'Dragon Ball Super' episode 64: 'Revere Him! Praise Him! Fusion Zamasu's Explosive Birth!'

It wasn't too long ago that Black appeared to be an unbeatable opponent.  The arrival of an invincible Zamasu only made the heroes' chance of victory that much slimmer.  Lately, though, the two saiyans have done a commendable job of turning the tables.  Vegeta legitimately has Black on the ropes; and while Goku isn't doing any real damage to Zamasu, he is keeping the god occupied to protect Vegeta, as well as allow Bulma and Trunks to implement the long term plan.

You'd think that seeing the villains on the losing end would rob them of some of their menace, but the episode does a solid job of keeping that intact.  Befitting an episode released the day before Halloween, both Black and Zamasu bring the creepy through their dialogue and mannerisms.

While Black's deduction that Vegeta's surge in power is due to anger at seeing Trunks hurt is incorrect, it does yield some results as it gives Black an idea that allows him to tap into an even greater power.  Seeing as saiyans have surged in strength due to anger in the past, you can't fault him for coming to this conclusion.  At first it looked like he was taking his masochism to a new level, maiming himself for the sake of a power boost, but in the end, he's just "forging" a new weapon.

At first, the scythe may not be that impressive.  Even the fact that it can shoot energy beams may feel kind of "meh" to some, but the true display of Black's newfound power comes when we see that said beam has caused some sort of rip in space/time.

Even Black himself says that he doesn't know what it is, putting forth a handful of theories, such as the idea that they are looking into another universe or perhaps the far future or past.  From the look of it, it seems more like the void between universes, but it's never really made clear. Black's suggestion that it is, in fact, his anger made manifest seems like the most viable conclusion, as smoke monster doppelgangers of Black start appearing, putting Goku and Vegeta once again on the defensive.  The fact that it later disappears when Black shifts his attention elsewhere also lends credence to the idea.

In any event, this frees up Zamasu to go after Trunks and Bulma, which only makes things worse. She is still working on the time machine and Trunks doesn't know the technique necessary to imprison Zamasu.

Fortunately, Bulma was ready for that as she reveals that she made a video where Piccolo displays the attack.  Not only was it a nice callback to Bulma's offer to hear his instructions when Goku left, but it showed nice foresight in having a plan B.  It also gives Piccolo a chance to lend support even though he can't really help in the fight directly.

Even Bulma does what she can, stalling Zamasu in order to give Trunks time to learn the attack.  I wasn't sure what her plan was, but we see that she just shamelessly flirts with him.  Honestly, it wasn't the worst plan, feeding his ego and showing deference to his status as god seems like as good  a way to appease his homicidal desires as any, but alas it doesn't work (or did it?)

You figure that Bulma's not really dead, but the episode does a decent fake out, as we only see her unconscious.  Normally, you might see a hand twitch or something to indicate that she's just hurt, but she doesn't move at all.  Suffice it to say, Trunks doesn't take it well, flashing back to the death of his timeline's Bulma.  This pushes him into a rage and drives him to use the technique to banish Zamasu once and for all.

Despite the technique being difficult and highly dangerous, Trunks pulls it off without a hitch.  Even Zamasu is caught off guard as he is coerced into the pot.

All that's left is to attach the seal to keep him in....Oh, oh no....

Now, I thought that they would reveal that the seal was still on the time machine, thus it was destroyed, but we see instead that they left it Master Roshi's house.  I don't recall forgetfulness ever being this much of a problem for these characters, but it really has plagued them in this arc.  First with the senzu beans and now this.  It's amusing, no doubt, but it is a little strange.

Credit to the pot, it holds up much better than I thought it would; especially considering it's held together by super glue.  It's only a matter of time, though, before Zamasu breaks out.  I'm not sure if it's the fact that the mortals actually got the drop on him or he saw things while in that prison, but Zamasu seems legitimately spooked by what just happened.  Even Black notes that something is up when he arrives to act as reinforcements.

It's here where the episode brings it's closing wham moment.  Black and Zamasu decide to stop screwing around and Zamasu puts his earring on the other ear, bringing the two villains together into one being.  I get why they saved this for the episode cliffhanger, but it probably would have had more of an impact if the episode's title didn't give it away right off the bat.

Still, having the whole thing set to Black's theme worked well.  The overlapping voices also made for a nice creepy effect as the heroes bore witness to the birth of....Black Zamasu?  (No, he's not black!) Zamasu Squared? Blamasu? Zamasack?  I guess we'll have to tune in next week to find out.

This episode was highly enjoyable.  It kept up the suspense and allowed Black to regain some of the unsettling traits that made him such a great villain.

With the plan in shambles and the villain more powerful than ever, things are looking grim, but it'll be interesting to see how the heroes turn the tide.  I don't see them making yet another trip back to the past to get a new vessel and trying the mafuba technique again, but with an invincible opponent, they may have to.

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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 2, Episode 3: 'Shogun'

Some of the first season's stronger episodes were the one-off episodes that really had nothing to do with the ongoing story arc about stopping Savage.  As this episode falls into that category, it would seem to bode well.  It doesn't quite hit the heights of "Star City 2046" or "The Magnificent Eight", but this episode manages to hold its own.

A lot of that is due to strong character writing.  I got a kick out of seeing Nate geeking out over the fact that he now has superpowers.  It feels natural and the viewers can easily put themselves in Nate's shoes.  Seeing the others "test" his ability was also fun.  It showed that he was starting to integrate with the team and develop stronger bonds.  Said test becomes the plot's impetus as a mishap ends up with Nate and Ray ending up outside of the ship and crashing in feudal Japan.  It's a moment that reinforces the idea that the group is a ragtag group of misfits who only get by by the skin of their teeth, but at the same time, it doesn't feel like anybody is grabbing the idiot ball in order to get things moving.

Even when Nate later challenges a samurai to a fight, you can't really blame him for being cocky.  Not only is his self assurance and antagonistic rhetoric fueled by the idea that he can't be hurt, but his sheltered upbringing fuels his desire to fight for what's right.  It only makes his ensuing curb stomp that much more brutal to watch.

Even New/Old Vixen gets a strong showing.  Not only does she get to show her skills in combat, but she also presents a much more heroic front here.  The last episode didn't paint the heroes of the JSA as particularly heroic, but this episode shows that Amaya is very much a protector at heart.  I'm not sure how she could try to argue against the idea of ninjas, but that was largely played for comic relief as she developed a quasi-vitriolic best buds dynamic with Mick.  I did also like the nod to the current plot of the 'Vixen' animated series, with Amaya mentioning the multiple totems.  I doubt the timing was intentional, but it was still fairly fortuitous.  

Mick himself doesn't have a whole lot to do, but his scenes still manage to be a lot of fun.  Dominic Purcell is clearly enjoying it and we got to see him hold his own in a fight against a group of ninjas.  I can't knock that.

I'm torn on Ray's arc.  The possibility of having to destroy his suit after the villain du jour purloins it gave him some nice brooding introspection, but it seems like he's been told plenty of times that he's more than just a big guy in a suit of armor.  They try to reinforce this in the 'previously on' segment, using Sara and Amaya's dialogue, but both later admitted that they were wrong about that, so it just comes off as bizarre.

Ray notes that he spent billions on the first suit, but there was a lot of trial and error there that shouldn't be necessary with an ATOM suit Mk II.  Besides, he has access to future tech, so building a new suit shouldn't be nearly as much a hassle as he's making it out to be.

The two halves of Firestorm remain on the ship, but the episode keeps them busy by giving them a mysterious section of the ship, that Rip kept secret, to investigate.  The cache of weapons isn't particularly notable, but they do stumble on a recorded message from a future Barry Allen meant for Hunter himself.  I'm not sure why the writers bothered keeping the message a secret.  It's safe to say that it concerns Eobard, so why bother leaving that thread hanging?  Just let the audience hear the warning and let the plot go from there.

