Moana Review (Spoilers)
Jan. 25th, 2017 06:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the short Inner Workings, the latest episodes of Justice League Action, DC Super Hero Girls, Supergirl, The Flash, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow, Gotham, Lucifer, and Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., The series finale of Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6, the latest episode of Star Wars Rebels. the series finale of Girl Meets World, the series premiere of Power Rangers Ninja Steel, the latest episodes of The Simpsons, The first three episodes of the final season of Grimm, the latest episodes of Sleepy Hollow and Bob's Burgers, the last four episodes of the season of The Good Place, the latest episodes of Son Of Zorn, the first four episodes of Emerald City, the latest episodes of Family Guy, the season premiere of Colony, and the latest episodes of The Blacklist and Blindspot.
Upcoming reviews include Doctor Who: Series 9, The X-Files: Season 10, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), Captain America: Civil War (Blu-Ray), Daredevil: Season 1, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse (Blu-Ray), The Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar (DVD), Zootopia, Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Finding Dory (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 5, The BFG, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-Ray), Star Wars Rebels: Season 2, Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures: Season One, Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow (DVD), Justice League Vs. Teen Titans, Batman: The Killing Joke, Teen Titans Go!: Get In Pig Out, Suicide Squad (Blu-Ray), The Flash: Season 2, Arrow: Season 4, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 1, Constantine: The Complete Series, Gotham: Season 2, iZombie: Season 1, iZombie: Season 2, Lucifer: Season 1, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Prod.: Hare-Raising Tales, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, Star Trek Beyond (Blu-Ray), Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Earth's Last Stand, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Powr Rangers: Megaforce: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Super Megaforce: The Complete Season, Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Season 1, Heroes Reborn: The Complete Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, The Legend Of Korra: The Complete Series, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Haven: The Final Season, Under The Dome: Season 3, Quantum Leap: Season 1, Quantum Leap: Season 2, Quantum Leap: Season 3, Quantum Leap: Season 4, Quantum Leap: Season 5, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Sleepy Hollow: Season 3, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Tremor 5: Bloodlines, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), Shaun The Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas, 12 Monkeys: Season 1, 12 Monkeys: Season 2, Grimm: Season 4, Grimm: Season 5, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 5, The Wonder Years: Season 6, The Peanuts Movie, Peanuts By Schulz: Snoopy Tales, Bob's Burgers: Season 5, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2, Ghostbusters: Answer: The Call, Community: Season 6, Red Dwarf XI, Hannibal: Season 1, Hannibal: Season 2, Hannibal: Season 3, Preacher: Season One, Degrassi Junior High: The Complete Series, Degrassi High: The Complete Series, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Game of Thrones: Season 6.
Moana
Do you know why I liked this? They didn't try to push together the opposite sex leads. There isn't ANY hint of a romantic subtext between Moana and Maui and that is quite refreshing for a Disney Princess project.
I like the chicken, but I kind of wish the piglet had been the one on the boat.
The island imagery at the end was beautiful. It reminded me quite a bit of Spring in the last segment of Fantasia 2000. The computer visuals effects on that were amazing.
Maui seems like kind of a d*ck during most of the movie. That's okay, but he isn't as lovable as the trailers suggest. He's kind of a buttmunch.
The Grandmother had a terrible singing voice. Which is a good thing. Because Disney's biggest problem is casting people who don't know how to sing and then giving them a different actor for a singing voice which sounds nothing like them (Aladdin is the worst example of this). If you are going to have the characters sing, either hire a singer for the actor, or let the actor who can't sing very well not sing very well. Disney took the second approach with her.
Pretty good. I had no complaints. ****.
Inner Workings
As vibrant, colorful, and fun as this was, it was also a bit hard to follow. All recent Disney shorts not having voice-work really hurt this one. I didn't get everything that was happening, and it was so fast-paced I couldn't keep up. So-so. ***.
Justice League Action "Follow That Space Cab!"
So cute! Space Cabbie! Lobo! Hawkman! Mr. Mind! This show always manages to find the most eclectic roster of heroes to put into any given episode.
A brilliant iconoclast is a much better title than supervillain.
Loved it. Patton Oswalt makes everything better. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "Hero Of The Month: Lady Shiva"
Those Batman '66 sound effects were the randomest thing ever. **1/2.
Supergirl "Supergirl Lives!"
I gotta say, Alex using that as an excuse to break up with Maggie is pretty much the most atrocious thing we've seen her do so far. It's like she made THEIR relationship all about HER and didn't factor the feelings about the other person into it all. Maggie is not Alex's whore. She isn't just going to show up when Alex wants and disappear when Alex is done with her. That's not the role of the Significant Other. It means they are ALWAYS there, no matter what, and you gotta factor that in.
Good Maggie figured out Kara is Supergirl. Because that means she isn't an idiot.
What is up with the Dominators deferring authority to Mon-El like that? Is he secretly a bad guy? Or is he a secret royal prince that he doesn't know about? Either way, Mon-El has never seemed more like a Mary Sue than in that moment.
Speaking of bad tropes I loved Winn shouting "I'm not the red shirt! YOU'RE the red shirt!" Could you imagine being an alien on the end of that crazy statement? You would literally have no idea what they were talking about. Which is kind of hilarious.
Is there anything Snapper Carr isn't wrong about? The end hints that Kara did what he wanted her to do, and that he's secretly wise. But don't you think it's about time he was actually PUBLICLY wise? Couldn't hurt.
Is there actually an actress in this episode named Harley Quinn Smith? For real-serious?
Good episode. Not great. ***1/2.
The Flash "Borrowing Problems From The Future"
What is up with that tag? Can't wait to see next week.
I love that H.R. isn't witty or cunning enough to say anything to Cisco's put-down but "You're mean!". It was so unexpectedly bad, and I realized this particular character is trafficking in worthlessness. And those two words were an exemplary example of it.
Were I Team Flash, Julian joining wouldn't be an issue at all, and I'd consider it a no-brainer. Without a smart Welles, they need all the intelligent science people they can get. And as noted, Julian hasn't blabbed, even though he probably has reasons he should. That shouldn't be dismissed.
Frankly, I think the fact that he hasn't blabbed is probably why he is so upset. I'm betting he wants to turn himself into the police and take his lumps, but he fears Barry's secret would get out if he did that. Which is kind of cool.
Greg Grunberg? Genre Yay!
Bad News: Killer Frost is a MUCH bigger threat than we feared. Good News: So is Gorilla Grodd! Double Yay!
Here's something interesting: They changed up the opening voice-over narration again. First time they've done that in the middle of the season. Usually it stays the same the entire year.
I love that Iris' reaction is to be scared. It's honest, and terrifying, and she does not need to pretend that Barry is the one who needs comforting in that moment. She doesn't try to make him feel better when she learns that, because that moment there is not actually about him. After she absorbs it, she gets some perspective, but Iris is a civilian. Fear and grief are perfectly normal responses for a person upon learning that. I love those two together so much.
Good first episode back. ****.
DC's Legends Of Tomorrow "Raiders Of The Lost Art"
If getting George Lucas to believe in himself isn't the worst plot turn the show has ever done, it at least feels like it is.
What a lousy episode to do when Wentworth Miller isn't contracted for it. That was so freaking awkward.
I prefer the Holy Lance too.
Hanna-Barbera cartoon? Too meta. Broke the reality too much. Which is weird considering how nuts this show actually is.
Jax talking about learning about the guy who pierced Christ with the Spear of Destiny turning blind in Sunday School is insane. I went to Sunday School and never even heard of the Spear of Destiny there, much less the story of the guy who used it. Do you know the first time I learned the blindness story? This episode. No way Jax learned that in Sunday School.
Not great. **.
Gotham "Mad City: Ghosts"
Gotham is back to sucking again. I don't know why I ever entertained the notion is might be turning a corner. It's the same people in charge. And they were never aware they were doing things wrongs. Their botching the Batman mythos so badly got them rewarded with two extra undeserved seasons (and counting). There was no reason to think Gotham being somewhat acceptable for a short stretch was anything less than a fluke.
Let's talk about the two good things: Victor Zsasz (of course) and Bruce's scene with Selina where he convinces her to forgive her mother. I love that scene. Because it shows how much Bruce and Selina have evolved. Even last season, if Bruce had done that, Selina would have been totally offended, and not spoken to him for weeks. Now she actually trusts him, and gives his opinion serious weight. It was pretty much the only good non-Zsasz related thing. Those kids are so amazing and as usual the only good thing on the show.
Let's get into the bad. It's not just that Jim Gordon is a bad person as to why I hate him. He's a bad cop. Which betrays the central premise of him being the only honest cop in the city. Because he isn't. Let us itemize the suck:
He shows up at Mario's funeral. Harvey convinces him not to actually intrude, but Jim is the kind of person who has to be told this first. I have Asperger's, but even I know you don't attend the funeral of a person you killed. Jim was again trying to make Falcone and Lee's grief and pain all about himself, and in the one moment they had to remember and celebrate their loved one. Funerals already suck. And Jim doesn't give a second thought that he'd be making this one suck an extraordinary amount. He is certifiable. And the idea that Lee still secretly loves him is infuriating. Because there is no reason she should. She was right the first time. He brought in Barnes alive. The only reason he killed Mario was because he was jealous. And you know that is true. Jim Gordon wasn't a cop involved in a questionable shooting then. He was a murderer.
I mean, yeah, Mario could have killed Lee, but the ONLY reason Jim killed him is that he was jealous. And you can't convince me otherwise.
And yes, he's a terrible cop. He doesn't think to tell Harvey Victor is trying to kill him? His response that it was his business is absolutely absurd. As Harvey notes, he's frequently standing next to him, and Zsasz is not a guy concerned with innocent bystanders. Jim is right that Zsasz doesn't want to kill Harvey. But as the hostage scene at the end proved, he won't hesitate to do it if it also means Jim's death. How does Jim not realize that? And why is he actually unapologetic about it? He's putting Harvey's life in unnecessary danger by keeping that information to himself. And he doesn't realize that?
Another sign he is a sucky cop. When being chased by Zsasz and his goonettes raining gunfire upon him, he enters an establishment filled with innocent bystanders and seems annoyed that they seem confused at to why he just waltzes into a place he's never been before, and feels comfortable telling everyone there to leave. He's more than a bad cop. Even the worst cops know you are supposed to PROTECT civilians from criminals. Not put them in danger because you are stupid and egomaniacal. Danny Cannon wrote this? How has DC not fired this guy and Bruno Heller in shame? I don't get why he is still in charge of this show when he writes stuff like that.
To be fair, Jim isn't the only horrible cop on the show. Harvey actually fires his gun into the air in a crowded building. That is ludicrous. That's something that settles people down in the Old West. In modern day real life, that starts a panic and a riot. Harvey's a cop, right? How does he not know you only fire a weapon when you are trying to kill somebody? It's not just that Harvey doesn't know this which is concerning. If somebody had taken him aside afterwards and called him a reckless idiot I would have forgiven it. But this actually appears to be something the writers don't actually know. And that is astounding. They write a show about cops and did zero research for procedures whatsoever? And don't even seem to realize how badly written and stupid those moments? It doesn't even cross Danny Cannon's mind? And nobody at DC or the network told him this was a bad idea, stupid, and something that would be written on a bad seventies cop show? DC Entertainment should seriously hang it's head in shame. The fact that no-one will actually get fired over that shows exactly why Gotham is in as bad of shape as it is.
Riddler driving Penguin crazy will not be hard. He's already almost there.
I liked Falcone's observation that he loved Jim like a son, and that meant that his life was his to take. It is a ridiculous idea, but when he says it, it makes a certain kind of sense. Part of why I hated Jim killing Mario was because Jim was not only hurting Lee, but Carmine, who had treated him as a son, and better than anybody in his exact position ever would in real life. And Jim lied about promising not to kill Mario. To his face. It's not that Jim destroyed his relationship to Lee as to why I'm angry. She can do SO much better. It's that he destroyed his relationship to Don Falcone without a second thought as to why Jim sucks so much.
