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matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the season (series?) finale of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, the latest episodes of Black Lightning, Supergirl, Teen Titans Go!, and Muppet Babies, the first four episodes of The Barbarian And The Troll, and the latest episodes of American Dad!, Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy, and The Blacklist.
Marvel's Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell
Honestly, that wasn't too shabby, but the truth is it felt overlong for the subject matter, and had to spin its wheels a bit in several places. I also didn't like Benito's ending.
Nightmare has a very cool and scary design.
I liked Dr. Strange suggesting that perhaps science is just magic we don't understand yet. Good way to flip the Marvel script.
Jasper Sitwell? The turncoat SHIELD Agent who was secretly Hydra? Why is he a zombie here with Jimmy Olson's outfit, Buddy Holly's glasses, and Jon Tester's haircut? Was this cartoon made before or after his heel-turn and death in Captain America: The Winter Soldier?
As far as Marvel cartoon movies go, it definitely is nowhere NEAR as bad as the Heroes United stuff. I actually thought it was all right. ***1/2.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier "One World, One People"
I know some very lovely people online who are going to be very unhappy with Sharon Carter's heel-turn. What I will remind them is that as far as the Power Broker was concerned, the show never handed us any other suspects, even as red herrings. I never for once thought it was Val because she was introduced so late in the game. To have resonance, the Power Broker needed to be someone we knew from the beginning, hero OR villain. And Sharon Carter qualifies.
I think the thing that most bothers me about Sharon as a person is that she took that great personal favor Bucky gave her and essentially spat on it. Whatever she does next will come directly back on Bucky for vouching for her in the first place.
Maybe she's a Skrull? Maybe.
What do I think of Sam as Cap? He's got the rhetoric and peacemaking skills down cold. I found it very interesting that he outright stated people there had a problem with him holding the shield because he's black. What kills me is that he isn't just describing close-minded fandom. Fox News is gonna lose its freaking mind when Captain America 4 gets made. Our country does not respond well to cool things like that.
But in the end, I very much liked the statue Sam got made for Isaiah. What I like best is that Isaiah actually appreciated it.
I don't think Bucky's thing with his elderly Korean neighbor ended strongly, but in fairness I always felt that plotline was shaky and asking for trouble. It ended better and less of a mess than I predicted it would, which counts for something.
Walker's ending felt far better for the character than he deserved. I hope things are going bad for him the way working with Val says they should.
Only got a brief scene of Zemo, but it's hinted he was behind the bombing. How? How did that work? The guard saying the One World mantra always hinted he was on the rebel's side. Is it possible he just helped fake their deaths? Who was the old guy in the car? That specific thing didn't make sense and I assume we'll get the fuller picture later on.
So I look forward to Captain America 4 (which they NEED to title Captain America And The Winter Soldier). I DON'T look forward to Fox News losing its mind, but that's the trade off of doing something good and decent with the character.
Solid ending to the season, and now I assume the series. Now we're gonna make movies! We're big Hollywood actors! Yeah, we are! ****.
Black Lightning "The Book Of Ruin: Chapter Three: Things Fall Apart"
Okay, I'm going to say I didn't like the episode. It was diverting enough, but it made me understand the biggest flaw of the series, and why I have often been left cold. The villains have no redeeming qualities. I'm not saying every villain needs good points or redeeming characteristics. But those are good things for a villain to have. That being said, even if a villain doesn't possess them, it doesn't have to be such a bad thing. The problem is that Tobias, like Odell, does nothing but elicit revulsion from me. I am unhappy every time he is on-screen, and I have to listen to his smug b.s.. In an entertainment program, that's a legit problem. Which by the way Supergirl is sharing this season with Lex Luthor. I'm not saying that I need to like the villain. But if I have to watch him (and a LOT), I need to be able to stand him.
Dolores Umbridge remains the very worst Harry Potter villain simply because she is so horrible. It's not interesting or diabolical. It's just painful to watch. And I am fed up with Tobias (and Lex) completely for the same reasons as Umbridge. That is the level of suck he is.
And just to nitpick the episode's quality control, I am annoyed it doesn't occur to Jefferson or Gambi to anonymously leak the footage of Red threatening the dude on behalf of Tobias on the internet. True, it doesn't actually prove anything. But Tobias would have to answer painful questions he couldn't afford to while he's running for Mayor. Questions he couldn't answer because he actually IS guilty. And TC is right there. They could dump that anonymously online and keep their hands 100% clean while doing it. And nobody brings that up once? What's the point of bugging people to record crimes if you aren't going to use the footage?
