There are two things that bugged me in this episode:
Rose, the actor for Liv, seems to have issues staying serious while acting. You see her smiling several times when she says her lines and it gets cut shortly after. At minute 3, when she turns back to the corpse for example.
Or the significant amount of scenes where she generally seems too lively. This was the opposite in episode 1. While there she said at the end she can step her game up, she's still undead. Even if she eats the brain of an artist who's upbeat and she behaved like that even before she did.
The second thing is the zombie make-up. From scene to scene it sometimes looks very unevenly applied, especially around the eyes and you can see it when Liv raises her eyebrows.
Other than that I loved it. The "lesson" at the end was great. The chemistry between Ravi and Liv felt much more natural. The introduction of the second zombie was better than I expected.
But I must admit, that I do understand if people don't like this show. It's - at least so far - nowhere near an action/suspense driven show, it seems to be one of those lesson at the end of each episode type of shows. These tend to be less good received overall.
This episode gets bonus points for a female character being protective of a male character as well as the male objectification through a female without any kind of specific buildup or social comment on it as if it is natural. Something that is usually not done in our oh so equality centered society/media but frowned upon when it is vice versa.
That being said, I have to stay I was blown away by the movie in itself and the sheer brilliance of Cumberbatch's performance which will not be the first time..
The movie not only includes a brilliant performance but the script and the story line is captivating from beginning till end making it totally worth to be nominated for four academy awards this year which are best picture, best supporting actress for Keira Knightley, best directing, and best actor for the ever so deserving Cumberbatch to which I would be so very disappointed if he did not snag that baby home.
As far as the Critical response goes, Another incident where the Critics and I agree. I really ought to have my temperature checked
The film has received positive reviews, with critics particularly lauding Cumberbatch's lead performance as Turing.
Rotten Tomatoes sampled 216 critics and judged 90% of the reviews positive with an average rating of 7.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "With an outstanding starring performance from Benedict Cumberbatch illuminating its fact-based story, The Imitation Game serves as an eminently well-made entry in the 'prestige biopic' genre."
On Metacritic, the film has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".The film received a grade of "A+" from market-research firm CinemaScore and was included in both the National Board of Review's and American Film Institute's "Top 10 Films of 2014".
If you have not watch it already, you really have to, even if it did not win the Oscars this year.. This movie is really NOT something you should miss..
Good episode that one. Lots of things to comment on. I love coincidences and casualities and seeing Barry in Dr Wells wheelchair was incredible. Not to say seeing Harry Wells in the Reverse Flash suit (I have to confess that I got excited). I love the way Tom Cavanagh plays his roles, absolutely different to one another, but brilliant. He is amazing. Indeed, Cisco training Harry to be Wells was hillarious, even when he asked him to say that famous sentence. It was cool to see their different reactions to that sentence (Cisco's expression was like holy crap! whereas Wells was like wtf). The Wells dynamic is gold! When Cisco said "give me Your best Wells" I couldn't laugh more. The same happened when he said "up the creep factor". That one was pure gold. And seeing Wells back in the Reverse Flash suit was wow, pretty haunting. Even the way he talked to Grodd made me think that he is still hiding something. I love seeing a bit of the Wells we all knew.
Besides, as Barry spends most of the episode on the wheelchair, we get to know more of the dynamic Cisco-Wells, which is something I've been eaiting for since Harry appeared at STAR labs.
This episode was not only about Grodd, but also about Barry's fears and trauma, which I liked a lot. I still think that Zoom is Barry's dad and, until someone tells me the opposite (which I wish, otherwise it will disappoint me to know it from the very first episodes) I will think the same. And come on, he appears just after Zoom, too obvious to tjink that Henry csn be Zoom. Anyway, seeing Henry back is so great. He shouldn't have left so soon and the way he did.
I love what the scriptwriter do in The Flash, those film references! That ending reminded me so much to the Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but with giant ones. Moreover, Caitlin's clothes and the fact that Grodd keeps her locked in a huge building...absolutely amazing.
9.5/10. One of the most intense episodes AoS has ever done, for all the right reasons.
On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s spiritual forebearer, a character was killed with little-to-no warning. In the aftermath, their significant other changed, became irrational, vengeful, and impulsive. It's hard not to see the echoes of that storyline here as Coulson becomes coldly focused on taking out Ward in the wake of him killing Rosalind.
But isn't that just like a Whedon show? Or even a Whedon-lite show? Take a couple of characters who have affection for each other, let them circle around one another for a while, and then right when they move past their issues and get together, kill one of them off? It's an old trick, and a pretty convenient one when you're trying to maintain conflict in a show, but damn if it didn't work like gangbusters here, both as an unexpected shock in the opening minute of an otherwise placid scene, and as a motivation for Coulson to go full commando in his single-minded pursuit to bring Ward to justice.
And one of the things I love about the show at this point in its lifespan is that it's been around enough that it can recognize and invoke its own history. As the show was still getting off the ground, it had to hunt for scraps from the Marvel films to give it legitimacy and weight in the broader scope of the MCU. But now, with two and a half seasons behind it, AoS can use its past to inform its present. To the point, we have mentions of Garrett, of Ward nearly drowning FitzSimmons, of Daisy sympathizing with Ward after remembering how she was suckered in by her mother, and Ward talking about the lessons he's learned about not following someone or something blindly. There's layers to the characters' development on this show, and it's nice to see the series mining that.
To wit, we finally have a bit more clarity as to what happened with Ward and his family through Ward's younger brother Thomas. I like the decision for the show to have its cake and eat it to on that front, with Ward's parents and brother genuinely having been abusive, but having Ward be legitimately cruel in the wake of that abuse. It helps explain who Ward is without justifying his actions, and the story told by Thomas, along with the actor's performance, went a long way toward bringing that point home.
Make no mistake, this was Ward's episode as much as it was Coulson's. The dialogue, as usual, is a little too on the nose, but Ward's not wrong when he tells Coulson that they're not so different. They each have cell-phone throwing fits after being thwarted and out-guessed by the other. They both have a revenge mission. They're both putting their personal issues ahead of their broader goals. I've gone back and forth on Brett Dalton's performance in the show, but he cut the right streak of eerily calm, coldly sadistic, and angry-yet-vulnerable in that distress.
Clark Gregg wasn't quite as impressive on that front, but still managed to do a very good job at selling Coulson's immediate and understandable turn from casual, if dad-like Lothario to trained spy ready to put his skills to use in service of taking out his enemy whatever the cost.
There's a lot more going on in the episode as well that shows promise. I'm running out of ways to talk about how good and compelling the dynamic between Fitz and Simmons is. Fitz's pained reactions to Simmons being tortured, and Simmons distress at Fitz planning to enter the portal and plea that he let them kill her instead were both emotionally piercing moments. Mallick has grown on me, and his speech to Ward about leading, about hoping to find someone who could seize the opportunity with him, was delivered superbly and made Mallick more than just a cackling villain.
And now we have DIrector Mack! He's been one of the more likeable and charismatic characters on the show lately, so it's nice to see him get a more prominent role. Daisy is officially leading a team of Inhumans, and while that has less promise in my book, it's still nice to see them finally pull the trigger on something they've been teasing for so long. And Bobbi and Hunter are once again playing the "this is an unnecessary risk" game, with Coulson in tow this time. Not all of this contributed to the meat of the episode, but each, at a minimum provided a solid building block, and in the case of Fitz and Simmons, raised the stakes of the episode's main plot.
It wasn't perfect though. The score was particularly overbearing here -- we didn't need sad violins to know that Coulson was upset by Rosalind's death. And even in a show with aliens and super powers, it's pretty implausible for Coulson to be able to jump out of a plane and land perfectly into a portal the size of a kiddie pool. Still, throwing three of the show's main characters, two of whom have tremendously bad blood with the other, onto an alien planet that was the site of the series best episode to date, is a hell of a way to head into the midseason finale. This was a thriller of an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and helps bring the slower parts of the season together into a rollicking finish. I'm looking forward to it.
Am I crazy or has Archer been on fire this season? The fact that he was dumbfounded and stammering by having to relive being bullied was great. The opening scene was hilarious, both for Mallory's tremendous acerbic wit (her line about leaving AJ at a state fair dumpster and hoping that carnies take her in was classic her) and for Ivy's not-so-latent prejudice and the related disbelief. Pairing up Archer and Cyril in a story about bullying and having Cyril try to convey the irony to Archer (and have it fall on deaf ears) was brilliant, as has his little imagine spot about recreating silence of the lambs. Plus, there were all sorts of great continuity nods, from Archer wondering if Ivy knew Ray, to "suppressing fire!" to even, god help me, Archer's "octoroon" comment. The animation was especially good this episode, and there were enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the story going even as the comedy was running alongside it. Hell, there was even genuine pathos in Archer recounting how Ivy and Whitney nearly drowned him in a toilet. Throw in the rest of the gang riffing on bringing Hamentaschen to cover for Mallory's slur, Lana getting arrested in the process, and a recurring line of humor about a "vag-pass" and you have Archer firing on all cylinders. Loving this season so far.
