'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 3, Episode 15: 'Necromancing the Stone'

When the team brought the death totem on board the waverider, it seems that they had invited a force that they were ill equipped to deal with.  It quickly lures Sara in, insisting that using it can help stop Mallus.  In doing so, she becomes a demonically-enhanced agent for the demon, who had actually formed an alliance with the Zambesi tribe that possessed that totem back in the early days.

It's a simple premise and it works extraordinarily well.  The dark atmosphere lends the necessary creepy atmosphere, Sara is shown to be more than capable of besting pretty much the entire team in hand to hand combat, and the episode actually provides quite a bit of character development.

A lot of it comes from the developing romance between Ava and Sara.  The two continue to be quite adorable together.  Not only does it give the episode some more lighthearted, tender moments; but it also adds to the stakes, as it enhances the tension that comes from the possibility that Sara's soul will be lost.

The other legends also get to confront their own demons that come via apparitions of people from their past.  It gives Violet Beane a chance to make a quick cameo, which is always a plus; but both Zari and Nate are also confronted by their own respective hauntings.  It's strange as almost every character that comes across this acknowledges it as a ploy and an attempt at psychological warfare on Mallus' part, but they all seem to succumb to it in fairly short order.  I guess it makes sense, the death totem did bring back ghosts before, so it would stand to reason that it could do so here, albeit under a more specific circumstance.

With ghosts and demons afoot, it's only natural that the team call on John Constantine for help.  Bringing him into the Arrowverse really was a stroke of genius.  I know I've praised his performance before, but he really does earn every ounce of it.  Every scene he's in is just a highlight.

The faux-rivalry with Ava was also an entertaining twist.  Ava's naturally a bit jealous, but the episode plays it up more for laughs than anything else.  Neither Sara or John himself paint the fling as anything more than a one-off, so there really isn't a whole lot of angsty love triangle shenanigans going on.  It's a nice subversion of the usual formula.

On a similar note, we learn about the dark secret that was supposed to threaten her relationship.  It was...Sara's past as an assassin.  You'd think that it would make sense, but Ava flat out says that she read Sara's file and already knows all that.  This makes Rip's earlier line seem a bit odd and it also makes Sara's decision to end things by episode's end a peculiar one.

It was sad, don't get me wrong.  The two had great chemistry before and this episode really sells the bond; making the breakup rather poignant.  It just seems like there were other paths that the characters could have gone down.  I suppose it's possible the two reunite later, but for now we have to just wait to see how things play out.

In closing, it does need to be brought up, but Gary is revealed to be a D&D player.  That's awesome.  It's especially impressive as it isn't really brought up to his detriment.  At one point, Ava remarks that no one cares, but Constantine seems interested.  The snarky, cynical warlock even agrees to play (though the scene also bends the fourth wall by paralleling Constantine's own joining the Legends in facing Mallus).  When Gary is making the offer, you can tell he's really into it.  You get the impression that he would be a great DM.  I'd play.

In any event,this episode was a blast.  It was a simple premise that managed to bring a lot to the table.  There were highlights aplenty (Mick wielding the fire totem for example) and while this works as a sort of one-off, it does have lasting consequences for the team going forward.

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'The Punisher' Episode 8: 'Cold Steel'

As we move closer to season's end, the plot takes a brief hiatus to focus on character development.  It works pretty well, though I can't help but feel like there are things here that should have happened earlier.

The main crux of the plot focuses on the quasi-love triangle between Frank- Sarah, Micro's wife, and Micro himself.  Sarah plants a kiss on Frank after a couple of glasses of wine and some nice conversation.  It doesn't go much further than that, but it is enough to vex Frank's partner in conspiracy busting.

Scenes where Frank and Micro just talk always work quite well and this is no different.  Both reminisce about their lost loves whilst taking good-natured potshots at each other.  Micro even shows Frank his genitals....it makes sense in context...sort of?

The episode doesn't dwell too much on it.  Even Micro himself is rather understanding given the circumstances, but at the same time, he can't just entirely shrug it off either.  The episode managed to pull off a believable response to the apparent transgression.

On other fronts, Madani uses the bug to set up a trap and try to lure out the people who planted it there.  It does work, though despite an intense gunfight, there's not much to show for it.  Credit where it's due, Madani's team held their own.  I was expecting Russo's mercs to wipe the floor with them, but both sides took their licks. 

