Doctor Who "Thin Ice" Review (Spoilers)

[matt_zimmer]

Also reviews for the latest episodes of Class, Teen Titans Go!, Justice League Action, and DC Super Hero Girls, the first 11 episodes of LEGO DC Super Hero Girls, the latest episodes of Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, Gotham, iZombie, Lucifer, Samurai Jack, Ben 10, Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Once Upon A Time, the premiere of Tangled: Short Cuts, the latest episode of Elena Of Avalor, the first three episodes of the season of Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force, and the latest episodes of The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Prison Break, The Last Man On Earth, Making History, Family Guy, American Dad!, Fargo, Angie Tribeca, The Blacklist, and Blindspot.

Upcoming reviews include Doctor Who: Series 9, The X-Files: Season 10, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), Captain America: Civil War (Blu-Ray), Doctor Strange (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, 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), Logan, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 2, Zootopia, Moana (Blu-Ray), Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Finding Dory (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 5, The BFG, Tomorrowland, 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), Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Blu-Ray), Static Shock: Season 1, Static Shock: Season 2, The Zeta Project: Season 2, Teen Titans Go!: Get In Pig Out, Justice League Dark, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Suicide Squad (Blu-Ray), The Flash: Season 2, Arrow: Season 4, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 1, 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, Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Earth's Last Stand, Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Shredder, 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, Power 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, 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, Peanuts By Schulz: Go Team Go!, Bob's Burgers: Season 5, Ghostbusters: Answer The Call, Community: Season 6, Hannibal: Season 1, Hannibal: Season 2, Hannibal: Season 3, Preacher: Season One, Danger Mouse: The Complete Series, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Game of Thrones: Season 6.



Doctor Who "Thin Ice"

I kind of see why Bill was mad at the Doctor for not saving the kid. He seemed entirely too interested in retrieving the sonic screwdriver in that moment.

And yes, she's never seen anyone die before. It's a trauma. And it is very rare where you can get the Doctor to admit he's killed people. Eleven was totally honest there, but every single other Doctor besides him and the War Doctor never really gave a straight answer to that. And I like when the kid asks her if she's still fighting with Twelve that she says she's moved on. Bill catches on quicker than most.

I liked the Doctor's run with Bill about Pete. I also like his top-hat.

I like that Twelve gives Bill a lecture about the importance of reason and diplomacy and then instantly punches Sutcliffe for his racist remarks. That did not go according to plan.

I really love that the Doctor got the orphans to inherit the mansion. The show doesn't always dot every i and cross every t but that was well done.

My guess as to what is behind the door: Missy. There can be no other answer.

Good week. ***1/2.

Class "Nightvisiting"

First good episode of the series.

I love Ms. Quill telling that thing "That's for defiling my sister's memory by making her NICE!". The venom when she says the word "Nice" was palpable.

I like how Tanya defeated the Lankin. Using the rules it set up, she could totally touch it's hand. That doesn't mean she accepted it.

The amnesia crutch is brilliant because there is an actual good reason for it: If the Lankin wipe everybody's memories, that means they can come back with less hassle. Smart writing.

I was happy with this. ***1/2.




Teen Titans Go! "Avogodo"

Robin's spicy food weakness is getting pathetic. Speaking of which, so is Robin. *1/2.

Justice League Action "Luthor In Paradise"

James Woods hasn't been this obsessed with Zeus since he was Hades.

When Hippolyta asks Circe what Luthor as a man can do for her that she can't do for herself, I half expected her to say, "Vibrators can't mow the lawn."

I like that Diana tells her mother Batman and Superman are her sidekicks and they have to sit there and take it like a couple of punks.

I laughed that when Circe touches the Occulus, she grows a beard. Luthor's dismay over losing his new hair at the end was similarly funny.

Best DC cartoon since JLU. Hands-down. ****.

Justice League Action "Plastic Man Saves The World"

Batman does NOT take good selifies.

