"The Punisher" Season One Review (Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episodes of DC Super Hero Girls and The Powerpuff Girls.
Upcoming reviews include Twin Peaks: The Return (Blu-Ray), Doctor Who: Series 9, Doctor Who: Series 10, Class: Series 1, The X-Files: Season 10, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), Captain America: Civil War (Blu-Ray), Doctor Strange (Blu-Ray), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (Blu-Ray), Spider-Man: Homecoming (Blu-Ray), Thor: Ragnorok (Blu-Ray), Black Panther (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse (Blu-Ray), Logan, Legion: Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 2, Zootopia, Moana (Blu-Ray), Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Finding Dory (Blu-Ray), Cars 3 (Blu-Ray), Coco (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 5, Once Upon A Time: Season 6, The BFG, Tomorrowland, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-Ray), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Blu-Ray), Star Wars Rebels: Season 2, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures: Season 1, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Blu-Ray), Static Shock: Season 4, Justice League Action: Superpowers Unite!, Justice League Action: Battles From Beyond!, Teen Titans Go!: Get In Pig Out, Teen Titans Go!: Recess Is Over, DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, LEGO DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain, The LEGO Batman Movie, LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash, Batman Vs. Two-Face, Scooby Doo! & Batman: The Brave And The Bold, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight, Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay, Batman Ninja, Suicide Squad (Blu-Ray), Wonder Woman (Blu-Ray), Justice League (Blu-Ray), The Flash: Season 2, The Flash: Season 3, Arrow: Season 4, Arrow: Season 5, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 2, Supergirl: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 2, Vixen: The Movie, Black Lightning: Season 1, Gotham: Season 2, Gotham: Season 3, iZombie: Season 1, iZombie: Season 2, iZombie: Season 3, Lucifer: Season 1, Lucifer: Season 2, Samurai Jack: Season 5, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Prod.: Hare-Raising Tales, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, The Simpsons: Season 18, Red Dwarf XII, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Earth's Last Stand, Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Shredder, Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wanted: Bebop & Rocksteady, Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Final Chapters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows, Power Rangers (2017), Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Megaforce: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Super Megaforce: The Complete Season, Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Season 1, Heroes Reborn: The Complete Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, The Legend Of Korra: The Complete Series, The Ren And Stimpy Show: Seasons 1 & 2, The Ren And Stimpy Show: Seasons 3 and a Half-ish, The Ren And Stimpy Show: Season 5 & Some More Of 4, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Haven: The Final Season, The Dark Tower, IT, Under The Dome: Season 3, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Sleepy Hollow: Season 3, Sleepy Hollow: Season 4, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 4, Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), Shaun The Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas, 12 Monkeys: Season 1, 12 Monkeys: Season 2, Grimm: Season 4, Grimm: Season 5, Grimm: Season 6, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 5, The Wonder Years: Season 6, The Peanuts Movie, Peanuts By Schulz: Go Team Go!, Peanuts By Schulz: School Days, Bob's Burgers: Season 5, Home Movies: Seasons 1 & 2, Home Movies: Season 3 & 4, Ghostbusters: Answer The Call, Community: Season 6, Danger Mouse: The Complete Series, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Game of Thrones: Season 6.
The Punisher "3AM"
Like the beard.
It's REALLY tough to sympathize with Frank Castle when he is always murdering people begging him for mercy.
Still, having to wake up to that realization every single morning must SUCK. I understand why he is as messed up as he is.
Is "give your left t word" even a saying? Methinks the part of Madani was originally supposed to go to a man, and the line was gonna be about a left nut.
I would very much like Frank Castle's tombstone to read that he lost an @$$ kicking contest with a one-legged man.
I really like Stein. He seems secretly insightful. I liked him throwing back the "You'll have to earn my trust" to Madani the way he did.
When the construction workers were messing with Frank the way they were at the beginning, at the end I was like, "This is why you don't want to do that."
I mean, these guys are jerks. Sticking that kid with the huge bill so he'll pretty much HAVE to join the heist? D-word move.
The kid's best hope at the end is to lie about never ratting them out, and hoping they believe him. Except the construction workers actually know that that doesn't matter even if he means it when he says it. When he promises he won't rat them out, the head goon tells him he'd be stupid if he didn't. And that's the answer, and why he has to die, and why Frank actually has to step in to save him.
Love Frank teaching his daughter to play his theme song on the guitar in the flashback at the beginning.
Decent premiere of a premise I can't frankly stand. ***.
The Punisher "Two Dead Men"
Ellison was one of my absolute favorite characters on Daredevil, simply because he's the guy who will deliver this specific line to Karen Page: "If I give you the article, will you promise to stop looking at me like that?" My absolute favorite thing about Ellison is that while he is not dirty, he's also not perfect. And he doesn't deny his failings. And it's his precise anti-b.s. attitude which is why I always thought Ben was giving him an unfair shake in Season One. I love him unreservedly.
I'll miss the beard on Frank. He WOULD look good in a manbun.
They show Frank eating an awful lot of unhealthy stuff in this franchise, and yet he never gets fat. Which is another reason I hate him.
You know, on the one hand him grabbing his son in the flashback and telling him to never say that again, hints he's an abusive father who scares his kids. But the thing that set him off was his kid making a racial slur against the people he fights in the war. So, yeah, Frank is a violent and sucky father on some level. But at least he's sucky for the right reasons.
It's always the empty gun that gets the villains. With just that trick Frank proves he's smarter than advertised. THAT is the way he gets the truth, not the torture. If Wolfe thinks Frank is going to die, he can give things up he never would under torture. And when the gun clicks you realize Frank always knew that. Which makes the fact that he still tortures him a bit more unforgivable. But it's not like he wasn't involved in killing Frank's family.
We keep seeing more and more of Frank's nightmare of his wife getting killed in the morning. This was the first time I recognized it was Frank behind the mask. Good set-up there.
Frank is such an ahole to Karen for being wary of giving him information, that I'm wondering why she ever consents to help this big baby at all. Her needs for assurances are not unreasonable in the slightest. And if worse comes to worse, he can lie to her. Him making her feel like a bad friend instead shows the guy is a total d-bag.
Does Frank really think it is abnormal for a person to worry about the name they are giving him winding up dead? I mean, that is a HUGE thing for an innocent person to do, so Karen wanting more information ahead of time is reasonable. Completely. How messed up is Frank to perceive that as disloyalty? He's sick.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this episode. Frank Castle sucks. The show doesn't. ****.
The Punisher "Kandahar"
Frank's treatment of Micro here tells me that his promise to Karen that he only hurts people who deserve it is b.s.. Yeah, as far as Frank knows, maybe Micro will turn out to be a bad guy. But Frank is clearly not sure and is torturing him anyways. That is not an actual moral code.
It was interesting to see the flashback to Frank saving the General, that the General told on the stand in Daredevil. Frankly, I think the General was overstating his culpability. It was Rawlins to blame, and I punched the air upon Frank punching him. This show brings out my worst impulses.
Frankly watching Frank pummel dead corpses as blood sprays on his face tell me this is a psychopathic human being, even before he lost his family. While they are playing a song about American freedom over that I nearly lost my lunch. This show at its worst.