It feels right to being back to bashing Gotham again. And as long as Heller and Cannon are in charge, it will ALWAYS suck. Frankly, it's gotten so bad, I'm doubtful even new showrunners could turn things around at this point. This is the worst current DC series on the air, including DC Super Hero Girls. It is a nonstop bucket of suck. 0.
Gotham "Mad City: Smile Like You Mean It"
Not terrible, but the show is, so I don't expect much.
I think the show changed its mind about Jerome. I think the original plan WAS to simply make him be the inspiration for the Joker, and not the Joker himself, but they realized too late that Cameron Monhagan is the best Joker besides Mark Hamill. Gotham does not plan sh*t out well. At all.
I think the cutting off the face thing is probably the biggest mistake of the episode. Because Jerome's face is very visibly delicate and injured now, he cannot cut lose the way the character did last season. Which is the show saddling itself with an unnecessary weakness. It always does that. Like I said, they suck at planning sh*t out.
Good things? Bruce and Selina continue to amaze me. Those kids have grown into such confident actors and their genuine chemistry is phenomenal. I love that Selina is SO hurt and devastated, but that Bruce is in a place where he is unwilling to back down. Even last season he would have been apologetic about the situation, but he's now insightful enough to realize there were no good endings to that scenario, and that if Selina needs to vent, maybe he should let her. But it's significant to me he is pretty unapologetic about his own actions. He's genuinely sorry about the situation. But he refuses to take blame for it. Which is good, because it is not his fault at all.
Gordon telling Dwight he was unlike Jerome in that Jerome never bored him was a pretty good burn.
Prediction: Cole is Selina's father. I guessed this last week, but that theory solidified upon her mother being REALLY frightened that Selina put a knife to his throat. I'm guessing she's seen the dude in life-threatening situations before, but that was terrifying because her mother was worried that Selina was going to kill her own father without realizing it. That's what the subtext of the moment said to me.
I can't believe Jim is mad about the truth serum. Why? It was the right move! They weren't trying to extract a confession. They had him dead to rights. What they wanted was information, and a beating wasn't going to do it. Lee's solution was the best, and Jim has no part of the high ground in saying "You're better than this," after punching the guy. And again, it was actually the right play. Jim Gordon sucks famously, but he isn't even self-aware enough to realize when people he cares about actually do the right thing. HE has to be the hero. HE has to come up with the solution. Lee doing so embarrassed him, and that is why he can't stand it, and why he sucks so much.
Gabe being left behind tells me there is a bloodbath coming for the other mobsters next week. The writers wouldn't have held him back if they weren't planning to kill off all of Penguin's remaining men at next week's confrontation.
This whole Riddler revenge plot is going along far quicker than I pictured. I figured they'd stretch it out to the season finale, but things seem to be coming to a head in a total of three or four episodes. I don't object to the show not dragging out their mythology. I just question where they can go from here once this particular gambit is seen through. They'll pretty much have blown things up and good.
This show is such a freaking mess. ***.
Lucifer "Stewardess Iterruptus"
There were a lot of good and interesting things that happened during this episode. But I cannot bring myself to recommend it. We'll talk about those good things shortly but I think this episode and what come next makes the series suck. I do not want to see a "Boy meets girl" show with Lucifer. Do you know why? Because that's television. And not only is it television, but it's the precise reason television sucks so much. It's sort like how Moonlighting and Cheers went south when the leads hooked up. Because they weren't right for each other, and the audience realized that once they got their wish. Well, I've ALWAYS known Chloe and Luci were a bad fit. I knew the show was building towards it, but I had foolishly hoped they'd put it off for as long as possible and make it unrequited on Lucifer's end. The series would retain its appeal if it had done that.
Let's talk some of the good and / or interesting things. The first thing isn't good, but it IS interesting. Chloe didn't know Lucifer was bisexual? That strikes me as very strange. Lucifer does NOT hide that. At all. How has that never come up before?
The second thing is also interesting, although it is also on the bad scale as far as good and bad goes. All of Lucifer's exes say it was the best night they ever had. But Lucifer meant nothing to them. I don't believe that moment. Intimacy brings people together, and it seems to me a REALLY great night of intimacy would bring these women closer to Lucifer than a one night stand with a boring guy. It's precisely the fact that it's supposedly the best sex they've ever had which is why I don't believe none of them caught feelings.
Speaking of caught feelings, I feel bad for Lucifer's stalker. REALLY bad. Because she obviously believes Lucifer is out of her league and would never dignify her with her greatest wish. And she is wrong on every level. Lucifer is not out of ANYONE'S league. And I'm not saying this as a slam on Lucifer to say everyone is better than him. It's just that Lucifer thinks EVERYONE is beautiful and is attracted to ALL consenting adults. He is constantly flirting (honestly) with women that most people in TV shows find older and unattractive. He isn't out of her league because if she had simply walked up to him and asked him for sex, he would have said yes without a second thought. She is completely overthinking the situation, and that's only because she mistakenly thinks Lucifer is a worse person than he actually is. I actually feel really bad for her.
I love the idea that Charlotte think Lucifer values honesty above all else. Because that is NOT his role with Christian fundamentalists. And yet, there is nothing in the actual Bible to contradict that notion. A lot of fundies have concocted these really weird fantastical epic Bible stories out of apocryphal nonsense. Left Behind is a work of fiction. And yet, many people treat the goofy ideas in it as gospel, even if they were not based on the actual Bible itself. All of the stuff like the Rapture is stuff that people have told each other about but has no reference whatsoever in the Bible or other Christian religious texts. It's like the mythology of the Bible some people convince themselves of has about as much logic or real world application to it as Santa Claus. I'm not exactly what you would call a faithful person. I believe a higher power exists, but I'm not crazy enough to believe ANYBODY'S current theories are likely to be CLOSE to the truth. I think every known religion is probably wrong, even if God exists. And that's pretty much what would happen if God DID exist. Because if I created the Universe, I wouldn't really give two craps about humanity. Humanity is so teeming with narcissism that it actually thinks God cares where people stick their junk. As if God doesn't have bigger concerns. I know most people think their junk is the center of their universe, but I think it's crazy that anyone believes Gods believes that too. And it's the fact that people think like that as to why God probably doesn't get involved in human affairs. Clowns like us probably aren't worth it.
Jamie Kennedy has turned into quite the dirtbag in middle age. You kind of forgave his douchiness when he was younger, but now he looks and acts like a sex offender. Which seems to be the fate of the entire male cast of the original Scream.
I don't want Lucifer to turn into THAT show. The shipping show. And it has. Already. And it makes it MUCH worse for it. **1/2.
Lucifer "Love Handles"
That wasn't just terrible. That was painfully terrible.
They pretty much just wrecked Lucifer and Chloe. And I realize the reason they suck together is that they probably don't belong together. That's why Jim and Pam work and Sam and Diane don't. SO stupid.
And they have Chloe acting like a positive lunatic all throughout the episode. Can you blame an egomaniacal d0uche like Lucifer for getting suspicious?
Stupidest serial killer motivation ever. The man is trying to prove he isn't a sociopath... by killing people? Do I have that right? I know TV producers are desperate for the next TV-14 twist on Saw, but that is stupid. It's not just crazy or wrongheaded. It's stupid. The dude is trying to prove he isn't a bad guy but normal. How does he think the public is going to react to him murdering innocent people to "prove" something that doesn't need to be proved by anybody? If this guy is trying to salvage his reputation, I think becoming a terrorist is probably the worst option anybody could think of.
I love that Maze changes her mind when she sees Lucifer is happy. Which shows she is a better and more loyal friend than Charlotte is a mother.
Good things? Loved the double-bluff cliffhanger at the end. You think it's about one enormous world shattering thing, when you realize that is going to have to be put off for something even worse. The show is admittedly good at stuff like that ("Mom"). But that didn't actually stop this episode from sucking less. *.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Broken Promises"
Technically, I should have disliked the episode because it engaged in every hated trope this show does that I object to... but my heart isn't in it. It wasn't good (or bad) enough for me to do anything but shut my brain off and enjoy most of it.
Radcliff as a bad guy: I wasn't happy about it, but the good thing is that John Hannah can clearly play it. That is a HUGE problem for a lot of shows where good guys turn into bad guys: the good guy actors can't pull it off. Hannah seems equally fine as both so it won't be as big a mess as Angel Season Four and Cordelia.
Interesting Maybot doesn't know she's a robot. She is clearly developing a sexual attraction to Coulson. The big question is how will Coulson react to that. And if he reacts to it the way anyone else in his position would, how is real May going to react to him going there? Maybe the fake May thing won't be as terrible as I thought. It was a terrible twist. I stand by that opinion. But it's possible the fall-out will be interesting.
I hate that Senator so much.
Mace probably would do a better job of pretending to be humble without a glamour shot on his desk. Good observation by Daisy there.
My absolute favorite moment was Yoyo saying that Radcliffe should be forced to watch the Terminator movies, Mack asks "Even Salvation?", and she says "He brought this on himself." Mutant Enemy has its share of problems, but it's pop culture quips have ALWAYS been above reproach. Always.
John Pyper-Ferguson is an interesting actor and always has been. In long hair and a beard, he's a grizzled character actor tough guy. Clean-shaven and with short hair, he's a handsome leading man. It is SO rare to get a guy who is equally good at both. I personally think Ferguson deserves more handsome man roles than he's ultimately gotten. But this episode proves why he usually gets the character actor ones: he's good at it.
Plus, he's from Brisco County Jr. and there is nothing about that show that wasn't awesome.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "The Patriot"
Mace is a faker? That upsets me for some reason.
I like that Radcliffe, despite being plainly evil, seems to have a no kill code. It was smart to do that. Because the fact that he's evil makes me root against him, but the fact that he doesn't want to kill his friends makes me sympathize with him.
I think Coulson, Mack and Mace did pretty well for three guys against an entire militia before Quake and Robo-May showed up. That was a sick fight at the end. What does May realizing she's a robot mean for her mission? Have her protocols changed in case that happened? I am very curious about that.
Solid episode. But I was screaming at my TV at Mace as if I was Senator Vreenak. ***1/2.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Wake Up"
Better than average.
I love that it turns out Fitz didn't betrayed Gemma after all. We keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and it turns out he's simply uncovering Radcliffe's duplicity.
Mack's story about his daughter made me hope beyond hope it was real and that he wasn't the other ILM. And Yoyo saying his body seemed unreal at one point was the reddest of red herrings.
May's greatest wish is saving the girl. Is that the same kid who played her in that other episode? Made they kept her under the blanket so you couldn't tell she aged and grew taller.
Here's a question: Why doesn't anybody blab that Nadeer is a murderer and tried to kill all of them? What about that mission keeps that fact top secret and Nadeer untouchable? I don't get it.
Look forward to seeing some Koenigs next week. ****.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Graduation Day, Part 1"
I love the first part of the finale! Such a great idea to give Spidey some personal moments with each of his teams. We haven't really seen White Tiger all season. And Vulture and Rhino were cured and redeemed! How awesome is that? Also good to see Sandman again.
I loved the scene at the beginning of Doc Ock eating Peter's pancakes. His new (old?) character design is a vast improvement from both of his earlier designs. That was a fun yet creepy moment.
Loved it. ****1/2.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Graduation Day, Part 2"
I am beyond amused that this show not only ultimately redeemed Norman Osborne, but hinted Doc Ock was going in that direction too. To be perfectly honest, this version of Doc Ock only became interesting and layered once he quit Hydra and learned Peter's secret ID. I honestly did not like him until this season.
What a great ending for the show. Honestly, all things considered, I think this is the best animated Spider-Man TV series of them all. Spider-Man TAS and Spider-Man Unlimited were total messes, Ralph Bakshi's Spider-Man was subpar and dated, and the less said about MTV's Spider-Man, the better. The only show that compares is The Spectacular Spider-Man, but aside from being vastly overrated, the ending to that one sucked, and this one's ending didn't, so this is the better show on principle. There will be people who think I'm crazy for thinking this. But this was the best Spider-Man cartoon so far. *****.
Star Wars Rebels "Ghosts Of Geonosis, Part One"
I don't know much about Saw Geurrera but it sounds like they got Forest Whitaker to voice him. I need to see Rogue One now. ****.
