'Dragon Ball Super' episode 71: 'The Death of Goku! The Guaranteed Assassination Mission'

The next arc begins in earnest.  The last saga set the bar pretty high, but if this episode is any indicator, it looks like we're going to be in for a fun one.

The stakes are established right off the bat, as we see Goku get killed.  You'd think that this wouldn't mean anything, as this is a show where the main cast has all been killed at least once, if not multiple times.  Still, the scene works really well.  It's dark and the weight of what happened is made especially clear as we see Gohan's and Goten's reaction to seeing their father's corpse.

Not surprisingly, the episode then jumps back in time to show how we got there.  There's no subtitle to indicate how far back we're going, but the fact that Goku is alive and well is as good an indicator as any.  Besides, when you open with a scene like that, you know that's what they're going to do.

Normally, when Goku's behavior is off, it's played for laughs.  When he stopped eating and training before, it was because his ki was out of whack and wackiness ensued.  Here, it's played straight and it does a great job of making the episode feel off.  Seeing him paranoid was really strange and it augmented the bizarre nature of seeing Goku, of all people, eating rice one grain at a time and constantly scanning for energy signatures.

That's not to say that the episode ignores the comedic potential completely.  I did find Goku suddenly alerting Chichi to the fact that there were a couple of cockroaches behind the fridge to be rather amusing.  The scene where Goku's two sons tail him while he walks around town with his eyes closed is also rather light hearted and humorous, as was his run in with Bulma.  Considering how grim and serious the rest of the episode is, you'd think it would feel out of place, but it was a welcome breather.

Eventually, Goku does reveal that he suspects that someone is trying to kill him, more specifically, Hit, the assassin from Universe 6 who pushed Goku to his absolute limits back during the tournament.

We actually get to see Universe 6 in this episode, which I thought was kind of cool.  It's a bit on the grim dark side, constantly raining, with several beings wearing some kind of gas mask for some unexplained reason.  Granted, this is just one world in that universe, but the more in depth look was still a nice touch.  It also helps re-establish Hit's modus operandi for those who forgot, as we see him take down a target with no trouble and ignoring any offer or plea for mercy.

I was actually surprised to see Hit offer to spare Goku when the two did meet up.  I know the two developed a respect for one another, but that still doesn't seem like something he'd do; especially given the smirk he gave when he saw who his next target was.  It's possible that he was just humoring Goku or testing his resolve, but it was still surprising.

While Hit's ability to freeze time made him a worthy adversary, and most of his improvement seemed centered on extending that ability's time limit, we see that he's picked up some new tricks since we last saw him.  The fact that he has a lethal one hit (no pun intended, OK maybe a little) kill strike isn't that far fetched, but now he can become intangible.  Suffice it to say, this makes it hard for Goku to put up a decent fight.
 
As shown in the opening, Goku seemingly dies just as Piccolo, Gohan, and Goten arrive.  Admittedly, the scene kind of loses some of its kick when you see it for the second time within a 20 minute window, but it still made for a solid cliffhanger.

With the job done, you'd think that Hit's conflict is pretty much done with, though I reckon that's not the case for the Z fighters, especially Goku's sons.  They may try to counter-attack, though I'm not sure what that would accomplish.

There's also the matter of who sent Hit out in the first place.  Now, I know who's behind it, and for those curious, you can do some digging and figure out who the mastermind is.  For the sake of preserving the mystery, I won't tell.

Truth be told, I think not knowing will make for a better viewing.  You can speculate and talk about possible suspects.  It was one of the last saga's strengths.  It got people intrigued and a lot of fun was had coming up with theories, no matter how bizarre.  Granted, even those who know the who don't know the why, so there's still something, but I'd still advise that you try to steer clear of spoilers.

All in all, this was a strong episode.  There was a palpable sense of "off-ness" that permeated the episode and it worked really well.  It set the tone, the stakes, and even gave us an adversary that we know is a match for the heroes.  Really, if you're looking to follow up the last arc, this seems like a pretty good way to do it.

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'Luke Cage' episode 11: 'Now You're Mine'

Coming on the heels of the attempted mass shooting by Diamondback and his crew, this episode throws us into a hostage situation.  Having the whole episode largely take place in one location really worked to its benefit.  Sure, things were happening in different rooms, but it felt more focused as a result.

It seemed like everybody got a highlight moment.  Misty and Claire got to make amends and fight Shades, Luke got to be the big hero and save everybody..well almost everybody, and Diamondback got a rather sweet monologue detailing his history and the reason for his animosity towards his half brother.  Again, Harvey has the gravitas to pull it off, as one of his hostages can only look on in a mix of awe and confusion while this psychopath tells him his life story.  Having "Son of a Preacher Man" playing as this all went on worked, not just for the parallel, but because it made for effective background music to complement the scene overall.

At first, it might seem like the driving force behind Diamondback's vendetta is a little thin, but it's possible that his resentment has been stirring his whole life.  On top of that, it's well established that the guy's more than a little off his rocker, so there's that.

Even the mooks got to shine.  Sure, Shades ultimately lost his big fight, but he spends a lot of the episode keeping a cool head and trying to encourage Diamondback to do the same.  Where Diamondback is dead set on screwing Luke over every which way he can, Shades knows when to fold em and that puts them at intriguing odds.

The other goons are also able to garner some degree of sympathy.  They're not good by any stretch, but this is way outside their wheelhouse and their discomfort with the new management is palpable.

I'll even give Diamondback credit, where his last frame up was lazy and poorly put together, this one shows degrees of thought and effort.  He notes that they were hosting an anti-Luke rally, Luke showed up and now people are getting hurt.  There are no surveillance cameras to ruin his narrative and the more they stall, the more likely it is that things will play out the way he wants them to.

Ironically, this episode ends with the tide of public opinion turning in Luke's favor.  More people are starting to see the truth about Luke.  The hostages who are released don't hesitate to vouch for him and even Misty notes that she was wrong about him.  It was nice to see.  While the episode ends with Luke in police custody, it does seem like the police are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Of course, considering he is technically an escaped prison inmate, that might be short lived.

For a tense, hostage situation centered episode, there sure are a lot of quips and one liners thrown around.  It's a nice release and all of the jokes work, but it's weird to think that this is one of the funnier episodes of the show overall.  Between Shades making a random yet still inevitable reference to "Diff'rent Strokes" and Luke nonchalantly tossing a mook aside after said mook approached him with fancy martial arts moves, there's a lot to laugh at here.

We even get to see a few nods to the larger MCU.  The ADA from Daredevil's second season shows up to help keep things under control.  He also makes direct reference to Frank Castle's activities.  I'm surprised it took this long to come up, but good on them for working that nod in.  Comic fans should also appreciate Claire being casually referred to as "Night Nurse".  Also, from what I read, Misty's arm injury and the possibility of losing it is also a nod the source material.

If what I read is true and that in the comics Tony Stark makes her a new arm, it would be a great way to unify the MCU.  Admittedly, that would only work if they could get Downey to cameo.  Just having it be mentioned is nice, I guess, but the shows have always been good about referencing and tying in the movies where the track record going the other way hasn't been so hot.

