Lost "Jughead", Hulk Vs, and The X-Files: Season 8 Reviews (Major Spoilers)
Also reviews for Hulk Vs. Wolverine and Hulk Vs. Thor (Minor Spoilers) and The X-Files Season Eight (Major Spoilers).
Lost "Jughead"
I like this season so far. A LOT. Partly because I didn't expect it to be as good as last year. And in a sense it isn't. So far, there aren't as many surprise twists or action sequences. But what this season HAS been doing is answering questions. Big Time.
Now we know that Charles Widmore used to be an Other and WHY Richard Alpert visited John Locke as a kid. We also learned some new things about Daniel Faraday (both good and bad) and see that the island isn't quite finished with Desmond and Penny yet.
I love the desperate concern oozing from Widmore when Desmond visited him. He KNOWS Penny is in terrible danger from Ben but he couldn't warn Desmond about it without answering a bunch of unpleasant questions. Alan Dale played the scene exactly right.
We KNOW Charlotte doesn't feel the same way about Daniel as he does about her so having her collapse at the end when he tried to touch her was an unpredictable shock. Nicely played.
And Desmond named his kid Charlie. Perfect.
And yes, Miles had NO problem giving up Faraday as the "leader". The guy sure knows how to look out for number one.
I'm really digging this new season because it seems like the show is FINALLY headed somewhere and you can tell the producers are kind of relieved about that. Frankly, so am I. ****1/2.
Hulk Vs:
Hulk Vs. Wolverine
Ugh. Big, loud, noisy and dumb this was a good example of everything that is wrong with superhero comics today. It's basically one long fight sequence with an intermission where Wolverine's enemies from his Weapon X days spend their time torturing him. REALLY unpleasant, and I found myself cringing throughout. Deadpool was kinda funny but other than him and the first glimpses of characters I remember from X-Men: The Animated Series there is really nothing here to recommend. *1/2.
Hulk Vs. Thor
This was pretty good. I liked the epic scope and it was better written than Hulk Vs. Wolverine. I especially liked the beginning and how mythical it felt. The movie sort of slows down as it goes along and parts of it were boring. I liked the idea of seperating the Hulk and Bruce Banner and Loki was a good villain. It was fun seeing him and Thor go to Hell. Thor is kind of boring here. I think I prefer the surfer dude version from Ultimate Avengers: The Movie but I didn't actually have any real problems with him. This is the better of the two movies on the Hulk Vs. 2-Disc set. ***.
Hulk Vs. Wolverine DVD Menus: Pretty cool. Only problem is they set good expectations for the feature that it refused to deliver. ***.
Hulk Vs. Thor DVD Menus: Just as good as the Wolverine ones. ***.
The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season
The X-Files is definitely out of it's glory years and this first season without David Duchovny full time is passable at best. Once Mulder returns halfway through the season things get back on track but with few exceptions (like Badlaa) the episodes without him aren't all that great.
That said, I like Scully's new partner John Doggett specifically because you aren't supposed to like him and Robert Patrick is kind of a butthole. I can take or leave Monica Reyes but Doggett is kind of smarter and craftier than he looks at first sight.
Best episodes of the year are the delightfully gross Badlaa, the one where Mulder is "found" (This Is Not Happening) and the FIRST (not second) part of the season finale (Essence). LOTS of mediocre episodes this year including the mystery Mulder would have solved in five minutes (Patience), John Doggett's first solo outing (Via Negativa), the unpleasant one with characters I couldn't give a hoot about (Surekill), and the one that supposedly cleans up the plot thread of Mulder's terminal illness (The Gift). Season Overall: ***.
Within: Not really feeling the season premiere. The show kind of lost it's way when they made Mulder a part timer. Next season when he's completely absent is even worse. Good to see Gibson Praise again though and I've always liked Robert Patrick as John Doggett. ***.
Without: This episode wisely puts the paranoia surrounding the Alien Bounty Hunter to good use and FINALLY does a Body Snatchers type of story. The fact is this type of thing should have been a no-brainer earlier in the show's run. Better late than never. ***1/2.
