'Dragon Ball Super' episode 88: 'Gohan and Piccolo - Teacher and Pupil Clash in Max Training'

One of Dragon Ball Z's most notable aspects was its filler.  A five minute fight played out over the course of several episodes and it just kept going from there.  Overall, Super has been pretty good about addressing that criticism.  The arcs are shorter and it seems like things move at a faster pace.  Sure there are still lighter, "day in the life of" episodes, but even those have generally been stronger than what we saw in this show's predecessor.

Alas, this episode falls back into old habits as there is next to no real plot progression.  Gohan and Piccolo take the central focus, as we spend a majority of the episode watching them train, but we do stop in to see Vegeta change Bulla's diaper, Krillin and 18 have a brief sparring/training session, Beerus contemplate telling the others about the stakes of the tournament, and a brief side trip to universe 6.

Honestly, that last one on the list was probably my favorite part of the episode.  Cabba travels to see his old mentor and ask him to join the team.  Said mentor has a bum leg, but Cabba insists that his battle experience will still come in handy given the format of the tournament.  It makes for a nice parallel to Master Roshi, but the man still politely declines.  He does offer up another name, a saiyan girl by the name of Caulifla.

One might suspect that this is the female legendary super saiyan seen in the credits.  It is possible, though given the brief glimpse we see, the persona of the girl in her base form is more like a traditional saiyan.  She has the spiky black hair and she's nomming down on a gigantic piece of meat.  It's a pretty stark contrast, compared to the first girl's more demure appearance.  Maybe the shy thing is an act so her opponents underestimate her?  Given that saiyans in universe 6 aren't an endangered species, it is possible that we'll see more than one female saiyan in action.  I don't know, I guess we'll have to see.

As to Gohan and Piccolo, we see Piccolo agree to join almost immediately as he's eager to fight some tough fighters from other universes.  He also knows the stakes, so there's no secret on that front, which was nice to see.  I am a bit baffled at Goku asking Piccolo to train Gohan.  He does note that his son's a bit out of practice, but Piccolo's already agreed to train Gohan twice on Gohan's request.  I just don't know how many times we have to have this conversation.

It does appear necessary, as Piccolo is able to hold his own, if not get the upper hand against Gohan.  The namekian can even go toe to toe with Gohan in his super saiyan form.  Piccolo says that he has been training, though you'd think that fact would have come up before now.

At long last, Gohan hits super saiyan 2 again.  Oddly enough, the episode doesn't really make that big a deal of it.  There's a point where the music starts to swell up, but Gohan only goes into his first form. We later see the trademark streaks of electricity in a later power up, but this is treated as rather matter of factly.  You'd think that he hasn't done this since Cell that they would make a bigger deal of it, but oh well.  It's still nice to see that he's getting his groove back.

The bigger focus, as far as the episode is concerned, is the fact that Gohan can now once again tap into the mystic "ultimate" energy that he used to fight Buu back in the day.

In addition to training Gohan's body (and giving him a substantial zenkai boost, I assume) Piccolo also takes the time to train Gohan's mind.  While Gohan's determination to protect his family and eagerness to impress the others can be a boon, Piccolo also warns that it can be a detriment and that he shouldn't obsess too much over that.

He also warns Gohan about the perils of overconfidence.  You wouldn't think that Gohan would be one to be described as arrogant, but Piccolo does note he fell victim to it against Buu.  Heck, he did the same thing against Cell, though the episode doesn't bring that up due to time constraints.  In any event, the pattern is there and Gohan does need to make sure he doesn't fall into that trap again.

Much like he did with Krillin, Gohan agrees to continue training with Piccolo to ensure that they get as strong as they can.  He also suggests developing some sort of combo techniques.  It will be cool to see what the various team members come up with.  It seems like there are multiple tag team combination options: Goku/Vegeta, Goku/Gohan, Gohan/Krillin, Krillin/18, 18/17, Gohan/Piccolo, Goku/Piccolo; and that's only half the team.

Speaking of, the closing scene showing Yamcha pondering how he's going to turn the offer down was pretty funny.  You could argue that it was the same joke as before, his assurance of being asked contrasting our knowledge that he's not a part of the team, but it still got a chuckle out of me.

It was nice to see Gohan finally get back to where he was.  The return to super saiyan 2 was downplayed, but we also got some clarification on what happened to the mystic upgrade.  I wonder if he could use the SS2 form to amplify the mystic power.  I vaguely recall them saying something to the effect that with the mystic power he no longer needed super saiyan, but if Goku can combine super saiyan blue and kaioken, I see no reason why Gohan can't blend the two power sets together in a similar fashion.

The trip to universe 6 was nice, but as noted, there wasn't a whole lot to this episode.  It never gets boring, but it isn't going to go down as one of the more memorable episodes either.  Alas, the episode fell flat for me, overall.

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'Attack on Titan' episode 20: 'Erwin Smith: The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission part 4'

With the female titan now contained, the scout troop have a chance to catch their breaths and talk about stuff.  For those thinking that the scouts are getting cocky, they do take the precaution of firing even more harpoons into the titan to keep it tied down.  We see that one even penetrated the creature's skull and came out through her eyeball.  With all of those impaling spears, you have to wonder how none of them managed to pierce her weak spot.  We see that her hand is still there, but the way it's drawn, it seems like she should have been killed.

The team does try on their own, though.  The intent isn't to kill the titan, merely to remove the human inside to find out who it is.  It doesn't work, of course, as the titan can apparently shift the density of its skin, rendering it impenetrable.  I guess this only applies to her hands? Otherwise, she could just put a shell around her neck and never have to worry about it again.

It's revealed that the person inside could be one of the scouts, who is actually in league with the titans.  This was why those in charge kept the specifics of the mission so secret.  I guess that makes sense, though I still have a hard time buying that this was all "part of the plan".  While it's been a while, I do recall scenes suggesting that there was an infiltrator, so at least that plot point had the seed planted ahead of time.

The episode spends a lot of time debtating the merits of the plan.  Eren calls it into question, as do scouts on the perimeter.  I can see what they were trying to do, and it is a worthwhile debate to have, though the execution is lacking.

We see characters who have little knowledge weighing in and the way scenes play out, it looks like characters are sort of talking to themselves before we cut to somebody else in another group who happens to put forth some dialogue that just happens to be a fitting response.  It makes the scene feel jumpy and disjointed, without the benefit of compelling philosophical debate.

Thankfully, the female titan provides the impetus that allows the episode to pick up the pace, as she lets out a blood curdling roar that draws the attention of the other titans.

It was nice to see Sasha get a stand out moment.  Up until now, she's been comic relief, but she does offer very helpful insight when she warns Mikasa that the female titan's roar sounds very much akin to a cornered animal and that they should be very cautious about how they play things from here.