All in all, this was a very solid episode.  It put the ensemble to good use and balanced action, drama, character, and humor very effectively.  We're down to the final two episodes, so I have a feeling things are going to really kick into high gear from here.














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Flight of Honor

We're going to do something a little different today.  There's no review, no talk of cartoon characters or superheroes.  There will be talk of heroes, however, though of the more real world variety.  My uncle requested that I do this. Normally, such a thing is relegated to those who would contribute at the appropriate patreon level; but one thing you learn as an Italian is that you never go against the family.

My uncle enlisted in the military during the Korean War, following in the footsteps of my grandfather who was a part of the Norwegian resistance during World War II and blew up several bridges (this is an inside joke that NOBODY is going to get, but I threw it in anyway because that's how I roll.)  He was stationed in Texas, though that was not his call to make.

Never the less, he was asked by two of his neighbors (who served in the Vietnam War) to partake in what is known as an honor flight.  What's an honor flight? Well, you'll see.

My uncle received a notice six months later letting him know that he was being considered.  In August, he got a phone call letting him know that there was a spot available for him on the 29th of October.

The day finally came.  My uncle had to get up at 2 in the morning so that he could be ready to be picked up at 3:30.  He was driven to Fort Myers airport, where the lobby was set up to welcome the group. There were 67 veterans in total who were brought on this venture; 5 of said vets were even ones that served in World War 2.  Said veterans were split into three color based groups: red, blue, and green.  Each vet was given a hat, a jacket, and a shirt.

Each veteran was assigned a guardian, whose primary objective was to make sure that the veterans didn't hurt themselves.  If one was to fall, said guardian was to either catch said vet or put themselves in between to act as a cushion for the fall.

My uncle's guardian was a young man from Naples named Matt Rios.  He was a senior in high school and served in the ROTC for four years.

Interestingly, Matt was somewhat nervous.  Apparently, he had never flown before, but he carried himself well and also expressed some excitement over the prospect.

The vets were each given a wheelchair and then taken to the boarding gate where a nice breakfast was provided: sausage, croissants, even bacon.

At 6 am, the vets boarded the plane.   Fire trucks were placed on each side of the plane, where they showered the plane as a show of salute.

2 hours later, the plane landed at Reagan International Airport, where another set of fire trucks waited to greet them with another water salute.

Waiting for the vets in the jet way was a band to welcome them with song.  There were also hundreds of spectators who had shown up because they wanted to honor those who served.  It was quite a gesture that resonated with the war heroes, but this was just the beginning.

The vets than proceeded to the bus area, where 3 buses waited for each color group.  The driver told them not to be frightened.  If you're wondering why people would be afraid of a bus ride, it's because this was a bus ride unlike any other.  There was a police escort and the bus was allowed to run red lights, drive up the wrong way on one way streets, and even go in the grass if that's what it took to get to where they were going.

In addition to an adrenaline rush, the buses had nurses, full time photographers, and snacks.

The first stop was the World War II monument.  Not only was the trip a great way to thank the living veterans, but doing this also commemorated those who had served and sacrificed.  While there, a picture was taken with all of the vets and guardians to mark the occasion.

The next stop on the grand tour was the air force memorial.  Much like the prior stop, this was a great way to honor those who served, both living and deceased.  It was here where the group was provided a nice lunch: sandwich, fruit, and even fries.  Whether said fries were French or Tuscan, I don't know.

The third stop was supposed to be the marine monument, but the marines were having some kind of race, so the group had to settle for just being driven around it to see the location.

Up next, came the Arlington National Cemetery.  The vets were all put into wheelchairs and moved so that they could get the best view of the changing of the guard.  They also got to visit the tomb of the unknown soldier.

The fifth and final stop was the Lincoln Memorial.  Here, the group was taken off the bus so that they could also go see the Vietnam wall, as well as the Korean exhibit.

At 4 pm, everybody went back to the airport, where they had dinner before flying back to Ft. Myers.

The vets were taken off the plane, put into wheelchairs and brought out to the terminal.

Awaiting them, was perhaps the biggest surprise of all.  Now, from what my uncle told me, those who run the program don't want word of this part getting out; as they want to maintain the surprise factor.  While I was told what happened, I think I'll gloss over it.  I don't know if a mere spoiler warning would be sufficient in this case.

The important thing to know is that the vets were incredibly moved by the gesture as it was perhaps the greatest display of gratitude seen thus far.

Really, that's what the whole thing is about, thanking those who served.  Ironically, despite being called an "honor flight" the airport was kind of peripheral, barring the big finale.  I suppose "honor bus tour" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.  Still, it's a great idea and from what I heard, those who attended both enjoyed and appreciated the endeavor.

'Dragon Ball Super' episode 70: 'Champa's Challenge! This Time We Fight With Baseball!'

To say that this episode was an improvement over last week's really isn't saying much.  After that debacle, this entry really had nowhere to go but up.  Thankfully, this aims a bit higher than "doesn't suck".

The plot hook is simple enough, Champa challenges Beerus to a game of baseball under the pretense of fostering a friendship between universes.  True to form, he has his own agenda, eat some of universe 7's delicious food.

The fact that neither the gods nor the players really understand how the game works makes for an unusual choice, but seeing as the end result is comedy, it works rather well.

Putting Goten and Vegeta on universe 6's team seemed odd at first, but it evens the player numbers and does allow some rivalries to be played with.  Goku and Vegeta is a natural one, but Vegeta's feud with Yamcha is also brought up.  Goten and Trunks also engage in some playful trash talk, but they don't really get a chance to face off the way others do.

Yamcha's role is an interesting dichotomy.  On the one hand, the episode actually does give him chances to shine.  We see that he's a very competent pitcher and he is also given the glory of scoring the winning run.  However, the episode also seems to be well aware of how the character is viewed and uses other characters to voice said opinion.  He also gets beaten up quite a bit as a result of the ensuing antics.  It's played for laughs, and succeeds on that front, but you can't help but feel bad for the guy.

If anything hurt this episode, it was the run time.  It only has 20 minutes, and thus, can only do so much.  I get why the writers didn't want to try to pitch this (ha) as a 2 or three part story arc, but at the same time, I wouldn't mind seeing it turned into a 70 minute movie.  It would give more room to play and give characters more time to do things.  A lot of characters just kind of hang around and it would have been nice to see them get a crack at participating to a greater extent.

Also, minor nitpick, but for all the squabbling, at no point does a character kick sand onto another person's shoes and pants.  That's a baseball staple.  I could have easily seen Yamcha doing that to Vegeta; or maybe have Champa and Beerus start doing that before their argument escalates into the potentially universe destroying fist fight that we see.

There are missed opportunities, but this was still funny and entertaining fare.  I enjoyed this a lot more than I did the Arale fiasco.

Next episode, the new story arc begins in earnest as somebody wants Goku dead and has hired a familiar assassin to carry out the...hit.

