episode pays homage to the roots of the Chuck series, the episode opens with a flashback from five years earlier in Budapest, Hungary. Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) is listening to a voice mail from an unidentified woman we later learn is Cheryl Ladd. The woman is informing Sarah if she ever needs a home, one ready for her. Who is this woman? Read on and find out!

Sarah’s thoughts about this circumstance end. We are back not yet back in the present. We find ourselves at a plush mansion in Budapest. Sarah tells the man we come to find out is named Kieran Ryker (Tim DeKay), who is keeping an eye on the mission progress in a van. Ryker orders Sarah to eliminate men who are sitting around a table drinking and making merry over their success in commandeering the mansion and killing all the occupants but one.

On queue Sarah somersaults into the room, packing automatic weapons blasting the evil doers and sends them to their maker.

With this accomplished Sarah is told to go into the next room where the object of the mission, “the package” is.

“The package” turns out to be a little baby in swaddling clothes in a crib. Sarah is reluctant, ordered to take the child. Sarah does not like this development but nonetheless follows orders and leave the premises. The sequence from the past sets the tone and story arc. We are now back in the present in Burbank California at Castle.

We observe Sarah using a computer workstation reading an email about the baby from the past. The e-mail has apparently been sent by evil Shaw (Brandon Routh) to Kieran Ryker; “The baby is alive. Details to follow.” Sarah says to herself, “He knows.” Chuck (Zachary Levi) appears in the scene whereby Sarah quickly shutdown the computer to hide the e-mail from him.

A note from this reviewer: Kudos to the Chuck writers and creators for eloquently blending a secret from Sarah’s past (pre series) to establish where the saga will go in the present story arc. Moreover, the way in which the Chuck team has matured with such perfection in every episode is much appreciated by this reviewer.

Thanks Team Chuck!

We segue to Chuck who has a surprise for Sarah. When we see we he has taken her we are surprised ourselves, Chuck has led her into a romantic candle lit room. Our two Chuckster “love birds” are next seen in the living room of the house they had dreamed about. Sarah wonders what he did to make this all possible?

Chuck informs Sarah he is certain the real estate agent lent them the keys for the weekend so they could check it out, despite what Decker had done to sequester their bank accounts. Chuck let’s Sarah know that their CIA signing bonus will be used for a down payment, so the house will be their’s!. Sarah is at a loss for words. He tells her she doesn’t have to say anything. Just visualize them living there and sharing their lives together raising little Chuck’s and Sarah’s in the near future! Awwwwww!

In this moment of tenderness Sarah is about to confess to Chuck that something has been bothering her, but falters before she does so recalling the events in Budapest five years ago. In her mind Sarah has the baby while Ryker urges her to get out of the mansion before backup terrorists arrive.

Sarah whispers to the little waif, “It is going to be okay” as she is seen turning her automatic weapons fire on more bad guys. Bye bye bad guys!

We return to the present at Castle. Chuck is concerned about whatever is bothering and Sarah. Sarah is “saddling up” for a mission of some sort selecting various armaments. Sarah remains aloof about what she is up to telling Chuck to “trust her” instead of the truth.

Chuck wants to know what is happening and has enlisted Colonel Casey (Adam Baldwin) and Morgan (Joshua Gomez) to ask Sarah what she is planning to do. Sarah remains evasive when Chuck puts his foot down by telling her he will put the resources of Carmichael Industries at her disposal with no further questions.
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Sarah finally gives in and reluctantly agrees to their help. She provides the team with a pre-mission “sit rep” about the Shaw to Ryker e-mail. Now an ex-CIA operative who is extremely dangerous, Casey nods in agreement. Everyone agrees to help Sarah with her mission.

Sarcastic Colonel Casey ribs Chuck wanting to know if he can keep his mouth shut this time. Chuck informs Casey: “Yes, you act as though I have not learned anything in the last four years.” We will soon find out that Chuck has learned much that will become invaluable to the mission to save the little “package” now five years old. The team prepares to head to Budapest, Hungary.

Pouting Morgan is disappointed about the timing of the Budapest mission because he is going to have to put off his planned night out with Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) , Devon (Ryan McPartlin) and Alex (Mekenna Melvin).

They are supposed to play “The Game of Life“. Chuck feels sorry for Morgan and says he can use Castle to both monitor the mission and enjoy game night with Alex at Castle because Devon and have been asking to spend more time there anyway. Morgan Is happy because every detail has been thought about by Chuck!

Sarah’s plan involves sending a fake e-mail from Shaw to Ryker to set the stage for the meeting. Sarah once again recalls the past again in Budapest five years ago. We observe Sarah delivering what appears to the “package” to Ryker. Sarah wants to know what is going to happen to the waif?

Ryker pulls rank but Sarah is suspicious that Ryker is operating as a lone wolf outside CIA policy. Ryker is reticent which confirms Sarah’s suspicions he has become a rogue agent.

Pressing Ryker, Sarah finds out that the baby is heir to a vast family fortune. Sarah is disgusted by what she has been manipulated to do but is powerless to take action to stop Ryker from using the little baby as a money machine.

Sly suspicious Sarah has tricked Ryker. There is no baby in the stroller! Always prepared Sarah has a gun stashed and shoots the corrupt Ryker making a clean get away. We see Sarah in an apartment in Budapest where the baby has been hidden. Good job Sarah!

Sarah’s memories fade to the present with the team now in Budapest. Always enjoying a woman with a gun, Sarah is getting a sniper rifle ready for the dangerous mission. Sarah admits that she will kill Ryker and wants them to monitor the situation and make sure no one else is watching her. \

In the meantime, Casey has been doing some research about Ryker finding his whole CIA record has been erased, not a good sign.

During this moment of distraction a waiter brings a glass of water to Sarah. She tells him she did not order any water. On the bottom of the glass is a spy note telling her to get on the next bus alone.

Sarah informs Chuck via COMS to track the waiter because he is likely working for Ryker. Chuck and Casey arrive at the cafe. They see boarding a bus, which drives away. Sarah informs Chuck she is sorry but has to do this on her own accord.

The scene switches to Castle; Devon, Morgan, Alex, and Ellie are observed playing “The Game of “Life”. Sarcastic Morgan uses the situation to the tension about his floundering relationship with Alex. Devon and Ellie quite annoyed by the ongoing tension between Alex and Morgan. They quickly finish the game.

Morgan and Alex are left undisturbed to explore their feelings. Alex feels the friction with Morgan asking him why he asked her to Castle? With a sad look on his face Alex tells Morgan there is no quick way to mend their relationship.

Poor Morgan!

A melee ensues as Casey and Chuck tackle the waiter who left the water note for Sarah. A funny bit of humor ensues as the waiter says he cannot speak English, only Hungarian. Always ready for anything Chuck takes out a Hungarian translation book. He and Casey try Hungarian with the waiter but to no luck.

Casey, in his usual gruff manner threatens the waiter after a shopkeeper translates the waiter who tells he only knows some man paid him. Casey does not believe the waiter and puts a gun in his face and demands the truth.

We return to the mansion Sarah was in five years earlier were she confronts Ryker. The baby is in another room which causes to remember what she did five years earlier when she called her Mom (Cheryl Ladd) who had given her advice on how to calm the little waif.

This time Sarah has the upper hand holding Ryker at gunpoint. Sarah orders Ryker to the room where the baby is at. Ryker has tricked Sarah. There is no baby, only a recording of a baby crying. Not paying attention because of her need to save another child, Sarah is jumped and is knocked out and bound by Ryker’s minions. Yikes!

The trickery goes further, Ryker gloats that he sent the e-mail to lure Sarah into the trap. Sarah, defiant to the end head butts Ryker, a scene which this reviewer very much enjoyed. Ryker confesses his true agenda and why he selected her, she is a sap for certain causes and that she likes to operate alone rarely confiding in others. A bit over confident, Ryker does even consider that Sarah came with back-up.

Personally this reviewer does not believe his propaganda that it is not about the money. Ryker is scum, wanting the baby for the money. However it seems clear that Ryker will kill Sarah unless she reveals where the child is. Sarah pride-fully tells Ryler she came to Budapest for only one reason, to make sure he does not know where the now five year old child is.

The next scene is expected, but not entirely explained. The lack of explanation does not detract from the fun as the viewer is left to assume Casey must have “persuaded” the waiter to reveal the location of the mansion. Chuck and Casey baits Ryker with the waiter, dumping him in the entrance of the mansion. A minor plot hole is apparent, how did Chuck and Casey get him there? In any event, Chuck and Casey free Sarah and escape using the waiter to distract Ryker.

The episode focus shifts back to Castle where Ellie and Devon are having fun. We see them playing spy games using the environment of Castle to do so. Moreover, Ellie is flirting with Devon, in fact she is planning on seducing him based on the fact that Devon is being “held against his will”, a development he is enjoying.

Just as they are about to get “down and dirty”, their romantic moment fades when Alex and Morgan are overheard fighting. The two obviously love each other and will need a little help from Devon and Ellie.

Devon and Ellie each intercept the member of the opposite sex sharing their own past mistakes that nearly ended their own relationship. Alex is being stubborn while Morgan is suffering from a lack of self esteem which is deflating his efforts to regain Alex’s heart.

We observe that both Alex and Morgan consider the inputs and will in all likelihood the two will reconcile.

This reviewer enjoys the interplay between new couple on Chuck and suspect that the series finale will feature a touching bit about the “couples of Chuck”. The only question is what about Jeffster and Lester?

From this point as the episode seemingly begins to wind down, we find our main character couple Sarah and Chuck in the bedroom at home. Sarah feels guilty about being less than truthful, in fact circumspect with Chuck who chastises her for doing so.

Sarah’s memories are once again recalled to five years ago with CIA Director Graham (Tony Todd of Stargate) who is on a conference call with Sarah.

Graham reveals that the CIA is too porous with leaks and cannot guarantee the safety of the baby like Sarah desires. Upon hearing this Sarah tells a falsehood to the Director that she does not have the little waif.

Still in the past, Sarah instead takes the threatened little waif to her mother who shares with her daughter “It does not have to be like this.” Nearly in tears Sarah tell her mother she will never see them again.

Cheryl Ladd is a nice choice for Sarah’s mother, quite believable in the role. Several tender moments are revealed about Sarah’s past and the fun as a child she missed out on because of her mother running away from Sarah’s father to protect the children. In a mother daughter “hug” moment Sarah asks her mom to provide a wonderful life for the child that she never had.

“Total Recall” moment over, Chuck and Sarah are shocked to learn that diabolical Ryker has tapped in to the conversation because of an electronic listening device hidden in Sarah’s hair! Yikes! This means that Ryker knows about the baby AND her mother whom makes plans to kill the little tyke and Sarah’s mother!

A general panic ensues when Sarah cannot contact her mother per a plan set in action five years earlier. Our three heroes rush to save the soon to be victims of evil Ryker.

We next observe the now five year old child playing with a baby toy Sarah had given her mother. Ominously the toy opens and a screen inside displays “coordinates sent” the little girl calls out for her mom. One can only hope that the signal is not being intercepted by Ryker!

Not to worry. In the final action scene, Sarah had taken the place of her mother and is waiting for Ryker posing as her mother in a kitchen. Casey and Chuck are outside and are seen killing Ryker’s minions.

True to series form in a well choreographed fight scene Sarah kicks Ryker’s butt after a close call. I cannot speak for others, however the fight scenes in Chuck have always been one of the shows best parts. This reviewer is certainly going to miss these fun action scenes and of course Chuck too!

In the second of two final sequences the gang is with Sarah’s mom and the child. We learn the now five year old is named Molly. Much like every such gathering everyone wants to hold the little tyke, except Morgan!

We observe him geeking out with Molly playing a video game while Alex looks on. It is clear she has softened her opinion of Morgan to the delight of this reviewer! Alex plants a big smooch on Alex who is pleased he has broken through to Alex once again.

Devon and Ellie look pleased their mission to bring these two back together has succeeded! Did I mention that we suspect wedding bells in the season finale for these two lovebirds? We shall see.

More tender moments occur when Chuck finally meets Sarah’s mom. He looks a little nervous but appears to be happy that he is meeting Sarah’s mom whom he never knew existed. “Mom” confides that she is also happy for him and Sarah and she has never seen her daughter so happy either.

This evokes another memory in Sarah that fills in the five year run and back story of Chuck . We observe her with the CIA Director who is pleased with her performance against Ryker. Sarah is surprised that she is being promoted to “CIA Handler”. Tony Todd the CIA Director hands Sarah a case file. We learn that her assignment will be none other than Chuck completing this arc within the adventures of Chuck that began so long ago!

In the final sequence, we are at the house with Chuck and Sarah. After all that has happened, Sarah confesses she wants out of the CIA, now only seeking to enjoy a family life with Chuck.

No doubt the tender moments with Molly and her mother have had a lasting effect on Sarah. Chuck says that if they leave the CIA they will not be able to afford the new house. To our delight Sarah has definitely changed and is willing to forgo the new house but that they will someday be able to afford it without the CIA signing bonus.

The episode ends with Sarah carving their names in the frame of a door. Even though they can no longer afford the house, Sarah says they will have the home they both want in the future.

This reviewer enjoyed the plot switch that the Chuck creators employed. When I first saw the promos I believed that Sarah had a baby from a past life which would be a central part of the plot. The creators did a good job of “bait and switch” in more ways than one! Bravo!

Lastly, Ms. Ladd did fine job in her performance as Sarah’s mom. I enjoyed seeing the former “Charlie’s Angel” Cheryl Ladd who has been featured in a number of movies and television series in recent history. Like Carrie-Anne Moss who returns in the “Versus the Kept Man” episode, this reviewer suspects we will see Ms. Ladd one more time in the series finale on January 27, 2012!

Thank you for reading my review and for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

Please feel free to leave a comment here or if you prefer, click the social media icons below to share this news article.

Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and Team WHR look forward to will Seeing You on The Other Side“!

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn
January 16, 2012
Chuck Versus the Business Trip – The End of the Intersect or a New Beginning?
Welcome to saving Morgan Grimes day Chucksters!

When we left the last episode, “Versus the Frosted Tips”, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski), Chuck (Zachary Levi) and a reluctant Casey (Adam Baldwin) had thankfully saved Morgan (Joshua Gomez) from the clutches of Gertrude Verbanski (Carrie-Anne Moss)!

Chuck Versus the Business Trip:

Yet another fun episode with Chuck investing a portion of the two million dollar check from General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy) on some “team building” activities by some of team Buy More on a “vacation” at an exotic location, a convention hotel in Riverside California! The humor was good as part of the story arc, even though “poor” Riverside, the brunt of the humor is really a nice place!
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It sure would be to have a couple of million in the bank, eh? Naturally, money does not buy everything and things are certain to go awry, but let us start back at the beginning shall we?

We begin “Versus the Business Trip” where we left off with Morgan about to get into his vehicle which has had a bomb planted under it. Morgan blithely saunters over to his vehicle unaware his life is now marked by CIA assassins.

Just as he is about to get in the vehicle, Chuck appears from nowhere and knocks Morgan to the ground before he is blown to smithereens! The situation about Morgan being targeted by the CIA is a clear indication of seeking to destroy the evidence by killing the principle witness (victim) of the corrupted Intersect still in Morgan’s brain.