Quality episode. I have to admit, I've grown a little worn out by Barry. There's nothing wrong with the character, he's just gotten a little played out and they needed to find a different direction for him. I don't know if this was it exactly, and in truth he was mostly up to his old schtick, but he and Archer have a good, funny dynamic that was particularly enjoyable when the two of them were in the cab together. Barry is understandably resentful of Archer, and Archer is kind of oblivious, lightly vindictive in that trademark jocular Archer way, and the clashes between them are usually entertaining because of it.
But the highlight of the episode was Mallory being locked in the underground chamber and finding her way out. Jessica Walter has such a verve in her world weary wit, to where when she's talking about the various steps of escape, it's enjoyable how acerbic she can be (like when she sees the Archer graffiti and realizes in a delightfully cutting fashion that someone blaming this on Archer doesn't narrow down her list of possible assailants much). Plus, it's also nice to see her being a bit of a badass spy herself, whether it's finding her way out of a SAW-like cell, or manhandling a truck driver. (And the Ron Cadillac cameo was great!).
Overall, there was a lot of the fun group dynamic in the A-story with the group trying to find out who Barry's mom is. Krieger in particular got to shine a bit, both from helping Archer with his electrocution plan (I assume Archer knows about the whole Edison thing from his brief time as Bob Belcher watching "Electric Love"), comforting his transgender frog, and the reveal that he has masks and gloves for each member of the former ISIS team. There wasn't as much narrative momentum to go with the laughs--Barry's plan felt more like an excuse to get everyone together than something that really drove the story--but the laughs were good, so the episode largely still worked.
Oh, this was fantastic. Such an intense episode that also did a great job of getting me excited for the next season.
"Haven't you learned anything this year... week... season?"
"It's the end of the season, er, semester."
Fourth wall? What fourth wall?
Shirley's tale of woe complete with seductive poses made me cry with laughter.
I'm really sad that we watched the Quagmires' daring escape and journey from Peru back to their home just for them to perish in a fire. I knew it was coming, but it still hurt.
That musical number at the end was unexpected, but I loved it. Somehow it just fit right in with the rest of the weirdness and absurdity.
Overall, this was an amazing season. All the actors were superb in their roles. Shoutout to Patrick Warburton in particular for being the perfect Lemony Snicket. His smooth voice and calm, somewhat deadpan delivery were exactly what I'd hoped for. NPH IS Count Olaf. He absolutely nailed the role. Malina Weissman and Louis Heyes were a bit stiff and awkward at times, but I still think they did an excellent job, especially considering that they're both just 13 years old and have very little acting experience. I'm sure they're just going to get better with age. And Sunny... Sunny is wonderful. I love her. I love all three of them, actually. They're my children now. I'm going to protect them and keep them safe and comfortable. They're going to eat ice cream for dinner. Their bedtime is never.
I'm literally shaking right now. These Framework episodes are really freaking stressful.
Aida/Fitz is such a disturbing relationship. It's so creepy that Aida manipulated the Framework to make Fitz love her. She brainwashed him not only into having feelings for her, but probably into having sex with her too, which basically means that she rapes him. She's doing to him exactly what she resents Radcliffe for doing to her: turning him into a thing to be used however she pleases. That makes me nauseous and I can't imagine what Fitz will feel when he wakes up.
Jemma "I'm tiny but I have more than enough rage to go around" Anne Simmons is so going to fight Aida when she gets the chance. At least I hope so. It would be amazing to see her cut the bitch.
Elizabeth has no fucking chill, does she? She just goes and gives us these incredible, deep, powerful performances every week, never failing to bring tears to my eyes and turning me into a distracted, weepy mess for days. Jemma pouring out her heart talking about Fitz was too emotional for me to deal with this early in the morning. And that moment when she screamed his name and their eyes locked? I'm still in shock. The raw intensity of that entire scene killed me.
I never thought I'd be scared of Iain, but I am now. That smile at the end made me want to crawl under my bed and stay there for the rest of the season. How are FitzSimmons going to recover from this?
Stop hurting my baby Daisy! She's already in emotional and psychological pain 99% of the time and now she's going to be tortured? Just fucking rip my heart out while you're at it. I hate that they keep making her suffer. Daisy Johnson deserves the world. And yes, I will fight anyone who thinks otherwise. I love my emo daughter.
Mack joined SHIELD! Also, Hope is adorable and now I feel bad that Mack will have to live without her in the real world. The hits just keep coming, I guess.
The Framework is an absolute nightmare for a lot of reasons. And now it looks like regular people don't have access to the Internet. No smartphones, a woman getting arrested for having a laptop... We've officially crossed into the hell territory in my book.
A part of me wishes I hadn't discovered this show until season 4 ended. That way, I could just binge watch the remaining episodes instead of having to wait a week or longer for each new chapter and spending my days doing the mental equivalent of pacing nervously around a room. I just want to know what will happen next and it's killing me.
I'm a simple girl. If a show has anything to do with superheroes, if it's in any way connected to Marvel or DC, there's a good chance I'll watch it. And I'll probably love it, whether it's dark and gritty like Jessica Jones or charming and family-friendly like Supergirl. Legion is no exception to the rule.
I'm not a comic book reader. I didn't know the first thing about the character when I started the episode, and I had no idea what to expect. Having just finished it, I think I can safely say that this show is unlike anything I've watched before. In a good way. I enjoyed every second of the pilot. The cinematography is spectacular. The bright colors, the flashing lights, almost horror-like moments, blurring the lines between reality and David's delusions, scenes of people dancing - because why not?, seemingly random shots and flashbacks, and the general insanity all create a completely unique atmosphere. It's almost hypnotizing, making it impossible for you to look away, drawing you in. The plot isn't the most revolutionary, but the way the show is shot and edited still makes it feel fresh and original. I like the characters and I'm excited to see what will happen next.
Welp, like Tryion said, We're fucked. Living vs. The Dead. Season 8 A fight that only comes once.
The dragon pit scene was awesome. Getting so many characters all in one place at the same time was great to see. So many quick “oh, hey you’re still alive” moments. One of the best was Brienne and the Hound. Speaking of the Hound, we did not get the Cleganebowl we have been wanting for so long but at least he was able to tell his brother off. Maybe next season…
Cersei, as the hound would say, is a real cunt. She truly is the biggest villain this show has seen. She is lying to everyone about sending her armies north and bringing in more mercenaries to help fight while Dany is a little occupied. She not only threatened to kill not one of her brothers but both of them is the same episode. Jamie is finally getting smart and getting away from her, even if he is leaving to go fight an army of undead. I honestly think she might stick around to the end and keep the iron throne. She has no problem doing whatever it takes. She has a kid on the way and that is all she is worried about now (I still don’t think she will have the child because of the prophecy said she would only have three). Oh and the shot of snow falling on King's Landing was a beautiful reminder that winter is here.
The winterfell storyline finally did something amazing. Sansa’s “trial” of Littlefinger was a long time coming and with Bran there was no denying. I’m so glad Arya got to kill him with his own dagger. The sisters finally started acting like family.
Nice to see Theon having another chance at redemption. He had a nice moment with Jon about their dad, well technically Ned was neither of their father. I hope he gets to save Yara next season. I wonder where she is if Euron is going to Essos or could she already be dead?
The show finally says what all the fans have know for years, Jon is a true Targaryen and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. And they say it just as the two have sex for the first time, nothing new for this show. I’m sure this won’t be a problem. Dany will be cool with it, right? I mean the old Targaryens were into incest too. Maybe not we'll just have to wait and find out.
That last scene really was a little frightening, to see something that has been keeping the white walkers out for 8000 years to just go down like that. Now that the Night King has a dragon they are really going to cause some havoc. RIP Tormund and Beric? I don't think there were able to get off the wall in time but were they on the part still standing?