Good casting: John De Lancie is a brilliant choice for Brainiac. It's so genius, I wonder why I hadn't seen it before. He's done DC work in the past (he was Sinestro on Duck Dodgers) and he's one of those Star Trek actors like Brent Spiner with such a great voice, that you're surprised he doesn't do cartoons more often than he does. I also would have accepted him as Mr. Mxyzptlk (for obvious reasons).

Bad casting: Dana Snyder continues to be terrible as Plastic Man. I don't get it. This show uses Kevin Conroy, Khary Payton, and Mark Hamill. Why didn't they just use Tom Kenny again? He was perfect. Plas should be goofy, but Snyder's voice is outright annoying. That's fine for Master Shake or Penguin, but not Plas. He also make Eel sound like much more of a loser than he actually should be.

But John De Lancie makes me forgive a lot. ***1/2.

DC Super Hero Girls "For Art's Sake"

Never cared for the Doubledare Twins. **.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Get Your Cape On Music Video"

Now THAT'S what I call an earworm! ****.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Body Building"

No fair! How come girls get better LEGO figures than boys? Just going by the boys toys, noses, eyebrows, and whites of the eye don't actually seem to exist. I feel a bit ripped off. ***.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Need For Speed"

"That boy has stamina." Probably needs it for how "quick" he is otherwise, if you catch my drift.

The LEGO Kryptomites are even cuter than the 2-D ones.

Loved Flash running on top of the Daily Planet globe, and causing it to spin on its axis.

Good one. ****.

DC Super Hero Girls "Trading Places"

Lena Luthor is smart. Ish.

Normally, I'd complain about Batgirl risking her secret identity as Barbara Gordon, but this is LEGO. They look identical except for the eye color.

Pretty good. ***.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Crazed And Confused"

Liked Harley and Harriet being hit on the head with a blue Kryptomite. **1/2.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Showdown"

The chick in the blue toga looks more like an Amazon than a New God to me. Who is she?

I love the idea that a closely guarded secret could possibly be the teacher's salary. Principle Skinner is millionaire after all. Good joke.

Above average. ***.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Wonder Waitress"

Wonder Woman as a waitress is either a funny idea, or a degrading one. Well, it's not actually funny, so there you go.

LEGO Krypto is cute though. **.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Galactic Wonder: Part 1"

"Greetings, Mrs. Woman." Swing and a miss for Commissioner Gordon.

Hippolyta is even more annoying here than she was on Justice League. And that's saying something. *.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Galactic Wonder: Part 2"

Super smell is probably a really terrible superpower for the reasons stated. ***.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Galactic Wonder: Part 3"

Did one of the girls actually wonder if the orange Kryptomites were high in vitamin C? Ugh! This show is SO dumb. *.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Galactic Wonder, Part 4"

"Do you know how much it cost to get that notarized?" The supervillains in this continuity value different things than other continuities. ***.

LEGO DC Super Hero Girls "Galactic Wonder, Part 5"

That was fun. For some reason I love the last shot of Eclipso being mesmerized by the Krytomites.

When Lena Luthor started fake barfing, I sympathized completely. The Girls suck so much, and I'm glad we finally have a character who can point that out.

It's official: The LEGO DC Super Hero Girls shorts are better than the 2-D ones. ****1/2.




Supergirl "Alex"

Supergirl seems unusually loud-mouthed and ignorant during the dinner. And I get why Maggie's mad. I mean, she's a cop, and the fact that she and the rest of the department use a lighter touch just blows my mind. But it's got to be super frustrating to build up a rapport and trust with a robber, and have that exploded for no good reason whatsoever. And now the bank has a hole in it. Kara is DUMB.

I love that Mon-El is so clueless and unapologetic about Kara's real faults. He doesn't think it's his business, so he neither sticks up for his girlfriend or speaks against her. And I like that about him.

I like that it's the "Thank the Gods" thing that makes Lena suspicious of Mon-El's mother.

What is so frustrating about Supergirl's foolish actions is that she never says "Oh sh*t! My sister could die!" This is all a game to her, and Maggie is the only one who truly appreciates the seriousness of the situation. Which is alarming, frankly.

Do you know what kind of superhero says the line "I though I was doing what was right!"? A stupid one.

