Doctor Who "The Tsuranga Conundrum"
Also reviews for the latest episodes of Supergirl, Arrow, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow, Teen Titans Go!. DC Super Hero Girls, The Gifted, Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest, Marvel Rising, Big Hero 6: The Series, Star Wars Resistance, The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, Riverdale, The Good Place,
Upcoming reviews include Twin Peaks: The Return (Blu-Ray), Doctor Who: Series 9, Doctor Who: Series 10, Doctor Who: Twice Upon A Time, Class: Series 1, The X-Files: Season 10, The X-Files: Season 11, 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), Avengers: Infinity War (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, Deadpool 2, Legion: Season 1, The Gifted: Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 2, Zootopia, Moana (Blu-Ray), Mickey Mouse: Merry & Scary, Sofia The First: Once Upon A Princess, 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, Teen Titans Go!: Lo-Tech Heroes, DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, LEGO DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain, The LEGO Batman Movie, LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage Of Atlantis, Batman Vs. Two-Face, Scooby Doo! & Batman: The Brave And The Bold, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight, Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay, The Death Of Superman, Batman Ninja, Suicide Squad (Blu-Ray), Wonder Woman (Blu-Ray), Justice League (Blu-Ray), Arrow: Season 4, Arrow: Season 5, Arrow: Season 6, The Flash: Season 2, The Flash: Season 3, The Flash: Season 4, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 2, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 3, Supergirl: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 2, Supergirl: Season 3, Vixen: The Movie, Black Lightning: Season 1, Gotham: Season 2, Gotham: Season 3, Gotham: Season 4, 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, 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, Stranger Things: Season One, 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 (Blu-Ray), 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.
Doctor Who "The Tsuranga Conundrum"
I think my favorite moment was when the ship's doctor told the Doctor that she was being selfish and not thinking about the other patients, and she checked herself and said he was right. I like that Thirteen has some humility to her, which is rare in a Doctor.
That little monster, as dangerous as it was, was super cute. The look of ecstasy on its face as it devoured the bomb was adorable.
I love the pregnant man. His interactions with Graham and Ryan were quite endearing. I'm really starting to love Graham. He's what would happen if Wilfred Mott were more mobile and could join the TARDIS on a more regular basis. I laughed at him admitting he turned away from the squeamish bits on the TV program.
Good episode. I hope the Doctor gets the TARDIS back next week. She loses it entirely too much for my liking. ***1/2.
Supergirl "Ahimsa"
You know what? I really love this version of Manchester Black, more than I ever could have thought. So it frustrates me I'm going to have to give the episode a negative grade. He deserved to debut during a better one.
My problem with the episode starts and ends with Supergirl. And I cannot overstate how much she sucks, and how much the show sucks for validating her behavior at end with an "Everybody gets an apology" trophy. I am literally furious.
Supergirl believes she doesn't have to follow the chain of command. Do you know the specific reason she believes that? Because nobody can actually stop her. And it doesn't occur to her that she isn't merely "not playing by the rules". She's undercutting Alex's entire authority with her troops in a time in which her department is already crumbling and people are already skeptical of her. The shaky people in the DEO don't need to look for outside examples of aliens flouting the law because they don't believe it applies to them. Supergirl is right there proving Agent Liberty's point for him.
What drives me nuts is that this is the opposite of what Superman does. A lot of people think Superman is a boring character for never breaking rules, but they are misreading why he does it. I personally don't think it's because he's a square, or a Boyscout, or even because he's super virtuous. It's because if he stops following orders from the humans in charge of the country and the world, that is an act of public disobedience and an affront to the law-abiding people he tries to protect every day. It's menacing when a superpowered person flaunts the laws, no matter how small the law is. In fact, Superman (correctly) believes he has to follow the rules even more strictly than non-superpowered people do. He doesn't raise TOO many objections to Batman, but he knows that the only way this can ever work is if his relationship with law enforcement is above reproach. He doesn't actually HAVE to answer to anybody, but chooses to to show that even with him around, society still has rules and order. It's MORE imperative he follow orders to the letter, not less, because he CAN ignore them. And he doesn't always follow the rules because they are right, or because he always agrees with them. It's that the public will accept what he does easier if they believe he is operating under the same legal guidelines everybody else is. And that's the precise reason Superman is one of the few heroes in the DC Universe who isn't considered a vigilante. Because he follows those rules, and doesn't show up any place where he's legally not wanted. And he does it to not only set the proper example to the humans of Earth, but also to the other powered people or vigilantes who don't take the notion as seriously as he does. A lot of fanboys think the fact that Superman follows the rules makes him boring. They are wrong. It is in fact what actually makes him interesting. It's the morality he has to navigate which is actually what his hero struggle is, as he's otherwise nearly indestructible. He is literally always living in a "world of cardboard". He's interesting because he never actually bends it. He is just as fascinating psychologically as Batman. He's just not as damaged, which is what a lot of people's objections actually boil down to. And I'm just gonna say they are wrong.
But Supergirl disobeying a direct order, and then not using the well-worn trope "Better to ask for forgiveness later than permission," and not apologizing afterwards cheeses me off. She thinks she's right for making it so the new President with a chip on his shoulder reads her sister the riot act. If Supergirl were a better sister and friend she'd realize the position she is putting Alex in, and that her behavior is actually quite threatening, if only because she is showing that nobody can stop her from doing whatever she wants. And it is beyond ironic that Manchester Black of all people, debuted in the very episode she did this. This is the precise reason Superman considers him a villain in the first place. Yeah, maybe Supergirl isn't a murderer (although she has killed a few people that the series just wants us to somehow forget all about) but it's not like Superman hasn't brought in criminals he knew the justice system would eventually execute. He follows the rules and lets due process take its course. And the fact that Supergirl is telegraphing to everyone in that department that she answers to no higher authority is outright frightening. Basically, the only reason Agent Liberty is a villain this year is because he's a racist and a murderer. For this episode at least, Supergirl proved him otherwise right. She's out of control.
And that's the thing that angers me about the show. They don't actually realize that. They are so clueless about what the moral is that Alex apologizes to HER for Supergirl breaking protocol (twice even!) and they never actually raise the proper parallel once. It doesn't even occur to them that it exists. As if what Supergirl did wasn't a huge deal and completely appalling, and is merely something that can be waved away with an "Aw shucks!" And this isn't the first, or even second time, Supergirl has done something like this. What kills me is that when she used to do it, I accepted and allowed it because she was a rookie hero learning the ropes, and being allowed to make mistakes that Superman probably did at first too. I had foolishly assumed she would get wiser and safer as the series went on, but this is season 4 and they still are pulling that cr*p. In the precise season they are trying to get us to root against villains who think aliens are dangerous. And it never occurs to the writers the specific message they are sending by doing that.
I am especially frustrated that when Supergirl throws out an untrue "You would have done the same thing!" to Alex, that the writers weren't insightful enough to have Alex say, "Of course I wouldn't have. I'm a professional federal agent. I ALWAYS follow the chain of command." And she always has. Instead the show has her wince as if Kara just landed a fair point. Which is total b.s.. C'mon, Alex. You DO suck. But you don't actually suck THAT much. Deny it. She's got nothin'.
