On Friday, July 01 HBO concluded an eighteen installment long Season Four of VICE. Since we did not do a week-by-week review of the season we thought we’d just give you a quick rundown of the reports filed and the correspondents on the job. If any of the episodes are of interest than you can seek them out via HBONow/Go in their entirety.
HBOWatch did review the Season Four premiere that aired back on 02.05. Correspondent Kaj Larsen gave us an update on deadly African extremists in “Boko Haram.” Correspondent Isobel Yeung told us of controversial genetic manipulation now available in “Unnatural Selection.”
- Installment # 2 –
“Escape to Europe” Correspondent: Ahmed Shihab-Eldin
With the war in Syria half the country’s population has been displaced, and four million have fled. VICE follows the refugee trail from the Syrian border to Europe, meeting Syrians determined to find a better life.
“Cycle of Terror” Correspondent: Gianna Toboni
The bloody ISIS attacks in Paris stunned the world. As rumors circulated that one of the attackers may have posed as a Syrian migrant, politicians in Western countries, including the U.S., raced to declare their territory off-limits to refugees. VICE travels to France and around the U.S. to see how the global reaction to the violence in Paris is affecting the fight against terrorism.
- Installment # 3 –
“Right to Die” Correspondent: Vikram Gandhi
When California enacted the End of Life Option Act amid fierce debate last October, the number of terminally ill Americans with the right to a doctor assisted death effectively quadrupled. In other countries people don’t need to be listed as ‘terminal.’ VICE explores the moral, political and personal questions raised by how and when we end our lives.
- Installment # 4 –
“Beating Blindness” Correspondent: Isobel Yeung
Doctors and researchers are making incredible strides in the fight against blindness with new assistive technologies and advances in surgical techniques. This means that many patients who’ve lost sight entirely can now regain visual perception and the independence that comes with it.
“White Collar Weed” Correspondent: Hamilton Morris
Small-scale weed farmers have been fighting to legalize marijuana for generations–but the closer they get to ending the prohibition on pot, the closer they get to a new threat: corporate takeover of their way of life. VICE travels to meet struggling mom-and-pop growers, and visits with the investors and entrepreneurs eager to cash in on the next big consumer market.
- Installment # 5 –
“Meathooked” Correspondent: Isobel Yeung
The world is addicted to meat: In developing countries around the world, diets are starting to look more like ours, incorporating more and more beef and pork. Massive factory farms are springing up to supply that demand. VICE travels to the feedlots, farms and slaughterhouses where our meat is made, to see the true costs of our burger habit.
“End of Water” Correspondent: Vikram Gandhi
Water is the single most vital resource we have — but it’s also one of the most threatened. Around the world the water we need is simply disappearing. VICE reports from California’s once-abundant farmland and the heart of São Paulo’s reservoir system to assess the depths of the crisis, and what can be done to reverse it.
- Installment # 6 –
“Return to Yemen” Correspondent: Ben Anderson
Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a massive military campaign that overthrew the Yemeni government. Now, Saudi Arabia, nervous about the insurrection near its southern border, is trying to push the Houthis back. VICE returns to Yemen to witness one of the world’s most bloody and underreported conflicts.
“Church and States” Correspondent: Gianna Toboni
While many Americans cheered the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, the fight for equality is far from over. Meeting with some of the families who are navigating this new landscape, and hearing from supporters of religious freedom laws, VICE explores where the battle for equal rights is headed.
- Installment # 7 –
“Palestine Now” Correspondent: Ahmed Shihab-Eldin
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people has been locked in a cycle of violence for generations. But now, young people in the West Bank are growing so disillusioned that they’re 
turning their backs on their own government. VICE reports from Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah and East Jerusalem to explore what life is like for young Palestinians in 2016.
“Viva Cuba Libre” Correspondent: Shane Smith
VICE visits the 2015 Summit of the Americas to see the political thawing of relationships between Cuba and the United States, and then Havana, Cuba to speak to Cubans about how music and culture are helping bridge the divide between two former enemies.
- Installment # 8 –
“Afghan Women’s Rights” Correspondent: Isobel Yeung
When the United States invaded Afghanistan, the liberation of Afghan women was used as a rallying cry to garner public support. With the Taliban gaining ground ag
ain VICE reports from Kabul on the fight for dignity and rights in Afghanistan.
“Floating Armories” Correspondent: Suroosh Alvi
Who stops world trade from grinding to a standstill? In many cases it’s private military contractors and their network of weapons storage ships afloat in lawless international waters. VICE reports from one of these floating armories to take a closer look at who is protecting global commerce today.
- Installment # 9 –
“The Future of Energy” Correspondent: Shane Smith
At the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, world leaders agreed that climate change is an urgent threat — cementing green energy production as a new frontier of innovation. VICE takes an in-depth look at the future of how we make and use energy, and how we can meet growing demand as we cut carbon emissions.
Okay, we get it, thus the reasoning behind no longer doing weekly reviews. Not everyone is into what VICE is selling. Most people are self-centered and focus on what is affecting them personally. Hopefully, at least they broaden that feeling to include what is happening in their town, their state and/or their country. If that’s the case then some of these reports hit close to home. For example, from this list, we know that terrorism is rampant, food, water and energy issues need addressed and that we all need to get along. If nothing else those stories should impact you. Peace.
We will look at the back nine installments of VICE Season Four soon.