Great season, moved a little too fast and missed some of the slower character moments from old season. They definitely had some of the largest battle scenes TV has ever seen and I’m sure we are not done yet. Let the wait for season 8 begin…
[9.0/10] Not since The Sopranos has there been a show on television so devoted to examining the psyches of its characters. I feel like I need to rewatch this episode five times to truly unpack everything there is to glean from such a dense, psychologically complex episode. If there’s been a consistent theme to Season 3, it’s been digging deep into what makes the show’s main characters tick, what makes them who they are, and “Rest and Ricklaxation” both literalizes that (by separating its title characters into their constituent parts) and plays it out in fascinating, emotionally-wrenching detail.
The impetus for that is Rick and Morty going into a psychological toxin-clearing chamber at an intergalactic spa. The catch is that the chamber doesn’t just free you from harmful it elements, it removes those elements, personified as “booger” versions of you, and keeps them trapped in a chamber. So while the real Rick and Morty are feeling happier and more relaxed in the real world, the concentrated toxic parts of them are caught in the chamber working frantically to get out.
The initial results seem predictable, if a little twisted. Toxic Rick is even more hateful and self-aggrandizing than Real Rick. He’s constantly touting his own genius, constantly belittling Morty, and constantly lashing out at the world. Toxic Morty is entirely self-hating and debased, little more than a subservient wart of a person accepting any and all abuse.
What’s interesting is that it seems to flip the good/evil dynamic in Healthy Rick and Healthy Morty. While Healthy Rick feels compelled to rescue their toxic counterparts once he knows of their existence, Healthy Morty likes his own happiness and is constantly resisting any attempt to set things back the way they were under a the guise of not questioning it.
Now splitting protagonists into their good and evil sides is nothing new. (Lord knows the Star Trek franchise returned to that well time and time again.) But the twist, and the thing that makes the episode really stand out from the pack, is that the divergence point for “healthy” Rick and Morty isn’t some arbitrary definition of toxicity, it’s what they themselves view as the toxic parts of their being.
Which leads to all kinds of interesting complications, not the least of which is that Toxic Rick isn’t just some personification of bad, and Healthy Morty isn’t some noble personification of good. It’s a brilliant, fascinating choice to depict Healthy Morty as this honest but heartless, manipulative douchebag. The things that Morty sees as toxic in himself -- his self-doubt and self-loathing -- weigh down an overconfidence and disregard for others’ that, left unchecked, turn him into an uberpopular, successful stock broker, but one who doesn’t really care about anything else or anyone.
It’s a deranged echo of Inside Out’s thesis that negative emotions are vital and valid and help make us stronger individuals. There is something so frighteningly recognizable about Healthy Morty, between his offhand quips about his food being organic to maxims about saying important things face-to-face that reveal a deeper soulless beneath despite all the crowd-pleasing pablum. Toxic Morty isn’t a pretty sight or an encouraging reflection of the real Morty -- he’s deeply unhappy, horribly self-defeating, and outright declares that he wants to die. But the idea that these are the things keeping Morty from becoming a wide-eyed, smiling little monster is one of the boldest and darkest takes this show has offered on one of its main characters.
But that’s only half the impact of the twist. The other, and arguably more foundational reveal in the episode is that Rick really does care about the people in his life, at least Morty, but he views that as toxic, as “irrational attachments” he’d rather overcome. It’s striking in that it answers one of the basic questions the show has been teasing out forever now -- whether despite his protestations to the contrary, Rick loves his family. “Rest Ricklaxation” suggests that he does, but it’s something he hates in himself, which explains how and why he’s always trying to disclaim any such affections.
Rick may acknowledge the other parts of his personality as “toxic.” He admits narcissism, of disregard for the rest of the universe in favor of his own brilliance. But without that, without the parts of him he views as holding him back psychologically, he only has a general care for the world, about the impartial welfare of all, without any personal attachments to his grandson or anything else. The episode digs into who Rick and Morty are, what they hate about themselves, and the people they become without that, which tells you so very much about the show’s title characters.
Meanwhile, amidst all this deep psychological examination is an episode that just works on a nuts and bolts level. The conflict of reconciling toxic and healthy versions of Rick and Morty propels the episode nicely. Seeing a Rick-on-Rick battle throughout the Smiths’ house is thrilling with plenty of creative turns. Healthy Morty’s quiet psychopathy builds and builds keeping a comedic hum the whole time. And there’s even some amusing social commentary as Rick’s toxicity ray covers the globe and Morty’s restaurant acquaintance yells out “sea cucumber!” The main event of “Rest and Ricklaxation” is the show boring into the mental processes and damage of its protagonists, but it keeps the tension and the excitement up for what could otherwise be an overly cerebral exercise.
Like nearly all sitcoms must, it then returns things to the status quo. But while for most shows that’s a return to normalcy and sanity, for Rick and Morty it means returning those two characters to the fraught place where they began the episode. One of the most harrowing scenes in the entire series is the two of them sitting in Rick’s craft in the intro. Morty cries; Rick screams in anguish and admits he wasn’t in control, and the episode doesn’t turn away from the unnerving distress and damage these two individuals have accumulated over the course of their adventures.
This is what the combination of good and bad in Rick and Morty gets them. There’s the sense that both need that balance, to keep them tethered and, in different ways, to keep them caring about people, but the results of that cocktail -- of self-glorification and self-loathing, of brash confidence and debasement, of personal fulfillment and global concern -- doesn’t create a pretty picture for our heroes either.
I've been waiting for this show with a lot of excitement. The Netflix shows are probably my favorite part of the MCU. DD and JJ were simply excellent, with compelling stories, great cast and a dark tone, although each of the two had its own unique atmosphere. DD played out like a crime procedural/legal drama with phenomenal fight scenes, while JJ was a gritty psychological thriller with incredible depth mixed with some neo-noir detective stuff. And I loved them both. Luke Cage was more of a mixed bag for me, but the first half of it was great and it had some of the best music I've heard on any show in a long while, so I still liked it. And Iron Fist... I mean, I didn't hate it? It was just kind of meh. But still, seeing these four characters together was something I've been looking forward to for months.
This episode is your typical introducing-our-heroes-and-setting-up-the-overarching-plot pilot. Except we already know the heroes, so instead, we catch up on what they've been doing. Matt's given up on the vigilante business and his relationship with Karen is visibly strained, he's also having trouble moving on from Elektra. Jessica drinks hard as ever and doesn't want to be anyone's hero, thank you very much (although she can't help but follow the mystery that quite literally knocks on her door), Luke has a delightful reunion with Claire (I love them!) and is determined to continue his mission of fighting crime in Harlem, and Danny... spends most of the episode on a plane. Doing nothing. Oh well. There's a reason Iron Fist was the weakest show of the four.
We're also introduced to our main villain. Sigourney Weaver is one of those people who just radiate elegance and steal any scene with their presence. That's the kind of person I strive to be. She's so... regal, I guess. They couldn't have chosen a better actress.
We see Foggy (who is rocking the hell out of his new haircut) for a second as well and Elektra, The Actual Love Of My Life, makes a short appearance at the end. I forgot how beautiful she is. Elodie can kick my ass anytime.
I love how they used colors in this episode. Matt's apartment was bathed in red, Jessica's scenes were sort of pale blue with hints of purple, Luke was surrounded by different shades of yellow, and Alexandra's signature hue seems to be white, from the sterile hospital rooms to her coat to the pidgeons in the park. I also love the way the show fluidly moves from one character to the next with some really neat editing. The older I get, the more I find myself paying attention to those more technical aspects of shows and movies - cinematography, editing, sound design. The opening episode of The Defenders is incredibly aesthetically pleasing and it seems a lot of thought went into the visuals, which I appreciate.
[8.0/10] One becomes two, two becomes four, four get into an epic hallway battle. So goes The Defenders, as we reach our big team up beat-em-up moment. I have to once again compliment the season-long pacing, as the show reestablishes the characters independently, establishes them as duos, and only then brings them together as one big, happy, bad guy punching family.
But before it gets there (or to the opening credits) it gives a little series of vignettes on how Elektra became The Black Sky. It’s a pretty standard slow burn training montage kind of thing, but it has a lot of evocative imagery that makes it work. The image of Elektra’s bloody hand emerging from the sarcophagus, her baffled feral person slipping in a puddle of blood on the ground, the soothing but forceful struggles with Alexandra who goes from pugilistic to calming nicely.
This is where I’ll admit that I’m a fan of Sigourney Weavers, but I’m not loving her in this. There’s something kind of stilted and unnatural about a lot of her delivery, and while I suspect she’s going for a certain superior aloofness, and the writing for her character isn’t great (ugh that Constantinople line) it only really works when she’s calling Danny Rand on his bullshit, which everyone looks great doing. Still, Elektra had the same problem and The Defenders has the good sense to mostly keep her quiet, expressing her character’s journey through candle-ringed ninja fights and well framed action. It’s a nice choice that give us some backstory and makes her The Hand’s yin to The Iron Fist’s yang.