Patience: The biggest problem with this episode is that both Scully and Doggett are completely incompetent throughout. I know that was kind of the point (of how much Mulder brought to th table) but even as the skeptic Scully has ALWAYS been an outstanding agent. The episode was also kind of boring too. **1/2.
Roadrunners: SCARY and creepy episode that has an awesome teaser and keeps getting even more unsettling. I find cults creepy but supernatural cults REALLY freak me out. ****.
Invocation: I have to admit, I didn't see where this one was going, but it was still unpleasant to watch. ***.
Redrum: I liked this a lot because it's a Memento-like murder mystery where the murder is prevented. Joe Morton is a great guest star. ****.
Via Negativa: Not feelin' this one. I loved seeing Angel's Keith Szarabajka as the baddie but I didn't understand his motives at all. **1/2.
Surekill: I didn't care about the characters here which is essential with an episode so heavily focused on the guest cast. **.
Salvage: Pretty good and neat to see Prison Break's Wade Williams as the metal man. Best line of the episode goes to John "T-1000" Doggett regarding Scully's conjecture about Ray being a metallic man: "That stuff only happens in the movies". ***1/2.
Badlaa: I loved this episode for SO many different reasons. I thought the concept was deliciously gruesome and the Beggar Man incredibly chilling and I was enjoying the episode because of that. Then the episode turns into a kid detective mystery (like I've Got Batman in My Basement only GOOD) with a great friendship between a kid and the bully who used to torment him (played solidly by Joan of Arcadia's Micheal Welch).. Great journeys for both kids and them teaming up to fight the monster when no-one else believed them, reminded me of the good parts of Stephen King's It. And just when you think the episode couldn't get any better Gillian Anderson breaks your heart when you realize how much she misses Mulder and how much of an impact he has imprinted on her this season. His shadow is all over the episode (including Scully going to see Chuck Burks) and is the heart-breaking reason why she fired a gun at what appeared to her to be a young boy. I'm taking half a star off of the episode because the Epilogue was unsatisfying to me, but other than that I can't complain. ****1/2.
The Gift: I loved seeing Buffy's Caroline Lagerfelt as the Rustic even though the episode itself turned my stomach. They ultimately never went anywhere with Mulder having a fatal illness. The episode is also somewhat bewildering and hard to grasp. **1/2.
Medusa: Guest starapalooza with DS9's Penny Johnson, Scrub's Ken Jenkins and Angel's Vyto Ruginis! VERY scary and tense episode. And I liked the resolution too. ***1/2.
Per Manum: Beatiful episode. I was really touched at the end with Mulder holding Scully and holding out hope for a miracle. I also thought the reason Scully didn't want to tell Doggett why she was pregnant made perfect sense. All this and Adam Baldwin! ****.
This is Not Happening: Cool episode with a killer ending. I loved seeing Jeremiah Smith again and Scully's desperation absolutely slayed me. I can take or leave Monica Reyes but the rest of the episode was awesome. ****1/2.
Deadalive: The first half of the episode is dull as dirt but once Krycek shows up the fun begins. I love how horrified Skinner was at the terms of Krycek's bargain and the lengths he was willing to go to protect Scully. And Mulder's "Who are you?" and then Big Smile when he wakes up to Scully who is heart-broken and then amused within the space of seconds. Classic Mulder. ****.
Three Words: I had always wondered where the subtitle for the first X-Files movie (Fight the Future) came from when I first saw it and I like that they worked it into the show's mythology itself. I also love that Knowle Rohrer is evil (and a Super Soldier). And you KNOW Mulder is gonna hate Doggett when he meets him but it was pure pleasure seeing him shove him (and this is coming from someone who actually LIKES Doggett.) ****.
Empedocles: I really enjoyed this episode because of the little scenes between the characters and Mulder getting to know the new guys. I loved Doggett accousting him and their scene later and I thought Mulder's riff on Scully and the pizza guy was hilarious. But the thing I like best about this and the next two episodes is that they are Mulder's last "normal episodes" of the series that have little to do with the show's mythology. He was missed in season nine. ****.
Vienen: I liked this one too especially Mulder gaining respect for Doggett by the end. I also liked seeing roles for DS9's Casey "Damar" Biggs and Lost's M.C. "Mr. Friendly" Gainey. ***1/2.