We as a society tend to think actors have super easy jobs, and are overpaid. Chyler Leigh being forced to simulate drowning while gasping for breath with her lips against a chain fence shows that actors have their up days and downs. If someone asked ME to do that, I would have quit the show instead. I'd be surprised if that didn't cross Leigh's mind when she was doing it.

Love that Alex made sure she punched the guy before J'onn wiped his memory. Can he do that now without making someone a vegetable? Because I'm not cool with it if he can't.

I was annoyed with this episode. **1/2.

The Flash "I Know Who You Are"

Part of me is ticked by that (I've essentially been rooting for a serial killer for three seasons) but part of me isn't, because Barry just got his way out. And it's easy. Don't become that. How?

During his ultimate confrontation with Savitar, all Barry has to do is run away. DON'T save Iris. DON'T witness that, and be a part of that trauma. And then Savitar is never created. If they go that route, it's gonna be anticlimactic, but I kind of think the reveal of Evil Barry already was.

How perverse is it that it's Barry who is trying to coax Caitlin into her first murder? I hate Barry for that.

Cutthroat B*tch is the woman who will stop Savitar? I knew she had to be good for something.

Joe is overthinking the love stuff, as is Cecile. Loving someone does not change everything. It's normal. Men see it as the end of the world, and women see it as the beginning of it. In reality, it is no big deal. And the world would be a better place if more people believed that.

Do you know what the worst part of Joe breaking up with Cecile was? Just based on all evidence available to her , it's because she said she loves him, when that isn't what is going on at all. He couldn't have waited a couple of weeks so she wouldn't totally blame herself? Killer Frost just did their relationship a favor. I'm glad they reconciled, because I would have been ticked by that total d*ck move otherwise.

They got the wrong sci-fi movie. Brandt is NOT Sarah Connor. Brandt is Zefrem Cochrane. Totally.

I see the value in H.R.. He is very good when he does what he does.

Those Killer Frost effects were amazing. And I crazily wish we could have seen them sooner.

A good episode at first glance, but I do not like what it means for the canon. At all. ***1/2.

Arrow "Underneath"

I loved that! Felicity is back to being fun again!

I really appreciated Felicity's apology to Oliver for her behavior last season, because I truly believe Oliver deserved it. Hopefully their ship can now get back on track.

Little disappointed we didn't see any of the meeting of the defense lawyers trying to overturn Chase's convictions. That would have been fun too.

Great episode. ****1/2.

Gotham "Heroes Rise: These Delicate And Dark Obsessions"

Clare Foley is irreplaceable, but the new Ivy is growing on me (no pun intended). Partly because she half seems to be matching Foley's fun performance.

I can't believe Penguin didn't get that all he needed from her was to be nice.

Gabe was wrong. Not everybody was afraid of Penguin. Nygma actually respected him as a friend at one point. If Gabe were slightly more self-aware, he could have pointed that out to twist the knife.

I was all set to forgive Jim for Don Falcone's son's murder, when the show had the great idea that Falcone possibly ordered the hit on Gordon's father. I would have considered them even at that point, and if the show was ever going to get me to forgive Gordon, we'd need that. No, instead they made it Frank, which made for a great confrontation, but doesn't stop Jim being as detestable as he has always been.

Love Harvey backing his play though. Harvey's the best.

Do you know why I like Frank? He shoots himself in the head. A lesser person would have made Jim go through with it to look authentic, or possibly as a test of conviction, but he didn't need to put his nephew through that, so he didn't.

I'm wondering if the weapon in the freighter was actually Bruce, and they are referring to Batman as the thing to burn the city down and rebuild it. If so, I'm not really cool with the idea of the Court of Owls setting Batman on his path.

Speaking of which, Bruce's guru is trying to teach him the lesson to stop living in the moment from the alley. And I realize that the producers don't actually get Batman or understand what makes him tick. In every other interpretation of Batman I've ever seen, he's never left the alley. That is not something he was ever willing to let go or get over. It's the fact that he refused to do that which is why he's Batman in the first place. If the show doesn't get this, these characters would be better off if Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon had stayed as far away from DC Comics as possible.