But Danny gets another foil here, this one more directed at his personality and position, in the form of Luke Cage. Again, the plotting so far has been solid, as the episode doesn’t beat around the bush but instead has Claire organically figure out the connection between Luke and the guy who punched him and bring them together. There’s a certain retrograde “oh you boys” quality to Claire and Colleen leaving the two guys to hash things out, but it provides one of the most interesting scenes in the episode, to I’m willing to excuse it a bit.
That scene comes when Luke and Danny disagree with one another’s perspective with regard to Cole, the young man who Luke was trying to protect and Danny was trying to strongarm for information. What I like about the scene is that while I tend to side with Luke (and lord knows Danny is just the worst), the show gives both characters good reasons to feel the way they do about this. Danny knows that The Hand can’t just be bought off; he has resentments for these people since they killed his parents, and that taints anyone who would associate with them in his eyes, or at least makes them a means to an end to cut out the cancer that’s plaguing New York City.
Luke, just as understandably, doesn’t see it as a mystical warrior (and Luke’s chagrin at hearing about dragons and chi is well-played by Mike Colter) out for justice. He sees it as a privileged white boy beating up a good kid wrapped up in something bad who ends up in jail while Danny gets to continue on his one-man crusade (give or take Colleen). Look, I’ve thought Danny is kind of a dweeb, to say the least, for a long time for it’s easy for me to side with Luke here, but I appreciate the way the show dramatizes his feelings about what Danny’s doing, and gives Danny good reason to approach this the way he does. It’s a good outing for the fated series of personality clashes.
It works with the other half of The Defenders equation as well. I get a big kick out of Daredevil and Jessica Jones playing cat and mouse with one another. As Mrs. Bloom observed, Matt and Jessica make pretty great foils for one another too, with the caustic sarcasm of Jessica blending nicely with the martyr-y do-gooderness of Matt to create some real sparks. We don’t get that much of the two of them here, but Matt being able to track Jess to the bad guy hideout, Jessica being able to figure out that Matt isn’t what he seems, and the contrast between Matt borrowing Jessica’s scarf (with amusing repartee about it) and parkouring his way to the top of the building while Jessica just takes the elevator is brilliant.
Again, in terms of plotting, the episode parcels out good reasons for all our heroes to make to the Midland Circle building. Luke finds Cole’s money box with the name on it. Jessica uses her P.I. skills to ferret it out from an architect. Matt follows J-Jo with his super-hearing. And Danny uses his corporate connections to figure out who they are and, idiot that he is, just walks in and declares that the jig is up, much to Alexandra’s amusement. (Again, he really is an idiot, though I like the idea that Alexandra wants him alive since he’s the key to the mystic wall thing.)
So we get our big fight, and while it doesn’t match the best hallway fight of the Defender-verse we’ve already seen, it’s still cool to see our heroes actually teaming up to take on the bad guys. Iron Fist hiding behind Luke to stay safe from bullets, Jessica and Matt walking down the hall when Luke just bursts through a wall, Matt going toe-to-toe with Evilektra -- it’s all well-done with the right “the gang’s all here” note to go out on.
The Defenders has pretty well mastered the escalation game over it’s first three episodes. It’s planted seeds for the conflicts, provided convincing reasons for our heroes to coalesce, and hinted at the bigger badder stuff that is progressing on the periphery (I forgot to mention Stick’s badass, handchopping escape!). It’s been a stellar build so far. Let’s see if The Defenders can pay it off now that all the pieces are where they need to be on the board.
HAPPY 100TH EPISODE, EVERYONE!
I just want to say this: I'm so happy, so proud and so, so grateful. I've been in love with this show since I first started watching it 3.5 years ago. The fact that we're here today celebrating this wonderful milestone is a privilege, one that I wasn't sure we'd get this time last year. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has defied the odds time and time again. There has been so much working against it: backlash from hardcore Marvel fans way back when it started; ratings getting lower year after year; ABC itself not giving a shit about it, dumping it first in their worst slot at 10 PM on Tuesdays, and then moving it to Fridays, where most shows go to die; finally, having a completely undeserved reputation of the bastard child of the MCU. Despite all of that, it's still going strong, reaching new creative heights with every season, giving us awesome content, and keeping us on the edge of our seats. Maybe it never quite became the smash hit that Marvel surely expected it to be, but all of us who have stuck with it through thick and thin know just how special it is. "We have a small but active fanbase", indeed.
This episode was beautiful. I don't even know where to start. I think I'll just make a list of everything that stood out to me, it'll help me organize my thoughts a little:
Daisy and Coulson's relationship is absolutely incredible. I started crying as soon as Daisy teared up and I didn't really stop until the end of the episode. Chloe Bennet broke my heart. She's come such a long way since the pilot and grown so much as an actress.
Fake Deathlok trying to convince Phil that it's all in his head gave me major anxiety, mostly because for one horrifying second I imagined them ending the show like this. Just "psych! It was a fantasy all along!". They wouldn't do that, right? RIGHT???
Real Deathlok showed up! Yet another old character to have come back this season!
I saw a theory circulating around Tumblr that Deke is a descendant of FitzSimmons. I was sceptical. But guess what, it's true! Which means there are some cute, genius FitzSimmons babies coming! It does raise some questions, though. They'll have to send Deke back to the future eventually, right? Will he even exist if the team saves the world, or will he get erased? As usual with the time traveling stuff, my head hurts.
Goddamn. FitzSimmons. Wedding. This was where I went from low-key crying to just straight-up bawling. They couldn't have chosen anything better to celebrate the 100th episode with. It was perfect. The setting, Coulson marrying them, their vows... Jemma looked stunning, Fitz looked so handsome (shame about that kilt though, I think they should've gone for it), Elizabeth and Iain's acting was out of this world, as usual. I'm so happy for those two nerds.
What an emotional rollercoaster. I need to lie down for a bit. Huge, huge congratulations to everyone involved in the show, the whole cast and crew. I hope they know that they've created something extraordinary. And I hope that cake they had in celebration of the 100th episode was delicious.
It's so good to have the Legends back! It's also great to see that they haven't changed in the slightest. It's go good to see that the writers are still smoking the same weed they used to to give us compelling, action-packed, and emotive episodes like this one.
Never change, you beautiful morons! Never change!
So, this episode delivered a murderous unicorn in Woodstock, Nate and Mick's own buddy comedy, Nate's mum's famous sandwiches, Ray making out with a tree, Constantine being the absolute badass, Ava and Sara being extra adorable and in a healthy relationship, Gary's nipple and an unknown demon coming for Constantine. And also, Nate's dad is Biff! Good lord, I've missed this show so damn much.
I love Ray. He's all heart and hasn't got a bad bone in his body. I loved his scene with Zari at the end. So full of heart and heartbreaking. Zari is slowly becoming one of my favourite characters ever. She's all kindness and doesn't give a fuck about anything.
Ray is completely breaking the fourth wall. "It will be good for our ratings" and "we have some dedicated fans" made me laugh out loud. All these me me remember my all time favourite "this is the second worst attack of the clones I've ever seen".
When he said "everyone loves the Supernatural" I couldn't keep myself from bursting out laughing. Petition to have these guys saying they are going out to hunt the supernatural and deciding to wear layers and layers of flannel only. I need a Legends-Supernatural crossover asap.
Gary as an intern Legends is what I wanted. Give us more Gary. He's the absolute best. I'm so protective of him. I get the feeling that I would be him if I were on the show. I'm dying for his evil nipple to come back from hell and to attack the Legends. Thus, we'd go from a fluffy toy (all praise Bebbo) to a possessed nipple. I think it's all in their wheelhouse, though.
I need more Constantine in my life. Matt Ryan is simply perfect, although I don't get the whole I can't join the Legends because everything I touch dies, or worse. THey guy's all alone and is bound to join the Legends, just do it now and stop playing hard to get. Gosh, every time I see Constantine I get angry that they cancelled the show. However, it'd be awesome if they get Chaz and Zed to show up. Since this season is more focused on the Supernatural, they could add Many to the mix as well. But what can I say, a girl can only dream.
The whole unicorn scene was great. And Zari covered in unicorn...vomit? was super adorable. I mean, Ray-Ray? And Nate and Rory....and Axel! Damn, the feels. I loved their "I thought you were dead?" and "I thought you were dead...on the inside!"
