Weekly TV Reviews Part 2 (Spoilers)
Reviews for the latest episodes of iZombie, and Lucifer, the Supernatural / Scooby Doo crossover, and the latest episodes of The Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., Legion, and Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy: Mission Break-Out!
iZombie "Goon Struck"
That ending was amazing.
Three major things to talk about (pun intended):
1. I truly believe Major Lilywhite is a terrible person. I have thought that ever since he was appearing to serial kill zombies in season two, but he had plausible deniability there, especially since it turned out he went off-mission and didn't really kill anyone. Here, kidnapping and infecting the daughter of someone at the state department simply so they won't launch a nuke at the city? If that's what it takes to stop the city from being nuked, maybe the city deserves to be nuked. Secondly, I am well aware that he was an armed soldier at that atrocity of an execution. Liv looks like she'll never forgive him, and I hope that sticks. He sucks.
2. Chase Graves is not an interesting villain because his intentions are good. He's not an interesting villain because he regrets the terrible things he thinks he has to do. He's an interesting villain because every single decision he makes is the wrong one, and it always blows up in his face. Last season, the aura he gave off was the confident and self-possessed soldier who knew what he was doing. But everything he does this year runs counter to his goals.
Let's start with the plan last season to infect 10,000 people. Why didn't he know that would be overkill ahead of time? Why is he surprised by the bad result? Did he really expect the rest of the United States to donate brains to this specific cause? He would not be in the mess he is in if he had chosen to infect 1,000 people. He probably would even have gotten the same favorable results to zombies. And people would probably not be starving in the street for it.
Then let's go to his idea to train street kids who have recently become zombies to be soldiers. He didn't see a hot-headed kid infecting an unarmed human coming? And that was freaking day 1! And I would have been surprised if it had been later than that.
The public executions? For someone who cares so much about optics and public opinions, Chase did NOT think that through. He did not consider that he might have to execute a beloved citizen entirely for political reasons. And suddenly, most people in the crowd are begging him to spare her life, and the only people who want her head smashed are actually the human bigots. And now the entire world has cell-phone footage of that. Simply because Chase was too dumb to understand why public executions are such a bad idea in modern times. It's so stupid. And preventable. It's amazing he's still this season's Big Bad. I feel less good about the heroes for not toppling someone this outright weak ages ago.
3. You realize the season finale, right? It is going to be Liv led up to the chopping block, and Major being forced to saved her. They pretty much telegraphed the entire season two finale ahead of time, and that's what they are doing here too. It's later in the season, but the climax (or possibly the cliffhanger) will be Liv being walked out and strapped to the gallows, while Major has to make a huge decision. Bank on it.
Speaking of incompetent villains, why does Donnie get hired for anything? Yeah, he's funny, but he does dumb stuff nobody actually needs to do, and he just makes the mission harder and worse. It's kind of fun to see the pickles he puts Blaine in, but I have no idea why Major puts up with him, and didn't simply tell Chase that he was unreliable for the mission, and that he should have hired somebody else.
"How many times am I going to have to evade and not answer the same question?" Just by saying that, Blaine knows he is untouchable. And the messed up thing is he's right. So, what, we're just not going to talk about the missing tooth?
The thing with the bus driver says that human "bigots" aren't actually bigots at all. They are worried for the right reasons, and always have been. Which is a really subversive moral.
This series has already jumped the shark with last year's finale. Fonzie's legs are bitten off, but he isn't quite dead yet. Will he make it long enough to find a refrigerator big enough to hide in when the nuke on Seattle drops? We'll see. Great episode, of a lackluster season, of a formerly good show. ****.
Lucifer "Orange Is The New Maze"
Pierce is a bad dude. He doesn't understand women if he actually thinks getting rid of the cat is the solution.
I love that Maze is offended by Lucifer's attempts at comfort. I actually think Lucifer's heart was in the right place when he said it, but I think he accidentally said it in an insulting way he didn't intend to. Honesty is Lucifer's best quality. But it also makes him a bit unfiltered and not prone to choose his words carefully.
Speaking of which, I loved his scene telling Charlotte the truth. He tells her every crazy thing matter of factly, as if it's no big deal, and truly sounds like he believes it. I also LOVED how she lit up at the wings. Linda thinks the truth would destroy her? In reality, it is the thing that saves her sanity.
I always talk smack about Linda, but this week she was even more contemptible than usual. She tells Amenadiel him telling Charlotte the truth is what is best for him, not her. Pot meet kettle. In reality, Amendadiel keeping the truth for Charlotte is better for LINDA, and that's Linda's actual objection. What will Charlotte think when she realizes Linda has been lying to her this whole time and deliberately steering her away from the truth? What is especially bad about what Linda did is that the only reason Lucifer directed Charlotte to her is because he knew Linda was the one person on Earth who could relate to what she was going through, and help her navigate it. And Linda has refused to do that at every turn. Did I mention she is the worst therapist ever?
