Thus, the second season reaches its conclusion. The preceding episode set the stage rather well, and this manages to take that momentum and run with it, delivering another high octane episode that will be sure to leave an impression for quite a while.
As the last episode showed, the smiling titan that killed Eren's mother way back in the first episode makes its return, and it wants to know what Eren's favorite scary movie is. No, it doesn't do that. Good news, though, we got that obligatory reference out of the way. We can move on now.
Seeing his nemesis throws Eren into an understandable state of shock. Mikasa is too hurt to fight, so it seems like the pair are in a tight spot.
Fortunately, Hannes swoops in in a rather glorious big damn heroes moment to take the titan on head on. He's more than willing to avenge Eren's mother and give our protagonist the sense of closure and justice that he so desperately seeks.
Hannes actually does surprisingly well. He effectively dodges the smiling titan's swats and manages to land some significant strikes against the monster. Alas, it isn't enough and he gets eaten.
It's a pretty heavy moment on its own, but its made worse by the fact that Eren tried to transform, but was unable to. I assume he still needs more time to recover, though his titan power does have a habit of failing when he needs it most. Even with purpose and self inflicted pain, he still can't seem to trigger a transformation.
The extent to which Eren is willing to bite his thumb is jaw dropping. Not only does he start to bleed profusely, but we see him actually ripping chunks of flesh off his hand with his teeth. It's pretty gruesome.
Eren's reaction to the whole thing is, oddly enough, the stand out moment of the episode. He fluidly moves from fury to grief to laughter and back again. It's a very "Killing Joke"esque moment, as Eren notes the fact that nothing's changed after all these years. Eren's gone into furies and moments of self doubt before, but this one really takes the cake. He legitimately does seem like he's losing it.
True to form, Mikasa pulls him back, using their history and bond. It's a rather tender and heartfelt moment. You can still see the chaos going on around them, but they still take central focus. It almost looks like a culmination, as the two seem like they're about to kiss....only for Eren to pull back at the last second. He does re-enforce their friendship and stands between Mikasa and the titan, so he doesn't completely snub her, but it was still a pretty big idiot moment for him.
A few episodes ago, Reiner made reference to something called "the coordinate". It was the reason that they took Eren in the first place. At first, it sounded like Eren was the coordinate, but Reiner's dialogue suggests that it's something that Eren has. This led me to believe that the coordinate was whatever is in Eren's dad's basement that was said to be the key to everything (yeah, remember that plot point?)
This episode reveals just what the coordinate is and why Reiner insists that Eren is the last person who should have it. We see that if Eren is pissed off enough, he can actually take control of titans.
It was nice to get a definitive answer on that front. It would have been easy for the writers to just keep that dangling, but doling out useful information actually helps keep us engaged and allows for new issues and questions to be addressed.
We also quasi-confirm that titans are, in fact, humans. Levi's reaction to this is particularly interesting. He was more than happy to mow down titans en masse, but this reveal does not sit well with him. He doesn't crack to the extent that Eren did, but it's still clearly visible.
The second half of the episode is oddly structured. It's largely an epilogue showing the aftermath of the big battle. The fact that so many lost their lives just to get Eren back doesn't sit well with anybody. While it was a win, it didn't come without its own costs. It gives the episode a very somber, down note feel.
Then, all of a sudden, Erwin says that the discovery about the nature of the titans is a step towards the truth and that humanity can still turn the tide. Cue the sweeping music while everybody stands in badass "ready to fight" poses before the credits roll. It was a rather bizarre bit of mood whiplash that I don't think the episode pulled off very effectively. It was nice to end on a high note, but it didn't gel at all with what we had seen just prior to it.
All in all, this was a satisfying end to the season. It balanced strong character moments with big, epic battle sequences. It was all very well animated and the emotional cues hit their mark. It's a shame we have quite a wait before season 3 hits. On the plus side, though, I'll be able to watch and discuss those episodes as they come out. That should be fun.
As a whole, this season was a mixed bag. It did do a great job of giving some of the peripheral supporting characters more development. They don't blend into the background nearly as much and knowing who's who goes a long way towards keeping you invested in what's happening.
The downside, however, is that it felt like there was next to no plot advancement. Even new points that were brought in this season were never really touched on. Titans in the walls? Nope. Beast titan? Not really. The whole thing with the church? Historia's connection notwithstanding, no. I think the third season will go back to a 25 episode run, so hopefully they'll be able to make up the lost ground there. With the characters more established, it'll make future developments more compelling. That was a problem with the first season, but this may have gone too far in the other direction. Hopefully, season 3 will strike a better balance, what with the third time being the charm and all.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
'Attack on Titan' Season 2, Episode 11: 'Charge'
After the dud that was this episode's predecessor, this entry had quite a bit of slack to pick up as we come to the season's end. You'll be happy to know that it's up to the task.
It has compelling character drama, as multiple characters are torn between conflicting loyalties. We see it first with Ymir, as both Historia and Bertholdt try to sway her to their side. It's a proverbial devil vs angel on the shoulders situation and it works rather well.
We also get a "crowning moment of funny", as Ymir tries to coax Historia by saying that life outside the walls with the titans isn't as bad as she might think. Historia points out that it wouldn't be so bad, except for the titans trying to eat her. This alone would have been amusing enough, but Ymir clinches it by trying to minimize this fact and cite it as an annoyance that Historia should just get over.
Ultimately, though, I think the more effective instance of drama borne from torn loyalties is when the scouts arrive and confront Bertholdt. They try to appeal to his humanity and their friendship, pressing him on whether or not it was all a lie. Bertholdt's answer adds whole new layers to the story, as he reveals that he didn't want to do any of it and that he really did view the fellow scouts as comrades.
It makes the plot more complex, teases a bigger villain behind the scenes, and actually builds empathy for characters who you would otherwise categorize as ruthless, blood thirsty killers. It was a very effective plot twist on that front.
Heck, this theme even carries over to Historia herself, as she still pledges loyalty to Ymir. Even when the scouts rescue her, she insists that she be allowed to go back for Ymir's sake. It doesn't get quite as much attention, but it does round out the trifecta.
In addition to great character drama, the episode also delivers on action. We get scouts taking on titans, the scouts trying to take out Reiner, and the titans trying to take out Reiner. It's an all out brawl and it's glorious to witness. For all the chaos, you never lose track of what's happening. Credit to the animators and the directors because this could have easily turned into a mess.
Not surprisingly, Mikasa is a highlight. Oddly, this is probably one of her weaker showings as far as combat is concerned. She still lands some solid hits, but she also gets injured and caught off guard more frequently. Her status as highlight is more due to the fact that she is incredibly pissed off at Eren being taken away. It's frightening and awesome at the same time. It really enforces the fact that you do not want to hit the "Eren" button with her. They did that and it was not a good idea.
This episode did a great job of building up momentum for the season finale. Heck, it honestly could have been the season finale. The way it was structured and the way the episode ends, it would have been a great way to cap off the season. We'll just have to see if the next episode can follow through.
Guys, I'm going to be caught up. When the next season hits, I'll be able to keep up with it as I do "Dragon Ball Super". That was supposed to be the plan with this season, but clearly that didn't happen. It'll be great to have another semi-consistent "once a week" entry in the rotation. Of course, that won't be until next year, but still.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
It has compelling character drama, as multiple characters are torn between conflicting loyalties. We see it first with Ymir, as both Historia and Bertholdt try to sway her to their side. It's a proverbial devil vs angel on the shoulders situation and it works rather well.
We also get a "crowning moment of funny", as Ymir tries to coax Historia by saying that life outside the walls with the titans isn't as bad as she might think. Historia points out that it wouldn't be so bad, except for the titans trying to eat her. This alone would have been amusing enough, but Ymir clinches it by trying to minimize this fact and cite it as an annoyance that Historia should just get over.
Ultimately, though, I think the more effective instance of drama borne from torn loyalties is when the scouts arrive and confront Bertholdt. They try to appeal to his humanity and their friendship, pressing him on whether or not it was all a lie. Bertholdt's answer adds whole new layers to the story, as he reveals that he didn't want to do any of it and that he really did view the fellow scouts as comrades.
It makes the plot more complex, teases a bigger villain behind the scenes, and actually builds empathy for characters who you would otherwise categorize as ruthless, blood thirsty killers. It was a very effective plot twist on that front.
Heck, this theme even carries over to Historia herself, as she still pledges loyalty to Ymir. Even when the scouts rescue her, she insists that she be allowed to go back for Ymir's sake. It doesn't get quite as much attention, but it does round out the trifecta.
In addition to great character drama, the episode also delivers on action. We get scouts taking on titans, the scouts trying to take out Reiner, and the titans trying to take out Reiner. It's an all out brawl and it's glorious to witness. For all the chaos, you never lose track of what's happening. Credit to the animators and the directors because this could have easily turned into a mess.
Not surprisingly, Mikasa is a highlight. Oddly, this is probably one of her weaker showings as far as combat is concerned. She still lands some solid hits, but she also gets injured and caught off guard more frequently. Her status as highlight is more due to the fact that she is incredibly pissed off at Eren being taken away. It's frightening and awesome at the same time. It really enforces the fact that you do not want to hit the "Eren" button with her. They did that and it was not a good idea.
This episode did a great job of building up momentum for the season finale. Heck, it honestly could have been the season finale. The way it was structured and the way the episode ends, it would have been a great way to cap off the season. We'll just have to see if the next episode can follow through.
Guys, I'm going to be caught up. When the next season hits, I'll be able to keep up with it as I do "Dragon Ball Super". That was supposed to be the plan with this season, but clearly that didn't happen. It'll be great to have another semi-consistent "once a week" entry in the rotation. Of course, that won't be until next year, but still.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
'Attack on Titan' Season 2, Episode 10: 'Children'
With only a couple of episodes left, one might expect things to escalate in terms of tension, action, and general plot progression. This episode...doesn't really do any of that. It really does spend a large amount of time just spinning its wheels. I'm surprised at how little this episode has to show for the time it spent.
The crux of it boils down to Reiner and the others booking it when he spots the smoke signals from the scouts who have gone out to retrieve Eren.
I did get a kick out of Eren's fake out. Reiner tries to threaten Eren into submission, only to be met with a response that Eren is in no condition to fight back. Cue Eren attempting to beat Reiner with his stumps. He gets a few shots in, but it isn't long before Reiner regains the upper hand and puts him in a sleeper hold. I'm not sure if the attack was meant to be comedic, though I found it to be so. Still, credit for going for it, in any event.
Hearing Eren's grunts as he tried to wrestle free over Ymir's and Bertholdt's quieter character moment was an amusing background touch. It makes sense as they are in close proximity, but it also undercuts the drama. The fact that it's funny helps, but for those who like the quieter moments, you might find it unwelcome.
Ultimately, he is subdued and the group depart. This prompts a flashback which gives us Ymir's back story. It's an interesting one, though I do find it oddly placed. It turns out that she was taken in as an orphan by adults who groomed her to be some sort of god-queen in their cult. From the way she tells it, it wasn't so bad. She had creature comforts, but she also got fulfillment as her presence made an impact on others and allowed her to feel needed and important.
This comes to an end when a military raids the compound. It was kind of appalling how quick the leader was to sell Ymir out as the mastermind of the whole thing. I would've thought that Ymir would have quickly negated this with the truth, but she instead chooses to take the hit in order to save the others. It's a moot point as everyone is taken anyway, but still, credit where its due.
The episode reveals that this military group is the one who turned Ymir into a titan. You'd think that this would be some earth shattering revelation, but it's so downplayed that whatever shock you might have had never comes to the surface. Even in a larger context, it's anticlimactic as the origin of the titans was always one of the show's bigger questions. Just having it be humans that did it just results in an, "eh" from the viewer.
We do get a nice montage of past events from the series that allow us to get caught up to where Ymir is now. It makes the development feel more earned and resonates more than if it had just been random scenes that were not depicted prior.
Eventually, the episode does return to the present and things actually start to pick up. The scouts are hot on the group's heels and it seems like a major confrontation is about to go down. Ymir demands that she go back for Christa (who's political connections are important to the titans, apparently?) While Reiner does want to get the girl, he rebukes the offer until Ymir forces the issue.
I was wondering why Ymir made no attempt to overpower Bertholdt. Eren has an excuse, he's unconscious and tied up. Ymir not only has her arms free, but has them wrapped around Bertholdt's neck. You have to wonder why they thought it was a good idea to give her such an advantageous position. She eventually does and this is what allows her to go back.
At first, the scouts are relaxed, as they know that Ymir is on their side. In fact, they try to get information about the situation, but are only met with silence. I thought it was a stalling tactic, as Reiner and the others are still moving, but Ymir's endgame makes itself known when Christa approaches....and lands in Ymir's mouth.