I am convinced that a good story lives or dies by the message it sends. Most people will disagree with me fiercely, but if a project does not have legit point of view, or an actual moral code for the heroes or villains to follow, it winds up a total mess. This is what three seasons of Preacher and four seasons of Gotham have taught me, each worse than the last. If the writers don't have a message, and are just showing the viewer weird and random cr*p, the show sucks. Now The Arrowverse isn't weird or random cr*p. And it doesn't have the nihilism that Gotham or Preacher do. Which is what is so frustrating. The only thing worse than not having a message is not being consistent with your message, or even understanding the actual implications of it. And I cannot take the message of Supergirl being a beacon of hope for the world, while she is embracing fascism, and believes human laws don't apply to her because nobody can stop her. And what especially frustrates me is that this sort of thing happens in ALL of the Arrowverse all the time. They are all shows about what is means to be a hero. Written by people who don't understand what it means in the slightest. I don't feel like Berlanti and pals are sociopaths like Danny Cannon and Bruno Heller. I doubt they are bad people in real life, which I am convinced Cannon and Heller are. But they are bad at their jobs of writing superheroes, or at least bad at the part of writing superheroes that matters personally to me. To be 100% fair to them, these are not concerns that every single fanboy has or even cares about. For other people it's the soap opera / 'ships, or the fights, special effects, and smackdowns, or the powers, costumes and gimmicks, or the literary allegories, or the sci-fi high-concepts. And the Arrowverse is great and above average in all of the rest of those things. But the reason I watch it, and the reason I watch anything on TV, is for the simple human drama. And the Arrowverse is a failure in that department in every show, on every level, in every regard. And if it were simply as universally terrible as Gotham is I could write it off a lot easier. But it's the fact that it's so great in all of the other superficial stuff that matters to most viewers, which is why I am unhappy. I would be able to hate the franchise a lot easier if the rest of it were worse. Unfortunately, the part that sucks and matters to me is the context, which is not something the show could ever possibly hope to fix with the writers involved. And I wish I hated the Arrowverse, or thought the writers were stupid or bad people. I just think they were put in charge of a franchise too large and important to handle, and things got out of control. And the more Berlanti DC shows that hit the air, the more out of control things are going to get on the rest of the shows. I don't see an easy answer here. DC has spread itself far too thin on TV, with one producer, and it's effecting the work. This was one of the episodes that made me notice that the most. And it's because the episode's moral is bogus, and that the writers don't actually understand what being a hero or a good person actually entails.
I almost wish the Arrowverse had no redeeming qualities like Gotham does. I'd be less disappointed in it on a weekly basis if that were true. *1/2.
Arrow "Level Two"
This is what I knew would happen with the flashforwards and dreaded. Odds are Felicity faked her death, but I still don't have to like that cliffhanger.
I also really dislike the notion that Felicity is being groomed to torture and kill. In a recent review for Supergirl I noted that the producers of these shows are writing about what it means to be a hero without actually understanding what it means. I definitely appreciate the fact that being a vigilante is not black or white. But The Arrowverse always uses murder and torture as a "Rite of Passage" and as if the character doing it for the first time is merely losing their virginity. And the shows seems to go out of its way and try to infect more and more characters that weren't like that with that particular sickness. If the show were actually about what it means to be a hero it wouldn't be doing that over and over again. The message would be the opposite. So yeah, for me, the reason I watch the show, the human drama, was a failure.
I actually liked the stuff with Dinah and Rene. Rick Gonzalez has gotten REALLY good at emoting, and with Paul Blackthorne gone, he's the go-to guy for it now. And it sort of works.
The one thing that worked and didn't work at the same time was the brainwashing of Oliver. I resent the fact that the doctor is evil and is trying to get Oliver to lose his humanity and refer to himself as a number. That's bogus. Because his advice is otherwise great. His promise to Robert on that boat was made under duress, and his father was a murderer. I am glad there is a person who reminded us that the bodyguard was an actual person with a family, not somebody to be cast aside for Oliver's personal growth. Why are they making the guy who is correctly pointing out that Oliver is basing his mission around a desperate promise for a terrible person, and will bring that down on his son, evil? It doesn't make sense to me. That particular thing doesn't just make me think that the writers don't know what being a hero means. They don't seem to know what being a good person means. A person speaking that specific truth to Oliver should not be seen as a villain or a torturer trying to harm him. Because in reality everything he told him was true. All of the serums and machines cloud an issue that doesn't deserve to be clouded at all.
I am frustrated. And I don't see any way out of this frustration short of me stopping watching these shows. Is that actually going to have to be a consideration at some point? Because there needs to be a limit for any franchise, and Supergirl and Arrow keep crossing it over and over again, and I keep pretending things are going to get better. And this is me no longer thinking that. *1/2.
DC's Legends Of Tomorrow "Dancing Queen"
How do I put this? That was not great. I will be the first to say the show so far isn't as strong this year as it was last year. But do you know what? I am not frustrated or miserable after watching that. Which I was after both this week's Supergirl and Arrow. I was actually allowed to, gulp, ENJOY that. Heaven forfend an Arrowverse show be pleasant to watch. I wish the show were more serious and less stupid while that thing is true, but I'm not upset after watching it and I wasn't increasingly frustrated as it went on.
Ray's slide into darkness is a sharp contrast to how they are botching things with Felcity Smoak on Arrow. Ray's idea of darkness is helping people who probably don't deserve it. That's a proper dark streak for a character like Ray or Felicity. And it bugs me this is the only Arrowverse show that understands something like that.
I was mostly annoyed with Constantine at the beginning. I realize we are supposed to love the character right off the bat, but considering Rory's damaged backstory, I was offended on his behalf when Constantine set him on fire as a prank. Not cool. At all.
But then the show does an amazing thing. It brings him to the pub where his mother and father were happy before he was born. And I liked Zari getting the picture at the end because she was swinging and missing at every reason Constantine was in the bar. When he tells that's his mother, she's thrown for a loop. And when she asks if they were close, and he says he just met her 20 minutes ago, she's wondering what she could have possibly gotten herself into by following this crazy person into a bar.
I like the time travel rules refusing to allow Constantine to break the rules. And one of the most annoying (although admittedly) lovable things about Constantine is that he doesn't believe the rules apply to him, and can magic his way around any limitation. Time travel? Uh uh. Not a magic alive that can actually break those specific rules. And as funny as it was watching him try and fail to kick his father in the sack, it's pleasurable knowing that John will not always get his way on the Waverider.
When he says to his mother "You'll never see me again," wasn't that just awful? He was being cruel to a person who didn't deserve it and couldn't actually understand he was being cruel. Which is one of the things about John that sucks. His behavior is why we can't have nice things.
And do you know what? Even if Zari HAD entered the room for wrap-up, that's actually okay. Lame or not, people check in on each other after tough days. He does not have to pretend she is being lame and predictable by doing that. Because it's what everybody does. He does not get to pretend this behavior is abnormal and he is the only one who realizes the truth about how supposedly insincere nice words are. Do you know what he could do instead? If she asks "Are you okay?" He could just say "I'm fine." That's what every single other person on Earth says when they are asked that question. It is not the unfathomable burden John is acting like it is.
Clever way to bring Amaya's actress back, but I think things are going to get messier than I'd like. I agree with Ray that the creature didn't deserve hell. But the Waverider is not gonna be better off in the short-term for that particular face being on it.
The mission with Rory and Sarah doing the legwork for Ray to steal the dog is why I love this team more than the other Arrowverse teams. It is the only team that has heroes who are seasoned enough to non-verbally pull off complex plots, simply because the characters are on the same wavelength. And Rory directing Ray just was so funny because he got every detail right and perfect, and Sarah did everything she needed to. I think a lot of superhero shows forget how fun it is to watch heroes succeeding and doing an awesome job. That's Doctor Who and Star Trek's entire appeal to me. I'm not sure what possesses superhero shows to think we enjoying watching the hero's friends and family get killed off every other week. I can't even specifically blame Berlanti or the Arrowverse for that either. It effects all of the Marvel shows too, network, and streaming. And I want to see more hero own things with an owning stick. It's fun. It's easy. And the audience will love it. Do the writers on all of these shows truly believe it is harder writing heroes being awesome than it is being broken? Because that is not true at all, and the fact that every single Marvel or DC show thinks it is is a big problem.
Except for this one. Which is again why I'll accept a week that didn't do much else for me. To be frank, the first few episodes of the last amazing season didn't bowl me over either, so there is a good chance that things are going to start kicking butt again soon. But I had assumed that would have happened from the get-go with Constantine on the Waverider. We'll see. ***1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "The Real Orangins!"
How great was that?
Seriously. They put up the money to get Kevin Conroy back as Batman in a Batman: The Animated Series parody. I think most people's complaints against this show are bogus as long as it is always doing stuff like that. This show has Conroy. Its hatas got nuthin'.
Loved Starfire's anime design and the show going back to making fun of the stupidest and most ridiculous thing about Starfire from the comics: The kissing languages thing. That particular thing has always bugged the cr*p out of me, and I like this show making fun of it whenever possible. Because Robin has tuna breath.
But a SERIOUS Batman? C'mon, no-one will buy it! *****.