She's also the worst person ever if the truth sets Charlotte free, and it previously turned Linda against her friends. I don't want to hear Linda say Charlotte is holding on by a thread anymore. She is and always has been a stronger person than Linda.
I loved Lucifer's reactions to Maze this episode. He is the one of her friends totally convinced she's guilty at the beginning. But the second he realizes she's innocent, nobody works harder than he does to prove that. That's the interesting thing about Lucifer. He doesn't believe Maze is a better person than she actually is. But he also does not believe the innocent should ever be punished. Chloe seems a little surprised at his turnaround but it really should be no surprise at all.
Speaking of no Lucifer surprises, the episode really navigated the fact that Chloe doesn't understand what Maze and Lucifer are talking about in the ride home thing very well. I felt her telling Lucifer not to name-call when he said Maze was a demon didn't entirely work, but when she is about to pause the story about how it doesn't make sense for Maze to want to lash out the way she did because Lucifer wouldn't offer her a ride home, I like the subtle way Tom Ellis portrayed that as not registering her confusion at all. He is so focused on Maze in that moment, he doesn't quite get that Chloe is confused. And that's the right move, because if he was, and didn't clear it up, he would be keeping things from her. Someday Chloe will learn to take the weird things Lucifer and Maze say at face value. Until she does that, she will always be confused.
Isn't it cool how Lucifer's wings can pop out over his clothes?
The next week previews (or 3 weeks from tonight previews) hint that Pierce is even worse than we can possibly imagine. I can't wait. ****.
Supernatural "Scoobynatural"
Okay, this was the first time I ever saw Supernatural and the show did everything right. It didn't deal with anything from the show's mythology. It didn't open with a recap. It already knew the episode was going to have a whole bunch of new viewers for the single week and didn't want them confused. And the cold opening (the Winchesters fighting a giant plush) let us know immediately the kind of silly episode it was going to be. I am not going to be back next week. Ten years of episodes is a lot to catch up on. But I can tell what a special show I am missing out on.
I love that the Scooby Gang is unfazed by the dead bloody bodies. What a great joke. And then having Daphne being amazed the afterlife is real and wondering if she's already in hell was so funny too. I love Shaggy being upset he broke his arm, and Fred getting a bloody nose.
Poor Dean. He is never gonna land Daphne. But the secret ship we should have been watching out for was Velma and Sam. Although things will probably get tough for them down the road. Because boys and girls don't sleep in the same room.
Fred's just mad because he could have been fighting real ghosts the entire time instead of people in costumes.
I loved Dean saying about the cackling lawyer at the beginning that he was the bad guy. Ya think? The Scooby mysteries are easier to solve than the writers think.
And they did the Scooby Doo ending in the live-action at the end, including Dean wearing a red ascot, and the black circle closing around his head. You're not a talking dog, Dean. Because he obviously needs to be reminded of that occasionally.
I really enjoyed this. I now regret that I didn't follow this show from the beginning. It's too bad it's a little late for me now. *****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Never Been Blissed"
That was a total, awkward mess, but considering that Bliss' first episode was an abomination, a total, awkward mess is a step up.
Did the series actually think Logan being Sporde qualified as a good twist? I mean, I know the show is for little kids, but I doubt even THEY would be surprised by that.
I liked Sporde's final design though. It was like something on Samurai Jack.
I love Bubbles thinking she's Shaft. Obscure joke there.
The Professor screaming along to music in his car in the school parking lot was hands-down the most pathetic thing the character has ever done. And yes, I am aware of what a statement that is. That's how bad it was. Ugh. Bliss brings out the absolute worst in that character. On the plus side, his pedo vibes are not as bad as they were in the first Bliss episode. But considering how desperate he is for the kids' approval, they are not entirely absent either.
Speaking of desperate for approval. I laughed at the kid with braces being excited the cool new girl roughed her up. Who wants to touch her? Honestly, this is pretty much how stupid and arbitrary I've always thought belonging to cliques was deep down, so props for the joke spelling out how dumb it is with that moment. It's a pretty raw and unpleasant thing to see, and reminds us that generally speaking, all kids suck.
This episode sucked, but it didn't totally suck, which is the first for a Bliss episode. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "The Buttercup Job"
I love that the whole thing turned out to be a long con and that the Girls were actually longtime friends of Poseidon. But Bubbles is just in it for the penguins for her petting zoo.
I also laughed that Joe's Bait Shop was next to Atlantis.
Funny episode. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Sugar, Spice, And Super Lice"
This show is too dang cynical for its own good.
And did the professor actually just say "D*mn it, Utonium?"
