Wow. There's a lot to unpack here. What a penultimate episode! Season 3 renewal announcement, come through!
First off...
• LOL at whoever wanted to use their super soldier (Raelle) for a recruitment tour... our very own witch Captain America, love it :joy:
• Goosebumps at the mycelium origin story scene! Way to turn things around, and I think anyone still questioning Alder's intentions especially after the doubts planted by this season would be swayed back into her corner after that (very Season 1 finale feels, actually, so I guess she will always be a complex character); Raelle, of all people, sympathized with her!
• Morrigan's whisper, holy sh---!!!
• And the Rite of Proxy scene. God damn, that was intense!
• No offense to Victor Webster (guy who plays the VP), but I have seen him on a couple of other shows as the bad guy or an unlikeable one, or so I can't help but think that his character here is shady lmao (he has been to me since day 1 lolol). The way he's been all season about his daughter being a witch is sketchy to me. "He's actually a pretty good guy" my ass — if you have to say that about a character, it's almost guaranteed to backfire eventually lol. If the guy that stays behind turns out to be a means to distract or keep tabs from within the Fort, I wouldn't be surprised.
I've seen some reactions where people are genuinely worried that Alder is getting killed off in the next episode but I really don't think so, because if they stick with the decision made here (Petra replacing Alder), I think it would definitely be interesting to see Alder as a "regular" witch/soldier who isn't the Army General (and if there's one thing I've gleaned from Eliot's interviews, this seems right up his alley (hopefully).
In Petra and Alder's words, Alder has lived as the General for so long she's forgotten how to deal with consequences like a human and has made some... questionable decisions to protect the witches (and to some extent, her position). After her dismissal, she would be watching the new General eventually make similar big decisions, and possibly similar mistakes, like she did, but this time as a spectator... either making her introspective and see what she could do differently, or just smug and satisfied like "I told you it wasn't easy" (I wouldn't mind her being petty like that, I probably would be too lol).
I don't doubt that she would eventually try to scramble back into the seat of power (and that she might succeed at one point), but this should be a good arc for her... if she survives. This whole comment would be for naught if she ends up actually dying like people think and I'm a fool lol.
Before anything, guys, I know petitions to save shows are sometimes long shots, but it's worth a try: https://www.change.org/p/freeform-save-motherland-fort-salem. There's so much they could do with motherf*ing Witch Soldiers! This definitely deserves more seasons (and a better network than unfreeform).
So many thoughts about this episode! Some highlights:
• I loved the Doctor dude telling Batan that she was responsible for helping turn the public opinion against witches because, regardless of their intentions and the message they really wanted to convey, their means was horrible. It's not up for debate. And she needs to acknowledge that. Especially because I think I'm going to enjoy her character a lot more than I was expecting.
• Sometimes when I start to see Petra show some vulnerability and actual care for her daughter, there's always just something... lacking, and she quickly turns to caring more about her potential. Sure hope this changes in the future because damn it, Abigail just needs to be loved, come on.
• "The union of Earth and Sky must be prevented at all costs." Hmm, this season highlighted Raelle's power a lot with the mycelium (with some hints of what Abs could be capable of on her own), but looks like with this little comment, Abi's power season is coming!
• Oh god, Penelope... that was too bad, I definitely joined a bit of the hype train and thought she would play a bigger role as a potentially strong "lost lineage" witch in later seasons. ... But ugh, yeah, I just knew that the VP was sketchy. The thought of anyone willing to kill their own child for a fucked up mindset becoming President? Uh-uh. shivers
• "You two can move the earth, right?" - UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR
• The rescue scene, yasss! Tarim, Spree, Unit power! And wow I love that Raelle immediately got "shit's about to rain down and through your windows babe" from the S on her hand? LOL
• I was honestly scared for this finale, what with the title ominously being a Part 1 (and the idea that the season would end in a cliffhanger, with Part 2 months away), and with the horrifying ending to the penultimate episode (I honestly thought the Fort battle was gonna be much longer), but how it turned out is pretty exciting! Oh, the fun road trip potential for this ragtag group of fugitives, it almost sounds like the beginnings of a joke: 3 War College cadets, 2 members of the Spree, and a Dodger (?) walk into a Camarilla cell...
