This is certainly not The Boys' strongest season finale. The plots feel awkwardly resolved and the key plot points they've been developing just ended up as nothing. It feels really underwhelming. Of course there are some positive notes about this finale as well but bear with me, let's go through three most crucial problems for me.
First, Black Noir. What a disappointment. They've been building up Black Noir for at least four out of eight episodes in this season. They even showed him as a person, a real individual with emotion and vivid imagination this season after the previous two he had only been a mute killing machine. And he went down just like that. Sure the conversation between him and Homelander was tense - but that was it. Unfortunately, Black Noir's imaginative flashback, as I've suspected in the previous episodes, serve as nothing more than plot device to move the story forward.
Second, Soldier Boy. The hunt for the ultimate weapon to destroy Homelander ultimately just ended up in vain. Where did it go, the riled up spirit of The Boys in bringing Homelander down? They have the weakest excuses to portray this change of heart. With M.M.'s plot, well, I guess, okay, as he has his own personal vendetta against Soldier Boy, it's still understandable. This is to put aside that they went with the "Soldier Boy kills my family" plot too easily (we didn't get to ever see what actually happened and it's brushed off as nothing more than "racism", which is quite disappointing since there were plenty of rooms for flashback this season).
But then there's Butcher. He ended up beating down Soldier Boy because Soldier Boy hit his kid? I mean, sure it's his kid, but where's the man-with-a-mission-to-kill-Homelander-no-matter-what-it-takes that we've seen for all these three seasons? If Butcher was a little smarter - and he actually is with his cunning tactics and all! - he could've stopped Soldier Boy for a while, let Homelander pats Ryan's back, then when Ryan is out of sight just finish off Homelander by then. Soldier Boy doesn't even seem to hold anything against Ryan (especially after he knows Ryan is Butcher's son). The whole charade about beating up Soldier Boy is a really weak plot point just to let Homelander alive to be the ultimate big bad in next seasons.
Still here? We'll get to Homelander but let's talk about Maeve briefly. What's her end goal? At first she seems to be an ally ready to take down Homelander, but when it comes to actually facing Homelander she can't see the forest for the trees. Rather than staying true to her goal to kill Homelander, she was just absorbed with herself, punching Homelander around only to get herself beaten. Sure, Maeve isn't the most tactical ones, but she's been supplying Butcher with everything so far.
Last, Homelander. As soon as the fight ends, my biggest question is: what would be Homelander's yet another reason to NOT kill Butcher, Hughie, and co? Our Boys have been picking a fight with him since Season 1. It's clear our protagonists are pests to him, but he keeps giving them leeway. At this point isn't it easier to just get rid of them all when Ryan's not looking to prevent our Boys messing up with him again? There's a fan speculation that predicted Homelander is going to be depowered, then he's going to live the whole Season 4 under Vought's protection while our Boys track down the biggest big bad: Compound V. I think I like that better since it's going to show how Homelander will struggle with his weakness and humanity. But I guess the showrunners wanted to keep on getting Homelander more unhinged and even more unhinged and violent, as shown when he lasered a guy in a parade. With this direction, I'm expecting the show to end in a high note with chaos everywhere like perhaps in the comics. I just hope they don't prolong this much further - maybe Season 5 at most.
Then there's some plot devices like Tempo V, powering the army with V, etc that are left unexplored, which feels a bit like nothing more than filler to get the plot moves forward. And the fact that they kind of go with cliffhanger in this finale reminds me of Season 1's rather weak, cliffhanger-ish finale as well (perhaps that's their pattern: the real season finale is in the even-numbered seasons).
That said, this episode is still quite entertaining as it kept me guessing where the plot would go. It's not as frantic and riled up as Herogasm (Eps 6) and the direction is not quite satisfying, but it's fine. The theme of this season is "family", they stay true to that up to the finale. Soldier Boy's dialogue with Homelander is good. Talk about how toxic upbringing would make you become toxic as well, while thinking you can do better than your parents.
I like that they are planning to use the political plot with Neuman in Season 4 (I thought it was going to be wasted after the nice development in Season 2) as The Boys' forte is taking a jab at politics and corporatism. I do hope we will see what Stan Edgar envisioned as Vought "getting out of the supe business in the next five years."
I also like what they did with Ryan, coming together with Homelander, and the way Homelander is normalizing Ryan to violence. This is the consequence of Butcher's acting asshole-ish to everyone and sure hope our Boys will see the consequences of his action, especially with the sweet reunion with everyone at the table in the end (feels like the calm before the storm).
All in all, not a bad finale, but a bit too disappointing in the way they resolve the plots that have been built up all this season.
If The Boys is usually chock full of superhero films parody, then this episode feels like a love letter to Logan (2017) and (the trailer version of) The New Mutants (2020). This is even more so with the casting of Shawn Ashmore, who played Iceman on X-Men, as Lamplighter.
It opens up with Homelander being sexually aroused by Stormfront while crushing the head of a thief in an alley. It recalls the scene back in Season 1 when Homelander casually rips through a gunman's chest for a show, but this time it's even more vulgar. As Homelander gets more aroused, his grip on the thief's head gets firmer, until it eventually crushes him into pieces. Then, fast forward to the end of the episode, we see Homelander confronting Stormfront, and her opening up to Homelander about her past, while she preaches of the importance of purity of their "race". They then continued to make out. There is something to be said here about indulgence in sexual and power fantasy.
This episode also starts to recenter the orientation. If in the first season we get to see the story progresses from the eyes of Hughie - the only seemingly sane person among the ragtag group of rebels - this episode shows how others see Hughie. Butcher, always an efficient, ruthless killer he is, is contrasted to Annie/Starlight who believes she retains her compassion even though she's a supe. Annie relentlessly tries to stop Butcher from senseless killing; though for Butcher she still inhibits the one thing he hate the most. "What you can't stand is in my blood, I'm a subhuman to you," Annie confronts Butcher. Yet when situation forced her to take extra measures, Annie sees herself doing something that only Butcher would do. "I'm not like you," she insists. However they then find what really makes them similar, but different at the same time: their attraction to Hughie.
Last, The Boys never stops to take a jab to corporatization of superhero. '"'A-Train' is a trademark. You're just another nobody from the South Side of Chicago" reminds me of the very early episodes in S1, when Homelander thought they were still bound by corporate rules (something that he seems to try to break free in this season).
Thank you, Dean Winchester.
Thank you, Supernatural.
Obviously I also want to thank everyone else involved, specifically Jared Padalecki, the other half of the show. I'm not going to lie to you, I was nervous for all the wrong reasons before watching this. The past couple of seasons has not been anything like the show I once fell in love with, but when I joined the "family" 10 years ago, it was done. I would never abandon this show. It has been something so unique, so comforting, so familiar - such a safe space. Good or bad, I always knew I could come back here and meet the characters I loved more than anything.
Dean Winchester has changed my life an unmeasurable amount. I identify a lot with him, and is the character I have, undoubtedly, loved the most out of any and all fictional characters I've ever encountered.
Guess I should actually review this, then, huh?
First of all - MIRACLE :hearts:︎ I was so happy they kept her around. The first few minutes are so jam-packed with feel-good TV you just know shit's gonna hit the fan sooner rather than later. It's a monster-of-the-week type thing, a nest of vamps kidnapping kids.
Then the big fight happens, and Dean gets impaled on a rebar that goes through his back.
The speech that happens next is so painful to me I can barely breathe as I watch. The "stay with me", the "I love you so much, my baby brother," the "tell me it's okay," 'cause of course Dean will fight tooth and nail for his last breath until his little brother says he can let go. That Dean's job is done. He has protected his little brother, as he promised, and now he can rest.
Shit man, just yank my heart out, will you?
I've personally always wanted the brothers to die together or not at all in the finale. That doesn't happen. And surprisingly, I'm at peace with that.
Dean goes to Heaven, which is "nearly perfect". There's one puzzle piece missing, because Sam isn't there - but he will be. Time passes differently in Heaven, Bobby says (oh yeah, Bobby's back. For once I don't mind them bringing him back for the millionth time). Bobby asks Dean what he'll be doing now, to which Dean answers that he's gonna go for a drive, as he finally spots Baby. The speakers blasts Carry on My Wayward Son, and you thought you were done crying but nah.
We see Sam's life and Dean on the road, back and forth. Sam has a son now, named after Dean, and we see him raise him throughout the years, aging, going grey (the wig is atrocious but fine), while Dean is still driving down the same, long-stretching dirt roads, still as "young" as always, time seemingly standing still.
Then, as they move to a cover of CoMWS (which is beautiful by the way, my GOD), we see Sam die of old age in his home, surrounded by photos of Dean, their family... They cut to Dean, who's slowing the car down to park on a bridge, and as he gets out to look out over the river below, you can see him sense a presence, before he grins and goes "Hey Sammy" (that's my cue to cry again by the way). Sam responds with Dean's name, they hug, and that's that. It fades to black as they stand together on the bridge, looking out over the river.
Their final words in the show are each other's names. And if you remember from "Dark Side of the Moon" back in season 5, when Castiel says to Dean that he needs to follow the road in Heaven, which will lead him to Sam... The fact that they implemented that here as well, with Dean driving seemingly forever, until Sam dies and his trip ends as they reunite. It's just so achingly beautiful.
I know this review is a mess. I don't expect anyone to read it honestly. But this show has been my life for so long I felt like I owed them this.
We've had our ups and downs, dear show, but you'll always be home to me. Thank you.
I rarely assign the highest possible rating here, but "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" simply blew me away. The first movie was almost perfect, with an incredibly varied animation style, good characters, and an exciting and humorous story. The sequel is now a flawless expansion of these elements. This time, for example, even more different animation styles are blended, and the result is simply stunning.