This show always destroys the naïve lover of fun kiddie cartoons in me bit by bit. Episodes like this are why we are not allowed to have nice things. *.
The Powerpuff Girls "Toy Ploy"
This episode however was I think genuinely sweet. I love the week of Mojo Jojo at the beginning, and Octi's voice was cute too. And I like that the ultimate moral was Mojo realizing that Bubbles was the one who gave him his snuggle toy on his birthday. And how can you possibly use the weakness of a person who got you a gift when no-one else did? Octi listing off all of Bubbles faults makes her sound like the most useless Powerpuff Girl. In reality, the fact that she cares makes her the most useful against their supposed enemies. I actually like that moral. And I liked this episode. I loved the war footage. It's like I was watching an entirely different cartoon for a few seconds and I totally forgot where I was. I loved that. ****1/2.
Ben 10 "The 11th Alien, Parts 1 and 2"
Normally, since CN aired both of these episodes with clear episode titles, I'd review each part individually. Except, I'd have a positive view of Part 1 if Part 2 didn't exist. Best to discuss them at once.
I loved the idea of Vilgax coming to Ben to help because things were getting dire. And this show seems to take the least interesting way out with their villains every single time. Just based on Ben's careless and sociopathic reactions to Vilgax's reasonable seeming warnings means this show doesn't know what it is doing, if it is saying Ben is actually in the right for his horrible behavior all along. The reason the two-parter sucked is because Vilgax actually got Ben to ponder the consequences of his actions for the first time ever. But because Vilgax is tricking him, it means Ben no longer has to do that. And that ruins the first episode, and the rest of the series. The series will be worse off for making Vilgax insincere in a moment Ben needed the lesson he was teaching. Ben should never have the high ground to anybody after he said "Then let's find out!" in the reckless fashion that he did.
Sucked. *.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Rise And Shine"
First of all, let's get the fact right out of the way that this is not the best episode of the season or worth five stars. It's not. But usually when I approach reviewing this specific show I go about trying to figure out what worked and what went wrong. As far as I'm concerned, nothing actually went wrong in this episode. I will be grading it four stars because it's not amazing in its own right. But there are very few five stars things I've rated that have given me this little to complain about.
First off, I always liked Talbot, as big of a jerk as he was. And I was right to. This episode confirms every inch of my love for the guy. He refuses to work with Hale because she's Hydra. That's all the reason he needs to refuse her. And he automatically knows it wasn't Daisy who shot him. And he believes Coulson will be coming for him. All of these things endear me to him. But what I especially love is that when he goes to Coulson a broken man, he instantly reveals he broke and wound up telling them everything. Because that is information Coulson needed. And even though it probably hurt him ego and made him look bad, he gave it for the benefit of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mission. And that's one of the things I like about Talbot.
Don't you just love Coulson seeing immediately through the cereal test? Talbot and Strucker Jr act like it's the most confounding thing ever but all Hydra does is play games. And Phil's the only one who recognizes that.
Simmons' idea that they are untouchable is wrong-headed. Because it involves her deciding to keep the loop as is no matter what. If the future CAN be changed, killing herself, Fitz, and Yoyo might be the only way to break the loop. She and Yoyo are seeing this information as a gift. And it is. And it's one they are wasting by not using it to try and break the loop.
I love that Fitz is upset Deek is his grandson because he hates him. So funny.
Do you what I especially love about Fitz's scene with Daisy? There is a pro-choice feminist subtext behind it. He says he had no choice. That is not true at all. DAISY was the one with no choice. He took that away from her. He cannot rob a woman of her autonomy and then violently violate her under the guise that he had no choice. He is not the victim here. He does not get to claim the "No choice" mantle for himself. It's antifeminist that he thinks he can. And I love that subtext. Very empowering.
I love that Ruby thinks the dog test is stupid and outdated. It is. Do you know the reason people think Hydra is crazy and evil? Because they train people to kill dogs they love. There is no higher purpose there, and they can't claim to be fighting to bring down a corrupt institution under the guise of order while you kill dogs because you love them. I subscribe to the Bible's idea of "By their fruits you shall know them". Hydra is a bad organization simply because they think caring about someone or something is a weakness. There is no other reason Phil Couslon should ever want or need to crush these b@stards. Burn them, Phil. Burn the organization to the ground and salt the Earth. Let God sort the rest out.
There seems to be a tie to Infinity War coming up but I'm wondering if the timing of the movie's release will effect the show's actual schedule. Unless the season ends far sooner than I thought, they are going to have to address the idea that Infinity War happened and the Earth is "presumably" still standing. They swore up and down Infinity War wouldn't effect this season, and I think it may be the movie that effects the series most of all.