Stars Rebels "Ghosts Of Geonosis: Part Two"
Good conclusion. ****.
Star Wars Rebels "Warhead"
I absolutely love AR-5 (or whatever his designation is) and he makes a MUCH better foil for Zeb than Chopper does. Because unlike Chopper, he isn't actually annoying and he's actually funny.
I especially loved Thawn's perspective of such a disaster of a terrorist attack being considered an actual win. Because when he explains it like that, he's right. Zeb didn't save the day, deal the Empire a serious blow, and protect their base. He just made it easier for Thawn to narrow down where it was. I love that idea.
Good episode. ****1/2.
Girl Meets World "Girl Meets Sweet Sixteen"
Do you know what I love? In that studio audience filled with kids, there were audible gasps upon the suggestion that the Matthews are moving to London. I love that. I love that the viewers of this show are not cynical enough to automatically realize this plot turn is completely bogus and never going to happen. I would love to be that naive about television. It would probably suck less for me if I was.
Cory is terrible teacher. He doesn't teach anything. He just treats the classroom like a therapy session. I get that him doing that means lazy kidcom writers don't actually have to research any actual subjects for him to teach but Cory Matthews' history class is about as in-depth and valid and Senor Chang's Spanish class. I'm not kidding.
It's interesting that Lucas and Zay have developed into a minor comedy team with each other. They are getting to be naturally funny, if not with the rest of the cast, than with each other.
The Smackle rebooting was painfully embarrassing to watch. I felt bad for her actress. Such a young vulnerable age to be forced to act like a total imbecile in front of an audience full of strangers.
Here's something bad about Smackle: I always thought her throwing herself at Lucas was hilarious. Except, it turns out Farkle thinks she's serious. And it is no longer funny. At all. Farkle is FAR too forgiving of both her and Lucas in that scenario. I really hope they stop that joke now. They just made it not funny, and they better no go back to it now that it isn't.
I wish I was younger and dumber. I'd probably love this show. ***1/2.
Girl Meets World "Girl Meets Goodbye"
This is the first ACTUAL complete Boy Meets World Reunion. They pretty much got back the entire original cast besides Matthew Lawrence, and nobody needs him. I didn't quite get why there were 2 Morgan Matthews and why everybody was pretending that wasn't insane.
The show continues to embarrasses Smackle's actress. It probably wouldn't be so bad if she committed as much as Farkle's actor does, but you can tell she is clearly embarrassed to do some of the things she is forced to do. Good Smackle moment: Her declaring Riley not a threat upon Farkle's declaration of love. It was kind of brutal, which is good.
Topanga is pretty much the best mom ever. In fact, she's a bit TOO good. It's clear the reason she decided to stay was for Riley and Maya's benefit and I don't know if adults should be making those kinds of decisions based on how it's effects their kids' friendships. She's a great mom for that. But she's too great. Riley doesn't deserve her (to say nothing of Cory).
Every TV show ever needs more Will Friedle. This is not just a cartoon problem, this effects all television. I cannot believe he hasn't broken out bigger in live-action than he has. He's very funny.
Cute, but entirely predictable series finale. Good way to revisit the 90's though. ****.
Power Rangers Ninja Steel "Return Of The Prism"
So apparently, one of the new Power Rangers is a magician. With a tophat and everything.
I don't even know why I still bother with this franchise. *.
The Simpsons "Pork & Burns"
Spider-Pig has still been around in the backyard this entire time?! Yay! I hope this means we see him again soon.
Haven't seen Dr. Nick in awhile too. I thought they killed him off in the movie.
Loved the Mayo ER parody at the end.
I loved it. ****1/2.
The Simpsons "The Great Phatsby"
First two part Simpsons episode since "Who Shot Mr. Burns!"
I love the idea that the best experts of urban culture are white nerds. Seriously. Milhouse sucks so much.
I really liked Smithers ice subplot for some reason.
Hank Azaria playing a kid was funny enough. What is truly funny is that he didn't make his voice higher. It's a Family Guy thing to have adult men voice small children and it's funny for some reason.
Why does being hung out a window work? Funny joke.
I love that the Blue-Haired Lawyer sticks his head out of the window of the car and sticks his tongue out with the hounds. The subtext is entirely clear there.
Great episode. Don't know if it actually needed to be an hour, but I had no complaints that it was. ****1/2.
Grimm "Fugitive"
Sleepy Hollow and Once Upon A Time are total lost causes but I am absolutely shocked and surprised that it looks like Grimm will redeem itself in the final season after two years of suck. I honestly expected Once to be the franchise to pull itself out of the gutter, but I'm not complaining it's Grimm instead.
Good to see Bud again (and in a big role). He was entirely too absent last season.
I like Franco's bigger role too and it also hints that Franco is not only a good person, but a good cop too. He follows orders but is not afraid to subvert them if he thinks things are getting out of control. I would not mind this guy in on the secret.
Do you know what strikes me most about Renard's vendetta against Nick? It is completely unnecessary. I mean, Black Claw is wiped out in Portland, and a smarter bad guy than Renard would simply declare peace and try to start over as mayor. I don't know if Renald realizes it, but Nick being in a literal roomful of dead Wesen bodies without a scratch on him sort of sums up what happens to people who stand against Nick. Were I Renard, I'd be trying to get back into his good graces. It seems incredibly ill-advised to take Nick on head-on even with a human police department to keep his hands clean. This will not end well for them.
Do you know what bums me out? Trubel STILL isn't a series regular! Also I am amused that it's Elizabeth Tulloch now. To be honest, Bitsie was ridiculous. I cannot believe she went by that for five seasons.
A return to form. This season's gonna be good. It probably helps that since we know it is the last, they finally have something to build towards. And since the keys have all been found they don't have that hanging over the series either. I am very curious to see how this wraps up in May. *****.
Grimm "Trust Me Knot"
The Captain is setting himself up for such a big fall. I cannot believe he is this dumb. Nobody takes on The Grimm and walks away. He is throwing everything away for no reason whatsoever.
Part of me is worried about Nick and the stick, and part of me is relieved that he is aware something is wrong. Things might not turn out badly since he is.
"You're not alone! I'm here!" Said the most frightening child ever. Monroe seemed legitimately scared. And part of why he was scared is because he was unable to express it for obvious reasons. Diana is Bill Mumy in The Twilight Zone. Monroe doesn't want to be sent off to the cornfield.
Really good episode, if not as good as the premiere. ***1/2.
Grimm "Oh Captain, My Captain"
Meisner!!! WTF?!
I understand why the show went back to the status quo, but I think Nick was far more forgiving of Sean than was warranted. I would have sent a taped confession about the murder of his mistress to the media. Try and have Renard explain THAT.
What is interesting is how easily Nick won. It was a genius, simple plan that worked at every step of the way. The only glitch was the spell lasting longer than it should have, but Diana fixed it and everything else worked. Which is why Renard was stupid to side against Nick in the first place. He chose the wrong side. Meisner was right all along.
Not all the news for Nick was good. Diana now strongly dislikes him, and his relationship with Mommy. That will not end well.
I love that Nick basically unapologetically set the spurned lieutenant against Renard. It's not his problem, and if it DOES blow up in Renard's face, that's actually good news for Nick. Everything lined up for Nick this episode. The plan was not only smart but he is a lucky dude too.
I love that the scene of Monroe hiding in the closet was boarded and shot like a high stakes action scene. The tension in the music goes into overdrive, and Silas Weir Mitchell and Claire Coffee seem to be prepping their Emmy reel. I love that because the scenario is in reality no more danger filled or exciting than an episode of Three's Company. The show made the mundane seem important. That is a very good skill for an action show to have. Not all tension needs to involve expensive visual effects or elaborately choreographed stunt-work. Sometimes weird camera angles, extreme expressions, and scary music get the exact same thing across. This is precisely why David Lynch is such a talented director.
Speaking of talented directors, David Guintoli directed this. The closet scene shows he does not suck at this.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Sleepy Hollow "In Plain Sight"
Better than last week but that's not saying much. I can't help feel that they are dragging their feet on Diane and Molly learning the secret. The Headless Horseman coming back is good though. Just don't make him the talking emo version next week, okay, show? **1/2.
Sleepy Hollow "In Plain Sight"
An unexpectedly promising episode. Why? They are using a fictionalized President! I can actually enjoy this show now. The fact that the quality is still shaky is the only barrier. But I kind of like the show's President being very much like Michelle Obama. For obvious reasons.
Good episode to let everyone else into the full secret. It's early enough that people outside of Agent Thompson won't feel betrayal at the lie, and far enough along that they'll believe Crane. Because Crane's story is nuts.
Glad the Witness is definitely Molly. Nice and messy, which is good.
To be honest, it doesn't look like I'm going to enjoy next week much, since it seems to not have much to do with this season's mythology. We'll see. ***1/2.
Bob's Burgers "Ex Mach Tina"
Every time we spend sn extended period of time with Jimmy Jr. I realize that Tina could do a lot better. That being said, I loved the resolution that Tina came to the bonfire in person when Jimmy was so obviously choking on his bad poetry. Just the fact that she did that DID somehow make the poems seem less horrible.
Does Mr. Frond look like Bill Gates to you? Yes, he does.
Louise's trash on the beach slam to Tammy was SO freaking good. Where we Louise when I was in Junior high?
Decent episode but the ending was pretty sweet. ****.
The Good Place "Chiti's Choice"
It is very clear to me Eleanor belongs in The Good Place. I mean, all she was doing throughout the episode was comforting and empowering her friends during an incredibly messy situation. A worse person than her would have been throwing a fit. But she doesn't want to be that kind of woman. So she isn't.
Jason and Janet felt right. Just because they are equally stupid and pretty much soul-mates by default.
I'm glad this show is back. ****.
The Good Place "What's My Motivation?"
There's a Medium Place after all? And there is only one person in it? I've said it before and I'll say it again: this afterlife is badly designed.
First off, there is a legit case to be made that Eleanor belongs in the Bad Place. Were I the Afterlife Sorting Hat, she'd get the Good Place, but I understand why a higher power wouldn't see it that way, ONLY based on her life on Earth. I get that she used to be a mini monster. I do.
But there is no part of Jason Mendoza that isn't good-hearted, kind, and well-intentioned. His life of crime was so unsuccessful, not merely because he was stupid. But because he didn't possess the malice good criminals need to possess to be successful. If The Good Place cannot see what an amazing person Jason is just because he's stupid and not smart enough to know better than to commit dumb crimes, then it is outright unfair. Eleanor proves that it's perhaps unfair because people have the capacity to change, and maybe not everybody needs to be judged by their finite time on Earth, particularly since everybody in THIS neighborhood seems to be people whose time was cut short. But Jason proves the point system is bogus. Just the selfless way he treat Janet shows that he has a conscience that none of the rest of the characters can match. If Chiti were half as ethical as he thinks he is, he would be railing nonstop about the unfairness of The Good Place and taking place in demonstrations about how immoral the universe actually is. But he pretty much accepts the situation which is not something Jason seems willing to do about Janet. Which is why Jason belongs here.
The "Pobody's Nerfect" moment tells me something that is probably true, but I kind of wish wasn't. I think REALLY good people, the kinds who become saints and improve the less fortunate's lives, probably have lousy, ill-developed senses of humor. Because that's not what their life is about, and so they'll be very impressed at the dumbest of seemingly clever, yet old and cliched jokes. It's a little bit depressing that that moment pointed out that on some level, truly funny and clever people are sort of scummy in some way or another. And that is probably true.
This show is getting good. ****.
The Good Place "Mindy St. Claire" / "Michael's Gambit"
I guess I was right. The Afterlife is badly designed. I just didn't guess it was on purpose. I honestly did not like this episode. At all. It was the worst way to end the season possible, especially if as hinted things are rebooted, so we're gonna be farting around with that for awhile.
How is it Chiti doesn't know why he's there? I kind of wondered how a guy like him who makes everything worse is even eligible for The Good Place. But it's the fact that he thinks it's almonds which is why he belongs there.
I do not look forward to Michael being a bad guy next season. At all.
I take back what I said about Jason being a good person. He's an ultimately harmless person. But that is far different than being a good one.
