"Wonder Woman" Review (Major Spoilers)
Jul. 17th, 2017 07:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Twin Peaks, the season finale of Doctor Who, the latest episodes of Justice League Action, Teen Titans Go!, DC Super Hero Girls, Preacher, The Powerpuff Girls, Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy, The Lion Guard, and Elena Of Avalor. Also due, to the HBO free preview week On Demand, we'll be playing a little catch-up for that series. Here are reviews for episodes 2-10 of Season Six, and the first episode of Season Seven. I will be re-reviewing Season Six's episode on the forthcoming Blu-Ray review, so these are just my initial impressions.
Major spoilers for Game Of Thrones too.
Wonder Woman
Great movie. Great, great movie.
Gal Gadot was amazing, and every time she went into the battle with the Wonder Woman theme blaring, a big smile broke out on my face. I think I actually clapped or cheered at one of her awesomer slow-motion moments. So awesome. I was very happy.
David Thewlis was not my first choice to be Ares, but it makes a sick kind of sense that the God of War is someone you least suspect, and seems to be possibly trying to put things together behind the scenes, while secretly making plans to wreck them. I dunno. Maybe it's just because I now have an immense distaste to him due to Fargo, but I didn't dig Ares as much as I might have.
Connie Nielson was nowhere near as annoying as Hippolyta as I feared. Which kind of makes me furious that she'd couldn't decide to be this non-annoying in all of her other projects.
Chris Pine was great as Steve Trevor. I think the only reason another period piece Wonder Woman film wouldn't interest me is because Trevor died here, and I kind of want to separate Diana from her grief by a few decades. They had great chemistry. I like how tasteful and ambiguous their love scene was. Either they had a tender night of love-making, or simply a tender night of kissing and holding each other, but I like that it wasn't in-your-face. Very refreshing, although I perhaps should have expected this level of good taste from a female director.
Were some of those Amazons nude and topless on Themyscera? My eyesight is bad, so I couldn't tell, but it impresses me that they didn't make a big deal about it at all.
I don't exactly look forward to Justice League, but I no longer fear it because Gadot is in it. I'll put my distaste for Batfleck on hold just for her. *****.
Twin Peaks "The Return: Part 9"
I really hope that is the last we see of the druggie girl with a rashy armpit. Different things often seem to interest David Lynch than they do me.
I think William's tantrum reminds me greatly of Sarah Palmer in the Pilot. The difference to me is that I think Sarah's grief was justified. And there were critics of the series who found that performance unintentionally funny. They were @$$holes in my opinion. But William is playing the exact same scene. Whereas Grace Zabriskie walked up to the line of being over the top, Matthew Lillard crosses it. As much pain as he is in, I agree with Albert when he calls him a fruitcake.
Diane is right about something. People should be allowed to smoke in morgues. What is the freaking worst that can happen?
I think Andy and Lucy's thing with the chairs was saccharine. But that has been with the series since the beginning. I don't want them to change that aspect of the show, even if it makes me gag.
I love that everybody hates Chad. Hawk had to be seriously convinced to open the door for him. Not only do they all seem to recognize he's a dirty cop, they think he just plain smells bad.
We never really spent a ton of time with Betty Briggs in the Original Series. And we see now that was a mistake. Charlotte Stewart was amazing, and her and Dana Ashbrook are fantastic with each other. I think it's clear that Bobby has completely reformed, just based on Major Briggs. There's other hints, such as the fact that he hates Chad too, but just the fact that Major Briggs told his wife Bobby would be there 25 years later shows that Bobby has truly turned his life around. And I love that even after his death, his father can still amaze him with the amount of love he possessed.
The metal tone puzzle box was cool. Opening it was not subtle. At all.
I would have liked to have heard a little more from Janey E about what she thinks is going on. I wonder if she is aware that Dougie had no paperwork before 1997. She's his wife. She should know that, right?
That squealing, giggling cop is SO annoying, and one of those people right out of the beginning of Fire Walk Me. I recognized this type of person as the unhelpful cop in this universe.
Ike the Spike is boned.
The fact that Mr. C has people loyal to him reminds me that he has lived an entire life in this universe for 25 years. Leland had people who he loved and loved him too. Mr. C may be possessed by evil, but I think it's interesting that many people in his life do not see him that way.
It is clear BOB is still Mr. C. I think the theory that the Woodsmen tore him out of him last week is wrong.
Jerry Horne's thing with the tiny foot was hilarious, and a bit nerve-wracking. I don't know why that scenario worried me as much as it did, but even if it don't compare to the Red Room for freakiness, the level of horror there is still in the same ballpark.
Ben Horne is a good man. Which amazes me and I wonder how he got there.
Definitely more conventional than last week, which is good. I could not handle last week every week. ****.
Twin Peaks "The Return: Part 10"
Richard Horne is a monster. Leaving aside him murdering Miriam in cold blood, he beats up his grandmother in front of his developmentally disabled uncle, and steals all her money. As bad as Sylvia was on the old series, and as badly as she treated Ben in that phone call, I have a hard time understanding why Ben didn't want to send her money after that, even if they were divorced. I don't get that reaction. Either Ben is worse than we thought, or Sylvia REALLY did a number on him. I'm guessing it's the first thing, because the number would have to be cartoonishly huge for Ben to refuse to help after that, and still hold the high ground.
Can you believe Jacoby used to be a psychiatrist? That's the joke, I guess, but it's a REALLY uncomfortable one.
Naomi Watts is still a nude goddess. She musta seen Coop with his shirt off before that (she DOES seem to dress him) but I don't think she fully appreciated the new hunkiness until the doctor pointed it out. And no lie, Kyle MacLachlan is CUT, especially for a guy his age. I see it. They are both very lucky, and I love the idea that Cooper's motionless sex was far more satisfying to Janey E than the real Dougie, probably entirely due to stamina. I fully ship these two people now. Audrey who?
Cole is starting to see the visions Cooper did. It's amazing that gift has transferred to him. His surprise suggests this is the first time it's happened, so it must mean something that this gift occurred to him when it did.
Diane's a Black Hat? Need more info before rendering an actual judgment here.
Poor Shelly's daughter. It's Laura Palmer all over again, if Bobby or James ever beat her. I appreciated Carl for actually stopping his song, and not getting back to it. Even if he doesn't feel comfortable helping, at least he didn't go on as if everything was fine and normal. That's not something that everyone would do.
I miss Catherine E Coulson.
I hate Chad.
I love that the Mitchum brothers seem to try to be comforting and settling down Candy after she accidentally hits one of them in the face in pursuit of a fly. It reminds me of how completely accommodating Butch was in Pulp Fiction to his hot mess of a girlfriend. That moment was basically Butch asking her how breakfast was after he was beaten and nearly raped earlier in the day. They put her needs ahead of theirs. And we get confirmation this is what is happening when they say to each other, "We can't fire her, she has nowhere else to go." I love that these ruthless casino owners have such a sense of altruism about one of their most troublesome employees. That's really cool, although I am NOT certain this patience will last forever. But I hope it does. It's an endearing quirk.
Interesting week. ****.
Doctor Who "The Doctor Falls"
That was just massively depressing and kind of a bummer. Both of the Masters' ends were very unsatisfying, and I'm a little miffed Twelve is probably gonna wind up as petulant as Ten about the regeneration.
Bill turning into the water alien was cool, but I wanted a better end for Nardole. Hopefully, this isn't the last we've seen of him.
About the only thing I really loved was seeing One at the end. Christmas is going to be very cool for that reason. **1/2.
Justice League Action "All Aboard The Space Train"
Space Cabbie is the type of hero you have to pay to do any heroing.
This Kanjar Ro is kind of gnarly. Kind of makes me regret we never got a real villain appearance for the character on Justice League. Ro calling Jonah Hex ugly is pretty much the pot calling the kettle Trump. Girls ain't knocking down HIS door either.
I like that Hex calls the idea that they'd get sucked into space if they broke the windows valuable information. And then proceeds to ignore it.
Hex actually killed quite a few aliens this episode, including some shockingly unambiguous shooting deaths. Today's TV-Y7 lets you get away with a lot more than you could back in the STAS days.
Good episode but nothing special. ***1/2.
Justice League Action "Time Out"
My favorite episode so far. And it's not even close. That was fantastic.
I love the idea that just because Booster is useless on the Justice League missions, that doesn't mean he's useless off League-duty. No, Booster being secretly useful does not surprise me in the least. What does is him relating it to Batman using the allegory of "the rat guy". You never think of him, but somebody has to do it. And suddenly the most surprising thing about Booster is not the fact that he's secretly useful. It's that he's secretly insightful.
I love that Batman is out of his element, and is willing to tell Booster that he is the expert in this situation, and will defer to his authority because he trusts him. There will be people who are upset that Batman forgets all of the lessons he learns here at the end, but I almost think he needed to. After what he said to Booster at the beginning, those memories were something he did not deserve. He had not earned the right to understand what an asset Booster could be to him if he gave him a chance. And the Vanishing Bat stating that he someday hopes that he'll learn the lesson he's about to forget means that Batman's growth isn't something he achieved right now. It is something for him to work for in the future. And in a time travel episode, that makes a lot of sense to me.
I wonder what is going through Diedrich Bader's mind as he is reading his lines to Kevin Conroy. He's been demoted from Batman to Booster Gold, and has to suck up to Batman. At least when him and Conroy's positions were reversed on Brave and the Bold, Conroy got to be the Phantom Stranger, and impart life lessons onto the new Batman. Even if that sort of happened in the episode anyways, I still don't think those situations are equivalent. I feel kinda bad for Bader.
Best episode so far. *****.
Justice League Action "The Fatal Fare"
I laughed big-time when Darkseid got into the space cab. Dude's got some WEIGHT, even when there's little gravity. I also laughed that Space Cabbie mispronounced the name as "Darkseed". And I love that Darkseid is a big tipper. For the record, Space Cabbie actually got to keep that by the end of the episode, so I don't feel too bad for him.
Is this Roxie Rocket's first non-DCAU appearance? It amazes me how seamlessly she fits into the Outer Space concept. Why didn't Bruce Timm realize this and make her a space baddie on Justice League (before the bat-embargo kicked in, anyways)?
I love that they did double surprise appearances by Swamp Thing and Atom. That's how there heroes win on this show. By having another hero there the entire time. It's as big of a Narrative cheat as the Sword Of Omens solving all problems on ThunderCats, even those that are unrelated to it, and it should be unable to fix. But this cheat makes me smile instead of scowl.
I love this show. ****.
Justice League Action "Up And Atom!"
Fun! But I can't tell if Atom is Ray Palmer or Ryan Choi. He has Ray's personality but Choi's costume. ****.
Justice League Action "Beep Beep!"
A Roadrunner episode? Yes, please!
John DiMaggio makes a great Lobo.
I like that Barry Allen is the kind of guy who picks up and eats random hamburgers off the ground.
Funny. ****1/2.
Justice League Action "Chemistry"
I like Green Arrow as baby Cupid at the end.
