I'm just going to start off by listing the 3 shittiest things that He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named did in this episode, okay? By the way, please enlighten me, how does a dude who does multiple shitty things per episode even stand a chance with Kara, let alone actually get together with her?
Calling Kara helping people as Supergirl "little superhero-ing".
Immediately disregarding Kara's wishes and telling everyone about their relationship.
Ignoring what Kara said (again) and trying to brush it off (again).
I just don't get it. A part of me thinks, or hopes, that the writers are doing this on purpose to show what a toxic relationship looks like and how not to treat your significant other, but let's be real, that's probably not it. They actually seem to think that this shit is cute and romantic. And it makes me sick.
Sure, Man-Hell was right about Jeremiah. But contrary to popular belief, the end doesn't justify the means. He could have proved his point without being an asshole. But I guess that's just how he rolls, right? And we're supposed to let it slide because... he's conventionally attractive?
Honestly, fuck this guy.
Alex's confrontation with Jeremiah was a powerful moment and Chyler Leigh once again brought her A-game.
How long will I have to scream into the void about Maggie's lack of screentime before someone finally hears me? I can't believe the showrunners think I'm more interested in What's-His-Face than in this amazing woman, who:
is simultaneously an absolute badass and the softest human being I have ever seen (those dimples, man, Jesus Christ, what a bae)
was outed to her parents and kicked out of the house at 14
is such a good detective that she figured out Kara's secret by herself
is a good, pure, unproblematic fave who deserves better.
I have no dignity left anymore, I will literally beg if I have to. I'll sell my soul if that's what it takes to get her a proper storyline. Sure, the family dinner thing was cute, and the way she comforted Alex was wonderful. Maggie Sawyer is a kind, supportive girlfriend who listens to Alex and is always there for her, and the way they keep trying to draw parallels between Sanvers and Karamel lowkey makes me want to die. They're not similar! At all! Not in a million years! One is based on mutual love, respect and support, and the other is an abusive garbage fire. I'm starting a campaign. Let Maggie Sawyer deck Fuckboy in the face 2017.
And another thing: I guess Karamel can be all over each other, make out, wake up in bed naked after obviously having sex, but God forbid Maggie and Alex do anything more than kiss for exactly 1.5 seconds. No, I'm not bitter, why do you ask?
Does Cadmus want to send all aliens back into space? Hey, here's a thought: maybe they can use that big-ass ship to launch Mayo-El into the Phantom Zone? Pretty please?
No. No. I refuse to believe this.
I'm not crying, not yet. But I have this horrible, cold, twisting sensation in my stomach that usually means I'm nervous. Right now it means that my worst nightmares have come true.
I can't say that I didn't expect Root to die, but I didn't expect it to happen before the series finale, and even then, my silly, naive heart still hoped against all hope that she'd miraculously survive.
Root died protecting Harold, fighting for a cause she believed in. She transcended death and became The Machine's voice. They couldn't have possibly come up with a more fitting end for her character, but that doesn't mean I'm the tiniest bit okay with her dying. I feel sick, to be honest. I can't breathe. I don't know how to process this. Is this what heartbreak feels like? It sucks. It sucks so badly.
It's no secret that I loved Root. I absolutely adored her. She was one of my favorite characters of all time, and her journey from an antagonist to a hero was nothing short of extraordinary. I feel like a part of me died with her, and I don't think I'll ever get it back.
I can't focus because my feelings are overwhelming me. It was a brilliant episode. Great action, great Harold speech in that interrogation room, great Root/Shaw scenes... I need to scream into my pillow. Root just got Shaw back! It's not fair!
How am I supposed to live after this?
Everything hurts, and nothing matters anymore.
I think I need a hug.
And here I thought the last episode was terrific. This was a near-flawless ribbon on the top of so many different arcs. And it's only the season's midway point.
