AgentGrazzhopper

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9

I'm not sure what to say. I don't know how I expected this show to end. On one hand, I'm okay with this ending, and I think it was a good way to conclude the show. On the other, I feel completely empty inside. It's strange to think that we're not getting another episode next week.

I was sure that John would be the one to die. It made the most sense. He had a good death, fighting until the very end. Still, I cried my eyes out when it happened.

I'm glad that Shaw is alive, and that she has Bear by her side. I loved how she smiled in the last scene. She totally heard Root's voice on the phone.

Finch is finally reunited with Grace!

So The Machine was talking to a version of herself all along. I'd kind of suspected that.

This was a great episode, and the last few minutes of it were bittersweet but also hopeful. The Machine's final monologue was epic. You know how sometimes you hear something so profound and powerful, something that speaks to you so deeply that you have to fight the urge to get it tattooed on your body? That's what I felt like when I heard that monologue. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the way they tied it all up.

Now, it's time for me to say goodbye.

I discovered Person of Interest quite late - just a few months before season 5 started. I wasn't hooked right away, but I stuck with the show because I'd read stellar reviews online. It took me almost an entire season to really get into it.

And then Root showed up, kidnapped Finch, stole my heart in about 0.2 seconds, and I was officially obsessed. It took me only 10 days to binge-watch seasons 2-4 (after all, who needs school? Who needs sleep?). This show was a wild ride, and I'm grateful that I got to experience it.

Thank you, Person of Interest.

Thank you for giving us compelling storylines, jaw-dropping plot twists and intense action scenes.

Thank you for exploring fascinating themes, such as AI and the true meaning of humanity.

Thank you for gorgeous cinematography, spectacular score and special effects that blockbuster movies could be jealous of.

Thank you for phenomenal characters, fantastic relationships, consistent characterization and incredible character development.

Thank you for starting my obsession with Amy Acker, which resulted in me binge-watching 19 episodes of Angel in one day (no, I do not possess amazing impulse control).

Thank you for making me laugh, making me cry, making me think, making me lose sleep over you.

Is there something about this show that I'm not happy with? Absolutely. I wish CBS hadn't acted like dicks and had given us a full season instead of measly 13 episodes. I wish Root hadn't died, and a part of me will always be bitter about it. I wish Shaw and Root had had more time. I wish they had paced the final season better (Root and Shaw are reunited after 10 months and over 7,000 simulations, Root dies in the following episode, and then we get a case of the week as if nothing happened? That's just bullshit right there), but I also know that the showrunners tried to do the best they could with a reduced number of episodes. And overall, they succeeded, making Person of Interest one of very few TV shows that were just as, if not more, exquisite in their last season as they were in their first.

Goodbye, Person of Interest. You will always be one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I don't think I'll ever get to watch something as engaging, thrilling, smart, thought-provoking, heartbreaking and powerful as you again.

Netflix loves to cancel its shows without warning, and it especially loves canceling them after 3 seasons, so I'm about 60% sure this is goodbye. But then again, Sex Education has been a huge hit for them, so I guess we might get a renewal.

If this is the series finale, it's pretty good. Unlike last season, there aren't any major loose ends left. The only storyline that hasn't been resolved is the paternity of baby Joy. Judging by Jean's reaction, it's not good news for Jakob.

As much as I disliked Hope all season, I enjoyed her conversation with Otis. It made her feel a bit more human, even if she is still deeply terrible.

The Groffs had a great storyline. I loved seeing Adam and Michael grow in their own ways. If we do get another season, I hope they explore their relationship a bit more. It's sad that things didn't work out for Adam and Eric, but maybe it's for the best. Eric clearly has some things to work through before he's ready to commit to one person. And seeing Adam discover his talent and passion was lovely. He didn't win, but he still achieved something really impressive all on his own.

I'm glad Aimee knocked some sense into Maeve. Their friendship is genuinely one of the best parts of the show. We didn't get a lot of Otis and Maeve in this episode, but if this is the end of the road, Maeve got a very fitting and satisfying ending. She finally has a family and she's off to do her thing in America. She deserves the world and finally she's getting it. And things with her and Otis are left open ended and hopeful. Even though they can't know if they'll still be right for each other when she returns, they're both willing to give it a shot. That's good enough for me.

I do hope this show comes back. I really do. There's something so quirky and unique about it, the storylines are great and the cast is excellent. It's truly a gem. But I'm keeping my expectations low just in case. Netflix has disappointed me many times before.

The marketing and trailer of the film suggested a horror movie with a creepy monster. That may well be the case, but this is not a conventional horror film at all - there is far, far more to this outstanding film than that. To say more would give away the plot, but clear hints as to the identity of the “Babadook” and how it fits into the narrative ensure the reveal and resolution are unsurprising. That, though, misses the point - here the journey the audience is taken on is so compelling that the reveal and resolution to the story don’t need to surprise. Essie Davies plays a single mother still coming to terms with the death of her husband and the young Noah Wiseman is her son who is exhibiting behavioural issues. They both give outstanding natural performances and the film is rooted in such verisimilitude that the introduction of the horror element almost feels intrusive. Not that this is unsuccessful either - the “monster’ initially lurks in the shadows, creating a palpable sense of foreboding and dread and the sound design of the film helps to emphasise this, creating some wonderfully creepy moments. Fortunately, rather than worrying about horror conventions and gimmicks to scare, the filmmakers explore far more gripping issues and concerns - that of a mother’s struggle to raise a child on her own and cope with unresolved grief, loss, isolation and helplessness. If there was a minor criticism, it is that the final act occasionally focuses more on the conventions of horror and suspense that had been so carefully balanced throughout. But this is a nitpick at best and doesn’t detract from one of the finest films of the year and a strong message that true horror is as firmly rooted in reality as it is in the supernatural and fantasy.

Orange Is The New Black is really a good show, and much different compared to other shows which are currently high rated.

The writers don't need that long to build up the characters. This is what I don't like at the beginning of many shows, because most of the time this is the boring part - until the whole story starts to develop. In Orange Is The New Black you got kicked in right from the start.

The actors are really good . All of them. And well written; and I got to admit that my favorite character is "Red". Not just because Kate Mulgrew played Captain Kathrin Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager, but because the character is build up so strong, and she's got so many facets.

You also get to know her in more backflashes (that explains how the people got into the prison). Some TV shows are using backflashes as well to explain some things, and usually I find that annoying, because it is a hard cut in the current plot; but the director in Orange Is The New Black is doing that so well, that it doesn't me bother at all - just the opposite: I want to know why the women got in there.

After watching the first three episodes I wrote that the show shouldn't be drama. It should be a comedy show. That is not true, after I watched the other episodes. Yes, there are funny scenes in it, but it defiantly got the strong drama parts as well.

I highly recommend to give this show a try, because you might wanna love it!

Story time:

Once upon a time, Castle was my favorite show. I discovered it two years ago, and I loved everything about it. The writing. The characters. Castle and Beckett's dynamic. The way they balanced comedy and drama. It was perfect: well-acted, surprising, charming, funny, but also dark and intense when it needed to be. It was everything you could possibly want from a TV series. People say that when two main characters get together, it ruins the show because apparently established relationships are not interesting to the viewers. But in Castle and Beckett's case, it worked. It really did.

Until they decided to make Castle disappear on his wedding day in season 6 finale. That was the first time I was genuinely disappointed with the show, but I kept watching because I still loved it.

Season 7 was noticeably more forgettable than the previous ones, but it had enough good moments for me to feel somewhat satisfied. We got the wedding, they tied up the 3XK storyline (which, in hindsight, were the last two truly good episodes of Castle ever). Although Andrew Marlowe wasn't the showrunner anymore, he stuck around as a writer, and it was obvious that as long as he was there, he kept the show from going completely downhill.

And then the new showrunners took over in season 8 and destroyed everything that Castle had once been.

Season 8 was an insult to the audience. There's no other way to put it. The writing was mediocre at best and straight-up awful most of the time. Separating Castle and Beckett was unbelievably stupid. None of the new characters were likeable. Stana Katic had too little screen time, and Castle's PI business became the focus of the show. I wish I had something nice to say about this season, but there's nothing. All I feel is bitterness, and I can't imagine how people who have been watching the show since 2009 must feel. I stopped watching this trainwreck when I heard that they'd fired Stana, but I came back for the finale after they announced the cancellation. I was relieved. I hoped the show would end with some dignity. Which it didn't, but at least Beckett's alive, so I'll take it. If they'd got rid of the last shooting and made the epilogue longer, it would've been fine. But they very clearly wanted to show that they intended to kill Beckett before the series got cancelled. It was like one last slap from the writers to the audience.