The voice actors are also strong again. I was especially pleased to see Spider-Gwen's (Hailee Steinfeld) role expanded significantly, as her story perfectly complements Miles' (Shameik Moore). And the return of Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) provides a good laugh or two. Oscar Isaac as Spider-Man 2099, the Indian Spider-Man (Karan Soni), and the villain The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) are also clear highlights. There are also numerous Easter eggs that can't all be discovered during a single viewing. For fans of the comics, "Across the Spider-Verse" is one hell of a treat.
This is not least due to the fact that the story is once again very strong. While the first part was perhaps held back a bit by the fact that it was also an origin story, there's no holding back this time. The focus is on the multiverse, and it has never been done so well and creatively in any Marvel movie. Amidst all the spectacle, there is also time for smaller moments and character development. Scenes with Miles and his family, as well as Gwen and her father, stand out in particular.
Overall, "Across the Spider-Verse" is a perfect Spider-Man film. Looking ahead to the sequel, which will fortunately already be released in March 2024, my expectations couldn't be higher.
SPOILERS ahead for non-book readers:
- I know Penelope wants to protect Colin but she will never resort to shaming anyone. So Marina’s pregnancy reveal kind of disappoints me. I feel the whole idea behind Lady Whistledown is taking a different turn. Penelope should have gone to Eloise or Lady Bridgerton with the truth, I just think this will have major repercussions once we get to the reveal in the future
- Now to the problematic scene. It is not as awful as it was in the book, however, that is not say it was not wrong. Simon was not drunk here and even his reaction and the stuttering was a bit tamer, I thought there would be more emphasis on it. At this point, Daphne doesn’t even know about his stutter! Also, being in Daphne’s mind in the book, knowing her thoughts, and the fact that this happens after she learns all the truth about his father and his stutter makes it even worse. God, I hated this scene in the book, and what made me resent it even more was how the aftermath was handled. Daphne didn't really regret what happened, she thought it was good that she took advantage of the situation as this might be her only chance to get pregnant. For me, Daphne's character never redeemed herself and Simon forgave her (without her even apologizing) and went along with it too easily. So I want to see how the aftermath will be handled in the show because even if this scene wasn’t as messy, it was still very uncomfortable.
[8.5/10] I’m tempted to call Poker Face a show for actors. So much of glossy television today is plot-driven, prompting fans to think through twists and speculate about what game-changing development will shock them yet. Poker Face, by contrast, mostly gives away the game at the top. There’s still twists, but you generally get a sense for who dies, how they bit it, and who killed them in the first act.
And yet, you could defensibly call this a writer’s show. Despite Poker Face being a bit of a procedural, it is, true to creator Rian Johnson’s ethos, one with clever clockwork spins on the formula, with ways to surprise and delight the audience through narrative alone. There’s poetry in these scripts, and it jumps off the screen.
But at the same time, you could also fairly call this a cinematographer’s show. The camera moves aren’t always showy, but there’s a classical elegance to the framings, and smart use of lighting to help heighten the mood and show off these worn corners of the world that Charlie inhabits. And sometimes, you even get flashier, bravura sequences like Laura’s descent into madness here. It’s an impressionistic set piece, where Arthur’s creations come to life to haunt her into madness, and demonstrate that, despite her proclamations, the past can hurt you. The stop motion phantasmagoria, red tint, fisheye lens, and other showier moves are the kind of thing a less stylistically sharp series couldn't pull off so well.
But at the end of the day, I still think this is an actor's show, because ultimately Poker Face is about the characters. That benefits the writers, and in a way even the cinematographers. But it thrives on creating these single serving protagonists and antagonists, and making these stories matter with so little time to get them off the ground and into our hearts requires performers who can bring them to life with layers and authenticity.
On that measure, “The Orpheus Syndrome” may be Poker Face’s greatest outing yet, because it’s just virtuoso performance after virtuoso performance.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Cherry Jones in anything before, but holy hell is she good here! One of the trickiest things to pull off as an actor is someone who’s presenting one emotion but feeling another, and even blending the truth and the lie together in real time. Her rendition of Laura, the head of a famous film company who’s offed her two collaborators, is incredible in the way she’s able to to present someone who’s genuinely regretful about this and wants her former partners to understand, but who is also gleeful in being able to get away with it.
What’s interesting is that you can believe both parts of it. You can buy that she’s genuinely sad it’s come to this, that she has to kill to preserve her life, that she has to hurt people she oves in the process. But you can also see the scheming side of her, the one that's ready to put on the performance of the grieving widow, of the person glad to give an old friend some peace, when in reality she was the cause of their demise with mercenary uses for their leftovers. There’s so many layers to it. Particularly when she has her breakdown, and all the emotions she’s been suppressing in the act come back to haunt her, she is downright remarkable. If she doesn’t get a guest actress Emmy, then something is seriously wrong.
But Nick Nolte is fantastic too. He’s developed a cottage industry of playing this softly broken men in everything from this to The Mandalorian to the American remake of Broadchurch. His take on Arthur, a special effects visionary and a man haunted by the sense that he killed a young actress by pushing her too hard on a challenging scene, is vivid and affecting. He has that wry old m an energy, bolstered by the gravel in Nolte’s voice, of someone who’s tired to make peace with what happened, but finds it still eating away at him despite the facade.
Of course, Charlie can see past the facade. By this point, I take Natasha Lyonne’s superb acting for granted, but the way Charlie’s able to ingratiate herself into the life of someone like Arthur, or the basement-dwelling employee at the film company, without it ever feeling contrived or forced, is a tribute to Lyonne’s talents. Her easy rapport with Arthur, and commiserating over having lost someone and wondering if you could have done something different, makes for a winning dynamic between the two.
Along the way you have Luis Guzman playing a good-natured but kind of bumbling member of the old crew, who’s another one of those below-the-line good people that Charlie finds herself gravitating toward. Guzman is charming, unassuming, and funny. And none other than Tim Russ (Voyager’s Tuvok) has a small but significant role as Laura’s husband Max, whose final look damns her with disgust over what she did, with his lived-in performance making a lot out of a little.
What she did was turn off the red light that allowed the young starlet to signal that something was wrong on the shoot. This whole ploy turns out to be a means to cover that up, burn the footage that Max and eventually Arthur discovered implicating her in the death that Arhtur had blamed himself for all these years. It is an appropriately cinematic reveal, with an appropriate bit of comeuppance as the incriminating footage is projected onto the screen showing off the forty years of work the trio did together at an anniversary celebration.
The weight of it all slowly unravels Laura. I love her crumbling on the stage of what’s supposed to be her triumph, something that Jones sells like gangbusters. Every villain has their reasons, and there’s something comprehensible and compelling, if not forgivable, of the sense that she was left to do the dirty work to make these men able to live their dreams as boy geniuses. It steeps her motivations in something recognizable and relatable, even as her actions are extreme, grounding an operatic story in real emotion and resentments.
That’s what makes her literal and figurative fall so nightmarish yet invigorating. Laura is the queen of rationalization and compartmentalization, the one who did what needed to be done while her collaborators captured their dreams on celluloid. Only now, with them gone, those dreams have come back to life, curdled into phantasms from her past that can no longer be contained, and eventually drive her to madness and death.
That final, cinematic end wouldn’t have so much power without the performers who sell that dynamic, the remorse, the facade, the cracks in the foundation that amass until emotion and terror come spilling out together as Arthur’s symbolic penitence works its magic on Laura. Poker Face belongs to the entire creative team, who like the episode’s characters, work together to bring this all to life. But in an episode like “The Orpheus Syndrome” the tremendous acting that sells the layers upon layers of guilt and self-justification and recrimination that swirl among these individuals, is what brings the series to a high water mark.
So I have my theories, others have theirs, and the writers/producers have theirs.
(Spoilers)
I felt like this episode was a cheap ending. I have thoughts about why Henry did what he did but the ambiguity is crap.
I should have known a series with JJ Abrams paired with some Terry O’Quinn would have the same answers as ‘Lost’ did.
As in, 2 questions answered and 200 new questions arise.
Seeing how the previous episode was, this ambiguity was out of place. Not to mention it made me hate Henry’s character a little.
He is upset that the inmates killed each other? Okay he probably doesn’t want anyone to get hurt but they were tossing rape threats at The Kid!
Also, he’s so high and mighty but after a hallucination in the woods he thinks it’s okay to cage a person in the dark, without sunlight, proper nourishment etc ?
And even if The Kid was an evil magnate the problem would have been solved if he went home. So let the man go home and problem solved!
There was a lot that I liked about this episode but more that I disliked. Mainly, it feels like a cheap ending. Also, it feels a bit like seeing an innocent person tortured. I know it’s a horror show but there were other options I felt would have been a better ending.
[7.5/10] Could The Bad Batch be headed for its endgame? It seems unlikely. There’s a ton of irons left in the fire, from the bad blood with Cid, to the newly-introduced Dr. Hemlock and his experiments at an Imperial cloning facility, to the Empire hunting Omega, and so on and so on. Could you tie all of those things up in three episodes? Sure, but it would take a lot, and feel like tamping something down when it’s just getting started.
Still, the disappointing Star Wars Resistance shut down after only two seasons, despite having some loose threads still waving in the wind. And more to the point, Phee taking Clone Force 99 to Pabu, an island paradise far away from the Empire’s notice, seems like a legitimate possible endpoint for our heroes. The planet purportedly has no resources that would lead outsiders to bother them, and welcomes refugees to its shores who want to live a different sort of life. With questions from Phee about whether Omega might need a more stable environment, and such a welcoming environment from the jump, this could be where the Bad Batch chooses to settle down permanently, ending their adventures with a certain happy ever after as recompense for years and years of war.