So-so, except for the cute Ivy stuff. I'll give the episode a passing grade based on that. ***.




iZombie "Spanking The Zombie"

All right, it looks like we're actually doing this review. Fine. This has been a long time coming. The following rant could have easily gone to Joss Whedon or J.J. Abrams, but Rob Thomas is the specific person I'm taking down for this sh*t. I put up with it in Whedon and Abrams projects far longer than I should have, and I'm not going to do that anymore.

The episode: Average. I will concede that the last five minutes were amazing, and wish they belonged in an episode I wasn't going to grade a zero. But in reality, this episode is not only this series at its worst, but genre television at its worst. And I am no longer putting up with it. I've had enough.

Joss Whedon, Rob Thomas, and J.J. Abrams like to consider themselves feminist icons, and they do that by creating kick-butt female heroines. But once they've gotten the accolades and praise for that, they either turn them into damsels in distress or sexually humiliate them. Only Whedon is really guilty of the former, but both Abrams and Thomas are also guilty of trying to embarrass their female actresses with sexual degradation.

How many sex workers and deviants is it plausible Liv is going to have to eat to solve murders? And they all happen to be super hot and attractive. No, this is Thomas' excuse to make Rose McIver say and do sexually degrading things on camera. It is non-stop with Thomas, Whedon, and Abrams, and I've had enough. And it's the fact that the show constantly has Liz turn into a stripper which is why I can recognize Thomas for what he actually is. I might not have this opinion if it happened once or twice. No, Thomas, like Whedon and Abrams, is no ally to the feminist movement. I, as a man, shouldn't actually get to declare this, but they, as men who love dressing up their lead actress in bikinis and halter tops to give fanboys b0ners, shouldn't get to claim the opposite either. Thomas, Whedon, and Abrams are all disgusting pigs, and typical male chauvinists. And I'm disgusted with myself for giving each of them the benefit of the doubt for as long as I did. I feel truly ashamed for not speaking up sooner.

I don't think I am a good ally for feminists. Not after not recognizing this crap for what it is for as long as I did. But hopefully, someday I will be. And the first step is calling out garbage in genre like this. I've had enough. 0.

On another topic, the Batgirl movie is gonna suck.

Lucifer "Candy Morningstar"

I love this episode so much. Because it is an incredibly interesting premise. What if Lucifer did something unforgivable to Chloe, that the audience understands why she is so mad, but that he was secretly completely right to do it?

What is ironic is that the episode didn't even need the fake-out at the end that Candy was a conwoman who Lucifer saved, and they weren't actually sleeping together. It almost didn't even need Lucifer admitting to Amendeil that he pushed Chloe away to protect him. Even if neither of those things were true, Lucifer still did nothing wrong.

After the family drama he had, leaving town and hooking up with an unusually empathetic stripper for solace is something a normal person would do. And Lucifer is still incredibly gallant and conciliatory to Chloe anyways upon returning. I might not have been in his stead. I might have assumed she was secretly in on whatever plan Dad was concocting, but Lucifer trusts her in a situation where it might not actually be reasonable for him to do so. I might accept Charlotte's theory that marrying a stripper meant Lucifer was broken if Candy wasn't proving to be amazingly insightful and awesome at every turn. If Candy and Lucifer were real, I wouldn't object. She's a keeper, and they both are perfect for each other. That fact that the sun only shines on Chloe for Lucifer, and he would never sexually betray her, is irrelevant to that.

I did not get Maze and Chloe talking down Candy's intelligence. Every conversation she inserted herself into, she either helped the good guys with the case, or helped them understand something ungraspable about Lucifer. Do you know why this is so funny to me? Because I think it's Linda who hates Candy most. She does Linda's job better than she does. Linda's polite, politer than Chloe at any rate, but Rachael Harris spends her entire scene throwing major shade at her. I kept thinking that the only person in that scene who had an unresolved issue about the subject was her.