Speaking of my new favourite crime buddies. I loved the chemistry between them and Nate being Rory's jimminy cricket telling him to protect the timeline to save Black Sabbath was great.
Nate's dad being Biff from BTTF was amazing. I guess that's why he was wearing Biff's clothes in last season's "Phone Home". Given the meta level of this show, I was expecting Biff to call Nate butthead.
The hippy thingy got me laughing more than I care to admit but that guy carrying that "Speed: $1,00" sign almost made me die of laughter.
That split screen scene was outstanding. I loved how all of them got reunited at the end. Please, keep these coming!
Now, all praise the writers of this show for giving us a healthy relationship. Thank God they escaped that forced CW relationship drama. However, I always expect it to hit when I least expect it.
I love hos Legends is supposed to be a fun show which brings laughter in my life, but that can make me cry the next minute. That scene with Zari and Ray was heartbreaking. You could see the pain in Zari's eyes. It must take great courage and strong will to have the power to change it all and be finally happy but deciding not to do it to save the timeline.
[8.5/10] One of my complaints about early episodes of The Good Place was that the psychology could be too simple. We’d see the humans face some challenge in the afterlife, flashback to an illuminating vignette in the past that informed their choices and character, and then see them have a breakthrough in the present.
“The Answer” is that idea on speed. We don’t just get a solid Chidi flashback; we get flashbacks to his whole life, to hidden moments over the course of the show we haven’t gotten to see before, to intimate conversations that gave him guidance and solace. And we don’t just get to see him have a breakthrough; we get to see him have the breakthrough, a resolution of his constant need to decide and find the solution to the problem.
The psychology gets sufficiently complex to match. It’s still comprehensible for a network T.V. show presentation, but the story of why Chidi is the way he is has more bumps and bruises along the way than the type of backstory we saw in the first season.
It’s a story about fearing his parents were on their way to divorce and Chidi seemingly arguing them out of it. The idea that, like all kids, he was dismayed by his parents fighting, and unlike most kids, thought that logic and study were the key to preventing it. When that plan seemed to work, it set him down the path to thinking that all problems had solutions, and that any solution could be found with enough diligence and perseverance.
It led Chidi to a life of constantly trying to find the answer, of treating all questions as directed toward one possible resolution that must be excavated through rigorous logic and constant examination of the texts. The show underscores this a little too heavily in Chidi’s scene with his schoolyard chum, but it does well to frame Chidi as having solved his first big problem this way and it having set him on the path that would carry him through the rest of his life...and afterlife.
Granted, no philosophy advisor in the world would tell their grad student that their thesis needs more heart, and Chidi’s girlfriend breaking up with him the same week feels convenient. (Though hey, I’ll never turn down a shout out to David Hume in the process.) But it sets up the twin concerns of the episode: that Chidi treats all questions as both answerable and equally important, and that he thinks love and romantic fulfillment are a problem that can be solved in the same way that a philosophical problem could.
What’s great about “The Answer” is that it not only sets up Chidi being able to get past both of those issues, but it does so through intimate, heart-to-hearts with all his fellow survivors. He gets a lesson in decisiveness and being in the moment from Jason, something the Jacksonville native is an expert in. He gets a lesson on confidence from Tahani, who talks about achieving it through failure, through getting knocked down and getting back up again until the prospect of getting knocked down is no big deal.
He gets an unexpected kiss from Eleanor, and with it, a lesson on the universe-approved love of your life perhaps not being the actual love of your life, but it being something that you have to figure out for yourself. And he gets a final, and most outstanding lesson from Michael, who tells him that soulmates happen through work, not through fiat, and that there’s more to Chidi’s parents story than he ever knew.
Chidi’s parents didn’t reconcile because he argued them into it. They went to counseling; they saw the best of each other in their son; they were reminded of what was already there. Michael drives this home, with his little bits of afterlife-worn wisdom. Just as he’s about to have his memory wiped, Chidi discovers that the ideas he’s founded his life on -- that any problem, including love, can be solved -- are wrong.
That should be devastating, and yet instead it’s freeing. The man plagued by indecision because he’s not sure what path will take him closer to the mythical, platonic (or, more accurately, Kantian) ideal answer, is suddenly allowed to pursue his passions, to follow what moves him, without needing to have it approved and understood from each philosophical underpinning before going after it.
That’s especially true for his affections for Eleanor. I’ll admit, I’m still not fully sold on the Eleanor/Chidi pairing, and I have major qualms about the “finding The One will heal everything that ails you” message that more than a few other T.V. shows and movies subscribe to. And yet, there’s something incredibly stirring about Chidi’s note to himself. He has spent so long in search of the answer that it’s been paralyzing, preventing him from living his best life and being truly happy. Now, he’s found someone who conjures that happiness within him, and he realizes it’s more important than any grand, abstract problem he might otherwise set his mind on. There’s something truly beautiful about that thought.
There’s also something brilliantly ironic about the fact that Chidi has his breakthrough on not needing to find the answer and self-actualizes in a way that frees him from that burden, right when the group needs him to “Go all Chidi” and decide what new principles the afterlife should be founded upon.
But maybe, just as ironically, he’s already found them. Chidi and Michael reach the conclusion that life is not a puzzle that can be solved once and then set aside. Instead, you have to solve anew each day, again and again. Maybe the answer Chidi’s looking for isn’t a new way to formulate points or tally good deeds and bad. Maybe it’s that points, that reductions of the infinite complexities of our existence to dots and dashes and other efforts to chalk up the best and worst of us, inevitably fail to account for who and what we are from day to day. It represents a similar evolution in The Good Place itself -- recognizing that what makes a person who they are takes more than an A-to-B flashback, but a rush of key moments and realizations that build to a greater whole.
Either way, humanity, existence, and more may rest on Chidi’s shoulders, but he’s no longer burdened by the need to solve for x, and content to look into the eyes of the woman he loves with joy and hope. For now, at least, that’s enough.
Happy New Year, everyone!
I know that I'm in the minority when I say that I genuinely liked series 11. For starters, I found the overarching storyline a lot more coherent than a large chunk of Moffat's era. And I thoroughly enjoy Jodie's Doctor. She's bright and quirky and fun and she's got that oh-so-Doctory, slightly unhinged glint in her eye. I absolutely can't wait for her to finally snap Time Lord Victorious-style because I have no doubt that she's gonna do it brilliantly. The companions have grown on me too, as all of their predecessors did. Was last season perfect? No, it wasn't. But did I vibe with it? Yes, I did. I know there are a lot of edgy fanboys out there who'd love to explain to me that it was in fact garbage and the worst thing in the history of everything, but you can pry my enjoyment from my cold, dead hands. It's a lot more fun to like things, even if I see their flaws.
Anyway, I really liked this episode! I felt the mystery was quite compelling, there was a good mix of action, suspense, comedy and drama, and the score was REALLY good. The companions are coming into their own more and more - I particularly enjoyed Yaz and Ryan's scenes together. Jodie is exactly as chaotic and living her best life as I expected her to be, and I would absolutely die for her. And that reveal at the end? Just (chef's kiss) delicious. Can't wait for more!
The list of requirements for actors auditioning for The Master:
* must have sufficient chaotic energy
* must have aggressively sexual chemistry with whoever is playing The Doctor
I'm happy to say that they've chosen the perfect person again.
Jodie has such expressive eyes. She gets so much incredible acting done just through looks, communicating so much without saying a single word. The little details in her performance? The nuance? I don't wanna sound like a cheesy old white lady but that shit is breathtaking, bro. I love, love, love her as The Doctor. I truly hope she sticks around for a couple more seasons because I can't imagine having to say goodbye to her.
I found the laser shoes to be SO over-the-top ridiculous (actually same goes for Ryan piloting a whole ass plane via an app), but then I remembered that this is Doctor Who and that stuff kinda comes with the name, so I guess I'm giving it a pass.
I like the fact that the companions finally called out The Doctor for being so cryptic. Thirteen in her own way seems to be running from her past even harder than the previous incarnations, thinking that if she just ignores it, it'll all be fine. Well, the past came to bite her in the ass big time in the last 2 episodes. She can't outrun the darkness forever. Eventually, it'll all catch up to her and when that happens, the companions got a big storm coming.
Also, the Timeless Child is something I've completely forgotten about and honestly I kinda thought the writers have too but now Chibnall is referencing it again? I see you with your continuity, Chris. I see you. Nicely done.
The flow of this episode detracted from its dramatic effect. There were many good pieces in this episode, but their order and the editing of them reduced their impact. Naomi's rescue, the battle with the Rocinante, the battle at the gate, and the reunion with Avasarala, none of these hit with me the way they could've.
