Legends of Tomorrow episode 13: Leviathan

When the episodes for this show started to gather on the DVR, I was surprised to see that this wasn't the season finale.  Really, it has all the makings of one.  The heroes are in a desperate race against the clock and make one last ditch effort to stop the big bad once and for all.  Also, as noted, they fight a giant robot, so the spectacle alone would have allowed the season to end with a bang.  It seems there's still more story to tell, though, so we'll see how it plays out.

Said giant robot ends up living up to the hype.  It's certainly a formidable adversary and the special effects were quite impressive given the TV budget.  While I would have liked to see a sequence where Firestorm, Hawkgirl, and Atom zip around attacking it while Snart and Rory take potshots at it from the ground, the fights we do see are more than satisfactory.  Considering how the Waverider's weapons fared, they certainly would have lost.

On the plus side, we do get to see Ray turn into a giant to fight said robot.  You could nitpick and say that growing to giant size is more of an Ant-Man thing than an Atom thing, but it was still cool to see.  The CGI got a little blatant at points and a part of me thinks that just using practical effects would have been smoother, but it does lead to slower movements that really sell how big these things are.

Of course, there's more to the episode than giant robot fight (though it was a definite highlight).  I'm iffy on the whole bracelet subplot.  Yeah, it makes Kendra's mace a more powerful weapon, but it seems unnecessary.  First of all, didn't Kendra have a dagger that could kill Savage? I guess the price one pays for watching shows so sporadically is foggy memory, but I could have sworn that she still had it.

It does give the "ground level" heroes something to do as they have to steal it off a woman revealed to be Vandal's daughter.  I figured it was Scandal as she's become rather popular, but they decide to name her Cassandra.  Considering Savage's lifespan, it's incredibly likely that he has hundreds, if not thousands of children roaming around.  Heck, his whole army could just be his kids; that would be a weird twist.

The actress playing Cassandra did a good job and she was given a solid arc as Snart shows her the truth about her father.  I haven't been digging Miller as of late, but this episode gave him better material and even his line delivery seemed more subdued.  His speech pattern is still there, but it wasn't as glaring, which was rather refreshing.

Seeing Savage's concern for his daughter was also a nice touch.  He's a monster and he did manipulate his daughter to serve his agenda, but he did show genuine concern for her when she was taken captive and seemed hurt by her betrayal.

Speaking of kidnapping, why didn't the team just give Cassandra one of those memory wiping pills and drop her off somewhere?  They make a point to talk about how having her puts a target on their backs and how they can't let her go, lest she tell her father what she knows, but this option never seems to occur to them.

This was definitely Savage's strongest showing to date.  We see him as the ruthless, power hungry conqueror that he is.  It's odd that it took the show this long to properly display the threat that brought them together in the first place, but better late than never, I guess.

Rip also got a surprisingly strong showing.  Not only does he shine in action sequences, but his status as woobie is reinforced even further when he reveals to Ray that he had made multiple attempts to save his family by relocating them before Savage could get to them, with each effort ending in failure.

I'm torn on how Kendra's arc played out.  It was, doubtlessly, satisfying to see her smack Savage around the way she did.  You'd think this would result in anti-climax, but considering he had always seemed to mysteriously win fights off screen, I wasn't bothered by it.

True to manipulative villain form, he does have a trump card as Savage reveals that he found another incarnation of Carter and had him brainwashed to act as another soldier.

You get the dilemma that they're trying to create, but it doesn't work that well.  For one thing, Savage's claim that he's the only one who can "deprogram" Carter seems odd given that they were able to get Mick back.  Others have noted that this isn't "her" Carter, even going so far as to suggest that she let him die, allowing another incarnation grow up in a world without Savage.  I'll admit that it's a bit cold, but they're not wrong.  You'd think that "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" would come into play, but she opts to just bring Savage back to the ship.

It's not the ideal, but if they are able to keep him on the ship (which the previews for the next episode suggest won't happen) time could "settle" without him, thus achieving some measure of victory and keeping Rip's family safe.

Speaking of time settling, almost no mention is made of the "past heroes" who, I assume, are still on the ship.  When Stein was suddenly impaled for no apparent reason, I figured his past self had gotten hurt and that it was a call back to what happened to Ray, but nothing is said of it.  It's also strange as they talk about how refugees that they had brought aboard are at such great risk being on the ship, but again, no mention.  I wonder if, now that Savage is in custody, they will go and return themselves to their rightful times so that they don't lose the bonds with their loved ones.