• The rest of my review and ramblings for this episode, because this got way too long and if anyone cares, are here: https://addictedtothese.wordpress.com/2021/08/27/motherland-fort-salem-revolution-part-1-s2s-bewitching-finale/
Side note that I would love perhaps a book spin-off series, I've wanted it ever since and even more when I saw Eliot's interview about his original plan for the series being books. I would prefer that these characters be continued on the show and maybe a different set of characters (maybe even from a different time period) be explored in a potential book series, so I hope to god that this gets renewed beyond Season 3... and soon, because if they finish drafting Season 3 without a confirmed Season 4, they might end up rushing through Eliot's vision for the rest of the show. :(
Perfect from the first minute 'til the end.
"You're right. You're a good detective, and a damn good friend." I squealed, I tell 'ya. Fusco deserves that after 3 seasons of taking shit from Reese.
The call from "Shaw" that was so obviously a trap but was still, at the very least, a driving force that moved the story forward wayyy forward. And I'm glad they at least now have confirmation that Shaw's alive, but finding out that she fed Greer and co. information about Root (and the glimpse of her at the end implying that it's true)? Shiiiit, my heart is breaking.
And goddamn if a Machine made me cry. "I will not fail you now." WTF.
Bonus: Root playing chicken with the Machine — our psycho's back with a vengeance (and very intense feelings). Harper popping back up, Finch dressed up like a homeless hipster "dope fiend", Root vs Martine part 2 (and part 3, the bed scene threw me off guard, holy shit!), Reese goddamn smiling. The Samaritan agents' handler's ominous warning going with the montage of scenes at the end? Chills. (And Control killing her? Bonus bonus! I love how unapologetically ruthless this woman is... as long as it works for/isn't directed at the team.)
Nate's development is annoying, but honestly realistic. It was as Keeley put it somewhat: people like them have more to prove; Nate was literally the towel boy / kit man before his promotion and has a father whose approval he yearns for. I feel for him and can see where he's coming from, and where he wants to go. Even his defensiveness about his new position in life that he presents as cruelty to his successor, Will, and even Colin, (currently the only people he can exert some power over) is behavior I've seen in real life with people who climb up ranks. But not everyone who does this goes through a similar transformation. tl;dr Nate: Cool motive, still a dick move though.
I wonder which Ted will meet Nate in the fallout though: kind Ted who forgave Rebecca, or a rare, angry Ted who's gone through a rollercoaster of emotions in the past few months (weeks?).
I wasn't surprised he tried to kiss Keeley, too. Saw that coming the minute he asked for her help to pick out a suit. And yo, I thought Roy had good chemistry with the teacher. In my head, I immediately established it as a possible fallback for Roy if Keeley goes back to Jamie. I don't know, for some reason, I'm just not feeling Keeley and Roy this season. Roy looks so aggressive next to her lol
I loved Ted and Sharon's scenes. Their dynamic is a pleasant surprise for this season.
Great return! Loved seeing the glimpses of their new lives, and Reese now a legit cop? This is gonna be a sight to see. And no joke, but I'm looking forward to him actually working side-by-side with Fusco. Him getting Carter's desk... damn, can't believe Carter just died a few episodes ago (for binge-watcher me), it feels like it's been forever after everything they've been through at this point.
Poor Shaw and her mismatched job, but looks like she'll fit right in with her new one (which I still don't quite know what it'll be, but I'm guessing this will play a role for the Machine's plans later on?).
Also, can't help but see the irony in Reese (and Carter previously) working with Elias now, realizing he's the "necessary/better evil"... after working so hard to send him to jail in Season 1 and seeing his absence land them several of their numbers. I know he kind of seemed like he liked Carter and even got revenge for her death, or maybe that was just him making 100% sure that HR has no more chance to return. I wonder if working with him will at one point in the series blow up in Reese and the team's faces.