Cotyar goes down a hero by destroying an infected Agatha King (taking "that asshole" Nguyen with him), Errinwright gets double-teamed by Sorrento and Anna and finally locked away, Mao is captured by Jim and forcibly knelt before Avasarala, Prax finally finds his daughter Mei, safe and sound, and Bobbie confronts a hybrid and finally gets over her PTSD of being defeated by one on Ganymede. Even Jim and Naomi made up and got back together after a risky tip of their hand to Fred Johnson paid off. And then a fucking jellyfish swam out of Venus' atmosphere... It's almost too much to process right away.
So much got packed into this hour yet it all flowed perfectly from one plot line to the other, interweaving where it made sense, and pushing the whole narrative forward in a believable way. This is how you make hard scifi.
The SyFy Channel is positively stupid for giving up on this exceptional piece of television. They really should be forced to change their network's name on account of it deliberately creating confusion for viewers.
What.the.actual.fuck.
"I am the Flash, and I don't exist anymore".
Seriously, what the hell was that? Anyways, I'm not gonna say it was horrible, cause it wasn't. Sure it had some writing issues (aka Speedforce), but it's not the worst I've seen. At least we didn't go back to Barry's house the night his mom got murdered so I'm calling it a win. It wasn't as good as the other two finales, but it was entertaining and we got to see a shot of the three Flash running together which got me too hyped.
Savitar, the God of Speed, a guy who can time travel, who can vibrate his hand through your chest and kill you in a heartbeat, gets downed by a freaking bullet? Like seriously? I couldn't believe it, then I realized he's still Barry and I understood. Bullets and tranq darts got to be Barry's worst enemy.
H.R., I was ready to watch another Wells die. He's the real hero. He fucking sacrificed himself to save Iris. He alone changed the future in just a second. Like he once said, a hero among heros. Drumsticks up for him! And then, everyone was just chilling with his death? He died and they got over it too fast.
Savitar kills Iris everybody: "oh no, you horrible monster. My life is ruined. What do we do now? I'm depressed"
Savitar kills H.R. instead Everybody: "oh it's ok, everything is fine. Don't you worry, we're gonna get you some help". The only person who understood him was Tracy. She was the only one with common sense.
I'm royally pissed off that Black Flash got killed by a single cold blast. Like what the hell, RF has been trying to escape from him for a whole season and he get kaputt like that? No way in hell. And Savitar is defeated by a freaking bullet? For God's sake. RF, one of the smartest people in the multiverse couldn't figure out that freeze was the only thing he needed to survive.
Black Flash getting killed with a single cold blast and Savitar with a bullet was dumb as hell. I guess you can't lock up the darkness, but you can freeze it to death.
HOLY SHIT! I'M HAVING AN ANEURYSM! A lot of this review is going to be in caps. Forgive me. But honestly, this is what Supergirl should be! Full of heart, putting women at the center, launching abusive former slave owners into space. I'm living. I'm actually excited for season 3. Let's hope the writers don't disappoint us and remember that in Supergirl's case, the recipe for success is: fewer White Boys (yes, there is a significant difference between a white boy and a White Boy, one is a Caucasian male and the other is a fucking trashcan of a person) and more Cat Grant, with a side of the Danvers sisters loving and supporting each other, and women in general having each other's backs.
First of all, CAT KNOWS! I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE SEASON 1, SHE KNOWS! Cat, you beautiful human. I really hope Calista will be around more next season. Everything's better with Cat. The last two episodes proved that.
M'gann is back! And she and J'onn are in love! That is so adorable. I want to see more of her in season 3.
THEY GOT RID OF MON-EL! WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY! I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want to rent a fucking airplane banner. Apparently, Chris Wood is confirmed to return in season 3, which is unfortunate, but at least he's gone for now. I've talked a lot about his relationship with Kara this season, but no one can tell me that I didn't have good reasons. Abusive garbage fire is still the best name for it that I can think of, and the fact that they framed it as tragic and romantic in the end makes me want to throw up. I can't stand the thought of all those little girls growing up thinking that a man disrespecting you, belittling you and ignoring everything you say is "relationship goals". And I don't care how much he's "changed". That doesn't make up for all the shitty things he's done.
