Man I love every time an action movie comes out that reminds us the genre can have depth and themes and true character work. That there can be style and practical effects and grounded action. In the wave of the MCU this is such a breath of fresh air. The action is slick but the drama and characterization work in tandem with it to create something truly special. It's a film that is inspirational not in spite of the history but because it acknowledges the history and transforms it and finds a way to make it resonate today. It shows the strength of these women and the culture while not shying away from its flaws. These black women are put up on a pedestal and asked- if not demanded- to stop feeling, that it is weak, a dereliction of duty, and the film gradually repudiates that while never denying their strength or more importantly their humanity.
And the cast gamely rises up to what they're given. Davis obviously shines as the centerpiece, putting decades of experience into a performance that is stoic, aching, charismatic, and raw in equal measures. Some of her delivery and expressions, from a wry smirk to a fond and exasperated roll of the eyes, are so good at grounding Nanisca and making her really feel like a person, just one from a different time. And while I had mixed feelings about Underground Railroad, Mbedu was never one of them, and she shines here as well. The things she can do with her eyes alone are captivating. And Boyega is charming while being hard and pragmatic enough to still keep you guessing where he'll fall. But in a cast of greats, Lasana Lynch still stands out. The charisma she has on display here makes me baffled she hasn't led a franchise yet, put her in everything.
This film is a celebration of black women while never dehumanizing them. It lets us be strong and vulnerable, stalwart and hurting, devoted and loving, in equal measure. And it's a tight, fun time to boot.
Wednesday is entertaining casual watching, but not something I'm likely to re-watch. Maybe my hopes were too high with all the big names involved. I was expecting an Addams Family show with a lot of Tim Burton influence but we got a CW teenage drama with Addams Family characters and barely any Burton influence. Jenna Ortega is carrying that show because it is mediocre. It would have been better as a movie. It's very much a Netflix generic show, nothing spectacular. There are definitely good parts to it, but cannot be compared to the classics.
As I said, Jenna Ortega is note perfect as Wednesday. She captured the essence of what the character was all about. However, I found her a bit too "the new girl who's not like the other girls in those YA movies/shows", which annoyed me a lot. A school full of 'outcasts' and everyone but Wednesday acts like your regular high schooler she looks down at. And it feels like the writing started to slip on the second half because Wednesday just going around accusing people made her seem kind of dumb.
Catherine Zeta Jones and Luis Guzman have zero chemistry, and I'm sorry but Luis Guzmán just does not have charm as Gomez. The family, minus Wednesday, is miscast to be fair. Pugsley was there as decoration. Morticia is uninteresting. Genuinely shocking how little effort was put in for the supporting characters vs Wednesday, I have to imagine it was the script and direction. The male characters are especially bland, I got so tired of the back and forth with Xavier and Tyler. It felt like almost all the relationships between characters were told to us and not shown to us. Everything had to happen for the plot but it effected character's development.
A lot of the dialogue lands so flat, "Why do u look so pale?", "Wednesday always looks half dead" - like I get what they're trying to do but it's so on the nose, it doesn't seem organic.
All in all, Wednesday was OK for light watching but I wouldn't set up your expectations too high, it definitely gets better as the show goes on which is a good sign but it doesn't feel so much like an 'Addams' show, and it lacks the screwball charm of the originals. The Addams family as an ensemble unapologetically juxtaposed against normal society seems to work better than yet another gothy, supernatural high school drama. I just feel the need to say that for those who may have been looking for something darker in tone.
“I swear on my late scorpions soul, MY hands are clean.”. :laughing:
This instrumental version of Nothing Else Matters coupled with this montage at the end of episode 3 is chef’s kiss.
I know the show is called Wednesday not The Addams Family or something like that but the adults needed more lines. I wasn't sure about the Morticia and Gomez casting and still am because they're barely in it so far. I want to see more of them.
Jenna Ortega is absolutely knocking it out the park as Wednesday.
Dialogue is kind of weird. Some of it is giving me strong boomer writing teenagers vibes.
Show definitely has its flaws and is outside my demographic but the gothic design is fun to watch, so I will be continuing. An easy yet forgettable watch.
It was very distressing to see Jack going to the park alone. I was really apprehensive, even more so when he got hurt – but on the other hand I was “relieved” to see that the reason for the injury was a fall when he was alone, because in the episode that the grown up Jack commented on this, I had understood that the issue between Kate and Toby had escalated to physical violence.