Interesting that Janet actually loves him. That and Eleanor confessing is the thing that sent things off the rails.
I wouldn't have like episode anyways, but if everyone's memory wasn't wiped, I'd tolerate it. It would be a frustrating finale but I'd know season two was gonna be amazing. I don't see a way out for the characters anymore so season two is merely going to be frustrating, at least for awhile.
Arrgh! I am not happy. *.
Son Of Zorn "Radioactive Ex-Girlfriend"
I like when the show does allegory and there is no better demonstration of Zorn being in an unhealthy relationship than his girlfriend being radioactive. She is literally making him sick and slowly killing him, which makes it the most obvious example of an unhealthy relationship ever.
I don't think Craig is as bad at therapy as everyone thinks. I like that Zorn is happy for him and Edie though.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
Son Of Zorn "The Battle Of Self-Acceptance"
Okay, now I pretty much ship Zorn and Linda.
Do you know what is amazing about Zorn and Linda at the end? Zorn didn't do anything wrong! It's not his fault Craig left, and he didn't make any overtures to Edie during the episode that suggest she should be p*ssed over this. They're done. Craig leaving over him is not his fault / problem. Go Zinda!
Weird that the two penises is a thing for Alan.
Edie's "I think lame people can get drugs now" pretty much shows that she's the worst person ever. Not just mom. Person.
I have to say that was perhaps the most helpful medication I have ever seen, side effects aside. Most medication does not work as advertised. It's amazing this did.
I'm glad they got past the joke of Zorn seeing Linda as a man. If it had played our much longer it would have been increasingly insulting. I love that once Zorn figures out the truth, Linda becomes a romantic opportunity. This suggests there is very little homophobia in the way Zorn personally sees the world.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Emerald City "The Beast Forever" / "Prison Of The Abject"
This was very interesting. It could go either way. It could be very good. Or it could be a total mess. I personally guess a mess is coming, but the first two episodes were actually good.
First off, I love the idea of Oz as a pit. Because Dorothy wanting to go back to her cr*p life in Kansas never made ANY sense as long as Oz was as brilliant and colorful as it was. If I lived in a black and white dirt poor farmland, and suddenly the world was color and amazing, I'd consider Auntie Em a freaking acceptable loss. For real. But now I get why Dorothy actually wants to go home. Because Oz isn't a place of wonder and magic. It is outright terrifying and it sucks.
Having Toto be a complete stranger police dog was a good spin, although Dorothy hitting the witch with the police car was not.
East was very interesting to me. Because they changed some things about her and kept some things the same. First off, even if we never saw her in the movie or the books, she is just as evil as her reputation from the earlier projects suggests. Where they divest is that East is actually popular among the people. She's Trump and the Munchkins are Republicans. They alone don't understand how much she actually sucks.
Dorothy tricking her into shooting herself was a great gag. And I think the idea that only a witch can kill another witch is clearly apocryphal. Yeah, it's hinted Dorothy absorbed some of her power (magic gloves instead of ruby slippers) but Dorothy clearly was not a witch when she tricked her.
Very interesting to get Ozma in episode 2. I figured that would be a couple of seasons away. Ozma was pretty much the first transgendered fictional children's character ever and I have a special place in my heart for her for that.
Lucas is an interesting take on The Scarecrow. First off, there is a total shipping vibe between him and Dorothy, which is probably something that could have happened, had Dorothy been an actual adult in the original canon. She absolutely loved the Scarecrow above all others, and if the Scarecrow is human and hunky and she's Florence Nightingale, I see how this ship could work. I like the idea that his "brainlessness" was demonstrated by amnesia. Which is perfect, and kind of makes me annoyed that Baum and the movie producers never thought of it. Because in the books and the movie the Scarecrow is a goofball, but he isn't actually stupid. His wish for a brain was entirely unnecessary. I get that was the point of the movie, but the brain thing was portrayed as a legit wish in the book. But here, you see how he needs his brain fixed, and they don't have to pretend he's unintelligent to do it.
I was also amazed they introduced him via crucifixion. Forget how wild Scarecrow of Oz Christ parallels are, it suddenly gives me a sinking feeling about the entire ideas of Scarecrows. Doctor Who made Scarecrows briefly scary. This idea makes them eternally tortured, which is far worse.
One thing I don't like: They should not have gotten Vincent D'Onofrio to play the Wizard. Why? Because the Wizard is completely subdued and normal, and D'Onofrio is specifically as amazing as he is because he chews the scenery in every role he is cast in. Either there is some wild stuff that isn't even HINTED at here in story for the Wizard coming, or I'm about to really regret D'Onofrio being tied down, for possibly seasons on end, in a role where he is completely underutilized. I get that D'Onofrio gives the series instant prestige and serious actor cred. But if they aren't going to play to his strengths, all that is wasted. Part of me hopes this show, as interesting as it is, gets canceled quickly so that D'Onofrio will be contractually free to actually knock my socks off again.
But this was an interesting premiere. ****.
Emerlad City "Mistress - New - Mistress"
Didn't like this. The ending was WAY too dark for Ozma and the Wizard is a creep. It's bad enough he used to frequent brothels, but he imprisons his only faithful servant when she figures out his game. This episode proves there is trouble ahead. **.
Emerald City "Science And Magic"
Boring. And the masturbatory scene in the tub with Ozma and West was outright disgusting. The only options for a girl being nun or whore is another clear sign that Oz sucks.
Did Dorothy and Lucas actually sleep together? They wake up in each other's arms but are still fully clothed. TBD...
Jack is the Tin Man? I wonder who the Lion is.
The guards holding a knife to the pregnant woman's stomach is another clear sign that the Wizard is an absolute scumbag.
Roman, huh? Interesting the guard survived. Perhaps he's Immortal. Could he be the Lion? He has the hair but he doesn't seem especially cowardly.
I kind of liked the headphones moment because it shows that if you have no reference for it, perhaps listening to music for the first time is terrifying. If there is music in Oz (which we have not seen) Lucas clearly cannot ever remember hearing it, so perhaps the voices coming out of the headphones aren't the only shocking thing in that moment.
I was mostly bored with this. Frankly, I'd be mostly bored of Game of Thrones too without the nudity. We can make fun of how stupid and ill-suited the nudity on that show is (and it is often perverted and disgusting) but there is one thing it is not: boring. Which just shows that a show that tries to do like Game of Thrones on network TV will probably be more boring than it would be on HBO. By default. Because Game of Thrones is in reality kind of boring without the nudity.
Not as good as the two-hour premiere, but better than last week. ***.
Family Guy "Passenger Fatty-Seven"
Speaking for me? An airline hijacking isn't exactly a fun way for me to spend 22 minutes. It's just NOT a funny premise. At all.
Nice tribute to Carrie Fisher at the beginning. Watching Family Guy without Angela won't be the same. Screw you, 2016!
I liked the Quahog Girls thing and how now Stewie WANTED Peter to die.
I didn't much care for this, but that seems to be my common refrain this season. *.
Family Guy "Gronkowsbees"
This Gronk guy probably had the most humiliating guest star role in the show's history. It's about as shocking as if Tom Cruise had voiced himself in that midget episode. At least Adam West and James Woods are portrayed as funny and charming. This is no part of this version of Gronk that doesn't totally suck.
The thing with the mutant bees chasing Brian and Stewie in the car made me realize yet again that those two have incredibly stupid problems.
Pretty good ***1/2.
Colony "Eleven.Thirteen"
VERY rare to see Josh Hollaway clean-shaven in ANY project.
I learned something about the Invasion I didn't know. It wasn't sudden. It was well planned in advance. It was coordinated with inside help via a conspiracy at the highest levels. I kind of got that a bunch of humanity was complicit for rolling over for the Invaders once they showed up. What I didn't realize is that a buttload of them HELPED them cause all of the mayhem they did.
This was a VERY interesting premiere. ****1/2.
The Blacklist "Lipet's Seafood Company"
I love that that was the specific thing that made Aram have cold feet about Navabi. What is amazing is if that whole thing last year hadn't happened, he obviously would have easily forgiven Navabi. It's just, he cannot allow himself to make the exact same mistake, and that's what he would be doing. I think a lot of it had to do with his pride in that moment.
In Navabi's defense, she doesn't reconnect with her ex at the end. She tells him she's gonna try and earn back Aram's trust. I think that's the least she can do.
I was wondering what on Earth Red was doing all throughout the episode, and it turns out the great lengths he went to were to secure a pardon for Liz.
Good Blacklist news: The president elect is a fictional character created by the series. That automatically means it is not going to be a government agency show that is going to depress me by real-world events. Good call.
I love the billionaire tech suit guy saying he wasn't signing off on this. HE was the one stupid enough to show Navabi his face, it was HIS problem. I think the best lesson an entitled white criminal like him could learn is a bullet to the chest. Kind of cathartic.
I will not hate this show from now on because it is dealing with a fictional world situation. I'll be able to enjoy it. ****.
The Blacklist "The Forecaster"
I like the idea that Dembe might betray Red, but that he doesn't want to, and goes to Liz for help first. That makes a lot of sense of to me.
Not as epic an episode as the last couple but it was all right. Even though I do NOT see the appeal of an all white jigsaw puzzle. ***.
The Blacklist "The Harem"
Calling it: Jill Hennessy still looks great.
The rest of the episode was pretty good too. I especially love that Red understood why Dembe told Liz about Kaplan. But I felt this episode was mostly set-up for next week. ***1/2.
Blindspot "Nor, I, Nigel AKA Leg In Iron"
Nigel is SUCH a creeper name. Good line from Patterson.
Three things to note:
I love that Weller's gambit at the end of risking his career worked. Because it should not have. This tells me Dylan Baker's character either has a higher opinion of Weller than is warranted, or he knows the precise secret reason he is valuable. I could have seen him relenting on Roman. Because Weller was actually correct there. You ain't gonna get info from a guy with no memory through torture. What he shouldn't have done is consent to bring back Naz. But because he did, that leads me to think he thinks Weller is key to all this. Why that didn't set off alarm bells for Weller is beyond me.
In an especially cruel bit of irony Patterson accurately notes that "Borden" saying he's committing his crimes of behalf of his beloved late wife is pretty much the last thing a girlfriend in her position would want to hear. I like that because that's Patterson making her being tied up on the table completely personal. Which is good because Borden is trying REALLY hard to convince himself to hurt Patterson. It's clear he doesn't want to. And it's clear Patterson knows this and is smart enough to know the precise buttons to push to get him not to.
I have to say that all in all, the episode was a wash, just because the team decided that Jane should lie to Roman. Did the mess of season one tell them nothing? Maybe Roman would never forgive Jane for telling him the truth, but he could have come to trust her by doing that. Now Jane's lie is going to blow up in his face when he meets Shepherd. And you know he will.
Do you know why I hated that? Because it's television. It's not only television, it's bad television and shows exactly why the medium sucks so much (at least on the broadcast networks). I cannot think of a single broadcast network show that doesn't engage in crap like that. And it's really starting to bother me.
This would have been a decent episode had it not turned into television. ***1/2.
Blindspot "Droll Autumn, Unmutual Lord"
That moment where Jane tells her torturer after saving his daughter that it wasn't personal, and that she was just doing her job, at first glance sounds awesome and her rubbing in that guy's face about what the true meaning of doing your job is. But honestly? That's not what came across to me. It sounded like Jane regretted saving an innocent teenage girl's life. And that's all kinds of scummy.
I disagree with the weird crippled doctor's diagnosis of Roman. To be perfectly blunt, she seemed MUCH more like a sociopath than he has ever been portrayed as. I might have taken her concerns seriously if the actress playing her hadn't made her seem so weird,, off-putting, and cold-blooded.
All in all, the episode was a wash. **1/2.
Blindspot "Devil Never Even Lived"
That cliffhanger was intriguing. Next week should be interesting.
The stuff with Reed and Freddie's ex was stupid. It's like they are prolonging that dumb plot for no reason.
I love Patterson shellacking Naz for not figuring out Borden. Patterson feels guilty enough, but she is right that the person bugging his office should have seen it coming.
I haven't seen Charles Halford in anything since Constantine. I didn't like Abel the way I did Chas. He sucked.