I was initially caught off guard by this, but they made a point to frame this sequence very carefully. Ymir never chomps down. As such, it becomes clear to the viewer (though not to the scouts) that Christa is alive and well inside the titan's mouth.
It was an odd tactical gamble. Even though she didn't bite through the girl now, if a fight ensures, there is risk there. On the other hand, it does keep Ymir's hands free, allowing her more mobility. I think the biggest problem comes in the form of the scouts, who now view her as a traitor to humanity and are now out for blood in order to avenge the death of their fellow combatant.
This episode had moments here and there, but it really fell flat for me. Judging by the preview, the next episode should be more eventful. I'm definitely looking forward to that. The next two episodes should, hopefully, allow the season to end on more of a wham note.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
The crux of it boils down to Reiner and the others booking it when he spots the smoke signals from the scouts who have gone out to retrieve Eren.
I did get a kick out of Eren's fake out. Reiner tries to threaten Eren into submission, only to be met with a response that Eren is in no condition to fight back. Cue Eren attempting to beat Reiner with his stumps. He gets a few shots in, but it isn't long before Reiner regains the upper hand and puts him in a sleeper hold. I'm not sure if the attack was meant to be comedic, though I found it to be so. Still, credit for going for it, in any event.
Hearing Eren's grunts as he tried to wrestle free over Ymir's and Bertholdt's quieter character moment was an amusing background touch. It makes sense as they are in close proximity, but it also undercuts the drama. The fact that it's funny helps, but for those who like the quieter moments, you might find it unwelcome.
Ultimately, he is subdued and the group depart. This prompts a flashback which gives us Ymir's back story. It's an interesting one, though I do find it oddly placed. It turns out that she was taken in as an orphan by adults who groomed her to be some sort of god-queen in their cult. From the way she tells it, it wasn't so bad. She had creature comforts, but she also got fulfillment as her presence made an impact on others and allowed her to feel needed and important.
This comes to an end when a military raids the compound. It was kind of appalling how quick the leader was to sell Ymir out as the mastermind of the whole thing. I would've thought that Ymir would have quickly negated this with the truth, but she instead chooses to take the hit in order to save the others. It's a moot point as everyone is taken anyway, but still, credit where its due.
The episode reveals that this military group is the one who turned Ymir into a titan. You'd think that this would be some earth shattering revelation, but it's so downplayed that whatever shock you might have had never comes to the surface. Even in a larger context, it's anticlimactic as the origin of the titans was always one of the show's bigger questions. Just having it be humans that did it just results in an, "eh" from the viewer.
We do get a nice montage of past events from the series that allow us to get caught up to where Ymir is now. It makes the development feel more earned and resonates more than if it had just been random scenes that were not depicted prior.
Eventually, the episode does return to the present and things actually start to pick up. The scouts are hot on the group's heels and it seems like a major confrontation is about to go down. Ymir demands that she go back for Christa (who's political connections are important to the titans, apparently?) While Reiner does want to get the girl, he rebukes the offer until Ymir forces the issue.
I was wondering why Ymir made no attempt to overpower Bertholdt. Eren has an excuse, he's unconscious and tied up. Ymir not only has her arms free, but has them wrapped around Bertholdt's neck. You have to wonder why they thought it was a good idea to give her such an advantageous position. She eventually does and this is what allows her to go back.
At first, the scouts are relaxed, as they know that Ymir is on their side. In fact, they try to get information about the situation, but are only met with silence. I thought it was a stalling tactic, as Reiner and the others are still moving, but Ymir's endgame makes itself known when Christa approaches....and lands in Ymir's mouth.
I was initially caught off guard by this, but they made a point to frame this sequence very carefully. Ymir never chomps down. As such, it becomes clear to the viewer (though not to the scouts) that Christa is alive and well inside the titan's mouth.
It was an odd tactical gamble. Even though she didn't bite through the girl now, if a fight ensures, there is risk there. On the other hand, it does keep Ymir's hands free, allowing her more mobility. I think the biggest problem comes in the form of the scouts, who now view her as a traitor to humanity and are now out for blood in order to avenge the death of their fellow combatant.
This episode had moments here and there, but it really fell flat for me. Judging by the preview, the next episode should be more eventful. I'm definitely looking forward to that. The next two episodes should, hopefully, allow the season to end on more of a wham note.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Monday, August 28, 2017
'The Defenders' Episode 8: 'The Defenders'
Thus, the culmination of Marvel's "Phase one" of the Netflix wing of the shared universe comes to its conclusion. It went by quick, but I can say that it was a fun ride.
As to this episode, it certainly has its moments, but it isn't without problems either. A part of this could just be hype. I was excited for this, and any ending would fall short of expectation. Maybe, but at the same time, the episode did have issues.
While Luke does protest, the team does ultimately decide to go through with the plan to just blow up the building. Granted, they say that no innocents will be hurt, but it still seems like a pretty big line to cross. I'm also not sure how this ends the Hand for good. Don't they have global influence? I mean, yeah the dragon skeleton is under there, but they don't know that.
In either case, they have to get Danny first. Naturally, it means we get a big fight scene where the team takes on another group of ninja mooks. It's a fun sequence and there is a moment at about the halfway point where it looks like the four heroes are about to make their last stand, but considering that this is the "war for New York" that has been teased since the first season of "Daredevil", you might find it underwhelming.
Even the Hand's ultimate objective was rather blase all things considered. All the talk about the rising was just bunk. The shock wave seen in the first episode? Who knows? I'm also not sure how sucking the bone marrow out of a dragon skeleton is going to collapse the city. I mean, the thing is big, but not that big.
Again, because the fight takes place in a cave, lighting becomes an issue. It's frustrating, but at least you do get to see most of the memorable blows and hits.
The inclusion of a rap song was...jarring to say the least. I know a lot of people lambasted it...but I thought it kinda worked? In some ways it is out of place, I can't argue that, but hearing it while watching the team kick ass did make for fun watching.
We also finally get our 4 on 1 fight against Elektra. That undead ninja assassin is one tough cookie, let me tell you. That was cool to see. It was also interesting to see Jessica's fighting style improve. She's not a highly trained martial artist, but her punches look cleaner and she generally does a better job holding her own.
Colleen Wing fans will also be happy to see her get in on the action, taking on Bakuto in a one on one sword fight. I've seen people insist that she should be the defender instead of Danny, but I think it's clear at this point that she is essentially the fifth member. It's not really an either/or deal.
Speaking of fifth member, I was kind of disappointed that there was no appearance, or even mention of Frank Castle. If you're talking about going to war, he seems like a natural pick. I know I joked about it before, but I didn't really expect a Spider-Man appearance, but at least a mention would have been nice. Maybe that'll be something Marvel can work on later on down the line. I still think that a Spider-Man/Defenders team up not only seems natural, but maybe even inevitable.
But I digress, of course, ultimately the episode boils the final fight down to Matt vs. Elektra. The fight is more drawn out, but these two have a more personal connection, so in some ways the fight carries more weight. The whole thing was very reminiscent of "Return of the Jedi", with Matt trying to bring Elektra back into the light. Or, if that doesn't float your boat, think Batman at the end of "Batman Returns" with Selina. Cox really sells the sincerity in Matt's pleas and it gives the scenes the emotional umph they need to ascend beyond melodrama.
For Elektra's part, she initially scoffs at his naivete, but slowly seems to come back to the fold, though maybe not in the way Matt intended. Did anyone else find it odd that Elektra went from fearing death and never wanting to go back to insisting that she and Matt were destined to die together? It was a pretty drastic switch. Also, if she said that there is no afterlife and that there is only empty darkness beyond the mortal coil, than why would them dying together have any sort of symbolic meaning? Very strange. You could argue that she's nuts, but still.
I'm torn on the whole plot point regarding Matt's "death" (spoiler alert: he's not dead.) On the one hand, you could argue that it was a waste of time. "Daredevil" is getting a third season, so there's literally no tension from the viewer's perspective.
On the other hand, Matt's sacrifice does affect the other characters. Foggy, Claire, and Karen obviously; but even the other heroes are changed by what happened. There was some solid character growth and progression on that front. Luke and Jessica begin to mend fences and Danny finds new purpose in becoming New York's new street protector in Matt's absence. Hopefully, finding out that Matt's still alive won't undo that.
Really, I think the episode's biggest problem is the hand wave of the fact that the team blew up a building. The cops don't bother pressing charges? OK, it's nice that Luke won't be going back to jail, but that really strained suspension of disbelief. Even if they were going to argue it was in the defense of others (which they could honestly try, the cops did say that they were aware of the Hand before,) I don't think that the case would just be dropped like that.
All in all, though, I'd say the finale worked. It gave everybody a highlight, moved characters forward on several fronts, and closed the book on the Hand (theoretically anyway, though I'm not sure what else could be done with them at this point.) It'll be a couple of years, but I'm still hoping that the team can reunite for another adventure in the future.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
As to this episode, it certainly has its moments, but it isn't without problems either. A part of this could just be hype. I was excited for this, and any ending would fall short of expectation. Maybe, but at the same time, the episode did have issues.
While Luke does protest, the team does ultimately decide to go through with the plan to just blow up the building. Granted, they say that no innocents will be hurt, but it still seems like a pretty big line to cross. I'm also not sure how this ends the Hand for good. Don't they have global influence? I mean, yeah the dragon skeleton is under there, but they don't know that.
In either case, they have to get Danny first. Naturally, it means we get a big fight scene where the team takes on another group of ninja mooks. It's a fun sequence and there is a moment at about the halfway point where it looks like the four heroes are about to make their last stand, but considering that this is the "war for New York" that has been teased since the first season of "Daredevil", you might find it underwhelming.
Even the Hand's ultimate objective was rather blase all things considered. All the talk about the rising was just bunk. The shock wave seen in the first episode? Who knows? I'm also not sure how sucking the bone marrow out of a dragon skeleton is going to collapse the city. I mean, the thing is big, but not that big.
Again, because the fight takes place in a cave, lighting becomes an issue. It's frustrating, but at least you do get to see most of the memorable blows and hits.
The inclusion of a rap song was...jarring to say the least. I know a lot of people lambasted it...but I thought it kinda worked? In some ways it is out of place, I can't argue that, but hearing it while watching the team kick ass did make for fun watching.
We also finally get our 4 on 1 fight against Elektra. That undead ninja assassin is one tough cookie, let me tell you. That was cool to see. It was also interesting to see Jessica's fighting style improve. She's not a highly trained martial artist, but her punches look cleaner and she generally does a better job holding her own.
Colleen Wing fans will also be happy to see her get in on the action, taking on Bakuto in a one on one sword fight. I've seen people insist that she should be the defender instead of Danny, but I think it's clear at this point that she is essentially the fifth member. It's not really an either/or deal.
Speaking of fifth member, I was kind of disappointed that there was no appearance, or even mention of Frank Castle. If you're talking about going to war, he seems like a natural pick. I know I joked about it before, but I didn't really expect a Spider-Man appearance, but at least a mention would have been nice. Maybe that'll be something Marvel can work on later on down the line. I still think that a Spider-Man/Defenders team up not only seems natural, but maybe even inevitable.
But I digress, of course, ultimately the episode boils the final fight down to Matt vs. Elektra. The fight is more drawn out, but these two have a more personal connection, so in some ways the fight carries more weight. The whole thing was very reminiscent of "Return of the Jedi", with Matt trying to bring Elektra back into the light. Or, if that doesn't float your boat, think Batman at the end of "Batman Returns" with Selina. Cox really sells the sincerity in Matt's pleas and it gives the scenes the emotional umph they need to ascend beyond melodrama.
For Elektra's part, she initially scoffs at his naivete, but slowly seems to come back to the fold, though maybe not in the way Matt intended. Did anyone else find it odd that Elektra went from fearing death and never wanting to go back to insisting that she and Matt were destined to die together? It was a pretty drastic switch. Also, if she said that there is no afterlife and that there is only empty darkness beyond the mortal coil, than why would them dying together have any sort of symbolic meaning? Very strange. You could argue that she's nuts, but still.
I'm torn on the whole plot point regarding Matt's "death" (spoiler alert: he's not dead.) On the one hand, you could argue that it was a waste of time. "Daredevil" is getting a third season, so there's literally no tension from the viewer's perspective.
On the other hand, Matt's sacrifice does affect the other characters. Foggy, Claire, and Karen obviously; but even the other heroes are changed by what happened. There was some solid character growth and progression on that front. Luke and Jessica begin to mend fences and Danny finds new purpose in becoming New York's new street protector in Matt's absence. Hopefully, finding out that Matt's still alive won't undo that.