Stargirl is so cute. I totally ship her and Ronnie now.
I like that Justice League Action is the first non-Teen Titans cartoon that is allowed to use HIVE. The lack of character embargoes on this show is refreshing.
Great cartoon. ****.
Justice League Action "Good Cop, Bat Cop"
And this is why Superman is never bad cop. He cannot help apologizing, no matter what.
I liked Batman saving his bacon by turning the good cop routine legitimately creepy, and keeping Deadshot off balance. Batman makes a MUCH more effective good cop than Superman does a bad one.
I like the way Firestorm told Wonder Woman he knows Deadsnot isn't actually his name. He says it as if he is smitten with her and is trying to play it cool.
Nobody will never beat Rosenbaum for Deadshot for me (except maybe Kevin Spacey) but Christian Slater is a good number two. Mr. Robot is totally a sociopath.
Great episode. *****.
Justice League Action "It's A Trap!"
I love Superman picking holes in Lex's Xanatos Gambit. More like Xanatos 50-Car Pile-up. I wish Elisa Maza did that once in awhile with the real Xanatos. Dude was never as smart as he claimed. ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Hot Salad Water"
This episode tries to throw liberals a ton of red meat, by making Robin an obnoxious Red Hat, and all of the America fans loud, fat and stupid. But if that is what the episode thinks is a liberal message, I don't think it gets us at all.
Even worse, am I the only one totally offended that the Titans beat up the Queen of England? The current queen has been nothing but gracious and lovely to us, and it strikes me as an incredibly @$$holish thing for an American show to do for the Fourth of July. I would actually be offended if the Titans beat up Donald Trump on the holiday. It's just inappropriate, especially for a kids show. Why make such a monster as Robin right at all? I don't get it.
I really do not think this show remotely understands what its audience is. Which something even terrible shows seem to understand. TTG never has. 0.
Teen Titans Go! "The Day The Night Stopped Beginning To Shine And Became Dark Even Though It Was The Day: Chapter One: I Saw You Dance"
Heads up. First part of the miniseries that debuts in August is currently OnDemand.
Just when I was about to declare the entire four parter worthless without even seeing the rest of it, they got Cee Lo Green and Fallout Boy to play themselves. Fall Out Boy was particularly funny, especially the one guy who wanted to play the magic song. Yeah, I don't think Batman's gonna be involved.
I'm actually looking forward to this now. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "A Fury Scorned"
When Lashina was talking about a place that was dark and horrible and smelled bad, I woulda guessed Gotham.
Good for having a short with actual life-threatening jeopardy. These shorts were too much like a sitcom in earlier seasons. ***.
DC Super Hero Girls "Body Electric"
I like this version of Thunder and Lightning. I'm a little surprised Barbara is so clueless she doesn't realize they work best in tandem.
I like that Gordon is still recovering from his poisoning last episode, but I wonder why he was in Metropolis General rather than Gotham General.
The animation on this show continues to be dynamite. Let's hope it remains this good for the upcoming TV show. ***1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Techless Tuesday"
I like that Mrs. Clayface thanks Batgirl for saving her life.
Does Wildcat seriously believe there is no physical effort involved in Batgirl using the grappling hook to swing from buildings? If so, he is DUMB.
I love that Batgirl has programmed "Get Your Cape On" for the Batjet's radio.
All right. ***.
Preacher "Damsels"
Mostly, I was confused by that, but it settled some things about Eugene for me, so as frustrating as it otherwise was, I'm giving it a positive grade. I'm going to be going a bit in-depth as to what this episode means for Eugene's character (who I used to detest) later in the review, but for now I'm gonna just talk about the weird.
I am a little surprised that somebody asking to be taken to God in a New Orleans alley by a shady character, is ultimately surprised they were led to the place they were. How else did Jesse picture that going?
The torch song singer raises a ton of questions. We'll start with the Men In White. Was that all staged? Part of the performance to trick the Preacher? Or did the Men in White want her, not because she heard second-hand information about God's whereabouts, but because she seems to be a secret agent of either Heaven or Hell? Was she truly terrified to be kidnapped, or was she faking her fear at that moment to test if Jesse had Genesis? Hmmm.
I think Tulip is wrong. I don't think "Dennis" actually hates Cassidy. I think "Dennis" moved out, and that the new guy in the apartment is someone that Cassidy doesn't recognize isn't actually Dennis. I'm thinking the reason he didn't toss them out, is because he only speaks French, and doesn't really understand what is going on.
The Tallahasee thing was kind of cool, but I almost wish the guy had gotten it wrong. It would have resonated more to me. As she notes, he was unsure, but the brilliant thing about the question is that it hints that she's testing if her fellow Patriot actually knows the first thing about the country he so professes to love. The fact that she's stringing him entirely along for her own amusement, rather than out of political conviction is a missed opportunity. And it's a bummer, because I get the feeling that this is not the kind of show that would be unafraid to take the political stand there.
Tulip's scene at the end as she's loading quarters into the cigarette machine was awesome. I wanted to know exactly what was going on in her mind at that moment, but I was actually MUCH more interested in what was going through the minds of the guys who had tracked her down upon that bad@$$ery.
Cassidy says not to treat him like the Irish sidekick, and that he's actually useful. Did she actually tell him the deal with Victor then?
For a Preacher, Jesse is terrible at his job. Tulip literally calls him in a cry for help, but he is too self-involved with his own nonsense to understand that is what is going on. What frustrates me is that it's obvious Tulip is upset and reaching out, and this guy who supposedly trafficks in counseling for a living is completely unaware of that fact. What's worse is that he's also sleeping with her, so he should know her well enough by now to understand this is what is happening. But Jesse is far too selfish to recognize a cry for help from anyone else.
Now we get to Eugene. Forget the dumb Hitler moment (which will lead to somewhere either shockingly edgy or embarrassingly appalling next week). If that flashback is actually what happened between Eugene and Tracy? (And it's Hell so I don't see why they'd pretty it up) I get entirely why Eugene resented Jesse using Genesis for his benefit.
Part of his earlier objection seemed to be that he didn't deserve forgiveness, and this was too easy and immoral because of that fact. My new perspective is that Eugene knows he didn't ultimately do anything wrong, and he hated the cretin townspeople "forgiving" him as if he actually did. It's insulting and wounded his pride. And it should have. He took their abuse to protect the fact that Tracy was a self-involved drama queen who only shot herself to prove how gross Eugene was. Ironically before she did that, I get why she's upset he kissed her. He's the prototypical "Nice Guy" who talks a girl through a mess breakup in the hopes of getting into her pants himself. But instead of actually saying this to Eugene like a smart (or sane) person would, she does an off-the-wall stunt in the sole hopes that it will register to Eugene that she thinks he sucks. It's suicide by way of performance art prank. Which is pretty much the stupidest reason to commit suicide ever. I have a lot more sympathy for people who commit suicide than many people do, but the truth is, if you commit suicide to spite another person, and make them feel bad, you, well, SUCK. You are basically saying your life has no value except to the pain its end will cause others. I do not agree with many people who rage that people who commit suicide are selfish or hell-bound. But those who do it for the sole reason of making a statement about how bad other people should feel? They. SUCK.
Y'know, I shoulda suspected something larger had been going on with Tracy all along, when she's talking about killing herself because her boyfriend gave head to a "5", and she was embarrassed by that. That pretty much tells you right away that her values are warped, and that she's a terrible person, and you might wonder why it is Eugene would lash out at this type of person rejecting his advances. The answer is he didn't, never did, and let everyone think he did so they wouldn't realize that their prom queen was a sociopathic monster. I could not previously reconcile the supposedly sweet Eugene with the cold-blooded purveyor of violence against a woman, and the reason I was unable to reconcile it, is because the latter person didn't actually exist, and I (and all of the rest of the characters) were operating under a false assumption. And maybe I should have guessed that all along. People as sweet and innocent as Eugene seemed don't do the thing he was accused of. So I reasoned he wasn't as sweet and innocent as he seemed. I should have reasoned that he didn't actually do it instead.
Very interesting episode to me for Eugene's sake. I no longer dislike the character, although I think him keeping the secret that that girl was a psychopath is a lot more than she deserved, and I can think him kind of dumb for doing it. Pretty good week. ***1/2.
Preacher "Viktor"
Best use of "Uptown Girl" ever! That fight was magnificent!
The big question: Is the girl who spit on Tulip her daughter? She said she used to have a kid in season 1.
Whatever Tulip did to Viktor is was bad. Just based on her former friends' reactions, she betrayed all of them. Her trying to cozy up to them meant she still did not quite get the gravity of what she did to them. Her listening to the torture in the other room says she knows she is in a bad spot.
I have to draw the line at sympathetic, remorseful Hitler, and the episode saying Eugene was worse than Hitler. That is just offensive on every level.
I love that the God actor had to be killed before he could assume the part. That makes sense, and I'm wondering if that guy regretted not reading his contract closer.
Frankie Muniz is such a good sport, he doesn't mind saying he is currently pathetic. It is probably true, which makes him an even better sport.
Jessie was flashing floodlights for the Saint of Killers this episode. The ending did not surprise me. What did is that we didn't get that ending last episode.
I'd give the episode a good grade, but I don't want to attach my name to a positive review of Nazi apologia. *.
Preacher "Dallas"
I did not like that one bit. Jessie is mean. Jessie is crazy. There is nothing about learning Tulip is married that should have provoked that kind of response against the husband. And his "Why should I trust you, Cassidy?" is beyond appalling. He should trust Cassidy because Cassidy is the one guy looking out for his best interests. He asks him if Cassidy is still keeping secrets from him. Well, maybe he'd tell him that he and Tulip had a secret fling before Cassidy knew who she was, if Jessie's response to that exact situation wasn't so balls-out crazy. I hate Cassidy for agreeing with Jessie that he's no good, because it isn't true. And I think he placated Jessie by saying he'd do worse to the guy in question. Cassidy's sexuality has always been very fluid, and I sincerely doubt he is the type of person who would kill someone over monogamy. I hate that Cassidy is humoring Jessie so in that situation.
Oh, and Jessie is surprised "I cut him down," was taken negatively, with no follow-up to that statement? Jessie is an idiot. And for the record, John Wayne sucked too.
Victor was right about something: Tulip probably married him because unlike Jessie, he was actually nice to her. But he isn't TOO nice. Just based upon the threatening actions she got last episode simply for walking out on the guy, he's not the nice guy he claims. I had assumed Tulip had screwed him over bad. Just the fact that the situation was so dire simply due to her ducking out makes me hate the guy.
I hate the Saint of Killers. He was actually going to kill that little girl after he killed her father in front of her. I'm sick of the dude, and hate that he's not going anywhere. He's like Michael Scott on The Office, or Mimi on The Drew Carey Show. He sucks, and makes the show suck, but there would be no actual show without him. Ugh.
Interesting that Cassidy used to be rich. What is more surprising to me is that he isn't currently rich. Dude's lived awhile.
