Another club performer montage? Seriously, the show is over doing it. It isn't helped by the fact that I found this to be the weakest number to date.
On the plus side, the episode manages to succeed on every other front, as the chess match between Stokes and Luke turns into a war of escalation.
As Stokes is now financially strapped, he is forced to shake down the city residents and businesses in the hopes of recouping his losses. Shades scoffs at the idea that he can pick up $7,000,000 this way, but he actually does manage to accumulate a sizable pile of cash. On top of that, he manages to turn the city against Luke by telling his goons to let the victims know that Luke's actions are what caused this. The conflict may be devolving into a metaphorical street fight, but it was a rather clever move on Stokes' part.
For his part, Luke's tactics aren't exactly subtle, but he doesn't really need them to be. All he has to do is walk up to various crooks and start smacking them around before collecting the stolen property. It's not like they can hurt him. It (more or less) gets results and it is quite fun to watch, so everyone appears to come out ahead.
Well, Misty suggests otherwise, and she's not entirely wrong. She even calls Luke out on escalating things and putting lives in danger. I didn't really buy it when she said before that vigilantes didn't know what they were doing, but it does seem like Luke isn't looking at the bigger picture regarding the possible repercussions for his actions.
Claire makes her first appearance of the season. Dawson's presence is often a highlight, but her scenes are also beneficial in that they help cement this show's place in the overall timeline. I had read that this takes place before the second season of "Daredevil", but Claire alludes to the Hand's attack on the hospital, showing that it happens at least somewhat along side it's latter half, or slightly after the show's end. It does make you wonder though, why Frank Castle hasn't been brought up, especially in regards to the philosophical debates about the role of vigilantes/superheroes.
Speaking of not being brought up, this episode does make vague reference to a couple of the Avengers (and Chitauri material does become a plot point) but I do find it strange that there is no mention of the inhumans. Citing Thor or Hulk or "the incident" when talking about how strange things have gotten makes sense, but the global terrigenesis that transpired in "Agents of Shield" should have more lasting impact on the overall narrative for the shared universe. Not only are there a lot more powered people around as a result, but there were also massive casualties, as not everyone was conducive to being turned. This is also something that happened in the public eye. A lot of the events on "Agents of Shield" are fairly covert, but this was widely reported and documented, so it's absence is rather jarring. It wouldn't even have to be an in depth connection, even just an off-hand reference to the events, like the ones used for the movies, would go a long way towards making the MCU more cohesive.
Another highlight is Stokes, who is in rare form here. He's menacing when he needs to be, but the show continues to show that he has depth, principles, and even a pretty decent sense of humor. He's rather amused when one of his underlings notes that they're reading about sociological theories and he borderline geeks out when Shades shows him, and offers him access to incredibly deadly bullets made from Chitauri metal.
While both Ali and Colter bring enough gravitas to make the confrontations between the two characters tense, the fact that Luke is impervious to just about everything makes the conflict a little one sided. With Stokes armed with alien bullets, it does balance the scales a bit.
It was nice to see, though, that the two could table their conflict to honor Pop at his funeral. Were this a daytime soap, you can bet that there would have been a showdown as tensions between the two adversaries boiled over, but both manage to keep their cool and deliver sincere and heartfelt speeches to honor the man who meant a lot to them both. That doesn't stop them from taking passive aggressive swipes at each other during said speeches, but all things considered, they both did rather well.
All in all, this was another solid entry. It achieved its desired goal of kicking things up a notch in regards to the war between Luke and Stokes. It also did a little to help set up the Defenders as Claire notes that she wants to work with the heroes she's come across, lending credence to the theory that she helps bring them together. It wasn't a huge foreshadowing moment, but it was still nice to see. The episode was paced well and managed to move things forward on several fronts. It's hard to believe we're already coming up on the halfway point, but there we are.
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Wednesday, October 12, 2016
'Luke Cage' episode 5: 'Just to Get a Rep'
Labels:
Luke Cage,
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Monday, October 10, 2016
'Dragon Ball Super' episode 61: 'Zamasu's Ambition- Human 0 Plan is Revealed'
OK, so first things first, it seems I got the order of events wrong in regards to the whole body stealing thing. I got the impression that Zamasu had killed Goku first, but in reality, he used the super dragon balls to make the switch and then killed Goku afterwards. Truth be told, I kind of like my way better. It's a bit more macabre, and with it being Halloween season and all, it seems like it fits better. I guess I just latched onto the reanimated corpse idea and clung to it in any way I could.
Of course, that confusion is just the precursor to this episode, which gives a more detailed explanation of how Black exists and how killing Zamasu in Goku's time period didn't do anything (even though it was established that that wasn't how time travel worked, but you know what I mean.) It's very heavy on the timey wimey ball. Keep in mind, this god already exists in a different universe and then you throw in jumping between alternate timelines where completely different events occurred and it becomes very convoluted.
This episode has plenty of solid wham moments as the two villains reveal the extent of their actions. It seems that Zamasu is intent on killing not only mortals, but the gods as well. More than that, the two announce that they've already succeeded on that particular front. Whether they mean the gods of this timeline, this universe, or literally all of the gods in the multiverse is still unclear. Like I said, it's very convoluted. I do have a hard time buying that they could kill Zen'o or that Beerus and Whis would fall at their hands, but we may find out more later.
I was also surprised to hear that they destroyed the super dragon balls. It's a little strange that they would be destroyed so soon after they were introduced, but I have a feeling that it won't stick.
It somewhat undercuts the aforementioned moments to be honest. Between the time travel and the multiverse, I could easily see the reset button getting hit to some extent. If the dragon god still exists, he could probably create a new set. Could they use the regular dragon balls to wish back the super dragon balls? That would be interesting to see. At the very least, the reveal reinforces what heavy hitters these two villains are...or one villain is...