Teen Titans Go! "Quantum Fun"
They are running out of ways for Robin to annoy the group.
"Of course we did... the NOT," was a pretty sick burn by Starfire.
I liked Quantum Leap too.
Not great but not terrible either. ***1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "The Fight"
It boggles the mind that Matter-Eater Lad is actually a thing. The Legion Of Super Heroes is a ridiculous franchise.
Props to Brother Blood for actually deciding the bring it upon being challenged. His nodding and waving his fingers was beyond cool. Also props to the show for some amazing action sequences. As seen this show is usually puppets and food.
And the Titan's biggest weakness is that they're lazy. Maybe this home equity stuff doesn't sound too bad after all... ****.
Teen Titans Go! "The Groover"
Anyone else notice all of this week's episodes start with Robin bounding into the room excited over nonsense to the other Titans' annoyance? I only mention this because it probably happened a lot before this, and I just never noticed. But seeing the episodes one right after the other makes the formula seem pretty blatant.
Robin expecting the other Titans to use a suitcase toilet is what is known as "an unreasonable ask". He is such a loser.
And no, because of Native American genocide no-one is actually allowed to enjoy the Grand Canyon anymore. It's an actual rule. Look it up.
I've had enough Robin craziness this week. Let's see something else when the show comes back. ***.
DC Super Hero Girls "Rolling Blunder"
Decent animation for Flash.
Why were supposed to think Barda could skate in the first place?
The saddest thing about the name "Splatgirl" is that it's a name Barb chose for herself and wants. What is actually wrong with her? She must be SO damaged by a past trauma to call herself something like that.
Wow, this show just got deeper than I ever thought. ***.
The Gifted "iMprint"
It's weird how much I liked much of the episode. Because I disliked the stuff with Jace so much that it sort of soured me on the whole episode.
I was sort of willing to give the producers the benefit of the doubt over the "Black man joins the Klan and doesn't realize it" thing, but this episode shows that IS the allegory they are trying to shove down our throats. And I don't like it. And I don't like that Jace doesn't see the parallels himself and thinks the group of violent sociopaths he has attached himself to are "The good guys." He sucks.
I found Caitlin and Lauren's good cop / bad cop with the doctor quite riveting. For the record, Caitlin's methods were far more effective and show exactly how valuable she is when she is thinking clearly and rationally. That was not a woman who would be inclined to open up to people asking about that specific patient, but she did because Caitlin revealed her son was with that psychopath and didn't know how dangerous she was. And that's all the doctor needed.
Worried about Reed. Very much so.
I think Lorna overreacted to Esme getting into her baby's head, but I think Esme's apology was fantastic anyways. After this episode, no matter what, I kind of think Esme is actually okay. I don't think that about Reva (and never will) but Esme has a conscience and a legit reason for doing the things she does.
Honestly, most of that episode was good. But the Jace stuff stuck with me more and colored my perceptions towards the negative. **1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "The Night Has Wings"
Good stuff.
I thought Klaw was clever for using Black Panther as bait the way he did. He did it believing that T'Challa would totally get out of being lowered upsidedown into a dark pit in chains and escape. And if he had died instead, Klaw never would have caught the big bat. The reason him using him as bait impressed me so much was because it showed a level of faith in him too. And he was right.
I laughed at the bad guy begging for mercy because he was a fan. Honestly? That was endearing. Were I T'Challa, I WOULD have gone easier on him. But I guess I'm just a softie like Thor.
Funniest bit was the high priest taking a selfie at the end. Nothing in Wakanda is as it seems. Despite these villagers being poorer, they still have screens. And as primitive seeming as the bells look, they actually work a little. Maybe not enough to actually be useful. But a little. Even if the poorest, least intelligent Wakandan is pretty sharp and with-it. The sooner T'Challa realizes that, the better.
That's the aspect of T'Challa I can't stand: The entitled aristocrat. Unlike many other characters with that mindset, T'Challa IS actually as awesome as he believes he is, but it's still pretty insufferable when he isn't beating up bad guys. I like that the show is exploring that a bit and making him a bit more of a man of the people than he was.
What do I think of Klaw's punishment? I think it was just. T'Challa knew he could die, but if he escaped, he will have earned it. The punishment actually fit the crime. I might have chosen a different punishment if I knew how quickly he'd get out of it, but hindsight is 20/20.
Actually, Hindsight 2020 would be a pretty great Presidential campaign bumper sticker.
Anything I didn't like? It is weird the minutia in cartoons that sticks out and bothers me, but this cheesed me off. When Klaw receives the water bottle from Killmonger, he raised it six inches above his head and looks up in the direction of the sun as he pours it in his mouth as if he's watering a plant. That is NOT how people drink out of water bottles, especially a person dying of thirst. That's how the water spills. Really thirsty people put their lips around the nozzle of the canteen and either drink it that way, or if they are really desperate, suck it down. Nobody drinks water as if their mouths are houseplants.
Isn't it weird the cr*p that bugs me? The rest of the episode was great. ****.
Marvel Rising "Kamala Khanfidential: Quake"
Pretty good. ***.
Big Chibi 6: The Shorts "Making Popcorn"
Adorable! LOL at Baymax as a water sprinkler! ****1/2.
Star Wars Resistance "The Children From Tehar"
I actually really liked that. I thought the chase climax was exciting, and the way they faked the kids' death was quite clever.
My biggest problem is Kaz being dumb enough to think anyone would put a bounty that large on kids to help them. Then again, Kaz is NOT the sharpest tack in the drawer, so it's consistent for that.
For the record, what happened to those kids is 50% of the reason I have always hated Kylo Ren. The other part is it's Adam Driver, who I already loathe. But yeah, it's the fact that Ren routinely does stuff like this which is why I hate the character. Even the Empire generally used a lighter touch. He sucks.
Great episode. ****1/2.
The Simpsons "Baby You Can't Drive My Car"
I love this show. I used to love this show, but then I stopped loving it for the longest time. And now I love it again consistently. At least ONE thing is right again in the world.
To be embarrassingly honest, I expected to hate the episode based on the description. And I feel a little shame and regret at my skepticism. But I understand why I felt it. If the show had written an episode with that exact premise ten years ago, it would have totally sucked and probably wound up one of the worst episodes of the season. Now that the writers know what they are doing again, they can pleasantly surprise me. Which this episode did repeatedly. And I loved it each time.
Ten years ago the job would have been driving a wedge between Homer and Marge. Instead is affirms how well they work together, and how good they are for each other. Homer being the conscientious objector worked perfectly too. Because with Homer right, he's not as mad at Marge as she would be him if their positions were reversed. He doesn't feel hopeless and bummed that she doesn't feel the same way. He just hopes she'll come around soon. And that was the perfect way to have them get into a conflict in this scenario, without either making me angry at Homer and / or Marge, or lessen my enjoyment at how happy they were earlier in the episode. In fact, the only reason Marge is still on the Darkside is BECAUSE she and Homer were so happy. She's sad now because deep down, she knows Homer's right. And I freaking love that. I love that the show set up a legit conflict without forcing me to take sides or feel bad about it. Spouses disagree with each other all the time, even over big things. But that doesn't usually mean their marriage is crumbling. People are different, and the trick is learning how to compromise or get the other person to your way of thinking. Ten years ago, the solution would be to kick Homer out of the house. And it's the fact that the show doesn't do that cr*p very often anymore which is why I love it.
I didn't love the implied suicide of the guy in the car with the bad music. But I'll allow it. Because the episode used the light touch when it should have : the goat sacrifice. Instead of dying, the goat bites the cultist in the nards and escapes. And because they did that, I'll forgive the guy in the car.
For the record, the fact that Homer doesn't even get up for THAT says he's the right person for the job.
How do you know the song in the end credits is sexy? Homer isn't singing any of it. I laughed at them ending up at the Church bathroom again. I also loved the Krusty Coke joke, and the car driving Skinner and Agnes to the assisted suicide hospital. When he says, "Look, Mother! They take our insurance!" I'm rolling.
Do you another moment that made me totally happy? When the hockey thing wasn't clicking because the nerds were out of shape, Marge brought in rolling chairs to make it fun in a way the nerds COULD navigate. Which is another thing I loved about how the episode said Homer and Marge worked well together. I freaking loved that moment.