Even taking that into consideration, it's very strange to see the scouts, whose soul objective I remind you was to keep the other titans out of the forest, just sit there and watch as the swarm charges in.  They react eventually, but the delay was very noticeable.  This seems to be a recurring problem with them.  I remember leveling this criticism at them before and it happened again earlier in the episode when one titan was learning to climb trees.  Rather than move or attack it while its extremities are occupied, they just stand there, look down, and comment on it.  

I suppose it's moot, at least in this instance, as the scouts are unable to fend off the horde.  Interestingly, the titans do not aim to save the female.  Rather, they eat her, insuring that the humans are unable to glean any more information from her.

While the titan was eaten, the human inside was not.  At first, it's just conjecture, but we see that it is accurate as a figure in a scout's cloak attacks and kills another one of the scouts before disappearing back into the forest.

It made for a great cliffhanger and allowed the threat of the female titan to continue while also changing things up a bit in an intriguing fashion.

Alas, in the grand scheme of things, this episode was one of the weaker ones.  The first half dragged and its structure prevented any of the lesser established characters to really make much of an impression.  The moral quandary could have been worth exploring, but it fell flat.  The only real plot progression came at the tail end of the episode, so it isn't like there was much in the way of advancement on that front.






















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'Iron Fist' episode 9: 'The Mistress of All Agonies'

Where the last episode had Gao backing away in fear from an approaching Danny Rand, this episode shows that, despite being tied up, she is still a formidable force with which to contend.  It almost make you wonder if she was playing a part before in order to give them a false sense of confidence.  Considering how she's back to her old self (she doesn't even flinch when Danny bluffs and makes to punch her in the face, only to stop a few centimeters away,) one could certainly argue that that is the case.

Now, the "captive villain taunts the heroes and screws with their heads" plot hook may not be the most original, but it is well done here.  It is helped by the fact that Gao is really good at it.  This sort of thing is her bread and butter, so it should come as no surprise to see that watching her taunt and undermine the resolve of the heroes was quite a bit of fun to watch.

As to the development that Colleen was poisoned back in China, I'm ambivalent.  It does give that plot line a racing clock to increase the tension, but one can't help but question the timing.  Shouldn't the poison have kicked in before that?  They flew all the way from China back to New York.  That's not a short trip.  Also, shouldn't someone have noticed that she got hurt from a Hand weapon, which Claire pointed out was tipped with poison?

In any event, it does allow for Bakuto to make a return appearance.  This shines some light on his relationship with Colleen, the fact that she calls him "sensei" pretty succinctly explains that.  It also makes for some interesting developments near the end of the episode.

Danny apparently has healing powers.  I don't know if that's the case in the comics.  It might be, I honestly wouldn't know.  It's handy in any event.  As to Danny not knowing until Bakuto fist-splained it to him; it seems that, like Luke Skywalker before him, Danny abandoned his training early.

While the newly established white mage power saves Colleen, it also knocks Danny unconscious, allowing Bakuto and Colleen to make off with both Danny and Gao.  It makes for a great episode cliffhanger as it raises all sorts of questions about what is going on and what just happened.

Even the Meachums had some interesting plot developments on their end.  As I kind of predicted, Harold did make a return.  I figured that the Hand would perform the ritual a second time, but it turns out that the first one grants unlimited lives, barring certain circumstances like with Nobu's final death.
The result might not be what you'd expect.  Rather than express a desire for revenge or flesh, the newly revived Harold is kind of loopy.  It makes for some nice humorous moments, but again, not really the sort of turn you would expect in a show like this.  It also makes you wonder if Elektra came out with the same temperament.  It kind of undercuts the ending to Daredevil's second season if that is the case.

Even when Harold does take a darker and more serious turn, it comes off as silly.  Killing his assistant for wanting vanilla ice cream shows the unstable short tempered side, but it comes off more ridiculous than menacing.  It isn't helped by the fact that he bludgeoned the guy with an ice cream scooper.  His reaction afterward only makes the whole thing goofier, which is no easy feat.

To his credit, he does plant drugs in Ward's car as punishment when Ward tries to walk away from it all.  This ends up with the latter in the same hospital where Danny ended up back at the beginning of the series.  It was a nice call back and it was both ironic and karmic that Ward end up in a very similar situation to his old childhood friend.  At least Ward was savvy enough to keep his mouth shut, lest he make his own situation worse.

We also see Joy discover her father's still alive.  I can't help but think that her reaction was a bit underwhelming.  She does eventually break down in tears, but she was surprisingly unfazed by seeing her dead dad up and walking again.

At face value, the scene would be heartwarming as father and daughter are reunited.  As depicted, it's quite tender.  However, this episode establishes some more rules about how the Hand's resurrections work which give it an unsettling undertone.  Much like the strigoi, the revived people target the people they love first.  Repeated resurrections also cause more and more mental degradations, so there are downsides to getting killed again and again and again.

I'm not sure what to make of that silent stalker guy.  IGN and TvTropes say his name is Davos, but as someone unfamiliar with the comic, that means nothing to me. As it stands, we have a guy who says nothing, makes tin foil throwing stars for no reason, and lurks around.  'Breaking Bad' tried something similar with Tuco's cousins and it fell flat there too.  I guess the fact that we don't know what side he's on is supposed to add some mystery, but there are only a handful of episodes left.  It seems like it would be better to focus on your already established characters, but that's just me.

All in all, this episode had some flaws, but it was still a decent redemption from the last episode's misstep.  The plot moved along, characters were developed, and it seems like the stakes were raised.  Hopefully the momentum can continue as we reach the season's final four episodes.

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'Attack on Titan' episode 19: 'Bite: The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission part 3'

With the female titan right on their tails, Eren and the others frantically wonder what the next play is.  For all of the buildup, and the fact that we see the noise flare get fired three times, it doesn't really seem to do much.  I suppose that it summoned the other scouts who leap into the fray and attempt to bring down the monster to no avail, but that much is never made clear.

After seeing so many fellow scouts perish, Eren decides to transform and attempt to combat the female titan in a more evenly matched showdown.  Oddly enough, the others tell him to just hold on and trust Levi.

It makes for an interesting dilemma as Eren has to weigh the short term gains with the long term plan.  I kind of feel like Eren is right to transform.  It isn't like the rear scouts are actually slowing the titan down in any real capacity.  It just seems like needless casualties.

The scenario prompts a flashback to a time shortly after Eren had joined team Levi.  They had attempted to trigger a transformation for the purpose of study, only to have it fail, or so they thought.  A short time later, as Eren is trying to pick up a spoon, he partially transforms.

Suffice it to say, the other team members don't take this well and start to freak out.  The way the scene is executed, it's tense enough.  There's plenty of panic and it all feels realistic.  However, because this is a flashback, the wind is cut from the sails a bit as we know how it is going to turn out.