While Sara gets some good banter in here and there, she is largely present to act as melee fighter extraordinaire.  I do wonder if the shogun warriors fared better against her than they should have.  They're formidable, sure, and it's nice to see that they aren't just incompetent mooks who don't present a credible challenge, but I remember when league training put you in a class that put long time marines to shame in terms of capabilities in combat.  It does give her and Vixen a chance to be back to back badasses, though, so it isn't a total bust.

One downside to the episode is the fact that, with so much going on, more pressing matters are pushed to the back burner.  While Vixen is initially focused on finding Rex's killer, it's more or less forgotten until the episode's final scene.  Rip's fate is also left up in the air, though Sara says they'll find him too.

They try to handwave why they aren't going back to stop Rex's death, with Sara saying that the time traveller would just go further back and so on and so forth.  It makes sense at first, but then you remember that it was already established with the Pilgrim that time travelers couldn't do that.   They needed something, I guess.

The whole romance with Nate was also kind of phoned in.  Both characters are amicable enough, but the relationship doesn't get a real chance to develop.

I'm torn on the reveal that this family is Tatsu's ancestor.  Like the time travel caveat above, it worked at the time, though in hindsight, you could argue that it was a bit too coincidental.  It was still a nice nod to the character and it showed that she hasn't been forgotten, even if the show can't use her anymore.  Thanks, DCEU.

All in all, this is very much a "popcorn" episode.  There's action and humor aplenty.  The character dynamics are strong, though I don't know if it' going to leave too much of a lasting impact in the grand scheme of things.  It has its shortcomings, to be sure, but the pros do outweigh the cons and allow for it to stand as a fairly solid and entertaining hour of television.
















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5 MORE Characters Who Should Appear on 'Supergirl'

About a year ago, I wrote a list of 5 characters who I thought should make an appearance on then CBS' now CW's 'Supergirl' (you can read said list here.)  I'm actually surprised at the success rate for that one.  Alas, still no Comet (though the show is still young) but we did kinda/sorta get Brainiac via Indigo and Barry Allen did appear in a bona fide crossover episode with 'The Flash'.

With the second season well underway, I figured, what the heck? Let's do it again and discuss five more options for potential character appearances on the popular show.


1. Batwoman

This seems like a popular "wild mass guess".  It makes sense, what with Batman and Superman being as closely linked as they are.  From what I remember, Batwoman's origin isn't explicitly tied to Bruce the way the other members of the bat family are.  You can't really have Nightwing without implying that Batman is out there somewhere.  With this character, you could theoretically just have her be the sole Bat-hero in Gotham (which was explicitly said to exist in a recent episode.)

For bonus points, you could also use this as a way to bring in Renee Montoya as the Question, given that those two worked together fairly frequently in the comics.




2. Granny Goodness and the Female Furies


Once again, a villain makes the list.  It's a bit of a long shot, given that Granny Goodness is a servant of Darkseid, who is the big bad being built up in the DCEU, but there are ways you could do it.  For example, just have her operate with no mention of Darkseid.  It might be wonky, but she and her group are formidable foes in their own right.

I think the more viable route would be to establish that the Darkseid alluded to here is one and the same from the DCEU.  Have his quest for the anti-life equation (I assume that's what he's going to covet) span the multi-verse. It's a way to cross over the franchises without actually crossing them over; as the war for existence would be fought on multiple fronts, but each story would stand on its own.  You could even have him attack the Arrowverse and threaten their world across all four shows (if you want to include Vixen in there) to really broaden the scope.





3. Static


While I never got into his show back in the day, I did see enough from the crossovers with the DCAU to develop a liking for the character.  He was also well used in 'Young Justice' and it would be great to see him make the jump to a live action adaptation.

I originally thought that he should be brought into the Arrowverse, but the more I think about it, the more I think that he might fit better here.  The Arrowverse is a bit crowded and this Earth could use some extra firepower.

Like Supes and Flash, Static is a hero who will likely click with Kara immediately.  Both are friendly, positive, and intelligent so the show can continue to avoid the "heroes have to fight each other first" pattern.





4. G'Nort


Given my fondness for the character, I'm surprised I didn't put him in the first list, but that's what happens when you only have five slots.  Much like Comet, this one is a bit on the goofier side, though it is a safer pick as, unlike Super-Horse, G'Nort never got into a romantic relationship with Kara....at least, I don't think he did.

Still, it will likely never happen, as Green Lantern (and likely the entire corps) is locked into the film universe.  If Hal Jordan was blocked from appearing in the Arrowverse despite several blatant allusions to him, there's no way we're going to get G'Nort on 'Supergirl'.  Still, I do think it would be fun as hell and would love to see it happen.  His doofiness would allow for some comedic interactions, but his pleasant disposition and heroic spirit would fit in perfectly with this brighter and more optimistic world.




5. Lobo

I wasn't sure who to put here to be honest.  A part of me thought that Artemis (the amazon, not the archer from 'Young Justice' who is currently appearing on 'Arrow') would be a good pick, as she could act as an expy for Wonder Woman (fitting as she was Wonder Woman for a while.)  The problem is that it might lead to viewers wondering where Diana is.  Plus, you'd have a whole island of similarly powered characters, suddenly, the already existing superheroes aren't as unique.

Lobo, on the other hand doesn't have that sort of baggage.  On top of that, he was already indirectly alluded to in one episode, so the groundwork has already been laid.  The writers wouldn't have to bend over backwards to incorporate him into the narrative and I have to figure that an appearance from the main man would be a lot of fun.





Will I do a third list next year? I don't know.  As I said before, we don't want guest appearances to become a gimmick, nor do we want this Earth to get too cluttered.   I have a feeling that this list won't have the same success rate as its predecessor, but it's still fun to think about who could appear in future stories.




                




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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 2, Episode 2: 'The Justice Society of America'

It's something of a tradition that when two superheroes (or teams of superheroes) initially meet, they have to fight each other first.  I'm not sure why that is; I guess it's just an extension of the long standing geek habit of debating who would win.  Such is the case when the legends meet the Justice Society of America.

Credit to the legends, they take great efforts to keep things calm by being reassuring and diplomatic, but the JSA doesn't have any of it.

I'm not sure the legends would have lost as badly as they did here, but it is chalked up to the fact that the other team is more organized.  Though, again, it seems like the legends should be much further along by this point than they are on that front.  Sadly, the coordination is about the only asset the JSA has, as they seem to be superheroes of the 'Man of Steel' mold.  They're very cold and aloof.  It doesn't seem like their hearts are in it and they come off as oddly clinical as a result.  Heck, Commander Steele flat out says that he doesn't want people to look up to him because he'd rather stew in his martyr complex.  I guess it's nice that they take it seriously, but you'd think that in such dark times that they'd want to be sources of hope and inspiration.  Even at least showing some concern every once in a while would be nice.  They do warm up a little eventually, but it's pretty sad when the Arrow did a better job of relating to people.

It isn't helped by the fact that the JSA members don't really get much chance to show any personality.  It's only natural, there's only an hour and we're talking about juggling two superhero teams.  We get a good sense of their powers, but personalities are still a question mark for half of them.  Rex Tyler and Commander Steele are the only two who are given anything to really make them stand out as characters.  Even Stargirl sort of falls into the background and new/old Vixen feels a bit bland, especially in comparison to Mari.  Speaking of, there's no mention of the current Vixen.  Considering Firestorm appeared and Atom is set to appear in the second season of 'Vixen' and the animated show lags behind the main roster in terms of the overall timeline, you'd think one of them would say something when Amaya uses her powers or states her field name.

While the JSA falls short, the episode still delivers on several fronts.  Having two teams gives the episode some extra momentum in terms of tension and stakes.  The Nazis still make great adversaries, though their main motivation is mcguffin heavy, wanting both a serum of Thawne's design and an artifact that is never really elaborated on.

