diff --git a/src/commandModel.js b/src/commandModel.js
index c3a83337..0b458cec 100644
--- a/src/commandModel.js
+++ b/src/commandModel.js
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ var Command = Backbone.Model.extend({
       branch: /^branch($|\s)/,
       revert: /^revert($|\s)/,
       log: /^log($|\s)/,
-      merge: /^merge($|\s)/
+      merge: /^merge($|\s)/,
+      show: /^show($|\s)/
     };
   },
 
@@ -260,7 +261,8 @@ OptionParser.prototype.getMasterOptionMap = function() {
     },
     merge: {},
     rebase: {},
-    revert: {}
+    revert: {},
+    show: {}
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/src/constants.js b/src/constants.js
index e17e1625..bb9986aa 100644
--- a/src/constants.js
+++ b/src/constants.js
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ var GRAPHICS = {
   upstreamHeadOpacity: 0.5,
   upstreamNoneOpacity: 0.2,
   edgeUpstreamHeadOpacity: 0.4,
-  edgeUpstreamNoneOpacity: 0.15
+  edgeUpstreamNoneOpacity: 0.15,
+
+  visBranchStrokeWidth: 2,
+  visBranchStrokeColorNone: '#333'
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/tree.js b/src/tree.js
index dfff3059..20452c45 100644
--- a/src/tree.js
+++ b/src/tree.js
@@ -37,12 +37,17 @@ var VisBranch = Backbone.Model.extend({
 
   initialize: function() {
     this.validateAtInit();
-    if (this.get('branch').get('id') == 'HEAD') {
+    var id = this.get('branch').get('id');
+
+    if (id == 'HEAD') {
       // switch to a head ref
       this.set('isHead', true);
       this.set('flip', -1);
 
       this.set('fill', GRAPHICS.headRectFill);
+    } else if (id !== 'master') {
+      // we need to set our color to something random
+      this.set('fill', randomHueString());
     }
   },
 
@@ -230,6 +235,12 @@ var VisBranch = Backbone.Model.extend({
     this.get('text').toFront();
   },
 
+  getFill: function() {
+    // in the easy case, just return your own fill
+    // TODO check
+    return this.get('fill');
+  },
+
   genGraphics: function(paper) {
     var textPos = this.getTextPosition();
 
@@ -246,7 +257,7 @@ var VisBranch = Backbone.Model.extend({
     var sizeOfRect = this.getRectSize();
     var rect = paper.rect(rectPos.x, rectPos.y, sizeOfRect.w, sizeOfRect.h, 8);
     rect.attr({
-      fill: this.get('fill'),
+      fill: this.getFill(),
       stroke: this.get('stroke'),
       'stroke-width': GRAPHICS.rectStrokeWidth,
       opacity: this.getNonTextOpacity()
@@ -256,7 +267,7 @@ var VisBranch = Backbone.Model.extend({
     var arrowPath = this.getArrowPath();
     var arrow = paper.path(arrowPath);
     arrow.attr({
-      fill: this.get('fill'),
+      fill: this.getFill(),
       stroke: this.get('stroke'),
       'stroke-width': GRAPHICS.rectStrokeWidth,
       opacity: this.getNonTextOpacity()
@@ -630,9 +641,19 @@ var VisEdge = Backbone.Model.extend({
     return this.genSmoothBezierPathString(this.get('tail'), this.get('head'));
   },
 
+  getStrokeColor: function() {
+    return GRAPHICS.visBranchStrokeColorNone;
+  },
+
   genGraphics: function(paper) {
     var pathString = this.getBezierCurve();
-    var path = cutePath(paper, pathString);
+
+    var path = paper.path(pathString).attr({
+      'stroke-width': GRAPHICS.visBranchStrokeWidth,
+      'stroke': this.getStrokeColor(),
+      'stroke-linecap': 'round',
+      'stroke-linejoin': 'round'
+    });
     path.toBack();
     this.set('path', path);
   },
diff --git a/src/visuals.js b/src/visuals.js
index b3629673..e0d48f4c 100644
--- a/src/visuals.js
+++ b/src/visuals.js
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ GitVisuals.prototype.calcDepth = function() {
     // issue warning
     events.trigger('issueWarning',
       'Max Depth Exceeded! Visuals may degrade here. ' +
-      'Please start fresh or use reset to reduce the max depth'
+      'Please start fresh'
     );
   }
 
@@ -454,33 +454,6 @@ function randomGradient() {
     return gradient;
 };
 
-function cutePath(paper, pathString, options) {
-    options = options || {};
-    var wantsToFill = options.wantsToFill;
-    var strokeColor = options.strokeColor;
-    var fillColor = options.fillColor;
-
-    var path = paper.path(pathString);
-
-    if (!strokeColor) {
-        strokeColor = randomHueString();
-    }
-    if (!fillColor) {
-        fillColor = randomHueString();
-    }
-    path.attr({
-        'stroke-width': 2,
-        'stroke': strokeColor,
-        'stroke-linecap': 'round',
-        'stroke-linejoin': 'round'
-    });
-
-    if (wantsToFill) {
-        path.attr('fill',fillColor);
-    }
-    return path;
-};
-
 function cuteSmallCircle(paper, x, y, options) {
     var options = options || {};
     var wantsSameColor = options.sameColor;
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 2c53066c..9ce1e894 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -11,17 +11,19 @@ ALSO other big things:
 - Division in their rings based on how many / what branches they are part of
 - Color on branch edges??
 
-- sizing on visedge arrowheads, also fill most likely
-
 Big Graphic things:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - colored branch edges. basically 
 - node rings, really think we should do it
+- When you are rebasing and you hit the bottom, all the nodes go in the wrong spot...
+          We need some kind of "update everything but this set of nodes" thing...
+- averaging colors!
 
 
 Medium things:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 - Rebuilding trees from a JSON snapshot / blob. this should be easy... i think. if we remove the need for parents
+- sizing on visedge arrowheads, also fill most likely
 
 
 Small things to implement:
@@ -33,8 +35,4 @@ Small things to implement:
 Bugs to fix:
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-- When you are rebasing and you hit the bottom, all the nodes go in the wrong spot...
-          We need some kind of "update everything but this set of nodes" thing...
-
-- always grab the maxHeight