I cannot say enough good things about this episode. And it's one where Homer gets fired and has a major ethical disagreement with Marge! I am as shocked I loved it as anyone. *****.
Bob's Burgers "Live And Let Fly"
I love that they won a blender. It's not a total victory, but it's a moral one, so everyone's happy.
For the record, those are some good kids right there. I would not have backed off the Frond revenge plot for any reason. Not only because he deserved it. But because a sick, sociopathic part of me would want to see how it played out. I am not a freaking saint. I mean, he gave the kids SUCH good ammo. I'd want to rubberneck that particular carnage. Who wouldn't?
What's so great about the revenge plot is that the kids are not only smart enough to pull it off, but they are smart enough to do something they'll know will actually work, and is a just punishment. When they have to talk down a guy from cutting the wires in his sister's plane, you realize how much better at this they are than he is.
I love the scene with Bob at the art store with the quality paper. Her and Harold are drinking wine out of bottle tonight! It's in a glowing briefcase. Because of course it is. It the kind of paper Marcellus Wallace uses.
I love Jimmy Junior saying he felt bad for Tina and wanted to donate to a charity that would help her. The worst part of him saying that is that by putting it that way, he clearly isn't insulting her. He's just simply too disgusted to want to deal with it himself. It's his sincerity that is so damning in that moment, not his barbs.
Funny episode, but I think Louise was a little too soft in the end for her own good. ****.
Family Guy "Regarding Carter"
Good night for Fox cartoons. The Simpsons won the night, but Bob's Burgers was also great, and Family Guy finished strong.
I think I liked the episode so much because I was very unclear on where the observational humor started and ended. Were they making fun of Kids In The Hall? Or were they making fun of stuck-up cynics who looked down on Kids In The Hall? I personally LIKED Kids In The Hall, but I absolutely will tolerate Family Guy's slams against it because they were accurate. Sketches never seemed to have funny stopping points or real endings, and just ran out of steam and trailed off. Normally, the problem with Family Guy's mean humor is that it comes from the place of not actually understanding or appreciating the thing it is making fun of. The fact that the show knows THAT sketch show's biggest weakness decades later says they at least know what they are talking about, which is quite refreshing.
The Netflix runner was also very meta, and I wasn't sure what was a slam on Netflix and what was self-deprecating. Was the fact that Cleveland had a special a simple slam on the fact that Netflix gives a special to everyone? Or is it saying that Cleveland's show was so unsuccessful that now he has to slum on Netflix? It could be read either way.
A similarly perplexing burn was the Peter with a not-Peter voice saying he hated The Orville because it keeps Seth MacFarlane from doing his job on Family Guy. And no lie, the last two seasons have been the worst the show has experienced in years. And yet, The Orville is amazing, and I enjoy it every week. Neither of those things were ever true of Family Guy at any point during its run. If the continuation of The Orville hinges on whether or not Family Guy sucks, I'll make that trade in a heartbeat.
And it didn't suck this week. That whole scene of them planning on how to make Carter mean was a genius helping of observational humor. When Peter tells Meg he's upset that his daughter came up with that idea right out of the gate, the scene is already hilarious, and it only gets better from there. You REALLY want to make Carter mean? Give him Peter's kids. When Brian is surprised by the book suggestion I love that Chris says, "Do you know what you should read? The room." That was genius, and the whole scene was a perfect comedy of ill-manners from top to bottom.
I almost didn't like the episode because of Peter and the gun, and I knew it would lead bad places. But it wasn't as bad as it could have been. And that includes him getting his son to point it in his own face and pull the trigger. Which should tell you how badly it COULD have gone.
For the record, Uncles That Voted For Gary Johnson are precisely that dangerous in real life. Protect your sack.
It amuses me that Hill Street Blues' main claim to fame for realism is that a lot of the actors were ugly. That's a pretty freaking low bar, and if your actually know the kind of claptrap Steven Bochco routinely brought to the screen on LA Law, Doogie Howser, and NYPD Blue, it's a pretty unacceptable one in hindsight. Unlike LA Law and NYPD Blue, I never watched Hill Street. A few years before my time. But if Bochco's other work is any indication, it must be overrated dreck. Or maybe it was simply having David E Kelly and David Milch as wingmen that made him suck. But I'm pretty sure he came up with Hooperman, Capital Critters, and Cop Rock on his own. What was I talking about? Oh, yeah! Get off my lawn! Music is too loud now!
Babs shooting Carter for giving away the money was a genius ending. That way Peter doesn't have to be the bad guy. Why doesn't the show do that more often? The show doesn't have to end with Peter apologizing for making a mess. Maybe it's okay if he learns the lesson before the mess is made if there is another way to write themselves out of the problem. My main objection about Peter's horridness, and this goes all the way back to the first episode of the first season, is that the only reason Peter is as horrible as he is is because the writers are lazy, and don't want to put in the effort to give him plausible family problems for him to deal with and learn a lesson from. Therefore the writers can have him air a revenge porn commercial on television, and have Lois forgive him at the end of the episode, instead of murder him like he deserved and any sane wife would have done. And this episode proves with a little clever writing, you can set up the horrible ethical dilemma for Peter, and not make him unforgivable for going through with it. If the show did that every week it would be in really good shape. Yes, Brian would still be a problem. But his role is different than Peter's. Peter is supposed to be The Protagonist. Brian has turned into The Cautionary Tale, and the more deplorable they make him, the better he fits the role. But Peter is only as bad as he is because the writers are lazy. I liked and noticed them trying for once.
Weren't his age jokes at the beginning just awful though? I felt sick at myself for laughing at them. But they were legitimately clever.
Look what Joe started! I liked him trying (and failing) to put the hat back on his head with dignity. But there is no dignity to be had after that. Good. He sucks.
Unusually strong episode. If the show did THIS every week, no-one would resent The Orville. Now, no-one actually SHOULD, but that would definitely shut the whiners up. ****1/2.
Riverdale "Chapter Forty: "The Midnight Club"
Oh, for crying out loud. What am I supposed to do with that?
I could go on about how stupid and juvenile and badly written this is, but I kind of need to express how I viewed the episode better than just saying that. I got Netflix recently. I have never seen Fuller House, but after this episode I have a morbid curiosity about it. Because I'm betting it is exactly the same vibe. To the letter. The series wants us to squee at the cast dressed up in and 80's clothes, the main title switching to something retro for an episode, and Anthony Michael Hall playing the principle from The Breakfast Club. The episode CLEARLY wants me to enjoy this. Why? Why would I? I imagine the same thing happens on Fuller House every other week. I imagine there are a ton of episodes where Dave Coulier pops up in "Surprise" midway, and I'm betting the studio audience goes nuts and raises the roof. And that would raise the same question for me: Why? Why would anyone WANT to see and enjoy a surprise appearance by Dave Coulier? How does that actually appeal to anyone? Who is this for exactly?
There have been Berlanti shows that are dumb fun, like Legends of Tomorrow. But this isn't a guilty pleasure. It's a shameful cringe-fest. And the cringiest thing of all is that the episode obvious poured its heart and soul into things to come up with THAT. SO embarrassing.
Trying to pin a D&D knockoff as something ritualistic is quite rich considering over in Greendale Sabrina Spellman's virginity is pledged to the Dark Lord Satan. Let's remember what franchise we are, and get some perspective, people.
How is it Reggie is Hiram? That doesn't even make any sense.
For the record, and this should probably go without saying, but Camila Mendes is more of a ringer for a young Madchen Amick, than Lili Reinhart could EVER hope to be. It's almost pathetic that nobody on the show realized that ahead of time, and plowed ahead with the episode anyways.
My IQ dropped 30 points just by watching that. 0.
The Good Place "The Lizard And The Owl"
Great tete a tete between Michael and Eleanor. She experienced something scarier than Heaven or Hell: Love. And it makes sense she's in denial and blaming Michael.
I love that ultimately Michael didn't want to show her the memory because he didn't want her to see how cruel he used to be and think less of him. That's very moving to me.
The Tahini centaur was a scream. That should have been one of those realities where they figured out immediately they were actually in the Bad Place. Sort of a dead giveaway to me.
