The Dead Zone: Season 6

Episode 1: Heritage

Episode 2: Ego

Episode 3: Re-entry

Episode 4: Big Top

Episode 5: Interred

Episode 6: Switch

Episode 7: Numb

Episode 8: Outcome

Episode 9: Transgressions

Episode 10: Drift

Episode 11: Exile

Episode 12: Ambush

Episode 13: Denouement

Daily Dose of Awesome: Vulcan Fighting Daleks with a Lightsaber

Someone posted a link to this image on Twitter and I felt compelled to share it.  A person took action figures of a Vulcan (I assume it's supposed to be Spock, but the grey hair makes it look more like his father, Sarek. I guess it's older Spock?) fighting off a horde of daleks with a lightsaber.

It's sort of an easy nerdgasm, bringing three of the major franchises together like this.  My only quibble is with the action figures themselves.  As they were built to different scales, the daleks look really short, which robs them of some of their menace.

Nevertheless, the person who took this photo (and had it set up on the desk in their work office no less) wins major nerd points.






You can find the original image post here.

Marvel Anime: X-Men

Episode 1: The Return

Episode 2: U-Men: Mutant Hunting

Episode 3: Armor

Episode 4: Transformation

Episode 5: Power

Episode 6: Conflict

Episode 7: Betrayal

Episode 8: Lost

Episode 9: Revelations

Episode 10: Countdown

Episode 11: Revenge

Episode 12: Destiny

Short story review: "By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain" by Joe Hill

Short story review:

Daily Dose of Awesome: G'nort Cosplayer

Marvel Anime: Wolverine

Episode 1: Mariko

Episode 2: Yukio

Episode 3: Kikyo

Episode 4: Omega Red

Episode 5: Asano

Episode 6: Min

Episode 7: Vadhaka

Episode 8: Koh

Episode 9: Hell Road

Episode 10: Shingen

Episode 11: Kurohagi

Episode 12: Logan

Daily Dose of Awesome: Sylvester McCoy delivers the Pandorica speech

Marvel Anime: Iron Man

Episode 1: Japan: Enter Iron Man

Episode 2: Going Nuclear

Episode 3: Reap the Whirlwind

Episode 4: A Twist of Mercy, A Turn of Mind

Episode 5: Outbreak

Episode 6: Technical Difficulties

Episode 7: At the Mercy of my Friends

Episode 8: Daughter of the Zodiac

Episode 9: A Duel of Iron

Episode 10: Casualties of War

Episode 11: The Beginning of the End

Episode 12: Endgame

"Dune" movie review

You can read my review here.

"Over the Hedge" review

My roommate bought Over the Hedge on DVD the other day. I saw it when it was in theaters and we have watched it twice since the purchase. I have enjoyed it every single time. It is by no means the caliber of other CGI films like those in the Shrek series or The Incredibles. It does, however, accomplish the one goal that all movies set out to do, and that is entertain. This movie is just pure fun. It doesn't require you to turn your brain off like "Dude, Where's My Car", but you can't over-analyze it either. You won't ever see a turtle, a squirrel, a skunk, and a family of porcupines living together in nature, but with this movie you just have to roll with it.

In the movie the aforesaid animals awaken from hibernation to find that their home has been built over for a suburban community. Dividing their small remaining neck of the woods from the newly arrived humans is an immense hedge which they name "Steve" in order to alleviate their inital fear of it. Enter RJ, the smooth talking Music Man-esque raccoon voiced by Bruce Willis, who coaxes them into taking advantage of the development by purloining the human's abundant food supply. The montage where RJ explains the human/food dynamic is quite amusing to watch. He seals the deal by giving them a sample of the bounty via a bag of potato chips. RJ does this, not out of the goodness of his heart, but to use them to help him acquire food to pay back a bear who he tried to steal from early on in the film.

Despite the trepidation of leader, Verne the turtle (voiced by Gary Shandling), the group embark on a series of heists that results in a quick accumulation of junk food. The group welcomes RJ in as a member of their "family" which causes RJ to have a minor crisis of conscience.

Despite the plethora of actors who lend their voice there are three performances worth noting. The first is Willis as RJ, it's just fun to watch him work his charm on the other characters. There are a few scenes where you can't even tell that it is Willis. The second goes to Shatner, yes William Shatner pokes fun at himself voicing a possum father who tends to overact (you were expecting subtlety?). His "death" scene is classic and there is one small bit where he describes a house they are going to heist with full Shatner delivery (there are...traps everywhere..walls as..high as a fortress...how do we get in?). He balances this out with some serious scenes, namely those where he interacts with his daughter showing a tender care that shows that he is more then a goofy ham.

The one standout performance, and to whom I give out the "mad props" is Steve Carrell's Hammy the squirrel. Carrell delivers his lines fast enough to keep up with his hyperactive character, who is both goofy and endearing at the same time.

The animation in the movie is quite good, though that has been the case with most of the cgi movies so unfortunately it is basically by the books despite the fast paced tone of some of the scenes. As I said before, this is a fun movie. It's goal is to make you, the viewer, laugh. It succeeds in spades. I had a grin on my face the whole time every time I watched it. Now if you haven't seen it yet, go rent it. I'm not going to tell you to buy a movie you've never seen before because that's just bad policy. Do check it out though as I am quite certain that you will enjoy it. In my humble opinion, it is worth the cost.

Now special features, there are some that you have to unlock online, I assume these are things that you'd find if you watched it on a computer. I have not seen those yet. There is one animated short film entitled "Hammy's Boomerang Adventure". In it, the three porcupine children, along with RJ, plant a boomerang on the ground for Hammy to find and film the results. In short, hilarity ensues. Hammy, of course, tries to eat it and fails. He loses interest and throws it away, and it inevitably comes back and hits him in the head. This process repeats itself several times, with Hammy going so far as to destroy the boomerang only to get hit again. It's brilliant in its simplicity. One would think that watching him get hit in the head with a boomerang would get boring but it is quite the contrary, it never stops being funny.

So rent it, or find someone who has it and borrow their copy but do check out this dvd one way or the other.

Daily Dose of Awesome: Inception a capella trailer

X

Episode 1: A Reunion

Episode 2: A Nightmare

Episode 3: A Pledge

Episode 4: A Sacrifice

Episode 5: A Destiny

Episode 6: Kouya

Episode 7: Cyber

Episode 8: Gemini

Episode 9: Onmyou

Episode 10: Inuki

Episode 11: Border

Episode 12: Alternative

Episode 13: Return

Episode 14: Gathering

Episode 15: Guardian

Episode 16: Slaughter

Episode 17: Wish

Episode 18: Newborn

Episode 19: Inferno

Episode 20: Ripple

Episode 21: Current

Episode 22: Betrayal

Episode 23: Earth

Episode 24: Legend

Gargoyles Mega-post

This show is amazing! Even after all this time, it's still better than most things currently on the air. For a so called "kid's show" the writing, characterization, and voice acting are all of higher quality than even most adult aimed animation.

I'm of the firm belief that you can't judge a show by it's first season. Most shows need a season to establish everything and give the writers a chance to find their footing. Even when a first season does seem to stand out, more often than not, the later seasons will improve so drastically that you wonder why you enjoyed the first season as much in the first place.

This show does such a great job that everything is established by the end of the pilot alone. OK, the pilot's a five parter, but that's still pretty good all things considered.

If the pattern holds true for this show, that the second season is drastically better than the first, than I really can't wait to see what's in store.

Most shows nowadays have arcs, while throwing in some stand alone episodes to mix it up. This show manages to do both simultaneously. Even the stand alone episodes impact the overall story and everything builds on what happened before.

Many say that this was Disney's attempt to compete with the success of Batman: The Animated Series. I could see that being the case, and while it isn't groundbreaking the same way B: TAS was, the show does hold it's own in that particular face off, which is impressive. It's also important to note that this was a show drastically different in tone from the other things they had at the time, so it did pave new ground in it's own way.

