***Contains Spoilers***

Tonight, HBO premiered the third episode of His Dark Materials, titled “The Spies.” In the episode, Lyra (Dafne Keen) is rescued from the Gobblers by the Gyptians, who hope to interrogate her kidnapper as they continue to look for the children.

Meanwhile, Coulter (Ruth Wilson) visits Dr. Carne (Clarke Peters) for information, who although revealing he gave Lyra the alethiometer, won’t help Coulter locate her. After tearing the place apart for anything heretical, she and Boreal (Ariyon Bakare) extend their search.

Lyra agrees to stay with the Gyptians, but she only brings more trouble when magisterium officers are dispatched, and she has to hide. Not everyone is happy with harboring her, but eventually everyone is on the same page.

More secrets are revealed to Lyra, who also gains knowledge of the alethiometer, but it only brings unpleasant news when things go bad for the Gyptians.

***Contains Spoilers***

Today, Serial Box released an all-new episode of Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, titled “Best Learn to Cope,” written by Lindsay Smith. After so much happened in the last episode, I was excited to know what would come next, probably the most about what would happen to Kira and Em. While there weren't as many revelations in this episode as some of the previous ones, there was a fair bit of action, and a good chunk of it was with the two girls. Kira really stepped up and made her own decisions about what she was willing to risk, which I appreciate. I also enjoyed getting to see someone new be brought into Clone Club in the way she told Em. She definitely had a different reaction than most people do. Their friendship and trust is becoming more important as the story goes on. I’m also interested in seeing if Sauveteer survives the trip to the hospital.

The other big section of the episode was Vivi trying to retrieve Cosima. I’m not sure she was doing it just to save her, as she had things to gain, but her impromptu mission with Jay was fun to see go down, and of course Vivi kicking ass is always entertaining. Her interactions with Jay on the earbud were also amusing.

Probably the main revelation we did get in the episode, however, is that the swarms of bugs, which seem to be the delivery system of the viruses, aren’t actually insects at all, but rather drones. However, I didn’t find that to be much of a surprise. It’s also obviously confirmed that Sauveteer and the clones in Boston were both attacked by the same people. There’s also the idea that Dana, or whichever clone first contracted the sickness, was originally bitten, since they both have a similar rash.

***Contains Spoilers***

Tonight, His Dark Materials returned for an all-new second episode, “The Idea of North.” In the episode, Lyra (Dafne Keen) arrives in London to assist Mrs. Coulter (Ruth Wilson), who has agreed to send her people out to look for Roger (Lewin Lloyd). In the meantime, she wants to mold Lyra and change her into someone respectable. Lyra is more interested in finding her friend.

Lyra learns that neither Mrs. Coulter nor her daemon are quite what they seem. More is revealed as the Gyptians continue to look for the Gobblers and the missing children, and it seems something much larger is at play. It’s all interconnected, and the Magisterium’s control may be even farther reaching than expected.

***Contains Spoilers***

The hiatus over, today Serial Box releases episode six of the audio series Orphan Black: Next Chapter, narrated by Tatiana Maslany. The episode is titled “What a Living World Will Demand” and written by Heli Kennedy.

I was so excited for the series to be back after the cliffhanger from episode five, and thankfully the episode was fantastic. Performance-wise, this episode was definitely one of my favorites, because Maslany vocally performs as quite a few clones in this episode, including not only the addition of Helena and Krystal, but also more clones we’ve never encountered before. Felix also makes an appearance, which was a nice surprise.

The episode is a trip, as there is a lot going on simultaneously, which I loved. In one storyline you have Charlotte, who is still quite sick, and Alison, who want to come back home, and in another you have Sarah and Delphine who are stuck at the house after having been accosted by the press. Everything is crazy now that news of clones is out. Not everyone is happy with the revelation either, and clones are being attacked.