Not an amazing episode. Not a classic. But d@mned if I can actually find something wrong with it. ****.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Inside Voices"
Yoyo, Fitz, and Simmons are absolutely crazy. And yet what they are doing is the right, smart move. I suspect each of them is wrong. I think they CAN be killed. But they should be risking that at every opportunity. Not because they are invincible. But because if they are wrong, one of them will die and the loop will break. H*ll, that might not even stop the end of the world. But it will be useful information in the next go-around that the future CAN be messed with, and they'll eventually get there with as many do-overs they seem to be suffering through.
I love that Creel is loyal to Talbot. He's Hydra and still loyal to Talbot. Can you blame him? Talbot was so lovable this episode. He was daffy and loony and yet when Coulson dies he gets a level of focus and orders Creel to fix him. And he does. Is that what Robyn was referring to? To be determined.
Speaking of Robyn, how painful must it have been for her mother to hear her call May "Mommy"? That sucked. Especially because that let her know exactly what was going to happen soon. May promises she won't let that happen, but they haven't been doing a good job at preventing the bad stuff that is supposed to happen so far.
It was funny last week but in hindsight I am a little annoyed Fitz hates Deek as much as he does. It's a bit irrational. But I think he started to come around when Deek said he respected him for his cold-bloodedness a couple of episodes ago. I don't. But maybe Fitz will learn to quiet the voices if he realizes he is not the only person who sees their dire predicament in the black and white terms he does.
Autopilot. What's the worst that could happen? Answer: The is NO bad ending to that scenario even if they crash and die. I don't think they are invincible. I suspect Yoyo is going to die in the finale to prove they changed the future. But it's probably for the exact reason they are acting so crazy.
What's weird about Simmons' hypothesis is that it isn't actually science. It's faith. That's all it comes down to. It is scientifically irrational to do that test on yourself, especially when you are already tricking Mack. But she had to be sure. And now she is. But I still think she's wrong.
Mack asks Yoyo if she only survived because Mack dies protecting her. Sorry, Mack, that's probably true. But this is bigger than him and his worried and feelings. He is not invincible. He does not know what that is like.
Coulson really is miffed at losing the Cap'n Crunch. Coulson values the correct things.
Good to briefly see Ruth Negga in the tag. I miss Flowers.
Good week. ****.
Legion "Chapter 9"
That was bizarre. I didn't know what to make of it. A recap of season 1 at the beginning would have helped. It's been a year. I'd forgotten most of this stuff.
The stuff with the hatching chicken demon eating the chick was SO frightening, as were the visuals of the people with the chattering teeth. I also like that when Syd is asked if she trusts David she simply answers, "He's my man." And it sort of shows how strange their romance actually is, compared to every other couple on television. They are committed to so much based on so little. And that's kind of cool, and kind of annoying at the same time. Both of them are too young for their own good, whether Syd found a gray hair or not.
I am very relieved Future Syd did not die in that end sequence. I would have been annoyed at yet ANOTHER superhero show doing the trope of showing a hero's death, and the season being about trying to prevent it. I was all set to hate the season if it did that, and it ended things on a much more ambiguous note instead.
Still, this episode is confusing as h*ll. It's cool to look at though. ***.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy: Mission Break-Out! "I Fought The Law"
Does Sam have the word "sucker" tattooed on his forehead or what? There is no other rational explanation as to why he's trusted and freed two separate supervillains.
As far as I'm concerned, whatever the Nova Corp eventually winds up doing to him won't be enough. And yes, I'm good with execution for that. This is not his first offense.
The parasite looked freaky on Thanos' head.
I laughed after Groot says "I am Groot!" Rocket warns him not to say anything. That's a actually a concern for him. Noted. Moving on.
I like the notion that the Ravagers kept attacking after Thanos escaped because living witnesses could report them for attacking a Nova Corp ship. I love that the show gave a plausible explanation to keep the peril going. Heck, it's not even just plausible, after hearing Gamora say it like that, it actually makes sense.
Bad things? I think this series is defanging Thanos far too much with Infinity War just around the corner. Thanos is not a villain like Loki that can be used equally well in comical and serious settings. Seeing him wearing headphones while being forced to listen to smooth jazz makes him lose a ton of credibility in the era of pop culture where he needs to be building it up instead. I think it's a mistake to say the Guardians can take on Thanos alone and win. Because what's the point of the entire movie then?
But I liked everything else. ***1/2.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy: Mission Break-Out! "Titan Up"
That was great. Did several things I didn't expect it to do like get rid of Baby Groot, have Thanos actually taken in at the end, and the Guardians actually getting their long-sought-after big payday.
My favorite part was Gamora shouting at Thanos that she was precisely the woman she decided to be. What a great empowering moment. I don't know how many little girls watch this show, but I'm betting any who did will think that was awesome. It totally was. It knocked my socks off.
