Matt Zimmer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
matt_zimmer) wrote2018-12-12 06:34 am
matt_zimmer) wrote2018-12-12 06:34 am
Doctor Who “The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos” & Arrowverse "Elseworlds" Parts 1-3 Reviews (Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episodes of DC's Legends Of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Star Wars Resistance, The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, and Family Guy.
Doctor Who “The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos”
That was a Doctor Who mystery all right. One of the defining things about a Doctor Who mystery that the Doctor has to solve, is that the more everyone learns, the worse it can possibly be. So at the point at the end when everything is figured out, the entire galaxy is at stake. And yeah, these small clues are just a tiny hint of the world of hurt of what Tim Shaw’s plans to place Earth in actually are.
Frankly, Tim Shaw was far scarier in this episode than he was in his first appearance. It is not unnoticed by me that he now has a LOT more teeth on his face.
I love Graham taking the Doctor aside and telling her he planned to kill Shaw. Amy Pond, River Song, or Jack Harkness would just do it in the moment, and let the Doctor sort it out later. Graham respects her enough to tell her his intentions ahead of time. He isn’t going to lie to her, or let her operate under a false assumption. Similarly great was the tone of voice Thirteen used to tell Graham that if he did that, he couldn’t travel with her anymore. When a previous Doctor pulled that card, they were always angry, and it was a threat. For Thirteen she’s simply setting the parameters and conditions for which she needs her crew to follow. If Graham disappoints her, she isn’t going to take it personally, or act like it’s some sort of grand punishment. She likes Graham. But if he’s killing people he’s too dangerous for her to travel with.
Say what you will about how shabbily Ryan usually treats Graham, he somehow knows precisely when to save the big moments to land as big as possible. The Granddad thing last episode was when Graham needed it most. And the first ever “I love you” thing is similarly what it is going to freaking take for him to realize this isn’t just about him anymore. And he still tries to kill Tim anyways, before realizing he isn’t a murderer. While I don’t necessarily agree with the Doctor that he’s the strongest person she knows because he didn’t take the shot, he is also wrong that it was a weakness. It was a choice, as simple as that. Strength or weakness had nothing to do with it. Graham just decided he wasn’t a killer. That’s all it was.
I think the reason I loved this conflict between Graham and the Doctor is because all things considered, this episode proves that the Universe would be better off if Tim Shaw died. The Doctor killed every single Dalek and Time Lord in existence just because the war they were fighting was too prolonged. After what Tim Shaw did tonight, I’m thinking killing him instead would have been one of those moves that would have prevented something as big as the Time War ever occurring. Yeah, Graham’s reasons for wanting it are entirely selfish. But the sentiment is completely right either way.
I love Graham saying Grace loved living and was really good at it. Say what you will about Graham potentially tarnishing her memory: That is a great way to remember someone. I hope someday someone remembers ME like that.
This was easily the smallest scale season finale of the relaunch. There is no cliffhanger, there are no Daleks or Cybermen, or the Master, or UNIT, or Torchwood, or the Time Lords, or former Companions and Doctors, or regenerations, or Companion deaths, or any of the big things a Doctor Who finale is known for. Honestly? Thank God. I actually think that Russell T Davies and then Stephen Moffat did a LOT of damage to the show with their season finales, especially Davies. But if Davies hadn’t gone as far as he did, Moffat never would have gotten that bad. But Davies seemed to believed that every single Who finale had to top every previous finale. First Rose is at stake, then Earth (twice), then all of reality. And things started to get so big and dire, that instead of being able to make the threats bigger to top themselves, Davies and Moffat wound up making the personal drama and stakes horrible and soul-crushing instead. And that hurt the show. And Chibnall comes in a delivers a perfectly exciting (but not out of the ordinary) finale without all of the heartache and drama. And it’s fine. And this is the value of Chibnall’s grounded take on the franchise. He isn’t dialed up to 11 about everything. He doesn’t confuse More Drama for Good Drama. Those are two separate things that Davies (and to a far lesser extent Moffat) were unable to tell apart. And I like that this is the first finale we’ve ever gotten that wasn’t gut-wrenching. I could get used to not dreading the end of a season. I could get used to it very much.
All things being equal, it strikes me as extremely strange that Thirteen didn’t meet up with either the Daleks, the Cybermen, or the Master in her first season. The Daleks are especially a must, and I’m eagerly looking forward to getting back to them, especially since strictly speaking, Peter Capaldi’s Twelve didn’t spend as much time with them as the other Doctors on the relaunch did. It was basically down to Rusty, and the Davros two-parter for Twelve, and most of the rest of his focus was on Missy and the Cybermen. So the Daleks haven’t been the presence they should be on the show since at least Matt Smith. And I fear Moffat ruined them by overpowering them in their last appearance, so that now all writers are afraid to tackle them again. I can’t help but feel we haven’t seen them because Moffat wrote everybody else into a corner. Remember when I said that it was unwise to ALWAYS keep trying to top what came before? The fact that we don’t get Dalek episodes anymore is why that is true.
As the season was going, I thought this was Doctor Who’s best relaunch season since the fifth. Now I think it’s since the fourth. The fourth season had a TON of problems that Tennant’s last five episodes exploded. But that was as solid a group of 13 episodes as anything the show ever produced. Until this season. I am impressed. Chris Chinball and Jodie Whittaker did good. Hatas can suck it. ****1/2.
The Flash “Elseworlds: Part One”
At several points this season I considered temporarily ducking out of Supergirl, and permanently ducking out of Arrow. Amazing crossovers like this one are why I probably never will. My only prayer is that those shows actually get better. Because I needed the subtext for this episode that watching those two shows provided. I would not understand Supergirl’s drama with the President, or why Oliver was in prison, and why his marriage is rocky. And maybe it seems foolish to watch two cr*ppy shows to make three or four episodes a year amazing, but this was a heck of an amazing episode, so I’m reluctant to change my mind. I probably enjoyed this episode more than people who ducked out of Arrow and Supergirl because they now suck. And that matters to me, when everything else is said and done.
Speaking of amazing, I love Amazo. I like the idea that as a robot they needed to shut him off, but I kind of feel like that simple solution doesn’t really count when they exploded him instead. For the record, Cisco keeping the souvenir is gonna backfire in the future. Bank on it. And Superman probably won’t be around when he DOES reconstruct himself.
I was under the impression that there would be a Smallville connection via the Multiverse, but for some reason, just hearing the theme song “Save Me” will suffice. Part of me is disappointed that the show hasn’t figured out a way to make that Earth Arrowverse canon yet. But the theme song is all I needed tonight.
We didn’t see enough Batwoman and 1990 Flash for my liking this episode. I bet they are the focus of the next episode, and Clark comes back for the grand finale.
For the record, Deegan is nuts. There is a reason those other psychiatrists were openly mocking him (which is pretty much a total no-no, especially in public). But that is a level of quack that NEEDS to be publicly rebuked in front of other witnesses, particularly if those witnesses are also shrinks. It was completely unprofessional that woman said what she did. But Deegan is such a nutjob she actually needed to publicly shame him for his foolish and dangerous ideas. I’m wondering why no-one ever thought to do that with Ben Lockwood on Supergirl. He’s treated as the other side of the equation, instead of the genocidal lunatic he clearly is. Speak up against fascism before it is too late. It’s a lesson our Earth is being forced to learn over and over again. That female psychiatrist is now my new TV queen. And we never even learned her name!
