So much to enjoy here. It feels like the show has found its groove, and if the rest of the season is going to be like this then we are really in for a treat.
[8.5/10] What I like about speculative fiction and other imaginative stories is that so often, they’re better at getting to the human condition than their down-to-earth brethren. The Good Place is a high concept story about people trapped in the afterlife with champagne-bringing ants and magically appearing and exploding motorcycles and impossible spa days. But it’s also about self-improvement and feeling useful and dealing with complicated, sometimes unfair emotions, something this series can capture in a way that’s much harder without the sort of bizarre setups at play.
That’s why my favorite story in this one is Eleanor’s. I found myself spending much of the episode asking -- why is Eleanor so dead set on stressing out Chidi. It seemed to come from a good place (no pun intended) of believing that he needs to be put into pressure-filled situations to bring out the best and most “help your fellow man” ethical in him, but she seemed to be going overboard for reasons that were opaque to me.
The episode lays it out explicitly -- she did it because she’s angry at Chidi, angry at him for leaving her and getting to enjoy this blissful new life in paradise, even though she knows he did it for a good reason and that the current bliss is not his fault. But not only is she dealing with these complex emotions; she’s had the person who she would go to deal with them ripped away from her, which just makes her all the more frustrated, on top of her guilt for feeling that way. It’s a complicated cocktail of conflicted feelings, one that are so achingly human, and hard to articulate without the handles of mind-wipes and out there magical scenarios.
But they’re also somehow truer and more affecting that way. The turn in the episode is Eleanor breaking down when she realizes what she’s putting the man she loves through. It’s a great performance from Kristen Bell, and it’s what help makes her sympathetic here. It ends in a great pep talk from Michael, one of understanding and empathy, and it ultimately helps us understand Eleanor, and what she’s going through as a person, much better. Truly great.
On top of that, it’s just a funny episode. Chidi and Jason is a pairing we don’t get especially often, and so the dynamic of Jason’s general recklessness and impulsiveness mixed with Chidi’s usual anxiety and cautiousness leads to a lot of great comedy between the two. Chidi trying to cover for and restrain Jason is a laugh every time. And Jason by himself is superb here, between his thinking every time someone needs his help, it must be to open a jar, and his repeat motorcycle explosion.
But the B-story is nearly as good. I like Tahani’s plot and epiphany here especially. Her efforts to ply John with the exclusive celebrity treatment he was denied in life make for some amusing back and forth between them. But when she tries to turn their friendship and pivot toward self-improvement, he’s resistant. The great thing about that is 1. John has an unexpectedly legitimate point that while she was living it up with fortune and fame, he worked his behind off (albeit in a kind of shady industry) to build something on his own, and 2. Tahani is right that despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum, they were both made unhappy by their obsession with fame and exclusivity.
The result is a little tidy, but I like Tahani reaching John through her understanding that obsession with status leaves you lonely and unfulfilled. And while it’s a little convenient, that being the thing that spurs John to apologize for his mean comments is a nice touch. Plus I love Janet as Tahani’s supportive girlfriend.
Overall, this is The Good Place at its best, taking the fantastical and ridiculous and finding the real, human truth underneath it, that’s harder to uncover in more staid circumstances.
I'm very pleased to say that I really loved this! As much as I enjoyed the premiere, it didn't fully feel like a Doctor Who episode to me. This one, however, absolutely did. I think it captured the essence of the show perfectly.
Something that Chibnall does very skillfully is create an engaging mystery that really draws you in. I was on the edge of my seat for a big part of the episode, waiting to find out what happened to the population of the planet. And what do you know, it looks like the Stenza are going to be a recurring theme this season! I'm curious to see how that will play out. And what - or who - could the timeless child be?
One of the strongest points of this season is the cinematography. Some of the wide shots that we got in this episode looked like they belonged in a Star Wars movie. And the music is excellent as well. It's kind of subtler than what I've gotten used to with Doctor Who, but it's lovely. The new composer is doing a great job.