Jessie beating up Reggie as a substitute for Tulip is not chivalrous. It shows that Tulip is probably beaten when there isn't anyone else around to take the abuse. Jessie is a monster.
I hate Jessie, I hate the Cowboy, I hate this episode. 0.
The Powerpuff Girls "Buttercup Vs. Math"
That was mostly nonsense but I liked the distinction Buttercup tried to make with the idea that she didn't GET to wear the paper crown, she HAD to. That was a smart joke in an otherwise dumb episode. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Home Sweet Homesick"
I was saying "Boo-yah."
I like Buttercup's garbage monster made out of garbage.
I like that Blossom's idol ultimately enjoyed the dumb fun things about space camp best. That was the proper moral.
Good. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Memory Lane Of Pain"
What amnesia ray? Exactly.
I like that Blossom sees a picture of herself in the old show design and says, "Wow, I looked different back then."
And since when is Bubbles not helpful? She is far more helpful in the missions than Buttercup is, at least on this iteration. I like that when her pig alarm clock oinks, she zaps it with her laser eyes.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Back In Black"
Nova origin story! I only know the character from Ultimate Spider-Man so this was all new to me.
Drax says he doesn't see a target on Sam's head. Except the helmet has a sideways X on the front of it.
Liked the "Believe" Star Wars reference.
Pretty Good. ***1/2.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Knights In Black Helmets"
Nova is such a tool in this episode. Only an idiot couldn't see what an obvious scumbag Jasan is. **.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Nova Me, Nova You"
Rocket is a fuzzy new friend!
Visiting Sam's mom in her home? Not cool, Jasan. Dirty pool.
I love that Drax accidentally knows what football is.
Sam ditched outer space to go to school? Weirdo.
Good one. ***1/2.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Mr. Roboto"
Rocket has a crush. How in love is he? He lets her call him "rodent" twice before objecting on the third time.
I love that Peter is a Transformers fan. He is such an 80's kid.
I liked it. ****.
The Lion Guard "Babysitting Bunga"
Remind me again why it is so bad that the jackals eat zebra when the lions do the exact same thing?
The song and dance number reminds me that if The Lion King was EVER cool, it stopped being so once this show entered the franchise.
I'd be a lot happier at the animal parents' gratitude at Bunga teaching their kids how to defend themselves, if the parents weren't dumb enough not to think of that themselves. The animals on this show are unbelievably stupid considering they all can talk.
A dud. *1/2.
The Lion Guard "The Savannah Summit"
Parts of this were okay, but I think the entire premise is a bad idea. You do not want to put too much thought into the idea of animals who eat each other being capable of working together in groups and consensus. That just makes every single animal eaten premeditated murder.
That being said, I like that the episode was decent enough to allow Makuu to be innocent. However, they went too far with Kion blaming him for everything. If The Lion Guard are the Prideland Cops, Kion is basically profiling Makuu and refusing to believe the evidence right in front of his eyes that his bigotry is blinding him towards. I feel a LOT less safe knowing that the Lion Guard are always this unfair in their judgments and have to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing the fair thing. That's totally messed up. Good lesson for the kids at home. For the stability and safety of Pride Rock? Not so much.
Makuu being impressed by the planned attack shows that the writers couldn't come up with a better ending, so they simply made the deplorable behavior forgivable. Let me just say, Makuu is far more forgiving than I would be in that situation. He is definitely not as bad of a character as the show has tried to sell him as.
Kind of good, kind of aggravating, and if you think about the episode's premise to its logical conclusion, you will be outright appalled. A mixed bag. ***.
The Lion Guard "The Traveling Baboon Show"
How dumb is the Lion Guard for not realizing the baboons were the culprits in the first place? They were not only the only suspects, they were the only new animals in the Pridelands. The Lion Guard is REALLY bad at this.
Sausage fruit? Almost as silly as candyfruit on ThunderCats.
Ono thinking they should save the baboons because the baboons wouldn't be in the Outlands if the Lion Guard didn't chase them there is the right answer.
But I didn't quite get why the hyenas were chased off at the end. It was their home. If anything, the baboons should have simply been brought back while the hyenas stayed put.
Dumb. But perhaps that goes without saying. **1/2.
Elena Of Avalor "Spirit Monkey Business"
The rap and the Richard Kind sloth were annoying, but I like that they are trying to build the world's mythology a bit.
The Loop and the Zanies are totally a Dr. Seuss idea.
Bobo is like the Bad Idea Bears from Avenue Q. "Grab her t*ts!"
All right. ***1/2.
Game Of Thrones "Home"
HE'S ALIIIIVE!!!
I love how repentant Mellisandra seems here. She should be. She sucks.
Speaking of which, Ramsey is a b*stard in every sense of the word.
I love that Sansa hugs Theon.
Best stuff was Tyrion and the dragons. I like him saying that Varys thinks dwarf jokes and that his role is to drink wine and think. Even though he tells Varys that if he ever has another idea like that to punch him, it was a great idea. The dragons are just as intelligent as he guessed. Once he unlocked one, the other showed his collar because he knew what was going to happen next. Dragons are smart after all.
Hodor could talk? I wondered what the story was there.
Cool episode. ****.
Game Of Thrones "Oathbreaker"
It amazes me how little sympathy I have for Ollie's execution. The little turd deserved it. I actually almost feel worse for Thorne. At least that guy had to courage to die with his convictions.
And Mellisandra's repentance and wisdom lasted exactly two episodes.
They killed Shaggydog? Booo! Now I'm worried about Rickon and Osha.
Tormund knows Jon isn't a God because he's seen how tiny his p*cker is. Also, Edd questions if it IS Jon because he actually seems funny.
I like Varys saying he gets answers by making people happy. And he's very good at that. Also insightful for him to point out that different people have different perspectives about the same situation.
I liked. it ***1/2.
Game Of Thrones "Book Of The Stranger"
So much for Emilia Clarke's nudity refusal. I don't blame her for consenting to that. That was magnificent. Also, while I could possibly believe that Daenerys could overthrow the Dothraki at some point, I'm amazed and impressed she did it in one fell swoop, and all by herself. If you ask me, they had it coming.
Speaking of which I am furious about Osho. Ramsey's letter to Jon shows why he is going to fail. A good leader would not have done that. He just pulled Jon into a fray Jon doesn't even want. But because he has Rickon, he's basically forcing a battle that is not only unneeded, but one in which he'll probably lose. I resent that someone as dumb as Ramsey has gotten as far as he has.
I love that Brienne straight up throws in Davos' face that she executed Stannis. Based upon Davos' subdued reaction to that, my guess is just based on the fact that the Red Woman returned alone, he probably deserved it. Davos was the angel on Stannis' shoulder. That doesn't mean he wasn't aware of his failings.
I love Sansa making Jon forgive her. And she should have. Jon was being far too nice. I love that Sansa is wise and mature now, and finally gets how stupid she used to be. It's all about the hindsight.
I think Yara might need Theon as much as he needs her. Probably because he's the only person who believes she should be in charge. As much of a mess as Theon is, it's a good start.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Game Of Thrones "The Door"
Great origin story of Hodor and a heartbreaking ending for the character. I think Bran is going to be in a world of hurt with his biggest gun gone.
With Summer killed, Ghost is the only direwolf left, although it's possible Arya's is still out there somewhere.
I love that Yara and Theon escaped with all those ships. Eaumon is NOT as great as he sells himself.
Never seen Varys put so off-balance before. But he's right to be skeptical. All of the religions in Westeros seem b.s. to me, but like the Drowned God, the Lord of Light strikes me as a doomsday death cult. Nothing good will come with allying with them, and I think this is Tyrion's first actual mistake on behalf of Daenerys.
I had been literally waiting years for Dany to forgive Jorah and the moment did NOT disappoint. Not at all.
Were I Sansa, I would not have allowed Littlefinger out of that room alive. He knew. He had to have known ahead of time. He was supposed to have known everything. He didn't know Theon's actual fate? B.S..
Brienne may be right to distrust the Red Woman, but she is being far too hard on Davos. He had nothing to do with the mess with Stannis, and the demon baby was done against his wishes too. Brienne is NOT a terribly good snap-judge of character. She shares this fault with Sansa.
I love that Ned Stark is generally considered an uncouth idiot by the populace (as seen in Game Of Throne: The Stage Show). And considering he trusted Joffrey's word in the first place, I don't think considering him a dummy is misinterpreting the character at all.
That ending was a punch in the gut. Amazing. ****1/2.
Game Of Thrones "Blood Of My Blood"
I love that Daenerys is pretty much a show-off. Besides the fact that she is LITERAL hot stuff, she gets followers by ACTING like she's hot stuff. She is a showman and amasses the followers she does largely through theatrics. She understands the power of the grand gesture better than any other character, perhaps save Tyrion, and MAYBE Varys. And because they are the only guys who get how appearances work (which both Ramsey and Cersei do NOT) it makes sense they've hitched themselves to her wagon. She is the safest bet to win the Game of Thrones.
We haven't see Walder Frey since the day after the Red Wedding in season three. He still sucks.
Speaking of long awaited appearances, we finally learn what happened to Benjen. Because there was no other way out of that scenario for Bran than a third party rescue.
I love how delighted Arya was to see a fictionalized version of Joffrey's death. What can I say? I liked it too.
Sam's subplot is pretty much the weak point of the season. And I was annoyed he didn't stick up for Gilly in front of his horrible father. His father is just about as big a monster as Walder Frey, Roose Bolton, and Joffrey Baratheon. He sucks. I was delighted that Sam was insightful enough to realize this was no place for Gilly. And Gilly is right about something: Sam is a FAR bigger and brave warrior than his father or his brother. He shouldn't have to take that from a punk coward. And I love that he steals the treasured sword for good measure.
Interesting that they didn't cut off Margaery's hair for the Walk of Shame. Natalie Dormer was probably sick of shaving her head after The Hunger Games.
Gettin' good. ***1/2.
Game Of Thrones "The Broken Man"
I was wondering why we were having a rare teaser before the opening credits, and it's so they don't spoil Rory McCann's appearance. I approve.
Arya is a good negotiator with cargo captains for a boat ride home. She is less successful at not getting stabbed by little old ladies.
I freaking love Lady Mormont. Do you know what I love best about her? She's not Lord Arryn and Joffrey, and using the throne to act out her childish impulses. She's ten years old, competent and put together, and wants and knows what is best for her house. Outside of the Starks, the show takes a very dim view about children and power and I love that Lady Mormont can go toe to toe with Jon Snow and Sir Davos and finally only be appealed to with Davos' reason. I like that Jon seems openly disappointed in only getting 62 men, but Davos' gratitude was the proper reaction. Aside from making a funny quip that if they all were as fierce as Lady Mormont, the Boltons would be doomed, this was actually the plan. Building up the army a few small houses at a time. I thinking Jon is rushing into the battle. The plan is working. One "No" and one disappointingly small number doesn't mean he should give up on it. It's a good plan. There are more of them than there are of the Boltons. They just need to consolidate together first. And that might take a little genuine time and effort.
