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matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Teen Titans Go!, The Flash, Arrow, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow, Gotham, and The Powerpuff Girls, the last two episodes of the season of Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., the season finale of Once Upon A Time, the latest episode of The Simpsons, the season finale of Grimm, the latest episodes of 12 Monkeys, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, American Dad, and Bordertown, the season finales of The Last Man On Earth, Bates Motel, and The Blacklist, the latest episode of Blindspot, and another collection of Fantagraphic's Mickey Mouse comic strips by Floyd Gottfredson.
Captain America: Civil War
Elephant in the room: It is NOT as great as Winter Soldier. But I didn't expect it to be. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is easily the best superhero film ever made, and by a large margin, so it is unreasonable to expect any superhero movie to live up to it (even its sequel). If one day, we DO get a superhero movie better than it, I'll be ecstatic, but I don't expect that with every movie. What we got here made me very happy.
I hate Comic Book Tony Stark because he's a Neocon Fascist. But honestly? Even though they are kind of both right, I'm mainly Team Stark. I might not have been had Steve not been willing to sign the accords (minus some provisions to be put in later) if he hadn't overreacted to Wanda being confined to quarters. The fact that he was willing to do that, and changed his mind for essentially a personal reason, tells me the accords are not as terrible as Steve originally feared, and that he's just being a big baby. I am very surprised that the movie gave Tony a legit point of view. Tony was the bad guy in the comics.
And honestly, the fact that he knew about Bucky killing Tony's parents and said nothing, is another mark against Captain Rogers. I'm frankly a little bit surprised and appalled by that, and had assumed he'd filled him in after the end credits of Winter Soldier. The fact that that turns out not to have been the case, makes me very unhappy. As Tony said, he thought they were friends.
Spider-Man: Best screen version so far, live-action OR animated. I love the wisecracks, and that the movie is not stingy with them. Andrew Garfield had a few in one scene in the first movie, but they did not work at all, because he seemed to be a bit unhinged when he was making them. There was also a subtext that he was using them to make the criminal fear him, which is not what they're about. Spidey wisecracks because he has fun fighting crime. Action is his reward. He seemed to really enjoy himself during that fight, and was amazed he got to stand toe to toe with Iron Man and Captain America. And that's the right tone. He's a kid who thinks this is as cool as it gets. And Empire is an old movie to him. Perfect.
Query: How exactly did Tony know who Spider-Man was? They never answered that. The fact that Peter calls Aunt May "May" is another cool change for the character.
Black Panther: Full opinion TBD. I like that they ultimately decided to have him NOT enact vengeance upon Zemo, as that is probably the least attractive part of the character for me. It was refreshing when he basically says "Geez, I almost killed wrong guy. I'm not letting this define me. I'm not as big of a chump as the Punisher." So I like what we got and look forward to his movie.
Zemo: Do you know the subversive thing? Objectively speaking, just based on where everybody ended up, Zemo won! Half of the Avengers are now criminals, and War Machine was seriously injured, perhaps badly enough that he'll never put on the suit again. He wanted to destroy the Avengers. He kind of did.
Unhappy that not only was Pepper Potts not in the movie as rumored, but she and Tony are on break. VERY unhappy.
Equally unhappy Peggy Carter died, but considering her actual age, there aren't many more plausible screen appearances she could have made. Hopefully we'll get the occasional Agent Carter TV movie or miniseries. But the character was getting up there in years.
I like that Sharon didn't tell her she was watching Steve because she didn't want to have to make her aunt keep a secret from him. That is unbearably sweet.
I liked that no Avengers actually died. It was sort of hinted this movie would be a bloodbath and it wasn't. That meant I could enjoy the final fight.
I love when Sam lands to check if Rhodey is okay, Tony blows him away with repulsors. Kind of the right reaction, if you ask me.
Vision looks ghastly in civvies. He needs to have a wardrobe Plan B.
Giant Man! YES! THAT'S where Empire comes in handy.
I wish the actual ending to the movie had been stronger. Nothing seemed settled. That's sort of okay, considering the MCU is ongoing, but I was definitely more satisfied with the ending to the last movie. That was a good stopping point. I kind of feel this was too unresolved.
I had a great time at this movie though, and think it blew Batman v Superman out of the water. I'm betting it buries that movie (as fun as it was) with box office receipts. *****.
Teen Titans Go! "Wally T"
Mostly garbage, but I like that it broke the fourth wall a bit and admitted that most adult fans think this show is inferior to the anime version. And it nailed the true nature of fandom. A TRUE fan sticks with something out of a sense of obligation, no matter how bad it gets. Which is precisely why I still watch this show.
But Starfire and Raven perving on that little kid is all kinds of ick. I'm deducting three entire stars just for that. **.
The Flash "Invincible"
I'm just going to say it: killing off Henry was a mistake. And it will probably go down as the biggest mistake the series ever did. Holy cow. Grant Gustin and John Wesley Shipp's emotional scenes together are literally the best thing about the series. It is full-stop the show's biggest selling point, and why I enjoy the show so much. And now, just to shock the audience for a brief moment, it no longer has that. Forever. Idiotic.
I also resent the moral that supposedly Barry was being too optimistic. It didn't play that way. If he had turned into an egomaniac about his skills that would be one thing, but instead he just saw more good things about life than usual. I resent that that is portrayed as a bad thing. I resent that Barry has to be punished for that. To learn the reality that life sucks, and is never going to get better. Because that's not true. Barry was right the first time. I shouldn't have to see Barry learn a lesson about being correct. How dare he?
Also puzzling is the idea that the group wonders if they should tell Sara and Quentin about Earth-2 Laurel. My initial question to that is: Have they even met Sara? Do they even know who she is? I remember that Caitlin helped with her autopsy for Felicity, but was any of Team Flash aware Constantine brought her back to life? There seems to have been a lot of stuff going on off-screen that the audience wasn't privy to.
Having Magee in on the secret and being a potential love interest for Henry is made doubly pointless since they killed him off. If they were trying to throw us off of his death, that's a stupid tactic. Because I much rather would have seen a potential romance between those two, and how Barry deals with it. The show is basically making it clear to the audience that they decided to take the least interesting story path for Henry (getting rid of him) and making us see that something juicy could have been done instead. I have to say, that's not a good mislead, that's simply bad writing, and the series shoving the fact that it made a mistake into our faces, as if we should be impressed by it. But hey, it means I didn't see Henry dying coming, right? So, because I was surprised during that moment, I guess it's okay that I now think the show is badly written.
Any good things? I really look forward to the outcome of Wally learning Barry is the Flash. That was the only good thing that happened tonight, and I cannot wait for the fall-out (especially considering how dismissive of Barry Wally has been in the past). But I am a little bit shocked that the penultimate episode of the season is this terrible. That is pretty much unprecedented for an Arrowverse show. *.
Arrow "Lost In The Flood"
Love the idea that Anarky is on the side of angels for this particular episode. That's how I knew the good guys were gonna win.
I do not feel bad about Darhk's wife dying at all, but I am a little bit appalled that he wants to still start Armageddon while his daughter is still breathing and fine. There is no part of Damian that is not a total scumbag.
Loved the moment where Thea broke free of the conditioning. Very empowering moment from Oliver there.
I didn't know War Games got a DVD sequel, and now I wish I still didn't know. That's depressing. And how does Curtis know the actual year it was released? There's being a nerd, and there's being pathetic. That crossed the line from the former into the latter.
That scene of Oliver and Dig running through the neighborhood through gunfire was absolutely sick (in a good way!). The last couple of episodes of the first two seasons gave us epic action sequences. Season three really did not. I predict this year's finale will be good in a way last year's wasn't. I also loved the scene where Genesis exploded. Very exciting.
How in the secret is Donna now? Will Felicity tell her it's Oliver? TBD...
I think my favorite moment in the episode (and perhaps the season) is that when Oliver tells Quentin to stay put so there will be an authority figure people trust present... he actually does it! He doesn't question it for a second. Either he knows Oliver is completely right, or trusts his judgment unwaveringly. I love that moment. I love how far these two have come.
The flashbacks were the thing that worried me. I don't see a good outcome for Oliver's new lady-friend. And that's kind of depressing.
I love that Curtis is swigging beer upon having to put up with Felicity's parents, and once she realizes why he called the emergency, she grabs the bottle and takes a swill too. Hilarious moment. I love Curtis and Felicity together. And I love that it is completely non-sexual.
Oliver tells Malcolm he should have killed him. And he still doesn't. I still think Oliver isn't thinking clearly about that. He should have taken down Merlyn the moment he found out he killed Sara. Him still breathing a season and a half later is far more than Malcolm has ever deserved.
I think the one moment I hated was Oliver questioning Dig if the families who believed in Darhk had a point. That asinine. And I do not believe Oliver would entertain that for a second. He was written out of character in that moment, because the hero ALWAYS has to question their decisions before the final battle, but the notion is inane. The reason the world sucked? It was because of Darhk. Anyone who followed him after the things he did is simply a member of a cult. It doesn't matter if they're drugged or not. They are still brainwashed. And I do not believe Oliver Queen is a stupid enough character to not immediately recognize the difference.
But that was, like, my only complaint. I'm only knocking off a half-star for it. ****1/2.
DC's Legends Of Tomorrow "Legendary"
Am I supposed to know who Rex Tyler is? Because as of now, he could have said "I'm Jack Johnson", and I'd give him the same blank stare.
Pretty good, I think. Probably because this was the only episode (besides the last) where the heroes actually accomplished something. This show's biggest fault is its lack of forward momentum. This had that.
As for Snart's appearance, as grateful as I was to see Wentworth Miller again, I hate that this means they aren't going to retcon his death. I'd call it the worst Arrowverse death of the season, but Henry Allen kind of ties it in dumb@$$ery. Still, I look forward to rewatching the series on Blu-Ray. Surely, some of Snart's reactions to Mick will play differently the second time around, knowing he was on the receiving end of those words from Rory.