I've mentioned Keith David's voice work a few times already, but it bears repeating. Hearing him voice Goliath is just a joy.

Cartoons in the 90's were awesome, it's just a simple fact. I was lucky to grow up in that particular time period. It's sad that given the quality of a lot of those shows, the animation age ghetto still exists. This show is further proof of that.

The show has gotten a DVD release for the most part. They released the first season in a complete set, but for some reason they decided to break season 2 into two volumes. One volume has been released, but fans eagerly await the second half. There was a third season, but the general impression I've gotten is that it jumps the shark by that point.

If you haven't seen this series, I highly recommend it. It really is awesome.



Reviewstream reviews


Awakening

Episode 2.3 Legion

Episode 2.5 The Mirror

Episode 2.9 The City of Stone part 1

Episode 2.10 The City of Stone part 2

Golem

Grading George W. Bush

Since his election, Bush has been accused of almost everything, stealing the election, lying to Americans to get oil, being a terrorist, a fascist, and some even put him in the same ranks as Hitler. This is sheer boulderdash.

Let's start with the election. Bush won the election fair and square...several times in fact. Despite Al Gore's whiny attempts to recount his way to victory, Bush took the title that he earned. Many say that it wasn't so much the whole recount process as it was the fact that he lost the popular vote back in 2000. An interesting point but I also recall hearing Bob Scheiffer talk about how in an election as close as the 2000 one was, it was very possible for the popular vote winner to lose in the electoral college. This was met with an outcry, people started talking about changing the election process to eliminate it. Forget the fact that it has worked for the past 200+ years, we go through one election that doesn't go our way and we should take it upon ourselves to do a complete overhaul of our election process. This is horse poo. I'm a little shaky on my civics but if I recall correctly the electoral college was designed to ensure that the smaller less populated states still had a voice in the decision making process. That is why taking only the largest, most populated states does not grant a candidate victory. Giving the smaller states a voice was also the purpose of the Senate, but I digress. Even in 2004, when Bush beat Kerry in both the electoral and the popular vote, people still complained. They said that he was never elected. Newsflash folks, he was elected by you, not only was he elected by you, he was elected by you again.

From the get go he was met with resistance. Bush promised Americans a tax cut, and when he tried to follow through, people complained that it was only for the rich. In dollar figures, that is the case, however we have to remember that the rich also pay more in taxes so it would make sense for them to get more back through a cut. As for the middle to lower class families, you would think that anything that puts more money in their pocket would be well received, but people being the bizarre creatures that we are were not satisfied.

Another complaint regarding the President was that his policies were ruining the economy. It's true we did hit a recession early on. Ever since then, the liberals have used the "uncertain" economy as a tool to bash Bush. They ignore the fact that things have been gradually picking up for awhile now. The stock market climbed back up and the Dow is now at an all time high and I read an article that said the deficit has dropped significantly as of late.

There is of course the ignominious war in Iraq. I know, it's not going well. However, we need to remember two things. One, Bush did not lie; he acted on information that turned out to be faulty. This information was supported by intelligence from other countries saying the same thing, "Hussein has weapons of mass destruction". This was not something out of left field as Hussein is well known for picking fights. Bush Sr. had to go in during the Gulf War where we pwned him like it was nobody's business. Clinton lobbed a few missiles at him in an attempt to scare him away from continuing his programs. Bush says it and all of a sudden he's a liar and we were only going in for oil. The left cried this out for months, some still do in fact. We have yet to actually take any oil, but apparently that was why we went in.

Time passed and still no weapons, but there was a bright spot. We managed to get Hussein out of power and in custody where he was going to be tried as a war criminal. The right took advantage saying that's why we went in in the first place. The rhetoric changed from "imminent threat" to "he was a bad guy and needed to be taken out of power". It's true, Hussein was bad and did need to be ousted from power but the change in rhetoric was not well handled. It should have been more of a "He doesn't have weapons now, but we're going to make sure he doesn't get the chance to. Oh and since you guys were so good about us attacking you this whole time we're gonna hook you up with some freedom and liberty on us".

Meanwhile, things at home had also taken a downward turn. Bush wanted to alter social securtiy to set it up into personal accounts as opposed to the current system of everybody throwing their money in a pile and then scrambling to get as much from it as possible regardless of what you originally put in. It was said, he wanted to cut benefits. You would kind of have to, the reason why the program was losing money was because people were taking out more then they were putting in. This is not to say it was a matter of greed, but the reasons did not change the fact. This idea was, of course, stomped out.

Another obstacle was the illegal alien debate. Most agree that we need to secure the border but there were protests. In a bizarre twist, not only were the illegals protesting for their rights, but the legal aliens who were good enough to obey our laws and go through the process stepped up and vouched for them. Of course, people should be able to come to America to pursue their dream. But we can't just let everybody in. Aside from the inevitable population problem such a policy would cause, we are dealing with people who want to get in and blow us up. Precautions are necessary. It's naive to think that
we should just let everybody and anybody waltz in here without any documents or proof of identity. Beyond the naivete is an inane logic pitched by the left to give illegal aliens health benefits. Isn't this sending the wrong message? Shouldn't we be encouraging those who are doing things the right way instead of saying that our laws don't matter because they're an inconvenience to you?

Bush is by no means a great president. By that same token, he is not our worst president, far from it in fact. He has liberated two countries from oppressive regimes, given us all a nice tax cut, and managed to keep the economy stable. Mistakes have been made on his part, but he is doing what he believes is right, and what he thinks is best for the country. He is not a terrorist, he is not a fascist and he is certainly not in the same league as Hitler. People complain that he's taking our constitutional rights. I have yet to see anyone who was deprived of these rights under his presidency. Ok, airport security became more thorough, this is because we don't want another 9/11 to happen. Yes, taking off my shoes at the metal detector is a nuisance, but if it prevents some psycho from getting something on board that allows him to kill a bunch of people, I'll back it up. However, Mr. Bush, you are on your own regarding the whole "No liquids allowed on the plane". I have no idea where that one came from.



You can also read a Reviewstream I wrote here.

Daily Dose of Awesome: The Thing I Hate by Stabbing Westward

Daily Dose of Awesome: The Killing Joke presented in Spanish...with shadow puppets

The title more or less explains this one.  Some people decided to re-enact the classic graphic novel, "The Killing Joke' with shadow puppets.  The result is far better than you would think.  As it is in Spanish, those who don't speak it may have a problem keeping up.  While there are no subtitles, you can easily follow along in the book if you want.  It's actually very well put together.  Considering that Batman himself sticks to the shadows, the medium actually complements the atmosphere of the book.  I don't think you could pull this off with Superman or Green Lantern (though it would be interesting to see them try).  Definitely check this out, at the very least, it is rather neat.

Hellsing

I discovered this series back in college, and have watched it a couple of times since then, but I forgot how freaking awesome this series is.  This, even more than Firefly, is a show that was taken from us too early and needs to be brought back.

When people talk about the bad-assery of this show, the prime topic of discussion is Alucard. It's well warranted, as he is freaking cool, but I think some credit should go to his boss, Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing.  While she (and yes that's a female, I know the name and look of the character make it ambiguous, but it's a woman) doesn't play as prominent a role as the aforementioned vampire, she has quite a few crowning moments of awesome herself.  It's always fun to watch her anytime she gets really worked up and goes on about her family's honor.  She gives these awesome speeches that just make me giddy.

Another really strong aspect of this show is the soundtrack.  I love the main theme, but even the leitmotifs that permeate the series are really well done and do a great job augmenting the feel of the scenes that unfold before you on the screen.  They did release two soundtrack albums, but from what I understand, even that doesn't collect every song from the series.  I'm not sure if a volume 3 is planned, though at this point, I find that unlikely.

Why this DVD boxset is out of print is beyond me, as this series totally rocks your socks.  Fortunately, you can still buy used copies, but it's disheartening to see it shoved to the side like that.  Luckily, it's not completely lost, ridiculously hard to find, or terribly expensive so those who are curious still have a way to check out the series.  I highly recommend it as I've had a blast watching it again.

