This show is far from over, but it is already the best Digimon since the original series. Turning Digimon into a mystery thriller probably saved the franchise. It's enough of an original story that you don't have to be fans of the original to enjoy it. You may need to avert your child's eyes from time to time as it can get surprisingly graphic for a show meant for older kids.
EDIT: Unfortunately, while still technically being better than most previous Digimon entries, it got stuck in it's own gimmick and couldn't figure out how to be anything more than a Scooby Doo monster-of-the-week kiddie show... with a lot of material that is not appropriate for kids. The finale throwing a curve ball and saying that it was aliens without any setup what-so-ever ended this experiment on a whimper and tremendous disappointment because of what this show could have been for the franchise.
The very definition of "Out with a whimper."
This is some of the best alt-history you will ever watch.
If this show had been 10~12 episodes long, it would have been genuinely great. For reasons unknown, they spread everything so thin that they had to recap and literally rerun every single event three or four times over to the point where I was just wanted it to end. To add insult to injury, the big event that was teased throughout the series never actually happens. This isn't the worst Anime ever, but this is such a spectacularly-unforced error that should be taught as a cautionary tale in animation schools around the world.
This is made by Williams Street Productions for fans of Williams Street Productions (Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Brak Show, Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law...). A hellish take on The Office set in the dark upside-down version of the Hanna-Barbara universe created by the demented minds at Cartoon Network. I highly recommend it.
Basically, this is Japanese Garfield.
This show is Mad Men set in a Black Mirror universe.
I guess it's getting low rating from people that need the conceit revealed within the first couple of episodes. I like that we're being led along and not allowed to see the whole board. There's a chance that it could end in disappointment, but I'm willing to give it a chance. I can enjoy the Rocket-age aesthetic in the mean time.
Someone at HBO actually has their head on straight for this show to come back.
The storyline with Lee Pace and the other Brothers is excellent - High Science Fiction. The rest of the story involving The Foundation isn't bad, it just isn't as interesting. Almost everything that happened I could see coming a mile away. Though the revelation at the end seems to promise that things will become far more engaging in the future. ...We hope.
"Attorney at Law"
You had my curiosity, now you have my attention.
This is the best season of Stranger Things since the beginning. The show started to feel like it had lost its way and become generic horror/gore, but that neon synth lightning has returned! I am eager to see what's in store for the fifth season.
Probably won't do it this season, but I hope this show gets around to this fantastic unsolved daylight robbery that occurred in Japan back in the 1960s: https://moneyweek.com/363610/10-december-1968-the-300-million-yen-robbery
Naming the episodes after famous Science Fiction novels might not elevate this show the way they think it does.
The fact that they got Jeffrey Wright back just so Baby Groot could knowingly troll The Watcher is fantastic.
The first season was a cute little watch, this is even better.
The music selection for this show is abnormally good. I have a good mind to make a Spotify playlist.
Pokemon: We will forever churn out cut-rate children's TV that's of "okay" quality while mercilessly teasing you with random shorts and one-offs of the significantly higher visual and storytelling quality that you would rather we focus our attention on.
This is not the way... this is the destination. This is new-generation Star Wars at its finest.
David Filoni is living his best life.
Can you imagine if Filoni had been in charge of Obi-Wan? Maybe they would have bothered to de-age Hayden that time.
I cannot wait to see the reactions to this one (Kyle Katarn is going to have a conniption fit), and I cannot wait to laugh at all the low ratings and negative comments. Wonder what straws they're going to grasp at this time...
Edit: Personal attacks it is. :expressionless:
"I'm teaching you how to lead, how to survive. And to do that, you're going to have to fight." - Anakin Skywalker
And I was seriously thinking that episode 4 would likely be best episode of the series, save (maybe) for the finale. Now I just don't know what to think. If this is what we get mid-season...
Not only is this episode the aftermath of the very satisfying events from last week, but it sets up what is going to come next, the whole second act of the series.
We are missing Morgan, Baylan, Shin, Sabine, still haven't seen hide nor hair of Ezra or Thrawn, AND just about everyone else is effectively sidelined on a manhunt so we could follow Ahsoka, just Ahsoka, and get the reunion of a lifetime.
The visuals, the dialog, the music, the staging, everything is all so finely-honed and balanced into an episode that is Ahsoka's final lesson from her former Master, Anakin Skywalker.
The Lesson:
"Live, or die."