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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 2, Episode 8: 'The Chicago Way'

Thus, the first half of the season concludes.  I wasn't sure how well the mid-season finales were going to work, coming right on the heels of the big mega-crossover event, but it actually ended up working well for all of the shows.  It's probably better to let them end on something more specific to their own respective plots, and we do get to see some of the fallout from the dominators' efforts.

I think this show actually did the most with what happened before.  It's ironic, as you'd think that the team of time travellers would have the easiest time of just shrugging it off and moving on.  Instead, though, we get quite a bit of emotional resonance as Stein deals with the ramifications of having a new daughter (and developing a bond as a result of newly developed memories) and Malcolm's offer to Sara is oddly fitting given what she went through in the dream world.  You have to wonder if his offer to go back and rewrite her life story would have been accepted two weeks ago.

Even with that, it managed to advance the show's own arc, as the team was confronted with the "Legion of Doom".  They knew Damien was up to something and that a speedster was involved, but this is the first time they see said speedster face to face and try to take him down.

As effective a villain as Darhk can be, I think this episode was really a standout moment for him.  The episode really played him up as a sort of chessmaster, manipulating the team the entire episode and using their own logic and usual strategies against them.  It was really fun to watch and it's a shame that it's taken this long for that aspect of his personality to come to the forefront.

The Reverse-Flash also got a strong showing.  He reaffirmed his status as a heavy hitter, single-handedly besting the team with little effort, Letscher got to show off some menace, and we even got to see him use the same (or a similar) instrument that he used to steal Wells' body way back in the Flash's first season, making for a nice continuity nod.

Speaking of, Stein still hasn't put the pieces together, though to be fair, this is, for all intents and purposes, a different person than the one that he helped take down with Barry and Oliver.  Oddly, Thawne, seems to remember, which shouldn't be the case as this was a Thawne before that Thawne...as Thawne himself says, it's complicated.

This episode also marks the first time that a Flash rogue has met an evil speedster face to face.  The franchise has made a point to keep them compartmentalized for some strange reason.  Granted, the rogues don't usually work with the evil speedsters, be it Thawne or Solomon, because they're too insane, but it would be nice to see that dynamic show itself here.

Still, the villains are developing a fun dynamic of their own.  Heck, even the interplay between the supervillains and the gangsters was pretty fun to see.  Luckily for Capone, these villains play much nicer than the supervillains that aligned themselves with gangsters in the Nolanverse.  Granted, they needed Capone for things to play out the way they did, but still.

The dynamics of the team itself are a mixed bag.  The scenes between Sara and Stein were very effective and seeing Nate and Ray goof off and try to one up each other was fun.  I'm not entirely sold on the idea that the team is a family just yet.

Nate and Ray's buddy dynamic being compared to sibling rivalry is one thing, but Sara disciplining the two like a mother was oddly out of place.  It was kind of funny, and you could rationalize it by saying that she is ship's captain and the last time the two did this, it ripped a hole in the ship that caused them to go off on a detour, but it still felt off.

It's trying to lay the groundwork to justify Sara using the family defense as a way to keep Stein's daughter around, but it doesn't help as much as the writers probably would have liked.

As is to be expected by this point, the action was top notch.  The Sara/Malcolm duel was entertaining, especially as both held their own rather well.  The final fight was also fun to see as the team had to employ a multitude of strategies to hold their own with Thawne.  It's a shame that Vixen didn't get a chance to showcase her skillset too much, but I'm not sure what she could have done.

The episode also delivered on humor, injecting a sense of fun that was able to balance out some of the darker elements.  The 20's made for a great setting.  You had gangsters, tommy guns, people in snazzy suits.  I'm surprised that Mick didn't go out and party, even Vixen expresses shock, though he seems to be going through some stuff.

Speaking of, props to the episode for subverting expectations with Snart.  We all know he's coming back to join the Legion, and a mid-season finale seems like as good a place as any to make that big reveal.  Even the ads for the episode play up the idea; but even though Miller reprises the role, Snart doesn't technically make his big appearance yet.

Another character does, though.  This I don't want to spoil, but it was good to see him again, even if the circumstances we find him in raise some big questions.

I don't know if this has the same amount of kick as Flash's or Arrow's mid season finales, but this was still a pretty strong outing.  It set things up for the second half of the season and showed us what this particular team of supervillains can do when they work together.














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'Luke Cage' episode 10: 'Take It Personal'

Where the last episode touched on social relevance and making nods to current events, this episode fleshes it out into a bona fide subplot.  The results on this front are mixed.

The show doesn't clearly take one side and bash the viewer over the head with it, so kudos for that.  So often, writers fall into that trap.  Here, the cops are clearly shown to be overzealous in their attempts to catch Luke, going so far as to beat up a young child during an interrogation, but we also see that they aren't really targeting one group of people, despite what a few characters suggest.  You also get a clear understanding of why they're going all out.  Nuance is always best in situations like this and the episode makes efforts to present that.

This does put Mariah in a very weird spot, though.  Being a politician, she, of course, uses the frenzy to score political points and to boost her profile.  Which, to her credit, she does rather well.  However, her being aligned with Diamondback and having a plan to arm cops with alien bullets means that she also has to sell the idea to her constituents.  This results in a speech where she goes from saying that the people of Harlem aren't going to be bullied around by cops to saying that we need to better arm them so that they can hold their own against "freaks".

In a world of metahumans, alien invasions, and inhumans; arguing that the cops are ill equipped is valid, but putting the pitch to give them more powerful weapons in a speech about excessive police force makes for a juxtaposition that's wonky as hell.  You'd think that somebody in the crowd would have picked up on it, but they all cheer enthusiastically about it.

Oddly enough, Luke himself is largely unaffected by any of this.  His plot is largely outside of Harlem, so it isn't until the show's final scenes when somebody informs him that he's public enemy number 1.

Said witch hunt is also somewhat wonky.  Considering Luke was already a fugitive, Diamondback's actions seem redundant at first glance.  At the same time, though, as we see, killing a cop really gets under the police force's skin.  In any event, his frame up is probably one of the lazier ones you're likely to come across.  At least Shades put some thought and effort into it when he pinned Stokes' death on Luke.  All Diamondback does is put on a hoodie, punch a cop with a mechanized power glove, and yell out "I'm Luke Cage!"

Even Misty points out that this makes no sense.  It doesn't fit Luke's established MO and he has no reason to yell out his name the way he supposedly did.  The cops do manage to get surveillance photos of the attack, but even with only a partial look at the facial structure of the assailant, it's pretty clearly not Luke.  Considering that the two also have completely different body builds, you have to wonder what the thought process was there.

Anyway, Luke has quite a lot on his plate.  There is, of course, the matter of getting healed.  We knew it was going to happen, but you can't say it was easy.  He was already dunked in acid, but here he gets electrocuted and boiled to boot.

