Castlevania: Season 2 Review (Spoilers)
Oct. 28th, 2018 04:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of The Flash, Black Lightning, DC Super Hero Girls, Ben 10, Marvel's Avenger's Black Panther's Quest, Marvel Rising shorts, Marvel Superhero Adventures, DuckTales, Elena Of Avalor, Star Wars Resistance, Transformers: Cyberverse, Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel, Riverdale, The Good Place, Blindspot, and Van Helsing.
I keep a running list of upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray reviews but I seem to be too busy to get to any of them. I hope I eventually do.
Castlevania "War Council"
That was great. The teaser at the beginning is another thing to state that Dracula's mission is actually righteous.
I like Isaac and Hector and I like Dracula's reason for trusting them.
I also like that Lisa didn't want Alucard to be defined by his father. It didn't work out that way, but that is a good thing for a mother to want for her son.
The animation continues to be gorgeous.
Love the graphic of NES Trevor in the end credit production company card.
Nice start to the season. ****.
Castlevania "Old Homes"
I liked the comical scene in the beginning with Alucard, Sypha, and Trevor.
The scene of Dracula and Camille by the fireplace was interesting too.
What I liked about the hero's campfire scene is that at first Trevor is dismissive of the idea that Dracula was a great man and a scientist, and Alucard thinks him thinking differently is a weakness. An Alucard is right. If Trevor truly had no idea that Dracula was capable of goodness before this night, that means he has no idea what he's facing, or any idea that Dracula's wrath is righteous. And righteous wrath is the most dangerous kind.
Gorgeous animation of the creature burning itself alive.
Interesting episode. ***1/2.
Caslevania "Shadow Battles"
I like that Godbrand is thinking towards the future. And if vampires are immortal, those are the right questions to be asking. He's also right that Dracula's quest is more than likely a suicide mission. The end of humanity means the eventual end of vampires. Maybe Dracula is cool with that, but perhaps his army didn't sign up for that.
Interesting episode. I like how heavily the season is focusing on the villains. Fascinating stuff. ***1/2.
Castlevania "Broken Mast"
Liked Godbrand's flashback at the beginning.
Glad the show is getting into the ridiculousness of the name Trevor. Would that Buffy ever did that.
Hector and Isaac had very different reactions to learning about the betrayal, didn't they? Frankly, I have a hard time believing Hector didn't understand what he was getting into, no matter WHAT Dracula said. It's a war against humanity, and he's one of the only two humans on the court. How does he actually think this ends?
Hector believes Dracula loved Lisa, and Camilla believes he mistook his pet for a wife. Hector is probably right, but there might be some truth in Camilla's notion anyways.
Dracula's scene with Isaac in his cabin was riveting. Amazing voice performances from both actors.
The one scene I didn't like was witnessing Godbrand's gory slaughter. I did not need to see that.
But the rest of the episode was good. ***1/2.
Castlevania "Last Spell"
For the record, even though Dracula's crusade against humanity is righteous, these flashback prove that Dracula IS evil.
Hector's in too deep now. Sucker.
Never heard of Adamic language before. Although it makes a weird kind of sense.
Getting good. ***1/2.
Castlevania "The River"
That was a little bit awesome.
Great climatic scene of the castle moving and causing tidal waves and tornadoes with its appearance and disappearance. Excellently boarded action sequence there.
Trevor has... a stick! He'll understand if you want to run away now.
I love the notion of magic as intent. What an amazing way to think about that.
The bad guys were so busy conniving against each other they didn't see the good guys coming. I almost feel bad for them. What the eff is that?
I was sick of the library anyways. ****1/2.
Castlevania "For Love"
The Morningstar Whip! That was some amazing whip action. And when the vampire's head exploded? Are you kidding me? Awesome! And those freaking ghost vampire ladies? And did you see Dracula's shapeshifting action? Holy cow!
Alucard thinks the war must end on behalf of his mother, and Dracula thinks it endures on her behalf. Either way Alucard is right that it seems like the world's longest suicide note.
Isn't it great that in the end, even Dracula isn't above redemption? I love that he practically ALLOWS his son to kill him.
I also love the idea that by sparing Isaac's life, that was Dracula's biggest betrayal of all. And it shouldn't have been. That was him being kind. I don't even think Isaac understood what a gift and sacrifice that was.
Little Alucard looks like a total ponce in that portrait.
That was amazing. *****.
Castlevania "End Times"
That was a LITTLE overlong, and there were too many false endings. The story ending on Alucard crying didn't feel like the right one either.
I loved Isaac turning into Django Unchained's righteous fury at the oasis. For the record, as far as payback goes, I find eating the jerk a WEE bit too far, but maybe that's just me.
I am surprised Hector saw that ending any other way. He is an idiot.
The thing I like about the Trevor and Sypha ship is how chaste and tentative it is. It's sweet. This is both very new for them and I like that we ended at that particular stage. It felt like a happy beginning, rather than a happy ending. Which is more interesting to me.
But that was the highlight of the episode. The rest disappointed me a bit. ***1/2.
The Flash "The Death Of Vibe"
The bad news: They never defeated Cicada in the original timeline.