After seeing how easily Jamie punked the Freys, I am a little bit angry and offended the Freys have gotten as far as they have. They are outright stupid and terrible fighters and leaders, and it bothers me they have the amount of power they do due solely to the fact that they stabbed a bunch of their unarmed dinner guests. The Boltons suck, the Lannisters suck, but the Freys may be the suckiest house of all.
I love Tormund's speech that since Jon gave his life for the Free Folk, they should do the same for him. I would not be inclined to follow him, even under such extraordinary circumstances such as the White Walker threat. But the fact that Jon literally gave his life for sticking up for the Wildlings tells them, you know, maybe that MEANS something. And it does.
I love Yara's scene of tough love non-therapy with Theon, and I love the moment he looked her in the eyes for the first time. I'm also tickled she's a lesbian. But I am a little bit alarmed that the actress was asked to suck a woman's nipple on camera. I don't think a TV show should EVER ask a legit actress to do that. I don't object to seeing that (it's kinda hot) but I think that is something that should either occur between porn stars, or at least the naked extras the show always uses. I don't like the idea of making an actual cast member do something that intimate on camera. It's degrading.
I love the Queen of Thorns rubbing in Cersei's face that this entire mess is her fault. And she points out that she may be the worst person she's ever known, and the Queen of Thorns saying that means a LOT. And she's right about that. Remember Cersei's smug smile as Margaery and Loras were hauled away? We think of that as a sign that Cersei is an evil person, but we never quite thought a lot about how someone on the other end of that smile would feel. The Queen of Thorns is tough as nails so we figured she could handle it. But in reality, could anyone? Could anyone take that smug smile without thinking the person who gave it is the worst person who ever lived? Why Cersei thinks the Queen should even help her after that, even if it's in both their best interests, is beyond me.
And face it, it is NOT in both of their best interests. Let's say the Queen agreed to help Cersei. That gives Cersei an army of The Queen of Thorns and Sandor Clegane. Sandor is NOT an insignificant weapon, but he's literally the only one. Literally everyone else in the kingdom would be standing against them. And how many people who would have actually been on the end of one of Cersei's cruel smiles as she tortured or had a loved one killed? And how many of those people on the end of that smile are NOT as put together as the Queen of Thorns? How hurt must the average person be who does not possess the Queen's grit and resources to fight back? The truth is the list of Cersei's friends is so small, because she never bothered making any. Which is why she's pretty much the worst leader ever.
The Wildfire at the end of the season is besides the point. Cersei will never be able to keep the throne. She has no friends who want her on it.
Missed Bronn this season. Jerome Flynn makes everything better.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Game Of Thrones "No One"
I did not see a way out of that for Arya. And then she used her former blindness as a weapon. Genius way out of a no-win situation. Arya just punked the God of Many Faces and Jacquin respected her for it.
I love that Jamie lets Brienne go in the end, and I love that he let her keep the sword. I think Jamie is more of a bad person than a good one if his threat to Edmure was any indication, but it is not lost on me that he's the kind of guy who would prefer to talk things out when possible. And he's right. Tully is his prisoner. He has no choice but to listen.
Honestly, this is not the strongest episode of the season overall (not much else happened in it) but the last ten minutes were so tense that they make up for it. ***.
Game Of Thrones "Battle Of The B*stards"
There was no way Rickon was making it out of that alive. Because this show is this show and we aren't allowed to have nice things. And Sansa knew it all along.
I love that right before Jon finishes Ramsey off, he looks at Sansa and stops. Ramsey is hers. And always was. And there were few just ways for Ramsey to go out that would fit his horrific crimes. Being eaten by his starving dogs qualified.
I love Daenerys and Tyrion. I wish we had gotten more of that this season. Tyrion is just SO great at his job, and even as the city is in flames, Dany seems to get that too. And if it wasn't clear when she took out the Dothraki, it is now. Daenerys is going to win the Game of Thrones. It won't even be close. The real question in my mind is if her army will build up a large enough following that some of the other heroes will join her cause like Jon, Sansa, Brienne, Davos, Sam, and Arya. I think that is more than likely. The bad guys on this show have gotten so far because they've teamed up together. There are actually more good guys left on the show now for some crazy reason, and I have to think that if they all found each other, they'd kick Cersei's @r$e. I can't wait for seasons 7 and 8.
The battle was simply put, the best battle of its sort ever created for television. If we are being completely honest about this show, "The Battle of Blackwater" and other earlier season throwdowns are, in reality, super disappointing. They do not measure up to Lord of the Rings. At all. They look strictly television. Smaller scale or not, this measures up. And the violence and camera angles are more immediate and jarring so I can probably even say that this was filled with more genuine tension. You know Legolas is gonna survive. You aren't so sure about Jon Snow.
Best penultimate battle episode so far. *****.
Game Of Thrones "The Winds Of Winter"
Do you know why I love Jon Snow? He banishes Melissandra anyways. She's right about something. She could have been REALLY useful in the fight against White Walkers. She could have been the reason he could have won that fight. But she murdered an innocent little girl. Jon would have to be a pretty lousy person to put his own interests ahead of that. Frankly, banishment was far more than she deserved. Although I think it's the fact that Jon did it which is the reason Davos openly supported him at the end. Jon did the right thing when the wrong thing would have benefitted him. And he didn't even have to be convinced to do it. It was ALWAYS a huge battle and hassle to get Stannis to think sensibly and ethically, but Davos realizes Jon can do this on his own. And maybe he'll realize something like this should NOT have the amount of drama Stannis attached to it. Jon's disgust at a child murderer is actually normal. Maybe Davos supported Jon because he just realized right then that his job as a King advisor got a LOT easier with a good and sane king. And it should NOT have been the crazymaking trial Stannis always made it out to be.
Prediction: Melissandra travels south and winds up finding a cure for the grey death for Jorah. Shireen telegraphs to me that is where they are going with her banishment.
Love Arya killing Walder Frey. And I love that she enjoyed it. The producers want me to be concerned for her by that, but after the Red Wedding? That is the right reaction. She let him live a lot longer in that situation than I would have. I admittedly would not have baked his sons into pies and fed it to him in any circumstance, but y'know, like, I GET it. I do. Arya answers the question of what would happen if Scott Tenorman actually deserved it.
I love little Lady Mormont shaming everyone and basically being the first to declare Jon the King of the North. And I love that all of the adults agree with her instead of thinking it's insane they are taking their marching orders from a 10-year-old. I think they get from Lady Mormont what Davos did: She is actually the scariest person in that room.
Love Daenerys making Tyrion Hand of the King. Tyrion's loyalty is uncommon in that particular situation, but he held the kingdom in her name in her absence, and kept things (mostly) together. For the sole reason that he believes in her. Which is all the reason he really ever needed.
Jon Snow is Ned's nephew and not his b*stard? That makes a lot more sense to me than Ned ever cheating on Catelyn. It must kill him that he had to pretend he did for the rest of his life, and could never tell Catelyn the truth. Because if she had, there is no way Catelyn would have hated him.
Two seasons ago I would have predicted Littlefinger had a legit shot at the Game of Thrones. I think both Stannis and Daenerys were better positioned than him, but it was not outside of the realm of possibility. Now? It's crazytalk. And the craziest thing is that he still thinks it's both possible, and that Sansa would ever marry that dirtbag after he betrayed her to Ramsey. Littlefinger is not the master manipulator or the David Xanatos of the series. He's the delusional goofball, and now I see that he always has been. He is not fit to shine Varys' shoes.
As for Cersei, she basically had to nuke the world to be the only one left in it with any power. She is WEAK. See those looks of disgust amongst the people in the court as she was crowned? Her actual support is inch deep and she can only use the Wildfire trick once. She was never going to win the Game of Thrones, but I'm glad she temporarily won here, because it would have been a lot less satisfying seeing Dany take the throne from Tommen. But Cersei? She's going down violently and embarrassingly, and I can't wait to see it.
Cersei continues to be the worst mother ever by never seeing Tommen's suicide coming. The producers ask me to think that Cersei's one saving grace is that she loves her children, and fiercely tries to protect them. I disagree with that assessment. If she truly loved her children, she would have taken better care of them. Her daughter's death is not on her, but both Joffrey and Tommen basically died because Cersei sucked as a parent. Were I Jamie, I would wind up hating her for that. And I think he will in season 7.
Great finale. *****.
Game Of Thrones "Dragonstone"
At first, you might be appalled that Arya Stark just committed mass murder, but it's established there were no innocents in that room. She specifically invited the murderers from the Red Wedding. She even tells the innocent women they are not allowed to drink the poison. I won't exactly miss David Bradley, but this was his best performance ever. Simply because he's actually playing Arya, and you can tell the subtle differences immediately.
I think Sansa is right that the Karstarks and Umbers' House should be taken from them and given to loyal families. On the other hand, that's a discussion for BEFORE the meeting. If she never considered Jon doing that, that's her problem. She should be at LEAST supporting him in public. Someone like Sansa will keep Jon honest, and he'll probably live longer than Robb and Ned for it. But the truth is Sansa should not be publicly undermining the King. I love Democracy, but this is not one, and Sansa needs to get that.
For the record, I'm squicked out by the idea that she admires Cersei on some level.
I love that the Northern families seem to initially agree with Sansa, until Jon does that whole ceremonial thing with the kid Umbers and Karstarks. And I love that about the North. As much as they disdain the Lannisters for their ostentatiousness, they are also a people who appreciates pageantry and the grand gesture. It's kind of dumb, because Sansa's point still stands, and nothing there actually changed it. But that was Jon getting the families to mindlessly cheer "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!"
I continue to fear and be amazed by Lady Mormont. This show always finds the best kid actors. Always. She gives Maisie Williams a run for her money.
I love that Tyrion doesn't say anything at the end, and allows Daenerys to absorb coming home on her own terms. As talkative and rude as Tyrion can be, he is also usually insightful enough to know the time and place. And this was a big enough deal to let Dany process it on her own without help.
"No need to seize the last word. I'll assume it was something clever." Sansa just pwned Littlefinger with that line.
That Game of Thrones bald man-bun was ridiculous.
How is Cersei on the throne? More delusional that ever. She actually thinks she is going to pull this off. She is out her d*mn mind and crazy as f***. Also her believing Tommen's suicide was HIM betraying HER makes her pretty much the worst mother ever. We already knew she was, but this confirms it.
Sam discovering what he did about Dragonstone says that my hunch that Jon and the North are going to eventually see a pact with Daenerys' army is probably the correct theory. It's probably gonna take a season or so to line up those ducks, but with Bran entering the Wall, and probably learning where his brother and sister are, and returning to Winterfell, I see Cersei is going to go down due to an alliance between Jon Snow, Sansa, Daenyrus, Tyrion, Bran, Davos, Brienne, Theon, Yara, Sam, and Varys. I predict Littlefinger will join the bad guys again at some point, and remain on that side for the rest of the series. I also have no idea where Arya will ultimately fit into all this.
But I'll learn all of that either the next time there is an HBO free preview, or when the Blu-Rays come out. Whichever comes first.