If this were the season finale, I think it would have been a satisfying one.  There's more than enough excitement to keep your eyes gripped to the screen.  It acts as an effective climax, but still kept seeds for what could have been the show's second season story line.  With 3 more episodes to go, it'll be interesting to see where the show goes.  Admittedly, me roaming TvTropes has tipped me off to a few of the big developments, but I'm sure that it will still be a fun ride.

Click here to join our Patreon campaign

Daily Dose of Awesome: Azrael's Death on 'Gotham'

Yeah, Gotham is a little ridiculous; but when it wants to be, it can be gloriously so.

Daily Dose of Awesome; Jordan Spieth Catches Marshmallow off of a Golf Ball

Legends of Tomorrow episode 12: Last Refuge

As established last episode, the time masters had dispatched their chief assassin, dubbed "the pilgrim" who specializes in targeting people in their youth, thus obliterating them from history.

Considering how lackluster the time masters' forces have been up to this point, the pilgrim really needed to kick things up a notch, given the hype.  With such a wide window of time to work with, it seems like the heroes have their work cut out for them.

Actually, tracking her doesn't seem to be too much of a problem initially.  In fact, early on, it seemed too easy.  Fortunately, the episode made up for it by giving the episode a "chess game"feel.  Each time the pilgrim made a move, the legends countered; at which point the pilgrim would change up her strategy to counter theirs, forcing the team to come up with a new plan.  It wasn't played to the extreme, but I thought it was a nice touch.

She also manages to pose a credible physical threat, possessing apparent superhuman strength, being impervious to bullets, and having a device that allows her to manipulate time.  True, she does end up getting killed, but she managed to serve her purpose and made for a solid one-off antagonist.

As the heroes come into contact with their past selves, it leads to some solid character development.  Seeing pre-boat voyage Sara and younger Quentin was fun, but Mick and Rip also manage to show new layers.

Jackson probably gets the most emotional weight as he is reunited with his deceased father.  A cynical viewer will probably see this as an attempt to recreate the emotional gut punch that was Barry getting the phone call from his mother's doppelganger on Earth 2 back in "The Flash".  Admittedly, it isn't quite as poignant, as this aspect of Jackson's life was just established now, but it still manages to pack some punch of its own.  The circumstances alone make for great emotional poignancy, but both actors pull it off well.

Really, though, as far as show stealers go, I think baby Snart takes the cake.  Even Sara can't help but fawn over the little guy.  I think the fact that it's Snart of all people that we're seeing at this stage really adds to the effect.  Seeing baby Ray or Sara would have been nice, but seeing a baby rogue adds an extra level of d'awww.

For all the strengths, the episode does raise some questions.  I'm not sure how kid Rip was able to move when the pilgrim was freezing time all around her.  I guess she was aiming it, but the way the scene played out, it didn't seem that way.  Some have said this is anti-climactic and ruins the villain, but I was more perplexed by the fact that there was no explanation for how Rip was able to negate her tech.  I guess you could say he had a gadget of his own, but I don't recall anything said of it.

I'm also not sure why they have to hold on to their younger selves.  Rip does say that the Omega protocol is still in place, but he also said that the time masters only had one chance to take each chibi person out for fear of creating paradoxes.  I guess going back to the newborns means that the time masters can still target "future" iterations, but again, not really something that was explained effectively.

It does put the team on a clock as far as the mission against Savage goes.  It seems removing their younger selves from the time line will make those closest to them forget who they are.  It's not quite death, but it's still a dire situation.  As such, the team goes to take on Savage at the height of his power so that they can wrap things up and put everyone back before it becomes permanent.  It's not easy to create a "ticking clock" scenario when you have a time machine, so points for that, even if the mechanics are somewhat fuzzy.

I'm really looking forward to the next episode.  Seeing as it isn't the season finale, I know that Savage won't exactly be bested, but the team will fight a giant robot.  This is something that was first hinted in that initial trailer.  Given how different the show is from that initial promo, I was convinced that it would be something that would have just gotten phased out due to budget limitations.  I'm happy to see that they followed through on that tease.  From what we saw in the latest promo, the special effects look amazing so that should be a fun spectacle of an episode.

This episode might not be up to the same bar as some of its predecessors, but this was still a strong outing.  I was worried that my brain would dismiss it due to anticipation of giant robot fight, but this brought enough to the table that I was still able to enjoy it.