I love that Barry is actually excited he’s Green Arrow, and impressed with what he can do. I loved Lois rooting for Barry to punch Oliver because she can instantly tell he’s a jerk. What bothers me the most about the “lessons” Oliver tries to teach Barry is that Oliver is a cr*p teacher. As far as X-S or Elongated Man are concerned, Barry is a real-live role model overflowing with wisdom. Oliver keeps trying to teach people the same lessons he learned in the Bratva. Except the lessons clearly never worked on him, and they would never work in a million years on people who hadn’t suffered as much as he did. Anatole and Nyssa’s lessons only “helped” Oliver because he was a completely broken person. Oliver expected those same things to work with Team Arrow, and then Artemis defected, Wilddog, Black Canary, and Mr. Terrific ditched him because he was such a jerk, and finally Dig left. And then he wound up in prison. Why should anyone want to follow Oliver’s insights in a million years? Everyone who works with him can’t stand him. Yeah, Oliver saves people’s lives. But that’s his only virtue. His personal relationships (notably save the late Quentin Lance) are worse for having him in their lives, and his tactics and methods would only ever work for him. Even Batman would never shoot Robin in the back with arrows to teach him a lesson. Only a completely broken person would think anyone could ever learn something from that.
Why is he so mad Barry thought it was funny? That was the right reaction. He’s upset because he supposedly did it to Barry to “help” him, and Barry did it to prank him. But there is nobody that would actually help. The idea is ridiculous on its face. Barry mocking it and laughing is the correct response. It’s asinine in real-time.
I love Barry refusing to dislocate his thumb. Until Oliver explains his body had been through enough training and punishment to be able to do it on command, I would never do it in a million years either. And Oliver’s explanation still sounds a little crazy.
I like the first time Barry wants to go back is when he learns Oliver woke up in his and Iris’ bed. Not cool, man! That’s a dude’s wife and bed! We’ve gotta fix this!
I love that Sherloque has Superman deliver a check to his ex-wife on Earth-38, and Superman is a bit mortified by that notion too. For the record, Sherloque probably should have questioned whether or not Clark could be trusted BEFORE he handed off the check, not after he’s already left. Sherloque is not as smart as advertised.
I have never liked Elizabeth “Bitsie” Tulloch, who was the weakest cast member on Grimm, but I expected she’d be able to pull off a serviceable job as Lois. Juliet worked in the first two or three seasons of Grimm because she was a light character, who didn’t go through too much bad stuff. It’s only when they added trauma and pathos to the character that I learned how one-note of an actress Tulloch actually is. Unless they turn Lois into a murderous Hexenbiest who kills Ma Kent and sleeps with Lex Luthor, I don’t see the character giving her too much trouble, even if she lacks range for literally everything else.
Amazing first part to the crossover. *****.
Arrow “Elseworlds: Part Two”
The switched identities thing really got confusing at various points. Still, I laughed when Oliver essentially framed the Flash for stealing police evidence. There is a lot of fun cr*p Oliver can do without any consequences in this particular scenario.
It was really interesting that Scarecrow’s fear toxic unleashed the reverse fears for Barry and Oliver, which was kind of amazing. Barry talks about Oliver’s burden, but I think deep down, Barry has always known that. Lord knows Oliver won’t shut up about it. But I think what Oliver learned about Barry was truly surprising. It’s one thing to know that Barry’s mother was murdered, it’s quite another to learn that his arch-enemy is the one who killed her, and Barry has to listen to those kinds of taunts whenever he faces him. That’s a lot worse than Oliver has with his rogues.
I am immediately on-board a Batwoman series. And it can fit using the conceit that Batman's reality is debatable to many people. People actually know what the Batmobile is, but that could just be GCPD hype and part of the hoax. This way it’s fits that Oliver ISN’T actually the first vigilante in the Arrowverse. But he’s the first confirmed one, even though Batman has been around longer than him.
I think the Batman related thing that REALLY frustrated me was Kate revealing the password was “Alfred”. It’s a nice moment for the fans, but it is literally the worst password Bruce Wayne could EVER have conceived. It would be pretty much everyone’s first guess whether they knew he was Batman or not. Passwords are supposed to be something only the person who makes them can guess. This is why tech geniuses and the like never use passwords with personal connections to themselves. They either use random numbers or out of context random words that nobody could ever guess. If the World’s Greatest Detective is really that stupid and sloppy, the Batcomputer is gonna get hacked like THAT.
I want to know how 1990 Flash knows John Diggle. Is he John Stewart on a future season of the 1990 show? Him disappearing when he did was especially frustrating while the question lingered.
I am a little annoyed at Felicity. After hearing Caitlin’s explanations about WHY Oliver didn’t tell her about the body swap, I would have totally accepted that were I her. And she talks about how it’s just another excuse and Oliver always has one of those. What gets me about her saying that is that THIS season at least, the marriage problems are on her. Oliver has been pretty open and understanding this season, which is quite a departure for him and I don’t really feel like she is the half of the couple who gets to complain about the other keeping secrets and not trusting them. Am I nuts for thinking that? What I’m saying is that as of this season Felicity Smoak no longer has the high ground with Oliver. It feels completely wrong that she’s trying to act like she does. Oliver’s speech was nice and all, but as far as I’m concerned, she should have made it to HIM.
I am amused that while it’s clear that Arrow is going to have a new weekly series introduction with Oliver out of prison, that the producers were forced to put Barry in it for the crossover before we could actually see what it was and pick out the differences. Which tells me Oliver stayed in prison one episode too long.
Not as great as the first part but the cliffhanger was definitely better. ****1/2.
Supergirl "Elseworlds: Part Three"
I had to pinch myself to remind myself I wasn't dreaming that was have a legit live-action version of Superman on TV again. None of this "No flights, no tights" nonsense. We can finally (even if only occasionally) get the Superman slugfests we have always wanted.
I'm not even mad that Superman is going away for awhile, because it's acknowledging ahead of time that Tyler Hoechin making a commitment to come back next year for the biggie.
Speaking of the Biggie, it looks like we are getting it next year. And considering we are, I expect DC's Legends Of Tomorrow to get a surprise renewal. I expected it to be canceled after this season due to the ratings dip, but they might keep it on the air to be able to add a fourth Hour to the Crisis, or if Batwoman and / or Black Lightning are involved, a fifth or a sixth. They are hyping it a year ahead of time. It strikes me the producers have already done the negotiations for which shows they'll actually need.
The one thing that I was very unhappy about was that it apparently turns out 1990 Flash WAS killed at the end of the last episode after all. Which annoys me even more about the Diggle scene. But what especially sucks it how it basically destroys the entire legacy of the goofy 1990 show. If I were a fan, I'd be furious. I had expected them to undo that at the end of this episode. The thing that gives me hope is that if they DO undo it, the Crisis IS the thing that's gonna do it.
Watch your back, Barry Allen. That's all I have to say.
But if they DO bring 1990 Barry back in that miniseries, who is to say Earth 1's Flash is the guy who has to vanish in the Crisis? Thinking ahead here.