I don't judge one or the other about the escape, because of the circumstances. Okay, Toby had already made the mistake of leaving that fence unlocked before, but this time it was an oversight in the face of a bigger concern involving the house. He forgot the grate open just as Kate, in the anxiety of the moment, forgot to lock the front door. If you're going to point fingers, then they both have an equal share of the blame.
However, although I understood Toby's side a little more thanks to the episode focused on Kate, I can't help but stand by her in this whole “war”. And this chapter just made me more sure that her arguments make more sense, shall we say. Toby was extremely unnecessary in those accusations he made about her treatment of Jack's disability. She is right to see him and prepare him as someone who, despite his limitations, can be independent. If it wasn't for the song she teaches him whenever they visit the park, what would have become of that boy crossing streets alone?
I think it's sad because I've always really liked Kate and Toby as a couple, and I really didn't expect things between them to go down the way they are now. But taking into account everything they are going through, it's best for each to go their own way. Toby doesn't understand Kate. Worse, he makes fun of absolutely EVERYTHING she does, and every decision she makes as a mother. He doesn't even try to understand her. He only mocks and that's because he is aware that he is not a present father and husband. It's hard to live with a person who just doesn't want to try. For him, the solution to problems is for Kate to make a huge sacrifice and leave the city where Jack is already adapted, as if the problems between them were just the distance thing. It is not.
Anyway, I was really proud of Kevin and Randall interfering in that discussion. The complicity that exists between them is admirable and so real – after all, they disagree, they fight, they stop talking for a while, but above all they are brothers and they will protect each other, it's instinct. This situation linked to the Big Three's flashbacks trapping the nanny in the bathroom to protect Kate was touching.
By the way: I found Rebecca very funny, she was drunk and delighted with the night that Jack (always being EVERYTHING) prepared for the two of them. Ah, how I love them both!
All in all, it was a sad and harrowing episode. And one of the best of the season.
I was ok with them including the pandemic in the storyline but at this point it is like they are not sure what to do with it anymore. We get all these moments where the pandemic is emphasized and then others where it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, like Kate choosing that specific moment to confront Marc or Randall deciding to travel and find out about his mom!
Now about that whole Kate/Marc story, the show gave us glimpses here and there and really took its time teasing us about Kate’s past but never divulging all the truth, and now it seems the reveal and resolution were rushed. Kate suddenly decides to confront Marc (during a pandemic nonetheless) and after one talk with him, she is suddenly free of an abusive past that has taken years of her life. She never even spoke about it! I mean good for her but how realistic is this? In one episode, she is triggered to remember her past, tells Toby the truth, stalks Marc, confronts him, and then done, chapter closed!
I still don’t like the whole Randall’s mom story but I am kind of curious to see what will be the reason for her not looking up William or her son all these years?
Kevin calling Randall for advice really got me all teared up… BUT what is going with his storyline? The whole disagreement between him and Madison really came out of nowhere! It is not like she suddenly discovered that he is an actor, and Kevin really doesn’t travel that much! Specifically, it came right after she pushed him to accept the location change of his latest movie. Why can’t you just sit and talk and maybe come to some agreement, like she can stay with the kids in LA and Kevin can travel back and forth when needed. One line that cracked me up though was when she told him “you come from a family of great speech-givers.” :joy:
I'm really torn about this show. On the one hand, it has some excellent plotting. I like the slowly but steadily revealed details of Jessica's recent past, and the concomitant gradual introduction of Kilgrave. And people act rationally, sometimes even to the point of cleverness on the show. Trish asks the cop for identification before opening up. Hogarth figures out a way to defend Hope in the court of public opinion without doing it herself. Jessica uses her tracking phone to follow the brainwashed cop to Kilgrave. I really appreciate how the show is building its narrative up piece-by-piece in a natural, intelligent way. It's frankly some of the best structured plotting, with logical decisions made by the principals, in a long time.
But I just feel next to nothing for the characters. They're all more archetypes than people. Jessica is a fairly standard-issue damaged girl. Luke Cage is Hunky McGoodGuy. Trish is the generic spunky friend. Hogarth is the typical cold, calculating lawyer. They each fit a type I've seen before and despite the superhero flair, there's not much to distinguish it all. The acting performances are all fine, but don't really elevate the characters beyond that station. There's time to develop each of them further, but right now they all just leave me cold.
The only exception is Kilgrave, who has an appropriately unnerving vibe to him already, but given that he's gotten the Jaws treatment, it's hard to know if that will last once he becomes more of a full-fledged character rather than a baddie lurking at the edges of the story.
