Every single thing that had been building up is paid off really well in the ending. Excellent pacing, enough tense with gripping moments, and perfect reveal of every character's perspective, knitting the red line that seems dispersed at first.
Pretty decent episode. Emphasizes a lot on the drama so it may disappoint those who expect action, but still good nonetheless. We get the bonding between Daryl and Aaron, Sasha's stress, Rick and the barber Jesse, and that "W" letter hint again. And Carol! From an "invisible" lady to a threatening killer in an instant. That scene is priceless.
A number of things are still going on here. Still a decent episode.
Aside from the (expected?) surprise in the beginning, there is nothing much going on in this episode. Alexandrians still adapting to the new situation, zombies still wailing on the wall, Ron still hating on Carl, and Father Gabriel still showing up as additional filler. IMO there are too many characters depicted that it feels a bit disjointed and lacking further progress. Something happens in the end, but that's it--cliffhanger again. It's really unfortunate as I thought we've got past the filler episode last week.
I still wonder why the heck don't they stab the zombies on the gate one by one like they did in prison back then?
James Gunn really liked the idea of shoving stuff into people's mouth huh. He did it in The Suicide Squad, he did it again here.
I guess this episode has little bit of everything. There is a bit of suspense of the barn invasion. There is a bit of action in the final showdown, of course. There is a bit of Justice League cameo. There is a bit of character development during the mission preparation. There is a bit of wrapping up the story (each characters' fate, tying up loose ends, and Peacemaker making peace with himself). And there is also some stereotypical eco-message slipped in (I guess since this is the anthropocene and Thanos' ecofascism seems to be popular...).
It's not a gripping finale, but it does what it does well for an action comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Highlight would be: I like that they keep Goff alive because Peacemaker's personal connection and Judomaster also alive with his chips-eating habit. I also liked that they're setting this up for future DCEU but not too blatantly obvious that they had to throw away the standalone-ness of the show like MCU/Marvel Studios usually do.
Not the greatest The Boys episode, esp. not Season 2's good. They have come this far to plan and strategize against Vought, yet they don't seem to have any backup plan... not with Lamplighter, who they leave only with Hughie to babysit, and especially not with Dr. Vogelbaum, the man behind all these, the most important man who should have acted as key witness? With Lamplighter, okay, they missed their chance, but Butcher and Mallory could have at least made Vogelbaum recorded his confession or some sort since they should have known that sending him off means an extremely high risk of failure. And they freaking knew there's someone out there who can pop head out of nowhere. Why don't they take any precaution?
The one scene with Hughie and Lamplighter is kind of dumb too, only showing him as ever petulant bystander who can't prioritize - which is a step down of character development since he blew Transluscent's ass. Butcher family drama seems to give a hint of character development but the pacing is too convenient as a cop out for stuff to fall apart.
Got plenty of fight scenes and mostly that, but it don't pack the same punch as the fight scenes did in the first season. I don't know if it's Anthony Mackie, the choreography, or just the cinematography, but it looks weak especially during the fight with Quell.
Excellent parallel between Kovacs' torture and Ortega's family reunion. Both show how technology is utilized in the staples of our lives (an interrogation in Kovacs' case and a holiday celebration in Ortega's). Both also has similar theme of treading between life and death.
Kovacs' torture sequence can be done a bit better (especially the "going to next screen" moment, as it seems to be a bit rushed) but it does the job well enough. The most interesting part in this episode for me is Ortega's family reunion, tackling back the question asked since the first episode, "if you can prolong life by simply changing your bodies, would you still do it?" Also, grandma resleeving in a muscular white punk is just too funny. Props to the actor.
It's surprising, to say the least. There's been an obvious dead flag throughout the episode, but this person has escaped from such dead flag again and again. This time though - this person doesn't survive.
Lots of people die in this episode, so the death is a bit unexpected and and the same time... seems a bit less dramatical. We had a whole episode for Tyrone, a climactic end for Beth, even moments of atonement for Merle. But this person seems to be one of the crowds. Which, actually, makes sense in a post-apocalyptic world such as in Walking Dead's - it's unforgiving and death is just a statistic. But for a person who's been with the audience for a long time to be gone, just like that, seems a bit unsettling for me. I guess there's still more to come.
They've been drawing parallels between Payback and Seven every now and then, but this episode shows the clearest. The sad thing is, if Soldier Boy is Payback's Homelander, and the team both hated their lead and tried to redeem themselves like Maeve do. then what a writing to show that Butcher is not a main character you should sympathize with. He is pragmatic, calculative, cold-blooded murderer sacrificing the redeemed Crimson Countess and Gunpowder who never liked Soldier Boy.
I find it interesting that there are parallels with Season 1 here. Butcher is back to his cold-blooded self and the compromise they're making with Soldier Boy reminds me a bit of similar ones they made with Starlight when they first discovered her. However Hughie, besides his power, seem to have not progressed much as a character, as he resorted to his confused, worst decision maker habit like we've seen in Season 1.