I don't know if the rumors about Stana and Nathan hating each other are true. All I know is that those two seem like really nice people if their interviews and panels are anything to go by. Especially Stana has always struck me as a classy, lovely person. They appeared to be thick as thieves during their PaleyFest panel in 2012, and then, at the same event in 2013, they weren't even sitting next to each other. I can't imagine what happened between them, and we'll probably never know. But one way or another, their relationship off-screen didn't have anything to do with Castle's long-overdue cancellation. Low ratings and backlash from fans after the showrunners tried to make Beckett-less season 9 happen did.

If I decide to rewatch the show in the future (and I probably will because seasons 1-6 really were excellent, and season 7 still had some of that flair left), I'll be sure to skip the abomination that was season 8 entirely. The ending of season 7 was a better and more satisfying series finale anyway.

Goodbye, Castle. I won't miss you in the fall, and I'm sad that it had to end like this, but you were incredible once. And that's how I want to remember you.

THIS is how you slowly build up your characters and world to a satisfying payoff. If you have an entire episode that takes place outside of the main universe and put all the main characters into completely different roles yet still manages to retain the core of the show and give viewers enough familiarity to hold onto, then you really do know how to write. Even if the series ends here, what a brilliant, intelligent, and enjoyable adventure The Orville is. Anyone still out there who looks at this show and thinks "Family Guy in space" is in crippling denial. This show is reaching Stargate levels of storytelling and character development now. What started as a chance foot in the door, to get the fleeting chance to stand in the shadows of science fiction giants has evolved into something that actually has the potential to be one of those giants some day.

For this episode in particular, what a delightful blend of TOS movie and Star Wars musical cues, the new ships and places that are a departure from the typical Union aesthetic, and the very best special effects I've seen on this show so far. Effects that are very detailed and eye-popping while still allowing everything to be well-lit and easy to follow. A very bold and dramatic way to cap off a season, especially the second season, and a very enigmatic ending that deliberately left threads hanging while still being satisfying and positive.

THIS show is the hopeful vision of the future we need right now. Not something that just reflects back what we currently are (because, let's face it, what we currently are is embarrassing), but one that shows up what we could be if we could stop resenting ourselves and each other for five freaking minutes. We'll always have our precious mistakes, our warts, our weirdness, but it's wrong to let those things define us. In the past, this kind of love and awareness came from a different show. A show that has sadly decided to move away from the wisdom of the human adventure. Now, thankfully, it's coming from this one. Hopefully, for a long time to come.

I love October. You can practically hear all of my favorite shows coming back from hiatus.

This was a really good episode. Like, really good. Thankfully, Superman didn't overshadow Supergirl at all. I'd been worried that that might happen - the media had been massively overhyping his appearance on the show before the season started, but he didn't steal Kara's spotlight, for which I'm grateful. Tyler and Melissa work so well together. It was a pleasure to watch their characters interact.

Lena Luthor seems pretty cool. I hope to see more of her soon.

Cat Grant is absolutely fantastic. I love her. What a shame that Calista is no longer a series regular. Kara and Cat's relationship is a delight to watch.

Kara and James didn't even last one episode, which is hilarious. Honestly, I'm glad. Let Kara focus on herself before you put her in a relationship.

We also got yet another British villain, the first glimpse of Project Cadmus and Alex Danvers kicking some bad guy ass (hell yeah!).

After a pretty shaky start and some serious improvement in season 1, Supergirl is now a well-balanced superhero show and also one of my personal favorites. And boy, am I glad that they moved it to the CW. To be honest, I didn't know what to think when I heard the news back in May, but it worked out extremely well. The pacing and the flow of the episode were significantly better than what we'd got used to in season 1. The dialogues were better. The editing was better. The atmosphere was better. Supergirl has always been charming, colorful and fun, and now all these qualities seem to have been amplified somehow. If this episode was any indication of how the rest of the season is going to look like, we're in for a treat. And I couldn't be more excited.

Before Anthony and Joe Russo were directing superhero movies, they worked on a little show called Community. The series, oddly enough, had some common ground with The Avengers. Both were about seven people from different backgrounds who came in with their own damage, bounced off one another in interesting ways, but would, now and then, come together to do amazing things.

But one of the most remarkable things about the was its mastery of tone. The series was pitched as a comedy, and true to that billing, it was a damn funny show. And yet it could just as easily shift into something quiet and personal, something unremittingly dark, or something complex and difficult without the easy answers that are seemingly required on a network sitcom.

So when watching Captain America: Civil War, I couldn’t help but see how the Russos had brought that amazing ability to balance different characters and tones and translated it onto a much bigger stage without missing a beat.

Because Civil War is hilarious. It is action-packed and all kinds of fun. It’s full of impressive moments and inventive sequences and fights big and small that are filled with feeling and imagination. And at the same time it is, in its own way, a very dark film. It touches on big ideas like moral responsibility and guilt and the dangers of unchained power, but grounds them in characters, and individual moment, and personal relationships. It is a smorgasbord of moods and stories that makes you laugh, makes you gasp, and make you feel the tragedy of a given moment, without letting it clash. And that is one hell of an achievement.

That achievement is all the more impressive given how many moving parts there were to this clockwork behemoth of a film. Civil War features no fewer than twelve heroes, three major villains, and a bevy of supporting characters, and nearly all them get a moment in the sun. Nevermind the fact that on top of all of this, the film had to introduce two new characters slated to get their own films -- one of whom was under the radar for most non-comic book fans, and another who was laden with the expectations that come from being a household name with two prior uneven franchises under his belt.

But Black Panther was far from a third wheel amid the super-powered clash at the top of the card, and his motivations and outsider status with The Avengers gave him a unique role to play in the narrative, an important arc in the film. Spider-Man, for his part, had the kind of chummy-if-overwhelmed vibe with Tony Stark that you’d hope for, and proved himself an enjoyably free spirit in the big battle. And everyone else in the film, from Ant-Man’s show-stealing humor, to Vision and Scarlet Witch’s endearing connection, to Rhodey’s loss, had an important part to play, without anyone getting lost in the shuffle.

That balance is made all the more difficult by how much oxygen Captain America and Iron Man take up at the top of the card. There is a history between the two characters. They have never seen eye-to-eye, and the films in the MCU have never shied away from that, even as they’ve brought the two of them together for their shared struggles. And again, Civil War does well by using the disagreements and difference between these two men as symbols for a larger debate, for bigger issues between them, while never detracting from the personal side of their beef.

To be frank, it took some work to convince me that Tony Stark would be in favor of the Sokovia Accords, which put The Avengers under the supervision of a U.N. Committee. And yet, the film shows Tony’s interaction with a woman whose son perished in the rubble of Sokovia. He’s seen the collateral damage of their actions and he’s feeling the guilt of it. The film does well to couch Stark’s position in terms of his weapons dealing -- he made his living in an industry where his seemingly harmless actions were leading to innocent people being hurt and killed, and he realized he had to do something. For Tony, this is no different. He’s worried about the collateral damage from their actions.

Steve Rogers, for his part, is understandably much less trusting of government supervision. He’s the one who blanched at the discovery that Shield was using Hydra technology to create weapons; he’s the one who saw Hydra take over the organization he worked for from the inside, and use good people to ill-ends, and he’s the one who’s seen his best friend brainwashed and used as a weapon for geopolitical conflict when the higher ups felt it necessary.

At the same time, he’s also concerned about there being a need that he can’t respond to because of red tape. He’s worried that innocent people will suffer, that people who need saving won’t be saved, because the people who try to do right will be too hamstrung by procedure and approval while the good people suffer. He’s worried about the collateral damage from their inaction.

But these are not simply grand philosophical difference between the two of them. Civil War ties it into their unique psychological baggage, which comes to a head in a confrontation between the two of them in the second act of the film. Tony has lost the people in his life that matter to him -- Pepper and his parents, and their absence casts a major shadow over his part of the film. This fight, this struggle, has kept him from the parts of his life that made it all worth it for him, that gave him his Batman-like need to protect them, to create a world where no one would have to suffer that kind of loss.