The cloak and dagger sequence is not too far from the truth of real life where powerful forces in the world will use any means, including murder to achieve their goals. The tongue in cheek Chuck version of this is made slap stick when Morgan is about to head back to the office.

Without thinking Morgan says he needs something from the vehicle, presses the door lock remote control, and KABOOM no more fancy sled for Morgan!

The malcontent philosophy concept of destroying people in real life is often not associated with actual murders. Most often, people with a grudge, mostly miserable in their own lives, will at times seek to destroy the reputation of others as an outlet to fulfill their own failed lives. One must sincerely feel sympathy for these creatures as they flail in frustration. This reviewer offers a bit of advice: Avoid these people lest you become their target as well.

We segue to Team Chuck, informed by General Beckman as she is visiting Sarah and Chuck that if they remove the Intersect from Morgan’s brain, then perhaps he will be safe from the CIA assassins.

True to form, the creators of Chuck treat us to one last “Intersect” Morgan moment requesting that Sarah and Chuck hurl a bunch of assassins “stars” at him. Sure enough the Intersect works!

It was nice to see Morgan super powered one more time before Beckman attached a pair of high technology “Intersect Removing Glasses” to save Morgan. In a few seconds it is all over and Morgan is once again 100% Morgan, geeky and annoying, but with no more Intersect powers!

Although this reviewer was happy for Morgan, as I mentioned in my last review, I was hopeful that Morgan could be “fixed” and that he would join Chuck as a second super hero in season five.

Perhaps this will be a surprise that is in store and still coming by the creators later this final season of Chuck? I hope so!

We move to a touching set of scenes with Eliie (Sarah Lancaster), Devon (Ryan McPartlin), Chuck and Sarah. Ellie and Devon are with baby bundle Clara doing yoga in the apartment complex courtyard.

Referred to as “Mommy Awesome” by some, Ellie is as limber as a wet noodle in her Yoga moves! Devon not so much, but the screen time with baby Clara are endearing.

Sara and Chuck look on fondly as Ellie gets ready to leave for work. She tells Chuck and Sarah that she is pleased to be back at work at the hospital.

Ellie is like any young mother, she wants more “face time” with her new little baby Clara.

The pleasant scene is interrupted as General Beckman calls ordering Sarah and Chuck to Castle.

Our two protagonists had been comparing their lives as spies to the seemingly blissful life of Ellie, Devon and baby Clara. This reviewer always enjoys the scenes between Sarah and Chuck, their on-screen chemistry works so well! Now back to work you two!

At Castle, General Beckman is on remote video. She informs the Team Chuck group that almost all of the assassins trying to kill Morgan have been called off. When I heard this I knew there was going to be a problem!

Evil agent Decker (Richard Burgi) originally sent out the order desk, and part of that directive is still in effect. Yikes! Decker joins the video chat informing the team he had also hired a relentless outside contractor known as “The Viper” to complete the job. Double Yikes!

Sweating bullets, Morgan is obviously and quite understandably anxious. We then observe Chuck, Sarah and Casey trying to remove Morgan’s name from the assassin’s hit list. Why do we know this will prove fruitless. Yes, I suspected Decker and his minions too!

Last review I did not spend much time on Jeffster (Scott Krinsky) and Lester (Vik Sahay). As viewers are aware, Jeffster has turned over a new leaf becoming a model citizen and employee subsequent to concerned urging from Devon to get away from the carbon monoxide he has been inhaling for years.

I for one like the new Jeffster, or should we say Jeffrey? What do the fans think of the new “Jeffrey”? Based on the giggling tweets, it seems they like him too! What about you?

Lester is not quite as pleased that his trouble making buddy is now a clean cut person. He tries to seduce “Jeffrey” with a scheme to cheat the Buy More “Sales Employee of the Year” award. Much to Lester’s disappointment, “Jeffrey” shows disdain and lectures Lester that he is “gaming” the system! Poor Lester. YAY “Jeffrey!”

Back to Morgan, Sarah and Chuck, we find that the corrupted Intersect, although now removed, has had consequences. Morgan has lost a portion of his memories during the removal process.

Reminding me a bit of Star Trek “The Changeling” when Lt. Uhura had her memory erased by “Nomad”, Morgan will need to be exposed to the past memories he has lost. In another humorous moment, Chuck is all set with a large bag of DVD movies to help his friend recover his memories.

Naturally the first choice is Morgan’s favorite of all time “Star Wars”. This reviewer chuckled knowing this would keep Morgan busy for many hours as he watches the extended edition six episode Star Wars DVD box set and all the other movies too!

The plan is to use Morgan as bait for “The Viper”, but not to put Morgan in danger. Heck Morgan has movies to watch! To accomplish this, Chuck’s picture is uploaded to Morgan’s Facebook account. A nice touch. This reviewer only wonders why they missed Joshua Gomez’ (Morgan’s) Twitter account too?!

Our next sequence is at a convention center hotel. Chuck checks in as Morgan Grimes and guest (Sarah). The trap has been baited as we segue to a nearby room where “The Viper” is using a computer with Chuck’s image on the screen. One cannot help but notice that the room is filled with weapons!

Morgan and Casey, safe in Castle are providing support services to Chuck and Sarah in the field who are searching for clues about “The Viper”. The Chuck writers did a wonderful job setting up the two (Casey and Morgan) adversaries after the way that Morgan behaved towards Casey’s daughter Alex (Mekenna Melvin).

The “I despise Morgan” sub-plot is amusing. Morgan asks to be forgiven for the terrible way that he treated Alex. Casey will have none of it and instead hands Morgan another Star Wars DVD. Poor Morgan! No Alex (yet)! Well at least he has his Star Wars blanket and Darth Vader to play with!

Meanwhile Chuck and Sarah are trying to get a lead on “The Viper”. No dice, they are having about as much luck as Morgan is convincing Casey to allow access to Alex. We observe Chuck and Sarah at a cocktail party socially working the crowd to get a lead on the assassin. In the middle of the mingling, someone manhandles grabs Chuck and pulls into the pool! Naturally Sarah jumps right in and low and behold it is a Team Chuck a pool party! The sight of a wet Yvonne Strahovski certainly raised my interest!

The Buy More “Sales Person of the Year” party continues as Chuck and Sarah mingle and have “fun” with their co-workers. Although on a mission, the moment reminds them to reflect back to the earlier scene of what “normal” life is with Devon and Ellie.

The party comes to an end as one of the characters named “Crazy Bob” (David Koechner) escorts Chuck to his room. Can this person be “The Viper”. Casey’s equipment confirms that “Crazy Bob” is hiding something.

Sarah is dispatched to “Crazy Bob” room. She knocks at the door and is invited Bob informs Sarah that he is aware she is not who she says she is and neother is he! In a hugely funny moment, we learn that “Crazy Bob” enjoys dressing up in bunny costumes! Sarah quickly knocks out the kinky “Crazy Bob the Bunny Man!”.

In the next second we hear a loud noise. It turns out that the bartender from the party has attacked Chuck! Our hero Sarah knocks the bartender out cold. Do they have “The Viper”?

Back at Castle Chuck and Sarah work on the bartender to get him to understand the contract on Morgan has been called off. We witness Casey as he enters the holding cell to “convince” “The Viper”.

When I even thought of being in a holding cell with Casey, I immediately knew this is not exactly where I would want to be under any circumstances!

How about you?

The scene switch allows the writers a chance for Morgan to get a hold of Casey’s cell phone. Morgan sends Alex a text message to meet “him” at the Buy More. A perfect foil, Alex thinks the text is from her father.

Back to Doctor Devon, he happily informs Jeffster that he is made a lot of improvement from his days of carbon monoxide-poisoning.

To this reviewers delight and Lester’s chagrin, Jeffster has become a more normal and healthy person now!

Just as we are about to cheer for Jeffster, Ellie enters the room and takes Clara from him. She really (REALLY) wants more time with her baby! Awwwww. Devon takes notice and is thankful for what being normal means.

With this accomplished, Morgan is desperate to explain his terrible behavior to Alex at the Buy More. Morgan spills the beans stating: “There was a super computer in my head melting my brain”.

Sadly Alex does not believe Morgan at this point being completely unaware of what he has been through. This reviewer felt sorry for “poor” Morgan. *Sniff*.

A quick scene switch at the Buy More: Lester has figured out a way to get his old buddy Jeffster back. He inserts a hose under the lunch room door where Jeff and Big Mike are at. Lester has attached the hose to the tailpipe of Jeff’s van to “restore” his friend to the way he was. Poor Big Mike! Will he become another Jeffster?

As Chuck is finishing interrogating the bartender, he suddenly realizes that the capture was far too easy. Chuck puts two and two together and figures out that someone else is involved! We then find out that a car bomb has been put under the gas pedal. The entire thing is a diversion to get Morgan!

The seemingly innocent Jane (Catherine Dent), who Sarah had met at the “Salesperson of the Year” convention party appears at the Buy More. “I’m looking for Morgan Grimes,” she tells a sales associate. OMG Jane is “The Viper”!

The whole magic of Chuck kicks in as all hell breaks loose! Morgan gets a text from Chuck who s busy saving Sarah. Chuck warns him about Jane. Morgan quickly grabs Alex and drags her through the Buy More! In true slap stick comedy, Casey thinks Morgan is kidnapping his daughter and goes non-linear.

Meanwhile Jeffster virtually immune to the carbon monoxide saves Big Mike. The Buy More fills with the noxious smoke as a worker sets the fire alarm off causing mass confusion. Morgan stashes hides Alex in a closet to keep her safe.

Sarah calls Jane to divert her attention as she continues her mission to kill Morgan. As Jane closes in on Morgan, Sarah sneaks up on “Jane The Viper”holding a gun at point blank range on her. YAY! “The Viper” is caught and Morgan is saved to once again try to convince Casey to allow him to see Alex again!

As the episode winds down Jeffster confronts Lester about his recent bad deeds calmly informing him that he has agreed to Lester’s arrest. Lester is shocked by this revelation as he is about to head to jail!

As General Beckman and Decker are observed at a video conference, “The Viper” and her side-kick the bartender are with Sarah, Casey and Chuck. General Beckman compliments Team Chuck for their accomplishment while evil Decker seemingly agrees, however this reviewer noticed that something is amiss here. Decker is obviously not sincere.

Colonel Casey picks up on the vibe. Both he and Sarah know that Decker has not called the hit off! Casey assures Sarah that he will attend to the details.

A sad moment then occurs for Morgan as he and Alex are seen at the apartment complex. Alex informs Morgan they are not going to be getting back together, but perhaps they can still be friends. Morgan is visibly crushed, but Sarah comes to his rescue and invites them over for hors d’oeuvres. Alex, a bit wary, asks if her father Casey will be there. Sarah knows why indicating that that “Dad” is likely to be a little late for the gathering.

Why? Casey is on a mission of his own: Retribution on Jane “The Viper”. Surrounded by a team of her men, Decker has let her go! We see her talking with Decker on the phone about eliminating all who know of her cover. Sorry “Jane The Viper”, Colonel Casey is on to you and before she can bat an eye, Jane and her crew Casey quickly eliminates the entire compliment of bad players.

We near the end of the episode with what appears to be an upbeat note. The entire Team Chuck is gathering at his apartment drinking wine and enjoying the hors d’oeuvres. Always late to the party “Dad” Casey comes in and apologizes for being late. With the whole crew now there, Sarah raises a glass to toast to their friendship.

Morgan, although still in love with Alex gingerly approaches Casey about his plan to not see her again. Morgan promises Casey to not bother Alex. However we all breathe a sigh of relief when Casey softens and forgives Morgan!

To my surprise Colonel Casey invites Morgan to live with him again. Crisis over, Casey gives Morgan a set of Indiana Jones DVDs. YAY! Morgan wins and is back in the family!

Hors d’oeuvres and cocktail wine time now over, the Chuck gang sits down to enjoy dinner and each other’s company. Suddenly there is an unexpected knock on the door breaking up the party.

The episode ends with dear agent Decker coming to arrest Casey for murder! The cliffhanger does a nice job of setting up the next episode where Carrie-Anne Moss will once again guest star and enjoy the “company” of Colonel Casey while Chuck works to free his friend!

Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR
December 13, 2011
Chuck Versus the Frosted Tips – Morgan Sets Fashion Trends, Carrie-Anne Moss Delights Casey, and Fan Gratitude!
Welcome back Chucksters!

We now begin catching up with one of our favorite series, Chuck!

At least one thing that is certain, although in this, the last season of Chuck (barring a miracle), this reviewer can honestly report that everyone associated with Chuck, including all the creators, the cast and veteran crews have not lost the recipe for just plain good ole’ fun in television viewing!

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let us first take a look at a wonderful fan made video that we believe sums up the adoration for Chuck that fans have developed since the series was originally created. We share this with you as a result of catching a tweet from Mekenna Mevin about the nice video by KrisWatchesOn Thanks Ms Melvin!

After you enjoy the video below, we will step back a bit and examine in detail the fun in season five’s third episode “Chuck Versus the Frosted Tips”!
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Chuck Versus the Frosted Tips:

In Chuck Versus the Frosted Tips, we learn of several past Chuck series secrets as they affect each of the characters. Foremost is Morgan (Joshua Gomez) who appears to have become satiated with power and is suspected on turning on Chuck his life long pal! All this as a result of Morgan acquiring the “Intersect” from Chuck’s (Zachary Levi).

Meanwhile Colonel Casey (Adam Baldwin) deals with Gertrude Verbanski (Carrie Anne Moss). We have learned that one of his deepest secrets is an unrequited love for Gertrude! Based on the coming interaction can we assume that the reciprocal is true?

We open the episode observing Colonel Casey moving towards his target around with Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) at his side. Casey is close to bagging his target: The lovely and evil Gertrude ruthless competitor to Team Chuck!

Under urging and with Sarah’s guidance, Casey has concocted a meeting with Gertrude in the hopes of establishing a rapport with his old flame. Gertrude provides Casey with an enticing opportunity, but our hero Casey “drops the ball” instead shaking her hand like the gentleman that we all know that he truly is.

I do not know about you folks, but my analysis is that the tough exterior we always see on Colonel Casey character is a well oiled veneer covering another secret from the enigmatic military officers career!

I am convinced that there is a romantic in there somewhere, and although Casey lost his romantic nerve, he slyly plants an electronic device on Gertrude to track her, keeping the critical nature of the actual secret mission foremost in his thoughts. As a result, Casey’s romance will just have to simmer a bit!

Next is a return of one of my favorite characters, General Beckman portrayed by Bonita Friedericy. Chuck and Morgan are waiting sit in a parking structure per previous instructions to meet with the General herself!

A black ops type vehicle arrives. General Beckman gets out and shares with Chuck she wants his new company to capture a whistle blower named Mats Zorn, a troublemaker has been leaking confidential government secrets. She intimates that a large reward will be in the works for a successful mission.

General Beckman is observed giving Chuck a USB portable flash drive. She states that the drive contains Zorn’s travel plans so that he can be tracked down. Beckman “orders” Chuck to stop Zorn at all costs.

Chuck accepts the secret mission and with good reason. Like you, we all hope that one day Chuck will be re-instated and funded once again by the CIA for more secret missions. Perhaps as a Chuck movie? As these thoughts cross our minds, Morgan has an outburst spouting “Hey Becky!” apparently unable to contain himself.

As we the audience has suspected previously, something is wrong with the new Intersect in Morgan’s brain. While two plus two clearly equals four to this reviewer, the thought is apparently only a passing thought to Chuck and Beckman.