Not a good week. **.
Supergirl "Lost Souls"
Wow! I enjoyed that! It turns out Lex not being there made it extremely easy to not hate it. He's been the problem with the show the entire season, and I dug an episode where he didn't appear. Who could have seen THAT coming? The special effects were spiffy too.
About my only other real note I have is that I think Alex dawdled way too much before jamming the device into the crystal. Dramatic tension and all, but still. We're on a clock, Alex.
Neat! ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Hafo Safo"
The show is taking on hipsters? Isn't that usually who they seem to target their jokes towards?
Got none of these Silverlake references. Safo is stealing Debbie Downer's bit. But at least he's doing it right.
It still amuses me the action sequences on this shows are better boarded and animated than Batman: The Animated Series.
Whut? **1/2.
Muppet Babies "Best Pals Pizza Delivery / Summer Science Penguin"
Best Pals Pizza Delivery:
This version of Kermit is such a slacker. It's the reason I don't like him.
His cartoon version is cute though. Although Walter is super annoying for the same reason Kermit is.
I like that pizzas were ordered by the Chicks, the planet of Green Gonzos, and Potato.
Meh, I say, Meh. **1/2.
Summer Science Penguin:
Jenny Slate has a nice singing voice. I also really liked the animation during the musical number. ***.
Episode Overall: ***.
The Barbarian And The Troll "Brendar The Barbarian"
All in. I needed a legit Puppet show, and Henson isn't providing, and this is exactly how awesome the medium can be. Brian Henson needs to get his act together. There is a midway point between preschool shows and The Happytime Murders. This show gets that. Henson doesn't make shows like this anymore and that's why it's lost its way.
I love that the gore of the dragon is substituted with confetti and pool toys. Really, that is very much like using ribbons for blood in Sweeney Todd, and probably also gets the Nickelodeon censors off their backs.
Evan the Troll LITERALLY burning his bridge was a genius allegory. It doesn't get more explicit than that.
I loved the Owl, and Brendar asking her to clarify if she was asking her a question or making owl noises. I also love Brendar asking her if the Skeletons were on the dental plan she offered, and when the Owl affirms that they were, she says, "Hard pass." This show is already funny.
This show is fun and bonkers, and like the best puppet shows, it looks like nothing else on television. If Henson isn't gonna give us stuff like this anymore, I'm glad Nickelodeon is filling in until it does. *****.
The Barbarian And The Troll "Off To See The Wizard"
Normally an eccentric show with a strong Pilot always falls a bit short in the second episode but I still found that enchanting. The gnomes were super cute for one thing, and I liked Stacy the Owl's backstory. I laughed when she warned that since the Garlic Mash was served by Skeletons, there might be bones in it.
There will be critics who (correctly) point out that the puppetry on this show is not as good as the Henson Company's stuff. That may be so. But the Henson Company is barely currently using puppets in any real narrative projects so I'll freaking live with it. It's better than nothing, which is what Henson has given me since Farscape ended. (Okay, I miss Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance too, but that was a one season and done show. I still don't see Henson using the medium properly besides it.)
This show is SO much fun. It could easily wind up one of my favorite shows on television. Little early to declare that quite yet, but I do love what I've seen so far. ****1/2.
The Barbarian And The Troll "Blood, Sweat, & Fears"
That was so cute. I love that of all the group, Evan's fears were the most manageable because he spends his entire life in a state of constant disappointment. It also tells me he is perhaps not useless to take on the quest after all. He's the only one the swamp didn't get to after all.
The Skeletons chuckling as they were trying to put on Skelly's bib to eat ribs was amusing. Part of me thinks they kept putting it on wrong on purpose. But judging by their inability to create new skeletons, they may simply be incompetent.
Good stuff. Again. *****.
The Barbarian And The Troll "Season Of The Witch"
I love that when Gnarlia sees Stacy she automatically calls her sweetheart. And that's the answer. Stacy WANTED to be a owl and her Mom is actually awesome.
I love Horace's outrage that she was dating Steve the Knight. Steve is super funny and acts more like a bouncer than anything.
The gnomes are dead on the inside. For some reason I don't buy those specific characters using that specific downer line.
I love the family hug. Aww!
Man, this show is great. *****.
American Dad! "Yule. Tide. Repeat."
Missed this the first time around.
I liked it. I especially like how they somehow managed to get out of the time loop by following the rules set up, and by still doing something different.