The one thing in the episode I loved was Frank screaming "I love my wife!" upon seeing the Springsteen tickets. There is not much Frank says or does that I can relate to. That was actually funny.
Frank has famously said on Daredevil that he doesn't suffer from PTSD, but as seen by the way he wakes up every morning, he's totally full of crap about that.
Honestly, this sort of depravity makes me cringe. *1/2.
The Punisher "Resupply"
I like Micro making Frank fix his Sarah's headlight problem a condition of him still helping him.
Frank is such a jackass. He's good with kids. I'll give him that. But he is SO insensitive to Sarah's pain. He said what he said about David disappointing her because he knew he was listening, and wanted to make him feel bad and guilty. Instead it makes Sarah feel insulted. How dare he? He knows nothing about anything.
Lewis is a ticking time bomb. I love Curtis's perspective that he didn't GET his injury in the war. He LOST his leg. And if Lewis sees things like that as acquisitions, he IS thinking about war all wrong.
I laughed at Frank using the pop music to confuse the agents. Their frustration was actually funny. At least until Micro snaps and starts making it no fun at all.
I hate Frank but that was a good episode. ***1/2.
The Punisher "Gunner"
I like that Frank doesn't mind telling Micro his kid is an ahole. Because he is.
Is Rawlins seriously trying to claim his losing an eye happened on the battlefield? Talk about stolen valor.
Madani is totally onto Karen. It's about time somebody was.
At first I was mad at Frank missing the Lieberman family dinner, and then I remembered him telling Karen his story about his son painting the marine on the wall. They are better off and safer without him.
That story about the marine on the wall was absolutely great. Riveting stuff. And we don't have to see Frank kill a bunch of people for that drama to land.
I love that Frank is seriously miffed Micro didn't make him a sandwich. I personally think Frank eats entirely too much good food for someone in his situation, so it was nice to see him forced to eat rations while Micro snacked on the sandwich he wanted.
Is it just me, or does every sex scene in the Marvel Netflix shows start with a character asking what the other character wants to do, and then cutting to them slamming against the wall while eating each other's faces off? Honestly, I think that particular violent thing should NOT have become a pop culture cliché, and I am a bit disturbed at how played out it actually is. And it is beyond played out. I wasn't titillated. I rolled my eyes for how basic the series was being.
All right. But the sexyfuntimes were neither sexy nor fun. ***.
The Punisher "The Judas Goat"
Seriously upset Russo is a Black Hat. That will not end well.
Speaking of Russo, another example of a Marvel show normalizing male / female anal sex. I hate that. It puts an unreasonable expectation on women. Most men who have it with other men like it, but most women hate it and find it extremely painful.. And pop culture seems to love showing us the anal sex scenes because they are the dirtiest thing you can show on basic cable. And that normalizes them and gives men a reason to think their girlfriends who dislike it need to be more accommodating. Which is b.s.. And since "The Punisher" is the same level as basic cable, I understand why they pull that crap. But I don't have to like it.
If anyone in that group had stolen valor, it was O'Connor. In fact, after he left Lewis holding the bag with the cop, I knew his entire story was b.s.. It's almost good he was killed. I don't think he'd ever be able to properly rationalize the things he had been saying if people had proof that he lied about being in 'Nam.
For the record, it was not Curtis' place to tell Lewis that. That cr*p should be confidential from a group leader. And considering that Curtis KNOWS how unstable Lewis is, that's another good reason to keep those boundaries solid.
I think Sarah was a hair's breadth away of throwing herself at Frank, and then Frank did a VERY interesting thing. Every other scene he's had with her in that house, he has said his side of the conversation for two people: her and Micro. And he's been deliberately trying to upset Micro. And by doing that he's sometimes offended Sarah. But this episode was the first time he intended his comfort to Sarah to also extend to David. And I found that milestone very significant for both of those men.
It amazes me that Frank is a psychopath. Because he is surprisingly insightful when you sit down and talk to him.
I can't believe the Zach punched his sister in the face. I really loathe that kid. He sucks.
Good-(ish) episode but the show's sex scenes seem to be too dirty for their own good. ***1/2.
The Punisher "Crosshairs"
That bulletproof glass at the end did NOT go the way Frank wanted it to go.
Frank says it's easier when you can kill people. Frank is a crazy person.
Speaking of which, why is Frank bemoaning taking out some marines just trying to do their jobs? Because that's exactly what he did in the forest with Gunner.
I like that when Frank tells Morty not to say another word, he puts the ball-gag back in. All kinds. All kinds.
Stein and Madani's scene of close-talking in the hallway when she figured out there was a bug in her office was very comedic. I laughed at him wanted to know if the "hand on the @$$" story was real and how it ended.
Good episode. ****.
The Punisher "Cold Steel"
Wow, that was an amazing episode. It clarified several things.
First off, Frank is both an amazing person and despicable person at the same time.
Amazing for the way he rejected Sarah. In complete fairness to Sarah, any other man besides Frank would immediately view his actions as those of a potential suitor. That is why Micro is so angry. But what I love is that upon Frank rebuffing her, Sarah is mortified. She actually has nothing to be mortified about. 99 out of a 100 guys would consider the kiss the outcome they wanted. What I love about how Frank handled it is that because she was so embarrassed. she begged him not to make it weird. And d*mmit, as crazy as it sounds. he was able to do that! Which is like insane. But he goes on talking to her as if he was discussing the weather. And he doesn't pretend the kiss is insignificant to Sarah. But he's letting her know he doesn't think less of her for it, which was the precise thing she needed. She isn't actually crazy. And anybody else but Frank rejecting that kiss when he did would probably wind up making her feel bad. Instead she still trusts him enough to talk to her son.
Here is where Frank is despicable. It never occurred to Frank that Zach's bullying behavior might be a sign of weakness on his end, and not aggressive dominance. That's what make him pulling the knife unforgivable. Except you DO forgive it because it somehow crazily worked.
What disturbs me about Frank about refusing to go to Madani is that until he sees Micro on the street corner, I don't think he quite got how hard this was for the guy, and realized the danger he's putting Zach in. I don't think he really absorbed how badly the situation was actually hitting him.
This episode was a turning point for Russo. Before it, even if we knew in our heart of hearts he wasn't a double-agent, and trying to secretly bring Rawlins down, we kind of hoped that he could at least be convinced to do the right thing and switch sides. That's no longer an option, or even a hope on my end. After the scene with the abuse of his mother, and him killing Stein for discovering his secret, he's one of the few people on the series I actually WANT to see Frank put-down. This show unleashes very unhealthy feelings in me.
Here is another sad fact about Russo and Frank's ultimate mission. Frank at this point in the series thinks Billy's trustworthiness is beyond reproach. Which like him torturing Micro, or pulling a knife on Zach, says he is a bad judge of character. Which is pretty much the worst thing a lethal vigilante could ever be. One of the comic's gimmicks (which I truthfully think is b.s.) is that the Punisher supposedly never harms an innocent. On this show however, if Frank IS this bad at judging character, I wonder how true that actually is. Not very, I'm assuming, if Micro's stint cold and naked in the chair is any hint.
Still, this episode was h*llagood. *****.
The Punisher "Front Toward Enemy"
Oooh, Sarah's gonna be SO p*ssed!
It's interesting that Frank offered to let Lewis turn himself in when he did.