And last but certainly not least, SANVERS ARE GETTING MARRIED! I don't even care that they seem to rush everything a little too much when it comes to this ship. MY TWO CANON LESBIANS IN LOVE ARE GETTING MARRIED! I feel so alive. I feel so blessed. I won't stop smiling for a week. What a wonderful time to be alive. Cry me a river, homophobes. I live in Poland and honestly, Americans ain't got nothing on Poles when it comes to homophobia. A few whiny babies bitching about "leftist propaganda" (because apparently that's what giving people basic rights and allowing them to marry the person they love is called nowadays) is a breeze compared to the kind of shit that I hear in face-to-face conversations every day. Bring it on.
Well, that's a season wrap for Supergirl! See you all in October!
Awesome episode. I enjoyed it all the way. Funny as hell and evolving the plot.
Boy, Mom's obses Mon-El is creepy. She has some kind of reverse Oedipus shot going on. She just pulled an Adrian Chase. Just 10 steps ahead. It was so obvious that Hercules, I mean Mon-El's dad, was gonna be stabbed by his wife. She's just a little shit. I get her point but the end doesn't justify the means. I just hoped she wouldn't have killed him, but locked him up in a dungeon or something. I'm disappointed! Mon-El's parents are way too interesting and I hoped he'd stayed longer. Anyway, can't wait for her to meet Lillian, they will create a mega evil team-up: to protect the world from alien life. To unite all earthlings within our nation. To extend our reach to the stars above. Lillian. The Queen. Team Mommy, blast off at the speed of light. Surrender now Supergirl, or prepare to fight.
I also loved J'onn beating the crop out of that psychic.
At this point, I'm not gonna bicker about Mon-El and Kara, my sister suffers the consequences, though. At the end, he's gonna sacrifice himself to save her, I'm sure about that. But remember how important working at CatCo was for Kara? And now she literally gives no fucks. And Mon-El compensating being a douche by making her breakfast. I'm not gonna complain, food gives me life and if someone does it for me, wow. Btw, loved the way Kara said "Bacon".
And Agent freaking Schott is back again! I love to see him getting a big role, even though he is "a little short for a Stormtrooper". loved that line. Never underestimate a Star Wars reference. And "Helicopter parenting", lol. If anything, Mon-El has a lot of potential for a comedic character.
And the President being an alien? I totally suspected it since the minute she ordered not to attack the ship. She's like a shapeshifter reptilian sent to earth to enslave humanity.
I can't believe next episode is a month away! Damn breaks! At least we got a great one to call it a month.
I'm not sure what to say. I don't know how I expected this show to end. On one hand, I'm okay with this ending, and I think it was a good way to conclude the show. On the other, I feel completely empty inside. It's strange to think that we're not getting another episode next week.
I was sure that John would be the one to die. It made the most sense. He had a good death, fighting until the very end. Still, I cried my eyes out when it happened.
I'm glad that Shaw is alive, and that she has Bear by her side. I loved how she smiled in the last scene. She totally heard Root's voice on the phone.
Finch is finally reunited with Grace!
So The Machine was talking to a version of herself all along. I'd kind of suspected that.
This was a great episode, and the last few minutes of it were bittersweet but also hopeful. The Machine's final monologue was epic. You know how sometimes you hear something so profound and powerful, something that speaks to you so deeply that you have to fight the urge to get it tattooed on your body? That's what I felt like when I heard that monologue. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the way they tied it all up.
Now, it's time for me to say goodbye.
I discovered Person of Interest quite late - just a few months before season 5 started. I wasn't hooked right away, but I stuck with the show because I'd read stellar reviews online. It took me almost an entire season to really get into it.
And then Root showed up, kidnapped Finch, stole my heart in about 0.2 seconds, and I was officially obsessed. It took me only 10 days to binge-watch seasons 2-4 (after all, who needs school? Who needs sleep?). This show was a wild ride, and I'm grateful that I got to experience it.
Thank you, Person of Interest.