I haven't seen Hellsing Ultimate, it does intrigue me though, and I do intend to check it out at some point.


Episode 1: The Undead

Episode 2: Club M

Episode 3: Sword Dancer

Episode 4: Innocent as a Human

Episode 5: Brotherhood

Episode 6: Dead Zone

Episode 7: Duel

Episode 8: Kill House

Episode 9: Red Rose Vertigo

Episode 10: Master of Monster

Episode 11: Transcend Force

Episode 12: Total Destruction

Episode 13: Hellfire

Daily Dose of Awesome: Ave Maria

What!? It's gorgeous!!!

Daily Dose of Awesome: Bacon Flow Chart

It's funny because it's true.

Witchblade

Episode 1: The Beginning

Episode 2: Bewilderment

Episode 3: Defiance

Episode 4: Movement

Episode 5: Search

Episode 6: Change

Episode 7: Past

Episode 8: Receprocity

Episode 9: Sadness

Episode 10: Interaction

Episode 11: Danger

Episode 12: Prisoner

Episode 13: Separation

Episode 14: Family

Episode 15: Bonds

Episode 16: Relaxation

Episode 17: Confusion

Episode 18: Turn

Episode 19: Feelings

Episode 20: Request

Episode 21: Vow

Episode 22: Inform

Episode 23: Chaos

Episode 24: Light

Daily Dose of Awesome: William Shatner with a Proton Pack

This acts as a nice follow up (or prequel seeing as I came across this image before the Bruce Campbell one came about, I just posted that one here first) to yesterday's image.  If they are going to attempt to make a "Ghostbusters" movie with an entirely new cast, I have to admit, Bruce Campbell and William Shatner isn't a bad start.

Trigun

Episode 1: The $$60 Billion Man

      You can also read another review of the episode I wrote here.


Episode 2: Truth of Mistake

Episode 3: Peace Maker

Episode 4: Love and Peace

Episode 5: Hard Puncher

Episode 6: Lost July

Episode 7: B.D.N

Episode 8: And Between the Wasteland and the Sky

Episode 9: Murder Machine

Episode 10: Quick Draw

Episode 11: Escape from Pain

Episode 12: Diablo

Episode 13: Vash the Stampede

Episode 14: Little Arcadia

Episode 15: Demon's Eye

Episode 16: Fifth Moon

Episode 17: Rem Saverem

Episode 18: Goodbye For Now

Episode 19: Hang Fire

Episode 20: Flying Ship

Episode 21: Out of Time

Episode 22: Alternative

Episode 23: Paradise

Episode 24: Sin

Episode 25: Live Through

Episode 26: Under the Sky so Blue

Noein

Episode 1: Blue Snow

Episode 2: Runaway

Episode 3: Hunted

Episode 4: Friends

Episode 5: And Then...

Episode 6: Dimension of Tears

Episode 7: Precious Person

Episode 8: Secrets

Episode 9: Beyond Time

Episode 10: A Stormy Night

Episode 11: Out of Sync

Episode 12: The Battle

Episode 13: The Wish

Episode 14: Memories

Episode 15: Shangri-La

Episode 16: Repeat

Episode 17: Dilemma

Episode 18: Nightmare

Episode 19: Reminiscence

Episode 20: Once More

Episode 21: Illusion

Episode 22: To the Future

Episode 23: The End

Episode 24: The Beginning

Daily Dose of Awesome: Bruce Campbell joins the Ghostbusters

Happy Easter!!

The Dead Zone: Season 5

Episode 1: Forbidden Fruit

Episode 2: Independence Day

Episode 3: Panic

Episode 4: Articles of Faith

Episode 5: The Inside Man

Episode 6: Lotto Fever

Episode 7: Symmetry

Episode 8: Vortex

Episode 9: Revelations

Episode 10: Into the Heart of Darkness

Episode 11: The Hunting Party

Daily Dose of Awesome: Dune scene reenacted with Gummies

I don't even want to know what the back story behind this is.  Context would ruin it.  I think we should just marvel at the fact that someone did it at all.

If you really do want to know, you can find out the details here, but I'm going to leave well enough alone and just bask in the glory that is this image.

Daily Dose of Awesome: What a Feeling

I kind of love this song.  It's fun on a bun.

Daily Dose of Awesome: Dog wants to play with a statue

That's just adorable.

Blue Gender

Episode 1: One Day

Episode 2: Cry

Episode 3: Trial

Episode 4: Agony

Episode 5: Priority

Episode 6: Relation

Episode 7: Sympath

Episode 8: Oasis

Episode 9: Confirm

Episode 10: Tactics

Episode 11: Go Mad

Episode 12: Progress

Episode 13: Heresy

Episode 14: Set

Episode 15: Calm

Episode 16: A Sign

Episode 17: Eclosion

Episode 18: Chaos

Episode 19: Collapse

Episode 20: Versus

Episode 21: Joker

Episode 22: Dogma

Episode 23: Soliste

Episode 24: Compass

Episode 25: Adagio

Episode 26: Let Me

Daily Dose of Awesome: Cookie Monster, Eater of Worlds

Art done by David Branstetter. You can find his website here.

The Dead Zone: Season 4

Episode 1: Broken Circle

Episode 2: The Collector

Episode 3: Double Vision

Episode 4: Still Life

Episode 5: Heroes and Demons

Episode 6: The Last Goodbye

Episode 7: Grains of Sand

Episode 8: Vanguard

Episode 9: Babble On

Episode 10: Coming Home

Episode 11: Saved

Episode 12: A Very Dead Zone Christmas

Daily Dose of Awesome: One Winged Angel

Daily Dose of Awesome: Blind dog has seeing eye dog

This poor dog had a medical condition that required a surgery to remove both of his eyes.  As such, another dog took up the task of guiding him around.  From what I've read, they're inseparable.

Adorable doesn't even begin to describe this.

Witch Hunter Robin

Episode 1: Replacement

Episode 2: Addicted to Power

Episode 3: Dancing in Darkness

Episode 4: Stubborn Aesthetics

Episode 5: Smells Like the Wandering Spirit

Episode 6: Raindrops

Episode 7: Simple Mind

Episode 8: Faith

Episode 9: Sign of the Craft

Episode 10: Separate Lives

Episode 11: The Soul Cages

Episode 12: Precious Illusions

Episode 13: The Eyes of Truth

Episode 14: Loaded Guns

Episode 15: Time to Say Goodbye

Episode 16: Heal the Pain

Episode 17: Dilemma

Episode 18: In My Pocket

Episode 19: Missing

Episode 20: All I Really Oughta Know

Episode 21: No Way Out

Episode 22: Family Portrait

Episode 23: Sympathy for the Devil

Episode 24: Rent

Episode 25: Redemption Day

Episode 26: Time to Tell

Daily Dose of Awesome: Beware of Dog

The Dead Zone: Season 3

Episode 1: Finding Rachel part 1

Episode 2: Finding Rachel part 2

Episode 3: Collision

Episode 4: The Cold Hard Truth

Episode 5: Total Awareness

Episode 6: No Questions Asked

Episode 7: Looking Glass

Episode 8: Speak Now

Episode 9: Cycle of Violence

Episode 10: Instinct

Episode 11: Shadows

Episode 12: Tipping Point

Daily Dose of Awesome: Big Barda playing Pokemon

Your argument is invalid

Serial Experiments Lain

Episode 1: Weird

Episode 2: Girls

Episode 3: Psyche

Episode 4: Religion






Episode 5: Distortion

Episode 6: Kids

Episode 7: Society

Episode 8: Rumors

Episode 9: Protocol

Episode 10: Love

Episode 11: Infornography

Episode 12: Landscape

Episode 13: Ego

Daily Dose of Awesome: Abraham Lincoln: Ghostbuster

I came across this picture after a site called "gbfans" posted a link on their twitter feed.  As you can tell, it's former President Abraham Lincoln sporting Ghostbusters gear, specifically a proton pack and Ecto-goggles.  I know that you can only do so much with photoshop, but if they could've had him holding a PKE meter, that would've been the ultimate.