Click here to join our Patreon campaign

Daily Dose of Awesome: 'Heroes of CW' trailer

Daredevil Season 2, Episode 7: Semper Fidelis

With two active sub-plots, this episode had a bit of a juggling act to pull off.  It does it well, splitting the time about equally between the Castle trial and Elektra's ongoing investigation involving the return of the Yakuza.

This puts Matt in the Peter Parker dilemma where the two halves of his life come into conflict with each other.  More often than not, his role as Daredevil wins out, which vexes his co-workers.

I do wonder if having a major falling out with Foggy is going to be a once a season thing.  Don't get me wrong, Foggy was right to call Matt out and the confrontation in the bathroom was appropriately intense and dramatic, but the bit might wear thin if the writers keep falling back on it.  Then again, maybe this is how they work in the comics, I'll admit I haven't read much of Daredevil, so maybe this is how the relationship operates.

Matt's absence at the office is especially noticeable as they really need his help forming a cohesive defense.  Their best bet is insanity, citing PTSD, but Frank won't go along with it as he feels it's an insult to troops who are actually suffering from it.  I'm not sure why it never occurred to them to use the death of his family as the inciting incident as opposed to his time serving overseas.  Considering what we've heard about how they died, I'm quite certain that it would mess a person up in the head.  Really, the only role his time as a Marine would have to play is giving Frank the training to do what he's been doing.

Instead, they focus on a discrepancy between the medical report and Frank's description of the event.  It is a worthwhile point, especially given the apparent corruption at play, but Elektra screws it up for them.

Again, it was an odd instance where she tries to help, but doesn't seem to know how to go about it properly.   She "convinces" the M.E. to own up to what he did, but the fact that he did it under duress gets his entire testimony thrown out.   Suffice it to say, Matt's not too happy, though she's convinced that he should be focusing more on his crime-fighting anyway so she doesn't really seem to feel too bad about it.  

Credit though, it was a nice way to have the two arcs overlap, albeit briefly.  Even the earlier scene where Elektra pops up right after Matt and Karen have their debate about Frank was a nice touch, but this took it one step further.

Speaking of, that scene played out weird.  The debate itself was fine, but I'm not sure why Karen admitting that Frank was getting results was such an awkward bomb.  I guess her sudden departure was more of a preventative measure to make sure things didn't get too heated (see argument with Foggy) but it was still bizarre to watch.

While the Yakuza plot gets a fair amount of time devoted to it, not a whole lot of new information is given.  Their first lead ends up leading to a trap and their second leads to a big hole.  It does give the episode some action beats, and impressive ones to boot, but actual progression was mild at best.

The "black sky" incident was brought up, as was Matt's fight with Nobu, which was a nice touch.  I am a little underwhelmed with the Yakuza's ultimate plan, though.  I'll give them credit, that was a deep hole, but it doesn't make for the great jaw dropping episode ending reveal that it seemed like they were going for.

At the very least, the relationship between Matt and Elektra has somewhat softened as the two can work together, and as Elektra notes, they make a good team.  She may make a Defender yet.  Given her mindset, she'll likely be a tenuous member, akin to Huntress on the Justice League, but the show does seem to be showing her as a hero, albeit a sometimes (really) misguided one.

Overall, this episode did a good job of delivering a bit of everything.  There were character conflicts, there was some decent courtroom drama, and we got a healthy dose of superhero butt-kicking.   It never felt like the episode dragged and, as we move into the season's second half, it seems like things are going to be kicked up a notch.






Click here to join our Patreon campaign

Legends of Tomorrow episode 11: The Magnificent Eight

After the downer ending from the last episode, you might be looking for something more fun and upbeat.  As it happens, this episode delivers said fun in spades.

In order to hide from the Time Masters, the group goes to the Old West.  Rip explains that, due to the nature of time, there are "blind spots" and this era is one such spot.  Of course, the group can't resist going out to look around and see it for themselves.  Rip has a good point when he says that they should just stay on the ship and stay out of trouble, but if I were in that situation, I'd want to see it too.  I can't really fault the characters for their excitement in this case.

What follows is a story that invokes every Western movie trope you can think of.  It's revealed that the nearby small town is being plagued by a group of outlaws and the team decides to take it upon themselves to stop them.  It's a familiar plot, but that is, of course, part of the episode's fun.  On top of that, we, of course see a bar fight as well as a shootout.  It was kind of sad to see Mick had passed out by the time the initial fight broke out, but he does get to partake in the final battle, so he wasn't completely sidelined.