But Steve, despite his status as a man out of town, found his family. The Avengers, new and old, gave him a place where he felt like he belonged, people who had fought alongside him like the Howling Commandos once had, and became his brothers and sisters in arms. Steve is this close to signing the accords until he finds out that because of them, Tony has Wanda Maximoff under what amounts to house arrest. That’s a bridge too far for Captain America. He isn’t worried about getting people back; he’s worried about outside forces taking them away.

So there is a schism, caused by Secretary (nee General) Ross from above, and Zemo from below. The former is the liaison of the Sokovia accords, who attempts to maneuver his way into corralling more superheroes after his run-ins Hulk, and the latter is a man who lost his family thanks to The Avengers, and is determined to use any means necessary to tear them apart, to have their empire crumble from within. And in the middle of that schism is Black Widow, who’s pragmatic enough to know that Tony’s right in the logistics of it all--that they’ll get a better deal agreeing to conditions than having them forced on the group, but sympathetic enough to understand why Steve can’t get on board, what his connection to her and this group means, and the threat posed by anything with the ability to forcibly sever it.

And then there’s Bucky. While Black Widow is a tie that brings Captain America and Iron Man together, The Winter Soldier is a wedge that drives them apart. When Steve sees Bucky, he sees his childhood friend, the one who knows his mother’s name and, with the death of Peggy Carter, is his last real tie to the life he used to live and the man he used to be. He sees family, and connection.

But when Stark sees him, he sees, by dint of Zemo’s machinations, the man who killed his parents, who took away his last chance to tell his father that he loved him, who, brainwashing or no brainwashing, snuffed out a light that Tony needed desperately in times like these. He sees the end of family, and the severing of a connection he will never be able to get back.

That’s what makes Civil War so powerful. In a genre of escalating bombast, it brings the conflict back to the small and personal. The film’s opening action scene gives a moment in the spotlight to each of the new Avengers; the subsequent chases and rumbles featuring The Winter Soldier are a visual treat, and it all culminates in an internecine conflict among the heroes that stands as one of the most creative, entertaining, and thrilling action set pieces since the Battle of New York in the first Avengers film.

But instead of that continued escalation, the film narrows its focus after that. The climax of the film comes from a personal reveal -- not only that Bucky was the Starks’ assassin, but that Steve knew and had the gist of it, if not the specifics, but never said a word. A film with so many characters and themes and stories comes down to a conflict between three people. That is the heart of the film -- a dispute, a wedge, that is as personal as it is philosophical, that is as meaningful because of the characters as we’ve watched them grow and develop as because of the fact that it’s two icons locked in combat with one another.

And that too, was one of Community’s strengths. For as outrageous and absurd and cartoony as the show could get, at its best, it drew all that weirdness and humor and conflict back down to the simple, emotional, and human. Tony Stark is still quick with a witty, sarcastic remark. Steve Rogers can still take a beating and deliver one in return. And their conflict is the culmination of more than that, of difference of opinion, of lifestyle, of their place in life and their place in relation to one another, with their team and their family.

As grandiose and ambitious and multi-faceted a film and narrative as Civil War presents, at its core, it’s a story about two people who care about each other breaking away, about the elements of their relationships and their histories and psyches that drives them to do it, and the extraordinarily human reasons that both pull them back together and tear them apart. These are the kinds of themes the Russos brought with them from their old gig, and they make Civil War more than just the flash and excitement of the good guys coming to blows; it’s a film that crystallizes from the connections between its characters, between the emotions and experiences that drive them, between the humanity, humor, and heart that drives the Marvel Cinematic Universe and produced what may be its greatest film to date.

Wow. GLOW is such a fantastic show with a lot of unexpected depth to it. I didn't know what to really expect (other than Alison Brie wrestling other women) after just skimming some reviews online and trying not to spoil myself, but it was very well made dealing with a myriad of different social issues and themes. I never thought that so much drama and intrigue could come out of making a female wrestling league/show.

There are definitely a decent amount of feminism and SJW vibes, which can usually turn me off to a show/movie if taken overboard. However, I thought the tone of the show struck a very nice balance to those themes with wisely timed comedic dialogue and chose not to go too overboard on stating some of the "obvious". I really liked the emphasized theme of "things don't just happen; people make choices" that is expanded upon. There are some times you can't just blame society and everyone else for everything, and at times, you have to just take some responsibility yourself.

Alison Brie did a great job as the lead in this one, and hit the humorous parts quite well. She definitely doesn't play the typical spunky girl who never gets down in order to overcome all obstacles in this one. Lots of bad shit happens to her constantly in this show (some of it self-inflicted), and she has to eventually deal with the consequences. Some are dealt with better than others. She really developed her character throughout the course of this season, but she never really crossed into that "totally likeable" realm for me.

However, this is alright because the other supporting characters in GLOW were fantastic in their roles as well. I was pleasantly surprised that the show was really able to flesh out almost every single character/female wrestler introduced and give them all some plot lines and conflict to overcome (even Sheila the wolf girl!!). My favorite girl/wrestler was probably definitely Debbie, played by Betty Gilpin. She is just badass and goes totally YOLO at times. The end of episode 1 was just pure f'n gold. I could watch that entire scene over and over again. It was so well acted out between Alison Brie and herself. I also really enjoyed Marc Maron's character, the director Sam Sylvia, who adds a ton of crass humor into all the dialogue that he's given. He could have just mailed it in as the sleazy coke'd out director, but he completely owns the role and adds so much to the show.

Anyway, I really enjoyed GLOW and I'm hoping for confirmation of a second season ASAP because the creators definitely left a few loose-ends hanging and we still have a lot more potential story to unfold. Looks like Netflix has another hit on their hands. Watch/binge it if you can at least before GoT owns all our lives starting in July.

Ahh, the sound of the nattering naybobs of Trekdom furiously trying to clap with one hand. You see, unless a program meets the narrowly specific parameters of what they will accept as "proper" Star Trek lore. Reminds me of those YouTube videos of entitled 16 year old's getting a new Lamborghini or BMW, and then pitching an absolute fit because it wasn't the color they desired. "This is NOT the Trek I was looking for"...... OK Obi Wan Kensnobby you win, we'll all go sit in the basement and watch reruns of the original series, or better yet, just the SPECIFIC EPISODES in each series that meet with your awesomely discerning taste. They rest you may send to the cornfield!!!!

Personally, I thought the producers and writers did a pretty good job of giving us a brand new crew, a brand new ship, an at least interesting situation as far as the story arc, while maintaining the connection to traditional "Trek" with appropriate amounts of fan service and character call backs. The animation, stylistically, is light years ahead of what is offered on "The Lower Drecks, er...Decks", and, the storytelling is aimed more toward the dramatic rather than the comedic. If that's not your thing, cool, but, neither should it be dismissed out of hand.

Personally, I found the amount of tension, thrills and FUN just about right, and the mix of immediate story and long arc balanced enough to hold my attention and leave me wanting more. Again, for a show aimed at the Nickelodeon demographic, that's no small feat IMO.

So yeah, I plan to continue watching it, and, it will be interesting to see if this version of the "Trekverse", can go where the others haven't gone before, or if the naybob's will be successful in stirring up enough negativity to eject the warp core and leave the crew stranded.

Geez, this episode was a rollercoaster. I have so many thoughts and I’m not sure if I can express all of them properly, but I’ll try.

First of all, Mon-El is not bad, but he’s not particularly interesting either. I really hope he and Kara will stay friends and nothing more. His scenes with Winn were pretty great, though. And hungover Winn is absolutely hilarious.

Something about Lena Luthor’s accent has been bothering me since the season premiere, and I finally got around to looking up Katie McGrath. She’s Irish, as it turns out. My ears weren’t deceiving me. By the way, is Lena evil? Does she know Kara is Supergirl? Something about their conversation and the way she stared after Kara seemed shady. Frankly, I don’t care if she’s one of the good guys or a villain. I’m fine with either.

Miss Martian is a White Martian! I’m having an aneurysm! I didn’t see that one coming at all. What an awesome plot twist. I really enjoyed the relationship between her and J’onn in this episode and I can’t wait to see what will happen when J’onn finds out who she really is.