Thank you for giving us compelling storylines, jaw-dropping plot twists and intense action scenes.
Thank you for exploring fascinating themes, such as AI and the true meaning of humanity.
Thank you for gorgeous cinematography, spectacular score and special effects that blockbuster movies could be jealous of.
Thank you for phenomenal characters, fantastic relationships, consistent characterization and incredible character development.
Thank you for starting my obsession with Amy Acker, which resulted in me binge-watching 19 episodes of Angel in one day (no, I do not possess amazing impulse control).
Thank you for making me laugh, making me cry, making me think, making me lose sleep over you.
Is there something about this show that I'm not happy with? Absolutely. I wish CBS hadn't acted like dicks and had given us a full season instead of measly 13 episodes. I wish Root hadn't died, and a part of me will always be bitter about it. I wish Shaw and Root had had more time. I wish they had paced the final season better (Root and Shaw are reunited after 10 months and over 7,000 simulations, Root dies in the following episode, and then we get a case of the week as if nothing happened? That's just bullshit right there), but I also know that the showrunners tried to do the best they could with a reduced number of episodes. And overall, they succeeded, making Person of Interest one of very few TV shows that were just as, if not more, exquisite in their last season as they were in their first.
Goodbye, Person of Interest. You will always be one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I don't think I'll ever get to watch something as engaging, thrilling, smart, thought-provoking, heartbreaking and powerful as you again.
I'm very pleased to say that I really loved this! As much as I enjoyed the premiere, it didn't fully feel like a Doctor Who episode to me. This one, however, absolutely did. I think it captured the essence of the show perfectly.
Something that Chibnall does very skillfully is create an engaging mystery that really draws you in. I was on the edge of my seat for a big part of the episode, waiting to find out what happened to the population of the planet. And what do you know, it looks like the Stenza are going to be a recurring theme this season! I'm curious to see how that will play out. And what - or who - could the timeless child be?
One of the strongest points of this season is the cinematography. Some of the wide shots that we got in this episode looked like they belonged in a Star Wars movie. And the music is excellent as well. It's kind of subtler than what I've gotten used to with Doctor Who, but it's lovely. The new composer is doing a great job.
Another strong point is obviously the acting. While I do think that Jodie, just like every Doctor, will need a few episodes to fully come into her own, I love everything she's given us so far. The quick wit, the quirks, the boundless energy, the enthusiasm and the charm that she brings to the role - it's all exactly right. And I'll be honest, the emotional moments in this episode really got me. Her face when she saw the hologram of the Ghost Monument and realized it was the TARDIS! And the reunion was so soft and gentle and wonderful! I actually cried happy tears when she said "You've done yourself up! Very nice". I adore Thirteen. And the companions are growing on me too. I like the interactions between the three of them and the Doctor. I can't wait to see these individual dynamics develop over the course of the season.
The opening credits are awesome. I've never seen the classic series, but the theme has a very retro vibe to it and I like the color scheme. It looks like a kaleidoscope. I dig it.
And finally, the TARDIS! She's redecorated all right! The interior looks more organic, kind of like Nine's and Ten's were. I liked the sleek, mechanical designs of the Moffat era, but this one is so appropriately alien. The biscuit dispenser is a cute little touch, especially considering that they put it there as a gift to Jodie and packed it with her favorite custard creams.
Overall, I thought this was a really great episode. Now that we have the TARDIS back, I'm excited to see what adventures await us.
throws an Emmy at Chyler Leigh's head because somehow she manages to outdo herself every week and it's ridiculous
I didn't expect Supergirl to do a horror episode, but they actually kinda pulled it off. The scenes at the research station were sufficiently creepy. And the parasite looked really good.
Drunk Kara was absolutely adorable and hilarious.
The Guardian is fine. I liked James and Winn's interactions in this episode. Kudos to Jeremy Jordan for his angry speech at the DEO. It was amazing. And the idea to lace the suit with lead so Kara can't see inside it was pretty brilliant.
Is something going to happen to J'onn because of White Martian blood?