This show is really starting to play up Ray's idealistic side.  It's weird to see him be a better Superman here than he was when he was playing Superman.  I'm guessing it's an intentional nod on the part of the writers, but there you go.

With this being the DC Universe and the story being in the old West, I think fans would have been disappointed if Jonah Hex didn't make an appearance.  Rest assured, he does.  It was actually one of the major selling points of the episode, and understandably so.  He's fairly popular in comic circles and he doesn't really get much opportunity to crossover with the "present day" characters.

This portrayal wasn't the best, but it got the job done.  He doesn't really have a whole lot to do, which means he spends a lot of time tagging along and conveying information so that the team (and viewers) know what's going on.

I did like that he had already seen some weird stuff by the time the team meets him.  He immediately pegs them as time travelers and even seems to know Rip personally.  It really shouldn't come as a shock that he had been there before, but it does lead to some minor conflict between the two.  Sadly, the episode doesn't really have too much time to delve into it, but we get all the necessary information and it does work well within the context of the episode.    

The episode's plot is pretty singular, but Kendra does have a sub-plot that goes off in its own direction.  She and Sara go off to find a woman that had triggered a vision in Kendra, and they soon discover that she is that era's incarnation of Hawkgirl.  It doesn't bode well as the woman explains that they can't fight their destiny and that any romantic relationships beyond Carter that Kendra pursues will end badly.

It's a pretty heavy bombshell, given that Kendra's still fairly young and currently involved with Ray.  You'd think that this would lead to some sort of tension that would build up over several episodes, but a quick pep talk from Sara is enough to convince Kendra to shrug it off.  It's a bit of a plot cul-de-sac, but it could lead to something later on down the line.

I was surprised to see the team go all out in the climax.  Given that the Time Masters' hunters had shown up, its perfectly understandable, but the fact that the characters were working with limited era-appropriate resources was oddly working to the episode's favor.  It was likely much easier on the budget, but the episode was still able to build up tension and make it seem like the team was in danger despite the fact that, by all accounts, a gang of cowboys is small potatoes to them.  Still, I can't really complain when the show lets Firestorm and Atom cut loose.

Although, looking back, with all the shootouts that went down, you'd think somebody would have been grazed at some point.  There were a couple of close calls, but Snart actually stepped up and showed some impressive marksmanship.

As stated above, this episode was pure fun.  It managed to balance both the humorous and more dramatic elements perfectly.  It also showed why the time travel aspect doesn't have to be a weakness.  I had said before that the show could work better just staying in the present. Watching "Flash" and "Arrow", Lord knows they could use the backup, but the simple adventure and the homages on display here worked really well.

Of course, there is something of a cliffhanger, though it isn't quite up to the same standard as others.  Mick discovers that another hunter called "the pilgrim" is gunning for them.  Snart is understandably unimpressed as they've gotten by so far, but what makes the pilgrim different is that she goes after her targets in their youth.  It's an interesting twist that makes perfect sense in terms of time travel plots.  The first thing you're likely to think of is "The Terminator" and, sure enough, the first line in the preview is Ray saying "Come with me if you want to live".  It's a little on the nose, but I guess it's one of those things you have to do.

All in all, this was fun.  Yet again, we have a strong entry in this series.  It seems like the show's found its footing as the latter half has been fairly solid.  It's a little odd that Vandal isn't all that prominent, but in this instance, I can't say that he was missed all that much.  As we get closer to the season finale, I'm guessing he'll really start to step up his game, so we'll see how that plays out.



Click here to join our Patreon campaign

Daredevil Season 2, Episode 6: Regrets Only

Where the last episode was lacking in Kung-Fu action, this one tries to make up for it by opening and closing with sequences where Matt and Elektra take on the Yakuza.

This isn't the easiest alliance, however.  Matt only agrees to it because she wants to deal with the Yakuza, who she reveals have been biding their time while the Devil of Hell's Kitchen took out their competitors.  Yes, the enemy of his enemy is his ally, but more importantly, Matt wants Elektra to GTFO of his city.  I'm not sure how she's supposed to join the Defenders if he's taking this attitude, but it would be a pretty drastic turnaround if he were suddenly up for a vigilante team up given their history.