I'll probably like next week better. ***.
Upcoming reviews include Doctor Who: Series 9, The X-Files: Season 10, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), Captain America: Civil War (Blu-Ray), Daredevil: Season 1, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse (Blu-Ray), The Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar (DVD), Zootopia, Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Finding Dory (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 5, The BFG, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-Ray), Star Wars Rebels: Season 2, Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures: Season One, Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow (DVD), Justice League Vs. Teen Titans, Batman: The Killing Joke, Teen Titans Go!: Get In Pig Out, Suicide Squad (Blu-Ray), The Flash: Season 2, Arrow: Season 4, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 1, Constantine: The Complete Series, Gotham: Season 2, iZombie: Season 1, iZombie: Season 2, Lucifer: Season 1, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Prod.: Hare-Raising Tales, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, Star Trek Beyond (Blu-Ray), Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Earth's Last Stand, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Powr Rangers: Megaforce: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Super Megaforce: The Complete Season, Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Season 1, Heroes Reborn: The Complete Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, The Legend Of Korra: The Complete Series, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Haven: The Final Season, Under The Dome: Season 3, Quantum Leap: Season 1, Quantum Leap: Season 2, Quantum Leap: Season 3, Quantum Leap: Season 4, Quantum Leap: Season 5, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Sleepy Hollow: Season 3, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Tremor 5: Bloodlines, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), Shaun The Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas, 12 Monkeys: Season 1, 12 Monkeys: Season 2, Grimm: Season 4, Grimm: Season 5, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 5, The Wonder Years: Season 6, The Peanuts Movie, Peanuts By Schulz: Snoopy Tales, Bob's Burgers: Season 5, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2, Ghostbusters: Answer: The Call, Community: Season 6, Red Dwarf XI, Hannibal: Season 1, Hannibal: Season 2, Hannibal: Season 3, Preacher: Season One, Degrassi Junior High: The Complete Series, Degrassi High: The Complete Series, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Game of Thrones: Season 6.
Moana
Do you know why I liked this? They didn't try to push together the opposite sex leads. There isn't ANY hint of a romantic subtext between Moana and Maui and that is quite refreshing for a Disney Princess project.
I like the chicken, but I kind of wish the piglet had been the one on the boat.
The island imagery at the end was beautiful. It reminded me quite a bit of Spring in the last segment of Fantasia 2000. The computer visuals effects on that were amazing.
Maui seems like kind of a d*ck during most of the movie. That's okay, but he isn't as lovable as the trailers suggest. He's kind of a buttmunch.
The Grandmother had a terrible singing voice. Which is a good thing. Because Disney's biggest problem is casting people who don't know how to sing and then giving them a different actor for a singing voice which sounds nothing like them (Aladdin is the worst example of this). If you are going to have the characters sing, either hire a singer for the actor, or let the actor who can't sing very well not sing very well. Disney took the second approach with her.
Pretty good. I had no complaints. ****.
Inner Workings
As vibrant, colorful, and fun as this was, it was also a bit hard to follow. All recent Disney shorts not having voice-work really hurt this one. I didn't get everything that was happening, and it was so fast-paced I couldn't keep up. So-so. ***.
Justice League Action "Follow That Space Cab!"
So cute! Space Cabbie! Lobo! Hawkman! Mr. Mind! This show always manages to find the most eclectic roster of heroes to put into any given episode.
A brilliant iconoclast is a much better title than supervillain.
Loved it. Patton Oswalt makes everything better. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "Hero Of The Month: Lady Shiva"
Those Batman '66 sound effects were the randomest thing ever. **1/2.
Supergirl "Supergirl Lives!"
I gotta say, Alex using that as an excuse to break up with Maggie is pretty much the most atrocious thing we've seen her do so far. It's like she made THEIR relationship all about HER and didn't factor the feelings about the other person into it all. Maggie is not Alex's whore. She isn't just going to show up when Alex wants and disappear when Alex is done with her. That's not the role of the Significant Other. It means they are ALWAYS there, no matter what, and you gotta factor that in.
Good Maggie figured out Kara is Supergirl. Because that means she isn't an idiot.
What is up with the Dominators deferring authority to Mon-El like that? Is he secretly a bad guy? Or is he a secret royal prince that he doesn't know about? Either way, Mon-El has never seemed more like a Mary Sue than in that moment.
Speaking of bad tropes I loved Winn shouting "I'm not the red shirt! YOU'RE the red shirt!" Could you imagine being an alien on the end of that crazy statement? You would literally have no idea what they were talking about. Which is kind of hilarious.
Is there anything Snapper Carr isn't wrong about? The end hints that Kara did what he wanted her to do, and that he's secretly wise. But don't you think it's about time he was actually PUBLICLY wise? Couldn't hurt.
Is there actually an actress in this episode named Harley Quinn Smith? For real-serious?
Good episode. Not great. ***1/2.
The Flash "Borrowing Problems From The Future"
What is up with that tag? Can't wait to see next week.
I love that H.R. isn't witty or cunning enough to say anything to Cisco's put-down but "You're mean!". It was so unexpectedly bad, and I realized this particular character is trafficking in worthlessness. And those two words were an exemplary example of it.
Were I Team Flash, Julian joining wouldn't be an issue at all, and I'd consider it a no-brainer. Without a smart Welles, they need all the intelligent science people they can get. And as noted, Julian hasn't blabbed, even though he probably has reasons he should. That shouldn't be dismissed.
Frankly, I think the fact that he hasn't blabbed is probably why he is so upset. I'm betting he wants to turn himself into the police and take his lumps, but he fears Barry's secret would get out if he did that. Which is kind of cool.
Greg Grunberg? Genre Yay!
Bad News: Killer Frost is a MUCH bigger threat than we feared. Good News: So is Gorilla Grodd! Double Yay!
Here's something interesting: They changed up the opening voice-over narration again. First time they've done that in the middle of the season. Usually it stays the same the entire year.
I love that Iris' reaction is to be scared. It's honest, and terrifying, and she does not need to pretend that Barry is the one who needs comforting in that moment. She doesn't try to make him feel better when she learns that, because that moment there is not actually about him. After she absorbs it, she gets some perspective, but Iris is a civilian. Fear and grief are perfectly normal responses for a person upon learning that. I love those two together so much.
Good first episode back. ****.
DC's Legends Of Tomorrow "Raiders Of The Lost Art"
If getting George Lucas to believe in himself isn't the worst plot turn the show has ever done, it at least feels like it is.
What a lousy episode to do when Wentworth Miller isn't contracted for it. That was so freaking awkward.
I prefer the Holy Lance too.
Hanna-Barbera cartoon? Too meta. Broke the reality too much. Which is weird considering how nuts this show actually is.
Jax talking about learning about the guy who pierced Christ with the Spear of Destiny turning blind in Sunday School is insane. I went to Sunday School and never even heard of the Spear of Destiny there, much less the story of the guy who used it. Do you know the first time I learned the blindness story? This episode. No way Jax learned that in Sunday School.
Not great. **.
Gotham "Mad City: Ghosts"
Gotham is back to sucking again. I don't know why I ever entertained the notion is might be turning a corner. It's the same people in charge. And they were never aware they were doing things wrongs. Their botching the Batman mythos so badly got them rewarded with two extra undeserved seasons (and counting). There was no reason to think Gotham being somewhat acceptable for a short stretch was anything less than a fluke.
Let's talk about the two good things: Victor Zsasz (of course) and Bruce's scene with Selina where he convinces her to forgive her mother. I love that scene. Because it shows how much Bruce and Selina have evolved. Even last season, if Bruce had done that, Selina would have been totally offended, and not spoken to him for weeks. Now she actually trusts him, and gives his opinion serious weight. It was pretty much the only good non-Zsasz related thing. Those kids are so amazing and as usual the only good thing on the show.
Let's get into the bad. It's not just that Jim Gordon is a bad person as to why I hate him. He's a bad cop. Which betrays the central premise of him being the only honest cop in the city. Because he isn't. Let us itemize the suck:
He shows up at Mario's funeral. Harvey convinces him not to actually intrude, but Jim is the kind of person who has to be told this first. I have Asperger's, but even I know you don't attend the funeral of a person you killed. Jim was again trying to make Falcone and Lee's grief and pain all about himself, and in the one moment they had to remember and celebrate their loved one. Funerals already suck. And Jim doesn't give a second thought that he'd be making this one suck an extraordinary amount. He is certifiable. And the idea that Lee still secretly loves him is infuriating. Because there is no reason she should. She was right the first time. He brought in Barnes alive. The only reason he killed Mario was because he was jealous. And you know that is true. Jim Gordon wasn't a cop involved in a questionable shooting then. He was a murderer.
I mean, yeah, Mario could have killed Lee, but the ONLY reason Jim killed him is that he was jealous. And you can't convince me otherwise.
And yes, he's a terrible cop. He doesn't think to tell Harvey Victor is trying to kill him? His response that it was his business is absolutely absurd. As Harvey notes, he's frequently standing next to him, and Zsasz is not a guy concerned with innocent bystanders. Jim is right that Zsasz doesn't want to kill Harvey. But as the hostage scene at the end proved, he won't hesitate to do it if it also means Jim's death. How does Jim not realize that? And why is he actually unapologetic about it? He's putting Harvey's life in unnecessary danger by keeping that information to himself. And he doesn't realize that?
Another sign he is a sucky cop. When being chased by Zsasz and his goonettes raining gunfire upon him, he enters an establishment filled with innocent bystanders and seems annoyed that they seem confused at to why he just waltzes into a place he's never been before, and feels comfortable telling everyone there to leave. He's more than a bad cop. Even the worst cops know you are supposed to PROTECT civilians from criminals. Not put them in danger because you are stupid and egomaniacal. Danny Cannon wrote this? How has DC not fired this guy and Bruno Heller in shame? I don't get why he is still in charge of this show when he writes stuff like that.
To be fair, Jim isn't the only horrible cop on the show. Harvey actually fires his gun into the air in a crowded building. That is ludicrous. That's something that settles people down in the Old West. In modern day real life, that starts a panic and a riot. Harvey's a cop, right? How does he not know you only fire a weapon when you are trying to kill somebody? It's not just that Harvey doesn't know this which is concerning. If somebody had taken him aside afterwards and called him a reckless idiot I would have forgiven it. But this actually appears to be something the writers don't actually know. And that is astounding. They write a show about cops and did zero research for procedures whatsoever? And don't even seem to realize how badly written and stupid those moments? It doesn't even cross Danny Cannon's mind? And nobody at DC or the network told him this was a bad idea, stupid, and something that would be written on a bad seventies cop show? DC Entertainment should seriously hang it's head in shame. The fact that no-one will actually get fired over that shows exactly why Gotham is in as bad of shape as it is.
Riddler driving Penguin crazy will not be hard. He's already almost there.
I liked Falcone's observation that he loved Jim like a son, and that meant that his life was his to take. It is a ridiculous idea, but when he says it, it makes a certain kind of sense. Part of why I hated Jim killing Mario was because Jim was not only hurting Lee, but Carmine, who had treated him as a son, and better than anybody in his exact position ever would in real life. And Jim lied about promising not to kill Mario. To his face. It's not that Jim destroyed his relationship to Lee as to why I'm angry. She can do SO much better. It's that he destroyed his relationship to Don Falcone without a second thought as to why Jim sucks so much.
It feels right to being back to bashing Gotham again. And as long as Heller and Cannon are in charge, it will ALWAYS suck. Frankly, it's gotten so bad, I'm doubtful even new showrunners could turn things around at this point. This is the worst current DC series on the air, including DC Super Hero Girls. It is a nonstop bucket of suck. 0.
Gotham "Mad City: Smile Like You Mean It"
Not terrible, but the show is, so I don't expect much.
I think the show changed its mind about Jerome. I think the original plan WAS to simply make him be the inspiration for the Joker, and not the Joker himself, but they realized too late that Cameron Monhagan is the best Joker besides Mark Hamill. Gotham does not plan sh*t out well. At all.
I think the cutting off the face thing is probably the biggest mistake of the episode. Because Jerome's face is very visibly delicate and injured now, he cannot cut lose the way the character did last season. Which is the show saddling itself with an unnecessary weakness. It always does that. Like I said, they suck at planning sh*t out.