Random note, there's a huge shootout and Frank Castle never picks up a gun.  Instead, we see Frank entirely in chummy, everyday mode and Bernthal pulls it off.  I think that's one thing that the MCU has done really well.  Frank could easily be a one-note, ultra-violent thug (something Micro's potshots frequently center on), but Bernthal gives the character more depth and allows you to connect with him more.  The results speak for themselves as he has gotten nothing but universal praise on multiple occasions.

Similarly, Ben Barnes came out strong in this episode.  Russo may not be one of the more memorable villains in the MCU (even just within the confines of the Netflix branch,) but his picture is becoming a bit clearer.  We get a dose of backstory that explains his desire for money, we see his ruthlessness become more apparent, but we also see that he too has layers.  He still holds his friendship with Frank in high regard and laments the fact that circumstances are leading them to face off against each other.  He is also reluctant to endanger Madani,  While both parties play off their relationship as nothing more than friends with benefits, it seems his feelings go deeper than that.

Even with that, though, he seems to have no qualms about helping her wash off the blood of her partner, who he had just killed.  It's a quick scene, but it is a pretty disturbing one nonetheless and even if it isn't cliffhanger material, it is a hell of a note to end the episode on.

All in all, what this episode did, it did well.  As said before, I don't know if it's placed very well in the narrative. However, as you're watching it, you'll definitely appreciate what it does bring to the table. 

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'Children of the Corn: Runaway' Movie Review

Like many other horror movie franchises, the line of 'Children of the Corn' movies just doesn't know when to stop.

To this film's credit, it does at least try to do something different and tell a unique story.  Here, we follow Ruth, a woman who was a part of the He Who Walks Behind the Rows worshipers, but turned her back on it after losing her family, friends, and boyfriend.  Now, with a child of her own, she has spent her life fleeing.

It's a pretty good character and plot hook.  The movie puts a good deal of emphasis on the trauma that haunts Ruth.  Some of it works, such as scenes where kids will be standing around and she'll immediately associate it with the psychos she knew.  Other times...not so much.  The flashbacks are supposed to act as a form of character development, but mostly they just come off as filler and a pretense to add some gore and violence to remind you that, yes, this is a horror flick.

Even when people do start dying.  The movie does so many fake-outs and "visions" that it can become hard to tell what's actually happened.

The characters themselves are also rather flat.  A part of this is due to casting, but I think the script shares some blame as well.  The romance between Ruth and her boss comes out of nowhere and the ensuing drama from the botch isn't all that compelling.  Plot elements that could have been fleshed out (such as the rivalry between Ruth and the school principal) are also underdeveloped due to a lack of time.

Also, why on Earth would Ruth settle into a small, rural, midwestern town?  You'd think she'd want to avoid those like the plague; go to a big city.  Sure, it wouldn't stop the freaking demon that's chasing her down, but it still seems like it would make sense to stay as far away from corn and big, empty fields as humanly possible. 

It isn't until the tail end of the movie that Marci Miller is actually given something to work with.  You can see much more emotion there than you did in the first two thirds of the movie. It does make you appreciate it, but it would have been nice to see more of that throughout.  It's frustrating as there is potential, the movie just doesn't seem to want to tap into it as much as it could have.

The movie does a decent job of creating some tension and atmosphere.  Sara Moore has no lines, but still has a creepy air about her.  The movie doesn't have her do anything that other "creepy kid" characters haven't done, but she still pulled it off.

The movie's theme, a soft music box style leitmotif also lends a lot of weight to things.  It's simple and haunting...but also kind of sad?  I thought it worked really well.

Other horror aspects fell flat.  As noted, the reliance on flashbacks to provide some obligatory violence didn't work too well.  The film's direction also had some odd decisions.  The camera would cut away randomly for no apparent reason.  There were also some aerial panning shots that served no purpose whatsoever and seemed shoved in there for the sake of having them.

The film really shines in its final act.  Despite a lackluster start, the movie actually does kick into something resembling high gear and it feels like there are real stakes and some solid plot twists.  I also have to give the movie credit for giving He Who Walks Behind the Rows some of his cred back.  After so many movies, viewers likely wouldn't have been impressed.  I won't spoil anything, but this gives him a good deal of his menace back.   

The movie had potential to be better than it was.  It definitely has its upsides.  In some ways, though, that just makes the flaws and structural problems that much more vexing.  Still, credit where it's due; it did try something different and it wasn't a total disaster like some of the movies that had come before it.

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