Side-note: cute that they were upgraded from the burner flip phones to iPhones. XD
After watching the first movie, I genuinely thought I'd rewatched this trilogy to truly understand it too late (I watched it as a child but always felt like it was a movie for adults with its serious tone, so I was never quite attached to it). The first movie showed me the reason why LotR was so often the point of comparison whenever a new high fantasy series came out. But 2 decades later, having seen so many films and shows somewhat inspired by LotR's ambitiousness, I was honestly... a bit whelmed.
But this movie... damn.
Given more time to get to know them somewhat, the characters have become a bit more likeable (though I understand that it would have been hard to form an attachment to them with just the first movie, which had a lot of introduction to do). I also really liked the way this film handled the split narratives without taking away anything.
Probably what I loved most about this was the introduction to more of this world's lore. Now I'm tempted to rewatch the first movie with this newfound appreciation for it (I most likely will after the third movie). It makes me wish I still had the time and patience to read books because I'd love to read the series just to delve deeper into this rich universe. Might be time to finally dust off that old copy of The Hobbit lying around here somewhere…
Also, for a long time, (I avoided spoilers and they weren't really abundant) I genuinely thought this was about Frodo gaining control over the ring. I now realize that it's really just about this high fantasy world, an impending war against 1 dude (who's really just empowered by evil Dumbledore at this point), and a host of races selfishly trying to gain control of The Ring. Well. It's mostly just been Men at this point, go figure.
And what an edge-of-the-seat battle! I went from being so sure that the Ents would show up to turn the tide, but then they didn't and I thought the battle really was unwinnable massacre, then the elves arrived and provided some hope (even for viewers like me who hadn't read the books, I assume), but then they were still massacred, and at that point, I figured it truly was done, with such heavy losses made more tragic by the scenes leading up to it. And then... sunrise! Damn, a rollercoaster.
Also… poor Gollum?
At first, I couldn't quite put into words how I felt about this episode (but as you can see, once I started, I couldn't stop).
Though it had less action than previous episodes, it was gripping, though it didn't have a sense of foreboding because a) the big bad would expectedly not win, and b) I felt like the fear of possible defeat was stronger in the penultimate episode.
Yet this was so emotional. John, of all people, brought me close to tears. I kind of knew that he was talking to the Machine too at the Reserve, but his final conversation with Finch was heartbreaking. He was so ready to lay down his life for the man who'd given him a purpose.
Root truly did become the Machine's conduit, in a way. It felt for so long, because we weren't really hearing the Machine, like she just worshipped it like a god, but hearing the Machine's POV now, it almost seemed like they had an almost symbiotic experience and learned from and with each other, and the 'love' was mutual. Their scenes actually felt like Harold was talking to both of them.
I don't quite know if the 'meaning of life' lesson that the Machine got was a bit predictable or if it's just I'd seen it quoted before somewhere (now that I think about it maybe it felt familiar because it was a callback to Root's dying speeches to Shaw and Finch), but I do appreciate it because in the end, I feel like Finch still didn't truly believe or trust in his creation until they had that talk. I was even kind of hoping for Finch to call the Machine his child or something, but I guess that would have been kind of sudden for him still despite recent events, so in the end, the affirmation Finch gave her ("Yes, we did") was still pretty satisfying.
Other standouts: that shot of Root and John on the rooftop got to me, too. Damn. And Shaw's farewell to Root/the Machine and her avenging Root (I am officially obsessed with Sarah Shahi). Poor Fusco but glad he made it 'til the end. And Bear!
My god I wish this show hadn't gotten cancelled and given a shorter final season. I read that the showrunners wouldn't have rushed this otherwise. Though I was getting sick of Samaritan amassing so much power, just getting more powerful every day, I am curious how they could have handled it better if they had more episodes.