I expected this episode to be a total let-down, and them to hit the Total Reset Button at the end. That fact that they didn't, and there seem to be genuine consequences, is the reason I loved it. *****.
iZombie "Goon Struck"
That ending was amazing.
Three major things to talk about (pun intended):
1. I truly believe Major Lilywhite is a terrible person. I have thought that ever since he was appearing to serial kill zombies in season two, but he had plausible deniability there, especially since it turned out he went off-mission and didn't really kill anyone. Here, kidnapping and infecting the daughter of someone at the state department simply so they won't launch a nuke at the city? If that's what it takes to stop the city from being nuked, maybe the city deserves to be nuked. Secondly, I am well aware that he was an armed soldier at that atrocity of an execution. Liv looks like she'll never forgive him, and I hope that sticks. He sucks.
2. Chase Graves is not an interesting villain because his intentions are good. He's not an interesting villain because he regrets the terrible things he thinks he has to do. He's an interesting villain because every single decision he makes is the wrong one, and it always blows up in his face. Last season, the aura he gave off was the confident and self-possessed soldier who knew what he was doing. But everything he does this year runs counter to his goals.
Let's start with the plan last season to infect 10,000 people. Why didn't he know that would be overkill ahead of time? Why is he surprised by the bad result? Did he really expect the rest of the United States to donate brains to this specific cause? He would not be in the mess he is in if he had chosen to infect 1,000 people. He probably would even have gotten the same favorable results to zombies. And people would probably not be starving in the street for it.
Then let's go to his idea to train street kids who have recently become zombies to be soldiers. He didn't see a hot-headed kid infecting an unarmed human coming? And that was freaking day 1! And I would have been surprised if it had been later than that.
The public executions? For someone who cares so much about optics and public opinions, Chase did NOT think that through. He did not consider that he might have to execute a beloved citizen entirely for political reasons. And suddenly, most people in the crowd are begging him to spare her life, and the only people who want her head smashed are actually the human bigots. And now the entire world has cell-phone footage of that. Simply because Chase was too dumb to understand why public executions are such a bad idea in modern times. It's so stupid. And preventable. It's amazing he's still this season's Big Bad. I feel less good about the heroes for not toppling someone this outright weak ages ago.
3. You realize the season finale, right? It is going to be Liv led up to the chopping block, and Major being forced to saved her. They pretty much telegraphed the entire season two finale ahead of time, and that's what they are doing here too. It's later in the season, but the climax (or possibly the cliffhanger) will be Liv being walked out and strapped to the gallows, while Major has to make a huge decision. Bank on it.
Speaking of incompetent villains, why does Donnie get hired for anything? Yeah, he's funny, but he does dumb stuff nobody actually needs to do, and he just makes the mission harder and worse. It's kind of fun to see the pickles he puts Blaine in, but I have no idea why Major puts up with him, and didn't simply tell Chase that he was unreliable for the mission, and that he should have hired somebody else.
"How many times am I going to have to evade and not answer the same question?" Just by saying that, Blaine knows he is untouchable. And the messed up thing is he's right. So, what, we're just not going to talk about the missing tooth?
The thing with the bus driver says that human "bigots" aren't actually bigots at all. They are worried for the right reasons, and always have been. Which is a really subversive moral.
This series has already jumped the shark with last year's finale. Fonzie's legs are bitten off, but he isn't quite dead yet. Will he make it long enough to find a refrigerator big enough to hide in when the nuke on Seattle drops? We'll see. Great episode, of a lackluster season, of a formerly good show. ****.
Lucifer "Orange Is The New Maze"
Pierce is a bad dude. He doesn't understand women if he actually thinks getting rid of the cat is the solution.
I love that Maze is offended by Lucifer's attempts at comfort. I actually think Lucifer's heart was in the right place when he said it, but I think he accidentally said it in an insulting way he didn't intend to. Honesty is Lucifer's best quality. But it also makes him a bit unfiltered and not prone to choose his words carefully.
Speaking of which, I loved his scene telling Charlotte the truth. He tells her every crazy thing matter of factly, as if it's no big deal, and truly sounds like he believes it. I also LOVED how she lit up at the wings. Linda thinks the truth would destroy her? In reality, it is the thing that saves her sanity.
I always talk smack about Linda, but this week she was even more contemptible than usual. She tells Amenadiel him telling Charlotte the truth is what is best for him, not her. Pot meet kettle. In reality, Amendadiel keeping the truth for Charlotte is better for LINDA, and that's Linda's actual objection. What will Charlotte think when she realizes Linda has been lying to her this whole time and deliberately steering her away from the truth? What is especially bad about what Linda did is that the only reason Lucifer directed Charlotte to her is because he knew Linda was the one person on Earth who could relate to what she was going through, and help her navigate it. And Linda has refused to do that at every turn. Did I mention she is the worst therapist ever?