The good news: The fact that he's someone else in THIS timeline means they might here.
Interesting that "The Death Of Vibe" refers to Cisco faking his death. It will be interesting to see Cisco entirely out of the field for a season.
We got a reference to the League, and we learned that Oliver tried (and failed) to catch Cicada too. So did the Legends and Supergirl apparently. With those big guns coming up empty, that means Team Flash has their work cut out for them.
They say Oliver "tried" to catch him. Did this show just spoil that Oliver gets out of prison soon?
I love Sherloque Welles so far, and I love that he seems to have got Nora's number already. This should be a very interesting season.
Good that Ralph is back to using his stretchy powers.
Good episode. As I said, this season should be interesting. ****.
Black Lightning "The Book Of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowry"
Unimpressed with Lowry so far. Although considering that he was only in the episode briefly at the beginning, he seems a weird thing to name the episode after.
A bit surprised Tobias was taken in. Weird time in the season for it to happen.
Like Cress Williams, Erika Alexander is another actor from Living Single. I like her talking about the complicated history of beauty salons, and how hair straightening evolved into social justice and a fight for civil rights.
Loved Gambi saying that he would help Anissa, but that he might tell Jefferson about it after the fact. As far as I'm concerned, that's fair game.
Also liked the way Jefferson acquired Kahlil's dart.
I enjoyed Henderson affirming that he would have a conversation with Jefferson... just not today. That was a great moment. He is totally Gowron right then.
Solid episode. ***1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "All Pets Are Off"
Artemis is a bad guy on this show and Arrow. Should I be worried about the one on Young Justice?
I liked the moment at the beginning where Wonder Woman talks about Harley monkeying around, Harley saying she was thinking of kitten around, and then acknowledging Diana's one was better and more relevant.
Would that the Cattywagon and Jailbird puns were so delightful. ***1/2.
Ben 10 "Innvervasion"
Wow, that was annoying.
Now that the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are kaput, I can safely say Ben Tennyson is the absolute worst current superhero on television. And it's not even close. I resent that he's an idiot and a sociopath. But what I resent most is that kids are supposed to be able to relate to the fact that he's an idiot and sociopath and find it funny and lovable.
Vilgax, and Glitch, and everyone else were giving him sage advice. And instead of listening to it, he does the opposite, and makes everything a hundred times worse. He is so self-involved and conceited, that he doesn't recognize common sense when he hears it. And that's the thing that bugged me most about him not listening to the advice. Most of it WAS common sense and logical, and it not only made sense, and actually explained previously unanswered mysteries, but it was offered by people who understood the Omnitrix better than he does. But he's impatient and wants to turn into a neat-o alien, NOW NOW NOW, because he's "awesome", and Ben Tennyson always gets what he wants, so the fate of the planet is in dire jeopardy, because Ben wants what he wants, and he wants it NOW NOW NOW. To be blunt, Ben 10 seems to be a perfect representation of a "hero" during the Trump era. But I don't have to like it. A lot of cartoons seem to be representative of the eras they were produced in, so if anyone 50 years from now watches that, they might think "Wow, 2018 must have SUCKED." And you know what? It does. This show making it onto the air and being considered an acceptable program for children shows how broken pop culture is, and how badly we as a society are failing our kids. I never much cared for the original series, and ducked out after the first season. But it never engendered the feelings of disgust and rage I feel towards Ben on this iteration. And it sucks.
And do you know what? I hate Grandpa Max. He is the worst authority figure ever. And he's just plain stupid. After all that, he tells Ben he is the best person for the watch, and the person who should be trusted with it. And Ben, being a sociopath, goes right back to thinking he's awesome upon that positive feedback, for doing such a terrible job. Grandpa Max was always the coolest and wisest character on the original series, but here he's a joke of a parent, who spoils Ben to the point that he's probably one of the worst behaved kids on television. For the record, if someone corrects me and says there are a ton of kids on trashy Disney Channel or Nickelodeon kidcoms who are worse, I'll believe you. But Ben is the worst behaved kid on a show I actually watch. Grandpa Max should be whipping his narrow behind with a rusty belt on a weekly basis, not telling him how proud he is of him. God, I hate these characters.
This is an episode I by all rights should have liked. It finally delved into the alien mythology like I had been begging to the show to do all season, and Glitch is an appealing new character. But Ben Tennyson sucks all of the fun out of the room. He's exhausting. Which means he is the best representation of a hero in 2018. 0.
Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "T'Challa Royale"
That was exciting and the animation was great. I also really liked the twist ending of the teaser.
But to be honest, I don't like the subtext of a white man hunting a black man for sport. Black Panther is the type of franchise that pushes those specific buttons deliberately, but it's not in the lighthearted tone of the rest of the show. That being said, it made is THAT much more satisfying when T'Challa beat the snot out of Kraven.
Still have no idea what is going on with Zemo.
Is this even Killmonger's first appearance on the show? It is REALLY hard to actually keep this specific continuity straight.
"Captain Obvious"? Where do the Wakandans get the American style references they do?