Great premiere. ****1/2.
Major spoilers for Game Of Thrones too.
Wonder Woman
Great movie. Great, great movie.
Gal Gadot was amazing, and every time she went into the battle with the Wonder Woman theme blaring, a big smile broke out on my face. I think I actually clapped or cheered at one of her awesomer slow-motion moments. So awesome. I was very happy.
David Thewlis was not my first choice to be Ares, but it makes a sick kind of sense that the God of War is someone you least suspect, and seems to be possibly trying to put things together behind the scenes, while secretly making plans to wreck them. I dunno. Maybe it's just because I now have an immense distaste to him due to Fargo, but I didn't dig Ares as much as I might have.
Connie Nielson was nowhere near as annoying as Hippolyta as I feared. Which kind of makes me furious that she'd couldn't decide to be this non-annoying in all of her other projects.
Chris Pine was great as Steve Trevor. I think the only reason another period piece Wonder Woman film wouldn't interest me is because Trevor died here, and I kind of want to separate Diana from her grief by a few decades. They had great chemistry. I like how tasteful and ambiguous their love scene was. Either they had a tender night of love-making, or simply a tender night of kissing and holding each other, but I like that it wasn't in-your-face. Very refreshing, although I perhaps should have expected this level of good taste from a female director.
Were some of those Amazons nude and topless on Themyscera? My eyesight is bad, so I couldn't tell, but it impresses me that they didn't make a big deal about it at all.
I don't exactly look forward to Justice League, but I no longer fear it because Gadot is in it. I'll put my distaste for Batfleck on hold just for her. *****.
Twin Peaks "The Return: Part 9"
I really hope that is the last we see of the druggie girl with a rashy armpit. Different things often seem to interest David Lynch than they do me.
I think William's tantrum reminds me greatly of Sarah Palmer in the Pilot. The difference to me is that I think Sarah's grief was justified. And there were critics of the series who found that performance unintentionally funny. They were @$$holes in my opinion. But William is playing the exact same scene. Whereas Grace Zabriskie walked up to the line of being over the top, Matthew Lillard crosses it. As much pain as he is in, I agree with Albert when he calls him a fruitcake.
Diane is right about something. People should be allowed to smoke in morgues. What is the freaking worst that can happen?
I think Andy and Lucy's thing with the chairs was saccharine. But that has been with the series since the beginning. I don't want them to change that aspect of the show, even if it makes me gag.
I love that everybody hates Chad. Hawk had to be seriously convinced to open the door for him. Not only do they all seem to recognize he's a dirty cop, they think he just plain smells bad.
We never really spent a ton of time with Betty Briggs in the Original Series. And we see now that was a mistake. Charlotte Stewart was amazing, and her and Dana Ashbrook are fantastic with each other. I think it's clear that Bobby has completely reformed, just based on Major Briggs. There's other hints, such as the fact that he hates Chad too, but just the fact that Major Briggs told his wife Bobby would be there 25 years later shows that Bobby has truly turned his life around. And I love that even after his death, his father can still amaze him with the amount of love he possessed.
The metal tone puzzle box was cool. Opening it was not subtle. At all.
I would have liked to have heard a little more from Janey E about what she thinks is going on. I wonder if she is aware that Dougie had no paperwork before 1997. She's his wife. She should know that, right?
That squealing, giggling cop is SO annoying, and one of those people right out of the beginning of Fire Walk Me. I recognized this type of person as the unhelpful cop in this universe.
Ike the Spike is boned.
The fact that Mr. C has people loyal to him reminds me that he has lived an entire life in this universe for 25 years. Leland had people who he loved and loved him too. Mr. C may be possessed by evil, but I think it's interesting that many people in his life do not see him that way.
It is clear BOB is still Mr. C. I think the theory that the Woodsmen tore him out of him last week is wrong.
Jerry Horne's thing with the tiny foot was hilarious, and a bit nerve-wracking. I don't know why that scenario worried me as much as it did, but even if it don't compare to the Red Room for freakiness, the level of horror there is still in the same ballpark.
Ben Horne is a good man. Which amazes me and I wonder how he got there.
Definitely more conventional than last week, which is good. I could not handle last week every week. ****.
Twin Peaks "The Return: Part 10"
Richard Horne is a monster. Leaving aside him murdering Miriam in cold blood, he beats up his grandmother in front of his developmentally disabled uncle, and steals all her money. As bad as Sylvia was on the old series, and as badly as she treated Ben in that phone call, I have a hard time understanding why Ben didn't want to send her money after that, even if they were divorced. I don't get that reaction. Either Ben is worse than we thought, or Sylvia REALLY did a number on him. I'm guessing it's the first thing, because the number would have to be cartoonishly huge for Ben to refuse to help after that, and still hold the high ground.
Can you believe Jacoby used to be a psychiatrist? That's the joke, I guess, but it's a REALLY uncomfortable one.
Naomi Watts is still a nude goddess. She musta seen Coop with his shirt off before that (she DOES seem to dress him) but I don't think she fully appreciated the new hunkiness until the doctor pointed it out. And no lie, Kyle MacLachlan is CUT, especially for a guy his age. I see it. They are both very lucky, and I love the idea that Cooper's motionless sex was far more satisfying to Janey E than the real Dougie, probably entirely due to stamina. I fully ship these two people now. Audrey who?
Cole is starting to see the visions Cooper did. It's amazing that gift has transferred to him. His surprise suggests this is the first time it's happened, so it must mean something that this gift occurred to him when it did.
Diane's a Black Hat? Need more info before rendering an actual judgment here.
Poor Shelly's daughter. It's Laura Palmer all over again, if Bobby or James ever beat her. I appreciated Carl for actually stopping his song, and not getting back to it. Even if he doesn't feel comfortable helping, at least he didn't go on as if everything was fine and normal. That's not something that everyone would do.
I miss Catherine E Coulson.
I hate Chad.
I love that the Mitchum brothers seem to try to be comforting and settling down Candy after she accidentally hits one of them in the face in pursuit of a fly. It reminds me of how completely accommodating Butch was in Pulp Fiction to his hot mess of a girlfriend. That moment was basically Butch asking her how breakfast was after he was beaten and nearly raped earlier in the day. They put her needs ahead of theirs. And we get confirmation this is what is happening when they say to each other, "We can't fire her, she has nowhere else to go." I love that these ruthless casino owners have such a sense of altruism about one of their most troublesome employees. That's really cool, although I am NOT certain this patience will last forever. But I hope it does. It's an endearing quirk.
Interesting week. ****.
Doctor Who "The Doctor Falls"
That was just massively depressing and kind of a bummer. Both of the Masters' ends were very unsatisfying, and I'm a little miffed Twelve is probably gonna wind up as petulant as Ten about the regeneration.
Bill turning into the water alien was cool, but I wanted a better end for Nardole. Hopefully, this isn't the last we've seen of him.
About the only thing I really loved was seeing One at the end. Christmas is going to be very cool for that reason. **1/2.
Justice League Action "All Aboard The Space Train"
Space Cabbie is the type of hero you have to pay to do any heroing.
This Kanjar Ro is kind of gnarly. Kind of makes me regret we never got a real villain appearance for the character on Justice League. Ro calling Jonah Hex ugly is pretty much the pot calling the kettle Trump. Girls ain't knocking down HIS door either.
I like that Hex calls the idea that they'd get sucked into space if they broke the windows valuable information. And then proceeds to ignore it.
Hex actually killed quite a few aliens this episode, including some shockingly unambiguous shooting deaths. Today's TV-Y7 lets you get away with a lot more than you could back in the STAS days.
Good episode but nothing special. ***1/2.
Justice League Action "Time Out"
My favorite episode so far. And it's not even close. That was fantastic.
I love the idea that just because Booster is useless on the Justice League missions, that doesn't mean he's useless off League-duty. No, Booster being secretly useful does not surprise me in the least. What does is him relating it to Batman using the allegory of "the rat guy". You never think of him, but somebody has to do it. And suddenly the most surprising thing about Booster is not the fact that he's secretly useful. It's that he's secretly insightful.
I love that Batman is out of his element, and is willing to tell Booster that he is the expert in this situation, and will defer to his authority because he trusts him. There will be people who are upset that Batman forgets all of the lessons he learns here at the end, but I almost think he needed to. After what he said to Booster at the beginning, those memories were something he did not deserve. He had not earned the right to understand what an asset Booster could be to him if he gave him a chance. And the Vanishing Bat stating that he someday hopes that he'll learn the lesson he's about to forget means that Batman's growth isn't something he achieved right now. It is something for him to work for in the future. And in a time travel episode, that makes a lot of sense to me.
I wonder what is going through Diedrich Bader's mind as he is reading his lines to Kevin Conroy. He's been demoted from Batman to Booster Gold, and has to suck up to Batman. At least when him and Conroy's positions were reversed on Brave and the Bold, Conroy got to be the Phantom Stranger, and impart life lessons onto the new Batman. Even if that sort of happened in the episode anyways, I still don't think those situations are equivalent. I feel kinda bad for Bader.
Best episode so far. *****.
Justice League Action "The Fatal Fare"
I laughed big-time when Darkseid got into the space cab. Dude's got some WEIGHT, even when there's little gravity. I also laughed that Space Cabbie mispronounced the name as "Darkseed". And I love that Darkseid is a big tipper. For the record, Space Cabbie actually got to keep that by the end of the episode, so I don't feel too bad for him.
Is this Roxie Rocket's first non-DCAU appearance? It amazes me how seamlessly she fits into the Outer Space concept. Why didn't Bruce Timm realize this and make her a space baddie on Justice League (before the bat-embargo kicked in, anyways)?
I love that they did double surprise appearances by Swamp Thing and Atom. That's how there heroes win on this show. By having another hero there the entire time. It's as big of a Narrative cheat as the Sword Of Omens solving all problems on ThunderCats, even those that are unrelated to it, and it should be unable to fix. But this cheat makes me smile instead of scowl.
I love this show. ****.
Justice League Action "Up And Atom!"
Fun! But I can't tell if Atom is Ray Palmer or Ryan Choi. He has Ray's personality but Choi's costume. ****.
Justice League Action "Beep Beep!"
A Roadrunner episode? Yes, please!
John DiMaggio makes a great Lobo.
I like that Barry Allen is the kind of guy who picks up and eats random hamburgers off the ground.
Funny. ****1/2.
Justice League Action "Chemistry"
I like Green Arrow as baby Cupid at the end.
Stargirl is so cute. I totally ship her and Ronnie now.
I like that Justice League Action is the first non-Teen Titans cartoon that is allowed to use HIVE. The lack of character embargoes on this show is refreshing.
Great cartoon. ****.
Justice League Action "Good Cop, Bat Cop"
And this is why Superman is never bad cop. He cannot help apologizing, no matter what.
I liked Batman saving his bacon by turning the good cop routine legitimately creepy, and keeping Deadshot off balance. Batman makes a MUCH more effective good cop than Superman does a bad one.