We segue to the Buy More in Burbank where we observe Chuck dropping off Morgan at the store. Unaware at this point of the consequences, and what is happening in Morgan’s head, Chuck heads towards home.

Upon arrival at the apartment complex, Chuck encounters Colonel Casey’s daughter Alex (Mekenna Melvin). She is waiting for Morgan for a romantic date. Chuck displays some confusion when informing Alex that he just dropped Morgan at the Buy More store. Alex is obviously upset that Morgan forgot their date

In the next sequence shot in Colonel Casey’s apartment, Chuck and Sarah are going over the mission details. We see that Casey is using the electronic device mentioned earlier to clandestinely observe Gertrude Verbanski. Chuck and Sarah poke fun at Casey about his infatuation and his clumsy tactics with Gertrude.

The situation turns deadly serious when Casey’s electronic camera device reveals that Gertrude has recruited a new operative for her organization. I must confess I did not see this plot twist coming and was shocked to learn the new recruit is none other than Morgan Grimes himself! Talk about a turn for the worse!

After returning from commercial break, we witness Sarah waking up. As a man and hopeless romantic, I cannot stop myself from thinking what a lucky man Chuck is!

I know it is only a television show, but nonetheless, Chuck is indeed a very lucky man and Sarah is a lucky woman.The two to have fallen in love with each other (finally for goodness sakes) is what fans “shipped” for years!

The romantic moment fades as we see Chuck sitting at the dining room table obviously very upset and with good cause. His longtime best friend and often a PITA (Pain In The Arse), Morgan has seemingly turned traitor! Like any good spouse, Sarah does everything in her power to comfort her beloved Chuck.

We then see Chuck heading in to work at the Buy More. He knows that life must (and business) go on despite his heart being broken by the turncoat Morgan. It was at this point in the episode that I figured out that Morgan was being manipulated by something or someone.

I mean come on people, Morgan turning against his life-long buddy! It is impossible that this is solely Morgan’s fault!

Suddenly my thoughts on the “Frosted Tips” and Morgan being an innocent victim were interrupted when Chuck and the entire Buy More staff are flabbergasted as a cool looking vehicle arrived at the front door of the Buy More. I asked myself who in the heck could this be?

Now I know that some people love to figure out the plot lines before they happen in a movie, book or television program, I am not one of those people. Having been an actor in a past life, I prefer to put such thoughts out of my mind. Instead I use a technique I learned as a stage actor who knew every scene and every line in a play, I employ the willing suspension of disbelief. I find it to be the best way to enjoy an entertainment presentation.

We next witness the reason the episode was named “Versus The Frosted Tips”. Morgan removes the riding helmet to reveal that his hair has been “frosted”! I suspected that Gertrude has something to do with Morgan’s new look and was eager to find out what is going on. Obviously very pleased with himself, Morgan saunters over to Chuck and submits his resignation from the organization! OMG! What the heck can possibly happen next?

The scene shifts to the Buy More office where Casey and Sarah are talking to Morgan. They argue that if Morgan goes through with his resignation, he cannot come back to the organization.

Morgan’s attitude is flippant. From his demeanor we learn that he does not care about the Buy More or much of anything else any longer. Casey then informs Morgan that he will not allow a traitor to have a relationship with his daughter.

In a somewhat more than comedic sequence paying homage to a recent series of similar cell phone television commercials, Morgan receives a text message from Alex. She misses him! Instead Morgan transmits a text message to Alex informing her that he has broken up with her!

The humor is accentuated with the fact that this is more real life than any of us would like to admit! People hiding behind electronic devices via social media rather than reveal who they are and their real selves.

It is here at this point in the story arc we get confirmation that something is very wrong with Morgan. Alex has been his dream girl. Morgan had worked hard at gaining her trust. For him to act like nothing, including Alex, are important, we know that Morgan’s memories must have been distorted and warped.

Being a good father, despise the tough guy exterior veneer, we were pleased to witness Colonel Casey when he headed over to see and provide fatherly love to comfort Alex in her time of need.

I do not care what anyone says, Adam Baldwin is a wonderful actor. He is capable of projecting many persona as we have had the pleasure of learning about in Chuck, Stargate, Firefly and Serenity to name but a few of his accomplishments.

In the meantime, the light bulb goes off in Chuck and Sarah’s mind. They know this is not the real Morgan Grimes. As the episode continues, Chuck and Sarah begin to develop a plan to help Morgan return to his old self.

As they are doing so, Team Chuck has to confront a more immediate problem. They discover that the USB thumb drive containing the secret mission information from General Beckman is missing!

Colonel Casey puts two and two together and snarls “The bearded bastard stole our mission,” Team Chuck “saddles up” loading weapons as Chuck wants revenge and plans to take out Gertrude Verbanski, the primary competition to Buy More.

Meanwhile at Ellie and Awesome’s house, a big day is underway. Ellie’s returning to work at the hospital. Captain Awesome will be a full-time dad for a while. In a separate arc within the story we see Awesome (Ryan McPartlin) and Ellie (Sarah Lancaster) in several tender moments with their new little baby. During these sequences we can clearly see that while Ellie is ecstatic as a mother, Awesome is not entirely excited about his new life style as a father.

He heads out with the little bundle in the baby carriage. Where can he be heading? Our question is answered when we see “Dad” Devon (aka Awesome) entering the Buy More parking lot with his baby in a carriage. Awesome enters the store baby in tow only to find Jeffster (Scott Krinsky) under a smoking vehicle Buy More stereo installation area working on beloved van, in fact his home.

Jeffster’s good friend Lester (Vik Sahay) is close at hand. Both ignore Devon when he expresses concern over their own lifestyle. The look on Devon’s face led me to believe that that he was thinking about things in his life and how lucky he was compared to these two individuals. Later in the episode we will earn that Jeff is going to turn over a new lease in his life.

If only people in real life would learn to “turn over a new lease in life”, count their blessings like Devon and Jeff. Instead we often see a fair amount taking part in criminal activities, sex crimes of abuse against children, cyber-bullying, and attacking others as the emotional outlet for the mistakes they made in their own lives, often destroying their families and communities in the process seeking selfish fulfillment at the expense of others.

From this pleasant visage of Devon contemplating the good things in his life, we quickly segue to Colonel Casey, Chuck and Sarah. They have successfully penetrated Gertrude Verbanski’s headquarters overpowering the guards and procuring their uniforms as a disguise to complete their mission.

Still a dangerous spy in his own right, Chuck gains access to the complexes camera system. Using this knowledge, Chuck guides Casey to Gertrude’s office so he can confront her, stop her dastardly plot and save Morgan.

Casey finds Gertrude’s safe, enters the code and obtains the USB thumb drive with the secret data on it. Just as he is about to leave, Chuck and Sarah warn him that Gertrude and Morgan are in route to the office. Casey quickly hides in the background behind a façade in the office.

Morgan finishes talking to Gertrude. Under her direction Morgan heads off for combat training in the compound. We see a number of super Intersect powers as Morgan literally kicks the butt of all comers!

At this point in the Chuck saga, I found myself yearning for Morgan to be healed, to retain the “Intersect” and that at the same time, that Chuck would have the “Intersect” restored. The thought of a “Dynamic Duo”, Morgan and Chuck both super powered appealed to me. Did you feel the same way?

We move back to Gertrude’s office. She has a look around, but senses that something is awry. Like so many great Chuck episodes, the choreographed fight scenes are great! We are not disappointed when Casey and Gertrude enjoy some passionate “bonding” in well staged hand to hand combat! Some good ole’ fashioned butt kicking takes place to this reviewers delight!

While all of this is seemingly not enough action, we find Chuck outside in the combat training area still in disguise. Morgan himself is kicking some butt as the new fight training leader using the power of the Intersect. Morgan quickly dispatches all but one of the guards there for training.

We are not surprised that the last man standing is Chuck. Morgan had been unaware of his presence since all the guards were had been wearing headgear. Chuck pulls off his mask and requests that Morgan to return the missing USB thumb drive. He alsoi ask Morgan to return to the Buy More family and work for him again. Morgan affliction and memory manipulation is clearly apparent. He rudely informs Chuck they were never really and are certainly not now friends!

The scene changes back to Gertrude’s office where she and Casey continue their own knock down drag out fight. The stunt staging is most enjoyable as we see the two of them almost kiss!

I for one was worried that Casey would weaken in his school boy love for Gertrude and fail to subdue her. In a climactic moment (no not that kind!), Casey fights Gertrude back against her office desk. We are led to believe that the romance may win the day disarming Casey.

Surprise, Casey quickly handcuffs Gertrude to own desk. YAY Colonel Casey!

Chuck always the dedicated protagonist, not only wants to complete his mission, he needs and wants his friend Morgan back the way that he was. The bitter words from Organ “We are not friends” ring in Chuck head. Chuck cannot let this stand!

Colonel Casey appears in the training area after his escape from the facility with the USB thumb drive in his possession. Somehow Gertrude has escaped as we hear her order Morgan to re-capture the secret data. Casey, no longer a fan of Morgan for the way he treated his daughter gives Morgan a dirty look.

Morgan obviously still “under the influence” of a warped Intersect obeys Gertrude’s order and prepares to use his power to subdue his former friends. Armed for the occasion with tranquilizer guns, Sarah and Casey try to knock him out.

Intersect powered Morgan quickly avoids each dart using a technique similar to “bullet time” as wonderfully and originally employed by the VFX teams in the Matrix trilogy of films. An obvious homage to Carrie Anne Moss, the scene is quite fun to observe.

Then using an adolescent prank, Chuck sneaks up on Morgan and quickly pulls Morgan’s pants off! Morgan retorts to Chuck. “Really, you’re gonna do that?”. The timing is perfect. With Morgan distracted, a tranquilizer dart hits home into Morgan’s backside dropping him on the spot.

Having escaped from Gertrude’s headquarters, we are back at the Buy More in the Castle. Chuck and Colonel Casey and are studying the secret data and learn where their target Mats Zorn will be.

Using a handy helicopter already prepped for their mission (of course), we are taken to the rendezvous location on the roof of a building where Mats Zorn is to be found. We find that Chuck, Sarah and Casey are outfitted as pilots and a flight attendant. Their plan is to arrest Zorn before Morgan and Gertrude are able by impersonating the other flight crew.

I must say that Yvonne Strahovski looked absolutely delightful in this attire. Heck, Yvonne looks great in ANY attire and so does Carrie-Anne Moss for that matter! To be fair, I am sure the ladies loved seeing Chuck and Colonel Casey in uniform too! Kudos as always to the Chuck team in general and the costume department in specific!

As alluded to previously, the two competing teams, Team Chuck and Team Gertrude/Morgan have employed the same exact plan! As the target (Zorn) arrives, Team Chuck and Team Gertrude/Morgan fire on Zorn’s security detachment.

In a moment of two people trying to buy the same thing at a department store sale, Sarah and Gertrude both attempt arresting Zorn. In the confusion of a live firefight and cat fight, Zorn attempts to make good his getaway.

We then observe Chuck as he confronts Morgan using old memories to shake him out of the brainwashing that he has been subjected to. Chuck has figured out that he can successfully fix Morgan’s memory if he uses very old times they shared from their earliest teenage years. To the delight of this reviewer, Morgan responds to the inputs jogging his memory, and poof, Morgan is restored back to his former annoying self much to Chuck’s (and the reviewers) delight!

As the episode winds to a conclusion secret target Zorn surrenders, but have you forgotten the leaking gasoline from the ruptured fuel tank? Sure enough the gas tank ignites hurling Gertrude and Morgan in the process. Our heroes Chuck and Casey brave the fire rescuing both of them seconds before the helicopter explodes with spectacular pyrotechnics.

I chuckled when I suspected that Colonel Casey may have had a motive. Yep you guessed it! “Tough Girl” Gertrude expresses her gratitude to Colonel thanks Casey with a prolonged and well deserved smooch kiss!

Now that the two lovers have finally admitted to their relationship, a little practice at the local firing range with Gertrude is certainly in order! As Sarah is seen with an approving grin, Casey is locked in the horns of a dilemma over what gun from his armory that he will take to impress Gertrude on his date!

Of course I laughed that the two erstwhile lovers have a “date’ at a target range! The real question we all wonder is whether (and when) Casey and Gertrude will actually consummate their relationship?

The episode ends with great news for Team Chuck, Carmichael Industries and the folks at Buy More! Chuck has received a check for over $2 million dollar paycheck from General Beckman.

In the final moments Devon examines Morgan. Morgan will need a brain specialist to get everything fixed from the warped Intersect that had caused so much trouble. I for one was hopeful Morgan would somehow get to keep his Intersect as mentioned above. However this is not to be.

Just before the end of “The Frosted Tips” we see Morgan and Casey together at the apartment. Morgan is sorry for his bad behavior and how he treated Alex. He asks Casey if he can move back in.

I was hoping that some of that softer side of Casey would occur. No dice! Casey instead hands Morgan his Star Wars blanket and slams the door in his face. Awwww! Poor Morgan! No Alex and no place to live. Morgan goes to see his other two friends Chuck and Sarah, who tell him he can stay there until things settle down.

We end the episode when Chuck receives a call. It is General Beckman. She tells Chuck to meet her clandestinely and immediately! We are shocked to learn that as Beckman fills Chuck in that the CIA has a kill order out on Morgan! Chuck immediately calls his buddy but he is in the shower and misses the call.

The very last sequence is a view from under a vehicle as someone plants a bomb underneath Morgan’s vehicle. The final frames are those of Morgan as he exits the house and heads towards his sled. One can only hope that this will not be the end of Morgan!

This reviewer liked the overall arc of the story, and the smooth work of the well oiled cast and crew of Chuck. I also enjoyed Carrie-Anne Moss guest starring as Gertrude and am looking forward to her future episodes in season five of Chuck!

Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR
December 10, 2011
Chuck Versus The Full Zoom – Season Five Opening Episode!
Welcome back Chuck fans!

Chuck is such a fun show and we have been looking forward to the return of the series for the fifth and final season. It makes me a bit sad to say this is final season since Chuck is such a fun program to watch each week!

Rather than doing a recap review of this episode of the program this week, now that our coverage is resuming, for this week we are going to do look at favorite moments in this opening episode of season five.

For me the sheer ecstatic nature of watching the Nerd Herd in action is what makes the program so enjoyable.
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Chuck Versus The Full Zoom:

My take on the return of Chuck in the season five opener, “The Full Zoom”, is that the Nerd Nerd team will survive despite Chuck (Zachary Levi) existing without the Intersect. I like the change up with Morgan (Joshua Gomez) as the ‘Intersected’ super spy. He is goofy, and the character is going to deep undercover in my opinion. Season five will also feature great guest stars including Carrie-Anne Moss and Cheryl Ladd!

As always Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) is a delight to behold. The Colonel Casey (Adam S. Baldwin) character is now honed to a fine edge and Baldwin has perfected the portrayal long ago which he continues to do every week. All in all Chuck is great escapism television and I wish that it would be granted a sixth season.

NBC describes “Chuck Versus the Full Zoom” in part as follows.