True, the flashback ends up being relevant to this episode's circumstance, but it's another instance where the show would have been better off keeping it chronological as opposed to leaping ahead and than backtracking later on down the line.

Ultimately, it's to show that the team trusts each other, and more importantly, Levi.  Where the others were keen on taking Eren down, Levi kept a cool head and kept them at bay long enough for the situation to resolve itself.  This allowed Eren to survive and gave them more insight on how Eren's transformation works.

It turns out that he can't just hulk out by getting mad or hurting himself.  There has to be a reason for it.  The other times he transformed, the reasons were legit, but picking up a spoon seems like a stretch.  I suppose that also further shows how little control Eren really has over this condition.

The whole ordeal also gives us one of the show's more heartwarming moments, as all of the other scouts bite their own thumbs as a show of apology for their earlier fear.

As to the present development, it is revealed that the scouts had set a trap for the female titan.  Furthermore, they're able to take it in alive, allowing them to further study it.  After seeing the humans get owned for 2 episodes, it was nice to see them score this win.  Judging by the look on the titan's face, even it wasn't expecting them to get the drop on it to such a degree.

However, the development has some flaws.  For one thing, the titan was gaining on them with no real impediments.  The fact that they made it that far when it was repeatedly emphasized that they had no hope of outrunning it might raise some eyebrows.  This also goes for Levi's assertion that the fallen scouts slowed it down.  As noted before, that wasn't the case at all.  On top of that, why not let the others know the plan?  If the objective was to lure the titan into a trap, they could have saved themselves a lot of grief if everyone knew what was up ahead.  It's not like they needed plausible deniability.  The female titan is smart, but it isn't Light Yagami.  I don't think it would have suspected anything as long as everybody rode as fast as they could.

Overall, this episode was pretty solid.  There are flaws in both plot lines, but this approach allowed us to keep the fast pace of the pursuit, and still give us some character development.


















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'Iron Fist' episode 8: 'The Blessing of Many Fractures'

While the first few episodes got the show off to a bit of a sluggish start, it seemed like the show had found its groove and had worked out the kinks.  The last few episodes had actually been quite strong.  Alas, this episode is a bit of a relapse.  It falls into the same trap that the early episodes did in putting more emphasis on rather uninteresting goings on over actual plot progression.  I'm sure we're supposed to care about Joy and Ward's continued presence in the company, but I just don't.

Ward, for his part, is willing to take the money and run.  He has his own issues that need to be dealt with anyway.  His murder of his father isn't as prevalent a plot point as you might think, but it clearly hasn't helped his mental state as he hallucinates quite frequently.

Joy, on the other hand, isn't too keen on throwing in the towel.  This causes a schism, but it does fall flat as these were some of the less interesting characters.  Yeah, the bond popped up now and then, but I don't think it was enough to back up the dialogue about how close the two are and/or were.

Even away from Rand, there isn't much goings on as a lot of the exchanges with Danny, Colleen, and Claire seem to be there just for the sake of being there.

It isn't helped by the fact that Danny's writing is all over the map.  He starts off regretting picking a fight with the Hand, but then immediately decides to fly to China to confront them again in order to get answers that they may not even have.  He talks about how he spent fifteen years training to control his emotions, but then fails to do that multiple times throughout the episode.   At face value, Danny freaking out when their plane starts to experience turbulence makes sense, given what happened to him back when he was a kid.  At the same time, you'd think he'd just take a deep breath, meditate, and mumble some prayer under his breath.  It's another instance of Danny not living up to his own back story.

Other characters fall victim to this as well.  Much is made about how Danny's plan sucks, but everyone immediately agrees to do it.

Thankfully, the episode's second half starts to pull itself from the rut.  The scene with Ward and Joy in the park was really the turning point.  That scene in itself was a highlight as the two showed more emotion than they usually do, we got to see Joy's dog again, and Jessica Jones got a nice little shout out.

From there, the interactions become more substantive and we get some nice fight sequences to help perk up the viewers who may have started nodding off from the episode's earlier scenes.

Both Danny and Colleen got to showcase their skills as they each took on a capable Hand agent.  Colleen's sword fight was probably the stronger sequence, but I chalk part of that up to the fact that it is an instance where it actually feels like this is the same organization with which Matt contended.

Credit to Zhao Cheng, he does give Danny a solid fight, despite being inebriated.  He gives Danny a tougher fight than all of the fighters that Danny dealt with back in episode 6 now that I think about it.  You kind of figured that was going to be the case.  There is a "drunken" style of martial arts combat and "Yu Yu Hakusho" had a similar bit going with one of their characters. It really isn't the big turnaround that you think it is

In addition to a worthy physical foe, it seemed like Cheng could have developed into a great foil for Danny.  Alas, Danny pounds his face in.  Of course, this is the Hand, he could come back.

Speaking of, the episode spends a lot of time debating whether or not Danny should fight with limits or go for the killing blow when dealing with Gao and the Hand in general.  This is a dilemma that most superheroes face, but this circumstance is unique in that the victims come back.  In fact, Claire knows that the Hand reanimates their members, so why is she so adamant that it's a problem?  If anything, you'd think that they could fight with impunity as there seems to be no negative repercussions to going all out.

Ultimately, Danny chooses not to kill, even when he discovers that Gao and the Hand had orchestrated the plane crash.  Instead, he chooses to take her into custody.

As one would expect, Gao does get some good lines in, but I'm not sure I buy her backing away when Danny starts charging up his chi.  She never seemed too concerned before and she did nonchalantly toss him aside like it was nothing.  I'm sure we're supposed to see it as a testament to the power of this particular living weapon, but it doesn't really make sense given what we had seen before.

This episode was uneven.  Much like Danny's flight, it experienced a rather serious bout of turbulence, but it was able to smooth things out later on.  Hopefully, that righting of the ship carries into the remaining episodes.

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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 87: 'Hunt the Poachers! Goku and No. 17's United Front!'

While Android 17's joining the team was a foregone conclusion, I was expecting that to be a matter that would be settled at the episode's end.  Instead, Goku has a surprisingly easy time of negating 17's previous reluctance by offering the enhanced human a wish on the super dragon balls (oddly enough, the thing 17 wants to wish for, a big boat so that he and his family can travel, is something he could use the regular dragon balls to wish for.)  I guess when the viewer knows the end result ahead of time, the only real way to keep them on their toes is to shuffle the timing around.

With that out of the way, the episode is allowed to move onto its main plot, as the two attempt to stop a group of alien poachers from taking the minotaurus, as well as a bevy of other animals.

There's not much in the way of tension, as the two heroes have a clear upper hand in terms of fighting capability.  The script does try to nerf the pair by putting them on a spaceship, thus keeping them from going all out lest they die in the vacuum, but that doesn't really get in their way as much as one might think.