I think Candy knows he's the Devil. Otherwise somebody that insightful would have had far more questions about Charlotte at the end of the episode than she did. It's possible a bubbly stripper could believe Tricia Helfer was old enough to birth Tom Ellis, but a smart con artist would have questions. I think Candy actually knew ahead of time, and was screwing with her. She did the same thing on the shopping trip after all, so there is no reason to think she wasn't faking dumbness here either.

Dan playing matchmaker for Lucifer and Chloe is entirely unnecessary on the show's part. The show is trying to get me to like him, and I think that's ridiculous. It is totally okay to have unlikable characters amongst the cast. Dan's best when he's working against Lucifer. They don't need to polish that particular turd. I don't need to like Dan to think he's an acceptable character.

My favorite episode this season. *****.




Samurai Jack "Episode XCVIII"

Is it just me or are there some sparks between Jack and Ashi now that he's gone back to his classic character design? The removal of the long hair and beard tells me the time portal guarded by Kevin Michael Richardson is not actually in play. Jack will need to find a new way to defeat Aku.

The confrontation between Ashi and the High Priestess was a long time coming.

Love that it turned out the thing separating Jack from the sword was his rage. Because that has been his problem all season.

Memo to self: Never p*ss Ashi off. Irony: Ashi has now killed FAR more people in the service of Jack than she ever did in the service of Aku. VERY ironic.

Good episode. ****.




Ben 10 "All Wet"

I think the episode wanted me to be annoyed at Gwen for ignoring Ben's cautions, but maybe if Ben weren't such an obnoxious, whiny, attention starved, over-dramatic knob, maybe people would take his warnings more seriously, **1/2.

Ben 10 "Villain Time"

Not terrible but Timbuktu is annoying. ***.

Ben 10 "Drive You Crazy"

I love the idea that the 7 seconds Gwen was born before Ben were the best 7 seconds of her life.

Grandpa Max has really got to stop saying things like that. ***1/2.

Ben 10 "Tomorrow Today"

It's official: I wasn't sure before this episode, but it turns out in no uncertain terms Steam Smythe is a weak villain. The show usually creates better original villains than this. *1/2.




Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Farewell, Cruel World!"

Opinion: One of the Agents should have returned, and one of them shouldn't have.

I get Mack's dilemma. I do. Dorothy is crazy for wanting to go back to the dirt farm in Kansas. Oz and Hope are much more appealing. There is no more literal metaphor than the idea that the real world is a world without Hope for Mack.

Except, as Daisy noted, he still had people there who loved him and counted on him. He was making an assumption without all of the facts. At least Dorothy had a complete picture about what both worlds entailed. I kind of don't think it should have been up to him. I rolled my eyes at Daisy when there are tears streaming down her face at Mack's gut-wrenching monologue. I was like "Just Quake him through the hole already." I can't be the only person thinking that.

Conversely, they never should have brought Fitz back. In a million years. And it's not because Fitz is too evil to be redeemed. It's that if he is, Fitz will literally go insane. Simmons was being selfish. She didn't stop for one second to consider how psychologically damaging it would be for cute, lovable Fitz to wake up with the realization that he murdered people. "I think I'm a bad person," isn't said to garner sympathy, or get somebody to argue with him. It just never occurred to him before the framework, and he did all of his horrible premeditated actions with total ease and no guilt. And you know what? I think the fact that he DID do that means he's a bad person. And I think bringing him back to the reality that he is secretly a monster is about the cruelest thing somebody could do for a person. If Gemma truly loved Fitz as much as she claimed, she never would have went to see his father and forced a confrontation. It's possible Fitz can recover from this in time. But does he deserve to, or even want to? I knew Gemma going to see Alastair would go badly in the precise way it did. Gemma is supposedly a spy. She never saw that coming? I personally think that is bad writing. And you can't change my mind about that one thing.

Look forward to seeing Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 this week or next. ****1/2.




Once Upon A Time "The Black Fairy"

This had the potential to be a great episode but sort of squandered in it the last 15 minutes. The idea that Rumple was a Savior was a cool one, until they revealed Fiona cut the cord. And suddenly, it's merely annoying and doesn't actually mean anything. This show is so afraid to change the status quo and have the characters (besides Regina) truly grow and change.