“Chuck and Sarah stand on the cliff side balcony of an opulent home, surveying a magnificent ocean view. Chuck asks Sarah if it’s the sort of house she’d love; she responds that she’s more of “toes in the sand kind of girl.” Chuck takes note, but they both realize the conversation is premature. They’re about to executed by the armed henchmen of Jeanne Claude, a villain who has stolen their client’s precious vase”

“Sarah and Chuck hold out hope that Casey will rescue them, but he’s soon brought in at gunpoint by more goons. Their only hope now is Morgan, who’s been instructed to remain in the van outside. Sarah secretly signals him for a rescue. Equipped with the Intersect, Morgan quickly but clumsily finds his way inside and confronts Jeanne Claude and his toughs. Morgan flashes on kung-fu fighting skills and begins dispatching the bad guys in a flurry of kicks, punches and jumps. Chuck announces to Jeanne Claude that his team has just been neutralized, thanks to Carmichael Industries, spies for hire. It’s a perfect ending, ruined only by the sound of Morgan dropping the priceless vase on the tile balcony.”
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Please feel free to share this article with your friends, co-workers and or family and leave your comments! We look forward to you visiting our dedicated review and analysis web site here in the future! Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and TeamWHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side!“

Thank you.

Best Regards,

Kenn of #TeamWHR
November 4, 2011
Runaway with Syfy and E! Online During a SciFi Geek Fest at Comic-Con!

Welcome back convention, Alphas, Being Human, Eureka, Her Universe, Sanctuary, The Mercury Men, Warehouse13, E! Online and Syfy fans!

Whew that is quite a mouthful and a lot of entertainment planned by Syfy as the time for Comic-Con 2011 at the San Diego Convention Center draws near! The best news for you in the fandom? Fear not fans, the WHR Team will be there for you to cover as many of these fantastic events as is possible!

Very high on our list are programs the great cable network Syfy. As you may be aware, the WHR team has covered many of the programs featured on this fine channel. In fact just prior to Comic-Con we announced yesterday news and review teams to perform detailed analysis and reviews on EVERY television series listed below!

Additionally, we have long enjoyed the entertainment news of E! Online who is teaming with Syfy for an extraordinary gala event at Comic-Con as discussed below in their recent press releases AND many of our favorite Syfy executives and publicists including Brenda Lowry, Craig Engler, Gary Morgenstein, Maureen Granados will be there AND Syfy will be screening their newest web series “The Mercury Men” too!

ZOMG! Can any convention crew such as Syfy and E! Online get geekier than this? We think not!

WHR looks forward to seeing hundreds of thousands of you SciFi Geeks in less than two weeks at Comic-Con as we deploy our largest convention news team in history with eight (8) credentialed senior editors and reporters supported by members of staff!

Our live coverage will be coordinated by and with WHR Twitter peeps you all know and tweet with including Dr. Rachelle Smith, Doctor to be Anne Lamsa, MeaganSue, OffWorldTravelr, ScifiFanGirl616, WR_Systems AND two special surprise veteran entertainment contributing writers!

So as be prepared to “Runaway” to San Diego and Geek Out, we have prepared a special music video with a few sneak peeks and looks back at the wonderful adventures Syfy has planned for us all! Enjoy!

And who knows... we may even smuggle friend of LadyTron, our little "Runaway" Internet security consultant and resident entertainment expert Adria_the_Cat into the festivities in order for her to squee, errrr purr with and for you and all of our favorite science fiction celebrities! :-P PRESS RELEASES: NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES – In continuing with its yearly tradition of delivering the ultimate fan experience at Comic-Con – and winding down the convention with the hottest party of the entire weekend – Syfy has unveiled its plans for participation at Comic-Con 2011. As in years past, a multitude of talent from Syfy’s hottest series will participate in interactive panels, where fans can get their burning questions answered and get all the behind-the-scenes secrets on their favorite shows! On Syfy’s docket for this year are hit Warehouse 13, Eureka, Being Human and Sanctuary, as well as new series Alphas, (premiering July 11 @ 10pm). Syfy will also hold a screening on Friday night (July 22), where fans can get an early sneak-peek of that evening’s new episode of Haven as well as the following Monday’s new episode of Eureka. Outside of the convention hall, attendees will once again get a taste of all things Syfy at the fan-favorite Café Diem, across the street from the convention center at the Hard Rock Hotel (207 5th Ave). This fictional local hot spot heavily featured in the popular series Eureka will serve up Syfy fare both on and off the menu and will remain the perfect place for fans to relax and refuel during a long day at the Con. In addition, Syfy Ventures, Syfy’s portfolio of businesses and joint ventures, and Her Universe™, a leader in female genre merchandise, will unveil the first pieces in the Syfy branded collection of apparel and accessories for the growing female science fiction fan base. Comic-Con will be the premier venue for the first launch items, including convention exclusives, starting July 20 and running through July 24. Additionally, the items will be available at both Syfy.com and Her Universe Shop Dot Com. As previously announced, On Saturday, July 23rd, Syfy will partner with entertainment powerhouse E! Online for its most popular Comic-Con event: the star-studded party at the Hotel Solamar in the heart of the Gaslamp district. This invite-only, exclusive soiree has cemented its place as the hottest ticket at the convention and the most talked-about party of the weekend, and this year is no different as Syfy teams up with E! to continue the tradition. E! Live from the Red Carpet: The Syfy/E! Comic Con Party will stream the festivities in real time on both E! Online and Syfy.com, with E!’s Ben Lyons and Jael de Pardo (Syfy’s Fact or Faked) as co-hosts. Syfy’s panel schedule is as follows (subject to change): Friday, 7/22/11 3:00pm - 4:00pm, Eureka Small town. Big panel. Syfy’s smash hit Eureka is back at Comic-Con. Colin Ferguson (Jack Carter), Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Allison Blake), Neil Grayston (Douglas Fargo) and guest star Felicia Day (Dr. Holly Martin) join executive producers Jaime Paglia and Bruce Miller for a chat about the big secrets of America’s smartest little town. Moderated by guest star Wil Wheaton (Dr. Isaac Parrish; Wesley Crusher, Star Trek: Next Generation). Ballroom 20. 4:15pm - 5:15pm, Warehouse 13 For one day only, America’s top-secret treasure trove Warehouse 13 is moving from the middle of nowhere to the middle of Comic-Con. Join stars Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer), Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering), Saul Rubinek (Artie Nielsen), and Allison Scagliotti (Claudia Donovan) along with executive producer Jack Kenny as they take you inside Syfy’s blockbuster hit series, Warehouse 13. Moderated by Neil Grayston (Douglas Fargo, Eureka). Ballroom 20. 6:00pm - 7:00pm, Alphas Syfy’s newest original series Alphas has taken the summer by storm – and it’s just the beginning. Join cast members (TBA), co-creator and executive producer Zak Penn (X-Men: The Last Stand; The Avengers) and executive producer Ira Steven Behr (Star Trek: The Next Generation; The 4400) as they reveal why impossible is what Alphas do best. Alphas premieres Monday, July 11 at 10PM ET /PT and stars David Strathairn, Malik Yoba, Warren Christie, Azita Ghanizada, Ryan Cartwright and Laura Mennell. Moderated by Geoff Boucher (“Hero Complex,” The LA Times). Room 6A. 9:00pm – 11:00pm, Syfy Screening: Eureka, Haven & The Mercury Men Imagine Greater with fellow fans during an advanced preview screening of the next all-new episode of Eureka, followed by a special presentation of an all-new Haven. And be sure to stick around for the exclusive premiere of the all-new digital series, The Mercury Men. Room 6A. Saturday, 7/23/11 11:00am - 12:00pm, Sanctuary Thrilling action, revolutionary green screen sets and more bumps in the night than you can count. Catch Amanda Tapping (Helen Magnus), Robin Dunne (Will Zimmerman), and moderator Josh Gates (Destination Truth) as they take you inside Syfy’s hit series Sanctuary. Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Room. 12:00pm - 1:00pm, Being Human Find out why Being Human Is Harder Than It Looks – especially when you’re a vampire, werewolf or ghost. Don’t miss Sam Witwer (Aidan), Meaghan Rath (Sally), and Sam Huntington (Josh) as they join executive producers Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke on Syfy’s first Being Human panel, moderated by award-winning writer Nadira Hira (expert on Generation Y; contributor, Fortune magazine). Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Room. NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES – In continuing with the yearly tradition of wrapping up its Comic-Con festivities with the hottest party of the week, Syfy will once again host its traditional Saturday evening celebration, this time with a new partner: entertainment powerhouse E!. On Saturday, July 23rd, Syfy and E! will host the annual star-studded party at the Hotel Solamar in the heart of the Gaslamp district. This invite-only, exclusive soiree has cemented its place as the hottest ticket at the convention and the most talked-about, star-studded party at Comic-Con. This year, E! Online, the ultimate destination for LIVE celebrity coverage, will give its fans a spot on the party’s red carpet with a hosted, online live-streaming event. E! Live from the Red Carpet: The Syfy/E! Comic Con Party will stream the festivities in real time on both E! Online and Syfy.com, and will bring all the excitement of the red carpet celebrity arrivals to fans watching from home. “We are thrilled to be partnering with E! for our most buzzed-about event of the year,” said Blake Callaway, SVP, Brand and Integrated Marketing, Syfy. “As the top brand in entertainment, E! boasts unparalleled access and resources that will not only make the event an unforgettable one for our guests, but will also let fans outside of San Diego participate in the fun via our first-ever live red carpet live stream.” “Comic-Con is a pop culture phenomenon that uniquely blends together celebrity and entertainment with sci-fi and comic book culture – the perfect platform for E! and Syfy to join forces for this extraordinary event,” said Suzanne Kolb, President, Marketing, News and Online for E! “Together with Syfy we will make sure fans get a front row seat online to all of the action at what is sure to be one of the year’s most talked about parties.” In addition to the party, Syfy and E! will be partnering throughout the weekend of the convention to give fans access to Syfy’s convention activities and announcements exclusively at E! Online. E! Online will serve up scoop on Syfy’s panels, interviews with Syfy talent and exclusive online debuts of Syfy’s all-new series trailers premiering at the Con. About E! E! is television’s top destination for all things entertainment and celebrity. E! is currently available to 98 million cable and satellite subscribers in the U.S. and the E! Everywhere initiative underscores the company’s dedication to making E! content available on all new media platforms any time and anywhere from online to broadband video to wireless to radio to VOD. Popular programming includes E! core franchises, “E! News,” “The Soup,” “Chelsea Lately” and “Fashion Police” as well as the network’s hit series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” “Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami, “Kourtney and Kim Take New York,” “Kendra” and “Holly’s World.” Additionally, E!’s “Live from the Red Carpet” signature events keep fans connected to their favorite stars on Hollywood’s biggest nights. E! is a network of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. About Syfy Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 99 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.) As always we appreciate your visiting our news sites at WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a comment here, or if you prefer, click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, WHR on Facebook or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story and we look forward to will Seeing You on The Other Side"! Best Regards, WR_Systems (Kenn)

July 9, 2011
The Event: “Arrival” Season Finale with Science and “Physics of the Impossible” Analysis!

Hello The Event fans,

We have seen Sean Walker (Jason Ritter) and Vicky Roberts (Taylor Q Cole) fight the billionaire James Dempsey (Hal Holbrook), who we thought was evil, but turned out to be from a line of people called ‘Sentinels’ who are here to protect Earth and its people from the Others.

When Dempsey saw Sean was worthy of being one of them, he turned over the tools he had, told them what was going on with the Aliens and committed suicide. Sean and Vicky went on an international scale to fight the “Others” in releasing a biological weapon to kill humanity and make room for their people to come to Earth, escaping a Supernova.

We saw them finally meeting Blake Sterling (Zeljko Ivanek) and Simon Lee (Ian Anthony Dale) where they all joined forces to fight Sophia Maguire (Laura Innes), Raymond Jarvis (Bill Smitrovich) and the plan to kill everyone here.

Sophia had three main points of initiating the virus among the world’s population. A food processing plant would get to six states and infect the eastern seaboard, the Government engraving plant where all currency is printed would spread it on a national level and the international terminal at Dulles Airport in Washington D.C. would make the disease go global. Soon, the disease would be worldwide and in five weeks the human population would be dead.

President Elias Martinez (Blair Underwood) was saved by a counter-agent which Simon Lee was able to smuggle within a bouquet of flowers which Christina Martinez (Lisa Vidal) picked up for the President in the hospitals’ florist’s shop. Christina got the medication to Elias and he was recovering from the strokes he had had in the last episode. Blake and Simon were know in Sean and Vicky, they got information from Dr. Liu’s laptop and were trying to find a way to stop the plans to release the virus. Sean found Leila Buchanan (Sarah Roemer) in the medical sector of the alien’s Evacuation Center, we left them there as Leila, behind a protective plastic wall was talking with Sean.

Sophia was talking with Gerard on the final preparations at the site of the Portal array in Tibet. With everything ‘All Set and Ready”, she ordered the activation of the Portal. The effects of the activation reminded me of a ‘Wormhole’ being created.

“ARRIVAL”

“Leila?… Leila?” Sean’s distant voice is calling softly to Leila through the plastic. “Sterling’s called a specialist at the CDC…Under the radar… they said they’ll be here any minute. OK?” Sean tries to keep her awake. Leila tells him they have to stop Sophia. She tells him that it is too late for her. Sean points out that Simon told them his people are immune to it. She has their DNA so he remains more optimistic than she is right now. As Leila tells Sean to find Samantha (Her little sister as remembered in past episodes) and make sure she is okay, she starts to fade off as the CDC and some others come in to take her to a facility where she will be cared for.

Now, Sterling, Simon and Vicky are looking over the laptop and finds the graphics of the planned spread of the Bio-weapon. Using a reverse time line, they will know when the attack will take place. They find the locations and details about the specialized aerosol containers. Blake tells them “That means they’re either on their way, or already in place!” Cue Exit by the three to find Sean and get a move on.

Sophia and Carlos, in an SUV are traveling through the city and Carlos is appraising Sophia of what is happening with their plans. Sophia tells him; “All right. …Pull over here.” Carlos asks “Is there a problem?” to which Sophia replies “It’ll be safer when we’re stopped” Carlos pulls over and they both get out. Just as Carlos asked “Sophia, what are we doing here?” a rather large earthquake happens.

Cars veer, collide, people screaming or yelling etc. After this dies off, Carlos asked “How did you know?” Sophia replies “Gerard. He says the portal would impact the Earth’s procession. We’d feel the effects along the thirty eighth parallel as the time grew near. The Portal is creating a door in the fabric of space and we just cracked it open.”

Carlos seems to sense her unease “Sophia, I know you have mixed feeling about what we’re doing to the native population… Think of the alternative!” Sophia tells Carlos “Our people will be arriving soon.” Sighing, she finishes “I don’t have time for self-doubt. We have to get this done!”. Music plays as we see a shot overlooking the Earth and the blue cloud out past the stratosphere growing in size.

We are now hearing a newscaster saying a “Small Earthquake measuring four point six on the Richter scale was felt along the East coast today. There have been no reports of any injuries or deaths…” OKAY! I live in Southern California and know Earthquakes quite well. They have awakened me a number of times like an arrogant lover in the early morning hours. The effect scene of the earthquake making cars move and veer and so on, made ME think more of a magnitude six point five up to an eight perhaps, at the actual epicenter. I have easily slept through a three or lower four, without difficulty.