The action was solid. The episode didn't utilize the 3 on 2 format as much as I would have liked, but we do see enough to show that the heroes are still at a disadvantage.
That isn't to say that they don't steal the show. One of the most memorable moments, hands down, is Goku's rampage after hearing about what Black did to Goku's family. He manages to give both Black and Zamasu a good beat down despite each of them individually being more powerful than he is.
It was especially surprising to see Black react to getting hit like a normal enemy would. More often than not, he toys with his enemies and lets them get in a shot or two (both for psychological torment and to gain strength) but here, judging by the look on his face, Goku legitimately got the upper hand. It doesn't last long, of course, and Black does get a power boost as a result, but it was certainly nice while it lasted.
The other highlight centers on Future Trunks. True, he's on the receiving end of a pretty brutal "the reason you suck" speech, where Zamasu lays the blame at his feet for going back and saving Goku from the heart virus, thus leading to Zamasu's campaign.
Both Vegeta and Trunks call BS, but it was a more effective monologue compared to some efforts by villains to screw with the hero's head.
In some ways, Zamasu isn't wrong, but at the same time, he already had a contempt for mortals and the events on Babari would have still been the same, so it's quite possible that he would have done this anyway, but that's a hypothetical.
The speech was nice (and a great way to really tie the two arcs together), but Trunks' response was nothing short of epic. In true saiyan fashion, he achieves a new form after swearing that he's going to kill Black himself. The fact that the scene was set to "Desperate Assault" definitely helped, as that track is inherently awesome. It's a nice twist too, as that is usually played to convey hopelessness, but now it's a rousing piece to show that the tide is turning to the heroes' favor.
What form does Trunks hit? I don't know. It's not super saiyan 3 (or 4), nor is it super saiyan god or blue. The latter is to the show's benefit as that would have been ridiculous. There's a hint that he's at least starting to tap into that energy as there is a blue layer in his aura, but his hair is still yellow and his eyes go all white, giving another shout out to Broly's legendary form. I'm not even sure what we would call this form...ultra super saiyan 2? Legendary super saiyan 2?
Now, admittedly, this doesn't do anything to address the "Zamasu can't be killed" problem (though the teaser suggests that there's a workaround *cough*banishhimtothedeadzone*cough), but it was still a jaw dropping sequence and I look forward to seeing the new form in action.
For those waiting for that big, dramatic villain monologue where all is revealed, this gives it to you. Those more well versed in time travel mechanics may have a better grasp of the flow of events, but you'll likely tilt your head a lot.
It looks like this arc is reaching its conclusion. It'll be sad to see it go, but all good things must come to an end. This was certainly a fun ride and I'm fairly certain that the resolution will continue that trend.
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Of course, that confusion is just the precursor to this episode, which gives a more detailed explanation of how Black exists and how killing Zamasu in Goku's time period didn't do anything (even though it was established that that wasn't how time travel worked, but you know what I mean.) It's very heavy on the timey wimey ball. Keep in mind, this god already exists in a different universe and then you throw in jumping between alternate timelines where completely different events occurred and it becomes very convoluted.
This episode has plenty of solid wham moments as the two villains reveal the extent of their actions. It seems that Zamasu is intent on killing not only mortals, but the gods as well. More than that, the two announce that they've already succeeded on that particular front. Whether they mean the gods of this timeline, this universe, or literally all of the gods in the multiverse is still unclear. Like I said, it's very convoluted. I do have a hard time buying that they could kill Zen'o or that Beerus and Whis would fall at their hands, but we may find out more later.
I was also surprised to hear that they destroyed the super dragon balls. It's a little strange that they would be destroyed so soon after they were introduced, but I have a feeling that it won't stick.
It somewhat undercuts the aforementioned moments to be honest. Between the time travel and the multiverse, I could easily see the reset button getting hit to some extent. If the dragon god still exists, he could probably create a new set. Could they use the regular dragon balls to wish back the super dragon balls? That would be interesting to see. At the very least, the reveal reinforces what heavy hitters these two villains are...or one villain is...
The action was solid. The episode didn't utilize the 3 on 2 format as much as I would have liked, but we do see enough to show that the heroes are still at a disadvantage.
That isn't to say that they don't steal the show. One of the most memorable moments, hands down, is Goku's rampage after hearing about what Black did to Goku's family. He manages to give both Black and Zamasu a good beat down despite each of them individually being more powerful than he is.
It was especially surprising to see Black react to getting hit like a normal enemy would. More often than not, he toys with his enemies and lets them get in a shot or two (both for psychological torment and to gain strength) but here, judging by the look on his face, Goku legitimately got the upper hand. It doesn't last long, of course, and Black does get a power boost as a result, but it was certainly nice while it lasted.
The other highlight centers on Future Trunks. True, he's on the receiving end of a pretty brutal "the reason you suck" speech, where Zamasu lays the blame at his feet for going back and saving Goku from the heart virus, thus leading to Zamasu's campaign.
Both Vegeta and Trunks call BS, but it was a more effective monologue compared to some efforts by villains to screw with the hero's head.
In some ways, Zamasu isn't wrong, but at the same time, he already had a contempt for mortals and the events on Babari would have still been the same, so it's quite possible that he would have done this anyway, but that's a hypothetical.
The speech was nice (and a great way to really tie the two arcs together), but Trunks' response was nothing short of epic. In true saiyan fashion, he achieves a new form after swearing that he's going to kill Black himself. The fact that the scene was set to "Desperate Assault" definitely helped, as that track is inherently awesome. It's a nice twist too, as that is usually played to convey hopelessness, but now it's a rousing piece to show that the tide is turning to the heroes' favor.