The sight gag of Eleanor going bald at the beginning was great. I love the specificity Michael uses in telling her she didn't make it work.
I am not as interested in either of those cliffhangers as I usually am. The episode itself fully satisfied me. ****.
Upcoming reviews include Twin Peaks: The Return (Blu-Ray), Doctor Who: Series 9, Doctor Who: Series 10, Doctor Who: Twice Upon A Time, Class: Series 1, The X-Files: Season 10, The X-Files: Season 11, 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), Avengers: Infinity War (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, Deadpool 2, Legion: Season 1, The Gifted: Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 2, Zootopia, Moana (Blu-Ray), Mickey Mouse: Merry & Scary, Sofia The First: Once Upon A Princess, 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, Teen Titans Go!: Lo-Tech Heroes, DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, LEGO DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain, The LEGO Batman Movie, LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage Of Atlantis, Batman Vs. Two-Face, Scooby Doo! & Batman: The Brave And The Bold, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight, Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay, The Death Of Superman, Batman Ninja, Suicide Squad (Blu-Ray), Wonder Woman (Blu-Ray), Justice League (Blu-Ray), Arrow: Season 4, Arrow: Season 5, Arrow: Season 6, The Flash: Season 2, The Flash: Season 3, The Flash: Season 4, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 2, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 3, Supergirl: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 2, Supergirl: Season 3, Vixen: The Movie, Black Lightning: Season 1, Gotham: Season 2, Gotham: Season 3, Gotham: Season 4, 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, 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, Stranger Things: Season One, 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 (Blu-Ray), 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.
Doctor Who "The Tsuranga Conundrum"
I think my favorite moment was when the ship's doctor told the Doctor that she was being selfish and not thinking about the other patients, and she checked herself and said he was right. I like that Thirteen has some humility to her, which is rare in a Doctor.
That little monster, as dangerous as it was, was super cute. The look of ecstasy on its face as it devoured the bomb was adorable.
I love the pregnant man. His interactions with Graham and Ryan were quite endearing. I'm really starting to love Graham. He's what would happen if Wilfred Mott were more mobile and could join the TARDIS on a more regular basis. I laughed at him admitting he turned away from the squeamish bits on the TV program.
Good episode. I hope the Doctor gets the TARDIS back next week. She loses it entirely too much for my liking. ***1/2.
Supergirl "Ahimsa"
You know what? I really love this version of Manchester Black, more than I ever could have thought. So it frustrates me I'm going to have to give the episode a negative grade. He deserved to debut during a better one.
My problem with the episode starts and ends with Supergirl. And I cannot overstate how much she sucks, and how much the show sucks for validating her behavior at end with an "Everybody gets an apology" trophy. I am literally furious.
Supergirl believes she doesn't have to follow the chain of command. Do you know the specific reason she believes that? Because nobody can actually stop her. And it doesn't occur to her that she isn't merely "not playing by the rules". She's undercutting Alex's entire authority with her troops in a time in which her department is already crumbling and people are already skeptical of her. The shaky people in the DEO don't need to look for outside examples of aliens flouting the law because they don't believe it applies to them. Supergirl is right there proving Agent Liberty's point for him.
What drives me nuts is that this is the opposite of what Superman does. A lot of people think Superman is a boring character for never breaking rules, but they are misreading why he does it. I personally don't think it's because he's a square, or a Boyscout, or even because he's super virtuous. It's because if he stops following orders from the humans in charge of the country and the world, that is an act of public disobedience and an affront to the law-abiding people he tries to protect every day. It's menacing when a superpowered person flaunts the laws, no matter how small the law is. In fact, Superman (correctly) believes he has to follow the rules even more strictly than non-superpowered people do. He doesn't raise TOO many objections to Batman, but he knows that the only way this can ever work is if his relationship with law enforcement is above reproach. He doesn't actually HAVE to answer to anybody, but chooses to to show that even with him around, society still has rules and order. It's MORE imperative he follow orders to the letter, not less, because he CAN ignore them. And he doesn't always follow the rules because they are right, or because he always agrees with them. It's that the public will accept what he does easier if they believe he is operating under the same legal guidelines everybody else is. And that's the precise reason Superman is one of the few heroes in the DC Universe who isn't considered a vigilante. Because he follows those rules, and doesn't show up any place where he's legally not wanted. And he does it to not only set the proper example to the humans of Earth, but also to the other powered people or vigilantes who don't take the notion as seriously as he does. A lot of fanboys think the fact that Superman follows the rules makes him boring. They are wrong. It is in fact what actually makes him interesting. It's the morality he has to navigate which is actually what his hero struggle is, as he's otherwise nearly indestructible. He is literally always living in a "world of cardboard". He's interesting because he never actually bends it. He is just as fascinating psychologically as Batman. He's just not as damaged, which is what a lot of people's objections actually boil down to. And I'm just gonna say they are wrong.
But Supergirl disobeying a direct order, and then not using the well-worn trope "Better to ask for forgiveness later than permission," and not apologizing afterwards cheeses me off. She thinks she's right for making it so the new President with a chip on his shoulder reads her sister the riot act. If Supergirl were a better sister and friend she'd realize the position she is putting Alex in, and that her behavior is actually quite threatening, if only because she is showing that nobody can stop her from doing whatever she wants. And it is beyond ironic that Manchester Black of all people, debuted in the very episode she did this. This is the precise reason Superman considers him a villain in the first place. Yeah, maybe Supergirl isn't a murderer (although she has killed a few people that the series just wants us to somehow forget all about) but it's not like Superman hasn't brought in criminals he knew the justice system would eventually execute. He follows the rules and lets due process take its course. And the fact that Supergirl is telegraphing to everyone in that department that she answers to no higher authority is outright frightening. Basically, the only reason Agent Liberty is a villain this year is because he's a racist and a murderer. For this episode at least, Supergirl proved him otherwise right. She's out of control.
And that's the thing that angers me about the show. They don't actually realize that. They are so clueless about what the moral is that Alex apologizes to HER for Supergirl breaking protocol (twice even!) and they never actually raise the proper parallel once. It doesn't even occur to them that it exists. As if what Supergirl did wasn't a huge deal and completely appalling, and is merely something that can be waved away with an "Aw shucks!" And this isn't the first, or even second time, Supergirl has done something like this. What kills me is that when she used to do it, I accepted and allowed it because she was a rookie hero learning the ropes, and being allowed to make mistakes that Superman probably did at first too. I had foolishly assumed she would get wiser and safer as the series went on, but this is season 4 and they still are pulling that cr*p. In the precise season they are trying to get us to root against villains who think aliens are dangerous. And it never occurs to the writers the specific message they are sending by doing that.
I am especially frustrated that when Supergirl throws out an untrue "You would have done the same thing!" to Alex, that the writers weren't insightful enough to have Alex say, "Of course I wouldn't have. I'm a professional federal agent. I ALWAYS follow the chain of command." And she always has. Instead the show has her wince as if Kara just landed a fair point. Which is total b.s.. C'mon, Alex. You DO suck. But you don't actually suck THAT much. Deny it. She's got nothin'.