Ahsoka doesn't even understand why Anakin is saying that to her, or why she has to fight him now. She just keeps defending herself, lamenting the loss she had to endure, the weight of the shame and guilt of feeling responsible for that loss, regretting the path her life took (away from Anakin) and resenting him for turning into a hate-fueled monster. Even though she knows he turned back to the Light in the end, she probably never completely believed or understood it until "Sky Guy" was standing right in front of her again.
She eventually lands hits on her old Master and thinks that he has nothing to teach her. In response, Anakin upheaves the entire World Between Worlds and she falls into the smoke, back in time to the beginning of the Clone Wars, back in time to when she was just a little girl. And her new training begins at the very beginning.
Now Ahsoka is afraid. She reverts to the inexperienced Padawan she was way back then. She doesn't want to follow Anakin towards explosions and battle droids. She doesn't want to watch all those young Clone Troopers die all over again. She doesn't want to be taught on a battlefield. She doesn't want to be a soldier.
"What if I want to stop fighting?" - Ahsoka
"Then you'll die." - Anakin, who Ahsoka watches briefly turn into Darth Vader as he marches into the smoke with the rest of the 501st Battalion.
Now Ahsoka is angry. Angry because of all the loss of life and destruction, and angry because she gave in and became party to it. While she is leading the 332nd Company on Mandalore and killing Death Watch soldiers with ease at the tail end of the Clone War, Anakin seems bemused and slightly impressed, this is his first time witnessing these events. But because she regrets everything that happened, and resents following in Anakin's footsteps as his path grew darker and darker, he scoffs and says she learned nothing.
"Back to the beginning...Live, or die." - Anakin, as he ignites a red lightsaber.
Now Ahsoka is filled with hatred. The saber strikes become more fierce and unrefined. Anakin is now no longer her beloved Master of the Force. Now, he is Darth Vader before the transformation. His eyes are yellow and his face is gaunt. Ahsoka is no longer a match for his raw power and anger and she is thrown back to the present in the World Between Worlds - back to her present self. As Vader approaches, she hears and sees flashes of the monster he would become. Now she is fighting for her life. Even though he is more powerful, she feints and disarms Vader - holding his own lightsaber against his neck. For a split second, Ahsoka's eyes seem yellow from the glow of the blade. Then she steps back, switches the blade off, and tosses the hilt into the abyss.
"I choose to live." - Ahsoka
Darth Vader concedes defeat, backs away, and becomes Anakin Skywalker again.
"There's hope for you yet." - Anakin, with a wry smile.
And with that, Anakin Skywalker disappears and the World Between Worlds melts into water. Ahsoka holds her breath as the water rises over her head and she finds herself floating in the sea below the henge where she is rescued by Carson's pilots and brought aboard the Ghost.
The Visuals:
Everything is so visually perfect and meaningful in this episode. Especially the time jumps. I noticed little things like The Ghost's ramp being uneven with the ground at the henge, Jacen's mock rank insignia along with his father's shoulderpad, how beautiful the lighting is inside Ahsoka's ship when they're in the atmosphere of a planet (and how real the whole ship feels when it's brightly-lit like that), the Purrgil having plates instead of teeth like humpbacked whales. A lot of the detail and finish to this episode are not needed but they are there anyways.
Most of all, the accuracy of everything during the time skips. Especially the costuming for each given time period. It filled me with joy to see Clone Wars-era Anakin in live action. ...With the glaring exception of Padawan Ahsoka deliberately wearing something more modest than she had in the Clone Wars cartoon. But that's an understandable change that can be forgiven. Ariana Greenblatt is 15 years old.
The time skips themselves were portrayed so otherworldly and disconcerting. Almost everything in the foreground was practical (not the TRON walkways, I wish), unlike the cartoon. But at the same time it was all... off, like a bad dream. The fog made it feel like the moment something or someone disappeared from view, that's where the whole universe ended and there's nothing but nothingness beyond it. A rare moment where the faux reality of The Volume turned into a storytelling strength.
Lastly, Ahsoka's outfit at the end of the episode made me chuckle knowingly. Up until now, many have been saying that the reason that one scene with Ahsoka and Sabine at the end of Rebels and the beginning of Ahsoka look different is because time changed the details of the scene and Filoni had to slightly retcon it. Now it seems like the show is actually building to that exact moment just as it was depicted all those years ago. And if it really is... Rebels might actually have already spoiled the end of Ahsoka (season 1)! If you know, you know. Not going to put it past Filoni to carefully massage the plot details to make it happen.
Ahsoka the White has come to us at the turn of the tide.
