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The Bottom Line: "Great"

Those looking for each and every episode to focus on Clark may be disappointed with this installment. The majority of the run time is spent on Oliver Queen and his past association with Tess Mercer. This connects directly with his "Smallville"-style origin and intersects nicely with the existing series continuity.

It was already known that Oliver's parents were killed by Lionel Luthor, as revealed during the "Veritas" arc, and I believe it was mentioned that he was presumed dead for a couple of years before his rise back into social prominence. Bringing Tess into that history helps to add some direct conflict to the current season, because it would be far too convenient to have Tess simply assume Lex's role as Clark's nemesis. She needs to exist as a character in her own right, and this episode helps that process along.

I also like the parity between Tess and Oliver. Had Tess been the only one to learn a life-altering lesson on that island, then it might have been a sexist clich�. As it is, Tess all but admits that she has learned to be ruthless from the mistreatment she's received from men. But Oliver is really no different in the end. Oliver considers his ordeal on the island to have been his turning point, the moment he was truly tested and met that challenge.

The difference is how Tess and Oliver chose to react to those trials and tribulations. Tess has taken the darkest path, carving her way through LuthorCorp and setting aside certain ethical considerations along the way. Tess has chosen not to be a victim again, but has no problem making a victim out of anyone else.

On the other hand, while Oliver chose to use his new talents to help those in need and prevent others from being victimized, his methods are sometimes questionable. He does see the big picture relatively well, but he often overlooks the details and the consequences of his actions. In my mind, Oliver exists in the complicated center of the hero/villain dynamic, treading the fine line between humanitarian goals and vigilante justice. As mentioned in reviews for the sixth season, Oliver is very much what Lex might have been.

All of which points to Clark, who has suffered from a self-centered view of the world since the beginning of the series. Oliver has been slowly but surely trying to expand Clark's view, which in the fifth season forced Clark to consider how Jonathan Kent's philosophies might apply to the big picture. That process was derailed by the seventh season, but now it's coming back in full force. Most importantly, Oliver presages the season arc to come by pointing out that Clark hasn't faced his moment of truth yet.

We also have confirmation that Chloe's recent mental prowess is the result of Brainiac's intervention. It's coming in very handy now, but the implication of this episode is that the side effects may be a problem in the future. And it's good to see that Lois' issues with having a superhero boyfriend haven't disappeared. It makes up for the ridiculousness of Clark and Chloe arguing about her ability with Lois sitting in the next room.

In the end, while this is an episode that seems to focus on Oliver and Tess to a fault, it's really a means to differentiate Clark and his current lack of experience from those with too much. This illuminates the path that Clark still must take to become the future Superman. In other words, we have another winner for this surprising eighth season.

The Bottom Line: "Superb"

Think that the way the women are being treated aka the wives, is just like horrible. Sure that their husbands are put in harm's way. But that they shouldn't be treated like prisoners. They are human beings. The attack on the airplane. It was very intense. And that the men were putting not just their lives. But the lives of others on that plane. In order to ensure each other's safety. Tom Ryan is making me mad and that he really is being nothing but a jerk. It will end with Mac and Ryan eventually going one on one with one another. Want to bet!

The future of gaming is all in the mind

Be excited, but be scared. A world of mind-blowing possibilities is suddenly being thrust upon the world of video gaming.

Detecting your thoughts: the EPOC headset is a breakthrough in brain - computer interfaces.

The era of thought controlled games has arrived, and soon you could be required only to 'think' to operate a video game. Maybe you'll even have the chance to be completely immersed in a video game 'world'.

The Emotiv EPOC headset - the first Brain Computer Interface (BCI) device for the gaming market is the technology behind the revolution -- and the company claims to have already mastered thought control.

The EPOC detects and processes real time brain activity patterns (small voltage changes in the brain caused by the firing of neurons) using a device that measures electric activity in the brain.

In total, it picks up over 30 different expressions, emotions and actions.

The leap in technology has been met with excitement amongst many gamers. Singapore enthusiast Samuel Lau has even made a video showing his hopes for the future of gaming.

But, for the creators, what possibilities does this open up for future video games?