Said serum does provide the team a challenge as one of the generals turns into an unstoppable rage monster as a result of its use.  It was a credible physical threat, but the CGI was somewhat lacking, which undercut the tension somewhat.  Still, the action was solid, as it usually is.  All in all, the villain served his purpose.  It also looks like said serum will give Nate powers, so there is some lasting impact on that front.

The legends also pick up the slack for the JSA in the fun department.  The infiltration of the bar and the inevitable collapse of their cover was entertaining and we got a chance to see another superhero show off their singing skills.  Considering an upcoming Flash/Supergirl episode is set to be a musical, I wonder if Firestorm will make an appearance so that Garber can once again work his magic.  He brought the nazi general to tears with his performance, that's no mean feat.

The ending is a bit of a doozy, as Reverse Flash kills Rex, specifically to keep him from warning the legends about traveling back to 1942.  This is said to be the reason why he disappeared during the aforementioned warning.  The thing is, if he was killed before he went, wouldn't that mean that they would have never seen him in the first place?  Time travel never ceases to be a headache inducing nuisance.

Overall, the episode is a mixed bag.  There's a lot to like, but at the same time, it bit off more than it could chew in many respects.  If you're a huge fan of the JSA, this might be a bit of a disappointment, but if you're looking to see two teams of superheroes in action, this will make for a fun episode.  It's a solid follow up to the premiere and it leaves just enough plot threads open that you're not frustrated, but still want to tune in next time to see where the show is going with this arc.























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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 63: 'Do Not Disgrace the Saiyan Cells! The Curtain of Vegeta's Fierce Battle Rises'

While we don't see what transpired in the future directly after Goku and Vegeta went back to the past, we do see an unconscious Trunks back in the bunker and in need of a senzu bean, so we can kind of deduce how the fight went from there.  It turns out that Yajirobe yanked him out and brought him back, though we do see that Trunks was hoping for Mai to be the one to revive him.

Instead, she's ventured out, having discovered Black's hideout, with a plan to take him down via sniper's bullet.  It seems like a long shot (pun intended) but Mai says that this is a special bullet that Bulma designed.

While it doesn't work, exactly, it does do a lot more than I was expecting.  I figured Black would hear the click of the trigger or the sound of the bullet coming and just nonchalantly catch it, as he had with so many other bullets before.  This one, though, actually manages to catch him off guard and knock him backwards out of his chair.  

That's about all it does, there doesn't appear to be any real lasting damage, but still, it was a better result than I figured and there was some solid tension build up as Mai set their nemesis in her sights.

Suffice it to say, Black doesn't take this affront well, but luckily, Trunks arrives before he can blow Mai up for good this time.

It's here where we get a better look at what Trunks' new form can do.  He fares pretty well, though a part of that is due to effective tactical thinking on his part.  His use of the galick gun was a nice touch.  It seems he knows everybody's moves.  I wonder if he'll whip out the special beam cannon/makankosappo at some point.

While you figure that Black wouldn't be taken out that anti-climactically, the episode does try to fake you out, including the sort of "fade away" animation that comes when other villains had been destroyed by powerful attacks in the past.

It does, at the very least, give Trunks a chance to face off against Zamasu one on one.  I'm not sure where Trunks got the idea that there is a limit to his invincibility.  I'm pretty sure the point is that there is no limit, but I guess he needs some way to keep hope alive and some reason to keep fighting.
Alas, his belief that Black is down for the count allows for a severe sneak attack, as Trunks is stabbed, just like his father was a few episodes back.  It's oddly poetic in a way. Trunks went in planning on getting Zamasu to drop his guard so that he could focus on Black and he ended up falling victim to the same tactic.

Fortunately, just as Trunks arrived in the nick of time to save Mai, so too do Goku, Vegeta, and Bulma arrive when Trunks falls.  It does lead to an infuriatingly bizarre scene where Bulma needs to have it spelled out for her repeatedly that the future incarnation of her son is maimed and on the brink of death.  It doesn't occur to anybody to, I don't know, tend to him and maybe give him a senzu bean.  Mai eventually does, but that wasn't Bulma's strongest showing, I have to say.

Did Vegeta bring more senzu beans?  He was training in the hyperbolic time chamber, even going so far as to destroy it, so he was in the area.  Stopping off at Korin's would have been right on the way.  You'd think he'd know that they would need more, but there's nothing to indicate that they brought another batch.

It's probably moot, as they would have likely forgotten them on the time machine, as they did the urn in which they intended to imprison the two gods.  This wouldn't be that much of a problem, except that Black destroys the time machine immediately upon their arrival, trapping them in this timeline.

It does lead to one of the episode's highlights, as the following scene utterly deconstructs the villain monologue; with the two saiyans becoming distracted by their bickering and not listening to Zamasu's boasts, while Zamasu later admits that he's doing it more for himself when Black points out the fact.

While the episode is largely on the more serious side, it's nice that they're still able to inject some humor in from time to time.  It doesn't feel out of place or jarring either, which is not easy to do in a more intense and dramatic episode like this.

It even manages to have a nice, heartwarming moment, as Bulma is overjoyed to find that her son is OK after Mai treats him.

Bulma does manage to save some face, though, as she reveals that she came prepared.  Not with senzu beans, but with a garage full of equipment that will allow her to rebuild the time machine.  She even brought super glue so that Trunks can put the urn back together.  It's a funny gag, I'll grant you, but I don't think that's going to work.  Not that they have much in the way of options, but we'll see.

The arrival of Gowasu and Supreme Kai gives the episode a chance for some banter, as the prior chides his former protege.  It manages to make things more confusing as it's strongly implied that he is the Gowasu of universe 7.  I could be wrong, but I didn't think the universes worked that way.  Having him be a Gowasu from an alternate timeline of universe 10 makes more sense, but who knows?  This multiverse is all sorts of weird.

We do learn that Whis is not only an angel ( it really makes sense if you think about it) but that he would die if Beerus did.  Man, no wonder Black was able to kill all the gods so easily.  It's like dominoes.  Supreme Kai dies, Beerus dies; Beerus dies, Whis dies. Considering the drastic difference in strength, I'm surprised they let Supreme Kai go anywhere.

Eventually, the fight does resume, with Goku squaring off against Zamasu while Vegeta takes on Black.  While both do much better than they had in previous confrontations, it's Vegeta's gaining of the upper hand that really steals the show.

It stands in stark contrast to his previous outing.  It also allows Vegeta to dish out some payback for Future Bulma and finally score a win against his longtime rival (admittedly by proxy, which Vegeta even notes.)  Even Black is perplexed as to how Vegeta got so much more powerful in such a short amount of time.  It was nice to see.  While Vegeta's first trip into the chamber yielded significant results, his subsequent trips didn't seem to have any effect.  Apparently, Vegeta really stepped up his game this time around.

You'd think that this might be another fake out, where Black takes a few hits, surges, and then turns the tides; but even his attempt to do that doesn't change the course of the fight.  Vegeta just keeps wailing on him while delivering a boasting speech that ranks among his best.

When Funimation eventually dubs this (I'm honestly surprised they haven't arranged to do that already, but I think it's safe to say it's going to happen at some point) I am quite certain that the whole scene is going to be set to this.









As great as the scene is already, I'm pretty sure that it will become even more glorious when it's accompanied by this track.

This was another "highlight reel" episode.  Every character got a chance to shine in some capacity.  Granted, Bulma's was somewhat negated by her earlier idiot ball moment, but hey, getting the chance to redeem herself doesn't count for nothing.

Action takes a central focus, and it delivers that in spades, but there was also enough humor and character moments to give it more staying power.

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'Luke Cage' episode 6: 'Suckas Need Bodyguards'

Scarfe takes central focus here.  It isn't so much in terms of screen time, actually the episode is very well balanced on that front, but his actions are the main driving force of the plot.

