Thogek

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8

the ending holy shit, this series is so good

[8.0/10] Now that’s more like it! This episode felt fresher, more endearing, funnier, more pointed, and a better harbinger for interesting things to come than anything we got in the first episode. I wish Disney had released the first two at the same time, because it would have left me much more enthused about the show’s potential than the relatively staid first outing we got.

Let’s start with the easiest improvement. Sam and Bucky play off one another really well. The sheer fun and combativeness of their dynamic buoys every scene they share. Chemistry is a tricky thing. You can’t manufacture it. It just has to happen. And the repartee between Sam and Bucky shows that it’s there. Their playful banter, their brotherly spats with one another, the way each knows what the other’s deal is with neither of them having to say it, plays really well in this episode.

And it also has to be said -- the show is strongly hinting at them as a couple, which is intriguing. I don’t think Disney has the stones to go through with it, which tempers my expectations a bit. But the two of them have a cool-down scene mid-fight where one lands on top of the other. (Something the MCU did with Banner and Natasha in Age of Ultron, among the umpteen other places that trope has shown up.) They literally go through couples counseling together, at one point even doing the “gaze into each other’s eyes” exercise.

It’d be really interesting to see if part of the answer for Sam and Bucky coping with the void that Steve’s departure left in both of their lives would involve filling it in with one another romantically, not just platonically. But I imagine these coy hints will be as far as a Disney show is willing to go.

That said, even if the queer-bating is questionable, their back-and-forth is still enjoyable, and the substance behind it is strong. Bucky is frustrated that Sam gave the shield away. Sam wishes Bucky understood why he did what he thought was right. The former is freighted with Bucky’s guilt over his past actions and Steve seeing the good in him despite that, a good that’s jeopardized if Steve was wrong about Sam. And Sam’s choice is freighted with both the pressure to live up to a public figure like Captain America and the episode’s racial undertones.

That’s the next most interesting thing about “Star-Spangled Man.” I assumed that John Walker’s replacement Captain America would be a straightforward baddie, or at least a dope. Instead, the show adds real nuance to him as a foil for Sam and Bucky. The episode opens with things that endear him to us. He understands the moral responsibility of stepping in for Steve Rogers. He didn’t ask for this, but rather is the good soldier who just tried his best and wants to help people. He’s not explicitly racist himself, with a best friend who’s Black and a wife or girlfriend who’s a person of color. The episode paints him as a decent guy, trying to do his best, who’s not plainly a baddie.

And yet, he centers himself in the narrative. He wants to commandeer Falcon and The Winter Soldier not as partners, but as his wingmen. He thinks he’s doing them a favor, not simply helping them because assistance is what’s needed, when he leaps in for the fight with the Flagsmashers or he springs Bucky from prison. He asks them to follow his lead, expecting that they’ll owe him and act accordingly, and then tells them to stay out of his way when they refuse.

There’s some real nuance to that. John Walker is not a cross-burning racist. He may not even be racially-prejudiced in a meaningful sense. But he views himself as the center of this, instantly assumes leadership and expects deference, in a way that not only makes Sam and especially Bucky bristle, but which leaves him lacking in the collegial spirit that Steve Rogers embodied.

At the same time, there’s more explicit racism at play in the episode. Sam gets hassled by the cops until they realize he’s an Avenger, an interesting intersection between the hero worship that’s been a part of the MCU from the beginning and the whiff of respectability politics that’s only recently come to the fore. Bucky introduces Sam to Isiah, a black super soldier (Black Marvel?) who Winter Soldier tangled with, whose complaints of imprisonment, experimentation, and deception carry the air of Tuskegee. “The Star-Spangled Man” is subtle about these things, gesturing toward them rather than making them explicit, but that gives them more power than grand speeches or more ham-fisted dramatizations of these ideas would.

That just leaves the Flagsmashers, who are far more interesting this week than they were the last week. I still have some questions about the show positioning the villains as proponents of open borders last week, and this week they’re in favor of the conspiracy theorist’s worst fear/wet dream -- a one world government. But their wants and motivations feel way more compelling here than they did in the prior installment.