The idea that Killmonger wants to use the full force of the most powerful nation on Earth to take over the world tells me again what a LOUSY idea being made king via trial by combat is. Leadership is not gonna be good if the guy who wrassled the either guys off the top of the hill is a nutjob.
Good episode but I loved the teaser the most. ***1/2.
Marvel Rising "Kamala Khanfidential: America Chavez"
I love how they are bringing up her moms in the promotional material. Pretty fearless. ****1/2.
Marvel Rising "Kamala Khanfidential: Inferno"
I like how flustered Miss Marvel gets when she describes Dante as "hot". ***1/2.
Marvel Rising "Kamala Khanfidential: Lockjaw"
Lockjaw is exactly as cute as described. ***1/2.
Marvel Super Hero Adventures "Spidey, Ant-Man, & Wasp Face Cat-a-clysm"
That was cute. ***1/2.
Marvel Super Hero Adventures "Spidey & Gwen, & The Art Of Teamwork"
I don't think anything Spidey experienced during the adventures applied to the real-world problem of the kid.
Ghost Spider, huh?
I like this design of Doc Ock. Very old-school.
Neat! ***1/2.
DuckTales "The Depths Of Cousin Fethry"
Sigh. Remember when you were a kid, and you got home from school to watch DuckTales, and the sinking pit in your stomach that appeared whenever Doofus showed up? Fast-forward a few years and that's ME when American Disney Comics decided it was a good idea to import the One-Trick, Fad-Obsessed Pony Fethry to OUR shores. He should have died with American artist Al Hubbard. But Europeans went nuts for him for some insane "Jerry Lewis Is A Genius" reason, so Disney Comics in America decided printed all of his lousy overseas stories. Every story he is in is a disaster. To be fair to Fethry, unlike Doofus, there isn't actually any fat-shaming attached to him. But is there such a thing as annoying-shaming? Maybe there should be. Because Fethry is the kind of guy who gives annoying people a bad name.
How did this show do with him? Considering the pay-dirt they hit with Sociopath Doofus last season, I'm a bit appalled that this version of Fethry is crazily even WORSE than the one from the comics. And HE'S a Woodchuck but Dewey and Louie aren't? I cry fowl, er foul!
The one plus to Fethry showing up is that we got a Donald scene in the beginning. But that should be a gimme. Fethry boasts he's Donald's favorite cousin. Dude, his other cousins are Gladstone Gander and Gus Goose. That's not a brag.
I'd say I can't blame the show for trying, but yeah, I'm probably gonna be this upset when Bubba appears too. Some of the Duck canon is better than others, producers. It's okay not to get to everything. Sigh. *.
Elena Of Avalor "The Return Of El Capitan"
I like the Macoco two-headed monster.
The Los Tres song was really great too.
Good episode. ****.
Star Wars Resistance "The High Tower"
Wow, that was an awful candid photo at the end for Kaz to be remembered by. "Who are you?" A total dork, looks like.
For the record Neeku is a 100% nuisance. He is just as annoying a character as Jar-Jar Binks. And yes, I know what I just said and stand by it.
So-so episode. **1/2.
Transformers: Cyberverse "Shadowstriker"
After that teaser I thought they were going to pull an annoying "Blank hours earlier" trope on us after the main title, and it's to the series' credit they did not. It is also to the series' credit that the memory sphere keeps getting fuller and fuller as the season goes on. Forward momentum, baby!
This version of Shockwave is Shockwave at his Frankenstien dirtbaggiest. Or should I say Mengele? Either way, even if we didn't actually see him, the NOTION of him gives me the willies.
For the record, Bee letting Shadowstriker go at the end wasn't "The right thing to do." The right thing to do would have been to capture her and keep her as a POW and bleed her dry for intel. And someone important enough to be resurrected by Shockwave is probably someone who knows a LOT.
I love that "making oil" is a pejorative in this franchise. That's so funny.
Pretty good episode, but it feels like we are spending the entire season in Bumblebee's mind. It's time to see something new. ***1/2.
Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel "Magic Misfire"
Why is it the first time I've actually liked Mick is when he was evil and creepy at the end? Mick's actor sunk his teeth into that one evil line.
A Ranger accidentally getting a teacher fired sounds like an interesting premise. But I had expected the lesson to be about Preston taking responsibility for his own actions, and the fact that he knocked the teacher out to due to carelessness. Instead it involves tricking the principle into falling asleep too, which is not only ridiculous and convoluted, it also strikes me as dishonest. Yeah, everyone makes mistakes. But the person who made the mistake was Preston, not the teacher. If Preston isn't the one to learn that lesson, it's not being taught properly.
The Rangers will figure it out with their "Super Ninja Brains?" Is that the technical term, Mick, is it that just what all the hep kids are calling it?
"Suffering Circuits!" As the series winds down, I feel there should be a point in these reviews where I mention how much I personally detest Redbot. I JUST want to get that out there before it's too late.