I know that "Sense and Sensibility and Zombies' managed to expand to an entire trilogy of novels.  I think that we can do the same thing with its spiritual successor "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter".  Come on, you know you'd read a book called "Abraham Lincoln: Ghostbuster".  Use a time travel angle to explain the advanced tech (either have it go back to him or have him come forward, it works either way) and let the plot roll from there.  

As far as I'm concerned, the premise alone is worth the price of admission. 

You can find the original image post at

http://www.gbfans.com/fans/art/ghostbusters/13998/

The Dead Zone: Season 2

Episode 1: Valley of the Shadow

Episode 2: Descent

Episode 3: Ascent

Episode 4: The Outsider

Episode 5: Precipitate

Episode 6: Scars

Episode 7: Misbegotten

Episode 8: Cabin Pressure

Episode 9: The Man Who Never Was

Episode 10: Dead Men Tell Tales

Episode 11: Playing God

Episode 12: Zion

Episode 13: The Storm

Episode 14: Plague

Episode 15: Deja Voodoo

Episode 16: The Hunt

Episode 17: The Mountain

Episode 18: The Combination

Episode 19: Visions

Daily Dose of Awesome: Dog Does Double Dutch

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Elfen Lied: The Complete Series

Episode 1: A Chance Encounter

Episode 2: Annihilation

Episode 3: Deep Feelings

Episode 4: Attack

Episode 5: Receipt

Episode 6: Innermost Feelings

Episode 7: Confrontation

Episode 8: The Beginning

Episode 9: Reminiscence

Episode 10: Infant

Episode 11: Complication

Episode 12: Quagmire

Episode 13: No Return

Daily Dose of Awesome: Epic Ghostbusters Art

The Dead Zone: Season 1

Episode 1: Wheel of Fortune

Episode 2: What It Seems

Episode 3: Quality of Life

Episode 4: Enigma

Episode 5: Netherworld

Episode 6: The House

Episode 7: Unreasonable Doubt

Episode 8: The Siege

Episode 9: Enemy Mind

Episode 10: Here There Be Monsters

Episode 11: Dinner with Dana

Episode 12: Shaman

Episode 13: Destiny

Daily Dose of Awesome: Brian Williams Gangsta Rapper

Death Note mega-post

This series follows a young prodigy named Light, who discovers the titular death note, a mystical notebook that has the ability to kill anyone whose name is written inside.  The moral quandary of having such power is pretty much tossed aside as Light decides to rid the world of evil once and for all.

This puts him into conflict with L, a mysterious and brilliant detective, who vows to put a stop to the murders.

It becomes something of a chess match as the two employ different strategies to gain the upper hand.  It really is fascinating.  The show really gets into their heads and you can see the gears turning as they try to outwit one another.  It's really fun to watch.

The series is a bit long for an anime, running for 37 episodes compared to the usual 13 or 24-26 episode run, but it doesn't go to the insane lengths that some shonen series do.   Definitely give it a watch.  It's good stuff.



Episode 1: Rebirth

I still remember watching this for the first time back when Examiner was a thing.  Since then, I've often made reference to it, usually when characters are engaged in some form of battle of wits.  With the upcoming live action American take coming to Netflix and me wanting to start restoring the archive on the site (as best as I can, anyway,) I figured why not get the ball rolling and dive back into the series.

While I won't be going in blind like I did before, I can say that this episode stands up to a rewatch.  It does a good job of establishing the characters and setting the general plot in motion.

As noted above, the protagonist is a young prodigy named Light who suffers from a strange blend of ennui and excessive cynicism.  His life is turned upside down when he finds a notebook that has the ability to kill people who have had their names written in it.

It's still nice to see Light's initial dismissive attitude towards the book.  When he first comes across the notebook, he sees it either as a prank or something akin to a chain letter.  His curiosity eventually does get the better of him, though he does suggest in one line of dialogue that there was a supernatural pull that drew him to the book, and he decides to try it out.

You'd think he'd be reluctant, but when you're handed a man who takes children hostage and a rapist, Light's eagerness to use the book makes more sense.

That being said, it's still jarring how quickly he turns from regular student to mass murderer with a god complex.  It still seems like Light's decaying morals should have been a more gradual thing, but that's not the way they wanted to go.

On the plus side, it makes things more interesting for Ryuk, the death god who provided the titular notebook.  As to why, well he was bored.  I was curious as to why he chose Light, but Ryuk admits that he just dropped it somewhere and let whoever pick it up be the one to take it.

It does make it a little strange when Light still insists that there was some larger plan in regards to him getting the book.  He seems convinced that he's the only one capable of wielding it, though that might also tie into the aforementioned god complex.

To Light's credit, he's hardly fazed when the death god shows up in his bedroom.  Even though the two are said to be bonded, there is a fair bit of tension between the two when they first meet.  It makes for a compelling scene and adds a bit of extra flavor to what would otherwise be a giant exposition dump.

I have a feeling that knowing how things play out will take something away from this re-viewing, but I'm still looking forward to checking it out again.  It's going to be a fun watch.










Episode 2: Confrontation

With criminals dropping left and right, the police are anxious to figure out what's going on.  Now, a couple of officers do try to shrug it off, noting that the victims are criminals and a lot of them were going to be executed anyway.

Whether you agree with them or not, the fact that the higher ups reject this argument works for the best.  It helps maintain their commitment to law and order, but it also means that they have to bring in L, a reclusive detective with a perfect record and an affinity for odd cases.  Sure enough, he's already on this one.

As this goes on, Light refines his methods: finding ways to work in as many kills in his free time without hindering his performance in school, preparing a safe hiding spot for the death note lest somebody find it etc.

I find it hard to believe that Light is the first person to think of using a fake drawer bottom.  Granted, he also rigs it to ignite if anybody tries to force their way in, which is a better indicator of his intellectual prowess, but still.

We also see that his plan to make his presence known is working.  His work is going viral and the internet has dubbed him "Kira".  While he doesn't particularly care for the name, as it is a play on the word "killer" he is happy to see that people are starting to notice.  More than that, they seem to be behind him.

One thing I noticed is that he smites people who just get arrested.  No trial.  If he hears a name mentioned regarding an arrest, that person is struck down. Not much is made of it, but it does make his sprees a bit more chilling knowing that even potentially innocent people are dying en masse as well.

As the title suggests, the whole thing culminates with L and Light facing off, albeit indirectly, for the first time.  This sequence really is something to behold.  Even knowing how it's going to play out doesn't take away from how well this scene is executed.

I won't go into too much detail, but L lives up to his reputation, determining several things with one stratagem.  He still has a long way to go, but considering the investigation just started and the nature of what he's up against, it was a pretty impressive showing and a great way to kick off the rivalry between these two opposing forces.

As Ryuk notes, it's now a race to see who can determine the identity of the other first.  The loser dies, either by death note or by execution.  Both are committed to being the winner as they each see themselves as the champion of justice.


All in all, this was a solid follow up.  It manages to move the story along, flesh out and expand the main cast and kick things up a notch by giving Light an external foe with which to contend.  It also ends on a major high note, which makes you want to tune in to the next episode that much more.

The re-watch continues to be an enjoyable experience.  I especially remember finding the next episode particularly entertaining, so I'm definitely looking forward to that.














Episode 3: Dealings



The battle of wits begins in earnest, and as I remembered, it's quite a bit of fun to watch.

While we got glimpses of what Kira's campaign was doing, this episode establishes that the plan is working.  Serious crime rates have dropped considerably in the wake of Kira's rise.  Even taking this into account, the police still hardly endorse the action.