It's even stranger, as his biggest contribution for the most part is getting shot by Stokes during a confrontation.  I'm not sure what Scarfe was thinking, to be honest.  Fishing for more money is somewhat understandable, but even someone as snarky as him should have known that challenging Stokes' power right to his face wasn't going to end well.

You'd think a cop would be somewhat capable in combat, but his immediate response is to go for his gun, which is ironically what does him in.  Still, despite taking several bullet hits (not as many as Vito Corleone, but still), he manages to hold out a good while.

Is it weird that I found his death scene more effective than Pop's?  I don't think it was so much the added screen time, but the fact that Scarfe's death was more understated in comparison really paid dividends.  He and Misty have some tender moments before he passes and it seems like there's more weight behind it.  There's no anguished cry, just Misty repeating the word no to herself over and over.

While the two characters don't share a whole lot of screen time together (as Misty spends the episode trying to track her partner down) we do see more concrete evidence that the two were pretty close.  Misty is still skeptical about Scarfe being on the take, and even when she does open up to the possibility, she wants to be the one to bring him in and hear him out due to loyalty.  It's fairly endearing.

Alfre Woodard also stands out as her character is given new depth.  While her "I don't want to know about it" justification for her cousin's activities was always flimsy at best, we see that even taking that into account, she still isn't the person that we think she is.  Not only do we get glimpses of her backstory, but she herself starts to become angrier as her career seems to crumble around her.

She also has some creative ways of dealing with the Luke Cage problem.  While Luke is impervious to most things: blades and bullets and the like.  There is still the possibility of drowning or poisoning.  She also suggests burning him to death, but I think that fire's been established as ineffective too.  Still, not only does it show out of the box thinking (bullets seem to be the go to solution, even when it's well known that they don't work,) but displays a hint of sadism as well.

Rosario Dawson makes another appearance, meeting up with Luke to find out how he is after the whole shotgun to the head incident.  Naturally, her primary role is to motivate Luke into using his abilities for good, though her medical training does come in handy in regards to Scarfe.

I was going to comment on how odd it is that Luke is still getting speeches about how he should use his powers to help people when that's what he's been doing in his attempt to topple Stokes.  He still talks about how he wants to keep a low profile, but he's being talked about on the radio (by the by, using Trish's show was a nice touch) and he was seen on live television.  They try to hand wave it by saying that he's "Harlem famous" (as opposed to say NFL Football player famous) but it was still odd.    

To the episode's credit, his logic does start to make a bit more sense later on in the episode, as he voices a desire to stop once Stokes is put in jail as a result of evidence that Scarfe had gathered over the years.

Said arrest was an odd development given that this is the sixth episode in a 13 episode season.  Now, being unable to resist the lure of TvTropes, I have a fairly good idea of what happens from here*, but that doesn't change the fact that this has the feel of a season finale.  There really aren't much in the way of loose ends to tie up.  Stokes is in jail and Mariah's career is in shambles.  You can't really fault Luke for thinking that the job is done.

IGN's review even notes that this undercuts the "binge watch" factor that a Netflix show would usually thrive on as there isn't really that big moment to get you piqued for the next episode.

Still, there's a lot to like here.  The episode is emotionally well balanced: providing both a fair dose of humor, action, and serious drama.  There are a lot of great character moments and the episode gives everybody something to do.  There's even some not unsubtle, but not overly heavy handed foreshadowing for "The Defenders" which makes me happy.  I don't know if this will go down as one of the more memorable episodes when all is said and done, but it's a good watch.







*Spoiler alert: The Hand break him out and recruit him....Not really, I totally made that up.  That would have been a twist, though.  It would have been worth it just to see Stokes' reaction to being freed by ninjas.  I figure he'd either be utterly confused or just laugh.  I am going to miss his laugh.
















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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 62: 'I Will Protect the World! Trunks' Super Power of Anger Explodes'

Having just achieved a new form, Trunks attempts to make good on his vow to finally kill Black.  It...doesn't go as well as one would hope.  He does fare better than he had in earlier confrontations (even Yajirobe notes that he's not losing), landing some legitimate hits, but Black proves to still be too much, especially when Zamasu jumps in.  The fact that Black continues to get stronger doesn't help matters.  You could argue that it's anti-climactic, but given that Black has routinely stomped super saiyan blues, it makes sense that Trunks wouldn't be able to make due, even with this apparent "hybrid" form.

I was kind of disappointed to see Trunks' irises and pupils return midway through the fight. I liked the nod to Broly and it gave his form a distinct look.  Yeah, the blue layer in the aura is still there, but there are times where it seems like he's just a super saiyan or super saiyan 2.

Whatever the look, it's going to have to be enough as Trunks tells the others to retreat (for a second time, which the characters do acknowledge) so that they can come up with a way to defeat the pair.  In the meantime, he's going to keep them busy as best as he can.  Vegeta does leave him the senzu beans, so while he is grossly outmatched, Trunks should be able to keep them busy for some time just due to being able to heal himself completely when things get too dire.

From there, the tone of the episode shifts drastically as humor becomes the focus.  Bulma tells off Beerus for not knowing how the timelines worked and saying that there was no change, at which point he promptly says that he suspected that there would be no change and that Future Trunks made some good points.  Bulma doesn't see the humor in it, but I found it amusing.

The news comes as a big shock to present Trunks, who goes to get Goten so that they can go help.  His heart's in the right place, but it's not like they could.  Even as fused super saiyan 3 Gotenks, they'd get their clock cleaned.  They couldn't even land a hit against Copy Vegeta in his base form, so going against a super saiyan rose and an invincible kai in their present state is a hopeless endeavor.  Thankfully, the other characters intercept them before they can do anything, though Chichi is none too pleased about the development.

Once again, the characters have a team meeting as they try to brainstorm a way to win, seeing as head on fights don't seem to work here.  It was nice to bring the other characters up to speed (we even get a humorous and streamlined retelling of the villains' back story), but it also gives Piccolo a chance to contribute as he suggests using the "Mufuuba" technique.  For those unaware (I was one of those people,) it's the same technique that Roshi used to seal away Demon King Piccolo back in the old "Dragon Ball" days.

I know I was pushing to use the dead zone.  This is probably safer...sort of.  There's no risk to the world, but there is a high mortality rate. In any case, the concept remains the same, as they are imprisoning the two indefinitely as opposed to killing them.  I also like that the technique has precedent in the universe, as opposed to being something that the writers had to pull out of their behinds because they had written themselves into a corner.  It's also consistent with this saga's knack for making callbacks and references to previous story arcs.

You'd think that the simplest approach would be to have Piccolo go with them, seeing as he knows the technique, but instead he offers to teach Goku, who promptly teleports to Roshi's house so that he can teach Goku instead.

I do find it odd that Kame (Roshi's turtle) was the test subject for Goku's trial runs.  It was an amusing montage, no doubt, but considering the technique is focused on sealing away evil entities, you have to wonder what that says about Kame.

Even stranger, the technique itself just comes off as telekinesis and involves getting the target into a pot.  Roshi later says that you have to tie said pot with a string and stick a talisman on it, so I assume that it is those things that do the actual sealing, as Kame is able to get out no problem.  Maybe they can stick the talisman on beforehand to save some time? I don't know.  We'll see, but it seems like there are cracks in this plan already.

Overall, this episode isn't what the title would lead you to believe it is.  In actuality, Future Trunks has only a minor role and a majority of the episode is centered in the present.  It's still fun, though.  While this saga is notably darker compared to the other arcs, it's nice that it can still inject some humor into things from time to time.  It makes for a nice breather.  It doesn't come off as padding either as everything that happens is relevant to what's going on and things do move forward on several fronts.