And there's some legitimate action in the show. The scene with Trish and the cop was appropriately tense. But then it gets counterbalanced with cheesy scenes where Jessica should be able to handle a the pugilistic stylings of a standard penthouse family with ease, and yet the scene's supposed to be as tense with them attacking her from behind corners or what have you. I actually laughed at the last attack.
As I mentioned before, I like a lot of the ideas swirling around the show, but not so much the execution. Showing that Jessica killed Luke's wife while under Kilgrave's control ties everything that's been built in the first three episodes of the show together nicely, and I like the idea of two powered people finding solace in comfort in discovering another person like them. And I like the idea of a big part of Jessica's trauma being that she was used to kill another person, and that like Hope, she's struggling with the guilt of that and her comments about Hope are as much about herself.
But then when they put those ideas into practice, when they have characters talk to each other about whatever it is, I'm immediately taken out of the moment. The scenes with Jessica and Luke feel anything but natural, like two people pretending to have a connection than anything palpable on the other side of the screen. And that means the story, interesting as it is in the abstract, doesn't land. The dialogue doesn't help matters -- I found myself calling lines before they happened, which is never a good sign for conversations feeling natural. This show is a real mixed bag in the early going. Hopefully it finds its voice.
[9.0/10] One of my biggest complaints about the early seasons of BoJack is that its psychology was too simple. It would try to draw a direct line from point A event in BoJack’s past to point B problem in BoJack’s present to try to account for some bit of bad behavior or mental pathology, when the truth is that most of our problems’ causes or more complicated than that.
How encouraging it is, then, to witness the evolution of this show’s take on that sort of cause and effect about what ails BoJack, to an episode like “A Horse Walks into Rehab”, which not only resists oversimplification when trying to account for alcoholism, but which weaves a tapestry of events that led him to this point into a larger frame story about trying to get clean and remember why you’re doing it.
The four vignettes we see to set the stage for the origins of BoJack’s drinking go back in time, tracing each event and unpacking them to make his present state seem more like an accumulation of sad moments and bad reinforcement than some straightforward explanation. He was too nervous to pull off a big scene on his show until an assistant gave him a little extra “juice,” and he’s suddenly pursuing the supermodel he was too nervous to convincingly kiss moments ago. He’s awkward at a party as a teenager, but then one beer later, he’s not only the life of the party, but being cruel to people who were kind to him.
He walks in on his dad cheating on his mom, and has what’s manipulatively framed as a father/son bonding experienced turned into a way for his dad to use guilt and a form of abuse to keep BoJack from spilling the beans. And another sad family celebration of a broken home leaves a tiny BoJack imitating his parents and trying to get that warm feeling of home any way he can. None is the sum total of why BoJack tries to numb himself with substances. Instead, each are a piece of the puzzle.
But we also get to see the endpoint of that, something we’re reminded of in the opening flashback to the night of Sara Lynn’s death, the moment when BoJack hit rock bottom. What’s so striking isn’t just that gut punch to start the show’s final season, but also the way his guilt and resolve not to repeat those mistakes is conveyed visually.
Those cuts to key moments in BoJack’s development as a drinker end with dissolves, the acid realizations boring back into his conscious thoughts. The opening montage starts as a humorous sequence of BoJack not really trying at rehab, only to see Sara Lynn’s picture on the clerk’s selfie wall, and be reminded of why he’s doing this, redoubling his efforts to take this seriously. And when he looks at the bottle he sneaks in, or other hints of his temptation and addiction, he sees the stars of the planetarium, a psychological reminder of what this vice has cost him, and the people unlucky enough to endure it with him.
Despite all that, “A Horse Walks into a Rehab” is a thoroughly funny episode! It finds a deft way to check in on the rest of the cast in a quick but funny ways, that delivers one of the show’s trademark wordplay parades and an amusing interlude about Diane’s phone number of all things. The layered swerves of BoJack and fellow rehab-mate Jameson dealing with their issues inside her dad’s giant movie memorabilia room is a real treat. (“The glass from The Graduate!” had me in stitches.) And even small bits like the idea of a gritty, Zack Snyder-helmed Mario reboot or the title card “Two Jamesons later” are eminently laugh-worthy.
Still, what keeps the episode from feeling indulgent is the story it tells in the present to connect with the past. BoJack’s efforts to keep Jameson from relapsing is a nice echo of his relationship with Sara Lynn, one where he’s working out his own demons but trying to keep the past from repeating. That’s a nice way to dramatize both his guilt and his growth, while letting the difficulties of getting better be channeled and shared by another personality who can act as a foil rather than giving BoJack the whole of the spotlight.
