If nothing else, I did kinda like that Cecile Horton's mind-memory prison when being taken over by the mask was conceptually similar to Khalil Payne's when taken over by Painkiller.
My impression after just finally watching this...
First 40-45%: 4/10.
So many scenes felt clipped, rushed into the next, with not nearly enough connection to follow what was going on or why. Visually impressive, and I had the distinct impression that something big and interesting was going on, but I was very confused about what it was.
Last 55-60%: 7/10.
A little after we meet Sator, events started flowing somewhat more understandably. Still a bit confused here and there, but not as much. And the big ambitious sequences closer to the end were mostly well-executed (and in stunning detail), including some loopbacks that belatedly filled in some of the earlier-on confusion while completing the story well. Still not quite up to the greatness level the ads promised, IMO, but better.
I have the impression that a second watch would make more sense, in part due to some of the revelations near the end. My issue is that a second watch shouldn't be this necessary to get the story enough to appreciate it.
While I appreciate some degree of mystery and confusion up front that gets explained later on, that doesn't quite work any more when the confusion reaches a level that I don't understand why people are doing what they're doing.
I suspect that this would have been much better if given the additional time to flesh things out, especially the first half. Maybe as a limited series over four to six hours.
So Behrad thinks he's a wizardly fry-cook on the level of such greats as Spongebob Squarepants and Odd Thomas? Hah. Likely story. ;-)
While I did like and enjoy this episode, I agree with everyone saying that (1) it was too simple, compressed, and quick and (2) it would have fit much better as a Season One finale than as a Season Two premiere.
Ideally, IMO, this should have been three episodes added to the end of last season:
1. The Trigon-prodding and descent of the remaining characters (Cory, Donna, Jason, Hank, Dawn) into their Darkness, fleshed out much more believably than they were, and laced with a few quick sightings of Rachel's growing despair and Trigon's self-satisfaction.
2. The darkened characters' near-deadly assault on Gar, Rachel's heart, Gar's reaching through to Rachel, Rachel's reaching through to Dick.
3. Dick and Rachel frantically decide what to do, maybe try to free the others, etc., leading into a much more complex and believable fight against and vanquishing of the legendarily powerful Trigon.
Optional Bonus: A short after-scene of Trigon and Mallus commiserating.
As it is, while fun—like a meal of perfectly good food that's just much too quick and small to be truly satisfying—this episode had the effect of feeling like an almost dismissive tossing-aside of the whole Trigon backbone-storyline in a sudden rush to move on to freaking out poor Slade and whatever else is coming next...
I imagine it'd be awfully hard to sneak around dark alleys and rooftops with that bright blue-white bat-beacon on the chest, but otherwise, nice Batwing suit, there.
Oh, Ein, you data dog.
Heading into this finale did kinda have the feel of an oncoming classic tragedy. It did deliver.
Ed must be the happiest random-wacky generator ever.
Well, I suppose if Mr. Nobody was going to bolster his post-revenge-high mood-crash by getting stoned on blue Curaçao and then stumble-magic his drunken way into a doomed corner (on Danny Street in a psychoactive paintingspace with... them) and then, at his desolate lowest, get pep-talk coached into wresting back enough narrative control to guide everyone else out while forgetting to account for himself...
As I now think back over the many weirdly assorted elements of this episode, they do fit together into a chaotically odd but functional collage. And, think about it: if the seriously wacky-weird world that is Doom Patrol is going to escalate all the layers of wacky it's built thus far into an appropriately wacky and intense climax (too soon?), that does sound about right, doesn't it?
OTOH, as the credits were first rolling, I did have a minute or so of "what in Beebo's name did I just watch?!" going on there.
The improbability drive was working overtime with this one.
Overheard in the Doom Patrol writers room:
"If loose lips sink ships, what do loose butts do?"
"Let's find out."
That operating center of the Bureau of Normalcy is just so... abnormal.
This episode was seriously wacky and yet amazingly done.
It also gives me very much the impression of what might happen if the production team from Titans was asked to create something new and different with inspiration and input from both Legends of Tomorrow and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Did anyone else kinda-sorta want to hear IG-11, somewhere along the way, say "Come with me if you want to live."? ;-)
That they can each mold their lightning power into the creation of a big lightning-sword? Okay, weird, but kinda cool.
That that somehow suddenly makes them all swordsmanship experts? WTF? No.
This episode was the usual-of-late The Flash mix of fairly well-executed moments and really poorly-executed moments, but that one... what the... I just... Sigh.
I feel a bit like both major OMG-hangers from the Season One finale were effectively wrapped up a bit too quickly and simply, but were still fun to watch (especially all of Tally's reactions), and I'm now very curious to see how all these interesting pieces will weave and meet and evolve...
Interesting if odd way to tell Liz the story of how it all started. (The nachalo. The beginning.)
While it made for a rather interesting reveal presentation, I'm also kinda stuck on wondering what actually happened in that nest; was this whole experience an internal dramatization of her immersive reading, or an actual info-beam into her head, or...
Maybe she was holding the Resurrection Stone the whole time?
I know I've said before that this show can be at its best when it goes all-in timey-wimey wacko, but this wasn't it. This was far more farcical than anything else—from candied Fidel to pointless football—and so much of it just made no sense whatsoever, including Eva handing the Waverider and mission over solely to Mick (while the rest of the crew will now do... what?). There were some fun and funny moments, but not enough of them to make up for the Bay of Farce that was the rest.
Hearing Detective Eames— er, Officer Lois say that most New Yorkers are "narcissists" was a fun little in-joke.
Funny moment when they said they were heading to Florrum: my wife, just passing through the room at that moment, heard it as going to "Florin", stopped and said "incontheivable!"
2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021-12-31T23:59:59Z