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Legends of Tomorrow Season 2, Episode 1: Out of Time

With Vandal Savage out of the way and the time masters out of commission, the team take it upon themselves to pursue a new mission: protect history.  It gives them a lot more flexibility and allows the show to have a bit more fun with the concept.  Surprisingly, the Thanagarian invasion is never brought up and even the big cliffhanger regarding the ominous warning from a member of the Justice Society is only alluded to (for the most part, but we'll get to that.)

This comes as a result of the episode's plot largely being told to newly introduced historian, Nate Heywood and Oliver Queen.  It was nice to see Amell make an appearance, though all he really did was sit there and listen to other people.  His gruff demeanor plays well off of Heywood, though, especially when Heywood reveals that he knows more about the superhero goings on than most.

I do find it surprising that he was able to deduce Oliver's identity.  True, there was a small gap of time between Oliver's return and the arrival of the Arrow, but Oliver made a point to cover his tracks and address that very issue when he first started.  On top of that, technically "the hood/arrow" and "Green Arrow" are supposed to be two different people.  Admittedly, I rolled my eyes when they went with that narrative, so I suppose it's nice that people can and will see through the ruse.

More impressive, though, is Nate's ability to detect changes to the timeline.  If history changed, he really should have no way of knowing it, right?  Thankfully, the drawing of a knight who bears a striking resemblance to Ray helps better illustrate his point.

It's just setup to get Nate and Oliver to the wrecked Waverider, where Mick is brought out of stasis and allowed to tell them what happened.

It turns out that the warning was more specific and that the team was to avoid going to 1942.  It seems a simple enough task.  There are plenty of crises throughout time to keep them busy, but of course, fate forces their hand as history is changed rather dramatically as a result of an atomic bomb going off in New York courtesy of the Nazis.

The specifics of how this came to be are still a bit vague, but it does involve Damien Darhk.  It was a nice touch featuring him.  It makes sense given his quasi-immortality and it allows us to see that Sara is still intent on taking him out in order to save her sister.  There's also all the other people he killed, especially in Havenrock, but that's never touched on.  You'd think that this would help Sara's argument, as she's presented as being selfish for pursuing her own vendetta, understandable as it may be.  Then again, her going off does cause problems on multiple occasions over the course of the episode, so Ray isn't exactly wrong when he calls her out on it.

Mcdonough is still having fun with it and he's shown to still be a formidable adversary.  He easily bests Sara in combat, though with all of the ranged attackers the team has, you have to wonder why nobody thought to just shoot him or light him on fire.

It was nice to see him rely on legitimate combat skills, though, as opposed to using magic as a crutch as he did back in the present.  I do wonder if seeing the team in action is going to be what prompts him to start seeking out such power.  It makes sense and would be an interesting time loop.

We also see that Reverse Flash plays a role somehow.  No, I'm not calling that a spoiler.  It's true, he only shows up at the end as a big twist, but Letscher's name appears in the opening credits, so it wouldn't take a viewer long to deduce that he's involved.  It is foreshadowed in the episode, though, as a time traveler is said to be responsible, but having it be a speedster is an interesting way to go.

Not only does bringing Thawne in help cement the shared universe, but it also adds depth to him.  Up until now, his status as villain has largely centered on his hatred of Barry.  As such, this not only adds a sense of mystery, as we don't know what his end game is, but it also raises his villain cred as he's setting his sights higher.  The fact that he's likely going to challenge the team also helps re-establish his status as a Justice League level threat.  While he can taunt Barry and screw with his head, he hasn't been able to really score a win since his return.

Speaking of speedsters and time travel, there is surprisingly no mention of the Flashpoint.  With everything else this episode had to juggle, I can see why they didn't, and that whole mess kind of worked itself out (sort of) but at the same time, you'd think it would have drawn their attention.

Even as it is, some elements feel glossed over.  Recollecting the team after Rip scatters them could have made for an interesting mini-arc that plays out over several episodes, but here it only takes a couple of minutes.

I do find it a little weird that the team is still as haphazard as they are.  I know, part of the fun is seeing all these disparate heroes frantically try to save the day and creating all sorts of chaos, but they've been at this a while and their ability to work as a team seems to still be where it was last season.  Between the Vandal conflict and the six months that are said to have past between the finale and the premiere, you'd think that they would be gelling much better than they are.

On the plus side, you do get the sense that they are all becoming closer friends.  Characters get the chance to bounce decent banter off one another and make jokes.  Even if you don't see it in the superhero portions, you do see some sense of camaraderie there.  When the heroes are being recollected, they do seem genuinely happy to see each other, which is heartwarming in its own way.

For those who were excited to see the Justice Society, they do appear here...at the episode's end.  There's no Alan Scott or Jay Garrick, but comic readers should recognize a majority of the team.

Interestingly, there's another Vixen.  Nothing is made of it yet, and it was announced a while back, but it is still a peculiar way to go about it.  I know that fans were clamoring for Vixen to be added to the lineup, but alas, Megalyn (the actress who voices Mari in the "Vixen" web mini-series and played her on "Arrow") was busy.  It does seem like the best compromise that the producers could come up with, given the circumstances.  How she compares to Mari, we'll have to see.  Hopefully, she can avoid "replacement scrappy" status.

I'm guessing at some point, that Vixen 2..or is it 1?....That this new (or is it old? damn) Vixen will come to the present and meet her successor and perhaps team up at some point.  Either that or one will get possessed by something and they'll have to fight.  I'd say that could be fodder for the upcoming four way crossover, but I think that's already done shooting and I don't think Megalyn made mention of it.  Maybe next year.

All in all, this was a solid opening.  The action and humor were both solid, it set up the new story line and gave us villains, who while familiar are still formidable and popular with viewers.  It does seem like the Arrowverse is becoming more cohesive.  If you watch only one or two of the shows, it might become a hindrance later on down the line, but as someone who watches across the board, I'm really liking seeing it come together more fully.


















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'Luke Cage' episode 5: 'Just to Get a Rep'

Another club performer montage? Seriously, the show is over doing it.  It isn't helped by the fact that I found this to be the weakest number to date.

On the plus side, the episode manages to succeed on every other front, as the chess match between Stokes and Luke turns into a war of escalation.

As Stokes is now financially strapped, he is forced to shake down the city residents and businesses in the hopes of recouping his losses.  Shades scoffs at the idea that he can pick up $7,000,000 this way, but he actually does manage to accumulate a sizable pile of cash.  On top of that, he manages to turn the city against Luke by telling his goons to let the victims know that Luke's actions are what caused this.  The conflict may be devolving into a metaphorical street fight, but it was a rather clever move on Stokes' part.

For his part, Luke's tactics aren't exactly subtle, but he doesn't really need them to be.  All he has to do is walk up to various crooks and start smacking them around before collecting the stolen property.  It's not like they can hurt him.  It (more or less) gets results and it is quite fun to watch, so everyone appears to come out ahead.

Well, Misty suggests otherwise, and she's not entirely wrong.  She even calls Luke out on escalating things and putting lives in danger.  I didn't really buy it when she said before that vigilantes didn't know what they were doing, but it does seem like Luke isn't looking at the bigger picture regarding the possible repercussions for his actions.

Claire makes her first appearance of the season.  Dawson's presence is often a highlight, but her scenes are also beneficial in that they help cement this show's place in the overall timeline.  I had read that this takes place before the second season of "Daredevil", but Claire alludes to the Hand's attack on the hospital, showing that it happens at least somewhat along side it's latter half, or slightly after the show's end.  It does make you wonder though, why Frank Castle hasn't been brought up, especially in regards to the philosophical debates about the role of vigilantes/superheroes.

