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matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest DC Showcase Short, and the latest episodes of The Flash, Arrow, Star Wars: The Mandalorian, and Riverdale.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines
I think the original Keri Russell cartoon movie got a LOT of slack because there wasn't a ton of Wonder Woman in media to compare it to, much less an entire movie. Next to Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines suffers for the comparison. The Bruce Timm cartoon admittedly had an easier job, but this movie wasn't great either.
Let's talk about things I liked and things I didn't. I did not like Vanessa's redemption story. While I believe Julia WAS a horrible mother, and it's no wonder the kid became messed up, I don't feel the need to see her redeemed because she's a straight-up murderer. Oh, you forgot about that, did you? So did the producers apparently. It's a pretty neat racket being the friend of a famous superhero. You will literally get away with murder.
On the other side of the fence, it beats me why Diana doesn't bring Veronica into the authorities at the end. She already knows everything. Is it because she can't prove it in a court of Man's law? Then maybe she should be taking her to a trip to Themyscria after all to face some Amazon justice. It's what she deserves.
Those are my biggest gripes. There were two or three things I liked. The Gargoyles fan in me thinks it's fun to hear Michael Dorn voice a Minotaur. Bonus points for the movie basically turning him into Diana's butler midway through.
I also thought the idea that Diana blinded herself with Medusa's venom so she couldn't be turned to stone was quite clever. Is that from Greek mythology? Because it really should have been. Basically that one thing was better than the Greek Myth. Take a bow, producers. As underwhelmed as I was with the rest of it, that's still a feat and impressive.
But I think nothing beats Gal Gadot, cartoon or otherwise. ***.
Superman: Red Son Sneak Peek:
Lois and Lex? Ick! Paul Williams? Yay! What is Jim Krieg doing in that Soviet military uniform? What a freaking goofball. ****.
DC Showcase "Death"
That was amazing. My favorite DC Showcase short. And the painting at the end lived up to the hype.
I love Death. I love that she's kind, and understanding, and relates to the people she helps individually, and makes them know they are special and important. That is way cooler to me than the other characters in these shorts. I like Death. And I like that I like Death.
That was great. *****.
The Flash "The Last Temptation Of Barry Allen, Part 2"
I believe this is the first time they've captured the Big Bad instead of either killing them or erasing them from existence. It kind of bugs me because Ramse is so annoying. I did like that they didn't actually bother to redeem him after all. He didn't deserve it.
It makes sense to split the season in two, with two separate Big Bads, and Crisis in the middle. I don't feel like I'm going to be missing anything with Ramse out of the way.
That was solid. ***1/2.
Arrow "Purgatory"
Yao Fey, huh? Yeah, this is the last season.
Future change note: If Roy had a robotic arm in 2040, it was never brought up. What I think instead is that it's another change to the timeline. That could mean potentially good things because the future currently sucks so hard. That's what I think.
Harbinger! I am slightly disappointed in the costume because it isn't tacky and seems quite reserved. I think The Arrowverse would do better to embrace tacky every once in a while.
I do not look forward to Green Arrow and the Canaries. Mia is a very tough character to like and root for. Granted that was also true of Thea and the first Laurel, but they weren't the main character, which is what I figure Mia will be. They were as horrible as Mia, but Oliver always played off of that. William being the straight man doesn't strike me as a strong enough dynamic. Every action Mia takes seems to be rooted in either resentment or narcissism. She doesn't care much about anyone else's wants or desires but her own, which is a crazy facet to give a potential lead character. Whatever the spin-off could be, it won't work with Mia as the Green Arrow of the title.
Conversely I love that Roy doesn't blame John or Oliver for losing the arm. That's cool. Television, and superhero television in particular, suffers from a distinct lack of cool characters. Almost everyone else reacts to things similarly to Mia, although perhaps not quite as extreme. I like a guy who loses him arm and still thinks he's better off for being there.
I love the reason Oliver got Mia to stay behind at first: Someone needs to protect William. And he's all, "Hey!" but Oliver is right. William is the only one who does not possess the skills to protect himself. The group used to surround Felicity in the same way. It's nothing personal. It's just common sense.
That was pretty good. ****.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger"
Amy Sedaris in Star Wars? Stranger things have happened, I suppose. But I can't think of many off of the top of my head.
Do you know what I like? When it turns out the lovable, harmless seeming bounty hunter wannabe is rotten to the core, the message of the episode isn't "Don't trust anyone in this world". Because the lady mechanic helps Mando, and even babysits for him. In an episode where a guy you had no real harsh feelings towards turns out to be a heel, it's a very important message that not all people are bad.
Wamp rat? Is that a standard slur on Tatooine?
Great role for Ming-Na Wen. As far as the ending goes, I can't even tell for sure if they killed her off or not. I guess we'll see soon enough.
Not as great as the past couple of weeks, but if the show WAS always that great, I'd consider it weird. I am a firm believer in a show not making every episode amazing. Because it makes the amazing episodes stand-out more. And it's not like the episode still wasn't great. ****.