"- I offered to merge with her in the Martian way.
- But you guys just met."

I literally had to pause the episode because I was laughing too hard. Oh, Kara.

Dichen Lachman is always a win. Dichen Lachman playing a villain in a red dress with sick tattoos? Double win. I hope we’ll see Roulette again at some point.

Alex „Fight Me” Danvers, the same Alex Danvers who throws herself at aliens twice her size without hesitation, stutters and gets flustered when a pretty girl compliments her. What an awkward baby gay. I love her so much.

Why did Maggie take Alex’s hand? Don’t tell me it was for the mission because there was no need for them to hold hands. I’m pretty sure the writers only threw that in to give me (and Alex) a heart attack.

Of course Maggie has a girlfriend who conveniently showed up when Alex was trying to ask Maggie out. I hate it when they do that. We all know that the girlfriend is just a plot device created for the sole purpose of keeping Alex pining for Maggie for a little longer. They did basically the same thing with Kara, James and Lucy last season, except Lucy ended up actually getting some character development and being relevant to the plot. I’m willing to bet it won’t be the case here.

Shoutout to Chyler Leigh for her phenomenal work. She did an amazing job of showing Alex’s inner turmoil, sadness and disappointment with just her facial expressions as she watched Maggie leave. It was stunning to watch.

You know who I love? Alex Danvers. Any episode where she gets her own scenes is a good episode in my book. Which is kind of sad, actually - she's a main character after all, arguably the most important one after Kara, and yet practically all of her storylines revolve around her sister. The showrunners promised that we would get to know Alex more this season and see more of her personal life, so I'm waiting for that. And I'm really happy that they acknowledged Alex's problems with Clark because she's right. 12-year-old Kara was willing to take care of baby Kal, but Clark, who was a grown-ass man when her pod landed, immediately dropped his cousin off at the Danvers family's doorstep like a stray puppy. Alex has dedicated her whole life to Kara while Clark has been flying around, showing up once in a blue moon. What's up with that, by the way? It took him like 5 seconds to get from National City to Metropolis. Can't they hang out for dinner every Saturday or something? Why do they see each other so rarely?

It was fun to have Superman on the show. I really liked the way Tyler Hoechlin portrayed him.

Clark and Kara are adorable dorky dorks and I love them.

My favorite scene in this episode was the one where Cat told Kara she was leaving. I genuinely cried. I love Cat Grant and the show won't be the same without her. She'll return at some point, of course, but she'll probably never be a main character again, which sucks. Just like Kara, I don't like change, and I will miss Queen of All Media deeply.

Winn is absolutely hilarious. His reaction to Clark and J'onn arguing was the same as mine. And Star Wars references are always great.

Project Cadmus is super shady. I mean, I already knew that, but damn. They're much better villains than Non.

James is the boss, which is... actually good in my opinion? And it makes sense? Give him his own storylines outside of being Kara's (former) love interest. It'll be good for both of them.

Creepy. Thrilling. Suspenseful. Conjuring.

My friends and I have been planning on seeing The Conjuring for a while now. There was quite a hype going around about how freaked this left a bunch of our friends, so I guess there was some level of expectation. I wasn't expecting much, though. This is the first "horror" movie I've watched in months (I never really saw the appeal in them, except when watching with friends), and it definitely did not disappoint for me.

At the end of the film though, my friends kept saying how it wasn't scary (which contradicted their screams from a few minutes before that lol) and how it does not compare to Insidious, a film which we all watched together two years before.

What my friends did not appreciate was what I liked about it: there actually was a story. It was developed and did not just focus on trying to scare the crap out of you with shocking music and sudden appearances by creepy-faced hags. I have to admit, I still found some scenes definitely cliched and corny.. It's not perfect, but it wasn't bad either, which is saying something because I've hated horror movies growing up.

It's Supergirl day, so you know what that means: it's time for yet another mess of a review!

I didn't understand why everyone was so excited about Lynda Carter playing the President, but hey, Google's your friend. I'm not American, so a lot of references - like the fact that she played Wonder Woman on a TV show in the 70's - go over my head. I love learning things like that. It shows how much effort and thought goes into creating the series.

Kara's excitement over meeting the President was adorable. What a precious ray of sunshine.

Mon-El will be Kara's new love interest, won't he? God damn it.

Lena Luthor is freaking beautiful. Just... Jesus Christ. But that device she invented? Yup, I'm with Kara on that one. Burn it.

The President is an alien! The bartender is a Martian! My head is spinning! So many plot twists and they're all sick!

And now, let's talk about Maggie Sawyer for a second, shall we? Do you hear that sound? It's me. Yelling excitedly because I've been waiting for this since Floriana Lima's casting was announced like 4 months ago.

Maggie Sawyer is everything I wanted her to be: badass, smart, witty, funny and all-around amazing. Hell yes. I already love her.

Last summer, one of the people in charge of the CW/DC universe said that one of the main characters on one of the four shows would be coming out this season. And in this episode we got Alex Danvers looking at Maggie with what can only be described as Heart Eyes. Alex Danvers, the only main character on Supergirl who's never been shown to have a love interest of the opposite gender (although some people shipped her with the human equivalent of toxic radioactive waste Trashwell Lord, but come on).

"- What, you got a hot date?
- Actually, I do."

Cut to Alex staring after Maggie with a little smile on her face, letting out a thoughtful "hmmm".

I rest my case.

tl;dr: this show is awesome, Maggie and Alex are probably going to make out at some point and I feel so alive.

My two favorite TV superheroes teaming up and kicking ass? What's not to love?

I really enjoyed Kara and Barry's interactions. They work well together and have easy, natural chemistry that makes them delightful to watch. Also, they are ridiculously adorable and funny. I couldn't help but grin like a maniac the whole episode.

Siobhan and Leslie were just big enough of a threat to make the action scenes interesing. Never mind that it apparently took Siobhan about 2 seconds to master her new abilities of which she'd been unaware all her life. Her makeup and hair were pretty ridiculous, but they were probably based on her comic book look, so I won't complain.

Cat Grant is flawless. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but she is just amazing. Her one-liners are hilarious ("You look like the attractive, yet non-threatening, racially diverse cast of a CW show"). It was nice to see her more vulnerable, motherly side during the park scene. And at this point I'm 99.9% certain that she knows about Kara. If she doesn't, the writers are just insulting her intelligence.

Kara earning the city's forgiveness was actually quite touching, even though it was a pretty cheesy moment. Still, I can handle some cheesiness as long as this golden retriever of a person is happy.

Can James just go away, please? Or, like, I don't know, die? Sacrifice himself Eddie-style in the season finale? I honestly don't care. Just make him disappear. He's useless, his only purpose this episode was to be jealous of Barry, he can't even move his face. Why can't Kara just be single? And if they really insist on putting her in a romantic relatioship, there are a billion better options than goddamn James. Get your shit together, writers. This episode would've been a perfect 10 for me had it not been for that awful forced romance. At least stop pretending that they have chemistry. Seriously, even if they had any, how could Barry possibly have noticed it? He spent like 10 seconds with James. I don't think I've ever been so frustrated with a pairing.

8.3/10. A fine finale to this series. We get one more badass lightsaber fight, and even if it's pretty quickly that It's All Just A Dream, that doesn't take away from the visual splendor of it or the thematic significance. Yoda is willing to die in this fight in order to save someone else, and that, whether you consider it ironic or just appropriate, is what allows him to have some kind of existence beyond his death.

There's a really interesting subtext to the episode, that is frankly a little adult for this show but still powerful and mostly subtle. Namely, the episode posits the Sith as not believing in life after death, and having that motivate their quest for power. There's a certain nihilism espoused on Moraband (and come on with the Sith names, George) that is pretty notable in how frank it is. Throw in the monologue from Darth Bane (Mark Hamill!) and you have the evil philosophy in this show being undergirded by some sort of very dark take on humanism, which is interesting even if it doesn't necessarily fit with my sensibilities.