When Quentin instantly told Sara about Laurel's death, it kind of makes me amazed at how terrible a daughter Laurel was. Somebody in your family dies, you tell them. That's normal, right? Laurel keeping it a secret was pretty much insane, and the way Quentin does it without fanfare, or trying to keep it from Sara makes, me realize Laurel was a total jack@$$. And she was SUCH a jack@$$ in a very weird, crazy, not-normal way. What a hot mess our Black Canary was.
The moving helmet thing was clever and stupid. Stupid because it's not credible from a scientific standpoint, clever because since time travel doesn't actually exist, nobody can disprove the writers. It's exactly as ludicrous as Douglas Adams stating the secret of the universe is 42. How exactly are we going to disprove Rip here? 42 works within the framework of the Hitchhikerverse, and the temporal helmet makes a similar kind of sense in the Arrowverse.
Also good to have a ready made excuse for why Rip wouldn't want to try to save Laurel. He ALREADY changed history, and by recruiting Sara, that meant she and Quentin survive, and history originally says they died. As flexible a premise as time travel seems to me, that doesn't seem to be something that is worth risking your and your father's life for, especially since you've just learned you and he were originally supposed to die. I like that idea.
I was very unimpressed with Rip's hallucination of his family. At first I thought they were having the stones to kill him off, and say an afterlife exists in the Arrowverse. But it's just a stupid fantasy sequence. This franchise is not Scrubs or Ally McBeal. I do not tolerate that, especially because hallucinations are so unusual, and all of the previous ones we've seen in this continuity let us know that was what they were while they were happening. I was very unhappy with that.
But the finale was serviceable and fun. And seeing the meteor shrink and then give a tiny poof was a big laughline too. My impression is mostly favorable. If I'm VERY good, can we have Constantine in season 2? ****.
Gotham "Rise Of The Villains: A Legion Of Horribles"
Great episode title.
Mostly cr*p, although I laughed at Harvey's attitude towards being the new Commish and how casually he was able to lie about Galavan. He got blown up. Kind of hard to ID the body. Big laugh line. And when he says he's Commissioner until someone else says they want it, I kind of don't want anyone else to want it. Him offering Alfred an entire police squad also show how wholly inadequate to the good guys Barnes was.
Selina's "servant" nonsense was stupid. I'm guessing the writers couldn't think of a better way out of the scenario for her besides killing her.
Did they put David Masouz in platform shoes? In his scenes with Strange, they are the same height and looking eye to eye, but I didn't think either that B.D. Wong was that short, or that Masouz was that tall yet.
I'm impressed the show got Jada Pinkett Smith to come back. I don't what to think about that. Frankly, after what they made her say and do last season, were I her, I would have NEVER returned, and said good riddance forever, but for some reason the producers hadn't completely burned their bridges with her. That's a shame, because I instantly gained respect for her when she quit the show. And now that's kind of gone.
Years later, if Nygma EVER found out how close he came here... he'd be kicking himself.
Court of Owls, huh? I had suspected as much earlier in the season. At first I thought the lady in the white hair was Nichelle Nichols. But Gotham doesn't love me that much.
As I said, mostly cr*p. **.
The Powerpuff Girls "Frenemy"
I did not like this at all. This harkened back to the cynicism of the original series, which was the most insufferable thing about it. Buttercup's actress also cannot do a convincing British accent to save her life. *.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Emancipation"
SO glad I decided to wait to watch this episode until after I had seen Civil War. This would have ruined it.
I love Coulson and Talbot together, and I love the fact that Coulson is playing a long game with a Batman Gambit by the end. That double-bluff of sending Lash in Lincoln's place was genius, and significant in the fact that he can never use it again. Lash was his biggest gun, and he used it to get Daisy back instead of definitively killing Hive. Maybe he hoped for both, but he only got one. And his payload is now spent.
Grotesque non-people that do what they're told? Why WOULDN'T Hive love that?
More Adrian Pasdar, please. ***1/2.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Forgiven" / "Ascension"
I know my television. Bows.
I said if Agents of SHIELD was a lousy show, they'd kill off Lincoln. If it was a good show, they'd kill off Daisy. I knew Lincoln's death would make the show seem lousy, but what I didn't count on is how close they were to making it a good show before totally blowing it. Both tonight's episode of Flash and this finale seemed to want to make us very conscious and aware of how much each of those shows sucks. Me? If I wrote this cr*p, I wouldn't be drawing attention to that. If I was gonna kill off Lincoln, I wouldn't be teasing I was killing off Daisy. Bad writing sucks, and effects every show. And sometimes it's even necessary. But the good shows make it so you don't notice the bad writing. Both Flash and AoS went out of their way to point out how much they suck. I think making bad writing NOT seem like bad writing is definitely an acquired skill for many TV writers. I'm just astonished that the writers of these shows don't seem to also be aware of how necessary it is. They don't actually seem to understand they have done something wrong. Which drives me crazy.
I have no idea what is going on with that tag and I frankly do not care. What makes the series think I should in the first place? I don't care jack-all about Radcliffe. If it's somebody coming back to life as it appears from what I've read online, I would have liked a clue for me to get that that assumes I hadn't read any comic books on the subject. Since I haven't, the ending seemed much more unclear than it should have been. I'm not a comic book nerd. I am a member of the "general audience" as far as this show is concerned. And I did not get what was happening.
Radcliffe DID do something interesting earlier in the episode that I liked. I liked him clapping his hands upon Hive's capture and lamely saying "Yeah!". Mutant Enemy seems to be the only drama company on Earth cunning enough to make an act break humorous by making it intentionally anticlimactic as a joke. They even make the musical cue seem absolutely off and out of place. And it's always hilarious. "She's a robot." That's what that moment was.
I was almost as appalled at Mack trying to return the crucifix to Yoyo as she was. As she noted, that's a religous symbol, not a lucky rabbit's foot. You don't return those under any circumstance. How does he not know that?
Was there anything that I liked? I have been very clear on how much I hate mind control in the past. But I liked this take because everyone is basically forgiving Daisy, and giving her the benefit of the doubt, and SHE is the one who is appalled by that, and doesn't think she deserves it. That is pretty much the opposite of a character not taking responsibility for their own actions during a mind control scenario.
I was disappointed, but frankly, unsurprised. I expected it to be Lincoln. Because this has not proven to be a great show in the past. Why would they start now? **.
Once Upon A Time "Only You" / "An Untold Story"
The first hour was good, but the second? Not feelin' it. Sorry, the season didn't redeem itself after all and was a dud.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! I got what was going on before the big reveal, but I was sorely hoping for Dracula. Sue me.
Why the frell is Will Scarlett not at Robin Hood's wake? What. The. FRAK?
A whole new bunch of storybooks open up possibilities. Paul Bunyan. Don Quixote. The Three Musketeers. Next season is gonna be bonkers.
Let's start off the second episode critique with Henry's questionable believe moment: Belief is not an inherently virtuous thing. In fact, most of the world's ills are due to conflicting beliefs. I hate the idea that a show for kids is teaching them that belief is what is important. Reason is. Also the idea that the people at the fountain thought it was just a show does not hold up to scrutiny. If I had witnessed the things those people did, it would change how I actually saw the world. I could not rationalize those things away, and the idea that every single person would is bogus. In reality, news crews would have showed up to get breathless eyewitness accounts from whomever witnessed the miracle. Maybe some people would attribute it to Jesus, rather than the Author. But people would know a miracle had taken place, no matter what they think caused it.
Secondly, the whole separating Regina from the Evil Queen idea was a disaster, and I can't believe nobody saw it coming. And what if the Queen had killed Regina instead? They'd be out of one of their biggest guns while someone who had all of her power and then some would want to kill them all. And, I'm sorry, the idea of killing the Evil Queen is frankly evil. What happened to Snow, David, Henry, and Emma having a code about stuff like that? Why should the Evil Queen have to die just because they like the good version of Regina better? Because the Evil Queen is just as much a mother to Henry as Good Regina is and they are basically telling her that doesn't matter. Nope, she has to die. That is beyond uncool and another terrible moral, even if it HAD worked. If it HAD worked, I still would have been appalled.
And let's face it, Belle got the most undignified ending to the season ever. She's Cordelia in Season Four of Angel. Is Emilie De Ravin actually pregnant and did she truly request time off? Because I can think of no better excuse. Because Belle got the worst season ending this show ever gave anyone, and I thought ROBIN HOOD'S horrid death couldn't be topped.
Anything I liked? A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court. Brilliant. Bloody brilliant. If THAT was the show more often, I'd never say a word against it.
But the second part was mostly terrible. ***1/2 for the first hour, * for the second. Two-Part Average: **.
The Simpsons "Simprovised"
The live part at the end was terrific. I hope they wind up doing that again. That was awesome. "Drake was terrible." Ha!
I loved Homer asking Marge who she was mad at, and being relieved it was Bart. This is another hint that Homer has no idea when he has done something wrong, and another reason why Marge probably forgives him as often as she does. There is no intentional malice in that guy. He truly is that clueless.
But seriously, Bart sucks. He has definitely been the worst part of the show for the past few seasons.
I liked Mr. Burns' therapy hounds. As well as the button he pushed to make the walk to the podium sound more ominous.
I love whenever the show steps outside of its comfort zone and this did that brilliantly. *****.
Grimm "Beginning Of The End, Parts 1 and 2"
Swoons with pleasure. Hee!
This show is currently terrible. It cannot be helped, and it is past the point where is can return from that. At least I'm 90% of that. Before this episode I was 99% sure.
But as bad as this show is currently, that was easily the best (by far) season finale they ever gave us. And that includes the first three seasons when Grimm was actually a good show.
Where to start? Perfect stopping point. I cannot get over how perfect that cliffhanger is. Something bad could happen, or something good could happen. You don't know. Which is exactly right.
Is it actually over? I suspect after all that Renard will break from Black Claw. The Grimm Gang will not forgive him or let him into the club, but with Bonapart dead, they have nothing to hold over him. Whether he resigns as Mayor is an open question (although I suspect he will so the series can keep him Captain). But I kind of think Renard finally got for the first time that he was on the losing side.