Martinez is on the phone to Blake They discuss what Sophia’s plans are. Martinez tells him Jarvis is fighting his reinstatement as President and Martinez is demanding a vote by the cabinet, but until that happens, Martinez cannot issue any orders. When they both find time is not on their side, Martinez says that they can launch contained operations at the food center and the bureau of Engraving, but shutting down an airport is another matter. Blake comes back into where Vicky, Sean and Simon are readying for their part. They discuss how to stop the airport becoming the ‘Ground Zero’ of the bio-weapon.

Martinez comes to see Jarvis in the office as everything is being made ready for the cabinet. Martinez tries to reason with Jarvis and tells him what Sophia is planning. Jarvis will not believe him and instead, accuses Martinez of trying to make him look inept in front of the cabinet. Martinez feels defeated as Jarvis dismisses him and goes in to his office, immediately calling Sophia. Jarvis tells her what just happened with Martinez, and of course Sophia tells him that the plans are not true.

She strokes his ego by telling him “Tomorrow, there will be a New World Order, with your guiding hand. You only need to hang on, for one more day. Do you understand?” She asks and he says yes. She continues “We must not let anyone get in our way. Can you do that?” again, Jarvis says yes. Sophia nails it with “I chose you! Because of your strength, your power…use it!”. She uses that soft ‘little girl’ type voice and Jarvis totally buys it. As they hang up, Sophia tells Carlos as he drives; “We may have a problem. They know… Somehow, they know.”

In a hangar at Dulles, Sophia enters and her operative takes the two bags she is carrying to get them through security. He gives them a card to get them through and she can pick up her bags once inside the terminal. Sophia tells the operative that they can not wait. That now their plan is known. She tells them they must release the virus immediately. We see the operative walking off with the bags.

A newscaster is out on location by Mount Shasta. reporting that volcanic experts are stumped by the finding of new lava flows from this once thought to be dormant volcano. We see smoke and steam rising from the summit off in a distance behind her. She is saying there is no official notice of any evacuations as yet. The TV screen retreats back to let us see we are in the White House, and Christina is preparing Elias’ medications as he enters with Peel.

They discuss Blake and Simon being on the way, and two civilians, whom we know are Sean and Vicky even think the chances of success is small. Christina brings the medications to Elias trying once again to talk him out of going for reinstatement. “It looks worse than it is” he tells her. Christina admonishes him and reminds him of what the doctors said. “You could… You could die…” she says painfully.

In the Food Processing plant we see a canister of the bio-weapon being prepared and also coming up the corridor are Military personnel. A tactical unit to stop the virus being released. Shouts of “Freeze!” and a short burst of gunfire results in Sophia’s operative falling-presumably dead- onto cases of produce.

Next, we see two operatives in the Bureau of Engraving talking about getting the set up done and accessing the control room to switch over to the infected canisters. Right at that time, the tactical squad comes in and lays those two to rest as well. Devon, one of Sophia’s people gets away for a time.

Then, we are at the International terminal at Dulles as Sean, Blake, Simon and Vicky come speeding into the parking lot. After a short debrief, they split up. Sean and Vicky into the Terminal to find Sophia, Blake and Simon to the secured off-limits are to search for the toxin. As the Operative at the terminal chats to another TSA agent the (human) agent says “Confiscate anything interesting? …Whoa…” he laughs as he pulls out some ‘sexy’ handcuffs. “Mind if I keep these? Me and the wife like to keeps things invigorating”.

The other, posing as a TSA man said “OOOOH, To Much Information, you know what? Just keep ’em!” and continues with the cart – and the canisters- onto an elevator. Sophia got caught for a ‘random check at the search area. She gets wanded and released.The iPhone rings as she is finishing at TSA, and it is Devon. He is on the phone to Sophia telling her they have been caught it is up to her now. As we see the Tactical team yell “Freeze” and of course Devon moves, Sophia and we all hear short gunfire as Devon is taken out.

Now, at the Capital, the cabinet has convened for the possibility of reinstating Elias Martinez back into the Presidency. As Martinez enters the room, all stand and applaud for him. As he enters he look dazed and passes out.

Back at Dulles Blake and Simon try to ask a TSA agent about anyone also with TSA credentials passing him. They had to pull a gun to get him to say “Yeah, Delgado just came by with a cart full of stuff.” Off they went to find this ‘Delgado’ agent. Sophia and Carlos come into the security area and use the card to gain access to the off-limits area. Blake and Simon do get to ‘Delgado’ and gunfire erupts. Simon Lee gets hit and Delgado runs off. Blake gets over to Simon, who is okay as he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

Meanwhile Sean and Vicky slam their way into a secured zone behind someone else who was going in. Delgado and Sophia do meet up and she retrieves the canisters from him. As Sophia issues final orders Sean and Vicky see them all and again, more gunfire. Delgado is hit. Gun play between Carlos, Sean and Vicky ensues as Sophia gets away. Sean goes after her. Just as it looks like Carlos will release the virus from his canister, he is shot from behind… by Blake Sterling.

The Cabinet is reconvening now, as it seems Martinez is not present, Madame Speaker is about to withdraw his petition. Just as she is saying this, Martinez comes in to the room, …Again, to applause… “Madame Speaker”, he says…”Let’s begin”. Sean is, at this same time in Dulles chasing down Sophia.

We come back to the Cabinet meeting as Jarvis addresses them and shows dossiers about Elias Martinez’s medical condition. Jarvis reminds them how Martinez needs ‘Months’ of rehabilitation, how he was in a vegetative state and that even though Martinez wants to do “…the right thing for his country, but according to the medical evidence, to take office now would not be in the best interest of anyone…especially not himself.” Martinez looks at all in the room, and tells them he has to come back to save everyone from a tragedy of major proportion. He then makes the large accusation about Jarvis. Jarvis finally burst out “He’s LYING!!” on which Martinez brings out a small recorder and plays it for them all.

We hear Jarvis and Martinez from earlier about the poison, about Sophia and so on. “Amid Jarvis’ claims of this being a set-up, Martinez says “Madame Speaker, we must take a vote… NOW!” We then see them all leaving and Martinez… Excuse me, PRESIDENT Martinez is ordering the Dulles Airport to be locked down, and Blake Sterling and General Ambruster are to be reinstated. Peel asked “What about Jarvis?” President Martinez looks at him and say “Who?” –I’m thinking “BURN!! Yeah! Get ’em Elias!”

We are back in Dulles Airport and I can see Sophia’s fire-red hair glinting in the crowds as she is making her way to a place appropriate to release the virus. If I can see that hair, we know Sean does too. the chase is on.

Ironically, or perhaps deliberately, Sophia holes up in a lounge belonging to Avias Air. As we recall, this was the carrier of the original airplane that traveled the wormhole and crashed in episodes one and two. As she is in there, Sean comes to the door and is calling to her, trying to break the door down. Vicky sees the boards all over announcing the lock down of all flights and the airport itself being shut down.

Sean is at the lounge door talking through it to Sophia. He tells her what has happened to her other locations and this is now of no use. He asks her “Do these people deserve to die?” Sophia replies with her voice breaking “Did my people deserve to die? On those buses, did my SON deserve to die?”

Sean replies “No.” Sophia repeats “No” and starts to connect the virus canister to what appears to be a timer. “You don’t want this!” cries Sean through the door… “You don’t know me” Sophia mutters. Vicky is with Sean outside in the terminal and is looking around at the chaos. Sean continues, reminding Sophia she was not always like this.

When they had met before, she had said her people came here in peace. It ends there with Sean saying he knew about the Nova, about Sophia being forced to do things to try to save her people. There has been too much pain. But there does not have to be any more pain…. “No one else needs to get hurt” he says. Sophia finally disarms the devise and comes up to handcuffs and arrest.

At the CDC, Leila is laying in her bed, in the bio-hazard sector and the specialist who came for her at the Evacuation center and Dr. Lius’ section earlier comes to talk to her. “You should know the spread of the virus has been stopped. At least in part because of someone you know… Sean Walker” Relief from Leila when told he is okay. “There’s something else, Leila.” The specialist continues “Something we found in your labs.”

Okay, Hold up. I can hear it without it being said… Leila is Pregnant. We should realize the show’s timeline in it’s reality has only been about two months. I know she is not even ‘Showing’ yet. But I cannot help thinking Dr. Liu dropped the ball on THIS! Blood work shows pregnancy at six weeks if not before.

Back at Dulles, there are screening canopies up outside as the Hazard team is in containing the virus left in the Avias Air lounge. Simon and Sean are out there sitting down and talking. Simon tells Sean “Look, this isn’t over yet. I don’t know how, but Sophia’s still bringing our people here… Sean, what you need to know is; Our people were here before. We were here first.” Sean looking a bit confused replies “I don’t…I don’t understand..”… Simon continued “This place was our home before it was yours.”

Sean asked “Why did you…Leave?” Simon replied “Because my people believe that if we stay here, something will happen…to all of us. We call it The Event. It’s a rebirth. The next step for our people, will change… Evolve into something else. Something greater. But your people won’t survive it.” “Why not? What’s going to happen?” asks Sean. Simon looks at Sean and seems lost for words. Blake comes to tell Simon their transport is here. “Simon, Simon! Sean beseeches. Simon for an answer. Simon only tells him all the “…answers are in that scroll. About where we come from, and about how this all ends.”

At the White House, Blake and Simon enter to see President Martinez. Simon is thanked for his role in saving Martinez’s life. They start to speak about Sophia’s plan of bringing her people here and how many of them. That rumors have the Portal array being somewhere in Asia, but a precise location is not known. Blake speculates along with the other when Agent Peel comes in with the hourly logs from every department and he sees the time that Jarvis ordered to redirect a satellite from its’ view of Tibet.

Next we observe that they are in the ‘War Room’ And viewing the streaming data from that satellite. An area between the Indian Sub-Continent and the Tibetan plateau. A communication cites unusual electromagnetic activity and the image hones in on the location. Watching the videos, they see it. The Portal Array. Simon tells them the electromagnetic readings they are getting means it has been activated. “What does that mean?” asked Agent Peel. Martinez looks at them as he says “It means they’re coming”.

In the serene scene of space, above the Earth and off to the distant side, the Moon, we see the bright, blue haze growing larger and larger. We are pulled into the ‘wormhole’ and are almost in a sea of vibrant blue plasma-like surroundings. We are back in the ‘War Room’ as communications are going on about this Portal. Someone gets up to hear the news from all over the world. Tremors are happening on devastating scale. Peel walks in on a phone. Hanging up, he tells them “Sophia’s a few minutes away.”

Back in a lobby at the CDC, Vicky comes in with a coffee and offers Sean some. Sean declines the offer and tells her “I really appreciate you waiting with me but you don’t have..” Just as the specialist walks in “Mr. Walker, you’ve been clear to see Leila in the observation area. I’ll take you there.” As Sean starts to follow her, Vicky calls him back for a minute: “I didn’t join this fight willingly, I know that. But, you forcing me to is the reason my family’s safe. And, because of you, I’m no longer ashamed to face them”

She whispers “Thank you.” An embrace happens and Sean goes off with the specialist. We reach the observation area and Sean sees Leila and they talk a bit. He still thinks they may still help Leila. Leila tells Sean that she is pregnant. Of course he is actually overjoyed. “You’re BOTH going to be OK!”

Back at the White House, Sophia is brought in to Martinez’s office. Elias tells Sophia “We’ve identified the Portal array in Tibet. We know it’s bringing your people here.” Simon interjects “I’ve told them…everything I know about the Portal.” President Martinez asks “How do we stop it, Sophia? How do we shut it down?” “You can’t” Sophia replies. “Do you have a pre-determined landing site?” Martinez asked. “You know I won’t answer that.” replies Sophia.

“Sophia, it’s over! You know you’ve lost. We stopped you.” Sophia, looks down for a minute saying “You might find this hard to believe, but the truth is I ordered the spread of the virus as an act of mercy. We will still need to make room for our people here on Earth or another way only now, the choice left open to us will be…far from humane” Elias stared at her demanding “what the Hell’s that supposed to mean?” Sophia softly says “I’m sorry, Mr. President” “Sorry about what?” Asked Martinez Sophia, smiling says “It’s too late.” as an earthquake begins.

We are traveling up into the blue plasma-like wormhole and the noise seems to be indicating great speed. As the sound effects play, we then see scenes of streets filled with people panicking and looking up. Vicky stops her car and stands out in the street, also looking up.

Sean and Lila in the CDC Feel the quake and get up to look out the window at a bright light. Martinez and all in the office come out to the balcony and are looking up at the spectacle. Even Simon, who is one of “Them” seems incredulous at what he is seeing.

Out on the White House lawn, Christina takes her son in her arms and holds him from the wind storm and noise.

We then see it, an ENTIRE PLANET has appeared, scorched and floating in the plasma.

— OK, Stanton Friedman (Nuclear Physicist) I am not, but parking a planet between Earth and the moon would mean instant devastation of Earth. Even within the Roche limit which this appears to be, the larger body would take from the smaller body…The larger body’s gravity would totally skew Earth’s Gravity! We see some nice scenes of our cities showing the new arrival and earth in space, with this new planet here.

Over in the White House lawn, Christina and her son holding each other as Christina looks up to see the planet. We see parts of it appear to be burning, most likely from the effects of their Supernova. Her little boy asks “What is it?” Christina still looking amazed and stunned answers;

“Home!”

My Take…For what it is worth:

I doubt many people saw THAT coming. Laws of Physics aside, this is a Science FICTION. If it says so in the script, it will be played. But then I wonder why Sophia seemed so anxious to control the virus after a sufficient amount of humanity had been killed off by this.

Why was it always implied that they were going to ‘Move here’ from their world far off in the Sculptor Galaxy? It seemed that Sophia was always looking at ‘After” the native population was winnowed. Why the heck bother? At first, when I saw it was an actual PLANET being brought here, I thought they would plop it down outside our solar system and arrange transport on craft or with smaller portals to bring their people to this world’s surface. Of course, if another network picks up the series that could still happen, by defying the laws of conventional physics.

Then again, we are dealing with Alien Technology. Seems that they can do anything they want to and bend any Physical law that they please.

I wonder if the Others’ “Event” is like that of the theological “Rapture” that conventionalist theories speak of? In that, the chosen ones would be taken to heaven and others who did not live a certain way would be left behind to see the New World Order under one they call the “Beast”. It mainly sounds like a totalitarian, Fascist state and later, the Earth itself is destroyed in the end. Why would humans not survive the Others’ “Event”? There are many unanswered questions in this cliffhanger of a finale.

There is an interesting book by a man called Michio Kaku; “Physics of the Impossible”. it is available here and a Google search will net you just about anything on this book.

Aside of the Roche Limit, let us look at the Lagrangian Point

— A contour plot of the effective potential of a two-body system due to gravity and momentum at one point in time. Objects revolving with the same orbital period as the larger bodies will tend to move according to the contour lines showing equipotential surfaces. The arrows in the graphic indicate the gradients of the potential around the five Lagrange points — downhill toward them (red) or away from them (blue), but at the points themselves these forces are balanced.