The reveal that Jameson is not merely some BoJack-like young adult with neglectful parents and slim chances to grow up healthy, but rather someone with a supportive dad who’s made some hard life choices, helps drive that home, for BoJack and the audience. It’s a story that portends a season-long theme of taking responsibility for your actions, even when they’re shaped by events and decisions that, if not fully forced on you, were also not fully in control. It’s that difficult line -- between responsibility and an understanding of other forces at work, that makes recovery so hard, and this exploration of it so compelling.
It’s the kind of complex, multi-causal storytelling that is a far cry from the simplicity the show started with. What led BoJack here is not just bad parents or a bottle. What might save him from is not just the memory of Sara Lynn. It’s also the decisions that he made, the people that he’s hurt, the number of friends and confidantes who still gather in his wake, and the possibilities he sees for something better on the other side.
What made BoJack horseman an alcoholic, what makes him the person he is today, is a cocktail of past and present, of kindness and cruelty, of regret and resolve. As BoJack Horseman embarks on its final season, it doesn't shy away from the layers of that, which BoJack starts to finally peel away here, however painful that may be. The person who shows up on the other end may not be the healthy person BoJack aspires to be -- there’s still an acid tongue that comes out when BoJack’s told to stop deflecting -- but with that understanding from him, and from the series, that the road to get here wasn’t simple or easy and that the road to recovery won’t be either, he and the show that bears his name may close things out as a more mature, understanding, complex creature than either began as.
[8.5/10] Best of the season so far. I really enjoyed the A-story, of BoJack and Hollyhock visiting BoJack’s mom in her nursing home. There’s some real complex emotional stuff going on here, without the show laying it on too thick like it does on occasion. The fact that BoJack has such tremendous resentment for his mom, while Hollyhock just sees a sad old lady riddled with dementia, creates interesting inflection points between the two.
Plus, the fact that Mrs. Horseman can’t recognize her own son in the flesh (mistaking him for her maid, Henrietta) but sees him and even laughs at his antics on Horsin’ Around creates a really interesting conflict for BoJack, with hints that beneath her acerbic passive aggression, maybe she cares about him or at least notices him in some small way. On top of that, her distress at BoJack trying to do an episode as a stage play was gripping and uncomfortable in just the right way. Plus, I love the Hot Rod-esque reversal that BoJack wishes his mom was still mentally with it, not so that he could tell her loves her, but so he could tell her off.
The B-story is great too. There’s tremendous social satire in Diane’s story, which finds the intersection of feminism and the gun control debate. The notion of a traditionally left-wing issue like women feeling unsafe around and a traditionally right-wing issue like gun rights being blended together to halfway solve both problems creates some amusing and incisive social commentary. The twist that California only outlaws guns when a woman is responsible for a mass shooting is an amusing resolution.
To the same end, the recurring bit about the movie industry people getting constant google alerts about mass shootings and responding with the same monotone “thoughts and prayers” language is a very dark but also hilarious strain of humor. It’s always nice to have J.K. Simmons back in the fold, and their schtick about repurposing a gun violence movie as a female empowerment movie is another nice bit of satire, this time aimed at Hollywoo.
Overall, this is the first episode of the season where every facet of the show has been firing on all cylinders. Nice to see!
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.
I'm still feeling underwhelmed. Maybe it's because the premiere was such a banger, but this show is currently not living up the expectations it set up on this season's first episode.
I couldn't care less about Kelsey and Marcel Zane. And apparently now the guy who plays Quentin on The Magicians (epic show btw) is gonna get thrown into the mix. I'm having a really tough time seeing him as anything other than painfully awkward Quentin Coldwater. And seriously, I'm bored with this plot line already.
The Pauline breakdowns every time someone asked about her marriage also got old fast. And her little speech to Charles near the end of the episode was completely OOC. Who even was that resentful, condescending, angry woman? I can only hope her arc is now over and we won't have to see her as often anymore.
And Charles's little blow up at Liza was also ridiculous. Just like Kelsey's was when she found out. I don't get why everyone keeps making Liza's life choices about them. Girl just wanted to be given the opportunity to get back into the workforce. And really, why is her being older than people thought such a big deal? She's still the same person, regardless of her age. I thought Charles would be smarter and more rational about the whole deal, at the very least talk it out with her. Instead he's acting like a child. I'm disappointed in him.
