Watching this without any sort of idea what this is about kind of gave me that element of surprise. I've never seen Penn Badgley since Gossip Girl so I'm kind of excited to hear he had a new show coming up. A few thoughts about the pilot coming at you in bullets:
-Penn Badgley should narrate something, has he ever done anything like that in his career? because i think he should.
-This girl doesn't have curtains in her apartment, and her bedroom view is across the side walk. it's literally a feast for the eyes of peeping toms and stalkers
-Please stop romanticizing stalkers PLEASE...and a thief.
Hopefully this show gives us Badgley's best performance of his career, knowing it's a mystery, thriller show I hope to see some of that psycho-killer type of actingloading replies
Please stop romanticizing stalkers PLEASE...and a thief.
I disagree. Not because it's right to romanticize stalkers. I think that's getting out of hand. I just disagree that's what's going on here. I think there's a difference between making stalking romantic and making stalking creepy and I think in this pilot episode if you come out of it thinking that Joe is charming in his stalking then you're reading the episode all wrong. HIs cold overly focused demeanor rather than an boundingly emotional one. The chilling music in the background of the episode. It creates a tension that puts the stalking clearly in the creep factor. The fact that Joe is a good looking guy alone doesn't make it romantic. Stalking should be portrayed as it is in this episode as invansive and wrong.
I always say in a good movie or series at least 10 deaths shall happen in the first 10 minutes. While this was a little bit longer, but the death count at the end made more then up for it. This is some seriously sick stuff.
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@blaxtardmovie >in a good movie or series at least 10 deaths shall happen in the first 10 minutes
the fuck
Shout by The_Argentinian
I smiled when Gina popped up. Then she reminded us how annoying she is. Who actually missed her?
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@the_argentinian Hah, yeah. I was glad when she left the show. And her character honestly became worse in her few appearances after she left the regular cast...
"My cousin Susan didn't realize she could sing until her 40s!" I don't know I thought this was so funny, but I did, ahahaha.
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@milkhoneytea that Susan Boyle reference was so smooth and unexpected that it turned out to be hilarious! I was actually coming here to make a comment on it.
Shout by peachy peachy
I would have loved this so much more if the age gap between the princess and the prince were less than 10 years
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@pettywaf I was thinking the exact same thing. And how can Violet be only 14? WTF
I haven't missed Gina one bit!! For me she ruins the show....
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@jay_g85 Gina in moderation is okay, but entire episodes based around her just never seems to work.
Entertaining series but the ending was rather ridiculous. 50+ infected people and not a single one of them with the self preservation instinct to find some shade? I know these are Christcucks so they’re not the sharpest knives in the drawer but still, even with the buildings and the boats burned there’s still tons of ways to avoid sunlight, from hiding under rubble, bridges, stairs, trees, a tarp, digging a hole, putting clothing over any exposed part of your body, etc. Instead they all just stand there and die.
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They just realised what happened and what they've done and decided to end it. It's not that all of them are stupid gosh
Shout by peachy peachy
I would have loved this so much more if the age gap between the princess and the prince were less than 10 years
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@gaticc008 they (she included) think she's 14 but nobody knows
When you think it can't get any more insane... introducing: killer hypnosis. I must say, I like seeing Evelyn again. I don't really know why but I always thought she was the only good thing that came from this Farm storyline and I was a little bit sad to see her go. But seriously though... Tangerine? So IF Jughead is really dead (which is a big IF... the writers would be crazy to let the most beloved main character go) it's because Betty is under hypnosis on a killing spree to kill her dark self. Can we just let dark Betty go already? It never worked.
Good seeing Mama Blossom again. We could have seen that one coming. I'm glad Cheryl didn't kill her. Penelope has always been one of my favorite characters. Glad they finally got rid of creepy Jason... I can't believe this entire storyline though. Toni is all up in that crazy, seemingly okay with it. This ruined the sweet romance between Cheryl and Toni for me. How would she be okay with her girlfriend keeping the body of her deceased twin! Glad it's over.
Veronica does not learn. She continues to blab all of her plans to Daddy dearest and ends up being surprised by his comebacks. Girl, just stop talking. At least this episode didn't feature the words 'Daddykins' or 'Archiekins'... cringe
Speaking of Archie... I hope the writers give him something else to do now. All this beating up people is getting old. I love the moment he had with his mom though and I'm interested in seeing who his uncle is.loading replies
@marinka678 Every time Veronica tells her father her plans I just want to yell at the screen, "Shut up you idiot!" I actually began thinking that Toni was gaslighting Cheryl and I never understood Toni being okay with Jason's dead body. I'm also tired of them trying to make "Dark Betty" work. It just doesn't. This hypnosis stuff doesn't make any damn sense.