I loved the story Frank told about how Curtis lost his leg. Seriously good performances from the actors involved.
Lewis is a punk. ****.
The Punisher "Virtue Of The Vicious"
That gun control Senator believed in such strong measures, that in reality, he could never get elected to the Senate, not even in New York State. I have never heard a person elected Senator ever speak that way about guns, at least not publicly. This guy is having million dollar fundraisers? In reality, he couldn't be elected dogcatcher. My nickname for him is Senator Strawman.
And judging by Karen's disdain after the fact for him, I expected for him to have thrown her to the wolves. Instead he's just a sniveling crybaby. Who STILL sucks for trying to paint himself as the hero of the piece.
I am as anitgun as you can get. Guns aren't tools. Tools have uses. The only thing guns are for is killing. So trust me when I say, as somebody who believes the public shouldn't have guns, the idea that the Senator would be afraid of how it would look if he hired armed security for himself is absolute nonsense. I am far to the left of most of society on this issue. There is no elected politician that I know of that shares my opinion that guns should be illegal. Therefore, I find it perfectly normal if ANY Senator has armed security. How in the heck does the series think that Senator would look bad for that? Them saying that, said he was even more to the left of the issue than I am, despite his moderating his language in the middle of the episode to only certain people never having guns. I don't expect any politicians to follow my extreme opinion, because I know none of them could get elected if they did, and I'm not a single issue voter. So it floors me that this guy is supposedly so antigun that people would turn on him for hiring legit security. This is not the most realistic show ever, but the thing the show botched is believing that if I were Senator Strawman's constituent, I'd be madder at him for that than I actually was. H*ll, if I were a politician, I'd probably want armed security myself. We live in the society we have. Not the society we wish to have. And it's weird that the show thinks liberals do not already understand that.
Good to see Sergeant Mahoney again. Love the One Honest Cop.
I kind of feel it was wrong that we never got a scene dealing with Lewis' dad, and how he felt upon the idea that his son turned into a terrorist. After him calling him a hero earlier in the season, it very much feels like a dangling thread.
It's interesting that the series took the rightwing stance about gun control. Because it HAS to. There is no justification for what Frank does if they don't. He is a first degree mass murderer. I understand on some level that the show doesn't want to the viewer to see him that way, but that's what he is. And because they are trying to act like he's not, that's makes their political messages suck. I get it. But I don't have to think Senator Strawman is the least bit realistic or credible. **.
The Punisher "Danger Close"
I have very mixed feelings about this show. I mean, just watching Frank put bullets in the heads of helpless people begging for mercy reminds me why I hate the character, the comic, and the entire concept of the franchise. And yet, that's not all this show is. And it's much less that than previous adaptations. The show is also Micro reuniting with his daughter. This show has not just been Frank remorselessly killing mob bosses and drug dealers. At least this season. It's a lot more layered and nuanced than that. So while I hate the character of Frank, and everything he stands for, I can also admit it's a good show. Which frankly, stuns me. I expected going in to outright hate it. I sometimes do. But it's still a good show.
For the record, Frank just used a bomb. He was talking down Lewis as being cowardly for using them in a previous episode. Granted, Frank was THERE when the bomb went off, and had actual skin in the game, but it's only a matter of degree between that and how he disdained Lewis for fighting his perceived enemies.
Leo seems to be taking this rather well. Her scene with Frank at the end was so good. I don't think either of them knew what to say. I don't think anything they could say would be adequate, so I liked that silence hanging between them. It's interesting the nuance the show gives between Frank and the kid characters.
Great episode that made me cringe and angry at various points. But it was great. ****1/2.
The Punisher "Home"
That was gruesome. It's not like Rawlins didn't have it coming, but that was tough to watch.
I love the way Micro faked his death. And as she's pummeling him, the question of whether Sarah would hit or kiss him again upon seeing him was answered.
It is super creepy that the only time Frank has nice and / or sexual dreams about his wife is when he is getting tortured. This suggests to me he is getting off on it, and in my mind taints the entire idea of Maria to me as a viewer. Maybe I'm misinterpreting the situation. But if the writers were smarter, they wouldn't be having sex scenes in that moment that would even GIVE me that interpretation. When writing things like that, it is very important you consider what message you are sending. And all of the various fake-out dreams ending in trauma occurring during quiet moments, and the one good and sexy ones occurring during torture makes a statement. And the entire problem with the character of the Punisher, and every single story he is involved in, is that the writers never think or appreciate the statement they are making by showing him doing the things he does. It's just supposed to be violent and cool. But to an outside observer, who finds that kind of story distasteful, it's really easy to read a TON of bad messages in this premise based on the story choices they made. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Frank is NOT desecrating his wife's memory by having a wet dream during torture. But the problem with the episode, and genre like The Punisher in general, is that it never occurs to the writers to actually make sure I don't get that impression. Which is why revenge flicks and the like always seem to be more badly written than other genre projects.
I firmly believe every death in fiction makes a statement. It draws a line between the writer and reader / viewer. So I think projects would do MUCH better to actually sit down and think about what statement they are making ahead of time. I think death in fiction is necessary for a lot of GOOD fiction. But it is also something that a good writer will be VERY careful about, and when to show it, and who dies, and how. And genre doesn't do that nuance much anymore. It's been years, in fact, but most genre has become MORE like The Punisher, not the other way around. This episode would have completely disgusted me ten years ago. But this is not the first or only show to traffic in this specific level of depravity. I would love to be able to hate this episode and stick up my nose in disgust, but really, as far as this show, and all of the other critically acclaimed dramas like The Sopranos, The Shield, Game Of Thrones, The Walking Dead, etc. as of now, it's all just a matter of degree. So while I personally hated the violence in this episode, I cannot act like it's either abnormal or crossing a line the other shows I just mentioned haven't already crossed myriad times. Maybe this is a level of depravity not seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before. But it's been seen a lot elsewhere, and that's the real problem. I can't fault this show for that specific type of violence anymore. Basic cable pretty much opened the door.
I liked the teaser with Frank's on-camera statement. And I especially like that Frank openly admits he's the guy who shot the guy in the video (to Madani's shock). That is not a particular crime Frank would not have gotten away with had he denied it, and I like that he's lacking enough in pretense to ever excuse his own actions. And that's doesn't make him a hero or righteous. But it also means he isn't quite a villain either.
Didn't enjoy that. But I'm not going to pretend it sucked either. ***.
The Punisher "Memento Mori"
I liked most of it. I really did. But I can't get over that horrible teaser. I hate violence to musical montages. It's one thing to do those montages during like shoot-outs and the like, but here Russo basically going on a killing spree and putting out people before they even know what's happening. It's like they are trying to get me pumped up for a spree killing, which is effed up. Remember what I said about all death in fiction making a statement? I didn't like the statement that I was supposed to enjoy what I was watching. And the fact that they turned the end of the teaser into a slow motion walk away from an exploding building tells me the writers had no clue exactly how horrible what we had just watched actually was. Which seems to be this show's entire problem.
I like that Frank didn't kill Billy, but he's probably going to wish he did. The thing Billy loved best about himself is that he was pretty. And Frank took that away from him. Who is to say he isn't going to take that as personally as Frank did when the thing he actually cared about (his family) was taken away from him?