The big questions:
How big a threat to Nick will Diana be next season? I'm guessing she's next year's Big Bad. With two extra reasons for Nick to be reluctant to fight and kill her: she's just a child, and she's Adalind's daughter. A lot of scenarios can be concocted about alliances over the threat of that kid (including Adalind turning against Nick and joining Renard, or Adalind turning against Diana to protect Nick and Kelly). Juicy ideas can happen next year.
Is that really Juliet? Is she still a Hexenbiest? My guess is yes on the first question, no on the second. The Healing stick totally healed her. It obviously doesn't undo being a Wesen (because it healed Monroe while keeping him a Blutbad), but Juliet was Hexenbiested by unnatural means. I'm guessing she's cured. And will have to live not only with all of the cr*p she did as Eve, but all of the horrible things she did to Nick and his mother before she was captured and reprogrammed. And a big part of the season will be if Nick can forgive her, or even if he should. My guess: he'll forgive her and the writers will push them back together. My opinion: They shouldn't do that. Juliet should not get a redemption arc after what she did. But David Greenwalt was raised on the knee of Joss Whedon and I fully expect him to mirror his worst storytelling decisions. As creepy as Adalind and Nick are together, and as horrible as she was in the first three seasons, she never did anything to Nick that she could not come back from under the right circumstances. I will never forgive the death of Kelly. And neither should Nick. I feel very strongly about that.
Can the Healing Stick help Wu? My guess is yes, but the characters have been too stupid to play around with it and find out it's powers. I cannot believe Eve was only the second person we've seen healed by the stick. The stick should have been the FIRST thing they tried to help Wu.
Meisner's death mattered. We learned he definitely is human and not Wesen, and I think it was a turning point for Renard and Nick. Even if Renard renounces Black Claw due to the fact that Nick is obviously more powerful than they are, Meisner's death means Nick should never forgive him, and I believe Trubel will make sure he never does. I think we can say once and for all that Meisner was definitely on the side of angels, and the fact that Renard helped kill him, after everything he did for Diana and Adalind, shows that Renard is a monster. Literally, for the first time.
I do not know if Grimm can actually come back from season four. I am not going to get my hopes up. But unlike Once Upon A Time, which is suffering from similar problems, they actually delivered a great finale. I think Grimm has a better shot at this point for redemption than Emma Swan does. *****.
12 Monkeys "Bodies Of Water"
I love that Jennifer knows "Movin' Right Along" from The Muppet Movie and "The Touch" from the Transformers movie. I also love that she had gotten hooked on a rock version of The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme. "You're gonna make it after all" totally fits her.
Do you know the messed up thing about what Cole and Ramse did to Deacon? It was the right move! Because it totally took care of their Foreman problem (just not in the way they were expected). And frankly, if Deacon can survive THAT, that means he's valuable. Were I Cole and Ramse, I would not dismiss that.
I liked Ramse asking Cole if he liked his breath on his neck. Guy friends are so weird.
Fun episode. Look forward to even more of The Pallid Man! ****.
Bob's Burgers "The Horse Rider-er"
Paul Rudd was brilliant as Jericho. I loved the tantrum he threw as Tina went to Horse Camp. It told me two things: This show is hilarious and Tina is a very disturbed individual.
I laughed hard at Teddy performing an exorcism on the deep fryer.
And it goes doing nothing, and way down there is Restaurant Camp, followed closely by work. And then a little below that is genocide.
I love that Bob accurately played Old Man Belcher at the end. He's probably never been to camp himself, but he's obviously seen just as many of the movies as Linda has.
The only thing I didn't like is the idea that because Tina knew so much about horses, she'd get the dud horse. That makes no sense to me, and wouldn't happen in real life. In real-life initiative and curiosity is rewarded in places like that.
But the episode was hilarious otherwise. ****.
Family Guy "Run, Chris, Run"
Great episode title.
I actually don't have a problem with the kids voting for Chris because they felt bad for him. It strikes me as much different than doing it as a prank. The intent isn't negative, which matters.
I loved Principle Shepard (mostly) correctly guessing the responses he'd get to his rap over the speakers.
I loved watching the 8-bit Nintendo sports game. Picking Bo Jackson means you are cheating, and those games always had glitches too.
It has been hinted before that Jerome was racist. I did not mind it when it was directed at Peter, but when he does it to Cleveland it's kind of deplorable. I think the thing that bothers me is I doubt any black people see their relationships with other black people that way. That's probably another example of a white writer of a Sethverse show thinking they have a special insight into black culture, when they are in reality talking out of their butts.
When Brian is mad at there being security guards in the girl's bathroom, and how it was fostering a culture of fear, I thought to myself, "People like Brian are why those guys are there in the first place." The withering look Stewie gave him suggests he knows this, but Brian is still clueless (and a total perv).
Decemberists' demographics are men who weigh less than their girlfriends? For some reason, I REALLY like that idea. A lot. The show means it as a slam, but I think it's actually a really cool idea.
Why is Brian embarrassed to be reading a Hunger Games book? It's an actual book, aside from the nothing he usually reads.
Still sickened that Herbert is on this show, and the writers still think he is funny. He is not.
Jeremy Renner totally looks like a young Popeye.
Principle Shepard can NEVER be turned into a character as awesome as Principle Lewis from America Dad, but I still liked this episode. ****.
American Dad "Daesong Heavy Industries II: Return To Innocence"
This show has lost it's way. Family Guy can still come up with interesting ideas and premises, but this show cannot. And it should NOT be that way because this show has multiple great characters and Family Guy only has Stewie. Why is the show with the lousy cast doing better than the show with the great cast? Makes no sense.
I was also creeped out by Hayley getting off at what she was at the end. Klaus' bit with the underage saltshaker was similarly creepy. Honesty, these past two TBS seasons have pretty much sucked. 1/2.
Bordertown "American Doll"
Maybe if Peter Griffin had cameoed earlier in the season, the show wouldn't have been canceled.
But the whole thing with Gert and the dolls made me realize how absolutely unlikable and repulsive the characters are. It's not a surprise the show was canceled. The surprise is that Fox picked it up in the first place.
Nice slam at The Cleveland Show there, producers. Except The Cleveland Show lasted four seasons and this show only one. It is in no position to throw stones.
I really disliked the beginning that said that Coyote was Ernesto. That just shows the producers do not care about their characters and consider them interchangeable.
I did like the moral that little kids should be allowed to make up their own stories to go with their toys. It's not just an American Girl problem. This has been plaguing toylines, and toy-based TV shows since the 1980's.
This show deserved to be canceled. *.
The Last Man On Earth "30 Years Of Science Down The Tubes"
Fantastic. The show just bought itself at least another half-season, if not a full one. Bad guys! Love that idea. I sort of wish Mike had been there to give them the deal about the guy on the boat. I am very happy they not only returned to him, but tied him into the drone.
Mike and Phil were amazing this episode. Jason Sudeikis brought his A-Game. I had never known what he was capable of before this show but he's amazing. Him seeing his parents' graves and then realizing Phil had to bury them himself was bad enough. But when he sees his own grave I just about lost it. Powerful stuff.
Of course Phil has the Delorean from Back To The Future. There is no reason he shouldn't have it.
I have to say I was a bit appalled with Melissa. Not because she shot the drone (as we can see she was right to do it) but because she said that if any of them started coughing up blood, she'd kick them out. I dunno, man, I did not KNOW that about her before tonight, and I kind of wish I never did. Todd and Erica having second thoughts was the right reaction, but Melissa seems cold-blooded. It is to her and the group's credit that they put her in the stocks at the end, and she consented to be in them. Unfortunately, the timing's off. With Phil 2 gone, Melissa is the most dangerous member of the group, and I hope they can free her in time for the inevitable attack. I am still amazed this show is still good.
Fantastic finale. *****.
Bates Motel "Norman"
The big question: Where do we go from here?
If I could choose any format for the show to return next year, it would be Freddie Highmore, Nestor Carbonell, and Vera Farmiga as the only series regulars. Romero isn't needed, but if he's there, the series is juicier. I think they should just leave Max Theroit and Olivia Cooke where they are (as sucky as Dylan's last scene was), make it so their happy ending sticks, and they never see Norman again.
What this episode told me is that this show is not what I was expecting. I was expecting a countdown to the moment Norman became a psycho and murdered his mother and dug up her body. He's already done that. What this tells me is the last season will be setting up Norman for the events of Psycho, with the series finale (hopefully two hours long) being an actual adaptation of the film entirely from Norman's point of view. No unrelated scenes with Janet Leigh elsewhere, just a chick shows up with a ton of money whom Norman stabs in the shower.
I want Romero present for the last season. I do. I think the fact that his very real insights into this kid's craziness are being completely ignored is something that they cannot just drop and expect me to be okay with it. It has to go somewhere, presumably Romero FINALLY proving Norman is the killer of Janet Leigh's character and the finding of Norma's body. After which, Romero puts the ring back on her finger. We can have a few minutes of Norman in the asylum, and MAYBE then Dylan and Emma could visit him in the closing moments of the series' and he'll reveal the truth about Emma's mom. Norman CANNOT get away with what he has on this series, and it troubled me that the premise of the series meant that he would, and we'd never actually see the fall-out. That is precisely why Smallville sucked. Instead, the show is taking after Hannibal, and perhaps doing an adaptation of the source material as it winds down. I am MUCH more on-board that premise than I ever was with the idea that Norman kills Norma in the series finale. MUCH more.
Do you know why Norman sucks? He took off the ring and then threw it in Romero's face! How could the people in the funeral home not get it after that? Or the fact that he didn't invite any guests, much less her husband? I want some closure for this series, and it never would have happened if it ended with him killing Norma. The proper way to end the series is their own spin on Psycho, and it always has been.
I am officially excited for season five and Weekend At Normie's. It is so subversive that they can kill Norma off and probably still have Vera Farmiga be a regular cast member in season 5. I will laugh if she still gets top billing in the credits next year.
Chick is SO creepy. I imagine he will have a big part in season 5, as he seems to be the only person besides Romero who has guessed the truth. I also imagine Norman will unexpectedly kill him. I'm amazed it didn't happen tonight.
Tonight told me this will probably wind up being a good series by the series finale. And I wasn't sure of that before tonight. *****.
