This whole crossover made absolutely zero sense. Look at my comment on 8x04 for everything wrong up until that point, but this episode just keeps adding to the mess.
First off, nobody supposedly remembers Despero, because of the timeline shift in the last episode. Yet somehow, everyone seems to be very acutely aware of who he is, what he can do, and more importantly, how badly Flash got his ass handed to him on a silver platter the last time they fought (they even literally talk about this fight).
Second, Joe acts completely out of character in this entire episode. Threatening to "break up" the family if they let Thawne die, THE arch-nemesis of the entire show, the person who killed Barry's parents, who has consistently proven time and time again he is a giant threat, the guy who caused Armageddon in the first place. Suddenly Joe thinks his life is more important than the safety of his whole family? The hell?
Third, Damien Darhk's interaction with Nora. In 8x01, Ray literally says Nora is fine and is out doing her fairy godmother thing. 8x01 was already happening in the manipulated timeline that Thawne set up (because Joe is gone already and Despero shows up). Yet somehow, Nora is magically dead all of a sudden because Damien's alive, and later on Damien and Nora meet in "the land before time"? That makes zero sense.
Expanding on that, are you trying to tell me that the timeline, something that has no conscious thought, kept Damien outside of his own timeline long enough so he could give Joe a present? Again, makes no sense.
Expanding further on the timeline nonsense... Thawne is dying because the timeline got reset, so he technically doesn't exist anymore. Time's just catching up with that fact. Great. Ignoring everything that was wrong during the previous episodes, I get that premise. But how does taking away Thawne's speed change any of that premise? They don't explain this at all, they just... say that it'll work, so it works. But regardless whether he keeps his speed or not, Thawne's timeline still got erased. Again, no sense.
Also, Flash's "Wizard of Oz" go-go boots that make him able to beat Despero all of a sudden. Hilariously bad.
Also, Mia Queen's completely pointless cameo, which basically was only there to tell the audience that, no, they totally didn't forget about the cliffhanger they ended Arrow on two years ago. The audience forgot about it, though, because no one cares about Mia friggin Queen. There's a reason her spin-off got canceled.
And I might be remembering this wrong, but did Cavanagh always have such puffy cheeks in his suit? It looked ridiculous. I swear that wasn't the case way back when.
"They will never let a black man be Captain America".
The scene between Isaiah Bradley and Sam Wilson is quite possibly one of the MCU's best scenes they've ever done, and an easy contender for one of the best scenes in any superhero property. It hits hard in a way that's timely considering events over the past couple of years, and even then the words he says ring uncomfortably true. Things HAVEN'T changed and that's the saddening thing about it all. So it's all the more inspiring when Sam does go to take up the mantle once and for all, albeit probably under different circumstances.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg here in terms of the good stuff. John Walker is a hell of a villain, and the opening fight is brutal, bloody, and one of Marvel's most raw fistfights in terms of pure visceral action, and it's fantastic. Bucky's development reaches a new direction with the idea that he is more then simply a vessel for killing, and his talk with Sam showcases Stan and Mackie's great chemistry. And of course, in a surprise role, Julia Louis-Dreyfus steals her scene with ease - though considering her talents that was to be expected. The best episode of the show yet, and with one more left to go I'm excited to see how they stick the landing here.
"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" continues to take it's time in regards to setting the stage. Here most of the pieces are in play outside of a couple of outliers, so going forward I suspect we'll really get into the meat of things. For now though, the show's slow pace is my favourite part of it - letting these characters breathe and interact has been the highlight of the MCU since the beginning and now that Bucky and Sam are officially together the banter can start. And it's good banter! Both revealing in character while being amusingly witty, it's a balancing act the show pulls off extremely well.
But really, the social commentary is what I'm here for. The MCU has struggled in some of it's other entries in that regard (though when it nails it, it really nails it i.e. Black Panther), but this is definitely one of the more reflective and introspective ones in that regard. The scene with Isaiah Bradley in particular deserves notice in that regard, not only for bringing in some great elements from the comics but also showcasing the lengths the government has gone to downplay the role that black people had in many of their conquests. The Flag-Smashers as well are coming into their own as compelling antagonists, helped by a wonderfully casted Erin Kellyman. Great stuff.
[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.
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.
Re: boomerang trick arrow: "You'd have to dodge." Oh, Kate.
Why can't I take happy Vera Farmiga seriously?
Nat is such a crucial part of Clint and the show despite everything. And I am all for it. The talk about Clint's "best shot"/the one he didn't take had me tearing up. It also took me a while to realize that that pause Clint had when reaching down for Kate was a call out to their Endgame scene, but when I did, god damn it.
Yelena's BW moves, oh yeah! Wish it didn't end there. I wanted her to beat their asses lol. I do like that Yelena zipped Kate up before dropping her off the side of the building (that was homicidally sweet of her) because she was there just for Clint.