She's also the worst person ever if the truth sets Charlotte free, and it previously turned Linda against her friends. I don't want to hear Linda say Charlotte is holding on by a thread anymore. She is and always has been a stronger person than Linda.
I loved Lucifer's reactions to Maze this episode. He is the one of her friends totally convinced she's guilty at the beginning. But the second he realizes she's innocent, nobody works harder than he does to prove that. That's the interesting thing about Lucifer. He doesn't believe Maze is a better person than she actually is. But he also does not believe the innocent should ever be punished. Chloe seems a little surprised at his turnaround but it really should be no surprise at all.
Speaking of no Lucifer surprises, the episode really navigated the fact that Chloe doesn't understand what Maze and Lucifer are talking about in the ride home thing very well. I felt her telling Lucifer not to name-call when he said Maze was a demon didn't entirely work, but when she is about to pause the story about how it doesn't make sense for Maze to want to lash out the way she did because Lucifer wouldn't offer her a ride home, I like the subtle way Tom Ellis portrayed that as not registering her confusion at all. He is so focused on Maze in that moment, he doesn't quite get that Chloe is confused. And that's the right move, because if he was, and didn't clear it up, he would be keeping things from her. Someday Chloe will learn to take the weird things Lucifer and Maze say at face value. Until she does that, she will always be confused.
Isn't it cool how Lucifer's wings can pop out over his clothes?
The next week previews (or 3 weeks from tonight previews) hint that Pierce is even worse than we can possibly imagine. I can't wait. ****.
Supernatural "Scoobynatural"
Okay, this was the first time I ever saw Supernatural and the show did everything right. It didn't deal with anything from the show's mythology. It didn't open with a recap. It already knew the episode was going to have a whole bunch of new viewers for the single week and didn't want them confused. And the cold opening (the Winchesters fighting a giant plush) let us know immediately the kind of silly episode it was going to be. I am not going to be back next week. Ten years of episodes is a lot to catch up on. But I can tell what a special show I am missing out on.
I love that the Scooby Gang is unfazed by the dead bloody bodies. What a great joke. And then having Daphne being amazed the afterlife is real and wondering if she's already in hell was so funny too. I love Shaggy being upset he broke his arm, and Fred getting a bloody nose.
Poor Dean. He is never gonna land Daphne. But the secret ship we should have been watching out for was Velma and Sam. Although things will probably get tough for them down the road. Because boys and girls don't sleep in the same room.
Fred's just mad because he could have been fighting real ghosts the entire time instead of people in costumes.
I loved Dean saying about the cackling lawyer at the beginning that he was the bad guy. Ya think? The Scooby mysteries are easier to solve than the writers think.
And they did the Scooby Doo ending in the live-action at the end, including Dean wearing a red ascot, and the black circle closing around his head. You're not a talking dog, Dean. Because he obviously needs to be reminded of that occasionally.
I really enjoyed this. I now regret that I didn't follow this show from the beginning. It's too bad it's a little late for me now. *****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Never Been Blissed"
That was a total, awkward mess, but considering that Bliss' first episode was an abomination, a total, awkward mess is a step up.
Did the series actually think Logan being Sporde qualified as a good twist? I mean, I know the show is for little kids, but I doubt even THEY would be surprised by that.
I liked Sporde's final design though. It was like something on Samurai Jack.
I love Bubbles thinking she's Shaft. Obscure joke there.
The Professor screaming along to music in his car in the school parking lot was hands-down the most pathetic thing the character has ever done. And yes, I am aware of what a statement that is. That's how bad it was. Ugh. Bliss brings out the absolute worst in that character. On the plus side, his pedo vibes are not as bad as they were in the first Bliss episode. But considering how desperate he is for the kids' approval, they are not entirely absent either.
Speaking of desperate for approval. I laughed at the kid with braces being excited the cool new girl roughed her up. Who wants to touch her? Honestly, this is pretty much how stupid and arbitrary I've always thought belonging to cliques was deep down, so props for the joke spelling out how dumb it is with that moment. It's a pretty raw and unpleasant thing to see, and reminds us that generally speaking, all kids suck.
This episode sucked, but it didn't totally suck, which is the first for a Bliss episode. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "The Buttercup Job"
I love that the whole thing turned out to be a long con and that the Girls were actually longtime friends of Poseidon. But Bubbles is just in it for the penguins for her petting zoo.
I also laughed that Joe's Bait Shop was next to Atlantis.
Funny episode. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Sugar, Spice, And Super Lice"
This show is too dang cynical for its own good.
And did the professor actually just say "D*mn it, Utonium?"
This show always destroys the naïve lover of fun kiddie cartoons in me bit by bit. Episodes like this are why we are not allowed to have nice things. *.