Kara is better off without those incompetents. Are you seriously trying to say that she has to publicly acknowledge who she really is? And you are the ones supposed to protect everyone? Are you kidding me? Also, since Kara has to confess her identity, does the DEO publicly release the names of every single Glenn agent working for them? Even if she now has to reveal her identity by what Lockwood said, he himself didn't reveal it by choice. She doesn't really need the DEO. She's got nothing to lose. But the same can't be said about the DEO. Supergirl is their best defender and how are they going to react or counter attack someone like Reign? Beg to Supergirl to please save them? That President is an asshat.
I'm also a bit confused by the whole "reveal your identity" stuff. Tonight's episode made it seem like no one in the DEO knows Supergirl's Kara. But I recall a couple of scenes when she walks into the DEO dressed as Kara. So, do these people know who she is, or do they just think she's just a random agent?
I loved seeing Nia, Brainy and Kara working together. Also, why isn't Brainy used to his whole potential? They remind us every ten seconds that he's a twelfth level intellect, yet he dramatically fails at showing it. These three are going to be the death of me. They're a bit like the scooby gang. Solving their little mysteries by themselves.
One of my favourite scenes was the one with Manchester Black and Ben Lockwood when the former entered the house and confronted Ben by threatening his wife. I wish these two could share more scenes. Their acting was on point.
Kara's "I'm not struggling. I'm flying" was so badass.
Now, let's get to that sweet ending. It caught me by surprise. And the references...Man, I'm gonna explode of happiness. Earth-90. 90s Flash. Get it? Jeez. This is gonna be wild. And did I see Smalville's Green Arrow suit? And Captain Cold's, Star Girl, Firestorm, Hawk mask and, Ray's, I think. And then freaking Monitor! I'm hyperventilating. I can't wait for Sunday! I'm gonna die of happiness!
If there's one thing I loved this episode was character interactions, especially Ruby and M'yrnn. They were great together. That deep conversation they had about being strong and finding that strength through something like faith hit me unexpectedly. It was truly beautiful.
The fact that I don't like Ruby is an understatement. Well, if there's one thing TV shows have showed me is that kids end up making things worse than they are by doing something someone told them not to do. However, I sort of felt bad for Ruby. I hadnt even given a thought to the fact that she could be thinking she could became something like her mother.
I laughed so much when Alex told her she would get her a cat and Ruby answered no, because her mom was allergic to cats. That's it! That's the freaking answer! Throw Reign a cat! Now that she's getting inmune to kryptonite, cats are the answer.
I'm actually glad they're using James for something, besides being everyone's love interest. The whole Guardian stuff has never grown on me because his character is so damn underused. He and Winn make a good team but they don't give them enough screen time. If someone was to ever guess his identity, I didn't expect it to be because someone shot you right in the face and that stupid helmet broke in half. His whole backstory, being handcuffed when he was just 7 was so sad. I admit it. However, after confessing all that I expected him to fight a bit more. When Mon-El and Kara took that rock out of the new cult leader's hand and they immediately showed James just standing there, I lost it. How long had he been there just standing up? That was weird.
I'm loving this whole Civil War plotting between Kara and Lena. In fact, I love that these past couple of episodes, Lena has been constantly calling Kara out. I'm on Lena's side, btw. I know not telling Lena Kara is Supergirl is only to create drama, but please, it's beginning to feel just comically stupid.
About James' elevator change. Well, remember when earlier this season Kara made a huge ass hole in the elevator? I'm guessing it's the same one. Who the hell fixed it up? And more importantly, who the hell builds a changing room in an elevator and does not even suspect of what's going on? Maybe James built it himself, since he doesn't seem to be running CatCo. I miss Cat Grant!
Mon-El's little Mike show was entertaining and funny. I'm loving these brief chats he has with J'onn.
After that ending, I'm rooting to know what happens next and I'm glad Coville is back.
Isobel's story was included in this season as if it was just another side plot... only to leave us absolutely devastated this episode. I did not see all these feelings coming! Don't leave us, stay another episode at least... ah, everything about it was sad, but what made it even more sad for me was Rahul Kohli. Damn, that's some acting right there.
That said, I have multiple issues with this episode. We finally had a payoff with Major's infiltration mission... which ended on a terrible note. I was a bit unhappy about Chase simply shooting the girl, it doesn't really fit with the Chase who hesitated before killing Mama Leone. I have problems there, because it's too convenient (the shooting) for Major to definitely hate and work against Chase later on... but well. I like how Chase's expression immediately changed sensing something went wrong before they even knew.