I like the way Firestorm told Wonder Woman he knows Deadsnot isn't actually his name. He says it as if he is smitten with her and is trying to play it cool.
Nobody will never beat Rosenbaum for Deadshot for me (except maybe Kevin Spacey) but Christian Slater is a good number two. Mr. Robot is totally a sociopath.
Great episode. *****.
Justice League Action "It's A Trap!"
I love Superman picking holes in Lex's Xanatos Gambit. More like Xanatos 50-Car Pile-up. I wish Elisa Maza did that once in awhile with the real Xanatos. Dude was never as smart as he claimed. ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Hot Salad Water"
This episode tries to throw liberals a ton of red meat, by making Robin an obnoxious Red Hat, and all of the America fans loud, fat and stupid. But if that is what the episode thinks is a liberal message, I don't think it gets us at all.
Even worse, am I the only one totally offended that the Titans beat up the Queen of England? The current queen has been nothing but gracious and lovely to us, and it strikes me as an incredibly @$$holish thing for an American show to do for the Fourth of July. I would actually be offended if the Titans beat up Donald Trump on the holiday. It's just inappropriate, especially for a kids show. Why make such a monster as Robin right at all? I don't get it.
I really do not think this show remotely understands what its audience is. Which something even terrible shows seem to understand. TTG never has. 0.
Teen Titans Go! "The Day The Night Stopped Beginning To Shine And Became Dark Even Though It Was The Day: Chapter One: I Saw You Dance"
Heads up. First part of the miniseries that debuts in August is currently OnDemand.
Just when I was about to declare the entire four parter worthless without even seeing the rest of it, they got Cee Lo Green and Fallout Boy to play themselves. Fall Out Boy was particularly funny, especially the one guy who wanted to play the magic song. Yeah, I don't think Batman's gonna be involved.
I'm actually looking forward to this now. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "A Fury Scorned"
When Lashina was talking about a place that was dark and horrible and smelled bad, I woulda guessed Gotham.
Good for having a short with actual life-threatening jeopardy. These shorts were too much like a sitcom in earlier seasons. ***.
DC Super Hero Girls "Body Electric"
I like this version of Thunder and Lightning. I'm a little surprised Barbara is so clueless she doesn't realize they work best in tandem.
I like that Gordon is still recovering from his poisoning last episode, but I wonder why he was in Metropolis General rather than Gotham General.
The animation on this show continues to be dynamite. Let's hope it remains this good for the upcoming TV show. ***1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Techless Tuesday"
I like that Mrs. Clayface thanks Batgirl for saving her life.
Does Wildcat seriously believe there is no physical effort involved in Batgirl using the grappling hook to swing from buildings? If so, he is DUMB.
I love that Batgirl has programmed "Get Your Cape On" for the Batjet's radio.
All right. ***.
Preacher "Damsels"
Mostly, I was confused by that, but it settled some things about Eugene for me, so as frustrating as it otherwise was, I'm giving it a positive grade. I'm going to be going a bit in-depth as to what this episode means for Eugene's character (who I used to detest) later in the review, but for now I'm gonna just talk about the weird.
I am a little surprised that somebody asking to be taken to God in a New Orleans alley by a shady character, is ultimately surprised they were led to the place they were. How else did Jesse picture that going?
The torch song singer raises a ton of questions. We'll start with the Men In White. Was that all staged? Part of the performance to trick the Preacher? Or did the Men in White want her, not because she heard second-hand information about God's whereabouts, but because she seems to be a secret agent of either Heaven or Hell? Was she truly terrified to be kidnapped, or was she faking her fear at that moment to test if Jesse had Genesis? Hmmm.
I think Tulip is wrong. I don't think "Dennis" actually hates Cassidy. I think "Dennis" moved out, and that the new guy in the apartment is someone that Cassidy doesn't recognize isn't actually Dennis. I'm thinking the reason he didn't toss them out, is because he only speaks French, and doesn't really understand what is going on.
The Tallahasee thing was kind of cool, but I almost wish the guy had gotten it wrong. It would have resonated more to me. As she notes, he was unsure, but the brilliant thing about the question is that it hints that she's testing if her fellow Patriot actually knows the first thing about the country he so professes to love. The fact that she's stringing him entirely along for her own amusement, rather than out of political conviction is a missed opportunity. And it's a bummer, because I get the feeling that this is not the kind of show that would be unafraid to take the political stand there.
Tulip's scene at the end as she's loading quarters into the cigarette machine was awesome. I wanted to know exactly what was going on in her mind at that moment, but I was actually MUCH more interested in what was going through the minds of the guys who had tracked her down upon that bad@$$ery.
Cassidy says not to treat him like the Irish sidekick, and that he's actually useful. Did she actually tell him the deal with Victor then?
For a Preacher, Jesse is terrible at his job. Tulip literally calls him in a cry for help, but he is too self-involved with his own nonsense to understand that is what is going on. What frustrates me is that it's obvious Tulip is upset and reaching out, and this guy who supposedly trafficks in counseling for a living is completely unaware of that fact. What's worse is that he's also sleeping with her, so he should know her well enough by now to understand this is what is happening. But Jesse is far too selfish to recognize a cry for help from anyone else.
Now we get to Eugene. Forget the dumb Hitler moment (which will lead to somewhere either shockingly edgy or embarrassingly appalling next week). If that flashback is actually what happened between Eugene and Tracy? (And it's Hell so I don't see why they'd pretty it up) I get entirely why Eugene resented Jesse using Genesis for his benefit.
Part of his earlier objection seemed to be that he didn't deserve forgiveness, and this was too easy and immoral because of that fact. My new perspective is that Eugene knows he didn't ultimately do anything wrong, and he hated the cretin townspeople "forgiving" him as if he actually did. It's insulting and wounded his pride. And it should have. He took their abuse to protect the fact that Tracy was a self-involved drama queen who only shot herself to prove how gross Eugene was. Ironically before she did that, I get why she's upset he kissed her. He's the prototypical "Nice Guy" who talks a girl through a mess breakup in the hopes of getting into her pants himself. But instead of actually saying this to Eugene like a smart (or sane) person would, she does an off-the-wall stunt in the sole hopes that it will register to Eugene that she thinks he sucks. It's suicide by way of performance art prank. Which is pretty much the stupidest reason to commit suicide ever. I have a lot more sympathy for people who commit suicide than many people do, but the truth is, if you commit suicide to spite another person, and make them feel bad, you, well, SUCK. You are basically saying your life has no value except to the pain its end will cause others. I do not agree with many people who rage that people who commit suicide are selfish or hell-bound. But those who do it for the sole reason of making a statement about how bad other people should feel? They. SUCK.
Y'know, I shoulda suspected something larger had been going on with Tracy all along, when she's talking about killing herself because her boyfriend gave head to a "5", and she was embarrassed by that. That pretty much tells you right away that her values are warped, and that she's a terrible person, and you might wonder why it is Eugene would lash out at this type of person rejecting his advances. The answer is he didn't, never did, and let everyone think he did so they wouldn't realize that their prom queen was a sociopathic monster. I could not previously reconcile the supposedly sweet Eugene with the cold-blooded purveyor of violence against a woman, and the reason I was unable to reconcile it, is because the latter person didn't actually exist, and I (and all of the rest of the characters) were operating under a false assumption. And maybe I should have guessed that all along. People as sweet and innocent as Eugene seemed don't do the thing he was accused of. So I reasoned he wasn't as sweet and innocent as he seemed. I should have reasoned that he didn't actually do it instead.
Very interesting episode to me for Eugene's sake. I no longer dislike the character, although I think him keeping the secret that that girl was a psychopath is a lot more than she deserved, and I can think him kind of dumb for doing it. Pretty good week. ***1/2.
Preacher "Viktor"
Best use of "Uptown Girl" ever! That fight was magnificent!
The big question: Is the girl who spit on Tulip her daughter? She said she used to have a kid in season 1.
Whatever Tulip did to Viktor is was bad. Just based on her former friends' reactions, she betrayed all of them. Her trying to cozy up to them meant she still did not quite get the gravity of what she did to them. Her listening to the torture in the other room says she knows she is in a bad spot.
I have to draw the line at sympathetic, remorseful Hitler, and the episode saying Eugene was worse than Hitler. That is just offensive on every level.
I love that the God actor had to be killed before he could assume the part. That makes sense, and I'm wondering if that guy regretted not reading his contract closer.
Frankie Muniz is such a good sport, he doesn't mind saying he is currently pathetic. It is probably true, which makes him an even better sport.
Jessie was flashing floodlights for the Saint of Killers this episode. The ending did not surprise me. What did is that we didn't get that ending last episode.
I'd give the episode a good grade, but I don't want to attach my name to a positive review of Nazi apologia. *.
Preacher "Dallas"
I did not like that one bit. Jessie is mean. Jessie is crazy. There is nothing about learning Tulip is married that should have provoked that kind of response against the husband. And his "Why should I trust you, Cassidy?" is beyond appalling. He should trust Cassidy because Cassidy is the one guy looking out for his best interests. He asks him if Cassidy is still keeping secrets from him. Well, maybe he'd tell him that he and Tulip had a secret fling before Cassidy knew who she was, if Jessie's response to that exact situation wasn't so balls-out crazy. I hate Cassidy for agreeing with Jessie that he's no good, because it isn't true. And I think he placated Jessie by saying he'd do worse to the guy in question. Cassidy's sexuality has always been very fluid, and I sincerely doubt he is the type of person who would kill someone over monogamy. I hate that Cassidy is humoring Jessie so in that situation.
Oh, and Jessie is surprised "I cut him down," was taken negatively, with no follow-up to that statement? Jessie is an idiot. And for the record, John Wayne sucked too.
Victor was right about something: Tulip probably married him because unlike Jessie, he was actually nice to her. But he isn't TOO nice. Just based upon the threatening actions she got last episode simply for walking out on the guy, he's not the nice guy he claims. I had assumed Tulip had screwed him over bad. Just the fact that the situation was so dire simply due to her ducking out makes me hate the guy.
I hate the Saint of Killers. He was actually going to kill that little girl after he killed her father in front of her. I'm sick of the dude, and hate that he's not going anywhere. He's like Michael Scott on The Office, or Mimi on The Drew Carey Show. He sucks, and makes the show suck, but there would be no actual show without him. Ugh.
Interesting that Cassidy used to be rich. What is more surprising to me is that he isn't currently rich. Dude's lived awhile.
Jessie beating up Reggie as a substitute for Tulip is not chivalrous. It shows that Tulip is probably beaten when there isn't anyone else around to take the abuse. Jessie is a monster.
I hate Jessie, I hate the Cowboy, I hate this episode. 0.
The Powerpuff Girls "Buttercup Vs. Math"
That was mostly nonsense but I liked the distinction Buttercup tried to make with the idea that she didn't GET to wear the paper crown, she HAD to. That was a smart joke in an otherwise dumb episode. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Home Sweet Homesick"
I was saying "Boo-yah."
I like Buttercup's garbage monster made out of garbage.