The five Lagrange points (marked in green) at two objects orbiting each other (here a yellow sun and blue earth) Lagrange points are the stationary solutions of the circular restricted three-body problem. For example, given two massive bodies in circular orbits around their common center of mass, there are five positions in space where a third body, of comparatively negligible mass, could be placed which would then maintain its position relative to the two massive bodies. As seen in a rotating reference frame with the same period as the two co-orbiting bodies, the gravitational fields of two massive bodies combined with the satellite’s circular motion are in balance at the Lagrangian points, allowing the third body to be stationary with respect to the first two bodies

I, for one, am heartbroken this show could not be given a second season. Lately I am seeing a trend here where invasion shows seem to end with us feeling like “We are really screwed”. It used to be that Eartheaons always defeated the invading forces. Seems like people are changing their tune now and are either accepting the superiority of “Alien” technology or perhaps there is a need to feel ‘Humbled’ among the species.

I will be one of the first to admit a science fiction where the “Aliens” are actually friendly could be boring. After all, are we to just sit around saying the other is ‘So cool’? No. but I did like a series by Kenneth Johnson called “Alien Nation” because even though it was more like a police drama, it illustrated an ‘Alien’ race living and working side-by-side with Eartheaons. Gee, if only Eartheaons could do that with themselves, this would be a very nice place. In this writer’s opinion, that would be a TRUE “Event”!

I am not sure what will happen in the future for The Event or if any other network will pick it up. I do hope so. In the interim below is the complete “Arrival” episode courtesy of NBC. Enjoy!

Thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

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Regards,

May 26, 2011
The Event: “The Beginning of the End” with “Arrival” Sneak Peek

Hello The Event fans,

Last week we saw the attempt to infect a major shopping center with the disease obtained from a dead WW1 soldier who died from an extremely deadly strain of the Spanish flu.

When that failed due to the daring-do of Sean Walker (Jason Ritter) and Vicky Roberts (Taylor Q. Cole), The Russian air stewardess, Alexandra (Angela Gots) released the disease on a commuter bus, killing all within it. Dr. Liu (Alexandra Bokyun Chun) was able to use the the data retrieved from this to gauge the effect of the strain on ordinary people.

Finding the disease killed the human population too quickly, yet did not effect the Aliens at all, it was decided to use Leila (Sarah Roemer) to Trans-mutate the strain to act more slowly, allowing it to be spread more effectively among the native population.

Simon Lee (Ian Anthony Dale) got to Blake Sterling‘s (Zeljko Ivanek) house and they both escaped in a stolen car. they surmised the best way to reach President Martinez (Blair Underwood) to get the antidote to heal him, is via the First Lady, Christina Martinez (Lisa Vidal).

Acting President Raymond Jarvis (Bill Smitrovich) ordered an air strike to a warehouse in which Christina had told him Blake and Simon were hiding. Simon and Blake however, had escaped the warehouse and no bodies were found in the wreckage of the storage facility.. Jarvis fired General Ambruster (Blue Deckart) and Agent Peel (Roger Bart) knew Jarvis was not the Commander In Chief they wanted. Upon finding out the warehouse was a diversion and finding out Christina Martinez was in on Blake’s plan, Jarvis knew he was in deep trouble.

We ended with the antidote being hidden by Simon in a bouquet of flowers which Christina had bought for her husband, then, as she prayed softly we saw her remove the filled syringe and give the antidote to Martinez in his hospital room. We saw Jarvis realized he was going to be in deep trouble for his role in the attempt on Martinez’s life, Sophia watching as Dr. Liu infected Leila with a nasal introduction of the infection. Sophia’s home world ever closer to incineration and Sean, with Vicky in pursuit of the Aliens.

The Beginning of the End

We open in a desolate scene of dead humans laying out in a town. All are dead or close to it, as Sophia Maguire (Laura Innes) is walking along, calling out “Hello?” to anyone who might still be alive. She is stopped at a car in which a young girl is still alive, asking if she is a doctor. Her little brother will not wake up and with a small gasp, Sophia sees a toddler laying dead beside the little girl who then asked Sophia “Why is everybody sick?” Sophia has no answer for her and the little girl starts to yell at Sophia “It’s YOUR FAULT!! Why won’t you HELP ME!?” through the closed window of the car and hitting the window.

Sophia wakes up. This was a dream she had been having. It calls into question whether or not Aliens actually dream. I say Why the heck not? I would think any sentient being would be able to dream. Sophia seems horrified by what she dreamt. Sophia wakes on a cot in the Evacuation center they have set up Dr. Liu is saying the trans-mutation of the disease with Leila is successful and apprizing her of the timeline.”In two weeks twenty-five percent of the world’s population. … In five, ninety-eight percent”

Sophia stops her “We…we only have to make room for our own people. There has to be a way to control the disease. To limit the number of deaths”. “There isn’t” Dr. Liu replies “The strength of the pathogen, is uncontrollable.” Sophia looks very remorseful as Dr. Liu finished “Sophia, We need to bring our people here.” Sophia asked then the question “Does need always justify the action?” Shaking her head ‘no’ she adds softly “This goes against everything we believe in” but Dr. Liu says in my almost exact words: “If the situation were reversed, they wouldn’t hesitate to do the same to us”. We see Leila laying there in the room with them bathed in sweat and very sick.

Back in ICU/CCU, Christina Martinez is speaking to her secretary at the doorway as the monitors on President Martinez start to indicate changes in his vitals. The doctor comes in and looks him over stating the EEG levels are showing improvement. Higher level brain activity. Christina says “He’s getting better…” but the doctor is hedging. pointing out it is anomalous brain activity but seems to feel they are not out of the woods yet.

In the Evacuation shelter with Carlos and Sophia among others, Carlos says they have everything in place on their home world and their people are ready to arrive. Gerard has the Portal activated and it must remain on for several more hours. but there is a reconnaissance satellite over Tibet -Where the Portal array is actually located- Gerard, the alien involved there at the Portal site is worried about detection.

Jarvis is on the phone in his office talking to Sophia. “I’m not comfortable blindly doing your bidding. If you want me to do something I need to know why.” Sophia tells him about the Satellite “I know the satellite is shared by NATO, but operated by your NSA. I need it… redirected. The NSA refers to it internally as E3175” she asks Jarvis to repeat that back to her, which he does. She thanks him, using his first name “Raymond”. Jarvis then tells her about Martinez’s improvement in hospital. “Meaning you didn’t stop them getting the counter agent to him” Sophia finishes. Sophia tells Jarvis that he must not let Martinez re-enter the equation as it would jeopardize everything.. for both of them. Jarvis asked for assurance that the American people would be spared. Sophia in a bold-faced lie replies “I give you my word.” They hang up and someone asked Sophia “You know by the time the pathogen is released and people start getting sick that he’ll know he’s been duped.” Sophia answers “By that time, it’ll be too late.”

In a bar, Blake meets up with Simon Lee meet up in a local bar They talk over Martinez’s improvement and Simon tells Blake Sophia had sent a team to Siberia to find the weapon. Blake said that this makes sense. citing a few weeks ago the government found out about ice core samples being analyzed by a scientist. “What was it?” Simon asked. “I don’t know, but I think they found it” Blake surmises. He talked about the Air Moscow flight’s military escort being waved off by Jarvis. They both then see the news on the bar’s television about the Mall evacuation. I had thought the accomplice involved was named “Devon” but it was… as cited by Simon Lee, a guy named “Roman”. Simon tells Blake that Roman is one of their people. Blake murmurs “A Terrorist attack…. and a dead sleeper”

Sean and Vicky are -where else?- in a car driving through Washington. Vicky is looking through the sleeper’s wallet, hoping for clues of where he, or the others may be holed up.

They found an address and go there to find it is what appears to be a sweatshop. They ask the workers there if they have seen this man and all say ‘no’. So off they go to the upper levels of the building. As they both sneak about, Simon grabs Vicky and we now see Sean with a gun to Blake Sterling’s head and Simon with a gun to Vicky’s head. Standoff. Shortly, they all are aware of who the other is, they know now they are on the same side, so to speak.

Next, in Dr. Liu’s sector, Leila is on the bed, restrained and Dr. liu is instructing the others that she needs more data points of how he virus replicates in the culture medium. “Initial indications are good” she says, sounding pleased. Dr. Liu walks over to Leila asking ‘What’s her Status?” The other says “Body temperature is rising, heart rate and blood pressure dropping”.

Dr. Liu tells him “We need to keep her alive for producing the virus. Increase her IV Fluids and give her a corticosteroid.”. Leila -able to speak, says “please… Please don’t do this… kill all those people…” Dr. Liu tells her: “If we had a choice, we wouldn’t, but we don’t. We’re just taking back what is rightfully ours. Your father should have told you… We were here first.”

Sophia is now addressing those in the evacuation center: “We’ve determined the most efficient way to spread the pathogen is by using three parallel distribution channels. The first team will release the pathogen in the immediate region; They will contaminate a food processing facility that ships products to supermarkets In six different states. within days it will spread across the eastern seaboard.”

She continues: ” The second team will contaminate currency at the bureau of Engraving facility in Virginia in time for the monthly reserve bank distribution. This will effectively spread the disease on a nationwide basis.” We see the graphics of the predicted spread.

Sophia concludes: “The third team will release it in the international terminal at Dulles Airport, at a time that will maximize global crossings by infected passengers. In five days, the vast majority of the human population… will be dead.”Sophia looks genuinely saddened, but again, she is driven to save her own people.

She pauses and says “This is the last time we’ll be meeting as a group, until it is all over. But I want each of you, in your own way to honor and mourn the loss of life, but also to remember why we are doing this. For our survival”.

Jarvis is ordering the redirection of the satellite. He is told it will take about two hours to redirect. Jarvis understands and disconnects. Jarvis then goes in to see the doctor who is attending to Martinez. As Jarvis leaves the ICU, he sees Christina coming up the hallway to him, her face a picture of fury. He starts to offer a word of support, only to feel the sting of a resounding slap from Christina. “I know you poisoned him!” She said angrily.

Pointing her finger at him as if to say Shut-Up! She starts to rant at him about almost losing her husband, their son losing his father because of Jarvis. She is going completely “Gangstah” on him, as the kids these days say. She continues to spear at his face with her finger as she says “I will hang you out to dry! I’m going to tell your wife and children what type of a…” Her lava-like explosion is quelled by someone coming in to tell them Martinez is awake. They rush in, except for Jarvis and the preliminary indications show Martinez is indeed recovering, amazingly well. Martinez and Christina visit and kiss, happily. Martinez asks Christina what has been happening and she tells him about Jarvis, Blake and Simon, who got the antidote to her for him.

Sean, Simon, Blake and Vicky are going through cabinets and drawers at the building where we last left them. “Notes, receipts, anything that might lead us to Sophia’s new location.” Simon tells them. Blake remembers Vicky being in the CIA and how she went rogue when he to work in Washington. Of course, Vicky denies all knowledge. They speak of Michael and the escape, when they hear the trash collectors come to get the scheduled collection. They stop the collectors and are delving through all the papers they can find. Blake then gets a phone call from Martinez.Blake hears Elias’ voice and we sense he is crying with relief at hearing President Martinez right now. Blake fills him in on things and Martinez is now determined to get back to the White House.

We are back in the Alien’s Evacuation center and the tanks of the pathogen are being readied for distribution. Carlos calls Sophia, to tell her everyone is ready at the infection sites. We see people we can presume to be of their world putting on badges, uniforms and at lockers etc, as if they are employees. We see a worker among vegetables and fruit and then someone at the Engraving facility having a quibble over a new drying agent being delivered (The pathogen, of course). The ‘human’ demands further confirmation of this order from a district supervisor upon which time the ‘alien’ shoots and kills the human worker. Sophia, on her ever-present iPhone is seeking status reports. All her people in their respective positions reply “In place and Ready” Sophia commands: “Time to begin!”

Sean is now trying to hack into the NSA along with him are Blake, Sterling and Vicky. Blake looks on, impressed; “Ever think about working for the government, Mr. Walker?” he asked. “Not while Vice-President Jarvis in in office” Sean replies. “Well, we have that in common” states Blake.

Sean accesses the site and only needs the key to get in. Sterling tells him they killed his, “…but Agent Peel was kind enough to lend me his”. They are in the site now. They use time stamps from images, Roman’s receipts and triangulate to another location. Simon tells Sean to go forward in time at this new building. They are over the Evacuation center, in my opinion.

Dr Liu is now in her section saying “At five thirty, all distribution channels will be spreading the pathogen. I have live feeds from the CDC that will allow us to follow this is real time.”

Sophia looks at Leila “What about her?” Dr. Liu replies “We’ve harvested enough viral cells from her.” Sophia interjects “No, what about her… her condition?” “It’s unclear how long her immune system will be able to fight off the virus. Could be hours, Days…” Sophia looks at Leila and says softly “She’s suffering.” Dr. Liu replies “It’ll only get worse” Sophia sighs saying “Then, just end it. But do it quickly and painlessly” Uhm, where have we heard THAT before?

In the Alien’s center, they are preparing the pathogen canisters for transport. Sophia asks Carlos: “Well, are you ready?” Carlos replies in the affirmative and we see vehicles leaving the building. At the same time, Sean, Simon Lee, Vicky and Blake are in the car heading to the building. Sean is handing ammunition out and Simon sees the scroll. Asking what it is, Sean tells him it was given to him by “Someone who claimed to have protected us from your people.” Simon, now interested asked what else he had been told. Sean said “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me anything … I have to idea what it is or… what it says.”

Sean looks at Simon asking “Do you?” Simon tells Sean “If you could read it, you’d know more than he was telling you” “About what?” Sean asked. Simon sighs as he drives and replied “About us. Why we’re here, and about what happened”. The discussion stops as the vehicle approaches the large building we presume to be where the Others had been working from. Inside the building, we see Dr. Liu coming in to Leila, with two vials and a syringe on a tray. We see Leila fighting the restraints on her wrists as we hear the appliances being brought out. Cue a window, through which we see Vicky running. It is a window at a Guarded entrance. Vicky uses the “I ran out of gas” ruse to get the two guards to stand down long enough to tell her to move on as Blake fires into the window from the side.

Dr. Liu is filling the syringe, and tapping air bubbles out of it (I ask: WHY do they do this? The shot is to KILL someone. Why care about the air bubble?) as she tells Leila. “There won’t be any pain. The first injection will put you to sleep, so you aren’t awake for the effects of the second one” In other words, a heavy Anesthetic, like Phenobarbital, followed by a Potassium Chloride chaser to stop the heart…abruptly. Leila moans and looks like she is crying.

Now we see a worker in the alien’s building pushing a stack of coolers which I presume are carrying infected specimens. Sean and Simon force this guy to detour and start questioning him about who else is in the building. ‘Five and the prisoner…. a girl.” Dr. Liu starts to give Leila the first injection, but Leila wrestles out of the restraints and goes Kung-Fu on Dr. Liu. Struggle ensues and Leila uses the tranquilizer syringe into Dr. Liu’s neck to knock her out. Finally freed, Leila runs off to one of the plastic-sheeted walls at the same time as Sean reaches the wall on the other side.

She warns Sean, but Sean already knows what Sophia’s plan is. Leila tells him she is infected and she can’t let him come in, or he will die. She tells Sean all their plans are in the laptop over there on a table. “They plan to release it by five-thirty”.