I loved David and Sarah's awkward sex scene. Simply because it seemed like a wonderful surprise to both of them. And it's so quick and seemingly underwhelming, that I smiled that it ultimately was still a pleasant surprise for them. It wasn't much, but it was a statement about what they each endured. And that was their first step towards returning towards normalcy.
Speaking of statements, while I think the teaser made a bad one, I'm a little surprised at that simply because the scene with Curtis and Russo makes me think the writers are actually good at their jobs. When Billy is reciting their crimes, Curtis is opening the curtains to the bright daylight. And you know what they say about sunlight being the best disinfectant,. Which is when Frank nicks him with the sniper rifle. I love the subtext of Curtis letting in the sunlight washing away the sins Billy was describing. It strikes as very weird that the show knows enough about decent storytelling to add that specific subtext, while being unaware of some of the other negative messages the show engages in, I'm guessing accidentally. Very weird indeed.
All in all, it was a decent finale to a mostly successful season. I expected to hate the show. And I don't. Now I don't love it. But it's totally better than Iron Fist, The Defenders, and even Daredevil: Season 2. ***1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Spell-Shocked, Part 2"
I will never get used to Darkseid saying things like "I'm unaccustomed to running at this velocity!" or "Toodles!" or "Golly Gee!"
The animation is terrible now. And to be honest, it didn't used to be great.
I like Raven using a spell not using "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" for once. She got in a "Zinthos" or two but she changed the rest of it up.
Didn't like this. So, normal week. **.
The Powerpuff Girls "Total Eclipse Of The Kart"
It's too bad Toys R Us has gone out of business. This episode could have gotten us some goodies.
Love "Cool beans".
Good to see Donnycorn again.
Honestly, the second half of the episode bugged the cr*p out of me. The evil Gemica "twist" came out of nowhere. Gemica has always been portrayed as selfish, but I kind of dug the neat message of the know-it-all archaeologist being a girl. And this just undoes that positive thing entirely for no good reason.
I think one of the biggest ironies of the entire franchise is that despite the fact that the heroes are three girls, there is very little female empowerment to be found. And that was true of the original series, and it's definitely true of the reboot here. It strikes me that a girl focused kids show should actually worry more about what messages it sends. Craig McCracken didn't give a cr*p about it, and that was part of the joke, and it seems the writers here don't either, even if the reboot isn't as overtly cruel.
The violence on the old show basically meant McCracken's "progressive" viewpoint about female empowerment is that girls are just as violent and horrible at conflict resolution as boys are. And that is a subversive joke on his end, not an actual message of empowerment. Which boggles the mind that he got away with that cr*p without ever being called on it by anyone by Roger Ebert. We miss you, Roger. Kick Gene Siskel's @$$ in Hell for me, will you?
Ancient Townsville? I get that was the joke, but I don't like jokes like that, that break what little reality the series is going for. And even if the show keeps things more grounded than the original series, it's not like the reboot is all that realistic to begin with.
I like Gemumu's design though. From the way they boarded her poses, and the eclipse striking her silhouette, I could tell that were kind of going with an Aku from Samurai Jack vibe. And despite the episode otherwise sucking, I did notice that influence, and enjoyed it greatly.
Here is the sad truth that no-one will want to hear. The reboot is not very good. But the original show was somehow even worse. I don't know exactly why I'm following this show. It's basically just Bubbles and nothing else for me at this point. It would probably cheese Tara Strong off to admit that I like this show's version better than hers. But Bubbles has become a good grounding influence for the show. You may scoff that the show would need that, but you know, if a show runs a good long while, it DOES. And it's the fact that the old show didn't really have that, and was full blown "Airplane!" spoof 100% of the time, without ever shutting it off, is the reason I like the reboot more than the original series. It's admittedly not much. But Bubbles has value to me in the notion that her distractions and seeming to go off-mission actually turn out to be the point of the mission. And that's the thing I like about the series, and how it talks up creativity over violence every single time they do that.
So no, I didn't like the episode all that much. But Bubbles is the reason I'm still watching the show and the episode didn't change that. If anything it reaffirmed it. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "The Long Skate Home"
Somewhere in this episode there is a great message about standing up to bullies, righting injustices, sticking to your principles, and being true to yourself. And as long as they frame those messages using the "Deathball" allegory, it all means jack squat, and is actually ridiculous.
Liked the joke of the VCR tape having to take two tries to go into the VCR though. Points for that. ***.
The Powerpuff Girls "Quarantine"
Wow, the Professor is 100% useless. This is one of those episodes I just did not see the point of. **.
The Powerpuf Girls "In The Doghouse"
Fantastic 4 parody at the beginning! I love the Bronze Boogieboarder.
Maurice LaMarche talks about The Chompers the same way he does about The Clamps.
I love that Pugface Paulie thinks Buttercup is dressed in grey.
I also loved the dogs tying Blossom, Bubbles, and the Professor up with 2 dog collars, a leash and a cone.
Butt-Sniffer's full name is "Bootius T. Sniffer"? Because of course it is.
Meal soda is disgusting.
Good episode. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Salamander"
Genius episode. The only thing I didn't like was that Salamander turned out to be Gnat, which means he won't be returning. He was a great villain with a great character design.
Henchmen become very helpful when you offer them chocolate milk. Although I question how he can sip it through a straw while wearing his mask.
The Cork Fork is about as useless as the solar-powered flashlight and the waterproof sponge.
I love the henchman crying out against Bubbles using forks and polite words. Which is again, why I love Bubbles. Her non-violence and creativity seem to always solve the problem.
Best episode of the batch released. *****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Small World: Part 1: Abra Disaster"
That cat Lester is pretty cool.
I laughed at Mojo trying to get him to sign his brain.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Small World: Part 2: Cold Spider"
Here's a sad truth about the creepy tiny Professor. The regular sized Professor is exactly as creepy, and you just refuse to admit it.
I love the Canada Geese "All is lost!" moment.
I really liked the end of the episode. All throughout Buttercup is acting extra stupid, and I like the end reveal that that was a performance to allow her to get the upper hand with Supna without her realizing it. Her trick of creating a second Heartstone was pretty great.
The Heartstones are an alright Maguffin for this show's version of The Quest.
I liked this a lot. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Small World: Part 3: The Maze Daze"
Glad we got closure for the Pizza Delivery Guy although I'm a little upset Bubbles wasn't there for it and didn't seem to care.
I love Bubbles thinking her sisters are impossible to describe.
I laughed at the Yolanda joke.
The security guard had an ugly design.
If Lester is taking advantage of Mojo, Mojo is just ASKING to get took.
The weakest of the four parts. Which is weird, because it's the Bubbles part and she's the best character. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Small World: Part 4: Heart To Heartstone"
Perfect wrap-up to the Canada Geese.
Lester has to spend eternity watching the Mayor go to the bathroom? As far as punishments go, that seems a bit overkill to his actions.
I sort of get the logic of a supervillain wanting to shrink the world's largest ball of yarn. I get that. Villains love ruining things, especially things people love, and those things are always great tourist traps. I just object to the notion that he'd keep it as a trophy. There is no point to it any longer, and he was the guy who made sure of that.
I'm overthinking this show again.
I love Lester's various clothes and designs. Very visually appealing character.