@thachxyz123 I feel like someone tried stealing something from me, failed, and tried to convince me it didn’t happen. Pure and utter outrage. I feel completely cheated, like the writers think we’re stupid or something.
Review by Andrew Bloom
VIP9[7.5/10] When I wrote about the finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender my thesis, in part, was that it was about how Aang stayed who he was no matter what. Even with the fate of the world on his shoulders, he couldn’t, or at least didn’t want to, bend his principles and take a life. As he always did, he found another way. The climax of the series served, in many ways, as a tribute to his steadfastness.
But Korra’s path has been different, and the best thing to say about the finale of The Legend of Korra, and the show as a whole, is that it’s been about growth. The Korra we leave beaming off to the spirit world is much different than the one we met blasting firebenders at the South Pole. She is a more understanding, more steady, more complex, and more compassionate Avatar than the headstrong youth who first bolted her way through Republic City.
The rub, and the thing that keeps “The Last Stand” from earning a higher rating, is TLoK reveals this through heaps and heaps of emotional exposition. An inevitable and almost unavoidable part of any finale involves a certain amount of signposting and summing things up, but TLoK’s goes overboard with it. Between a post-battle heart-to-heart with Kuvira to on-the-nose exchanges with Tenzin about hope, “The Last Stand” brings its hero to an interesting place in terms of both story and character, but lays the message of the change on too thick.
But hey, it delivers some damn cool action, so that earns it plenty of points too. Having the climactic battle feel genuinely epic, particularly after a fourth season where the good guys have already battled an energy-bending rabble rouser, a flying revolutionary, and the Anti-Avatar, it would be easy for the last big battle to fall short. Instead, “The Last Stand” delivers a final confrontation that matches the moment.
It features some cool set pieces that give everyone something to do. It’s a nice grace note to have the Beifong sisters working together and immobilizing the Colossus’s arm together. Plus, it gives Lin a chance to do some badass combat that looks like fencing as she takes on an Earth Empire guard. To the same end, watching another pair of siblings, Mako and Bolin, try to shut down the engine to the Colossus works both to service two characters who have an important relationship outside of the show’s protagonist, and to give them a goal that contributes to the larger project.
It also gives Mako a nice moment of self-sacrifice. It seemed unlikely, at best, that TLoK would actually kill him off, but it’s still a nice moment in the sun (so to speak) for one of the show’s main characters, giving his all and using his unique powers to help. Bolin’s assurances to Mako that he already thinks his brother is awesome was an amusing, and true-to-character way to bring the pair’s relationship to the fore.
Korra’s one-on-one with Kuvira met the heightened expectations as well. The designers and animators deserve great credit for this season. Although we’ve seen many metal-benders before, the way that Kuvira and her crew use chain links and swatches to disable and move around their enemies gives them a distinctive fighting style which makes combat against them seem fresh. Seeing Korra and Kuvira go toe-to-toe in the enclosed bridge of the Colossus made for an enclosed by expansive setting that prevents either from running away but gave each plenty of room to work.
The climax of their fight was the highlight of the episode. While the villain’s hail mary, semi-crazy attempt to get back at the hero is a cliché, and the spirit weapon conveniently being near where they feel is a bit contrived, the power and symbolism of the moment really clicked.
When Korra faces down the blast from the weapon, instead of being destroyed by it, she harnesses its power, saving Kuvira and channeling that energy into a new spirit portal. It’s a choice that carries wonderful symbolism, how Korra’s previously attack first, ask questions later mentality has evolved to where she uses her abilities to turn a weapon into a bridge, a mortal attack into a saving throw. The scene is scored perfectly, with Korra’s theme adding gravitas to such a spiritual, emotional moment that represents the peak of Korra’s arc in this season and perhaps the series.
The problem is then the series decides to write it all on the screen. I’ve genuinely enjoyed the parallels between Korra and Kuvira this season, but having them have a literal “we’re not so different you and I” conversation is just too much. The themes are solid -- the idea that Korra sees her own impulses in Kuvira, the notion of wanting to ensure you’re never vulnerable again -- but it’s all too blunt and too artless. Hell, we get the revelation that Kuvira is an orphan thrown in at the last minute as an explanation for her perspective, and it’s just the most tacked on psychological explanation for her behavior.