Another strong point is obviously the acting. While I do think that Jodie, just like every Doctor, will need a few episodes to fully come into her own, I love everything she's given us so far. The quick wit, the quirks, the boundless energy, the enthusiasm and the charm that she brings to the role - it's all exactly right. And I'll be honest, the emotional moments in this episode really got me. Her face when she saw the hologram of the Ghost Monument and realized it was the TARDIS! And the reunion was so soft and gentle and wonderful! I actually cried happy tears when she said "You've done yourself up! Very nice". I adore Thirteen. And the companions are growing on me too. I like the interactions between the three of them and the Doctor. I can't wait to see these individual dynamics develop over the course of the season.
The opening credits are awesome. I've never seen the classic series, but the theme has a very retro vibe to it and I like the color scheme. It looks like a kaleidoscope. I dig it.
And finally, the TARDIS! She's redecorated all right! The interior looks more organic, kind of like Nine's and Ten's were. I liked the sleek, mechanical designs of the Moffat era, but this one is so appropriately alien. The biscuit dispenser is a cute little touch, especially considering that they put it there as a gift to Jodie and packed it with her favorite custard creams.
Overall, I thought this was a really great episode. Now that we have the TARDIS back, I'm excited to see what adventures await us.
Oh, it's so good to finally know what happened to Fitz. And I squealed with joy when I saw Hunter again. It's been so long! I've missed my dumb English son. It's absolutely hilarious to me that Fitz managed to communicate with him by insulting his favorite soccer team in a magazine. I guess it's canon that at some point in the past they decided it would be their emergency line of communication. It's so British. I'm a little disappointed Bobbi wasn't there as well, but I guess Adrianne is too busy these days working on The Orville. Good for her, she deserves it. I still miss Agent Morse though.
I'm not saying Fitz telling those military guys "They were abducted by aliens" should become a meme, but... oh wait, that's exactly what I'm saying.
I feel so bad for Polly. First she lost her husband because of his Terrigenesis, now her daughter is practically out of her reach as well. Also, I can't believe that they brought this seemingly random family from season 3 for this episode.
Enoch observing humanity for 30,000 years kind of reminds me of those creepy bald dudes on Fringe.
So if I understand correctly, Lance and Bobbi spent the rest of their lives knowing the world was going to end. Did they survive it? Did they die in the Lighthouse? Thinking about it breaks my heart.
That little Han/Leia moment with Fitz and Hunter made me cackle and warmed my heart at the same time. This is such an underappreciated brOTP.
I can't wait for the next episode. It's a shame that we have to wait two weeks for it. Oh well. Happy Holidays, I guess?
To be honest, I'm not really feeling this whole story arc. I don't know, maybe it's just Teen Wolf fatigue (I think we can all agree that the show is long past its season 3 prime). But season 6B has mostly pissed me off so far. The idea that the citizens of Beacon Hills find out about the supernatural and rise up against them is so annoying. If I were Scott, I'd be like "LOL, bye, you bunch of ungrateful bitches, hope you'll enjoy dying at the hands of the next monster that comes along without me here to stop it" and get the fuck out of there. And don't even get me started on other issues, like: why the fuck did they decide to introduce all those new kids like Nolan and Sydney? I couldn't care less about them. Why are they bringing back old characters at the last possible minute? Also, the fact that Gerard is the main villain again bores me. Scott should've killed that old geezer a long time ago. Lastly, I know Dylan O'Brien is like famous now and doing big movies (which he totally deserves, but that's not the point), but leaving the show just before the finish line kind of feels like a dick move. Stiles has been such an integral part of this thing since day one. It's not the same without him. Plus, as a Stydia shipper, I feel absolutely robbed. They just got together, for fuck's sake. And while I do enjoy Scott and Malia (definitely the highlight of season 6B), the rest is just a big mess, which will probably leave a bad taste in my mouth long after the show ends. But alas, one more to go.
This year, like every year before, the cruel and mighty gods of television descended to Earth to feast on the poorly-rated or otherwise unfortunate shows and banish them to eternity of damnation in the land of cancellation. As they made their way from network to network, shows old and new, dramas and comedies alike cowered in fear, uncertain of their fate. Only those few that had already been blessed with a renewal stood tall amidst the chaos and bloodshed.
At last, the gods knocked on the door of a small cottage on the outskirts of ABC, ready to devour another victim. Agents of SHIELD opened, a wicked grin on its face and a cup of wine in its hand, looked the gods straight in the eyes and said, "Not today, bitches".