Riverdale "Chapter Sixty-Five: In Treatment"
I just want ONE quiet week! One! One week where I can scribble off a couple of short paragraphs saying what I did and didn't like! Is that too much to ask? I don't think it is. Riverdale is why we aren't allowed to have nice things, and why I am not allowed to enjoy reviewing it.
Let me just say that Miss Berbil is perhaps one of the worst fictional therapists I have EVER seen. It takes an extra level of bad writing and suck to make me hate Gina Torres for any reason, but this show knows how to deliver hot garbage. When she tells Cheryl AFTER she reveals that she dug up her dead brother and keeps him in the house, and is being haunted by the ghost of a dead fetus that she ISN'T crazy, I think she is literally the worst person at that specific profession I've ever seen. Speaking of which, Cheryl needs a psych eval to continue to be head cheerleader? I would actually think, you know, taking care of two toddlers and an elderly grandma would be the thing that a shrink would want her to pass muster for, and this one thinks she's okay to keep babies in the house with her dead brother, and some unknown someone trying to drive her insane. I was seething in rage at this.
I thought her advice to Veronica was awful too. She makes a snap judgment about the girl and tells her what to do, which she also did with Jughead. That is not a therapist's role. She isn't supposed to be Judge Judy. Her job isn't actually to be Veronica and Jughead's life coaches and give them either advice or judge them. She's supposed to listen to what they say and help them process it. That's it. That's all a therapist is supposed to do. Berlanti shows do zero research in every single profession they seem to feature.
I don't think I've discussed this before but I think it's about about time I point out that AJ Kappa is a legitimately bad actor. I've given the cast the business before, but his breakdown here was entirely unconvincing. Where did they find this loser anyways? And he actually admits he wants to be a superhero. He tells Miss Berbil not to talk to him like he's stupid. And I'm like, "But Archie, you ARE stupid. That's simply how people like you are talked to."
The episode did something righteous that I think hurt the show in the long run. Betty's mom being a double-agent for the Farm in last year's finale did not sit right with me, and did seem to fit her earlier behavior. And this episode pointed out, she DID give away Betty's college fund, and sent her to an abusive insane asylum rather than have to deal with her complaining about that. These are all decisions she made whether she claimed she was under Edgar's "thrall" or not. And when she tells Betty she's her favorite, I was like, "If the fact that you took your daughter's future, and sent her to a hellish bughouse and cult doesn't make you the worst parent ever, that does." That is literally the ONE thing a parent should never tell a child. It's basically an understanding between all parents and kids with siblings. If you tell one of your children that EVER, you are automatically a terrible parent. I can't even with this show.
Man, that was rough. *.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines
I think the original Keri Russell cartoon movie got a LOT of slack because there wasn't a ton of Wonder Woman in media to compare it to, much less an entire movie. Next to Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines suffers for the comparison. The Bruce Timm cartoon admittedly had an easier job, but this movie wasn't great either.
Let's talk about things I liked and things I didn't. I did not like Vanessa's redemption story. While I believe Julia WAS a horrible mother, and it's no wonder the kid became messed up, I don't feel the need to see her redeemed because she's a straight-up murderer. Oh, you forgot about that, did you? So did the producers apparently. It's a pretty neat racket being the friend of a famous superhero. You will literally get away with murder.
On the other side of the fence, it beats me why Diana doesn't bring Veronica into the authorities at the end. She already knows everything. Is it because she can't prove it in a court of Man's law? Then maybe she should be taking her to a trip to Themyscria after all to face some Amazon justice. It's what she deserves.
Those are my biggest gripes. There were two or three things I liked. The Gargoyles fan in me thinks it's fun to hear Michael Dorn voice a Minotaur. Bonus points for the movie basically turning him into Diana's butler midway through.
I also thought the idea that Diana blinded herself with Medusa's venom so she couldn't be turned to stone was quite clever. Is that from Greek mythology? Because it really should have been. Basically that one thing was better than the Greek Myth. Take a bow, producers. As underwhelmed as I was with the rest of it, that's still a feat and impressive.
But I think nothing beats Gal Gadot, cartoon or otherwise. ***.
Superman: Red Son Sneak Peek:
Lois and Lex? Ick! Paul Williams? Yay! What is Jim Krieg doing in that Soviet military uniform? What a freaking goofball. ****.
DC Showcase "Death"
That was amazing. My favorite DC Showcase short. And the painting at the end lived up to the hype.
I love Death. I love that she's kind, and understanding, and relates to the people she helps individually, and makes them know they are special and important. That is way cooler to me than the other characters in these shorts. I like Death. And I like that I like Death.
That was great. *****.
The Flash "The Last Temptation Of Barry Allen, Part 2"
I believe this is the first time they've captured the Big Bad instead of either killing them or erasing them from existence. It kind of bugs me because Ramse is so annoying. I did like that they didn't actually bother to redeem him after all. He didn't deserve it.
It makes sense to split the season in two, with two separate Big Bads, and Crisis in the middle. I don't feel like I'm going to be missing anything with Ramse out of the way.
That was solid. ***1/2.