Speaking of vigilante, Frank Castle re-enters the narrative.  He's still in custody, but the DA is gunning (get it?) for the death penalty.  You'd think that this wouldn't be a problem as New York doesn't have the death penalty, but Foggy discovers that some of his crimes took place in Delaware, allowing for a deal to be made ensuring Frank's death.

As such, Nelson and Murdock step up to make his case.  It does seem like a drastic turn around considering he and Matt had spent several episodes pummeling each other senseless (it should be noted that Foggy is adamantly against the idea for multiple reasons), but Matt doesn't want him to die and Karen is convinced that there's still more to the story.

This does allow Frank and Karen to bond as the vigilante reveals a bit more about his family and the circumstances behind their death.  He also channels his inner Superman by letting her know that if he had wanted her dead, she would have been.  Oddly, this doesn't come as much comfort to her.

Nevertheless, she and Foggy manage to come up with a surprisingly reasonable deal considering the body count that he had racked up.  It's strongly suggested that the DA doesn't want this to go to trial, lest her own misdeeds come to light, but it becomes moot as Frank goes rogue and pleads not guilty.

I have to say, this season missed a huge opportunity.  With Foggy's last line to Matt being something to the effect of "Clear your schedule, because the people vs Frank Castle starts next week", you'd think that "The People vs Frank Castle" would have been the title of the next episode, focusing on his trial.  Yeah, it's meta and doesn't really make a whole lot of sense given Netflix's "load the whole season in one go" set up, but I still think it would have been funny.

The real focus of the episode, though, is Matt and Elektra's efforts to steal information from Roxxon.  In order to do so, they infiltrate a posh party and use their skills to make their way to the safe.  It gives the episode a different tone.  As TvTropes notes, the episode is more like a spy thriller, but it still works well.

Even out of combat, the two do make a good team and it does seem like Matt's stance is starting to soften, though that could change.

Whether the two are on good terms or not, both Cox and Young play well off each other.  Of course, that was true in the last episode, but it really does help make this episode work the way it does.

We do get our first hint that something strange is afoot as Elektra notes that the ledger they stole details various drug and weapons shipments, but has other transaction notes that are encrypted.  Even Matt notes that its odd and wonders what sort of thing would be coded when those sorts of activities are described clear as day.

That was nice and all, but the head honcho's line of "who said we were Yakuza" was the bit that packed the most punch.  I have a feeling that the next episode will be where this section of the plot will really kick into high gear, though that could be jumping the gun on my part.


Click here to join our Patreon campaign

Daily Dose of Awesome: Wedding Party Stages Dinosaur Chase

Legends of Tomorrow episode 10: Progeny

As the team goes back to the future, they are almost immediately placed in a variation of the prisoner's dilemma.  According to Rip, there's a young boy who has become something of a protege for Savage.  In a few years, he'll unleash a deadly virus that will make it all too easy for Savage to achieve his rise to power.

This episode is actually pretty good at answering some of the questions that would inevitably pop up in the viewer's mind.  For example, why does an immortal need a protege? Well, the kid's more of a pawn that Savage will eventually kill when said protege is no longer of use.  The team also brings up the idea of simply kidnapping the boy and removing him from the timeline, in lieu of outright murder, in order to avert the catastrophe.  They do this, but it doesn't achieve the desired result.  It's actually not clear why it doesn't work.  Rip says that time doesn't want to be changed, but how the kid can release a virus when he's not actually there remains a mystery.

The debates are appropriately dramatic and each character brings a unique perspective to the issue.  Heck, even the imprisoned Mick gets to throw in his two cents and remind Sara that child killing isn't exactly heroic.  Speaking of, Sara seems to take the issue to heart the hardest given her background.  She even manages to tie it into the dilemma they have with Mick, as she suggests that rehabilitation is an option.  The argument being that with a proper upbringing, the kid could be OK.

Parenthood is actually a running theme of the episode.  Not only is the kid a spiritual son for Vandal, but Kendra has flashbacks to her past life raising a son with Carter.  Ray also discovers that he has descendants when he runs into one over the course of the episode.  I'm not sure why he jumps to the conclusion that the kid was conceived before he left.  It seems incredibly likely that the kid hasn't been born yet.  As such, his angst about not being there really doesn't make any sense.