Firstly, the nice speech Avasarala gives during the reception would have been much better as the last scene of the episode. After the belters and Martians have taken over the ring, we would be concerned about the future, then Avasarala gives us hope.
The other development that didn't resonate with me was the dissolution of Drummer's team. I understand that they were torn between supporting Marcos and not, but that turmoil was caused by a threat of destruction, not a desire to work with Inaros. The ties between the crew were shown to be extremely strong, emotionally and otherwise. It should take an enormous conflict to break them. The crew knew that the agreement with Inaros was made under duress and so should have understood how fragile it was. The crew faced two options: cooperate with Inaros and do things they did not want to, or risk their lives and their family's lives by defying him. Both options would be reasonable and acceptable to the crew, and it doesn't resonate with me that the crew would be that upset by Drummer making the decision everyone thought she'd make in the first place. I could accept a decision by some of the crew to leave temporarily because their brother was killed, but to blame Drummer for this (and not Inaros) and completely break their bonds is a stretch given their relationship.
[9.0/10 on a post-classic Simpsons scale] I was worried about this one. The Simpsons taking on pot in 2020 feels like the potential for some real “Old Man Yells at Cloud” levels of out of touch. But this was really good! It was funny! It told a good story! And while the third act goes off the rails a little bit, it resolves everything on a sweet note. Post-classic Simpsons, I didn’t know you had it in you! Kudos to writer Carolyn Ormine and substitute showrunner Matt Selman.
I like the emotional conflict and the story here. Marge doesn't know what to do with herself while Maggie’s at daycare, and stumbles into a job at a slick, modern CBD shop backed by Drederick Tatum. Meanwhile Homer ends up starting a business with Moe to offer old devotees the weed-buying experience of their youth. The conflict between the new look of buying marajuana and the old look is both a good source of comedy and a good source of drama between the couple.
I like Marge having qualms about participating in pot sales, only to be convinced by Tatum that she’s actually participating in wellness. There’s commentary and even some cynicism in the idea that a button down woman like Marge selling them pot puts squeamish folks at ease about engaging in something that is legal but still a touch taboo in certain corners. It makes sense that Tatum and company, who are wanting to put a new, more sophisticated and respectable face on pot, would want to use Marge’s to do it.
Along the way there’s tons of great gags. The episode is rife with great THC-based wordplay. (It’s not the most clever, but I think my favorite is “chicken pot pot pie”, though Marge’s “I’m a healer and you’re a dealer” is a good one too). Billy Porter and Chelsea Peretti are quite funny as Marge’s suave counter-culture coworkers. The running bits about Homer replicating the old pot-buying experience are amusing, as is the fact that the cops run a sting not based on him selling drugs, but on him selling food without a license.
Marge betraying Homer like that is a solid character beat, and I like the resolution that he tries to expose Marge as a fraud to her clientele as a teetotaler for retribution, only to help comfort her through her disorienting high. It’s a bit of a quick fix, but it’s sweet, and the show gets a lot of humorous mileage out of Marge the square being under the influence. Homer accidentally burning down Tatum’s center seems unnecessary, but I guess the show needed to do something to restore the status quo.
Overall, this was a surprisingly timely and funny take on modern pot sales, and a really good Homer and Marge story to boot. It’s in competition with “Thanksgiving of Horror” for best of the season in my book!
[7.0/10] You need episodes like “Lamentis” in a television show. Establishing Sylvie’s dynamic with our Loki is important, especially if she’s to be a major character going forward. She has a plan to overthrow the Timekeepers. The work that’s frustrated the TVA has apparently been years in the making. And her background is different enough that she resents even being called “Loki.” Taking time to set up who she is, what she wants, and how she related to the Loki we know and love is a deft choice on the part of the show.
But at the same time, though, I don’t really like their dynamic. Or rather, it’s fine, but not necessarily enough to fill an entire episode of television. You can sense Loki going for a sort of screwball banter between Loki and Sylvie, and normally I appreciate that. (Hello Gilmore Girls fans!) But it only clicks intermittently here. The sense of two gods of mischief each trying to betray one another, find various sneaky ways to get what they want, and debate what should be shared with one another should be compelling. Sometimes it is! Much of the time, though, their back-and-forth is cliché and trite.
Don’t get me started on the debates about what “love is.” “Lamentis” winks at the audience with the pair of Lokis trading poetry until Sylvie calls our Loki out for the banality of his metaphor. Still, the dialogue doesn’t sing like it needs to in order to support an episode that’s founded on almost nothing but.
The other element undergirding “Lamentis” is action, and there, I’m of two minds. On the one hand, I’m always impressed with a solid oner. The choreography of Loki and Sylvie racing through an alien enclave to try to get to an ark ship is cool. While the episode doesn’t quite reach Children of Men-like proportions (which seems to be a reference point, and while there’s a few hidden cuts, I admire the chutzpah of showing the impending destruction of the titular planet in one long take, helping to convey the urgency and chaos of the whole thing.
There’s two problems with it though. 1. Loki and Sylvie don’t really do anything. Sure, things happen around them, and they throw a few punches here and there. But the uncut sequence mainly centers on the duo rushing around. While the camera moves are still tricky to pull off regardless, the two of them doing little beyond running around the set diminishes the impact of making their attempt one big sequence.
That said, you can see the potential for Sylvie and Loki as a pairing. Who would interest Loki more than a version of him/herself. Their conversions carry an almost flirty vibe, and the mutual propensity for betrayal creates a series of double-bluff situations where they’re impressed and envious of one another, while knowing that each would stab the other in the bank if the moment called for it.
Still, our Loki shows a little empathy, choosing to sneak aboard the train rather than follow Sylvie’s plan and risk getting anyone killed. The episode hints at backstory in dialogue that may have differentiated Sylvie and Loki beyond their separate magical capabilities. I’m still not hugely into their dynamic, which comes off less endearing and vital than it needs to. But you can still see the potential there, even if the moment-to-moment writing isn’t exactly fantastic.
We also get a few key tidbits. We learn that Sylvie’s mind-control powers have their limits, especially when dealing with “strong minds”. We learn that they don’t work on Loki himself, because his mind in particular seems too strong for her self-taught magic. ANd most of all, we learn that the employees of the TVA (an organization that Stlvie refers to as fascist) were not created by the Timekeepers, but rather are variants like them who have somehow been enlisted by the agency, and might not even know it. (This lends credence to the fan theory that Peggy Carter is a TVA agent.)
On the whole, it’s just not that fun of a ride, though. I’m actually a sucker for dialogue-heavy, sparkling conversation-based episodes. Throw in two characters who have much inc common but also reason not to trust one another and consider themselves different? So much the better. But the plotting in “Lamentis” is perfunctory and, more to the point, the conversations between our two protagonists here can’t quite carry the hour with wit and engrossing banter. I appreciate the swing, but this is more of a double than a home run.
Wow, it just keeps getting better. Trek has done its fair share of horror stories, some poor and some good, but this is probably most effective scare episode the franchise has done. I loved the way it riffed off moments from the core Alien trilogy and managed to do some properly unsettling things in the process. Besides from having a fantastic design, the moment the blue alien dude started having trouble breathing was a wonderfully staged sequence full of dread.
The Gorn looked great and felt vicious even as infants. I love how this series is setting them up. I also appreciate how we've come to understand La'an's character up to now and her own reactions to this situation.
The most interesting part here may have been Spock. While I'm not sure the actual execution of his emotional barriers dropping was, the effect of it on the character is certainly fascinating. Ethan Peck has been KILLING IT so far and is handling this stuff so well. It's an angle that works. I quite like that the franchise is acknowledging the more emotional Spock we saw in 'The Cage' and working to bridge things to the more stoic version we are familiar with.
And damn, the episode blindsided me with the death of Hemmer. I clocked those two new away team characters as dead from the moment we were introduced to them, but Hemmer was a real shock. Especially given that he seems to have become a fan favourite. What a way to go out too - compare it to the lacklustre death of Airiam over on Discovery, which had zero impact despite the character having been there since the start. This one hit hard, with the reactions of the rest of the crew really doing it justice too.
You did it "The 100", you did it.
You left us last week with a bait-and-switch bisexuality storyline that possibly and probably hinted towards actual dynamical characterization, only to have those hopes dashed and smashed and scattered to the winds, and then you pulled an almost complete 180 to make everything meaningful and interesting again.
How many times will I continue to fall for this?
Infinitely, if not 100, at least, I'd pre-suppose.