Well, Mon-El is dead. I mean, not really, but I can't say I'd miss his pasty annoying ass.
Now, let's get to the more emotional and less comprehensible part of this review:
Alex came out to Kara, and of course there had to be a misunderstanding, but that scene at Kara's apartment was beautiful. Everything about it was perfect, from the soft music and the warm lighting to all the acting choices. Alex talking about Maggie and calling her beautiful was just so pure and cute and it made me want to bite my hand off. You know the feeling. Don't lie to me.
AND THEN ALEX KISSED MAGGIE! I had to pause the episode and calm my racing heart. I was so excited and happy that I felt like I was about to explode. But underneath all that there was a nasty little gremlin sitting in my stomach, whispering "Maggie's gonna reject her", so I hesitated for a good minute before hitting play.
And guess what?
The gremlin was fucking right and I hate life.
Don't get me wrong. I want Alex and Maggie's relationship to develop slowly. And Maggie had a good reason for not wanting to get involved with a baby gay who's just starting to figure herself out. The calm, reasonable part of me knows that. But the far more vocal, far less logical part wants them to get together immediately.
Alex's heartbreak destroyed me. Holy shit. My poor baby. I'm sobbing because of her. The way she choked and stuttered and could barely talk... so real and completely devastating.
Welcome to part 2 of my messy overemotional written-while-half-asleep-at-5-AM crossover review, where coherent train of thought isn't a thing and punctuation rules don't matter. Buckle up, nerds, because this was freaking wild and we've got a lot to talk about.
First of all, the Dominators and the special effects in general were insane. Especially considering that this is a CW show and not a big-budget movie. Everything looked great and the action scenes were amazing.
Every year the crossover rolls around and I get to play a fun little game called "Does person X know person Y's secret identity? Have these two characters ever actually interacted before? Who was there when that other thing happened?". You can imagine how absolutely frustrating that is for someone like me, with my attention span of a hyperactive golden retriever puppy. Those are four massive TV shows we're talking about, and they're not the only ones I watch! How am I supposed to remember if Barry and Sara have ever talked before?
The writers managed to do the impossible: practically every single character had their moment in the spotlight, which is impressive with a cast this big and only 42-minute runtime. So kudos for that. What I don't understand is why we had to listen to Wally whining for like 8 of those minutes. That was just annoying. "Why won't they let me help fight aliens?" I don't know, dumbass, maybe it's because you got your powers like 2 seconds ago and you have no training whatsoever?
I liked Oliver's speech to Barry about change and people making choices. I wholeheartedly agree. I wish the other characters would stop getting mad at Barry for Flashpoint. Yeah, he fucked up, and let's hope he finally learns from his mistakes, but it's not like the people around him haven't made some shitty decisions. Give the guy a break. I mean, how can Cisco be sure that his brother wouldn't have died in the original timeline?
Oh, and if I heard correctly, Supergirl's Earth is Earth-38? I don't know why it's important to me, but I'm happy to know that.
I honestly think this whole season was a waste of time because I can't even name three things that would make this season relevant. It just feels like pure filler with bad writing. I'm sure I could have skipped this whole thing and didn't miss out on anything.
- I can't believe Bear just suddenly remembered he had a camera installed. What an absolute lame "twist" to solve Kenny's death.
- Geraldine was just... pointless? I thought she might be involved with the Twelve or has some personal agenda, hidden secrets or something. But I guess the whole point of her was to have mommy issues?
- I was hoping for more infos about the Twelve when Villanelle becomes a keeper, but I neither know what a keeper even is nor do I have any more knowledge about the Twelve. Disappointing and feels like a wasted story that Villanelle tried to go up the ranks.
- The ending was okay. I wish I could be more emotionally involved, but the whole season was such a drag that I just feel... numb. It's nice they finally chose each other, but I hope that'll be relevant in the next season because the cat and mouse game gets a bit boring by now. And I hope they'll finish with season four.
[8.5/10] “What did it cost you?” “Everything.”