Then the show doubles down on it with Tenzin. Again, while I like the theme, having Korra outright say that she needed to learn what suffering was in order to be more compassionate, is just too direct. It’s delivering the literal message of the show in dialogue. The same goes for Tenzin saying he’s glad that Korra is more hopeful, or Mako saying he’d follow Korra into any battle. I like those ideas, but just depositing them into the story as announcements is too much.
It’s not all bad though. As I mentioned in the prior episode, Wu’s evolution into a reasonable leader has been an unexpected treat. The fact that he sees what happened to Kuvira and decides that the Earth Kingdom doesn’t need another monarch or dictator, but instead an elected representative, is one of the most striking political changes, and a third option the show and its predecessor has rarely seemed to consider.
Then there’s the final moments, where “The Last Stand” brings all the subtext between Korra and Asami this season to the fore, and suggest the beginning of a romantic relationship. Asami is often a cipher on this show, being given little to do in comparison to the rest of Team Avatar. But in Season 4 in particular, the series has hinted at a deeper connection between her and Korra. Ending the series on that note is a bold choice, and the heartwarming, lyrical sequence in which they beam off together is a wonderful way to go out.
It’s just a shame that the rest of the finale cannot quite match the balance that sequence presents. Season 4, and the series as whole, took Korra on an incredible journey, but underlining the point of it all at the end cheapens the actions and decisions that led her there. Still, it’s been a hell of a journey, one filled with kinetic action, endearing characters, and most of all, a protagonist who grew and developed little by little as the series went on, until she became a stronger, more assured, and balanced Avatar. Some of Korra’s most engrossing growth happened this year, and whether it’s overdone or not, it’s lovely to see her walking off into the sunset, hand-in-hand with someone she loves, a changed, better person.loading replies
@andrewbloom I just wanted to thank you for all your thorough reviews on both the Avatar series. I enjoyed reading them after every episode I watched. I mostly agreed with your ratings and thoughts about the show and had some passages you wrote giving me another perspective on certain scenes, characters and storylines. It's been a blast!
However, there's one particular point in this review that I only partly agree with. And that is the literal showing of the moral and conversations in the end. I do see your point and would usually be completely on your side. Shows don't have to lay it all out for the viewer but make us think and draw conclusions in a more artistic way. But even though there are so many serious topics and deeper messages that make it so wonderful to watch as an adult, in the end it was aired on Nickelodeon and a show for kids (as well). Whereas I don't doubt that they understand a lot more than adults often think they do, I think that producers generally have to make the morals and intentions a little clearer. Maybe it's overdone here, we can argue on that, but I feel like it's easy to forget that this is actually a kids show because at the same time it's so much more than that.
Honestly, Gina was the one part of the show, that I very rarely enjoy and got on my nerves very regularly. So this one kinda suffers from her return.
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@klti I'm 4 minutes in and I am with you on that.
I have not missed Gina one bit this season. She lifts out surprisingly easily and her absence allows for more streamlined storytelling.
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Omg, I didn't even notice she was missing till I read this. No wonder I enjoyed it more, she had few redeemable moments and was mostly annoying.
Finally she's out. That whole assumed awesomeness of Gina thing was in fact just very annoying.
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@onlime Could not agree more. I won't miss her one bit.
Mrs. Bennet really makes me laugh! The awkward scenes really make you cringe.
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@pettywaf he's more amusing and likable than the 2005 movie version.
This episode made me feel so many emotions
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@pettywaf literally same :0 I love how it challenged gender norms in a subtle way
I’m running out of things to say because I’m so bored
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@tupyh8cb78xnwu2t lmao deep. I'm in the industry so it's good for me to watch stuff, even stuff I don't like. But thanks for your insinuation that I'm a fool!
Okey, it's no coincidence; Created by Yasuhiro Nightow. The designs, music and characters certainly carry his vibe. If the animation keeps up it might turn out quite good. I highly doubt the story itself is enough to carry this.
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U think it is reasonable to judge the story development after episode 1 of an anime??
why people just stood there when the woman was attacked?
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It was explained that society was so unused to that sort of stuff, so accustomed to being in peace, that they just could not compute what was going on, since no alterations to the Psycho-Pass was visible. But it feels like the series took a major shift, as if the past episodes were from a different writer.
This is the first episode and I already hate that newbie inspector! Cuty little beauty with no emotional control-ity have no place in the Police!