There was surprisingly little shrapnel in him, all things considered.  For all of that, there were only three pieces.  I guess the acid did take care of some of it.  Either that or the bullets don't break as well as it originally seemed.  But Claire does succeed in removing it and Luke's powers remain intact, so it seems like it was a good day all around.

Alas, he gets hit with two pretty heavy revelations soon after.  One concerning Diamondback and the discovery that he is, in fact, Luke's half brother.  Luke's memory being jogged was a bit abrupt.  Screen time is a factor, but it would have been nice to see more subtle hints being tossed out before Luke finally put all the pieces together.

I think the build up would have also made for a more powerful moment to Luke as well, as we see his whole world being turned upside down.  Here, he just walks into a church and goes "oh yeah, that happened."

Oddly, Luke's earlier suggestion that he knew why Diamondback is after him is replaced by Luke not knowing what his half brother's beef is.  Maybe his earlier apology was just a way to placate Diamondback as opposed to genuine guilt?  I guess it would have to be.

On top of that, his reverence for Reva is shown to be entirely misplaced as most of their relationship is shown to be a facade to help induct him into whatever program was operating at Seagate.

It makes for a decent, albeit, minor crisis as he questions himself and who he can trust.  Really, though, it's a nice way to close that chapter and allow Luke to move forward.

Again, we have a cliffhanger.  I get it, this is a Netflix show that people binge watch and you want to play to that strength, but much like with the musical performance montages earlier in the season, we get a diminishing return when the same trick is used again and again and again.  At least it isn't Luke who's in trouble this time.  Now, it's Misty, who gets shot when she tries to apprehend Diamondback.  I'm pretty sure she's pretty safe, but at least they're trying to change up the formula?

There's a lot the episode does well.  It's pacing is effective, there's solid character development all over the place, and it does seem like things are amping up as we move closer to the season finale.  You can see what the episode was trying to do in many respects, but there are several notable kinks that stop it from becoming the powerhouse episode that it could have been.













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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 69: 'Goku vs Arale! A Ridiculous Battle Will End the Earth?'

The preview for this episode hyped the appearance of a character named Arale.  As I said before, I have no idea who this character is and worried that it would become a detriment.  That certainly proves to be the case here.  I would honestly mark this as the weakest episode of 'Super' to date.  It did nothing for me.

At least with Jaco, the show explained who he was (using Trunks and Goten as audience identifiers) and had at least some connection to this mythos, as he had met Bulma back in the day.  Here, there's no such context, so characters who you've never heard of just show up.  It's clear that the two worlds don't mix well and it makes for an episode that plays out like bad crossover fan-fiction.

The episode is clearly striving for a sense of goofiness, but it falls flat.  I think I laughed, maybe once.  Mr. Satan being more fixated on a magazine of scantily clad women than the fact that the magazine appeared out of thin air was pretty funny.  Beyond that, there's not much to be had in the way of laughs. It's disappointing as the show has had a pretty solid record when it comes to injecting humor into any given episode.

If you're a fan of Vegeta, this is going to be a tough one to sit through.  I know people complained when Goku Black beat Vegeta easily, this is much worse.  They try to justify it by saying that Arale's "gag comic character" tactics make it impossible to fight her, but I still don't buy it.  Even Goku goes super saiyan blue when he tries to take her on.  Again, I don't buy it.

If the episode does have one redeeming factor, it's Beerus.  His nonchalant atomizing of the ghost of the evil scientist was admittedly pretty awesome.  I'm also glad he had an external reason to run back to his realm.  If they tried to pitch it as him being afraid or not up to the task of fighting Arale, it really would have done the character a disservice.

If you're familiar with the comic that features Arale, maybe you'll get more enjoyment out of this.  I didn't enjoy it.  I'm glad to be done with it.

Thankfully, the next episode looks like it has more comedy promise, as Champa and his tournament team challenge Beerus and the rest to a game of baseball.  That should be good times.  Here's hoping it can wash the taste of this episode out of my mouth because this was bad.  

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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 2, Episode 7: 'Invasion!'

Discussing this episode is likely to prove trickier than prior ones, given that this is the third part in a 4 night crossover event that spanned multiple shows.

Really, it seemed like this one did most of the heavy lifting.  Yes, Flash managed to juggle the cast of three shows rather effectively, but it was largely centered on setting up the plot and getting everybody together.

In a way, Arrow benefited from having the episode fall on the 100th as it gave them an excuse to go back to basics and do a more down to Earth plot (ironic because techinically, a vast majority of it took place on a space ship) that paid homage to the show's five year history.

Here, we see, not only the full cast of multiple shows in action, but new plot points are introduced, the villains are finally given motivation, and of course, there's the big finale.  It's actually quite impressive how well the episode managed to juggle it all.

We even get some nice character arcs as Stein struggles with his "new" daughter.  It's an interesting dilemma and both sides come off as sympathetic.  From his daughter's perspective, nothing's really changed, so you feel bad that her dad is suddenly so distant, but we also know that she is almost a stranger to Stein himself, so you understand where he's coming from.  I do find it weird that he was thinking about trying to "set things right" when that's exactly what Barry tried to do; and we all know how that turned out.

Speaking of, said change ends up playing a prominent role as it is revealed that this is what sent the signal, as it were, to convince the dominators that metahumans were a potential threat, well, one of the signals anyway.  It would have been nice to see that fleshed out and discussed more, but it was a fairly solid motivation.  Even though the dominators are clearly the villains, they do have a good point.  You do have to wonder, though, why Barry's timeline change sends echoes through time and space, but the acts of the Legends does nothing, but I'm guessing the MST3K rule is supposed to apply here.

It was nice to see Cisco finally put his grudge against Barry to rest.  At face value, he had every reason to be mad, but due to the writing it always came off as unnecessarily pissy.  Between that and the weird sense of entitlement that Cisco has developed towards coming up with names and making movie references, he was becoming grating.  Hopefully this helps bring him back to his roots and become his old, more amicable self.

The episode did a surprisingly good job of raising the stakes in many respects.  As I suppose any major comic event should, it really shook up the status quo for the universe as a whole.  The federal government is getting involved, it seems like the heroes have an official HQ, and a signal has been sent out to the cosmos about Earth's status.  The episode was indeed a blast, but I'm really looking forward to seeing where things go from here.  The fact that Cisco gave Kara a device that allows her to jump Earths as a way to facilitate future crossovers was just icing on the cake.

While there is a lot the episode does right, there are some kinks here and there.  Much like Wild Dog's grudge against metas, Oliver's sudden desire to keep Kara at arm's length is abruptly introduced and is resolved just as quickly.  It just seems like a way to keep Kara out so that the episode has one less character to deal with.  Sure, she helps in the big fight, which is awesome, but it would have been nice to see more of her.

On top of that, Oliver's logic really doesn't make much sense.  He says she's an unknown variable, but he's already dealt with metas and magic, so the idea that he's having a hard time coping feels flat.  Honestly, him saying "you got taken over once and if it happens again, we have absolutely no way to stop you" would have made a lot more sense.  I know, it's armchair quarterbacking, but it happens.