I'd really like for Clint to at least know of Yelena, like when she finally tells him why she's after him, that she's doing it for her sister, he'll know and just go "Yelena?" or something. She's supposed to be one of the most important people to Nat, next to her found fam Avengers, and since Clint's her bff and she knew about his family, it would make sense that he would know about hers. Since there was never really any allusion to Yelena before the BW movie, I feel like we need this for some continuity.
[7.8/10] My favorite episode of the show so far. “Partners, Am I Right?” finally delivers the lived-in, layered dynamic between Clint and Kate that I’ve been wanting, while also delivering some top flight action, and making Kate’s family situation compelling for the first time in the series.
I’ll confess, I abhor the schmuck bait from the end of the last episode. If you’re going to have Jack hold a sword to Clint’s neck, it’s pretty cheap to immediately deflect into one big misunderstanding when you start this one.
Still, I’m willing to forgive it because the interactions between the assmeled are legitimately good here. I don’t know what the cinch is exactly, but Tony Dalton’s Jack is more recognizable as someone wearing the masque of the genteel bumbler while hiding a sinister side beneath. Likewise, I initially thought Eleanor took her daughter teaming up with an Avenger a little too much in stride (maybe it was just being starstruck.) And yet, the show assuaged my fears, having her take Clint aside and basically tell him “Don’t get my daughter mixed up i this dangerous shit.” There’s a patina of realism in this heightened reality in that. I’m increasingly suspicious that Eleanor herself may be involved in some malfeasance, rather than being hoodwinked by Jack, but it’s still nice to see her responding to all of this the way a mother might.
If that weren’t enough, II love love love the scene of Kate showing up to Clint’s place to spend the holiday together. It gives us a reason to like Kate a little more -- she has empathy for her would-be partner, knowing he’s been through a lot and wanting to make sure he’s not alone at a difficult time. In the same way, it makes us like the two of them together more too. The way they banter about trick shots and trick arrows, shuffle through holidays movies, and come up with plans using what turn out to not be dry erase markers is funny and endearing.
Things get serious too though. I’ll admit I forgot that, in the right hands, Jeremy Renner can be a damn good actor. As much as I enjoy the MCU, he hasn’t always had the chance to show that. But hearing him talk about sparing Natasha when he found her, processing what he’s lost and the depths he fell into when he became Ronin is powerful. Some of that’s thanks to the writing, which is better across the board here. But a lot of it comes down to Renner’s performance, which makes Clint an open wound who’s still living with his pain and trying to warn Kate off from it. Seeing him confide in her a bit, open up to her a little, helps cement the partnership in the episode’s title.
After indulging in some of the slack tide hangout vibe that, vitally, let’s us get to know these characters and see them together when they’re not adventuring, the episode also provides them each with solid missions and objectives. Clint strongarms Echo’s lieutenant, Kazi, with a persuasive argument that Maya’s personal vendetta against Ronin is a losing battle that’s going to lose both her and Kazi standing in the eyes of “the Boss.” For her part, Kate gets her own amusing set of interactions with the Larpers, using the connection to retrieve the trick arrows and secure themselves the studio/merchandise-mandated new costumes. One is dramatic and convincing, the other is fun and light, and it’s a good balance. (Hello Thanos fans!)
But the climax of the episode pays things off in a big way. Snooping through Maya’s apartment and discovering that she’s after Clint’s family ups the stakes here. There’s a threat here that goes beyond Clint himself putting his life on the line. The set piece itself is strong, with too many quick cuts for my taste, as usual, but a lot of hard-hitting action and neat wrinkles like Kate's ziplining adventure to liven things up.
There’s the added benefit of making this a four-way fight where who’s on whose side isn’t necessarily clear. Clint and Kate are a team, of course, but Echo has her own agenda, as does the Widow sent after our hero. The shifting alliances, coupled with Clint’s efforts to keep Kate out of harm’s way, makes for a unique dynamic to the fight.
Plus hey! Yelena! It’s nice to see Hawkeye paying off the tag from Black Widow. The debut is well-handled, with the masked assassin fighting like a widow and giving hints of who she is before the reveal happens. At the same, Yelena’s presence is a complicating factor, in a good way. She’s the sister of someone Clint is still mourning, and as he tells Kate, her mere presence means business has picked up. If Clint’s going to keep his word to Eleanor and stop Kate from falling into serious danger, then he has to dissolve their partnership almost as soon as it truly begins. That’s good stuff, which serves both the plot and the characters.
Overall, this is a winner of an outing which kicks things into gear. The dynamic between Kate and clint has never been clearer or more compelling or more endearing, and with connections to other events across the MCU, we’re getting meaningful developments for Clint as he processes the events of Endgame, while orienting Kate within a wider world.