In other words, AoS has been officially renewed for a 22-episode season 5, and if you can hear someone screaming outside your window, it's probably me failing to contain my excitement and joy. I've spent the last two months filled with anxiety, and now I feel like I can breathe again. Unfortunately, the show isn't coming back until mid-season because Inhumans are set to air in its timeslot in the fall, and it's moving to Friday at 9 PM, but honestly, I'm not going to complain. I'm just happy we're getting more episodes.
This was a little weird. I don't know why. The pacing was kind of awkward, maybe? Aida's death was a bit underwhelming and I feel like they rushed everything too much. But I still liked it. We got some awesome moments, like Jemma shooting Aida (* Mushu from Mulan voice * My little baby, off to destroy people), YoYo being ready to die with Mack in the Framework (if you're suffering and you know it, clap your hands), Daisy's speech at the end (she's shaping up to be a great leader). Overall, they wrapped up all loose ends, Aida's a pile of ash, the Darkhold is gone, Radcliffe's dead (that was a pretty amazing scene too, I can't believe they just cut him off in the middle of his big speech, what even). Daisy and Robbie had a major case of heart eyes going on and I really hope he returns next season. The whole team together in the diner was cute as well. And I guess the US government was so fed up with SHIELD that they just fucking launched them into space. I'm totally down for it. I can't wait for all the inevitable references to Guardians of the Galaxy.
Oh, and a round of applause for Mallory Jansen and John Hannah. I wish them both all the best. Their performances were incredible and they contributed to making this season great.
Well, that's it for now. See you all whenever season 5 premieres!
ominous chanting: CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT CAT
I can't believe this. Catherine Jane Grant came back and single-handedly saved this show. I've missed her humor. I've missed her inspirational speeches. I've missed her being a mentor to Kara and guiding her. What I wouldn't give for her to be a regular again.
Good episode overall. I liked the whole team working together (we really should get more of that next season and less of whatever the hell we got in most of this year's episodes). I'm slowly realizing that I kind of hate season 2. Yeah, okay, it's had its share of good or even great episodes, it introduced Maggie and Lena, and Alex's coming out storyline was spectacular. But it also murdered Kara's character development and focused too much on Mon-El (he had the third largest amount of screentime this season, only behind Kara and Alex, and he got more screentime than Maggie and James COMBINED) and his shitty, toxic relationship with Kara. But what did I expect, really? This is the CW. They love their arrogant selfish white boys and hate their female protagonists. I don't know why I thought they'd treat Kara with respect and allow her to grow. And the sad thing is, I will keep watching because I still care too much about some of the characters.
Can Rhea just fucking die already? And Lillian Luthor too? Honestly, they should just lock them up in a room together and let them kill each other.
Well, Superman is here. Looks like we're getting a Super fight next episode. I can already see all the property damage.
[8.1/10] Most of us have someone we would do almost anything for, a person who is so vital and important to our lives and our well-being that we would make any sacrifice to save or keep them. Thankfully, when you’re not a secret agent in a comic book universe, those sorts of sacrifices tend to be fairly prosaic. But when you’re an Agent of Shield, they mean turning a gun on an old man, nearly freezing to death on a superjet, or choosing to stay in a digital reality rather than a real one.
These are the sorts of unusual choices our heroes are forced to make in an episode that provides a major turning point in the “Agents of Hydra” arc that has, so far, proved to be one of the show’s best ever. When Daisy uncovers a “back door” to send anyone in the Framework back to the real world (assuming they have a body in the real world to go back to), a number of big decisions have to be made about who goes through it, and how willing and able they are to do so.
But “Farewell, Cruel World” also gives us our first look at Yo-Yo and company since they helped strap Daisy and Simmons into the Framework. I’ll admit, it’s not always the best-acted series of scenes, but the adventures of the Shield B-team serves two purposes.
The first is that it adds a sense of urgency to our heroes escaping from The Framework. The Shield jet needs to refuel, the people flying it are freezing, and Ivanoff is liable to attack at any minute once the cloaking goes down. That means it’s all the more vital that Daisy and Simmons complete their mission before it’s too late.