I am convinced that a good story lives or dies by the message it sends. Most people will disagree with me fiercely, but if a project does not have legit point of view, or an actual moral code for the heroes or villains to follow, it winds up a total mess. This is what three seasons of Preacher and four seasons of Gotham have taught me, each worse than the last. If the writers don't have a message, and are just showing the viewer weird and random cr*p, the show sucks. Now The Arrowverse isn't weird or random cr*p. And it doesn't have the nihilism that Gotham or Preacher do. Which is what is so frustrating. The only thing worse than not having a message is not being consistent with your message, or even understanding the actual implications of it. And I cannot take the message of Supergirl being a beacon of hope for the world, while she is embracing fascism, and believes human laws don't apply to her because nobody can stop her. And what especially frustrates me is that this sort of thing happens in ALL of the Arrowverse all the time. They are all shows about what is means to be a hero. Written by people who don't understand what it means in the slightest. I don't feel like Berlanti and pals are sociopaths like Danny Cannon and Bruno Heller. I doubt they are bad people in real life, which I am convinced Cannon and Heller are. But they are bad at their jobs of writing superheroes, or at least bad at the part of writing superheroes that matters personally to me. To be 100% fair to them, these are not concerns that every single fanboy has or even cares about. For other people it's the soap opera / 'ships, or the fights, special effects, and smackdowns, or the powers, costumes and gimmicks, or the literary allegories, or the sci-fi high-concepts. And the Arrowverse is great and above average in all of the rest of those things. But the reason I watch it, and the reason I watch anything on TV, is for the simple human drama. And the Arrowverse is a failure in that department in every show, on every level, in every regard. And if it were simply as universally terrible as Gotham is I could write it off a lot easier. But it's the fact that it's so great in all of the other superficial stuff that matters to most viewers, which is why I am unhappy. I would be able to hate the franchise a lot easier if the rest of it were worse. Unfortunately, the part that sucks and matters to me is the context, which is not something the show could ever possibly hope to fix with the writers involved. And I wish I hated the Arrowverse, or thought the writers were stupid or bad people. I just think they were put in charge of a franchise too large and important to handle, and things got out of control. And the more Berlanti DC shows that hit the air, the more out of control things are going to get on the rest of the shows. I don't see an easy answer here. DC has spread itself far too thin on TV, with one producer, and it's effecting the work. This was one of the episodes that made me notice that the most. And it's because the episode's moral is bogus, and that the writers don't actually understand what being a hero or a good person actually entails.
I almost wish the Arrowverse had no redeeming qualities like Gotham does. I'd be less disappointed in it on a weekly basis if that were true. *1/2.
Arrow "Level Two"
This is what I knew would happen with the flashforwards and dreaded. Odds are Felicity faked her death, but I still don't have to like that cliffhanger.
I also really dislike the notion that Felicity is being groomed to torture and kill. In a recent review for Supergirl I noted that the producers of these shows are writing about what it means to be a hero without actually understanding what it means. I definitely appreciate the fact that being a vigilante is not black or white. But The Arrowverse always uses murder and torture as a "Rite of Passage" and as if the character doing it for the first time is merely losing their virginity. And the shows seems to go out of its way and try to infect more and more characters that weren't like that with that particular sickness. If the show were actually about what it means to be a hero it wouldn't be doing that over and over again. The message would be the opposite. So yeah, for me, the reason I watch the show, the human drama, was a failure.
I actually liked the stuff with Dinah and Rene. Rick Gonzalez has gotten REALLY good at emoting, and with Paul Blackthorne gone, he's the go-to guy for it now. And it sort of works.
The one thing that worked and didn't work at the same time was the brainwashing of Oliver. I resent the fact that the doctor is evil and is trying to get Oliver to lose his humanity and refer to himself as a number. That's bogus. Because his advice is otherwise great. His promise to Robert on that boat was made under duress, and his father was a murderer. I am glad there is a person who reminded us that the bodyguard was an actual person with a family, not somebody to be cast aside for Oliver's personal growth. Why are they making the guy who is correctly pointing out that Oliver is basing his mission around a desperate promise for a terrible person, and will bring that down on his son, evil? It doesn't make sense to me. That particular thing doesn't just make me think that the writers don't know what being a hero means. They don't seem to know what being a good person means. A person speaking that specific truth to Oliver should not be seen as a villain or a torturer trying to harm him. Because in reality everything he told him was true. All of the serums and machines cloud an issue that doesn't deserve to be clouded at all.
I am frustrated. And I don't see any way out of this frustration short of me stopping watching these shows. Is that actually going to have to be a consideration at some point? Because there needs to be a limit for any franchise, and Supergirl and Arrow keep crossing it over and over again, and I keep pretending things are going to get better. And this is me no longer thinking that. *1/2.
DC's Legends Of Tomorrow "Dancing Queen"
How do I put this? That was not great. I will be the first to say the show so far isn't as strong this year as it was last year. But do you know what? I am not frustrated or miserable after watching that. Which I was after both this week's Supergirl and Arrow. I was actually allowed to, gulp, ENJOY that. Heaven forfend an Arrowverse show be pleasant to watch. I wish the show were more serious and less stupid while that thing is true, but I'm not upset after watching it and I wasn't increasingly frustrated as it went on.
Ray's slide into darkness is a sharp contrast to how they are botching things with Felcity Smoak on Arrow. Ray's idea of darkness is helping people who probably don't deserve it. That's a proper dark streak for a character like Ray or Felicity. And it bugs me this is the only Arrowverse show that understands something like that.
I was mostly annoyed with Constantine at the beginning. I realize we are supposed to love the character right off the bat, but considering Rory's damaged backstory, I was offended on his behalf when Constantine set him on fire as a prank. Not cool. At all.
But then the show does an amazing thing. It brings him to the pub where his mother and father were happy before he was born. And I liked Zari getting the picture at the end because she was swinging and missing at every reason Constantine was in the bar. When he tells that's his mother, she's thrown for a loop. And when she asks if they were close, and he says he just met her 20 minutes ago, she's wondering what she could have possibly gotten herself into by following this crazy person into a bar.
I like the time travel rules refusing to allow Constantine to break the rules. And one of the most annoying (although admittedly) lovable things about Constantine is that he doesn't believe the rules apply to him, and can magic his way around any limitation. Time travel? Uh uh. Not a magic alive that can actually break those specific rules. And as funny as it was watching him try and fail to kick his father in the sack, it's pleasurable knowing that John will not always get his way on the Waverider.
When he says to his mother "You'll never see me again," wasn't that just awful? He was being cruel to a person who didn't deserve it and couldn't actually understand he was being cruel. Which is one of the things about John that sucks. His behavior is why we can't have nice things.
And do you know what? Even if Zari HAD entered the room for wrap-up, that's actually okay. Lame or not, people check in on each other after tough days. He does not have to pretend she is being lame and predictable by doing that. Because it's what everybody does. He does not get to pretend this behavior is abnormal and he is the only one who realizes the truth about how supposedly insincere nice words are. Do you know what he could do instead? If she asks "Are you okay?" He could just say "I'm fine." That's what every single other person on Earth says when they are asked that question. It is not the unfathomable burden John is acting like it is.
Clever way to bring Amaya's actress back, but I think things are going to get messier than I'd like. I agree with Ray that the creature didn't deserve hell. But the Waverider is not gonna be better off in the short-term for that particular face being on it.
The mission with Rory and Sarah doing the legwork for Ray to steal the dog is why I love this team more than the other Arrowverse teams. It is the only team that has heroes who are seasoned enough to non-verbally pull off complex plots, simply because the characters are on the same wavelength. And Rory directing Ray just was so funny because he got every detail right and perfect, and Sarah did everything she needed to. I think a lot of superhero shows forget how fun it is to watch heroes succeeding and doing an awesome job. That's Doctor Who and Star Trek's entire appeal to me. I'm not sure what possesses superhero shows to think we enjoying watching the hero's friends and family get killed off every other week. I can't even specifically blame Berlanti or the Arrowverse for that either. It effects all of the Marvel shows too, network, and streaming. And I want to see more hero own things with an owning stick. It's fun. It's easy. And the audience will love it. Do the writers on all of these shows truly believe it is harder writing heroes being awesome than it is being broken? Because that is not true at all, and the fact that every single Marvel or DC show thinks it is is a big problem.
Except for this one. Which is again why I'll accept a week that didn't do much else for me. To be frank, the first few episodes of the last amazing season didn't bowl me over either, so there is a good chance that things are going to start kicking butt again soon. But I had assumed that would have happened from the get-go with Constantine on the Waverider. We'll see. ***1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "The Real Orangins!"
How great was that?
Seriously. They put up the money to get Kevin Conroy back as Batman in a Batman: The Animated Series parody. I think most people's complaints against this show are bogus as long as it is always doing stuff like that. This show has Conroy. Its hatas got nuthin'.
Loved Starfire's anime design and the show going back to making fun of the stupidest and most ridiculous thing about Starfire from the comics: The kissing languages thing. That particular thing has always bugged the cr*p out of me, and I like this show making fun of it whenever possible. Because Robin has tuna breath.
But a SERIOUS Batman? C'mon, no-one will buy it! *****.
Teen Titans Go! "Quantum Fun"
They are running out of ways for Robin to annoy the group.
"Of course we did... the NOT," was a pretty sick burn by Starfire.
I liked Quantum Leap too.