The best of the four parts. ****1/2.
Upcoming reviews include Twin Peaks: The Return (Blu-Ray), Doctor Who: Series 9, Doctor Who: Series 10, Class: Series 1, The X-Files: Season 10, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), Captain America: Civil War (Blu-Ray), Doctor Strange (Blu-Ray), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (Blu-Ray), Spider-Man: Homecoming (Blu-Ray), Thor: Ragnorok (Blu-Ray), Black Panther (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse (Blu-Ray), Logan, Legion: Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 2, Zootopia, Moana (Blu-Ray), Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Finding Dory (Blu-Ray), Cars 3 (Blu-Ray), Coco (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 5, Once Upon A Time: Season 6, The BFG, Tomorrowland, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-Ray), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Blu-Ray), Star Wars Rebels: Season 2, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures: Season 1, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Blu-Ray), Static Shock: Season 4, Justice League Action: Superpowers Unite!, Justice League Action: Battles From Beyond!, Teen Titans Go!: Get In Pig Out, Teen Titans Go!: Recess Is Over, DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, LEGO DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain, The LEGO Batman Movie, LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash, Batman Vs. Two-Face, Scooby Doo! & Batman: The Brave And The Bold, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight, Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay, Batman Ninja, Suicide Squad (Blu-Ray), Wonder Woman (Blu-Ray), Justice League (Blu-Ray), The Flash: Season 2, The Flash: Season 3, Arrow: Season 4, Arrow: Season 5, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 2, Supergirl: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 2, Vixen: The Movie, Black Lightning: Season 1, Gotham: Season 2, Gotham: Season 3, iZombie: Season 1, iZombie: Season 2, iZombie: Season 3, Lucifer: Season 1, Lucifer: Season 2, Samurai Jack: Season 5, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Prod.: Hare-Raising Tales, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, The Simpsons: Season 18, Red Dwarf XII, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Earth's Last Stand, Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Shredder, Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Wanted: Bebop & Rocksteady, Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Final Chapters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows, Power Rangers (2017), Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Megaforce: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Super Megaforce: The Complete Season, Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Season 1, Heroes Reborn: The Complete Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, The Legend Of Korra: The Complete Series, The Ren And Stimpy Show: Seasons 1 & 2, The Ren And Stimpy Show: Seasons 3 and a Half-ish, The Ren And Stimpy Show: Season 5 & Some More Of 4, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Haven: The Final Season, The Dark Tower, IT, Under The Dome: Season 3, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Sleepy Hollow: Season 3, Sleepy Hollow: Season 4, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 4, Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), Shaun The Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas, 12 Monkeys: Season 1, 12 Monkeys: Season 2, Grimm: Season 4, Grimm: Season 5, Grimm: Season 6, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 5, The Wonder Years: Season 6, The Peanuts Movie, Peanuts By Schulz: Go Team Go!, Peanuts By Schulz: School Days, Bob's Burgers: Season 5, Home Movies: Seasons 1 & 2, Home Movies: Season 3 & 4, Ghostbusters: Answer The Call, Community: Season 6, Danger Mouse: The Complete Series, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Game of Thrones: Season 6.
The Punisher "3AM"
Like the beard.
It's REALLY tough to sympathize with Frank Castle when he is always murdering people begging him for mercy.
Still, having to wake up to that realization every single morning must SUCK. I understand why he is as messed up as he is.
Is "give your left t word" even a saying? Methinks the part of Madani was originally supposed to go to a man, and the line was gonna be about a left nut.
I would very much like Frank Castle's tombstone to read that he lost an @$$ kicking contest with a one-legged man.
I really like Stein. He seems secretly insightful. I liked him throwing back the "You'll have to earn my trust" to Madani the way he did.
When the construction workers were messing with Frank the way they were at the beginning, at the end I was like, "This is why you don't want to do that."
I mean, these guys are jerks. Sticking that kid with the huge bill so he'll pretty much HAVE to join the heist? D-word move.
The kid's best hope at the end is to lie about never ratting them out, and hoping they believe him. Except the construction workers actually know that that doesn't matter even if he means it when he says it. When he promises he won't rat them out, the head goon tells him he'd be stupid if he didn't. And that's the answer, and why he has to die, and why Frank actually has to step in to save him.
Love Frank teaching his daughter to play his theme song on the guitar in the flashback at the beginning.
Decent premiere of a premise I can't frankly stand. ***.
The Punisher "Two Dead Men"
Ellison was one of my absolute favorite characters on Daredevil, simply because he's the guy who will deliver this specific line to Karen Page: "If I give you the article, will you promise to stop looking at me like that?" My absolute favorite thing about Ellison is that while he is not dirty, he's also not perfect. And he doesn't deny his failings. And it's his precise anti-b.s. attitude which is why I always thought Ben was giving him an unfair shake in Season One. I love him unreservedly.
I'll miss the beard on Frank. He WOULD look good in a manbun.
They show Frank eating an awful lot of unhealthy stuff in this franchise, and yet he never gets fat. Which is another reason I hate him.
You know, on the one hand him grabbing his son in the flashback and telling him to never say that again, hints he's an abusive father who scares his kids. But the thing that set him off was his kid making a racial slur against the people he fights in the war. So, yeah, Frank is a violent and sucky father on some level. But at least he's sucky for the right reasons.
It's always the empty gun that gets the villains. With just that trick Frank proves he's smarter than advertised. THAT is the way he gets the truth, not the torture. If Wolfe thinks Frank is going to die, he can give things up he never would under torture. And when the gun clicks you realize Frank always knew that. Which makes the fact that he still tortures him a bit more unforgivable. But it's not like he wasn't involved in killing Frank's family.
We keep seeing more and more of Frank's nightmare of his wife getting killed in the morning. This was the first time I recognized it was Frank behind the mask. Good set-up there.
Frank is such an ahole to Karen for being wary of giving him information, that I'm wondering why she ever consents to help this big baby at all. Her needs for assurances are not unreasonable in the slightest. And if worse comes to worse, he can lie to her. Him making her feel like a bad friend instead shows the guy is a total d-bag.
Does Frank really think it is abnormal for a person to worry about the name they are giving him winding up dead? I mean, that is a HUGE thing for an innocent person to do, so Karen wanting more information ahead of time is reasonable. Completely. How messed up is Frank to perceive that as disloyalty? He's sick.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this episode. Frank Castle sucks. The show doesn't. ****.
The Punisher "Kandahar"
Frank's treatment of Micro here tells me that his promise to Karen that he only hurts people who deserve it is b.s.. Yeah, as far as Frank knows, maybe Micro will turn out to be a bad guy. But Frank is clearly not sure and is torturing him anyways. That is not an actual moral code.
It was interesting to see the flashback to Frank saving the General, that the General told on the stand in Daredevil. Frankly, I think the General was overstating his culpability. It was Rawlins to blame, and I punched the air upon Frank punching him. This show brings out my worst impulses.
Frankly watching Frank pummel dead corpses as blood sprays on his face tell me this is a psychopathic human being, even before he lost his family. While they are playing a song about American freedom over that I nearly lost my lunch. This show at its worst.
The one thing in the episode I loved was Frank screaming "I love my wife!" upon seeing the Springsteen tickets. There is not much Frank says or does that I can relate to. That was actually funny.