The show actually flashes back to the hypnotism scene when Preston says "Chicken" at the end. There is such a thing as dumbing things down for kids. There is also such a thing where adults don't have faith in the younger audience. Honestly? It's not either of those here. I think the writers are simply stupid people who write their show for morons. But how can I honestly argue that? I still watch the show even after all this. How I am better than the lousy writers if this is how I choose to spend my time? I can bemoan that this show's target audience is simpletons all I want, the fact that I am a part of that audience actually says something about me and my tastes. So yeah, take my ragging on this show with a huge grain of salt. If I were actually smart, I'd stop watching it.
Annoying episode. But Evil Mick should be fun next week. *1/2.
Riverdale "Chapter Thirty-Eight: As Above, So Below"
Mostly bored by that, which is better than the last two weeks, where I was mostly annoyed by that.
I'm impressed Kevin knows how to dial a rotary phone.
Telling everyone your worst secrets on your first day? Yeah, The Farm is a cult. Big time. The only reason Alice believes those secrets won't be used against her is because she's stupid. There is no other reason to learn them except for leverage.
Speaking of which, how stupid is Veronica for not checking the painting for a bug or a camera? A villain as dumb as Hiram is only winning because the heroes are stupider than he is.
I like that Archie satisfied the bloodthirsty warden simply because he knows how to and is willing to take a punch. That's a valuable skill for a boxer, and to be blunt, the major reason the good ones all seem to wind up brain-damaged.
Archie wants to escape juvie? Great plan there, Scofield. What then? Does he want to spend the rest of his life on the run from the law? He's not thinking this through. His best shot is his friends proving Hiram framed him. And considering they seem to have forgotten all about that, he's admittedly in bad shape.
When Reggie was talking about the jinglejangle on the South Side with the Serpents and the Ghoulies, that specific language reminded me that the show is ridiculous.
Speaking of which, why is Veronica wearing Eff-Me pumps to a dirt trailer park? Girl doesn't have a pair of knockaround sneakers like a real person does?
Ethel is what would happen if Barb from Stranger Things were unloved and starved for attention. I know which one of them actually belongs in The Upsidedown. And it's not Barb.
This was dumb, but it wasn't quite the hot mess of the first two weeks. ***.
The Good Place "The Ballad Of Donkey Doug"
"I see dirt people. They don't even know that they're dirt."
One of the most fascinating and tragic things about Jason and his family is that they are entirely broken and a total mess, but they are happy and blissful because they are too stupid to understand that. I don't know very many positive characters with horrible lives besides Jason. The only other one that comes to mind is Homer Simpson. But the thing is, I think Homer actually HAS a good life. He's just the closest to Jason in the "Too stupid to not be happy" game.
Chiti's last break-up was good. His girlfriend's an adult and cool. She not's going to NEED for him to tell everything. And he doesn't even have to. A break-up is not a confession. And I think Chiti was misreading what the expectations for those are.
There's a porn for that. Always.
Looking forward to seeing Eleanor bring righteous fury on her death faking mom in the coming weeks. That will be fun.
This was a good episode, simply because Jason is so lovable and funny. But I am also well aware how grounded and less special this season is compared to the previous two. I hope they go somewhere amazing with this. I actually have my doubts. ***1/2.
Blindspot "The Quantico Affair"
What a great idea for a bottle episode! A little weird to have a bottle episode on the third episode back, but I digress. Maybe this means they are planning something big and are saving up the budget for it.
I should really like the idea that Rich divests from Patterson in not feeling the need to show his work to the FBI before missions. And while I love the idea that he and Patterson differ on such a huge thing that has been part and parcel of the show since the beginning, I don't actually believe it. Showing off is something Rich and Patterson have in common. In fact, Rich does it even more than Patterson does. This is not the area they should have tried to show their differences over.
Should have known Lisa was a fake name. As if Patterson would ever be that lucky.
I'm glad the group is already on to Zapata and in fact found out about previous treachery I had forgotten all about. The simplest explanation is she has been turned. It's possible it's something else, but Occam's Razor says she is now simply a terrorist who doesn't like murdering kids hiding in closets. Prove me wrong, Zapata.
The conceit of the bottle episode was genius, and quite fun. It was hilarious enough when Reed, Jane, and Weller come back covered in paint and feathers, but hearing the description of the adventure over the conn without actually seeing it was quite funny. When Weller exclaims the guy was hit by a train right in front of him, that was the episode making fun of the fact that they couldn't afford to show that. And I found that meta joke quite witty, especially because this is not a show overloaded with meta jokes, even with genre savvy characters like Patterson and Rich Dotcom in it.
Little disappointed by the syringe resolution at the beginning, because it was so obvious, and Head-Roman seemed to be making a federal case out of nothing. But to be honest, that's a complaint to aim at the previous episode. They never should have given us that specific cliffhanger to end last week to resolve it with that.
Fun (and cheap) episode. ****1/2.
Van Helsing "Rusty Cage"
All of that sympathy I had for Sam and Mohammed in season 1 was misplaced. Because Sam had already done all THAT.
I am conflicted about Buffy The Vampire Slayer's best episode, "Becoming, Part 2" being used as a campfire story. While it is definitely a great story that deserves to be passed down through the generations, even after television is gone, the guy is absolutely telling it all wrong, so it might as well not be as great as it is. And just like that, I hope TV is always a thing. Just so we'll always know a proper version of "Becoming, Part 2".