Good things? Bruce and Selina continue to amaze me. Those kids have grown into such confident actors and their genuine chemistry is phenomenal. I love that Selina is SO hurt and devastated, but that Bruce is in a place where he is unwilling to back down. Even last season he would have been apologetic about the situation, but he's now insightful enough to realize there were no good endings to that scenario, and that if Selina needs to vent, maybe he should let her. But it's significant to me he is pretty unapologetic about his own actions. He's genuinely sorry about the situation. But he refuses to take blame for it. Which is good, because it is not his fault at all.
Gordon telling Dwight he was unlike Jerome in that Jerome never bored him was a pretty good burn.
Prediction: Cole is Selina's father. I guessed this last week, but that theory solidified upon her mother being REALLY frightened that Selina put a knife to his throat. I'm guessing she's seen the dude in life-threatening situations before, but that was terrifying because her mother was worried that Selina was going to kill her own father without realizing it. That's what the subtext of the moment said to me.
I can't believe Jim is mad about the truth serum. Why? It was the right move! They weren't trying to extract a confession. They had him dead to rights. What they wanted was information, and a beating wasn't going to do it. Lee's solution was the best, and Jim has no part of the high ground in saying "You're better than this," after punching the guy. And again, it was actually the right play. Jim Gordon sucks famously, but he isn't even self-aware enough to realize when people he cares about actually do the right thing. HE has to be the hero. HE has to come up with the solution. Lee doing so embarrassed him, and that is why he can't stand it, and why he sucks so much.
Gabe being left behind tells me there is a bloodbath coming for the other mobsters next week. The writers wouldn't have held him back if they weren't planning to kill off all of Penguin's remaining men at next week's confrontation.
This whole Riddler revenge plot is going along far quicker than I pictured. I figured they'd stretch it out to the season finale, but things seem to be coming to a head in a total of three or four episodes. I don't object to the show not dragging out their mythology. I just question where they can go from here once this particular gambit is seen through. They'll pretty much have blown things up and good.
This show is such a freaking mess. ***.
Lucifer "Stewardess Iterruptus"
There were a lot of good and interesting things that happened during this episode. But I cannot bring myself to recommend it. We'll talk about those good things shortly but I think this episode and what come next makes the series suck. I do not want to see a "Boy meets girl" show with Lucifer. Do you know why? Because that's television. And not only is it television, but it's the precise reason television sucks so much. It's sort like how Moonlighting and Cheers went south when the leads hooked up. Because they weren't right for each other, and the audience realized that once they got their wish. Well, I've ALWAYS known Chloe and Luci were a bad fit. I knew the show was building towards it, but I had foolishly hoped they'd put it off for as long as possible and make it unrequited on Lucifer's end. The series would retain its appeal if it had done that.
Let's talk some of the good and / or interesting things. The first thing isn't good, but it IS interesting. Chloe didn't know Lucifer was bisexual? That strikes me as very strange. Lucifer does NOT hide that. At all. How has that never come up before?
The second thing is also interesting, although it is also on the bad scale as far as good and bad goes. All of Lucifer's exes say it was the best night they ever had. But Lucifer meant nothing to them. I don't believe that moment. Intimacy brings people together, and it seems to me a REALLY great night of intimacy would bring these women closer to Lucifer than a one night stand with a boring guy. It's precisely the fact that it's supposedly the best sex they've ever had which is why I don't believe none of them caught feelings.
Speaking of caught feelings, I feel bad for Lucifer's stalker. REALLY bad. Because she obviously believes Lucifer is out of her league and would never dignify her with her greatest wish. And she is wrong on every level. Lucifer is not out of ANYONE'S league. And I'm not saying this as a slam on Lucifer to say everyone is better than him. It's just that Lucifer thinks EVERYONE is beautiful and is attracted to ALL consenting adults. He is constantly flirting (honestly) with women that most people in TV shows find older and unattractive. He isn't out of her league because if she had simply walked up to him and asked him for sex, he would have said yes without a second thought. She is completely overthinking the situation, and that's only because she mistakenly thinks Lucifer is a worse person than he actually is. I actually feel really bad for her.
I love the idea that Charlotte think Lucifer values honesty above all else. Because that is NOT his role with Christian fundamentalists. And yet, there is nothing in the actual Bible to contradict that notion. A lot of fundies have concocted these really weird fantastical epic Bible stories out of apocryphal nonsense. Left Behind is a work of fiction. And yet, many people treat the goofy ideas in it as gospel, even if they were not based on the actual Bible itself. All of the stuff like the Rapture is stuff that people have told each other about but has no reference whatsoever in the Bible or other Christian religious texts. It's like the mythology of the Bible some people convince themselves of has about as much logic or real world application to it as Santa Claus. I'm not exactly what you would call a faithful person. I believe a higher power exists, but I'm not crazy enough to believe ANYBODY'S current theories are likely to be CLOSE to the truth. I think every known religion is probably wrong, even if God exists. And that's pretty much what would happen if God DID exist. Because if I created the Universe, I wouldn't really give two craps about humanity. Humanity is so teeming with narcissism that it actually thinks God cares where people stick their junk. As if God doesn't have bigger concerns. I know most people think their junk is the center of their universe, but I think it's crazy that anyone believes Gods believes that too. And it's the fact that people think like that as to why God probably doesn't get involved in human affairs. Clowns like us probably aren't worth it.
Jamie Kennedy has turned into quite the dirtbag in middle age. You kind of forgave his douchiness when he was younger, but now he looks and acts like a sex offender. Which seems to be the fate of the entire male cast of the original Scream.
I don't want Lucifer to turn into THAT show. The shipping show. And it has. Already. And it makes it MUCH worse for it. **1/2.
Lucifer "Love Handles"
That wasn't just terrible. That was painfully terrible.
They pretty much just wrecked Lucifer and Chloe. And I realize the reason they suck together is that they probably don't belong together. That's why Jim and Pam work and Sam and Diane don't. SO stupid.
And they have Chloe acting like a positive lunatic all throughout the episode. Can you blame an egomaniacal d0uche like Lucifer for getting suspicious?
Stupidest serial killer motivation ever. The man is trying to prove he isn't a sociopath... by killing people? Do I have that right? I know TV producers are desperate for the next TV-14 twist on Saw, but that is stupid. It's not just crazy or wrongheaded. It's stupid. The dude is trying to prove he isn't a bad guy but normal. How does he think the public is going to react to him murdering innocent people to "prove" something that doesn't need to be proved by anybody? If this guy is trying to salvage his reputation, I think becoming a terrorist is probably the worst option anybody could think of.
I love that Maze changes her mind when she sees Lucifer is happy. Which shows she is a better and more loyal friend than Charlotte is a mother.
Good things? Loved the double-bluff cliffhanger at the end. You think it's about one enormous world shattering thing, when you realize that is going to have to be put off for something even worse. The show is admittedly good at stuff like that ("Mom"). But that didn't actually stop this episode from sucking less. *.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Broken Promises"
Technically, I should have disliked the episode because it engaged in every hated trope this show does that I object to... but my heart isn't in it. It wasn't good (or bad) enough for me to do anything but shut my brain off and enjoy most of it.
Radcliff as a bad guy: I wasn't happy about it, but the good thing is that John Hannah can clearly play it. That is a HUGE problem for a lot of shows where good guys turn into bad guys: the good guy actors can't pull it off. Hannah seems equally fine as both so it won't be as big a mess as Angel Season Four and Cordelia.
Interesting Maybot doesn't know she's a robot. She is clearly developing a sexual attraction to Coulson. The big question is how will Coulson react to that. And if he reacts to it the way anyone else in his position would, how is real May going to react to him going there? Maybe the fake May thing won't be as terrible as I thought. It was a terrible twist. I stand by that opinion. But it's possible the fall-out will be interesting.
I hate that Senator so much.
Mace probably would do a better job of pretending to be humble without a glamour shot on his desk. Good observation by Daisy there.
My absolute favorite moment was Yoyo saying that Radcliffe should be forced to watch the Terminator movies, Mack asks "Even Salvation?", and she says "He brought this on himself." Mutant Enemy has its share of problems, but it's pop culture quips have ALWAYS been above reproach. Always.
John Pyper-Ferguson is an interesting actor and always has been. In long hair and a beard, he's a grizzled character actor tough guy. Clean-shaven and with short hair, he's a handsome leading man. It is SO rare to get a guy who is equally good at both. I personally think Ferguson deserves more handsome man roles than he's ultimately gotten. But this episode proves why he usually gets the character actor ones: he's good at it.
Plus, he's from Brisco County Jr. and there is nothing about that show that wasn't awesome.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "The Patriot"
Mace is a faker? That upsets me for some reason.
I like that Radcliffe, despite being plainly evil, seems to have a no kill code. It was smart to do that. Because the fact that he's evil makes me root against him, but the fact that he doesn't want to kill his friends makes me sympathize with him.
I think Coulson, Mack and Mace did pretty well for three guys against an entire militia before Quake and Robo-May showed up. That was a sick fight at the end. What does May realizing she's a robot mean for her mission? Have her protocols changed in case that happened? I am very curious about that.
Solid episode. But I was screaming at my TV at Mace as if I was Senator Vreenak. ***1/2.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Wake Up"
Better than average.
I love that it turns out Fitz didn't betrayed Gemma after all. We keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and it turns out he's simply uncovering Radcliffe's duplicity.
Mack's story about his daughter made me hope beyond hope it was real and that he wasn't the other ILM. And Yoyo saying his body seemed unreal at one point was the reddest of red herrings.
May's greatest wish is saving the girl. Is that the same kid who played her in that other episode? Made they kept her under the blanket so you couldn't tell she aged and grew taller.
Here's a question: Why doesn't anybody blab that Nadeer is a murderer and tried to kill all of them? What about that mission keeps that fact top secret and Nadeer untouchable? I don't get it.
Look forward to seeing some Koenigs next week. ****.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Graduation Day, Part 1"
I love the first part of the finale! Such a great idea to give Spidey some personal moments with each of his teams. We haven't really seen White Tiger all season. And Vulture and Rhino were cured and redeemed! How awesome is that? Also good to see Sandman again.
I loved the scene at the beginning of Doc Ock eating Peter's pancakes. His new (old?) character design is a vast improvement from both of his earlier designs. That was a fun yet creepy moment.
Loved it. ****1/2.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Graduation Day, Part 2"
I am beyond amused that this show not only ultimately redeemed Norman Osborne, but hinted Doc Ock was going in that direction too. To be perfectly honest, this version of Doc Ock only became interesting and layered once he quit Hydra and learned Peter's secret ID. I honestly did not like him until this season.
What a great ending for the show. Honestly, all things considered, I think this is the best animated Spider-Man TV series of them all. Spider-Man TAS and Spider-Man Unlimited were total messes, Ralph Bakshi's Spider-Man was subpar and dated, and the less said about MTV's Spider-Man, the better. The only show that compares is The Spectacular Spider-Man, but aside from being vastly overrated, the ending to that one sucked, and this one's ending didn't, so this is the better show on principle. There will be people who think I'm crazy for thinking this. But this was the best Spider-Man cartoon so far. *****.
Star Wars Rebels "Ghosts Of Geonosis, Part One"
I don't know much about Saw Geurrera but it sounds like they got Forest Whitaker to voice him. I need to see Rogue One now. ****.
Stars Rebels "Ghosts Of Geonosis: Part Two"
Good conclusion. ****.
Star Wars Rebels "Warhead"
I absolutely love AR-5 (or whatever his designation is) and he makes a MUCH better foil for Zeb than Chopper does. Because unlike Chopper, he isn't actually annoying and he's actually funny.
I especially loved Thawn's perspective of such a disaster of a terrorist attack being considered an actual win. Because when he explains it like that, he's right. Zeb didn't save the day, deal the Empire a serious blow, and protect their base. He just made it easier for Thawn to narrow down where it was. I love that idea.
Good episode. ****1/2.