Frank has famously said on Daredevil that he doesn't suffer from PTSD, but as seen by the way he wakes up every morning, he's totally full of crap about that.
Honestly, this sort of depravity makes me cringe. *1/2.
The Punisher "Resupply"
I like Micro making Frank fix his Sarah's headlight problem a condition of him still helping him.
Frank is such a jackass. He's good with kids. I'll give him that. But he is SO insensitive to Sarah's pain. He said what he said about David disappointing her because he knew he was listening, and wanted to make him feel bad and guilty. Instead it makes Sarah feel insulted. How dare he? He knows nothing about anything.
Lewis is a ticking time bomb. I love Curtis's perspective that he didn't GET his injury in the war. He LOST his leg. And if Lewis sees things like that as acquisitions, he IS thinking about war all wrong.
I laughed at Frank using the pop music to confuse the agents. Their frustration was actually funny. At least until Micro snaps and starts making it no fun at all.
I hate Frank but that was a good episode. ***1/2.
The Punisher "Gunner"
I like that Frank doesn't mind telling Micro his kid is an ahole. Because he is.
Is Rawlins seriously trying to claim his losing an eye happened on the battlefield? Talk about stolen valor.
Madani is totally onto Karen. It's about time somebody was.
At first I was mad at Frank missing the Lieberman family dinner, and then I remembered him telling Karen his story about his son painting the marine on the wall. They are better off and safer without him.
That story about the marine on the wall was absolutely great. Riveting stuff. And we don't have to see Frank kill a bunch of people for that drama to land.
I love that Frank is seriously miffed Micro didn't make him a sandwich. I personally think Frank eats entirely too much good food for someone in his situation, so it was nice to see him forced to eat rations while Micro snacked on the sandwich he wanted.
Is it just me, or does every sex scene in the Marvel Netflix shows start with a character asking what the other character wants to do, and then cutting to them slamming against the wall while eating each other's faces off? Honestly, I think that particular violent thing should NOT have become a pop culture cliché, and I am a bit disturbed at how played out it actually is. And it is beyond played out. I wasn't titillated. I rolled my eyes for how basic the series was being.
All right. But the sexyfuntimes were neither sexy nor fun. ***.
The Punisher "The Judas Goat"
Seriously upset Russo is a Black Hat. That will not end well.
Speaking of Russo, another example of a Marvel show normalizing male / female anal sex. I hate that. It puts an unreasonable expectation on women. Most men who have it with other men like it, but most women hate it and find it extremely painful.. And pop culture seems to love showing us the anal sex scenes because they are the dirtiest thing you can show on basic cable. And that normalizes them and gives men a reason to think their girlfriends who dislike it need to be more accommodating. Which is b.s.. And since "The Punisher" is the same level as basic cable, I understand why they pull that crap. But I don't have to like it.
If anyone in that group had stolen valor, it was O'Connor. In fact, after he left Lewis holding the bag with the cop, I knew his entire story was b.s.. It's almost good he was killed. I don't think he'd ever be able to properly rationalize the things he had been saying if people had proof that he lied about being in 'Nam.
For the record, it was not Curtis' place to tell Lewis that. That cr*p should be confidential from a group leader. And considering that Curtis KNOWS how unstable Lewis is, that's another good reason to keep those boundaries solid.
I think Sarah was a hair's breadth away of throwing herself at Frank, and then Frank did a VERY interesting thing. Every other scene he's had with her in that house, he has said his side of the conversation for two people: her and Micro. And he's been deliberately trying to upset Micro. And by doing that he's sometimes offended Sarah. But this episode was the first time he intended his comfort to Sarah to also extend to David. And I found that milestone very significant for both of those men.
It amazes me that Frank is a psychopath. Because he is surprisingly insightful when you sit down and talk to him.
I can't believe the Zach punched his sister in the face. I really loathe that kid. He sucks.
Good-(ish) episode but the show's sex scenes seem to be too dirty for their own good. ***1/2.
The Punisher "Crosshairs"
That bulletproof glass at the end did NOT go the way Frank wanted it to go.
Frank says it's easier when you can kill people. Frank is a crazy person.
Speaking of which, why is Frank bemoaning taking out some marines just trying to do their jobs? Because that's exactly what he did in the forest with Gunner.
I like that when Frank tells Morty not to say another word, he puts the ball-gag back in. All kinds. All kinds.
Stein and Madani's scene of close-talking in the hallway when she figured out there was a bug in her office was very comedic. I laughed at him wanted to know if the "hand on the @$$" story was real and how it ended.
Good episode. ****.
The Punisher "Cold Steel"
Wow, that was an amazing episode. It clarified several things.
First off, Frank is both an amazing person and despicable person at the same time.
Amazing for the way he rejected Sarah. In complete fairness to Sarah, any other man besides Frank would immediately view his actions as those of a potential suitor. That is why Micro is so angry. But what I love is that upon Frank rebuffing her, Sarah is mortified. She actually has nothing to be mortified about. 99 out of a 100 guys would consider the kiss the outcome they wanted. What I love about how Frank handled it is that because she was so embarrassed. she begged him not to make it weird. And d*mmit, as crazy as it sounds. he was able to do that! Which is like insane. But he goes on talking to her as if he was discussing the weather. And he doesn't pretend the kiss is insignificant to Sarah. But he's letting her know he doesn't think less of her for it, which was the precise thing she needed. She isn't actually crazy. And anybody else but Frank rejecting that kiss when he did would probably wind up making her feel bad. Instead she still trusts him enough to talk to her son.
Here is where Frank is despicable. It never occurred to Frank that Zach's bullying behavior might be a sign of weakness on his end, and not aggressive dominance. That's what make him pulling the knife unforgivable. Except you DO forgive it because it somehow crazily worked.
What disturbs me about Frank about refusing to go to Madani is that until he sees Micro on the street corner, I don't think he quite got how hard this was for the guy, and realized the danger he's putting Zach in. I don't think he really absorbed how badly the situation was actually hitting him.
This episode was a turning point for Russo. Before it, even if we knew in our heart of hearts he wasn't a double-agent, and trying to secretly bring Rawlins down, we kind of hoped that he could at least be convinced to do the right thing and switch sides. That's no longer an option, or even a hope on my end. After the scene with the abuse of his mother, and him killing Stein for discovering his secret, he's one of the few people on the series I actually WANT to see Frank put-down. This show unleashes very unhealthy feelings in me.
Here is another sad fact about Russo and Frank's ultimate mission. Frank at this point in the series thinks Billy's trustworthiness is beyond reproach. Which like him torturing Micro, or pulling a knife on Zach, says he is a bad judge of character. Which is pretty much the worst thing a lethal vigilante could ever be. One of the comic's gimmicks (which I truthfully think is b.s.) is that the Punisher supposedly never harms an innocent. On this show however, if Frank IS this bad at judging character, I wonder how true that actually is. Not very, I'm assuming, if Micro's stint cold and naked in the chair is any hint.
Still, this episode was h*llagood. *****.
The Punisher "Front Toward Enemy"
Oooh, Sarah's gonna be SO p*ssed!
It's interesting that Frank offered to let Lewis turn himself in when he did.