Speaking of not being brought up, this episode does make vague reference to a couple of the Avengers (and Chitauri material does become a plot point) but I do find it strange that there is no mention of the inhumans.  Citing Thor or Hulk or "the incident" when talking about how strange things have gotten makes sense, but the global terrigenesis that transpired in "Agents of Shield" should have more lasting impact on the overall narrative for the shared universe.  Not only are there a lot more powered people around as a result, but there were also massive casualties, as not everyone was conducive to being turned.  This is also something that happened in the public eye.  A lot of the events on "Agents of Shield" are fairly covert, but this was widely reported and documented, so it's absence is rather jarring.  It wouldn't even have to be an in depth connection, even just an off-hand reference to the events, like the ones used for the movies, would go a long way towards making the MCU more cohesive.

Another highlight is Stokes, who is in rare form here.  He's menacing when he needs to be, but the show continues to show that he has depth, principles, and even a pretty decent sense of humor.  He's rather amused when one of his underlings notes that they're reading about sociological theories and he borderline geeks out when Shades shows him, and offers him access to incredibly deadly bullets made from Chitauri metal.

While both Ali and Colter bring enough gravitas to make the confrontations between the two characters tense, the fact that Luke is impervious to just about everything makes the conflict a little one sided.  With Stokes armed with alien bullets, it does balance the scales a bit.

It was nice to see, though, that the two could table their conflict to honor Pop at his funeral.  Were this a daytime soap, you can bet that there would have been a showdown as tensions between the two adversaries boiled over, but both manage to keep their cool and deliver sincere and heartfelt speeches to honor the man who meant a lot to them both.  That doesn't stop them from taking passive aggressive swipes at each other during said speeches, but all things considered, they both did rather well.

All in all, this was another solid entry.  It achieved its desired goal of kicking things up a notch in regards to the war between Luke and Stokes.  It also did a little to help set up the Defenders as Claire notes that she wants to work with the heroes she's come across, lending credence to the theory that she helps bring them together.  It wasn't a huge foreshadowing moment, but it was still nice to see.  The episode was paced well and managed to move things forward on several fronts.  It's hard to believe we're already coming up on the halfway point, but there we are.
















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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 61: 'Zamasu's Ambition- Human 0 Plan is Revealed'

OK, so first things first, it seems I got the order of events wrong in regards to the whole body stealing thing.  I got the impression that Zamasu had killed Goku first, but in reality, he used the super dragon balls to make the switch and then killed Goku afterwards.   Truth be told, I kind of like my way better.  It's a bit more macabre, and with it being Halloween season and all, it seems like it fits better.  I guess I just latched onto the reanimated corpse idea and clung to it in any way I could.

Of course, that confusion is just the precursor to this episode, which gives a more detailed explanation of how Black exists and how killing Zamasu in Goku's time period didn't do anything (even though it was established that that wasn't how time travel worked, but you know what I mean.)  It's very heavy on the timey wimey ball.  Keep in mind, this god already exists in a different universe and then you throw in jumping between alternate timelines where completely different events occurred and it becomes very convoluted.

This episode has plenty of solid wham moments as the two villains reveal the extent of their actions.  It seems that Zamasu is intent on killing not only mortals, but the gods as well.  More than that, the two announce that they've already succeeded on that particular front.  Whether they mean the gods of this timeline, this universe, or literally all of the gods in the multiverse is still unclear.  Like I said, it's very convoluted.  I do have a hard time buying that they could kill Zen'o or that Beerus and Whis would fall at their hands, but we may find out more later.

I was also surprised to hear that they destroyed the super dragon balls.  It's a little strange that they would be destroyed so soon after they were introduced, but I have a feeling that it won't stick.

It somewhat undercuts the aforementioned moments to be honest.  Between the time travel and the multiverse, I could easily see the reset button getting hit to some extent.  If the dragon god still exists, he could probably create a new set.  Could they use the regular dragon balls to wish back the super dragon balls? That would be interesting to see.  At the very least, the reveal reinforces what heavy hitters these two villains are...or one villain is...

The action was solid.  The episode didn't utilize the 3 on 2 format as much as I would have liked, but we do see enough to show that the heroes are still at a disadvantage.

That isn't to say that they don't steal the show.  One of the most memorable moments, hands down, is Goku's rampage after hearing about what Black did to Goku's family.  He manages to give both Black and Zamasu a good beat down despite each of them individually being more powerful than he is.

It was especially surprising to see Black react to getting hit like a normal enemy would.  More often than not, he toys with his enemies and lets them get in a shot or two (both for psychological torment and to gain strength) but here, judging by the look on his face, Goku legitimately got the upper hand.  It doesn't last long, of course, and Black does get a power boost as a result, but it was certainly nice while it lasted.    

The other highlight centers on Future Trunks.  True, he's on the receiving end of a pretty brutal "the reason you suck" speech, where Zamasu lays the blame at his feet for going back and saving Goku from the heart virus, thus leading to Zamasu's campaign.

Both Vegeta and Trunks call BS, but it was a more effective monologue compared to some efforts by villains to screw with the hero's head.

In some ways, Zamasu isn't wrong, but at the same time, he already had a contempt for mortals and the events on Babari would have still been the same, so it's quite possible that he would have done this anyway, but that's a hypothetical.

The speech was nice (and a great way to really tie the two arcs together), but Trunks' response was nothing short of epic.  In true saiyan fashion, he achieves a new form after swearing that he's going to kill Black himself.  The fact that the scene was set to "Desperate Assault" definitely helped, as that track is inherently awesome.  It's a nice twist too, as that is usually played to convey hopelessness, but now it's a rousing piece to show that the tide is turning to the heroes' favor.

What form does Trunks hit? I don't know.  It's not super saiyan 3 (or 4), nor is it super saiyan god or blue.  The latter is to the show's benefit as that would have been ridiculous.  There's a hint that he's at least starting to tap into that energy as there is a blue layer in his aura, but his hair is still yellow and his eyes go all white, giving another shout out to Broly's legendary form.  I'm not even sure what we would call this form...ultra super saiyan 2? Legendary super saiyan 2?

Now, admittedly, this doesn't do anything to address the "Zamasu can't be killed" problem (though the teaser suggests that there's a workaround *cough*banishhimtothedeadzone*cough), but it was still a jaw dropping sequence and I look forward to seeing the new form in action.

For those waiting for that big, dramatic villain monologue where all is revealed, this gives it to you.  Those more well versed in time travel mechanics may have a better grasp of the flow of events, but you'll likely tilt your head a lot.

It looks like this arc is reaching its conclusion.  It'll be sad to see it go, but all good things must come to an end.  This was certainly a fun ride and I'm fairly certain that the resolution will continue that trend.






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'Luke Cage' episode 4: 'Step in the Arena'

With Luke Cage unconscious and buried under rubble, it seems as good a time as any to do a flashback episode to get a more in depth look at how Luke came to be the man that he is today.  Admittedly, it is a little strange to have two flashback-centric episodes back to back (from two different shows entirely, no less) but that's just the way it works sometimes.

As Luke noted in the first episode, he was wrongly imprisoned and became the subject of an experiment.  Such is the case, though the plot doesn't quite play out like you would think.  For one, his imprisonment seems more political than anything.  The exact reason isn't made clear, but a guard surmises that he pissed off the wrong people and he himself says that he trusted the wrong people and talked when he shouldn't have.  Given that it's noted that he was a cop, it's possible he wanted to expose some form of corruption, but that's just speculation on my part.

Even Luke's participation in the experiment isn't what I expected.  I figured it would be more "suicide squad"esque, where he's strong-armed into being a subject.  I won't give away the specifics, but it isn't quite that nefarious.

Luke is press-ganged by the head guard at one point, but that centers on having him participate in a prison fight club.  At first, it just seems like a reason to have some fight sequences, but it actually does end up playing a significant role in Luke's overall story arc.

The way they introduced Reva was handled well.  After a significant amount of talk surrounding her, it was nice to finally see who he was talking about.  The two had solid chemistry and she was written well enough that she lives up to Luke's image of her.  It was hard to miss that close up shot of the USB drive that played a rather big role in 'Jessica Jones'.  It was a nice, somewhat subtle way to tie the two shows together.