Alone: VERY good. The teaser made me jump and this episode reminded me, that for all John Doggett is usually wrong about, he is an extremely smart and capable agent. Best bit was the very end where the ep poked fun at one of the biggest plot holes from the movie. Hilarious. I am sad this is Mulder's last "regular" episode. ****.
Essence: Great first part to the season finale. I wasn't all that thrilled with the cliffhanger but the rest of the episode was a nail-biter. ****1/2.
Existance: The very last shot of the episode made me howl in fury when this originally aired since I knew David Duchovny wasn't coming back. HUGELY unsatisfying and I thought Mulder deserved a more conclusive send-off. Luckily we got that in next year's series finale (sort of) but Chris Carter should never have put the audience through that and it just showed that he had no idea how to deliver a satisfying show. You can't just have Mulder and Scully kiss after revealing Mulder is the father and then just have him drop out of sight in the season premiere. That made him look like a major league butthole and was extremely off-putting. That said, this rest of the episode was pretty good. But no, they shouldn't have killed off Krycek. Him ALWAYS surviving was one of the best running gags of the series. All in all the season finale, while exciting made a LOT of foolish decisions that squarely put it in the "mixed bag" camp. ***.
Deleted Scene: Surekill: Adds a bit of clarity to the episode if not much else. **1/2.
Deleted Scene: Badlaa: I have no idea why the Beggar Man is eating that string of cloth and I don't wanna know. It gives me the creeps in the very best way just to see him DOING it. ****.
Deleted Scene: Per Manum: This was pretty cool. ****.
Deleted Scene: Empedocles: This scene explains WHY Duke's sister referred to the agent at the bottom of the stairs as "she" since it WAS Reyes who approached her. ***1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Existance: Two of these were forgettable but it was nice to see one last scene involving Krycek. ****.
Promo Spots: You can tell the network was getting desperate because of the ratings by how much they kept hyping episodes David Duchovny was in. Unluckily they were only able to do it once next year (for the series finale). Great promos though. ****1/2.
DVD Menus: They shouldn't have spoiled Krycek's surprise death in the DVD menus. ***.
Lost "Jughead"
I like this season so far. A LOT. Partly because I didn't expect it to be as good as last year. And in a sense it isn't. So far, there aren't as many surprise twists or action sequences. But what this season HAS been doing is answering questions. Big Time.
Now we know that Charles Widmore used to be an Other and WHY Richard Alpert visited John Locke as a kid. We also learned some new things about Daniel Faraday (both good and bad) and see that the island isn't quite finished with Desmond and Penny yet.
I love the desperate concern oozing from Widmore when Desmond visited him. He KNOWS Penny is in terrible danger from Ben but he couldn't warn Desmond about it without answering a bunch of unpleasant questions. Alan Dale played the scene exactly right.
We KNOW Charlotte doesn't feel the same way about Daniel as he does about her so having her collapse at the end when he tried to touch her was an unpredictable shock. Nicely played.
And Desmond named his kid Charlie. Perfect.
And yes, Miles had NO problem giving up Faraday as the "leader". The guy sure knows how to look out for number one.
I'm really digging this new season because it seems like the show is FINALLY headed somewhere and you can tell the producers are kind of relieved about that. Frankly, so am I. ****1/2.
Hulk Vs:
Hulk Vs. Wolverine
Ugh. Big, loud, noisy and dumb this was a good example of everything that is wrong with superhero comics today. It's basically one long fight sequence with an intermission where Wolverine's enemies from his Weapon X days spend their time torturing him. REALLY unpleasant, and I found myself cringing throughout. Deadpool was kinda funny but other than him and the first glimpses of characters I remember from X-Men: The Animated Series there is really nothing here to recommend. *1/2.
Hulk Vs. Thor
This was pretty good. I liked the epic scope and it was better written than Hulk Vs. Wolverine. I especially liked the beginning and how mythical it felt. The movie sort of slows down as it goes along and parts of it were boring. I liked the idea of seperating the Hulk and Bruce Banner and Loki was a good villain. It was fun seeing him and Thor go to Hell. Thor is kind of boring here. I think I prefer the surfer dude version from Ultimate Avengers: The Movie but I didn't actually have any real problems with him. This is the better of the two movies on the Hulk Vs. 2-Disc set. ***.
