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matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Doctor Who, Justice League Action, Teen Titans Go!, and DC Super Hero Girls, the two part season finale of iZombie, the two part season premiere of Preacher, the latest episodes of Ben 10 and The Powerpuff Girls, the two-part season premieres of Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars and LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, the latest episodes of Mickey Mouse and Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force, the first three episodes of The Mist, and the season finale of Fargo.
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, 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), Tangled: Before Ever After (DVD), 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), Teen Titans Go!: Get In Pig Out, DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, The LEGO Batman Movie, 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, Vixen: The Movie, 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 (2017), 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 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, Grimm: Season 6, 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, Prison Break: Season 5, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Game of Thrones: Season 6.
Twin Peaks "The Return: Part 8"
What da f*** was that?
I love artsy fartsy Lynch, but to be honest, due to the soundtrack and loud screeching noises, I found this mostly a headache. But it did raise the right questions.
First of all, Nine Inch Nails? Is that actually considered music? Who could possibly listen to something like that and find any measure of pleasure in it? I never heard them before, and it is some of the most atrocious so-called music I've ever been subjected to.
Who were the homeless guys who shredded Mr. C? Are they the same species as the Woodsman? Is BOB the same species as the Woodsman? What was up with the giant bug? Was the girl whose mouth it went into Sarah Palmer?
We had been previously led to believe (before The Secret History Of Twin Peaks at any rate) that BOB was a Demon. This more clearly says he's an alien. Is the place where The Giant and the large woman are the White Lodge? It strikes me that it should be. Was Laura Palmer's soul born there? Is her soul alien?
The Woodsman's radio message raised a lot more questions about Sarah Palmer's horse. The fact that The Secret Diary Of Laura Palmer had a horse so prominently featured, makes me think there is something larger with them and the mythology going on.
Speaking of The Woodsman, there is the trademark grotesque David Lynch head-wound right there. I thank God it was in black and white this time, and pray that this is the only one for this project. They are the thing I hate most about Lynch movies, and I hope this was him getting that out of his system.
Two weeks until the next new episode? Bummer. **.
Doctor Who "World Enough And Time"
That was amazing. People make fun of the old-school Cybermen, but they were frightening in their own right. It doesn't matter that they are spandex and tin foil. They are creepy.
The idea that Bill is the original Cyberman is a bit amazing to me. I think Twelve's regeneration is going to be unusually epic for that reason. We saw a bit of it at the beginning, and yeah, it's gonna be an huge mess. Unlike Eleven, Twelve will NOT get a happy ending.
John Simm, man. Best Master ever, and I was upset that they recast him with Missy Gomez without us actually seeing the regeneration. This is even better. The Doctor constantly bumps into old versions of himself throughout time, why not the Master? He's concerned about his future. Something tells me a happy ending is not in Missy's future either.
Why didn't Missy remember this moment? How many regenerations away is she from Harold Saxon?
Simm coming back means a great deal to me, because it is another thing that states that Moffat has stopped trying to pretend the David Tennant / Russell T Davies era of the show was a separate element. He unnecessarily handicapped Matt Smith by doing that, but since "The Day Of The Doctor", we've been getting more cast members and elements from Davies' run. Simm returning is about time. Next I want to see Captain Jack and Martha Jones.
Bill saying she didn't trust Missy is made extra ironic based on what happened to her at the end of the episode. I didn't want her new trusted friend to turn out to be the Master. But it hurts more that he did.
The Doctor Who thing is interesting. Missy says that's the Doctor's real name. Moffat has claimed in interviews that he knows the Doctor's actual name, but hasn't revealed it, because there hasn't been a good reason. I would just like to say for the record that if his actual given name DOES turn out to be "Who", that is brilliant. Like the Question of the Universe, it is hiding in plain sight. It is right there on the screen.