Also, I feel like iZombie is struggling hard with the "cases of the week"... As fun as it is to find out what brain Liv will be on next, I feel like they're doing so well with the stories that carry over through multiple episodes, having them spend time on explaining cases seems like a waste. I keep seeing scenes in the interrogation table and tuning off or just thinking "whatever, show us what the others are up to".
The most boring, formulaic storytelling ever! This movie doesn’t indicate Hollywood is dead, instead it shows we are way beyond the grave and are just staring at the lifeless corpse of Hollywood cinema being pulled by strings. I don’t know who Wonder Woman 1984 was made for. Is the target audience kids? Because this felt like a children’s movie.
When Anna Banerjee said American superhero movies are blatant propaganda. Wow, SO true! I expect nothing less from a movie that’s an American perspective on the Cold War. Damn, communists! Damn, Russians! 90,000 years later Americans are still psychotically obsessed with the Russians. They are the only villains in US movies nowadays as well, so by that you can’t say in which year the whole movie takes place in, the only thing that pertains to 1984 are the clothes.
There was just so much wrong with this movie:
Gal Gadot is a very beautiful woman but my goodness, she cannot act even a little. It's hard not to think she was chosen only because she's a pretty model type, because it certainly was not due to her acting skills. And does she even have enough lines to justify being the leading character?
Pedro Pascal’s character is the same villain you’ve seen before in every film ever made: business man is overwhelm by his own greed. Oh, and his dad yelled at him for wetting the bed, so.
I hated Kristen Wiig’s character. She is the nerd with glasses that nobody helps but we got a "makeover" scene where she becomes "pretty" because she … takes off her glasses! And then everybody totally falls for her. Gal Gadot was like, "Where is your kindness and humanity, girl?" But Kristen Wiig was like, "Lol stfu bitch, I’m doing hot girl shit now." It’s basically an endorsement of the Joker thesis that it's always the socially insecure outcast who will eventually pose the greatest threat to humanity. But now people don’t have a problem with it because it’s women, so :tada: diversity. :tada: You people will gobble up any "diversity" scraps the Hollywood toss your way.
Other tropes are so cliché are well. The "hero losing her power" - women can only be strong and powerful or have love, never both, or the "using kindness to save the world" – this really is a movie about how we can solve international war and terrorism through … forgiveness. :laughing:
Everything in this movie is black or white, so naturally, we got the "every man is an asshole but we aren’t going to have a real resolution about that" theme. Guys in car nearly kill jogger lady, bad guys want to throw kids to death in a mall – who acts like that?
The dialogue is a hokey displeasure to listen to - "Scientists don’t wear heels" "Some do", "I can save the day but ~you can save the world".
All in all, the plot is so riddled with cliches and idiotic ideas, the characters are either boring or stupidly written, the writing is complete garbage. The movie tries so hard to be relevant and relatable. I don’t have a high tolerance for overly cheesy movies, and I don’t think superhero movies are for me!
I was reading through the comments and was surprised that some people think Otis is trash this season... Literally the party scene was the only one where he did wrong so far. He's been dealing with his mom and Jakob's relationship (+ Jakob's personality), Ola, Maeve, his own and other people's sex-related problems for a long time - who wouldn't explode at some point?
Just like how Jackson had enough of one of his mother's dictatorship and almost broke down (well, technically with the self-harm he already did) and how Eric stood up face-to-face to Adam and told him his honest thoughts (yaaas, so proud! I was actually afraid that he would change his mind and back down, but I'm so glad that there's a character in existence who doesn't choose the "bad guy" bully at the end!). These characters had enough too, yet I don't see anyone bashing them. And Otis has/had a lot more on his plate than these two.
I'm conflicted about Maeve now. Last time I wrote that they're basically soulmates with Otis, and I really thought that... but then Isaac came, and now I'm kinda rooting for him? But I'm also rooting for Maeve just concentrating on herself? And also rooting for Otis to apologize and speak to Maeve about his feelings while he's sober?
Since Maeve and Otis are 2 of the 3 main characters, and almost the whole SE1 was about them starting to like each other, I guess they'll end up together, but it wouldn't be a first of this show to give things a twist and pair Maeve up with Isaac.
Jackson and Viv are getting closer, yaay! I mean, that was a strong gut feeling right from their first meeting, but it's still nice to see Viv starting to care more about Jackson (and vice versa), little by little.
And now we know why Otis is so uncomfortable with his own sexuality... But I'm guessing he'll come to terms with it by the end of the season. But only slightly, because we want more seasons of this precious little gem of a show.