Still, it was quite fun seeing 17 pummel on these guys for the sake of protecting the animals.  He makes it clear that he's hardly an upstanding, noble hero; but there are things that disgust him and this happens to be a big one (it seems to be one for Goku as well, as he makes multiple references to how despicable he finds the poachers.)  It's a cause that 17 is not only willing to fight for, but willing to die for, as he makes an attempted suicide run to take the head hunter out with him.  Goku stops it, but it shows how far the android is willing to go.

It's in this scene preceding the "take you with me" charge, where the episode makes any real effort to bring tension to this conflict.  While the head poacher is no match for 17 in a straight fight, he does manage to keep the android and saiyan at bay by revealing a detonator for a self destruction device.  It allows him to get in some decent monologuing and taunts before he is ultimately brought down.

Now, I could nitpick and say that either one of them is fast enough to zip over, snatch the device, and zip back before the poacher could even get a word in edgewise.  I won't, though.  The scene still worked well and I figure you have to throw the guy a bone for the sake of keeping the episode interesting.

Having Goku respond to hearing about a self destructing villain by transporting the group to King Kai's planet was an amusing little call back.  On the plus side, I don't think this explosion would have been nearly as devastating as Cell's, but King Kai still rightly calls Goku out on it.  

Goku shrugs it off, saying that Kai and the others are already dead, so it really shouldn't matter one way or the other, but when dead people die again, they're erased permanently.  There is still a very real threat, even in that circumstance.  It's rather unsettling, as Goku knows (or should know) this.  You could argue that it works differently with the gods, but I wouldn't be so sure.   Then again, Goku has been shown to be very forgetful, so I suppose this is another instance of that.

The real standout scene, in my opinion, is the final scene where Goku and 17 talk.  The android asks about his sister and brother in law and the two reflect on their lots in life.  It allows for a lot of nice call backs as the two talk about what's changed over the years.

While Goku's character was called into question earlier in this story line, this scene also gives us a better understanding of his "alignment", as it were.  While Goku makes it clear that he's largely fought villains because they were strong, he also makes a point to say that he hates to see innocents get hurt.  It was a nice way to sort of blend the two Goku "personas" and acknowledge both aspects of his character.

All in all, this won't go down as one of the show's great episodes.  Even in terms of the two parters, this one might feel lackluster.  Still, for what it was, I thought it was OK.  There was some decent humor and it gave 17 a chance to shine after being out of the spotlight for so long.  His joining the team was a given, but it was nice to see how far he's come since we last saw him.

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'Iron Fist' episode 7: 'Felling Tree with Roots'

After an action heavy, "tournament" episode, this one takes a more low key approach.  There is some action in the opening and closing, but this was more about advancing the plot and developing the characters.  It works rather well and still makes for a compelling episode.

It was nice to see Danny and Colleen's relationship continue to blossom.  Much like they did before, the two share a nice bonding scene, though this culminates in consummation.  While having Danny talk about his time in K'un L'un was likely done more for the sake of practicality, it is interesting to hear him talk about it.  It's a fast, easy way to touch on his back story, but Jones does such a good job talking about it that you can't help but be fascinated.

Just as that relationship seems to gain momentum, an "old friend" of Colleen's appears.  We're not sure what the relationship is exactly, though she is quick to tell him that Danny is the Iron Fist.  I guess in a world of superheroes dropping that fact might not be as jarring as you'd think, but it does still cause you to raise some eyebrows.

Just like in the last episode, Madame Gao acts as something of a show stealer.  Her casually walking into Rand Enterprises was a great "oh crap" moment, but it keeps going from there.  Not only is it made clear that the Hand has infiltrated the company, but we see Gao make veiled threats and make Danny an offer to just walk away from the oncoming war, noting that he could live the life of a comfortable life as a billionaire instead.

While Gao carried the scene perfectly well, you have to wonder why Danny would trust her to keep her word after what she pulled during their last confrontation.  She did just make it clear that she's willing to lie and renege, so why would his withdrawal ensure the safety of Claire or Colleen?  Oddly, this never gets mentioned, but as Danny was going to reject the offer anyway, I suppose it's moot.

It was nice to see Gao allude to Daredevil and Luke Cage.  Nods like that are always fun.  The prior makes sense as the Hand have come into direct conflict with him and Matt was trained by a soldier of the Chaste (who have yet to be mentioned, strangely enough).  It is odd that she'd mention Luke, though.  Sure, it makes sense for the Hand to keep watch over powered people, but he has no idea who they are and he hasn't really gotten in their way like Matt or Danny have.  If she was just talking about heroes in general, she could have also made mention of either Jessica or Spider-Man.

As to the Meachums, well, they're a mixed bag.  There are moments where they are coming off as more sympathetic, such as seeing Joy continue to try and be there for her struggling brother, and other times where their plot gets a tad silly.  The moment where Ward is summoned to help his dad desecrate and then dispose of some bodies is a strange blend of the two.  The way the scene plays out, it's utterly ridiculous, but you really can't help but feel sorry for Ward in that situation.  His exchanges with Harold are also some of the more memorable Meachum scenes to date.

Ward's deteriorating mental state starts to come to the forefront as the strain of hiding his dead father, his stress at work, and his drug addiction start to collide into what borders on a complete psychotic break.

I'm torn on the episode's resolution, where Ward kills his father.  This does seem to bear a striking similarity to "Luke Cage" that did a similar thing with Stokes (in the 7th episode even), but unlike Stokes, it seems like Harold had more story to tell.

We aren't really sure what his end game was.  He didn't seem to be entirely aligned with the Hand, but from a meta-perspective, it seems like he would have eventually come into conflict with Danny for some reason or another.  It made for a rather interesting dynamic.  Maybe more of his involvement will be elaborated on later, or maybe the Hand will just revive him, we'll have to see.

The murder scene, sadly, fell flat.  Ward's yelling came off as more corny and silly than intense and terrifying.  The smirk Ward gives after he disposes of the body helps redeem him a little, but I'm still not sold on him being a potential big bad for the remainder of the series.

The episode is fairly light on corporate goings on, but what is there is still meaningful.  Danny once again antagonizes the board as he demands that they shut down a plant, keep paying the people working there, and reinstating dental coverage.  Suffice it to say, the board's run out of patience and oust not only him, but the Meachum siblings.  Ward probably had it coming too, so really, Joy is the victim here.

Again, this seems like a scenario where there was a third option beyond either Danny cowtowing or pulling rank again in a very short amount of time.  The people in this company really need to work on their communication skills.

Is the board voting to oust Danny and the Meachums legitimate or is it the Hand trying to get him out of the way?  Up until now, the other board members seemed like otherwise mostly legit businessmen, but with that revelation, you really can't help but wonder.  If that is the case, it would make it a lot easier for the trio to get their jobs back at season's end.