Here is a question. It looks like the former Master convinced Missy to be evil after all. What if the Doctor's new goal is to make sure that doesn't happen? Would that change the Master's history enough that Bill would NOT be involved with the creation of the Cybermen? Time travel is tricky, and part of me thinks that reforming Missy will somehow fix part of this mess. I just don't know how or why that is.
Next week is going to be epic. I look forward to and dread it at the same time. *****.
Justice League Action "Garden Of Evil"
Harley and Ivy! This version of Harley is great. Lauren Tom makes a great Poison Ivy too.
Mark Hamill remains hilarious as Swamp Thing. I love that he and Ivy call each other Schmoopy. Little less funny is that Firestorm makes fun of it, as if we don't already know it's lame. Yes, Ted. That's the joke.
Bud and Lou! This show knows which fangasm buttons to push.
Firestorm in the Batwing! I love that Batman doesn't want him to change it back because he likes the new design. It's not like he can't afford another one anyways.
Best current superhero toon on the air. ****1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "BL4Z3"
What was that live-action sock puppet show at the beginning, and how can I make my life all about it?
I really, REALLY like the condescending way Starfire told Robin they were laughing at him because he was cool. I really, REALLY liked it.
I also like that Robin's 1980's LexCorp computer has a rat living in it.
Waiting for dial-up to load is exactly that frustrating. It's the last bit that takes the longest to load.
All right. ***.
DC Super Hero Girls "Stealth 101: Part 2"
Can't believe Killer Moth thought that outfit looked good.
Nice twist on the trope by having the heroes go OVER the laser sensors, rather than between.
Battywagon and Jumpin' Geraniums? C'mon now.
Passable. ***.
iZombie "Looking For Mr. Goodbrain, Part 1"
Not happy with that. At all.
It's bad enough Liv slept with Chase. But killing off Natalie angered me in a way the series usually does not. I feel like her entire arc was now pointless, and another "Screw you!" to Major. Especially terrible is that the explosion pretty much took out all of his friends too.
Ravi was such a leering creep to Liv this episode, and reminded me why I hate the character.
First part of the finale sucked. *.
iZombie "Looking For Mr. Goodbrain, Part 2"
That was dumb. What is especially dumb is that it played the scenario completely straight, as if it were tragic and ground-breaking. It's not. It was dumb. If the show was SMART enough to realize it's dumb, it could have played the idea with a wink and a nod. But Rob Thomas actually tried to make the scenario real-world credible. Which simply made it inane.
Justin stating that you can fight a brain if you want to, states that all of Liv's poor behavior before this was inexcusable. We let her get away with it because she was surrounded by non-zombies, but we finally got from the perspective of an actual one who has lived with it for awhile, that the personalities are not actually dominant. Which just makes Liv an attention seeker.
For the record, Zombie Island was always a bad idea, for the reason the Big Bad stated. There was always a nuke in that island's future. That is much less likely to happen in Seattle.
For the record, the zombies ARE the bad guys of the series, not the humans. The way they seized power was hideous. Humans flying into a rage at them completely destroying their way of life for political power is not underselling how horrible that vaccine business was. When the humans run at Major and company, I do not think the zombies actually have the high ground by gunning them down. Humans' trying to kill the military force that had taken over their city is actually quite justified in my mind. It wouldn't be if D day had went down differently, but here we are.
Last season's finale was awesome, and the best episode of the series. This season's finale shows that the series has probably run out of gas from this point forward. Calling it: Shark jump. *.
Preacher "On The Road"
That car chase at the beginning was so much fun! And then the stand-off with the Saint of Killers is insane! Genesis doesn't work on him! On no!
I love that Preacher Mike has a girl chained up in a cage so she'll stop using her phone. He asks her if she'd rather he return her to her parents and she says no. Hilarious.
God goes to strip clubs for the jazz. Of course. Love the scene of Tulip and Jessie arguing over whether or not to use Genesis or simply to beat Tammy up. In front of her as she gets increasingly alarmed.