Really, I think the episode's biggest problem is the hand wave of the fact that the team blew up a building. The cops don't bother pressing charges? OK, it's nice that Luke won't be going back to jail, but that really strained suspension of disbelief. Even if they were going to argue it was in the defense of others (which they could honestly try, the cops did say that they were aware of the Hand before,) I don't think that the case would just be dropped like that.
All in all, though, I'd say the finale worked. It gave everybody a highlight, moved characters forward on several fronts, and closed the book on the Hand (theoretically anyway, though I'm not sure what else could be done with them at this point.) It'll be a couple of years, but I'm still hoping that the team can reunite for another adventure in the future.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Sunday, August 27, 2017
'Dragon Ball Super' Episode 105: 'A Desperate Battle! Master Roshi's Sacrifice!'
This episode opens with the twin Zen'o's doing a quick head count of how many fighters are left. Honestly, it would've been nice to know, but alas the most powerful deities in existence can't count past five. It fits with the child-like mentality, but it's still a tad unsettling. On a meta-level, it feels like a way to fill out the clock. I mean, the joke wasn't that funny and it felt like it went on for quite a while. We do get a half-hearted answer when Roshi notes that it's less than half.
Roshi himself becomes the central focus of the episode, as he takes on multiple fighters from universe 4. Mook chivalry seems to apply as one only enters the battlefield after their predecessor has been eliminated, so that worked in his favor.
The first challenger is a young female fighter (apparently named Caway, though I don't recall it coming up in the episode proper.) While she seems to be a capable fighter, she is quick to fall back on using her looks to attempt to distract her opponents, especially when it looks like she's going to be no match for Roshi.
Now, you might recall that Roshi went out of his way to mentally train himself to overcome this sort of temptation and think that he'll be fine. Even Krillin jumps to that conclusion, only to see Roshi's resolve break. To the old man's credit, he holds out better than he would have pre-training, so it's not like it was a total bust. Also, it was funny.
Luckily, Roshi's able to snap out of it just in time to catch the girl's oncoming attack and deliver a monologue that frightens her into running out of the ring. I'm not sure if his dialogue was meant to be double entendre, but him talking about pent up energy and how he's going to unleash it on her really made it sound that way. Considering her response is to yell that he would make her unsuitable for a wife, it's quite probable.
Roshi's second opponent is another woman named Dercori. Her specialty is talismans and she uses them to cast illusions. Unlike Mysterio, she can do more than that and notes that a portion of her attacks are legit, meaning that the danger is still quite real.
This was a fun sequence, though the episode doesn't play with it as much as they could have. We do see Roshi running around the giant pole and a giant demonic iteration of Dercori smack him down at one point, but this fight is resolved all too quickly.
Interestingly, Roshi thinks himself the best person to take her on, as the other fighters (like,say, Goku) are too straight forward and have trouble with a fight like this. Even though Dercori's latest spell renders him unable to move, Roshi dispatches her with a mafuba attack.
Considering the attack requires a vessel to contain the person on the receiving end, I was surprised that this was acceptable. Even Quitela notes that it's technically using an outside item and should fall outside the parameters of the tournament rules. While I side with him, in all honesty, the zen'os decide that it's fair..mostly because they thought it looked cool. The exhibition matches did set up that they were not above tweaking rules for their own entertainment, so I can't say that it felt out of place.
The third and final challenger for Roshi is Ganos, the young boy who acted as universe 4's spy back before the tournament started.
At first it seems like yet another curb stomp battle in Roshi's favor, as the old man can easily dodge Ganos' attacks. The tide does start to turn, however, as Ganos unleashes a new form and reveals that he gets stronger as time goes on.
The transformation sequence was effective, kind of reminiscent of the Hulk. Alas, the form itself looks rather silly. It's like a chicken/duck billed platypus type form. Even though it gives Roshi a good run for his money, I could never take it seriously. Seeing the dramatic dialogue come from that face just robbed it of any gravitas.
In any event, Roshi has to think fast and essentially casts the sleep spell. I'm curious if this is an ability he's used before. I'd prefer it if it were something seen in "Dragon Ball", but using hypnosis isn't so far out of left field that I'd call BS on it. It was actually a kind of creepy sequence too, so it gets points for that.
Alas, Ganos is able to make his saving throw and counters the effect by attacking himself back into consciousness.
I liked Ganos' tip of his hat to Roshi. He commends Roshi and notes that he was likely a great fighter back in the day, but his prime is past and he should forfeit now. Not surprisingly, Roshi doesn't want to do this and responds with a kamehameha.
The way the scene plays, it seems clear that this is a last ditch effort on Roshi's part. His dialogue further reinforces this, as he commends his former pupils and thanks them for all they've taught him. Sure enough, when the wave is over and Ganos is out, Roshi falls unconscious.
I figured that was all, but the looks on Goku's and Krillin's faces suggest otherwise. Both are eager to tend to their teacher; Krillin even wanting to jump back into the ring to do so. While it takes a bit of effort, Goku is able to reach him and immediately begins performing Ki-P-R.
This was a tense and emotional scene that was played really well. Goku's and Krillin's concern was palpable and you could see the weight of the loss when it looks like Goku was unable to revive him.
Of course, he's fine, though. Is it weird that I was disappointed that they did that? I mean, Roshi dying would have made this a hell of a wham downer episode. You could say that, of course he was going to be OK; but the way the scene played out I honestly thought his death was a distinct possibility, so kudos to the episode for pulling that off as well as they did.
All in all, this was a fun episode. Keeping the episode focused on one character as they fight seems to be working well, though it is still weird how people are able to fight one on one largely uninterrupted. Seeing Goku at least try to help mitigated that somewhat, though there are still other fighters in play. Still, we got to see Roshi be awesome and do significant damage to universe 4's roster. Three fighters in one go is pretty impressive, old man or not.
Judging by the preview for the next episode, it's going to be a fun one; as the whole team faces off against an unseen sniper. I'm looking forward to it.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Roshi himself becomes the central focus of the episode, as he takes on multiple fighters from universe 4. Mook chivalry seems to apply as one only enters the battlefield after their predecessor has been eliminated, so that worked in his favor.
The first challenger is a young female fighter (apparently named Caway, though I don't recall it coming up in the episode proper.) While she seems to be a capable fighter, she is quick to fall back on using her looks to attempt to distract her opponents, especially when it looks like she's going to be no match for Roshi.
Now, you might recall that Roshi went out of his way to mentally train himself to overcome this sort of temptation and think that he'll be fine. Even Krillin jumps to that conclusion, only to see Roshi's resolve break. To the old man's credit, he holds out better than he would have pre-training, so it's not like it was a total bust. Also, it was funny.
Luckily, Roshi's able to snap out of it just in time to catch the girl's oncoming attack and deliver a monologue that frightens her into running out of the ring. I'm not sure if his dialogue was meant to be double entendre, but him talking about pent up energy and how he's going to unleash it on her really made it sound that way. Considering her response is to yell that he would make her unsuitable for a wife, it's quite probable.
Roshi's second opponent is another woman named Dercori. Her specialty is talismans and she uses them to cast illusions. Unlike Mysterio, she can do more than that and notes that a portion of her attacks are legit, meaning that the danger is still quite real.
This was a fun sequence, though the episode doesn't play with it as much as they could have. We do see Roshi running around the giant pole and a giant demonic iteration of Dercori smack him down at one point, but this fight is resolved all too quickly.
Interestingly, Roshi thinks himself the best person to take her on, as the other fighters (like,say, Goku) are too straight forward and have trouble with a fight like this. Even though Dercori's latest spell renders him unable to move, Roshi dispatches her with a mafuba attack.
Considering the attack requires a vessel to contain the person on the receiving end, I was surprised that this was acceptable. Even Quitela notes that it's technically using an outside item and should fall outside the parameters of the tournament rules. While I side with him, in all honesty, the zen'os decide that it's fair..mostly because they thought it looked cool. The exhibition matches did set up that they were not above tweaking rules for their own entertainment, so I can't say that it felt out of place.
The third and final challenger for Roshi is Ganos, the young boy who acted as universe 4's spy back before the tournament started.
At first it seems like yet another curb stomp battle in Roshi's favor, as the old man can easily dodge Ganos' attacks. The tide does start to turn, however, as Ganos unleashes a new form and reveals that he gets stronger as time goes on.
The transformation sequence was effective, kind of reminiscent of the Hulk. Alas, the form itself looks rather silly. It's like a chicken/duck billed platypus type form. Even though it gives Roshi a good run for his money, I could never take it seriously. Seeing the dramatic dialogue come from that face just robbed it of any gravitas.
In any event, Roshi has to think fast and essentially casts the sleep spell. I'm curious if this is an ability he's used before. I'd prefer it if it were something seen in "Dragon Ball", but using hypnosis isn't so far out of left field that I'd call BS on it. It was actually a kind of creepy sequence too, so it gets points for that.
Alas, Ganos is able to make his saving throw and counters the effect by attacking himself back into consciousness.
I liked Ganos' tip of his hat to Roshi. He commends Roshi and notes that he was likely a great fighter back in the day, but his prime is past and he should forfeit now. Not surprisingly, Roshi doesn't want to do this and responds with a kamehameha.
The way the scene plays, it seems clear that this is a last ditch effort on Roshi's part. His dialogue further reinforces this, as he commends his former pupils and thanks them for all they've taught him. Sure enough, when the wave is over and Ganos is out, Roshi falls unconscious.
I figured that was all, but the looks on Goku's and Krillin's faces suggest otherwise. Both are eager to tend to their teacher; Krillin even wanting to jump back into the ring to do so. While it takes a bit of effort, Goku is able to reach him and immediately begins performing Ki-P-R.
This was a tense and emotional scene that was played really well. Goku's and Krillin's concern was palpable and you could see the weight of the loss when it looks like Goku was unable to revive him.
Of course, he's fine, though. Is it weird that I was disappointed that they did that? I mean, Roshi dying would have made this a hell of a wham downer episode. You could say that, of course he was going to be OK; but the way the scene played out I honestly thought his death was a distinct possibility, so kudos to the episode for pulling that off as well as they did.
All in all, this was a fun episode. Keeping the episode focused on one character as they fight seems to be working well, though it is still weird how people are able to fight one on one largely uninterrupted. Seeing Goku at least try to help mitigated that somewhat, though there are still other fighters in play. Still, we got to see Roshi be awesome and do significant damage to universe 4's roster. Three fighters in one go is pretty impressive, old man or not.
Judging by the preview for the next episode, it's going to be a fun one; as the whole team faces off against an unseen sniper. I'm looking forward to it.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Saturday, August 26, 2017
'The Mist' Episode 10: 'The Tenth Meal'
And thus, the first season comes to an end. It does so, not with a bang...but not exactly a whimper either. There are parts that are good and continue to show promise, while other parts are just really, really, really stupid.
I was kind of disappointed that the episode didn't do more with the Alex/Eve/Adrian/Jay locked in a room together scenario. It seemed like they could have built up tension as the truth slowly came out, but alas, the episode dodges it. Adrian's logic behind beating Jay down with a can of paint (by the way...ow) is sound, but it still felt like a missed opportunity to me.
You really can't help but feel bad for Jay during this episode. He really does get put through the ringer. His "farewell" scene with his newly arrived dad was actually one of the episode's genuine highlights. It was heart wrenching. It seemed like he knew what his dad was planning, but it could have been genuine confusion, I don't know. You really felt for both parties, it was well done. What happens in the episode's closing act just makes it that much more so.
Another highlight was watching Kevin beat the crap out of Adrian. Not going to lie, that was satisfying and incredibly entertaining. A part of me was expecting Adrian to turn the tables, but Kevin never gave him the chance. All Adrian could do was create a distraction that allowed him to escape.
I also rather enjoyed the moment when Natalie arrives at the mall and starts talking. The look on everybody else's face as she starts talking about being nature's messenger and how she learned it from a spider really shows how far off her mental state has wandered. It was a small moment, but I got a kick out of it.
Sadly, a lot of the episode's remainder falls flat. The Jonah/newly revealed subordinate subplot was probably the most vexing. Here was a chance for the writers to lay out some big reveals, but they instead decided to keep mum and try to hold the mystery. In some instances that works, but this wasn't one of them. The answers could easily be given now, but the narrative won't allow people to talk, so we won't get them. It's lazy.
We do see the mist make one of its biggest moves yet. It kills a bunch of people while Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" plays. You might roll your eyes at the song's inclusion, as it seems like the song is often set to scenes like this, but it is a damn good song, so I'll commend them for including it.
The massacre just shows, though, how inconsistent the mist is. Even after all this time it's still in "it does whatever the plot needs it to do" mode. We've seen characters running through it multiple times with no problem. Here, though, it turns into some ruthless murder machine that kills people en masse in rapid succession. It would be chilling, but the monster is so ill defined that it's hard to get behind.