Watching Hawkeye makes you realize that outside of the Netflix and Hulu installments (whose canonicity is debatable at this point), the MCU really hasn't delved into the street level heroics of the franchise all that much. Spider-Man and Ant-Man are the closest characters to that end, but their respective sequel went for bigger scale, and even then only Spider-Man: Homecoming kept the stakes relatively small. As such, Hawkeye feels like such a genuine breathe of fresh air - the rare superhero show that keeps it's stakes as small as possible, with it's tone light on it's feet while also focusing squarely on being character driven first and foremost.
Seeing as this is based on the rightfully acclaimed Matt Fraction run, this isn't a shocker. Kate Bishop is an instantly likable character, and Hailee Steinfeld absolutely nails her in a way where it's clear why she was the only one ever looked at for the role. Jeremy Renner, while noticeably in less of the first episode then you would think, is also predictably great and gives the character his trademark humanity and wit in spades - plus the depiction of his hearing loss is extremely well done and realistic in a way that's poignant and understanding. Combine that with killer action scenes (seriously, the shot work here is exceptional) and you have yet the fourth winning pilot in a row for the live action side of the MCU. They simply just do not miss - pun intended.
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).
I liked the episode well enough, but story-wise, I honestly don't get it.
Barry goes to the future to figure out why he causes Armageddon. Fine, I get that.
Barry finds out that Thawne is liked, and his friends hate him there. I get that too.
Thawne explains that he went back in time and took the lightning bolt that was supposed to make Barry the Flash. He even adds that he was the one that Iris wrote about back when he was called "the Streak", not Barry. But here's the thing. All of that happened in Barry's past, so it should have been impacting stuff in Barry's present too, but it didn't. So clearly, Barry's timeline is separate from the timeline that Thawne went back to and manipulated. I can still follow this. But then all logic went out the window.
Thawne then explains that it was he who sabotaged STAR Labs, and he who pushed Joe in front of the train, and that it was he who impersonated Barry as the Flash to attack innocent people, all in Barry's present. Why, though? It's a separate timeline, because, again, no impact there from Thawne becoming the Flash, so messing with Barry there didn't have any purpose at all.µ
More so, if we've established that Thawne-Flash is a separate timeline, then logically, so should its future be separate. So why did Barry travel there, and why did Despero travel back to a past from a different timeline?
Even the way they "fixed things", made no sense to me. I admit, it was a nice little turnaround to find out Barry actually causes Armageddon because he's trying to save the world, not destroy it, but again, it made no sense. Aside from magical Iris-powers (again) that make Barry succeed in traveling back to his time, why did that fix anything? Thawne wasn't stopped, the future hasn't been changed (except for future Iris suddenly loving Barry again despite not knowing who he is in that timeline), and even if it had, the future happens after Barry's present, so it shouldn't have had any impact on his present. Why did that suddenly make Joe come back to life, and why did that even erase everyone's memory of the whole Armageddon event? Because it's clearly shown that Despero's still around.
Also, how come Barry succeeds in his Armageddon-time-travel-run this time when he clearly never had before (Despero confirms "an alteration in the timeline")? I mean, if Barry goes on his Armageddon run to save the world, that means future Barry has always been the good guy, and has always tried to use that run to go back in time, meaning - because it's Barry - he always goes to Iris first. Nothing in that changed, yet somehow now he succeeds without any rhyme or reason?
This episode made absolutely zero sense.
Oh, and I laughed out loud when he wanted to "prove" he was the Flash by putting on his suit, and not realizing he's wearing the wrong suit until after he put it on and after he ran back to Thawne. Good thing he didn't run into Iris' wardrobe by mistake.
"Such a poser."</b
Every time I will be watching another Marvel film with Natasha Romanoff I can not think of her other than a poser. Thanks Yelena!
Anyway, Florence Pugh rocked this one. Hopefully she will be heard of again soon in the MCU! I enjoyed what they were going for and loved all of the banter. Scarlett Johansson again did a great job as Natasha and I'm said this will be our last showing of her but her story-line is complete and Florence Pugh showed us she's more than capable to take over the Black Widow mantel. The action was solid and I liked the car/motor-chase. Cate Shortland really did a solid job because for the entire runtime I was never bored for a second.
But! I do not like what they did with Taskmaster. There was so much for to get out of this. Which for me, took the movie down a notch. It's not that I hated it but it didn't feel right. And before I forgot damn, what did they try to do with that Nirvana cover? DAAAAMN.
Anyway, if you are into the Marvel Cinematic Universe you will not be bored. Really interested how they'll build up Phase 4.
This series looks promising!