Cassidy was so funny with foreskin stuff at the beginning. Tulip DOES have nice skin.
Love that Preacher Mike got the best of the Saint of Killers simply by committing suicide. I thought that was an incredibly in your face and embarrassing loss for the Cowboy. And I love that Mike talks smack about him before he does it. He knows who he is and isn't afraid of him. DOES raises questions about what happens to the girl in the cage though.
Great premiere. *****.
Preacher "Mumbai Sky Tower"
Mostly frustrating. I liked the scene with Cassidy and Fiore speed-balling, but as much as we got from the mythology in the first hour, is as little as we got in the second. God likes music. Bit whoop. I kind of would have liked to possibly see a way out of the Saint of Killers predicament. Can he even be killed?
People booing Fiore's actual death in disappointment shows why people suck.
The beginning slaughter with the gun nuts and the Saint was not as funny as the series thought it was. It was actually really depressing and predictable.
The show is spinning its wheels this week. ***.
Ben 10 "Bright Lights, Black Hearts"
I strongly dislike both the villain and the unlikely high concept idea behind the villain (a teen actor who has been around for centuries?). But there is something I like: Gwen! She tells Michael Morningstar he is not the real Sebastian because he would never do this. And that is how I see all actors in various book adaptations. Daniel Radcliffe can either fail or succeed Harry Potter, but he isn't the real Harry and never will be. I like that Gwen thinks the same thing about these kind of projects.
I also sympathize with her that they always do what Ben wants to do, and never what she wants to do, after Ben thoughtlessly ruins her excitement. And the last scene wasn't terrible either.
But I disliked more of the episode than I liked. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "The Bubbles-Sitters Club"
Missed opportunity. They shouldn't have said the dog was always evil and had been for years. They should have showed that he became a criminal due to Bubbles spoiling him.
He's smarmy? Is he Smarmaduke?
I love the Sesame Street numbers counting Bubbles' disasters.
I love how Paulie jumps to show pent-up energy.
I love the names of the dog gang and the dog related Batman sound effects. I also laughed at Mrs. Gregory asking "What am I?" KILLLLL MEEE!!!
Pretty good but it would have been more subversive if Bubbles herself had been responsible for the master criminal. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Avengers No More: Part One"
Hmmm, Adrian Pasdar isn't Tony Stark anymore.
I love Hulk yelling at everybody to stay calm. As his screaming to reboot the humanoid's firewall proved, yelling solves everything.
"No more monkey business!" Heh.
The "Well duh," thing was stupid.
Good cliffhanger. ***1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Avengers No More: Part Two"
The main Avengers are going to be missing all season? This is United They Stand all over again.
I love that kid saying "Awesome!" and then Black Panther dapping him.
Ms. Marvel saying they all needed to get their stories straight after destroying Avengers Tower was such a kid thing to say.
I had a hard time believing Kang was on the Cabal without something larger going on. The Leader HAS always struck me as a chump.
Thor's Hammer flying through the sky gives me hope we'll see the original Avengers sooner rather than later. ****.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "A New Home"
Cute enough, but I don't think the show understands how gravity works and that there isn't actually air in space. I like the Space Invaders tribute though. ***1/2.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "Trouble On Tibalt"
Does MOC stand for Mint On Card? I liked him talking smack about Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader's face. Darth would be more impressed if he knew how to use a door.
Hera? This tells me Hera survived Star Wars Rebels in the Legoverse. The fact that Kanan is nowhere to be seen fills me with dread.
Never tell Rowan the odds! Mostly because he doesn't know what they mean.
The Emperor makes everything better. ****.
Mickey Mouse "Canned"
I like that Oswald The Lucky Rabbit is garbage.
Also funny that the rats and goofy are having an underground poker game in the pile of trash. "A bust! Scram!" Dang it, Mickey! Goofy had a full house!
Funny episode. ****.
Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force "Disordered Personalities"
Mostly cliched and badly written.
I liked Grimlock enjoying being a car. His dinosaur form has got to be really rough on him.
I like the female racecar driver learning Spanish as she raced.
Why did Slipstream and Jetstorm not switch bodies? I liked them calling Strongarm's "Adorable" comment as an "uncomplimentary compliment."
Parts of this were all right, but the show has gotten into a rut. **1/2.
The Mist "Pilot"
Interesting opener. Do you know what I hate most about teens at parties who try to pressure other kids into drinking? They refuse to take no for an answer. They act like the person refusing the drink is not allowed to make their own decisions. Suffice it to say, I think teenagers suck.
I love that the mother is mad at the father and takes the daughter away for a few days. She was right to be mad. It was partly his fault.
Can't wait to see where the stuff with the Mist is going. Cool premiere. ****.
The Mist "Withdrawal"
Interesting that Jonah saw the dead woman too. Wonder what that means.
Who was the guy who called Arrowhead? Was he involved in this? Is Jonah an Arrowhead since he has an Arrowhead patch on his uniform?
I like this show so far. ****.
The Mist "Show And Tell"
That baptism was beyond creepy. You think the priest is a good guy before that, and then BAM! He's sinister.
Mrs. Raven also looks to be turning from a sweet old lady into a bad guy.
Should have guessed Jonah had amnesia. I figured that was the case when we first met him. Either that or he was deaf.
I didn't much like this episode. **1/2.
Fargo "Somebody To Love"
I am literally shocked at how much that sucked. Fargo delivers another season like this one, I stop watching. Simple as that.
The only good thing was Nikki and the deaf guy taking out all of Vargas' dudes. And then the show is dumb enough to kill off Nikki after that. She is like the perfect character and deserved to survive the season. Vargas did not, especially since we never even get to learn whether he actually got away with it! What a rip-off. Over and over as Nikki kept doing all of these awesome things, I keep thinking she was too good for Ray.
This whole season has been an artsy fartsy mess. Seeing that Noah Hawley actually wrote this makes me fear for the future of Legion. This is not how satisfying storytelling is supposed to behave. 1/2.
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, 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), Tangled: Before Ever After (DVD), 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), Teen Titans Go!: Get In Pig Out, DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, The LEGO Batman Movie, 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, Vixen: The Movie, 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 (2017), 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 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, Grimm: Season 6, 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, Prison Break: Season 5, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Game of Thrones: Season 6.
Twin Peaks "The Return: Part 8"
What da f*** was that?
I love artsy fartsy Lynch, but to be honest, due to the soundtrack and loud screeching noises, I found this mostly a headache. But it did raise the right questions.
First of all, Nine Inch Nails? Is that actually considered music? Who could possibly listen to something like that and find any measure of pleasure in it? I never heard them before, and it is some of the most atrocious so-called music I've ever been subjected to.
Who were the homeless guys who shredded Mr. C? Are they the same species as the Woodsman? Is BOB the same species as the Woodsman? What was up with the giant bug? Was the girl whose mouth it went into Sarah Palmer?
We had been previously led to believe (before The Secret History Of Twin Peaks at any rate) that BOB was a Demon. This more clearly says he's an alien. Is the place where The Giant and the large woman are the White Lodge? It strikes me that it should be. Was Laura Palmer's soul born there? Is her soul alien?
The Woodsman's radio message raised a lot more questions about Sarah Palmer's horse. The fact that The Secret Diary Of Laura Palmer had a horse so prominently featured, makes me think there is something larger with them and the mythology going on.
Speaking of The Woodsman, there is the trademark grotesque David Lynch head-wound right there. I thank God it was in black and white this time, and pray that this is the only one for this project. They are the thing I hate most about Lynch movies, and I hope this was him getting that out of his system.
Two weeks until the next new episode? Bummer. **.