On the upside, Zelina's driving lessons were surprisingly hilarious. I'll give a passing grade to any episode in which the Wicked Witch of the West runs over the Black Fairy with her car. ***1/2.




Tangled: Short Cuts "Checkmate"

We haven't gotten enough of Maximus on the series. ****.

Elena Of Avalor "My Fair Naomi"

I reject the premise of the episode. Naomi has never been portrayed as uncouth or ill-mannered until this this episode. This show is She's All That trying to convince me Rachel Leigh Cook is ugly because she wears glasses. Not buying it. At all.

That being said, I like where they took it. The jump-off point IS indeed my Fair Lady, but instead of Anna taming the King, Estabon actually turns Naomi into a My Super Sweet Sixteen monster. That seems more true to life to me for modern audiences anyways. And hey, when Naomi learns her lesson that her friends are what is truly important, Estabon gets a happy ending anyways. **1/2.




Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force "King Of The Hill: Part 1"

Here's an interesting question: Why is Rusty playing football given practically the same amount of screentime as everything else? *.

Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force "King Of The Hill: Part 2"

Bumblebee can fly!

I suspect the weird voice on the other end of the portal controlling the Minicon is Soundwave. He sounds exactly like the G1 version and my guess is that the portal leads to the Shadowzone.

Still sick of Rusty and football.

Grimlock constantly lagging behind shows why he was a terrible choice for the 'Bot roster of this show. What happened to his trailer anyways?

Better than the first part. ***.

Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force "Defrosted"

Drift does not seem like a very good liar to me. But you know, him telling Grimlock he passed all of his tests just so he'd leave him alone? I GET it. ***.




The Simpsons "Looking For Mr. Goodbart"

Terrific episode. I pretty much enjoyed it the entire way through.

Love the Big Bang 30 Anniversary opening. I always forget that The Simpsons is actually a spin-off, and it started on The Tracy Ullmann Show.

Nature Photography involves two words that won't be around in 20 years.

Was that the first time they actually changed up the animation in the Gracie Films card? I liked all of the little Pokemon monsters.

Loved seeing the Very Tall Man and Maya again.

I loved this. *****.




Bob's Burgers "Thelma & Louise Except Thelma Is Linda"

I love Bob's falsetto singing during the end credits.

Teddy was a worse server than I could ever picture a server being. He screwed up things that didn't even occur to me COULD be screwed up.

"I love this woman!" Good Gene line there.

Love that Zeke and the Secretary seem to have a secret friendship.

Pocket-sized Rudy? I love this show.

Fun episode. ****.




Brooklyn Nine-Nine "Moo Moo"

Sh*t just got real in the 99.

The 99 being safe and a good place to work is the unusual thing. And the show is not afraid to say that about the real-life police.

I love the idea that Holt was against Terry filing the complaint, but I don't even think his point of view was valid for a second. They were trying to do the nuance of black men navigating their roles in the NYPD, but Holt's position sucked because it crazily reeked of privilege, which is the last thing someone making that argument should have. If Holt gets profiled and shot dead for Walking While Black, Kevin will grieve. Terry would not only leave behind a wife, but two small daughters too. Holt can afford to pick his battles. He has much less in his personal life to lose. Plus, Kevin is white and is a buffer whenever he's in public with Holt. Terry's entire family is black and are going through the same dangerous situation he is.

Ultimately, it's Holt realizing that which is the thing that changes his mind. But Terry's career will be in much better shape if he has a boss backing him up against cr*p like that.

I love that Margot seems to know Holt hates her, and almost seems to be rubbing his nose in how much she sucks. I hate people like that, but suffice it to say, my sympathies to Ray were somewhat limited this episode.

Great stuff. The series at its best. *****.




Prison Break "Contingency"

That was pretty awesome what the Korean junkie did with the exploding gas tank. I see the value Michael saw in him.

I love Sarah and T-Bag, just because you can tell at this point, each is the only person in their lives the other trusts. Which considering their histories and their past together, is so insane. But they have bonded scary-quick over this, which amazes me. T-Bag was the worst character on the old show. Now he's the best. It is SO weird and interesting what this relaunch is doing.