Arrow "Purgatory"
Yao Fey, huh? Yeah, this is the last season.
Future change note: If Roy had a robotic arm in 2040, it was never brought up. What I think instead is that it's another change to the timeline. That could mean potentially good things because the future currently sucks so hard. That's what I think.
Harbinger! I am slightly disappointed in the costume because it isn't tacky and seems quite reserved. I think The Arrowverse would do better to embrace tacky every once in a while.
I do not look forward to Green Arrow and the Canaries. Mia is a very tough character to like and root for. Granted that was also true of Thea and the first Laurel, but they weren't the main character, which is what I figure Mia will be. They were as horrible as Mia, but Oliver always played off of that. William being the straight man doesn't strike me as a strong enough dynamic. Every action Mia takes seems to be rooted in either resentment or narcissism. She doesn't care much about anyone else's wants or desires but her own, which is a crazy facet to give a potential lead character. Whatever the spin-off could be, it won't work with Mia as the Green Arrow of the title.
Conversely I love that Roy doesn't blame John or Oliver for losing the arm. That's cool. Television, and superhero television in particular, suffers from a distinct lack of cool characters. Almost everyone else reacts to things similarly to Mia, although perhaps not quite as extreme. I like a guy who loses him arm and still thinks he's better off for being there.
I love the reason Oliver got Mia to stay behind at first: Someone needs to protect William. And he's all, "Hey!" but Oliver is right. William is the only one who does not possess the skills to protect himself. The group used to surround Felicity in the same way. It's nothing personal. It's just common sense.
That was pretty good. ****.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger"
Amy Sedaris in Star Wars? Stranger things have happened, I suppose. But I can't think of many off of the top of my head.
Do you know what I like? When it turns out the lovable, harmless seeming bounty hunter wannabe is rotten to the core, the message of the episode isn't "Don't trust anyone in this world". Because the lady mechanic helps Mando, and even babysits for him. In an episode where a guy you had no real harsh feelings towards turns out to be a heel, it's a very important message that not all people are bad.
Wamp rat? Is that a standard slur on Tatooine?
Great role for Ming-Na Wen. As far as the ending goes, I can't even tell for sure if they killed her off or not. I guess we'll see soon enough.
Not as great as the past couple of weeks, but if the show WAS always that great, I'd consider it weird. I am a firm believer in a show not making every episode amazing. Because it makes the amazing episodes stand-out more. And it's not like the episode still wasn't great. ****.
Riverdale "Chapter Sixty-Five: In Treatment"
I just want ONE quiet week! One! One week where I can scribble off a couple of short paragraphs saying what I did and didn't like! Is that too much to ask? I don't think it is. Riverdale is why we aren't allowed to have nice things, and why I am not allowed to enjoy reviewing it.
Let me just say that Miss Berbil is perhaps one of the worst fictional therapists I have EVER seen. It takes an extra level of bad writing and suck to make me hate Gina Torres for any reason, but this show knows how to deliver hot garbage. When she tells Cheryl AFTER she reveals that she dug up her dead brother and keeps him in the house, and is being haunted by the ghost of a dead fetus that she ISN'T crazy, I think she is literally the worst person at that specific profession I've ever seen. Speaking of which, Cheryl needs a psych eval to continue to be head cheerleader? I would actually think, you know, taking care of two toddlers and an elderly grandma would be the thing that a shrink would want her to pass muster for, and this one thinks she's okay to keep babies in the house with her dead brother, and some unknown someone trying to drive her insane. I was seething in rage at this.
I thought her advice to Veronica was awful too. She makes a snap judgment about the girl and tells her what to do, which she also did with Jughead. That is not a therapist's role. She isn't supposed to be Judge Judy. Her job isn't actually to be Veronica and Jughead's life coaches and give them either advice or judge them. She's supposed to listen to what they say and help them process it. That's it. That's all a therapist is supposed to do. Berlanti shows do zero research in every single profession they seem to feature.
I don't think I've discussed this before but I think it's about about time I point out that AJ Kappa is a legitimately bad actor. I've given the cast the business before, but his breakdown here was entirely unconvincing. Where did they find this loser anyways? And he actually admits he wants to be a superhero. He tells Miss Berbil not to talk to him like he's stupid. And I'm like, "But Archie, you ARE stupid. That's simply how people like you are talked to."
The episode did something righteous that I think hurt the show in the long run. Betty's mom being a double-agent for the Farm in last year's finale did not sit right with me, and did seem to fit her earlier behavior. And this episode pointed out, she DID give away Betty's college fund, and sent her to an abusive insane asylum rather than have to deal with her complaining about that. These are all decisions she made whether she claimed she was under Edgar's "thrall" or not. And when she tells Betty she's her favorite, I was like, "If the fact that you took your daughter's future, and sent her to a hellish bughouse and cult doesn't make you the worst parent ever, that does." That is literally the ONE thing a parent should never tell a child. It's basically an understanding between all parents and kids with siblings. If you tell one of your children that EVER, you are automatically a terrible parent. I can't even with this show.
Man, that was rough. *.