.Jarvis is in the Oval Office as the door opens and Jarvis says “I thought I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed” He see Eli Martinez coming into the office. Martinez walks up to the desk telling Jarvis to “Get out from behind that desk and get the hell out of my office!” Jarvis replies he has every right to be here. The cabinet enacted the twenty-fifth amendment and appointed him as acting President.” Martinez gets closer to Jarvis “I know, you tried to kill me… I know about you and Sophia…”

Jarvis says “I don’t know what you’ve been told, but if you’re talking about the Peace Agreement I’m currently negotiating with Sophia…That wouldn’t have been possible while you were at the helm… Please, Richard, Help me out here” To which Agent Peel responds “You’re on your own here, Raymond” Jarvis continues “Everything that I have done has been to guarantee the safety of the American People…” Martinez interrupts “Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night, Ray? Your actions have only served yourself and ONLY you!” Jarvis levels off at Martinez saying “Whether you like it or not, I am the President of the United States!” Martinez, said “Not for long… Not for long!” “Well, we’ll see about that, Eli.” Jarvis countered There needs to be a vote that you’re capable.” Pointing out the strokes and that he will demand tests to the President’s ability to come back to office.

Blake and Simon are trying to get into Dr. Liu’s Laptop. So far not having any luck. “I’ll take it from here” says Simon getting up to leave. Sean is in the medical sector with Leila as they talk about what if and Sean says they should move. When all this is over, they should move. Maybe to Portland, Bend or anywhere but Boston. “That’d be really nice” Leila said. “But you have to find Sophia… And stop her. Do it for me”

In another part of the building, Simon is reviving Dr. Liu. Simon looks at her and says “Now, you can rationalize all you want to, but deep down you know what you’re doing is wrong.” He sounds sincere in trying to talk to Dr. Liu. His voice was such I would follow him anywhere.

He continues: “According to Leila, all we need to know is on that laptop…over there. So all I need from you, is your password, Doctor. That’s all”. Dr. Liu tells him “Don’t you see? It’s too late. It’s pointless” Simon gets up, sighing “Suit Yourself…” and comes back with a power drill to her and threats, (…His voice no longer sweet and sensitive!) Simon ultimately gets her password for the laptop. They get the data they need…. Now, what to do with this information?

The SUV speeds up the streets with our heroes in it as we see the pallets of money being prepared to be processed at the engraving facility while one of the Others pushes the tank of pathogen to replace a normal one.We then see another of the Aliens in the airport terminal looking at his watch and the schedule of flights.

Sophia on her phone in a car saying “Jarvis has just confirmed the satellite has been diverted. Carlos replies “I’ll have Gerard power it up. Where are we on the pathogen?” “We’re right on schedule, but leave that to us. Your job is to power the array” replies Sophia We now are at the Portal center in Tibet and Gerard saying “We’re ready to activate, on your order” Sophia, smiling says “Proceed”. Gerard tells his colleague at the activation point: “Activate.”

The Portal comes alive with a blue column of light from the ground and we travel up, up, up through the skies where we see a view from space with a blue ball of energy building and coming to life above the Earth….

My Take…For what it’s worth…

We have seen the Aliens begin in this series as a tattered, forlorn group of human-like people from a crash site in Alaska. Detained for over 65 years they don’t age as we do. We find they have been misled and lied to by the powers that be and now the they have escaped their prison in Mount Inostranka and established contact with their world in a galaxy of over eight million light years away (NCG-253) to find their own people are facing certain death from a supernova.

They have gone from those who we might be friends with to a ‘people’ bent on their own survival at any cost, even if it means wiping out the native population on this world to meet that goal. Sophia is, as we are led to believe their actual leader. She is the matriarch of what most thought were a peaceful race. Refraining from harming benevolent civilizations. Sophia, in her desperation and apparent heartache over the killing of her people in Government-ordered attacks now sees this place as hostile. Releasing her people from an oath they took to harm no one, she has started the process of winnowing the native people here to make room for her own people to come here via a Portal array… Sort of what could be called a ‘wormhole’. She seemed shocked that the virus could not be stopped once it started to spread.

We have, in earlier episodes, followed an elderly man by the name of Dr. James Dempsey. (Hal Holbrook) He was a billionaire from working in big Pharmaceuticals and seemed a bit looney, if not downright evil. When he was in the Jura Mountain range (France) at an archeological dig, netting him information about an ancient tribe called “The Sentinels”. The Sentinels, who have been here for over three millennium , as he was telling Vicky Roberts in his house in France, were a group who “Have been given the task to protect the native population of earth from ‘Them’.” (Said as he pointed upward).

Dempsey then ordered Vicky to be killed, apparently knowing full well that a young man called Sean Walker would rescue her. Sean did, in fact, come through and Dempsey told them what was going on between the Sentinels and Sophia’s people. Now in this last episode. Simon and Sean were talking about the scroll Sean had received from Dr. Dempsey just before Dempsey committed suicide.

Their discussion, and what Dr. Liu told Leila in the medical sector leads us to believe the Aliens have been here for centuries. There had apparently been a major conflict between the Sentinels and the Aliens. While in a chamber in the Jura Mountains, we saw a cave paiting and tatoos on Dempsey’s arms as he said the ‘Guardian Angels’ are “Very, very real”.

I’ve heard folks describe the Book of Enoch being relevant to Dempsey’s story. There are a number of historical references to ‘Those from the Heavens’ so regardless of one’s religious beliefs, I include The Book of Enoch in summary for your edification.

A Summary of the Book Of Enoch is as follows:

1. The Book of the Watchers (chs. 1—36). Enoch is a righteous man who has received heavenly visions. The book is a collection of revelations regarding divine judgment. It describes the rebellion of angels. The fallen angels, called “Watchers,” have sexual intercourse with human women, who give birth to a race of wicked giants. The giants lay waste to the earth and humanity, and so become the occasion for the flood, in which they are destroyed. But once their demonic spirits are released from their dead bodies, these demons wreak havoc in the world until the end time of judgment.

2. The Book of the Similitudes (or Parables; chs. 37—71). Enoch again receives heavenly visions, which are interpreted by angels. The primary character of these revelations is the “son of man.” Other titles employed to name this messiah figure are “the Chosen One” (the most common title), God’s “Anointed One,” and “the Righteous One.” This heavenly being is God’s agent for the final judgment and vindication of the righteous.

3. The Book of Astronomical Writings (or Heavenly Luminaries, chs. 72—82). Visions of heavenly and earthly occurrences advocate a 364-day solar calendar, as opposed to the controversial lunar calendar. Enoch describes to his son Methuselah his journey through the stars above the earth, guided by the angel Uriel.

4. The Book of Dream Visions (or Animal Apocalypse, chs. 83—90). Enoch recounts two visions to Methuselah. The first vision is of the sky falling and the earth undergoing cataclysmic disasters as a result. The second vision takes the form of an apocalyptic allegory describing the history of humanity from the creation of Adam to the final judgment. In it, humans are represented as animals and angels are represented as human beings. The apocalypse details the relationship of Jews with Gentiles and the end-time judgment.

5. The Book of the Epistle of Enoch (chs. 91—107). This epistle is written by Enoch for later generations. Righteousness and wickedness are contrasted throughout the letter in order to show that goodness and truth will be rewarded by God, but evil and sin will be punished by God. This sober eschatological prophecy admonishes readers about the final divine judgment.

–Of course there are plentiful sources of reading or deeper study of this material if one so wishes to do, I only offered the short version for this review.–

So I am curious. Are we to think perhaps that outside of theological hypotheses that the ones from the sky are in a nuts and bolts reality, Space visitors? Could this be what was meant by Dr. Liu and the Others as “We were here first”? Perhaps the Others started out as peaceful but they obtained too much of the human characteristic of desperation and in a sense Greed, thereby becoming “Fallen Angels”? This is why I so look forward to next weeks Finale. I want to see the people come, see what Sophia has done and punish her severely.

I really do hold to a belief of a truly advanced people existing out there. Maybe not ‘PEOPLE’ as we would know this to mean, but beings of an inner vision arriving and doing the right thing. It is one of the reasons I cannot accept the almost constant Doomsday story lines of many Science Fiction stories. I would like to believe better of any species, really, Reptoid, Humanoid or otherwise. Included below is entire episode “The Beginning of the End” from NBC.

I had hoped those in NBC’s decision making powers would grant a second season, but alas. If not, perhaps another station would pick this show up for a second season. Be sure to watch live, or with On Demand to help the ratings! Monday night, 9/8C tune in for The Event! In the meantime, included below courtesy of NBC is a sneak peek of what appears to be the NBC “The Event” series finale “Arrival”!

Thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

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Regards,

Celtica (Jen)

May 18, 2011
The Event: “Some Will Live, Some Will Die”!

Hello The Event fans,

A short recap Has us following Sean Walker (Jason Ritter) and Vicky Roberts (Taylor Cole) on a flight coming back from Russia. They are following a courier who is carrying the infected lungs of a dead World War One soldier in order that the disease could be spread out through the world population.

They want to do this to make room for about two billion of their people they wish to bring here to escape their star’s explosion. Time is getting short, so Sophia Maguire (Laura Innes) is becoming more and more brutal in her plan to get her people here, resulting in their survival. Sophia is not really “Callous” per Se, but she is duty-bound to save her people above anything else. Sophia actually is taking no pleasure whatsoever in doing what she feels she has to do.

We left the last episode with President Elias Martinez (Blair Underwood) worsening in his condition in the Intensive Care Unit/Critical Care Unit suffering from a poison which Raymond Jarvis (Bill Smitrovich) gave him via his morning coffee on instruction of Sophia. Sophia told Jarvis if he did this, Jarvis would become the Acting President and could save his country from the plague with which Sophia would use to winnow the Eartheaon population.

Jarvis became acting president, and he had an argument with Blake Sterling (Zeljko Ivanek) We saw now that Sophia is getting more aggressive with Jarvis, and Jarvis is, I feel, well aware that he is being used by Sophia. At this point, he is in too deep and now must try to save himself. Sean and Vicky had the courier -“Alex” who turned out to be “Alexandra” (Angela Gots) (An Air Moscow Stewardess) in their sights, but Vicky did not take a shot which might have killed Sean, so Alex escaped with an accomplice..

Despite Michael Buchanan’s (Scott Patterson) hardened character about the mission to bring his people here, Simon Lee (Ian Anthony Dale) called him out on what he had become. Leila Buchanan (Sarah Roemer) also had words with him saying she did not recognize him…what he used to be… anymore..

Through the episode last week, Michael began to see sense and helped Simon Lee escape from their Alien compound, getting shot and killed in the process. We left it with Leila crying and yelling at Sophia “YOU killed him!!” as she was being detained by two of the Others. Simon escaped with a vial of antidote for Martinez which Michael had forced Dr Liu to give to him. We saw him go over the fencing and into the woods.

“Some Will Live And Some Will Die”

We open in the community, out by the fence and Sophia with the Others have Leila. Carlos goes and sees Michael. “He’s Gone” I feel he sounded genuinely upset at this fact Michael is dead. Carlos then came to Sophia apologizing for letting her down. Sophia does not seem angry at him though. “It’s not your fault” she tells him. At this point, Leila, crying says “You killed my father…” but Sophia interjects “I’ve known your father longer than you can comprehend. You have no idea what I felt for him.” Leila backs down a bit.

Dr. Liu (Alexandria Bokyun Chun) came up to the group asking if Michael had the vial. She broke the news that Michael had forced her to give him the vial of the antidote. Sophia was shocked “What compound?” Dr. Liu replied “DNA repair enzymes. It can reverse the effect of the poison we gave Martinez” Sophia orders that Leila and Michael’s body be searched. She correctly surmises that Simon Lee could get this to Martinez and then “If Martinez recovers, everything we’ve been working toward will be compromised”. Sophia then orders the evacuation of the compound before Simon has a chance to alert the authorities.

In the ICU/CCU, First Lady Christina Martinez (Lisa Vidal) is talking on the phone to her son. The doctor comes in saying they really have done all they can do.” “So, you’re just going to give up?” Christina asks through tears “No! just… No!” and goes back to Elias’ bedside.

Agent Peel (Roger Bart) comes into the Oval Office, handing Jarvis a list of candidates for Blake’s replacement. Jarvis says “I want the best!” to which Peel replies “You fired the best… With all due respect” Jarvis shuffles the papers saying “Director Sterling was a dangerous man. Things he said about me? He’s not in his right mind! I can’t have a man like that as the head of Intelligence Operations and for you to constantly remind me of his importance only makes you suspect.” He pauses and then apologized to Peel as his phone rings.

Peel is dismissed and Jarvis answers his call. It is Sophia, in a car being driven somewhere as she says to Jarvis “We have a problem. Simon Lee has escaped with a counter-agent” She tells him this will reverse the effects of the poison they gave to Martinez. “you need to focus on finding Simon Lee” Jarvis is arguing with her.

She pretty much tells him he has every resource on the ground to find one man, “USE them. She demands. Then in a softer tone she says “If Martinez recovers they will put you away for the rest of your life!” As Jarvis sits back down at his desk we can see he looks like he is going to be sick. He had better be scared, he blew his loyalties and he knows it.

Sean and Vicky are in their car, trying to track where the Courier and her accomplice went to. Sean is trying to track them on his laptop. The Others have a rental car. From about the mid-nineties, rental cars have had tracking devices on them so the companies could keep track of their cars out in the roads.

Sean is trying to find their car. Vicky, at one point snaps at Sean and then apologized. “You saw how those people died on the ship, if Sophia gets that out here, what could happen?” Sean replied “The Spanish flu killed about 50-100 million people, that was before international travel became so easy…” Vicky says “And this strain’s more virulent?” “Way more” replies Sean “If Sophia released it, I don’t what would be left.” The Tracking worked and they actually do find out the two Others are about fifty miles ahead of them. They speed up a little and go to find out where the disease may be.

We are now in the Aliens’ Evacuation shelter. Sophia is told that Gerard has established contact with their home world and that it is worse than they thought. “Radiation levels have become catastrophic. Our people are dying. We need to make room here-it needs to get done!” Sophia replies “I understand that better than anyone.” She walks into a makeshift lab and computer room. Dr. Liu tells her (Rightfully so) that in order for this to be spread on a global pandemic scale, the host must live long enough to spread the disease.

They watch a video Arron sent from the Irena Bogdanov. Dr Liu pointed out when the contaminant was released to the time everyone on the ship died. It happened too quickly. But, Dr. Liu also said this was in close quarters, the contaminant was in high concentration, she would need a better scenario to gauge the disease’s effects. Sophia tells Dr. Liu “If it’s more reliable data you need I am sure the next field test will provide it.”

Blake Sterling is sitting at his home, reading the newspaper and smoking a cigarette. He hears a noise and quietly gets his gun, going to investigate. He lets the intruder walk into a room and makes his, and the gun’s presence known. The intruder turns around and we see Simon Lee. After the initial confrontation, Blake is still doubting Simon’s credibility. Simon hands him the vial explaining what it would do for Martinez. “I split from from Sophia, for good. Once I realized what she wanted to do…How many people she was willing to murder!”

Blake still does not trust Simon but Simon points out “I was free and clear… ‘Even now I believe we can live in peace with each other… Starting with this…” He hands him the vial and says “If you don’t believe me, shoot me! But get this to Martinez.” Sterling tells Simon to step back from the window. Apparently someone followed Simon to Blake’s house and are out there in their car getting ready for the capture. We see two men in the car, one of whom was Simon’s partner for ten years, as they deploy to the house with others. Heavily armed the team assembles outside and get ready to go in.