For one thing, their position isn’t as reductive as “We want things to be the way they were when half the world was effectively dead.” Instead, they feel like the government is favoring the people who returned at the expense of the people who survived. Some view them as modern day Robinhoods, reallocating vital resources to people who feel, ironically, left behind after the end of The Blip. Their sense of combatting the “GRC” -- a vague quasi-governmental organization to help refugees whose decisions and actions they disagree with -- is far more compelling as an M.O. than generic dudes in masks punching things in a flash mob.

But hey, the punching isn’t bad here! While you can see the seams in the CGI, and the action isn’t exactly smooth, the fight aboard two big rigs running in parallel at least makes for a creative and exciting set piece. The indications that the erstwhile villains are supersoldiers, with strength founded on the same formula that Steve and Isiah received, is a nice lead for Sam and Bucky to follow, and along with banter about the “Big Three” (Aliens, Androids, and Wizards), sets up plenty of interesting threads for the Falcon and the Winter Soldier to follow. (And that’s all before the Zemo tease.)

All in all, “The Star-Spangled Man” feels like an episode from a much more confident, entertaining, and depth-filled show. I hope the series continues that trajectory, and instead of reverting to the generics of last week, maintains this far more interesting course.

i don't give the CW much credit, but this was actually a damn good episode and Eclipso looks great, comic book accurate for once. can somebody please tell me why Beth is a member of the team, she is literally useless and adds nothing, she is a liability

So far my fears about this moving to the cw have been for not. First episode and it’s hasn’t been CW nized let’s hope the rest of season 2 stays on point.

A great fun episode, and Omega continues to be endearing with her endless optimism. Also delighted to see Rafa and Trace back and maybe now people will finally start to see how great they are!

Interesting ending moment, my first thought was Ahsoka but I guess that wouldn't make that much sense... would it?

[7.5/10[ In hindsight, it was probably inevitable that Rafa and Trace would intersect with the Bad Batch. They’re both a set of characters introduced in season 7 of The Clone Wars, and so since this crop of Bad Batch episodes feel as much like a sequel to those TCW episodes as anything, it makes sense that we’d see the Martez sister make an appearance here. While they aren’t my favorite characters in the franchise, I like positioning them as helping out the burgeoning rebellion (I assume?) and running into conflict with the Bad Batch who’s on the same mission for purely mercenary reasons.

There’s also some good setups and payoffs. The show isn’t exactly shy about Omega working on her bow-firing prowess. But there’s a tidy little arc to here inability to consistently hit a target, to her stand-off with Rafa leading to the dangerous situation at the Corellian droid disposal facility, to her good aim and ability to block out distractions to save Rafa’s Gammorrean bacon.

I'll admit that the action didn’t wow me here. The direction was largely indifferent and, while appropriate to the situation, most of the goings on at the droid disposal looked like one big gray mess. But there were some nicely staged set pieces even if I didn’t love the framing and editing of them. Omega getting trapped on a conveyor belt of doom is an old trick to build tension, but it still works. Wrecker’s big damn heroes moment while Tech is tinkering offers some minor excitement. And the combination of the Bad BAtchers and the Martez sisters figuring out how to use the vaunted strategy droid head to turn their old enemies against their immediate threat is a clever way to extricate everyone from the situation.

The game of hot potato between our heroes and the Martez sisters is a little rote, but it gives the two groups something to fight over and chase after, which serves the narrative’s purposes. We don’t get much in the way of ideological differences between the two sides, just ction, but it at least provides a means to show them working against one another when their interests in possessing the head conflict, and then the two groups working together when it’s a necessity to escape eh facility’s security droids.

In terms of little mmets, it’s troubling to see Wrecker’s headaches continue, to the point ath now he’s even briefly using the “good soldiers follow order” line. The poor lummox is a ticking time bomb, and I hope the Bad Batch (or somebody) figures out how to neutralize the chip (thereby giving them the knowledge and motivation to do the same for Crosshair) before it’s too late. On a different note, it’s a cheap gag, but I got a kick out of Rafa stealing Trace’s distraction idea, Rafa saying “Is there an echo here?”, only for Echo to respond, “Yes, I’m Echo.” Dumb, but funny.