I especially love that before the loops begin Jeff still lives in Stan's house. That's nice.
Was there anything I didn't like? I think the episode was a little too gory for my tastes. But other than that it was pretty good. ***1/2.
American Dad! "Who Smarted?"
Myron proves Hayley has a type.
Pretty good. I thought Jeff Fisher did a pretty good performance. I bet Fisher isn't too smart himself in real-life, and he still said all of them big talky words rightly. The ending was sweet too. ***1/2.
Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy "Enter The Flood"
Annoying per usual. Honestly there is no part of this show that doesn't make me angry. *.
Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy "Wizard Of Botz"
That was super dumb.
I'd be inclined to say that we just learned once and for all that this is NOT the franchise to ever lend itself to movie homages, but I truthfully can't say that for sure. The writers are just so uncommonly bad at their jobs, and their scripts so horrible, that I probably didn't get an accurate reading with this nonsense.
Just so we're clear, and to point out how bad the show is: Optimus Prime is NOT a character who would ever tell another person to "Lighten up." It doesn't matter that it occurred off-screen, and was related after the fact, it would never happen if the writers on this show had one speck of integrity. *1/2.
The Blacklist "Misere"
I am fighting two conflicting impulses. I feel the need to destroy that piece of garbage point by point. By I also don't want to spend any more time dwelling on this crap than I have to. I feel dirty.
Maybe if I talk about the suck in bullet points instead of detail? Let's see how that works.
When Liz is talking to the hallucination to Kaplan while she's talking to the Cyranoid, she feels the need to take off the headphones? Yeah, this show is dumb. Or Liz is nuts. Probably both.
Liz seems extremely upset over the 6 innocent people dying. What did she think she was doing? What kind of game did she think she was playing at, and what kind of people did she choose to associate with to play it? I feel zero sympathy for her because the people she was manipulating refused to allow themselves to be good little sockpuppets controlled by her and doing everything she says. She's an arsonist whining about the unfairness of the fires she sets. What a loser.
We are supposed to think Liz is a decent person because she puked after using the Cyranoid to murder somebody. Let me just say for the record I don't.
Something I missed. Ressler says if they prove who Red is Liz can come home. Are they forgetting about the women she murdered in FBI custody? First degree murder? Why should she be allowed to raise Agnes after all that? Sickening.
I'm done with the review. Thinking about it makes me madder and madder. *.
Marvel's Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell
Honestly, that wasn't too shabby, but the truth is it felt overlong for the subject matter, and had to spin its wheels a bit in several places. I also didn't like Benito's ending.
Nightmare has a very cool and scary design.
I liked Dr. Strange suggesting that perhaps science is just magic we don't understand yet. Good way to flip the Marvel script.
Jasper Sitwell? The turncoat SHIELD Agent who was secretly Hydra? Why is he a zombie here with Jimmy Olson's outfit, Buddy Holly's glasses, and Jon Tester's haircut? Was this cartoon made before or after his heel-turn and death in Captain America: The Winter Soldier?
As far as Marvel cartoon movies go, it definitely is nowhere NEAR as bad as the Heroes United stuff. I actually thought it was all right. ***1/2.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier "One World, One People"
I know some very lovely people online who are going to be very unhappy with Sharon Carter's heel-turn. What I will remind them is that as far as the Power Broker was concerned, the show never handed us any other suspects, even as red herrings. I never for once thought it was Val because she was introduced so late in the game. To have resonance, the Power Broker needed to be someone we knew from the beginning, hero OR villain. And Sharon Carter qualifies.
I think the thing that most bothers me about Sharon as a person is that she took that great personal favor Bucky gave her and essentially spat on it. Whatever she does next will come directly back on Bucky for vouching for her in the first place.
Maybe she's a Skrull? Maybe.
What do I think of Sam as Cap? He's got the rhetoric and peacemaking skills down cold. I found it very interesting that he outright stated people there had a problem with him holding the shield because he's black. What kills me is that he isn't just describing close-minded fandom. Fox News is gonna lose its freaking mind when Captain America 4 gets made. Our country does not respond well to cool things like that.
But in the end, I very much liked the statue Sam got made for Isaiah. What I like best is that Isaiah actually appreciated it.
I don't think Bucky's thing with his elderly Korean neighbor ended strongly, but in fairness I always felt that plotline was shaky and asking for trouble. It ended better and less of a mess than I predicted it would, which counts for something.
Walker's ending felt far better for the character than he deserved. I hope things are going bad for him the way working with Val says they should.