L, meanwhile, continues where he left off, narrowing down the list of suspects.  By looking at the times of death, L concludes that "Kira" is a student.  The fact that criminals are the ones being killed also lends credence to this theory, as L sees it as a childish mindset.

Light himself is not without resources.  In fact, it just so happens that his dad is the police chief.  Furthermore, he can hack into his father's files.  One assumes that this allows him to pick potential victims, but it also allows him to keep tabs on how the Kira investigation is going.  When he discovers that they're suspecting students, Light changes up his strategy and starts marking people for death every hour on the hour.

Now, one could armchair quarterback and say that he should have been doing that from the get go.  However, it is established that Light is fallible.  You'd think he'd remember that particular detail, but with everything else going on, it's possible that it just slipped his mind.  Either that or the sprees put him into a manic state where he doesn't focus so much on details as he normally would.  Judging by the montages, it's quite possible.

The counter-measure seems like it's too little too late as L picks up on the all too coincidental timing and realizes that L has an inside look at the investigation.  Once again, L is able to radically reduce the number of potential suspects in a very short amount of time.

Luckily for Light, and the viewer, the protagonist regains his footing and turns the situation to his advantage.  L now knows that Kira has a connection to the cops, which will make him question their credibility. Meanwhile, the cops don't really trust L (especially since they're out in the open and he hides behind a monitor.)  The conflict will not only hinder the Kira investigation, but as Light notes, they'll start doing some digging to draw L out into the open, essentially doing Light's work for him.

It works out, as Light realizes that somebody is following him and has to figure out a way to cast the suspicion off of him.

To this end, Ryuk makes Light an offer.  It reveals more about the shinigami, like the fact that they live off the time they steal from the living, but also makes for an interesting temptation to Light.  Shinigami have the ability to see people's names and the amount of life time remaining.  If Light is willing to sacrifice half of his life, he too can have the ability.  As the wanna-be god notes, it'll make using the death note a lot easier.

Up until now, Ryuk has largely been played for laughs.  For a god of death, he's kind of friendly and good natured.  This scene allowed him to be presented as the fearsome and imposing creature that you'd expect.  The lighting gets much darker and Ryuk's tone gets much more serious as he's laying out all of this expository information.

He also makes it clear that he has no side here.  He's not Light's ally, and as such won't help him determine L's identity; but he's not working against Kira either.  I'm not sure why he would be, the figure has expanded his life significantly since he came into being.  In any event, as is fitting of a god when it comes to the dealings of mortals, Ryuk is more of a casual observer.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger as Light is left to ponder this suggestion.  Now, I know what Light does, because I've seen this before, but I do like that there are valid reasons why Light could go either way.  On the one hand, the eyes would certainly come in handy, but losing half your life in the process is a hefty price to pay.  It's something that Light is going to have to really think about between this episode and the next one.

I think my brain over hyped this episode a bit, but part of that could be due to just knowing how things play out.  Still, seeing these two match wits is fun and the degree to which they analyze and plan makes for surprisingly fascinating viewing.  All in all, this was another good episode that moved things along and furthered the conflict between the two opposing main characters.  I'm looking forward to moving into episode 4 as Light shows off what the death note can really do.











Episode 4: Pursuit




The last episode left Light with a tempting offer from Ryuk.  As it turns out, Light declines.  The episode doesn't even bother holding the tension on it and it seems like Light never even considered it once he heard that the deal shortened his life span.  After all, he's trying to make a better world and he wants to live long enough to bask in his role as makeshift god.  Incidentally, Ryuk comments that Light is a worthy shinigami.  It does give us a glimpse into this other world, as Ryuk tells Light about how the death gods basically do what they do out of self preservation and don't seem to have any purpose beyond that.

The episode goes on to show us Light's continued efforts to test the limits of the death note to learn about its effectiveness and functionality.  As it turns out, he can control people's actions within reason if he writes it within a certain time frame.  The victims can't do the physically impossible, nor can they conjure up information or say things that they normally wouldn't, but Light is given some degree of "puppet master" powers in addition to the ones we already saw granted by this notebook.

True to form, L picks up on this almost immediately when he is told about the "experiment" deaths; though even with his vast intellect, the super sleuth is still stumped as to what Light's stratagem is.

The last episode touched on the fact that Light is being followed.  This episode fleshes that out and gives it central focus in the episode's second half as Light acts to discover the man's name.

Light's plan is complex, yet also surprisingly simple at the same time.  In either case, it's a blast to watch it unfold.  Even Ryuk is caught off guard by how well Light was able to pull it off.  Not only did Light cast off suspicion as a Kira suspect, but he managed to learn that the FBI is involved and discover the tailing agent's name.  It's certainly something that will come in handy if Kira plans to smite the agent.

While the re-watch suffers a bit from me knowing how a lot of this plays out, seeing the stratagems and battle of wits is still quite a bit of fun.  There's a reason I frequently cite this when talking about strategy and planning and this episode stands as a prime example to that.














Episode 5: Tactics




Light follows up the flawlessly executed plan we saw in the last episode with another as he sets FBI agent Raye Penber in his metaphorical cross-hairs.

Where Light's previous actions seemed to go out of their way to make it easier for L and the police to narrow down who the real culprit is, Light actually decides to play it smart and sit back a bit.   He waits a week before setting his plan into motion, allowing the authorities to begin investigating other suspects and makes sure that all of the FBI agents are taken down simultaneously as a way to cast a wider net.

I don't want to go into too much detail on the plan, as watching it unfold is part of the fun, but the most chilling part comes at the end.  There are two separate factors to take into consideration as to why Light's execution is as cold as it is, but when you see the scene, you'll know what I'm talking about.

While Raye Penber is down for the count, his wife seems to be stepping up in his stead.  We see that she's a capable detective, picking up on the fact that the accident we saw last episode may not have been as such due to the fact that Raye just happened to be on the bus at the time after he tells her about it when he gets home.

This scene is probably where most people will find the episode hard to stomach.  While Raye isn't a bad guy per se, his views are....let's say traditional.  It'll likely rub a lot of viewers the wrong way.  It's strange as they could have written it so that he didn't want her involved without coming across so archaic.   One of these days I'll have to check out the English dub (and, of course the live action takes,) I'm curious to see how they handle that.  He does apologize for it later, so maybe it was just frayed nerves talking.

On other fronts, apparently, a death note user can write the cause of death first and then add the name in later.  Light's really thorough in his experiments.  Heck, even Ryuk admits that he didn't know that.  Granted, shinigami probably have no reason to use that feature, so it likely wouldn't come up, but credit to Light for figuring that one out.  Not only does it come in handy here, but it will likely do so again later.

On the law enforcement side of things, the FBI decides to back out after all of the investigating agents die.  Not only that, but Light's father loses a good chunk of his task force.  I can't say that I blame them.  They now know that Kira is more than willing to strike down innocents if they get in his/her way and, unlike L, they have names and faces that can be tracked down.

You'd think that this would be a "darkest hour" moment for them, but the dialogue suggests that L wanted this to happen.  Considering he wasn't sure who he could trust, the majority of the team leaving whittles it down to those who are truly committed to bringing an end to the reign of Kira.  Amusingly enough, this revelation causes another cop to drop out of the case.

To his credit, L does offer the team something of an olive branch, as he arranges to meet with them face to face.  He notes its the first time he's ever done this and it will hopefully smooth over what has become a bumpy relationship.

Much like the second episode, this one ends with both L and Light musing on how the game is afoot.  It's effectively dramatic and well executed, but it does make you wonder what the two had been doing up until this point.

All in all, this was another strong episode.  It's always entertaining to see Light's elaborate machinations play out and this one acts as a worthy follow up to what we had seen before.  I'm glad I'm giving this a re-watch as this has been quite a bit of fun.











Episode 6: Unraveling



Relatively speaking, this episode is a bit of a breather.  There isn't as much in the way of plot progression, nor are there any elaborate machinations at work.