And the show posits the Jedi, Yoda in particular, as having more of a Buddhist philosophy in response, of making peace with the cycle of life and death. The first analogue that actually came to my head was the conflict between Harry Potter and Voldemort in The Deathly Hallows where J.K. Rowling juxtaposes the latter as fighting constantly against his own demise and the former accepting it, and using that as the means to distinguish them. The idea of Yoda's acceptance of his own life as finite and his willingness to sacrifice himself to save others demonstrates the kind of morality, the kind of peace that assures the Priestesses he's ready for their training.

It's pretty heady stuff beneath the exciting battle and imagery we witness here. At its best, that's what the show gave us -- the sort of peak thrills that Star Wars is known for, but also the character work and themes to give it depth and intrigue beyond the shallowly enjoyable space-battles and sword fights. I still have the unfinished story reels and Rebels to look forward to from this creative team, but the finale, and the show, have both been worthwhile watches for the depth they added to the Star Wars universe, and in particular, for how they expanded and deepened the world of the prequels, finding the beauty and, frankly, the quality, that was missing in Lucas's late cinematic efforts, and showing the best that this part of the timeline and setting could be.

And here we have it, the real blemish on an otherwise great show and a contender for the worst episode in the whole Trek franchise. This is quite a disgusting episode for very clear reasons: it makes light of sexism, sexual assault and attempts to turn trans-genderism/gender identity into a joke. I honestly have no idea how anyone thought this was a good idea, other maybe than "it'll be funny!". It's a shame, because the episode starts with the very interesting issue of women getting equal rights on Ferenginar before becoming derailed. It also has the superb Wallace Shawn and Jeffrey Combs doing their usual excellent work.

• We open with Quark, a character we've come to love through his faults, openly encouraging a female employee to perform sexual acts on him under the threat of being fired. But it's okay, right? It's meant to be funny.

• Quark is forced to have gender reassignment and becomes woman. It's okay, it's meant to be funny.

• We all laugh at Quark trying to act like a woman, and the way his hormones now make him feel. It's okay, it's meant to be funny.

• A Ferengi male traps female-Quark in his quarters and chases her around in an attempt to have sex with her against her will. It's all very slapstick. It's meant to be funny!

• At the end, it turns out that Quark's female employee actually wants to perform the work-enforced sex acts on him! Women always say yes if you're persistent enough, right? SO FUNNY!

• Quark doesn't actually learn anything from his experience as a woman! Ha! Sexism wasn't ever a real thing! Oh MY!

[9.7/10] Doing satisfying fan service that doesn’t just feel like empty calories is hard. Doing time travel stories is hard. Doing stories where you mix a familiar story with a new one is hard. Mixing old a new footage in a satisfying way is hard. Blending a current series with a classic one is hard. And yet, “Trial and Tribble-ations” succeeds at all of it.

That’s why I’ve ranked this one so highly. Is it the best ever episode in the Star Trek franchise? Certainly not. Is it even the episode of Deep Space 9? Probably not. But the task at hand was so hard, the pitfalls so many, and the folks behind the scenes at DS9 managed to craft a funny, clever, nostalgic, winking, and above all satisfying hour of television.

It’s particularly interesting revisiting “Trials” after watching the original “Trouble with Tribbles” episode of The Original Series. That only heightens the potential difficulties in appreciating the modern follow-on, because it should more clearly expose the seams in the way that “Trials” attempts to integrate itself with the classic. Instead, it just makes it all the more impressive what attention to detail the people who made the DS9 episode (who are clearly very admiring of their 60s predecessor) showed in sending Sisko and company back to TOS.

What’s really impressive is the way that the episode manages to have its cake and eat it too when it comes to nodding at the sillier or fan-noted elements of the original Star Trek. There’s plenty of opportunities for DS9 to poke fun at its predecessor. Everything from the short skirts of the female officers on the Enterprise to the jerry-rigged control stations get a wink. Kirk in particular gets a few nods of his own, from the Temporal Agents noting how many violations he had to Sisko noting that he was known as quite the ladies man. There’s even some fun riffing on fan fascinations like Bashir, Odo, and O’Brien asking Worf about the ridgeless Klingons or Dax having a crush on Spock.

Still, for all “Trials” has fun focusing on the eccentricities and rib-elbowing elements of revisiting The Original Series, it’s also clearly so reverent and loving of the old Star Trek that those gags never mean spirit. When Dax admires the black finish and silver accents of the old tricorders or, in the episode’s crowning moment, Captain Sisko tells Captain Kirk what an honor it is to serve under him, however fleetingly, it’s obvious how much writers René Echevarria and Ronald D. Moore (of later Battlestar Galactica fame) admire the old series, with their observations coming from a place of affection not derision.

Echevarria and Moore also do well to find an interesting hook for our modern day heroes to have something to do back in the 23rd century. While the orb of time is fairly convenient as a device that sends them back in time, “Trials” manages to have its own plot that compliments, rather than clashes or feels glommed onto the original story in “Troubles.” The episode benefits from using a light touch, keeping Sisko and co. near the action, but only getting directly involved when necessary and plausible, preventing things from getting too cute in the matching.

I’m also a sucker for long-term continuity, so I love the fact that they got Charlie Brill back to play secret Klingon Arne Darvin as an old man, who’s returning to the past to fix what went wrong for him the first time. The episode does a nice job at giving us just enough of a post-mortem on “Troubles” -- the Klingons struggled to eradicate the tribbles after Scotty beamed them aboard Koloth’s ship, and Darvin was excommunicated by both the Federation and Klingons -- to give context to the choices people are making here. It helps make the main plot of the episode, that Darvin has planted a bomb to kill Kirk and make him a hero rather than a scapegoat in Klingon history and Sisko and his crew have to find, work on its own terms, not just as an add-on to the story we know from “Trouble.”

If that weren’t enough, there’s all sorts of amusing riffs on the sort of confusion and tropes that come with any kind of time travel story. It’s great how jaded and world-weary (time weary?) the temporal agents are in their back-and-forth with Sisko, lamenting stable time loops and other stock answers in time-hopping tales like they’ve heard them a million times. Beyond that, O’Brien and Bashir have a nice moment where they debate the old “I’m my own grandpa” paradox in an amusing fashion years before the cast of Futurama would do the same. Again, the writers are laughing about the conventions of time travel, a well Star Trek returns to often, but do so lovingly.

It also must be said how well the effects team integrates the cast of Deep Space 9 into the various scenes from The Original Series. I remembered the effects as having been impressive at the time, but it’s amazing how well they hold up twenty years later. Again, it’s clear that the show took great care in not overdoing it, but throwing in just enough interactions and connections to thrill without going overboard. The restraint is admirable.

So is the devotion to visual continuity. While it’d be nigh-impossible to bridge the gap between sixties shooting techniques and nineties network television, “Trials” does one hell of a job. Much of it comes from simply editing new footage with old footage in a coherent fashion, to where bits like Bashir, Worf, Odo, and O’Brien getting involved in the bar fight on K9 or Dax shrugging at Captain Kirk work more from stitching the episode together than any special effects. (And it must be said that the lighting and costumes are spot on and help create that continuity.)

But the effects shine as well. While there’s seams here and there (the difference in audio quality is particularly notable), the folks behind the scenes did a tremendous job of depositing the Deep Space 9 cast into the old clips. Much of it works by simply placing the Defiant’s crew in the background, making them notable but not distracting, but it works just as well when the show gets more ambitious as well, whether it’s standing O’Brien next to Chekov when the crew’s being interrogated about the fight or putting Sisko face-to-face with Kirk.

That’s what makes “Trials and Tribble-ations” such a gem. It is absolutely an achievement of craft -- with well done effects work, production design, and editing to meld the two shows made thirty years apart. But it’s also an achievement in writing, finding ways to nod at the rhythms and style of the old series but also to honor it, while telling a story of its own. It would be so easy for the episode to settle at “pretty good” and coast on the thrill of blending new and old. Instead, Deep Space 9 nails it, finding the perfect mix of humor, adventure, nostalgia, and fun. It may not be the best episode of Star Trek, but it’s one of the hardest episodes to get right, and “Trials” absolutely does.

HOLY SHIT! I'M HAVING AN ANEURYSM! A lot of this review is going to be in caps. Forgive me. But honestly, this is what Supergirl should be! Full of heart, putting women at the center, launching abusive former slave owners into space. I'm living. I'm actually excited for season 3. Let's hope the writers don't disappoint us and remember that in Supergirl's case, the recipe for success is: fewer White Boys (yes, there is a significant difference between a white boy and a White Boy, one is a Caucasian male and the other is a fucking trashcan of a person) and more Cat Grant, with a side of the Danvers sisters loving and supporting each other, and women in general having each other's backs.