I half-expected them to use the premise of this episode to meld Earth 1 and Earth 38 once and for all, to make crossovers easier, but if they DO ever do that, it would make sense to wait for the actual Crisis to reboot that specific thing. And if they don't do it next year, it means they won't. But learning Alex and James exist in The Arrowverse is a good step in the right direction.
I loved Gary's cameo but it does raise questions to me about how he could have been around for the last episode of Legends of Tomorrow as long as reality was being rewritten. I get Legends wanting to skip the crossover this year. But maybe they should have spent the entire episode away from 2018 Earth and the Time Bureau while the actual crossover was going on.
Great conclusion. I can't wait for next year. *****.
DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow “Legends Of To-Meow-Meow”
Yeah, the puppets are great. But the true mark over whether or not puppets work is how the human performing with them reacts to them. Matt Ryan’s expressions were dynamite. Unfortunately, a Muppetphile like myself knows something about puppetry that this episode didn’t QUITE grasp. But for a human to TRULY connect with a puppet, they have to touch, and constantly touch at that. I felt a more real puppet connection to Mike the Spike than the Puppets of Tomorrow for that reason.
I love the cheesy 70’s theme song which pokes at the entire reality of the franchise by using the word “DC’s” in the Puppet titles. What does DC even mean to a person in the Arrowverse? On the other hand that may have just been for us. It’s the fact that the show doesn’t definitively say that’s what John heard which is why I’ll allow it.
Suffice it to say, this winter’s mid-season finale cliffhanger was NOT as mindblowing as last year’s (it literally couldn’t be) but it at least raised about as many questions.
So is the woman who plays Mona a series regular now? May I ask why she is and Gary isn’t?
Gary is such a dope. He believes the future story even right after he points out there is a shapeshifter on the loose. I have a hard time believing ANYONE would hire this sap, much less the Time Bureau. Frankly, I’m a bit surprised he puts his pants on in the morning by himself.
I like that Charlie actually has to second-guess going back and saving his life. That was funny.
For the record, this episode proved the Joker right. Which kind of infuriates me because the Joker is actually wrong. But here the sanest person is just one bad day away from pure madness if the characters’ (legit, canon and everything) bloodthirsty and crazy reactions are any indication. That’s the conceit of being able to do the fun things the episode does. But I still don’t like that being true. Especially for Ray Palmer. That bugs me especially for some reason.
Oh, my God! Zari and the hairball! They freaking went there! Do you have any idea where that tongue has been? Genius joke. Cats are so gross.
The crossover was the elephant in the room, and while I don’t agree with the notion that the Legends had too much to deal with to participate this year, I like the idea better that they are simply sick of crossovers. Again, like “DC’s”, using the word "crossover" pokes at the reality a bit too much, except worse because a character actually utters the word. But Barry and Oliver and Kara can't just call to check in without wanting something from the Legends? Why is it the only time the Legends hear from those guys is when the galaxy or reality is about to destroyed? They can't email each other political articles and recipes like normal people?
Nice wrap-up between Rory and Ava this week. It was clever because I felt that part of last week went unresolved and I felt a bit annoyed by that. But if they are going to do it after everything settles down again, I have nothing to complain about. Smart.
I disliked the scowls on Rory and Ray's face as they pulled the trigger when John and Des were about to kiss. It struck me as borderline homophobic. Am I crazy in thinking that? Seeing a person kiss is the thing that gets a person to LOWER the gun. Unless they object to the kiss itself, which is what bothered me. The fact that they fired the guns while it was happening struck me as a bit of "Boys kissing are icky".
This show has gone insane. I approve. ****.
Black Lightning "The Book Of Rebellion: Chapter Two: Gift Of Magi"
That was a good episode. But it did a couple of things I strongly disliked.
It's the Todd thing that bothers me the most. They introduce this poor kid out of the blue just to show us Tobias slowing starting to destroy his life. Why would I want to see that? What do I as a viewer get out of meeting a new sympathetic character who is about to be used and broken? What part of that is necessary storytelling?
For the record, the reason Tobias sucks for offering the kid the jiggling women isn't just because Todd doesn't like being touched. It's because it's presumptuous of Tobias. Not just because he doesn't know if Todd would actually prefer men or not, but because not every guy likes being ground up against by strangers. I wouldn't like it one bit, and Tobias is a fool if he thinks that is the immediate lure for every single person who works for him. Plus, it's just crass as all get-out. He's got no class, and no $500 bottle of wine can fix that. Some people are just born tacky.
Also, I'm sick of this show having characters grieve characters who aren't really dead. Jennifer being scared about Kahlil's fate was fine, but Lynn's grief over a perfectly fine Jennifer rankled me something fierce.
I like Jennifer's trick with the poison on Cutter. That was definitely a good way to get her to talk.
I really love the cliffhanger because it worries me, and yet it's ambiguous, and tells me nothing. I'm freaking out, and I have no idea why I'm freaking out about that. THAT is a good piece of storytelling.
I love that Jefferson clumsily tries to apologize to Gambi and he's instantly, "We're good." It's not like Jefferson hasn't already forgiven Gambi for some horrible stuff. Gambi doesn't merely reject the apology. He rejects the notion it is owed.
I was a bit surprised by Kahlil's father. He was nowhere near as bad as his mother thought he was. He seemed genuinely concerned to me.
I liked more of this episode than I didn't. ***1/2.
Star Wars Resistance “Station Theta Black”
I think a LOT less of Poe after seeing that. I mean, he was making rookie mistakes only a foolish person would make and ignoring every single piece of sound advice.
Also I resented when he told Kaz he was smarter than he looked. Kaz is all “Aw shucks!” but were I him, I’d be rightly offended by that ill-intentioned insult. That is the precise thing you say to “compliment” a doofus you do not respect, and are unwilling to give them their due. Poe sucks.
Speaking of which, Kaz surviving is not the tension for the audience it is for Poe. Simply because we know something Poe has no way of knowing: This isn’t actually Poe’s show. If Kaz were to someday get killed off, it wouldn’t be off-world from his friends with Poe. Plus, we know BB-8 survives to the movies, so the audience is allowed a LOT more insight to the situation than that character is afforded.
I miss Carrie Fisher. That is all. Screw you, 2016.
I might have liked the episode if it hadn’t just obliterated any respect I had for Poe. What troubles me the most is that before tonight, Poe was a character I was indifferent towards. Now I outright dislike him. **1/2.
Star Wars Resistance “The Search For Kaz”
Kaz would probably be easier to find if he had a red and white striped wool cap and sweater. ****.
The Simpsons “Tis The 30th Season”
I can safely say that episode is slightly above average. Because the show is amazing again, that is a very good thing.
What I like about the recent seasons is that they explore the psychologies of the characters, and how they navigate each other after all this time. Homer is trying. The kids are trying. Marge is trying. And for me, speaking as a Simpsons fan, it is far more rewarding to me to see the characters try to make each other happy, than trying to make up for making each other miserable. The second thing isn’t just a cliche for the show, but after all this time, it’s usually bad writing. And the reason it’s bad is that it’s easy to have a character do a bad thing and the other characters work to forgive them. It’s much harder to treat your characters like actual people and not make one of them a villain for the episode. Real life is messy, and a lot of those times those messes aren’t anyone’s fault. And for many people, and for the Simpsons in this episode, they don’t blame other people for the mess. They try to fix it on behalf of the people they love. They are so busy trying to make things better they don’t bother making them even worse first. And I love watching characters problem solve their relationships, and I think it makes dynamite television.