It’s silly to try to connect Veep with Avengers: Infinity War, but it’s also hard to disaggregate them in my mind. Selina Meyer is not Thanos. Her goal is one of direct personal ambition than Thanos’s faux-altruistic goal. But the costs, at least in a spiritual sense, are the same.
Selina has her wish. After so much striving, so much conniving, so many lines crossed, she becomes President -- not just for a few months, but for a full term. And all she has to do to get there is: make a deal with the Chinese to let them undo the diplomatic liberation that made her politically relevant again, throw her nearest advisor into a position to have another heart attack, make a ignorant and repugnant man her Vice President at the expense of her other nearest advisor who resigns in disgust, relegate her one time protege to working for him without letting her advance from where she started, ensuring that another of the younger members of her team is out of politics, outlawing gay marriage to get votes but firmly and finally estrange her from her daughter, and throw the one person who genuinely, truly loved her under the bus.
In short, Selina sold her soul. That is impressive, if only because I didn’t think Selina had a soul left to sell. This show has constantly been about Team Meyer being utterly and completely mercenary, having no scruples to get in the way of climbing the political ladder, and being happy to sharply elbow one another whenever necessary or possible. Selina in particular has been happy to throw anything and everyone to the wolves when it suits her.
And yet, there’s something about the change that erupts in her when a (maybe?) dying Ben tells her that she knows what to do, that feels like she enters a new realm of darkness. With one blistering dress down, she eviscerates Tom James’s chief of staff and orchestrates her unexpected rival’s untimely demise with a MeToo moment. She sells out to whatever interests are necessary to get her the nomination, no matter the effects on her allies and erstwhile friend. She’s even willing to make a pact with the most repugnant man, who brandishes the most repugnant ideas, if it gets her what she wants.
There’s well-placed irony in the fact that, after all of the insults, all of his ridiculous ideas, all of his dump truck of deplorables speeches and gestures, Jonah ends up in the VP slot. With all the horse-trading and compartmentalizing going on here, it’s the ultimate gesture of futility. Selina knows full well, and vents, at how useless a drawer the Vice Presidency is to be shoved into and forgotten about. Having that be the culmination of Jonah’s obsequious journey feels appropriate.
That said, the genuine stock and trade of politics has never been Veep’s specialty, and so some of the brokered convention mishegoss to get to Selina’s ascendance and Jonah’s relegation becomes tiring after a while. The delegate-whipping and backroom dealing is a good opportunity for Veep to work in some final blasts from its arsenal of insults, and give the usual rondelay from its foul-mouthed politicians one last airing. But beyond the satire of Jonah’s “terrorist math” prediction coming true, the episode doesn't really kick into gear until Selina goes over to the darkest of the dark side once and for all.
But what does it get her? Well, the presidency, for one thing. And hey, that’s not nothing! But when we see Selina sitting in the Oval Office (once again buttressed by Sue!), being the President who won’t let the veep’s staff in rather than living on the other side of that arrangement, she doesn't seem happy. She’s still reflexively asking for Gary. Her staff is now made up of strangers. And in the end, she’s utterly alone, something that, as conveyed through Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s outstanding performance in the series finale, seems to be getting to her.
All of this striving and backstabbing and cutthroat Washington D.C. politicking still doesn't seem to have made her happy, still hasn’t fulfilled her in the way it was supposed to. The opening of the season asked repeatedly why Selina wanted to be President, and the closest she could come to an answer is “because this country owes it to me.” When that’s the only reason you want something -- because you like the idea of having it, not the thing itself -- then attaining will, as the finale suggests, only leave you alone and empty.
It’s a surprisingly powerful statement from a show that had seemed to adopt a Seinfeld-esque, “no learning, no hugging” policy. The true chutzpah comes in the show’s final segment, which jumps twenty-four years in the future, and you see that these years and years of naked political ambition left Selina’s hangers-on without much either.