But more than that, it shows that there’s something in the real world for the good guys, especially Mack, to come back to. Yo-Yo is willing to put her life on the line to save her friends, particularly the man she loves, and it makes his decision at the end of the episode all the more poignant.
Yo-Yo’s not the only one in the episode willing to go to extremes for the man she loves. Simmons gets pretty hardcore when she discovers that Fitz’s dad (who we learn is named Alistair) is alive and shows up to FitzDad’s house brandishing a gun, in the hope that a hostage situation will get Fitz to talk to her. I love when Agents of Shield let’s Simmons be a badass like this. There’s a great quality they’ve shown in both sides of FitzSimmons that, for the most part, they’re still better as lab techs than they are as field agents, but that when one or the other is threatened, they find their inner hero and go to work.
Of course, things go more than a bit awry. FitzDad tells his son “the fugitive” is in his house rather than play along. In a hilarious moment he throws a phone at Simmons, and in the ensuing scuffle, Simmons shoots Alistair. Meanwhile, Radcliffe has become a turncoat at the promise that Aida’s new organic body machine could be used for him as well, and he agrees to take Fitz to the backdoor to stop the good guys.
It leads to a harrowing moment where Simmons faces Fitz and tells him to snap out of it, that she loves him. Fitz’s response is to put a gun to her head and declare that she means nothing to him, that he is there to take vengeance on the person who killed the man who’s always been there for him. It is an unnerving scene, with the tension only broken by Radcliffe revealing that it was all a feint on his part, and that his cooperation was a ruse to get Fitz to the backdoor, and he makes good on his intentions to send “The Doctor” back to the real world whether he wants to or not.
It’s a striking story because of its effect on the four characters at the center of it. Whatever his other faults, Alistair is willing to put his life on the line to further his son’s ends. Simmons will take a hostage, face down a bullet, just for the chance to plead to the most important person in her life to wake up. Radcliffe will likewise put himself in harms way to save Fitz, and tells Fitz that this was all Radcliffe’s own fault, not his, showing a similar fatherly affection. And Fitz himself wakes up, aghast at the blood on his hands, both real and digital, shed in the name of his affection for “Ophelia,” and cannot help but wonder if he his a bad person. It is a charged series of scenes, one that shows how those sorts of strong feelings pull people in the same direction, albeit to different ends.
(Oh, and there’s a subplot about Coulson convincing May to take a “leap of faith” that’s pretty undercooked, but gets by well enough on the chemistry between the actors and the sense that they too have a connection that persists in any universe.)
Still, the most affecting moment in the episode belongs to Mack. When Daisy figures out how to quake the portal to the real world open, she herds her compatriots in one at a time. (And she quietly explains to Trip that it’s not a place where he can follow – and Trip’s humorous asides about everything not only make me wish he could come back, but that he would have never left.) But Mack refuses, even after Coulson’s trip through the wormhole reveals that they’re living in a world of pixels.
He refuses because this is where his daughter lives. Because whatever substance this reality is made of, it’s the one where there is a little girl whom he loves with all of his heart. Henry Simmons sells the hell out of the moment, both the shock of the reveal that this really is a place of ones and zeroes, but the emotional turmoil at the prospect of leaving young Hope behind. He won’t do it. He can’t do it. And as much as that pains Daisy, as much as she tears up and tells him there’s people on the other side who love him very much, she understands.
(As an aside, I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that they find a way to bring Hope to the real world using Aida’s crazy body-making machine.)
She has to understand. If there’s one thing that the characters of Agents of Shield have done, through good stories and bad, it’s put themselves on the line for the people they love. If you love someone, the notion of abandoning them, even with questions as to what’s real, is unthinkable. Mack will stay where Hope is. Yo-Yo will fly freezing in vulnerable in the hopes that he’ll return. And Simmons will face a brutal version of the man she loves to try to get him to snap out of it. It’s a powerful idea as our heroes return to the real world, reeling from what they saw, what they were, in the artificial one.
(Oh yeah, and Aida can teleport people now…so that’s a thing. More Darkhold powers? Matrix within a matrix? Scooby Doo villain-esque trick? Who knows!)
I liked it better when the four DC shows aired on four different nights, but whatever. I guess the people at the CW wanted to boost the ratings by airing Legends after The Flash.