-If they could have even explored a post-Samaritan POI.
-With the constant implications that the Machine was no match for Samaritan and the frequent back and forth between Root and Finch about making the Machine an open system and arming her, I wonder if this was something they were planning on tackling further someday and..
-- if this would have paved the way for the Machine to be able to defeat Samaritan without the ICE-9,
-- and if they would someday have struggled with the Machine turning into a Samaritan-like ASI if they did as Root wanted (and thus if an extended POI would have ultimately ended with no ASI/the Machine's destruction like I'd initially thought, or wouldthe Machine really have proven to be a good/better ASI)...
So many possibilities.
This was a ride. I'm 5 years late but I'm SO glad I gave this show a go, I definitely did not know what I was missing. I'm not sure how to move on from this now!
This was so good! My family and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely great that this was our first cinema experience after 2 years of this pandemic!
I actively avoided reading reviews about this before we got the chance to see it, especially the massively negative ones, but everything to avoid my own opinions from being influenced. Being a Marvel fan, I wasn't quite ready to witness the supposed, potential downfall of the MCU, not in my lifetime, so I wanted to be the judge for myself. Turns out, there really was no cause for concern.
I WAS expecting it to drag given the runtime, number of characters, and the damn review tidbits I did see, but it absolutely did not (for me). I barely even noticed time pass. (Although sure, there was that one, very long info-dump scene, but I didn't really think there was any good way to provide that crucial information.)
I loved all the characters. They were all humanized somewhat despite their Eternals status. I looked forward to seeing where they all ended up on Earth and was not disappointed (though I'm guessing there was more to Makkari's story, maybe..?). I SO enjoyed all the myth counterpart story jokes too (the one who flew too close to the sun was freakin' bittersweet).
And I actually, truly liked the moral struggle they had. If there had been none, if they'd gone the typical superhero movie route of everyone being onboard and saviors of humanity mindset, then I would have been disappointed. But this is realistic (as much as possible in a superhero flick). Because even I questioned their decision (though knowing Marvel, I'm almost sure this won't be the last we've of the giant ice baby, or there's maybe a secret within the secret, so I don't feel too bad about it just yet). It's also pretty effed up to think that maybe Thanos really was trying to save the world in (more ways than the one he shared) when he Blipped them population. Had he known all along!?
I loved how Dane was pretty much just a cameo here lol. But that's a good thing — they planted the seed for his character without taking away focus from The Eternals themselves.
That plot twist with Ajak and Ikaris, I totally did not see that coming. I was expecting what occured to be with the former, so yeah. WHOA.
And Angelina Jolie? Totally fangirled over her. It's been a while since I'd seen her onscreen, and I totally wasn't expecting much, but despite the fact that they nerfed her for a huge chunk of the main action to give the bad guys a shot (lol), the action we did get and the emotions she brought.. She is just:ok_hand:
This movie's humor felt probably very natural to me in a way it hasn't for recent MCU movies.
Karun's inclusion was hilarious! I loved Makkari's speed vfx, and I momentarily forgot Kingo's power before their first fight after the reunion, but damn that was cool. Sprite's storytelling scene was nice, too, and shows just how the stories of the gods and goddesses would have been passed down because of that. And Thena and Gilgamesh........ * tears *
Note: this is probably like an 8/10 for me, but I'm giving it a 9 because I just need to balance out all these hate ratings. -__-
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.
Just knew that it was gonna get goooood the minute Clint pulled off his flip and shoot (when he shot at Kate's binds). And I loved that shot of Kate shooting the first trick arrow with the camera right in front of her. That was probably my favorite, but I loved the rest of that chase scene. All the trick arrows were so fun! ... it reminded me of how not fun Arrow became when this was the kind of buffoonery I wanted from that show. * nervous laughter * And that Pym trick, daaang! Plus the dongle arrow! ;)
And Clint and Kate finally communicating.... just not going very well at the moment. :laughing: I did like seeing a glimpse of Kate realizing how she kind of messed up Clint's Christmas plans. But alas, thus is the life of a superhero. One optimistic Kate doesn't quite get yet.