Granted, it seems pretty clear that Omega’s presence is going to bring the Empire to Pabu’s shores eventually. But in the meantime, I like the fact that the first half of this episode is as much about atmosphere as anything. It’s about painting Pabu as a wonderful place apart. Omega finds a friend her own age, something Phee underlines as important. Hunter contemplates whether this is a place he could be a father to her, give her the kind of peace away from dangerous missions with duplicitous lowlifes like Cid that she deserves. Wrecker seems to get on with the town Mayor, suggesting a friendly partnership (and full stomach) that he could get used to. And Tech and Phee seem to be melting a little bit beyond their cordial relationship, with Phee emphasizing how much she must like them to bring them here. There’s a communal, peaceful air to all of this.
Much of that owes to the sheer atmosphere crafted by the animators, directors, and other craftspeople at play here. Pabu feels like a warm paradise, with gorgeous vistas, sunlight landscapes, and attention to detail in the homes and implements of the people of Pabu. You get, on an instinctual level, why someone would want to stay here, beyond the explicit warm welcome and other thematic beats here. It’s a real tribute to the slow pace and soothing rhythms the show adopts to underscore that fact.
Of course, it can’t all be peaceful in Star Wars. So naturally, there’s a tidal wave coming. I’ll admit to finding it super convenient that there just so happens to be a tidal wave right when The Bad Batch shows up, but I’m willing to forgive the contrivance of it. The ensuing set piece is good. Omega is in danger when sailing on her friend’s boat, which creates some peril for them to escape and race to shore, while Hunter springs into action to rescue them. Tech and Phee helping the villagers from below the retaining wall requires some ingenuity and teamwork, which is always good. And Wrecker carrying the town’s resident old man up before it’s too late, and rescuing the mayor, is a nice beat for him too.
Again, much of this plays as a touch too convenient, but you can see why the Bad Batch would be valuable to the community, to help rescue and rebuild, and you can see why they might want to settle down in such a supportive community, which promises the possibility of freedom from the fight they’ve been having for so long. I don’t know if it’ll last. The lucrative prospect of more adventures, more dramatics, more episodes, and more subscribers seems to augur in favor of the contrary. But with all the time spent on making this a potential destination for Omega, Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech, you could be forgiven for thinking The Bad Batch might be listing toward The End.
[7.6/10] It’s nice to see the Zillo Beast back! More and more of season 2 feels like a sequel to The Clone Wars (more so than even Rebels did). The exact results of Palpatine’s instructions to have the Zillo Beast cloned were one of the loose ends from the prior series, so it’s nice to see some answers here. The Emperor did, in fact, manage to clone the Beast with the help of Kaminoan technology and other amoral mad scientists. Given the size of the operation and the number of ships, it looks like they succeeded in cloning it more than once, and there’s a secret project to try to use its blaster-resistant skin for armor plating. Very cool to get some payoff to something that started back in 2010.
(As an aside, I could have sworn we’ve seen the Zillo Beast brought back before “Metamorphosis”, but it turns out I was just remembering an episode of Lego Star Wars All Stars! A lot of the non-canon T.V. series are fun, but they can jumble your memory of what happened in the main timeline. The same thing happened when I was sure that Andor and K2-S0 had crossed over into one of the animated shows, and was again, accidentally recalling one of the Lego series.)
This episode had a very Alien vibe, with our heroes trapped in an enclosed space with a lurking monster, with a lot of gradual escalation in tension and a spooky atmosphere. The atmosphere was actually my favorite part of this one. I’d half-guessed it might be the Zillo Beast after a bit, so its appearance wasn’t a big shock. But the director, writer, and composer all do a good job presenting an air of eeriness about the derelict imperial transport where the beast ate everyone. The show captures the horror vibes of the encounter, and follows the JAWS principle of heightening the anticipation, and the terror, by only showing you glimpses of the creature and signs of the damage it can do long before you see the full thing in action.
The ensuing confrontation loses a little steam once the beast breaks out of the ship. Longtime fans have seen the creature rampage on skyscrapers before, and it seems comparatively easy for the Imperials to recapture it this time. (Though maybe the coning process made it mildly more docile? Who knows.) But there’s still plenty of good fireworks in the efforts to escape both the beast’s maw and the Empire attacking.
I’m most intrigued by the developments for the bigger story arcs wending their way through the series. For one thing, it’s nice to see the tension between Cid and the Bad Batch escalate after she didn’t help rescue them. Between that and the warning from the shady racing guy, I’ll bet she comes through in the clutch for the team in a big moment to prove that there’s some loyalty there, but it provides good reason for conflict between Clone Force 99 and their own shady benefactor, so I dig it.
On a broader scale, we get some new wrinkles in the cloning conspiracy and a new antagonist. I’m a fan of Jimmi Simpson, so it’s nice to see him aboard as Dr. Hemlock, the malevolent scientist who seems to be behind the secret cloning projects.. The fact that these projects exist leads to plenty of intriguing questions like what exactly they’re doing beyond the markless Clone Troopers we met in “Clone Conspiracy” and the Zillo beast. (The tall, glowy-helmeted troopers suggest something further.) The desire to hide the cloning project to exert greater control over it is interesting and on brand, and even (sigh) sets up Palpatine trying to clone himself. And the fact that the former Kaminoan Prime Minister tells Dr. Hemlock that the way to get Nala Se to cooperate is by using Omega sets up a future confrontation between the Empire and the Bad Batch, which I appreciate.
All-in-all, this one does a nice job of picking up one of the loose threads from The Clone Wars in a nicely scary sort of way, while also successfully introducing some new characters and machinations that will no doubt be a major part of our protagonists’ future.
[7.7/10] It didn’t hit me until Bail Organa said, “Follow the money,” that this is The Bad Batch’s riff on All the President's Men. Omega and Senator Chuchi are a little different from Woodward and Bernstein, but the sense of them working contacts and interviewing people and enlisting allies to (nigh-literally) find out where the bodies are buried does feel of a piece with the William Goldman-penned classic in its muckraking spirit.
To that end, I like the structure of this one. In order to make her allegations against Rampart stick, Senator Chuchi wants to secure both someone willing to speak out against him and hard evidence that it was him, not a storm, that destroyed Kamino. Omega and Chuchi go after the former by playing diplomatic back channels, and the rest of the Bad Batch + Rex go after the latter, making for a nice divide in the narrative.
Granted, some of this seems foolish. The script puts a fig leaf on how dangerous it is for the Bad Batch to even be in Coruscant, as Rex explains the stakes for all clones that make the risk worth it. But it’s weird to put Omega so close to people like Rampart, let alone the Kaminoan senator from The Clone Wars, who presumably might have something to say about this unique member of the clones.
Still, the political work they do is interesting, and watching Omega learn about the scope of the Senate, the lack of clone representation, and the thorny realm of politics is worth the conceit in my book. I particularly like how following the money leads her to the former Kaminoan senator, who confirms that Rampart’s been diverting funds unlawfully, but requires an earnest and angry plea from Omega about the needs of the clones to be convinced to speak out.
Once again, that's my favorite part of this. It’s shocking to Omega, as it should be, that the clones aren’t represented in the senate, and that some citizens consider them military hardware rather than people. The fight to treat them as human beings worthy of the same rights as anyone is a noble one, and amid all the political theater and backstabbing, I like that there’s a moral cause at the center of this one.
The Bad Batch mission is less heady, but still cool. It’s more a throwback to classic adventures, which I can appreciate as well. The mission to infiltrate Rampart’s venator while it’s being refitted in the Imperial shipyards is a unique setup. Adding in Rex is always welcome. And there’s nice touches here, from Wrecker still having some fear of heights, to the team sneaking aboard by rewiring a droid transport, to Tech launching them out of danger using an escape pod. There’s not nearly as much depth to the “retrieve Clone Trooper Slip’s backup data” mission as to the rest of the episode, but it’s well-done action and excitement, which is worth something too.
The subversion it leads to is great though. Our heroes have won! Halle Burtoni speaks out to the legislative body! They get the backup data to the floor of the senate just in time for Senator Chuchi to reveal footage of Rampart’s ship destroying Kamino and creating quite a stir. Rampart himself gets arrested. The good guys succeed! The day is won!
Only, here comes Palpatine. I gotta admit, it’s a thrill every time Ian McDiarmid shows back up to play the Emperor again. But more than anything, I like how his arrival pulls the rug out from under our heroes. He throws Rampart under the bus. But he also points to the tragedy on Kamino as a sign that the clone troopers are flawed, for their willingness to execute such terrible orders unquestioningly, paving the way for him to pass the stormtrooper bill he’s been masterminding behind the scenes anyway. Yet again, as Rex puts it, he’s several steps ahead of everyone else.
There’s power in that idea, that telling the truth, doing the right thing, doesn’t always work out just because. Bad actors still bend the system and the facts to their own ends. Ironically, there’s the ring of truth to the observation, something that gives our heroes’ actions meaning, even if it doesn’t lead to the outcome they want. (And my new theory is that the endgame for Omega is to make her a Senator and activist who fights for clone rights having learned these lessons throughout the galaxy.)
The only thing left is Echo choosing to go with Rex and help in his efforts to extricate rogue clones from harm’s way. It makes sense from a narrative perspective, since he and Tech occupy similar spaces and it felt like he got the short shrift last season for that reason. More to the point, it explains why he received some long-awaited character development this season, being a bigger part of the action tan he was previously so as to get the juice out of the character before he left. I’m curious about where the ensemble goes from here, and as an exit, Echo choosing to go with Rex to help fight the good fight is well set up based on what we’ve heard and seen from him this year.
All-in-all, another winner of an episode with some big deal moves and surprising developments.