Homer is surprisingly insightful. He notes that Marge is only as happy as the saddest member of the family. That is an observation that is alarmingly smart for a supposedly dumb guy, and the reason I love it so much is because Homer putting it that way is him being honest with the kids. He could guilt trip them into thinking this was all their fault, and they better behave or else. Except they wouldn’t be inclined to do it. Because Homer explained the specific reason he wanted them to behave with such refreshing honesty, they felt the urge to play along, because they were being treated like adults, and that’s what adults do. And yeah, Bart is gonna hug the creeper Furrie guy. And it doesn’t sound as horrible an idea as it is because Homer explained ahead of time why he needed to do that.
I was extremely happy Marge didn’t blame Homer for being late. Because he DID make it out of bed, and into the freezing cold, before being sidelined for a reason that wasn’t his fault. So I’m glad Marge didn’t make me pick sides and dislike her for that. Gil still can suck it though.
So bummed they didn’t get Al Gore to voice himself. He probably would have done it, even with those specific lines.
All things considered, that was a pretty mild “slight” against Family Guy. It’s just that those two shows have JUST stopped being at each other’s throats, and the peace is so tenuous, I don’t see what good Al Jean is doing by whacking that particular hive yet again. It’s not like the joke was actually funny.
Black Friday is like the Purge for bargains. It might have been one of the ideas that inspired those movies in my mind. Their current TV is so dumb. It just told them how to replace it.
I also loved and laughed at the meta joke of Marge asking why a HD TV needs an antennae, and Homer’s like “It’s looks cool.” And that’s the precise reason TVs in animation tend to all look so retro. The knobs and buttons, and wires and antennae are all telltale TV drawing visuals, even if they’re outdated. Those specific things always look good drawn or animated, and that’s the only real reason Homer still needs an antennae.
A good week. I’m just glad we didn’t get another annoying future episode. I hate those. ****.
Bob’s Burgers “Better Off Sled”
Bob’s Burgers won the night.
Louise was completely sympathetic during this, as well as being resourceful as the character is at her best. But the episode made me think a bit about the larger implications of the scenario. Because the series is sort of showing something without explicitly saying it. Logan is not the actual problem. It’s ALL teenage boys. They all suck for that specific reason, and are why we aren’t allowed to have nice things. It doesn’t occur to any other single boy in Logan’s circle that they can have their snowfight anywhere, and it’s unfair to do that to the little kids. Instead they mock them for being little kids, and having the gall to enjoy things little kids enjoy. All teenage boys are self-involved narcissists, who only care about themselves. I recognized this about my peer group growing up, and it’s why my guy friend list is shockingly short. Once I didn’t HAVE to hang around males anymore, I simply chose not to. And I’m not off the hook just because boys my age disgusted me. Whether I realized it or not, I must have been exactly as insufferable to everyone else without realizing it, even now. If it WAS every teenage boy (and from the ones I knew, it WAS all of them) it MUST have been me too. It would make no logical sense if it weren’t, even if the other girls in high school treated me as if I was adorable and harmless. And compared to the rest of my class, I may have been. But I probably deeply hurt several of them without realizing it. And that really bums me out.
Do you know the thing that REALLY bothers me about Logan? “Manitary Napkin.” Nobody even uses those anymore, and yet Logan uses it as a slur because it is the closest thing he can think of as a pun to sexually humiliate Mandy. And it doesn’t matter if the insult is outdated or stupid, as long as she feels bad and dirty, that’s all that matters to Logan. I love that she owned it at the end. And she owned it in the precise moment she should have. Which is the precise reason I loved all of the high school girls showing up at the end to save the day. It was cathartic for Louise to realize that it was NOT just her. Logan has been treating all of the women in his life like dirt, and every girl who has ever met him hates him. And the matter of fact way Mandy talks about all of the girls realizing that they WANTED to throw a snowball at Logan shows exactly how much pain he has thoughtlessly caused them.
Logan is going to be an incel when he grows up. And he’s going to claim it’s because he’s supposedly unattractive, and woman won’t give him the time of day, because they are all shallow and superficial. But that’s not it. That’s not it at all, and it never was for ANY incel.
Bob’s Burgers wouldn’t be Bob’s Burgers if it didn’t do a Louise female empowerment story while having Linda fails miserably at the same thing in the B plot. Bob being immediately sure and natural at a useless skill that Linda desperately wants for reasons known only to her is the story of her life. Linda Belcher is what would happen if all of the bad things that happened to Peggy Hill, weren’t actually Peggy Hill’s own d*mn fault. If there was some higher power making things unfair for Peggy other than her own stupidity and unearned ego. Linda wanting to be able to knit shows Linda is not a woman who actually wants much from the Universe. And it’s unfair the Universe makes Bob great at this specific thing while she isn’t allowed to have it. And it’s typical Bob and Linda. And I found that an interesting backdrop for an episode where Louise empowers all of the young women in her town to stand up against their bullies, that Linda finds that she is failing her feminists ideals simply by not being good at something usually expected from traditional homemakers. And I love both plots sharing the episode because they both complimented and worked against each other at the same time.
I love the notion that Teddy’s bully volunteered at a shelter. Teddy is not even allowed to have a bully he should be allowed to hate without us thinking him ridiculous. That Unfair Stick that life keeps smacking Linda with gives Teddy an equal amount of licks.
The was a feel-good underdog story, that I appreciated for the larger empowering subtexts for Louise. And I appreciate the show for actually making Louise cunning and sympathetic as the show had been gradually saying the opposite about her for the past couple of seasons. That was not a trend I was on-board with, but when push comes to shove, unlike the writers of King Of The Hill, the writers are still on Louise’s side. They still like her and don’t feel the need to take her down a few pegs every episode. And it’s refreshing that they don’t even seem to feel that way about Linda either. It’s weird that two of the three major female characters are voiced by men. Because this show gets what makes an independent woman more than King of the Hill or any Seth MacFarlane show ever did. And it’s one of the reasons I like the show. ****1/2.
Family Guy “Pawtucket Pete”
“Heaven just welcomed a Princess.” Oh, yeah. I’m choked up. Screw you, 2016.
Adam West better get something just as good.
I freaking love the joke of Peter saying that his fight with the guy in the window didn’t matter because he was currently relating this story as an example to his wife. And the guy shoots back that how is Peter so sure this isn’t HIS show and Peter is the random fantasy? I loved that idea so much. And it’s only that the show has been on the air for so long, and has done so many similar types of jokes, which is why that is remotely comprehensible to anyone in the audience. Nobody would have gotten or appreciated that in season 1. It probably wouldn’t have even been funny. But then that also describes the rest of season 1. I digress.
I love that Jerome’s voice is impervious to helium. That sounds all kinds of right.
I like Sheila and Burt so far. I expect good things. They remind me of Greg and Terry from American Dad. Frankly, I shockingly like them more than I did Angela. Which sort of makes me feel bad in hindsight.
And Peter got out of jail by taking a hostage and it was still an ongoing situation. Which winds up unresolved because this is Greg In The Window, and not actually about Peter.