Kate's line about her father... when someone says a certain character's "all about helping people", it makes me think the exact opposite. Maybe whoever his father was in business with (Uncle?), her mom took over it, thus today's dilemma.
LOL at the classic Hawkeye suit nod. And Pizza Dog! :heart:
And I guess I take back my comment from the previous episode. I guess we're getting introduced to a lighter, somewhat still new to the scene, Tracksuit Mafia-leading Maya, not ninja Echo whose dad got murdered then got raised by Fisk (Uncle!! hand cameo) when she was a kid, given how she almost throttled Kate here (Star-Lord flashbacks), and I'm okay with that. Realized we don't really need all our badass heroines to be sulky, be level-headed, or have unlimited resources lol. Also remembering that this is supposed to be fun and lighthearted (I honestly forgot, the wait for this was long). And since they're planning a spin-off for her already, it makes sense to not introduce her as a fully-developed character immediately.
It's the little things I am enjoying about this show. Byron's Empty Glass:tm: scent. Hazel talking to Byron through the mirrors lol (and how is she so brave blatantly stealing from people out in the open, in a world with screen-less displays, are there not CCTVs everywhere? lol just a thought). Byron thinking it's his adoring little lackey's fault that Hazel left... because he didn't bring her doughnut holes. Said adoring little lackey looking horny after Bangles' show lol. The secret Simlish-like language. Diane's still f*cking creepy.
And I guess I do get how Hazel could have gotten into that situation now, can see how exciting the idea of being with someone who would get you literally anything and anywhere (sort of) you wanted, esp. if you were someone who realistically didn't seem like was headed anywhere close any time soon. How could she have known she would get stuck inside a box with a narcissistic control freak with no social skills beyond 'I can buy you and everything you want' and idk taking Gaslighting 101? I am glad Hazel at least somewhat questioned it: "But I don't know you." "Isn't that the exciting part?" - I do think even considering this should only apply to potential relationships though, but marriage... honey, no. In dearest Elsa's words, "You can't marry a man you just met."
And holy crap that last scene. Byron is the adult equivalent of a child who'd rather see their toy broken than let someone else have it (in this case, than to let the girl run free).
I am wondering how and why Byron chose Hazel though.. Did he somehow stumble into her scams, or did he see her one day by complete (unlucky) chance? Did he just see her as someone he could easily manipulate, or was he really just delusional enough that he "fell in love" with Hazel just by looking at her and her records? Why was he in such a rush? Was he looking for a wife for the sole purpose of Made for Love?
Re: boomerang trick arrow: "You'd have to dodge." Oh, Kate.
Why can't I take happy Vera Farmiga seriously?
Nat is such a crucial part of Clint and the show despite everything. And I am all for it. The talk about Clint's "best shot"/the one he didn't take had me tearing up. It also took me a while to realize that that pause Clint had when reaching down for Kate was a call out to their Endgame scene, but when I did, god damn it.
Yelena's BW moves, oh yeah! Wish it didn't end there. I wanted her to beat their asses lol. I do like that Yelena zipped Kate up before dropping her off the side of the building (that was homicidally sweet of her) because she was there just for Clint.
I'd really like for Clint to at least know of Yelena, like when she finally tells him why she's after him, that she's doing it for her sister, he'll know and just go "Yelena?" or something. She's supposed to be one of the most important people to Nat, next to her found fam Avengers, and since Clint's her bff and she knew about his family, it would make sense that he would know about hers. Since there was never really any allusion to Yelena before the BW movie, I feel like we need this for some continuity.
I was so excited for this, with Hawkeye and YJ with Kate being my entry into the modern Marvel comics a couple of years ago, I've literally been waiting for a good Hawkeye entry since.