I have to say, I agree with Mick.  Nate's costume does look really dumb.  I don't know why he needs a costume.  It doesn't serve any purpose.  Frankly, I thought it worked much better when he was just dressed normally and turned to steel. Maybe covering him up gives the producers less to digitally alter?  I don't know.  It wasn't good though.

It's a shame Kara and Nate didn't get a chance to really hang, though.  Both of them being dorks, it seems like a fun pair, plus you'd have the guy who turns to steel making friends with the girl of steel.  Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me for either one of the characters to even make that direct comparison. In terms of "meta" references, that would be fairly small potatoes to Kara unknowingly making a comparison to the Avengers (which is even more fitting given this crossover's plot) and Ray saying that Kara looks like his cousin.

It was nice to see Oliver and Sara get a nice scene together.  With so much else going on, they had limited interaction, but it was nice to see that the bond between the two is still there.  Oliver and Barry also get some nice bits together, which are always fun to watch.

Do you think the other Arrowverse heroes were fighting the dominators off screen? I like to think that they were.  Mari, Constantine, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Katana, Huntress, Wildcat; yeah, they probably were.  

This episode had a lot to juggle.  Not only did it have a lot of characters to handle, but it was tasked with not only wrapping up a multi-episode event, but several sub-plots.  It does this, but also opens the door for all sorts of new story material.  Considering that "The Flash" has, in many respects, been running in circles, it could be for the universe's benefit.  Plus, it's just fun to be excited about what's to come now that the Arrowverse is really starting to take advantage of its size.


















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'Attack on Titan' episode 7: 'Small Blade: The Struggle for Trost part 3'

I was worried that the lengthy hiatus between episode viewings would be a detriment, fortunately, this episode is largely an easy one to go into, even if you have only a vague memory of what was happening.

Really, the episode centers on morale, or in this case, the complete lack of it after the titans knocked down the second wall.  Hope is in scarce supply as the human resistance finds their supplies running low, the casualties stacking up, and shell shock starting to kick in.  It gets to the point where some are driven to suicide as they feel there's nothing left.

We also see some of the forces retreating behind the third and final wall.  There are characters that still talk as if this is some privilege, but does it really matter?  The titans have taken down two walls already, what's a third going to do?  For that matter, the innermost city was the safest because it had those two outer walls to act as a buffer.  Said buffer no longer exists, so really, the perceived safety at this point is a sheer myth.  While it is never directly stated, it's possible that many of the characters know this and that it feeds the sense of hopelessness that permeates this episode.

Yeah, this is something of a down note episode.  There are moments of hope, such as when Mikasa rallies the remaining troops in another charge...by insulting them?  It starts strong, but things go downhill quick.

The episode is incredibly light on overall plot progression.  A lot of it is devoted to more introspective matters.  It's all fairly well done, so even if it seems like things aren't moving, the emotional power makes up for it and keeps you engaged in what's happening.  Armin is hit with survivor's guilt and even Mikasa's resolve is shown to be a thin cover for her fear and grief.

With the latter, it culminates when Mikasa decides to just throw in the towel let the titans eat her, only to find that she instinctively keeps fighting.  Even she notes that she has no idea why she's doing it, as she herself admits that she had given up.  You'd think that this would be basic self preservation driving her, but it's somehow tied to Eren, I don't know.

There is one intriguing plot development in the episode's closing scenes, as a new titan emerges.  Unlike the others, this one is fixated on brutally killing other titans.  It was rather cool to see.  Its arrival makes for an effective "big darn hero" moment, keeping the titan off Mikasa long enough for Armin to swoop in and grab her, but also gives both the viewers and the characters a healthy dose of "what the hell?"  The fact that said titan seems to employ more sophisticated fighting styles and poses only adds more to the mystery.

The fact that this episode operated on a very broad stroke approach actually worked in my favor.  You don't really need a firm grasp of who is who and even if it has been well over a month since you watched the last episode, you can still watch this and still feel the emotional resonance.  I don't know if I'd say it's an enjoyable watch, as it was quite bleak, but it does what it does well.  As such, you can still mark it as a strong episode.




















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'Luke Cage' episode 9: 'DWYCK'

With a run time of over an hour, this episode had a lot to fill.  Fortunately, there was a lot of material to work with as various sub-plots advanced across the board.

Admittedly, the first half is very dialogue heavy, giving off a feeling that nothing is really moving.  We do get some introspection on Misty's front, as she sits down with a shrink to discuss her issues.  Making her sympathetic after what happened with Claire seems like an uphill battle, but the episode does a good job of making her more complex than you might originally think.  This is also helped by the fact that Missick turns in a strong performance, especially in the later scenes as her issues are brought to light.

Speaking of strong performances, Alfre Woodard probably turns in her best yet as Mariah is slowly pulled into her deceased cousin's affairs.  She still puts up the front that she doesn't want to be a part of it, but is able to pitch Diamondback on an endeavor that surpasses anything they would have thought of.

I know one of the criticisms of the MCU as a whole is that the shows "don't matter".  Even if the movies don't directly acknowledge the events of the shows, it's hard to argue that there aren't ramifications.  "Agents of Shield" created a new wave of superpowered inhumans across the globe and Mariah suggests that the Judas bullet can be useful even beyond disposing of Luke Cage, suggesting going as far as to wage a war on all of the superheroes.  Whether anything comes of it, I'm not sure, but it could become a problem later on down the line.

I'm actually enjoying Diamondback as a villain.  I know reception to him has been mixed, and I was a big fan of Stokes, but Diamondback has a commanding, frightening presence that lends credence to his position as the new big bad.  Harvey just owns every scene he's in and the fear that is instilled in those around him is palpable.  You can't blame them either, as he shows no qualms about killing people with little to no provocation.  

For those craving social commentary, the real standout scene is going to be the one where Luke (while wearing a hoodie) is confronted by two cops.  I guess it was inevitable, but isn't the scene a subversion?  Note, the cops don't draw their weapons until they confirm that he's a wanted fugitive and a trigger only gets pulled after Luke attacks the cop who was about to cuff him.  I suppose you could argue that this is a depiction of how things SHOULD be, as opposed to how they are.

Sadly, this was one of Luke's better moments, as this episode really puts him through the wringer.  Where the last episode had him largely shrug off the bullet in his stomach, we start to see him succumbing to the effects to a much greater degree.  His wounds are becoming infected and he's starting to cough up blood.  Not good.

On the plus side, with the help of Claire and one of the Seagate doctors, he's able to at least start getting medical treatment.  The downside is that said treatment involves having a needle shoved down his throat to draw blood and than being dipped in acid.  Both scenes are very squirm inducing for obvious reasons.

The doctor says that the intent with the acid bath is to soften his skin (would that be temporary or would it rob him of his powers for good?) so that they can operate, but the way he keeps looking at the ultrasound, it seems like they're trying to dissolve the shrapnel.  I suppose it's moot as the endeavor is unsuccessful on every front.  It's times like this where an arc reactor would have really come in handy.