What form does Trunks hit? I don't know. It's not super saiyan 3 (or 4), nor is it super saiyan god or blue. The latter is to the show's benefit as that would have been ridiculous. There's a hint that he's at least starting to tap into that energy as there is a blue layer in his aura, but his hair is still yellow and his eyes go all white, giving another shout out to Broly's legendary form. I'm not even sure what we would call this form...ultra super saiyan 2? Legendary super saiyan 2?
Now, admittedly, this doesn't do anything to address the "Zamasu can't be killed" problem (though the teaser suggests that there's a workaround *cough*banishhimtothedeadzone*cough), but it was still a jaw dropping sequence and I look forward to seeing the new form in action.
For those waiting for that big, dramatic villain monologue where all is revealed, this gives it to you. Those more well versed in time travel mechanics may have a better grasp of the flow of events, but you'll likely tilt your head a lot.
It looks like this arc is reaching its conclusion. It'll be sad to see it go, but all good things must come to an end. This was certainly a fun ride and I'm fairly certain that the resolution will continue that trend.
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Friday, October 7, 2016
'Luke Cage' episode 4: 'Step in the Arena'
With Luke Cage unconscious and buried under rubble, it seems as good a time as any to do a flashback episode to get a more in depth look at how Luke came to be the man that he is today. Admittedly, it is a little strange to have two flashback-centric episodes back to back (from two different shows entirely, no less) but that's just the way it works sometimes.
As Luke noted in the first episode, he was wrongly imprisoned and became the subject of an experiment. Such is the case, though the plot doesn't quite play out like you would think. For one, his imprisonment seems more political than anything. The exact reason isn't made clear, but a guard surmises that he pissed off the wrong people and he himself says that he trusted the wrong people and talked when he shouldn't have. Given that it's noted that he was a cop, it's possible he wanted to expose some form of corruption, but that's just speculation on my part.
Even Luke's participation in the experiment isn't what I expected. I figured it would be more "suicide squad"esque, where he's strong-armed into being a subject. I won't give away the specifics, but it isn't quite that nefarious.
Luke is press-ganged by the head guard at one point, but that centers on having him participate in a prison fight club. At first, it just seems like a reason to have some fight sequences, but it actually does end up playing a significant role in Luke's overall story arc.
The way they introduced Reva was handled well. After a significant amount of talk surrounding her, it was nice to finally see who he was talking about. The two had solid chemistry and she was written well enough that she lives up to Luke's image of her. It was hard to miss that close up shot of the USB drive that played a rather big role in 'Jessica Jones'. It was a nice, somewhat subtle way to tie the two shows together.
I think the real breakout (no pun intended) character was Squabbles, Luke's friend and quasi-mentor. He and Luke had some good banter going. While you could probably say his fate was sealed, it was still a shame to see him go out the way he did.
The guard worked well enough as an antagonist for this episode. I do have a sneaking suspicion that he's Diamondback, though. It looks like he died, but this is a comic based show, remember. It is a common trope to have a character who appeared to be dead come back later to settle the score. Considering we see Shades in prison too, it only lends credence to the idea.
While I'm not terribly well versed in the Luke Cage comics, being more of a DC guy, I did appreciate the nods to the comics. Luke utters his catchphrase and we even see him wear the old outfit that he used to wear, headband and yellow shirt and all. It's quite possible that there are more specific ones, but I wouldn't have noticed.
As the flashbacks take central focus, the present day plot doesn't advance too much. We see Misty and Scarfe investigating the explosion and Luke does eventually get both his landlord and himself out from under the rubble. His line about being "kind of strong" was funny, but I think the real highlight moment was Luke outing himself to the media, taking off the hood and giving his name on live television. Granted, it isn't widely known that he's a meta-human, but considering how much he's tried to stay under people's radar, it's still a pretty big deal.
Overall, this was a strong episode. It takes a break from the story line, but it gives us a much better picture of Luke. You'd think that Stokes' absence would be a noticeable flaw, but with everything else going on, having him sit this one out worked out fine.
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As Luke noted in the first episode, he was wrongly imprisoned and became the subject of an experiment. Such is the case, though the plot doesn't quite play out like you would think. For one, his imprisonment seems more political than anything. The exact reason isn't made clear, but a guard surmises that he pissed off the wrong people and he himself says that he trusted the wrong people and talked when he shouldn't have. Given that it's noted that he was a cop, it's possible he wanted to expose some form of corruption, but that's just speculation on my part.
Even Luke's participation in the experiment isn't what I expected. I figured it would be more "suicide squad"esque, where he's strong-armed into being a subject. I won't give away the specifics, but it isn't quite that nefarious.
Luke is press-ganged by the head guard at one point, but that centers on having him participate in a prison fight club. At first, it just seems like a reason to have some fight sequences, but it actually does end up playing a significant role in Luke's overall story arc.
The way they introduced Reva was handled well. After a significant amount of talk surrounding her, it was nice to finally see who he was talking about. The two had solid chemistry and she was written well enough that she lives up to Luke's image of her. It was hard to miss that close up shot of the USB drive that played a rather big role in 'Jessica Jones'. It was a nice, somewhat subtle way to tie the two shows together.
I think the real breakout (no pun intended) character was Squabbles, Luke's friend and quasi-mentor. He and Luke had some good banter going. While you could probably say his fate was sealed, it was still a shame to see him go out the way he did.
The guard worked well enough as an antagonist for this episode. I do have a sneaking suspicion that he's Diamondback, though. It looks like he died, but this is a comic based show, remember. It is a common trope to have a character who appeared to be dead come back later to settle the score. Considering we see Shades in prison too, it only lends credence to the idea.