Paralyzing her was for her own interest! "You don't have to use violence" SHUT THE FUCK UP or go train puppies! I don't know why but she got on my nerves at that point!loading replies
@binge-watcher The victim turned violent, so she was considered violent. It has to do with her, she was crazy. You can say there were better choices than just shoot her, and I agree, but she was going to blow herself and the enforcer. The safest move was to prevent the explosion by killing her, safer than expecting her to wake up from the trauma.
@bassoo7 wat? You have to not use violence until it is the last resource.
Ugh at Toby's "pillow fight" comment. That shitty character is sexist af!
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@jim222001 When I point out a thing is sexist and you try to respond by saying it's traditional or there are non-sexist reasons for the thing or that I'm imagining it or some other denial, but you can't demonstrate how a version exists with different genders and is typical, then your argument has no worth. If this thing only seems acceptable because of the assigned genders of the people associated with this particular thing, then no matter how fine it seems to you, it is still sexist.
P.S. You might be trying to say that you're okay with it being sexist and that's a position you're allowed to have, though it's a bad one. I, myself, am not okay with it.
Darci's character is cool but Mary Wang's got an antiquated idea of only boys asking out girls. Heteronormative and anti-feminist.
More creepy love fantasizing about the Mole mascot. If Strickler controls Angur Rot, then how is Angur Rot doing this stuff with the pixies? Weird.loading replies
@jim222001 Again, people learn mindsets from the media they consume. You apparently have learned that these problematic ideas are okay. I disagree with you.
Immediately, I hear some sexism in Toby's resentment of Claire's gaining the Shadowstaff. She worked at it, dove for it, grabbed it, while Toby lost the Killstone. She deserves to have it while Toby's just a whiny shit bc male entitlement. Not a fan of Steve using the ableist "l*me" slur.
Why tf do they care about Spring King? I don't see the point of that.
Toby keeps blaming Claire despite everything going wrong being his fault for being incompetent and a jackass. Ugh.
wtf was the point of the truck-a-thon thing? Just part of the Spring King arc? Seemed very pointless.
The bully deserves any bad thing that happened to him, bc he brought it all on himself.loading replies
@jim222001 When I point out a thing is sexist and you try to respond by saying it's traditional or there are non-sexist reasons for the thing or that I'm imagining it or some other denial, but you can't demonstrate how a version exists with different genders and is typical, then your argument has no worth. If this thing only seems acceptable because of the assigned genders of the people associated with this particular thing, then no matter how fine it seems to you, it is still sexist.
P.S. You might be trying to say that you're okay with it being sexist and that's a position you're allowed to have, though it's a bad one. I, myself, am not okay with it.
Everything about Toby's interactions with girls and women is creepy af. It's one thing if Toby uses the toxic masculinity concept of "wuss" but awful that Blinky does. It's very typical to portray indigenous people as savages and while the wumpa? are trolls, the same is done here. I don't "know" that it's racist but it feels like it is. Also, Toby's "song" is atrocious. Oof. The dancing is awful, too.
The special effect with the Shadowstaff was cool, though.loading replies
@jim222001 People, particularly children, learn their mindsets from media they easily consume. There is nothing more serious than the implications of widely spread stories. You are choosing to reply to my comments. You don't have to.
This last episode seems really promising!
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@pettywaf probably would have done something dumb. Like make FP evil parent of the season. Since he is leaving.
8.8/10. Maybe, just maybe, this is Avatar turning the corner. Or maybe I'm just starting get wrapped up in the awesome mythos of the show. I could be biased by Dave Filoni's involvement, but it feels like there's a lot of very positive Star Wars influence here -- the idea of a young kid with powers he doesn't understand trying to fight against an evil empire that controls the world, while attempting to recapture the powers and spirit of a lost age. I've been conditioned for that sort of thing to appeal to me, as the characters settle a bit, and I get more used to the animation style, Avatar is starting to cast its spell on me.
To the point, the opening sequence where our heroes and Prince Zuko try to run Commander Zhao's blockade is pretty much just empty action, and yet the flaming balls of fire in the sky, Appa ducking and dodging, the smoke billowing out of the back of Prince Zuko's ship, were all pretty stunning images that made for an exciting set piece. The show's started to find a balance of the cool action it's been capable of from early on and the mythos and worldbuilding that are its greatest asset.
There's also some clever writing at play once they get to crescent island. I love the notion of the once noble monks who lost hope and kowtowed the the Fire Nation, but there being one true believer who's willing to go against his brothers for the Avatar. And even the video game-esque plot obstacle of needing to open the giant door was fairly clever. The whole lamp oil plan seemed like kind of a cheat, but then using it as a fakeout to get the Fire Monks to open the door by convincing them Aang's in there and then sneaking in when they do is a very nice way to go about it. Even though the fight, including the renewed presence of Commander Zhao, is cool but a little convenient to getting Aang into the room with Roku by himself, it's a nice progression of events.