The Music:
Everything from the Williams cues as Jacen reaches out into the Force to the cyberpunkish percussion swells during the Siege of Mandalore that were heard just moments before the fall of the Galactic Republic is just beautiful and emotionally-charged.
Having Kevin and Deana Kiner do the music for this series has really set a new high bar for live-action Star Wars music. For me, it's even more effective than Ludwig Göransson's work on The Mandalorian.
Music effects what you watch far more than most people realize. While the music for previous live-action Star Wars shows has been good for me all across the board, and while nothing will ever compare to the godlike work of John Williams for the principle films, the Kiners have been doing nothing but minting gold this entire series so far. Far better than what was to be expected for this one series. I really hope Lucasfilm gives them many more projects in the future.
The Rest:
- One of the two X-Wing pilots, besides Carson, that survived the Eye of Scion's jump to hyperspace (the man who had no dialog in the previous episode and the woman) is named Lander.
- Apparently "take evasive action" means "plow straight through them" in the Star Wars galaxy.
- Also apparently "the fleet" means "three ships", none of which were Home One.
- Anakin & Ahsoka saying "What would you prefer?" "I don't know" then immediately saying "Do you want me to be more serious?" "I'd prefer it." really sounded weird. If there was anything wrong about this episode it was clumsy and inaccurate dialog here and there.
- Ahsoka really likes walking on the outside of her ship. I'm pretty sure she'll do it again.
- I know the Purrgil are benevolent and majestic creatures, but seeing all of them in the sky just made me think of the Battle for Zion in The Matrix Revolutions. Hard not to feel a little uneasy at the sight of it all.
- "Jacen's too young to travel between galaxies." - For a brief moment I thought the big Purrgil was going to accidentally drag the Ghost along with it.
- "May the Force be with you." - It's such a simple line, but it doesn't get said enough. And it's way better than saying "Godspeed."
- Another seemingly small gesture that means a lot is spinning the starfield after a jump to hyperspace. One thing David Filoni gets that almost no one else producing Star Wars gets is how to respect the source material. Just like respecting the need for animatronics over CG aliens, it all matters and it all adds up.
This is the second time Filoni has made me sit down and rewatch the same episode of something on the same day because I could not completely process it the first time around. He does not have to try this hard, but he does because he cares about these stories and loves these characters that much. This isn't Star Trek, there doesn't have to be a deep message and a lesson attached to every episode to make it worth watching. It just has to be fun. It just has to be Star Wars. I'm extremely happy (and a little sad) that I live in a time where currently-airing Star Wars is more Trek-like than currently-airing Star Trek. No, I'm grateful - As a fan of Science Fiction who simply wants to be entertained and as someone who was spoiled by an era where Science Fiction was coupled with masterful lessons in the Humanities by a visionary who would have been so disappointed by where the world stands today if he were still alive. Those lessons helped shape me into a much better version of myself as I grew into an adult. I'm grateful I can still get that entertainment and that wisdom combined together from somewhere, and I sincerely hope that the Filoni Era of Star Wars just keeps going for as long as it possibly can.
How does this show keep getting better with each episode?
Captain Pete, the "bad guy", just wants Mickey to do his job. Meanwhile Minnie is a stowaway, and Mickey abuses every animal on the ship. And I think he might have killed that bird! Different times!
One of the best episodes of the series. BJ can be scary when he wants to.
Major Burnham manages to look eerily like Henry Blake.
This continues to be one of the best episodes of television ever.
One of the best "fan service" episodes. Genuinely funny, witty, and actually moves the plot forward.
Ah, this is one of the best episodes of the series. Just a hopeless buildup of chaos for no reason.
This is one of the best episodes of the series. Not only do they provide a one-of-a-kind perspective, but they still manage to weave a typical M*A*S*H story together within the confines of a single soldier's perspective. A story that would have been a decent episode all on its own. To see the controlled-insanity of the 4077 from an outsider's perspective, rather that just seeing its effects on someone, is both enjoyable and sombering. And even though it's a happy ending, for all parties, the way the episode ends by simply killing the audio and freezing the video forces you to sit there in introspection and process what you just saw. Even watching this for the first time as a young kid, I had to spend some time to quietly process emotions I wasn't expecting to feel. They just don't make TV like this anymore.
Justice for Ahmed Best, achieved. Welcome back, Sir.
JUST the Mandalorian parts by themselves made this one of the best episodes of the series. JUST those parts.