Hulk Vs. Wolverine DVD Menus: Pretty cool. Only problem is they set good expectations for the feature that it refused to deliver. ***.
Hulk Vs. Thor DVD Menus: Just as good as the Wolverine ones. ***.
The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season
The X-Files is definitely out of it's glory years and this first season without David Duchovny full time is passable at best. Once Mulder returns halfway through the season things get back on track but with few exceptions (like Badlaa) the episodes without him aren't all that great.
That said, I like Scully's new partner John Doggett specifically because you aren't supposed to like him and Robert Patrick is kind of a butthole. I can take or leave Monica Reyes but Doggett is kind of smarter and craftier than he looks at first sight.
Best episodes of the year are the delightfully gross Badlaa, the one where Mulder is "found" (This Is Not Happening) and the FIRST (not second) part of the season finale (Essence). LOTS of mediocre episodes this year including the mystery Mulder would have solved in five minutes (Patience), John Doggett's first solo outing (Via Negativa), the unpleasant one with characters I couldn't give a hoot about (Surekill), and the one that supposedly cleans up the plot thread of Mulder's terminal illness (The Gift). Season Overall: ***.
Within: Not really feeling the season premiere. The show kind of lost it's way when they made Mulder a part timer. Next season when he's completely absent is even worse. Good to see Gibson Praise again though and I've always liked Robert Patrick as John Doggett. ***.
Without: This episode wisely puts the paranoia surrounding the Alien Bounty Hunter to good use and FINALLY does a Body Snatchers type of story. The fact is this type of thing should have been a no-brainer earlier in the show's run. Better late than never. ***1/2.
Patience: The biggest problem with this episode is that both Scully and Doggett are completely incompetent throughout. I know that was kind of the point (of how much Mulder brought to th table) but even as the skeptic Scully has ALWAYS been an outstanding agent. The episode was also kind of boring too. **1/2.
Roadrunners: SCARY and creepy episode that has an awesome teaser and keeps getting even more unsettling. I find cults creepy but supernatural cults REALLY freak me out. ****.
Invocation: I have to admit, I didn't see where this one was going, but it was still unpleasant to watch. ***.
Redrum: I liked this a lot because it's a Memento-like murder mystery where the murder is prevented. Joe Morton is a great guest star. ****.
Via Negativa: Not feelin' this one. I loved seeing Angel's Keith Szarabajka as the baddie but I didn't understand his motives at all. **1/2.
Surekill: I didn't care about the characters here which is essential with an episode so heavily focused on the guest cast. **.
Salvage: Pretty good and neat to see Prison Break's Wade Williams as the metal man. Best line of the episode goes to John "T-1000" Doggett regarding Scully's conjecture about Ray being a metallic man: "That stuff only happens in the movies". ***1/2.
Badlaa: I loved this episode for SO many different reasons. I thought the concept was deliciously gruesome and the Beggar Man incredibly chilling and I was enjoying the episode because of that. Then the episode turns into a kid detective mystery (like I've Got Batman in My Basement only GOOD) with a great friendship between a kid and the bully who used to torment him (played solidly by Joan of Arcadia's Micheal Welch).. Great journeys for both kids and them teaming up to fight the monster when no-one else believed them, reminded me of the good parts of Stephen King's It. And just when you think the episode couldn't get any better Gillian Anderson breaks your heart when you realize how much she misses Mulder and how much of an impact he has imprinted on her this season. His shadow is all over the episode (including Scully going to see Chuck Burks) and is the heart-breaking reason why she fired a gun at what appeared to her to be a young boy. I'm taking half a star off of the episode because the Epilogue was unsatisfying to me, but other than that I can't complain. ****1/2.
The Gift: I loved seeing Buffy's Caroline Lagerfelt as the Rustic even though the episode itself turned my stomach. They ultimately never went anywhere with Mulder having a fatal illness. The episode is also somewhat bewildering and hard to grasp. **1/2.