While I'm not terribly well versed in the Luke Cage comics, being more of a DC guy, I did appreciate the nods to the comics. Luke utters his catchphrase and we even see him wear the old outfit that he used to wear, headband and yellow shirt and all. It's quite possible that there are more specific ones, but I wouldn't have noticed.
As the flashbacks take central focus, the present day plot doesn't advance too much. We see Misty and Scarfe investigating the explosion and Luke does eventually get both his landlord and himself out from under the rubble. His line about being "kind of strong" was funny, but I think the real highlight moment was Luke outing himself to the media, taking off the hood and giving his name on live television. Granted, it isn't widely known that he's a meta-human, but considering how much he's tried to stay under people's radar, it's still a pretty big deal.
Overall, this was a strong episode. It takes a break from the story line, but it gives us a much better picture of Luke. You'd think that Stokes' absence would be a noticeable flaw, but with everything else going on, having him sit this one out worked out fine.
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Labels:
Luke Cage,
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Thursday, October 6, 2016
'Attack on Titan' episode 6: 'The World the Girl Saw: The Struggle for Trost part 2'
It's very strange how one minute, the titans are laying waste to a town, and then the next, they more or less vanish. Maybe they enjoy toying with their prey or something, I don't know.
In any event, the fight appears to be over, though it seems Armin was still in his quasi-catatonic state as it takes other cadets to finally snap him out of it. Suffice it to say, he's still wracked with guilt over what happened and laments that he can't be stronger when he needs to be. The feeling is only exacerbated when he comes across Hanna futilely trying to revive a fallen comrade.
As far as the overall episode is concerned, it's a brief scene that mostly seems to act as a bridge, but it is still fairly poignant. Even though connecting to many of these characters is still a struggle from the viewer's point of view, their anguish is palpable and it brings all the emotional weight the scene needs in order to work effectively.
From there, the episode's attention shifts to Mikasa who manages to slay a titan before it kills a bunch of refugees who are trying to get through a gate that is blocked by a cargo cart. The scene is very strange in many respects.
For one thing, the titan runs funny. It really undercuts the menace of these things when they not only look goofy, but move in rather cartoonish fashion.
On top of that, this conflict between goods and people makes no sense. Yeah, it illustrates that the merchant is a callous ass, but couldn't he pull the cart back, unload it, and have the refugees carry the stuff in? I guess the risk of theft is too high, but it seems like a way to solve both problems. It's not like they were having much success getting the large cart through the small door anyway.
It's a moot point , as Mikasa "persuades" the merchant to let the people through. It is here where the character decides to reflect on her past. The reasoning isn't clear, but it does lead to a flashback that not only fleshes out Mikasa's back story, but shows us how she came to live with Eren. It was an admittedly clever trick, as it allows us to see the character while still maintaining the cliffhanger regarding his apparent death.
We also see that Mikasa has a rather traumatic past, because of course she would. Don't get me wrong, the flashbacks themselves are disturbing and intense. It works very well on that level. As a result, this probably is one of the more memorable episodes of the show overall. Even if Mikasa's and Eren's survival is a foregone conclusion, you'll still find yourself on the edge of your seat as the events play out.
On the other hand, you could argue that it, perhaps, goes too far into grimdark territory. This also gives another instance of a character who works due to their positive disposition and gives them serious emotional issues and a penchant for violence.
Some might roll their eyes at Eren having to save her, but she does return the favor when the third thug is trying to strangle him to death. None of it felt forced either. The chain of events that unfold all make sense and are set up well enough that it doesn't become a problem.
The episode also does a fairly decent job of thematically tying in Mikasa's story arc with what happened to Armin during the early scenes. It isn't heavy handed about it, and they didn't try to shoehorn in anything like the writers did at the end of "Brave". It's just a couple of lines, but it helps the episode feel more consistent, where as the leaping from plot to plot could have made it feel more disjointed.
While I don't know if the show can afford to devote almost entire episodes to the back stories for all of the cadets like this one did for Mikasa, I wouldn't mind seeing more flashbacks like these for a few of the others. I think it will go a long way towards getting viewers (and by viewers I mean me) more interested and invested in the characters.
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In any event, the fight appears to be over, though it seems Armin was still in his quasi-catatonic state as it takes other cadets to finally snap him out of it. Suffice it to say, he's still wracked with guilt over what happened and laments that he can't be stronger when he needs to be. The feeling is only exacerbated when he comes across Hanna futilely trying to revive a fallen comrade.
As far as the overall episode is concerned, it's a brief scene that mostly seems to act as a bridge, but it is still fairly poignant. Even though connecting to many of these characters is still a struggle from the viewer's point of view, their anguish is palpable and it brings all the emotional weight the scene needs in order to work effectively.
From there, the episode's attention shifts to Mikasa who manages to slay a titan before it kills a bunch of refugees who are trying to get through a gate that is blocked by a cargo cart. The scene is very strange in many respects.
For one thing, the titan runs funny. It really undercuts the menace of these things when they not only look goofy, but move in rather cartoonish fashion.
On top of that, this conflict between goods and people makes no sense. Yeah, it illustrates that the merchant is a callous ass, but couldn't he pull the cart back, unload it, and have the refugees carry the stuff in? I guess the risk of theft is too high, but it seems like a way to solve both problems. It's not like they were having much success getting the large cart through the small door anyway.
It's a moot point , as Mikasa "persuades" the merchant to let the people through. It is here where the character decides to reflect on her past. The reasoning isn't clear, but it does lead to a flashback that not only fleshes out Mikasa's back story, but shows us how she came to live with Eren. It was an admittedly clever trick, as it allows us to see the character while still maintaining the cliffhanger regarding his apparent death.