It turns out that not even Alex and Natalie are safe from it. Where the mist actively avoided killing them before, it has no problems doing so here. I said before that the writers have no clue what they want to do with the mist and this episode just proves it. They're just throwing random stuff out there, hoping that it will make sense later. Shows like "Lost" and "The X-Files" have been accused of a similar thing, but those were sooo much more tolerable than this is.
The episode's ending honestly could have fit a series finale. It ends much like the story, with a group of characters escaping the crazy and driving off to see if the mist is finite. I would have been happy with that. I was kind of hoping that when the characters stopped and looked out the windshield in awe that we would see that six legged leviathan like in the movie; but alas, no dice.
Of course, the show wants a second season so it ends on a cliffhanger that reveals that the military is "feeding" the mist...prisoners, I think they were? I can buy the military accidentally opening a hole in reality through some sort of experiment or them trying to create some chemical or biological weapon that goes horribly awry, but this seems like it's straining credibility by a wide margin.
Do I want a second season? No, not particularly. I don't think the show did enough to warrant one. I don't even care if the cliffhanger goes unresolved. There are some shows where that unresolved cliffhanger becomes incredibly frustrating (see "Sonic SatAM" or, until recently, "Young Justice".) This, however, is not one of them. I'm more than happy to see this get left behind, but we'll see what Spike decides to do.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
I was kind of disappointed that the episode didn't do more with the Alex/Eve/Adrian/Jay locked in a room together scenario. It seemed like they could have built up tension as the truth slowly came out, but alas, the episode dodges it. Adrian's logic behind beating Jay down with a can of paint (by the way...ow) is sound, but it still felt like a missed opportunity to me.
You really can't help but feel bad for Jay during this episode. He really does get put through the ringer. His "farewell" scene with his newly arrived dad was actually one of the episode's genuine highlights. It was heart wrenching. It seemed like he knew what his dad was planning, but it could have been genuine confusion, I don't know. You really felt for both parties, it was well done. What happens in the episode's closing act just makes it that much more so.
Another highlight was watching Kevin beat the crap out of Adrian. Not going to lie, that was satisfying and incredibly entertaining. A part of me was expecting Adrian to turn the tables, but Kevin never gave him the chance. All Adrian could do was create a distraction that allowed him to escape.
I also rather enjoyed the moment when Natalie arrives at the mall and starts talking. The look on everybody else's face as she starts talking about being nature's messenger and how she learned it from a spider really shows how far off her mental state has wandered. It was a small moment, but I got a kick out of it.
Sadly, a lot of the episode's remainder falls flat. The Jonah/newly revealed subordinate subplot was probably the most vexing. Here was a chance for the writers to lay out some big reveals, but they instead decided to keep mum and try to hold the mystery. In some instances that works, but this wasn't one of them. The answers could easily be given now, but the narrative won't allow people to talk, so we won't get them. It's lazy.
We do see the mist make one of its biggest moves yet. It kills a bunch of people while Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" plays. You might roll your eyes at the song's inclusion, as it seems like the song is often set to scenes like this, but it is a damn good song, so I'll commend them for including it.
The massacre just shows, though, how inconsistent the mist is. Even after all this time it's still in "it does whatever the plot needs it to do" mode. We've seen characters running through it multiple times with no problem. Here, though, it turns into some ruthless murder machine that kills people en masse in rapid succession. It would be chilling, but the monster is so ill defined that it's hard to get behind.
It turns out that not even Alex and Natalie are safe from it. Where the mist actively avoided killing them before, it has no problems doing so here. I said before that the writers have no clue what they want to do with the mist and this episode just proves it. They're just throwing random stuff out there, hoping that it will make sense later. Shows like "Lost" and "The X-Files" have been accused of a similar thing, but those were sooo much more tolerable than this is.
The episode's ending honestly could have fit a series finale. It ends much like the story, with a group of characters escaping the crazy and driving off to see if the mist is finite. I would have been happy with that. I was kind of hoping that when the characters stopped and looked out the windshield in awe that we would see that six legged leviathan like in the movie; but alas, no dice.
Of course, the show wants a second season so it ends on a cliffhanger that reveals that the military is "feeding" the mist...prisoners, I think they were? I can buy the military accidentally opening a hole in reality through some sort of experiment or them trying to create some chemical or biological weapon that goes horribly awry, but this seems like it's straining credibility by a wide margin.
Do I want a second season? No, not particularly. I don't think the show did enough to warrant one. I don't even care if the cliffhanger goes unresolved. There are some shows where that unresolved cliffhanger becomes incredibly frustrating (see "Sonic SatAM" or, until recently, "Young Justice".) This, however, is not one of them. I'm more than happy to see this get left behind, but we'll see what Spike decides to do.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Friday, August 25, 2017
'The Defenders' Episode 7: 'Fish in the Jailhouse'
We've already hit the show's penultimate episode. It's hard to believe, really. It seems like we just started, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
With time running out, the heroes have to confront one of their deadliest adversaries yet, government bureaucracy and protocols! After the events of last episode, all three non-captive heroes wake up in police custody. Much is made of the fact that two dead bodies were in their proximity and the cops are intent to figure out what happened.
It does lead to a lot of good character interaction, though for the second to last episode, you can't be faulted for feeling like this is taking up time. I imagine that the idea was to impede the heroes when they need to be out there the most, but there wasn't that sense of tension.
I do wonder why everyone was so reluctant to open up. Just say the old guy killed the headless guy and that the woman who killed John Raymond killed him later. It's not like they have anything to hide as far as those two are concerned.
The "you wouldn't believe me if I told you" line also falls flat. In an otherwise real world setting sure, but this is a world that has seen aliens, killer robots, and a magic cube that glows and does stuff. They know of Hydra, really this isn't that far outside the realm of possibility anymore.
It does allow for some nice debates about the battle between being lawful and being good. The trio want to stop the Hand, but the cops want to do it by the book.
Speaking of the Hand, I did find it a little weird that the cops have been "tailing" them for months. I could buy them thinking that they're going after the yakuza or some two-bit crime ring, but I'd think that the Hand has been doing this long enough that they should be able to fly under the legal system's respective radars. Considering the police think that they can handle this, that might be the impression that they have.
It ends up putting the heroes on the wrong side of the law, as they have to bust out and mark themselves as fugitives. It's fitting, I suppose, though I do wonder if it was necessary. Daredevil was already at odds with the cops, so nothing's really changed for him, but this will certainly have ramifications for the other two going forward. I do hope that Luke doesn't end up back in prison. Seeing as that's how his show ended, and how he was bailed out, it would be kind of ridiculous to end this series by throwing him back in. I guess it would maintain the status quo, but it would turn into the wrong kind of running gag.
While the Elektra vs. the remaining members of the Hand confrontation fizzled, the latter do get a better showing when they confront the three heroes after they arrive at Midland. We've seen Murakami and Bakuto fight, but seeing Gao get in on it was a rather interesting treat.
Up until now Luke's and Jessica's rougher fighting styles haven't fared well against the ninjas, but here the good ol' fisticuffs fare much better. It's just a shame that the room is so dimly lit that it seems like you can only catch glimpses here and there. You can see enough of the highlights, thankfully, but it is frustrating to see otherwise entertaining fight sequences hampered by the same albatross.
It's made worse by the fact that the Iron Fist/Elektra showdown does the exact same thing. Oh, and the episode jumps back and forth between the two dimly lit fight sequences. That definitely helped things.
Again, though, I feel like Danny should have fared better. I buy it a bit more with Elektra. She has superhuman strength and reflexes, enough to knock out Luke and Jessica with no effort. Still, for someone who's trained his whole life at this, it seems like he can barely hold his own in most fights.
Going back to the lighting, however, it also ruins what should be one of the show's big wham moments, as Danny wakes up after unwittingly opening the door to K'un L'un in the skeleton of a dragon. He's blown away, but we can barely make out what it is. You can see the rib cage, but if other websites hadn't specifically said that that was a dragon skeleton, I would not have come to that conclusion.
On the plus side, this could be laying the ground work for a Fin Fang Foom appearance or at least a mention, right?
Sadly, for the second to last episode, this one was probably one of the weaker entries to date. It had sparks here and there, but coming after what we'd seen before and trying to set up the big finale, it leaves quite a bit to be desired.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
With time running out, the heroes have to confront one of their deadliest adversaries yet, government bureaucracy and protocols! After the events of last episode, all three non-captive heroes wake up in police custody. Much is made of the fact that two dead bodies were in their proximity and the cops are intent to figure out what happened.
It does lead to a lot of good character interaction, though for the second to last episode, you can't be faulted for feeling like this is taking up time. I imagine that the idea was to impede the heroes when they need to be out there the most, but there wasn't that sense of tension.
I do wonder why everyone was so reluctant to open up. Just say the old guy killed the headless guy and that the woman who killed John Raymond killed him later. It's not like they have anything to hide as far as those two are concerned.
The "you wouldn't believe me if I told you" line also falls flat. In an otherwise real world setting sure, but this is a world that has seen aliens, killer robots, and a magic cube that glows and does stuff. They know of Hydra, really this isn't that far outside the realm of possibility anymore.
It does allow for some nice debates about the battle between being lawful and being good. The trio want to stop the Hand, but the cops want to do it by the book.
Speaking of the Hand, I did find it a little weird that the cops have been "tailing" them for months. I could buy them thinking that they're going after the yakuza or some two-bit crime ring, but I'd think that the Hand has been doing this long enough that they should be able to fly under the legal system's respective radars. Considering the police think that they can handle this, that might be the impression that they have.
It ends up putting the heroes on the wrong side of the law, as they have to bust out and mark themselves as fugitives. It's fitting, I suppose, though I do wonder if it was necessary. Daredevil was already at odds with the cops, so nothing's really changed for him, but this will certainly have ramifications for the other two going forward. I do hope that Luke doesn't end up back in prison. Seeing as that's how his show ended, and how he was bailed out, it would be kind of ridiculous to end this series by throwing him back in. I guess it would maintain the status quo, but it would turn into the wrong kind of running gag.
While the Elektra vs. the remaining members of the Hand confrontation fizzled, the latter do get a better showing when they confront the three heroes after they arrive at Midland. We've seen Murakami and Bakuto fight, but seeing Gao get in on it was a rather interesting treat.
Up until now Luke's and Jessica's rougher fighting styles haven't fared well against the ninjas, but here the good ol' fisticuffs fare much better. It's just a shame that the room is so dimly lit that it seems like you can only catch glimpses here and there. You can see enough of the highlights, thankfully, but it is frustrating to see otherwise entertaining fight sequences hampered by the same albatross.
It's made worse by the fact that the Iron Fist/Elektra showdown does the exact same thing. Oh, and the episode jumps back and forth between the two dimly lit fight sequences. That definitely helped things.
Again, though, I feel like Danny should have fared better. I buy it a bit more with Elektra. She has superhuman strength and reflexes, enough to knock out Luke and Jessica with no effort. Still, for someone who's trained his whole life at this, it seems like he can barely hold his own in most fights.
Going back to the lighting, however, it also ruins what should be one of the show's big wham moments, as Danny wakes up after unwittingly opening the door to K'un L'un in the skeleton of a dragon. He's blown away, but we can barely make out what it is. You can see the rib cage, but if other websites hadn't specifically said that that was a dragon skeleton, I would not have come to that conclusion.
On the plus side, this could be laying the ground work for a Fin Fang Foom appearance or at least a mention, right?
Sadly, for the second to last episode, this one was probably one of the weaker entries to date. It had sparks here and there, but coming after what we'd seen before and trying to set up the big finale, it leaves quite a bit to be desired.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Thursday, August 24, 2017
'Attack on Titan' Season 2, Episode 9: 'Opening'
This episode sets its focus on Eren and Ymir, as they remain captives of Reiner and Bertholdt. They spend the episode up in a tree waiting for night to fall. It leads to a dialogue heavy episode, but one that keeps the tension up well enough, regardless.
There were points in the episode where it seemed to be taking a cue from "Death Note". Ymir prevents Eren from transforming by noting several titans lurking in spots and Eren spends a lot of time weighing his options in order to determine his best means of escape. Considering Eren's tendency to fly off the handle, it was an impressive bout of self control. The timing is especially amusing as I'm currently working on the re-reviews for that show after the Examiner write ups were destroyed when the site went under.
Sadly, for all the talk, we don't learn a whole lot. It doesn't seem annoyingly cryptic as you're watching it, but looking back, it seems like it could have given us more answers than we got.
Bertholdt says literally nothing and Reiner isn't in a particularly chatty mood. He won't even give them a reason as to why they even stopped in the first place. It's implied to be fatigue, but it's never confirmed one way or the other.