Ben is dead. Kent looks like a shaggy wildman who raises livestock. Amy married Bill Ericson and chose never to have kids (an interesting echo given where things started for her this season). Dan is out of politics, never grew up, and is now selling real estate. Jonah was impeached, but is still married to his half-sister, apparently. And poor Gary is still devoted to the object of his courtly affection, despite all she’s done to him, laying the special lipstick on her coffin in a moment that has more emotional resonance than any comedy this foul should be able to muster.
Meanwhile, Richard, the only person in Selina’s coterie with any ethics or morality whatsoever, is the current President, having been reelected in a landslide. All of the shameless political backstabbers ended up discarded, depressed, or somewhere far short of their goals, and the one of their number who was too decent to be real, who shared none of their ambition, is the one who ended up succeeding better than any of them. In some ways, Veep’s finale is a fairytale. In others, it’s the final chapter of a tragedy.
(The one exception to all of this is Mike who, in a hilarious running gag that reaches its apex here, manages to consistently fail upward in the media world, with his boneheaded schtick being seen as endearing and a part of his charm. There’s a lesson, and an implicit critique, in that too.)
What did all of that selling out and betrayal and darkening of the soul net Selina? A one-term presidency that seems to have left her overshadowed by her successors, discarded by history, and bumped from the evening news by the death of Tom Hanks. Selina thought that all of this scratching and clawing would not only bring her happiness and fulfilment, but also a legacy. Veep declares, with her yonic Presidential Library full of disdainful rivals and allies and shoddy stumbles, that she ended up with none of the above.
Veep is a deeply cynical show, about government, about politicians, and about people. And yet, in the end, it delivered one of the most remarkably optimistic, and even moralistic messages imaginable: that the calculated climbers lose, even when they win, and that the good will ultimately prevail. The series was always one measure of caricature beyond the real world and one measure of hitting too close to home. But in its final hour, it buries its protagonist, and with her earthly remains, buries everything she aspired to and represented in the process.
I spent the entire episode grinning like a fool. It's so good to have Doctor Who back! And beyond amazing to finally properly meet Jodie's Doctor!
Oh, Jodie. When she first took off that hood in the reveal video back in July 2017, I immediately started crying. The thing is, I hadn't even allowed myself to hope for a female Doctor - I thought there was no way BBC would take such a risk. And I had never been happier to be proven wrong. I spent the last 15 months devouring every interview, every panel, every talk show, anything I could find, and making my way through Jodie's filmography (because of that, I can now understand her accent pretty much perfectly, which, as a non-native speaker of English, I'm really proud of). I knew she was a phenomenal actress, and in this episode it became obvious that she was born to play this role. Her Doctor is just the right amount of quirky, she's funny, brilliant and a delight to watch. One thing that stood out to me right away was the sharp contrast between her and Twelve's bedside manner - or, in his case, lack thereof. Thirteen is wonderfully empathetic, she seems to understand human emotions way better than her predecessor did. And it makes sense, too - after a darker, more troubled Doctor we get one who's bubbly, joyful and full of childlike wonder. Someone a little softer, which I love.
The episode itself was very enjoyable. I thought the storyline was quite clever and Tim Shaw (yes, I know that's not how it's spelled) was a pretty good villain. There were moments that definitely reminded me of Broadchurch - you can already clearly feel the difference between Moffat's style and Chibnall's. The whole thing also looked really good. Very cinematic. I already like the new companions - or friends, as they're now called. I wasn't a fan of Graham at first, but his speech at the funeral was very sweet. The Doctor explaining what regeneration feels like was excellent and moving, it also served as good exposition for potential new viewers. And I adore Thirteen's outfit.
It's times like these that I wish Doctor Who was a Netflix show. I want more!
UPDATE: This episode was watched by 8.2 million people in the UK upon its debut, which is the highest overnight viewership since The Day of The Doctor. Guys, I'm trying to be a good person here, I really am. But when I remember all the assholes on YouTube going "RIP Doctor Who" when Jodie was first revealed, I can't help but cackle. I'd say the show is doing just fine.