Again, we have a cliffhanger, and again it falls flat.  True, Luke doesn't get shot with a third Judas bullet, but we are supposed to think that he died.  This is, of course, ludicrous as there are still four episodes left and we know he's joining the Defenders.  Luke raising his fist (an agreed upon signal for when Claire should pull him out because the pain is too much) before his hand fell limp was pretty funny, though, so points for that.

The episode did have a bit of a slow start, but things definitely picked up as the episode went on.  We got new insight on multiple characters and we saw the new villain really step up to the plate and grab the role with both hands.




















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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 68: 'Come Forth, Shenron! Whose Wish Will be Granted?'

With most dragon ball storylines, it wraps up with the crew gathering the dragon balls to use wishes as a way to undo the damage done by the latest big bad and restore the lives of those lost.  As this latest arc largely took place in an alternate future, they don't really have that problem.  As a result, the wishes used here can be used in a more indulgent fashion.

As it turns out, everybody has a wish that they want granted.  Goku wants to finally revive King Kai, Bulma wants material for the time machine that she's building, Roshi wants women, Goten and Trunks want to make a wish because they have never had the opportunity, 18 wants to get a gift for Krillin, and Pilaf wants to take over the world.

Going in, I thought that Shenron's ability to grant multiple wishes would mitigate the conflict somewhat.  As you can see, though, the wish list goes beyond what Shenron can do.  It's even worse as he can only grant two wishes given the fact that he was summoned back during Beerus' initial attack.

As you can imagine, this leads to quite a bit of bickering as everybody makes the case for their respective wish.  We also get a nice running gag as Pilaf's repeated attempts to hijack a wish are met with a new party charging in to get their wish granted and knocking him around.

Credit to Shenron, he's not normally that patient, but he puts up with it for quite a while.  Granted, near the end, he sticks around due to fear of Beerus, but it's still surprising.

While the episode's humor works well, the real highlights are the more heartwarming bits.  When Gohan arrives, he asks that Shenron cure Pan of a fever that doctors and medicine have been unable to treat.  For one thing, Gohan politely asking the others if he can have his wish granted is in stark contrast to most of the other characters who expect to have their wish granted just because they showed up.  On top of that, it's Pan.  Even when the cast are in the height of their squabbles, they all put aside their differences to let the kid get the necessary magical treatment. Pan's reaction to being back in peak condition only makes the scene that much more fun to watch.

Does the zenkai boost work with diseases?  I'm guessing not, though you could argue that the body still recovers.  If it does apply, it's a good way to get the ball rolling for her becoming super saiyan when she gets older.  

You could also see Bulma's speech to 18 about how she and Marron are all Krillin wants as rather sweet, but I was thinking that Bulma was playing her to remove a potential competing wish.  From what we see, there's nothing to suggest this and it seems that Bulma was on the level (even 18 acknowledges that it's what Krillin would say,) but I figured that was going to be the route they were going to take.  Considering 18's wish was more altruistic and posed less of a risk, it really wouldn't have surprised me if Bulma felt she had to resort to such a tactic to "win".

Speaking of, it was odd how dismissive most were of Goku's desired wish.  I'd think reviving a divine being takes precedence over another pair of women's underpants, but these characters don't seem to think so.  It's even more jarring as Goku was the one who went through the trouble of gathering the dragon balls and summoning Shenron in the first place.  Expecting him to move to the back of the line is obnoxious, though no one thinks to acknowledge it as such.

At least Bulma can make the case that her radar is what allowed him to be summoned.  She also does a pretty good job stepping up to the plate and "granting" the wishes of others.  She uses her wealth and connections to call up some escorts for Roshi, pays 18 to swat Oolong away, and points out that the kids don't know what they're going to wish for.  It just goes to show you that even if you can't summon a magical, wish granting dragon, you can do just about the same thing with enormous sums of money...wait.

This was a simple episode, but it was just the breather that viewers need after the fairly intense confrontation with a deranged, omnicidal god.

The next episode looks like it's going to take a similar tone, though it's hyping of the return of Arale is undercut by the fact that I don't know who that is.  I'm sure the episode will give some explanation, much like it did with Jaco, but we'll see how that plays out when we get to it.

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'Shutter Island' movie review

You can read my review of the film here.

Pros

- Strong cast

- Intriguing premise


Cons

- Script really telegraphs a major aspect of the twist.  Even though there's more to it, it takes you out of the movie and gives the viewer the impression that their time is being wasted.


Overall

Decent movie that's worth a rental.





















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'Luke Cage' episode 8: 'Blowin Up the Spot'

Exit Stokes, enter the reign of Diamondback.  Yes, the bigger threat alluded to back in the beginning of the season finally enters the fray.  Alas, it isn't the guard from Seagate, though he is someone from Luke's past.

As it is, the results on Diamondback are mixed.  He lacks the charm and the nuance of Stokes, but he does appear to have a deeper enmity for our hero.  Stokes never really viewed Luke as more than a nuisance that needed to be dealt with.  Diamondback is dead set on killing Luke no matter what it takes, spending most of the episode hunting him down in such a fashion that you almost get a Kraven-esque vibe.

Sadly, because this is the first time we've seen him, the hatred does fall flat, though Erik LaRay Harvey does as good a job as one can expect in selling it.  I'm guessing it will be elaborated on later, but we only get vague mention of why Diamondback hates Luke the way he does.  On Luke's side, he seems more regretful, offering sincere apologies for what went down before.  It should make for some interesting character fodder down the line.

Considering Luke was shot in the stomach by an alien bullet, he fares pretty well here.  Again, medical care is next to impossible given his...condition?  You'd think that just going in and taking the bullet out would be easy, but as it explodes, all that's left is shrapnel that is being pushed deeper into Luke's vital organs by his own body's special ability.  Making his greatest strength into his greatest weakness was a clever move on the writer's part, kudos for that.  The open wound also gives Diamondback a nice, weak spot to repeatedly attack when he and Luke do get into physical confrontations, making for a fairly level playing field.

That's right, none of this stops Luke from getting into a rather prolonged fist fight with his new nemesis.  It made for some cool, very well choreographed sequences, but considering the guy could barely stand up at points, you might find it hard to believe.  I suppose you could view it as either a testament to his determination to set things right or a display of the true power of adrenaline, I don't know.

Misty starts off the episode on a strong note, but somehow she veers off the path into a rather bizarre mentality.

When the episode opens, she's investigating the death of Cornell.  Despite Mariah's and Shades' efforts, she's still skeptical of the story they cook up that it was Luke who dealt out that particular punishment.  I was mentally giving her credit for seeing right through it and finding multiple holes in their narrative (as any cop/detective worth their salt should,) but later on, she's hellbent on bringing him in; even when she finds out that he has a legitimate alibi (having a gunshot wound to the stomach.)

Maybe she just wanted to get it on record so that they could play it by the book, but she never thinks to say this.

