Tag Archives: Jessica Frances Dukes

Outbreak – Movie Review

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TL;DR – Outbreak shows early promise, but weak character work and mounting frustrations prevent its ending from landing as intended.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I sent a screener of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Outbreak Introduction –

2025 continues to be a standout year for the old Zombie romp. We have old franchises return with 28 Years Later, The Last of Us came out swinging with its second season, and even Star Trek has had a try. – Despite the crowded field, there’s always room for a surprise and Outbreak came close.  

So, to set the scene, Neil Morris (Billy Burke) is a local ranger at Mourning Rock State Park, going on what they thought was a routine callout to a dog with rabies. But Neil is not at ease with what is going on, as this is the third dog in weeks to become infected, which is made worse by the fact that Chief Mike Cortez (Raoul Max Trujillo) got bitten by the dog in the scuffle and Neil is still dealing with the death/disappearance of his son Ben (Kylr Coffman). But as Neil was out walking in the state park, he was attacked by a woman in partial decomposition, and she was not alone, as screams of others puncture the day.

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Earth Abides: Forever is Tomorrow is Today & Full Season – TV Review

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TL;DR – A beautifully contemplative end to a fascinating series.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Stan service that viewed this series.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Year 20.

Earth Abides Review –

One of the interesting little gems that I found towards the end of the year was an exploration of life and death in the aftermath of absolute tragedy. What do you do when you are alone in a world that was once teaming with life? Do you survive? Do you pack it in? Do you reach out? Or do you close yourselves off from everything? These are the questions we ask in the ruins of the old world.   

So, to set the scene, twin tragedies have struck the small community of San Lupo. First, Heather (Aleksandra Cross) has returned home alone after a long sojourn north without Raif (River Codack). Even worse, after twenty years, the virus returned, and soon, many members of the town became ill. Sadder for Ish (Alexander Ludwig) and Emma (Jessica Frances Dukes), one of those affected is their son Joey (Elias Leacock), whose shoulders much of the future was resting on. We will be looking at the episode and season as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.   

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Earth Abides: World Without End – TV Review

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TL;DR – How do you build community when you fear the world outside?

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Stan service that viewed this series.

The group has to start salvaging a wider area.

Earth Abides Review –

Earth Abides has been a very interesting show so far, in many respects, in how it can blow through time yet still make it feel like a coherent whole. Alone was about Ish’s journey to find himself in a world alone, and then The Space Between discovered a world where there are now two. But you need more than two for a community, but with community comes benefits and potential dangers.

So, to set the scene, it is now Year 6 of a world without humans or most humans, and nature has started to reclaim much of the world that once was. However, as the human world shrinks to nothingness, those few connections that remain become even more critical. This is what forces Ish (Alexander Ludwig) to race after a young child he sees in the woods. However, as time passes, their small community will face their biggest challenge, which is a throuple. We will be looking at the episode as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.   

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Earth Abides: The Space Between Review – Exploring Cast Chemistry

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TL;DR – Today shows why the chemistry between the cast is so important because it helps make this episode everything it is.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Stan service that viewed this series.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Alone in an empty supermarket.

Earth Abides Review –

Last week, we got to dive into a fascinating look at a post-apocalyptic world where someone woke up to a world gone. While the first episode was very much a primer for the world and the stories that we will be telling in it. I am looking forward to seeing what the show can do when it expands on its premise.

So, to set the scene, at the end of Alone, Ish (Alexander Ludwig) was contemplating his life as possibly the last human on Earth, or at least the last one in his part of the country, which was emotionally devastating but still a cathartic ending. That was until he saw smoke coming out of the chimney of a house on the other side of town. But what starts as a confrontation at the barrel of a gun begins something a bit more. Because with Emma (Jessica Frances Dukes), he has met someone who understands what he has gone through. We will be looking at the episode as a whole from here, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.   

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