According to experts, the sci-fi scenarios depicted in The Matrix, and Star Trek's 'Holodeck' are now comprehendible realities in the future.

President and co-founder of Emotiv Systems, Tan Le, said the brain-to-computer interface was undoubtedly the future for video games.

"Being able to control a computer with your mind is the ultimate quest of human-machine interaction. When integrated into games, virtual worlds and other simulated environments, this technology will have a profound impact on the user's experience." What do you think video games of the future will look like?

Le envisaged the lines between games and reality continuing to blur.

"In the long run, the user's interactions with machines will more closely mimic our interactions with other humans. Our technology will ultimately bring communities of people closer together to richly share their experiences," she said.

Rick Hall, production director at the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, is also open-minded about possibilities in future gaming.

Hall, who has worked across machines such as the N64, Sony PSP, PS2, and Nintendo DS, told CNN that some of the concepts in The Matrix were now "eerily reaching towards theoretical possibility".

"If we can interpret basic control thoughts now, it isn't far off where we'll be able to interpret more complex thoughts, even potentially things you're not consciously thinking of. If we can now do it in a non-invasive fashion, it probably won't be long before we can read these things from across the room.

And if we can "read" complex thoughts, then shouldn't we also be able to "write" thoughts into a person's brain?

"So add that up: a wireless, remote, brain reading/writing device that can scan, interpret, and communicate with someone across the room, without them even knowing it. Connect that to the Internet... and talk about brainwashing possibilities. What if some hacker could figure out how to write viruses to people's brains? It's actually a little scary."

But, it's not all optimism and imagination for the technology.

American gaming analyst Todd Greenwald believes it may be some time yet before brain to computer interfaces reach a marketable standard, saying it is "a bit too far out and speculative to say with any confidence".

University of Ulster video gaming lecturer Darryl Charles told CNN he was also uncertain whether Emotiv's technology would take off.

"It's a little bit harder to see. It's quite a complex thing to force your thought on a television screen."

However, Emotiv's Le strongly defended the headset, saying it "works on a vast majority of people and can adapt to a wide variety of thought patterns. Emotiv has carried out tests with hundreds of people and so far we have had success on every single person," Le said.

While the speed of the revolution pushing the gaming world is hotly debated, one thing all experts agree on is the underlying themes of future games.

Gamers can be certain that social interaction and strong storylines will strengthen to form the core of games.

Tan Le told CNN, "The one thing that we believe will be core to the future of gaming is the social experience. Nothing a game developer can program can match the random nature of actually participating in a scenario with other live people."

Le said the social aspect was the key to growth of the industry, as it was opening the door to fresh markets. She acknowledged the new level of immersion offered with the Wii's interactive control had helped send the industry in the right direction.

Charles believed a move closer towards the movie and television entertainment realm was also imminent.

"The big blockbuster game is going to compete more with Hollywood movies. They will be a lot more competitive in storylines... there is a lot of production values already coming from cinema."

Greenwald said downloading games straight from the producer could soon become a reality. A market where simple games could be downloaded for free and then add-ons to significantly improve the game were sold at a premium, could be a more financially rewarding for the makers, he said.

Red Sox Beat Angels in ALDS

I guess this series goes to show you that the regular season doesn't really matter. The Angles had the best record in the American League, its just that when the playoffs came around, they sort of choked (not quite choking though, what the Cubs did was choking.) They were terrible with runners in scoring position and made enough mistakes to give the Red Sox a chance to pull away, and tonight in game four, the Angles made an error which did cost them the game. In the top of the ninth inning, with a man on third and one out, the Angels try a suicide squeeze to score the guy, a very risky play. But on this particular squeeze, the batter MISSED the ball when he tried to bunt. As a batter, you HAVE to AT LEAST make contact in that situation. You HAVE to. After missing the ball, Varitek ran after the guy running from third and tagggayed him out.

And from there, the Red Sox capitalized. Jason Bay doubled, and Jed Lowrie singled him in. The Sox won 3-2. It does suck that Masterson squandered an amazing pitching performance by Jon Lester though, but a win is a win right? I am really glad that I'm not going to have to stay up late to watch a game 5, and that the next series is going to be all East Coast times.

Go Red Sox! Beat those damn Rays.