Medusa: Guest starapalooza with DS9's Penny Johnson, Scrub's Ken Jenkins and Angel's Vyto Ruginis! VERY scary and tense episode. And I liked the resolution too. ***1/2.
Per Manum: Beatiful episode. I was really touched at the end with Mulder holding Scully and holding out hope for a miracle. I also thought the reason Scully didn't want to tell Doggett why she was pregnant made perfect sense. All this and Adam Baldwin! ****.
This is Not Happening: Cool episode with a killer ending. I loved seeing Jeremiah Smith again and Scully's desperation absolutely slayed me. I can take or leave Monica Reyes but the rest of the episode was awesome. ****1/2.
Deadalive: The first half of the episode is dull as dirt but once Krycek shows up the fun begins. I love how horrified Skinner was at the terms of Krycek's bargain and the lengths he was willing to go to protect Scully. And Mulder's "Who are you?" and then Big Smile when he wakes up to Scully who is heart-broken and then amused within the space of seconds. Classic Mulder. ****.
Three Words: I had always wondered where the subtitle for the first X-Files movie (Fight the Future) came from when I first saw it and I like that they worked it into the show's mythology itself. I also love that Knowle Rohrer is evil (and a Super Soldier). And you KNOW Mulder is gonna hate Doggett when he meets him but it was pure pleasure seeing him shove him (and this is coming from someone who actually LIKES Doggett.) ****.
Empedocles: I really enjoyed this episode because of the little scenes between the characters and Mulder getting to know the new guys. I loved Doggett accousting him and their scene later and I thought Mulder's riff on Scully and the pizza guy was hilarious. But the thing I like best about this and the next two episodes is that they are Mulder's last "normal episodes" of the series that have little to do with the show's mythology. He was missed in season nine. ****.
Vienen: I liked this one too especially Mulder gaining respect for Doggett by the end. I also liked seeing roles for DS9's Casey "Damar" Biggs and Lost's M.C. "Mr. Friendly" Gainey. ***1/2.
Alone: VERY good. The teaser made me jump and this episode reminded me, that for all John Doggett is usually wrong about, he is an extremely smart and capable agent. Best bit was the very end where the ep poked fun at one of the biggest plot holes from the movie. Hilarious. I am sad this is Mulder's last "regular" episode. ****.
Essence: Great first part to the season finale. I wasn't all that thrilled with the cliffhanger but the rest of the episode was a nail-biter. ****1/2.
Existance: The very last shot of the episode made me howl in fury when this originally aired since I knew David Duchovny wasn't coming back. HUGELY unsatisfying and I thought Mulder deserved a more conclusive send-off. Luckily we got that in next year's series finale (sort of) but Chris Carter should never have put the audience through that and it just showed that he had no idea how to deliver a satisfying show. You can't just have Mulder and Scully kiss after revealing Mulder is the father and then just have him drop out of sight in the season premiere. That made him look like a major league butthole and was extremely off-putting. That said, this rest of the episode was pretty good. But no, they shouldn't have killed off Krycek. Him ALWAYS surviving was one of the best running gags of the series. All in all the season finale, while exciting made a LOT of foolish decisions that squarely put it in the "mixed bag" camp. ***.
Deleted Scene: Surekill: Adds a bit of clarity to the episode if not much else. **1/2.
Deleted Scene: Badlaa: I have no idea why the Beggar Man is eating that string of cloth and I don't wanna know. It gives me the creeps in the very best way just to see him DOING it. ****.
Deleted Scene: Per Manum: This was pretty cool. ****.
Deleted Scene: Empedocles: This scene explains WHY Duke's sister referred to the agent at the bottom of the stairs as "she" since it WAS Reyes who approached her. ***1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Existance: Two of these were forgettable but it was nice to see one last scene involving Krycek. ****.
Promo Spots: You can tell the network was getting desperate because of the ratings by how much they kept hyping episodes David Duchovny was in. Unluckily they were only able to do it once next year (for the series finale). Great promos though. ****1/2.
DVD Menus: They shouldn't have spoiled Krycek's surprise death in the DVD menus. ***.