As the show moves into its second half, it continues to do rather well.  This episode was well paced; delivered a healthy balance of action, pathos, humor, and momentum; and even provided some nice wham moments.  Despite flaws in execution, the final scene is a game changer and it does leave you wondering where the show is going to go from here.

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'Attack on Titan' episode 18: 'Forest of Giant Trees: The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission part 2'

In terms of plot progression, this episode remains in something of a holding pattern.  It's hard to avoid, as the various groups continue to venture outward.

The episode does open with a bit of a breather, as Armin, Jean, and Reiner try to regroup and decide what to do, seeing as they only have one horse.  It's said that they have to leave one scout behind, and Jean gives valid reasons why each of them should be the one to do it, but the debate is tabled when Armin volunteers to be the one.  Not that it matters, Christa arrives with Jean's horse in tow, having seen the emergency flare that they had fired.

While Christa had appeared before, the hiatus meant that this was, for all intents and purposes, her first impression and it was a good one.  She was generally pleasant and didn't hesitate to come to people's aid when she saw they needed help.

Oddly, even the characters act like this is the first time they've seen her.  They know her name, but they also seem kind of dumbstruck by her.  It was weird.

From there, the episode jumps to various squads as they either try (and fail) to deal with the female titan or wonder what happened to the outer squads that is making for such an erratic outing.

As was the case before, the female titan continues to just dominate and wreck the scouts in glorious fashion.  If anything, she comes off as even more imposing now than she did before, and she had already gotten off to a strong start.

It doesn't seem to matter what the scouts do, the titan is two steps ahead and has a counter for every maneuver that they try to implement.

I think the most memorable kill is when she has one scout by his wires and she begins twirling him around rapidly like a set of keys on a chain.  It was oddly comical, but still rather disturbing.  Even ignoring the G-forces at work, the nausea that enduring that would induce will make you squirm in your seat.  Even on the off chance that the scout did survive that, she tosses him behind her like a piece of garbage afterward.  Again, it's a bit on the cartoonish side, but still disturbing in its own way.

As a result of the female titan's rampage, Eren and his crew are driven into a forest that is said to be a frequent tourist spot.  Well, it was before the walls fell anyway.

A lot is made about how venturing in is a bad idea.  There is some merit to this, as the outer squads can no longer communicate with them to warn them about oncoming titans.  At the same time, the open terrain was not their friend.  The abundance of trees gives them cover and means to better use their harness weapons and defend themselves.  For some reason, this latter fact never occurs to anybody and Levi has to spell it out for them.  This is supposed to be a display of how skilled a scout he is, but even I could have told them that and I'm just a spectator.  If anything, it has the inverse effect and just makes Eren look dumb.

While Armin's theory about the female titan's objective was pulled out of thin air, he appears to be on the money as she pursues the group with even more determination than she had prior and even smiles when she makes eye contact with Eren.

The chase is appropriately tense as the monster continues to gain on the heroes.  They talk of killing it, but (perhaps luckily for them) they never get around to it.  We see the scouts start to panic as they are unsure of what to do.  You'd think that Levi would step up, but he remains quiet, which does not ease his team's concerns a bit.  It makes for a solid cliffhanger ending.

This episode's setup doesn't leave a lot of room for discussion or analysis, but it was still a rather entertaining outing.  The action sequences were incredibly well done, there were a few changes to the status quo, and it seems like even some of the side characters are starting to stand out a bit more.  It certainly took them long enough, but it's better late than never, I suppose.  There were even a few solid humorous instances peppered throughout.  It wasn't so much that it undercut the tension, but it did add to the overall enjoyment factor of the episode as a whole.












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'Iron Fist' episode 6: 'Immortal Emerges from Cave'

Taking the momentum from its predecessor, this episode wastes no time in getting to the good stuff.  There's an ample dose of action, as the Hand challenge Danny to a winner takes all tournament..type..thing.  We also get some solid character development on several fronts.

Given that we're only at the halfway point of the season, and much was made about how Danny wasn't really aware of what he was up against (something Claire amusingly lampshades by pointing out that she has more direct experience against his supposed sworn enemy than he does,) I was expecting him to lose.  Not only would this ensure that the Hand remain, but it would show how much the odds are against him, and maybe how a team is needed to deal with the threat.

While the various agents give Danny solid fights for various reasons, he is still shown to be a highly competent contender.  Even after being poisoned, he still manages to hold his own.  Speaking of, did he cure himself?  He did some sort of chi thing after his fight with that woman, but it didn't seem like that would be enough.  If it was, maybe they should have made it clearer.  Or maybe the poison was temporary and meant just to disorient him? I don't know.

This episode also gives Madame Gao what feels like the most screen time she's had since her first appearance back in the first season of Daredevil.  It pays off as, despite being a diminutive elderly woman, she has quite the strong presence.  She does a masterful job of taunting Danny and clearly relishes being the bad guy.  I loved her pointing out the fact that she has no interest in honor when she gives Danny the ultimatum near the episode's end.  Also, much like she did against Daredevil, she manages to take Danny out with one move.  Will the two challenge her to a 2 on 1 fight in "Defenders"?  That would be cool to see.

As noted above, the episode does deliver more than cool fights.  I was actually enjoying seeing Danny and Ward investigating warehouses looking for heroin....it makes sense in context.  The two were showing a "vitriolic best buds" vibe, taking snarky potshots at each other all the while.  We were told the two had this as kids, but it was nice to see it displayed as opposed to just being told that this was their dynamic.  Had they done more, it probably would have been chided as padding, but they were still fun scenes none the less.

This episode also raises a valid question that many might not have actually thought of until now; and that is why Danny came back.  As Gao notes, he's not here to fight the Hand.  That was just dumb luck.  If the people in K'un L'un knew and sent him back to deal with it, you'd think they'd tell him.  It's implied he couldn't commit as much as they wanted him to, but we'll have to see what the specifics were.

Alas, Danny's plot isn't without its faults. While him being more serious minded can be refreshing to some, that doesn't change the fact that he gets stuck with some stilted dialogue.  It's hard to do that sort of pseudo-philosophical stuff well, and alas, this episode couldn't do it.

I'm also not sure about the development that Danny sees and communicates with the ghost of his master.  It just seems like it comes out of nowhere.  Shouldn't there have been signs of this?  It seems like Danny's never really had this problem, but it plagues him for a good chunk of the episode with no real provocation.  Maybe they'll go somewhere with it, but I think it was a bit late in the game to pull this.  At the very least, do a better job of hinting at it before hand.  On the plus side, the guy does have a cool voice.  At the very least, listening to him is rewarding in its own right.

Of course, Danny isn't the only star of the show.  Even Ward is finally given something to do as he starts to spiral as a result of withdrawal from the painkillers on which he is hooked.  I figured that his deteriorating mental state was shock from seeing the decapitated head.  I doubt that helped, but it seems the drugs are the bigger issue.   It was nice to see Joy's concern for her brother.  These two have had a problem really shining and coming into their own.  I don't know if they're there yet, but it's certainly better than nothing.