Doctor Who "World Enough And Time"
That was amazing. People make fun of the old-school Cybermen, but they were frightening in their own right. It doesn't matter that they are spandex and tin foil. They are creepy.
The idea that Bill is the original Cyberman is a bit amazing to me. I think Twelve's regeneration is going to be unusually epic for that reason. We saw a bit of it at the beginning, and yeah, it's gonna be an huge mess. Unlike Eleven, Twelve will NOT get a happy ending.
John Simm, man. Best Master ever, and I was upset that they recast him with Missy Gomez without us actually seeing the regeneration. This is even better. The Doctor constantly bumps into old versions of himself throughout time, why not the Master? He's concerned about his future. Something tells me a happy ending is not in Missy's future either.
Why didn't Missy remember this moment? How many regenerations away is she from Harold Saxon?
Simm coming back means a great deal to me, because it is another thing that states that Moffat has stopped trying to pretend the David Tennant / Russell T Davies era of the show was a separate element. He unnecessarily handicapped Matt Smith by doing that, but since "The Day Of The Doctor", we've been getting more cast members and elements from Davies' run. Simm returning is about time. Next I want to see Captain Jack and Martha Jones.
Bill saying she didn't trust Missy is made extra ironic based on what happened to her at the end of the episode. I didn't want her new trusted friend to turn out to be the Master. But it hurts more that he did.
The Doctor Who thing is interesting. Missy says that's the Doctor's real name. Moffat has claimed in interviews that he knows the Doctor's actual name, but hasn't revealed it, because there hasn't been a good reason. I would just like to say for the record that if his actual given name DOES turn out to be "Who", that is brilliant. Like the Question of the Universe, it is hiding in plain sight. It is right there on the screen.
Here is a question. It looks like the former Master convinced Missy to be evil after all. What if the Doctor's new goal is to make sure that doesn't happen? Would that change the Master's history enough that Bill would NOT be involved with the creation of the Cybermen? Time travel is tricky, and part of me thinks that reforming Missy will somehow fix part of this mess. I just don't know how or why that is.
Next week is going to be epic. I look forward to and dread it at the same time. *****.
Justice League Action "Garden Of Evil"
Harley and Ivy! This version of Harley is great. Lauren Tom makes a great Poison Ivy too.
Mark Hamill remains hilarious as Swamp Thing. I love that he and Ivy call each other Schmoopy. Little less funny is that Firestorm makes fun of it, as if we don't already know it's lame. Yes, Ted. That's the joke.
Bud and Lou! This show knows which fangasm buttons to push.
Firestorm in the Batwing! I love that Batman doesn't want him to change it back because he likes the new design. It's not like he can't afford another one anyways.
Best current superhero toon on the air. ****1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "BL4Z3"
What was that live-action sock puppet show at the beginning, and how can I make my life all about it?
I really, REALLY like the condescending way Starfire told Robin they were laughing at him because he was cool. I really, REALLY liked it.
I also like that Robin's 1980's LexCorp computer has a rat living in it.
Waiting for dial-up to load is exactly that frustrating. It's the last bit that takes the longest to load.
All right. ***.
DC Super Hero Girls "Stealth 101: Part 2"
Can't believe Killer Moth thought that outfit looked good.
Nice twist on the trope by having the heroes go OVER the laser sensors, rather than between.
Battywagon and Jumpin' Geraniums? C'mon now.
Passable. ***.
iZombie "Looking For Mr. Goodbrain, Part 1"
Not happy with that. At all.
It's bad enough Liv slept with Chase. But killing off Natalie angered me in a way the series usually does not. I feel like her entire arc was now pointless, and another "Screw you!" to Major. Especially terrible is that the explosion pretty much took out all of his friends too.
Ravi was such a leering creep to Liv this episode, and reminded me why I hate the character.