Girl Meets World "Girl Meets Sweet Sixteen"
Do you know what I love? In that studio audience filled with kids, there were audible gasps upon the suggestion that the Matthews are moving to London. I love that. I love that the viewers of this show are not cynical enough to automatically realize this plot turn is completely bogus and never going to happen. I would love to be that naive about television. It would probably suck less for me if I was.
Cory is terrible teacher. He doesn't teach anything. He just treats the classroom like a therapy session. I get that him doing that means lazy kidcom writers don't actually have to research any actual subjects for him to teach but Cory Matthews' history class is about as in-depth and valid and Senor Chang's Spanish class. I'm not kidding.
It's interesting that Lucas and Zay have developed into a minor comedy team with each other. They are getting to be naturally funny, if not with the rest of the cast, than with each other.
The Smackle rebooting was painfully embarrassing to watch. I felt bad for her actress. Such a young vulnerable age to be forced to act like a total imbecile in front of an audience full of strangers.
Here's something bad about Smackle: I always thought her throwing herself at Lucas was hilarious. Except, it turns out Farkle thinks she's serious. And it is no longer funny. At all. Farkle is FAR too forgiving of both her and Lucas in that scenario. I really hope they stop that joke now. They just made it not funny, and they better no go back to it now that it isn't.
I wish I was younger and dumber. I'd probably love this show. ***1/2.
Girl Meets World "Girl Meets Goodbye"
This is the first ACTUAL complete Boy Meets World Reunion. They pretty much got back the entire original cast besides Matthew Lawrence, and nobody needs him. I didn't quite get why there were 2 Morgan Matthews and why everybody was pretending that wasn't insane.
The show continues to embarrasses Smackle's actress. It probably wouldn't be so bad if she committed as much as Farkle's actor does, but you can tell she is clearly embarrassed to do some of the things she is forced to do. Good Smackle moment: Her declaring Riley not a threat upon Farkle's declaration of love. It was kind of brutal, which is good.
Topanga is pretty much the best mom ever. In fact, she's a bit TOO good. It's clear the reason she decided to stay was for Riley and Maya's benefit and I don't know if adults should be making those kinds of decisions based on how it's effects their kids' friendships. She's a great mom for that. But she's too great. Riley doesn't deserve her (to say nothing of Cory).
Every TV show ever needs more Will Friedle. This is not just a cartoon problem, this effects all television. I cannot believe he hasn't broken out bigger in live-action than he has. He's very funny.
Cute, but entirely predictable series finale. Good way to revisit the 90's though. ****.
Power Rangers Ninja Steel "Return Of The Prism"
So apparently, one of the new Power Rangers is a magician. With a tophat and everything.
I don't even know why I still bother with this franchise. *.
The Simpsons "Pork & Burns"
Spider-Pig has still been around in the backyard this entire time?! Yay! I hope this means we see him again soon.
Haven't seen Dr. Nick in awhile too. I thought they killed him off in the movie.
Loved the Mayo ER parody at the end.
I loved it. ****1/2.
The Simpsons "The Great Phatsby"
First two part Simpsons episode since "Who Shot Mr. Burns!"
I love the idea that the best experts of urban culture are white nerds. Seriously. Milhouse sucks so much.
I really liked Smithers ice subplot for some reason.
Hank Azaria playing a kid was funny enough. What is truly funny is that he didn't make his voice higher. It's a Family Guy thing to have adult men voice small children and it's funny for some reason.
Why does being hung out a window work? Funny joke.
I love that the Blue-Haired Lawyer sticks his head out of the window of the car and sticks his tongue out with the hounds. The subtext is entirely clear there.
Great episode. Don't know if it actually needed to be an hour, but I had no complaints that it was. ****1/2.
Grimm "Fugitive"
Sleepy Hollow and Once Upon A Time are total lost causes but I am absolutely shocked and surprised that it looks like Grimm will redeem itself in the final season after two years of suck. I honestly expected Once to be the franchise to pull itself out of the gutter, but I'm not complaining it's Grimm instead.
Good to see Bud again (and in a big role). He was entirely too absent last season.
I like Franco's bigger role too and it also hints that Franco is not only a good person, but a good cop too. He follows orders but is not afraid to subvert them if he thinks things are getting out of control. I would not mind this guy in on the secret.
Do you know what strikes me most about Renard's vendetta against Nick? It is completely unnecessary. I mean, Black Claw is wiped out in Portland, and a smarter bad guy than Renard would simply declare peace and try to start over as mayor. I don't know if Renald realizes it, but Nick being in a literal roomful of dead Wesen bodies without a scratch on him sort of sums up what happens to people who stand against Nick. Were I Renard, I'd be trying to get back into his good graces. It seems incredibly ill-advised to take Nick on head-on even with a human police department to keep his hands clean. This will not end well for them.
Do you know what bums me out? Trubel STILL isn't a series regular! Also I am amused that it's Elizabeth Tulloch now. To be honest, Bitsie was ridiculous. I cannot believe she went by that for five seasons.
A return to form. This season's gonna be good. It probably helps that since we know it is the last, they finally have something to build towards. And since the keys have all been found they don't have that hanging over the series either. I am very curious to see how this wraps up in May. *****.
Grimm "Trust Me Knot"
The Captain is setting himself up for such a big fall. I cannot believe he is this dumb. Nobody takes on The Grimm and walks away. He is throwing everything away for no reason whatsoever.
Part of me is worried about Nick and the stick, and part of me is relieved that he is aware something is wrong. Things might not turn out badly since he is.
"You're not alone! I'm here!" Said the most frightening child ever. Monroe seemed legitimately scared. And part of why he was scared is because he was unable to express it for obvious reasons. Diana is Bill Mumy in The Twilight Zone. Monroe doesn't want to be sent off to the cornfield.
Really good episode, if not as good as the premiere. ***1/2.
Grimm "Oh Captain, My Captain"
Meisner!!! WTF?!
I understand why the show went back to the status quo, but I think Nick was far more forgiving of Sean than was warranted. I would have sent a taped confession about the murder of his mistress to the media. Try and have Renard explain THAT.
What is interesting is how easily Nick won. It was a genius, simple plan that worked at every step of the way. The only glitch was the spell lasting longer than it should have, but Diana fixed it and everything else worked. Which is why Renard was stupid to side against Nick in the first place. He chose the wrong side. Meisner was right all along.
Not all the news for Nick was good. Diana now strongly dislikes him, and his relationship with Mommy. That will not end well.
I love that Nick basically unapologetically set the spurned lieutenant against Renard. It's not his problem, and if it DOES blow up in Renard's face, that's actually good news for Nick. Everything lined up for Nick this episode. The plan was not only smart but he is a lucky dude too.
I love that the scene of Monroe hiding in the closet was boarded and shot like a high stakes action scene. The tension in the music goes into overdrive, and Silas Weir Mitchell and Claire Coffee seem to be prepping their Emmy reel. I love that because the scenario is in reality no more danger filled or exciting than an episode of Three's Company. The show made the mundane seem important. That is a very good skill for an action show to have. Not all tension needs to involve expensive visual effects or elaborately choreographed stunt-work. Sometimes weird camera angles, extreme expressions, and scary music get the exact same thing across. This is precisely why David Lynch is such a talented director.
Speaking of talented directors, David Guintoli directed this. The closet scene shows he does not suck at this.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Sleepy Hollow "In Plain Sight"
Better than last week but that's not saying much. I can't help feel that they are dragging their feet on Diane and Molly learning the secret. The Headless Horseman coming back is good though. Just don't make him the talking emo version next week, okay, show? **1/2.
Sleepy Hollow "In Plain Sight"
An unexpectedly promising episode. Why? They are using a fictionalized President! I can actually enjoy this show now. The fact that the quality is still shaky is the only barrier. But I kind of like the show's President being very much like Michelle Obama. For obvious reasons.
Good episode to let everyone else into the full secret. It's early enough that people outside of Agent Thompson won't feel betrayal at the lie, and far enough along that they'll believe Crane. Because Crane's story is nuts.
Glad the Witness is definitely Molly. Nice and messy, which is good.
To be honest, it doesn't look like I'm going to enjoy next week much, since it seems to not have much to do with this season's mythology. We'll see. ***1/2.
Bob's Burgers "Ex Mach Tina"
Every time we spend sn extended period of time with Jimmy Jr. I realize that Tina could do a lot better. That being said, I loved the resolution that Tina came to the bonfire in person when Jimmy was so obviously choking on his bad poetry. Just the fact that she did that DID somehow make the poems seem less horrible.
Does Mr. Frond look like Bill Gates to you? Yes, he does.
Louise's trash on the beach slam to Tammy was SO freaking good. Where we Louise when I was in Junior high?
Decent episode but the ending was pretty sweet. ****.
The Good Place "Chiti's Choice"
It is very clear to me Eleanor belongs in The Good Place. I mean, all she was doing throughout the episode was comforting and empowering her friends during an incredibly messy situation. A worse person than her would have been throwing a fit. But she doesn't want to be that kind of woman. So she isn't.
Jason and Janet felt right. Just because they are equally stupid and pretty much soul-mates by default.
I'm glad this show is back. ****.
The Good Place "What's My Motivation?"
There's a Medium Place after all? And there is only one person in it? I've said it before and I'll say it again: this afterlife is badly designed.
First off, there is a legit case to be made that Eleanor belongs in the Bad Place. Were I the Afterlife Sorting Hat, she'd get the Good Place, but I understand why a higher power wouldn't see it that way, ONLY based on her life on Earth. I get that she used to be a mini monster. I do.
But there is no part of Jason Mendoza that isn't good-hearted, kind, and well-intentioned. His life of crime was so unsuccessful, not merely because he was stupid. But because he didn't possess the malice good criminals need to possess to be successful. If The Good Place cannot see what an amazing person Jason is just because he's stupid and not smart enough to know better than to commit dumb crimes, then it is outright unfair. Eleanor proves that it's perhaps unfair because people have the capacity to change, and maybe not everybody needs to be judged by their finite time on Earth, particularly since everybody in THIS neighborhood seems to be people whose time was cut short. But Jason proves the point system is bogus. Just the selfless way he treat Janet shows that he has a conscience that none of the rest of the characters can match. If Chiti were half as ethical as he thinks he is, he would be railing nonstop about the unfairness of The Good Place and taking place in demonstrations about how immoral the universe actually is. But he pretty much accepts the situation which is not something Jason seems willing to do about Janet. Which is why Jason belongs here.
The "Pobody's Nerfect" moment tells me something that is probably true, but I kind of wish wasn't. I think REALLY good people, the kinds who become saints and improve the less fortunate's lives, probably have lousy, ill-developed senses of humor. Because that's not what their life is about, and so they'll be very impressed at the dumbest of seemingly clever, yet old and cliched jokes. It's a little bit depressing that that moment pointed out that on some level, truly funny and clever people are sort of scummy in some way or another. And that is probably true.
This show is getting good. ****.
The Good Place "Mindy St. Claire" / "Michael's Gambit"
I guess I was right. The Afterlife is badly designed. I just didn't guess it was on purpose. I honestly did not like this episode. At all. It was the worst way to end the season possible, especially if as hinted things are rebooted, so we're gonna be farting around with that for awhile.
How is it Chiti doesn't know why he's there? I kind of wondered how a guy like him who makes everything worse is even eligible for The Good Place. But it's the fact that he thinks it's almonds which is why he belongs there.
I do not look forward to Michael being a bad guy next season. At all.
I take back what I said about Jason being a good person. He's an ultimately harmless person. But that is far different than being a good one.
Interesting that Janet actually loves him. That and Eleanor confessing is the thing that sent things off the rails.
I wouldn't have like episode anyways, but if everyone's memory wasn't wiped, I'd tolerate it. It would be a frustrating finale but I'd know season two was gonna be amazing. I don't see a way out for the characters anymore so season two is merely going to be frustrating, at least for awhile.
Arrgh! I am not happy. *.
Son Of Zorn "Radioactive Ex-Girlfriend"
I like when the show does allegory and there is no better demonstration of Zorn being in an unhealthy relationship than his girlfriend being radioactive. She is literally making him sick and slowly killing him, which makes it the most obvious example of an unhealthy relationship ever.