Despite my hesitation, I found New World Order to be a fun way to kick-off the new series. After the deprivation of action in WandaVision, I appreciate the episode's opening with fast-paced action before exploring the series' possible key themes and its characters.
Finally, Bucky is a character! Since his first appearance, I haven't cared about him, and his development here is captivating. I won't spoil it, but they take the logical step towards developing his character, and it's justified. Not only this, but it's imbued with themes that resonate. The writers define his personality substantially, and discovering that his jokey self is more of a facade to hide his issues is quite relatable. I'm gonna stop here, though, so go see it for yourself!
With Sam, his whole deal with trying to help his sister and his views on Captain America's legacy isn't as interesting as Bucky's segments. Through his dedication to his parents' old boat, it makes his views on Captain America's legacy connect logically. His worldview is well-defined, and I hope they continue with these ideas. Oh, and that ending is quite the cliffhanger!
It's a solid entry with the strongest 7/10 I've given to any episode I've seen. It's a promising start, developing its characters from the ground up, not assuming our empathy towards them, and ties into the films very well. I hope they can maintain or improve upon this quality from here on out!
TECHNICAL SCORE: 7/10
ENJOYMENT SCORE: 8/10
7 minutes going in I was comitted to the idea that this is going be an Astra standalone episode so it felt weird to jump to Sara's storyline, but overall I'm glad they tried to stick to the former as much as possible. And I definitely did not see the animation part coming, eventhough when I first saw candle Behrad I was like "oh, like in The Beauty and the Beast!". It was fun, episodes taking place in John's house seem to work well for some reason.
I'm a bit disappointed that magic is in the center again, I thought with the aliens they will tip to the sci-fi more, and was wondering how are they going to keep John interesting, so not really cheering for an umpteenth magical McGuffin artifact, but John losing his magic is something I want to see how much changes him - and that's a bit bigger and a more sudden developement compared to the minor disappointment that the series sticks to magic.
But actually, it's the Sara storyline that falls too far from the rest for me. Like it was good to learn a bit more about the Ava clones, but the villan looks like a discount Behrad ripoff, so I'm not into that. Let's hope they put Sara back with the rest of the team soon.
Possible spolier for the future: The way John looked at Astra as she was leaving the room, can it be that he is her father?
P.S: The Earp comment about the second season finding it's voice and the creators sticking to it made me smile more than it should have.
"He's dead." — Black Widow
Natasha just killed Tony Stark
Fury: "They look like they're from Earth?"
Coulson: "Maybe Middle-earth?"
Loki: "We are not allies."
Fury: "Then let me help you."Uh... Fury... that's how this works
Coulson: [Sighs] "Hashtag-Steve-Steve-Steve-I-heart-Steve-0-7-0-4."
Same.
Fury: "I'm not the only Avenger left."
Ouch, that hurt
Best one yet? Best one yet.
This one is the most interesting by far. Like, while Captain Carter hits the same beats as TFA and T'Challa's is original, I like this one because of its scale. It meets all the Avengers and kills them all! Like, that's an insane number of changes compared to the "sacred timeline". Anyway, this show is getting better with each episode.
7/10
Just like the other three finales, Hawkeye's final episode turns out to be more personal and less focused on big reveals, much to it's benefit. This is a blast of an episode, and manages to find it's footing in the midst of all of the moving parts to find a grand unifying theme of found family and shared loss. All of our major players here save Clint - Kate, Yelena, Maya, and even the LARPers to an extent - all have found their homes not in their blood relatives but in those they come to find to be family. Kate's ultimate rejection of her mother in their final moments together cements that theme and I really love how messy that is. Not every family is good, some just kind of suck and unfournately Kate's isn't really that great. As for Clint's side, his confrontation with Yelena is one of his best scenes in the entirety of the MCU, mainly for how much you really get to see Jeremy Renner showcase his acting chops. This is a tired, tired man who is sick of the fighting, and seeing him only restrain Yelena as he is nearly beaten to death is hard to watch - and it only makes their subsequent talk over the impact that Natasha had all the more impactful.
Oh, and how could I forget about Vincent D'Onofrio as our favourite crime lord himself? While certainly not here for long, he slips right back into the role like he never left, and while certainly toned down from his Daredevil days (an impossible to avoid side effect of being in a more lighthearted, family friendly show like Hawkeye), he's still the Kingpin we know and love, and his physical acting is impeccable. Especially love how beefier he is like in the comics, beefy Kingpin is best Kingpin. Excellent finale!
I'm tired of stories that tell and don't show. Yet none of this rubs me the wrong way as much as character arcs. You see, in many MCU media, there are character arcs where the writers are only concerned with moving from Point A to Point B. The problem is that they disregard the middle part, the journey from Point A to B. And if you've heard the saying "it's about the journey, not the destination", you might understand what I mean.