Love Billy Eichner SO much. He hates everything so much because he cares about everything so much. If the rest of the world had his passion, we’d all be better off.
All three shows had a good night but I’m giving it to Bob’s Burgers. ****.
Doctor Who “The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos”
That was a Doctor Who mystery all right. One of the defining things about a Doctor Who mystery that the Doctor has to solve, is that the more everyone learns, the worse it can possibly be. So at the point at the end when everything is figured out, the entire galaxy is at stake. And yeah, these small clues are just a tiny hint of the world of hurt of what Tim Shaw’s plans to place Earth in actually are.
Frankly, Tim Shaw was far scarier in this episode than he was in his first appearance. It is not unnoticed by me that he now has a LOT more teeth on his face.
I love Graham taking the Doctor aside and telling her he planned to kill Shaw. Amy Pond, River Song, or Jack Harkness would just do it in the moment, and let the Doctor sort it out later. Graham respects her enough to tell her his intentions ahead of time. He isn’t going to lie to her, or let her operate under a false assumption. Similarly great was the tone of voice Thirteen used to tell Graham that if he did that, he couldn’t travel with her anymore. When a previous Doctor pulled that card, they were always angry, and it was a threat. For Thirteen she’s simply setting the parameters and conditions for which she needs her crew to follow. If Graham disappoints her, she isn’t going to take it personally, or act like it’s some sort of grand punishment. She likes Graham. But if he’s killing people he’s too dangerous for her to travel with.
Say what you will about how shabbily Ryan usually treats Graham, he somehow knows precisely when to save the big moments to land as big as possible. The Granddad thing last episode was when Graham needed it most. And the first ever “I love you” thing is similarly what it is going to freaking take for him to realize this isn’t just about him anymore. And he still tries to kill Tim anyways, before realizing he isn’t a murderer. While I don’t necessarily agree with the Doctor that he’s the strongest person she knows because he didn’t take the shot, he is also wrong that it was a weakness. It was a choice, as simple as that. Strength or weakness had nothing to do with it. Graham just decided he wasn’t a killer. That’s all it was.
I think the reason I loved this conflict between Graham and the Doctor is because all things considered, this episode proves that the Universe would be better off if Tim Shaw died. The Doctor killed every single Dalek and Time Lord in existence just because the war they were fighting was too prolonged. After what Tim Shaw did tonight, I’m thinking killing him instead would have been one of those moves that would have prevented something as big as the Time War ever occurring. Yeah, Graham’s reasons for wanting it are entirely selfish. But the sentiment is completely right either way.
I love Graham saying Grace loved living and was really good at it. Say what you will about Graham potentially tarnishing her memory: That is a great way to remember someone. I hope someday someone remembers ME like that.
This was easily the smallest scale season finale of the relaunch. There is no cliffhanger, there are no Daleks or Cybermen, or the Master, or UNIT, or Torchwood, or the Time Lords, or former Companions and Doctors, or regenerations, or Companion deaths, or any of the big things a Doctor Who finale is known for. Honestly? Thank God. I actually think that Russell T Davies and then Stephen Moffat did a LOT of damage to the show with their season finales, especially Davies. But if Davies hadn’t gone as far as he did, Moffat never would have gotten that bad. But Davies seemed to believed that every single Who finale had to top every previous finale. First Rose is at stake, then Earth (twice), then all of reality. And things started to get so big and dire, that instead of being able to make the threats bigger to top themselves, Davies and Moffat wound up making the personal drama and stakes horrible and soul-crushing instead. And that hurt the show. And Chibnall comes in a delivers a perfectly exciting (but not out of the ordinary) finale without all of the heartache and drama. And it’s fine. And this is the value of Chibnall’s grounded take on the franchise. He isn’t dialed up to 11 about everything. He doesn’t confuse More Drama for Good Drama. Those are two separate things that Davies (and to a far lesser extent Moffat) were unable to tell apart. And I like that this is the first finale we’ve ever gotten that wasn’t gut-wrenching. I could get used to not dreading the end of a season. I could get used to it very much.
All things being equal, it strikes me as extremely strange that Thirteen didn’t meet up with either the Daleks, the Cybermen, or the Master in her first season. The Daleks are especially a must, and I’m eagerly looking forward to getting back to them, especially since strictly speaking, Peter Capaldi’s Twelve didn’t spend as much time with them as the other Doctors on the relaunch did. It was basically down to Rusty, and the Davros two-parter for Twelve, and most of the rest of his focus was on Missy and the Cybermen. So the Daleks haven’t been the presence they should be on the show since at least Matt Smith. And I fear Moffat ruined them by overpowering them in their last appearance, so that now all writers are afraid to tackle them again. I can’t help but feel we haven’t seen them because Moffat wrote everybody else into a corner. Remember when I said that it was unwise to ALWAYS keep trying to top what came before? The fact that we don’t get Dalek episodes anymore is why that is true.
As the season was going, I thought this was Doctor Who’s best relaunch season since the fifth. Now I think it’s since the fourth. The fourth season had a TON of problems that Tennant’s last five episodes exploded. But that was as solid a group of 13 episodes as anything the show ever produced. Until this season. I am impressed. Chris Chinball and Jodie Whittaker did good. Hatas can suck it. ****1/2.
The Flash “Elseworlds: Part One”
At several points this season I considered temporarily ducking out of Supergirl, and permanently ducking out of Arrow. Amazing crossovers like this one are why I probably never will. My only prayer is that those shows actually get better. Because I needed the subtext for this episode that watching those two shows provided. I would not understand Supergirl’s drama with the President, or why Oliver was in prison, and why his marriage is rocky. And maybe it seems foolish to watch two cr*ppy shows to make three or four episodes a year amazing, but this was a heck of an amazing episode, so I’m reluctant to change my mind. I probably enjoyed this episode more than people who ducked out of Arrow and Supergirl because they now suck. And that matters to me, when everything else is said and done.
Speaking of amazing, I love Amazo. I like the idea that as a robot they needed to shut him off, but I kind of feel like that simple solution doesn’t really count when they exploded him instead. For the record, Cisco keeping the souvenir is gonna backfire in the future. Bank on it. And Superman probably won’t be around when he DOES reconstruct himself.
I was under the impression that there would be a Smallville connection via the Multiverse, but for some reason, just hearing the theme song “Save Me” will suffice. Part of me is disappointed that the show hasn’t figured out a way to make that Earth Arrowverse canon yet. But the theme song is all I needed tonight.
We didn’t see enough Batwoman and 1990 Flash for my liking this episode. I bet they are the focus of the next episode, and Clark comes back for the grand finale.
For the record, Deegan is nuts. There is a reason those other psychiatrists were openly mocking him (which is pretty much a total no-no, especially in public). But that is a level of quack that NEEDS to be publicly rebuked in front of other witnesses, particularly if those witnesses are also shrinks. It was completely unprofessional that woman said what she did. But Deegan is such a nutjob she actually needed to publicly shame him for his foolish and dangerous ideas. I’m wondering why no-one ever thought to do that with Ben Lockwood on Supergirl. He’s treated as the other side of the equation, instead of the genocidal lunatic he clearly is. Speak up against fascism before it is too late. It’s a lesson our Earth is being forced to learn over and over again. That female psychiatrist is now my new TV queen. And we never even learned her name!