So, last week was basically the worst possible episode imaginable. Everything that was built-up and worked towards was all but obliterated with random acts of blindness as each and every character seemed to forget all notions of sanity and reason, leaving everything at face value.
We even learn that allllllll the bone marrow transplant army mountain dudes, except the crazy Son King under the Mountain and his right-hand generic brutish white-dude-stooge were killed in Clarke's Gambit... which honestly just made it more incoherent as to why Lexa surrendered.
Personally, I'm starting to question the saliency of the feminism in this racistly-depicted matriarchal warrior society, and perhaps Lexa's appointment is a post-apocalyptical role of blame funneling.
In a society of warriors, you can have a small, fancy lady queen, so long as we can all blame her for all our problems.
Point-in-fact, the PCP super-heroin drugging that generates the "Reapers". It's a persistence of the "Mountain Men" society of war-ready American (or, AMERICAN) descendents objectifying the external, the others in society, to be their blood property, while also building a subset of warrior-warring people-pets who maintain the "order" and delineation.
Perhaps -- as is most explicable and rational in the face of the irrationality of events -- Lexa's surrender was an ingrained notion of inferiority to the "Mountain Men", which Clarke entirely failed to recognize.
This, I could understand. It'd be deeply horrifying, but it'd be far more understandable.
And as this episode showed in a near-completely brutalistic manner, Clarke jumps to action out of worry, even without rationale or reason. Not only did she save (some of) her people, but she ended-up doing exactly what she wanted to prevent ... she painfully and horrifically obliterated the "Mountain Men", women, and children. She even all-but-line-of-sight-directly killed Jasper's girlfriend, who spent the last 12 episodes consistently saving and supporting every single one of Clarke's people ... even sacrificing her own friends and family for the righteousness of the cause of anti-blood-slavery.
Yet, what is just soooooo infuriating, but weirdly so exemplified, is this persistent delusion of exclusion that Clarke has for her nearest and dearest.
Finn objectively went entirely insane. He had a Nazi-ish massacre of a couple dozen of people under his belt, all based on noticing Clarke's dad's watch. A flimsier rationale could not be designed. Especially not for everything that happened, with Finn's twelve dozen "oops! my finger slipped" insane and persistent reactions as he kept gunning-down person after person, for absolutely and entirely no reason. And then it took three episodes for Clarke to finally mercy-kill him to spare him from a public flaying (a.k.a., a fully conscious separation of his body from his skin).
The frustration is consistently in the pacing and tone. There is absolutely no distinction between the rampaging idiotic murder of dozens of "Grounders", and the absolutely, entirely boring courtship of emotional reticence between Raven and Engineer McGentleman Scruff, Esq..
Clarke will kill a dad to revenge against -- not even coerce, just fully and irrationally and irreconcilably pre-revenge -- a son, then subject dozens of ostensibly innocent men, women, and children to excruciating and inescapable radiation poisoning, and then apparently reconnect with the mother who sent her to prison and orchestrated her own husband's murder for political maintenance, in the span of all but 20 seconds.
I mean ... hormones and the moon are real things, but like, come on, you guys. Seriously, I mean, come on. Is anyone really this entirely cynical and callous and unstable?!
I mean, even I am entirely subservient to blessed Selenic Sovereign ... but come on ... take a beat. Have a thought. Think about what you're doing, for like, I dunno, 3 seconds, instead of 1. Let's start there at least and see how it feels.
You are literally living in a post-nuclear society ... let's not consistently revert to the nuclear option ... no matter how much we miss our mum.
I, too, would enjoy a hug now and then, particularly in the most trying of times ... but you get a pillow or two, you squeeze 'em and put one between your legs, and you go to sleep and see how you feel in the morning.
Doesn't that sound far more manageable and tolerable than the latest mass-murder of the moment?
Cra'y cra'y, for days.
Anyways, of course Jaha then like tosses dudes to the "Tremors"/"Dune" lake leeches so he and Murphy can follow the drone to the island of lost dreams, where it turns out that there is a playboy bachelor billionaire lighthouse ... fuck you, "The 100", for exploiting my weakness!!!
Ugh, ok, I guess now I have to tolerate this story, though of course I can help but be bored with the stupidity that is a semi-sentient fancy-lady-hologram AI who speaks in abstract illuminati riddles and wants to continue to build this story as a pre-cursor to "The Matrix".
I mean ... sure, technically there's nothing else like this on TV, but also, novelty is not intellect nor entertainment, inherently.
I do like to contend though that Jaha suffered massive oxygen deprivation in his last few hours on the space station, and that explains why he's behaving like he is, because he is quite literally -- and non-mockingly -- brain-damaged. That would just be so wonderful, and would really clear a lot of things up, in terms of characterization.
And that's the thing, "The 100", you got me, I'll watch you next season, I will, and I would even, with much trepidation, recommend you to others to watch. You are definitely no "Hawaii Five-0", but you are assuredly some kind of deformed subversion.
Your pacing is horrific, your tone is consistently insane, and your narrative is like "What if only cynical, idiotic assholes survived the nuclear annihilation of humanity ... what would they do if we stick them all in the same room?".
Not to smash a tofu (vegan for "beat a dead horse"), but It's the nuclear fallout and only 2/3rds of the characters in your show are familiar with CPR and basic First Aid. Reflect on "Donnie Darko" for a hot second and revel in the insanity of "The Knick", antiseptics revolutionized modern society. The 1899 may have well been the middle ages, if not Ancient Egypt (-2999) compared to 1999, because of the societal and technological and medical advances. Never have we ever experienced such revolution to the fabric of our basic cultural and societal reality besides the notions of portable food storage (anti-spoilage) and persistent anti-bacterials.
Focus on that you sexy teen adults. I mean, come on. Have a conversation ... once. Just once. Please.
I love that the dude from "Lost"/"Scandal" is the very first person in the very last possible moment to suggest bone marrow donations. Like, you just went through some insane wars and murders and crazy power struggles, and no one ever thought to just have a fucking blood drive, instead of some kind of ghettoized Reganomic CIA insane doping regimen of creating cannabilistic soldier pets to harvest and dispose of these sanguine people-shaped sacks clambering all around the place.
Insane.
But I'll keeping watching.
So insane.
I'm writing this based only on the pilot, but OMG! There are Nazis and the Imperial Japanese, and they occupy America. This actually gives us a perspective on ourselves. In the show, the Nazis torture people, and the Japs invade someone's home, calling it a matter of "national security". In our reality, the CIA tortures people, and the NSA invades our homes, calling it a matter of "national security".
It's not simply a matter of an alternate reality. There is an object from our reality in theirs. That moves the show from pure fiction to science fiction. Our reality affects theirs. Does theirs affect ours?
Set in past, but not our past, the show requires a lot of careful details in the shots. The San Francisco skyline is an old one, and yet there are modifications for the increased Japanese influence.
The show is dense, and I found myself rewinding multiple times. One example is the origami unicorn. This was very significant in the movie Blade Runner (director's cut), and I'm guessing it is here too. Blade Runner is a movie that is like great literature, and I've always wanted a TV show that is like great literature, so maybe the Man in the High Castle is it!
Thank you Philip K. Dick!
This has probably been the best episode in the Capaldi era so far. Been waiting a long time for the show to return to its best moments.
Watching this I couldn't stop thinking about the original Pilot.
1) Susan, whose photo we got to see so many times <3, was the one that named the Tardis
2) The ones that happen to find de Tardis, and The Doctor, in the junkyard were Susan's teachers (Ian and Barbara) whereas in this case was a student (Bill)
3) Susan is the one that has that thirst of knowledge. Though she loved Earth she was very curious, just as Bill.
Also, there were what to me felt like hints to the other Pilot this show had: Rose. The idea that Bill was almost not to travel with the Doctor, but he decided to look for her and remind her that his machine also travels in Time (which is part of my favorite headcanon about Nine and I'm glad to see it protrayed here: the idea that between invitations, Nine travelled alone and decided that he needed a companion and went back to look for her).
And, last but not least, the chips. Remember how much fun Rose and Nine had eating chips? And how Rose also worked in a school cafeteria serving chips? And how she, like Bill, had a regular job, came from a working class and was, by The Doctor's standards, sometimes a bit slow at first?
Finally, I never thought we'd see the time when we were reminded that the habit of erasing someone's mind without their consent was absolutely not right. I already love Bill and her determination.
I also love the bit with Clara's song, which I also thought we wouldn't hear again.
Overall, sooooo good. I just hope the season continues in this line.