Meanwhile, both Claire and Colleen have their hands full dealing with the maimed Hand chemist.  While much is made about how they can't bring him to a hospital...they eventually bring him to a hospital.  More specifically, it's the hospital where Claire used to work.  This does work to her advantage as she still has some pull with the staff.

Once again, the Hand arrive, though they are much more subtle about it this time around.  I'm not going to lie, I miss the ninja garb.  Their presence also gives Colleen a chance to get in some combat time.  It's not a long fight, but I'm pretty sure the viewers will still appreciate it.

This episode was pretty simple and straight forward, but that's hardly a bad thing.  The fight sequences were all entertaining and generally well done.  It did fall into the poor lighting trap at points, but it never got too terrible on that front.  With multiple solid episodes in a row, I think it's safe to say that the show has found its groove.  I'm looking forward to seeing how things progress as we move into the second half of the season.








                                        

















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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 86: 'Fists Cross for the First Time! Android 17 vs. Son Goku!'

While I found this episode much more entertaining and engaging than its predecessor, I can understand why they had an episode in between to break this episode up with the one where Goku recruited 18 and Krillin.  It really would have essentially been the same plot repeated with two different characters.

I'm not sure how you avoid that, but it is what it is.  Goku, with the help of Dende, manages to track down 18's twin brother and offers to spar.  It's weird to think that this is the first time these two have met, but it's true.

On the plus side, 17 no longer has any desire to kill Goku.  On the contrary, he's living a relatively quiet, peaceful life as a husband and father, working at a wild life preserve.  This is no ordinary preserve, however.  Rather than protect picnic baskets, he protects rare, endangered species from some of the most heavily armed poachers I've ever seen.  Seriously, overkill much?   Maybe the heavy artillery is meant to deal with 17, who keeps hindering their efforts.  That's the only explanation I can come up with.  Not that it matters, even when they're armed to the teeth, the group is no match for 17 and having Goku to assist only makes the conflict that much more one sided.

Malice aside, 17 does agree to spar a bit.  Much like with Krillin, he holds his own surprisingly well and, much like with Krillin, I had a hard time buying it.  They say he's been training, but Goku has skyrocketed and, while 17 is no slouch, I have a hard time buying that he would even stand a chance.

I get what the show is trying to do, show that other characters can be relevant despite having two divine characters (who were already way ahead of the rest of the pack even before the godly ascension) leading the charge, but it really doesn't make any sense.  Remember, super saiyan 3 Gotenks got his clock cleaned by base-form Copy-Vegeta, so even with training, 17 shouldn't have held up as well as he did.

When the fight does end, Goku tells him about the tournament and the offer to join the team, only to have 17 reject it.  Goku does make a valiant effort to convince 17 to change his mind, offering to pay 17 like he did with 18.  When 17 clarifies that he's set and is more interested in protecting the animals, Goku even offers to have Goten and Trunks fill in and keep watch for the few hours that they'll be gone.  It still isn't enough, but points for trying.  Even coming clean about the stakes seems to do little to dissuade him.

Granted, we know that he's going to eventually join, but I thought it was a nice touch, having the episode end with that rejection intact.  This appears to be a 2 parter, as there is a cliffhanger involving alien poachers who show up out of nowhere to take the one animal that 17 was most dead set on protecting.  I'm guessing that 17 will join by the end of that episode, but we'll have to see.  

The fight itself was OK, and seeing 17 again was certainly nice, but oddly, the real highlight for me was Dende mentioning Uub.  He's not explicitly mentioned by name, but Dende does refer to him as the reincarnation of Kid Buu.  Laying down some retroactive foreshadowing for DBZ's epilogue was a nice touch as well, with Dende telling Goku that he would have to be the one to train the boy when he gets a little older.

All in all, though, this was a solid outing.  It had a nice balance of character interaction, development, fight sequences, and even some nice continuity nods for added flavor.  For 20 minutes, that's quite a lot to pack in.  Hopefully, the second part can follow through.  I'm not too worried, this show has handled the 2 part stories rather well, but we'll see when that comes out.

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'Iron Fist' episode 5: 'Under Leaf Pluck Lotus'

After a fairly strong showing in the episode prior, this episode will initially feel like a step backward.  The corporate goings on still aren't nearly as compelling as the show thinks they are and the Meachum siblings aren't given a whole lot to work with.

Yet, I can't fault its presence too much, because while it is slow and plodding, it actually is plot relevant here.  The civil action involving a plant spewing carcinogens showcases that Rand isn't quite as on the up and up as they may have originally appeared.  The fact that they are also now tied to a heroin ring adds to this, but it also manages to propel Danny into the more relevant and interesting conflict with the Hand.  Not only that, but this also helps explain the ramifications from last episode's closer, which largely fell flat for me.

The best parts of this episode are when Danny and Colleen are the central focus.   Jones continues to bring an affable charm to the character that is especially notable during his "not-date" with Colleen.  I really don't see why people are complaining.  He's doing fine.  In fact, I'd dare say that he's one of the stronger aspects of the show to this point.

He also gets another highlight moment in his brawl with one of the drug goons on a shipping crate.  The thug was able to give Danny a good fight in a believable fashion that didn't make Danny look like an incompetent goober.  Due to lighting and editing there were a few parts where it was hard to follow, but by and large, it was actually a damn good fight sequence.

For Colleen's part, she continues to be a strong asset to the show.  She doesn't get as much combat time this go around, but she does agree to help Danny in his investigations and continues to do so, even when the stakes are raised considerably.

As always, Claire is a welcome presence.  I must've missed her name in the opening credits because I was honestly surprised to see her show up.

At the same time, she does leave her initial scene just before Danny recruits Colleen.  The timing was suspect; at least it felt that way to me.  Later on, she alludes to the fact that Danny can't take on the Hand alone, but at no point suggests calling in the three other heroes she knows.  I know, that's what "Defenders" is for, but it doesn't even come up.

At the very least, it did allow for some allusions to the events of 'Daredevil' season 2.  It would have been very strange if there was no reference, so I thought that worked out rather well.

This episode had a bit of a bumpy start, but once it got good; it got really good.  The Danny/Colleen interactions were strong, Claire showed up, the action was top notch, and the plot moved forward on several fronts.  It seems like the show has found its groove.  I know, there's still half a season to go, but I'm becoming quite optimistic on how the show will fare from here on out.

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Stephen King Bibliography: 'Bag of Bones'

I remember being skeptical the first time I dove into this book.  I don't know if it was the general plot hook or the talk about how "literary" it was, but the feeling was palpable..  In either case, it really isn't warranted as this does come down as one of the stronger works in King's library.

