'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 3, Episode 17: 'Guest Starring John Noble'

While Amaya ventures off to protect her village, the rest of the team tries to come up with a means of preventing her from doing so.  After all, a timeline alteration of that magnitude risks freeing Mallus.  Of course, so too does the murder of Barack Obama by Grodd.

The latter plot point could have likely been an episode in and of itself, but it is relegated to something of an afterthought.  Grodd is bested rather quickly by the team and Obama himself plays a small role in the grand scheme of things.  I guess the writers didn't want to get too heavy with the political stuff, which makes some degree of sense.

The closest it gets is Sara saying that she misses him after the two have a solid heart to heart about Sara's issues.  The episode earns it, though, I think.

Conversely, "Make America Grodd Again"?  That doesn't even make sense.  It doesn't rhyme with the usual mantra and it isn't like Grodd had the country under his thrall at any point.  And since when does Grodd care about American politics? He's a big, angry, telepathic gorilla.  Of all the Arrowverse antagonists, he's the last one who would logically make any sort of comment or reference on that sort of thing.

Anyway, once Obama is saved, the plot focuses to trying to save Nora.  Damien offers his services, but Sara is skeptical to say the least (see the aforementioned issues).  I noted before that he would likely join the heroes and it seems like that's where its going.  Ray even vouches for Damien's sincerity when it comes to his love for his daughter.

It's kind of nice to see this more reflective Darhk. It seems like fatherhood has changed him for the better.  He even apologizes to Sara about killing Laurel and says that he'd take it back if he could.  I was skeptical about Darhk's return and critical of some of his appearances this season, but overall, it seems like it was the right move, especially since Mcdonough nails the material and makes it pack that much more of a punch..

Even when Darhk turns on the team, it isn't the typical "ha ha, fooled you! I'm still evil, suckers!" reveal that the Damien of old would have basked in.  His end goal is still the same, save his daughter and stop the demon from getting loose.  Its just that he changes his mind on how to go about doing that.  It was an interesting twist on what could have been a predictable....twist.

Speaking of interesting twists, poor Ava gets put through the ringer.  The reveal that she was a clone was earth-shattering enough, but her big talk with Rip only makes it worse.  It turns out that she's not the first Ava, 11 have come before her.

While you can see some degree of remorse on Rip's face, his responses don't help.  He really could have come up with something to soften the blow.  Ava's constant assertions that she was "picked 12th" don't make sense.  Maybe bring up the idea that this isn't like picking out a puppy or a kitten.  Granted, the idea that he just bought a new Ava when the prior died has it's problems, but there are ways around that too.  While each "Ava" may start off as a blank slate, they each go through different experiences that help form them as individuals.  Does Rip bring this idea up? Nope, just silence.  Well, he tells her that she's special, but having something to back that up would have been nice.

All in all, though, this was a solid episode.  There was a lot of great character growth, the episode was well paced, and it ended on one heck of a wham note, as the demon is now free.  Admittedly, the CGI is TV budget, but the look of fear on the heroes' faces as he flew off really helped sell the dread of the moment.  It'll be interesting to see how they deal with this new development. 

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'The Punisher' Episode 9: 'Front Toward Enemy'

Up until now, Lewis' subplot has been very compartmentalized from the show's main arc regarding Frank's quest to expose the military conspiracy surrounding Kandahar.  This episode, at long last, brings the two together in a fast, but very effective collision.

The former vet's mental instability hits an all time high as he wages his own war against the system. He sets off a series of bombs at government buildings, as well as the Bulletin, the newspaper where Karen Page works.

Not only does this give us another always welcome appearance from Deborah Ann Woll, but it pisses Frank off and puts the two in direct conflict.

Not surprisingly, the episode draws parallels between Lewis and Frank.  Both have similar backgrounds and both see themselves as taking matters into their own hands to right perceived wrongs.  Karen and even Lewis himself acknowledge the similarity at different points throughout the episode.

Like Jessica Jones did in the second season with her own dark mirror antagonist, Frank doesn't take kindly to the comparison and is adamant that the two are nothing alike.  Oddly enough, the best counter he can come up with is that he faces his enemies head on, where Lewis hides behind bombs.  Looking at it from a warrior standpoint, you can see the point that Frank is trying to make, but from an everyday joe/jane standpoint, that's a little flimsy.