Also odd is the fact that Ray's tech leads to the development of a robot army and a statue (seemingly) built in his honor.  Considering the team was collected based on the fact that they had no noticeable impact on the timeline, this seems like proof to the contrary.  Even the reveal that Ray's heretofore unmentioned brother was the one who eventually turned the tech dark (not to mention fathered the child) doesn't really change the fact that Ray had a profound impact on the timeline via his technology.  Now that I think about it, Ray says that his brother took over the company in 2016, but clearly that hasn't happened.  Then again with Felicity's recent ousting on "Arrow" it could be going in that direction, so I guess we'll see.

Once again, the show thrives on a big, action driven climax.  Considering this is a TV show budget, it's actually pretty impressive.  Some people are worried about the budget cut that "Supergirl" is going to have to take with its recent network switch, but if this is any indicator, I don't think we'll really notice a difference in terms of special effects.

While you kind of knew that the team's attempts to fix the kid weren't going to work, the ending still makes the revelation feel like a real wham moment.  Not only did they fail to avert the crisis, but they sped it up.  It really cements the moral ambiguity of the whole thing as Rip actually wonders if he did the right thing by not committing the murder.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Mick explains that they have a new problem, the Time Masters, who are now sending a new team to hunt down Mick for failing to bring the rest of the team in.  It makes for a solid plot sequel hook, but it also gives Mick a reason to rejoin the team.  He's not completely redeemed, but pragmatism trumps grudges in this case.

Odd as it sounds, the show really thrives on the endings.  In a way, it hearkens back to the old Adam West "Batman" show, where the episode would often end with a tease for the next villain.  Granted, this is done much better as there is an actual flow and progression to it.  By and large, the threats don't come out of nowhere; rather, they're the result of prior events.  It allows for stand alone episodes that make for a bigger story (not unlike a comic book.)  More importantly, it piques your interest and makes you excited to see where the next episode goes, which is generally the point.

Once again, we had a really strong entry.  These last two episodes have done a great job washing the taste of "Night of the Hawk" out of my mouth.  It is also the most successful episode so far in showing Vandal as a scheming and ruthless man bent on taking power.  Considering he's been fairly lacking so far, it's good to see that he's taking steps towards becoming the grave threat that Rip described way back in the pilot.  It will make the conclusion, which is drawing ever closer, that much more exciting as things really seem to be kicking into high gear.



Click here to join our Patreon

Daredevil Season 2, Episode 5: Kinbaku

Punisher out, Elektra in.  Well, sort of.  It's true, Frank Castle sits this one out, but the episode does devote some focus to the political aftermath of the Punisher's arrest.  That's right, political.  You'd think that there wouldn't be much more to the story, but the DA is pushing for his indictment in order to advance her career (though the episode also strongly suggests some sort of cover up) and curb the trend of costumed vigilantes (I did rather like the Jessica Jones namedrop.) Her assistant also voices a willingness to help Frank if it means he can ascend to her position.  It's an odd turn into "House of Cards" territory, but it works and helps set things up for future episodes.

The real focus of the episode, though, is on Matt's love life.  It splits between showcasing the developing romance with Karen and flashbacks that flesh out his relationship with Elektra.  The latter ends up being the more interesting, but that's largely due to the fact that that particular story has more driving power.  Cox and Woll have great chemistry, but there's not a whole lot for them to do besides eat food and make out.  Given the general awkwardness that's apparent on their date, it also seems like they're heading towards the "better as friends" resolution, which could work to the show's favor to be quite honest.

Meanwhile, we not only get a compelling character in Elektra, who gives off a slinky, Catwoman-esque vibe, but the flashbacks draw another contrast between Matt's form of justice and something more extreme.

The episode does a great job of selling the attraction these two characters share while also highlighting why they would never work.  Admittedly, the relationship seemed to hinge on B&E and sex, so that's not exactly a strong cornerstone, but still.  By the episode's end, you know why he has no interest in doing business with her in any capacity.

To be fair, delivering the man who killed Matt's father so that he could dish out some payback was kind of sweet in a bizarre, ultra-violent, ninja assassin kind of way.  Sure enough, she coaxes him into killing the guy (while also immensely enjoying the punishment that Matt does dish out), but ultimately, he rejects her mentality.

The scene probably would have been a lot more effective if Cox's punches weren't clearly shown not to connect.  Even the way he delivered the punches looked fake and borderline amateur.  It's jarring as this was never a problem before.  It's not like Matt hasn't been trained at this point, so you couldn't even argue that it was an intentional choice as far as developing Matt's character goes.