Only got a brief scene of Zemo, but it's hinted he was behind the bombing. How? How did that work? The guard saying the One World mantra always hinted he was on the rebel's side. Is it possible he just helped fake their deaths? Who was the old guy in the car? That specific thing didn't make sense and I assume we'll get the fuller picture later on.
So I look forward to Captain America 4 (which they NEED to title Captain America And The Winter Soldier). I DON'T look forward to Fox News losing its mind, but that's the trade off of doing something good and decent with the character.
Solid ending to the season, and now I assume the series. Now we're gonna make movies! We're big Hollywood actors! Yeah, we are! ****.
Black Lightning "The Book Of Ruin: Chapter Three: Things Fall Apart"
Okay, I'm going to say I didn't like the episode. It was diverting enough, but it made me understand the biggest flaw of the series, and why I have often been left cold. The villains have no redeeming qualities. I'm not saying every villain needs good points or redeeming characteristics. But those are good things for a villain to have. That being said, even if a villain doesn't possess them, it doesn't have to be such a bad thing. The problem is that Tobias, like Odell, does nothing but elicit revulsion from me. I am unhappy every time he is on-screen, and I have to listen to his smug b.s.. In an entertainment program, that's a legit problem. Which by the way Supergirl is sharing this season with Lex Luthor. I'm not saying that I need to like the villain. But if I have to watch him (and a LOT), I need to be able to stand him.
Dolores Umbridge remains the very worst Harry Potter villain simply because she is so horrible. It's not interesting or diabolical. It's just painful to watch. And I am fed up with Tobias (and Lex) completely for the same reasons as Umbridge. That is the level of suck he is.
And just to nitpick the episode's quality control, I am annoyed it doesn't occur to Jefferson or Gambi to anonymously leak the footage of Red threatening the dude on behalf of Tobias on the internet. True, it doesn't actually prove anything. But Tobias would have to answer painful questions he couldn't afford to while he's running for Mayor. Questions he couldn't answer because he actually IS guilty. And TC is right there. They could dump that anonymously online and keep their hands 100% clean while doing it. And nobody brings that up once? What's the point of bugging people to record crimes if you aren't going to use the footage?
Not a good week. **.
Supergirl "Lost Souls"
Wow! I enjoyed that! It turns out Lex not being there made it extremely easy to not hate it. He's been the problem with the show the entire season, and I dug an episode where he didn't appear. Who could have seen THAT coming? The special effects were spiffy too.
About my only other real note I have is that I think Alex dawdled way too much before jamming the device into the crystal. Dramatic tension and all, but still. We're on a clock, Alex.
Neat! ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Hafo Safo"
The show is taking on hipsters? Isn't that usually who they seem to target their jokes towards?
Got none of these Silverlake references. Safo is stealing Debbie Downer's bit. But at least he's doing it right.
It still amuses me the action sequences on this shows are better boarded and animated than Batman: The Animated Series.
Whut? **1/2.
Muppet Babies "Best Pals Pizza Delivery / Summer Science Penguin"
Best Pals Pizza Delivery:
This version of Kermit is such a slacker. It's the reason I don't like him.
His cartoon version is cute though. Although Walter is super annoying for the same reason Kermit is.
I like that pizzas were ordered by the Chicks, the planet of Green Gonzos, and Potato.
Meh, I say, Meh. **1/2.
Summer Science Penguin:
Jenny Slate has a nice singing voice. I also really liked the animation during the musical number. ***.
Episode Overall: ***.
The Barbarian And The Troll "Brendar The Barbarian"
All in. I needed a legit Puppet show, and Henson isn't providing, and this is exactly how awesome the medium can be. Brian Henson needs to get his act together. There is a midway point between preschool shows and The Happytime Murders. This show gets that. Henson doesn't make shows like this anymore and that's why it's lost its way.
I love that the gore of the dragon is substituted with confetti and pool toys. Really, that is very much like using ribbons for blood in Sweeney Todd, and probably also gets the Nickelodeon censors off their backs.
Evan the Troll LITERALLY burning his bridge was a genius allegory. It doesn't get more explicit than that.
I loved the Owl, and Brendar asking her to clarify if she was asking her a question or making owl noises. I also love Brendar asking her if the Skeletons were on the dental plan she offered, and when the Owl affirms that they were, she says, "Hard pass." This show is already funny.
This show is fun and bonkers, and like the best puppet shows, it looks like nothing else on television. If Henson isn't gonna give us stuff like this anymore, I'm glad Nickelodeon is filling in until it does. *****.