Other than that, the episode feels a bit lighter compared to the first three, not as packed but still better paced than the previous episode. Only 3 episodes left. Curious where they will take us. Hope this pays off.
Not the most engaging pilot. So many setups and characters introduced at once. Mystery seems to be fleeting, lingering around the corner but there's no clear direction yet where it would lead the viewers. Feels like the episode is setting up a lot of things for the whole season at once.
This episode reminds us that The Mandalorian is a Disney product.
The Mandalorian for no reason became soft and sentimental. The only reason possible for this change is the "cute factor" shown more to the audience than the character, just like a Disney show would do. For someone who is supposed to be on this sort of job for a while, breaking a guild code just for some random child is a stupid thing to do - especially for someone who is supposed to uphold honor. The hostiles - supposedly trained soldiers and mercenaries - are nothing but incompetent mooks. Other Mandalorians show up as deus ex machina, almost feels like they are there just so Disney can sell more toys.
There is no build up. Everything in this episode is self-contained. From the appearances of other Mandalorian to the whistling bird, it's all used vulgarly in this episode.
This episode is such a huge let down. And we're still on the third episode.
The pace gets a bit slower in the first half, like with Mesmer's reunion and Billy's conversation. But it quickly catches up in the second half. The tense was well built and it is interesting to see how much grudge and narrow-sighted Billy could be and what have made him that way. As a professional group, they seem to make some stupid amateurish mistake (letting them be seen in cameras) but since this was not the first them they did that I am getting the impression that they are not much a professional assassin, just hired killers. Regardless, this episode is a nice driving plot to see what is going to come up forward--with clues and hints spread out well through out--but as it stands by itself, it is not the greatest.
Decent episode. Shows Negan as the boss here, the submission of Rick and people of Alexandria. To the point Rick no longer has this tough guy stance and opts to submit to Negan to survive another day, while still bearing a huge grudge to him. I think @andrewbloom sums it well in this line,
"when Rick confesses that he knows Judith belongs to Shane, there’s power in it because it’s one of those few plot threads from the beginning of the show that haven’t been tied off yet. And the thematic resonance of it, that sometimes we have to accept hard truths, things that tear us up, in order to do what we need to do to protect the people we care about, is solid. Negan’s actions make Rick’s knuckles tighten up on Lucille when Negan’s back is turned, but his desire to keep the Alexandrians safe loosens his grip, allows him to make all these compromises and admission in the hopes that they’ll stay alive and healthy even under such harsh conditions."
Read his review, a very thoughtful one of this episode. https://trakt.tv/comments/103012
A bit too on the nose in their attempts to poke the issue on darkly designed terms of service and deepfake, especially in light of the Hollywood actor and screenwriter protest (perhaps even inspired by it). The episode leans heavily toward being a meta humor, but it doesn't really work well. Annie Murphy does her best, and I believe Salma Hayek too, but they were given a rather one-dimensional, uninspiring script. As the episode ended I realized Charlie Brooker is the writer. That kinda explains the weak episode.
Very weak season premiere. Felt like a season finale, only that the whole setup doesn't make sense at all. Rick planned to kill just one man, Negan, but why didn't he? Instead the group shoots brutally to the building, shattering only glasses. It's like they had unlimited number of ammo - what's the point of arms scavenging in previous season then? The group conveniently broke into the base with no resistance at all. Conveniently amassed a horde of walkers with no difficulties. Considering they had always been having trouble doing that two, it felt really odd. Why didnt Negan see any of that coming, considering they were pushed back in previous episode? Weird.
A character also made a terribly foolish decision that is worse than a zombie film cliché. Very bad premiere.
Nothing much is going on, as usual it's the "build-up episode" which gives clues and prepares build-up for future episodes. TWD always has episodes like this (Wolves, Terminus). So don't get so fed up, I guess.
The only thing that bothers me is: why the heck don't they kill those walkers one by one like they did back in Prison?
Good pilot with good world-building. Portrays the oppressiveness of poverty and the ads-drenched life in a cyberpunk city much better than the game. Plot is a bit cliche though but the episode spreads enough clue for build up in future episodes. Really like the visual cues they use to evoke character's emotion, such as the shot on David's shaking legs when he's anxious.
This initially teases an Alien vibe, but it ends up quite hilarious. The real lesson: don't leave things in the fridge!
It's like watching three pseudo-intellectuals following a script written by a Redditor, which speaks for its low quality writing and dialogue. Epitome of tired internet humor.
The difference between a more mature anime with those less mature is the way they portray their villains. I love the way they portray Asimov's girlfriend as a person with hope and desire to get a better life, shown simply through a short, humane conversation between her and Spike. At the same time, it shows death and violence only the most necessary: despite a lot of shootouts, you can count the casualties, even among the goons - most who survive are saved by cartoony knockouts/running away - making death has more impact when it does happen.
Other than that, this episode has slick animation especially on the action, and the plot moves tight, establishing our main characters rather quickly. The ending also defines this show right from the start: a bittersweet, tragic life of those who has to deal with the underworld.
Great pilot.