This was an okay episode, but it felt a bit thrown together. (Also lot of the dialogue looks so obviously dubbed even in the next episode; I know all shows do ADR, but I also know that it shouldn't be so obvious... right?)
I don't think we needed to actually see Kate's hero origin story, especially since it's a toned down version of what was in the comics, so I wouldn't have minded just being thrown in the deep end with Kate already the Hawkeye-idolizing, rich heiress young adult. The moment she saw Clint during the Battle of NY was cheesy (for me, I know some people thought it was... nice?) + her telling her mom she needed a bow and arrow was weird (okay, the latter was a bit cute lol). But I like that the time skip and Kate's training was shown in art form through the title sequence. It looked a lot like Matt Fraction's Hawkeye, that's probably what has given me my most 'fangirl moment' for the show so far.
I knew this coming in, but I love them finally making Clint's hearing disability MCU canon.
My rating for this went up a bit when Kate going directly back to her place while in the freaking Ronin suit bit her in the ass in the next episode and that the freaking tracking app on her phone was because of her job because I just thought that was so stupid lol, so I guess yay for some realism where Kate's a slightly clueless girl who doesn't know how to lose a tail and the people after her aren't entirely stupid.
They're also quite obviously setting some stuff up (with the Armand dude's argument with her mom and the sketchy, sword-loving fiancé... though I'm also pretty suspicious of the mom), so I'm looking forward to the payoffs.
Okay, I was fully prepared for this to be a possibly boring, filler episode (I usually find it hard to enjoy jury episodes), but they got me hooked in the first few minutes. Small moments in this episode made this a great one: Reese and Harold pointing out that it was, once again, just the two of them; the way Harold almost got out of jury duty (that was so funny); and Reese sending Harold Morse code messages with a sniper.
I did like how Reese finally became concerned about Fusco's safety when he ropes him into their cases, but I'm also glad for Fusco standing his ground at the end of the episode. Reese looked so proud (I know I was!).
And that shot of Reese seeing Shaw's cover passports? That got me.
I loved Reese's smile when he was talking about his dad, it was pure joy that I don't think has been seen on his face in a while, but I kind of don't feel this thing they're developing between him and the doctor. We'll see.
Case of the week side-note: I saw the twist with who was trying to fix the trial coming, and I was worried for a sec that the fixer was actually Zoe (that would have been a shit twist lol).
This had some really, really beautiful moments. I think the way they dealt with Chad/T'Challa's death, and the eventual transition and focus shift to the rest of Wakanda was well done, but... I don't know what it is exactly that made this film drag so much halfway through.
My problem with this is my problem with Phase 4 as a whole: the MCU is becoming a fanservice machine, focusing a tad bit too much on world and lore introductions... a bit too fast. (I am part of the fans being serviced, of course, and I am way too invested to completely turn away at this point, so consider me an MCU apologist. Doesn't mean I have to like it 100% of the time.)
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed both Riri and Namor, but this was just a tad bit too long and I would much rather that the focus stayed on the core of Wakanda (the first half of the movie was so good, with the focus on the queen and Shuri and Okoye / the Dora Milaje). Now, I don't have much complaints about Riri whose involvement in this was pretty minimal since we all know she's already getting her own show (and her scenes gave some of the funniest moments of the film)...
... but maybe Namor needed his own movie? IDK, they could have taken out some of his lore scenes (I feel like this was to explain away the massive difference from the comics); I would not have minded Namor being introduced as this total villain for now to possibly be somewhat redeemed in a future movie... And jesus, I liked seeing Val again to show just how dangerous she's really getting, but there were too many CIA scenes.
It was good. It was just so long (halfway through I was thinking, this already feels like a full ass length movie but I just know there's still a long way to go since there's still so much that needs to be resolved holy sh--). But eh, what do I know?
Favorite stand-out scenes I still think about:
*Riri's intro. I had little excitement for the Ironheart series, and this movie just changed that.