Kara saying "You have changed" to Mon-El after he did one remotely decent thing was bullshit. You know, my alcoholic stepfather used to make my mom breakfast too. Didn't stop him from getting drunk and beating her up every other weekend. That's just the thing about toxic relationships: it's not all bad. Why do you think people keep coming back to their abusive partners?
We finally got to see the alien President again. Took them long enough. It's hard for me to tell if she's good or bad. She certainly had a sinister vibe at the end of the episode.
Man, Mon-El's mother is a stone cold bitch. I knew immediately that she was going to kill her husband. I'm excited to see her wreak havoc upon the Earth. Just imagine how awesome a team-up between her and Lillian Luthor would be. They both hate Supergirl, so why not?
"I'm not here to judge you for things that happened in the past, I am here to help you heal."
Alex and Maggie's relationship is so good and healthy. I want to cry. Maggie is the softest soft to ever soft, and Alex is wonderfully gentle and supportive. I mean, I'm uncomfortable that they made Maggie a cheater (as if there weren't enough unnecessary hate for her character in the fandom already), but I still love her to the death and I will protect her at all costs. I hope we'll see more of her dealing with the repressed trauma of being rejected by her parents. And I hope Alex will be by her side through all of it.
And we're going on another break. Sigh.
Story time:
Once upon a time, Castle was my favorite show. I discovered it two years ago, and I loved everything about it. The writing. The characters. Castle and Beckett's dynamic. The way they balanced comedy and drama. It was perfect: well-acted, surprising, charming, funny, but also dark and intense when it needed to be. It was everything you could possibly want from a TV series. People say that when two main characters get together, it ruins the show because apparently established relationships are not interesting to the viewers. But in Castle and Beckett's case, it worked. It really did.
Until they decided to make Castle disappear on his wedding day in season 6 finale. That was the first time I was genuinely disappointed with the show, but I kept watching because I still loved it.
Season 7 was noticeably more forgettable than the previous ones, but it had enough good moments for me to feel somewhat satisfied. We got the wedding, they tied up the 3XK storyline (which, in hindsight, were the last two truly good episodes of Castle ever). Although Andrew Marlowe wasn't the showrunner anymore, he stuck around as a writer, and it was obvious that as long as he was there, he kept the show from going completely downhill.
And then the new showrunners took over in season 8 and destroyed everything that Castle had once been.
Season 8 was an insult to the audience. There's no other way to put it. The writing was mediocre at best and straight-up awful most of the time. Separating Castle and Beckett was unbelievably stupid. None of the new characters were likeable. Stana Katic had too little screen time, and Castle's PI business became the focus of the show. I wish I had something nice to say about this season, but there's nothing. All I feel is bitterness, and I can't imagine how people who have been watching the show since 2009 must feel. I stopped watching this trainwreck when I heard that they'd fired Stana, but I came back for the finale after they announced the cancellation. I was relieved. I hoped the show would end with some dignity. Which it didn't, but at least Beckett's alive, so I'll take it. If they'd got rid of the last shooting and made the epilogue longer, it would've been fine. But they very clearly wanted to show that they intended to kill Beckett before the series got cancelled. It was like one last slap from the writers to the audience.
I don't know if the rumors about Stana and Nathan hating each other are true. All I know is that those two seem like really nice people if their interviews and panels are anything to go by. Especially Stana has always struck me as a classy, lovely person. They appeared to be thick as thieves during their PaleyFest panel in 2012, and then, at the same event in 2013, they weren't even sitting next to each other. I can't imagine what happened between them, and we'll probably never know. But one way or another, their relationship off-screen didn't have anything to do with Castle's long-overdue cancellation. Low ratings and backlash from fans after the showrunners tried to make Beckett-less season 9 happen did.
If I decide to rewatch the show in the future (and I probably will because seasons 1-6 really were excellent, and season 7 still had some of that flair left), I'll be sure to skip the abomination that was season 8 entirely. The ending of season 7 was a better and more satisfying series finale anyway.
Goodbye, Castle. I won't miss you in the fall, and I'm sad that it had to end like this, but you were incredible once. And that's how I want to remember you.