I did not have Mr. Pershing Goes to Washington on my bingo card. Damn them for making Coruscant feel so real, because I know I can never go there. I really wanted to believe that Kane was genuinely converted and Pershing was the one who was harboring malcontent. Gideon may be gone, but she is definitely working for whomever sent all those TIE Bombers.
But the gold medal goes to the final scene. Bo had a classic come-to-Jesus moment. It's not the life she envisioned, but it's the best life available to her now. Can't wait to feel the uncomfortable silence between her and Paz. And I was scared that Bo would somehow know who the Armorer is and they would have a serious falling out. I guess the worst thing right now is having a Kryze & a Vizsla living in the same cave.
Also this is in keeping with my selfish head-canon that Grogu is going to get a mommy.
On any other series, that would have been the season finale. Ten years ago, it would have been considered a TV movie.
Not just on terms of length, because it wasn't even the longest episode of the season thus far, but on terms of stakes and delivery. They pulled out all the stops, showed us all the things, culminated everything that the season has been building up to... save for one small child.
Where all the other episodes (except for one unfortunate bummer) pulled at the heart strings and brought progressive thought and understanding in the way Trek fans had enjoyed for years, this episode was one bombastic, cinematic moment after another. And I can appreciate that, when employed correctly. So many TV shows (and movies) don't, and all the explosions and dying and interstellar war fail to mean anything. Despite this, there was a single thought-provoking plot thread that came to a close...
Ensign Charly Burke.
I understand, and sympathize, with a lot of the hate surrounding the character. Though, I'm glad that the vast majority of that hate was aimed at the character and not the actor. Orville fans setting the bar for more established fandoms. And I personally wish they could have fleshed her out more than they did. But in the end... they did a good job with her arc. She was ripped out of her happy little life, forced to work alongside the person who inadvertently caused the person she loved to die for no reason, forced to tow the line on a ship that wouldn't tolerate racism towards the enemy the way the rest of the Union might have (wrongly) put up with. And she grew. Against her desire to grow, she grew. She grew more than she was aware of. When she had no time to think, she reactively defended Issac and ultimately the Kaylon as a people. So, I don't hate Charly as a character - especially not now. I think it was a competent execution of a trope that is used far too often and falls flat almost all of the time. Hell, even the funeral felt earned.
The rest of the episode is so dense, and doesn't ever slow down. But it's also a very visual. surface-level affair compared to the rest, so I'll just say that it was general sci-fi excellence. A great dessert after an even greater meal. I was genuinely shocked by Admiral Perry, especially his awareness of his decisions (Somewhere between Lawful Neutral and True Neutral). It's a shame he's gone now, but I'm more surprised we got Ted Danson in a recurring role for two seasons. I knew that a major shift in power was coming because of the last episode, but I was not expecting the team-ups we are left with. After all the griping about the shorten ed episode list, the length of those episodes and how tight the narrative has been leaves me stunned there's still a whole other episode to go after all of this. See you on the other side.
"To the Undiscovered Country - The future."
I lost track of how much talent is in this episode. I kept getting distracted by Bruce Boxleitner reprising his role as the President of Earth. What a lore-rich and beautiful episode this is. I think there is something for everybody. From the classic humor in the simulator, to getting deeper into Krill lore, to seeing multiple space battles.
To the above quote, this is The Orville's version of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Right down to the Abrahamic leader figure. And this time the subversion is that peace goes to shit and all anyone can do is simply prevent going to open war on multiple fronts. The wildcard, that I'm mad I didn't see coming, is that Ed got Teleya pregnant and she now has a Krill-Human daughter that could upset galactic politics and cause an uprising on Krill. Ed is now sitting on an H-bomb, and he might have to press the trigger.
Overall this episode has such a warmth to it, even on Planet Ibiza. All the vistas we get to see, all the held shots and silent moments. Seth said that every episode would feel like a movie, and so far that holds true. This is best one so far, and also one of the best of the entire series.
I cannot stress how meaningful it is to me that the camera is allowed to be in a fixed position for several seconds at a time! After finishing Obi-wan, I am so tired of free-roaming cameras and additional shaking being purposefully added in post when the scene is just someone talking.
I'm just going to keep saying it until it stops being true. Right now, there are exactly two scifi shows airing that are telling stories of this caliber. Neither of them are called Star Trek, but both of them are being worked on by Star Trek alumni. I'm at least grateful that science fiction that prioritizes smart storytelling is still an option. Gene would be proud of both of them. And I'd like to think he prefers this one. :)