The Blacklist "Alexander Kirk: Conclusion"
Were I Red, I would not kill Kaplan for that. Ever. I suspect he won't. Why? Because Kaplan just demonstrated something important: she cares more about Liz and her daughter than she does Red. Since Red cares about Liz and her daughter more than he does himself, having someone who DEFINITELY shares that exact philosophy is useful. Full stop. And I hope is smart enough to see that. I really do.
As for Liz being alive, it was not a surprise, but even if it was a bit of a relief, it was also a bit of a let-down. The series just lost a great deal of its credibility by doing that. And it will never get it back. Not from me. The Blacklist had the potential to go down as a great show. Now it will probably go down as a good one at best (if it is very lucky). That is a crying shame.
I think Ressler's bluff was stupid, and it wasn't even dramatic or riveting. He's not going to pull the trigger on Red. Not just because Red's the main character, but because he's known Red for years, and they have both saved each other's lives on multiple occasions. He's not going to kill somebody he shares that close of a connection with to protect a guy he doesn't know. The revelation at the end that Ressler actually WANTED Red to do it, was quite unnecessary. He was never going to go through with it, even if he ultimately didn't want Kirk dead.
We know Liz's father now, and that will be juicy, so next season will be interesting in a way the last third of this season was not. But the series just destroyed its credibility. And I don't even think the "Liz is dead" fake-out even yielded any positive results storywise.
Do you know what this means though? Red's flawless winning streak is back. Red lost a great deal of his mojo thinking he failed Liz, and I hope next season he goes back to being as confident as he was before the wedding. But this episode (and the show) are currently on my pooplist. **1/2.
Blindspot "If Love A Rebel, Death Will Render"
I'm just gonna say it: Jane is the villain of the season, with the runner up going to Weller's father. That whole cloning thing explains Jane completely. She isn't Taylor Shaw. She is her clone.
And everything is her fault. Do you know why she shouldn't have trusted Oscar? Not because he framed Mayfair for murder, but because he didn't tell her that was going on. If his actions were as righteous as he claimed, she would have seen that at the time, right? The fact that he did it all without telling her means he didn't trust her, which means she shouldn't trust him.
I was loving Mayfair this episode (possibly for the first time ever) so of course they killed her off. I should have known. This show kills off all of the likable and interesting characters. I'm actually angry about it, to be honest. I loved that she pieced everything together on her own. And yeah, I kind of want to get Weller's reaction, especially since she isn't actually Taylor Shaw. Her begging Mayfair to understand that she didn't know was pathetic. She knew plenty. Maybe not at the time, but after the fact, and she didn't say anything. Jane Doe is weak and a coward. I had fully expected to her give a hearty "Screw You!" to Oscar at the beginning of the episode, and when she didn't, I knew things were all downhill from there. I now detest the character and the fact that the writers probably think I should still be sympathizing with her. I don't. The director firing her made the right call. And I believed that before Mayfair's death and Taylor's reveal happened.
Everything this season is coming into place, and that's good. But the series continues to focus on the wrong characters and engender sympathies for those we should rightly hate. For everything this hour did right it did something very wrong. ***.
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Tomorrow Wars by Floyd Gottfredson
Ironically, the first three stories are a return to form for the strip as Bill Walsh joins the strip as writer, and things take a dark, adult, and gothic turn. People actually die in "The Pirate Ghost Ship", "House Of Mystery", and "The World Of Tomorrow". and the strips becomes a genuine horror / sci-fi / fantasy comic at turns. It is super interesting.
Unfortunately right after those three amazing stories, (and the silly Western "Billy The Mouse"), the strip gives us almost a year's worth of nothing but gag strips, and then a bunch of short two and three week continuities that are mostly outright terrible. The strip hit ones of its high points, and immediately sunk back down to its former lows. Hopefully things will get better in the next couple of volumes when Eega Beeva and the Rhyming Man show up. Collection Overall: ***1/2.
"The Pirate Ghost Ship" Plus Gag Strips:
Great story and great run of gag strips. Overall: ****1/2.
The Pirate Ghost Ship: I have to admit that was pretty amazing. Not as good as Gottfredson's best, but definitely a return to form after the strip experienced a lull. Very moody, creepy, and faster paced than the strip has ever been. Part of that seems to be because the strips has shrunk, but there are actually less word balloons now too, so it is a faster read. I don't have to set aside an hour to read one of these serials. ****1/2.
Gag Strips: I had no idea people used to smoke tobacco out of bongs but it makes sense, because that's what opium was. Also I see kids smoking in one of the strips (a definite modern no-no) and a reference to something called mumblety-peg. Still no clue what that is. ***1/2.
"The World Of Tomorrow":
It's a good story, but the dream ending took me out of it. I can't really think of a different believable one, but those things always make Gottfredson's stories seem pointless. And he went to that particular well a lot. It's cool that the story had a ready made excuse for Mickey's new outfit, but now that it's a dream, it doesn't make any sense why he's wearing it past this story. Crossed wires there. Very gutsy to not only kill Mimi off, but to have Mickey express remorse. The Pete Stand-in died in "The Pirate Ghost Ship" too, but that wasn't explicit, and nobody cared. Mickey's grief is real, even if Mimi is a robot. Very adult concept. ****.
"House Of Mystery" Plus Gag Strips:
House Of Mystery is good, but the gag strips are boring this round. Overall: ***1/2.
House Of Mystery: I will concede that was a good story. But it ended way too quickly. I can't for the life of me figure out why Walsh and Gottfredson didn't take an extra week to wrap it up properly. It's not like the serial HAD to be a certain length. I can forgive a rushed ending to a Carl Barks Comic Book. Not A Floyd Gottfredson Comic Strip. That being said, the very last panel is probably one of the most memorable things the strips ever did. But I kind of wanted a little bit more to have earned an ending that dark. ****.
Gag Strips: Nothing interesting in this go-round. **.
"Billy The Mouse" Plus Gag Strips:
Billy the Mouse is a silly story and this is the longest run of gag strips so far. Overall: **1/2.
Billy The Mouse: King Silver is perhaps the creepiest looking horse Gottfredson ever drew. Yoyo the Indian is offensive, but nowhere NEAR as offensive as most of the stuff in Gottfredson's past. I love Mickey saying that the horse costume was getting a little droopy around the tenderloin. I liked the moment after Mickey and the bad guy escaped from the bear they smiled at each other with a "We did it!" moment, realized they were fighting and got back to it. That same joke was used with Indiana Jones and the Nazi in the runaway truck in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. ***1/2.
Gag Strips: A lot of these puzzled me. People used to chew tar off the street because they thought it was good for their teeth? People in the 1940's actually picked up something off the street and put it in their mouths? Now I know where Louie Gohmert comes from. I liked Mickey using radio ad jingles to chase gophers out of his yard. Another couple of incredible 1940's moments included Goofy buying a ton of airplanes. Somehow, I doubt Mickey's claims that old airplanes are a dime a dozen are remotely true, even in 1946. Also idiotic is the idea that painting a light-bulb yellow keeps insects away. Two very unfortunately trends in this round of strips. Mickey seems to spend a LOT of time leering creepily at beautiful women he doesn't know, and I kind of have stopped thinking Minnie's jealousies are irrational. They're justified, especially since he keeps doing it in front of her. Second thing is that Mickey seems to live in a bad neighborhood. He is constantly dealing with burglars and muggers, and I think even back then, they'd be kind of rare for a middle-class man like Mickey. I'm sure when these were first printed, they seemed funny. But reading them one after another makes me think Mouseton is a criminal warzone on the level of Gotham City. **1/2.
Short Stories: "Mickey's Great Grandfather", "Home Made Home", "The New Girlfriend", "Mickey's Mini-Plane", "Mystery Next Door", "Gangland", "Sunken Treasure", "Trailer Trouble", "Aunt Marissa", "The Candidate", "The Little Genius":
Most of these short stories suck. Overall: *1/2.
Mickey's Great Grandfather: Painfully unfunny. And I don't care if he thought the gold nugget was fake at the end, Mickey is a jerk for throwing it out. It was a gift from his Great Grandfather. You don't just toss those in the garbage because you don't think it is worth anything. *.
Home Made Home: Cute story, but a bit boring. **1/2.
The New Girlfriend: Let me get this straight. Mickey decides to date someone else and we are supposed to think Minnie is the bad guy? Ludicrous. 0.
Mickey's Mini-Plane: I thought Mickey supposedly never lied. He sure seemed to be willing to tell that investor anything he wanted to hear. **.
Mystery Next Door: This might have been better if it was longer. ***.
Gangland: Dumb story, but serviceable. ***1/2.
Sunken Treasure: I like the expression on Mickey and Goofy's faces when they are "acting goofy". ****.
Trailer Trouble: Story ended too quickly. **1/2.
Aunt Marissa: Totally unlikable story. *.
The Candidate: The logic of Goofy being awarded the Councilman position does not hold up. **.
The Little Genius: Operation Bubblegum did NOT disappoint! Hilarious! The best of the short stories. ****1/2.
Chesty And Coptie:
Early War Bonds promotional piece by Gottfredson. Gladstone reprinted it in color, but Fantagraphics goes back to making it black and white with the only color being the red feather. ***.
Mr. George's Wife:
These early comic strips by Walt Disney are horrible. Aside from being sexist and unfunny, the artwork is absolutely atrocious. The fact that the essayists don't seem to think it was for that era, leads me to believe early comic strip art was terrible in general. 0.
A Mickey Mystery by Byron Erickson:
I loved Erickson's World Of The Dragonlords, specifically because it took the concept and the characters seriously, and constructed a legit, novel-length Disney fantasy. This story takes things a little TOO seriously, and gives an alternate Earth Mickey a dysfunctional life incongruous to anything we've seen before. I will admit that this is the type of story Gottfredson might have written had he been able to get away with a version of Mickey so horrible. But Gottfredson's gifts as a storyteller are overstated. It still seems a bit forced and badly written, I think. Still, I do not begrudge Erickson for taking chances with the characters, even when those chances don't pay off. That's part of telling a story. Not everything is going to be dynamite. I think the one serious thing in the story I did like was the last two panels. That seemed to be a very thought-provoking way for Erickson to state that Mickey is at his best in the red shorts with yellow buttons. The later Gottfredson / Paul Murray stories where he's wearing a shirt and porkpie hat do not cut it. Accept no substitutions. ***1/2.