I don't think Craig is as bad at therapy as everyone thinks. I like that Zorn is happy for him and Edie though.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
Son Of Zorn "The Battle Of Self-Acceptance"
Okay, now I pretty much ship Zorn and Linda.
Do you know what is amazing about Zorn and Linda at the end? Zorn didn't do anything wrong! It's not his fault Craig left, and he didn't make any overtures to Edie during the episode that suggest she should be p*ssed over this. They're done. Craig leaving over him is not his fault / problem. Go Zinda!
Weird that the two penises is a thing for Alan.
Edie's "I think lame people can get drugs now" pretty much shows that she's the worst person ever. Not just mom. Person.
I have to say that was perhaps the most helpful medication I have ever seen, side effects aside. Most medication does not work as advertised. It's amazing this did.
I'm glad they got past the joke of Zorn seeing Linda as a man. If it had played our much longer it would have been increasingly insulting. I love that once Zorn figures out the truth, Linda becomes a romantic opportunity. This suggests there is very little homophobia in the way Zorn personally sees the world.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Emerald City "The Beast Forever" / "Prison Of The Abject"
This was very interesting. It could go either way. It could be very good. Or it could be a total mess. I personally guess a mess is coming, but the first two episodes were actually good.
First off, I love the idea of Oz as a pit. Because Dorothy wanting to go back to her cr*p life in Kansas never made ANY sense as long as Oz was as brilliant and colorful as it was. If I lived in a black and white dirt poor farmland, and suddenly the world was color and amazing, I'd consider Auntie Em a freaking acceptable loss. For real. But now I get why Dorothy actually wants to go home. Because Oz isn't a place of wonder and magic. It is outright terrifying and it sucks.
Having Toto be a complete stranger police dog was a good spin, although Dorothy hitting the witch with the police car was not.
East was very interesting to me. Because they changed some things about her and kept some things the same. First off, even if we never saw her in the movie or the books, she is just as evil as her reputation from the earlier projects suggests. Where they divest is that East is actually popular among the people. She's Trump and the Munchkins are Republicans. They alone don't understand how much she actually sucks.
Dorothy tricking her into shooting herself was a great gag. And I think the idea that only a witch can kill another witch is clearly apocryphal. Yeah, it's hinted Dorothy absorbed some of her power (magic gloves instead of ruby slippers) but Dorothy clearly was not a witch when she tricked her.
Very interesting to get Ozma in episode 2. I figured that would be a couple of seasons away. Ozma was pretty much the first transgendered fictional children's character ever and I have a special place in my heart for her for that.
Lucas is an interesting take on The Scarecrow. First off, there is a total shipping vibe between him and Dorothy, which is probably something that could have happened, had Dorothy been an actual adult in the original canon. She absolutely loved the Scarecrow above all others, and if the Scarecrow is human and hunky and she's Florence Nightingale, I see how this ship could work. I like the idea that his "brainlessness" was demonstrated by amnesia. Which is perfect, and kind of makes me annoyed that Baum and the movie producers never thought of it. Because in the books and the movie the Scarecrow is a goofball, but he isn't actually stupid. His wish for a brain was entirely unnecessary. I get that was the point of the movie, but the brain thing was portrayed as a legit wish in the book. But here, you see how he needs his brain fixed, and they don't have to pretend he's unintelligent to do it.
I was also amazed they introduced him via crucifixion. Forget how wild Scarecrow of Oz Christ parallels are, it suddenly gives me a sinking feeling about the entire ideas of Scarecrows. Doctor Who made Scarecrows briefly scary. This idea makes them eternally tortured, which is far worse.
One thing I don't like: They should not have gotten Vincent D'Onofrio to play the Wizard. Why? Because the Wizard is completely subdued and normal, and D'Onofrio is specifically as amazing as he is because he chews the scenery in every role he is cast in. Either there is some wild stuff that isn't even HINTED at here in story for the Wizard coming, or I'm about to really regret D'Onofrio being tied down, for possibly seasons on end, in a role where he is completely underutilized. I get that D'Onofrio gives the series instant prestige and serious actor cred. But if they aren't going to play to his strengths, all that is wasted. Part of me hopes this show, as interesting as it is, gets canceled quickly so that D'Onofrio will be contractually free to actually knock my socks off again.
But this was an interesting premiere. ****.
Emerlad City "Mistress - New - Mistress"
Didn't like this. The ending was WAY too dark for Ozma and the Wizard is a creep. It's bad enough he used to frequent brothels, but he imprisons his only faithful servant when she figures out his game. This episode proves there is trouble ahead. **.
Emerald City "Science And Magic"
Boring. And the masturbatory scene in the tub with Ozma and West was outright disgusting. The only options for a girl being nun or whore is another clear sign that Oz sucks.
Did Dorothy and Lucas actually sleep together? They wake up in each other's arms but are still fully clothed. TBD...
Jack is the Tin Man? I wonder who the Lion is.
The guards holding a knife to the pregnant woman's stomach is another clear sign that the Wizard is an absolute scumbag.
Roman, huh? Interesting the guard survived. Perhaps he's Immortal. Could he be the Lion? He has the hair but he doesn't seem especially cowardly.
I kind of liked the headphones moment because it shows that if you have no reference for it, perhaps listening to music for the first time is terrifying. If there is music in Oz (which we have not seen) Lucas clearly cannot ever remember hearing it, so perhaps the voices coming out of the headphones aren't the only shocking thing in that moment.
I was mostly bored with this. Frankly, I'd be mostly bored of Game of Thrones too without the nudity. We can make fun of how stupid and ill-suited the nudity on that show is (and it is often perverted and disgusting) but there is one thing it is not: boring. Which just shows that a show that tries to do like Game of Thrones on network TV will probably be more boring than it would be on HBO. By default. Because Game of Thrones is in reality kind of boring without the nudity.
Not as good as the two-hour premiere, but better than last week. ***.
Family Guy "Passenger Fatty-Seven"
Speaking for me? An airline hijacking isn't exactly a fun way for me to spend 22 minutes. It's just NOT a funny premise. At all.
Nice tribute to Carrie Fisher at the beginning. Watching Family Guy without Angela won't be the same. Screw you, 2016!
I liked the Quahog Girls thing and how now Stewie WANTED Peter to die.
I didn't much care for this, but that seems to be my common refrain this season. *.
Family Guy "Gronkowsbees"
This Gronk guy probably had the most humiliating guest star role in the show's history. It's about as shocking as if Tom Cruise had voiced himself in that midget episode. At least Adam West and James Woods are portrayed as funny and charming. This is no part of this version of Gronk that doesn't totally suck.
The thing with the mutant bees chasing Brian and Stewie in the car made me realize yet again that those two have incredibly stupid problems.
Pretty good ***1/2.
Colony "Eleven.Thirteen"
VERY rare to see Josh Hollaway clean-shaven in ANY project.
I learned something about the Invasion I didn't know. It wasn't sudden. It was well planned in advance. It was coordinated with inside help via a conspiracy at the highest levels. I kind of got that a bunch of humanity was complicit for rolling over for the Invaders once they showed up. What I didn't realize is that a buttload of them HELPED them cause all of the mayhem they did.
This was a VERY interesting premiere. ****1/2.
The Blacklist "Lipet's Seafood Company"
I love that that was the specific thing that made Aram have cold feet about Navabi. What is amazing is if that whole thing last year hadn't happened, he obviously would have easily forgiven Navabi. It's just, he cannot allow himself to make the exact same mistake, and that's what he would be doing. I think a lot of it had to do with his pride in that moment.
In Navabi's defense, she doesn't reconnect with her ex at the end. She tells him she's gonna try and earn back Aram's trust. I think that's the least she can do.
I was wondering what on Earth Red was doing all throughout the episode, and it turns out the great lengths he went to were to secure a pardon for Liz.
Good Blacklist news: The president elect is a fictional character created by the series. That automatically means it is not going to be a government agency show that is going to depress me by real-world events. Good call.
I love the billionaire tech suit guy saying he wasn't signing off on this. HE was the one stupid enough to show Navabi his face, it was HIS problem. I think the best lesson an entitled white criminal like him could learn is a bullet to the chest. Kind of cathartic.
I will not hate this show from now on because it is dealing with a fictional world situation. I'll be able to enjoy it. ****.
The Blacklist "The Forecaster"
I like the idea that Dembe might betray Red, but that he doesn't want to, and goes to Liz for help first. That makes a lot of sense of to me.
Not as epic an episode as the last couple but it was all right. Even though I do NOT see the appeal of an all white jigsaw puzzle. ***.
The Blacklist "The Harem"
Calling it: Jill Hennessy still looks great.
The rest of the episode was pretty good too. I especially love that Red understood why Dembe told Liz about Kaplan. But I felt this episode was mostly set-up for next week. ***1/2.
Blindspot "Nor, I, Nigel AKA Leg In Iron"
Nigel is SUCH a creeper name. Good line from Patterson.
Three things to note:
I love that Weller's gambit at the end of risking his career worked. Because it should not have. This tells me Dylan Baker's character either has a higher opinion of Weller than is warranted, or he knows the precise secret reason he is valuable. I could have seen him relenting on Roman. Because Weller was actually correct there. You ain't gonna get info from a guy with no memory through torture. What he shouldn't have done is consent to bring back Naz. But because he did, that leads me to think he thinks Weller is key to all this. Why that didn't set off alarm bells for Weller is beyond me.
In an especially cruel bit of irony Patterson accurately notes that "Borden" saying he's committing his crimes of behalf of his beloved late wife is pretty much the last thing a girlfriend in her position would want to hear. I like that because that's Patterson making her being tied up on the table completely personal. Which is good because Borden is trying REALLY hard to convince himself to hurt Patterson. It's clear he doesn't want to. And it's clear Patterson knows this and is smart enough to know the precise buttons to push to get him not to.
I have to say that all in all, the episode was a wash, just because the team decided that Jane should lie to Roman. Did the mess of season one tell them nothing? Maybe Roman would never forgive Jane for telling him the truth, but he could have come to trust her by doing that. Now Jane's lie is going to blow up in his face when he meets Shepherd. And you know he will.
Do you know why I hated that? Because it's television. It's not only television, it's bad television and shows exactly why the medium sucks so much (at least on the broadcast networks). I cannot think of a single broadcast network show that doesn't engage in crap like that. And it's really starting to bother me.
This would have been a decent episode had it not turned into television. ***1/2.
Blindspot "Droll Autumn, Unmutual Lord"
That moment where Jane tells her torturer after saving his daughter that it wasn't personal, and that she was just doing her job, at first glance sounds awesome and her rubbing in that guy's face about what the true meaning of doing your job is. But honestly? That's not what came across to me. It sounded like Jane regretted saving an innocent teenage girl's life. And that's all kinds of scummy.
I disagree with the weird crippled doctor's diagnosis of Roman. To be perfectly blunt, she seemed MUCH more like a sociopath than he has ever been portrayed as. I might have taken her concerns seriously if the actress playing her hadn't made her seem so weird,, off-putting, and cold-blooded.
All in all, the episode was a wash. **1/2.
Blindspot "Devil Never Even Lived"
That cliffhanger was intriguing. Next week should be interesting.
The stuff with Reed and Freddie's ex was stupid. It's like they are prolonging that dumb plot for no reason.
I love Patterson shellacking Naz for not figuring out Borden. Patterson feels guilty enough, but she is right that the person bugging his office should have seen it coming.
I haven't seen Charles Halford in anything since Constantine. I didn't like Abel the way I did Chas. He sucked.
I'll probably like next week better. ***.
Tags:
- bobs burgers,
- colony,
- dc super hero girls,
- dcs legends of tomorrow,
- family guy,
- gotham,
- grimm,
- justice league action,
- lucifer,
- marvels agents of shield,
- moana,
- power rangers,
- sleepy hollow,
- star wars rebels,
- supergirl (tv series),
- the blacklist,
- the flash,
- the good place,
- the simpsons,
- ultimate spider-man
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Date: 2017-02-11 05:38 pm (UTC)I... cant say i blame them.
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Date: 2017-02-11 05:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-02-11 06:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-02-13 12:18 am (UTC)Well, not really. But I should.