Well, this episode went against this trend!
After a fun montage with Clint and Kate, Clint starts opening up to Kate for the first time—it's beautiful. Not only does he call himself a weapon, but he reveals that he doesn't want anyone else to die because of him.
"He doesn't bend over backwards to see himself as 'defending' anything. He knows what he's done and what he can do. There are no illusions to cling to. But what I like about this attitude is that it actually extends to his actions afterward." — Film Crit Hulk
For Clint, this episode has some great character work! Not only is his previous screen time reincorporated in this series, but it becomes his motivation and goal.
"There’s this clean clarity in that he knows his Ronin past will haunt him, but he’s not going to ever put that guilt ahead of a future with his family. He’s simply taking responsibility for it." — Film Crit Hulk
Anyway, this is a solid episode! Hopefully, the show keeps this up!
Clint: "I really appreciate what you did tonight,"
feels like an earned line and
Clint: "Prioritize a quick exit over a quick entrance,"
is great advice! Thanks, Clint!
A much action heavier episode then the prior outings, but now that we are into the full swing of things we can really let loose. The Fraction/Aja influences are still on display, maybe now more then ever, as Kate and Clint's banter is almost directly taken from the pages here mixed in with a clear adherence to it's tone and themes. Kate's naive yet optimistic outlook on life and superheroism contrasts directly with Clint's world-weary, cynical viewpoints, and seeing that dynamic in full swing here is clearly the highlight. Or at least, a highlight, as this episode has much to adore beyond that.
Of course the action scenes are among them, continuing Phase 4's trend of having much stronger action then prior Phases (with maybe the exception of Loki, but that didn't focus on action as much and was pretty much stellar otherwise). Echo's introduction is a standout as well and I love what they are doing with her character thematically - having her be a direct foil to Clint is an inspired choice. And the emotional stuff worked as well despite the lighthearted tone of the rest of the show, with Clint's talk to his son being one of my favourite scenes of the entire show thus far. Another stellar episode for a show, and Phase, that keeps on delivering the goods.
Lots of great stuff again, and this time it's mostly centered around Clint as well meaning we get to see him in the spotlight as the show explores what it's like to be the most human Avenger. Clint Barton, despite his limited screentime in the movies, as always struck a cord with me as one of the most relatable and ultimately likable characters in the roster, and this episode plays that to it's advantage story wise. The LARPing subplot, while also very funny, is a great example on how Clint's sensibilities are far more grounded then something like a Tony Stark or Carol Danvers, and seeing him extremely uncomfortable with his own fame feels very real and human.
But honestly, this series is leaning more into being an origin story for Kate, which isn't a bad thing in the slightest when her stuff is just as excellent. The direction is kind of obvious where it's going but I see a couple of curveballs coming in true Fraction fashion. The fact that each major beat is a "one bad thing after the next" kind of setpiece makes this even better, as those kinds of narratives are an absolute delight. Another winner.
I wasn't sure whether I was watching an episode of Supergirl or Captain Planet... But seriously, there was zero plot development, no meaningful character development, no subtle metaphorical lessons (the whole point of scifi, which Star Trek, BSG, Stargate, and X-Men did superbly), and only ideological moralizing, empty rhetoric, and dogma. Most plot points didn't even make logical sense, as everything in the episode was in service of making a point about environmentalism.
The issue of pollution and its effects is very serious and requires sober, thoughtful analysis, not casual philosophic drive-bys. Such a topic is unlikely to be able to be treated with the care it deserves in an episode of a TV show, and the effect of trying to be so blunt and explicit about it in such a superficial way is that (1) people who already agree are unaffected (or else, taught to engage in similarly superficial rhetoric), (2) people who disagree are not convinced and dig their heels in more, and (3) children are indoctrinated with often-repeated dogma instead of learning how to think carefully about these (and other) complex issues.
Unfortunately, I see the whole Arrowverse devolving in a similar fashion, especially Batwoman. It's really disappointing to see viewpoints (many of which I agree with) to be conveyed in such an unintellectual, ineffective, disrespectful way. There's nothing worse for the success of the right ideas in a culture than their poor or false defense.
Kara have a pretty "meh" ending, they tried to do something fantastic but it ended up being... boring(?)
Alex and Kelly are just corny, thank god they are gone. (Sarah and Ava are the superior lesbian couple of CW)
The last relevant season for John was the 3rd one (with his father plot), since there he is just a functional character and his ending is no different.
They started a great plot with Lena (Magic) but ended just ended like: "It's just It?"
Nia was amazing, my favourite since she got into the show, but they just warp her story so fast in the end.
Brainy was really annoying I don't care for him (since he was just there to try to replace Winn).
Lilian had a beautiful ending at all.