I'm not sure what will happen to Eric. At first, I thought he had gone into the classic (and cliché) self-destruction downward spiral, but I smelled a hint of premature redemption during his conversation with pretty face Indian boy. I just hope they won't ruin the character with all that angst. I mean, it's understandable that he's feeling that way, that's also him growing up, as a person, but I don't want to see him deviate too much from his joyful self. Also, I hope Otis will eventually get to him. I find their friendship more heartwarming and real than that of those kids from Stranger Things.
Of course, Otis' scene with whatshername was as awkward and uncomfortable as it was funny. Not because of Otis, he clearly has a trauma about sex, but the girl was a hoot!
Oh! Gillian "Clearly Horny as Fuck" Anderson finally got some! Hooray! Or... Did Otis' panic attack cockblocked her? If so, then it's the second time Otis cockblocks her mom, damn!
And now, for the cherry on top that was that very last scene: so, Maeve does have a tiny thing for Otis, huh? ;) That scene made me go all "aaaaww" and giggle like a little girl.
CAN THEY PLEASE TIE ARTURO UP? FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. God, I'm so angry at this bullshit. Since the first heist he has been trying to get into people's head, planning things, stealing items etc., but they still let him whisper and get away with everything? I'm so fucking tired of him manipulating people around him, dragging them into his mess, messing things up and repeating it over and over again. It annoys me so much that I'm so close to just skipping his scenes because it's not entertaining at all.
The scenes with Nairobi just felt like "torture porn" to me, simply for shock value.
And that whole ending just pissed me off even more tbh. They made her life/death situation a big cliffhanger in the last part, but now she still ends up dying? And they added these weird things about her suddenly wanting to marry Bogota and having the Professor's child which was such cheap and nonsensical death flags.
I'm officially not enjoying this show anymore at all and hope they won't renew for another part. This is not the show I enjoyed during the first heist. It has turned into complete soap opera trash with dumb characters and ridiculous plot armor and no logic.
You better believe that I spent the last 15 minutes of this episode screaming internally. You know that meme with a cartoon dog sitting inside a burning room, saying "This is fine"? That's me right now.
I'm just... speechless. I don't know how to process everything that's happened. I can't even name all the emotions that I'm experiencing at the moment. A part of me wants to cry, another wants to laugh, but not in a good way - more in the awkward, panicked way, like when something bad happens and you react in the most inappropriate manner imaginable.
Let's start with the most obvious thing, the one that I've talked about quite a few times in the past: Iain de Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge's acting. Those two are like goddamn magical unicorns blessed with so much talent. Separately, they're utterly magnificent and deserve all the awards (which they'll never get because there is no justice in this world). But when you put them together, it's honestly one of the most powerful things I've ever seen. It's a nuclear reaction, a supernova, galaxies crashing together. It takes my breath away. Remember when FitzSimmons were supposed to be the comic relief in season 1? That definitely didn't go according to plan. Those two are the beating heart and the soul of this show. I'm not exaggerating when I say that one of the main reasons why I want Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to go on forever is because I can't get enough of the magic that Elizabeth and Iain create whenever they're on screen together. When I watch them, I understand what it means that something is greater than the sum of its parts. The showrunners truly hit the jackpot of the millenium with those two. They elevate the quality of the show with their brilliance. In their hands, even the weakest of scenes and the corniest of dialogues turn into something special, and great moments become mindblowingly epic.
Fitz and The Doctor's interactions left me with my jaw on the floor. Especially that tiny moment when The Doctor mocked Fitz's stuttering (by the way, that's some excellent continuity right there, Fitz's aphasia coming back and getting worse when he's very stressed or upset). It made the big reveal all the more shocking and heartbreaking for me. I didn't see that coming at all, and I swear my soul left my body for a second when I realized what was going on. I'm almost in physical pain just thinking about it. I have no idea how Fitz is going to come back from this. I have no idea how he can ever patch things up with Daisy. I can't believe the writers did this to me. Can I sue them for causing me emotional distress?
Jemma finding out that Deke is her and Fitz's grandson was so lovely and touching. I always cry when Elizabeth cries, so naturally, I turned into a sobbing mess. And of course she threw up at the end there, and we know that in TV world women only ever puke for one of two reasons:
They've had too much too drink (alternatively, they took drugs - I'm looking at you, Jessica Jones).
They're pregnant.
Since Jemma wasn't knocking back shots or snorting cocaine in this episode, I think it's safe to say that there's a lil' British science bun in the oven. Normally, I'd be fucking ecstatic about this, but I think this episode has killed my ability to feel happiness, at least for the time being.