That's not to say that it's a bad episode, what it lacks in the aforementioned areas it makes up for in showcasing very impressive deductive skills from multiple characters.

The first is, not surprisingly L.  The famed super sleuth at long last introduces himself to the Japanese police force, as well as the audience.  While he may not be what anyone was expecting, he proves that he's the real deal in subsequent scenes.

While Light took steps to try to cover his tracks, it seems that his adversary saw right through the ruse and is able to backtrack based on what "Kira" had done in the days leading up to the deaths of the FBI agents and narrow down the list of suspects even further.  You'd think that having L explain things we already saw would feel redundant and boring, but it couldn't be further from the truth.  Watching the guy work is just captivating and his oddball nature only adds to the draw of the character.

The other standout is Raye Penber's fiancee, who is determined to bring Kira to justice.  Her intellect was touched on last episode, but this episode is able to put a much bigger spotlight on it.  Raye had said that she was one of the FBI's best agents and, like L, she lives up to the reputation that precedes her.

This puts Light in a corner, as she has evidence that will make it much easier to bring Kira to justice.  By dumb luck, he manages to bump into her at the police station as he's dropping off a change of clothes for his father.  From here, he begins his effort to intercept her and prevent the information she has from reaching the authorities.

It's interesting watching Light in these scenes.  He puts on a pleasant facade, but it still seems clear that he's trying too hard.  I'd say that's just meta-watching, but Penber's fiancee seems a bit put off by it.

It's also funny to look at Light's face when nobody's looking.  He goes full on Kubrick stare at points.  If somebody had happened to pass or if she had caught a glimpse of him in her peripheral vision, his cover would have been blown as he doesn't even try not to look like a murderous psychopath.

It makes for a nice cliffhanger as Light is now in a race against the clock.  Oddly, he doesn't seem too concerned.  The fact that he ran into her at all suggests to him that another god is looking out for him.  I have to admit that it was lucky, though the fact that it reinforces Light's delusions of grandeur probably isn't a good thing in the grand scheme of things.

This episode was more dialogue driven than the others, but it still worked well. The sheer brainpower on display is awe inspiring and it leaves you wanting to see what happens next.















Episode 7: Overcast



Looking at it on paper, this episode really shouldn't work as well as it does. A majority of the episode is just two characters walking down a street with a lot of focus put on the inner monologue of one of the aforementioned characters.  Yet, it still makes for a compelling watch.

As the last episode left, Light and Raye's fiancee were en route to meet with Light's father so that she can relay her theory.  Not surprisingly, Light wants to put a stop to this, as it will result in several accusing fingers pointed in his direction.

Now, you might be thinking that this is an easy fix.  She gave her name last episode and he has a piece of paper from the death note.  Small problem, she gave him a fake name.  As Light notes, she knows that Raye showing his ID is what got him killed so it makes sense that she would cover her bases in this fashion.  There was also a nice, subtle bit of foreshadowing; as Ryuk would chuckle every time the topic of her name came up.  He knew what she was doing (his shinigami eyes allow him to see her real name, remember,) but because he's neutral in the matter, he let Light figure it out for himself when Light's attempted murder falls flat.

This leaves Light backed into a corner and he has to maneuver his way around the woman's defenses so that he can dispose of her before they reach the police station in about five minutes.  Remember, this isn't "Dragonball" so he doesn't have ten episodes to figure this out.  While it doesn't play out in real time, Light essentially has until episode's end to figure it out.  Ryuk does remind him about the eye deal, but Light still refuses and relies on his wits to hopefully win the day.

Spoiler alert: he does.  There's still 30 episodes left, so yeah, that was kind of a foregone conclusion.  That's not to say that the scene wasn't still glorious to watch.  It's a highlight for.. Light, but at the same time, when Penber's fiancee (now named Naomi Misori) pulls out her driver's licence, you can't help but feel sad and horrified that the woman is signing her own death warrant.  It's a shame, as she still stands out as a likable and impressive character, but there was really no other way this could play out.

In addition to showing Light's intellectual, tactical, and manipulative prowess; this episode also shows us what a cold and arrogant bastard he's become.  It was hinted at when he taunted Raye Penber before his death, but the way he screws with Naomi once his victory is assured is downright sadistic.  It just adds salt to the wound as the episode ends on an already somber note.

There is some progression on the law enforcement front, though not much.  L introduces the group to Watari, who gives them all fake police badges complete with aliases.  Being cops, they're initially a bit put off by this; but even Chief Yagami notes that keeping their names secret is a sensible and necessary precaution.  Watari also gives them belts equipped with a mechanism that allows L to monitor their location and for them to contact Watari in order to relay information or for emergencies.

The real highlight moment for this part of the episode was Matsuda geeking out over all of the cool tech.  It isn't quite James Bond or Batman level, but I can still understand his reaction.  Chief Yagami, unfortunately, is not amused and immediately lays down a serious guilt trip on his fellow officer.

Overall, this was a very strong episode.  It's very cerebral and that's when the show is at its best.  Seeing the thought processes and psychological maneuvering always seem to make for compelling television.  The ending also elevates the episode significantly as it was poignant and effective.  Thus far, the show has been holding up really well.  
















Episode 8: Glare


After the heavy downer ending from the previous episode, you might be looking for something a little lighter.  Odd as it may sound, this episode actually delivers.

There's still a whole lot of analysis, deductive reasoning, and strategy; but we also get a lot more clever dialogue and out of the box scenarios that elicit laughs from the viewer.  A lot of this comes courtesy of both L and Ryuk; both of whom have their various quirks brought to the forefront.  One might think that the humor would feel forced, but it doesn't.  Even though it was never featured in any major capacity, it doesn't feel out of place.

It turns out that even without Naomi's information, the police are still able to make Light (or one of the Yagamis to be more specific) a prime suspect in the Kira case.  Where a lot of L's skills leaned towards psychological profiling, here we see him looking at surveillance tapes and noticing small details, like the fact that Raye got on the train with an envelope and left without it or the fact that he stayed on the train longer than its entire run.  It makes him feel more like a legitimate detective and gives his case a more concrete foundation.

Ironically enough, Naomi's death just confirms that Raye was on to something, thus L decides to put cameras in the households of the two families he was tailing before his death.

To the cops' credit, they do note the civil liberties violation, but L is under the impression that if they're willing to risk their lives, then they should be OK with this too.  It doesn't quite seem like it's the same thing.  In any event, Chief Yagami agrees to it.  He even suggests putting cameras in the bathroom, which is all kinds of creepy.  I mean, he means well, but still.

Not surprisingly, Light figures out pretty quick that he's being watched.  Turns out, he planned some counter-measures so that he could tell if anybody's been in his room.  He even includes a fake to trick people into thinking that they can cover their tracks.  In doing so, it only proves that professionals were there.  As Light notes, a family member wouldn't notice such a thing.

It's initially a hindrance, but Light eventually turns it into an advantage.  Not only is he able to subtly taunt L, but he is able to clear his own name by going on a killing spree right in front of L's eyes without the detective even knowing.

While Light had scheduled deaths for months to come, he knew that it wouldn't be enough of a cover, seeing as the cops know that Kira can control the time of death.  As such, he needs something more immediate.  With that in mind, he buys a small tv and hides it in a bag of potato chips.  I'm not sure how he did that, the bag was sealed, but OK.

In any event, he watches said television while he does his homework and eats chips.  All the while, he is continuing his spree.

It's a very over the top sequence, but it works.  It is almost a parody of Light's other rampages, but the scene is still effective on a more dramatic front just because Light pulled off his plan so well.  Even Ryuk notes the fact that Light was willing to spend a large sum of money on a gadget he was ultimately just going to throw away.  It shows how far he's willing to go to finish the mission he's set himself upon.

The investment seems to pay off, as even L seems convinced that the Yagamis are innocent, though he does want to keep the cameras around for a while anyway.