First part of the finale sucked. *.
iZombie "Looking For Mr. Goodbrain, Part 2"
That was dumb. What is especially dumb is that it played the scenario completely straight, as if it were tragic and ground-breaking. It's not. It was dumb. If the show was SMART enough to realize it's dumb, it could have played the idea with a wink and a nod. But Rob Thomas actually tried to make the scenario real-world credible. Which simply made it inane.
Justin stating that you can fight a brain if you want to, states that all of Liv's poor behavior before this was inexcusable. We let her get away with it because she was surrounded by non-zombies, but we finally got from the perspective of an actual one who has lived with it for awhile, that the personalities are not actually dominant. Which just makes Liv an attention seeker.
For the record, Zombie Island was always a bad idea, for the reason the Big Bad stated. There was always a nuke in that island's future. That is much less likely to happen in Seattle.
For the record, the zombies ARE the bad guys of the series, not the humans. The way they seized power was hideous. Humans flying into a rage at them completely destroying their way of life for political power is not underselling how horrible that vaccine business was. When the humans run at Major and company, I do not think the zombies actually have the high ground by gunning them down. Humans' trying to kill the military force that had taken over their city is actually quite justified in my mind. It wouldn't be if D day had went down differently, but here we are.
Last season's finale was awesome, and the best episode of the series. This season's finale shows that the series has probably run out of gas from this point forward. Calling it: Shark jump. *.
Preacher "On The Road"
That car chase at the beginning was so much fun! And then the stand-off with the Saint of Killers is insane! Genesis doesn't work on him! On no!
I love that Preacher Mike has a girl chained up in a cage so she'll stop using her phone. He asks her if she'd rather he return her to her parents and she says no. Hilarious.
God goes to strip clubs for the jazz. Of course. Love the scene of Tulip and Jessie arguing over whether or not to use Genesis or simply to beat Tammy up. In front of her as she gets increasingly alarmed.
Cassidy was so funny with foreskin stuff at the beginning. Tulip DOES have nice skin.
Love that Preacher Mike got the best of the Saint of Killers simply by committing suicide. I thought that was an incredibly in your face and embarrassing loss for the Cowboy. And I love that Mike talks smack about him before he does it. He knows who he is and isn't afraid of him. DOES raises questions about what happens to the girl in the cage though.
Great premiere. *****.
Preacher "Mumbai Sky Tower"
Mostly frustrating. I liked the scene with Cassidy and Fiore speed-balling, but as much as we got from the mythology in the first hour, is as little as we got in the second. God likes music. Bit whoop. I kind of would have liked to possibly see a way out of the Saint of Killers predicament. Can he even be killed?
People booing Fiore's actual death in disappointment shows why people suck.
The beginning slaughter with the gun nuts and the Saint was not as funny as the series thought it was. It was actually really depressing and predictable.
The show is spinning its wheels this week. ***.
Ben 10 "Bright Lights, Black Hearts"
I strongly dislike both the villain and the unlikely high concept idea behind the villain (a teen actor who has been around for centuries?). But there is something I like: Gwen! She tells Michael Morningstar he is not the real Sebastian because he would never do this. And that is how I see all actors in various book adaptations. Daniel Radcliffe can either fail or succeed Harry Potter, but he isn't the real Harry and never will be. I like that Gwen thinks the same thing about these kind of projects.
I also sympathize with her that they always do what Ben wants to do, and never what she wants to do, after Ben thoughtlessly ruins her excitement. And the last scene wasn't terrible either.
But I disliked more of the episode than I liked. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "The Bubbles-Sitters Club"
Missed opportunity. They shouldn't have said the dog was always evil and had been for years. They should have showed that he became a criminal due to Bubbles spoiling him.
He's smarmy? Is he Smarmaduke?
I love the Sesame Street numbers counting Bubbles' disasters.
I love how Paulie jumps to show pent-up energy.
I love the names of the dog gang and the dog related Batman sound effects. I also laughed at Mrs. Gregory asking "What am I?" KILLLLL MEEE!!!