It gets to the point where she tries to strangle Claire during an interrogation because Claire won't fill her in on who "Carl"* is.   Even "bad cops" aren't supposed to take it that far.  A part of me wanted to see Claire fight back, but she was smart enough to know that would just get her arrested for assaulting a cop.  At least Misty's superior comes in, chides Misty, and offers Claire the chance to press charges.

Where the last episode's cliffhanger worked really well, this one doesn't quite hit the same heights.  It largely suffers from being the exact same cliffhanger.  I'm not joking.  Luke gets shot with another Judas bullet and gets knocked into the back of a garbage truck.  The only thing that's really changed is that Claire is no longer there to administer what aid she can.

Even the wham line about Diamondback being Luke's brother falls somewhat flat.  That sort of twist has been done...like, a lot.  On top of that, much like Diamondback's enmity, this is an element that falls flat due to the fact that we pretty much just met the guy.

This episode did a good job of turning the page as we move from the conflict with Stokes to the one with Diamondback.  There were some kinks in structuring the story this way, but hopefully, those will work themselves out as more details come to light.




*For those curious, no, none of the cops refer to him as "Coral", though now that I think about it; that is totally a thing that should happen.













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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 67: 'With New HOPE!! In Our Hearts! Farewell, Trunks'

Zamasu has been neutronized, hooray! Now it's time for a light breather episode completely free of tension and full of levity, right?

No.  Just like Gozer, Zamasu's total protonic reversal doesn't quite stick and the breath of relief is short lived.  As was the case with the Sumerian destructor god, the sky soon turns black and the heroes are taunted by a voice from the sky.  It's mostly mad cackling, but it certainly gets the job done.

The image of multiple demonic Zamasu faces filling the sky certainly rank among the show's most nightmarish images.  It only gets worse when he starts raining down death on what little is left of humanity.

The whole scenario seems utterly hopeless.  Not only is the mass death an emotional gut punch in and of itself (a scene made all the more heart wrenching by Mai's response.) but it prevents Trunks from using the spirit sword again.  Meanwhile, Goku and Vegeta expended all their energy with the final kamehameha during the Vegito fight, leaving them unable to go into super saiyan blue.

God bless em, the three do try to fight back, launching a galick gun, kamehameha, and a final flash that combine into one large attack, but it does nothing to the incorporeal entity.

While Goku is out of senzu beans, he does have the button to summon Zen'o.  That's right, it's deus ex machina time!  I joke, but I really can't fault them for it.  They are literally out of options and have no other way out.  Calling him in like this also avoids the "why didn't Zen'o do anything productive when so much was at stake?" question I brought up before.

It isn't like it's just Future Trunks' timeline at stake.  We see Zamasu's malevolence start to spread back into the past (though alas, all the present day characters do is gawk.)  It likely would have eventually infected and destroyed every timeline in every universe if it wasn't put in check.

Seeing as he is the most powerful being who rules over all of existence, you'd think that there would be only one Zen'o that is omnipresent and omniscient.  That doesn't turn out to be the case.  Instead, Goku summons the Zen'o from this time period specifically.  That means that he has no idea who Goku is, though he doesn't seem too fazed by the bear hug that the saiyan gives him upon his arrival.

To his credit, Zen'o is willing to deal with Zamasu, but he does so by destroying the entire timeline.  I'm not sure whether this was an instance of overkill (with Zen'o deeming a universe where Zamasu exists to be undeserving) or a legitimate countermeasure.  It is explicitly stated that Zamasu is becoming the universe itself, so maybe it was the only way to deal with him once and for all.  Still, I don't think that's what Goku had in mind.

Fortunately, the two kais are able to teleport away while the others escape using the time machine.  Why the kais didn't take everybody with them when they teleported is beyond me, but it's moot.  I'm also surprised that there was no repercussion to Vegeta and Goku hanging on the outside of the time machine while it ventured back.

It's here where the characters are finally able to legitimately celebrate the defeat of the evil foe and the saving of existence.

You'd think it would lead to mood whiplash, but it works rather well.  Having the celebration in the brigher, more colorful present day also seems more fitting and adds to the sense of optimism.

Still, there are some loose ends that need tying up, thus Goku and Trunks return to the future to find nothing but future Zen'o.  You'd think that Zen'o would have just gone back to whatever realm he was in prior, but he seems confused as to what he's supposed to do.  Fortunately, Goku brings him back to the present and introduces future Zen'o to present day Zen'o so that they can become friends, fulfilling Goku's promise.

You have to hand it to the guy, that was pretty clever thinking on Goku's part.  I'm not sure what the ramifications are to having two omni-kings, but at least the two get along swimmingly.  Even another angel, who is revealed to be Whis' father, admits that it was smart.  Whis gives credit where it's due and acknowledges that it was entirely Goku's idea.

With that matter taken care of, there's just the question of what to do with Future Trunks and Future Mai.  I'd think that just having them live in the present and start a new life together would be plenty, but it is decided that they have to go back to the future....Well, a different future.

In keeping with one of the running themes of this arc, the timey-wimey ball comes into play, and Whis explains that they can go to a time before Zamasu began his campaign and warn future Beerus about it.  It wouldn't be the exact future that Trunks and Mai lived in, but it would be a new, brighter future for the two of them.  The only downside seems to be that there will be two Trunks' and two Mais.  I'm calling it now, the second future Trunks will have the original purple hair and that's going to be how we tell them apart.

If they're going to do that, though, why not go one better and go back to before the androids? They could save the future's Goku from his heart virus as they did for the present one and the other Z-fighters (not to mention countless other lives) would be saved to boot.    

You could also argue (as the characters themselves do) that this wouldn't solve anything, as even killing Zamasu before he became immortal didn't seem to work.  Whis just shrugs it off and says that they have a way of imprisoning him that surpasses even the urn of the mufuba.

When Goku rightly calls them out on not bringing this up earlier, Beerus chides them for being too reliant on the gods.  I'm not sure how true that is, and to be fair, this crew has been reliant on Goku for decades.  He's tried to pass the burden to others, first Gohan, and then Goten and Trunks; but he can't seem to shake it.

As the title suggests, it is here where we say goodbye to Future Trunks.  It is a heartwarming and poignant scene, especially when Gohan arrives to see his friend off.  On the plus side, Future Trunks does depart with the words "until we meet again" leaving the door open for another possible appearance sometime down the line, though hopefully under better circumstances.

I have mixed feelings on this episode. There's a lot to like here, no doubt.  As mentioned, there's a lot of creepy imagery and a foreboding sense of hopelessness in the early parts.  The lighter moments also work well and make for a nice happy ending.  I did get a kick out of the Trunks/Mai shipping as kid Trunks starts crushing on Future Mai (just as Mai did for Future Trunks.)  The idea that the two kids could get together is even brought up, though Mai seems...reluctant?

I said before that the last episode was as satisfying a conclusion as one could hope for in regards to this storyline.  I stand by that, and alas, this episode undercuts that to a certain extent.  I thought having Future Trunks, as well as the support of humanity being what took Zamasu down had a lot more kick than just having Zen'o be the one to do it.  The follow up is logical, given that there was still an immortal half of the god that needed to be dealt with, but while it's a good ending, it wasn't the great ending that we had before.  