[7.8/10] Here’s the punchline I’d been waiting for. “Ruins of War” does set up the “Do we protect Omega or fight the Empire?” dilemma that the season premiere seemed to be establishing. But it also focuses more squarely on Omega’s own struggle here, where she feels like she’s holding the rest off the Bad Batch back, and sos wants to go to whatever lengths necessary to retrieve dooku’s war chest so her fellow Clone Force 99 members don’t have to make any sacrifices on her account.
She’s eminently sympathetic in that. As much as she’s grown and maturing under the mentorship of the rest of the crew, he’s still young and sheltered and naive. Sso it’s easy to hear the grown-ups talking and worry that something is all your fault. I didn’t expect this duology’s arc to focus on Echo as much as it focuses on Omega, but I appreciate his journey here too. Despite him being the one to say that they have a bigger fight to consider, he’s also the one who tells Omega, in effect, that there are more important things than money, especially her, and that he would do it all over again if he could.
That's almost unbearably wholesome. Both characters are understandable here. Echo’s been through hell and back and wants to stop a greater evil from overwhelming the galaxy. Omega wants to be a cause for camaraderie and comfort to her brothers, not a burden, and so does everything in her power to give them the resources to minimize that burden. The two finding a resolution between them, where they affirm one another and both accept that the money doesn’t matter as much as what they have as a family, is a beautiful thing.
In that spirit, I like how this series, which plays like a direct sequel to The Clone Wars, continues to be a wide-ranging meditation on war and international conflict that isn’t afraid to delve beyond the ra-ra excitement Star Wars is known for. I’m compelled by the idea that Dooku’s loot isn’t just the product of Separatist conquering, but something he plundered from his own people to fuel the effort. I appreciate the chance to see the wasteland that the planet became from the Empire’s orbital bombardment (prelude to Operation Cinder?), showing how entire communities are wiped out in the crossfire. And I particularly like newcomer Rodar, a refugee and survivor of that bombardment, reminding Echo that his people are not just Separatists, but had a history, culture, and existence that long predated the war, and is worth preserving after it.
It’s a good reminder that war is more complex than good versus evil. It’s a good reminder that even The Clone Wars and its offshoots’ depiction of heroes and villains has evolved over time. So while Romar feels like a fairly convenient ally, he serves as an avatar of the episode’s themes, imparting to Omega that happiness is worth more than jewels, and imparting to Echo that who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy isn’t so simple a calculation in the aftermath of war.
Otherwise, the action is solid here. There’s some nice instances of our heroes dangling off the side of this or that, or having to jump at the last minute to avoid destruction. There’s some good back-and-forth firefights between the Bad Batch and the regs. And the team’s escape and perilous communications with one another are all passable at worst. Again, none of this moves me since we’ve seen the team get out of bigger and bolder scrapes, and there’s not much in the way of wrinkles or notable cinematography to boost things. But again, it’s all fine.
And while I’d half-forgotten Vice Admiral Rampart, I find his insistence upon covering up the Bad Batch’s existence fascinating. Obviously he wants to take credit for killing them on Kamino, and their running around throws a big monkey wrench into that plan. His willingness to not only falsify an official report, but kill poor Wilco, the devoted clone trooper who stands on principle in his unwillingness to lie to his superiors, marks a step up in villainy for him.
All-in-all, this and the prior episode make for a good kick-off to the season, setting up the essential conflict the Bad Batch are trying to square, while providing an opportunity for Omega and Echo to grow from the experience.
[8.1/10] Another thrill ride of an episode. I didn’t know that I wanted to see Cad Bane vs. Fennec Shand, but I was mighty glad we got it. More to the point, it makes sense in terms of the story. The Bad Batch was going to have trouble finding a way to rescue Omega without making it feel cheap. Sending in another top bounty hunter, one hired by a client with inside information no less, helps justify why a pro like Cad Bane could lose his grasp on a resourceful but still relatively powerless little girl. Fennec Shand has the inside track thanks to her Kaminoan benefactor with a different agenda, and unlike Clone Force 99, she’s willing to fight dirty.
That said, I like Omega’s role here. It would be too much if she managed to sneak way from Cad Bane or, worse yet, find some way to fight him off on her own. But here, she does just enough -- tricking Todo 360, signaling her friends, and getting away in a flight pod -- to earn her part of the escape while still relying on a fighter more talented and experienced than she is. “Bounty Lost” strikes the right balance between Omega having a hand in her own rescue and her miraculously pulling it off all on her own.
Color me intrigued by the reveal about her nature here. I was expecting that the twist with Omega would be that she had force-sensitive abilities, potentially laying the groundwork for (sigh) Palpatine’s own cloning aspirations. Instead, the twist is that she is, like Boba Fett, a “pure” clone, one without growth acceleration and conditioning.
That accomplishes a number of worthwhile things for The Bad Batch. It explains why the Kaminoans want her back so badly -- she’s the fresh genetic stock they need to make more clones after Jango’s death. It creates an intriguing explanation for her name, with Boba Fett having been originally dubbed “Alpha”, and suggested the possibility of failed specimens named “Beta,” “Gamma,” etc.
Most of all though, it creates legitimate fear within Omega. Knowing that her former masters are after her, and why, makes her fear depersonalization. One of the major themes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars involved examining the treatment of the clones: who treated them like sentient beings with souls and agency and who treated them as property to be utilized whenever and however needed.
When Omega sees those Kaminoans (I think?) in tanks on the Cloud City-esque structure she’s aboard, it’s scary not just because the image of a lifeless, long-limbed alien is unnerving. It also represents a disturbing possible future for her, where she’s basically treated as breeding stock, raw genetic material to be harnessed and harvested, apart from her humanity or wishes. Hunter and company reassure her that they’ll fight to make certain that never happen, but they also affirm her as more than good clone fodder. They see her as a person and a friend. There’s a subtle contrast offered in that, something beyond the fireworks of an action-packed installment.
But the fireworks are damn good! The fight between Shand and Bane is exciting, with both bounty hunters pulling every trick in the book to thwart one another. The movements are fluids and the backgrounds are luminous, giving us some of the best realism and excitement in the animated corner of the Star Wars Galaxy. There’s plenty at stake as the motives of the bounty hunters’ benefactors are revealed and Omega herself struggles to get free.
Overall, The Bad Batch is on a roll, with three big time episodes that deliver major plot happenings, but which also motivate those developments with character and theme. This is the stuff good, meaningful storytelling is made of, and I hope we get more of it!
[7.5/10] This is mostly a table-setting episode, but the table-setting is good, so I can't complain too loudly. You need episodes like these to lay the groundwork for what I expert to be a rollicking finale. There’s not as much in terms of major developments, or at least conclusions, but it puts all the pieces in place for the climactic finale.
I can't gripe about a lack of action though. The opening rescue where Echo and other clone trooper rebels rescue their brothers from an Imperial prison transport is exciting as all get out. Watching them storm the transport, use a neat-looking “leech” vessel to sneak in, and retrieve their comrades and some important data before the “reinforcements” arrive is a thrill a minute. Along the way, The Bad Batch has gotten very good at constructing these standalone set pieces. Those scenes capture the energy and tension of a good Star Wars operation, while having some distinctive clone character. The excitement here is worth the price of admission.
And there’s a solid plot connection to. Echo and Rex are piecing together that the Empire is shopping out “dissident clones” to some mysterious location. Echo retrieves the data file, but the Imperial Commander was trying to delete it, so he needs Tech to decode it, providing an excuse for Echo to come to Pabu. The breadcrumbs are leading to the right places.
My only bit of whinging is that the Pabu sections feel the most like throat-clearing before the real fireworks begin. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to see the setup of Omega’s flying lessons with Tech, or the warm reunion between her and Echo. But this mostly seems like a check-the-box reminder that Clone Force 99 is considering settling here permanently because they’ve fit in so well with the community, until an old friend gives them information about Dr. Hemlock, his facility, and Crosshair being trapped there. This is all necessary narrative piece-moving, but not the most compelling material.
And yet, the stuff with Crosshair is. His part of the story has become one of my favorites. He’s not a very talkative guy to begin with, so the show has to get more creative to illustrate the idea that he’s had a change of heart. Watching him submit to torture without giving up any information about the rest of the Bad Batch is heart-rending on multiple levels. Him using his one chance to break out of his cell not for an escape attempt, but to warn the rest of his brothers that the Empire is coming for Omega shows how much his perspective has shifted, and speaks to an appreciation for Omega after she saved him on Kamino.
The scenes are all shot and staged well to highlight Crosshair’s determination and Dr. Hemlock's menace, and provides the most drama and character of anything in this one. Somehow, along the way, Crosshair became this pathos-ridden, noble, suffering man who wants to look out for the people he once turned on, and it may be my favorite thing from this season.
Overall, there’s nothing too major in this one. It’s plainly putting in the pieces that lead to the final chapters of this story. But the pieces are good, so it’s tough to be too unhappy with any of it.
[7.8/10] This episode is really more of a prequel to Rebels, or even a sequel to The Clone Wars than a full-fledged installment of The Bad Batch, but that’s okay! One of the nice things about TCW is that it was an anthology series, giving us the opportunity to put different characters in the spotlight and explore the depth and breadth of the Star Wars Galaxy. I’m not sure I’d want this show to indulge in this sort of perspective shift every week, but I appreciate it here.
So hey! Welcome back Hera Syndulla! And Chopper! And Papa Cham! And Uncle Gobi! And that fat Twi’lek Senator from the Prequels! And even Ryloth itself! This episode is catnip to anyone who’s been following the adventures of the Syndula family and the fighters of Ryloth since the days of the Clone Wars.