We also see that Mikasa has a rather traumatic past, because of course she would. Don't get me wrong, the flashbacks themselves are disturbing and intense. It works very well on that level. As a result, this probably is one of the more memorable episodes of the show overall. Even if Mikasa's and Eren's survival is a foregone conclusion, you'll still find yourself on the edge of your seat as the events play out.
On the other hand, you could argue that it, perhaps, goes too far into grimdark territory. This also gives another instance of a character who works due to their positive disposition and gives them serious emotional issues and a penchant for violence.
Some might roll their eyes at Eren having to save her, but she does return the favor when the third thug is trying to strangle him to death. None of it felt forced either. The chain of events that unfold all make sense and are set up well enough that it doesn't become a problem.
The episode also does a fairly decent job of thematically tying in Mikasa's story arc with what happened to Armin during the early scenes. It isn't heavy handed about it, and they didn't try to shoehorn in anything like the writers did at the end of "Brave". It's just a couple of lines, but it helps the episode feel more consistent, where as the leaping from plot to plot could have made it feel more disjointed.
While I don't know if the show can afford to devote almost entire episodes to the back stories for all of the cadets like this one did for Mikasa, I wouldn't mind seeing more flashbacks like these for a few of the others. I think it will go a long way towards getting viewers (and by viewers I mean me) more interested and invested in the characters.
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Tuesday, October 4, 2016
'Luke Cage' episode 3: 'Who's Gonna Take the Weight?'
It's probably pretty ridiculous to cite this as my favorite episode so far, given that we're only three episodes in, but it is true.
You'd think that this is due to the fact that this is the most action heavy. That's certainly a benefit, no doubt. Seeing Luke storm Stokes' stronghold is what the tropers would call a crowning moment of awesome, but the episode does a great job of bringing more to the table than that.
The episode is filled with several dialogue driven scenes that not only continue to maintain the last episode's momentum in terms of character development, but also bring a fair dose of humor and thought to the table.
I really liked the scene between Misty and her partner discussing the role of cops in a world of superheroes. Not only was it a great way to showcase the two's camaraderie, but it presented both sides of the issue in rather logical ways.
Misty raises some good points, talking about the cons of vigilantism and noting that cops adhere to rules. I'm not sure about her argument that they don't know what they're doing. So far, it seems like they're all pretty competent. Now, taking the inhumans into account, this would make more sense, but I'm not sure if that's what the writers were talking about.
Her partner, Scarfe, counters by saying that they're achieving successes the cops haven't been able to and it saves him a lot of paperwork.
To Luke's credit, he does manage to cripple Stokes' organization in short order. He also utilizes quite a bit of strategic thinking, even comparing his endeavor to a chess match at one point. I did find it a bit odd that he made a point to say that robbing Stokes wasn't going to work, and then he proceeds to rob him. The early strikes are staged, as he doesn't take anything, but when he attacks Stokes' central HQ, he does take a duffel bag full of cash.
Still, he manages to give the cops plenty of evidence to work with and even manages to stage a false flag operation to start a war with a rival gang. All in all, his plan was rather elegant in its simplicity. It wasn't "Death Note" level stuff, but he still played Stokes like a harp from hell.
Stokes himself continues to be a charismatic and fascinating villain. While his attempt to make amends by paying for Pop's funeral arrangements doesn't go well with Luke, it does seem genuine on his part.
He's also developing an interesting dynamic with Mariah. It makes sense given the familial connection, but both have very different perspectives on what they're doing and how to get it done and it makes for some engaging scenes to watch.
Overall, the episode did a good job of addressing some of the weaknesses of its predecessor, but some still exist. I do hope that the show takes a break from using a club performer as an overlap with a montage of events elsewhere. Doing it once or twice is OK, but it's been used three times in a row and we're three episodes in. If this is going to be a once an episode thing, it might lose its effectiveness.
This episode also makes you lament Luke's aversion to profanity. 99% of the time it's an endearing and admirable trait, but when you see him throw a couch out a window during his siege, you wish he would have been able to make the Dave Chappelle reference.
I have to say, I'm not sold on Domingo, Stokes' aforementioned rival. The confrontation between the two is appropriately tense, but he comes off a bit sillier than you would expect. He may prove to be a menacing antagonist yet, but right now, I'm not seeing it.
Overall, this episode brought a little bit of everything. There's strong dialogue, some decent plot twists, and some impressive action sequences. The show still has some kinks to work out, but it looks like it's on an upswing. Hopefully, the show can keep the good momentum going.
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You'd think that this is due to the fact that this is the most action heavy. That's certainly a benefit, no doubt. Seeing Luke storm Stokes' stronghold is what the tropers would call a crowning moment of awesome, but the episode does a great job of bringing more to the table than that.
The episode is filled with several dialogue driven scenes that not only continue to maintain the last episode's momentum in terms of character development, but also bring a fair dose of humor and thought to the table.
I really liked the scene between Misty and her partner discussing the role of cops in a world of superheroes. Not only was it a great way to showcase the two's camaraderie, but it presented both sides of the issue in rather logical ways.
Misty raises some good points, talking about the cons of vigilantism and noting that cops adhere to rules. I'm not sure about her argument that they don't know what they're doing. So far, it seems like they're all pretty competent. Now, taking the inhumans into account, this would make more sense, but I'm not sure if that's what the writers were talking about.
Her partner, Scarfe, counters by saying that they're achieving successes the cops haven't been able to and it saves him a lot of paperwork.
To Luke's credit, he does manage to cripple Stokes' organization in short order. He also utilizes quite a bit of strategic thinking, even comparing his endeavor to a chess match at one point. I did find it a bit odd that he made a point to say that robbing Stokes wasn't going to work, and then he proceeds to rob him. The early strikes are staged, as he doesn't take anything, but when he attacks Stokes' central HQ, he does take a duffel bag full of cash.