While this episode's preview gave off the impression that it would be lighter, the next episode seems like it will follow through on being the needed breather.  I'm assuming the super dragon balls are back in working order now, though that has yet to be determined.  Maybe that's one of the wishes that will be used next episode when the standard dragon balls are collected, but we'll have to wait to see and find out.

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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 2, Episode 6: 'Outlaw Country'

A time quake brings the team back to the old west.  Not surprisingly, this makes for something of a sequel episode to "The Magnificent Eight".  Jonah Hex even makes a return appearance.

This episode handled him a lot better, to be honest.  Last time, it seemed like he was just along for the ride and gave some exposition.  Here, he plays a more active role and the script gives him more to do while also fleshing out his character to a much greater extent.

The real show stealer here, though, is Nate.  As this is his first venture into the old west, he naturally spends a lot of the episode geeking out and invoking western movie tropes.  He gets a lot of the best lines and starts to form a closer bond to Ray, which I'm surprised took this long given that both are idealistic dorks.  I do find his lamenting his role as research guy to be a bit odd, given that that is what he offered to bring to the table when he first joined the team.  I get the logic, given his sheltered upbringing and the possibility to go out and be a hero, but it still comes off as odd

Also odd is the direction the episode went with Mick.  Seeing him get along swimmingly with Turnbull was a great bit, but the idea that he is still the crazed pyro that he was when he first started seems like a step backward.

Speaking of Turnbull, he made for a decent villain.  A lot of credit goes to Fahey, who gives the character enough energy and charm to make up for his thin motivations.  The dwarf star bullets were also a nice way to level the playing field and make him a credible threat to the team, while also giving Ray what he needs to put the A.T.O.M Mk II suit together.

I was surprised that Barry's message still wasn't revealed.  It's mentioned, but with the mention of an oncoming war, I figured it was setting up the crossover.  Considering that the crossover is coming next, it's continued secrecy is surprising.  Then again, it's possible that my original theory was correct and it deals with Eobard.  You'd think that if it were Eobard, that Stein would have said something given that he helped take down Reverse Flash before.  Or maybe the message gets brought up in the crossover itself, we'll have to see.  The episode's end does make for a nice lead in, though, as Sara reveals that their friends in 2016 need their help.

There are areas where this episode certainly improved on what we saw in "The Magnificent Eight".  It still has the fun, as almost every character gets in a solid highlight or one-liner.  I don't know if it quite hits the same heights (which is odd, given the aforementioned improvements) but it is certainly a worthy follow up.
















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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 66: 'The Climactic Battle! The Miraculous Power of a Relentless Warrior!'

While the last episode ended with a blinding flash of light from Goku's and Zamasu's beam attacks, this episode backtracks a little so that we can see the battle of wills.  It's fair as, not only is it exciting to watch, but it is a staple of the franchise.

Sure enough, Goku does win with a little help from the kaio-ken (Zamasu's reaction isn't quite "kaio-what?" but it was close enough that I still found it amusing,) but it doesn't put the mad god down for good.

Make no mistake, Zamasu is straight up psychotic by this point.  While both the original Zamasu and Black thrived on being creepy in a calm and soft spoken way, this new being is beyond rabid.  Even his motive rants are much more manic and he's quicker to fly into blind rages. Between this and the deformity that comes as a result of the new form's inability to heal as well as we originally thought, it really shows that he is a legitimate monster.  Considering Zamasu started off as a prodigy who wanted to stop violence, it was quite a fall.

The reveal that half of Zamasu's body is immortal and the other isn't was an odd development.  I did kind of wonder if they would cancel each other out, but it seemed like the new form took the best of both.  The heroes needed something at this point, so I can understand why the writers threw that vulnerability in there.

Mortal or not, this form is still insanely powerful, so much so that the combined might of Goku and Vegeta aren't up to the task, thus the supreme kai suggests using his potarra earrings to fuse.

The preview kind of spoiled this, but I figured that the two saiyans would perform the fusion dance, as the fusion that came from the earrings was said to be permanent.  To address that, there's a bit of a retcon.  We were led to believe that it was being in Majin Buu that broke the two apart when they fused before.  However, Supreme Kai explains that with mortals, the fusion only lasts an hour.  It kind of makes sense, if you think about it.  I mean, Gotenks didn't break up in that fashion when he was absorbed.

While it would have been cool to see Gogeta become canon, we do get the return of Vegito; not to mention the fact that the heroes also have the benefit of a longer fusion time to better their chances of victory.  This was a being who was already absurdly powerful, but add the fact that both saiyans are now god-tier in their base form and the fact that he can go super saiyan blue and you don't even want to think about what sort of power level they've hit at this point.

Credit to Zamasu, he puts up a hell of a fight.  You get the best of both worlds, as he doesn't go out like a complete punk, but you still get the satisfaction of seeing Vegito smack him around quite a bit while Zamasu tries to boast about how superior he is.

For those who still hold a grudge against the series for the animation seen in episode 5, this episode should more than make up for it.  Special credit goes to the editors too.  The episode was full of multiple rapid cuts, but it never got hard to follow and made the fight much more exciting and engaging. Whoever they are, they deserve a raise because they hit it out of the park here.

Oddly, Vegito is not the one to put Zamasu down.  Admittedly, Vegito kind of threw the fight against Super Buu in order to rescue those absorbed, but it's fascinating to think that this insanely powerful being is, for all intents and purposes, still winless.  Still, seeing him perform the "final kamehameha" was a treat.

No, the honor of stopping this apocalyptic threat goes to Future Trunks.  I actually liked the plot going this way.  This saga has really played him up as the champion for this timeline, so having him step up and abolish the threat helps carry that to its logical conclusion.  Having the humans of the Earth all give him their energy may feel repetitive, as it's been done before, but given how heavily humanity played a role here, I think it makes perfect sense and makes Zamasu's ultimate defeat that much more resonant and satisfying.  Having somebody else put down the big bad also helps address the criticism that this is the "Goku and Vegeta" show.

Endings are tricky, especially when everything that came before it was so enjoyable.  So often, you see people try to write off bad resolutions by pointing out that the journey is more important.   Thankfully, this didn't do that.  This followed through and delivered as satisfying an ending as you could hope for.

Next episode, not surprisingly, is going to be a breather, as the storyline reaches its denouement.  After all this, I think the characters, and maybe even the viewers, could use it.  Apparently, the omni-king is going to show up, likely to help bring about the second tournament he talked about.  I'm not going to lie, a part of me wants to see somebody chew him out for not doing anything while an omnicidal kai waged war on mortals and gods alike.  The fact that he only shows up just as the ultimate villain is defeated makes it that much more galling.  Given how the omni-king has been characterized thus far, it's not the best idea and would most certainly end badly, but it would still be nice to see.

Long story short, loved the episode, loved this storyline.

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