Andrea, Nyxly, Lex, Mitch and Willian. Their story was so bad I can't even talk about it, I just can't.
⠀
Also, they completely forgot and M'gann M'orzz (who disappear in the final of S7a 'n never come back god knows why) and Mxyzptlk (who was kept inside Nyxly ball) in the end.
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They put on almost every character in the last ep. It's good to see Jeremy Jordan's Winn and Calista Flockhart's Cat (James I just don't care). But I miss Kara parents (who are alive 'n well Astro), maybe a Superman&Lois cameo makes sense too but you know, covid.
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The last chapter is not exactly bad, but isn't good either (represents pretty much the series average). Seriously, everything that I can say is I'm happy it's finally over.
Bucky: "The serum never corrupted Steve."
Zemo: "Touche. But there has never been another Steve Rogers, has there?"
Indeed.
After episode three, this series had lost faith. But it looks like I'm returning on Friday nights! This episode is the best yet! We got action, plot and character developments and some exciting conflicts coming to the forefront! This episode does so much with such little time, but I'm thrilled it accomplished what it did.
Zemo is at his most fun here as the group's wildcard. He's one that everyone's after but can never get because they keep bickering amongst themselves. His personality is such a treat, and his resourcefulness is terrific, too, after seeing his work at the GRC refugee camp. He's straight savage for crushing those vials, and I love how he's just vibing while Walker, Sam and co engage the Wakandans.
Karli sounds like an actual reasonable person in this episode, even though her means still don't justify her ends. I feel like I've learnt more about her, but she's still an enigma.
"If he can talk her down, it might be worth a try." — Battlestar
Let's go!
Sam's dedication to diplomacy is a great character moment. I like how he faces conflict on both sides, reasoning with Karthi vs. killing her and whether super-soldiers equal supremacy. Also, his sister finally returns, if a little late, but I'm glad she's got some stake in the show. His empathy and counselling are his strengths, and I'm happy they got the spotlight here. When he uses his jetpack to distract during a fight, I appreciate the creativity in these scenes.
Then we have Walker, and oh man, he's lost the plot. His habit towards violence is a notable trait and proves to be a disastrous one. Rest in peace, his self-esteem; those Wakandans kicked his ass. When he finds the serum, his head tilt is creepy! Also, I'm surprised he didn't jab the vial straight away, but his conversation with Battlestar is revealing. He's asking the big questions, and it appears he has a conscience, which makes him such a tragic figure. He wants to do good, but everything he tries never does it. His medals of honour? They're only a reminder of the atrocities he's committed—wow.
"Where is she?!" — Walker
After Battlestar convinced Walker to try diplomacy, it's clear that Battlestar was the anchor keeping Walker sane. Well, the worst just happened; Karli killed him! That ending scene is powerful—hot damn! I will embed the last image in my mind forever.
This episode is solid and kept my attention all the way through. I can't wait for next week!
SCORE: 8/10
WandaVision's sitcom premises and tones have been tied to the emotions and mental state of Wanda since the beginning, so it makes sense that her at the lowest point yet things would start to become fractured and all over the place. And, as it turns out, the mockumentary style comedy of Modern Family and The Office turn out to be a great mix with these characters - the humor is far more subdued then before as well and much drier, fitting of this kind of show. The constant changing of the things around Wanda, her depressive mood - it's played very realistically, much more so then I expected, and the emotional beats hit hard.
But honestly what really sold this episode was everything around that - Elizabeth Olsen probably gives her best performance to date on the show here, and Paul Bettany's chemistry with Kat Dennings is surprisingly really great. Monica nearly steals the show here with a show stopping scene involving her gaining her powers, even if they haven't been shown yet, but Kathryn Hahn man. Her performance here is simply divine, and while I'm curious to see how this changes the show going forward (some explaining has to be done), if Hahn is having THIS much fun here I can't see why we can't.
The beauty of WandaVision is how so far it's able to seamlessly transition from it's more MCU-esqe outside story to it's more experimental, trippy surreal horror and then to a more traditional sitcom, and this episode is easily the strongest yet in that regard. The way the episode moves the main plot along is stellar, giving us even more to chew on as the reality of what Wanda's powers are able to do grows. And the drama of the episode really hits it's climax with a final argument between Wanda and Vision that's among the best acting the two have done in the MCU. I can't also be more over the moon about that final scene, which is one of the biggest curveballs the franchise has ever done and changes the landscape of not just this show but the entire MCU as a whole.
And as always, the sitcom aesthetic is on point. We have hit the 80s, which is where the aesthetic of sitcoms becomes more similar to me as somebody who grew up in a household with stuff like Family Ties and Full House on in the background. It absolutely nails the feeling of a more "dramatic episode" of one these shows, in this case the death of a pet. Billy and Tommy are really likable as well, capturing the feeling of young sitcom kids wonderfully. Time will tell if they stick around to become Wiccan and Speed from the comics, but so far the show continues to really impress with it's quality.
