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.
What an episode. It actually ended happily, I didn't see that one coming. I love that they decided not to end it with a cliffhanger but with a touching moment. I really love to see them all together. Wally got his suit (hype) and Caitlin can control her powers now? Drunk Wells is hilarious. His little dance with Wally, lol. "Caroling in the rain, that sucks", "Caitlo, Ciscin", and that "It's the police, no you're the police". I love drunk Wells. I die when he calls Barry B.A. and insists on Wallace. Got to be an Earth-19 thing. Everyone was so happy that I was scared. I was expecting something bad to happen at the end. I'm so happy Julian was possessed by Savitar and that he's not just evil. Otherwise, I would've been disappointed.
And Jesus Christ, am I the only one who had a heart attack when Savitar said "I'm the future, Flash"? Cause I swear I thought he said "I'm the future Flash". Although it could be. Maybe Future Barry's message to Rip Hunter was because future Barry was turning into Savitar. That could explain why he knows so much about team Flash and why he cannot kill Barry, because he's his past self.
"One shall betray you, one shall fall, one will suffer a fate worse than death". Let the betting begin. Who do you think the descriptions are about? Betrayal = Wally; falling = Iris or Cisco; fate worst than death = Caitlin or Barry. But who knows. Maybe it's obvious but the camera showed Wally for betrayal, Cisco for falling, and Caitlin for fate. maybe Savitar prediction comes from an alternate reality that no longer exists.
So the cause of all Barry's current problems is future Barry. Don't kill Iris, we already lost Laurel.
Julian, prophecies, philosopher's stone. Cisco should get a HP vibe?
And yeah, let's throw the box with the God of Speed into the Speedforce because it makes so much sense.
Earth 3 looks fantastic. Love to see Mark Hamill again. Made me remember S1, when things were goofier.
Merry Christmas to everyone and see y'all in 2017
Am I crying? Yes. Yes, I am. Damn it, Flash. You did it again. You managed to turn me into a sobbing mess.
First of all, what was Mark fucking Hamill doing there? I've never seen him in anything other than Star Wars, so my first thought was a horrified "L-Luke?". Amazing. It takes some serious balls to cast such an iconic actor and then have him appear in just one scene. I applaud the showrunners.
Yay, Wally got his suit. Maybe he will finally stop whining.
I can't decide if I like Julian or not. Sure, he's not a bad guy, but he can still be an asshole when he wants to be.
"One shall betray you. One shall fall. One will suffer fate far worse than death."
Fuck off, Savitar. Nobody messes with Team Flash. And stay away from Iris. We've already lost Laurel, I won't let another plant-named love interest/moral compass/badass die on my watch.
So, Caitlin can control her powers now? It would be so cool (no pun intended) if she could use them without fear of turning into Killer Frost.
Drunk H.R. is hilarious. And his little happy dance with Wally in the park was absolutely adorable.
The Flash sure knows how to do a Christmas episode. I don't get nearly as excited about Christmas as I used to, but even my cold, dead heart warmed up a little when I saw all those decorations and all the characters together and happy for once. I was afraid something would happen and the episode would end on a cliffhanger, but no. Instead we got Barry and Iris being cute and in love. Someone punch me in the face, I can't handle the feels.
So, I guess this is the mid-season finale? In that case, see you all in 2017! And early Merry Christmas wishes to all of you!
[9.8/10] Growing up is hard enough. Figuring out who you are, figuring out the balance on what’s in the core of your soul and what parts of it you’re willing to share with the world is a difficult endeavor under the best of circumstances. Throw in the difficulties of living in a household of addiction, of a sexual preference that earns you additional scorns, and an already fraught journey becomes a cruel and unforgiving one.
Despite the harshness of these difficulties, Moonlight finds the beauty forged within that crucible, the kindnesses large and small, the transcendent moments and connections, that help a sweet, put upon young boy have something to hold onto as he becomes a man. It is, despite the aesthetic pleasures of its gorgeously shot scenes, at times an ugly, dispiriting film, but ultimately a life-affirming one, centered on the unique challenges of its protagonist, struggling to define himself, and finding his way among the pitfalls and gentler paths of growing up.
It is a lovely (and to my mind, superior) companion piece to Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, another coming of age tale told in pieces with a reserved but introspective bent. Certainly, the circumstances of Chiron and Mason are markedly different. And Moonlight does not share Boyhood’s ambitious ten-year film schedule, instead relying a trio very talented actors who manage to turn three separate performances into one remarkably unified character. But both gain strength and meaning from the contrast of who the young men at the center of these films are at various points in their development, and how they explore what lessons, ideas, modes of being, stick with them or come back later in life, and what falls by the wayside.
It is a film that is both strikingly specific but also universal. Director Barry Jenkins does well to explore the particular hardships of being stuck in the middle of a parent who doesn’t know how to deal with her son’s differences and labors under an addiction and a mentor who accepts those differences, who guides this young man and gives him tools to survive, but who also feeds his mother’s dependency. Moonlight also succeeds in its focus on Chiron’s fraught attraction to his best friend, Kevin, bound up with all the fears and insecurities of teenage affection, with the added challenges of homosexuality and race that deepen the sense of unsteadiness, self-doubt, and betrayal that come with such steps into adulthood. There is a specificity to these threads, a depth and particularity to Chiron’s unique struggle through uncharted waters.