Danys back! That last scene was amazing. It was a long time coming and it was worth it, now lets see what she does next.
The scene between Cersei and Jamie with Euron was great. I wonder what the gift could be? Maybe he is bringing Robert's last bastard, Gendry? Jamie's look on his face when Euron said you should try killing you brother made me laugh. It’s like it just crossed his mind that she is actually capable of doing that.
Arya is not content with just killing Walder Frey, she had to kill them all. I realized about halfway through that scene and it was awesome to see her be a badass. The North Remembers! Oh and there is Ed Sheeran I wonder if we will see him again?
I loved that The Hound basically made fun of Thoros for having a man bun. Its crazy to see the way he has changed as a person and burying the people he left for dead a few seasons ago.
Sansa questioning Jon in front of everyone makes me think she wants to be in charge. I wonder if Littlefinger is rubbing off on her? Jon is concerned with the North but I think Sansa has more knowledge of everyone else and she is going to be important going forward.
I can’t get enough of Tormund hitting on Brienne. "You're a lucky man."
Sam's poop/soup montage was disgusting. He might be the most important part of this epsiode though. Finding the Dragon glass "mountain" might give the living folk an actual chance. Jon will probably be going to Dragonstone next week and we will finally get Jon and Daenerys face to face. And we get a glimpse at poor Jorah which seems the grey scale has gone into full effect.
Great episode to kick off the new season. We don't have a full 10 episodes so hopefully some big things happen next week.
"I really love this show". I'm sitting here dying of laughter. These guys always get me. What a great episode!
"I love broccoli". Nate, 2017. profound.
"Quiet! The marshmallows are talking", rotflmao. I was in tears for ten minutes. He randomly eating a cheeto was something for the books. The writers are on drugs. I have a feeling Nick Zano was adlibing his lines. He had me dying. He tried to touch Sara's face and then said "Cobra!" Sometimes I can't believe this show is even real.
Ray's ridiculous bad guy outfit just makes me love him even more. "Don't be fooled by our disguises". He's an absolute cinnamon roll. He's gained the status. "I'm following her posterior from a respectable distance". Gotta love him.
Welcome to Legends, Zari! I was expecting her to get powers as the story progressed but I've got to say I'm cool with it.
Gideon is savage "What a bitch!" and "Bollocks!" feelt so right in a weird way. I love that even Gideon hates her. You know someone is bad and annoying when even Gideon swears.
"Prison Break. I'm in". Mick freaking Rory. So meta. God bless the writers of this awesome show.
I loved Kuasa. "I'd just kill you, but I'll be killing myself". So, is she Mari's sister? And she time travels with a rock?
Sara is such a badass. That scene were the ships were about to collide was so good. I'm down for Gary appearing every single time after he fucks time up and Agent Sharpe coming to blame the Legends. Gary is amazing. He's either going to be part of the team or backstabbing them. There's no in between. But I really love his character. He's also a fuck-up. He fits in with the Legends. That bar fight. What would it be of this show without a bar fight?
"You'll float too, Ray". That scene was freaky. I was expecting Pennywise to come out. Ray is so lighthearted. "Hi! What's your name? Mine is Ray Palmer". What's up with kids talking to monsters in the sewers? I want a whole story about Ray "the fuck up" Palmer. He's adorable in every era, even as a kid.
Well, I didn't plan on sleeping tonight anyway.
I do have to say though, aside from the bathtub-smashing spider traumatizing me for life, I enjoyed this episode very much. I've been reserving my judgement of this season, but after 4 really good - in my opinion, at least - episodes, I can officially say that I already like it more than most of Peter Capaldi's run. I mean, I adored Peter himself, but the writing didn't do him justice most of the time.
I fall more and more in love with Jodie every week. Everything she does is so perfect, from her excited "Tea at Yaz's!", rambling about getting a flat and buying a couch, the whole Ed Sheeran thing, her confused "I don't think so. Are we?" (by the way, I am fully on board the Yaz/Thirteen ship, fight me) to her mourning the dead spider mother (despite my raging arachnophobia, I did tear up during that scene because growing to the point where you can no longer breathe is a horrible fate that no creature deserves). Mandip Gill is definitely a standout among the companions. I really like that Yaz follows the Doctor into danger so unflinchingly, I just hope it doesn't get her killed. And so many people seem to think that Bradley Walsh is a bad actor for some reason, but to me, he nailed the emotional moments in this episode. The fact that he keeps seeing Grace everywhere in their house is such a realistic portrayal of grief and it was done in a lovely way. Tosin Cole is the hyperactive 8-year-old of the group, which I don't really mind. Ryan blasting music through the speakers to get the spiders to the panic room did make me laugh. That's just peak Doctor Who.
I also love that the spiders weren't the villains of the story at all. No, the true enemy was a selfish man and corporate greed, which is so true for so many things in real life that it actually hurts. Keep spilling that tea, Doctor Who.
Team Tardis is officially a thing! The Doctor was so happy, bless her hearts. I can't wait to see what shenanigans these losers get into next.
Overall, this episode maybe wasn't flawless, but that's not really what I expect anyway. If something keeps me entertained, leaves me wanting more and actually gets the intended emotional response from me, I consider it good. During this episode I laughed more than once, I felt excited, I felt sad, I felt angry (seriously, fuck that guy) and I'm already pumped for next week. So as far as I'm concerned, mission accomplished. Now, if all of y'all who are getting this episode below 70% could perhaps stop, that'd be great. This was worlds better than fucking Love and Monsters and you know it.
Nice try show! But I'm not buying what you're selling. Murphy's come such a long way. He's moved way past being a selfish, self serving asshole. He cares too much about his friends to betray them like that. Plus, the writers of this show are too good to give him such a lazy regression. Murphy is too smart for you Josephine! He's just buying time.
Every second of this episode was magnificent. I was worried they were gonna drag out the whole not Clarke thing. But I should've known better. This show doesn't let you catch your breath before throwing you into the next thing. And I loved it so much that it was Bellamy who figured it out. They're each other's person, how could he not? #bellarkeforever
Also Jordan being the most sensible made my heart happy. He's the new moral compass. He definitely takes after his dad! It's not okay that the primes are brainwashing people into thinking it's cool to kill someone to hijack their body. Besides, this boy, who grew up really isolated, was the first one to realize something smelled fishy. And everyone else, who should know better than to take things at face value, were super dismissive about his concerns. I love Jordan.
And how amazing was that Octavia/Diyoza heart to heart? Diyoza certainly knows a thing or two about being a violently ruthless leader. And it seems she has struggled with the guilt and consequences of her actions (much as Octavia is doing right now) and come out the other side. It's also pretty clear she sees herslef in Octavia. Maybe she'll turn into a mentor of sorts (kinda like Indra was in previous seasons), and teach her how to accept and move on, so Octavia doesn't self-destruct and can learn to live with herself and the terrible things she's done, just like all the other characters of the show. Plus there was that weird event with the green light and now her hand is all messed up!
I can't wait for next week!
What a phenomenal show! Being a Marvel production, I fully expected something of quality, but my expectations were blown entirely out of the water. Daredevil has easily taken its place among my favorite shows currently on air and far surpasses the current lineup of comic book-based television properties (including Marvel's own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).
The cast is great. Charlie Cox brings emotional weight to Matt Murdock and an intimidating presence to his vigilante alter ego. Supporting players Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, and Rosario Dawson, all make their respective roles feel critical, never distracting or annoying. But it's Vincent D'Onofrio that really steals the spotlight as Wilson Fisk, bringing to life a villain who is not only vicious and truly terrifying, but also heartbreakingly pitiful.
Daredevil's writing separates it from the current crop of superhero television. The progression of the plot is well organized and dialog rarely (if ever) crosses that line into comic book corniness. You really get the sense that the show runners had a clear vision for where they wanted this freshman season to go, while still laying groundwork for future seasons. Never does it feel like you're just being strung along for bigger and better things to come next season. And the show doesn't constantly try to remind you of the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, as any references to it are (usually) subtle.
But perhaps Daredevil's greatest strength is its cinematography. Fight sequences are expertly choreographed and coherent (not to mention brutally gritty), even rivaling those of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The production value is top notch, probably thanks to the refreshingly limited reliance on CGI. But what impressed me the most was the brave willingness to let the camera linger or even meander occasionally. Ending episode 2 with a minutes-long single take fight sequence had me speechless, and is a testament to the level of quality brought to the show.
Daredevil is a strong addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I think Marvel's partnership with Netflix could prove to be one of their best decisions regarding their television properties and I look forward to future shows like A.K.A. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.
