Kaka

Basically, again the best of the entire season. A shocking move by Taylor, an appropriately rough Malkovich in a memorable cameo, and a checkmate by Rhoades. Prospectively, the four can offer an interesting combination of forces and other quality moves on the chessboard.

A bit of a charade and irony, throwing down the gauntlet to the wall street guys and other greedy portfolio managers collecting millions and it's still not enough. Telling, but after 40 minutes, a bit tiresome and overplayed.

There's an interesting game of two future knock-outs going on. At stake are US-Russian relations and, of course, governmental ones. A battle of titans at the business and government level.

John Malkovich as a Russian oligarch with unique looks and a rough accent. What else can you ask?

There's plenty of fuck-ups and shocking surprises to go around. The second half of the third season has a very decent pace so far.

Complete victory in a very shaky and not very realistic way. It smacks a bit of cheap serial theatricality like those second rate shows on Hallmark, but even so, there are bright, really impressive authentic moments among the would-be elaborate acting.

I sincerely hope that the sixth episode is not a premature climax to the third season, although many indicators strongly suggest it. There are some superbly tuned situations, excellent Spyros, Connerty and the last minutes are good. Let’s hope they can keep the pace.

If there's anything to single out in this episode, it's Taylor's strange romance, where the viewer unfortunately sees more than is really necessary. Otherwise, it's a typical fifth episode that fills the otherwise exciting beginning and end of this excellent series with padding and a lot of unnecessary dialogue.

Two excellent highlights. One concerns a father and son who form a very interesting personality and intellectual tandem. The other is the reverse psychology regarding solar panels. And, for a change, a gala presentation of the opposing party.

For an episode it's excellent as expected. There are major changes, one of the characters flips under overwhelming pressure and an offer that can't be refused. Overall it's pumped up with enjoyable twists and thrilling shifts in the story.