I guess some other stuff happened in the episode, the Russian dude from last season is back, Hale is working with the Kree or something, Hydra's back (could we perhaps stop beating that dead horse already?), but to be honest, I currently don't have the emotional capacity to give a fuck about any of it. I need to lie down on the floor, curl up into a ball and stay there for a while.
See y'all next week for more suffering!
Mon-El is back and he has a wife. Let me pretend I care:
...
Okay, that's enough. Moving on!
Reign has awoken! I'm officially terrified. I mean, I don't know shit about her and I have no intention of spoiling the fun by looking it up, but she already seems like she'll be a great villain. I can't wait to see her powers fully develop. She'll wreak so much havoc. Shame about Sam though, I really liked her. Maybe they'll be able to bring her back somehow at the end of the season. And what's going to happen to Ruby? As annoying as she is, she doesn't deserve to be left completely alone. Also, I don't buy that that ship had been in that shed all those years and Sam had never seen it before. Am I really supposed to believe she never went snooping in there as a kid? Not even once?
J'onn and his dad's storyline was very sweet. It's nice to see that J'onn has at least one member of his family back.
Next week, the crossover is coming! And unlike last year, the Supergirl part of it won't be limited to the last 5 minutes of the episode! I am absolutely pumped for this!
If you ever needed a lesson in not listening to reviewers and making your own mind up about a movie, this is it. The Suicide Squad is brought to life by David Ayer in this summer blockbuster. It is 2+ hours of hard hitting FUN, with incredible portrayals of comic book favourites. Will Smith IS Deadshot, Margot Robbie IS Harley Quinn, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje IS Killer Croc, Jai Courtney IS Captain Boomerang... and The Joker??? I WANTED MORE!!! Well the biggest compliment I can pay to Jared Leto is that I didn't think about Heath Ledger once, it was a completely different yet interesting portrayal.
In this fun action flick, the bad guys are sent to take down a greater evil. Critics of the big bad in this movie seem to have completely missed the point. The big bad in this movie is merely a plot device, to help us get to see our protagonists form as a team. If anything the real villain of the piece is the one who forms this team of misfits. Amanda Waller is portrayed DIABOLICALLY by the incredible Viola Davis and the part where she turns on and guns down her own employees is SHOCKING . Complaining about the villain in a movie where the protagonists are bad guys is akin to complaining about the villain in Deadpool... THAT'S NOT THE POINT OF THE MOVIE!
This movie leaves you with a thirst for more of these characters, and some shots such as when Will Smith is stood on top of a car and gunning down henchman after henchman after henchman look like they have just been ripped out of a comic book and put on screen by the wonderfully talented David Ayer.
If you are a comic book fan, or a DC movies fan, heck even if you are just an average movie watcher... watch this movie! It is SO MUCH FUN!!!
UPDATE: Just seen the Extended Edition and I really enjoyed the new scenes. This extended version doesn't change the nature of the movie in the way the Ultimate Cut did for BvS but I found it let's the movie breathe a little and solves some of the editing problems people complained about. I still love the theatrical release but my recommendation is to watch the extended version of this movie!
I can see why they're pacing the series, why new characters are necessary, newer villains, etc. but it's not intriguing. it's lifeless. The show could have an episode dealing with paper cuts and having to find toilet paper over 35 minutes, fans would still watch it with anticipation.
I can see the writers and directors trying to replay /recycle new antiheroes and heroes learning the ropes, facing enemies, but it's just not fun to watch Noah Bennett run around doing his thing.
It should be, it fails to live up to the hype because they're afraid of delivering too much too early. When Noah isn't on screen, the show fails to be interesting.
There's no charismatic personalities other than maybe luke/zachary (unrecognisable as chuck, or johnny flame), and even more rarely miko/kiki (katana girl) is emotive or likeable beyond the wooden, stereotyped doll caricature. There's no tension or loss, no risk, no reward, and there's no confluence of ordinary characters with abilities. Hiro and Claire, and later, Sylar, were iconic because they were normal, with abilities. Not so much with the new class.
The show's desperately trying to get the audience to like ... someone, but there's too much mary sue, nobody has failed in a big way, and the season arc is disconnected from the plot in a massive way, there's no fatality or risk in the deus ex machina, already depicted in the poster (avoiding spoilers)
The ensemble cast are "good", but this would get better if it did not exist in the same story as Heroes, it's significantly weaker and less enjoyable as a result of being dragged around by the coattails of the original ensemble of Heroes, that haven't shown up but keep getting name-dropped every few minutes.
This could change, but the show should be so much better or even possibly darker than it is.