The show's streak continues as we're given another very strong episode.  The injection of humor was a smart move and was welcome; not just in general, but especially after the somber weight of Naomi's death.  As always, the cat and mouse aspects were very well done and supporting characters are starting to establish themselves to a greater capacity.  All in all, it succeeded on all fronts.













Episode 9: Encounter


While it seemed like the last episode cleared the Yagamis, L isn't so sure.  It's true that they don't have any evidence on tape, but that just means that Kira was able to move around them.  Furthermore, L doesn't trust Light.  According to him, the kid is a bit too perfect.

As such, he decides to forego further surveillance and take a more direct approach.  He manages to infiltrate a group of aspiring college students so that he can meet Light personally.  After the two have faced off the way they have, the first face to face meetup is sure to be memorable and the episode doesn't disappoint.

The way the scene plays, it almost seems like the two recognize each other when they first make eye contact.  It doesn't make much sense, and its undercut by the fact that Light later just refers to him as some weird kid, but the scene was still effective enough that it worked as it happened.

Things get even better when L just comes right out and says who he is...more or less. He just uses "L" and operates under the cover of a pop idol, but now Light knows who L is...or does he?

Even Light is thrown by this maneuver, but as L is right there, he has to watch his own reactions very closely, so as not implicate himself.  We also see a very in-depth analysis from Light as to how he should play this.  It could be a bluff, or it could be legitimate.  At this point, he really doesn't know.  Worse, if he makes the wrong move, it will only confirm his status as the prominent serial killer.

It seems like Light is low on options, even the ego-maniacal wanna-be god sounds like he's admitting defeat in a later scene.    Jarringly, he changes his mind and decides that he's won.  Considering he precedes this by cackling, I'm guessing it's supposed to be a sign of his slipping sanity, but it still seemed like a sharp 180 degree turn to take.

This episode doesn't bring quite as much comedy as the preceding one, but Ryuk does still manage to shine.  You can't help but feel happy for him when he's finally able to eat apples again.  That slow motion shot of him leaping for one in Light's bedroom after the latter casually tosses it really is something to behold.

Really, the cinematography on this episode was really well done.  On its face, this is another episode that really shouldn't have worked, but the team behind it did such a good job on the execution that it manages to succeed instead of fail.

The fact that it changes up the status quo significantly also helps.  The long range battle of wits seems to be over, but now it's escalating to a more intimate conflict as the two will face off directly.  It'll definitely make things more interesting moving forward.
















Episode 10: Doubt



The last episode ended with Light and L deciding to feign friendship as a way to glean information from the other in order to score the decisive win.  This episode follows up on that, with L challenging Light to a friendly game of tennis.

It's a strange turn for the show, which I remind you features a killer notebook and a death god who is addicted to apples.

Both parties acknowledge that there is little that can be gleaned from this, and yet both act as if it actually does have wider implications.  The analysis and strategy were always one of the show's greatest strengths, but it ended up backfiring here.  The lengthy inner monologues felt out of place as they didn't really seem to go anywhere.

I also have to note how odd it is that L is as good as he is.  You can picture Light being a skilled tennis player.  He's athletic.  L on the other hand is scrawny, never leaves his house, has a terrible diet, and crouches all the time.  They do say that he was a champion back in the day, but it's still hard to buy.

In any event, Light does eventually win, foreshadowing?

I found the subsequent scene with the two in the restaurant to be much stronger.  L is actually subtly fishing for relevant information and Light has to be sure to cover his bases when answering the detective's inquiries.  The same thing that ended up working against the tennis scene once again becomes a strength.  You could argue that it's two people sitting at a table thinking, but the way it plays out, it keeps you hooked.

The scene at the hospital, where Light's father is recuperating after a stress induced heart attack, has shades of the continued analysis, but the larger takeaway is how Light handles it.  His initial shock when receiving the phone call seems genuine; but once there, he has to make a point to himself to be concerned for his father's well being.  It's just one line in a fairly long scene, but it really stands out and shows you where Light's moral compass is right now.

Even L wonders if Light is acting, though the fact that his lines are so corny actually ends up working in Light's favor.  Whether that was intentional or just a fortuitous coincidence, we're not told.  It's one thought process the show didn't put on display.

The ramifications of possesssing the death note are unintentionally touched on.  Both L and Light's dad insist that the power is inherently evil and that Kira is very unlucky to have been granted it.  Ryuk seems to reinforce this, saying that those attached to shinigami often suffer in the end.  While Light is determined to buck the trend, it could be another bit of foreshadowing on display.

....

OK, I know whether it is or not, but I'm trying to go easy on the spoilers.

The episode's ending is certainly interesting, as a ratings hungry news station gets a package with videos and a message from Kira ordering them to air it.  It could be the next phase in Light's plan, it could be a tactic by L to draw the killer out, or it could be something else entirely.  We'll have to wait until the next episode to find out.











Episode 11: Assault


The eleventh episode brings the show to new heights.  Not only is it a captivating watch, but it really shakes up the status quo in a short amount of time.

When last we met, a news station was sent some video tapes and told to air them lest they be killed.  Both for the sake of good ratings, and to save lives, they decide to air said tapes.  I noted before that there were multiple ways this could play out.  While it being a ruse by the police is eliminated right off the bat, we're still not sure what's happening as it plays out.

Light and Ryuk largely sit this one out, and it's actually to the episode's benefit.  It makes the ultimate reveal that much more satisfying.

Kira takes on a more blatantly fascist overtone here.  We've seen people who oppose Kira struck down before, but this incident takes it to a whole new level.  Not only do several reporters get killed for daring to speak ill of Kira, but the message makes it clear that any sort of dissent won't be tolerated anymore.  You can disagree with what he's doing, just keep your yap shut about it.  The "don't start nothing, there won't be nothing; just be cool and everything will work out" pitch could (at face value anyway) be seen as an attempt at diplomacy, but it carries a more unsettling and sinister undertone.

Things only escalate when one of the cops is killed for attempting to charge into the news station to stop the broadcast.  It throws just about everybody for a loop, as Kira now appears to no longer even need a name anymore, just a face.

Credit to Light's father, he comes up with a way to get into the station that is not only effective, but very fun and satisfying to watch.  Even though he can barely stand without assistance, his determination is such that he is still able to stare down and intimidate those who he believes are doing wrong.

Of course, the L and the rest of the police force get their own highlight moment when they band together in order to get Mr. Yagami out of there.

On a somewhat related note, watching L switch from one cell phone to another was rather amusing.  I'm sure most of us have been in a scenario where we're caught between two phone conversations, but L manages to elevate it to something bizarre, over the top, and just amazing.

Inevitably, the episode does reveal whether or not this is Light's doing.  Turns out....it's not.  He doesn't seem to have that much of a problem with it, though.  In fact, he takes it as a sign that a shinigami is on his side.  Not only is there now another active death note, but the person in question has shinigami eyes, which makes "Kira" even more potent.

Light does note that this development isn't without its downsides.  He doesn't care for this Kira's tactics, even going so far as to call them dirty.  In any event, he decides to join the anti-Kira task force, both to keep pursuing L's real identity and to figure out who this new player is.  Ryuk, for his part, seems to be amused by all of this.

The episode ends with the big reveal that the second Kira is a young woman who believes in Kira's cause and does, in fact, have her own death note (complete with another shinigami.)  As was suggested, she does have the eyes.  It convinces her that even if the two Kiras did face off, she would have the advantage.  It's a heck of a way to close the episode.

This was just fantastic.  It held the tension wonderfully, there were plot twists, several highlights, and things really took a hard turn here in a good way.  IGN's review noted that this could have acted as a season finale if the show were structured that way.  Honestly, I agree.  It delivered what a viewer would expect on that front and managed to set the stage for the next chapter in this ongoing saga.













Episode 12: Love


If you're like me, you thought the level of the mind games being played in this series were complex, but the revelation that there is now another "Kira" manages to kick things up to a whole other level.