Not great but not terrible either. ***1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "The Fight"
It boggles the mind that Matter-Eater Lad is actually a thing. The Legion Of Super Heroes is a ridiculous franchise.
Props to Brother Blood for actually deciding the bring it upon being challenged. His nodding and waving his fingers was beyond cool. Also props to the show for some amazing action sequences. As seen this show is usually puppets and food.
And the Titan's biggest weakness is that they're lazy. Maybe this home equity stuff doesn't sound too bad after all... ****.
Teen Titans Go! "The Groover"
Anyone else notice all of this week's episodes start with Robin bounding into the room excited over nonsense to the other Titans' annoyance? I only mention this because it probably happened a lot before this, and I just never noticed. But seeing the episodes one right after the other makes the formula seem pretty blatant.
Robin expecting the other Titans to use a suitcase toilet is what is known as "an unreasonable ask". He is such a loser.
And no, because of Native American genocide no-one is actually allowed to enjoy the Grand Canyon anymore. It's an actual rule. Look it up.
I've had enough Robin craziness this week. Let's see something else when the show comes back. ***.
DC Super Hero Girls "Rolling Blunder"
Decent animation for Flash.
Why were supposed to think Barda could skate in the first place?
The saddest thing about the name "Splatgirl" is that it's a name Barb chose for herself and wants. What is actually wrong with her? She must be SO damaged by a past trauma to call herself something like that.
Wow, this show just got deeper than I ever thought. ***.
The Gifted "iMprint"
It's weird how much I liked much of the episode. Because I disliked the stuff with Jace so much that it sort of soured me on the whole episode.
I was sort of willing to give the producers the benefit of the doubt over the "Black man joins the Klan and doesn't realize it" thing, but this episode shows that IS the allegory they are trying to shove down our throats. And I don't like it. And I don't like that Jace doesn't see the parallels himself and thinks the group of violent sociopaths he has attached himself to are "The good guys." He sucks.
I found Caitlin and Lauren's good cop / bad cop with the doctor quite riveting. For the record, Caitlin's methods were far more effective and show exactly how valuable she is when she is thinking clearly and rationally. That was not a woman who would be inclined to open up to people asking about that specific patient, but she did because Caitlin revealed her son was with that psychopath and didn't know how dangerous she was. And that's all the doctor needed.
Worried about Reed. Very much so.
I think Lorna overreacted to Esme getting into her baby's head, but I think Esme's apology was fantastic anyways. After this episode, no matter what, I kind of think Esme is actually okay. I don't think that about Reva (and never will) but Esme has a conscience and a legit reason for doing the things she does.
Honestly, most of that episode was good. But the Jace stuff stuck with me more and colored my perceptions towards the negative. **1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "The Night Has Wings"
Good stuff.
I thought Klaw was clever for using Black Panther as bait the way he did. He did it believing that T'Challa would totally get out of being lowered upsidedown into a dark pit in chains and escape. And if he had died instead, Klaw never would have caught the big bat. The reason him using him as bait impressed me so much was because it showed a level of faith in him too. And he was right.
I laughed at the bad guy begging for mercy because he was a fan. Honestly? That was endearing. Were I T'Challa, I WOULD have gone easier on him. But I guess I'm just a softie like Thor.
Funniest bit was the high priest taking a selfie at the end. Nothing in Wakanda is as it seems. Despite these villagers being poorer, they still have screens. And as primitive seeming as the bells look, they actually work a little. Maybe not enough to actually be useful. But a little. Even if the poorest, least intelligent Wakandan is pretty sharp and with-it. The sooner T'Challa realizes that, the better.
That's the aspect of T'Challa I can't stand: The entitled aristocrat. Unlike many other characters with that mindset, T'Challa IS actually as awesome as he believes he is, but it's still pretty insufferable when he isn't beating up bad guys. I like that the show is exploring that a bit and making him a bit more of a man of the people than he was.
What do I think of Klaw's punishment? I think it was just. T'Challa knew he could die, but if he escaped, he will have earned it. The punishment actually fit the crime. I might have chosen a different punishment if I knew how quickly he'd get out of it, but hindsight is 20/20.
Actually, Hindsight 2020 would be a pretty great Presidential campaign bumper sticker.
Anything I didn't like? It is weird the minutia in cartoons that sticks out and bothers me, but this cheesed me off. When Klaw receives the water bottle from Killmonger, he raised it six inches above his head and looks up in the direction of the sun as he pours it in his mouth as if he's watering a plant. That is NOT how people drink out of water bottles, especially a person dying of thirst. That's how the water spills. Really thirsty people put their lips around the nozzle of the canteen and either drink it that way, or if they are really desperate, suck it down. Nobody drinks water as if their mouths are houseplants.
Isn't it weird the cr*p that bugs me? The rest of the episode was great. ****.
Marvel Rising "Kamala Khanfidential: Quake"
Pretty good. ***.
Big Chibi 6: The Shorts "Making Popcorn"
Adorable! LOL at Baymax as a water sprinkler! ****1/2.
Star Wars Resistance "The Children From Tehar"
I actually really liked that. I thought the chase climax was exciting, and the way they faked the kids' death was quite clever.
My biggest problem is Kaz being dumb enough to think anyone would put a bounty that large on kids to help them. Then again, Kaz is NOT the sharpest tack in the drawer, so it's consistent for that.
For the record, what happened to those kids is 50% of the reason I have always hated Kylo Ren. The other part is it's Adam Driver, who I already loathe. But yeah, it's the fact that Ren routinely does stuff like this which is why I hate the character. Even the Empire generally used a lighter touch. He sucks.
Great episode. ****1/2.
The Simpsons "Baby You Can't Drive My Car"
I love this show. I used to love this show, but then I stopped loving it for the longest time. And now I love it again consistently. At least ONE thing is right again in the world.
To be embarrassingly honest, I expected to hate the episode based on the description. And I feel a little shame and regret at my skepticism. But I understand why I felt it. If the show had written an episode with that exact premise ten years ago, it would have totally sucked and probably wound up one of the worst episodes of the season. Now that the writers know what they are doing again, they can pleasantly surprise me. Which this episode did repeatedly. And I loved it each time.
Ten years ago the job would have been driving a wedge between Homer and Marge. Instead is affirms how well they work together, and how good they are for each other. Homer being the conscientious objector worked perfectly too. Because with Homer right, he's not as mad at Marge as she would be him if their positions were reversed. He doesn't feel hopeless and bummed that she doesn't feel the same way. He just hopes she'll come around soon. And that was the perfect way to have them get into a conflict in this scenario, without either making me angry at Homer and / or Marge, or lessen my enjoyment at how happy they were earlier in the episode. In fact, the only reason Marge is still on the Darkside is BECAUSE she and Homer were so happy. She's sad now because deep down, she knows Homer's right. And I freaking love that. I love that the show set up a legit conflict without forcing me to take sides or feel bad about it. Spouses disagree with each other all the time, even over big things. But that doesn't usually mean their marriage is crumbling. People are different, and the trick is learning how to compromise or get the other person to your way of thinking. Ten years ago, the solution would be to kick Homer out of the house. And it's the fact that the show doesn't do that cr*p very often anymore which is why I love it.
I didn't love the implied suicide of the guy in the car with the bad music. But I'll allow it. Because the episode used the light touch when it should have : the goat sacrifice. Instead of dying, the goat bites the cultist in the nards and escapes. And because they did that, I'll forgive the guy in the car.
For the record, the fact that Homer doesn't even get up for THAT says he's the right person for the job.
How do you know the song in the end credits is sexy? Homer isn't singing any of it. I laughed at them ending up at the Church bathroom again. I also loved the Krusty Coke joke, and the car driving Skinner and Agnes to the assisted suicide hospital. When he says, "Look, Mother! They take our insurance!" I'm rolling.
Do you another moment that made me totally happy? When the hockey thing wasn't clicking because the nerds were out of shape, Marge brought in rolling chairs to make it fun in a way the nerds COULD navigate. Which is another thing I loved about how the episode said Homer and Marge worked well together. I freaking loved that moment.
I cannot say enough good things about this episode. And it's one where Homer gets fired and has a major ethical disagreement with Marge! I am as shocked I loved it as anyone. *****.