First of all, CAT KNOWS! I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE SEASON 1, SHE KNOWS! Cat, you beautiful human. I really hope Calista will be around more next season. Everything's better with Cat. The last two episodes proved that.

M'gann is back! And she and J'onn are in love! That is so adorable. I want to see more of her in season 3.

THEY GOT RID OF MON-EL! WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY! I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want to rent a fucking airplane banner. Apparently, Chris Wood is confirmed to return in season 3, which is unfortunate, but at least he's gone for now. I've talked a lot about his relationship with Kara this season, but no one can tell me that I didn't have good reasons. Abusive garbage fire is still the best name for it that I can think of, and the fact that they framed it as tragic and romantic in the end makes me want to throw up. I can't stand the thought of all those little girls growing up thinking that a man disrespecting you, belittling you and ignoring everything you say is "relationship goals". And I don't care how much he's "changed". That doesn't make up for all the shitty things he's done.

And last but certainly not least, SANVERS ARE GETTING MARRIED! I don't even care that they seem to rush everything a little too much when it comes to this ship. MY TWO CANON LESBIANS IN LOVE ARE GETTING MARRIED! I feel so alive. I feel so blessed. I won't stop smiling for a week. What a wonderful time to be alive. Cry me a river, homophobes. I live in Poland and honestly, Americans ain't got nothing on Poles when it comes to homophobia. A few whiny babies bitching about "leftist propaganda" (because apparently that's what giving people basic rights and allowing them to marry the person they love is called nowadays) is a breeze compared to the kind of shit that I hear in face-to-face conversations every day. Bring it on.

Well, that's a season wrap for Supergirl! See you all in October!

Fucking hell. This is how you make a great episode! I'm a pathetic pile of mush on the floor right now.

I am so happy that we finally got some much needed Kara/Maggie interaction. These two had barely exchanged a dozen words before this episode. I obviously didn't like the conflict between them - I just want everyone to get along and be friends, really - but it worked out in the end, so it's fine.

As much as I love Kara, Maggie was totally right and had some very good points: Kara completely ignored everything she had to say and fucked things up in the process, all because she was too impulsive and impatient to stop for a second and consider that maybe her ideas are not always the best and that occasionally it's good to listen to other people. Kara was stubborn and reckless, and Maggie had every right to call her out on that. And not just when they were working to save Alex, but at the beginning of the episode too. There are situations where Supergirl is the only one who can save the day, but that wasn't one of them. She should've let the police handle it. Maggie is very passionate about her job, and Kara crashing through the roofs and beating up bad guys hurts her job because it allows said bad guys to get off on technicalities. Kara's childish refusal to acknowledge the obvious flaws in her approach to catching criminals was very annoying.

While we're on the subject of annoying, I'm ready to fight anyone who claims that Kara's relationship with Alex is more important than Maggie's. Yes, the Danvers sisters are the heart of the show, there's no doubt about it. But Alex was so focused on putting Kara first her whole life that she didn't even figure out she liked girls until she was 28. Maggie was the one who helped her understand herself and put Alex first for a change. She's also Alex's first serious romantic partner. Just because Maggie's loved Alex for a shorter amount of time than Kara doesn't make her love any less valid. Neither relationship is more important than the other. They're equally meaningful and life-changing to Alex.

Alex is such a badass. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time during her scenes. I literally held my breath with her when that tank filled with water.

I'm still in shock that my baby Maggie, sweet soft Hufflepuff Maggie, finally got the amount of screentime she deserved. And Floriana's acting was on fire. I cried like a little bitch. She was so damn good.

And those Sanvers scenes? Don't even fucking talk to me. I'm pretty sure I died and went to gay heaven. They love each other! They want to have a lifetime of firsts together! They want to get a dog together and give it an ugly-ass name! I am in a state of complete and utter euphoria. What a pure ship.

Oh, Lena and Rhea were there too, for some reason. That's cool, I guess?

Holy cow. Where do I start?

Guardian's storyline was pretty good. I'm glad that James finally has something to do, and his team-up with Winn is fun to watch. I absolutely loved Alex's scenes with Winn. The way she threatened him and smacked his head was hilarious. They have a wonderful brother/sister relationship.

If only I could get my hands on Lillian Luthor right now. I would cut the bitch. Nobody hits my girl!

Can Whiteboy McDullFace and Kara please not get together? Just don't do it. Come on.

Kara's message to Alex destroyed me. If I ever stop crying over the Danvers sisters, just assume I'm dead. I love them so much.

Jeremiah is alive! I mean, I guess we knew that, but it was nice to see him. I don't believe that they didn't do anything to him at Cadmus, though. They probably want us to think he's okay and then punch us in the face when we least expect it.

Some people speculated that Jeremiah would turn out to be Cyborg Superman, but I'm glad it was Hank. My sweet Alex doesn't need yet another heartbreak.

J'onn is turning into a White Martian! Oh, Space Dad. It's gonna be okay.

What the fuck is Medusa?

Alex and Maggie's storyline was, to absolutely no one's surprise, my favorite part of the episode. I totally get where Alex was coming from and Chyler Leigh did an outstanding job of channeling that mix of pain, anger and sadness. It was a very difficult situation for both characters, but I'm so happy that they were able to work it out.

Alex, my darling baby girl, my beautiful badass, love of my life. Don't worry. You will get the girl. You don't know it yet, but we do. You and Maggie are endgame.

Maggie is so obviously into Alex ("I don't want to imagine my life without you in it"? I swear, these two idiots will be the death of me). The only problem here is their bad timing, but sooner or later, they're bound to get together. And in the meantime, bring on the mutual pining, the jealousy, the lingering looks and all the cute moments that make you want to scream "Just get married already!" at your TV screen. I freaking love slowburn.

Oh, and can Maggie get her own scenes, please? You know, since she's a main character?

I'm always a sucker for Superfriends hanging out together at Kara's apartment. It brings me so much joy. More of that, please!

#shortysquad
After the excellent episode Mr. Greg this was a real classic one. One gem learns something about herself and reveals a fact about Homeworld. I became a real Peridot-Fan while her transformation from an antagonist to a protagonist. This is for me the quintessence of SU, don't fight your enemies but make them your friends. Peridot is a tragic figure, like the Crystal Gems she gave up her initial ideology to fight Homeworld and still struggles with her new life and her decisions. But we can see all this in "realtime". Furthermore i hunger for every tidbit about Homeworld. Now we know, why Homeworld has this expansion drive: They need resources because HW itself runs out of them. We know already that the farming of Gems needs a lot of planetary resources and maybe even Homeworld is used up in this process. This subtle world building is another aspect what makes SU great.
In the episode itself i think i see a commentary on millennials and their connection to technology: As we know now, Peridot is an Era 2 Gem, who, because of the lack of resources, has not the ability to shape shift and therefore uses technological advancements. In the real world, baby boomers depleted more or less the resources of planet earth, ruined the economy and the now emerging generation, the so called millennials, are relying on technology instead of the old ways. Despite this technology being an integral part of the society, both at Homeworld and here, the older generation looks down on the younger for the extended use of it (like Amethyst trying to convince Peridot, that she doesn't need their tablet). In the end Peridot shows that she developed her own abilities, which are connected to her reliance on technology. I would be very interested if someone has a similar theory or another one.

Pixar returns after a 1 year gap with this literal look inside the mind of a child, Riley. We see her emotions personified into Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust and Sadness.

The initial few minutes of Inside Out set the scene out in a simple, easy to digest manner. We see Riley at her birth and the simultaneous birth of her simplest emotions, which take control of her. Memories are created and assigned an emotion, represented by a colour, then stored. It’s almost heavy-handed by Pixar standards but this approach quickly starts to make sense as the film goes on.

Everything goes swimmingly until Riley gets knocked for six with a move to San Francisco; a far cry from her native Minnesota. Her friends and interests all get up-rooted and she considers running away. Meanwhile inside, her emotions are equally out of whack as Joy gets knocked off the controls by a traumatic event.