You know, Sarah's husband almost convinced ME with his "Who me?" act. Except for one thing: He couldn't have gotten the Big Bads in for a police line-up unless he was in on it. They are far too powerful and dangerous to be brought in by someone as dumb as Sarah's husband is pretending to be. He's Poseidon. I'm sure of it.

This show being back is weird, because I never realized I missed it this much. Probably because none of the previous four seasons were ever this good. ****1/2.




The Last Man On Earth "The Big Day"

Very unexpected place for a six month flashforward but I see why they did it. They wrote themselves into a corner with both the Jasper and Melissa plots and this was the best way to get around them.

I did not want to see Tandy effing up Jasper anymore so the show skipped it. Good call. There was no believable way for the show to show Melissa and Todd getting back together after all that so the show skipped it. Good call.

Are Gail and Erica together now? Because I have to say that actually makes a bit of sense to me.

Todd was acting a bit like a nut this episode but I don't blame him. Mel Rodriguez got to marry January Jones. That would drive any fat guy in that scenario bananas.

The fake birthing scene was absolutely horrifying to watch. Carol's reaction said absolutely everything. What I don't get is that Tandy obviously didn't practice doing that ahead of time. That would have been my first move. And it's the fact that he thought he could do it with no problems on the first try which is why he is such a menace.

Look forward to next week's finale. ****.




Making History "Night Cream"

The good: I laughed a lot at several points.

The bad: Everything I laughed at I wound up feeling ashamed about after the laugh escaped me. There are no other current comedies I watch that do that. A similar phenomena occurs whenever I watch UHF. That is the company this show keeps. ***.




Family Guy "The Peter Principle"

Once I heard the episode description that Brian and Stewie's bed and breakfast turns into a brothel, I laughed. If only the plot was as funny as the premise sounded.

The Phil Collins thing with Joe and Bonnie at the beginning was great.

I love Lois saying "Hi," to Patty at the assembly. I think even the writers are surprised at how much people like that character.

I am worried that that is what Sesame Street on HBO actually means.

I love Meg telling Lois to shut up upon her super lame "I feel you, Meg," and that Lois is like "Screw you, Meg!" in response. Sometimes the response someone gives to being embarrassed is to be angry.

Decent episode. ***1/2.

American Dad! "Casino Normale"

If this show had the proper comedy chops, it would have hired Jay Leno to do his own muffled whimpers without a single line of dialogue. That would have been hilarious.

Still, the episode was unusually funny.

"This is the 3rd year in a row the Falcon has not fallen for this." What a great joke.

I also love that Dooper complains that he woke up in a pool of blood with a thumb in his @$$, and wonders if maybe he's been sleeping wrong. Hayley's right. You don't want TWO moustache guys giving you the thumbs up.

"The mail always delivers." Deep.

I love Hayley saying Roger got good value out of the dogcatcher upon him strangling Jay Leno. Which would not be my first observation. But this is mundane for Roger, so that's why it's Hayley's.

Fun episode. ****.




Fargo "The Law Of Self-Contradiction"

This was interesting. In almost all Hollywood productions, small-town police officers and locals are uncooperative to all outside investigations. This show takes the opposite tack. I actually find the idea that an LA cop would try to get into the pants of a visiting female police chief far more plausible than that the cops in Fargo would ever clam up or throw their weight around.

"I don't really sound like that, do I?" Here's the thing, Gloria. You do. And there's nothing wrong with that. A guy who talks about dropping the kids off at the pool has no business criticizing anyone else's verbal skills.

Ray Wise was great this episode. I could not believe the cop saw him as a romantic threat. Which just says the cop is both dumb and completely unworthy at the same time. "What," is the perfect response.

The cartoons and flashbacks were interesting, but didn't add much. They were artsy fartsy for the sake of being artsy fartsy. That's Noah Hawley in general.