I like that Blossom's idol ultimately enjoyed the dumb fun things about space camp best. That was the proper moral.
Good. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Memory Lane Of Pain"
What amnesia ray? Exactly.
I like that Blossom sees a picture of herself in the old show design and says, "Wow, I looked different back then."
And since when is Bubbles not helpful? She is far more helpful in the missions than Buttercup is, at least on this iteration. I like that when her pig alarm clock oinks, she zaps it with her laser eyes.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Back In Black"
Nova origin story! I only know the character from Ultimate Spider-Man so this was all new to me.
Drax says he doesn't see a target on Sam's head. Except the helmet has a sideways X on the front of it.
Liked the "Believe" Star Wars reference.
Pretty Good. ***1/2.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Knights In Black Helmets"
Nova is such a tool in this episode. Only an idiot couldn't see what an obvious scumbag Jasan is. **.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Nova Me, Nova You"
Rocket is a fuzzy new friend!
Visiting Sam's mom in her home? Not cool, Jasan. Dirty pool.
I love that Drax accidentally knows what football is.
Sam ditched outer space to go to school? Weirdo.
Good one. ***1/2.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy "Mr. Roboto"
Rocket has a crush. How in love is he? He lets her call him "rodent" twice before objecting on the third time.
I love that Peter is a Transformers fan. He is such an 80's kid.
I liked it. ****.
The Lion Guard "Babysitting Bunga"
Remind me again why it is so bad that the jackals eat zebra when the lions do the exact same thing?
The song and dance number reminds me that if The Lion King was EVER cool, it stopped being so once this show entered the franchise.
I'd be a lot happier at the animal parents' gratitude at Bunga teaching their kids how to defend themselves, if the parents weren't dumb enough not to think of that themselves. The animals on this show are unbelievably stupid considering they all can talk.
A dud. *1/2.
The Lion Guard "The Savannah Summit"
Parts of this were okay, but I think the entire premise is a bad idea. You do not want to put too much thought into the idea of animals who eat each other being capable of working together in groups and consensus. That just makes every single animal eaten premeditated murder.
That being said, I like that the episode was decent enough to allow Makuu to be innocent. However, they went too far with Kion blaming him for everything. If The Lion Guard are the Prideland Cops, Kion is basically profiling Makuu and refusing to believe the evidence right in front of his eyes that his bigotry is blinding him towards. I feel a LOT less safe knowing that the Lion Guard are always this unfair in their judgments and have to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing the fair thing. That's totally messed up. Good lesson for the kids at home. For the stability and safety of Pride Rock? Not so much.
Makuu being impressed by the planned attack shows that the writers couldn't come up with a better ending, so they simply made the deplorable behavior forgivable. Let me just say, Makuu is far more forgiving than I would be in that situation. He is definitely not as bad of a character as the show has tried to sell him as.
Kind of good, kind of aggravating, and if you think about the episode's premise to its logical conclusion, you will be outright appalled. A mixed bag. ***.
The Lion Guard "The Traveling Baboon Show"
How dumb is the Lion Guard for not realizing the baboons were the culprits in the first place? They were not only the only suspects, they were the only new animals in the Pridelands. The Lion Guard is REALLY bad at this.
Sausage fruit? Almost as silly as candyfruit on ThunderCats.
Ono thinking they should save the baboons because the baboons wouldn't be in the Outlands if the Lion Guard didn't chase them there is the right answer.
But I didn't quite get why the hyenas were chased off at the end. It was their home. If anything, the baboons should have simply been brought back while the hyenas stayed put.
Dumb. But perhaps that goes without saying. **1/2.
Elena Of Avalor "Spirit Monkey Business"
The rap and the Richard Kind sloth were annoying, but I like that they are trying to build the world's mythology a bit.
The Loop and the Zanies are totally a Dr. Seuss idea.
Bobo is like the Bad Idea Bears from Avenue Q. "Grab her t*ts!"
All right. ***1/2.
Game Of Thrones "Home"
HE'S ALIIIIVE!!!
I love how repentant Mellisandra seems here. She should be. She sucks.
Speaking of which, Ramsey is a b*stard in every sense of the word.
I love that Sansa hugs Theon.
Best stuff was Tyrion and the dragons. I like him saying that Varys thinks dwarf jokes and that his role is to drink wine and think. Even though he tells Varys that if he ever has another idea like that to punch him, it was a great idea. The dragons are just as intelligent as he guessed. Once he unlocked one, the other showed his collar because he knew what was going to happen next. Dragons are smart after all.
Hodor could talk? I wondered what the story was there.
Cool episode. ****.
Game Of Thrones "Oathbreaker"
It amazes me how little sympathy I have for Ollie's execution. The little turd deserved it. I actually almost feel worse for Thorne. At least that guy had to courage to die with his convictions.
And Mellisandra's repentance and wisdom lasted exactly two episodes.
They killed Shaggydog? Booo! Now I'm worried about Rickon and Osha.
Tormund knows Jon isn't a God because he's seen how tiny his p*cker is. Also, Edd questions if it IS Jon because he actually seems funny.
I like Varys saying he gets answers by making people happy. And he's very good at that. Also insightful for him to point out that different people have different perspectives about the same situation.
I liked. it ***1/2.
Game Of Thrones "Book Of The Stranger"
So much for Emilia Clarke's nudity refusal. I don't blame her for consenting to that. That was magnificent. Also, while I could possibly believe that Daenerys could overthrow the Dothraki at some point, I'm amazed and impressed she did it in one fell swoop, and all by herself. If you ask me, they had it coming.
Speaking of which I am furious about Osho. Ramsey's letter to Jon shows why he is going to fail. A good leader would not have done that. He just pulled Jon into a fray Jon doesn't even want. But because he has Rickon, he's basically forcing a battle that is not only unneeded, but one in which he'll probably lose. I resent that someone as dumb as Ramsey has gotten as far as he has.
I love that Brienne straight up throws in Davos' face that she executed Stannis. Based upon Davos' subdued reaction to that, my guess is just based on the fact that the Red Woman returned alone, he probably deserved it. Davos was the angel on Stannis' shoulder. That doesn't mean he wasn't aware of his failings.
I love Sansa making Jon forgive her. And she should have. Jon was being far too nice. I love that Sansa is wise and mature now, and finally gets how stupid she used to be. It's all about the hindsight.
I think Yara might need Theon as much as he needs her. Probably because he's the only person who believes she should be in charge. As much of a mess as Theon is, it's a good start.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Game Of Thrones "The Door"
Great origin story of Hodor and a heartbreaking ending for the character. I think Bran is going to be in a world of hurt with his biggest gun gone.
With Summer killed, Ghost is the only direwolf left, although it's possible Arya's is still out there somewhere.
I love that Yara and Theon escaped with all those ships. Eaumon is NOT as great as he sells himself.
Never seen Varys put so off-balance before. But he's right to be skeptical. All of the religions in Westeros seem b.s. to me, but like the Drowned God, the Lord of Light strikes me as a doomsday death cult. Nothing good will come with allying with them, and I think this is Tyrion's first actual mistake on behalf of Daenerys.
I had been literally waiting years for Dany to forgive Jorah and the moment did NOT disappoint. Not at all.
Were I Sansa, I would not have allowed Littlefinger out of that room alive. He knew. He had to have known ahead of time. He was supposed to have known everything. He didn't know Theon's actual fate? B.S..
Brienne may be right to distrust the Red Woman, but she is being far too hard on Davos. He had nothing to do with the mess with Stannis, and the demon baby was done against his wishes too. Brienne is NOT a terribly good snap-judge of character. She shares this fault with Sansa.
I love that Ned Stark is generally considered an uncouth idiot by the populace (as seen in Game Of Throne: The Stage Show). And considering he trusted Joffrey's word in the first place, I don't think considering him a dummy is misinterpreting the character at all.
That ending was a punch in the gut. Amazing. ****1/2.
Game Of Thrones "Blood Of My Blood"
I love that Daenerys is pretty much a show-off. Besides the fact that she is LITERAL hot stuff, she gets followers by ACTING like she's hot stuff. She is a showman and amasses the followers she does largely through theatrics. She understands the power of the grand gesture better than any other character, perhaps save Tyrion, and MAYBE Varys. And because they are the only guys who get how appearances work (which both Ramsey and Cersei do NOT) it makes sense they've hitched themselves to her wagon. She is the safest bet to win the Game of Thrones.
We haven't see Walder Frey since the day after the Red Wedding in season three. He still sucks.
Speaking of long awaited appearances, we finally learn what happened to Benjen. Because there was no other way out of that scenario for Bran than a third party rescue.
I love how delighted Arya was to see a fictionalized version of Joffrey's death. What can I say? I liked it too.
Sam's subplot is pretty much the weak point of the season. And I was annoyed he didn't stick up for Gilly in front of his horrible father. His father is just about as big a monster as Walder Frey, Roose Bolton, and Joffrey Baratheon. He sucks. I was delighted that Sam was insightful enough to realize this was no place for Gilly. And Gilly is right about something: Sam is a FAR bigger and brave warrior than his father or his brother. He shouldn't have to take that from a punk coward. And I love that he steals the treasured sword for good measure.
Interesting that they didn't cut off Margaery's hair for the Walk of Shame. Natalie Dormer was probably sick of shaving her head after The Hunger Games.
Gettin' good. ***1/2.
Game Of Thrones "The Broken Man"
I was wondering why we were having a rare teaser before the opening credits, and it's so they don't spoil Rory McCann's appearance. I approve.
Arya is a good negotiator with cargo captains for a boat ride home. She is less successful at not getting stabbed by little old ladies.
I freaking love Lady Mormont. Do you know what I love best about her? She's not Lord Arryn and Joffrey, and using the throne to act out her childish impulses. She's ten years old, competent and put together, and wants and knows what is best for her house. Outside of the Starks, the show takes a very dim view about children and power and I love that Lady Mormont can go toe to toe with Jon Snow and Sir Davos and finally only be appealed to with Davos' reason. I like that Jon seems openly disappointed in only getting 62 men, but Davos' gratitude was the proper reaction. Aside from making a funny quip that if they all were as fierce as Lady Mormont, the Boltons would be doomed, this was actually the plan. Building up the army a few small houses at a time. I thinking Jon is rushing into the battle. The plan is working. One "No" and one disappointingly small number doesn't mean he should give up on it. It's a good plan. There are more of them than there are of the Boltons. They just need to consolidate together first. And that might take a little genuine time and effort.
After seeing how easily Jamie punked the Freys, I am a little bit angry and offended the Freys have gotten as far as they have. They are outright stupid and terrible fighters and leaders, and it bothers me they have the amount of power they do due solely to the fact that they stabbed a bunch of their unarmed dinner guests. The Boltons suck, the Lannisters suck, but the Freys may be the suckiest house of all.
I love Tormund's speech that since Jon gave his life for the Free Folk, they should do the same for him. I would not be inclined to follow him, even under such extraordinary circumstances such as the White Walker threat. But the fact that Jon literally gave his life for sticking up for the Wildlings tells them, you know, maybe that MEANS something. And it does.