We do see that Reiner is legitimately losing it. It's one thing for him to get worked up over something that ticks him off, but even in more docile moments he's not all there. His talk about getting promoted implies that the titans have some sort of chain of command, but it turns out he just can't keep the sides straight anymore. Once again, nothing is confirmed, but Ymir suggests that his cover went too deep and now he is suffering from a sort of split personality as a result of feeling guilty for the lives he's taken and ruined.
It should come as no surprise that Eren is a little light on sympathy for these two. After all, most of the calamities are a result of their actions way back in the first episode. If anything, it seems to tick Eren off more. Again, the sense of betrayal is palpable and it works a lot better here with characters we've come to know.
A lot of focus is put on Reiner's mental instability, but there are points where Eren looks even crazier. He's often seething or staring with his eyes freakishly wide open. You really wonder if the day will come when he cracks completely.
Even though nothing particularly happens, the animosity and fractured mental states make up for it in many respects. It also plants seeds for future plot reveals, but it could have taken some time to tend to the plot threads that are already established before it started throwing out more questions.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
There were points in the episode where it seemed to be taking a cue from "Death Note". Ymir prevents Eren from transforming by noting several titans lurking in spots and Eren spends a lot of time weighing his options in order to determine his best means of escape. Considering Eren's tendency to fly off the handle, it was an impressive bout of self control. The timing is especially amusing as I'm currently working on the re-reviews for that show after the Examiner write ups were destroyed when the site went under.
Sadly, for all the talk, we don't learn a whole lot. It doesn't seem annoyingly cryptic as you're watching it, but looking back, it seems like it could have given us more answers than we got.
Bertholdt says literally nothing and Reiner isn't in a particularly chatty mood. He won't even give them a reason as to why they even stopped in the first place. It's implied to be fatigue, but it's never confirmed one way or the other.
We do see that Reiner is legitimately losing it. It's one thing for him to get worked up over something that ticks him off, but even in more docile moments he's not all there. His talk about getting promoted implies that the titans have some sort of chain of command, but it turns out he just can't keep the sides straight anymore. Once again, nothing is confirmed, but Ymir suggests that his cover went too deep and now he is suffering from a sort of split personality as a result of feeling guilty for the lives he's taken and ruined.
It should come as no surprise that Eren is a little light on sympathy for these two. After all, most of the calamities are a result of their actions way back in the first episode. If anything, it seems to tick Eren off more. Again, the sense of betrayal is palpable and it works a lot better here with characters we've come to know.
A lot of focus is put on Reiner's mental instability, but there are points where Eren looks even crazier. He's often seething or staring with his eyes freakishly wide open. You really wonder if the day will come when he cracks completely.
Even though nothing particularly happens, the animosity and fractured mental states make up for it in many respects. It also plants seeds for future plot reveals, but it could have taken some time to tend to the plot threads that are already established before it started throwing out more questions.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
'The Defenders' Episode 6: 'Ashes, Ashes'
Man, Marvel sure does love having its heroes fighting each other. At face value, it makes sense with this group as they aren't quite as sociable and idealistic, but the Avengers have done it multiple times now. As such, it doesn't really feel like much of a contrast.
The motivation is also a bit lacking. The heroes coming to the conclusion that Danny should be sidelined makes some degree of sense, but they make it seem as if they wish him bodily harm. Everybody starts lurking around him menacingly when they could very easily make the case in a more diplomatic fashion that doesn't make him feel like the enemy. Heck, Luke and Danny do a rather good job of making their respective cases later anyway. It just seems like they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble.
At least the Daredevil/Iron Fist fight was cool, though. I kind of feel like Danny should have fared better, but he still held his own well enough. It actually took the intervention of the others to ultimately knock him out so that they could tie him to a chair. It was also interesting to see that the shock wave seen in the trailer was the work of Danny and not the Hand. It was a nice fake out that was supported by the "earthquake" seen back in the first episode.
Danny doesn't completely sit this one out...get it? He's tied to a chair....Anyway, his situation actually allows him to share a scene with Luke while Matt and Jessica try to follow up on a lead related to Midland and the giant hole that Matt and Elektra found.
Colter and Jones play off each other rather well, the scene is also well written, and it makes for one of the episode's highlights. After Luke and Danny each get their respective individual second seasons, Netflix should think about consolidating those two shows into a Luke Cage/Iron Fist team up series. It would save them a bit of money while also giving us more Marvel street hero action. At the very least, I see the two having quite a bit of overlap in the years to come.
Matt and Jessica also seem to be bonding. Jessica's heart of gold, which is buried deep under sarcasm and cynicism starts to become more apparent and it makes her a character you can more easily connect to.
As Matt was playing the piano, I thought he was playing the theme song to his own show. It's a bit hard to tell as it's broken up and it sounds like he hits a wrong key here or there. According to TvTropes, however, it was this show's main theme. They do have similarities, but really either way it was a nice and amusing touch.
Just as the heroes start to form bonds (long after Alexandra thought that they had, I should note) the villains start to come apart. Alexandra's leadership is called in to question. Even though the Hand routinely fights itself, this seems to be more severe.
Gao does try to play the diplomat and come to a reasonable compromise, but Alexandra is still adamant that the black sky holds the key. It was still a great scene between the two. You really did get the feeling that these two go way back. We also learn that Gao tried to stage a coup against Alexandra in the past. The moment is played for laughs, especially as a result of Gao's response, but it would also explain why she's more reticent when they're confronting Alexandra.
These scenes are all well and good, but with only a couple of episodes left, you might be wondering why everybody is taking their time.
The second half of the episode makes up for it by throwing out some curve balls that, while catching you off guard, make perfect sense. We also get not one but two pretty major character deaths to keep the viewer reeling.
The first is sad to see, as I was a fan of the character, but given what he did, I don't think there was any going back. Besides, with this show presumably wrapping up the war, his story was pretty much over.
We also get to see a better showdown between Elektra and the defenders. While they end up fighting her one on one due to circumstances, it was still pretty impressive to see her lay out three heroes in rapid succession the way she did.
The fact that the Hand now have exactly what they need to achieve their goals puts the heroes in a corner and makes the viewer wonder just how they're going to get out of this one. We're down to the final two. It's definitely going to be interesting to see how this plays out.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
The motivation is also a bit lacking. The heroes coming to the conclusion that Danny should be sidelined makes some degree of sense, but they make it seem as if they wish him bodily harm. Everybody starts lurking around him menacingly when they could very easily make the case in a more diplomatic fashion that doesn't make him feel like the enemy. Heck, Luke and Danny do a rather good job of making their respective cases later anyway. It just seems like they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble.
At least the Daredevil/Iron Fist fight was cool, though. I kind of feel like Danny should have fared better, but he still held his own well enough. It actually took the intervention of the others to ultimately knock him out so that they could tie him to a chair. It was also interesting to see that the shock wave seen in the trailer was the work of Danny and not the Hand. It was a nice fake out that was supported by the "earthquake" seen back in the first episode.
Danny doesn't completely sit this one out...get it? He's tied to a chair....Anyway, his situation actually allows him to share a scene with Luke while Matt and Jessica try to follow up on a lead related to Midland and the giant hole that Matt and Elektra found.
Colter and Jones play off each other rather well, the scene is also well written, and it makes for one of the episode's highlights. After Luke and Danny each get their respective individual second seasons, Netflix should think about consolidating those two shows into a Luke Cage/Iron Fist team up series. It would save them a bit of money while also giving us more Marvel street hero action. At the very least, I see the two having quite a bit of overlap in the years to come.
Matt and Jessica also seem to be bonding. Jessica's heart of gold, which is buried deep under sarcasm and cynicism starts to become more apparent and it makes her a character you can more easily connect to.
As Matt was playing the piano, I thought he was playing the theme song to his own show. It's a bit hard to tell as it's broken up and it sounds like he hits a wrong key here or there. According to TvTropes, however, it was this show's main theme. They do have similarities, but really either way it was a nice and amusing touch.
Just as the heroes start to form bonds (long after Alexandra thought that they had, I should note) the villains start to come apart. Alexandra's leadership is called in to question. Even though the Hand routinely fights itself, this seems to be more severe.
Gao does try to play the diplomat and come to a reasonable compromise, but Alexandra is still adamant that the black sky holds the key. It was still a great scene between the two. You really did get the feeling that these two go way back. We also learn that Gao tried to stage a coup against Alexandra in the past. The moment is played for laughs, especially as a result of Gao's response, but it would also explain why she's more reticent when they're confronting Alexandra.
These scenes are all well and good, but with only a couple of episodes left, you might be wondering why everybody is taking their time.
The second half of the episode makes up for it by throwing out some curve balls that, while catching you off guard, make perfect sense. We also get not one but two pretty major character deaths to keep the viewer reeling.
The first is sad to see, as I was a fan of the character, but given what he did, I don't think there was any going back. Besides, with this show presumably wrapping up the war, his story was pretty much over.
We also get to see a better showdown between Elektra and the defenders. While they end up fighting her one on one due to circumstances, it was still pretty impressive to see her lay out three heroes in rapid succession the way she did.
The fact that the Hand now have exactly what they need to achieve their goals puts the heroes in a corner and makes the viewer wonder just how they're going to get out of this one. We're down to the final two. It's definitely going to be interesting to see how this plays out.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
'Attack on Titan' Season 2, Episode 8: 'The Hunters'
I was a tad perplexed by the last episode's cliffhanger. This episode picks up there and gives us a better idea of why it was such a desperate situation. It seems that the collapsing colossal titan not only kept the scouts at bay, but gave Reiner a chance to turn the tables in the fight. Before anybody can react, the two make off with Eren.
There's a slight detour in the plot, as those inside the wall are brought up to speed. I guess we needed to see it, though it's probably the weakest element as it doesn't seem like much is being said, despite the significant amount of time devoted to it.
When the episode moves back to the wall, it finds its groove however. There's a palpable sense of loss as, not only is Eren gone, but many in the area were seriously injured. Even Mikasa is said to have a concussion. Oddly enough, they have no trouble just letting her sleep that one off. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to do that, but whatever.
Once again, we have a flashback. I'm torn on it, to be honest. On the one hand, it doesn't really tell us anything new. It puts its focus on the connection between the show's "big 3" and gives us another example of Eren's desire to protect Armin and Mikasa's desire to protect Eren. These are things that are well established at this point and I can't fault people for thinking that it was wasting the viewer's time.
At the same time, I kind of enjoyed it. The ensuing street fight was entertaining. It gave the episode an action beat that was much lighter in tone when compared to the titan battle seen in the preceding episode.
Considering that Eren was up against three bullies who were bigger than him, he honestly fared pretty well. I wouldn't go so far as to say that he was winning, but he was certainly holding his own. Remember, this flashback takes place back before the first episode when Eren was something of an easy pushover.
Mikasa's arrival is certainly memorable and she, no doubt, helps even the odds, but Eren's fighting spirit is put on full display.
The flashback has the added benefit of tying into the characters' current dilemma. Hannes directly makes the comparison and uses that as a springboard to not only reminisce about more peaceful times, but to remind himself why he's fighting and to spur the others to stay in said fight. It was a nice moment. The speech could be seen as hokey, but I thought it worked.
Sadly, the subsequent shot of Armin and Mikasa determinedly scarfing down on trail rations completely ruins it by being one of the goofiest things I've ever seen (which is saying something, really.) It's not helped by the fact that the shot just doesn't end. We spend, like, 15 seconds just watching them chew food with this angry look on their face and I don't get why that had to be a thing. I'm kind of surprised the internet hasn't made a gif out of that and gotten many a laugh because I really feel like it should have.
The episode does end on a much stronger note, as the team regains their bearings and heads out to find Eren. Words don't do it justice, but I thought it was a pretty epic moment.
After the action packed predecessor, this one gave us a breather. For the most part, the emotional moments work and we do see the strength of the bond. I did like how it tied back into the early days of this trio, though mileage may certainly vary on that.
It's hard to believe we're down to the final four episodes of the season. We'll have to see how things play out from here. I expect things will be kicking into high gear to set things up for the third season.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
There's a slight detour in the plot, as those inside the wall are brought up to speed. I guess we needed to see it, though it's probably the weakest element as it doesn't seem like much is being said, despite the significant amount of time devoted to it.
When the episode moves back to the wall, it finds its groove however. There's a palpable sense of loss as, not only is Eren gone, but many in the area were seriously injured. Even Mikasa is said to have a concussion. Oddly enough, they have no trouble just letting her sleep that one off. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to do that, but whatever.
Once again, we have a flashback. I'm torn on it, to be honest. On the one hand, it doesn't really tell us anything new. It puts its focus on the connection between the show's "big 3" and gives us another example of Eren's desire to protect Armin and Mikasa's desire to protect Eren. These are things that are well established at this point and I can't fault people for thinking that it was wasting the viewer's time.