It's tense and gory in the usual The Boys fashion, although I feel like they just sped up everything in the beginning and previous episode so that they can have this "wreak havoc" all out in this episode.
As a season finale though... it feels like this IP is starting to show a similar symptoms to MCU: each ending has to be a setup for another season/series/film. It's a huge cliffhanger. It doesn't really settle the story with Marie and co, albeit they did close the arc and begin a new one. What happened to the school? What happened after the laser? Why the Guardians of Godolkin twist at the end - and how is it possible, with everyone there clearly witnessing who the villains were? It just raises more questions and feels like not making sense.
Additionally, some of the characters made some really terrible decisions with their hero syndrome, but I guess I can suspend the disbelief because they're still teenagers after all.
The first half is your usual bonding between the main characters. It's fine but nothing to write home about. Just showing David developing his skills and relating to other characters - which is a very typical "calm before the storm" scene indicating someone will die in an episode or two. There's some sexual tension between David and Lucy. The editing between the scenes is kinda unique but feels like Instagram or MTV reels that don't let us connect to the characters - just like the game's strange V and Jackie bonding scene.
The second half is all over the place. First we have Pilar's demise, as expected given the build up in the first half. Then after all that chaos we get back straight to David and Lucy. Very strange pacing, as if nothing happened in the first second half, especially given the build up in the whole first half. The ending with David and Lucy feels like it just to keep the romance and plot going, which, again, feels like a cliched calm before the storm scene before some terrible things to happen in next episodes.
This could've been Episode 2 as this is where things finally start to get going. Pace has been much better - if in the first two episodes I felt the need of fast-forwarding, at least in this episode I didn't feel any of that.
Show has been relying banters, irony, and sex jokes for its comedy but this episode shows some physical humor as well. Action is there but not as fleshed. Don't seem like the Peacemaker we saw in The Suicide Squad, but I guess it's supposed to be a character development.
"You seem to think that time really had stopped here. That's a story from a long time ago. I've forgotten about it."
Kinda captures the moment when you think you can get back to your ex and reconcile. Life goes on. And eventually we have to accept it and move on even when we don't get to see it ends the way we wanted, just like when Jet in the end throws away the watch.
This is practically an episode 1 after the midseason finale. It establishes new characters, some serve to drive plot points forward, some others to show how things have since changed since the last finale. My favorite part is on the racer's personal quest: the part where he is shown bored as hell and just want to make a name for himself amidst the development of the Ring that fascinated many people and moved the factions to one singular direction. It makes The Expanse feels grounded: for ordinary men, this is just another thing that passed in their daily lives. The part with Roci's crew documentary is also great, showing how they deal with life after their heroic chapter.
The great thing about The Expanse so far is the way knit the details spread across the episodes. The Belter sidestory might raise some question at first glance, but when you realize it's the same person Detective Miller shooed away in previous episodes and how it tacks to socioeconomic commentary made by other characters (both in this episode and previous) regarding rockhoppers, the addition made sense, and adds to the impressive world-building The Expanse has managed to do very well. The lower class trying to survive, the elites with their power games, and everything that happens to be entangled within.
Sure, the pace has been relatively slow, as we are nearing the end of the season, but things have started to developed and dots have started to be connected. If the last two episodes are any indication, I expect it to be unfolded intensely in the finale.
Not the strongest episode. Starlight's speeches had all the opportunity to play out as culmination of the things Starlight had been through, especially with the backdrop of religious event that she grew up with. But it focused too much on the contrast between Homelander and Starlight, that it ended up a bit dull. I mean, the contrast was drawn in prior episode(s), but it would have been more engaging if they focused only on Starlight. Perhaps I also lacked the context of growing up in religious America.
There is enough tense and revelation, and surely the dynamics between Frenchie and the Female is interesting. Really liked the part towards the end where "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" plays stylistically, like most scenes in The Boys have been so far. But we've seen the other stuff before (in prior episodes), so it kinda feels like a bit repetitive, if not a filler.
Fantastic pilot that sets up the tone for the rest of the season. Effectively shows how superheroes would work in real world: dominated by public relation, backed by billion dollar companies and corporate lobbyists, while everyone adores them from afar. Really liked the brief part where they show the plan of superheroes' role in privatizing security. In this day and age, this couldn't be more relevant.
A very fresh and needed take since Watchmen, especially considering we are very saturated in a superheroes world now. Both in terms of fictional characters (MCU with Disney monopolizing the entertainment industry) and of celebrity politicians (Indonesia's Jokowi, Philippines' Duterte, Russia's Putin, US's Trump/Obama, all are backed with media conglomerates and billionaires).
Not bad but not good either.
The pacing seems to be off; every characters seem to talk a lot of things in a short amount of time, like they already prepared them as a speech. This especially look weird in the dialogue between Guts and Farnese. The scenes are jumping quickly between one person talking to another, without a moment of silence.
However the animation is slightly better than the first episode. CGI still can't handle expression well (look at some Farnese's expression and the soldier who Guts punched), but it's okay-ish. The adaptation from the manga is also good, unlike the abrupt lumping-it-all-together in episode one.