I think the real breakout (no pun intended) character was Squabbles, Luke's friend and quasi-mentor.  He and Luke had some good banter going.  While you could probably say his fate was sealed, it was still a shame to see him go out the way he did.

The guard worked well enough as an antagonist for this episode.  I do have a sneaking suspicion that he's Diamondback, though.  It looks like he died, but this is a comic based show, remember.  It is a common trope to have a character who appeared to be dead come back later to settle the score.  Considering we see Shades in prison too, it only lends credence to the idea.  

While I'm not terribly well versed in the Luke Cage comics, being more of a DC guy, I did appreciate the nods to the comics.  Luke utters his catchphrase and we even see him wear the old outfit that he used to wear, headband and yellow shirt and all.  It's quite possible that there are more specific ones, but I wouldn't have noticed.

As the flashbacks take central focus, the present day plot doesn't advance too much.  We see Misty and Scarfe investigating the explosion and Luke does eventually get both his landlord and himself out from under the rubble.  His line about being "kind of strong" was funny, but I think the real highlight moment was Luke outing himself to the media, taking off the hood and giving his name on live television.  Granted, it isn't widely known that he's a meta-human, but considering how much he's tried to stay under people's radar, it's still a pretty big deal.

Overall, this was a strong episode.  It takes a break from the story line, but it gives us a much better picture of Luke.  You'd think that Stokes' absence would be a noticeable flaw, but with everything else going on, having him sit this one out worked out fine.









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'Attack on Titan' episode 6: 'The World the Girl Saw: The Struggle for Trost part 2'

It's very strange how one minute, the titans are laying waste to a town, and then the next, they more or less vanish.  Maybe they enjoy toying with their prey or something, I don't know.

In any event, the fight appears to be over, though it seems Armin was still in his quasi-catatonic state as it takes other cadets to finally snap him out of it.  Suffice it to say, he's still wracked with guilt over what happened and laments that he can't be stronger when he needs to be.  The feeling is only exacerbated when he comes across Hanna futilely trying to revive a fallen comrade.

As far as the overall episode is concerned, it's a brief scene that mostly seems to act as a bridge, but it is still fairly poignant.  Even though connecting to many of these characters is still a struggle from the viewer's point of view, their anguish is palpable and it brings all the emotional weight the scene needs in order to work effectively.

From there, the episode's attention shifts to Mikasa who manages to slay a titan before it kills a bunch of refugees who are trying to get through a gate that is blocked by a cargo cart.  The scene is very strange in many respects.

For one thing, the titan runs funny.  It really undercuts the menace of these things when they not only look goofy, but move in rather cartoonish fashion.

On top of that, this conflict between goods and people makes no sense.  Yeah, it illustrates that the merchant is a callous ass, but couldn't he pull the cart back, unload it, and have the refugees carry the stuff in?  I guess the risk of theft is too high, but it seems like a way to solve both problems.  It's not like they were having much success getting the large cart through the small door anyway.

It's a moot point , as Mikasa "persuades" the merchant to let the people through.  It is here where the character decides to reflect on her past.  The reasoning isn't clear, but it does lead to a flashback that not only fleshes out Mikasa's back story, but shows us how she came to live with Eren.  It was an admittedly clever trick, as it allows us to see the character while still maintaining the cliffhanger regarding his apparent death.

We also see that Mikasa has a rather traumatic past, because of course she would.  Don't get me wrong, the flashbacks themselves are disturbing and intense.  It works very well on that level.  As a result, this probably is one of the more memorable episodes of the show overall.  Even if Mikasa's and Eren's survival is a foregone conclusion, you'll still find yourself on the edge of your seat as the events play out.

On the other hand, you could argue that it, perhaps, goes too far into grimdark territory.  This also gives another instance of a character who works due to their positive disposition and gives them serious emotional issues and a penchant for violence.

Some might roll their eyes at Eren having to save her, but she does return the favor when the third thug is trying to strangle him to death.  None of it felt forced either.  The chain of events that unfold all make sense and are set up well enough that it doesn't become a problem.

The episode also does a fairly decent job of thematically tying in Mikasa's story arc with what happened to Armin during the early scenes.  It isn't heavy handed about it, and they didn't try to shoehorn in anything like the writers did at the end of "Brave".  It's just a couple of lines, but it helps the episode feel more consistent, where as the leaping from plot to plot could have made it feel more disjointed.

While I don't know if the show can afford to devote almost entire episodes to the back stories for all of the cadets like this one did for Mikasa, I wouldn't mind seeing more flashbacks like these for a few of the others.  I think it will go a long way towards getting viewers (and by viewers I mean me) more interested and invested in the characters.

















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'Luke Cage' episode 3: 'Who's Gonna Take the Weight?'

It's probably pretty ridiculous to cite this as my favorite episode so far, given that we're only three episodes in, but it is true.

You'd think that this is due to the fact that this is the most action heavy.  That's certainly a benefit, no doubt.  Seeing Luke storm Stokes' stronghold is what the tropers would call a crowning moment of awesome, but the episode does a great job of bringing more to the table than that.

The episode is filled with several dialogue driven scenes that not only continue to maintain the last episode's momentum in terms of character development, but also bring a fair dose of humor and thought to the table.

I really liked the scene between Misty and her partner discussing the role of cops in a world of superheroes.  Not only was it a great way to showcase the two's camaraderie, but it presented both sides of the issue in rather logical ways.

Misty raises some good points, talking about the cons of vigilantism and noting that cops adhere to rules.  I'm not sure about her argument that they don't know what they're doing.  So far, it seems like they're all pretty competent.  Now, taking the inhumans into account, this would make more sense, but I'm not sure if that's what the writers were talking about.

Her partner, Scarfe, counters by saying that they're achieving successes the cops haven't been able to and it saves him a lot of paperwork.  

To Luke's credit, he does manage to cripple Stokes' organization in short order.  He also utilizes quite a bit of strategic thinking, even comparing his endeavor to a chess match at one point.  I did find it a bit odd that he made a point to say that robbing Stokes wasn't going to work, and then he proceeds to rob him.  The early strikes are staged, as he doesn't take anything, but when he attacks Stokes' central HQ, he does take a duffel bag full of cash.

Still, he manages to give the cops plenty of evidence to work with and even manages to stage a false flag operation to start a war with a rival gang.  All in all, his plan was rather elegant in its simplicity.  It wasn't "Death Note" level stuff, but he still played Stokes like a harp from hell.

Stokes himself continues to be a charismatic and fascinating villain.  While his attempt to make amends by paying for Pop's funeral arrangements doesn't go well with Luke, it does seem genuine on his part.

He's also developing an interesting dynamic with Mariah.  It makes sense given the familial connection, but both have very different perspectives on what they're doing and how to get it done and it makes for some engaging scenes to watch.

Overall, the episode did a good job of addressing some of the weaknesses of its predecessor, but some still exist.  I do hope that the show takes a break from using a club performer as an overlap with a montage of events elsewhere.  Doing it once or twice is OK, but it's been used three times in a row and we're three episodes in. If this is going to be a once an episode thing, it might lose its effectiveness.

This episode also makes you lament Luke's aversion to profanity.  99% of the time it's an endearing and admirable trait, but when you see him throw a couch out a window during his siege, you wish he would have been able to make the Dave Chappelle reference.

I have to say, I'm not sold on Domingo, Stokes' aforementioned rival.  The confrontation between the two is appropriately tense, but he comes off a bit sillier than you would expect.  He may prove to be a menacing antagonist yet, but right now, I'm not seeing it.

Overall, this episode brought a little bit of everything.  There's strong dialogue, some decent plot twists, and some impressive action sequences.  The show still has some kinks to work out, but it looks like it's on an upswing.  Hopefully, the show can keep the good momentum going.