Captain America: Civil War
Elephant in the room: It is NOT as great as Winter Soldier. But I didn't expect it to be. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is easily the best superhero film ever made, and by a large margin, so it is unreasonable to expect any superhero movie to live up to it (even its sequel). If one day, we DO get a superhero movie better than it, I'll be ecstatic, but I don't expect that with every movie. What we got here made me very happy.
I hate Comic Book Tony Stark because he's a Neocon Fascist. But honestly? Even though they are kind of both right, I'm mainly Team Stark. I might not have been had Steve not been willing to sign the accords (minus some provisions to be put in later) if he hadn't overreacted to Wanda being confined to quarters. The fact that he was willing to do that, and changed his mind for essentially a personal reason, tells me the accords are not as terrible as Steve originally feared, and that he's just being a big baby. I am very surprised that the movie gave Tony a legit point of view. Tony was the bad guy in the comics.
And honestly, the fact that he knew about Bucky killing Tony's parents and said nothing, is another mark against Captain Rogers. I'm frankly a little bit surprised and appalled by that, and had assumed he'd filled him in after the end credits of Winter Soldier. The fact that that turns out not to have been the case, makes me very unhappy. As Tony said, he thought they were friends.
Spider-Man: Best screen version so far, live-action OR animated. I love the wisecracks, and that the movie is not stingy with them. Andrew Garfield had a few in one scene in the first movie, but they did not work at all, because he seemed to be a bit unhinged when he was making them. There was also a subtext that he was using them to make the criminal fear him, which is not what they're about. Spidey wisecracks because he has fun fighting crime. Action is his reward. He seemed to really enjoy himself during that fight, and was amazed he got to stand toe to toe with Iron Man and Captain America. And that's the right tone. He's a kid who thinks this is as cool as it gets. And Empire is an old movie to him. Perfect.
Query: How exactly did Tony know who Spider-Man was? They never answered that. The fact that Peter calls Aunt May "May" is another cool change for the character.
Black Panther: Full opinion TBD. I like that they ultimately decided to have him NOT enact vengeance upon Zemo, as that is probably the least attractive part of the character for me. It was refreshing when he basically says "Geez, I almost killed wrong guy. I'm not letting this define me. I'm not as big of a chump as the Punisher." So I like what we got and look forward to his movie.
Zemo: Do you know the subversive thing? Objectively speaking, just based on where everybody ended up, Zemo won! Half of the Avengers are now criminals, and War Machine was seriously injured, perhaps badly enough that he'll never put on the suit again. He wanted to destroy the Avengers. He kind of did.
Unhappy that not only was Pepper Potts not in the movie as rumored, but she and Tony are on break. VERY unhappy.
Equally unhappy Peggy Carter died, but considering her actual age, there aren't many more plausible screen appearances she could have made. Hopefully we'll get the occasional Agent Carter TV movie or miniseries. But the character was getting up there in years.
I like that Sharon didn't tell her she was watching Steve because she didn't want to have to make her aunt keep a secret from him. That is unbearably sweet.
I liked that no Avengers actually died. It was sort of hinted this movie would be a bloodbath and it wasn't. That meant I could enjoy the final fight.
I love when Sam lands to check if Rhodey is okay, Tony blows him away with repulsors. Kind of the right reaction, if you ask me.
Vision looks ghastly in civvies. He needs to have a wardrobe Plan B.
Giant Man! YES! THAT'S where Empire comes in handy.
I wish the actual ending to the movie had been stronger. Nothing seemed settled. That's sort of okay, considering the MCU is ongoing, but I was definitely more satisfied with the ending to the last movie. That was a good stopping point. I kind of feel this was too unresolved.
I had a great time at this movie though, and think it blew Batman v Superman out of the water. I'm betting it buries that movie (as fun as it was) with box office receipts. *****.
Teen Titans Go! "Wally T"
Mostly garbage, but I like that it broke the fourth wall a bit and admitted that most adult fans think this show is inferior to the anime version. And it nailed the true nature of fandom. A TRUE fan sticks with something out of a sense of obligation, no matter how bad it gets. Which is precisely why I still watch this show.
But Starfire and Raven perving on that little kid is all kinds of ick. I'm deducting three entire stars just for that. **.
The Flash "Invincible"
I'm just going to say it: killing off Henry was a mistake. And it will probably go down as the biggest mistake the series ever did. Holy cow. Grant Gustin and John Wesley Shipp's emotional scenes together are literally the best thing about the series. It is full-stop the show's biggest selling point, and why I enjoy the show so much. And now, just to shock the audience for a brief moment, it no longer has that. Forever. Idiotic.
I also resent the moral that supposedly Barry was being too optimistic. It didn't play that way. If he had turned into an egomaniac about his skills that would be one thing, but instead he just saw more good things about life than usual. I resent that that is portrayed as a bad thing. I resent that Barry has to be punished for that. To learn the reality that life sucks, and is never going to get better. Because that's not true. Barry was right the first time. I shouldn't have to see Barry learn a lesson about being correct. How dare he?
Also puzzling is the idea that the group wonders if they should tell Sara and Quentin about Earth-2 Laurel. My initial question to that is: Have they even met Sara? Do they even know who she is? I remember that Caitlin helped with her autopsy for Felicity, but was any of Team Flash aware Constantine brought her back to life? There seems to have been a lot of stuff going on off-screen that the audience wasn't privy to.
Having Magee in on the secret and being a potential love interest for Henry is made doubly pointless since they killed him off. If they were trying to throw us off of his death, that's a stupid tactic. Because I much rather would have seen a potential romance between those two, and how Barry deals with it. The show is basically making it clear to the audience that they decided to take the least interesting story path for Henry (getting rid of him) and making us see that something juicy could have been done instead. I have to say, that's not a good mislead, that's simply bad writing, and the series shoving the fact that it made a mistake into our faces, as if we should be impressed by it. But hey, it means I didn't see Henry dying coming, right? So, because I was surprised during that moment, I guess it's okay that I now think the show is badly written.
Any good things? I really look forward to the outcome of Wally learning Barry is the Flash. That was the only good thing that happened tonight, and I cannot wait for the fall-out (especially considering how dismissive of Barry Wally has been in the past). But I am a little bit shocked that the penultimate episode of the season is this terrible. That is pretty much unprecedented for an Arrowverse show. *.
Arrow "Lost In The Flood"
Love the idea that Anarky is on the side of angels for this particular episode. That's how I knew the good guys were gonna win.
I do not feel bad about Darhk's wife dying at all, but I am a little bit appalled that he wants to still start Armageddon while his daughter is still breathing and fine. There is no part of Damian that is not a total scumbag.
Loved the moment where Thea broke free of the conditioning. Very empowering moment from Oliver there.
I didn't know War Games got a DVD sequel, and now I wish I still didn't know. That's depressing. And how does Curtis know the actual year it was released? There's being a nerd, and there's being pathetic. That crossed the line from the former into the latter.
That scene of Oliver and Dig running through the neighborhood through gunfire was absolutely sick (in a good way!). The last couple of episodes of the first two seasons gave us epic action sequences. Season three really did not. I predict this year's finale will be good in a way last year's wasn't. I also loved the scene where Genesis exploded. Very exciting.
How in the secret is Donna now? Will Felicity tell her it's Oliver? TBD...
I think my favorite moment in the episode (and perhaps the season) is that when Oliver tells Quentin to stay put so there will be an authority figure people trust present... he actually does it! He doesn't question it for a second. Either he knows Oliver is completely right, or trusts his judgment unwaveringly. I love that moment. I love how far these two have come.
The flashbacks were the thing that worried me. I don't see a good outcome for Oliver's new lady-friend. And that's kind of depressing.
I love that Curtis is swigging beer upon having to put up with Felicity's parents, and once she realizes why he called the emergency, she grabs the bottle and takes a swill too. Hilarious moment. I love Curtis and Felicity together. And I love that it is completely non-sexual.
Oliver tells Malcolm he should have killed him. And he still doesn't. I still think Oliver isn't thinking clearly about that. He should have taken down Merlyn the moment he found out he killed Sara. Him still breathing a season and a half later is far more than Malcolm has ever deserved.
I think the one moment I hated was Oliver questioning Dig if the families who believed in Darhk had a point. That asinine. And I do not believe Oliver would entertain that for a second. He was written out of character in that moment, because the hero ALWAYS has to question their decisions before the final battle, but the notion is inane. The reason the world sucked? It was because of Darhk. Anyone who followed him after the things he did is simply a member of a cult. It doesn't matter if they're drugged or not. They are still brainwashed. And I do not believe Oliver Queen is a stupid enough character to not immediately recognize the difference.
But that was, like, my only complaint. I'm only knocking off a half-star for it. ****1/2.
DC's Legends Of Tomorrow "Legendary"
Am I supposed to know who Rex Tyler is? Because as of now, he could have said "I'm Jack Johnson", and I'd give him the same blank stare.
Pretty good, I think. Probably because this was the only episode (besides the last) where the heroes actually accomplished something. This show's biggest fault is its lack of forward momentum. This had that.
As for Snart's appearance, as grateful as I was to see Wentworth Miller again, I hate that this means they aren't going to retcon his death. I'd call it the worst Arrowverse death of the season, but Henry Allen kind of ties it in dumb@$$ery. Still, I look forward to rewatching the series on Blu-Ray. Surely, some of Snart's reactions to Mick will play differently the second time around, knowing he was on the receiving end of those words from Rory.
When Quentin instantly told Sara about Laurel's death, it kind of makes me amazed at how terrible a daughter Laurel was. Somebody in your family dies, you tell them. That's normal, right? Laurel keeping it a secret was pretty much insane, and the way Quentin does it without fanfare, or trying to keep it from Sara makes, me realize Laurel was a total jack@$$. And she was SUCH a jack@$$ in a very weird, crazy, not-normal way. What a hot mess our Black Canary was.