Still, he manages to give the cops plenty of evidence to work with and even manages to stage a false flag operation to start a war with a rival gang. All in all, his plan was rather elegant in its simplicity. It wasn't "Death Note" level stuff, but he still played Stokes like a harp from hell.
Stokes himself continues to be a charismatic and fascinating villain. While his attempt to make amends by paying for Pop's funeral arrangements doesn't go well with Luke, it does seem genuine on his part.
He's also developing an interesting dynamic with Mariah. It makes sense given the familial connection, but both have very different perspectives on what they're doing and how to get it done and it makes for some engaging scenes to watch.
Overall, the episode did a good job of addressing some of the weaknesses of its predecessor, but some still exist. I do hope that the show takes a break from using a club performer as an overlap with a montage of events elsewhere. Doing it once or twice is OK, but it's been used three times in a row and we're three episodes in. If this is going to be a once an episode thing, it might lose its effectiveness.
This episode also makes you lament Luke's aversion to profanity. 99% of the time it's an endearing and admirable trait, but when you see him throw a couch out a window during his siege, you wish he would have been able to make the Dave Chappelle reference.
I have to say, I'm not sold on Domingo, Stokes' aforementioned rival. The confrontation between the two is appropriately tense, but he comes off a bit sillier than you would expect. He may prove to be a menacing antagonist yet, but right now, I'm not seeing it.
Overall, this episode brought a little bit of everything. There's strong dialogue, some decent plot twists, and some impressive action sequences. The show still has some kinks to work out, but it looks like it's on an upswing. Hopefully, the show can keep the good momentum going.
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Labels:
Luke Cage,
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Monday, October 3, 2016
'Dragon Ball Super' episode 60: 'Back to the Future - Goku Black's Identity is Revealed'
Looking at this title, I was skeptical. We've been told that Black's identity would be revealed before with only more hints and more questions to show for it. The difference is that this time, the episode delivers on the promise, though it (understandably) doesn't come until the end.
Instead, what we get is a rather in depth discussion on the nature of time travel. Beerus is still convinced that by killing the present Zamasu, that all is resolved, but the future Trunks isn't so sure.
While having two separate timelines manages to avoid the myriad of headaches and paradoxes that come with time travel, this episode actually invokes a few, which was interesting to see. Future Trunks notes that if his timeline had been changed for the better, he would have had no reason to come back, and thus, shouldn't still be there.
He also takes the time to explain to his younger self how different his world was, noting that android 18 settled down and formed a family where as in his world, she was always evil and ruthless. It was a nice scene to have before the two parted company.
In fact, the whole good bye scene overall was well done. I was a little perplexed that Vegeta insisted that his future son never come back. You'd think he'd just shrug it off either way, though I suppose that with the pattern so far, his coming only means bad things: Androids, Cell, Black.
He does still agree to tag along with Goku, Trunks, and Bulma (who is needed to fly the time machine back), so clearly there is still some loyalty there.
Where the good bye scene worked, the subsequent scene didn't. After arriving in the unchanged future, the group receives word that Mai was hurt, as such it's up to Trunks to rush in and save her with a senzu bean.
It doesn't really add anything in the way of tension as it's introduced and resolved far too quickly; and seems like it was only there to eat up run time. I'm also not sure why he chewed the bean, then put it in her mouth via a kiss. Maybe they were trying to present a more realistic justification for the old fairy tale trope, but it comes out of nowhere. On top of that, spitting chewed food into somebody else's mouth is kind of gross. It works for birds, but no.
It does lead to an amusing gag where Goku is perplexed by the act, noting it's weird to press your mouth against another person's. Even Vegeta is confused and reminds Goku that he's married, but that doesn't seem to help clarify things at all. It's funny, though I could swear that Goku has kissed Chichi before. If not in Z, than in Dragon Ball when they were still young and their romance was still blossoming. I could be wrong there, but it does seem weird given that their mutual love for each other has been made apparent on several occasions.
It isn't long before Black and Zamasu detect the heroes and vice versa. There's a brief skirmish, but the scene is more about Black taunting the heroes, which is always fun. I said before that this episode reveals Black's identity and it turns out that Black is not Goten..or Turles, or Radditz, or Broly..... but Goku.
Well, Goku's body anyway. I've said on more than one occasion that I suspected some dark force was reanimating Goku's corpse. Between his line about looking forward to fighting Goku in that body and seeing Black clutch at his chest during the first fight with Goku, I assumed that it was the dead Goku from future Trunks' timeline, who we are reminded died of a heart virus before the androids attacked.
As it turns out, I was half right. Goku's dead body is being reanimated, but it seems to be a Goku from yet another timeline as the entity claims to have killed Goku in order to take his body.
So, who is it that's possessing Goku?
.....
Should I tell you? There are times where I feel like I'm being too liberal and care free with sometimes heavy spoiler information. Maybe I should hold off this time as to keep the surprise. On the other hand, the reveal itself warrants some discussion too...
Alright, I'll get into it, but before we do, I'll give you an official spoiler warning, so that those who haven't seen the episode and want to go in blind can still do so.
.......
........
........
Ready? We good? Alright, it's Zamasu. Yeah, not joking, that's who it is. There was one video (that you can see here) I saw that posited this theory that Black is actually Zamasu either from a different time period, or maybe a different timeline altogether. Turns out that he was on the money.
It was a decent fake out, though part of me was hoping that there was some other force at play. As it is, you could argue that it's a bit anti-climactic, given that Zamasu was the likely suspect since he first appeared. On the other hand, it does explain Zamasu's line about them being kindred spirits as opposed to allies.