L and Light, of course continue dancing around each other trying to get information that will prove the other's identity.  At the same time, they are both working this new "case".  Both have their own reasons for wanting the new Kira stopped.  L wants to do it because, well, it's another mass murderer.  You'd think Light would be happy to have somebody following in his footsteps, but the disciple turns out to be more trouble than he anticipated and actually reveals some key facts about how the two operate to the police, albeit unknowingly.

It was strange to see Light chastise "fake Kira" for being stupid.  "He" is operating on the assumption that "he" is communicating with Kira.  It's a fake out, though Light did write the message so there was some level of authenticity there, but the person in question has no way of knowing this.  You could chalk it up to Light's ego, but it isn't like he hasn't made mistakes.  L played him hard back when the conflict first began.  Heck, despite having total anonymity and a global population, Kira's opponents were able to narrow him down to the primary suspect in a shockingly short amount of time.  You could say he doesn't want the same mistakes made, but that's not how the line or Light's facial expression play out.

Speaking of this new Kira, we finally get a better introduction to her.  Her name is Misa and she's a model.  Her admiration of Kira is genuine and she has also taken an interest in Shinigami.  Oddly enough, she's rather fascinated by the concept of killing one, which this episode reveals is possible.

How does one kill a death god? The method is simple, though difficult to execute.  You have to get a shinigami to care enough about an individual to go out of their way to expand the person's lifespan.  As shinigami exist to shorten lives, this ends up taking theirs.  Even more interestingly (though to my recollection this fact never comes up again) the human has the shinigami's remaining years added to their own life, mirroring how the death note normally works for shinigami.  What is the lifespan for a shinigami?  I can't imagine it's brief, who knows how long Misa could have extended her life?  Yes, Misa was the person in question, which is why Rem decided that she should be the one to bear it.  I have to figure that it, at least, negates the years she lost by taking the eye deal.

Overall, this was a surprisingly strong episode.  It may not have the highlights that its predecessor did, but the mind games are still in full force and we got some mythos building on top of that.  If anything hurt the episode it was the final scene, as both Light and Misa unwittingly sit in close proximity to one another while wondering how they're going to find each other.  Not only does it feel forced, but it lacks the power that other episode ends have had.  They made you want to tune in to the next episode, something made easy with Netflix and Hulu.  This...doesn't.  It's a small flaw, but it does cut the wind from the episode's sails a bit.












Episode 13: Confession



The hunt for the second Kira continues.  Unlike the battle between L and Light, this battle of wits poses a different problem.  As Misa isn't a super-genius, her methods and tactics leave the two perplexed.  L even says that this new Kira is so dumb that he doesn't know what move to make.  It's funny, but you kind of feel bad for the girl, taking so much abuse behind her back.

She manages to show herself to be rather clever in her own way, though.  She manages to play Light and set it up so that she can figure out who Kira is without exposing herself.  Even with Light's counter-measures (bringing a crowd along so that the second Kira couldn't discern who Ryuk was bonded to) prove futile.

In his defense, Misa was privy to knowledge about the workings of the death note that apparently even Ryuk was unaware of.  Still, it was a smooth play on her part.  She also details how she has covered her tracks, wearing disguises to throw off surveillance cameras and even using fake fingerprints so that the police can't connect anything back to her.  Even Light admits that she is smarter than he initially gave her credit for.

Fortunately for him, her devotion is legit.  She not only pledges her love, but is even more than happy to just be used...I presume as a way to take out L with the aid of her eyes.  She even offers to "lend" Light her death note as a show of good faith.

As to why she's doing all this, she explains that too.  It turns out that she witnessed her parents get gunned down in a robbery.  After a long trial, the police were unable to make the charges stick, but Kira smited the guy.  Odd as it may sound, this was the stand out moment of the episode.  The show rarely has time to get into emotions, and this moment stuck the landing.  It was also refreshing considering how Misa up to this point was largely played as over the top and one note.  Adding that layer of humanity really went a long way towards better establishing her character.

It was surprising to see Light actually be upfront with Misa about the fact that he won't be her boyfriend.  You'd think he'd want to go the manipulation route and feed that devotion, but he says that he can play the part.  Misa seems content, though even this seems to be part of some machination given the smirk on Light's face as the two hug.

Overall, this episode was OK.  It certainly had great moments, but I don't know if it will resonate in the long term.  You'd think I'd know, as I've seen the show already, but this is still a question that pops up from time to time.








Episode 14: Friend



This episode picks up right where the last one left off, with Light mentally promising to kill Misa once he's done using her to kill L.  It's cold and ruthless, but as she is the only person who truly knows that he's Kira, there is some sound logic behind it.

In the meantime, Light has to placate Misa and give off the impression that the two are equal partners in this endeavor.  He does allow Misa to see Ryuk.  As brief as it was, the scene was a highlight for the episode.  Ryuk is just so cheerful and personable when he greets her, you can't help but like it.  Misa, for her part, is more than happy to reciprocate.

Her dynamic with Light, however, isn't quite so smooth.  She does tell him how to kill a shinigame and she's eager to go on "dates", but he shuts it down immediately and explains that he has to maintain his cover by going out with other girls in addition to Misa.  The relationship may be fake, but Misa still takes exclusivity very seriously, going so far as to threaten to kill any girl that she sees Light with.

Light, in turn, threatens to kill her if she doesn't do as he says.  Considering he has both notebooks, this could have been an effective tactic, were it not for Rem's presence.  The death god immediately intervenes and says that anything that shortens Misa's lifespan will result in Light's name being written in her own notebook.  While this would also result in Rem's death, she doesn't seem to care.  Even Ryuk is thrown by this level of devotion to a mortal.

The episode isn't completely devoid of L/Light conflict, however.  Light has Misa send in one last tape that allegedly has Kira 2 say that "he" is going to go it alone.

In true fashion, L immediately hones in on the idea that the two Kiras are in cahoots.  On the plus side, this seems to alleviate the suspicion Light in his opinion but it was still funny how he immediately picked up on what was really going on.

You'd think that the smart move would be for Light to keep his mouth shut and to let L continue to follow his faulty thinking regarding what Light would do if he were Kira, but no.  He pipes up and says that this isn't what he would do if he were Kira and presents an alternative tactic, taking into account L's refusal to go on television. Considering this wasn't something Light actually did, the end result may be the same, but I still found it odd.

It's not as odd as L's declaration that Light is his first friend ever.  Now, judging by the way L says it and dramatically turns to face Light immediately after, it seems pretty clear that he's just screwing with Light's head and using his reaction as a way to gauge whether or not Light is capable of being Kira.  However, L is quite sheltered and the two do seem to be on an even intellectual footing.  As such, it's possible that there is some small nugget of truth in there.  Really, it's open to interpretation. 

If it is legit, it's hardly reciprocated.  Light quickly comes up with a way to task Rem with killing L for him.  It's simpler than trying to wrangle Misa and it also gives Rem some leeway as she makes it clear that she doesn't like Light and is indifferent to L.  Because of this, she can do it with no risk of getting killed herself. 

It makes for a rather effective cliffhanger, as Light seems to have effortlessly won his war against his adversary. 

Overall, the episode did have several great moments, Misa glomping Light being a prime example, but there was a lot of time needlessly used up as well.  The show is generally very internal monologue driven, but it had been more compelling in the past.  This was just slow pacing.   With over 20 episodes remaining, one can only hope that things pick up as we move forward.

















Episode 15: Wager

Episode 16: Decision

Episode 17: Execution

Episode 18: Ally

Episode 19: Matsuda

Episode 20: Makeshift

Episode 21: Performance

Episode 22: Guidance

Episode 23: Frenzy

Episode 24: Revival

Episode 25: Silence

Episode 26: Renewal

Episode 27: Abduction

Episode 28: Impatience

Episode 29: Father

Episode 30: Justice

Episode 31: Transfer

Episode 32: Selection

Episode 33: Scorn

Episode 34: Vigilance

Episode 35: Malice

Episode 36: 1.28

Episode 37: New World













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