When Sam touches Mohammed "down there", pretty much my worst fears about his creepy obsession with him are confirmed. I have to say I would have rather the show not went there.
Scary episode. ****.
I keep a running list of upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray reviews but I seem to be too busy to get to any of them. I hope I eventually do.
Castlevania "War Council"
That was great. The teaser at the beginning is another thing to state that Dracula's mission is actually righteous.
I like Isaac and Hector and I like Dracula's reason for trusting them.
I also like that Lisa didn't want Alucard to be defined by his father. It didn't work out that way, but that is a good thing for a mother to want for her son.
The animation continues to be gorgeous.
Love the graphic of NES Trevor in the end credit production company card.
Nice start to the season. ****.
Castlevania "Old Homes"
I liked the comical scene in the beginning with Alucard, Sypha, and Trevor.
The scene of Dracula and Camille by the fireplace was interesting too.
What I liked about the hero's campfire scene is that at first Trevor is dismissive of the idea that Dracula was a great man and a scientist, and Alucard thinks him thinking differently is a weakness. An Alucard is right. If Trevor truly had no idea that Dracula was capable of goodness before this night, that means he has no idea what he's facing, or any idea that Dracula's wrath is righteous. And righteous wrath is the most dangerous kind.
Gorgeous animation of the creature burning itself alive.
Interesting episode. ***1/2.
Caslevania "Shadow Battles"
I like that Godbrand is thinking towards the future. And if vampires are immortal, those are the right questions to be asking. He's also right that Dracula's quest is more than likely a suicide mission. The end of humanity means the eventual end of vampires. Maybe Dracula is cool with that, but perhaps his army didn't sign up for that.
Interesting episode. I like how heavily the season is focusing on the villains. Fascinating stuff. ***1/2.
Castlevania "Broken Mast"
Liked Godbrand's flashback at the beginning.
Glad the show is getting into the ridiculousness of the name Trevor. Would that Buffy ever did that.
Hector and Isaac had very different reactions to learning about the betrayal, didn't they? Frankly, I have a hard time believing Hector didn't understand what he was getting into, no matter WHAT Dracula said. It's a war against humanity, and he's one of the only two humans on the court. How does he actually think this ends?
Hector believes Dracula loved Lisa, and Camilla believes he mistook his pet for a wife. Hector is probably right, but there might be some truth in Camilla's notion anyways.
Dracula's scene with Isaac in his cabin was riveting. Amazing voice performances from both actors.
The one scene I didn't like was witnessing Godbrand's gory slaughter. I did not need to see that.
But the rest of the episode was good. ***1/2.
Castlevania "Last Spell"
For the record, even though Dracula's crusade against humanity is righteous, these flashback prove that Dracula IS evil.
Hector's in too deep now. Sucker.
Never heard of Adamic language before. Although it makes a weird kind of sense.
Getting good. ***1/2.
Castlevania "The River"
That was a little bit awesome.
Great climatic scene of the castle moving and causing tidal waves and tornadoes with its appearance and disappearance. Excellently boarded action sequence there.
Trevor has... a stick! He'll understand if you want to run away now.
I love the notion of magic as intent. What an amazing way to think about that.
The bad guys were so busy conniving against each other they didn't see the good guys coming. I almost feel bad for them. What the eff is that?
I was sick of the library anyways. ****1/2.
Castlevania "For Love"
The Morningstar Whip! That was some amazing whip action. And when the vampire's head exploded? Are you kidding me? Awesome! And those freaking ghost vampire ladies? And did you see Dracula's shapeshifting action? Holy cow!
Alucard thinks the war must end on behalf of his mother, and Dracula thinks it endures on her behalf. Either way Alucard is right that it seems like the world's longest suicide note.
Isn't it great that in the end, even Dracula isn't above redemption? I love that he practically ALLOWS his son to kill him.
I also love the idea that by sparing Isaac's life, that was Dracula's biggest betrayal of all. And it shouldn't have been. That was him being kind. I don't even think Isaac understood what a gift and sacrifice that was.
Little Alucard looks like a total ponce in that portrait.
That was amazing. *****.
Castlevania "End Times"
That was a LITTLE overlong, and there were too many false endings. The story ending on Alucard crying didn't feel like the right one either.
I loved Isaac turning into Django Unchained's righteous fury at the oasis. For the record, as far as payback goes, I find eating the jerk a WEE bit too far, but maybe that's just me.
I am surprised Hector saw that ending any other way. He is an idiot.
The thing I like about the Trevor and Sypha ship is how chaste and tentative it is. It's sweet. This is both very new for them and I like that we ended at that particular stage. It felt like a happy beginning, rather than a happy ending. Which is more interesting to me.
But that was the highlight of the episode. The rest disappointed me a bit. ***1/2.
The Flash "The Death Of Vibe"
The bad news: They never defeated Cicada in the original timeline.
The good news: The fact that he's someone else in THIS timeline means they might here.
Interesting that "The Death Of Vibe" refers to Cisco faking his death. It will be interesting to see Cisco entirely out of the field for a season.