Having the episode make the issue of gun control  a plot point was an odd choice.  It's topical, sure, and you can see how it would fit given Frank's usual MO, but the fact that Lewis was a bomber kind of undercuts the relevance.  The episode itself hangs a lampshade on this fact at one point.

To the episode's credit, it doesn't become too heavy handed and preachy in either side's favor.  There are parts where Lewis does start to feel like he's being reduced to a straw political figure, but overall, I think both viewpoints were presented pretty fairly.  The radio debate scene may have been a little on the nose, but it could have ended up much worse, remember that episode of "Arrow" that tried to do it? Yeah.

While there's no "ticking clock", this was one of the season's more exhilarating episodes.  It never felt like it dragged and I think it pulls you closer to the edge of your seat much more than prior episodes have.

Even with that perk, the episode still did a great job depicting character. Frank shined, Karen got some great moments.  Curtis is also able to do a lot with the fairly small amount of screen time that he has.  His effort to help Lewis ends up being in vain, but it was still a solid effort.  He also got a great fight scene and some character developing time with Frank.

Nadani spends most of the episode in a heroic BSOD following Sam's death.  It's probably the closest thing the episode comes to padding, but it's a logical inclusion.  It makes for a nice epilogue to Sam's story, you can't help but sympathize with her as she's grappling with grief and a dash of survivor's guilt, and we get to see Nadani snap out of it and decide to continue her quest to reveal the truth.

Speaking of reveal, that last sequence sure was a doozy.  It's now known to the general public that Frank is alive and well.  This does work in Nadani's favor to some extent, but it is still hardly a good thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode.  Not only did it benefit from prior episodes' development, but it works pretty well as a "one and done".  Admittedly, Lewis is still out there, though perhaps starting on a turn for the better; but it still stands on its own quite well.  Hopefully, the final few episodes can keep the momentum going.  It would be a shame to let this energy boost go to waste.

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'Pet Sematary' (2019) Movie Review

While the original film adaptation of "Pet Sematary" wasn't without its merit and charm, there was certainly some room for improvement.  As such, this is one of the more forgivable remakes in recent memory.  So, the question becomes, how did this one do?

As was the case with its predecessor, this one is a mixed bag.  There's certainly things to like.  John Lithgow is great as Jud.  He doesn't have that iconic drawl, but he turns in a strong performance that stands as one of the film's more memorable strengths.  The nod to his role as Winston Churchill was also an amusing nod.

Similarly, Jete Laurence works really well as Ellie.  Her increased screen time does telegraph the "big twist" that she's the one who ends up dying, but she really comes off as a nice, sweet kid.  You grow to like her a lot and it makes her death scene one of the film's more powerful moments (and rightly so.)

Sadly, like Gage before her, her turn as villain ends up falling a bit flat.  That first scene after she comes back is when she is at her creepiest.  Her cold, lack of emotion stands in stark contrast to her previous persona and it is awesomely eerie.  She also gets some great dialogue as Louis tries to put her to bed.

However, as she gets increasingly angry and violent, her performance falls more flat.  I wouldn't say it's "bad" exactly, but it doesn't have any kick to it.

Similarly, the film's horror is heavily reliant on jump scares as well as various visions and hallucinations to try to drum up some tension and atmosphere.  Some of them work but it was overdone in my opinion.  You could argue that it was the Wendigo engaging in some psychological warfare (which the revenants here do, not to mention that it was quite the chessmaster in the original novel) but a lot of times it just seems forced in for the sake of some spookiness.

I thought that the thing with the kids wearing the masks was going to fall into that category, but it is put to better use in the climax.  Similarly, the movie is quite successful at building that tension and dread at several other points throughout the movie, so it is hardly a total bust on that front.

Jason Clarke is more emotionally versatile than his predecessor, but unfortunately, we don't see as much of a benefit.  As Lilja's Library noted in its own review of the film, we don't see a whole lot of that anguish that would come from the sudden loss of a child.  It's only a matter of minutes in terms of screen time before Louis is digging up his daughter's corpse to bring her back.  Yeah, you as the viewer can put two and two together, and we do see them sad, but it still feels a bit rushed.

I'm not sure how you dwell on that without it feeling like padding, but seeing him trying to come to terms with it and failing probably would have helped things a little.