While it makes no bones (ha!) about the fact that it isn't a "horror" novel in the vein of "It" or "The Shining", there is still enough of an otherworldly presence that readers looking for scares will still get their fix.  While the goings on are usual "ghost" fare, the scenes are still quite creepy in their own right.  Even though the book may not have been aiming to be chilling first and foremost, it pulled it off when it wanted to.

Really, though, the true strength of the book comes from the characters themselves and King's prose, which really shines here.  There are parts where the narration tries to come off as more philosophical than it needed to be, but by and large, the book is just as engaging as many of King's other books.

You'd think that Mike Noonan would be just another standard King writer protagonist, but given how the narrative plays out, you connect with him and feel for him as he goes through his various ordeals.  His growing bond with Mattie and her daughter, Kyra, is legitimately cute and the scenes they share make for many of the book's highlights.  It also allows the book to give us a glimpse into the professional novelist lifestyle.  If you're a writer, you'll likely get a good deal of enjoyment out of those scenes as well.

The supporting cast also stands out as all being fleshed out and likable.  Not only does it make them feel real, but it makes you want to root for them and you legitimately feel bad when things go awry.  Mentioning Mattie and Kyra seems redundant, but even characters like Mike's lawyer, his brother-in-law, and even his deceased wife get strong showings.  The latter is especially impressive as that's mostly done through allusions to past events.  While she dies very early in the book, her actions still have a significant impact on the narrative.  That's not easy to do.

Sadly, the same can't be said for the villains.  The malevolent spirits pull their weight, but Max Devore, Mattie's father in law, ends up being underwhelming.  He comes off as appropriately spiteful and mean spirited when he does appear, but that's only a couple of times.  It's very peculiar, as you'd think that he's the main antagonist.  His status as billionaire titan is also undercut by the fact that Mike is pretty rich himself.  It works well for when Max is facing off against Mattie, but there's a sense that the playing field is essentially leveled when Mike decides to step in.

Even the hinted eldritch abomination that appears in the climax doesn't wow.  I mean, sure, the hint of a bigger bad is unnerving, but it seems like it was unnecessary.  The multitude of ghosts at play were more than enough.  The epilogue further undercuts by turning it into a stand-in for the grim reaper, which is a tad anti-climactic, all things considered.

The book's pacing is also uneven.  There are a lot of factors at play here and it can seem like they are dealt with rather abruptly.  This is especially noticeable in the final act as we have to deal with the spirit, do the big reveal about why it's doing what it's doing, and tie it back into the custody battle all in a very rapid fashion.  You'd think with 700 pages that this wouldn't come up, but there you go.

You'll also notice that the chapters in this book can get quite lengthy.  It proves to be a double edged sword.  On the one hand, it helps make the book more immersive.  If you can find a nice block of time to sit down, get comfortable, and dive in; it works really well.  However, it can prove frustrating when day to day life events interrupt you and you don't have those convenient stopping points.

Minor flaws aside, this does still stand as a strong entry in the library and I do recommend giving it a read, if you haven't already.  If you have, what the heck, read it again.

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'The Mist' TV Series Trailer Reaction

The first trailer for the upcoming television adaptation of "The Mist" hit the internet earlier today.  As such, I figured, much like I did with the trailer for 'IT', I'd offer my thoughts on this one.

I was skeptical about this.  We got a solid film adaptation and while Darabont is very reliable, it seemed like bringing him in was redundant.  Granted, I was going to watch it anyway, but I didn't think it would be anything too special.

On the plus side, it seems like this isn't so much an adaptation as an alternate take.  There are a lot more characters and locations that seem to be in play.  It makes sense, this is a 10 episode mini-series and focusing that long in just a grocery store would have resulted in slow pacing and potential boredom.  Doing it this way gives the writers more to work with, keeps the viewers engaged, and gives us a better idea of what the town as a whole is enduring.

It's hard to tell, as no character is named, but it doesn't seem like any of the characters from the story are going to appear.  That one woman may be Mrs. Carmody, but beyond that, there wasn't anyone that stood out.  Considering the cast in the story are largely everyday joes, it probably isn't that big a deal, but it does seem worth noting.

It does seem like Arrowhead is going to be getting a lot more focus.  It was an afterthought in the book and movie, but with the extra time, giving it some more focus makes sense.  While it was the assumed cause of the whole fiasco, there was some ambiguity.  I wonder if that's going to remain intact.  It's as good an explanation as any and if they are going to spend more time on it, they might as well make it the official cause.

Actually, as noted in the comments, you don't see any monsters.  I'm not sure whether that was the right play or not.  On the one hand, you could argue that the imagination makes it scarier.  On the other, a lot of dialogue suggests that the mist is just driving people crazy.  It sounds like it has some sentience, but I think viewers might find it lacking if there aren't any legit extra-dimensional monsters lurking around.

The first half is much stronger, if you ask me.  It does a better job of building up a foreboding atmosphere.  As you move further in, it's just cuts to random things and it loses some of its power.

Also, the fact that it uses the 'BAAAUUUM' effect will likely divide people.  You could be like me and find it funny, but if you're legitimately annoyed by it, than I could see it being marked as a strike against the show right off the bat.

While this is the sort of story where a smaller budget shouldn't necessarily hurt it, you can still tell that this was made on a TV budget.  It's apparent by both the shooting style and the acting, which pale in comparison to the movie.

All in all, this trailer doesn't really give me an idea on how the show will turn out.  I could still see it going either way.  The comments are negative, and while I was whelmed, I didn't hate it.  I wasn't blown away by any stretch, but there wasn't really anything that made me call bullcrap or anything like that.  It would have been nice to get a better grasp on some of the characters, but at least it didn't fall into the trap of summarizing the whole show.

We'll have to see how it plays out when it premieres at the end of June.

















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'Dragon Ball Super' episode 85: 'The Universes Begin to Make Their Moves- Their Individual Motives'

I was expecting this episode to follow a format similar to its predecessor, with Goku and Gohan venturing off to recruit android 17.  While that is what initially sets Goku and Gohan off, the episode veers off into completely different directions.

This is made most apparent with the two saiyans literally splitting up, Goku continuing to find 17 and Gohan going to recruit Piccolo.  I do appreciate the two multi-tasking in order to save time.  It was unlikely that Piccolo was going to put up much of an argument, so best to get that taken care of right off the bat.

Oddly, when we do see Gohan finally arrive, the scene makes it sound like Gohan is asking Piccolo to train with him.  I'm guessing they plan to use the room of spirit and time to expand on the limited window of time they have left until the tournament starts, but haven't Gohan and Piccolo been training this whole time?  It really feels like these two have had this conversation more than once.  Maybe it's because of all the time skips and Gohan keeps going back to studies/every day life?  I don't know, it's very strange.