I love Yara's scene of tough love non-therapy with Theon, and I love the moment he looked her in the eyes for the first time. I'm also tickled she's a lesbian. But I am a little bit alarmed that the actress was asked to suck a woman's nipple on camera. I don't think a TV show should EVER ask a legit actress to do that. I don't object to seeing that (it's kinda hot) but I think that is something that should either occur between porn stars, or at least the naked extras the show always uses. I don't like the idea of making an actual cast member do something that intimate on camera. It's degrading.
I love the Queen of Thorns rubbing in Cersei's face that this entire mess is her fault. And she points out that she may be the worst person she's ever known, and the Queen of Thorns saying that means a LOT. And she's right about that. Remember Cersei's smug smile as Margaery and Loras were hauled away? We think of that as a sign that Cersei is an evil person, but we never quite thought a lot about how someone on the other end of that smile would feel. The Queen of Thorns is tough as nails so we figured she could handle it. But in reality, could anyone? Could anyone take that smug smile without thinking the person who gave it is the worst person who ever lived? Why Cersei thinks the Queen should even help her after that, even if it's in both their best interests, is beyond me.
And face it, it is NOT in both of their best interests. Let's say the Queen agreed to help Cersei. That gives Cersei an army of The Queen of Thorns and Sandor Clegane. Sandor is NOT an insignificant weapon, but he's literally the only one. Literally everyone else in the kingdom would be standing against them. And how many people who would have actually been on the end of one of Cersei's cruel smiles as she tortured or had a loved one killed? And how many of those people on the end of that smile are NOT as put together as the Queen of Thorns? How hurt must the average person be who does not possess the Queen's grit and resources to fight back? The truth is the list of Cersei's friends is so small, because she never bothered making any. Which is why she's pretty much the worst leader ever.
The Wildfire at the end of the season is besides the point. Cersei will never be able to keep the throne. She has no friends who want her on it.
Missed Bronn this season. Jerome Flynn makes everything better.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Game Of Thrones "No One"
I did not see a way out of that for Arya. And then she used her former blindness as a weapon. Genius way out of a no-win situation. Arya just punked the God of Many Faces and Jacquin respected her for it.
I love that Jamie lets Brienne go in the end, and I love that he let her keep the sword. I think Jamie is more of a bad person than a good one if his threat to Edmure was any indication, but it is not lost on me that he's the kind of guy who would prefer to talk things out when possible. And he's right. Tully is his prisoner. He has no choice but to listen.
Honestly, this is not the strongest episode of the season overall (not much else happened in it) but the last ten minutes were so tense that they make up for it. ***.
Game Of Thrones "Battle Of The B*stards"
There was no way Rickon was making it out of that alive. Because this show is this show and we aren't allowed to have nice things. And Sansa knew it all along.
I love that right before Jon finishes Ramsey off, he looks at Sansa and stops. Ramsey is hers. And always was. And there were few just ways for Ramsey to go out that would fit his horrific crimes. Being eaten by his starving dogs qualified.
I love Daenerys and Tyrion. I wish we had gotten more of that this season. Tyrion is just SO great at his job, and even as the city is in flames, Dany seems to get that too. And if it wasn't clear when she took out the Dothraki, it is now. Daenerys is going to win the Game of Thrones. It won't even be close. The real question in my mind is if her army will build up a large enough following that some of the other heroes will join her cause like Jon, Sansa, Brienne, Davos, Sam, and Arya. I think that is more than likely. The bad guys on this show have gotten so far because they've teamed up together. There are actually more good guys left on the show now for some crazy reason, and I have to think that if they all found each other, they'd kick Cersei's @r$e. I can't wait for seasons 7 and 8.
The battle was simply put, the best battle of its sort ever created for television. If we are being completely honest about this show, "The Battle of Blackwater" and other earlier season throwdowns are, in reality, super disappointing. They do not measure up to Lord of the Rings. At all. They look strictly television. Smaller scale or not, this measures up. And the violence and camera angles are more immediate and jarring so I can probably even say that this was filled with more genuine tension. You know Legolas is gonna survive. You aren't so sure about Jon Snow.
Best penultimate battle episode so far. *****.
Game Of Thrones "The Winds Of Winter"
Do you know why I love Jon Snow? He banishes Melissandra anyways. She's right about something. She could have been REALLY useful in the fight against White Walkers. She could have been the reason he could have won that fight. But she murdered an innocent little girl. Jon would have to be a pretty lousy person to put his own interests ahead of that. Frankly, banishment was far more than she deserved. Although I think it's the fact that Jon did it which is the reason Davos openly supported him at the end. Jon did the right thing when the wrong thing would have benefitted him. And he didn't even have to be convinced to do it. It was ALWAYS a huge battle and hassle to get Stannis to think sensibly and ethically, but Davos realizes Jon can do this on his own. And maybe he'll realize something like this should NOT have the amount of drama Stannis attached to it. Jon's disgust at a child murderer is actually normal. Maybe Davos supported Jon because he just realized right then that his job as a King advisor got a LOT easier with a good and sane king. And it should NOT have been the crazymaking trial Stannis always made it out to be.
Prediction: Melissandra travels south and winds up finding a cure for the grey death for Jorah. Shireen telegraphs to me that is where they are going with her banishment.
Love Arya killing Walder Frey. And I love that she enjoyed it. The producers want me to be concerned for her by that, but after the Red Wedding? That is the right reaction. She let him live a lot longer in that situation than I would have. I admittedly would not have baked his sons into pies and fed it to him in any circumstance, but y'know, like, I GET it. I do. Arya answers the question of what would happen if Scott Tenorman actually deserved it.
I love little Lady Mormont shaming everyone and basically being the first to declare Jon the King of the North. And I love that all of the adults agree with her instead of thinking it's insane they are taking their marching orders from a 10-year-old. I think they get from Lady Mormont what Davos did: She is actually the scariest person in that room.
Love Daenerys making Tyrion Hand of the King. Tyrion's loyalty is uncommon in that particular situation, but he held the kingdom in her name in her absence, and kept things (mostly) together. For the sole reason that he believes in her. Which is all the reason he really ever needed.
Jon Snow is Ned's nephew and not his b*stard? That makes a lot more sense to me than Ned ever cheating on Catelyn. It must kill him that he had to pretend he did for the rest of his life, and could never tell Catelyn the truth. Because if she had, there is no way Catelyn would have hated him.
Two seasons ago I would have predicted Littlefinger had a legit shot at the Game of Thrones. I think both Stannis and Daenerys were better positioned than him, but it was not outside of the realm of possibility. Now? It's crazytalk. And the craziest thing is that he still thinks it's both possible, and that Sansa would ever marry that dirtbag after he betrayed her to Ramsey. Littlefinger is not the master manipulator or the David Xanatos of the series. He's the delusional goofball, and now I see that he always has been. He is not fit to shine Varys' shoes.
As for Cersei, she basically had to nuke the world to be the only one left in it with any power. She is WEAK. See those looks of disgust amongst the people in the court as she was crowned? Her actual support is inch deep and she can only use the Wildfire trick once. She was never going to win the Game of Thrones, but I'm glad she temporarily won here, because it would have been a lot less satisfying seeing Dany take the throne from Tommen. But Cersei? She's going down violently and embarrassingly, and I can't wait to see it.
Cersei continues to be the worst mother ever by never seeing Tommen's suicide coming. The producers ask me to think that Cersei's one saving grace is that she loves her children, and fiercely tries to protect them. I disagree with that assessment. If she truly loved her children, she would have taken better care of them. Her daughter's death is not on her, but both Joffrey and Tommen basically died because Cersei sucked as a parent. Were I Jamie, I would wind up hating her for that. And I think he will in season 7.
Great finale. *****.
Game Of Thrones "Dragonstone"
At first, you might be appalled that Arya Stark just committed mass murder, but it's established there were no innocents in that room. She specifically invited the murderers from the Red Wedding. She even tells the innocent women they are not allowed to drink the poison. I won't exactly miss David Bradley, but this was his best performance ever. Simply because he's actually playing Arya, and you can tell the subtle differences immediately.
I think Sansa is right that the Karstarks and Umbers' House should be taken from them and given to loyal families. On the other hand, that's a discussion for BEFORE the meeting. If she never considered Jon doing that, that's her problem. She should be at LEAST supporting him in public. Someone like Sansa will keep Jon honest, and he'll probably live longer than Robb and Ned for it. But the truth is Sansa should not be publicly undermining the King. I love Democracy, but this is not one, and Sansa needs to get that.
For the record, I'm squicked out by the idea that she admires Cersei on some level.
I love that the Northern families seem to initially agree with Sansa, until Jon does that whole ceremonial thing with the kid Umbers and Karstarks. And I love that about the North. As much as they disdain the Lannisters for their ostentatiousness, they are also a people who appreciates pageantry and the grand gesture. It's kind of dumb, because Sansa's point still stands, and nothing there actually changed it. But that was Jon getting the families to mindlessly cheer "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!"
I continue to fear and be amazed by Lady Mormont. This show always finds the best kid actors. Always. She gives Maisie Williams a run for her money.
I love that Tyrion doesn't say anything at the end, and allows Daenerys to absorb coming home on her own terms. As talkative and rude as Tyrion can be, he is also usually insightful enough to know the time and place. And this was a big enough deal to let Dany process it on her own without help.
"No need to seize the last word. I'll assume it was something clever." Sansa just pwned Littlefinger with that line.
That Game of Thrones bald man-bun was ridiculous.
How is Cersei on the throne? More delusional that ever. She actually thinks she is going to pull this off. She is out her d*mn mind and crazy as f***. Also her believing Tommen's suicide was HIM betraying HER makes her pretty much the worst mother ever. We already knew she was, but this confirms it.
Sam discovering what he did about Dragonstone says that my hunch that Jon and the North are going to eventually see a pact with Daenerys' army is probably the correct theory. It's probably gonna take a season or so to line up those ducks, but with Bran entering the Wall, and probably learning where his brother and sister are, and returning to Winterfell, I see Cersei is going to go down due to an alliance between Jon Snow, Sansa, Daenyrus, Tyrion, Bran, Davos, Brienne, Theon, Yara, Sam, and Varys. I predict Littlefinger will join the bad guys again at some point, and remain on that side for the rest of the series. I also have no idea where Arya will ultimately fit into all this.
But I'll learn all of that either the next time there is an HBO free preview, or when the Blu-Rays come out. Whichever comes first.
Great premiere. ****1/2.
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Date: 2017-08-04 12:19 pm (UTC)I didn't see any topless Amazons, but I'm pretty sure we got some shadowed-over male nether regions in the Zeus flashbacks.
Justice League Action: Roxie Rocket was in the comics at one point or another, if you count those.
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Date: 2017-08-04 05:27 pm (UTC)Justice League Action: I was just talking about the cartoons. I always assume everything Bruce Timm created for the DCAU wound up in the comics at some point.