Some of that invites a little cheese. We see hera yearning to get away from her home planet, wanting to join the budding resistance movement, and dreaming of being a pilot, all hopes that would be at issue in Rebels. She’s mainly a miniature, less-experienced version of the same character we’d come to know later in the timeline, which is endearing enough for fans of the animated corner of this universe, but doesn’t really give us a lot of insight into who she is now versus who she became.
The part I really like here, though, is Cham. He fought valiantly in the Clone Wars, and he doesn’t really trust the Empire. But what he fought for is the chance to bring peace to his world. Now he has it and wants to give it a chance, even if it’s imperfect, even if it requires some compromises. That’s a really interesting tack to take, and one we don’t see enough of in a franchise with “war” in the title. Cham is a soldier who wants his children to be farmers rather than warriors. He doesn’t like the Empire, but he’s willing to work with them, to lay down his arms and prop them up, if it means keeping the peace.
Until, of course, they accuse his daughter of treason -- for helping to transport weapons delivered by the Bad Batch, no less. The Empire has crossed a line, threatened the family he’s making those compromises to protect, and it turns him back into the Freedom Fighter he was in the throes of war, and would become again.
Oh yeah, and we meet Hera’s mom for the first time as well! She doesn’t get as much focus as her husband, but it’s neat to round out more of the Syndulla family, and get to see the other major influence in Hera’s life. She’s less certain and tolerant of the Empire than Cham, for good reason, and she’s just as handy in a combat situation.
That combat situation is pretty darn cool! The Bad Batch continues to put together some impressive sequences. The Syndullas’ assault on the prison convoy carrying their daughter and brother is no exception. The show creates tension as our heroes have to outsmart and outwork the stormtroopers on speeder bikes protecting it, and makes for some exciting sequences.
We also get a bit of palace intrigue, with Orn the Fat Twi’lek senator fearing Cham’s influence, and Rampart playing both sides to come out ahead. Plus, we see a little more of Crosshair (who seems to have healed somewhat) playing the bad guy as he tracks Gobi’s resistance and snipes Orn at Rampart’s behest.
Overall, this is a change of pace for The Bad Batch, one that goes full continuity smorgasbord for longtime watchers, but which also asks some thought-provoking questions about what a warrior will do to maintain peace in his land, and what he’ll do when he can tolerate no more.
[7.7/10] With last week’s episode being a Rebels prequel (a “Hera Begins” one at that), this one puts much more focus on the clowns, and the choices they make direct the story in ways that are both exciting and meaningful.
The one that stood out to me the most is Howzer, the Clone Captain assigned to Ryloth. He’s an unlikely choice because we know the least about him of any of the clones in this episode, but that’s part of what makes him interesting. He’s tugged at on two sides here. Admiral Rampart tells him to follow orders, something we know that “good soldiers” do, whereas Cham and Eleni accuse him of betraying the people he was sworn to protect.
In the end, Howzer makes a stand. He questions whether what they’re doing for the Empire -- occupying the people rather than fighting Separatists -- makes moral sense, and gets a few of his comrades to lay down their arms rather than continue perpetrating the Admirals’ will. We don’t know what the state of his inhibitor chip is, but it’s a sign that some of the clones still had their wits about them after Order 66. The simple fact that they didn’t instantly turn into foot soldiers for an evil Empire is heartening in its way after The Clone Wars, serving as a reminder that the good men who fought for the Republic retain their goodness even as the institution they serve takes on a more sinister form.
We also get an interesting choice from Crosshairs, who follows his orders from Admiral Rampart to the letter, but who knows his enemies well enough to know it’s the wrong choice. I like having Crosshair as the baddie because, as demonstrated here, he’s smart enough to know the Bad Batch’s tactics, smoke them out and catch them on the draw in a way no normal Imperial commander can. The irony is that it requires a little freelancing from him, benign his orders just enough so that he doesn’t fall for the same deception the other troopers do. I particularly like the long looks he shares with other clones, reflecting a certain shared understanding or even an implicit warning, even as they stand in different positions.
And of course, there’s Hunter and Omega. Hunter doesn’t want to get involved in the titular Ryloth rescue, no matter the lucre on offer, because it’s too dangerous. He wants to be strategic and decides that the risk isn’t worth the reward here given the preponderance of enemy troops stationed on the planet. But Omega pulls him in the other direction, understanding Hera’s desperation and the need to help the helpless, something she says is the duty of a soldier.
It’s fairly simplistic storytelling, but it works in the grand themes of Star Wars -- choosing to do what’s good and right even when it’s not what’s easy or convenient. Of course, Clone Force 99 eventually decides to get involved. But it comes when Omega reminds Hunter of his principles, the same ideals that have him return the Syndullas’ money to them rather than accepting it,even after the rescue, out of a recognition of need. The Bad Batch is finding their new purpose after the end of the Clone Wars here, and it’s increasingly becoming apparent that it will be looking after their own little family, and becoming protectors for those in need, spurred by Omega’s influence.
(By the way, it’s heartening when Omega refers to the other Bad Batchers as her brothers, even as that term’s been used quite a bit in this corner of the Star Wars Galaxy).
What’s more, the actual plan is a good one! The show picks up on the details of the Imperial refinery set up in the last episode, having Omega and Hera poke around and cause trouble there. That not only gives us an excuse to see Hera’s first (amusingly rocky) flight, but cleverly draws all Imperial attention away from the palace. There’s some amusing lines from Tech about Hera’s moves being just unpredictable enough to work, and the rest of Clone Force 99 taking the opportunity to sneak in and free the Syndullas (with an assist from Howzer) works in terms of strategy.
Overall, this episode hinges more clearly on some big choices from the clones, in all their forms. I appreciate that, particularly from the new guy, as each in their own way chooses to follow what they believe rather than what their orders are in this moment.
I'm going to say what I always say when this topic comes up: I can absolutely imagine two people with a relatively large age difference falling in love with each other, and there's nothing really wrong with that. However, there is a reason relationships between students and teachers and adults and minors are illegal, and it is wrong to start a relationship under these circumstances. Unresolvable, tragic dilemma? Nope! Because if the love you have for each other is as deep and real as you say it is, it should be strong enough to survive waiting until the minor turns 18 and/or graduates! In other words: even people like Geraldine are aware that preying on underage boys (or girls) is wrong, so they justify it by claiming 'true love.' But if it is, then surely it can wait a year or two?
Apart from that, what is it with this show and perfectly rational, understandable and likeable characters doing completely stupid shit out of nowhere? Like Veronica in the closet or Betty with her diary? How stupid can you be? Your mother splashed a murdered child's autopsy report across the front page, do you think she doesn't read your diary? And why on earth would you take the gun with you?
Denis Villeneuve is the man!
There’s only one word that came into my mind after watching it: finally.
Finally, a blockbuster that isn’t afraid to be primarily driven by drama and tension, and doesn’t undercut its own tone by throwing in a joke every 30 seconds.
Finally, a blockbuster that puts actual effort in its cinematography, and doesn’t have a bland or calculated colour palette.
Finally, a blockbuster with a story that has actual substance and themes, and doesn’t rely on intertextual references or nostalgia to create a fake sheen of depth.
Finally, a blockbuster that doesn’t pander to China by having big, loud and overblown action sequences, but relies on practical and grounded spectacle instead (it has big sand worms, you really don’t need to throw anything at the screen besides that).
Finally, a blockbuster that actually feels big, because it isn’t primarily shot in close ups, or on a sound stage.
And of course: finally, a blockbuster that isn’t a fucking prequel, sequel, or connected to an already established IP somehow.
(Yeah, I know Tenet did those things as well, but I couldn’t get into that because the characters were so flat and uninteresting).
This just checks all the boxes. An engaging story with subtext, very well set up characters, great acting (like James Gunn, Villeneuve's great at accentuating the strengths of limited actors like Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa), spectecular visuals and art design (desaturated but not in an ugly washed out way), pacing (slow but it never drags), directing, one of Hans Zimmer’s best scores: it’s all here.
I only have one real criticism: there’s too much exposition, especially in the first half.
It can occasionally hold your hand by referencing things that have already been established previously, and some scenes of characters explaining stuff to each other could’ve been conveyed more visually.
Other than that, it’s easily one of the best films of the year.
I’ve seen some people critiquing it for being incomplete, which is true, but this isn’t just a set up for a future film.
It feels like a whole meal, there are pay offs in this, and the characters progress (even if, yes, their arcs are still incomplete).
8.5/10
Before explaining why I liked this movie, I'd like to point out that the main idea of the movie is NOT that you need find your purpose to have a happy life. It's the exact opposite! I'm not saying this just to be a professor, but because it's really important and that's why I loved the film so much. You don't need to be fixated about something to find a meaning in your life. You need to savour it and learn to enjoy the little moments instead of waiting for something big to happen to reach happiness. It's so profound and refreshing. A movie just about a guy waiting for his big moment and feeling fulfilled after having reached it would have been dull, boring, trite and most of all wrong, like pretty much all "self-help" advices.
Instead the opposite idea is presented and if you just pay attention to the dialogues -and the story, really- you'll understand what I mean and most importantly what you might apply to make your everyday life better.
But back to the movie I've got to say I almost cried as the end was approaching as much as I was going to turn off the tv when the movie started. The whole initial setting reminded me too much of Inside Out, a film I quite disliked, so I was worried it was a copy of it (it kind of is in the beginning). But luckily the second half steered away from it and developed in one of the most moving film I've seen in a long time. Undoubtedly one of Pixar's best.