At the same time, I kind of enjoyed it. The ensuing street fight was entertaining. It gave the episode an action beat that was much lighter in tone when compared to the titan battle seen in the preceding episode.
Considering that Eren was up against three bullies who were bigger than him, he honestly fared pretty well. I wouldn't go so far as to say that he was winning, but he was certainly holding his own. Remember, this flashback takes place back before the first episode when Eren was something of an easy pushover.
Mikasa's arrival is certainly memorable and she, no doubt, helps even the odds, but Eren's fighting spirit is put on full display.
The flashback has the added benefit of tying into the characters' current dilemma. Hannes directly makes the comparison and uses that as a springboard to not only reminisce about more peaceful times, but to remind himself why he's fighting and to spur the others to stay in said fight. It was a nice moment. The speech could be seen as hokey, but I thought it worked.
Sadly, the subsequent shot of Armin and Mikasa determinedly scarfing down on trail rations completely ruins it by being one of the goofiest things I've ever seen (which is saying something, really.) It's not helped by the fact that the shot just doesn't end. We spend, like, 15 seconds just watching them chew food with this angry look on their face and I don't get why that had to be a thing. I'm kind of surprised the internet hasn't made a gif out of that and gotten many a laugh because I really feel like it should have.
The episode does end on a much stronger note, as the team regains their bearings and heads out to find Eren. Words don't do it justice, but I thought it was a pretty epic moment.
After the action packed predecessor, this one gave us a breather. For the most part, the emotional moments work and we do see the strength of the bond. I did like how it tied back into the early days of this trio, though mileage may certainly vary on that.
It's hard to believe we're down to the final four episodes of the season. We'll have to see how things play out from here. I expect things will be kicking into high gear to set things up for the third season.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
'The Defenders' Episode 5: 'Take Shelter'
In terms of plot, this one is pretty simple and straight forward. After the fight in the chinese restaurant, the Hand tips theirs and reveals that they intend to target those close to the heroes. Naturally, this causes them to rush out and ensure their safety.
After taking a few episodes to get the heroes together, it might seem frustrating that they almost immediately disperse, but it is only temporary. In fact, this allows for the supporting casts to come together as they all convene in the police station, where Luke asks Misty to watch over them until this all blows over. It does lead to some nice small character interactions. Granted, the episode doesn't have too much time to devote, but it's enough and it accomplishes its goal.
Just as the heroes come together, so too do the various factions of the Hand. Where the last episode kept things vague through unnecessarily cryptic dialogue, this one actually fleshes out their motivations. They want to return to K'un L'un and the immortality issue is also addressed in greater detail. True, the "substance" was alluded to, but the stronger dialogue helped convey the fact that it was only a stop gap measure.
The fact that each faction operates differently also comes into play and much more effectively than it did in "Iron Fist". While the ultimate goal is the same, they have different approaches and that means that they don't always agree. It works on several fronts, as it allows the characters get to shine (it was nice to see Gao back to her old self) and stand out more.
Even when one of the "fingers" is captured by the heroes, he manages to prove his mettle by screwing with their heads. He's not quite as good as Gao, but he still does a pretty good job of it.
Elektra also gets a fair bit of plot meat. It seems that the slate isn't as blank as the Hand would like. It seems that Matt is able to reach her at points. It makes for some nice poignant moments between them and it gives this new Elektra a bit more sympathy than what you might have for a cold, soulless, assassin revenant.
It also stirs up conflict among the heroes as Matt's history is revealed to them. It does seem like their making a mountain out of a molehill, though Matt should have been upfront about that. I found the more potent conflict driver to be the heroes first hand look at Daredevil's tactics. While Jessica isn't above roughing somebody up for answers, even she thinks he goes too far during his interrogation. It just makes you wonder how they're going to react when Stick tells them that he wants Matt to lead the charge.
The episode provides great character moments, but it also showcases a nice balance of action as well. The initial fight is somewhat undercut by the fact that we, once again, follow Matt as he pursues Elektra, but what we saw was still solid.
We also get some smaller team ups, most notably Daredevil (yes, Daredevil not Matt) and Jessica, who team up to fight Murakami.
There are some oddities throughout. I did initially find it strange that the Hand was able to physically hurt Luke in combat. Part of that is necessary to keep the tension up, but it later occurred to me that chi could play a part. They might not be able to do it as well as Danny, but it could add some extra umph to their blows. On a somewhat related note, Luke's offscreen escape was pretty awesome. He might not have their training, but the cult also seemed to grossly underestimate their opponent.
The real kicker, however, is Sowande's escape. You'd think one of the characters would have caught a glimpse in their peripheral vision. If, for some reason, that's not enough; you'd think that Matt would have heard him moving. If nothing else, it gives Danny haters a nice moment, as he is held at knife point by the former captive.
I was also underwhelmed by the ending. Seeing Elektra curl up in Matt's bed is emotional and all, but I don't know if that was the scene to end on before cutting to credits. It doesn't have that "aw man, I have to jump into the next episode to find out what happens" feel that some of the other episodes had.
Still, though, this episode had a lot to juggle and it did it fairly well. It may not have been as memorable as the last episode or the one before it, but it did manage to flesh out quite a bit and move the plot forward considerably. We're down to the final three episodes and one can't help but wonder how this group is going to stop what the Hand is up to.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
After taking a few episodes to get the heroes together, it might seem frustrating that they almost immediately disperse, but it is only temporary. In fact, this allows for the supporting casts to come together as they all convene in the police station, where Luke asks Misty to watch over them until this all blows over. It does lead to some nice small character interactions. Granted, the episode doesn't have too much time to devote, but it's enough and it accomplishes its goal.
Just as the heroes come together, so too do the various factions of the Hand. Where the last episode kept things vague through unnecessarily cryptic dialogue, this one actually fleshes out their motivations. They want to return to K'un L'un and the immortality issue is also addressed in greater detail. True, the "substance" was alluded to, but the stronger dialogue helped convey the fact that it was only a stop gap measure.
The fact that each faction operates differently also comes into play and much more effectively than it did in "Iron Fist". While the ultimate goal is the same, they have different approaches and that means that they don't always agree. It works on several fronts, as it allows the characters get to shine (it was nice to see Gao back to her old self) and stand out more.
Even when one of the "fingers" is captured by the heroes, he manages to prove his mettle by screwing with their heads. He's not quite as good as Gao, but he still does a pretty good job of it.
Elektra also gets a fair bit of plot meat. It seems that the slate isn't as blank as the Hand would like. It seems that Matt is able to reach her at points. It makes for some nice poignant moments between them and it gives this new Elektra a bit more sympathy than what you might have for a cold, soulless, assassin revenant.
It also stirs up conflict among the heroes as Matt's history is revealed to them. It does seem like their making a mountain out of a molehill, though Matt should have been upfront about that. I found the more potent conflict driver to be the heroes first hand look at Daredevil's tactics. While Jessica isn't above roughing somebody up for answers, even she thinks he goes too far during his interrogation. It just makes you wonder how they're going to react when Stick tells them that he wants Matt to lead the charge.
The episode provides great character moments, but it also showcases a nice balance of action as well. The initial fight is somewhat undercut by the fact that we, once again, follow Matt as he pursues Elektra, but what we saw was still solid.
We also get some smaller team ups, most notably Daredevil (yes, Daredevil not Matt) and Jessica, who team up to fight Murakami.
There are some oddities throughout. I did initially find it strange that the Hand was able to physically hurt Luke in combat. Part of that is necessary to keep the tension up, but it later occurred to me that chi could play a part. They might not be able to do it as well as Danny, but it could add some extra umph to their blows. On a somewhat related note, Luke's offscreen escape was pretty awesome. He might not have their training, but the cult also seemed to grossly underestimate their opponent.
The real kicker, however, is Sowande's escape. You'd think one of the characters would have caught a glimpse in their peripheral vision. If, for some reason, that's not enough; you'd think that Matt would have heard him moving. If nothing else, it gives Danny haters a nice moment, as he is held at knife point by the former captive.
I was also underwhelmed by the ending. Seeing Elektra curl up in Matt's bed is emotional and all, but I don't know if that was the scene to end on before cutting to credits. It doesn't have that "aw man, I have to jump into the next episode to find out what happens" feel that some of the other episodes had.
Still, though, this episode had a lot to juggle and it did it fairly well. It may not have been as memorable as the last episode or the one before it, but it did manage to flesh out quite a bit and move the plot forward considerably. We're down to the final three episodes and one can't help but wonder how this group is going to stop what the Hand is up to.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
'The Defenders' Episode 4: 'Royal Dragon'
Where the last episode saw the team coming together by happenstance, this one brings them together on a more spiritual level. It's not the smoothest path for them, but for the viewer, that's part of the fun.
When discussing the trailers, I often noted that watching the characters play off each other was going to be one of the major highlights. This episode puts almost its entire focus on that and proves that theory correct.
Each of them has different motivations and, as such, not all are completely willing to keep the fight going. Both Matt and Jessica insist that this was a one-off freak occurrence and that they should all shake hands and part company. Luke is, at least, willing to follow through in the short term though he's not big on the team idea. Danny, on the other hand is quite enthusiastic.
I don't think Danny or his show warranted the hate that they got, but I do have to agree with the consensus that he works better as "kung fu labradoodle". Well meaning, easy going, friendly, maybe a bit naive. This is the more interesting and engaging characterization. It stands in stark contrast to the writers' tendency to make him this angry angst machine. This episode bucks the latter in favor of the former and allows Danny to get one of his best character outings to date.
This was also a solid entry for Jessica, who is given a small arc where she has to reconsider her commitment to the war. In other circumstances, one might chide her walking off as padding. I mean, we all know she's coming back, but it is in her character to scoff at the idea. I also can't fault her "this is way above my pay grade" logic. It somewhat echoes Stephen Strange's reaction when being told he was being groomed to fight eldritch abominations. Hero or not, there are some circumstances where you just have to go "nope, I'm out!"
If anything seemed forced, it was the attempts to escalate the debate between heroes into fist fights. Considering how Danny fared against Luke, Matt is lucky that the others stepped in to calm things down. While seeing the two martial artists fight may have been cool to watch, it seemed out of character. This is especially true considering how generally diplomatic everyone was. While Matt rebukes the team idea, he repeatedly compliments the others for at least having their hearts in the right place in regards to wanting to help.
The addition of Stick to the dynamic only helped. Sure, he was largely there for exposition, but Scott Glenn does it so well. He does get a few moments with Matt that build on their already established relationship.
The aforementioned exposition actually does pay dividends as we get some new information, such as the fact that the Chaste serve K'un L'un and that the Hand were once a part of it as well, but went rogue because they wanted to use their abilities for more self serving purposes.
Even with all of this, the Hand still feels very vague. It's made worse by the fact that this episode's time devoted to showing the villain's end hammers this in with cryptic dialogue aplenty.
We still don't know why they want to destroy New York. "Serving life" doesn't cut it. The talk of immortality also makes little sense as they basically have it. Alexandra has lived for centuries and they're able to bring the dead back to life. "They want power"...they have that too. It's peculiar.
They do save some face when Alexandra appears at the restaurant to taunt the heroes. Weaver's calm, civil demeanor works really well and belies her clearly sinister intent. Her exchanges with Luke were also fascinating and fun to watch.
We also learn that the Chaste, sans Stick, have been wiped out. It would have been nice to see Stick "getting the band back together" as he put it and witness their downfall, forcing Stick to retreat to the "amateurs". This does, if nothing else, continue the streamlining that the show has done in regards to various sub-plot threads that needed addressing. It also puts the burden back on the heroes as there isn't a rival ninja army to call on to save the day. There is, however, a gun toting vigilante and a wall crawling web-slinger. Just sayin...
The episode may have been light on action, but it was still a blast to watch. The writing and the characters were more than strong enough than carry the episode. It also ends on a crowning moment of awesome as Jessica runs down Elektra with a truck before rejoining the group, ready to stand with them against Alexandra and the Black Sky. I'm really looking forward to seeing the next episode. I have a feeling it's going to be another fun one.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
When discussing the trailers, I often noted that watching the characters play off each other was going to be one of the major highlights. This episode puts almost its entire focus on that and proves that theory correct.
Each of them has different motivations and, as such, not all are completely willing to keep the fight going. Both Matt and Jessica insist that this was a one-off freak occurrence and that they should all shake hands and part company. Luke is, at least, willing to follow through in the short term though he's not big on the team idea. Danny, on the other hand is quite enthusiastic.