Back in the car, Sean at his laptop; “They’re Stopped” he tells Vicky as they tail the Others ahead of them “Ten miles out”… He cross references a map and we then see a large mall parking lot. I know this mall! I am a female in Southern California. I know Malls in General. This, in real-life is the Del Amo Fashion Center, in Torrence, CA. It is near the Palos-Verdes Peninsula. We did Christmas shopping there one year staying ALL DAY LONG. It is a huge indoor mall, and if all this were real, would be a perfect place to release a bio-weapon.

Sean and Vicky search for the courier’s car and find it. They find plans for the mall in the other cars’ trunk and this is for details of the air circulation systems. Alexandra and her accomplice are walking inside the mall and Alex said that Sophia want all records about this operation. They agree to meet on the roof, Alexandra takes the container and they part ways. We see the massive interior of the mall and then we are on the roof, watching “Alex” opening the air circulation machine. She then opens one of the black cases to reveal glass canisters containing the lungs of the dead soldier.

Back at Blake Sterling’s house, the tactical team are outside planning who goes where. They are deep into it when sirens and a multitude of police cars show up. They are blowing a CIA operation and finally one of the officers checked the credentials. After standing down the police tell the covert ops that they had received a call about an armed robbery at this address. Blake and Simon escaped during the melee.

Jarvis is telling Sophia about Blake and Simon getting away. She is angered at this and tells Jarvis they must be stopped. Sophia is speaking to Jarvis like he is a child. Perhaps she is not wrong. That is why she chose to get to him, is it not? I also note the Aliens do not use cases on their iPhone 4’s. Not like they have to worry about warranty and so on, but that actually makes me nervous. Yes, I am a tech geek! In my opinion, it takes a good actor to make us ‘Hate’ or dislike his or her character. When we, the viewers are yelling at our televisions cussing at Jarvis or Sophia or whoever, that just shows that the particular actor is darn good at their job!

“The last thing I thought I’d be doing is stealing a car” Blake tells Simon as he drives them to a warehouse. They decide the First Lady is the least problematic and they should use her to get the antidote to Martinez. Jarvis already suspects Agent Peel and so they will have to figure a way to meet with Christina. Jarvis already suspects Agent Peel.

At this same time, Christina is being blocked from her husband’s room by soldiers enforcing a higher security alert. She is denied her visit. and then she gets a call from Blake: “We need to talk… but not here…” .

At this time, an agent comes into Jarvis’ office telling him there was a call to Christina from Blake Sterling which only lasted twenty four seconds. The call was encrypted so Jarvis orders that to be decrypted. On hearing this could take hours, Jarvis gets up, putting his jacket on and tells his secretary Eva to get a location on the First Lady.

Back at the Mall, we see Alex affixing a canister to a rectangular, bomb-like device and placing it

onto the air circulation system. Sean and Vicky come into the packed mall and split up. Sean went to the roof and Vicky looks around to try to see their quarry. We see the accomplice meanwhile, in the main security center with the real Security guard down and out. The accomplice calls Sophia: “I’ve got you routed into the video surveillance system, you should have a visual on the site now.”

Sophia asks “How much longer until you proceed with the test?” He replies “Alex is arosolizing the virus as we speak”. We see Alex on the roof, having placed some of the contaminant into a pressurized canister onto the bottom of the device she made.

Vicky is now seen running through the mall and she tries a fire alarm switch, which doesn’t work so she gets a security guard to ‘help’. She knew the accomplice most likely disabled the alarm system. The Security man did not believe her, so she had him with her gun to his back, leading him off to do this.

Back in the main security center, the accomplice sites camera four. “That’s the man from Alex’s flight. The one who tried to stop us” Sophia knows who he is. She says “…And I think I know who told him Alex was on the plane. He must’ve figured out we were going to release the virus. You can’t let him stop it!” The accomplice gets up and leaves to stop Sean.

Sean is now on the roof of the mall, looking around and spots Alex with her device at one of the circulation boxes. He starts to venture out onto the area where Alex is and a shot rings out. Alex’s accomplice is trying to stop Sean from stopping them. Sean gets more assertive and comes out shooting at the accomplice who then runs past Alex. Alex shouts “What’s going on?” “Keep working!” he orders as he runs after Sean.

She is soon on her phone reading the riot act to whoever banned her from seeing her husband in the ICU/CCU when Jarvis comes up to her. He said it was a mis-communication and he would straighten out the problem with her seeing Elias. He then gets down to business. He tells Christina that Elias was indeed poisoned and lays the blame on Blake Sterling and Simon. Christina remembered her time with Blake in Elias’ room and how he had told her there was nothing anyone could do. She told Jarvis about Blake’s phone call and she was to meet Blake at a warehouse on Kendal Street.

Sophia, back in the evacuation center, goes to a large panel truck and opens the back to find Leila is in there, restrained. Sophia remarked how hard it was for her to look at Leila and not see Michael “His courage, his resolve… I understand you better than you think. But you have to know how misguided you are I don’t want to hurt anyone. But if you had to choose between saving your family or saving someone Else’s, what would you do? who would you save?” Sophia then said “I need to know what you told Sean Walker.”

Leila denied telling him anything and Sophia wound up getting very angry snapping at Leila “Tell me!”. “Go to Hell!” Leila snapped back. Sophia’s voice became calm and level: “Don’t choose the wrong side on this Leila. Because I will do everything I can to protect my people… my family… OUR family!”

Oh, and yeah, she played the torn loyalties card, but Leila replied “I’m not telling you anything” Sophia gets up and as she leaves tells Leila: “By involving Sean in this you’ve ensured his death. Same way you did with your father.” As Sophia closes the door of the truck’s cargo hold she says “Their blood’s on your hands”.

Meanwhile the gunfight on the roof of the mall is in full swing. The Security guard with Vicky both come into the security center and Vicky gets the man to sound the alarm. It would still take about twenty to twenty five minutes to get all the people out. Vicky asks about shutting down the air circulation, but the guard says “I could shut down the breakers, but there’s a battery back up somewhere. I wouldn’t know how to do it”

Vicky tells this numbskull to hit the alarm and it sounds out sirens with an automated voice instructing patrons to leave the mall by the nearest exit Sean and the accomplice are still shooting it out but Sean is now out of ammo, so he brings hand to hand combat into it with the accomplice. I believe the accomplice’s name is Devon, but am unsure at this point.

They both fight, rolling about and swinging punches. Alex had the bio-bomb attached and armed. Sean finally kills the accomplice and Vicky comes up at this point. After they find the bio-bomb the “how do we disarm this?” questions start as the seconds tick backwards…

In the Briefing room, Jarvis, General Ambruster (Blue Deckert) and Agent Peel, among others see the SUV with Blake and Simon in it going into a warehouse via an IMED Satellite feed. Agent Peel is questioning Jarvis “source” and says that he doubts Blake would ever be involved with traitorous activities against his government. Jarvis is coordinating with the Air Force on this one. He instructs someone to ask Gen. McMillan if the Predator Drone is ready for its’ air strike.

Mr. Peel is appalled: “Air Strike?? You can’t possibly be serious?” Gen. Ambruster says “With all due respect sir, this is a mistake!” “This is an Order!” Growls Jarvis. “Well, I cannot condone it, Sir.” Says Ambruster Jarvis reminds him the He is acting President commander in Chief and if he cannot condone the actions of his commander in chief then he could “Get the Hell Out!!” We see Gen. Ambruster collect his things and walk out. “Anyone else?” asks Jarvis. “Fire when ready” Jarvis instructs and we see the missile, from leaving the drone to the explosion of the warehouse.

We can plainly see that Agent Peel is not happy with Jarvis in office. He knew Blake Sterling and what Blake thought of Jarvis, I feel Peel is finding out Blake Sterling was right all along. I can read his face as Jarvis asks for confirmation of the kills. Bill Smitrovich is good in this role!

Back in the Mall, the alarm is sounding and people are leaving.

We see Alex getting onto a RTD local bus outside of the mall and releasing a pressurized valve on her ‘luggage’. I guess if she could not get the Mall infected, a bus would do. At least the Aliens would have some new data about the disease from the people on the bus. From the picture, I see a camera is also there. Alex will video the reactions of the passengers to the disease for the Others.

At this same point in time, Sean and Vicky are on the roof, trying to think of ways to disarm the bio weapon. Vicky says “I thought you were an expert!” “At… at COMPUTERS! Not this…virus producing…” Sean stammers at her “Ok, Ok…Fine! Just do SOMETHING! we’re running out of time..!”. “OK, the timer’s connected to an actuator that opens a solenoid valve that…” They argue about the timer, power source what have you Finally, Sean shoots the device, in effect killing the power supply to it.

Uh, Are you SURE that is really disarmed? Want to burn it too? A bit of fun overkill…Literally! Good thing Sean did NOT puncture the container!

We see a bus inside the Aliens’ evac center, which I am guessing is just a huge, hollow warehouse I’ve seen trailer-like offices and so on within the large building in this episode. Alongside the bus are the bodies of the people which were on it. Alex is drinking some water and Sophia comes up to her to thank her for the contribution she has made. Alex asked about the device at the mall, and Sophia tells her that it was disarmed. Alex, apologizing, said she should have stayed with it. Sophia said “No, if you had we might have lost everything!!” She walks around the area with the bodies and Others charting and taking notes about the victims.

Sophia now says; “Dr Liu has been studying the video you filmed on board the bus. Now that she’s able to see every minute of how the virus affects humans, as well as having these test subjects to autopsy. we’ll be able to move forward.” Turning back to Alex Sophia continues; “We owe you a debt of gratitude.” Carlos comes in to tell Sophia Dr. Liu needs her in the lab. Sophia goes to see her. As we see Dr Liu in her makeshift Lab, she tells Sophia they may have a way to slow down the virus. “Viruses mutate when they jump from species to species. Like Bird Flu becoming H1N1when it crossed into humans. If we jump the virus into the right species, it’ll mutate on its own and we can screen for the variation we need.”

Sophia asked “What kind of species would that be?” Dr. Liu replies “The virus doesn’t effect us at all, and it kills the human beings too quickly. We need to infect a bridge species who’s DNA lies somewhere in between.” “Sophia gets a small smile on her face as she says “A Hybrid…” Dr. Liu responds: “Yes, and from what I understand, we’re in luck” Yes, of course she means Leila.

Christina and some Secret Service men are entering the hospital. “Give me a minute” Christina tells the men as she enters into a gift/florist shop on the first floor. As they wait, she gets a nice bouquet to take into Elias’ room. We then see them all coming from the elevator to Elias’ room and Christina excuses the Secret Service and goes in, alone. She meets the Doctor who tells her it is hopeless. his last EEG showed no signs of high-functioning brain activity. Nothing to be done. Christina refused the doctor’s words and went into the room, closing the curtains behind her.

Amid the rubble and burning wreck of the warehouse, people searched for bodies. They did not find any bodies, but they DID find a trap door into an underground tunnel. Apparently this led to an outbuilding. Jarvis was told of this news. Also, the earlier phone call from Blake to Christina was decrypted and Jarvis heard it as Blake told Christina “You have to trust me. Jarvis is behind everything that’s happened to your husband but I have a way to save him. I’ll call you on the pay phone in five minutes.”. Christina lied to him. She was in on it in regards to Blake and Simon. He told her about the warehouse…Which she then relayed to Jarvis. it was all a diversion! Jarvis, in his office, alone, whimpering ‘Oh, God…!’

Back in the Hospital, Christina, alone with Elias, flashes back to the florist’s shop, Leaving the Secret Service men outside as she went into the florist’s and seeing Simon Lee there. She begins to pray quietly as she retrieves the syringe from the flowers she brought in and removes the cap. She goes to Elias, lifts his sleeve and injects the contents into his arm as she prays. This is almost ‘sacred’ she wants her husband to get well again. She kisses Elias and he see him sleeping.

Back in the Alien’s Evac center, a portion set out for medical, we see Leila strapped to a gurney and Carlos goes to take her head in his hands. Dr. Liu comes up beside her with a petri dish of a yellow substance and a ‘Q-Tip’ type of applicator.

As Sophia comes in speaking to her, she seems to know what is about to happen. Sophia is talking to her; “In 1918 the Spanish Flu Pandemic killed twenty percent of the world’s population. There were localized strains and mutations. This is one of them. A strain so deadly, it turned entire cities into graveyards…. Overnight.” Leila is struggling against the restraints and Carlos’ hands on her head, also cupping her chin. She is crying “No…Please…!” as Sophia continues: “We worked very hard to find this particular strain. And now you, a Hybrid… a bridge between our people … You’re gonna help us spread it.” Carlos holds Leila’s head steady as Dr. Liu places the applicator, filled with the infectious matter into Leila’s nostrils. Leila looks at Sophia, Sophia’s face becomes blurry and the scene fades out to black.

My Take…For what it is worth…

We leave this week with the Aliens’ home world inching closer to all out destruction by the Supernova. Blake and Simon Lee are working together. Elias Martinez having received the medicine he needs. Jarvis, who I doubt could run a lemonade stand, let alone a country, is a simpering fool, so easily played by those around him, has ordered an air strike on domestic territory and fired General Ambruster. The Aliens are displaced into another refuge where they have their shelter and labs, computers etc… again off the radar for the most part. A busload of people who succumbed to the virulent strain of the virus, and Sean and Vicky having saved a mall full of people. Leila, is now apparently going to be the Aliens’ version of “Typhoid Mary” and be freed to the world so she can spread this disease all around. It kills pure humans too quickly, the Aliens are immune to the disease entirely. Leila, as the Host, would live long enough-if she even gets sick at all, to effectively spread this disease.

While much of this could make sense, and would seem somewhat indicative of what we as a species would do, I’m anxious to see what Sophia’s people are actually like. I personally believe they would be more like Simon Lee. Not only advanced in Technology, but also in Spirit and mentality. If one has ever watched the newer “Twilight Zone” series from the eighties, there was an episode based on an Arthur C. Clarke short story called “The Star”. It was aired in 1985 for Christmas, and dealt with the study of a nebula by astronauts of Earth’s future. On an outlying dead planet, they found a pillar and underneath that was an archive of music, art, writings images what used to be a peaceful, advanced People. Humans who have lived in Peace for over a thousand years.

One of the crew was a Jesuit Priest who was able to analyze data about when the Star in question exploded. The Star exploded, the light of that Supernova reached Earth only visible for a short time at certain co-ordinates . The Priest figured out the time line. He was angry because this had destroyed a peaceful planet and people….yes, people…. so that we could have the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ here on Earth. As he was dwelling in his anger and sadness at his God, one of his colleagues came in with something they had decoded from the lost civilization. The last item placed into the archive and first one retrieved:

“Mourn not for us, for we have known the light. and looked on Beauty, have lived in peace and loved. Grieve but for those who go alone, unwise, to die in darkness and never see the sun”.

I would like to feel that a truly advanced race of people… or otherwise… would realize when their time had come. I hope also when this sun may go nova, that this species can be the same. Sometimes, the price of one’s ‘survival’ is just too high for the other.

Next week is the second to last episode of this fine season. Included below courtesy of NBC Universal is the sneak peek of “The Beginning of the End”.

I do hope those in NBC’s decision making power will grant a second season. Be sure to watch live, or in On Demand to help the ratings! Monday night, 9/8C tune in for The Event! In the meantime, included below courtesy of NBC is “Some Will Live, Some Will Die”!

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Regards,

Celtica (Jen)

May 13, 2011

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