Goku, for his part never even makes it to 17.  It sounds odd, considering that his return seemed like the main draw for this episode, but nope, aside from a close up of his face at the end, 17 does not appear.

Instead, Goku gets sidetracked by Buu, who has been training for the tournament.  Apparently, the sessions with Mr. Satan have paid off as he is now sporting a new beefcake body.  I have a question, Buu is a big blob of pink goo, couldn't he mold himself into that shape anytime he wanted to?  It's not even like he has muscles in the traditional sense, so I don't know what the point was, oh well.

The sparring match between Goku and Buu wasn't really anything to write home about, but Buu does show that he isn't without his clever side.  Granted, Buu was already plenty strong and his meat shield ability already made him an asset to the team, but I'll never fault a show that shows it's characters being smart and using tactics in combat.

One area where this episode breaks formula is by venturing to other universes.  The supreme kai of universe 11 arranges a palaver with the other kais and the gods of destruction do the same.  Both make a point to bar universe 7 due to resentment for setting this whole thing in motion.

I was expecting some sort of machinations or scheming to commence, but alas, the scenes fall flat.  The kai of universe 11 puts forth the idea of asking Zen-oh to grant some sort of reprieve regarding erasure and the other gods quickly dismiss it before leaving.  The build up was nice, but there was no real pay off there.

You'd think, at the very least, that this would allow the other kais to showcase some personality and flesh them out a little.  There's a strength obsessed warrior kai and a nerd kai who don't get along and argue as to whether brute force or intellect is the greater asset, but beyond that, it still seems like we don't know these new gods all too well.  There's not really any way to avoid this, this story line is throwing a lot of new characters into the mix in a very short amount of time.  As more episodes come out, this problem should alleviate itself, but that's going to take a while.

It was nice to see Vados stick up for Goku.  While the other gods are quick to paint him as the villain, she reminds them that Zeno was going to wipe them all out and the tournament does allow one to continue to exist.  It doesn't help much, but it's good to have that reminder thrown in now and again.  The fact that the gods resent Goku for other reasons shows that their disdain goes beyond just that grievance.

A good chunk of the episode takes place in universe 11, where we see Toppo in his job as universal protector.  He was given much better dialogue this time around and actually got to present himself as a heroic champion.  It made for a much better showing than the one he got back in the tournament.

Due to limited screen time, that whole sequence did fall a bit flat.  We know nothing of the villain or why they're doing what they're doing, but the job is to show Toppo stopping it, which he does.  It does give the episode another action beat, which I imagine was the bigger objective.  Well, that and showing another one of the universes.  It is nice to see the multiverse explored to a greater degree, but the aforementioned screen time limitations also undercut that as well.

Was it just me or did Dyspo look a lot like Beerus?  The distinctions become a lot clearer as the episode progresses, but it does seem like they are of the same species when he first appears.

It was nice to see Cabba again.  It was just a quick cameo, but still.  The dialogue also seems like it's planting the seed for the female legendary super saiyan to make her appearance.  That'll be cool to see when we get there.

All in all, this episode didn't really bring a whole lot to the table.  I mean, it wasn't bad.  I just don't think there was anything to really write home about.  There was some plot progression, but not nearly as much as one would have hoped.

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'Iron Fist' episode 4: 'Eight Diagram Dragon Palm'

It took a little while, but it seems like the show is finding its groove.  This entry stands, in my opinion, as the best one to date.  It provides a healthy balance of everything, making for a very entertaining hour.

The characters are starting to feel more dynamic, as their motivations become clearer and the interactions become more nuanced.  It's quite possible that Harold is manipulating Danny, but at the same time the opening scene where they reunite still works really well.  You finally feel the close connection these two families have talked about having.  It makes it much more engaging.

Harold even goes so far as to open up about his connection to the Hand, which only adds to things.  Again, it's quite possible that he's lying, but I hope that his story does prove to be true.  I initially figured he was trying to curry favor with the Hand, but this motivation works a lot better and makes for a more sympathetic character.  At the very least, his commitment to keep his family safe appears authentic, if a tad ruthless.  If it is either a half truth or a complete falsehood, he really sold it.

Danny also gets a strong showing.  His more noble, personable side is able to come through in spades and he even gets to showcase his fighting skills in a hallway brawl.  It was a nice way to make up for him having been pushed out a window at the end of the last episode.

Some might complain about Joy's role in that whole ordeal, but to be fair, the attempt to kidnap her did fail and while Danny did most of the fighting, you do see her punch one of the mooks when they're in the elevator, so she helped where she could, good on her.

Outside of combat, Danny is still a fish out of water and the episode is able to play that up to comedic effect without going too far with it.  This becomes most apparent during a board meeting where he shows up late, moves a chair so that he can sit next to Joy (which is kind of cute in its own weird way), and then insists that the company sell a new drug at cost.

The board was skeptical for obvious reasons, but I don't know why they didn't offer some sort of compromise number.  They could concede the point that selling a $5 pill for 10 times that much is outrageous, but come up with something that would allow them to turn a profit and fund research while still making the medicine more accessible to those who need it.  Plus, you know, more affordable means more potential customers which means more profits; so they could justify it even with a business-focused perspective.  In fact, doing that would play into the "hostile takeover" mentality that was alluded to in regards to Danny's return.  Him putting his foot down right out of the gate showed it to an extent, but him refusing any feasible alternatives would have really made it that much clearer to the others.

Even Ward, probably the dullest of the cast gets some depth.  His relationship with Danny gets a better display as he seems driven by envy.  This is especially clear when Danny and Harold are talking in the episode's opening scenes.  Even putting aside the corporate control stuff, you can start to see why he would be unwilling to let Danny waltz back into their lives so easily.

If any body comes up short this time around, it's Colleen.  Don't get me wrong, the cage fight was cool.  Having her take down two fighters was a good way to change things up a bit, but it was still a bit on the repetitive side.  We know she can fight, but it does give the show another action beat, so there's that. Outside of that, her character doesn't really move forward all that much outside of some extra cash in her pocket.

I did find it a little odd that she fared better against two opponents than she did against the one.  If escalation was what they were going for, you'd think they'd play that up a bit more, but oh well.

You'd think that the build up for the Hand would fall flat, given that we've already seen them in action, but it was still done well here.  Not only are they able to manipulate multi-billion dollar corporations to do their bidding, but when the Chinese gangsters that attempted to kidnap Joy hear that the Hand is in play, they immediately back down, apologize, and promise not to make any moves against Rand anymore.  It was kind of awesome.

Was the ending supposed to mean something?  Danny gets that note and we see he has a tattoo on his chest, is that significant for some reason?  People who read the comic might squee, but I don't know if that was the note to end the episode on.  No, that pun was not intentional.

All in all, though, this was a solid outing.  Hopefully the following episodes take their cue from this one because it was a huge step in the right direction.

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