The moving helmet thing was clever and stupid. Stupid because it's not credible from a scientific standpoint, clever because since time travel doesn't actually exist, nobody can disprove the writers. It's exactly as ludicrous as Douglas Adams stating the secret of the universe is 42. How exactly are we going to disprove Rip here? 42 works within the framework of the Hitchhikerverse, and the temporal helmet makes a similar kind of sense in the Arrowverse.
Also good to have a ready made excuse for why Rip wouldn't want to try to save Laurel. He ALREADY changed history, and by recruiting Sara, that meant she and Quentin survive, and history originally says they died. As flexible a premise as time travel seems to me, that doesn't seem to be something that is worth risking your and your father's life for, especially since you've just learned you and he were originally supposed to die. I like that idea.
I was very unimpressed with Rip's hallucination of his family. At first I thought they were having the stones to kill him off, and say an afterlife exists in the Arrowverse. But it's just a stupid fantasy sequence. This franchise is not Scrubs or Ally McBeal. I do not tolerate that, especially because hallucinations are so unusual, and all of the previous ones we've seen in this continuity let us know that was what they were while they were happening. I was very unhappy with that.
But the finale was serviceable and fun. And seeing the meteor shrink and then give a tiny poof was a big laughline too. My impression is mostly favorable. If I'm VERY good, can we have Constantine in season 2? ****.
Gotham "Rise Of The Villains: A Legion Of Horribles"
Great episode title.
Mostly cr*p, although I laughed at Harvey's attitude towards being the new Commish and how casually he was able to lie about Galavan. He got blown up. Kind of hard to ID the body. Big laugh line. And when he says he's Commissioner until someone else says they want it, I kind of don't want anyone else to want it. Him offering Alfred an entire police squad also show how wholly inadequate to the good guys Barnes was.
Selina's "servant" nonsense was stupid. I'm guessing the writers couldn't think of a better way out of the scenario for her besides killing her.
Did they put David Masouz in platform shoes? In his scenes with Strange, they are the same height and looking eye to eye, but I didn't think either that B.D. Wong was that short, or that Masouz was that tall yet.
I'm impressed the show got Jada Pinkett Smith to come back. I don't what to think about that. Frankly, after what they made her say and do last season, were I her, I would have NEVER returned, and said good riddance forever, but for some reason the producers hadn't completely burned their bridges with her. That's a shame, because I instantly gained respect for her when she quit the show. And now that's kind of gone.
Years later, if Nygma EVER found out how close he came here... he'd be kicking himself.
Court of Owls, huh? I had suspected as much earlier in the season. At first I thought the lady in the white hair was Nichelle Nichols. But Gotham doesn't love me that much.
As I said, mostly cr*p. **.
The Powerpuff Girls "Frenemy"
I did not like this at all. This harkened back to the cynicism of the original series, which was the most insufferable thing about it. Buttercup's actress also cannot do a convincing British accent to save her life. *.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Emancipation"
SO glad I decided to wait to watch this episode until after I had seen Civil War. This would have ruined it.
I love Coulson and Talbot together, and I love the fact that Coulson is playing a long game with a Batman Gambit by the end. That double-bluff of sending Lash in Lincoln's place was genius, and significant in the fact that he can never use it again. Lash was his biggest gun, and he used it to get Daisy back instead of definitively killing Hive. Maybe he hoped for both, but he only got one. And his payload is now spent.
Grotesque non-people that do what they're told? Why WOULDN'T Hive love that?
More Adrian Pasdar, please. ***1/2.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Forgiven" / "Ascension"
I know my television. Bows.
I said if Agents of SHIELD was a lousy show, they'd kill off Lincoln. If it was a good show, they'd kill off Daisy. I knew Lincoln's death would make the show seem lousy, but what I didn't count on is how close they were to making it a good show before totally blowing it. Both tonight's episode of Flash and this finale seemed to want to make us very conscious and aware of how much each of those shows sucks. Me? If I wrote this cr*p, I wouldn't be drawing attention to that. If I was gonna kill off Lincoln, I wouldn't be teasing I was killing off Daisy. Bad writing sucks, and effects every show. And sometimes it's even necessary. But the good shows make it so you don't notice the bad writing. Both Flash and AoS went out of their way to point out how much they suck. I think making bad writing NOT seem like bad writing is definitely an acquired skill for many TV writers. I'm just astonished that the writers of these shows don't seem to also be aware of how necessary it is. They don't actually seem to understand they have done something wrong. Which drives me crazy.
I have no idea what is going on with that tag and I frankly do not care. What makes the series think I should in the first place? I don't care jack-all about Radcliffe. If it's somebody coming back to life as it appears from what I've read online, I would have liked a clue for me to get that that assumes I hadn't read any comic books on the subject. Since I haven't, the ending seemed much more unclear than it should have been. I'm not a comic book nerd. I am a member of the "general audience" as far as this show is concerned. And I did not get what was happening.
Radcliffe DID do something interesting earlier in the episode that I liked. I liked him clapping his hands upon Hive's capture and lamely saying "Yeah!". Mutant Enemy seems to be the only drama company on Earth cunning enough to make an act break humorous by making it intentionally anticlimactic as a joke. They even make the musical cue seem absolutely off and out of place. And it's always hilarious. "She's a robot." That's what that moment was.
I was almost as appalled at Mack trying to return the crucifix to Yoyo as she was. As she noted, that's a religous symbol, not a lucky rabbit's foot. You don't return those under any circumstance. How does he not know that?
Was there anything that I liked? I have been very clear on how much I hate mind control in the past. But I liked this take because everyone is basically forgiving Daisy, and giving her the benefit of the doubt, and SHE is the one who is appalled by that, and doesn't think she deserves it. That is pretty much the opposite of a character not taking responsibility for their own actions during a mind control scenario.
I was disappointed, but frankly, unsurprised. I expected it to be Lincoln. Because this has not proven to be a great show in the past. Why would they start now? **.
Once Upon A Time "Only You" / "An Untold Story"
The first hour was good, but the second? Not feelin' it. Sorry, the season didn't redeem itself after all and was a dud.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! I got what was going on before the big reveal, but I was sorely hoping for Dracula. Sue me.
Why the frell is Will Scarlett not at Robin Hood's wake? What. The. FRAK?
A whole new bunch of storybooks open up possibilities. Paul Bunyan. Don Quixote. The Three Musketeers. Next season is gonna be bonkers.
Let's start off the second episode critique with Henry's questionable believe moment: Belief is not an inherently virtuous thing. In fact, most of the world's ills are due to conflicting beliefs. I hate the idea that a show for kids is teaching them that belief is what is important. Reason is. Also the idea that the people at the fountain thought it was just a show does not hold up to scrutiny. If I had witnessed the things those people did, it would change how I actually saw the world. I could not rationalize those things away, and the idea that every single person would is bogus. In reality, news crews would have showed up to get breathless eyewitness accounts from whomever witnessed the miracle. Maybe some people would attribute it to Jesus, rather than the Author. But people would know a miracle had taken place, no matter what they think caused it.
Secondly, the whole separating Regina from the Evil Queen idea was a disaster, and I can't believe nobody saw it coming. And what if the Queen had killed Regina instead? They'd be out of one of their biggest guns while someone who had all of her power and then some would want to kill them all. And, I'm sorry, the idea of killing the Evil Queen is frankly evil. What happened to Snow, David, Henry, and Emma having a code about stuff like that? Why should the Evil Queen have to die just because they like the good version of Regina better? Because the Evil Queen is just as much a mother to Henry as Good Regina is and they are basically telling her that doesn't matter. Nope, she has to die. That is beyond uncool and another terrible moral, even if it HAD worked. If it HAD worked, I still would have been appalled.
And let's face it, Belle got the most undignified ending to the season ever. She's Cordelia in Season Four of Angel. Is Emilie De Ravin actually pregnant and did she truly request time off? Because I can think of no better excuse. Because Belle got the worst season ending this show ever gave anyone, and I thought ROBIN HOOD'S horrid death couldn't be topped.
Anything I liked? A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court. Brilliant. Bloody brilliant. If THAT was the show more often, I'd never say a word against it.
But the second part was mostly terrible. ***1/2 for the first hour, * for the second. Two-Part Average: **.
The Simpsons "Simprovised"
The live part at the end was terrific. I hope they wind up doing that again. That was awesome. "Drake was terrible." Ha!
I loved Homer asking Marge who she was mad at, and being relieved it was Bart. This is another hint that Homer has no idea when he has done something wrong, and another reason why Marge probably forgives him as often as she does. There is no intentional malice in that guy. He truly is that clueless.
But seriously, Bart sucks. He has definitely been the worst part of the show for the past few seasons.
I liked Mr. Burns' therapy hounds. As well as the button he pushed to make the walk to the podium sound more ominous.
I love whenever the show steps outside of its comfort zone and this did that brilliantly. *****.
Grimm "Beginning Of The End, Parts 1 and 2"
Swoons with pleasure. Hee!
This show is currently terrible. It cannot be helped, and it is past the point where is can return from that. At least I'm 90% of that. Before this episode I was 99% sure.
But as bad as this show is currently, that was easily the best (by far) season finale they ever gave us. And that includes the first three seasons when Grimm was actually a good show.
Where to start? Perfect stopping point. I cannot get over how perfect that cliffhanger is. Something bad could happen, or something good could happen. You don't know. Which is exactly right.
Is it actually over? I suspect after all that Renard will break from Black Claw. The Grimm Gang will not forgive him or let him into the club, but with Bonapart dead, they have nothing to hold over him. Whether he resigns as Mayor is an open question (although I suspect he will so the series can keep him Captain). But I kind of think Renard finally got for the first time that he was on the losing side.
The big questions:
How big a threat to Nick will Diana be next season? I'm guessing she's next year's Big Bad. With two extra reasons for Nick to be reluctant to fight and kill her: she's just a child, and she's Adalind's daughter. A lot of scenarios can be concocted about alliances over the threat of that kid (including Adalind turning against Nick and joining Renard, or Adalind turning against Diana to protect Nick and Kelly). Juicy ideas can happen next year.