I don't think Danny or his show warranted the hate that they got, but I do have to agree with the consensus that he works better as "kung fu labradoodle". Well meaning, easy going, friendly, maybe a bit naive. This is the more interesting and engaging characterization. It stands in stark contrast to the writers' tendency to make him this angry angst machine. This episode bucks the latter in favor of the former and allows Danny to get one of his best character outings to date.
This was also a solid entry for Jessica, who is given a small arc where she has to reconsider her commitment to the war. In other circumstances, one might chide her walking off as padding. I mean, we all know she's coming back, but it is in her character to scoff at the idea. I also can't fault her "this is way above my pay grade" logic. It somewhat echoes Stephen Strange's reaction when being told he was being groomed to fight eldritch abominations. Hero or not, there are some circumstances where you just have to go "nope, I'm out!"
If anything seemed forced, it was the attempts to escalate the debate between heroes into fist fights. Considering how Danny fared against Luke, Matt is lucky that the others stepped in to calm things down. While seeing the two martial artists fight may have been cool to watch, it seemed out of character. This is especially true considering how generally diplomatic everyone was. While Matt rebukes the team idea, he repeatedly compliments the others for at least having their hearts in the right place in regards to wanting to help.
The addition of Stick to the dynamic only helped. Sure, he was largely there for exposition, but Scott Glenn does it so well. He does get a few moments with Matt that build on their already established relationship.
The aforementioned exposition actually does pay dividends as we get some new information, such as the fact that the Chaste serve K'un L'un and that the Hand were once a part of it as well, but went rogue because they wanted to use their abilities for more self serving purposes.
Even with all of this, the Hand still feels very vague. It's made worse by the fact that this episode's time devoted to showing the villain's end hammers this in with cryptic dialogue aplenty.
We still don't know why they want to destroy New York. "Serving life" doesn't cut it. The talk of immortality also makes little sense as they basically have it. Alexandra has lived for centuries and they're able to bring the dead back to life. "They want power"...they have that too. It's peculiar.
They do save some face when Alexandra appears at the restaurant to taunt the heroes. Weaver's calm, civil demeanor works really well and belies her clearly sinister intent. Her exchanges with Luke were also fascinating and fun to watch.
We also learn that the Chaste, sans Stick, have been wiped out. It would have been nice to see Stick "getting the band back together" as he put it and witness their downfall, forcing Stick to retreat to the "amateurs". This does, if nothing else, continue the streamlining that the show has done in regards to various sub-plot threads that needed addressing. It also puts the burden back on the heroes as there isn't a rival ninja army to call on to save the day. There is, however, a gun toting vigilante and a wall crawling web-slinger. Just sayin...
The episode may have been light on action, but it was still a blast to watch. The writing and the characters were more than strong enough than carry the episode. It also ends on a crowning moment of awesome as Jessica runs down Elektra with a truck before rejoining the group, ready to stand with them against Alexandra and the Black Sky. I'm really looking forward to seeing the next episode. I have a feeling it's going to be another fun one.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Monday, August 21, 2017
'Attack on Titan' Season 2, Episode 7: 'Close Combat'
This episode follows through on the titan slugfest teased at the end of the last episode. Reiner has transformed into the armored titan and Eren is ticked.
He really does spend a lot of time going on about how much he used to respect Reiner and now harbors nothing but contempt for him. It takes what fell flat with Annie and does it much more effectively and gives the fight added weight.
The fight was rather interesting as both seemed to be in complete control of their mental faculties. As such, their military training was combined with their size and strength to present a much more interesting fight than just two rampaging rage monsters. I mean, that would have been fun, but this stands out more. Eren even uses techniques taught to him by Annie back in their training days to turn the tide.
The flashbacks here are used well. They complement Eren's sense of betrayal and also give context to Eren's fighting techniques when he realizes that he can't brute force his way out of this fight. They never distracted from the fight and also allowed for some character moments in an episode that puts more emphasis on action.
I did like the fact that the other scouts actually tried to help. I've chided them before for falling into the "DBZ" trap of just sitting on the sidelines when they could be helping in a fight, but they avoid that here. Granted, it doesn't work, but again, the effort was made. Really, that's all I ask for.
While Eren deals with the armored titan, they do attempt to take on the colossal titan. It only ends with them getting hit with the same steam cloud that Eren fell victim to. Really, though, I blame that one guy who said that it was going to be easy because the titan's movements appeared to be slower than most. Even if that is the case, you don't say it out loud. You're just asking for things to screw up, which they did.
Even after that, though, they do attempt to slice at the armored titan....only to find out that he's armored. It would be one thing if they were unfamiliar with the creature (as they were with the female titan,) but I'm pretty sure that they have referred to it as the armored titan before now. As such, it makes them look kind of dumb when they notice that their blades don't work.
Hange does redeem them, however, noting that armor has cracks to allow for mobility. This gives Mikasa a place to strike. I'm not going to lie, when Hange said that the groin was often a vulnerable area in armor, I figured that would be the place she'd go. She doesn't; she slices at the back of one of Reiner's knees. On a random note, why would you design armor that way? You'd think you'd want the groin heavily guarded; I dunno. I was also a bit surprised that Mikasa didn't try to take out other extremities, but I suppose one can't fault her for not wanting to stay in the middle of a titan fistfight for very long.
You might be wondering where the colossal titan is in all of this. While I understand wanting a one on one face off, I couldn't help but wonder myself. It finally re-enters the narrative at the end when it..falls apart, I think? That sequence was shot so quickly that it was hard to tell what, exactly, was happening. It still makes for a very sudden cliffhanger ending, so it wasn't without its upsides.
All in all, this was quite a solid episode. It delivered on the action, but still gave the humans things to do and ways to contribute. There was also enough emotional weight behind things that it never felt like padding. It was a great way to kick things off as we move into the latter half of the season.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
He really does spend a lot of time going on about how much he used to respect Reiner and now harbors nothing but contempt for him. It takes what fell flat with Annie and does it much more effectively and gives the fight added weight.
The fight was rather interesting as both seemed to be in complete control of their mental faculties. As such, their military training was combined with their size and strength to present a much more interesting fight than just two rampaging rage monsters. I mean, that would have been fun, but this stands out more. Eren even uses techniques taught to him by Annie back in their training days to turn the tide.
The flashbacks here are used well. They complement Eren's sense of betrayal and also give context to Eren's fighting techniques when he realizes that he can't brute force his way out of this fight. They never distracted from the fight and also allowed for some character moments in an episode that puts more emphasis on action.
I did like the fact that the other scouts actually tried to help. I've chided them before for falling into the "DBZ" trap of just sitting on the sidelines when they could be helping in a fight, but they avoid that here. Granted, it doesn't work, but again, the effort was made. Really, that's all I ask for.
While Eren deals with the armored titan, they do attempt to take on the colossal titan. It only ends with them getting hit with the same steam cloud that Eren fell victim to. Really, though, I blame that one guy who said that it was going to be easy because the titan's movements appeared to be slower than most. Even if that is the case, you don't say it out loud. You're just asking for things to screw up, which they did.
Even after that, though, they do attempt to slice at the armored titan....only to find out that he's armored. It would be one thing if they were unfamiliar with the creature (as they were with the female titan,) but I'm pretty sure that they have referred to it as the armored titan before now. As such, it makes them look kind of dumb when they notice that their blades don't work.
Hange does redeem them, however, noting that armor has cracks to allow for mobility. This gives Mikasa a place to strike. I'm not going to lie, when Hange said that the groin was often a vulnerable area in armor, I figured that would be the place she'd go. She doesn't; she slices at the back of one of Reiner's knees. On a random note, why would you design armor that way? You'd think you'd want the groin heavily guarded; I dunno. I was also a bit surprised that Mikasa didn't try to take out other extremities, but I suppose one can't fault her for not wanting to stay in the middle of a titan fistfight for very long.
You might be wondering where the colossal titan is in all of this. While I understand wanting a one on one face off, I couldn't help but wonder myself. It finally re-enters the narrative at the end when it..falls apart, I think? That sequence was shot so quickly that it was hard to tell what, exactly, was happening. It still makes for a very sudden cliffhanger ending, so it wasn't without its upsides.
All in all, this was quite a solid episode. It delivered on the action, but still gave the humans things to do and ways to contribute. There was also enough emotional weight behind things that it never felt like padding. It was a great way to kick things off as we move into the latter half of the season.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
'The Defenders' Episode 3: 'Worst Behavior'
The upward trajectory continues as this episode raises the bar even higher. This episode was all about things coming together. Not only is that literally shown with the four heroes finally meeting up, but the episode also ties in several disparate plot threads, not just from the two preceding episodes but from both "Daredevil" and "Iron Fist".
I was under the impression that the Chaste and K'un L'un were two separate factions fighting the Hand, but this episode reveals that the two are indeed connected. It somewhat mirrors Gao as initially being presented as part of something separate from the Hand, but ultimately linked. Stick knows about the Iron Fist and, despite his dismissive moniker in the trailer, seems to believe that he's up to the task of bringing the organization down for good.
It seems like every featured character got to shine here. The heroes are, again, a more obvious example, but Stick got to show off some impressive skills in his escape. It was definitely a more worthwhile appearance in comparison to the one from the last episode. Alexandra also gets a much better showing as a villain. She never loses her composure, can even be sympathetic (or at least fake it really well,) and easily takes down Elektra in hand to hand combat. Granted, the latter was a little off her game post resurrection, but it still showed that she's not one to be taken lightly.
Speaking of Elektra, we finally get a glimpse as to what Black Sky is and what it means. Elektra was already formidable, but her resurrection has enhanced her abilities and given her superhuman strength. It's much more than we saw, even with previous resurrections.
It turns out that Elektra's was nothing like Harold Meachum's. She wakes up frightened and still has no memory of herself, but it's played much more seriously. Loopy Elektra would have been interesting to see, but this seems to fit better with the angle that the show is going for.
As expected, watching the characters bounce off each other was a pure joy to watch. Danny and Luke have an interesting dynamic. It was nice to see Danny show his more easygoing side. The way he talks about fighting a dragon, it sounds like he's trying to play it for laughs. Sadly, it's short lived. Hopefully the show brings that out more.
We definitely got to see Luke's easygoing side. The scene with Cole's mother really showed the degree to which he cares about helping people. If you weren't on board with this character for whatever reason, I think that scene will win you over.
On other fronts, Matt and Jessica don't get off to the most auspicious start. I did enjoy the "tailing" scene. The "advantage" went back and forth between the two as they put their respective skills to use. It was distinct enough on its own, but it kind of reminded me of that classic scene in the animated "Batman/Superman" movie where the two discover the other's secret identity.
Of course, it all culminates in the four heroes converging on Midland circle. I've seen people complain about the show's pacing, maybe it's because I knew ahead of time that they wouldn't get together until this episode, but I hardly even noticed it. In fact, I like the fact that they took the time to have the characters come together naturally. Sure, the heroes could have all randomly met at a bar, but this feels more organic and I think that the viewer's patience is rewarded.
While Danny did get an impressive showing, taking on an entire room of ninjas by himself, he does eventually require some backup. Fortunately, Luke is there to provide it, and the other two aren't far behind.
It's not much of a fight until Elektra shows up. That fight with Matt was impressive and entertaining in its own right, though a part of me wanted to see a 4 on 1 sequence. Not only would it have given us more of the underutilized Elektra/Jessica showdown, but it would have really shown us how formidable Black Sky is. But, Matt has the closer connection, so I can see why the writers decided to go the route they did.
Oh, also, the rooms were well lit. We could actually see the fight choreography. That alone warrants commendation enough, but yes, the fights were really well done in their own right.
All in all, this episode was a blast. I'm kind of sad that we're already at the halfway point. A part of me wishes that they had been able to do 13 episodes, but with the size of the cast, I get it. It has also resulted in faster pacing, which is definitely to the show's benefit. The show just keeps getting better and now that the team is assembled, I don't doubt that the pattern is going to continue as we move into the fourth episode.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
I was under the impression that the Chaste and K'un L'un were two separate factions fighting the Hand, but this episode reveals that the two are indeed connected. It somewhat mirrors Gao as initially being presented as part of something separate from the Hand, but ultimately linked. Stick knows about the Iron Fist and, despite his dismissive moniker in the trailer, seems to believe that he's up to the task of bringing the organization down for good.
It seems like every featured character got to shine here. The heroes are, again, a more obvious example, but Stick got to show off some impressive skills in his escape. It was definitely a more worthwhile appearance in comparison to the one from the last episode. Alexandra also gets a much better showing as a villain. She never loses her composure, can even be sympathetic (or at least fake it really well,) and easily takes down Elektra in hand to hand combat. Granted, the latter was a little off her game post resurrection, but it still showed that she's not one to be taken lightly.
Speaking of Elektra, we finally get a glimpse as to what Black Sky is and what it means. Elektra was already formidable, but her resurrection has enhanced her abilities and given her superhuman strength. It's much more than we saw, even with previous resurrections.