We got a reference to the League, and we learned that Oliver tried (and failed) to catch Cicada too. So did the Legends and Supergirl apparently. With those big guns coming up empty, that means Team Flash has their work cut out for them.
They say Oliver "tried" to catch him. Did this show just spoil that Oliver gets out of prison soon?
I love Sherloque Welles so far, and I love that he seems to have got Nora's number already. This should be a very interesting season.
Good that Ralph is back to using his stretchy powers.
Good episode. As I said, this season should be interesting. ****.
Black Lightning "The Book Of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowry"
Unimpressed with Lowry so far. Although considering that he was only in the episode briefly at the beginning, he seems a weird thing to name the episode after.
A bit surprised Tobias was taken in. Weird time in the season for it to happen.
Like Cress Williams, Erika Alexander is another actor from Living Single. I like her talking about the complicated history of beauty salons, and how hair straightening evolved into social justice and a fight for civil rights.
Loved Gambi saying that he would help Anissa, but that he might tell Jefferson about it after the fact. As far as I'm concerned, that's fair game.
Also liked the way Jefferson acquired Kahlil's dart.
I enjoyed Henderson affirming that he would have a conversation with Jefferson... just not today. That was a great moment. He is totally Gowron right then.
Solid episode. ***1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "All Pets Are Off"
Artemis is a bad guy on this show and Arrow. Should I be worried about the one on Young Justice?
I liked the moment at the beginning where Wonder Woman talks about Harley monkeying around, Harley saying she was thinking of kitten around, and then acknowledging Diana's one was better and more relevant.
Would that the Cattywagon and Jailbird puns were so delightful. ***1/2.
Ben 10 "Innvervasion"
Wow, that was annoying.
Now that the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are kaput, I can safely say Ben Tennyson is the absolute worst current superhero on television. And it's not even close. I resent that he's an idiot and a sociopath. But what I resent most is that kids are supposed to be able to relate to the fact that he's an idiot and sociopath and find it funny and lovable.
Vilgax, and Glitch, and everyone else were giving him sage advice. And instead of listening to it, he does the opposite, and makes everything a hundred times worse. He is so self-involved and conceited, that he doesn't recognize common sense when he hears it. And that's the thing that bugged me most about him not listening to the advice. Most of it WAS common sense and logical, and it not only made sense, and actually explained previously unanswered mysteries, but it was offered by people who understood the Omnitrix better than he does. But he's impatient and wants to turn into a neat-o alien, NOW NOW NOW, because he's "awesome", and Ben Tennyson always gets what he wants, so the fate of the planet is in dire jeopardy, because Ben wants what he wants, and he wants it NOW NOW NOW. To be blunt, Ben 10 seems to be a perfect representation of a "hero" during the Trump era. But I don't have to like it. A lot of cartoons seem to be representative of the eras they were produced in, so if anyone 50 years from now watches that, they might think "Wow, 2018 must have SUCKED." And you know what? It does. This show making it onto the air and being considered an acceptable program for children shows how broken pop culture is, and how badly we as a society are failing our kids. I never much cared for the original series, and ducked out after the first season. But it never engendered the feelings of disgust and rage I feel towards Ben on this iteration. And it sucks.
And do you know what? I hate Grandpa Max. He is the worst authority figure ever. And he's just plain stupid. After all that, he tells Ben he is the best person for the watch, and the person who should be trusted with it. And Ben, being a sociopath, goes right back to thinking he's awesome upon that positive feedback, for doing such a terrible job. Grandpa Max was always the coolest and wisest character on the original series, but here he's a joke of a parent, who spoils Ben to the point that he's probably one of the worst behaved kids on television. For the record, if someone corrects me and says there are a ton of kids on trashy Disney Channel or Nickelodeon kidcoms who are worse, I'll believe you. But Ben is the worst behaved kid on a show I actually watch. Grandpa Max should be whipping his narrow behind with a rusty belt on a weekly basis, not telling him how proud he is of him. God, I hate these characters.
This is an episode I by all rights should have liked. It finally delved into the alien mythology like I had been begging to the show to do all season, and Glitch is an appealing new character. But Ben Tennyson sucks all of the fun out of the room. He's exhausting. Which means he is the best representation of a hero in 2018. 0.
Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "T'Challa Royale"
That was exciting and the animation was great. I also really liked the twist ending of the teaser.
But to be honest, I don't like the subtext of a white man hunting a black man for sport. Black Panther is the type of franchise that pushes those specific buttons deliberately, but it's not in the lighthearted tone of the rest of the show. That being said, it made is THAT much more satisfying when T'Challa beat the snot out of Kraven.
Still have no idea what is going on with Zemo.
Is this even Killmonger's first appearance on the show? It is REALLY hard to actually keep this specific continuity straight.
"Captain Obvious"? Where do the Wakandans get the American style references they do?
The idea that Killmonger wants to use the full force of the most powerful nation on Earth to take over the world tells me again what a LOUSY idea being made king via trial by combat is. Leadership is not gonna be good if the guy who wrassled the either guys off the top of the hill is a nutjob.
Good episode but I loved the teaser the most. ***1/2.