I love that Barry is actually excited he’s Green Arrow, and impressed with what he can do. I loved Lois rooting for Barry to punch Oliver because she can instantly tell he’s a jerk. What bothers me the most about the “lessons” Oliver tries to teach Barry is that Oliver is a cr*p teacher. As far as X-S or Elongated Man are concerned, Barry is a real-live role model overflowing with wisdom. Oliver keeps trying to teach people the same lessons he learned in the Bratva. Except the lessons clearly never worked on him, and they would never work in a million years on people who hadn’t suffered as much as he did. Anatole and Nyssa’s lessons only “helped” Oliver because he was a completely broken person. Oliver expected those same things to work with Team Arrow, and then Artemis defected, Wilddog, Black Canary, and Mr. Terrific ditched him because he was such a jerk, and finally Dig left. And then he wound up in prison. Why should anyone want to follow Oliver’s insights in a million years? Everyone who works with him can’t stand him. Yeah, Oliver saves people’s lives. But that’s his only virtue. His personal relationships (notably save the late Quentin Lance) are worse for having him in their lives, and his tactics and methods would only ever work for him. Even Batman would never shoot Robin in the back with arrows to teach him a lesson. Only a completely broken person would think anyone could ever learn something from that.
Why is he so mad Barry thought it was funny? That was the right reaction. He’s upset because he supposedly did it to Barry to “help” him, and Barry did it to prank him. But there is nobody that would actually help. The idea is ridiculous on its face. Barry mocking it and laughing is the correct response. It’s asinine in real-time.
I love Barry refusing to dislocate his thumb. Until Oliver explains his body had been through enough training and punishment to be able to do it on command, I would never do it in a million years either. And Oliver’s explanation still sounds a little crazy.
I like the first time Barry wants to go back is when he learns Oliver woke up in his and Iris’ bed. Not cool, man! That’s a dude’s wife and bed! We’ve gotta fix this!
I love that Sherloque has Superman deliver a check to his ex-wife on Earth-38, and Superman is a bit mortified by that notion too. For the record, Sherloque probably should have questioned whether or not Clark could be trusted BEFORE he handed off the check, not after he’s already left. Sherloque is not as smart as advertised.
I have never liked Elizabeth “Bitsie” Tulloch, who was the weakest cast member on Grimm, but I expected she’d be able to pull off a serviceable job as Lois. Juliet worked in the first two or three seasons of Grimm because she was a light character, who didn’t go through too much bad stuff. It’s only when they added trauma and pathos to the character that I learned how one-note of an actress Tulloch actually is. Unless they turn Lois into a murderous Hexenbiest who kills Ma Kent and sleeps with Lex Luthor, I don’t see the character giving her too much trouble, even if she lacks range for literally everything else.
Amazing first part to the crossover. *****.
Arrow “Elseworlds: Part Two”
The switched identities thing really got confusing at various points. Still, I laughed when Oliver essentially framed the Flash for stealing police evidence. There is a lot of fun cr*p Oliver can do without any consequences in this particular scenario.
It was really interesting that Scarecrow’s fear toxic unleashed the reverse fears for Barry and Oliver, which was kind of amazing. Barry talks about Oliver’s burden, but I think deep down, Barry has always known that. Lord knows Oliver won’t shut up about it. But I think what Oliver learned about Barry was truly surprising. It’s one thing to know that Barry’s mother was murdered, it’s quite another to learn that his arch-enemy is the one who killed her, and Barry has to listen to those kinds of taunts whenever he faces him. That’s a lot worse than Oliver has with his rogues.
I am immediately on-board a Batwoman series. And it can fit using the conceit that Batman's reality is debatable to many people. People actually know what the Batmobile is, but that could just be GCPD hype and part of the hoax. This way it’s fits that Oliver ISN’T actually the first vigilante in the Arrowverse. But he’s the first confirmed one, even though Batman has been around longer than him.
I think the Batman related thing that REALLY frustrated me was Kate revealing the password was “Alfred”. It’s a nice moment for the fans, but it is literally the worst password Bruce Wayne could EVER have conceived. It would be pretty much everyone’s first guess whether they knew he was Batman or not. Passwords are supposed to be something only the person who makes them can guess. This is why tech geniuses and the like never use passwords with personal connections to themselves. They either use random numbers or out of context random words that nobody could ever guess. If the World’s Greatest Detective is really that stupid and sloppy, the Batcomputer is gonna get hacked like THAT.
I want to know how 1990 Flash knows John Diggle. Is he John Stewart on a future season of the 1990 show? Him disappearing when he did was especially frustrating while the question lingered.
I am a little annoyed at Felicity. After hearing Caitlin’s explanations about WHY Oliver didn’t tell her about the body swap, I would have totally accepted that were I her. And she talks about how it’s just another excuse and Oliver always has one of those. What gets me about her saying that is that THIS season at least, the marriage problems are on her. Oliver has been pretty open and understanding this season, which is quite a departure for him and I don’t really feel like she is the half of the couple who gets to complain about the other keeping secrets and not trusting them. Am I nuts for thinking that? What I’m saying is that as of this season Felicity Smoak no longer has the high ground with Oliver. It feels completely wrong that she’s trying to act like she does. Oliver’s speech was nice and all, but as far as I’m concerned, she should have made it to HIM.
I am amused that while it’s clear that Arrow is going to have a new weekly series introduction with Oliver out of prison, that the producers were forced to put Barry in it for the crossover before we could actually see what it was and pick out the differences. Which tells me Oliver stayed in prison one episode too long.
Not as great as the first part but the cliffhanger was definitely better. ****1/2.
Supergirl "Elseworlds: Part Three"
I had to pinch myself to remind myself I wasn't dreaming that was have a legit live-action version of Superman on TV again. None of this "No flights, no tights" nonsense. We can finally (even if only occasionally) get the Superman slugfests we have always wanted.
I'm not even mad that Superman is going away for awhile, because it's acknowledging ahead of time that Tyler Hoechin making a commitment to come back next year for the biggie.
Speaking of the Biggie, it looks like we are getting it next year. And considering we are, I expect DC's Legends Of Tomorrow to get a surprise renewal. I expected it to be canceled after this season due to the ratings dip, but they might keep it on the air to be able to add a fourth Hour to the Crisis, or if Batwoman and / or Black Lightning are involved, a fifth or a sixth. They are hyping it a year ahead of time. It strikes me the producers have already done the negotiations for which shows they'll actually need.
The one thing that I was very unhappy about was that it apparently turns out 1990 Flash WAS killed at the end of the last episode after all. Which annoys me even more about the Diggle scene. But what especially sucks it how it basically destroys the entire legacy of the goofy 1990 show. If I were a fan, I'd be furious. I had expected them to undo that at the end of this episode. The thing that gives me hope is that if they DO undo it, the Crisis IS the thing that's gonna do it.
Watch your back, Barry Allen. That's all I have to say.
But if they DO bring 1990 Barry back in that miniseries, who is to say Earth 1's Flash is the guy who has to vanish in the Crisis? Thinking ahead here.
I half-expected them to use the premise of this episode to meld Earth 1 and Earth 38 once and for all, to make crossovers easier, but if they DO ever do that, it would make sense to wait for the actual Crisis to reboot that specific thing. And if they don't do it next year, it means they won't. But learning Alex and James exist in The Arrowverse is a good step in the right direction.