Pretty good but it would have been more subversive if Bubbles herself had been responsible for the master criminal. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Avengers No More: Part One"
Hmmm, Adrian Pasdar isn't Tony Stark anymore.
I love Hulk yelling at everybody to stay calm. As his screaming to reboot the humanoid's firewall proved, yelling solves everything.
"No more monkey business!" Heh.
The "Well duh," thing was stupid.
Good cliffhanger. ***1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Avengers No More: Part Two"
The main Avengers are going to be missing all season? This is United They Stand all over again.
I love that kid saying "Awesome!" and then Black Panther dapping him.
Ms. Marvel saying they all needed to get their stories straight after destroying Avengers Tower was such a kid thing to say.
I had a hard time believing Kang was on the Cabal without something larger going on. The Leader HAS always struck me as a chump.
Thor's Hammer flying through the sky gives me hope we'll see the original Avengers sooner rather than later. ****.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "A New Home"
Cute enough, but I don't think the show understands how gravity works and that there isn't actually air in space. I like the Space Invaders tribute though. ***1/2.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "Trouble On Tibalt"
Does MOC stand for Mint On Card? I liked him talking smack about Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader's face. Darth would be more impressed if he knew how to use a door.
Hera? This tells me Hera survived Star Wars Rebels in the Legoverse. The fact that Kanan is nowhere to be seen fills me with dread.
Never tell Rowan the odds! Mostly because he doesn't know what they mean.
The Emperor makes everything better. ****.
Mickey Mouse "Canned"
I like that Oswald The Lucky Rabbit is garbage.
Also funny that the rats and goofy are having an underground poker game in the pile of trash. "A bust! Scram!" Dang it, Mickey! Goofy had a full house!
Funny episode. ****.
Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force "Disordered Personalities"
Mostly cliched and badly written.
I liked Grimlock enjoying being a car. His dinosaur form has got to be really rough on him.
I like the female racecar driver learning Spanish as she raced.
Why did Slipstream and Jetstorm not switch bodies? I liked them calling Strongarm's "Adorable" comment as an "uncomplimentary compliment."
Parts of this were all right, but the show has gotten into a rut. **1/2.
The Mist "Pilot"
Interesting opener. Do you know what I hate most about teens at parties who try to pressure other kids into drinking? They refuse to take no for an answer. They act like the person refusing the drink is not allowed to make their own decisions. Suffice it to say, I think teenagers suck.
I love that the mother is mad at the father and takes the daughter away for a few days. She was right to be mad. It was partly his fault.
Can't wait to see where the stuff with the Mist is going. Cool premiere. ****.
The Mist "Withdrawal"
Interesting that Jonah saw the dead woman too. Wonder what that means.
Who was the guy who called Arrowhead? Was he involved in this? Is Jonah an Arrowhead since he has an Arrowhead patch on his uniform?
I like this show so far. ****.
The Mist "Show And Tell"
That baptism was beyond creepy. You think the priest is a good guy before that, and then BAM! He's sinister.
Mrs. Raven also looks to be turning from a sweet old lady into a bad guy.
Should have guessed Jonah had amnesia. I figured that was the case when we first met him. Either that or he was deaf.
I didn't much like this episode. **1/2.
Fargo "Somebody To Love"
I am literally shocked at how much that sucked. Fargo delivers another season like this one, I stop watching. Simple as that.
The only good thing was Nikki and the deaf guy taking out all of Vargas' dudes. And then the show is dumb enough to kill off Nikki after that. She is like the perfect character and deserved to survive the season. Vargas did not, especially since we never even get to learn whether he actually got away with it! What a rip-off. Over and over as Nikki kept doing all of these awesome things, I keep thinking she was too good for Ray.
This whole season has been an artsy fartsy mess. Seeing that Noah Hawley actually wrote this makes me fear for the future of Legion. This is not how satisfying storytelling is supposed to behave. 1/2.