Otherwise, the peak of this one is the end. I like picking back up the theme that Hnter and his comrades aren’t exactly sure what to do now that the war is over. Fighting for the Empire doesn’t seem right to them, and the notoriously transactional Rafa even admits that sooner or later you have to take sides, a late-breaking sign of character growth from her arc in TCW, and a hint that Hunter and company may eventually make the same choice. The conflict between protecting themselves and staying out of sight versus fighting against the successor organization to the one that trained and deployed them is an intriguing one. Hunter taking the head for himself, but giving the data download to Rafa is a nice middle ground on Hunter’s And I’m also curious as to who Rafa and Trace are working for. (My money’s on Bail Organa, but I’d like to be surprised!)

Overall, another good outing of The Bad Batch that once again connects the series to other Star Wars projects, but feeds back into the clones’ central story of finding their place in a post-Empire galaxy.

The world needs a mask to go outside but Caitlin Snow does not need one to perform surgery

Interesting twist, or further back story to the iconic character…..was great bringing Kal-El’s mothers consciousness into the mix, added more unexpected history.

Only have one question, did I miss them say a short distance shockwave? as Morgan Edge’s assistant, Leslie Larr, seemed to be unaffected

It seems that giant fella could have easily killed Barry, why did it not do that?

Ralph was in the previous episode and was written out to have never existed now I guess. I meanwhile miss Caitlin and Cisco. I can care less about Iris coming back from mirror world.
The show will suck if Tom Cavanagh left as well. As it was this wasn’t a memorable premiere. Without Cisco and Caitlin.

Spoiler Warning: Agnes: do you want to take it from the top ? Wanda looked nervous that Agnes knows what is going on. Great scene.
Plus Agnes probably killed the dog. I think Agnes is who Vision’s co-worker is afraid of, not Wanda.
Awesome 80’s like opening credits as well. Such an awesome episode. Quicksilver from the Fox X-Men movies. So weird.

I thought the fighting was pretty good. He sure does take a kicking though. Who the hell was that guy?

Might be my second favorite episode of the season, right after the explosion episode a few back. I loved the single location Naomi episode. The show really brought out her struggle after being out in space and now fighting for the survival of herself and her friends. I must get bit cocky, in that I also thought of her solution. Interrupt the broadcast, to notify others something is up. admittedly i didn't think of interrupting the message as a whole to make a new message .. rather, I thought about putting intervals between broadcasts that would translate to a SOS. .. hers is better.

After some of the big emotional beats that permeated all of last episode, Hawkeye decides to step back and focus on another character in particular this time around - specifically that of Yelena Belova, the standout from Black Widow this past summer and her experiences during and after The Blip. In fact, Natasha's ghost is felt throughout this entire episode, and while it's called "Ronin" it's clear that Jonathan Igla and his writing staff is more interested in how somebody like Barton became the Ronin rather then the persona itself. Grief has been a consistent theme throughout Phase 4 and here it's clear that grief, once again, is what propelled Clint to do what he did and continues to rule over his entire life. Both him and Maya are two sides of the same coin in that regard and their scene together (plus a great action beat) is an easy highlight here.

But yeah, this is Yelena's episode to lose, and her interactions with Kate are the easy standout here. Florence Pugh is great as per expected, and while this episode doesn't shine visually or even camerawork wise like some of the prior episodes it's got some strong writing. Really love Yelena's almost nonchalant attitude towards talking to somebody who was fighting her just a couple of hours prior, and her comedic timing is impeccable here. The reveal at the end is also a gamechanger, not just for the show itself with our new mastermind unveiled but also for the rest of the MCU as the possibilities of who can show up and when has officially changed - let me tell you, I nearly screamed. Top tier stuff once again from Marvel.

Was this the first on-screen POV from someone who went through the blip?

Are you having fun yet? I sure am. This was fantastic. Oh, and by the way everyone, this is how you create inclusion with diverse characters and stories. I could write paragraphs more on what they did with Echo and Clint's loss of his hearing aide.