And yet, it is rooted in such recognizable emotions and motivations that the film transcends his individual story at the same time it embraces it. Moonlight explores the perilous effort to define yourself – in relation to, in opposition to, in the shadow of blessings and pain – from the misfit kid who doesn’t know where he belongs, to the troubled teenagers who find comfort but make their choices, to the adult who remakes himself in a loved one’s image. That struggle is an eternal one, one experienced by everyone, even as its given poignant life in one young man’s story.
The most universal, heartening, and at times heartbreaking aspect of Moonlight, however, is that it is also a love story. As much as the core of the film is about Chiron’s development, about the man he would become and the boy he was to get there, the heart of the movie is in the relationship between him and Kevin. In their gentle companionship as children, to their shared vulnerabilities and comfort on the beach in adolescence, to their cautious but tender reunion as adults, Moonlight depicts one of the most complicated, most believable, and most compelling love stories to make its way to celluloid in years. There is a truth in the pair’s few tentative steps, in the hesitant way their romance moves forward and crumbles in turn, and the baggage and lives lived that hang in the background as it’s rebuilt, that gives it a force unmatched.
The shape of that love story is given form by the incredible art direction, editing, and cinematography in the film. At a time when where the two stand in relation to one another is very uncertain, Moonlight lingers on images of Kevin lovingly preparing a meal for Chiron. The warmth of the process, the tactile effort of it, become the focus in a fashion that tells you everything about how Kevin feels without anyone needing to say it. At other point, the camera swirls around, giving you a view of the tumult in this corner of Miami and the man at the center of the orbit. And by the same token, the film’s use of color is outstanding, with crisp blues that stand for the choices confronted Chiron, as outlined by the man who takes him under his wing, often isolating it amid white space or primary colors. There’s a warm naturalism in how the film is shot, where every hue pops and a gentle glow that permeates moments harsh and beautiful.
But all that beauty is in service of what is, unassumingly, a tremendous ensemble film. As the film passes through the years, only Naomie Harris (who gives an incredible performance as Chiron’s mother Paula) appears in all three segments. And despite their comparatively brief appearances, Janelle Monáe and especially Mahershala Ali make big impressions as the early lights in Chiron’s life. But with that lack of continuity, it falls to the tripartite collection of actors who portray Chiron and Kevin at different points in their lives to carry the whole, and each rises to the occasion. There is a unity to these two young men, from youth to adulthood, a cohesiveness to their struggles and their character even as each changes dramatically, that speaks to the overwhelming talents of the actors young and old, and the quality of the writing that support them.
Moonlight is simply a superlative film, one whose merit and impact, I must confess, are hard to capture with the clumsy implements of the written word. It is wide in scope, spanning years and grazing eternal truths, but also focused and succinct on the compelling story of Chiron and committed to providing a glimpse of his inner life. It shows harrowing events in gorgeous ways, and tender moments with artistic care. It is a film about who we are, and who we choose to be, that finds power and beauty in the spaces in between.
There are all kinds of villains. So many that I could probably spend the next hour trying to list them all. But by far the worst one is a smug motherfucker who taunts the heroes because he knows they can't do shit to him. I absolutely detest Adrian Chase, which, I suppose, is a complement to the writers. They've given us the most well-written, complex, unpredictable bad guy since Slade Wilson. That ending scene with Chase driving away with a bloody face and a happy song in the background was absolutely fantastic.
Season 5 in general has been a major improvement from the previous two. Everything's back on track now. This episode didn't really have any weak points. All the storylines worked very well, whether it was Oliver dealing with the fallout of Chase's torture, the team trying to carry on with their mission, the confrontation with Bratva or Felicity's more lighthearted, yet crucial to the plot Helix arc. I'm genuinely impressed.
There were a lot of little moments that I liked here, like Dinah bickering with Rene over who should be the new Diggle or sleep-deprived Felicity coming up with an insane plan of getting to Chase's scrambler. I also love Oliver and John's relationship and they had a lot of great scenes in this episode. I'm very excited to see how the rest of the season will play out.
Awesome. That was an incredibly well-directed episode. "It's a beautiful morning". Darkness all over but you can't lock it up, can you? It was amazing but that ending was just incredible. I'm not gonna talk about the ending now because, otherwise, this would be endless.
Stephen Amell is such a good damn actor. The way he said "would you just go, please" pierced my cold heart and broke it into pieces. You can tell how much he's in pain. Damn he's in pain, but mostly afraid. His breaking voice, his gestures, the way he talks, you can hear the pain in his voice. Never have I seen him so broken and beaten down. Seriously, Arrow is fucking killing it and so is Amell.
Slade: "I put you at the lowest point of your life, Oliver"
Adrian: hold my beer
Every single time I looked at Ollie in my mind he was wearing a label saying "Ollie broken, please fix". That was certainly heartbroken. The was he said "would you just go, please" at the beginning
It's so good to see Dig being the voice of reason again in the present time and Anatoly in the flashbacks. RIP Ollie and Anatoly's summer of love. I really like Anatoly, he's like a father figure. If someone hurts the KGbeast I swear I become ever more psycho than Chase. I guess now Team Arrow got undisbanded. I guess Anatoly has no more favourite Americans.
And Vigilante, fir a couple of weeks I've been thinking it's Paul. And I just found it curious Chase asked Curtiss about his husband. Shame we won't know his identity until season 6. That sucks.
That ending was one of the most badass scenes that I've ever seen. Man, Adrian is so goddamn.... He should never die. I'm gonna miss him so bad when he dies. He's fucking brilliant. He's a legit psychopath. And the badassery os Chase's scenes can't end. And Josh Segarra, he deserves award after award. He's such a goddamn actor.