The Barbarian And The Troll "Off To See The Wizard"
Normally an eccentric show with a strong Pilot always falls a bit short in the second episode but I still found that enchanting. The gnomes were super cute for one thing, and I liked Stacy the Owl's backstory. I laughed when she warned that since the Garlic Mash was served by Skeletons, there might be bones in it.
There will be critics who (correctly) point out that the puppetry on this show is not as good as the Henson Company's stuff. That may be so. But the Henson Company is barely currently using puppets in any real narrative projects so I'll freaking live with it. It's better than nothing, which is what Henson has given me since Farscape ended. (Okay, I miss Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance too, but that was a one season and done show. I still don't see Henson using the medium properly besides it.)
This show is SO much fun. It could easily wind up one of my favorite shows on television. Little early to declare that quite yet, but I do love what I've seen so far. ****1/2.
The Barbarian And The Troll "Blood, Sweat, & Fears"
That was so cute. I love that of all the group, Evan's fears were the most manageable because he spends his entire life in a state of constant disappointment. It also tells me he is perhaps not useless to take on the quest after all. He's the only one the swamp didn't get to after all.
The Skeletons chuckling as they were trying to put on Skelly's bib to eat ribs was amusing. Part of me thinks they kept putting it on wrong on purpose. But judging by their inability to create new skeletons, they may simply be incompetent.
Good stuff. Again. *****.
The Barbarian And The Troll "Season Of The Witch"
I love that when Gnarlia sees Stacy she automatically calls her sweetheart. And that's the answer. Stacy WANTED to be a owl and her Mom is actually awesome.
I love Horace's outrage that she was dating Steve the Knight. Steve is super funny and acts more like a bouncer than anything.
The gnomes are dead on the inside. For some reason I don't buy those specific characters using that specific downer line.
I love the family hug. Aww!
Man, this show is great. *****.
American Dad! "Yule. Tide. Repeat."
Missed this the first time around.
I liked it. I especially like how they somehow managed to get out of the time loop by following the rules set up, and by still doing something different.
I especially love that before the loops begin Jeff still lives in Stan's house. That's nice.
Was there anything I didn't like? I think the episode was a little too gory for my tastes. But other than that it was pretty good. ***1/2.
American Dad! "Who Smarted?"
Myron proves Hayley has a type.
Pretty good. I thought Jeff Fisher did a pretty good performance. I bet Fisher isn't too smart himself in real-life, and he still said all of them big talky words rightly. The ending was sweet too. ***1/2.
Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy "Enter The Flood"
Annoying per usual. Honestly there is no part of this show that doesn't make me angry. *.
Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy "Wizard Of Botz"
That was super dumb.
I'd be inclined to say that we just learned once and for all that this is NOT the franchise to ever lend itself to movie homages, but I truthfully can't say that for sure. The writers are just so uncommonly bad at their jobs, and their scripts so horrible, that I probably didn't get an accurate reading with this nonsense.
Just so we're clear, and to point out how bad the show is: Optimus Prime is NOT a character who would ever tell another person to "Lighten up." It doesn't matter that it occurred off-screen, and was related after the fact, it would never happen if the writers on this show had one speck of integrity. *1/2.
The Blacklist "Misere"
I am fighting two conflicting impulses. I feel the need to destroy that piece of garbage point by point. By I also don't want to spend any more time dwelling on this crap than I have to. I feel dirty.
Maybe if I talk about the suck in bullet points instead of detail? Let's see how that works.
When Liz is talking to the hallucination to Kaplan while she's talking to the Cyranoid, she feels the need to take off the headphones? Yeah, this show is dumb. Or Liz is nuts. Probably both.
Liz seems extremely upset over the 6 innocent people dying. What did she think she was doing? What kind of game did she think she was playing at, and what kind of people did she choose to associate with to play it? I feel zero sympathy for her because the people she was manipulating refused to allow themselves to be good little sockpuppets controlled by her and doing everything she says. She's an arsonist whining about the unfairness of the fires she sets. What a loser.
We are supposed to think Liz is a decent person because she puked after using the Cyranoid to murder somebody. Let me just say for the record I don't.
Something I missed. Ressler says if they prove who Red is Liz can come home. Are they forgetting about the women she murdered in FBI custody? First degree murder? Why should she be allowed to raise Agnes after all that? Sickening.
I'm done with the review. Thinking about it makes me madder and madder. *.