Where the hell did her parents vanish to during the attack? She was yelling all throughout the house, and her mom just reappears right at the end. Lol.
(I know it doesn't matter, but I thought it was funny.)

That musical was actually kind of great; I wouldn't mind seeing more of it.

I went into this blind besides knowing Hawkeye is a superhero character. Also have heard of Kate Bishop but again, don't know much either.

First episode was pretty entertaining in my opinion. I was intrigued from the start to the end. Little confused at times such as when Kate started to kick ass (mostly) effortlessly. From an earlier scene, it was shown she has a martial arts background so I guess that's how. But I just felt it like a normal character who suddenly easily fight like a superhero.

There some funny moments too, mostly from Kate's lines and delivery.

Camera work was good especially during the cellar fight segment. Cool battle choreography during that and the last fight scene.
Don't know much about Hawkeye yet but he seems like he'll be a likeable character. Though I'm interested in Kate's character the most so far.

Definitely going to watch the next episode. Especially after that cliffhanger with Armand's possible death & Hawkeye & Kate meeting.

Some memorable scenes: the opening, bell tower, dog + pizza, cellar fight segment, rest of the episode.

The previous two episodes felt like solid contributions to the Star Wars canon. But this one was hard to swallow... So many issues with established lore on physics, lightsabers, kyber crystals, Force use and timelines that needed more explanation.

I don't like to use the term "plot hole", but this one asked way more questions of the Star Wars universe than it answered. It felt more like a story inspired by Star Wars than an actual Star Wars story.

So, we're just supposed to gloss over the fact that they were breathing and talking while outside their ship, in outer space ? And what about the fact he was standing on the outside of his X-wing while it engaged it's hyperdrive .... LOL

[9.5/10] Holy hell. This was incredible. I love that after A New Hope pulled a lot from classic Japanese films like Yojimbo and The Hidden Fortress, the franchise is coming full circle. Japanese artists are now translating the tropes of Star Wars back into a feudal Japan setting, and it could hardly be cooler.

The art here is just gorgeous. This is the most beautiful blend of 3D animation with 2D flourishes since Klaus. The choice to go black and white, with only electronic things like lightsabers, droid lights, and whistling birds appear in color creates a striking aesthetic. And the design choices are downright stunning, from straw-covered R2 units, to the force-sensitive combatants and their artistically-conceived hair and clothing, to vehicles, weapons, and whole species reimagined with an ancient Japanese flair.

The basic premise works just as well. The notion of a Sith warlord coming to harass a humble village, while a calm ronin springs into action to save the innocent from their oppressors, fits wonderfully into this new rendition of Star Wars. That’s no shock. Episode IV reinterpreted a number of standard ronin tropes into a space setting, and watching those tropes reabsorbed and remixed back into a feudal setting is a thrill.

The action here is top notch. This is one of the best lightsaber battles we’ve seen in ages, with stellar choices in the blocking, shot-selection, and choreography. I love the little choices like letting the “camera” focus on the Sith’s hood floating away in the wind while we only hear the sound of her clashing with the hero. There’s a real mood and atmosphere which adds to the epicness of the confrontation. Intensity in the pace, eye-catching poses, and clever shifts and ruses to get the upper hand all make this a stand out among Star Wars skirmishes.

I’m also a big fan of the texture to this one: little moments that don’t contribute that much to the fairly simple “story” but which add color and intrigue to the world the characters inhabit. A ten-year-old being the chief because his dad’s asleep or ran-off, the hunched tea-maker fixing the droid, the bounty hunters fighting back against the Sith are all little details, but make this world feel more alive and lived-in beyond the immediate story.

On the whole, this is one hell of a coming out party for Star Wars: Visions. I’ll confess, I’m not much of an anime afficionado. But “The Duel” is enough for even a relative neophyte like me to sit up and take notice.

But is the dog ok?

love andrew garfield’s peace sign before disappearing :sob::sob::sob:
also MATT MURDOCK?? BRIC!!