I loved the story Frank told about how Curtis lost his leg. Seriously good performances from the actors involved.
Lewis is a punk. ****.
The Punisher "Virtue Of The Vicious"
That gun control Senator believed in such strong measures, that in reality, he could never get elected to the Senate, not even in New York State. I have never heard a person elected Senator ever speak that way about guns, at least not publicly. This guy is having million dollar fundraisers? In reality, he couldn't be elected dogcatcher. My nickname for him is Senator Strawman.
And judging by Karen's disdain after the fact for him, I expected for him to have thrown her to the wolves. Instead he's just a sniveling crybaby. Who STILL sucks for trying to paint himself as the hero of the piece.
I am as anitgun as you can get. Guns aren't tools. Tools have uses. The only thing guns are for is killing. So trust me when I say, as somebody who believes the public shouldn't have guns, the idea that the Senator would be afraid of how it would look if he hired armed security for himself is absolute nonsense. I am far to the left of most of society on this issue. There is no elected politician that I know of that shares my opinion that guns should be illegal. Therefore, I find it perfectly normal if ANY Senator has armed security. How in the heck does the series think that Senator would look bad for that? Them saying that, said he was even more to the left of the issue than I am, despite his moderating his language in the middle of the episode to only certain people never having guns. I don't expect any politicians to follow my extreme opinion, because I know none of them could get elected if they did, and I'm not a single issue voter. So it floors me that this guy is supposedly so antigun that people would turn on him for hiring legit security. This is not the most realistic show ever, but the thing the show botched is believing that if I were Senator Strawman's constituent, I'd be madder at him for that than I actually was. H*ll, if I were a politician, I'd probably want armed security myself. We live in the society we have. Not the society we wish to have. And it's weird that the show thinks liberals do not already understand that.
Good to see Sergeant Mahoney again. Love the One Honest Cop.
I kind of feel it was wrong that we never got a scene dealing with Lewis' dad, and how he felt upon the idea that his son turned into a terrorist. After him calling him a hero earlier in the season, it very much feels like a dangling thread.
It's interesting that the series took the rightwing stance about gun control. Because it HAS to. There is no justification for what Frank does if they don't. He is a first degree mass murderer. I understand on some level that the show doesn't want to the viewer to see him that way, but that's what he is. And because they are trying to act like he's not, that's makes their political messages suck. I get it. But I don't have to think Senator Strawman is the least bit realistic or credible. **.
The Punisher "Danger Close"
I have very mixed feelings about this show. I mean, just watching Frank put bullets in the heads of helpless people begging for mercy reminds me why I hate the character, the comic, and the entire concept of the franchise. And yet, that's not all this show is. And it's much less that than previous adaptations. The show is also Micro reuniting with his daughter. This show has not just been Frank remorselessly killing mob bosses and drug dealers. At least this season. It's a lot more layered and nuanced than that. So while I hate the character of Frank, and everything he stands for, I can also admit it's a good show. Which frankly, stuns me. I expected going in to outright hate it. I sometimes do. But it's still a good show.
For the record, Frank just used a bomb. He was talking down Lewis as being cowardly for using them in a previous episode. Granted, Frank was THERE when the bomb went off, and had actual skin in the game, but it's only a matter of degree between that and how he disdained Lewis for fighting his perceived enemies.
Leo seems to be taking this rather well. Her scene with Frank at the end was so good. I don't think either of them knew what to say. I don't think anything they could say would be adequate, so I liked that silence hanging between them. It's interesting the nuance the show gives between Frank and the kid characters.
Great episode that made me cringe and angry at various points. But it was great. ****1/2.
The Punisher "Home"
That was gruesome. It's not like Rawlins didn't have it coming, but that was tough to watch.
I love the way Micro faked his death. And as she's pummeling him, the question of whether Sarah would hit or kiss him again upon seeing him was answered.
It is super creepy that the only time Frank has nice and / or sexual dreams about his wife is when he is getting tortured. This suggests to me he is getting off on it, and in my mind taints the entire idea of Maria to me as a viewer. Maybe I'm misinterpreting the situation. But if the writers were smarter, they wouldn't be having sex scenes in that moment that would even GIVE me that interpretation. When writing things like that, it is very important you consider what message you are sending. And all of the various fake-out dreams ending in trauma occurring during quiet moments, and the one good and sexy ones occurring during torture makes a statement. And the entire problem with the character of the Punisher, and every single story he is involved in, is that the writers never think or appreciate the statement they are making by showing him doing the things he does. It's just supposed to be violent and cool. But to an outside observer, who finds that kind of story distasteful, it's really easy to read a TON of bad messages in this premise based on the story choices they made. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Frank is NOT desecrating his wife's memory by having a wet dream during torture. But the problem with the episode, and genre like The Punisher in general, is that it never occurs to the writers to actually make sure I don't get that impression. Which is why revenge flicks and the like always seem to be more badly written than other genre projects.
I firmly believe every death in fiction makes a statement. It draws a line between the writer and reader / viewer. So I think projects would do MUCH better to actually sit down and think about what statement they are making ahead of time. I think death in fiction is necessary for a lot of GOOD fiction. But it is also something that a good writer will be VERY careful about, and when to show it, and who dies, and how. And genre doesn't do that nuance much anymore. It's been years, in fact, but most genre has become MORE like The Punisher, not the other way around. This episode would have completely disgusted me ten years ago. But this is not the first or only show to traffic in this specific level of depravity. I would love to be able to hate this episode and stick up my nose in disgust, but really, as far as this show, and all of the other critically acclaimed dramas like The Sopranos, The Shield, Game Of Thrones, The Walking Dead, etc. as of now, it's all just a matter of degree. So while I personally hated the violence in this episode, I cannot act like it's either abnormal or crossing a line the other shows I just mentioned haven't already crossed myriad times. Maybe this is a level of depravity not seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before. But it's been seen a lot elsewhere, and that's the real problem. I can't fault this show for that specific type of violence anymore. Basic cable pretty much opened the door.
I liked the teaser with Frank's on-camera statement. And I especially like that Frank openly admits he's the guy who shot the guy in the video (to Madani's shock). That is not a particular crime Frank would not have gotten away with had he denied it, and I like that he's lacking enough in pretense to ever excuse his own actions. And that's doesn't make him a hero or righteous. But it also means he isn't quite a villain either.
Didn't enjoy that. But I'm not going to pretend it sucked either. ***.
The Punisher "Memento Mori"
I liked most of it. I really did. But I can't get over that horrible teaser. I hate violence to musical montages. It's one thing to do those montages during like shoot-outs and the like, but here Russo basically going on a killing spree and putting out people before they even know what's happening. It's like they are trying to get me pumped up for a spree killing, which is effed up. Remember what I said about all death in fiction making a statement? I didn't like the statement that I was supposed to enjoy what I was watching. And the fact that they turned the end of the teaser into a slow motion walk away from an exploding building tells me the writers had no clue exactly how horrible what we had just watched actually was. Which seems to be this show's entire problem.
I like that Frank didn't kill Billy, but he's probably going to wish he did. The thing Billy loved best about himself is that he was pretty. And Frank took that away from him. Who is to say he isn't going to take that as personally as Frank did when the thing he actually cared about (his family) was taken away from him?