*That scene where Angela Bassett/Queen Ramonda confronted Okoye after Shuri was taken? Holy shit
*The scenes highlighting everyone that Shuri has lost. I felt that deep in my bones.
*The final and the mid-credits scene of course. Goddamn.
Carter's demotion is obviously unfortunate for her but her being boots on the ground and actually being in on the action a bit more kinda makes up for it. I always thought Taraji was being wasted in the past seasons with her just sitting behind the desk, looking sketchily at/with Fusco and digging up stuff for Finch and Reese, save for a few episodes that just proved even more how talented she is and deserves more screen time and development.
I have a really bad feeling about her trainee though. New character getting close to another character, being given a lot of lines (and at least personally for now, I'm really not feeling him) and is a mentee figure, possibly soon-to-be turned traitor? A pattern we're all too familiar with at this point.
Finch's annoyance at the way Shaw operates is so amusing to me, I cackle every time they interact, mainly because a) he insisted on Shaw joining them, and b) pretty sure Reese was somewhat the same in the beginning. I guess it's been long enough with Reese that he's forgotten lol
Case of the week side note: I'm so glad the POI died. I have 0 sympathy for the guy lol. I didn't expect it to lead to a possible arc though.
Oh my god, ultimate face palm at Uatu accidentally unleashing Ultron onto the Multiverse lol all he had to do was quietly narrate in his head once Ultron started to become aware. :laughing:
The The glimpses of the different worlds and universes during the battle were great! President Steve Rogers took the cake lol, and the visual of Ultron looking like Galactus was SO GOOD, I had to pause and stare to reinforce that 'nope, this isn't him' to manage my expectations.
Ultron's voice made the character not so intimidating unfortunately. I understand that the voice change is (might be?) because he was in his Vision body and not his mech one, but in lieu of James Spader, even Paul Bettany's voice would have been better. This one made him sound a bit silly and missed marks for me (in my useless opinion).
I also immediately noticed the less that 30-minute runtime for this episode and immediately knew that this would be better than the previous episodes. Because of course the shortest one would be one of the good ones. Whyy — jk I get it, but here's to hoping the finale is a bit longer and good. They built up Ultron as a big, universe-destroying, virtually unbeatable killing machine, hopefully they didn't rush it.
Holy crap, Byron sure is creepy. The kind of psychopath/narcissist you wouldn't see coming, with his typical white boy charm, subtle gaslighting, and, in this case, that genius-level intellect and claims of philanthropism. Not a very good one though based on his confrontation with Hazel ("I'm crying." "You are the thing --" "Person." "--person!" lmao).
The fact that Hazel met, dated, was married to, and ultimately locked into the Hub with Byron all in one day is a scary thought (am curious about the circumstances though, because how the actual f does that happen?). She has a pretty big flaw though, one I've noticed even in earlier episodes: she doesn't communicate, something that's to her detriment. She had a chance to voice out her concerns when she saw the ad (though I suppose she knew well enough at this point that Byron is not the type to listen).
But why, why, would she stay for 10 years? It makes me wonder if she had just asked to leave within that time, would Byron have let her go?
And damn, Byron was actually convinced that she was actually happy and in love with him (despite possibly some doubts given her secrecy), or was Byron just in complete denial of her true feelings for him? I suppose one has to be delusional enough to even think something like Made for Love is a good idea...
I am confused as to why Byron let Hazel go. He had a whole squad with him, and it did look like he would have been willing to use force to keep her (when one of his lackeys offered to follow her). Will he really just stop after this?
Side note: girl didn't at least come up for a gulp of air before leaving the panel in the pool, and that took her all the way out of the hub. Did she get gills implanted in her too? lol
Didn't really like this season all that much; considering how much I enjoyed Season 4, I was so looking forward to this season.
Watching this season felt like such a chore (I had to drop it a couple of times and came back now after the S6 trailer came out). The season was such a rollercoaster for me... and not in a good way: the rollercoaster symbolizes my feelings about the show while watching the season, with each other episode taking me from "I still like this" to "WTF am I watching?".