Marvel Rising "Kamala Khanfidential: America Chavez"
I love how they are bringing up her moms in the promotional material. Pretty fearless. ****1/2.
Marvel Rising "Kamala Khanfidential: Inferno"
I like how flustered Miss Marvel gets when she describes Dante as "hot". ***1/2.
Marvel Rising "Kamala Khanfidential: Lockjaw"
Lockjaw is exactly as cute as described. ***1/2.
Marvel Super Hero Adventures "Spidey, Ant-Man, & Wasp Face Cat-a-clysm"
That was cute. ***1/2.
Marvel Super Hero Adventures "Spidey & Gwen, & The Art Of Teamwork"
I don't think anything Spidey experienced during the adventures applied to the real-world problem of the kid.
Ghost Spider, huh?
I like this design of Doc Ock. Very old-school.
Neat! ***1/2.
DuckTales "The Depths Of Cousin Fethry"
Sigh. Remember when you were a kid, and you got home from school to watch DuckTales, and the sinking pit in your stomach that appeared whenever Doofus showed up? Fast-forward a few years and that's ME when American Disney Comics decided it was a good idea to import the One-Trick, Fad-Obsessed Pony Fethry to OUR shores. He should have died with American artist Al Hubbard. But Europeans went nuts for him for some insane "Jerry Lewis Is A Genius" reason, so Disney Comics in America decided printed all of his lousy overseas stories. Every story he is in is a disaster. To be fair to Fethry, unlike Doofus, there isn't actually any fat-shaming attached to him. But is there such a thing as annoying-shaming? Maybe there should be. Because Fethry is the kind of guy who gives annoying people a bad name.
How did this show do with him? Considering the pay-dirt they hit with Sociopath Doofus last season, I'm a bit appalled that this version of Fethry is crazily even WORSE than the one from the comics. And HE'S a Woodchuck but Dewey and Louie aren't? I cry fowl, er foul!
The one plus to Fethry showing up is that we got a Donald scene in the beginning. But that should be a gimme. Fethry boasts he's Donald's favorite cousin. Dude, his other cousins are Gladstone Gander and Gus Goose. That's not a brag.
I'd say I can't blame the show for trying, but yeah, I'm probably gonna be this upset when Bubba appears too. Some of the Duck canon is better than others, producers. It's okay not to get to everything. Sigh. *.
Elena Of Avalor "The Return Of El Capitan"
I like the Macoco two-headed monster.
The Los Tres song was really great too.
Good episode. ****.
Star Wars Resistance "The High Tower"
Wow, that was an awful candid photo at the end for Kaz to be remembered by. "Who are you?" A total dork, looks like.
For the record Neeku is a 100% nuisance. He is just as annoying a character as Jar-Jar Binks. And yes, I know what I just said and stand by it.
So-so episode. **1/2.
Transformers: Cyberverse "Shadowstriker"
After that teaser I thought they were going to pull an annoying "Blank hours earlier" trope on us after the main title, and it's to the series' credit they did not. It is also to the series' credit that the memory sphere keeps getting fuller and fuller as the season goes on. Forward momentum, baby!
This version of Shockwave is Shockwave at his Frankenstien dirtbaggiest. Or should I say Mengele? Either way, even if we didn't actually see him, the NOTION of him gives me the willies.
For the record, Bee letting Shadowstriker go at the end wasn't "The right thing to do." The right thing to do would have been to capture her and keep her as a POW and bleed her dry for intel. And someone important enough to be resurrected by Shockwave is probably someone who knows a LOT.
I love that "making oil" is a pejorative in this franchise. That's so funny.
Pretty good episode, but it feels like we are spending the entire season in Bumblebee's mind. It's time to see something new. ***1/2.
Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel "Magic Misfire"
Why is it the first time I've actually liked Mick is when he was evil and creepy at the end? Mick's actor sunk his teeth into that one evil line.
A Ranger accidentally getting a teacher fired sounds like an interesting premise. But I had expected the lesson to be about Preston taking responsibility for his own actions, and the fact that he knocked the teacher out to due to carelessness. Instead it involves tricking the principle into falling asleep too, which is not only ridiculous and convoluted, it also strikes me as dishonest. Yeah, everyone makes mistakes. But the person who made the mistake was Preston, not the teacher. If Preston isn't the one to learn that lesson, it's not being taught properly.
The Rangers will figure it out with their "Super Ninja Brains?" Is that the technical term, Mick, is it that just what all the hep kids are calling it?
"Suffering Circuits!" As the series winds down, I feel there should be a point in these reviews where I mention how much I personally detest Redbot. I JUST want to get that out there before it's too late.
The show actually flashes back to the hypnotism scene when Preston says "Chicken" at the end. There is such a thing as dumbing things down for kids. There is also such a thing where adults don't have faith in the younger audience. Honestly? It's not either of those here. I think the writers are simply stupid people who write their show for morons. But how can I honestly argue that? I still watch the show even after all this. How I am better than the lousy writers if this is how I choose to spend my time? I can bemoan that this show's target audience is simpletons all I want, the fact that I am a part of that audience actually says something about me and my tastes. So yeah, take my ragging on this show with a huge grain of salt. If I were actually smart, I'd stop watching it.