At the same time, the risk of doing this much build up (and this effectively) is the likelihood that no reveal would have lived up. I have a feeling mileage is going to vary on this one.
Honestly, this was not quite the episode I was expecting. It took a lot longer for the characters to go to the future than I thought it would. The scenes were still interesting and heartfelt, though, so it worked. If anything dragged the episode down, it was the detour with Mai. The reveal is also up in the air, but at least it made good on the promise this time around, so that's certainly a plus.
I have a feeling that the next episode will give us a more in depth explanation, but again, this could be a point where the writers say that the viewers have all the information that they need and any unanswered questions can be left up to speculation.
At the very least, it looks like it will be more action heavy as it seems like the Zamasu pair are about to implement their endgame.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Instead, what we get is a rather in depth discussion on the nature of time travel. Beerus is still convinced that by killing the present Zamasu, that all is resolved, but the future Trunks isn't so sure.
While having two separate timelines manages to avoid the myriad of headaches and paradoxes that come with time travel, this episode actually invokes a few, which was interesting to see. Future Trunks notes that if his timeline had been changed for the better, he would have had no reason to come back, and thus, shouldn't still be there.
He also takes the time to explain to his younger self how different his world was, noting that android 18 settled down and formed a family where as in his world, she was always evil and ruthless. It was a nice scene to have before the two parted company.
In fact, the whole good bye scene overall was well done. I was a little perplexed that Vegeta insisted that his future son never come back. You'd think he'd just shrug it off either way, though I suppose that with the pattern so far, his coming only means bad things: Androids, Cell, Black.
He does still agree to tag along with Goku, Trunks, and Bulma (who is needed to fly the time machine back), so clearly there is still some loyalty there.
Where the good bye scene worked, the subsequent scene didn't. After arriving in the unchanged future, the group receives word that Mai was hurt, as such it's up to Trunks to rush in and save her with a senzu bean.
It doesn't really add anything in the way of tension as it's introduced and resolved far too quickly; and seems like it was only there to eat up run time. I'm also not sure why he chewed the bean, then put it in her mouth via a kiss. Maybe they were trying to present a more realistic justification for the old fairy tale trope, but it comes out of nowhere. On top of that, spitting chewed food into somebody else's mouth is kind of gross. It works for birds, but no.
It does lead to an amusing gag where Goku is perplexed by the act, noting it's weird to press your mouth against another person's. Even Vegeta is confused and reminds Goku that he's married, but that doesn't seem to help clarify things at all. It's funny, though I could swear that Goku has kissed Chichi before. If not in Z, than in Dragon Ball when they were still young and their romance was still blossoming. I could be wrong there, but it does seem weird given that their mutual love for each other has been made apparent on several occasions.
It isn't long before Black and Zamasu detect the heroes and vice versa. There's a brief skirmish, but the scene is more about Black taunting the heroes, which is always fun. I said before that this episode reveals Black's identity and it turns out that Black is not Goten..or Turles, or Radditz, or Broly..... but Goku.
Well, Goku's body anyway. I've said on more than one occasion that I suspected some dark force was reanimating Goku's corpse. Between his line about looking forward to fighting Goku in that body and seeing Black clutch at his chest during the first fight with Goku, I assumed that it was the dead Goku from future Trunks' timeline, who we are reminded died of a heart virus before the androids attacked.
As it turns out, I was half right. Goku's dead body is being reanimated, but it seems to be a Goku from yet another timeline as the entity claims to have killed Goku in order to take his body.
So, who is it that's possessing Goku?
.....
Should I tell you? There are times where I feel like I'm being too liberal and care free with sometimes heavy spoiler information. Maybe I should hold off this time as to keep the surprise. On the other hand, the reveal itself warrants some discussion too...
Alright, I'll get into it, but before we do, I'll give you an official spoiler warning, so that those who haven't seen the episode and want to go in blind can still do so.
.......
........
........
Ready? We good? Alright, it's Zamasu. Yeah, not joking, that's who it is. There was one video (that you can see here) I saw that posited this theory that Black is actually Zamasu either from a different time period, or maybe a different timeline altogether. Turns out that he was on the money.
It was a decent fake out, though part of me was hoping that there was some other force at play. As it is, you could argue that it's a bit anti-climactic, given that Zamasu was the likely suspect since he first appeared. On the other hand, it does explain Zamasu's line about them being kindred spirits as opposed to allies.
At the same time, the risk of doing this much build up (and this effectively) is the likelihood that no reveal would have lived up. I have a feeling mileage is going to vary on this one.
Honestly, this was not quite the episode I was expecting. It took a lot longer for the characters to go to the future than I thought it would. The scenes were still interesting and heartfelt, though, so it worked. If anything dragged the episode down, it was the detour with Mai. The reveal is also up in the air, but at least it made good on the promise this time around, so that's certainly a plus.
I have a feeling that the next episode will give us a more in depth explanation, but again, this could be a point where the writers say that the viewers have all the information that they need and any unanswered questions can be left up to speculation.
At the very least, it looks like it will be more action heavy as it seems like the Zamasu pair are about to implement their endgame.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Saturday, October 1, 2016
'Luke Cage' episode 2: 'Code of the Streets'
This episode is something of a mixed bag. While I'd certainly mark it as weaker than its predecessor, there is still a lot to like here. By that same token, the flaws are more pronounced.
The first thing you notice is Luke's bizarre regression. After defending his landlord, you'd think that he would have committed to being a hero. He even notes that it felt good and gave him a sense of peace, yet he also has to be essentially press ganged by Pop in order to take action in not only finding the last remaining survivor from the shootout who had absconded with Stokes' cash, but in acting as an intermediary in order to negotiate a peaceful resolution.