What a beautiful, original, heartfelt piece of work this is. Docter delves deep into the human condition while somehow pulling off an entertaining family adventure. It’s best not to think too much about the logic of what’s going on; just like the real brain, the actual processes that create memories and personality are fuzzy and chaotic.

Inside Out isn’t afraid to make choices that will make people cry out ‘that doesn’t make sense!’. That’s because it has instead chosen to operate on a higher plane, exploring the reasons behind our actions and reactions to certain events, our motivations in life and dealing with trauma. If you’re worrying that they only picked five emotions to deal with, you’re missing the point.

The film runs mostly on metaphor, and with that it visits previously unexplored territory in children’s cinema. For instance the suggestion that sadness can often be what helps us through difficult times is not something that sells Minion toys in happy meals; but the film makers don’t seem to care. It’s OK to be sad. Sometimes it’s the only way we can feel anything at all.

There’s also a running commentary on how memories affect every part of our lives, from our current mood, our personality, to how we interact with other people. Docter manages to explain the importance of memories, and equally the importance of loading them with emotion. Simply by changing the ‘colour’ of a memory he’s saying that what one remembers is always defined by how one remembers.

The real stroke of genius is that these relatively complex themes are set to the bright, colourful backdrop of Riley’s mind. The set design and art direction are gorgeous and tie the whole thing together nicely. Pixar seems to be the only major animation studio that genuinely cares about how every frame looks, and here that attention to detail only adds to the film.

One other more ‘technical’ aspect that stands out is the inspired choices for the voice performances. These people haven’t been picked because they are big names, it’s because they fit the bill perfectly. Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith play Joy and Sadness respectively and their work is a large part of what makes the film so memorable.

On a personal level, I found this to be one of the most fascinating, profound experiences I’ve had from a film. There is so much more to talk about, so much more to be uncovered, that I feel like I cannot do it justice in words.

Another smart, entertaining, emotional masterpiece from the studio.

S.S. Misery
It's obvious, that the whole Lapis-Jasper-Storyline is about toxic relationships. And they done it really well. People stay together not only for external reasons (for the kids etc.) but also for internal reasons. As Lapis say, she kind of misses Jasper. It is an unhealthy urge to surround oneself with people that drag you down. But i think the underlying motive of Lapis Lazuli is depression. First of all Lapis is blue, she is literally feeling blue all the time. Second she shows symptoms of depression (i am not a psychiatrist, though, so i could be wrong). No motivation to do anything, Steven has to urge her to come on the boat. Blaming herself for everything. Making herself miserable because she thinks she deserves it. Maybe, like Centi, she is corrupted in her own way. It isn't just fixed with repairing her gem.
It was a melancholic but also lovely episode. It was satisfying to see her stand up against Jasper. But i think that won't be the last of it. You can't overcome such unhealthy relationships with a bang, and i think the show runner know this.
I am not sure how i should interpret the title. Neither Steven nor Lapis nor Greg where alone in this episode. Maybe it's about Jasper, but i think it's more meta. Maybe Lapis is feeling alone at sea. She thinks nobody is there to help her, nobody can help her. But in reality she has a lot of people who like her (Steven, Greg, Peridot). She feels alone, but her friends are close, just behind the horizon.

Oh good. You didn't need me at all
I must admit, Amethyst is my least favorite Crystal Gem. It's not, that i don't like her, but i can't really connect with her goofy and irresponsible nature. (What does it say about me, that i am more in Pearl's side here? ;) )
But in this episode, Steven Universe delivers an emotional sucker punch, where i felt so sorry for Amethyst that i just wanted to hug her (thankfully Steven did that in the end).
In Mr. Greg we've dealt with Pearls problem to deal with the loss of Rose. We have a couple of episodes where we deal with Garnets emotional problems, but there are just a few episodes that deal with Amethysts emotions. I think she is constantly insecure for her imperfectness. We hear Jasper say, that Amethyst should have been as big as Jasper. Amethyst tries to mask her insecureness with goofiness but in this episode it really broke through. Jasper was made for fighting, and she does that not only on a physical level, but is also really good at making her opponents insecure. Without the support of Garnet and Pearl, i think it really got to Amethyst and we'll see that pan out in future episodes.
On a lighter note, we finally saw Stevonnie fight. I loved how they stood up to Jasper. Not only in an physical way, but also in an emotional way. They didn't let Jasper get to them on a psychological level like Amethyst did. Maybe Fusions are also stronger in a psychological way. Garnet barley shows emotions, because Ruby and Sapphire keep each other in check. Maybe it is the same with Connie and Steve and other fusions. The insecurities and inabilities of the fusionees are negated by each other and only or mostly their positive attitudes are prevalent.

This leaves all sorts of unanswered questions. Of course, the Trill introduced here is quite different from the ones we will come to know later and that can be explained away by all sorts of behind-the-scenes reasons, but within this very plain episode there are issues.

Riker takes on Odan as a human host (stretching believability to the extremes) so what happens to him? Does Riker just disappear? His personality doesn't seem to exist once he's got the symbiote inside him, so where is he? Does he have any influence over the Trill? Does he remember anything once it's taken out of him? DID WILL AND BEVERLY HAVE SEX?!

The ending has of course gone down in history as causing something of a stir among viewing audiences given the implied homosexuality. The only thing that shocks me is that Star Trek hasn't addressed this until this point and made it as commonplace as the many other social barriers it cut through. The scene is handled somewhat awkwardly, as if the writers were scared to speak plainly. Sure it was 1991, but the original series managed to laugh in the face of racism in the 1960s at the height of America's civil rights. It's telling and upsetting that fans were upset by any hint of it when you'd expect them to all be open minded and accepting, given that's the whole point of the show.

The episodes main failing, though, is that it doesn't feel romantic or genuine at all. The best scene in the episode for me actually turns out to be with Troi of all people, as she speaks fondly of her memories of her father. Quite beautiful.

One thing I can say about this, is that when DS9 decides to do something strange then it fully commits to it. This episode is one that almost fails but pulls through due to its charm and the rich history of the characters and relationships on screen. The pairing of Kira and Odo is one that I've read a lot of viewers discontent with, but I actually found it to work despite the somewhat manufactured nature of it.

A lot of the odds are stacked against this one. We are introduced to Vic Fontaine who I have to admit is a character that I never quite clicked with, but he somehow manages to not grate too badly with me (once I get past his annoying use of dialogue). The 1960s swing music is a a bit too much - and we have to sit through complete songs - but the whole setting somehow seems to nestle comfortably into the show. I'll feel similarly annoyed when he makes future appearances, but I'll also warm to him as the episodes continue.

It's also a far more natural holodeck environment than anything Voyager has done by this point in time. I can understand why the crew would come here to relax.

I remember watching this episode when it first aired and feeling a bit sideswiped by the whole thing. I think that's just because I wasn't expecting it, and I've found myself warming more to it with subsequent rewatches. It's due to the journey we've been on with both Odo and Kira that I feel very invested in what happens between them, but the show could have done a bit more to build up to this naturally.

The dinner between Kira and Odo is genuinely tense and exciting stuff due to the way it's arranged, with Odo not realising he's speaking with the real Kira. We as an audience are waiting for everything to crash and burn in ruins, but simultaneously delighting in seeing Odo really doing well and wanting it to work out. The final moments between them on the promenade manage to be both silly and gorgeous, and I can't help smiling. I'm happy they finally get together.

There is a truly awkward moment during the dinner scene where Vic randomly begins singing and is just staring at Kira and Odo. It's weird and creepy.

[8.9/10] War corrupts. Hateful ideology corrupts. And despite that, goodness persists. That is, perhaps, a tough idea to hold in one’s head these days, in which it feels like the world is constantly on fire literally and figuratively.

Jojo Rabbit is about that corruption and how propaganda and societal norms twist the minds of young boys even in the shadow of the horrifying and the ridiculous. But it’s also about the goodness that peaks through all of that, the heart and care and humanity that cannot be staunched by hate alone, no matter how prevalent or prominent it may be.

It’s also an absurd, ballsy, heartfelt comedy. It takes plenty of, well, chutzpah to try to wring laughs from the story of a ten-year-old member of the Hitler Youth whose imaginary friend is der fuhrer himself, but writer-director Taika Waititi zeroes in on both the sweet and the silly of that setup in a way that is nigh-miraculous. His film is a peculiar cross between Life Is Beautiful and Moonrise Kingdom, channeling the goofiness mixed with poignance of the former, with the coming-of-age tweeness of the latter.