The reaction to this movie has been a “love it” or “hate it” outcry. I think the dividing line of responses is whether or not it fits the Marvel mega-action template and if that is okay or not. Just to deal with that question out of the gate, this does not fit the Marvel cookie cutter. There are a variety of differences. It is diverse in both casting and subject matter. The cast is international, multinational and multi-ethnic. We have our first openly gay superhero. We have our first hero who is deaf. We have our first hero to struggles with their mental health. All artfully and beautifully presented, in my opinion. This is not a single character’s origin story. It is 10 characters’ origin story spanning over 7,000 years, plus the introduction of 3 distinct and new species: Celestials, Eternals and Deviants. It also acknowledges superheroes from other universes, like the potshots at DC’s Superman. There are also some Marvel staple components, humour, brilliant CGI, fight scenes and world weaving. This film is also beautiful, in its casting, cinematography, graphics and music. The story is rich and the immense timeline is artfully woven into small bites. There is also a deeper treatment of relationships and some mature but tasteful scenes. The draw for me was Marvel and the stellar cast, especially Gemma Chan, whose career I’ve been following for a long time, now (do yourself a favour and binge her filmography). I have to confess that when I left the theatre I wasn’t sure how I felt about the movie. Then, I heard Rotten Tomatoes gave it the lowest of all ratings for a Marvel movie (49%) and the critics who saw early releases were brutal. But, I also read the positive reviews by ordinary theatre goers and in writing this, I’ve decided to give this film an 8 (great) out of 10 and, personally, I look forward to seeing it again. [Superhero Action Adventure]

Oh wow, that was an epic one!

I'm glad there was more to that rockhopper(?). It's nice that the bird mother is fine, although it didn't look that healthy/strong yet. Cara seems a bit naive though :D "It's fixed"... That's good but I'd be quite unsettled about the fact that something on that planet could fix their drone. I guess this is due to the protomolecules? Anyway, I guess in the next episode we'll learn more about it and how they'll likely revive Cara's little brother.

The message from Prax was great as well. I'd love an increased focus on such scientific aspects if there was more time.

Monica is in quite a lucky position. She certainly has a lot of impact and reach. That soldier was concerning though... :o Hopefully that explosion at Ceres wasn't caused by the inners! Luckily it seems very unlikely that they would hurt their own but one never knows...

That battle at the end was amazing! The railgun shots were epic and I'm glad their genius plan worked out. Marco did take a huge hit there. I wouldn't want to be him, loosing a 3v1 battle to a small ship... xD I'm also really glad that Bobbie took the shot but Holden disarming the missile sucked (but not that much since it would've been over too fast - however, if that gets out, Holden (that idiot!) will be in really really deep trouble... :o).

what a great episode

I absolutely love it when they make space fights in this show.. I was on the edge the whole time

anyways Naomi seeing her son about to die and shutting her eyes was emotional.. glad that Holden saved that

also I liked how Filip stood up to his narcissist father and told what's on everyone's mind.. the truth hurt

besides that Naomi noticed a pattern with the ring, so I'm excited for that

Also the message Amos got about the new yeast will play huge role I'm sure

overall I'm enjoying this season so far

A great start into season 6 :) Nothing too special but a nice introduction with a few new elements and a lot of awesome CGI scenes.

It often made me miss Alex though but that seems intended.

I'm also curious to see what Avasarala has in store and hope that we'll get a few interesting scenes at the new colony (where that scene with the little girl at the beginning took place). I guess that place should become quite relevant during this season. I just hope that five more episodes will be enough to provide a satisfying conclusion for this show.

Absolutely loved the episode from beginning to end, but when Kang the Conqueror/He Who Remains finally appears, isn't he initially just describing Counterpart's (an amazing series with J.K. Simmons, from 2017, I think) plot?
Anyway, MULTIVERSE UNLEASHED, MOTHER**CKERS!!

It's a decent and entertaining show on it's own. It's just knowing the books, Henry Cavills absolute love for them and the budget behind the show it could be so much more than just okay.

As a show on it's own it's a solid 8/10. But as an adaption of incredible books? 2/10.

But wait. If Mikkel did not disappear, so Ulrich didn't travel back to kill Helge, so why did Helge say "It was you!!"?