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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 60: 'Back to the Future - Goku Black's Identity is Revealed'

Looking at this title, I was skeptical.  We've been told that Black's identity would be revealed before with only more hints and more questions to show for it.  The difference is that this time, the episode delivers on the promise, though it (understandably) doesn't come until the end.

Instead, what we get is a rather in depth discussion on the nature of time travel.  Beerus is still convinced that by killing the present Zamasu, that all is resolved, but the future Trunks isn't so sure.

While having two separate timelines manages to avoid the myriad of headaches and paradoxes that come with time travel, this episode actually invokes a few, which was interesting to see.  Future Trunks notes that if his timeline had been changed for the better, he would have had no reason to come back, and thus, shouldn't still be there.

He also takes the time to explain to his younger self how different his world was, noting that android 18 settled down and formed a family where as in his world, she was always evil and ruthless.  It was a nice scene to have before the two parted company.

In fact, the whole good bye scene overall was well done.  I was a little perplexed that Vegeta insisted that his future son never come back.  You'd think he'd just shrug it off either way, though I suppose that with the pattern so far, his coming only means bad things: Androids, Cell, Black.

He does still agree to tag along with Goku, Trunks, and Bulma (who is needed to fly the time machine back), so clearly there is still some loyalty there.

Where the good bye scene worked, the subsequent scene didn't.  After arriving in the unchanged future, the group receives word that Mai was hurt, as such it's up to Trunks to rush in and save her with a senzu bean.

It doesn't really add anything in the way of tension as it's introduced and resolved far too quickly; and seems like it was only there to eat up run time.  I'm also not sure why he chewed the bean, then put it in her mouth via a kiss.  Maybe they were trying to present a more realistic justification for the old fairy tale trope, but it comes out of nowhere.  On top of that, spitting chewed food into somebody else's mouth is kind of gross.  It works for birds, but no.

It does lead to an amusing gag where Goku is perplexed by the act, noting it's weird to press your mouth against another person's.  Even Vegeta is confused and reminds Goku that he's married, but that doesn't seem to help clarify things at all.  It's funny, though I could swear that Goku has kissed Chichi before.  If not in Z, than in Dragon Ball when they were still young and their romance was still blossoming.  I could be wrong there, but it does seem weird given that their mutual love for each other has been made apparent on several occasions.

It isn't long before Black and Zamasu detect the heroes and vice versa.  There's a brief skirmish, but the scene is more about Black taunting the heroes, which is always fun.  I said before that this episode reveals Black's identity and it turns out that Black is not Goten..or Turles, or Radditz, or Broly..... but Goku.

Well, Goku's body anyway.  I've said on more than one occasion that I suspected some dark force was reanimating Goku's corpse.  Between his line about looking forward to fighting Goku in that body and seeing Black clutch at his chest during the first fight with Goku, I assumed that it was the dead Goku from future Trunks' timeline, who we are reminded died of a heart virus before the androids attacked.

As it turns out, I was half right.  Goku's dead body is being reanimated, but it seems to be a Goku from yet another timeline as the entity claims to have killed Goku in order to take his body.

So, who is it that's possessing Goku?


.....


Should I tell you? There are times where I feel like I'm being too liberal and care free with sometimes heavy spoiler information.  Maybe I should hold off this time as to keep the surprise.  On the other hand, the reveal itself warrants some discussion too...

Alright, I'll get into it, but before we do, I'll give you an official spoiler warning, so that those who haven't seen the episode and want to go in blind can still do so.


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........





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Ready? We good?  Alright, it's Zamasu.  Yeah, not joking, that's who it is.  There was one video (that you can see here) I saw that posited this theory that Black is actually Zamasu either from a different time period, or maybe a different timeline altogether.  Turns out that he was on the money.

It was a decent fake out, though part of me was hoping that there was some other force at play.  As it is, you could argue that it's a bit anti-climactic, given that Zamasu was the likely suspect since he first appeared.  On the other hand, it does explain Zamasu's line about them being kindred spirits as opposed to allies.

At the same time, the risk of doing this much build up (and this effectively) is the likelihood that no reveal would have lived up.  I have a feeling mileage is going to vary on this one.  

Honestly, this was not quite the episode I was expecting.  It took a lot longer for the characters to go to the future than I thought it would.  The scenes were still interesting and heartfelt, though, so it worked.  If anything dragged the episode down, it was the detour with Mai.  The reveal is also up in the air, but at least it made good on the promise this time around, so that's certainly a plus.

I have a feeling that the next episode will give us a more in depth explanation, but again, this could be a point where the writers say that the viewers have all the information that they need and any unanswered questions can be left up to speculation.

At the very least, it looks like it will be more action heavy as it seems like the Zamasu pair are about to implement their endgame.

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'Luke Cage' episode 2: 'Code of the Streets'

This episode is something of a mixed bag.  While I'd certainly mark it as weaker than its predecessor, there is still a lot to like here.  By that same token, the flaws are more pronounced.

The first thing you notice is Luke's bizarre regression.  After defending his landlord, you'd think that he would have committed to being a hero.  He even notes that it felt good and gave him a sense of peace, yet he also has to be essentially press ganged by Pop in order to take action in not only finding the last remaining survivor from the shootout who had absconded with Stokes' cash, but in acting as an intermediary in order to negotiate a peaceful resolution.

Fortunately, the writing makes up for it by giving pretty much the entire cast more layers.  We see that the barbershop ensemble are more than happy to engage in more intellectual pursuits: talking about poetry and playing chess.  Misty Knight, the cop who Luke hooked up with last episode, is shown to be a skilled basketball player (a scene made more effective by the fact that Simone Missick was actually making the shots and it wasn't just camera editing to try and trick the viewer), and even Stokes gets to show some depth as he displays a strong code of honor, especially in the episode's final act.

While the dialogue and characterization were a strong point, tone wasn't, namely because the episode couldn't find one.  Some parts were effective and dramatic, but there were points where it veered into being comically over the top.  Was that pun intentional?  I don't think so, but it's there none the less.

Take the scene when Stokes goes into the barbershop to get a shave.  There's some tension, what with the main villain prone to violence being in a neighborhood sanctuary, but some of the dialogue was more silly and not intentionally so.  Overall, it was a strong scene, largely thanks to Ali's performance, but without those drawbacks, it could have been much better.

Of course, the avuncular mentor figure has to bite the dust, because that is frequently how the hero's journey plays out.  If for whatever reason, you didn't see it coming before going in, the episode throws up a couple of red flags that let you know where his plot line is going before it gets there.  As a result, this doesn't really feel like a spoiler, though by all accounts, it probably should be labelled as such.

I was worried that the episode was going to re-do the schtick where a shooting would be overlapped with a musical number from a club performer as we see her singing while the goons' car approaches, but thankfully, the episode manages to avoid that.  Doing it twice in a row would have been rather bizarre and would have certainly undercut the effectiveness of the scene.

You'd think his death would be a major emotional moment.  It tries to be, no doubt, but it didn't work for me.  Again, it suffers from being a little over the top, but at the same time, while I certainly liked the character, it seemed like it was too soon to get invested in him enough to warrant a tearjerker scene.  As a result, we have to see the characters in mourning (even Stokes himself) to try to get the point across.

Turk's appearance was a nice touch.  Just having him hang out in the barbershop probably would have been sufficient.  It would have been a nice cameo to help sell the idea that all of these shows are fairly closely connected.  The writers kicked it up a notch and had him actually play a pretty prominent role in the plot.  His screen time is limited, but it's because of him that Luke is going to begin his conflict with Stokes in earnest.

As noted, this episode was a mixed bag.  There's more than enough charm to get you through it, but it doesn't have the feeling of raising tension that it probably could have used.  I'm not sure whether the next episode will feature the scene from the trailer where Luke barges into one of Stokes' strongholds.  Given his rage, it could, but at the same time, that could also be the precursor to the final confrontation.   I guess I'll just have to watch and find out.









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