I don't like dream sequences at all. Like any tool, I guess they're neutral, and dependent on the hands that wield them, but I can honestly count the number of dream (or vision) sequences I've seen that have felt narratively and/or artistically engaging on two hands. Which makes it even more impressive that this teen super hero show just did an episode that was at least 50% dream sequence and managed to knock it out of the park to a degree that's honestly a bit scary.
I'd enjoyed the parts of the previous episodes where we got a taste of Tyrone and Tandy's empathy powers, and in hindsight, I really appreciate the way those glimpses built towards what this episode did. The creative team manages to lend a weight of emotion and purpose to these abstract happenings that made them feel both moving, scary and consequential. I think the most important part is, that even if these powers are rooted in trauma, the prevailing mood in the dream sequence is one of empathy, sympathy and connection. Tandy and Tyrone recognise each other's pain, they recognise the pain and joy in the people they're channeling, and the show manages to make that connection feel comforting and uplifting for me as a viewer, even if I'm intermittently (and deliberately) unsettled by the imagery and trauma involved.
I'm honestly a bit flabbergasted at how well the show does these things, and I'm really happy it exists.
Side note: Still a bit on the fence when it comes to Olivia Holt; the directors/producers don't quite seem to have cracked how to get the same level of performances out of her compared to those of the rest of the ensemble. It's not like she's bad or anything, it's just that the level of the rest of the cast have been such that her perfectly competent-but-nothing-more performance sticks out a bit.
That was a good, no-nonsense episode! Instead of plot, we get more character! And what better way to start the episode with a villain's backstory? Plus, this villain shows the struggles of a deaf person with a prosthetic leg. I'm not deaf or don't have any prosthetic limbs, but the representation seemed tact and sympathetic.
This representation continues with Clint after the villain destroys his hearing aid; the sound design only puts you in the characters' shoes even further. And when Clint has that conversation with his son while Kate helps him, it's bittersweet. The irony of
Clint: “So happy to hear your voice.”
hits particularly hard. And his
Clint: "Thank you.”
to Kate feels vulnerable and genuine. And it's great since these characters have had the time to bond (the attack on Hawkeye in the previous episode was too soon).
But it's not all character stuff; there's plenty of fun to be had, too! The long take—reminiscent of "Children of Men" is thrilling as Kate uses more trick arrows, while trying to communicate with a handicapped Clint. The Christmas tree moment was hilarious. But when Kate hits that one Russian guy freaks out over the USB arrow, my parents and I burst out laughing.
But personally, I got a little kick out of Hailee Steinfeld's burn on Imagine Dragons, considering they created the theme song for another series she's in, "Arcane".
Anyway, this episode is a step-up from the previous two. I just hope they can keep it up in future episodes!
Also, Clint better wear that comic book costume, I swear.
AAAAHHHHH!
"How did you find me, Kevin?"
"I went through the machine"
CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW EPIC THAT WOULD'VE BEEN?? And it was like the perfect setting, it looked very heavenly, and everyone was at peace and happy, there was a wedding and everyone seemed to have a good time, I was sure that was the afterlife/heaven/the beyond the machine.
I would give every cent I have (which it's not much but it's very worthy to me) to watch Nora's odyssey instead of those 35 minutes of pigeon madness, don't get me wrong, Nora's narration was beautiful and mesmerizing and I do believe her, but still I WANT TO WATCH IT, I'll never known satisfation in life until I get to see it, and I think 35 minutes would've been great to fit that. And it makes sense cause we know Nora went through, how else would we explain she being here? and also if the scientist is there he would be able to build the machine and probably he never thought about building/using it cause being reunited with the person you are missing you don't have that need, but I wonder if those in the 2% can also use the machine to pass through dimensions?
I went in not expecting an explanation of what happened, cause I thought it was a fact that we were never gonna get one, and I was ok w it cause I thought no explanation would be good enough until Nora said "FOR US A FEW OF THEM ARE MISSING, FOR THEM ALL OF US ARE MISSING" WHAT... that was so perfect! better than anything I could've dreamed about, it makes sense and it doesn't use a religious non-sense and I think that also gives a lot of answers to other supernatural stuff that happened, like if science allows for interdimensional travel, it can be that a man has a round ticket to the afterlife, so it was just so satisfying.
And reading all the comments, you guys are right, IT IS A LOVE STORY, it was all about Nora and Kevin letting go of everything other than life and to find each other over and over again, so this is a love story for the ages, but Kevin was so wrong for pretending not to know Nora, it was so trippy!
I'm so glad Laurie is still alive and most importantly LIVING HER LIFE!