Is that really Juliet? Is she still a Hexenbiest? My guess is yes on the first question, no on the second. The Healing stick totally healed her. It obviously doesn't undo being a Wesen (because it healed Monroe while keeping him a Blutbad), but Juliet was Hexenbiested by unnatural means. I'm guessing she's cured. And will have to live not only with all of the cr*p she did as Eve, but all of the horrible things she did to Nick and his mother before she was captured and reprogrammed. And a big part of the season will be if Nick can forgive her, or even if he should. My guess: he'll forgive her and the writers will push them back together. My opinion: They shouldn't do that. Juliet should not get a redemption arc after what she did. But David Greenwalt was raised on the knee of Joss Whedon and I fully expect him to mirror his worst storytelling decisions. As creepy as Adalind and Nick are together, and as horrible as she was in the first three seasons, she never did anything to Nick that she could not come back from under the right circumstances. I will never forgive the death of Kelly. And neither should Nick. I feel very strongly about that.
Can the Healing Stick help Wu? My guess is yes, but the characters have been too stupid to play around with it and find out it's powers. I cannot believe Eve was only the second person we've seen healed by the stick. The stick should have been the FIRST thing they tried to help Wu.
Meisner's death mattered. We learned he definitely is human and not Wesen, and I think it was a turning point for Renard and Nick. Even if Renard renounces Black Claw due to the fact that Nick is obviously more powerful than they are, Meisner's death means Nick should never forgive him, and I believe Trubel will make sure he never does. I think we can say once and for all that Meisner was definitely on the side of angels, and the fact that Renard helped kill him, after everything he did for Diana and Adalind, shows that Renard is a monster. Literally, for the first time.
I do not know if Grimm can actually come back from season four. I am not going to get my hopes up. But unlike Once Upon A Time, which is suffering from similar problems, they actually delivered a great finale. I think Grimm has a better shot at this point for redemption than Emma Swan does. *****.
12 Monkeys "Bodies Of Water"
I love that Jennifer knows "Movin' Right Along" from The Muppet Movie and "The Touch" from the Transformers movie. I also love that she had gotten hooked on a rock version of The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme. "You're gonna make it after all" totally fits her.
Do you know the messed up thing about what Cole and Ramse did to Deacon? It was the right move! Because it totally took care of their Foreman problem (just not in the way they were expected). And frankly, if Deacon can survive THAT, that means he's valuable. Were I Cole and Ramse, I would not dismiss that.
I liked Ramse asking Cole if he liked his breath on his neck. Guy friends are so weird.
Fun episode. Look forward to even more of The Pallid Man! ****.
Bob's Burgers "The Horse Rider-er"
Paul Rudd was brilliant as Jericho. I loved the tantrum he threw as Tina went to Horse Camp. It told me two things: This show is hilarious and Tina is a very disturbed individual.
I laughed hard at Teddy performing an exorcism on the deep fryer.
And it goes doing nothing, and way down there is Restaurant Camp, followed closely by work. And then a little below that is genocide.
I love that Bob accurately played Old Man Belcher at the end. He's probably never been to camp himself, but he's obviously seen just as many of the movies as Linda has.
The only thing I didn't like is the idea that because Tina knew so much about horses, she'd get the dud horse. That makes no sense to me, and wouldn't happen in real life. In real-life initiative and curiosity is rewarded in places like that.
But the episode was hilarious otherwise. ****.
Family Guy "Run, Chris, Run"
Great episode title.
I actually don't have a problem with the kids voting for Chris because they felt bad for him. It strikes me as much different than doing it as a prank. The intent isn't negative, which matters.
I loved Principle Shepard (mostly) correctly guessing the responses he'd get to his rap over the speakers.
I loved watching the 8-bit Nintendo sports game. Picking Bo Jackson means you are cheating, and those games always had glitches too.
It has been hinted before that Jerome was racist. I did not mind it when it was directed at Peter, but when he does it to Cleveland it's kind of deplorable. I think the thing that bothers me is I doubt any black people see their relationships with other black people that way. That's probably another example of a white writer of a Sethverse show thinking they have a special insight into black culture, when they are in reality talking out of their butts.
When Brian is mad at there being security guards in the girl's bathroom, and how it was fostering a culture of fear, I thought to myself, "People like Brian are why those guys are there in the first place." The withering look Stewie gave him suggests he knows this, but Brian is still clueless (and a total perv).
Decemberists' demographics are men who weigh less than their girlfriends? For some reason, I REALLY like that idea. A lot. The show means it as a slam, but I think it's actually a really cool idea.
Why is Brian embarrassed to be reading a Hunger Games book? It's an actual book, aside from the nothing he usually reads.
Still sickened that Herbert is on this show, and the writers still think he is funny. He is not.
Jeremy Renner totally looks like a young Popeye.
Principle Shepard can NEVER be turned into a character as awesome as Principle Lewis from America Dad, but I still liked this episode. ****.
American Dad "Daesong Heavy Industries II: Return To Innocence"
This show has lost it's way. Family Guy can still come up with interesting ideas and premises, but this show cannot. And it should NOT be that way because this show has multiple great characters and Family Guy only has Stewie. Why is the show with the lousy cast doing better than the show with the great cast? Makes no sense.
I was also creeped out by Hayley getting off at what she was at the end. Klaus' bit with the underage saltshaker was similarly creepy. Honesty, these past two TBS seasons have pretty much sucked. 1/2.
Bordertown "American Doll"
Maybe if Peter Griffin had cameoed earlier in the season, the show wouldn't have been canceled.
But the whole thing with Gert and the dolls made me realize how absolutely unlikable and repulsive the characters are. It's not a surprise the show was canceled. The surprise is that Fox picked it up in the first place.
Nice slam at The Cleveland Show there, producers. Except The Cleveland Show lasted four seasons and this show only one. It is in no position to throw stones.
I really disliked the beginning that said that Coyote was Ernesto. That just shows the producers do not care about their characters and consider them interchangeable.
I did like the moral that little kids should be allowed to make up their own stories to go with their toys. It's not just an American Girl problem. This has been plaguing toylines, and toy-based TV shows since the 1980's.
This show deserved to be canceled. *.
The Last Man On Earth "30 Years Of Science Down The Tubes"
Fantastic. The show just bought itself at least another half-season, if not a full one. Bad guys! Love that idea. I sort of wish Mike had been there to give them the deal about the guy on the boat. I am very happy they not only returned to him, but tied him into the drone.
Mike and Phil were amazing this episode. Jason Sudeikis brought his A-Game. I had never known what he was capable of before this show but he's amazing. Him seeing his parents' graves and then realizing Phil had to bury them himself was bad enough. But when he sees his own grave I just about lost it. Powerful stuff.
Of course Phil has the Delorean from Back To The Future. There is no reason he shouldn't have it.
I have to say I was a bit appalled with Melissa. Not because she shot the drone (as we can see she was right to do it) but because she said that if any of them started coughing up blood, she'd kick them out. I dunno, man, I did not KNOW that about her before tonight, and I kind of wish I never did. Todd and Erica having second thoughts was the right reaction, but Melissa seems cold-blooded. It is to her and the group's credit that they put her in the stocks at the end, and she consented to be in them. Unfortunately, the timing's off. With Phil 2 gone, Melissa is the most dangerous member of the group, and I hope they can free her in time for the inevitable attack. I am still amazed this show is still good.
Fantastic finale. *****.
Bates Motel "Norman"
The big question: Where do we go from here?
If I could choose any format for the show to return next year, it would be Freddie Highmore, Nestor Carbonell, and Vera Farmiga as the only series regulars. Romero isn't needed, but if he's there, the series is juicier. I think they should just leave Max Theroit and Olivia Cooke where they are (as sucky as Dylan's last scene was), make it so their happy ending sticks, and they never see Norman again.
What this episode told me is that this show is not what I was expecting. I was expecting a countdown to the moment Norman became a psycho and murdered his mother and dug up her body. He's already done that. What this tells me is the last season will be setting up Norman for the events of Psycho, with the series finale (hopefully two hours long) being an actual adaptation of the film entirely from Norman's point of view. No unrelated scenes with Janet Leigh elsewhere, just a chick shows up with a ton of money whom Norman stabs in the shower.
I want Romero present for the last season. I do. I think the fact that his very real insights into this kid's craziness are being completely ignored is something that they cannot just drop and expect me to be okay with it. It has to go somewhere, presumably Romero FINALLY proving Norman is the killer of Janet Leigh's character and the finding of Norma's body. After which, Romero puts the ring back on her finger. We can have a few minutes of Norman in the asylum, and MAYBE then Dylan and Emma could visit him in the closing moments of the series' and he'll reveal the truth about Emma's mom. Norman CANNOT get away with what he has on this series, and it troubled me that the premise of the series meant that he would, and we'd never actually see the fall-out. That is precisely why Smallville sucked. Instead, the show is taking after Hannibal, and perhaps doing an adaptation of the source material as it winds down. I am MUCH more on-board that premise than I ever was with the idea that Norman kills Norma in the series finale. MUCH more.
Do you know why Norman sucks? He took off the ring and then threw it in Romero's face! How could the people in the funeral home not get it after that? Or the fact that he didn't invite any guests, much less her husband? I want some closure for this series, and it never would have happened if it ended with him killing Norma. The proper way to end the series is their own spin on Psycho, and it always has been.
I am officially excited for season five and Weekend At Normie's. It is so subversive that they can kill Norma off and probably still have Vera Farmiga be a regular cast member in season 5. I will laugh if she still gets top billing in the credits next year.
Chick is SO creepy. I imagine he will have a big part in season 5, as he seems to be the only person besides Romero who has guessed the truth. I also imagine Norman will unexpectedly kill him. I'm amazed it didn't happen tonight.
Tonight told me this will probably wind up being a good series by the series finale. And I wasn't sure of that before tonight. *****.
The Blacklist "Alexander Kirk: Conclusion"
Were I Red, I would not kill Kaplan for that. Ever. I suspect he won't. Why? Because Kaplan just demonstrated something important: she cares more about Liz and her daughter than she does Red. Since Red cares about Liz and her daughter more than he does himself, having someone who DEFINITELY shares that exact philosophy is useful. Full stop. And I hope is smart enough to see that. I really do.