Oddly enough, this episode makes no mention of the brewing war.  I was expecting some mention of The Hand, but nothing yet.  We do see Elektra's proficiency in combat (and her penchant for violence as noted above); we also see her don a red mask at the end hinting at what's to come, but that was more of an afterthought.  Elektra does mention that the Yakuza have returned.  Whether that's literal mob or a hint that Gao's organization is back and up to no good has yet to be seen.

For those looking for heavy action, this episode might disappoint.  It's a nice breather and it does allow more time for character development, but it is strange to see an episode of Daredevil where he doesn't even don the suit once.

Really, the closest thing this episode has to an action beat is the sparring match between Matt and Elektra in their youth.  It's handled better than the park scene in the movie, but once they start having sex, it does start to get a little over the top.

While I'm not too well versed in Marvel, I have to say that I think this gives us the stronger depiction of Elektra.  I like Jennifer Garner, but she just got out-shined here.

I think this may go down as one of the more contentious episodes.  For better or worse, it's a breather.  It does set things up, and it has a solid arc of its own, but I did find myself checking the progress bar to see how much time was left on occasion.  Given the way the episode ended, I have a feeling the next episode will more than make up for those shortcomings, though.





Click here to join our Patreon campaign

Legends of Tomorrow Episode 9: Left Behind

When last we met, three of the titular legends had been left in the 1950's after an attack from Chronos drove the Waverider away.  The episode is an interesting counterpoint to its predecessor.  Where it painted the 1950's in a negative light, this one shows a bit of the more idealistic aspects as Ray is quite happy having settled down with Kendra after living a peaceful life for two years.  More than that, where the last episode was poorly structured and beyond underwhelming, this one was actually really good.  The character motivations felt natural, the stakes felt high, and the action scenes were top notch.

Even the once weak link of Ray and Kendra's romance gets handled fairly well.  They form a genuine bond, building a relationship and a life together over the two years they were stuck there, and it makes Ray's lamentation of what he perceives to be the end of his relationship that much more poignant.

As Sara feels that she has nowhere else to go, she returns to Nanda Parbat so that she can rejoin the League of Assassins...for the first time.  It was good to see Matt Nable appear as the real Ra's al Ghul.   He doesn't get a whole lot to do, but he gets a few great moments.  One of the real highlights, though, was the cameo from Nyssa's heretofore unmentioned older sister Talia.  Considering how much the Arrowverse's version of Nyssa draws from Talia, it makes you wonder what they could do with her.  Then again, it could just be a nod to the fans, so we'll see.

The episode does have a notable reveal as we discover the true identity of Chronos.  Admittedly, the episode somewhat buried the lead as once characters start asking why Chronos would specifically kidnap Snart, you kind of know where they're going, but the twist was still pulled off dramatically enough.

As many suspected, Snart didn't kill his best friend and now Mick is pissed.  Purcell does a great job with it, as his growling voice works really well when he's going on at length about how much he plans to pay his old team back for what they did.  

Honestly, this makes Chronos a much more fearsome villain.  While he managed to chase the team around a few times, he was fairly bland.  Now there's a personal stake and his motivations for pursuing them feel much stronger as a result.

He also makes for a satisfying end villain, giving the whole team a worthy challenge and even laying waste to a good chunk of the league of assassins.  The latter isn't an especially fair fight admittedly, what with the armor and high-tech weaponry, but still.

If the episode has a weak link, it's Wentworth Miller.  I don't know what happened, but the guy's line delivery and facial expressions feel forced and don't work anymore.  Even when Snart freezes his own hand and smashes it, Miller's performance takes you out of what was otherwise a legitimately solid "oh crap" moment.

Speaking of, I was disappointed about the backpedal, where it's revealed that the ship's tech can just regrow a new hand for him.  Having advanced medical technology is one thing, but that seemed like it was pushing it.  It would have been interesting to see a one-handed Snart in action, or if they had to give him a new hand, make it robotic so that Ray can make the obligatory 'Star Wars' reference.

All in all, though, this was a blast.  It really made up for the last outing and got me excited again to see where this show is going.  Here's hoping that the next few episodes can take all of this positive growth and run with it.



Click here to join our Patreon campaign

Daily Dose of Awesome: Girl With No Arms Gets Things Done

Is it weird that the first thing I thought of when I saw this was that scene from Seinfeld where George describes a coworker with no arms who got more work done than he did? My headcanon says that he was telling the truth and that this was that employee.