The Powerpuff Girls "Toy Ploy"
This episode however was I think genuinely sweet. I love the week of Mojo Jojo at the beginning, and Octi's voice was cute too. And I like that the ultimate moral was Mojo realizing that Bubbles was the one who gave him his snuggle toy on his birthday. And how can you possibly use the weakness of a person who got you a gift when no-one else did? Octi listing off all of Bubbles faults makes her sound like the most useless Powerpuff Girl. In reality, the fact that she cares makes her the most useful against their supposed enemies. I actually like that moral. And I liked this episode. I loved the war footage. It's like I was watching an entirely different cartoon for a few seconds and I totally forgot where I was. I loved that. ****1/2.
Ben 10 "The 11th Alien, Parts 1 and 2"
Normally, since CN aired both of these episodes with clear episode titles, I'd review each part individually. Except, I'd have a positive view of Part 1 if Part 2 didn't exist. Best to discuss them at once.
I loved the idea of Vilgax coming to Ben to help because things were getting dire. And this show seems to take the least interesting way out with their villains every single time. Just based on Ben's careless and sociopathic reactions to Vilgax's reasonable seeming warnings means this show doesn't know what it is doing, if it is saying Ben is actually in the right for his horrible behavior all along. The reason the two-parter sucked is because Vilgax actually got Ben to ponder the consequences of his actions for the first time ever. But because Vilgax is tricking him, it means Ben no longer has to do that. And that ruins the first episode, and the rest of the series. The series will be worse off for making Vilgax insincere in a moment Ben needed the lesson he was teaching. Ben should never have the high ground to anybody after he said "Then let's find out!" in the reckless fashion that he did.
Sucked. *.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Rise And Shine"
First of all, let's get the fact right out of the way that this is not the best episode of the season or worth five stars. It's not. But usually when I approach reviewing this specific show I go about trying to figure out what worked and what went wrong. As far as I'm concerned, nothing actually went wrong in this episode. I will be grading it four stars because it's not amazing in its own right. But there are very few five stars things I've rated that have given me this little to complain about.
First off, I always liked Talbot, as big of a jerk as he was. And I was right to. This episode confirms every inch of my love for the guy. He refuses to work with Hale because she's Hydra. That's all the reason he needs to refuse her. And he automatically knows it wasn't Daisy who shot him. And he believes Coulson will be coming for him. All of these things endear me to him. But what I especially love is that when he goes to Coulson a broken man, he instantly reveals he broke and wound up telling them everything. Because that is information Coulson needed. And even though it probably hurt him ego and made him look bad, he gave it for the benefit of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mission. And that's one of the things I like about Talbot.
Don't you just love Coulson seeing immediately through the cereal test? Talbot and Strucker Jr act like it's the most confounding thing ever but all Hydra does is play games. And Phil's the only one who recognizes that.
Simmons' idea that they are untouchable is wrong-headed. Because it involves her deciding to keep the loop as is no matter what. If the future CAN be changed, killing herself, Fitz, and Yoyo might be the only way to break the loop. She and Yoyo are seeing this information as a gift. And it is. And it's one they are wasting by not using it to try and break the loop.
I love that Fitz is upset Deek is his grandson because he hates him. So funny.
Do you what I especially love about Fitz's scene with Daisy? There is a pro-choice feminist subtext behind it. He says he had no choice. That is not true at all. DAISY was the one with no choice. He took that away from her. He cannot rob a woman of her autonomy and then violently violate her under the guise that he had no choice. He is not the victim here. He does not get to claim the "No choice" mantle for himself. It's antifeminist that he thinks he can. And I love that subtext. Very empowering.
I love that Ruby thinks the dog test is stupid and outdated. It is. Do you know the reason people think Hydra is crazy and evil? Because they train people to kill dogs they love. There is no higher purpose there, and they can't claim to be fighting to bring down a corrupt institution under the guise of order while you kill dogs because you love them. I subscribe to the Bible's idea of "By their fruits you shall know them". Hydra is a bad organization simply because they think caring about someone or something is a weakness. There is no other reason Phil Couslon should ever want or need to crush these b@stards. Burn them, Phil. Burn the organization to the ground and salt the Earth. Let God sort the rest out.
There seems to be a tie to Infinity War coming up but I'm wondering if the timing of the movie's release will effect the show's actual schedule. Unless the season ends far sooner than I thought, they are going to have to address the idea that Infinity War happened and the Earth is "presumably" still standing. They swore up and down Infinity War wouldn't effect this season, and I think it may be the movie that effects the series most of all.