What a treat! No One Will Save You is a dialogue devoid, tension soaked thriller with an understated backstory and a great presentation. Employing my favourite style of storytelling by showing rather than overtly telling, this deeper-meaning alien thriller is decidedly something special comparative to the other streaming movies that get dumped onto their respective services each week. Surprised this one didn't get a run out at the cinema, I think it would have benefitted from the theatre experience. That's to say you should give this one the setting it deserves. Turn off the lights, crank up your sound device of choice and let this one thump and thrill you for 90 minutes. If you're willing to give it your full attention, I think you'll be greatly rewarded.
Much like all of these post/elevated-horrors, many of the elements are metaphor-laden and hold deeper meaning past the usual surface layer. The aliens in this scenario embody the feeling of anxiety, dread and guilt that is currently holding Brynn hostage in her own home. Unlike everyone else in the rest of the world, who let this anxiety and dread wash and takeover them, Brynn has decided after years of solitude and self-hate that's she's going to stand up and fight back. My read on the ending is that Brynn, who we now know killed her best friend in an accidental retaliation during a childhood fight, has now processed that guilt and stopped it from "consuming" her. We see that everyone else has allowed the alien parasite into them and are now living life with the motions, while Brynn actively fights off the possession and kills many of the aliens trying to force it upon her. Now she has faced the guilt head on, she can live her life free and unburdened, as we see her going about her daily tasks and being accepted by the possessed town that once shunned her.
It's amazing to read other reviews where people are completely slamming this movie for "not making sense". I think this movie is a good litmus test for people who actually pay attention and those that have made doomscrolling on socials part of their movie watching experience. Without things being overtly spoken through dialogue, many are missing this movies well conveyed story, and it's pretty depressing. Hope the industry keeps giving movies like this the time of day, they're the kind of movies that really remind me why I love this medium and the places it can take you.
Others might say that this is not as intense as previous episode, which might be true in terms of action and moving the plot forward. But I find this episode is still intense in a different way: more emotional investment.
"Family" and its unfortunately related cousin "abuse" seem to be the the theme that knits together different story arcs of the episode: the obvious Butcher flashback, Kimiko and Frenchie, MM with his family, Soldier Boy, and Homelander.
The episode kind of speeds up the pace in showing Soldier Boy's villainy through a recreation/imagination of Black Noir's flashback; although I'm not too comfortable that they present Noir's flashback at face value (instead of being an unreliable narrator), I think it still kinda works.
It is shown that Soldier Boy is an abusive, selfish bully with anger issues you would typically see among band leads or celebrity groups. While some have defended Soldier Boy's action by comparing him to Homelander ("at least Soldier Boy is not psychotic, emotionally unstable narcissist! He is a normal person not grown in lab!"), I think they missed the point of the show: the biggest issue here is exactly what would happen if people with power (influence) have additional power (literal superpower) while being protected by multi-billion dollar company. They possess all the impunity to wreak havoc. Like MM said, "no one should have the right to wield such power."
This theme of abuse is explicated with Butcher's flashback. No one is inherently "good" or "evil" - you are shaped by your upbringing. As the scenes between his memories, his reflection, and his projection in current time are cut seamlessly back and forth, Butcher slowly realizes that he mirrors the man he hated the most. Yet he fully accepts his succumbing to that darkness while bringing Hughie with him through his personal vendetta against the supes - not caring about the risk towards others who he claimed he loved. Even with parents, one may grow to be a contemptuous person if they live in an abusive family, and it's a cycle that is very difficult to break. Butcher's flashback is certainly the spotlight of the episode for me.
Even with Kimiko's story in the background (her saying that V only explicates what kind of person you are), considering that we've been shown how the character's social lives shaped them into what they are now - Kimiko with her abducted kid background, Hughie's insecurity with his zero to hero job, etc - the message stays strong, countering the superhero cliche of inherently morally good and evil person.
I'm hoping this dynamic could be further explored in the next episode (or season) with the Soldier Boy and Homelander encounter when it's revealed that Soldier Boy is Homelander's father, at least he feels so. An abusive father meets a narcissist kid-who'd-wanna-be-a-father. The ending of this episode becomes revealing when tied up to the earlier convesation between Homelander and Maeve: with Homelander echoing Soldier Boy's words that he "used to dream of having kids" with Maeve, it becomes apparent in this episode that the relationship between Homelander and Maeve (and Soldier Boy and Crimson Countess) it is not something exactly out of pure love.
"Having kids" is not a romantic statement: it's a purely masculine, self-centered ego of having someone of your blood - of your similarity - that you can be proud of. Who the partner is doesn't matter; they are only means to that end. And in that Soldier Boy shares something in common with Homelander as shown through his delight of accepting Homelander readily as his son, albeit lab-grown. He only wants to see a better version of him.
Last but not least, I love the jab at corporate this episode still throws. Ashley spinning breaking news about Starlight in a similar way Disney would spin stories about their abuse and mismanagement; and that A-Train being zombified, again, with the heart of Blue Hawk embedded in his body, serving only as Vought's puppet. I'm not sure if that's the most satisfying end to A-Train's arc, but seeing his disappointed, grim look, his lack of agency, I guess the character suffers a lot. I just hope this will be the last of his arc and the show doesn't squeeze him further.
That said, with the reveal at the ending, I am not sure I am 100% satisfied as I was expecting Soldier Boy bringing down Homelander, or rendering him powerless by the end of the season. Looks like Homelander will continue to be the main villain. I just hope they don't prolong the "mentally unstable" trope too much and find ways to keep the show interesting. Looking forward to the finale.
"They're just people. But they snap their fingers and we jump."
Interesting episode showing the clutch of corporation in the lives of the superheroes. Heroes have to obey metrics--viewership, social media likes--they have to perform, to play the role of heroes to satisfy the demands of the markets.
The life threatening crime of robberies are made mundane, as shown when Homelander and Maeve have a casual chit-chat about their employers while performing cool action stunts of "saving the world". Which, in actuality, is a no-mercy beatdown of a guy who surrendered as soon as they appear. But they have to play their part: "the bad guy shot first", that's why it's legal to murder him. In the same vein, Starlight has to upgrade her costume, to show a "transformation" from a country girl to a metropolis supe. She doesn't like showing off her body, but once she signed the contract, her body is no longer hers--it's of the corporation. The supes may have physical power, but the billionaires have political and cultural power.
We have watched this mundanity before in the form of other entertainment--Marvel Cinematic Universe. Life-threatening actions were played out as jokes and mundane routines. And us the viewers enjoyed it, because it gives us "cozy feelings". But, like most performers, heroes hide secrets. And that's where the Compound V plot kicks in.
This episode attempts to show what sci-fi usually does: a commentary not of the future, but of the present. The subplots are knitted neatly to each other, marking a distinct theme. We tread carefully as plans and ploys unfold--and failed--but as they go, more possibilities were opened up. We watch our Hughie becoming more convinced of his place in The Boys. We see his conscience in opposition to the other veteran members of professional killers.
The great thing about this show so far is how everything is not portrayed as merely black and white. Superheroes may do bad, but they are all still humans who submit to corporate governance. While our boys may seem to have clear motives of taking down corrupt heroes, but they too are vested with their own interest. Hughie acts as our moral compass--the only ordinary guy, who happens to be trapped inside this clusterfuck.
Most solid episode of the season so far. Nothing extraordinarily amazing, but it's just The Boys at its best like in the first half of Season 1.
What I like the most is that everything that happens leading to the climax in the Herogasm is just frantic, chaotic, a lot of stuff happening at once, unplanned, unpredictable, and consequently, tragic. Just a lot of things coming out together at the same time, including the tying up of loose ends of plot points (e.g. with A-Train's demise and his conflict with Hughie).
The episode keeps the comedy and jab at corporate speak intact, but does not overdo it so we get straight to the crux of the matter. From Homelander, Starlight, Kimiko/Frenchie, Hughie, A-Train, even Ashley - the plot revolving around those characters are about what makes them really them. They all have struggled with the question whether power (be it through V or executive position) made them into a terrible person they do not like, but it is all actually on them. Power only explicate their attitude. Like Butcher in the previous episode said, "With great power comes the absolute certainty, that you will turn into a right cunt."
It was interesting to see how each characters react: Hughie portrayed as an insecure man, A-Train tasting his own bitter medicine, Starlight getting tired of the play-pretend and politicking she has played all over the years, and of course, Homelander being Homelander. I find it especially best with Hughie and A-Train. Hughie, when in S1 he acted as our moral compass, here we see him as someone fragile, a man unable to keep up with the pace of the world he's living in and feeling defeated by his girlfriend for not being a breadwinner. A-Train, a great end to his arc, as he realizes that he has caused so many harms to others due to his toxicity, he realizes that he can only bring a little bit of justice for his own brother. He can't run away from his past like Frenchie said, I think it's very poetic.
Also it's refreshing to get a brief character development with Soldier Boy. Hoping that there is more to this character in the next seasons to come.
Last but not least, the fight with Homelander was intense. The unexpected Butcher x Hughie x Soldier Boy tag-team is great, especially with the confused, defeated look Homelander gave to them. I'm expecting this will drive Homelander even uncontrollable, especially now with his inner monologue and everyone either against him (Starlight, Maeve, if she is still there) or leaving him (Noir and possibly A-Train). The show seems to be planting the seed of conflict between our Boys in the future to come. Hopefully this will pay off.
When you have a political system and society built on the absolute control of information, and the projection of being all powerful and always infallible, then, when something disastrous happens, the first inclination is denial, then a cover-up, and finally finger pointing, deflection and blame storming with the various people having any sort of authority or power trying to save their own asses. The fact that the party bosses and ministers were "Apparatchik's", the Soviet equivalent of bureaucratic hacks, who had been gifted their appointments with minimal or even no knowledge of the actual workings of the bureaucracies they oversaw, poured gasoline and threw a match on an already untenable situation. It's easy to strut around in a cheap suit and impress the peasantry, especially when you can have anyone who calls you out on your BS sent to the Gulag's or even worse. It gets a bit trickier when peoples hands and faces start melting off, and they're detecting abnormally high radiation 1000 miles away.