I loved Gary's cameo but it does raise questions to me about how he could have been around for the last episode of Legends of Tomorrow as long as reality was being rewritten. I get Legends wanting to skip the crossover this year. But maybe they should have spent the entire episode away from 2018 Earth and the Time Bureau while the actual crossover was going on.
Great conclusion. I can't wait for next year. *****.
DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow “Legends Of To-Meow-Meow”
Yeah, the puppets are great. But the true mark over whether or not puppets work is how the human performing with them reacts to them. Matt Ryan’s expressions were dynamite. Unfortunately, a Muppetphile like myself knows something about puppetry that this episode didn’t QUITE grasp. But for a human to TRULY connect with a puppet, they have to touch, and constantly touch at that. I felt a more real puppet connection to Mike the Spike than the Puppets of Tomorrow for that reason.
I love the cheesy 70’s theme song which pokes at the entire reality of the franchise by using the word “DC’s” in the Puppet titles. What does DC even mean to a person in the Arrowverse? On the other hand that may have just been for us. It’s the fact that the show doesn’t definitively say that’s what John heard which is why I’ll allow it.
Suffice it to say, this winter’s mid-season finale cliffhanger was NOT as mindblowing as last year’s (it literally couldn’t be) but it at least raised about as many questions.
So is the woman who plays Mona a series regular now? May I ask why she is and Gary isn’t?
Gary is such a dope. He believes the future story even right after he points out there is a shapeshifter on the loose. I have a hard time believing ANYONE would hire this sap, much less the Time Bureau. Frankly, I’m a bit surprised he puts his pants on in the morning by himself.
I like that Charlie actually has to second-guess going back and saving his life. That was funny.
For the record, this episode proved the Joker right. Which kind of infuriates me because the Joker is actually wrong. But here the sanest person is just one bad day away from pure madness if the characters’ (legit, canon and everything) bloodthirsty and crazy reactions are any indication. That’s the conceit of being able to do the fun things the episode does. But I still don’t like that being true. Especially for Ray Palmer. That bugs me especially for some reason.
Oh, my God! Zari and the hairball! They freaking went there! Do you have any idea where that tongue has been? Genius joke. Cats are so gross.
The crossover was the elephant in the room, and while I don’t agree with the notion that the Legends had too much to deal with to participate this year, I like the idea better that they are simply sick of crossovers. Again, like “DC’s”, using the word "crossover" pokes at the reality a bit too much, except worse because a character actually utters the word. But Barry and Oliver and Kara can't just call to check in without wanting something from the Legends? Why is it the only time the Legends hear from those guys is when the galaxy or reality is about to destroyed? They can't email each other political articles and recipes like normal people?
Nice wrap-up between Rory and Ava this week. It was clever because I felt that part of last week went unresolved and I felt a bit annoyed by that. But if they are going to do it after everything settles down again, I have nothing to complain about. Smart.
I disliked the scowls on Rory and Ray's face as they pulled the trigger when John and Des were about to kiss. It struck me as borderline homophobic. Am I crazy in thinking that? Seeing a person kiss is the thing that gets a person to LOWER the gun. Unless they object to the kiss itself, which is what bothered me. The fact that they fired the guns while it was happening struck me as a bit of "Boys kissing are icky".
This show has gone insane. I approve. ****.
Black Lightning "The Book Of Rebellion: Chapter Two: Gift Of Magi"
That was a good episode. But it did a couple of things I strongly disliked.
It's the Todd thing that bothers me the most. They introduce this poor kid out of the blue just to show us Tobias slowing starting to destroy his life. Why would I want to see that? What do I as a viewer get out of meeting a new sympathetic character who is about to be used and broken? What part of that is necessary storytelling?
For the record, the reason Tobias sucks for offering the kid the jiggling women isn't just because Todd doesn't like being touched. It's because it's presumptuous of Tobias. Not just because he doesn't know if Todd would actually prefer men or not, but because not every guy likes being ground up against by strangers. I wouldn't like it one bit, and Tobias is a fool if he thinks that is the immediate lure for every single person who works for him. Plus, it's just crass as all get-out. He's got no class, and no $500 bottle of wine can fix that. Some people are just born tacky.
Also, I'm sick of this show having characters grieve characters who aren't really dead. Jennifer being scared about Kahlil's fate was fine, but Lynn's grief over a perfectly fine Jennifer rankled me something fierce.
I like Jennifer's trick with the poison on Cutter. That was definitely a good way to get her to talk.
I really love the cliffhanger because it worries me, and yet it's ambiguous, and tells me nothing. I'm freaking out, and I have no idea why I'm freaking out about that. THAT is a good piece of storytelling.
I love that Jefferson clumsily tries to apologize to Gambi and he's instantly, "We're good." It's not like Jefferson hasn't already forgiven Gambi for some horrible stuff. Gambi doesn't merely reject the apology. He rejects the notion it is owed.
I was a bit surprised by Kahlil's father. He was nowhere near as bad as his mother thought he was. He seemed genuinely concerned to me.
I liked more of this episode than I didn't. ***1/2.
Star Wars Resistance “Station Theta Black”
I think a LOT less of Poe after seeing that. I mean, he was making rookie mistakes only a foolish person would make and ignoring every single piece of sound advice.
Also I resented when he told Kaz he was smarter than he looked. Kaz is all “Aw shucks!” but were I him, I’d be rightly offended by that ill-intentioned insult. That is the precise thing you say to “compliment” a doofus you do not respect, and are unwilling to give them their due. Poe sucks.
Speaking of which, Kaz surviving is not the tension for the audience it is for Poe. Simply because we know something Poe has no way of knowing: This isn’t actually Poe’s show. If Kaz were to someday get killed off, it wouldn’t be off-world from his friends with Poe. Plus, we know BB-8 survives to the movies, so the audience is allowed a LOT more insight to the situation than that character is afforded.
I miss Carrie Fisher. That is all. Screw you, 2016.
I might have liked the episode if it hadn’t just obliterated any respect I had for Poe. What troubles me the most is that before tonight, Poe was a character I was indifferent towards. Now I outright dislike him. **1/2.
Star Wars Resistance “The Search For Kaz”
Kaz would probably be easier to find if he had a red and white striped wool cap and sweater. ****.
The Simpsons “Tis The 30th Season”
I can safely say that episode is slightly above average. Because the show is amazing again, that is a very good thing.
What I like about the recent seasons is that they explore the psychologies of the characters, and how they navigate each other after all this time. Homer is trying. The kids are trying. Marge is trying. And for me, speaking as a Simpsons fan, it is far more rewarding to me to see the characters try to make each other happy, than trying to make up for making each other miserable. The second thing isn’t just a cliche for the show, but after all this time, it’s usually bad writing. And the reason it’s bad is that it’s easy to have a character do a bad thing and the other characters work to forgive them. It’s much harder to treat your characters like actual people and not make one of them a villain for the episode. Real life is messy, and a lot of those times those messes aren’t anyone’s fault. And for many people, and for the Simpsons in this episode, they don’t blame other people for the mess. They try to fix it on behalf of the people they love. They are so busy trying to make things better they don’t bother making them even worse first. And I love watching characters problem solve their relationships, and I think it makes dynamite television.