It turns out that Elektra's was nothing like Harold Meachum's. She wakes up frightened and still has no memory of herself, but it's played much more seriously. Loopy Elektra would have been interesting to see, but this seems to fit better with the angle that the show is going for.
As expected, watching the characters bounce off each other was a pure joy to watch. Danny and Luke have an interesting dynamic. It was nice to see Danny show his more easygoing side. The way he talks about fighting a dragon, it sounds like he's trying to play it for laughs. Sadly, it's short lived. Hopefully the show brings that out more.
We definitely got to see Luke's easygoing side. The scene with Cole's mother really showed the degree to which he cares about helping people. If you weren't on board with this character for whatever reason, I think that scene will win you over.
On other fronts, Matt and Jessica don't get off to the most auspicious start. I did enjoy the "tailing" scene. The "advantage" went back and forth between the two as they put their respective skills to use. It was distinct enough on its own, but it kind of reminded me of that classic scene in the animated "Batman/Superman" movie where the two discover the other's secret identity.
Of course, it all culminates in the four heroes converging on Midland circle. I've seen people complain about the show's pacing, maybe it's because I knew ahead of time that they wouldn't get together until this episode, but I hardly even noticed it. In fact, I like the fact that they took the time to have the characters come together naturally. Sure, the heroes could have all randomly met at a bar, but this feels more organic and I think that the viewer's patience is rewarded.
While Danny did get an impressive showing, taking on an entire room of ninjas by himself, he does eventually require some backup. Fortunately, Luke is there to provide it, and the other two aren't far behind.
It's not much of a fight until Elektra shows up. That fight with Matt was impressive and entertaining in its own right, though a part of me wanted to see a 4 on 1 sequence. Not only would it have given us more of the underutilized Elektra/Jessica showdown, but it would have really shown us how formidable Black Sky is. But, Matt has the closer connection, so I can see why the writers decided to go the route they did.
Oh, also, the rooms were well lit. We could actually see the fight choreography. That alone warrants commendation enough, but yes, the fights were really well done in their own right.
All in all, this episode was a blast. I'm kind of sad that we're already at the halfway point. A part of me wishes that they had been able to do 13 episodes, but with the size of the cast, I get it. It has also resulted in faster pacing, which is definitely to the show's benefit. The show just keeps getting better and now that the team is assembled, I don't doubt that the pattern is going to continue as we move into the fourth episode.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Sunday, August 20, 2017
'Dragon Ball Super' Episode 104: 'The Ultimate High Speed Battle Begins! Goku and Hit Join Forces!'
Hit faces off against universe 11's warrior Dyspo. While we hadn't gotten a good idea of what this particular fighter is capable of, this episode makes up for it by making it clear that he's a force to be reckoned with.
I figured that the match would be at least somewhat even, but Hit quickly finds himself on the losing end of the fight. Even his time skip ability is no help. I guess it's a good thing that his showdown with Jiren ended the way it did as he probably wouldn't have fared as well as I would have thought back when it was originally teased.
How is Dyspo able to counter? It's a combination of incredible speed and the ability to hear the vibrations Hit's muscles make before he uses the ability. So yeah, he's basically the Pride Troopers' iteration of the Flash.
To Hit's credit, he is able to come up with a strategy that almost gets him the win over his opponent, but alas, one of Dyspo's teammates, Kunshi, manages to bail him out. As formidable as Dyspo was on his own, the pair are beyond overwhelming.
Enter Goku in his super saiyan god form. Yes, super saiyan god, not blue. It was nice to see the form make a comeback. Considering that Goku had absorbed all that power into his base form back in the "Battle of Gods" saga, I figured it was rendered irrelevant, but apparently it still has its perks. Whis explains that it's faster than super saiyan, but doesn't burn through energy as much as blue does. So yeah, pretty helpful here.
Both Hit and Goku insist that they are not working together and Goku goes out of his way to say that he isn't helping Hit, but the end result is the same.
At the very least, Goku's presence brings it back to a one on one fight between the assassin and his original opponent.
Considering how badly Hit fared before, it made it all the more satisfying to see him come up with a consistent counter-strategy for Dyspo's insane speed. It allows the assassin to restore some of his badass cred, as he gloats about how he is going to inevitably win.
Even when Kunshi tries to repeat his earlier tactic, Goku and Hit are able to turn it against the two. True, Dyspo manages to escape, but Kunshi is out. Not only does that reduce universe 11's team to three fighters, but it means that they no longer have somebody to pull them back when they get thrown out of the ring.
I did like the parting scene between Goku and Hit. It was a nice way to acknowledge the quasi-friendship that these two have established. They're still intent on a rematch, but Hit decides to postpone it as a sign of gratitude for the assist. It gave the episode a solid character moment in an episode that put more emphasis on an admittedly entertaining fight.
Overall, this was a solid episode. The fight was exciting and tense enough to carry things through. We got to see a seemingly forgotten form make a comeback and Champa apparently has a vuvuzela. Once again, events outside of the match up are largely ignored which is vexing, but that just seems to be the way this is going to work.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
I figured that the match would be at least somewhat even, but Hit quickly finds himself on the losing end of the fight. Even his time skip ability is no help. I guess it's a good thing that his showdown with Jiren ended the way it did as he probably wouldn't have fared as well as I would have thought back when it was originally teased.
How is Dyspo able to counter? It's a combination of incredible speed and the ability to hear the vibrations Hit's muscles make before he uses the ability. So yeah, he's basically the Pride Troopers' iteration of the Flash.
To Hit's credit, he is able to come up with a strategy that almost gets him the win over his opponent, but alas, one of Dyspo's teammates, Kunshi, manages to bail him out. As formidable as Dyspo was on his own, the pair are beyond overwhelming.
Enter Goku in his super saiyan god form. Yes, super saiyan god, not blue. It was nice to see the form make a comeback. Considering that Goku had absorbed all that power into his base form back in the "Battle of Gods" saga, I figured it was rendered irrelevant, but apparently it still has its perks. Whis explains that it's faster than super saiyan, but doesn't burn through energy as much as blue does. So yeah, pretty helpful here.
Both Hit and Goku insist that they are not working together and Goku goes out of his way to say that he isn't helping Hit, but the end result is the same.
At the very least, Goku's presence brings it back to a one on one fight between the assassin and his original opponent.
Considering how badly Hit fared before, it made it all the more satisfying to see him come up with a consistent counter-strategy for Dyspo's insane speed. It allows the assassin to restore some of his badass cred, as he gloats about how he is going to inevitably win.
Even when Kunshi tries to repeat his earlier tactic, Goku and Hit are able to turn it against the two. True, Dyspo manages to escape, but Kunshi is out. Not only does that reduce universe 11's team to three fighters, but it means that they no longer have somebody to pull them back when they get thrown out of the ring.
I did like the parting scene between Goku and Hit. It was a nice way to acknowledge the quasi-friendship that these two have established. They're still intent on a rematch, but Hit decides to postpone it as a sign of gratitude for the assist. It gave the episode a solid character moment in an episode that put more emphasis on an admittedly entertaining fight.
Overall, this was a solid episode. The fight was exciting and tense enough to carry things through. We got to see a seemingly forgotten form make a comeback and Champa apparently has a vuvuzela. Once again, events outside of the match up are largely ignored which is vexing, but that just seems to be the way this is going to work.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Saturday, August 19, 2017
'The Defenders' Episode 2: 'Mean Right Hook'
It seems that the Hand setting off that giant shock wave was just the kick start that the plot needed, as this episode is a marked improvement over its predecessor.
The characters are more proactive here. We see them go out and help people in the aftermath of the event, as well as make progress in investigating their various independent and seemingly unrelated leads. It results in a much more engaging episode.
There are still great character moments, the scene where Foggy reaches out to Matt to reconnect and to dump some work on him to prevent him from taking up the "Daredevil" mantle again is a notable example. We also get more action, which is one of the things that draws people to the superhero genre.
I'm not going to lie, though, I would have liked to see the Elektra/Jessica fight extended a bit. Not only is the cast and plot intersection from two shows interesting, but it seems like it would be a solid match up. Maybe we'll see a "round 2" in a later episode.
While the team doesn't come together yet, we do see see the first introductions for both Luke/Danny and Jessica/Matt. It's a solid start and it will at least give us a hint of the dynamics to come.
The confrontation between Luke and Danny goes on a bit longer than it does in the trailer, but it's to the episode's benefit as it's a fun sequence. You kind of feel bad for Danny, who is valiantly trying to no avail to hurt Luke. It's mostly a curb stomp battle, but it also makes the moment that Danny decides to use the iron fist that much more satisfying.
I did find it a little odd that Danny was skeptical about the team idea. Considering his stance later, it's jarring. You could somewhat justify it as him not knowing about the other heroes, but even with the information that spurs that conversation, you'd think he'd take whatever help he could get to improve his chances of ultimately bringing the Hand down.
Sadly, not much progress is made in terms of building up that threat. I guess they're relying on what we saw in "Daredevil" and "Iron Fist", but were it not for those (the prior in particular) there isn't a lot that would suggest a team is needed. Some of the dialogue does try, but a little more showing would be to the show's benefit.
Weaver's character, Alexandra gets a bit of development as we see that she is cultured and still determined to follow through on their goal...whatever it is. It still doesn't seem like the show is giving Weaver a lot to do. Hopefully, she'll be have meatier material as we move into the latter half of the season.
The real disappointment for me was the lack of Stick. I was excited to see Scott Glenn's name in the opening credits, but all he does is get revealed to be a captive of the Hand. He only has one line and that's about it. Honestly, it might have been better to keep his name out of the opening crawl so that the viewer is shocked to see who is under the hood. As it was, you pretty much knew who it was when the scene started, and you were right.
Still, the episode still does a masterful job of juggling the cast of four shows. They all get a respectable amount of screen time and it all feels natural. That's not an easy thing to do, so props to the show for pulling it off so far.
This took the momentum from the last episode and ran with it. It moved the plot along a lot quicker and had the heroes going out and doing what they do best. I think it's a much better showing and I hope that the subsequent episodes only continue that pattern.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
The characters are more proactive here. We see them go out and help people in the aftermath of the event, as well as make progress in investigating their various independent and seemingly unrelated leads. It results in a much more engaging episode.
There are still great character moments, the scene where Foggy reaches out to Matt to reconnect and to dump some work on him to prevent him from taking up the "Daredevil" mantle again is a notable example. We also get more action, which is one of the things that draws people to the superhero genre.
I'm not going to lie, though, I would have liked to see the Elektra/Jessica fight extended a bit. Not only is the cast and plot intersection from two shows interesting, but it seems like it would be a solid match up. Maybe we'll see a "round 2" in a later episode.
While the team doesn't come together yet, we do see see the first introductions for both Luke/Danny and Jessica/Matt. It's a solid start and it will at least give us a hint of the dynamics to come.
The confrontation between Luke and Danny goes on a bit longer than it does in the trailer, but it's to the episode's benefit as it's a fun sequence. You kind of feel bad for Danny, who is valiantly trying to no avail to hurt Luke. It's mostly a curb stomp battle, but it also makes the moment that Danny decides to use the iron fist that much more satisfying.
I did find it a little odd that Danny was skeptical about the team idea. Considering his stance later, it's jarring. You could somewhat justify it as him not knowing about the other heroes, but even with the information that spurs that conversation, you'd think he'd take whatever help he could get to improve his chances of ultimately bringing the Hand down.
Sadly, not much progress is made in terms of building up that threat. I guess they're relying on what we saw in "Daredevil" and "Iron Fist", but were it not for those (the prior in particular) there isn't a lot that would suggest a team is needed. Some of the dialogue does try, but a little more showing would be to the show's benefit.
Weaver's character, Alexandra gets a bit of development as we see that she is cultured and still determined to follow through on their goal...whatever it is. It still doesn't seem like the show is giving Weaver a lot to do. Hopefully, she'll be have meatier material as we move into the latter half of the season.
The real disappointment for me was the lack of Stick. I was excited to see Scott Glenn's name in the opening credits, but all he does is get revealed to be a captive of the Hand. He only has one line and that's about it. Honestly, it might have been better to keep his name out of the opening crawl so that the viewer is shocked to see who is under the hood. As it was, you pretty much knew who it was when the scene started, and you were right.
Still, the episode still does a masterful job of juggling the cast of four shows. They all get a respectable amount of screen time and it all feels natural. That's not an easy thing to do, so props to the show for pulling it off so far.
This took the momentum from the last episode and ran with it. It moved the plot along a lot quicker and had the heroes going out and doing what they do best. I think it's a much better showing and I hope that the subsequent episodes only continue that pattern.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)