Annoying episode. But Evil Mick should be fun next week. *1/2.
Riverdale "Chapter Thirty-Eight: As Above, So Below"
Mostly bored by that, which is better than the last two weeks, where I was mostly annoyed by that.
I'm impressed Kevin knows how to dial a rotary phone.
Telling everyone your worst secrets on your first day? Yeah, The Farm is a cult. Big time. The only reason Alice believes those secrets won't be used against her is because she's stupid. There is no other reason to learn them except for leverage.
Speaking of which, how stupid is Veronica for not checking the painting for a bug or a camera? A villain as dumb as Hiram is only winning because the heroes are stupider than he is.
I like that Archie satisfied the bloodthirsty warden simply because he knows how to and is willing to take a punch. That's a valuable skill for a boxer, and to be blunt, the major reason the good ones all seem to wind up brain-damaged.
Archie wants to escape juvie? Great plan there, Scofield. What then? Does he want to spend the rest of his life on the run from the law? He's not thinking this through. His best shot is his friends proving Hiram framed him. And considering they seem to have forgotten all about that, he's admittedly in bad shape.
When Reggie was talking about the jinglejangle on the South Side with the Serpents and the Ghoulies, that specific language reminded me that the show is ridiculous.
Speaking of which, why is Veronica wearing Eff-Me pumps to a dirt trailer park? Girl doesn't have a pair of knockaround sneakers like a real person does?
Ethel is what would happen if Barb from Stranger Things were unloved and starved for attention. I know which one of them actually belongs in The Upsidedown. And it's not Barb.
This was dumb, but it wasn't quite the hot mess of the first two weeks. ***.
The Good Place "The Ballad Of Donkey Doug"
"I see dirt people. They don't even know that they're dirt."
One of the most fascinating and tragic things about Jason and his family is that they are entirely broken and a total mess, but they are happy and blissful because they are too stupid to understand that. I don't know very many positive characters with horrible lives besides Jason. The only other one that comes to mind is Homer Simpson. But the thing is, I think Homer actually HAS a good life. He's just the closest to Jason in the "Too stupid to not be happy" game.
Chiti's last break-up was good. His girlfriend's an adult and cool. She not's going to NEED for him to tell everything. And he doesn't even have to. A break-up is not a confession. And I think Chiti was misreading what the expectations for those are.
There's a porn for that. Always.
Looking forward to seeing Eleanor bring righteous fury on her death faking mom in the coming weeks. That will be fun.
This was a good episode, simply because Jason is so lovable and funny. But I am also well aware how grounded and less special this season is compared to the previous two. I hope they go somewhere amazing with this. I actually have my doubts. ***1/2.
Blindspot "The Quantico Affair"
What a great idea for a bottle episode! A little weird to have a bottle episode on the third episode back, but I digress. Maybe this means they are planning something big and are saving up the budget for it.
I should really like the idea that Rich divests from Patterson in not feeling the need to show his work to the FBI before missions. And while I love the idea that he and Patterson differ on such a huge thing that has been part and parcel of the show since the beginning, I don't actually believe it. Showing off is something Rich and Patterson have in common. In fact, Rich does it even more than Patterson does. This is not the area they should have tried to show their differences over.
Should have known Lisa was a fake name. As if Patterson would ever be that lucky.
I'm glad the group is already on to Zapata and in fact found out about previous treachery I had forgotten all about. The simplest explanation is she has been turned. It's possible it's something else, but Occam's Razor says she is now simply a terrorist who doesn't like murdering kids hiding in closets. Prove me wrong, Zapata.
The conceit of the bottle episode was genius, and quite fun. It was hilarious enough when Reed, Jane, and Weller come back covered in paint and feathers, but hearing the description of the adventure over the conn without actually seeing it was quite funny. When Weller exclaims the guy was hit by a train right in front of him, that was the episode making fun of the fact that they couldn't afford to show that. And I found that meta joke quite witty, especially because this is not a show overloaded with meta jokes, even with genre savvy characters like Patterson and Rich Dotcom in it.
Little disappointed by the syringe resolution at the beginning, because it was so obvious, and Head-Roman seemed to be making a federal case out of nothing. But to be honest, that's a complaint to aim at the previous episode. They never should have given us that specific cliffhanger to end last week to resolve it with that.
Fun (and cheap) episode. ****1/2.
Van Helsing "Rusty Cage"
All of that sympathy I had for Sam and Mohammed in season 1 was misplaced. Because Sam had already done all THAT.
I am conflicted about Buffy The Vampire Slayer's best episode, "Becoming, Part 2" being used as a campfire story. While it is definitely a great story that deserves to be passed down through the generations, even after television is gone, the guy is absolutely telling it all wrong, so it might as well not be as great as it is. And just like that, I hope TV is always a thing. Just so we'll always know a proper version of "Becoming, Part 2".
When Sam touches Mohammed "down there", pretty much my worst fears about his creepy obsession with him are confirmed. I have to say I would have rather the show not went there.
Scary episode. ****.