Tomorrow night the awaited series, His Dark Materials, premieres on HBO. The series is based on Philip Pullman’s award-winning book trilogy of the same name. The first season will cover the first novel. The world of the show is similar to our own in some ways, but also very different. In some ways their technology is more advanced than in ours, but in other ways they fall behind. The biggest difference, however, is that in the world of the series, humans live with daemons, but not the kind you’re used to. Daemons are the manifestation of the soul outside of the body as an animal, and every person has one. They talk and can change into any kind of animal, but when a child reaches puberty, they settle on their form, reflecting the person’s true nature.

At the beginning of the series Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) brings a baby to Jordan College, invoking Scholastic Sanctuary and giving her to the Master of the college, Dr. Carne (Clarke Peters), who will keep her safe.

Lyra (Dafne Keen) grows up at the college with her daemon, Pan, and befriends another orphan, Roger (Lewin Lloyd), and together they go on mischievous adventures.

When Apple TV+ goes live tomorrow, it will debut the first three episodes of the series See, created by Steven Knight. The show takes place 600 years in the future after a virus has wiped out most of humanity, with only two million people left surviving. The virus also rendered the survivors and their subsequent offspring without sight. After centuries with no one born able to see, sight becomes myth and even heresy to discuss. Humans learn to adapt to a new way of life.

Things change when in the village of Alkenny, Maghra (Hera Hilmar), wife of Baba Voss (Jason Momoa), gives birth to twins fathered by a different man.

When it’s discovered that the babies are the first people to have the gift of sight in centuries, Queen Kane (Sylvia Hoeks) sends her Witchfinder General, Tamacti Jun (Christian Camargo) to the village.

***Contains Spoilers***

Today Serial Box released the fifth episode of Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, titled “Every Child is Cast from Paradise,” by Madeline Ashby.

This week’s episode is mostly about the characters trying to get information from each other. I’m happy to finally see Sarah and Delphine talking to Vivi, even if they haven’t really uncovered much yet. Not only that, but it looks like Art may finally have to let Jay in on Clone Club. I was curious if he could make up some kind of cover story on the fly that was believable, but it seems like it is going the other direction. I do feel that he can trust her, however. It is fun though to see someone else like he was back in the first season of the series, confused that nothing adds up. Also, how far will he go to get Cosima back?

As a side note, Sarah realizing right away that it was Vivi pretending to be Cosima and tricking her was great, as was the information about the musical security system Cosima and Delphine have set up. Even if it wasn’t really important to the story, it was still entertaining.

This week’s episode of The Walking Dead, which airs Sunday, is titled “Ghosts.” I can’t talk about the title without discussing spoilers, but it’s pretty apropos.

As the possibility of The Whispers returning looms over the group, paranoia takes over. If that wasn’t enough, they’re confronted with enough walkers that they're left with little time to deal with much else.

The Walking Dead is back again on Sunday with an all-new episode, “We Are the End of the World.” A flashback serves to reveal how Alpha became who she is and how the Whisperers came to be, including meeting Beta for the first time. Alpha also struggles to teach her daughter not to fear and to be ready for what’s to come.

Interspersed with the flashbacks, a previous event causes one of the Whisperer’s to doubt their ways, which could stir up some rebellion or cause even worse problems for the leader. Can Alpha keep control of the pack?

***Contains Spoilers***

Today Serial Box released the fourth episode of Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, “To Ignore the Oblivious,” by Lindsay Smith.

The last episode left off with quite the cliffhanger, with Charlotte stuck at the hospital with the clone Dana, potentially exposed to the unknown illness with no cure. This episode takes straight off from there and is filled with just as much suspense.

This episode really starts to connect the dots to all the puzzle pieces, showing how everything is related. Not only is it confirmed that Dana and her sisters (yes there’re more!) were the target of GRIT’s genetic attack, but in my opinion, it seems like there could potentially be a connection to GeneKeep where Kira is working. While trying to stay away from the whole clone business, did she inadvertently put herself back in the middle? Regardless, I will say that her storyline has gotten much more interesting this episode.

I was really happy this time to get Tatiana Maslany’s performance in time for the review, which I didn’t last time. It really makes a difference hearing her voice the characters. I was also pleasantly surprised that we got another familiar face this episode, even if only briefly.