I can't believe that they made an episode about the Legends trying to convince George Lucas to become a movie director. That is so wild. I love it. And there were so many awesome references to Star Wars, like "You're our only hope" and the trash compactor.
Rip forgot who he is and to be honest, I hope he won't remember anytime soon. I like the team as it is.
Every now and again I randomly remember that Arthur Darvill played Rory Williams on Doctor Who. Apparently, he was destined to play characters travelling through time and space on a ship.
It was such a small moment, but I love the trope of a super intense scene with people running or fighting cutting to a shot of someone riding in an elevator with soft music in the background. It always makes me laugh, no matter how many times I've seen it.
"- I have an idea.
- So this would be a new milestone for you then."
Professor Stein went in and took no prisoners, huh? How did Mick manage to recover from such a savage burn?
Another great episode. Probably one of my favourites of the entire show, to be honest.
I couldn't stop cracking up for the first 5 minutes. The scene with The Machine experiencing a facial recognition error was shown at New York Comic Con last October. I watched it on YouTube months ago, and I thought it was pure gold, but I was sure it was just a fun, little bonus. I never expected it to be an actual scene from an actual episode, but I'm so glad it is. The cast's impressions of each other were hilarious. Amy Acker's Reese and Finch were particularly on point. We also got Root in bunny slippers and her and Finch redecorating the subway. It was nice to have some happy stuff before things got serious again.
The Machine going crazy was really sad for me, especially when Harold realised that she was suffering, reliving her deaths over and over. His speech about things not being black and white and about people doing their best really touched me. Harold was a different man when he created The Machine, and since then he's had to learn that good and bad aren't always mutually exclusive, which is exactly what The Machine needed to understand in this episode. I love how they draw parallels between The Machine and her human agents.
How great is the relationship between Root and Harold? They've come so far. She kidnapped him when they first met, and now they're working together, fighting against Samaritan together, living together, and he's willing to sacrifice The Machine if he has to choose between her and Root? I'm in tears. And Bear likes Root too!
Of course that random guy we saw in the middle of the episode wasn't random. I really should've seen it coming.
The ending was amazing as well. Team Machine on a picnic? That's some fanfiction shit right there, and I love it. I know it won't last, but they deserve some peace and quiet every once in a while.
Far and away the best episode Agents of Shield has ever produced. The only episode that can give it a run for its money is last season's spotlight episode on how May earned her nickname. There's a lesson there -- centering an episode on an individual story, particularly one that centers around one of the better actors in the cast, gives the show a focus that is often lacking when trying to juggle multiple intersecting plotlines at once.
This was a hell of a showcase for Elizabeth Henstridge. The production design team helped. (Production design as a plus in 'Agents of Shield"? I"m as surprised as you are.) The blue tint was a cheap way to sell the alienness of the world, but it totally worked, and the dessert topography really sold the desolateness of the environment and contributed to the sense of hopelessness in that world.
But Henstridge is what made the episode work. She sold the isolation, the small moments of crestfallen loneliness and discouragement, the little joys of success and friendship, the simple humanity of a survival story. Her burp, her wistfulness when she says "My dad would like you," and her conversations with an imaginary Fitz (a nice nod toward Fitz doing the same routine last season) all made her feel like a three-dimensional person in an extreme situation. There's a sense that this is Marvel's take on 'Castaway' or even 'Last Man on Earth', and doing this kind of laser-focused narrative requires a lot of the actors involved. These types of stories are, by necessity, character pieces; Henstridge was more than up to the challenge, and it deepened my appreciation for Simmons.
The actor who played Will was pretty good as well, and while his story could have felt too cliche, it worked in the context of the episode as a whole. Really, this felt like a well-structured science fiction short story as much as it did an episode of an ongoing series, and that's not a knock. Knowing Fitz and Simmons's relationship helped give certain moments more weight and significance, but it could almost work as a standalone piece. That's how strong and self-contained this was.
There was also a legitimate sense of menace from the planet. The zomibe-like astronaut, the tentacle creature, and the dust storms all suggested something frightening and alien about this world. It prompted so many great emotional moments from the two characters stuck on it. Doing an episode like this, so unlike AoS's usual M.O., was something of a gamble, but it paid off like gangbusters here.