I loved David and Sarah's awkward sex scene. Simply because it seemed like a wonderful surprise to both of them. And it's so quick and seemingly underwhelming, that I smiled that it ultimately was still a pleasant surprise for them. It wasn't much, but it was a statement about what they each endured. And that was their first step towards returning towards normalcy.
Speaking of statements, while I think the teaser made a bad one, I'm a little surprised at that simply because the scene with Curtis and Russo makes me think the writers are actually good at their jobs. When Billy is reciting their crimes, Curtis is opening the curtains to the bright daylight. And you know what they say about sunlight being the best disinfectant,. Which is when Frank nicks him with the sniper rifle. I love the subtext of Curtis letting in the sunlight washing away the sins Billy was describing. It strikes as very weird that the show knows enough about decent storytelling to add that specific subtext, while being unaware of some of the other negative messages the show engages in, I'm guessing accidentally. Very weird indeed.
All in all, it was a decent finale to a mostly successful season. I expected to hate the show. And I don't. Now I don't love it. But it's totally better than Iron Fist, The Defenders, and even Daredevil: Season 2. ***1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Spell-Shocked, Part 2"
I will never get used to Darkseid saying things like "I'm unaccustomed to running at this velocity!" or "Toodles!" or "Golly Gee!"
The animation is terrible now. And to be honest, it didn't used to be great.
I like Raven using a spell not using "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" for once. She got in a "Zinthos" or two but she changed the rest of it up.
Didn't like this. So, normal week. **.
The Powerpuff Girls "Total Eclipse Of The Kart"
It's too bad Toys R Us has gone out of business. This episode could have gotten us some goodies.
Love "Cool beans".
Good to see Donnycorn again.
Honestly, the second half of the episode bugged the cr*p out of me. The evil Gemica "twist" came out of nowhere. Gemica has always been portrayed as selfish, but I kind of dug the neat message of the know-it-all archaeologist being a girl. And this just undoes that positive thing entirely for no good reason.
I think one of the biggest ironies of the entire franchise is that despite the fact that the heroes are three girls, there is very little female empowerment to be found. And that was true of the original series, and it's definitely true of the reboot here. It strikes me that a girl focused kids show should actually worry more about what messages it sends. Craig McCracken didn't give a cr*p about it, and that was part of the joke, and it seems the writers here don't either, even if the reboot isn't as overtly cruel.
The violence on the old show basically meant McCracken's "progressive" viewpoint about female empowerment is that girls are just as violent and horrible at conflict resolution as boys are. And that is a subversive joke on his end, not an actual message of empowerment. Which boggles the mind that he got away with that cr*p without ever being called on it by anyone by Roger Ebert. We miss you, Roger. Kick Gene Siskel's @$$ in Hell for me, will you?
Ancient Townsville? I get that was the joke, but I don't like jokes like that, that break what little reality the series is going for. And even if the show keeps things more grounded than the original series, it's not like the reboot is all that realistic to begin with.
I like Gemumu's design though. From the way they boarded her poses, and the eclipse striking her silhouette, I could tell that were kind of going with an Aku from Samurai Jack vibe. And despite the episode otherwise sucking, I did notice that influence, and enjoyed it greatly.
Here is the sad truth that no-one will want to hear. The reboot is not very good. But the original show was somehow even worse. I don't know exactly why I'm following this show. It's basically just Bubbles and nothing else for me at this point. It would probably cheese Tara Strong off to admit that I like this show's version better than hers. But Bubbles has become a good grounding influence for the show. You may scoff that the show would need that, but you know, if a show runs a good long while, it DOES. And it's the fact that the old show didn't really have that, and was full blown "Airplane!" spoof 100% of the time, without ever shutting it off, is the reason I like the reboot more than the original series. It's admittedly not much. But Bubbles has value to me in the notion that her distractions and seeming to go off-mission actually turn out to be the point of the mission. And that's the thing I like about the series, and how it talks up creativity over violence every single time they do that.
So no, I didn't like the episode all that much. But Bubbles is the reason I'm still watching the show and the episode didn't change that. If anything it reaffirmed it. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "The Long Skate Home"
Somewhere in this episode there is a great message about standing up to bullies, righting injustices, sticking to your principles, and being true to yourself. And as long as they frame those messages using the "Deathball" allegory, it all means jack squat, and is actually ridiculous.
Liked the joke of the VCR tape having to take two tries to go into the VCR though. Points for that. ***.
The Powerpuff Girls "Quarantine"
Wow, the Professor is 100% useless. This is one of those episodes I just did not see the point of. **.
The Powerpuf Girls "In The Doghouse"
Fantastic 4 parody at the beginning! I love the Bronze Boogieboarder.
Maurice LaMarche talks about The Chompers the same way he does about The Clamps.
I love that Pugface Paulie thinks Buttercup is dressed in grey.
I also loved the dogs tying Blossom, Bubbles, and the Professor up with 2 dog collars, a leash and a cone.
Butt-Sniffer's full name is "Bootius T. Sniffer"? Because of course it is.
Meal soda is disgusting.
Good episode. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Salamander"
Genius episode. The only thing I didn't like was that Salamander turned out to be Gnat, which means he won't be returning. He was a great villain with a great character design.
Henchmen become very helpful when you offer them chocolate milk. Although I question how he can sip it through a straw while wearing his mask.
The Cork Fork is about as useless as the solar-powered flashlight and the waterproof sponge.
I love the henchman crying out against Bubbles using forks and polite words. Which is again, why I love Bubbles. Her non-violence and creativity seem to always solve the problem.
Best episode of the batch released. *****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Small World: Part 1: Abra Disaster"
That cat Lester is pretty cool.
I laughed at Mojo trying to get him to sign his brain.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Small World: Part 2: Cold Spider"
Here's a sad truth about the creepy tiny Professor. The regular sized Professor is exactly as creepy, and you just refuse to admit it.
I love the Canada Geese "All is lost!" moment.
I really liked the end of the episode. All throughout Buttercup is acting extra stupid, and I like the end reveal that that was a performance to allow her to get the upper hand with Supna without her realizing it. Her trick of creating a second Heartstone was pretty great.
The Heartstones are an alright Maguffin for this show's version of The Quest.
I liked this a lot. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Small World: Part 3: The Maze Daze"
Glad we got closure for the Pizza Delivery Guy although I'm a little upset Bubbles wasn't there for it and didn't seem to care.
I love Bubbles thinking her sisters are impossible to describe.
I laughed at the Yolanda joke.
The security guard had an ugly design.
If Lester is taking advantage of Mojo, Mojo is just ASKING to get took.
The weakest of the four parts. Which is weird, because it's the Bubbles part and she's the best character. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Small World: Part 4: Heart To Heartstone"
Perfect wrap-up to the Canada Geese.
Lester has to spend eternity watching the Mayor go to the bathroom? As far as punishments go, that seems a bit overkill to his actions.
I sort of get the logic of a supervillain wanting to shrink the world's largest ball of yarn. I get that. Villains love ruining things, especially things people love, and those things are always great tourist traps. I just object to the notion that he'd keep it as a trophy. There is no point to it any longer, and he was the guy who made sure of that.
I'm overthinking this show again.
I love Lester's various clothes and designs. Very visually appealing character.
The best of the four parts. ****1/2.