Part of that comes from the Wes Anderson-esque approach to the look and tone of the film. Jojo Rabbit sports bright primary colors, mundane or outsized activities scored to sixties hits (albeit in German), and a particular brand of restrained yet exaggerated cuteness to nearly everything that makes the movie charming and approachable despite its Third Reich setting. Anderson would be proud of the way Waititi roots all of this in a child’s perspective, heightening the ridiculousness, the terror, and the horror of these events by depicting them through the eyes of a ten-year-old.

Part of it comes from the bonds of loved ones and the kindness of strangers that sees a young man through that horror. Jojo Rabbit is founded on the title characters relationships with those around him, which change and affect him. His mother, Rosie, playfully ribs her son and tries to rid him of his caricatured Nazi views. Elsa, a young Jewish girl Jojo’s mom hides in the walls of their home, verbally (and occasionally physically) scraps with the boy about his antisemitic views. Captain Klenzendorf, the local, outsized military leader du jour, goes out of his way to look after Jojo when he doesn't have to. And Yorki, the Milhouse to Jojo’s Bart, hugs and encourages his pal through thick and thin.

Oh yeah, and then there’s Hitler! One of the best things about Jojo Rabbit is the way it invokes a Mel Brooks-esque level of bumbling absurdity for the Nazis. Waititi himself plays “Adolf” as, appropriately for his mustache, as a nutty combination of the fuhrer mixed with Charlie Chaplin. There’s a flounciness to Waiti’s take on Hitler, one that feels both subversive but also just straight up funny, when one of history’s greatest monsters is reduced to the exaggerated, swim-class attending, unicorn-eating imaginary friend of a ten-year-old boy.

At the same time, the film depicts the local Nazi leaders and functionaries as largely a pack of buffooons. That too feels transgressive and Brooksian, declaring victory over your aggressors by reducing them to objects of goofy derision. The absurdity of their cartoonish beliefs about Jews and Russians and “anyone who doesn't look like you” serves the eminently laugh-worthy satire, but also to expose the absurdity of those beliefs that underlies their perniciousness.

That is the root of the film -- an effort to point out how contrary to sense those ideas are, how dangerous they remain nonetheless, and how our shared humanity can still survive them. As much as the show wants to point out how amusingly insane it is that these nudniks are still running around, spewing “Heil Hitler”s like they’re blowing bubbles, and preparing for a future that their declining fortunes say will never come, it also wants to get real with it. The shift from comedy and tragedy makes both more potent, especially since Waititi never completely loosens his grasp on one or the other.

As amusing as it is to see Jojo given the business by his mother or his budding friend, it’s downright terrifying when the ever-heiling gestapo comes to his house in search of agitators. The doesn't let the audience forget the stakes or the tension. It’s heart-rending when Jojo sees a particular pair of shoes dangling in the air, a reminder that all this public bloviating for a dying would-be empire is not costless. The sacrifice of a man in a silly costume hits home when he strips Jojo of his. Jojo Rabbit spends much of its runtime setting up the outsized world its characters occupy, and then lets the bitter reality seep in to greater effect.

That comes through when the cinematography shifts from an Anderson-like sense of a lovely diorama to a sad, senseless depiction of war. Images of children, pensioners, civilians, tossed into this futile fight that turns their beautiful city to dust conveys that sense of corruption behind all of this. This isn’t just the joke of a group of duplicitous buffoons; it’s something that gets regular, good people killed, and killed for no reason.

Despite that, Jojo Rabbit is a strangely hopeful movie. Much of that comes from the talent and warmth of the performances. Scarlett Johanssen gives one of her most mannered and even quirky performances ever, and it’s delightful and chock full of heart and whimsy at every turn. Sam Rockwell sells the out there nature of his demoted Nazi captain, but also knows how to turn on the quietly moving realness beneath it when it’s called for. And in Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, and Archie Yates, Waititi and casting directors Des Hamilton and Maya Kvetny found a remarkable trio of child actors, who can carry the humor and emotional weight of each scene at a level beyond their years.

That’s important, because the deepest rot Jojo Rabbit worries about is the one in the soul of a ten-year-old boy. It posits that this type of cancerous growth can be overcome, swept away, through love and through a realization of humanity in personal interactions that belie the stereotypes and horror stories traded as currency. Jojo misses his father, and so replaces him with the man who put the “fuhrer” in fatherland. It’s a debilitating influence that threatens to stifle an inherent goodness within the young boy.

But the movie suggests that goodness cannot be stamped out so easily. Jojo refuses to kill an innocent rabbit. He loves and needs his mother despite his natural prepubescent attempts at rebellion. And when confronted with a real live Jew, one who needs his help and protection and ultimately, his understanding, he cannot deny her humanity, or eventually his courtly love.

There is something noble, something tender, within Jojo that is fostered by the people in his life who come to love and care about him. It’s a spirit he carries on from his mother in any number of echoing scenes of tied shoe-laces. It’s an appreciation for the need for freedom, a desire to grow up and have your own life that Elsa and her preteen attacker-turned-protector realize in the joy of dancing. It’s an innate decency that Jojo tries to reject in himself but in the end, realizes means more to him that the armband he once so gleefully put on.

Therein lies the beauty of this film. It weakens the power of that hateful ideology by depicting it as the beliefs of bumbling fools, while acknowledging the insidious effect it has in the hearts and minds of decent townsfolk and a good little boy. And at the same time, it suggests that type of corruption can be overcome, that empathy can win out, and understanding and even love can emerge from the ashes of such unspeakable things. Anne Frank once wrote, “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good.” With Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi seems to agree.

A real struggle to get through despite having the great Michael McKean. In fact, in many ways he's part of the episode's problem as he is so over-the-top. The whole thing has a horrendous visual style and it pushes the cringe factor to high levels. It feels extremely low-budget. Trek has been guilty of doing this before (TNG's 'Cost of Living' to name one), but apparently any kind of alien party needs to include jugglers, fire breathers and weirdos doing interpretive dance. It's like being in a damn circus and it's certainly nobody's idea of a good time.

And then, the episode manages to pull out a couple of really excellent moments that shows there was something good hiding underneath. Namely, the Doctor's first appearance when he saves Harry from surgery is excellent comic timing and performed wonderfully, and the final moments with holographic Janeway revealing what they've done is a really powerful scene. Both Kate Mulgrew and McKean do truly excellent work and have great dialogue as we fade out, and it's a shame that 95% of the episode is not worthy of that. Indeed, a story about the power of fear should be one of the most relatable, so what happened here is extra disappointing.

Baby Harry in a Stafleet uniform is also worthy of a giggle.

That feeling when you have to go to school, and you can't watch the episode until you get home in the afternoon... Well, dear teachers, if you really expect me to put Maths or History ahead of one of my favorite shows' final season, you're seriously underestimating my obsession with fictional characters. I swear, tomorrow I'm getting up at 5 AM just to catch the next episode before classes.

The beginning of the episode was amazing. My multilingual baby Shaw in a cowboy hat? This is the stuff that dreams are made of.

Root with a big-ass gun is my new OTP.

ROOT AND SHAW! I'm screeching like a dying pterodactyl right now! Both actresses absolutely nailed that scene. Amy Acker's eyes are just inhumanly expressive. It's hypnotizing to watch. They should have their own award category. I wish that Person of Interest and its exquisite cast got more recognition because they absolutely deserve it. It's sad that even the show's own station doesn't appreciate it.

"The one person I couldn't kill... was you."

Everything hurts, and I'm crying. It's a good pain, though. The kind of pain that makes you feel alive.

The Voice was a compelling villain, and the plot twist was as unexpected as it was incredible.

The shootout at the precinct was an awesome scene.

Elias and Harold had a lot of good scenes too. Elias blowing up The Voice's car was great. I totally thought they'd really let him go, which would have been stupid, but that's how Harold rolls, so I would've understood it. Still, I was pleasantly surprised that they didn't just let the bad guy get away.

Fusco knows! Finally!

The whole team at the end made me cry even harder. Is this show trying to kill me?

4 episodes to go. I can't deal with this.