I feel worse for the civvies, whose naive faith and trust caused them to believe the lies and half truth's they were being fed, and kept them from not only questioning the official story, but, willingly living and working in such close proximity to a disaster waiting to happen, and, thinking it was a privilege to do so. They had no idea of the dangers lurking near them, and, like Lyudmilla, who even when warned not to get too close or stay too long, hugs, caresses, and even places her irradiated husbands hand on her growing womb, thinking he just has some severe burns, because no one has the courage to speak the truth, even at the cost of thousands of lives.
Granted, it really didn't matter after the fact, because the battle now was to keep from decimating the ENTIRE Soviet Union and most of eastern Europe, so, what's 10 or 20 thousand dead if it means saving the country? So, if the neighborhood cheap suit pulls your name from a hat at the point of an AK-47, you tend to cooperate and not ask too many questions. Unless you're a coal miner extra enough to work butt nekkid in a radioactive hole with no hope of survival, and no thanks or glory. I tip my hat to them. Hero's all, even if Moscow never acknowledged them.
This was definitely more for Godzilla fans than it was for critics. It was way better than the 2014 film that got Certified Fresh. The film is just badass. Not perfect but....bad ass.
They do over-do the family drama again though. Especially when the family drama makes no sense. Mark Russel (Kyle Chandler) blames Godzilla for the death of his son. He wants all monsters dead.
Mark’s wife Emma (Vera Farmiga) says screw mankind. The monsters will cure the planet of Climate Change. So yeah in another words who cares if anyone else loses family members. Due to her plan to unleash all monsters.
Her daughter Madison (Millie Bobbie Brown) sticks with her. Despite her mom teaming with some bad men with guns. Who kill some nice scientists right in front of her. So yeah, Mark is the sanest one in that family.
Even if there’s too much of the humans and a silly plot. This is the best of the Hollywood Godzilla movies. Critics are just wrong. One even said the Roland Emmerich version is better. What drugs is that critic on ?
The battles are some of the best done of any monster vs monster battle. Unlike the first film this one has a ton of Godzilla history to it. It shows him way more and shows the character great respect.
If Michael Bay made Invasion, it would be filled with paper thin caricatures. Invasion is more in the vein of Cloverfield, both of which invest heavily into developing characters. In both, alien invasion is a backdrop that accelerates unfolding human drama.
Aneesha (United States): Arguably the main principle character, I find her struggle to protect her kids while letting her cheating husband Ahmed "help" for the time being interesting. Ahmed has been a one-dimensional villain, but their dynamic is complex and boiling up into a spectacular burn.
Caspar (United Kingdom): By far the most sympathetic character and his relationship with a school bully Monty is realistic. Billy Barratt delivers very nuanced performance.
Mitsuki (Japan): Her lesbian angle reminds me of Hilary Swank's cliched sci-fi Away, but her role is thankfully pivoting into a scientist in charge of solving the mystery.
Trevante (Afghanistan): Estranged boyfriend-PTSD soldier angle creates a surprisingly poignant backdrop for his newly developing relationship with an Afghan migrant Kuchi (fantastically played by Aziz Capkurt).
The first 3 episode devotes well over 90% of the screen time developing these 4 characters, with "cameo" appearances by veteran actors Sam Neill and Rinko Kikuchi. Like Cloverfield, their conflicts are brought to front and center as their survival instincts kick into higher gear.
For the most part, I think these storylines work because the performances are so strong across the board. But I hope something bigger happens soon.
[7.0/10] Another episode that isn’t bad, but isn’t especially great either. It’s just square in the middle.
I’ll say this, I loved the interlude where Clint goes to play with the Larpers to get his Ronin suit back. There’s something so fun about him carrying a fake sword and just casually “slaying” his opponents in slow-motion while they overact in response. His fake “trial by combat” was a blast, and I like the idea that having suffered through so much over the years (including a wicked case of tinnitus, apparently), part of his journey here is learning to have fun and enjoy himself again.
Likewise, I’m not sure how I feel about the meta-commentary on how Hawkeye is the most low-key, least marketable Avenger. It’s a little too cute by half. But I do appreciate the continuing focus on the nature of celebrity and how Clint is uncomfortable with it, doesn’t care about selling things, and is a little over it all. There’s meat there, and I don’t know if the show is going to sink its teeth into it, like so many one-eyed pups chowing down on some pizza, but it’s intriguing nonetheless.
That said, I’m at least warming to Kate Barton a little. I continue to find her oblivious “straighten up and fly right” mom + probably evil stepdad situation to be too stock and unengaging. But she’s got a sly, deadpan sort of snark vibe that I appreciate. She and Clint don’t have the fun dynamic that, say, Sam and Bucky do. But him as the no-nonsense dad, and her as the wry rebel has some juice to it. I’m not totally sold, but there’s room to grow there.
Still, her stepdad is so cheesily evil to me that I’m desperately hoping it’s a swerve, even though all of my comics knowledge suggests it isn’t. Tony Dalton is a good actor! He’s great in Better Call Saul. But Jack is just such a nigh-literally mustache-twirling bad guy so far that he’s almost wholly uninteresting.
The same goes for the “track suit mafia.” There’s not much of an animating problem in this one. Jack is an obvious baddie, and the Eastern Bloc Bro Brigade has little going for them either. So what obstacles are we supposed to care about here? There’s something to be said for Clint’s “catch and release” ploy to get inside the bad guys’ compound, but it’s thin gruel.
I guess we have Clint’s promise to his daughter to make it home for Xmas, but again, very generic as these things go.
Overall, this feels more like a piece moving episode than anything that really deepens the characters or their situation. Clint playing temporary mentor to Kate has something to it, but the show can’t yet find a worthy challenge to throw at them. Kate’s story especially feels very rote and facile. Hoping that with more throat clearing out of the way, this one improves.
I liked the ending tbh. It was time that Sabrina stopped getting it with her way. From S1, there was a constant "don't do that, this is impossible to do, if you do this we all gonna die" and she did it anyway; and at the point of "solving" it, it wasn't as impossible as they all said. Didn't mind that she died, although i think that Nick commiting suicide to be with her, was a little too much.
Still, a couple of things weren't quite clear, as for example, why exactly did Morningstar died at the beggining of the episode, if she managed to escape The Void in the previous chapter. Also, there wasn't even a recognition or metion that she came back from that cosmos with the "fake" salem/Endless; it was dropped right next to her, but nobody said, asked or even mention him. . Also, if i'm not mistaken, wasn't one of the graves in Spellman's graveyard like "magically" modified so when you put a dead person in there, it would ressurrect (what Zelda did with Hilda at the beggining)?? Maybe i'm forgetting something but the ending could have be changed easly with that in mind.
Anyway, i think it was an ok ending. The overall season was good in my opinion
[7.2/10] This was fine. I’m not very versed in Matt Fraction’s run on the Hawkeye comic, which this show is supposed to be at least partly based on, so some of the nods and bits of foreshadowing are lost on me. But it does what it needs to do as a first episode, even if it’s closer to a single than a homerun.
This is mostly an introduction to Kate Bishop who, spoiler alert I guess, will almost certainly become the new Hawkeye. Her backstory here is fine. I like the idea that she lost her father in the Battle of New York, but inherited his sense of protectiveness in general, and for her mother in particular. Her seeing Clint Barton’s heroism during the fight with the Chituri is some nice clockwork plotting amid the cinematic universe to explain why she’d choose to take up archery along the way. It’s all a bit tidy, as such character introductions tend to be, but it’s all sound enough.
I also appreciate her as a bit of a troublemaker, and a resourceful one at that. Her bell-ringing/tower-destroying stunt is amusing enough as to how she’s clever but can still get in trouble. And the way she manages to infiltrate a secret rich guy auction for illicit goods shows some of her chops as a budding hero.
I’m not enamored with the actual character work, though. Her relationship with her mom and putative stepdad starts out as boilerplate. There’s some class issues at play, which I can appreciate, but the show only gestures toward them here in the beginning. Maybe we’ll get more on why she feels out of place in the world of the wealthy (and why her mom feels so comfortable there despite seemingly putting up some resistance to it in the cold open flashback). But it’s hard to invest in any of these generic relationships and tensions in the early going.
All that said, I found myself surprisingly compelled by Clint Barton here, who’s never the Avenger I’m most invested in. I appreciate the way he’s still grieving Black Widow, not skimping on the emotional impact of the human costs of Endgame. By the same token, I appreciate his discomfort at the way he and his colleagues have been valorized by the world. The idea that after you’ve been through something hellish and at times life-destroying -- seeing the way it’s been gussied up and turned into a Broadway musical, or how people want selfies, or how well-meaning restaurateurs treat you more like a paragon of virtue than a person -- would be a lot for you to take. The distance between the popular image and the reality would be mentally taxing, and I like the show exploring that idea.
I also like the setup that Kate might be, if not a replacement for Natasha, then someone who fills the same space in Clint’s eyes (and the audience’s). She’s another badass normal, one who uses conman schemes to get past surly wait staff managers and sneaky parkour to get into places she’s not supposed to be. There’s a setup that Clint training her is as much about him processing Natasha’s death and seeing her legacy carried on as it is Clint possibly filling in the role of a father figure that Kate does not want filled with her cruddy-seeming soon-to-be stepdad.