Homer is surprisingly insightful. He notes that Marge is only as happy as the saddest member of the family. That is an observation that is alarmingly smart for a supposedly dumb guy, and the reason I love it so much is because Homer putting it that way is him being honest with the kids. He could guilt trip them into thinking this was all their fault, and they better behave or else. Except they wouldn’t be inclined to do it. Because Homer explained the specific reason he wanted them to behave with such refreshing honesty, they felt the urge to play along, because they were being treated like adults, and that’s what adults do. And yeah, Bart is gonna hug the creeper Furrie guy. And it doesn’t sound as horrible an idea as it is because Homer explained ahead of time why he needed to do that.
I was extremely happy Marge didn’t blame Homer for being late. Because he DID make it out of bed, and into the freezing cold, before being sidelined for a reason that wasn’t his fault. So I’m glad Marge didn’t make me pick sides and dislike her for that. Gil still can suck it though.
So bummed they didn’t get Al Gore to voice himself. He probably would have done it, even with those specific lines.
All things considered, that was a pretty mild “slight” against Family Guy. It’s just that those two shows have JUST stopped being at each other’s throats, and the peace is so tenuous, I don’t see what good Al Jean is doing by whacking that particular hive yet again. It’s not like the joke was actually funny.
Black Friday is like the Purge for bargains. It might have been one of the ideas that inspired those movies in my mind. Their current TV is so dumb. It just told them how to replace it.
I also loved and laughed at the meta joke of Marge asking why a HD TV needs an antennae, and Homer’s like “It’s looks cool.” And that’s the precise reason TVs in animation tend to all look so retro. The knobs and buttons, and wires and antennae are all telltale TV drawing visuals, even if they’re outdated. Those specific things always look good drawn or animated, and that’s the only real reason Homer still needs an antennae.
A good week. I’m just glad we didn’t get another annoying future episode. I hate those. ****.
Bob’s Burgers “Better Off Sled”
Bob’s Burgers won the night.
Louise was completely sympathetic during this, as well as being resourceful as the character is at her best. But the episode made me think a bit about the larger implications of the scenario. Because the series is sort of showing something without explicitly saying it. Logan is not the actual problem. It’s ALL teenage boys. They all suck for that specific reason, and are why we aren’t allowed to have nice things. It doesn’t occur to any other single boy in Logan’s circle that they can have their snowfight anywhere, and it’s unfair to do that to the little kids. Instead they mock them for being little kids, and having the gall to enjoy things little kids enjoy. All teenage boys are self-involved narcissists, who only care about themselves. I recognized this about my peer group growing up, and it’s why my guy friend list is shockingly short. Once I didn’t HAVE to hang around males anymore, I simply chose not to. And I’m not off the hook just because boys my age disgusted me. Whether I realized it or not, I must have been exactly as insufferable to everyone else without realizing it, even now. If it WAS every teenage boy (and from the ones I knew, it WAS all of them) it MUST have been me too. It would make no logical sense if it weren’t, even if the other girls in high school treated me as if I was adorable and harmless. And compared to the rest of my class, I may have been. But I probably deeply hurt several of them without realizing it. And that really bums me out.
Do you know the thing that REALLY bothers me about Logan? “Manitary Napkin.” Nobody even uses those anymore, and yet Logan uses it as a slur because it is the closest thing he can think of as a pun to sexually humiliate Mandy. And it doesn’t matter if the insult is outdated or stupid, as long as she feels bad and dirty, that’s all that matters to Logan. I love that she owned it at the end. And she owned it in the precise moment she should have. Which is the precise reason I loved all of the high school girls showing up at the end to save the day. It was cathartic for Louise to realize that it was NOT just her. Logan has been treating all of the women in his life like dirt, and every girl who has ever met him hates him. And the matter of fact way Mandy talks about all of the girls realizing that they WANTED to throw a snowball at Logan shows exactly how much pain he has thoughtlessly caused them.
Logan is going to be an incel when he grows up. And he’s going to claim it’s because he’s supposedly unattractive, and woman won’t give him the time of day, because they are all shallow and superficial. But that’s not it. That’s not it at all, and it never was for ANY incel.
Bob’s Burgers wouldn’t be Bob’s Burgers if it didn’t do a Louise female empowerment story while having Linda fails miserably at the same thing in the B plot. Bob being immediately sure and natural at a useless skill that Linda desperately wants for reasons known only to her is the story of her life. Linda Belcher is what would happen if all of the bad things that happened to Peggy Hill, weren’t actually Peggy Hill’s own d*mn fault. If there was some higher power making things unfair for Peggy other than her own stupidity and unearned ego. Linda wanting to be able to knit shows Linda is not a woman who actually wants much from the Universe. And it’s unfair the Universe makes Bob great at this specific thing while she isn’t allowed to have it. And it’s typical Bob and Linda. And I found that an interesting backdrop for an episode where Louise empowers all of the young women in her town to stand up against their bullies, that Linda finds that she is failing her feminists ideals simply by not being good at something usually expected from traditional homemakers. And I love both plots sharing the episode because they both complimented and worked against each other at the same time.
I love the notion that Teddy’s bully volunteered at a shelter. Teddy is not even allowed to have a bully he should be allowed to hate without us thinking him ridiculous. That Unfair Stick that life keeps smacking Linda with gives Teddy an equal amount of licks.
The was a feel-good underdog story, that I appreciated for the larger empowering subtexts for Louise. And I appreciate the show for actually making Louise cunning and sympathetic as the show had been gradually saying the opposite about her for the past couple of seasons. That was not a trend I was on-board with, but when push comes to shove, unlike the writers of King Of The Hill, the writers are still on Louise’s side. They still like her and don’t feel the need to take her down a few pegs every episode. And it’s refreshing that they don’t even seem to feel that way about Linda either. It’s weird that two of the three major female characters are voiced by men. Because this show gets what makes an independent woman more than King of the Hill or any Seth MacFarlane show ever did. And it’s one of the reasons I like the show. ****1/2.
Family Guy “Pawtucket Pete”
“Heaven just welcomed a Princess.” Oh, yeah. I’m choked up. Screw you, 2016.
Adam West better get something just as good.
I freaking love the joke of Peter saying that his fight with the guy in the window didn’t matter because he was currently relating this story as an example to his wife. And the guy shoots back that how is Peter so sure this isn’t HIS show and Peter is the random fantasy? I loved that idea so much. And it’s only that the show has been on the air for so long, and has done so many similar types of jokes, which is why that is remotely comprehensible to anyone in the audience. Nobody would have gotten or appreciated that in season 1. It probably wouldn’t have even been funny. But then that also describes the rest of season 1. I digress.
I love that Jerome’s voice is impervious to helium. That sounds all kinds of right.
I like Sheila and Burt so far. I expect good things. They remind me of Greg and Terry from American Dad. Frankly, I shockingly like them more than I did Angela. Which sort of makes me feel bad in hindsight.
And Peter got out of jail by taking a hostage and it was still an ongoing situation. Which winds up unresolved because this is Greg In The Window, and not actually about Peter.
Love Billy Eichner SO much. He hates everything so much because he cares about everything so much. If the rest of the world had his passion, we’d all be better off.
All three shows had a good night but I’m giving it to Bob’s Burgers. ****.