So, Happy Halloween! I guess.

There is so much scary stuff going on in the world right now that Halloween this year feels superfluous. Watching the news is scarier than any horror movie (Halloween Ends. Really?) Social media is a pit of political screaming, with trolls and bots out in force now. Midterm elections in America are a week away and that is the scariest thing of all–even if you do not live here! I was going to link to a funny article about the midterms at The Onion, but even they cannot make this funny. Sigh.

You might ask: Then why would we want to spend time in a dystopic future where humanity seems to be failing every day and the threats to the future are way more evident than climate change? Black hole hanging out in your sky? Yeah. That will get your attention. Life seems to be proceeding as usual, except it is obvious something is terribly, terribly wrong. A dimensional shift? Concurrent realities? Parallel worlds? And there are people in this scary future about whom we care a great deal. And they are telling us a story that is compelling and feels so true. People and their story. Yes. That’s why we watch.

Our heroes

Season 3 of War of the Worlds brings us some of series creator Howard Overman’s best writing. He creates new challenges and settings for the familiar characters we have watched in their endless struggle to survive. And he allows them to grow and change, even as the story becomes ever more complicated and grim. Is he commenting on that stuff mentioned in the first paragraph up above? I’ll let you decide. He is definitely showing us that a diverse group of people who probably share very little in common can come together and work together to face an existential threat–and never give up that fight.

And THAT feels like a comment on current events. A hopeful comment. A comment that sees a future ahead, and that’s such a good thing. Even if that future is full of challenges, there are opportunities, too. As we see in the story–a chance for connection. For forgiveness, solace, and love.

The finale is tonight. Watch it for Gabriel, but also for Léa, Pearl, Bayo, Ty, and all the other fine actors who have brought this world to life for us. And for Howard’s writing. How will it end? Tomorrow is Halloween. Perfect.