Throughout, it made me question how much we actually know the characters, I feel like they've re-written their personalities (esp. Chloe and Ella) so poorly and inconsistently, to the point that they went from my favorite characters in earlier seasons... to almost unlikeable here, which I think also says a lot considering how little growth (imo) Lucifer himself has shown (aside from his obligatory story-progressing character development). I even ended up re-watching bits of the first season after this and it feels like such a different (much better) show.
I also found it ridiculous how... really, NONE (except the one actually convinced by Luci's speech about love lmao) of the angels sided with Lucifer, choosing to side with the dude who's literally threatening them with the angel-killing sword and already killed one of their sisters, when they have an actual alternative (no matter how... odd the choice of Lucifer being God would be)? Really?
The very last scene also felt like they ran out of time and couldn't come up with a better final scene. Geez.
An underwhelming finale for an underwhelming season altogether.
Didn't really like this season all that much; considering how much I enjoyed Season 4, I was so looking forward to this season.
Watching this season felt like such a chore (I had to drop it a couple of times and came back now after the S6 trailer came out). The season was such a rollercoaster for me... and not in a good way: the rollercoaster symbolizes my feelings about the show while watching the season, with each other episode taking me from "I still like this" to "WTF am I watching?".
Throughout, it made me question how much we actually know the characters, I feel like they've re-written their personalities (esp. Chloe and Ella) so poorly and inconsistently, to the point that they went from my favorite characters in earlier seasons... to almost unlikeable here, which I think also says a lot considering how little growth (imo) Lucifer himself has shown (aside from his obligatory story-progressing character development). I even ended up re-watching bits of the first season after this and it feels like such a different (much better) show.
Anyway, this episode... Dan's death led to a couple of good scenes (aside maybe from the obvious culmination of the whole season): Ella telling Amenadiel in the previous episode that he turned in his police academy application, Maze reminiscing about their "good" moments was hilarious, and Ella praying for a sign and Decker appearing to ask for her help (though honestly that would have been tons more satisfying, though obvious, if it had been Lucifer who came in, what with Ella talking to the "Big Guy" and all). Aside from that? Meh. I was honestly hoping I could have written more here.
Also.. WTH was with that "demon army", and what was up with it being made up of just the random bus of criminals shown in the beginning of the episode? Did they use up the extras casting budget to rent out the LA Memorial Coliseum?
And really, none (except the one actually convinced by Luci's speech about love lmao) of the angels siding with Lucifer, choosing to side with the dude who's literally threatening them with the angel-killing sword and already killed one of their sisters, when they have an actual alternative (no matter how... odd the choice of Lucifer being God would be)? Really?
I did like the Deckerstar scene in Heaven, though, and Decker's temporary bout of super strength to kick Michael's stupid ass.
The last scene also felt like they ran out of time and couldn't come up with a better final scene. Geez.
An underwhelming finale altogether.
Definitely thought Scarlet had this in the bag.
And LOL at the 2 bottom queens trying to blow a kiss at Lemon as she walked off the stage after what went down in Untucked and Lemon (whether intentional or not) ignoring them lmao. Also, it was definitely time for the eliminated queen to go home.
The judges are making this pretty hard to watch tbh. (The preview for the next episode is scaring me already...)
I expected so much better from Brooke because I'm biased and loved her in her season, but sometimes her critiques just sound like snide comments she might say during confessionals as a contestant. Yikes.
Meanwhile, JBC... sometimes, he interacts with the queens and I think, okay, he's being nice and giving constructive criticism, maybe — then nope, he turns around and says something mean. His delivery and his judgmental face as he says it make it so much worse; it's like he's trying so hard to be the bitchier version of Simon Cowell, Idek. Hope the production team, if they were the ones who coached him through his behavior, would learn from this.
And well, the irony of the lip-sync song and their comments. Damn. Would have loved for Ilona to have mooned them during the song to prove a point lol