Bob's Burgers "Live And Let Fly"
I love that they won a blender. It's not a total victory, but it's a moral one, so everyone's happy.
For the record, those are some good kids right there. I would not have backed off the Frond revenge plot for any reason. Not only because he deserved it. But because a sick, sociopathic part of me would want to see how it played out. I am not a freaking saint. I mean, he gave the kids SUCH good ammo. I'd want to rubberneck that particular carnage. Who wouldn't?
What's so great about the revenge plot is that the kids are not only smart enough to pull it off, but they are smart enough to do something they'll know will actually work, and is a just punishment. When they have to talk down a guy from cutting the wires in his sister's plane, you realize how much better at this they are than he is.
I love the scene with Bob at the art store with the quality paper. Her and Harold are drinking wine out of bottle tonight! It's in a glowing briefcase. Because of course it is. It the kind of paper Marcellus Wallace uses.
I love Jimmy Junior saying he felt bad for Tina and wanted to donate to a charity that would help her. The worst part of him saying that is that by putting it that way, he clearly isn't insulting her. He's just simply too disgusted to want to deal with it himself. It's his sincerity that is so damning in that moment, not his barbs.
Funny episode, but I think Louise was a little too soft in the end for her own good. ****.
Family Guy "Regarding Carter"
Good night for Fox cartoons. The Simpsons won the night, but Bob's Burgers was also great, and Family Guy finished strong.
I think I liked the episode so much because I was very unclear on where the observational humor started and ended. Were they making fun of Kids In The Hall? Or were they making fun of stuck-up cynics who looked down on Kids In The Hall? I personally LIKED Kids In The Hall, but I absolutely will tolerate Family Guy's slams against it because they were accurate. Sketches never seemed to have funny stopping points or real endings, and just ran out of steam and trailed off. Normally, the problem with Family Guy's mean humor is that it comes from the place of not actually understanding or appreciating the thing it is making fun of. The fact that the show knows THAT sketch show's biggest weakness decades later says they at least know what they are talking about, which is quite refreshing.
The Netflix runner was also very meta, and I wasn't sure what was a slam on Netflix and what was self-deprecating. Was the fact that Cleveland had a special a simple slam on the fact that Netflix gives a special to everyone? Or is it saying that Cleveland's show was so unsuccessful that now he has to slum on Netflix? It could be read either way.
A similarly perplexing burn was the Peter with a not-Peter voice saying he hated The Orville because it keeps Seth MacFarlane from doing his job on Family Guy. And no lie, the last two seasons have been the worst the show has experienced in years. And yet, The Orville is amazing, and I enjoy it every week. Neither of those things were ever true of Family Guy at any point during its run. If the continuation of The Orville hinges on whether or not Family Guy sucks, I'll make that trade in a heartbeat.
And it didn't suck this week. That whole scene of them planning on how to make Carter mean was a genius helping of observational humor. When Peter tells Meg he's upset that his daughter came up with that idea right out of the gate, the scene is already hilarious, and it only gets better from there. You REALLY want to make Carter mean? Give him Peter's kids. When Brian is surprised by the book suggestion I love that Chris says, "Do you know what you should read? The room." That was genius, and the whole scene was a perfect comedy of ill-manners from top to bottom.
I almost didn't like the episode because of Peter and the gun, and I knew it would lead bad places. But it wasn't as bad as it could have been. And that includes him getting his son to point it in his own face and pull the trigger. Which should tell you how badly it COULD have gone.
For the record, Uncles That Voted For Gary Johnson are precisely that dangerous in real life. Protect your sack.
It amuses me that Hill Street Blues' main claim to fame for realism is that a lot of the actors were ugly. That's a pretty freaking low bar, and if your actually know the kind of claptrap Steven Bochco routinely brought to the screen on LA Law, Doogie Howser, and NYPD Blue, it's a pretty unacceptable one in hindsight. Unlike LA Law and NYPD Blue, I never watched Hill Street. A few years before my time. But if Bochco's other work is any indication, it must be overrated dreck. Or maybe it was simply having David E Kelly and David Milch as wingmen that made him suck. But I'm pretty sure he came up with Hooperman, Capital Critters, and Cop Rock on his own. What was I talking about? Oh, yeah! Get off my lawn! Music is too loud now!
Babs shooting Carter for giving away the money was a genius ending. That way Peter doesn't have to be the bad guy. Why doesn't the show do that more often? The show doesn't have to end with Peter apologizing for making a mess. Maybe it's okay if he learns the lesson before the mess is made if there is another way to write themselves out of the problem. My main objection about Peter's horridness, and this goes all the way back to the first episode of the first season, is that the only reason Peter is as horrible as he is is because the writers are lazy, and don't want to put in the effort to give him plausible family problems for him to deal with and learn a lesson from. Therefore the writers can have him air a revenge porn commercial on television, and have Lois forgive him at the end of the episode, instead of murder him like he deserved and any sane wife would have done. And this episode proves with a little clever writing, you can set up the horrible ethical dilemma for Peter, and not make him unforgivable for going through with it. If the show did that every week it would be in really good shape. Yes, Brian would still be a problem. But his role is different than Peter's. Peter is supposed to be The Protagonist. Brian has turned into The Cautionary Tale, and the more deplorable they make him, the better he fits the role. But Peter is only as bad as he is because the writers are lazy. I liked and noticed them trying for once.
Weren't his age jokes at the beginning just awful though? I felt sick at myself for laughing at them. But they were legitimately clever.
Look what Joe started! I liked him trying (and failing) to put the hat back on his head with dignity. But there is no dignity to be had after that. Good. He sucks.
Unusually strong episode. If the show did THIS every week, no-one would resent The Orville. Now, no-one actually SHOULD, but that would definitely shut the whiners up. ****1/2.
Riverdale "Chapter Forty: "The Midnight Club"
Oh, for crying out loud. What am I supposed to do with that?
I could go on about how stupid and juvenile and badly written this is, but I kind of need to express how I viewed the episode better than just saying that. I got Netflix recently. I have never seen Fuller House, but after this episode I have a morbid curiosity about it. Because I'm betting it is exactly the same vibe. To the letter. The series wants us to squee at the cast dressed up in and 80's clothes, the main title switching to something retro for an episode, and Anthony Michael Hall playing the principle from The Breakfast Club. The episode CLEARLY wants me to enjoy this. Why? Why would I? I imagine the same thing happens on Fuller House every other week. I imagine there are a ton of episodes where Dave Coulier pops up in "Surprise" midway, and I'm betting the studio audience goes nuts and raises the roof. And that would raise the same question for me: Why? Why would anyone WANT to see and enjoy a surprise appearance by Dave Coulier? How does that actually appeal to anyone? Who is this for exactly?
There have been Berlanti shows that are dumb fun, like Legends of Tomorrow. But this isn't a guilty pleasure. It's a shameful cringe-fest. And the cringiest thing of all is that the episode obvious poured its heart and soul into things to come up with THAT. SO embarrassing.
Trying to pin a D&D knockoff as something ritualistic is quite rich considering over in Greendale Sabrina Spellman's virginity is pledged to the Dark Lord Satan. Let's remember what franchise we are, and get some perspective, people.
How is it Reggie is Hiram? That doesn't even make any sense.
For the record, and this should probably go without saying, but Camila Mendes is more of a ringer for a young Madchen Amick, than Lili Reinhart could EVER hope to be. It's almost pathetic that nobody on the show realized that ahead of time, and plowed ahead with the episode anyways.
My IQ dropped 30 points just by watching that. 0.
The Good Place "The Lizard And The Owl"
Great tete a tete between Michael and Eleanor. She experienced something scarier than Heaven or Hell: Love. And it makes sense she's in denial and blaming Michael.
I love that ultimately Michael didn't want to show her the memory because he didn't want her to see how cruel he used to be and think less of him. That's very moving to me.
The Tahini centaur was a scream. That should have been one of those realities where they figured out immediately they were actually in the Bad Place. Sort of a dead giveaway to me.
The sight gag of Eleanor going bald at the beginning was great. I love the specificity Michael uses in telling her she didn't make it work.
I am not as interested in either of those cliffhangers as I usually am. The episode itself fully satisfied me. ****.