THere’s potential in all of this, the execution is just a little off-the-shelf. Visually, the episode is surprisingly bland despite the “Xmas in NYC” setting. The fight scenes are indifferent and over-edited, leaving Kate’s coming out party as an ass-kicker seeming murky and dull. The only real excitement despite a heists, showdown, and wine bottle skirmish, comes from what we don’t see. Clint kicking some random thieves’ behinds on top of a car, where we just see the aftermath, sells the butt-whupping prowess better than any of the actual fight scenes we get to see, which isn’t ideal.
I’m likewise not especially invested in the murder mystery, even if Armond Duquesne was the most entertaining performance in this episode. So much of these initial episodes has to be setup, and the plot machinery being moved around didn’t do much for me.
Still, again, this was fine. It doesn’t set the world on fire, but it does what it needs to do in terms of introducing the characters, the character conflicts, and something plotty for our heroes to concern themselves with over the course of the show. Hopefully with that throat-clearing out of the way, there’ll be better things to come, but this is a series premiere that gets on the board more than it hits right on target.
SPOILERS AHEAD…. I don’t even know if I can put into words how much I fucking love this film!!! American History X is such an underrated masterpiece—literally, from start to end. This is not an easy film to watch, but damn is it worthy of every second.
A 1998 film directed by Tony Kaye presents to us the story about a neo-Nazi skinhead named Derek Vinyard—marked with a life of cruelty, violence, racism—who is sent to prison after brutally murdering two black men who attempt larceny. Once released, he desires a change and understands his mistakes. Derek sets off to change and fix the things he did wrong, specifically that his younger brother Danny doesn’t follow in his footsteps.
American History X obtains beautiful cinematography. There is an extremely distinct and intelligent representation of hatred in the movie’s photography. The past is shot in black and white to portray how Derek viewed the world as plain as black v.s. white; and the present is shot in colour to represent Derek’s change and comprehension of what social hatred has done to better his life, which is simply nothing but pain.
Sadly, 20 years later, American History X is still relevant to this day. Recently, many problematic hate groups have been exposed and often include neo-Nazis. Never had I thought I would live in a world filled with this atrocity but disappointingly, they have always been there. Deep inside, I have this raging gut to show this film to all people that commit hate crimes or simply hate. Hell, how could that ever happen, right?
Why is it that I love American History X so much? It is because the message that this film sends out is astonishing. The script is in every single way a lesson, and it all concludes perfectly at the end. This movie in no way sets out to present white people being victimized by different races and ethnicities. It simply speaks to the world about not only racism, but how hatred can affect individuals and tear loved ones apart. Technically, this entire movie should be the definition of hate. That “Hate is baggage. Life’s too short to be pissed off all the time. It’s just not worth it.”
The movie accomplishes to teach us how individuals are never born hating. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, then they can be taught to love. There are numerous amounts of scenarios where this is shown through the film’s very memorable moments. From the curb stomp scene, which presents HATE, sending Derek to prison (presenting: hate does not mean better), where he soon experiences BETRAYAL from a group of neo-Nazis when they rape him, to unexpectedly befriending a black man, displaying LOVE.
Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D’Angelo, and Jennifer Lien did amazing jobs portraying their characters—each and every single one of them with so much pain. The most difficult scene to watch was the brutal dinner table scene where Norton gives a fucking powerful performance. He really demonstrated how deep the character’s hatred can go once he sends endless insults to the Jewish man whom during that scene was in a relationship with his mother. Not to mention the part where he begins to suffocate his own sister!!
The ending of the film was the most unexpected and completely heartbreaking. Although this is a film that revolves around white supremacy, I cannot be the only one who was hoping for a happy ending. Watching a family go through such horrendous events and then watching this former neo-Nazi noticing his mistakes and profoundly attempting to fix them, only to see them end on the murder of his young brother is truly fucking tragic.
In a way, during that last scene American History X presents the cycle of social hatred. One loses, and the other wins, continuing to pass on the hate. That kid was probably put up to a test, and as soon as Danny’s blood splatters over his face, the kid’s eyes open wide, and we know he regrets it.
I have read the original script of American History X and I seriously wish this film could’ve been longer. I really believe it still would’ve been successful if they included a few scenes from the original screenplay. AMAZING MOVIE!
[8.5/10] Somewhere along the line, Crosshair became one of the most interesting characters not just in The Bad Batch, but in Star Wars as a whole. He’s a clone, which is always a good start. But he’s one who’s genuinely loyal to the Empire. Republic? Empire? Either way, they’re taking orders from the bosses. That's what they’ve been trained for. Bred for. In his mind, the rest of the Bad Batch are the traitors, for deciding to walk away from something they’ve been loyal to since they were born and leaving him behind. He’s the hero in his own mind, staying a steadfast part of the organization and institutions they’ve sacrificed so much to protect.
Only now, he’s realizing that the Empire doesn’t return that loyalty. Lieutenant Nolan is a good avatar for that. He’s plainly racist against clones, using the term itself with a sneer. More to the point, he clearly views them as chattel. When pressed on his reluctance to work with clone troopers, he gripes about not wanting to employ “used equipment.” One of the thematic throughlines this season is how the powers-that-be within the Empire don’t see the clone troopers as people, just tools to be discarded once they’re no longer useful.
Crosshair clearly dislikes Nolan, and even in his stoicism, seems a bit put out by his brothers being forcibly retired. But he’s a good soldier. He follows orders.
That makes it meaningful when he meets someone who doesn’t. Commander Mayday is a fascinating person, a clone trooper who’s been practically exiled to a remote outpost to protect cargo he’s not even allowed to know about. He’s the poster child for Imperial neglect. He’s an experienced soldier reduced to guard dog duty. All of his men have died, and nobody seems to care. All of his equipment is outdated and not up to the job, but the Empire ignores his requests for replacements. His request for reinforcements was met thirty-six days late. And Lt. Nolan in particular treats him like scum, disdaining the clone for simply existing, demanding a deference he hasn’t earned despite his rank, and ordering him on unreasonable missions.
The dynamic is clear, and interesting. Nolan represents the worst of the Empire: prejudice, cruelty, sneering injustice at every turn. And Mayday represents the tragedy of the clones following the war, someone discarded and treated as disposable, useful only for ferrying along the toys for the next wave of soldiers. This the institution Crosshair is loyal to, the thing he fights for unquestioningly.
Until he spends time with Mayday in a frozen wasteland. Separate and apart from all the stellar thematic and character work going on here, the work of the directors and animators soars in this one. The ice-ridden outpost comes with a real sense of place. You understand the desolation of where Mayday has been stranded all this time, the inherent threat that comes from traversing the freezing temperatures and harsh environment, and the lack of care it evinces to subject anyone to this. The low lights, sparse score, and gray landscape convey in a visceral way how grim the conditions that people like Nolan have uncaringly subjected the clone troopers to are.
The expedition to recover some crates from the local rebels gives Crosshair and Mayday a chance to bond. Crosshair is steady as ever, while Mayday stops just short of being openly insubordinate. Mayday’s sarcasm and cynicism make for a good contrast with Crosshair’s dry wit, and their adventure to retrieve the boxes brings them closer together through the bond that forms from braving adversity together. The mission is a harsh one, full of traps and threats and environmental dangers. It’s one they’re undermanned for too, something Nolan doesn’t care about, but which pushes them to rely on one another even more.
There’s a nice throughline for how they treat one another. Crosshair has internalized Imperial principles, and so decries fallen soldiers as dead weight. And yet, when he inadvertently steps on a pressure mine, Mayday is a bit snarky, but goes to some trouble and risk to defuse it and help save Crosshair’s life (using improvised tools, since the Empire hasn’t given him what he needs, of course). It shows the esprit de corps of the clone troopers, even among those who don’t see eye to eye, with the sort of loyalty the Imperials don't share, the kind of loyalty Crosshair once shared with the rest of Clone Force 99.
And in the end, he returns the favor. There’s some nice setup and payoff as what starts as a low rumble, builds to a large crack, and finally into an avalanche that threatens to bury both of them. Despite Mayday being injured in the mission, and Crosshair being better-positioned to make it himself if he left Mayday behind, Crosshair has internalized Mayday’s perspective. There’s power in his choice to rescue Mayday when he doesn’t have to, to put his own life on the line to save one of his brothers. It’s a sign of his viewpoint starting to change, of his recognition of the need of the clones to look out for one another since their superiors certainly won’t be doing it.
It’s a sharp contrast with Lt. Nolan. When the clones make it back by the skin of their teeth, clearly injured from the attempt, there’s zero concern from their commanding officer. All he does is excoriate them for failing to recover the cargo, armor for the stormtroopers who will replace them, in an ironic twist. And he refuses to call a medic for Mayday, calling it a waste of resources. Mayday and Crosshair will risk their lives for one another. Nolan won’t even offer basic treatment. The disparity in the views on the value of clone life couldn't be more stark, and makes for a thematic throughline that presents the angel and the devil on Crosshair’s shoulders.
Finally, he’s had enough. Even obedient, loyal Crosshair can't stand this. He recognizes the Empire’s misdeeds, if not in their tactics across the galaxy, then certainly in the way they treat him and those he’s fought with. After all they’ve done, all they’ve lost and sacrificed in the name of protecting this institution, they don’t get so much as a thank you, and worse yet, are treated as the expendable afterbirth of the Empire’s emergence.
So he kills the shitheel then and there. It’s a powerful move, one that seals Crosshair’s fate to some degree, but also affirms a change of heart. What do you do when you realize the thing you’ve been loyal to your whole life isn’t worth that loyalty? When it treats you like chewed up gum stuck to the side of a star destroyer’s hull? If you’re a soldier like Crosshair, you fight back. You return the harsh consequences doled out by racist cowards in stuffed uniforms. And maybe, just maybe, you accept that your friends were right all along.