Once he gets in there and talks to Roku, things slow down a bit. There's nothing especially novel about Roku's reveals -- there's a big event coming up that will make the bad guy even stronger, it's how he got his powers immediately, and you have to get strong really fast to beat him. That's pretty standard fantasy epic stuff. But still, the comet, the Fire Lord, and the guidance of a voice from the beyond work well enough as hints toward the future, something to direct the trajectory of the series that it works. And Aang coming out as Avatar Roku and destroying the temple had a pretty epic feel in and of itself, something eventful and symbolic of the old era, the era of Roku ending, and a new era beginning.
Overall, these past two episodes have hopefully been the show finding it's groove. They've been exciting and compelling and further developed the contours of the show's world.
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@andrewbloom I agree and thats a interesting observation of the temple being a physical manifestation of the old age. Since most of the fire priests had betrayed him, it was like the Avatar as cutting off a cancer on his legacy.
8.8/10. Maybe, just maybe, this is Avatar turning the corner. Or maybe I'm just starting get wrapped up in the awesome mythos of the show. I could be biased by Dave Filoni's involvement, but it feels like there's a lot of very positive Star Wars influence here -- the idea of a young kid with powers he doesn't understand trying to fight against an evil empire that controls the world, while attempting to recapture the powers and spirit of a lost age. I've been conditioned for that sort of thing to appeal to me, as the characters settle a bit, and I get more used to the animation style, Avatar is starting to cast its spell on me.
To the point, the opening sequence where our heroes and Prince Zuko try to run Commander Zhao's blockade is pretty much just empty action, and yet the flaming balls of fire in the sky, Appa ducking and dodging, the smoke billowing out of the back of Prince Zuko's ship, were all pretty stunning images that made for an exciting set piece. The show's started to find a balance of the cool action it's been capable of from early on and the mythos and worldbuilding that are its greatest asset.
There's also some clever writing at play once they get to crescent island. I love the notion of the once noble monks who lost hope and kowtowed the the Fire Nation, but there being one true believer who's willing to go against his brothers for the Avatar. And even the video game-esque plot obstacle of needing to open the giant door was fairly clever. The whole lamp oil plan seemed like kind of a cheat, but then using it as a fakeout to get the Fire Monks to open the door by convincing them Aang's in there and then sneaking in when they do is a very nice way to go about it. Even though the fight, including the renewed presence of Commander Zhao, is cool but a little convenient to getting Aang into the room with Roku by himself, it's a nice progression of events.
Once he gets in there and talks to Roku, things slow down a bit. There's nothing especially novel about Roku's reveals -- there's a big event coming up that will make the bad guy even stronger, it's how he got his powers immediately, and you have to get strong really fast to beat him. That's pretty standard fantasy epic stuff. But still, the comet, the Fire Lord, and the guidance of a voice from the beyond work well enough as hints toward the future, something to direct the trajectory of the series that it works. And Aang coming out as Avatar Roku and destroying the temple had a pretty epic feel in and of itself, something eventful and symbolic of the old era, the era of Roku ending, and a new era beginning.
Overall, these past two episodes have hopefully been the show finding it's groove. They've been exciting and compelling and further developed the contours of the show's world.
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@juliusspeyton Thanks, Julius! It definitely feels like a clean break for the Avatar after all the trouble that went down over the last century.
This is getting too ridiculous but I can't stop watching, I'm too invested.
Betty having to dismantle a bomb. Betty going on a solo mission to rescue her mom from a cult. Betty working with the FBI.
Cheryl patching up her brother, reading the paper to him, keeping him as a creepy doll. Toni finding them together and instead of screaming her lungs out she simply says 'what the hell?' as if she caught her girlfriend cheating instead of talking to her dead brother.
Moose changing his name to Marmaduke, like wtf? Is it a must to have a ridiculous name in Riverdale?
And to top it all off, Edgar has built himself a rocket.... a rocket!? Sure, why not.loading replies
@marinka678 i think moose is a nickname and marmaduke is his real name like jughead/forsythe
I don't have a problem with musical episodes, but this felt mediocre to me.
I liked the Alice-Betty moment, the Cheryl-Penelope moment and of course the ending.loading replies
@tasa24 Those, Betty telling Veronica off, Archie confronting Hiram and the Fred-Archie moment were the only things I liked.