Fortunately, the writing makes up for it by giving pretty much the entire cast more layers. We see that the barbershop ensemble are more than happy to engage in more intellectual pursuits: talking about poetry and playing chess. Misty Knight, the cop who Luke hooked up with last episode, is shown to be a skilled basketball player (a scene made more effective by the fact that Simone Missick was actually making the shots and it wasn't just camera editing to try and trick the viewer), and even Stokes gets to show some depth as he displays a strong code of honor, especially in the episode's final act.
While the dialogue and characterization were a strong point, tone wasn't, namely because the episode couldn't find one. Some parts were effective and dramatic, but there were points where it veered into being comically over the top. Was that pun intentional? I don't think so, but it's there none the less.
Take the scene when Stokes goes into the barbershop to get a shave. There's some tension, what with the main villain prone to violence being in a neighborhood sanctuary, but some of the dialogue was more silly and not intentionally so. Overall, it was a strong scene, largely thanks to Ali's performance, but without those drawbacks, it could have been much better.
Of course, the avuncular mentor figure has to bite the dust, because that is frequently how the hero's journey plays out. If for whatever reason, you didn't see it coming before going in, the episode throws up a couple of red flags that let you know where his plot line is going before it gets there. As a result, this doesn't really feel like a spoiler, though by all accounts, it probably should be labelled as such.
I was worried that the episode was going to re-do the schtick where a shooting would be overlapped with a musical number from a club performer as we see her singing while the goons' car approaches, but thankfully, the episode manages to avoid that. Doing it twice in a row would have been rather bizarre and would have certainly undercut the effectiveness of the scene.
You'd think his death would be a major emotional moment. It tries to be, no doubt, but it didn't work for me. Again, it suffers from being a little over the top, but at the same time, while I certainly liked the character, it seemed like it was too soon to get invested in him enough to warrant a tearjerker scene. As a result, we have to see the characters in mourning (even Stokes himself) to try to get the point across.
Turk's appearance was a nice touch. Just having him hang out in the barbershop probably would have been sufficient. It would have been a nice cameo to help sell the idea that all of these shows are fairly closely connected. The writers kicked it up a notch and had him actually play a pretty prominent role in the plot. His screen time is limited, but it's because of him that Luke is going to begin his conflict with Stokes in earnest.
As noted, this episode was a mixed bag. There's more than enough charm to get you through it, but it doesn't have the feeling of raising tension that it probably could have used. I'm not sure whether the next episode will feature the scene from the trailer where Luke barges into one of Stokes' strongholds. Given his rage, it could, but at the same time, that could also be the precursor to the final confrontation. I guess I'll just have to watch and find out.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
The first thing you notice is Luke's bizarre regression. After defending his landlord, you'd think that he would have committed to being a hero. He even notes that it felt good and gave him a sense of peace, yet he also has to be essentially press ganged by Pop in order to take action in not only finding the last remaining survivor from the shootout who had absconded with Stokes' cash, but in acting as an intermediary in order to negotiate a peaceful resolution.
Fortunately, the writing makes up for it by giving pretty much the entire cast more layers. We see that the barbershop ensemble are more than happy to engage in more intellectual pursuits: talking about poetry and playing chess. Misty Knight, the cop who Luke hooked up with last episode, is shown to be a skilled basketball player (a scene made more effective by the fact that Simone Missick was actually making the shots and it wasn't just camera editing to try and trick the viewer), and even Stokes gets to show some depth as he displays a strong code of honor, especially in the episode's final act.
While the dialogue and characterization were a strong point, tone wasn't, namely because the episode couldn't find one. Some parts were effective and dramatic, but there were points where it veered into being comically over the top. Was that pun intentional? I don't think so, but it's there none the less.
Take the scene when Stokes goes into the barbershop to get a shave. There's some tension, what with the main villain prone to violence being in a neighborhood sanctuary, but some of the dialogue was more silly and not intentionally so. Overall, it was a strong scene, largely thanks to Ali's performance, but without those drawbacks, it could have been much better.
Of course, the avuncular mentor figure has to bite the dust, because that is frequently how the hero's journey plays out. If for whatever reason, you didn't see it coming before going in, the episode throws up a couple of red flags that let you know where his plot line is going before it gets there. As a result, this doesn't really feel like a spoiler, though by all accounts, it probably should be labelled as such.
I was worried that the episode was going to re-do the schtick where a shooting would be overlapped with a musical number from a club performer as we see her singing while the goons' car approaches, but thankfully, the episode manages to avoid that. Doing it twice in a row would have been rather bizarre and would have certainly undercut the effectiveness of the scene.
You'd think his death would be a major emotional moment. It tries to be, no doubt, but it didn't work for me. Again, it suffers from being a little over the top, but at the same time, while I certainly liked the character, it seemed like it was too soon to get invested in him enough to warrant a tearjerker scene. As a result, we have to see the characters in mourning (even Stokes himself) to try to get the point across.
Turk's appearance was a nice touch. Just having him hang out in the barbershop probably would have been sufficient. It would have been a nice cameo to help sell the idea that all of these shows are fairly closely connected. The writers kicked it up a notch and had him actually play a pretty prominent role in the plot. His screen time is limited, but it's because of him that Luke is going to begin his conflict with Stokes in earnest.
As noted, this episode was a mixed bag. There's more than enough charm to get you through it, but it doesn't have the feeling of raising tension that it probably could have used. I'm not sure whether the next episode will feature the scene from the trailer where Luke barges into one of Stokes' strongholds. Given his rage, it could, but at the same time, that could also be the precursor to the final confrontation. I guess I'll just have to watch and find out.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Labels:
Luke Cage,
Marvel Cinematic Universe
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