On a completely random note, I read on TvTropes that, just like with "Cujo", the crew had a hard time trying to get the animals to act mean or vicious.  They were just too friendly and wanted to nuzzle and cuddle the cast instead.  It's both funny and adorable.  I love it.

Overall, I'd say this is worth checking out.  It has its problems, but the strong cast and capable production make up for it.  It is also much closer to the book, bringing in a lot of the mythos that was absent from the first adaptation.  There were changes too, no doubt, but I think fans of the book will appreciate the greater devotion to the source material.

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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 3, Episode 16: 'I, Ava'

This episode had not one, not two, but three different subplots to juggle. By all accounts, it should have felt disjointed; or perhaps an element got the short end of the stick, but it actually manages to pull it off rather well.  Also impressive is the fact that all of the plots have some sort of impact.  There isn't much in the way of filler here, not that the episode or the season has much room for that at this point.

The "main" focus of the plot is on Sara, as she, Ray, and Gary try to track down Ava, who seems to have gone missing.  The group learns that her family is actually a pair of actors and that one specific year is marked as off-limits to any sort of time traveler.  As such, the group naturally goes right there.

In doing so, the group finds out the dark secret that Rip had alluded to earlier (something I got backwards in a previous article).  When the group arrives, they find a city full of Avas.  Now, the title suggests "robot" and the group jump to that conclusion too, but it turns out that the Avas are actually more akin to genetically engineered clones.  The title still fits, given the subsequent identity crisis, but that was some good misdirection.  It would have been a shame if the title gave away the big reveal.

Ava herself is just as shocked as the others when she learns the truth.  It gives her some degree of sympathy and it gives her a new motivation as she is determined to learn the whys of her situation.

The clone fiasco also gives Sara and Gary some development.  It's been hinted that Gary had a thing for his boss, but it's pushed to the limit here.  It does make for some great comedic banter between the two, but it also gives Sara a chance to work through her own issues and doubts about how things have been going.  It also looks like the two might start mending fences.  It's early to say, but the dialogue between the two did suggest it as a possibility.

Plot B follows Nate, Amaya, and Wally; as they discover that Mari has been injured.  With the spirit totem in the possession of the Darhks, time is starting to solidify, meaning that she can't inherit it later.  She still acts as a vigilante, but with no powers, she's much more vulnerable.

In attempting to talk to her to persuade her from taking a break, they instead find Kuasa.  While they jump to the conclusion that she means the injured hero harm, Kuasa makes it clear that they are still sisters and that she means to protect her.  To that end, she is reconsidering her alliance and wants to reclaim the spirit totem.  Better to be in the hands of her family than in those of an ancient demon.

It was some good character development for the antagonist.  The episode plays with it and has her double cross the heroes, well Nate more specifically.  She probably would have gone through with it, but a pretty brutal speech from Amaya sets her straight.  The heel-face turn is short lived, however, as Mallus kills her in the episode's climax.  It's played surprisingly tragically, given that she's largely been an enemy to date.  Even Mick and Zari take a moment to reflect on the loss of a fellow totem bearer.

On a similar note, even Darhk himself is having second thoughts about this.  Yes, he made a deal with a demon, but in seeing the effect Mallus is having on Nora, he's realizing that he's losing the person he did it all for in the first place.

Considering this came on the heels of Kuasa's double cross, I'm surprised that Nate bought into it so quickly, but it does make some sort of sense. While I doubt that Darhk will be turning hero anytime soon, it is possible that he lends his abilities towards helping stop Mallus in the finale.  Having heroes and villains team up to take on a much bigger bad is a frequent thing in comics, so it wouldn't be entirely without precedent.

The third plot is probably the closest thing to filler, though it does have some significance in the overall plot.  While Mick is having fun using his new powers to cook food and make fart jokes, he needs to be trained to be more effective with his newfound abilities.  Being another totem bearer, Zari is the natural pick to do this.

The two butt heads initially, largely due to Mick's crudeness and ignorance.  I kind of feel like they overdid it with him on that front, but it did still make for some funny moments and the two do bond and come to a better understanding of each other by episode's end.

This episode had a lot on its plate and it managed to find a strong balance.  The plots all had momentum and all were given the time they needed.  There was also a solid balance in terms of tone.  There were plenty of gags and one liners, but there was also more serious material that maintained the necessary sense of tension and weight.  This episode probably is one of the season's bigger ones in terms of both plot and character development.  It'll be interesting to see where things go from here.

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