Haven't seen a Watchamacallit candy bar since the 80's. The hand in the box that turns off the lightswitch itself is something I've NEVER seen, and think it is just about the coolest novelty toy ever. A singing bass or a dipping bird has nothing on it. I want one. Now.

Interesting that they gave the standard "This is a true story" disclaimer at the beginning, except saying that the events took place in Los Angeles. What's interesting about using that narration for this episode is that nobody in the episode actually died. A rarity for this show, and makes the "Out of respect for the survivors" / "To honor their memories" thing 100% moot.

I didn't dislike this episode, but I look forward to being back in Minnesota next week. ***.




Angie Tribeca "Turn Me On, Geils"

How does Heather Graham keep getting work? She is unconvincing as a dramatic actress, has no timing or comedic sensibility as a comic one, and I'll go there, compared to other Hollywood starlets, she ain't all that. Does she have compromising pictures of every producer in Hollywood? Because she always tends to be the worst thing about every show I enjoy with her in it.

I love that Tribeca is so understanding about Geils cheating. Then it turns out he knew she was a robot the whole time. And now it's totally gross.

The borscht puns were completely unfunny (and unending). It takes a certain amount of comedy shamelessness to completely commit to that the way they did. I admire that on level, even as I roll by eyes.

Best joke was Hoffman's paw picking up the phone and quickly putting it back down.

I would LOVE to owe money to a bank that understanding. That was part of the joke, but I suddenly realized how much all real life banks suck compared to that.

Funny episode. ****.




The Blacklist "Dr. Bogdan Krilov"

I am the only person who would be perfectly happy to see Ressler shoot Hitchens in the face? The show had me rooting the for the bad guys in multiple ways during the episode.

Is Krilov lying about treating Liz 2 years ago? 50/50 in my opinion. I would seriously hope that Kaplan is not a horrible enough person to mess with Liz's head like that with an outright lie. And yet, if it were true, Red would probably have confirmed it, since they have Krilov in custody, and would be getting the full story soon anyways. Red does not tend to deny things he knows he will not get away with. The fact that he denies this, means he might be telling the truth.

Red is right about Kaplan being an arsonist, and since I'm actually rooting for her, that's disappointing. She's starting a bunch of small fires in the hopes that Red will not be able to put them all out, but at this point, I simply want to see her burn Red to the ground. Half-measures are not cutting it.

I really like this Gale cat. He's figured everything out already in the space of being introduced a couple of weeks ago, which means he's amazing. I hope he has a bigger role next season. He's the best supporting character since Kaplan herself.

The show is still doing good in my book. ****.




Blindspot "In Words, Drown I"

I'm giving this episode a failing grade simply because it engaged in unfair storytelling.

Zapata is merely working undercover in prison? I might, MIGHT have been able to forgive that let-down "twist" except for one thing: The last episode showed Zapata's various crimes in the recap, hinting that what happened at the end was a culmination of them catching up with her. To do a fake-out after that is bad storytelling, unfair storytelling, and the kind of storytelling only hacks would engage in.

For the record, if I ever get my own serialized TV show, there will be NO recaps EVER for similar reasons. They don't ever play fair with the audience.

If I were Weller I'd be less mad at Roman, who WANTED to tell him right away, than with Jane, who didn't believe he was strong enough to handle the truth. The fact that Roman is still breathing shows that Jane is a horrible friend to Weller and does not deserve any measure of his trust. Roman learning that she betrayed HIM at the end of the episode was entirely apt.

Do you know what was weird about Patterson saying she overreacted with her "Who do you work for?!" tantrum. She really didn't. The guy was an unusually terrible hindrance on the team, and just based on what she's been through, that's the place she should have gone to first. Maybe if the FBI were more diligent they wouldn't keep seeming to have Sandstorm moles coming out of the woodwork. That wasn't Patterson crossing a line. It was Patterson doing due diligence, which is something the rest of the characters could learn.

I loved Weller's whooping cough bluff at the prison. I actually laughed at that.

Loved Zapata being offended by the notion that she weighed as much as a fridge. I was amused when it turned out she did.

Failing grade for a TV series with bad writing and no clue how to treat its audience. *.