Not an amazing episode. Not a classic. But d@mned if I can actually find something wrong with it. ****.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Inside Voices"
Yoyo, Fitz, and Simmons are absolutely crazy. And yet what they are doing is the right, smart move. I suspect each of them is wrong. I think they CAN be killed. But they should be risking that at every opportunity. Not because they are invincible. But because if they are wrong, one of them will die and the loop will break. H*ll, that might not even stop the end of the world. But it will be useful information in the next go-around that the future CAN be messed with, and they'll eventually get there with as many do-overs they seem to be suffering through.
I love that Creel is loyal to Talbot. He's Hydra and still loyal to Talbot. Can you blame him? Talbot was so lovable this episode. He was daffy and loony and yet when Coulson dies he gets a level of focus and orders Creel to fix him. And he does. Is that what Robyn was referring to? To be determined.
Speaking of Robyn, how painful must it have been for her mother to hear her call May "Mommy"? That sucked. Especially because that let her know exactly what was going to happen soon. May promises she won't let that happen, but they haven't been doing a good job at preventing the bad stuff that is supposed to happen so far.
It was funny last week but in hindsight I am a little annoyed Fitz hates Deek as much as he does. It's a bit irrational. But I think he started to come around when Deek said he respected him for his cold-bloodedness a couple of episodes ago. I don't. But maybe Fitz will learn to quiet the voices if he realizes he is not the only person who sees their dire predicament in the black and white terms he does.
Autopilot. What's the worst that could happen? Answer: The is NO bad ending to that scenario even if they crash and die. I don't think they are invincible. I suspect Yoyo is going to die in the finale to prove they changed the future. But it's probably for the exact reason they are acting so crazy.
What's weird about Simmons' hypothesis is that it isn't actually science. It's faith. That's all it comes down to. It is scientifically irrational to do that test on yourself, especially when you are already tricking Mack. But she had to be sure. And now she is. But I still think she's wrong.
Mack asks Yoyo if she only survived because Mack dies protecting her. Sorry, Mack, that's probably true. But this is bigger than him and his worried and feelings. He is not invincible. He does not know what that is like.
Coulson really is miffed at losing the Cap'n Crunch. Coulson values the correct things.
Good to briefly see Ruth Negga in the tag. I miss Flowers.
Good week. ****.
Legion "Chapter 9"
That was bizarre. I didn't know what to make of it. A recap of season 1 at the beginning would have helped. It's been a year. I'd forgotten most of this stuff.
The stuff with the hatching chicken demon eating the chick was SO frightening, as were the visuals of the people with the chattering teeth. I also like that when Syd is asked if she trusts David she simply answers, "He's my man." And it sort of shows how strange their romance actually is, compared to every other couple on television. They are committed to so much based on so little. And that's kind of cool, and kind of annoying at the same time. Both of them are too young for their own good, whether Syd found a gray hair or not.
I am very relieved Future Syd did not die in that end sequence. I would have been annoyed at yet ANOTHER superhero show doing the trope of showing a hero's death, and the season being about trying to prevent it. I was all set to hate the season if it did that, and it ended things on a much more ambiguous note instead.
Still, this episode is confusing as h*ll. It's cool to look at though. ***.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy: Mission Break-Out! "I Fought The Law"
Does Sam have the word "sucker" tattooed on his forehead or what? There is no other rational explanation as to why he's trusted and freed two separate supervillains.
As far as I'm concerned, whatever the Nova Corp eventually winds up doing to him won't be enough. And yes, I'm good with execution for that. This is not his first offense.
The parasite looked freaky on Thanos' head.
I laughed after Groot says "I am Groot!" Rocket warns him not to say anything. That's a actually a concern for him. Noted. Moving on.
I like the notion that the Ravagers kept attacking after Thanos escaped because living witnesses could report them for attacking a Nova Corp ship. I love that the show gave a plausible explanation to keep the peril going. Heck, it's not even just plausible, after hearing Gamora say it like that, it actually makes sense.
Bad things? I think this series is defanging Thanos far too much with Infinity War just around the corner. Thanos is not a villain like Loki that can be used equally well in comical and serious settings. Seeing him wearing headphones while being forced to listen to smooth jazz makes him lose a ton of credibility in the era of pop culture where he needs to be building it up instead. I think it's a mistake to say the Guardians can take on Thanos alone and win. Because what's the point of the entire movie then?
But I liked everything else. ***1/2.
Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy: Mission Break-Out! "Titan Up"
That was great. Did several things I didn't expect it to do like get rid of Baby Groot, have Thanos actually taken in at the end, and the Guardians actually getting their long-sought-after big payday.
My favorite part was Gamora shouting at Thanos that she was precisely the woman she decided to be. What a great empowering moment. I don't know how many little girls watch this show, but I'm betting any who did will think that was awesome. It totally was. It knocked my socks off.
I expected this episode to be a total let-down, and them to hit the Total Reset Button at the end. That fact that they didn't, and there seem to be genuine consequences, is the reason I loved it. *****.