I still have a lot of questions and I think this show needed a couple more seasons, it's just amazing, I'm gonna check out the books and blogs to see if any of those can answer my questions. I think my main question is what did maggie's mom was supposed to tell her? was Wayne for real? is Lily a magic baby? What was Kevin's wish? what the fck was going on w Evie? what happened to the kids' shoes? and that's just on the top of my head.
SAME TIME NEXT WEEK?!
It's fun! It's a little undercooked at points, for sure, but as a unique take on the mythos it's actually really interesting and visually stunning to boot. That seems to be the main defining goal here - unique "visions" on the universe that take risks and do something new, and on that end a rock opera on Tatooine is the last thing I expected a Star Wars thing to be about but here we are. It helps that the characters are really likable here and they do a good job in the limited time that you have making you believe this band has a real comraderie to them. Studio Colorido does great work animation wise, particularly in the character animation and colour design, which just look fantastic.
It's all building to the song though, which is fine in English but in Japanese? It's stellar - definitely a case of "sub over dub" for this short at the risk of sounding like an anime purist (in reality I watch both so I'm not too snobbish on that front) but here you can tell the song was written for Japanese lyrics and singing. Not the best thing they've done but fun and cute!
Who knew that all it would take to make me truly love Star Wars again would be a short, 14 minute experimental samurai story? The Duel is phenomenal on pretty much every front, particularly from a visual stand point. The franchise has always owed a lot to Kurosawa films and old school samurai dramas, and this takes it to the literal apex of that degree. It's a simple a story you can get with these things - a Ronin walks into a village and must defend it from bandits - but it's told so effortlessly and confidently, and with it's black and white animation and cinematography just simply popping. Kamikaze Douga, whose work is mainly in that of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure openings, showcase their chops here for striking cuts, incredible single shot work, and some insanely choreography.
And yes, as a hardcore anime fan who also happens to be a massive Star Wars nerd, it's just fantastic to see this universe rendered this way and with such love and care. If anything, this shows that Star Wars Visions is likely the best thing to happen to Star Wars since The Last Jedi back in 2017, which is saying something. Just incredible.
It still feels like it's going a little bit slow with only four episodes left but it was great nonetheless.
The best thing was of course Bobbie rejoining the crew of the Roccinante :) I was hoping that this would eventually happen but I thought it would take at least one more episode for Bobbie to get to them. Glad I was wrong. With Bobbie and her Martian armor suit this brought quite some interesting action (even if her jump to the other ship felt like a huge stretch... :D). Anyway, some great/fun dialogues between the crew members as well. I also really liked the conversation between Avasarala and Monica at the end. Avasarala knows how to get things done :D
PS: Holden calling Clarissa Peaches was awkward. And her becoming part of the crew was a little bit unexpected but she did a really good jobs so far - it's just that her past actions are hard to forgive.
And I wonder if/how those stories with Cara at the beginning will become relevant. IMO they have a lot of potential but it feels like there's too little time. I also wonder how much they know about this planet. That little girl doesn't seem to be afraid of the animals at all... And this rockhopper(?) isn't small. And I wonder if he's really eating the bird (which seems the most likely) of if there's more to it.
Wow wow WOW. The first 2 episodes i didn't have much to say other than being excited for more. Episode 3 was something, but this one. Nexus Event.
ok, so i would like to say that i feel sorry that i don't think Sylvie is perfect. honestly i think it's mostly her appearance, the short wavy blonde hair, maybe the way she holds herself, maybe it's even the accent... but i really try to just focus on the aspects of her than make her a Loki. so in episode 3, yes we do get real connection between Loki and Sylvie, and yes it could have been partially romantic, but i was sure it was just connecting due to being one in the same. so the scene here where the hold hands before the apocalypse is just confusing? maybe just strange, since Mobius does a good job of explaining how of course Loki is so narcissistic he falls for himself. i guess giving Loki vulnerability is the intention here, but somehow it felt out of character for Loki to be so caught up about someone who isn't him, even if it kind of is him in a way?
ugh. one thing i could talk about from the first 2 episodes is how much I love the Loki/Mobius dynamic. (no I'm not a shipper). the conversations and jabs were glorious. so i really had to take a step back during the conversation they have where Mobius realizes Loki is attached to Sylvie and Mobius is done with him... and then later on in the episode they step back together as friends... just felt like being thrown around.
i gasped when they pruned Mobius and cried at Loki's reaction. the time lizards were so rediculous and obviously fake, especially with all the haze. loved a fight sequence with Loki and Sylvie back to back. and even though I wasn't really on board with the romantic relationship part, i really wanted that kiss to happen with that build up Loki had...
when i tell you i was so excited to see a snake with a crown and more Lokis! ugh I'm hyped!
2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021-12-31T23:59:59Z