As for Liz being alive, it was not a surprise, but even if it was a bit of a relief, it was also a bit of a let-down. The series just lost a great deal of its credibility by doing that. And it will never get it back. Not from me. The Blacklist had the potential to go down as a great show. Now it will probably go down as a good one at best (if it is very lucky). That is a crying shame.
I think Ressler's bluff was stupid, and it wasn't even dramatic or riveting. He's not going to pull the trigger on Red. Not just because Red's the main character, but because he's known Red for years, and they have both saved each other's lives on multiple occasions. He's not going to kill somebody he shares that close of a connection with to protect a guy he doesn't know. The revelation at the end that Ressler actually WANTED Red to do it, was quite unnecessary. He was never going to go through with it, even if he ultimately didn't want Kirk dead.
We know Liz's father now, and that will be juicy, so next season will be interesting in a way the last third of this season was not. But the series just destroyed its credibility. And I don't even think the "Liz is dead" fake-out even yielded any positive results storywise.
Do you know what this means though? Red's flawless winning streak is back. Red lost a great deal of his mojo thinking he failed Liz, and I hope next season he goes back to being as confident as he was before the wedding. But this episode (and the show) are currently on my pooplist. **1/2.
Blindspot "If Love A Rebel, Death Will Render"
I'm just gonna say it: Jane is the villain of the season, with the runner up going to Weller's father. That whole cloning thing explains Jane completely. She isn't Taylor Shaw. She is her clone.
And everything is her fault. Do you know why she shouldn't have trusted Oscar? Not because he framed Mayfair for murder, but because he didn't tell her that was going on. If his actions were as righteous as he claimed, she would have seen that at the time, right? The fact that he did it all without telling her means he didn't trust her, which means she shouldn't trust him.
I was loving Mayfair this episode (possibly for the first time ever) so of course they killed her off. I should have known. This show kills off all of the likable and interesting characters. I'm actually angry about it, to be honest. I loved that she pieced everything together on her own. And yeah, I kind of want to get Weller's reaction, especially since she isn't actually Taylor Shaw. Her begging Mayfair to understand that she didn't know was pathetic. She knew plenty. Maybe not at the time, but after the fact, and she didn't say anything. Jane Doe is weak and a coward. I had fully expected to her give a hearty "Screw You!" to Oscar at the beginning of the episode, and when she didn't, I knew things were all downhill from there. I now detest the character and the fact that the writers probably think I should still be sympathizing with her. I don't. The director firing her made the right call. And I believed that before Mayfair's death and Taylor's reveal happened.
Everything this season is coming into place, and that's good. But the series continues to focus on the wrong characters and engender sympathies for those we should rightly hate. For everything this hour did right it did something very wrong. ***.
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Tomorrow Wars by Floyd Gottfredson
Ironically, the first three stories are a return to form for the strip as Bill Walsh joins the strip as writer, and things take a dark, adult, and gothic turn. People actually die in "The Pirate Ghost Ship", "House Of Mystery", and "The World Of Tomorrow". and the strips becomes a genuine horror / sci-fi / fantasy comic at turns. It is super interesting.
Unfortunately right after those three amazing stories, (and the silly Western "Billy The Mouse"), the strip gives us almost a year's worth of nothing but gag strips, and then a bunch of short two and three week continuities that are mostly outright terrible. The strip hit ones of its high points, and immediately sunk back down to its former lows. Hopefully things will get better in the next couple of volumes when Eega Beeva and the Rhyming Man show up. Collection Overall: ***1/2.
"The Pirate Ghost Ship" Plus Gag Strips:
Great story and great run of gag strips. Overall: ****1/2.
The Pirate Ghost Ship: I have to admit that was pretty amazing. Not as good as Gottfredson's best, but definitely a return to form after the strip experienced a lull. Very moody, creepy, and faster paced than the strip has ever been. Part of that seems to be because the strips has shrunk, but there are actually less word balloons now too, so it is a faster read. I don't have to set aside an hour to read one of these serials. ****1/2.
Gag Strips: I had no idea people used to smoke tobacco out of bongs but it makes sense, because that's what opium was. Also I see kids smoking in one of the strips (a definite modern no-no) and a reference to something called mumblety-peg. Still no clue what that is. ***1/2.
"The World Of Tomorrow":
It's a good story, but the dream ending took me out of it. I can't really think of a different believable one, but those things always make Gottfredson's stories seem pointless. And he went to that particular well a lot. It's cool that the story had a ready made excuse for Mickey's new outfit, but now that it's a dream, it doesn't make any sense why he's wearing it past this story. Crossed wires there. Very gutsy to not only kill Mimi off, but to have Mickey express remorse. The Pete Stand-in died in "The Pirate Ghost Ship" too, but that wasn't explicit, and nobody cared. Mickey's grief is real, even if Mimi is a robot. Very adult concept. ****.
"House Of Mystery" Plus Gag Strips:
House Of Mystery is good, but the gag strips are boring this round. Overall: ***1/2.
House Of Mystery: I will concede that was a good story. But it ended way too quickly. I can't for the life of me figure out why Walsh and Gottfredson didn't take an extra week to wrap it up properly. It's not like the serial HAD to be a certain length. I can forgive a rushed ending to a Carl Barks Comic Book. Not A Floyd Gottfredson Comic Strip. That being said, the very last panel is probably one of the most memorable things the strips ever did. But I kind of wanted a little bit more to have earned an ending that dark. ****.
Gag Strips: Nothing interesting in this go-round. **.
"Billy The Mouse" Plus Gag Strips:
Billy the Mouse is a silly story and this is the longest run of gag strips so far. Overall: **1/2.
Billy The Mouse: King Silver is perhaps the creepiest looking horse Gottfredson ever drew. Yoyo the Indian is offensive, but nowhere NEAR as offensive as most of the stuff in Gottfredson's past. I love Mickey saying that the horse costume was getting a little droopy around the tenderloin. I liked the moment after Mickey and the bad guy escaped from the bear they smiled at each other with a "We did it!" moment, realized they were fighting and got back to it. That same joke was used with Indiana Jones and the Nazi in the runaway truck in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. ***1/2.
Gag Strips: A lot of these puzzled me. People used to chew tar off the street because they thought it was good for their teeth? People in the 1940's actually picked up something off the street and put it in their mouths? Now I know where Louie Gohmert comes from. I liked Mickey using radio ad jingles to chase gophers out of his yard. Another couple of incredible 1940's moments included Goofy buying a ton of airplanes. Somehow, I doubt Mickey's claims that old airplanes are a dime a dozen are remotely true, even in 1946. Also idiotic is the idea that painting a light-bulb yellow keeps insects away. Two very unfortunately trends in this round of strips. Mickey seems to spend a LOT of time leering creepily at beautiful women he doesn't know, and I kind of have stopped thinking Minnie's jealousies are irrational. They're justified, especially since he keeps doing it in front of her. Second thing is that Mickey seems to live in a bad neighborhood. He is constantly dealing with burglars and muggers, and I think even back then, they'd be kind of rare for a middle-class man like Mickey. I'm sure when these were first printed, they seemed funny. But reading them one after another makes me think Mouseton is a criminal warzone on the level of Gotham City. **1/2.
Short Stories: "Mickey's Great Grandfather", "Home Made Home", "The New Girlfriend", "Mickey's Mini-Plane", "Mystery Next Door", "Gangland", "Sunken Treasure", "Trailer Trouble", "Aunt Marissa", "The Candidate", "The Little Genius":
Most of these short stories suck. Overall: *1/2.
Mickey's Great Grandfather: Painfully unfunny. And I don't care if he thought the gold nugget was fake at the end, Mickey is a jerk for throwing it out. It was a gift from his Great Grandfather. You don't just toss those in the garbage because you don't think it is worth anything. *.
Home Made Home: Cute story, but a bit boring. **1/2.
The New Girlfriend: Let me get this straight. Mickey decides to date someone else and we are supposed to think Minnie is the bad guy? Ludicrous. 0.
Mickey's Mini-Plane: I thought Mickey supposedly never lied. He sure seemed to be willing to tell that investor anything he wanted to hear. **.
Mystery Next Door: This might have been better if it was longer. ***.
Gangland: Dumb story, but serviceable. ***1/2.
Sunken Treasure: I like the expression on Mickey and Goofy's faces when they are "acting goofy". ****.
Trailer Trouble: Story ended too quickly. **1/2.
Aunt Marissa: Totally unlikable story. *.
The Candidate: The logic of Goofy being awarded the Councilman position does not hold up. **.
The Little Genius: Operation Bubblegum did NOT disappoint! Hilarious! The best of the short stories. ****1/2.
Chesty And Coptie:
Early War Bonds promotional piece by Gottfredson. Gladstone reprinted it in color, but Fantagraphics goes back to making it black and white with the only color being the red feather. ***.
Mr. George's Wife:
These early comic strips by Walt Disney are horrible. Aside from being sexist and unfunny, the artwork is absolutely atrocious. The fact that the essayists don't seem to think it was for that era, leads me to believe early comic strip art was terrible in general. 0.
A Mickey Mystery by Byron Erickson:
I loved Erickson's World Of The Dragonlords, specifically because it took the concept and the characters seriously, and constructed a legit, novel-length Disney fantasy. This story takes things a little TOO seriously, and gives an alternate Earth Mickey a dysfunctional life incongruous to anything we've seen before. I will admit that this is the type of story Gottfredson might have written had he been able to get away with a version of Mickey so horrible. But Gottfredson's gifts as a storyteller are overstated. It still seems a bit forced and badly written, I think. Still, I do not begrudge Erickson for taking chances with the characters, even when those chances don't pay off. That's part of telling a story. Not everything is going to be dynamite. I think the one serious thing in the story I did like was the last two panels. That seemed to be a very thought-provoking way for Erickson to state that Mickey is at his best in the red shorts with yellow buttons. The later Gottfredson / Paul Murray stories where he's wearing a shirt and porkpie hat do not cut it. Accept no substitutions. ***1/2.
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