The second season kicks off and picks up right where the finale left off. Suffice it to say, the people in town are sufficiently freaked out when they see the (apparently still living) titan inside the wall.
Questions are raised, but little is gained in terms of answers. We discover that the church (more specifically, the wall worshipers we had seen in previous episodes) is behind it. Their motives remain unclear, but they appear to remain steadfast in their resolve, as the head pastor is more than willing to let Hange drop him off a rooftop instead of spilling the beans.
The scene was appropriately tense, with Hange showing a much more ruthless side than we're used to. Even her eagerness to dissect titans seemed to be played for laughs at points, but here, she's dead serious. The fact that the pastor is unfazed shows what he's capable of as well. It was a good way to let both characters get a highlight in the same scene.
Alas, there isn't time to dwell on this as titans have breached wall rose. At first, I thought that the titans inside the walls were breaking out, but that doesn't appear to be the case. If it is, then they never made that clear. Again, I don't think so, but it was a possibility.
I'm not sure why the episode bothered flashing back 12 hours after this announcement. It didn't really add anything and actually makes things more confusing, as now we don't know what block of time we're in anymore. I think it's safe to say that the next couple of episodes are going to cover the next 12 hours, but I could be wrong on that front.
In any event, we get a large chunk of time dedicated to seeing the scouts scrambling to get ready, evacuate citizens and prepare for another incursion. We, once again, have lengthy sequences where characters are racing on horseback. Given the circumstances and the intense music, it's hardly boring, but it does seem like a case of poor time management.
It was nice to see Sasha Braun get some significant screen time. The early episodes made it seem like she'd be one of the show's front runners, but she kind of got pushed to the background. Between this episode and the preview for the next one, it seems like the writers are attempting to remedy that.
The real show stealer, though, is the titular "beast titan". It's another "abnormal" that looks like a gigantic sasquatch. I was worried that this was going to seem repetitive, but we learn that this titan is unlike anything we've seen to date, and for more reasons than the increased amount of body hair.
Where the female titan was a cold, ruthless, and unstoppable murder machine that had counter-measures for everything that the scouts threw at it; this titan is rather curious and chatty.
....
That's right, chatty, this titan talks. Mike, the scout who is approached is as surprised and freaked out as the viewer likely is.
To the titan's credit, he does seem rather amicable. When one of the other titans starts to take a bite out of Mike, the beast orders it to stop. When said order falls on deaf ears, the beast titan kills its subordinate so that the two can continue to hold palaver.
This shouldn't give you the idea that the titan is on humanity's side. Not only does he brutally and needlessly kill a horse; but while the titan does ask about the tech that the scouts use, it has the other titans consume Mike once their done, rather gruesomely even for this show, without giving it a second thought. It makes for a great episode ending. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger, but it's a wham moment, to be sure.
Overall, this episode was a mixed bag. It did a lot right, but there were some notable missteps. The chronologically non-linear approach was pointless and it seems like there could have been more progress on the "wall titans". The big scene at the end really changed things up and got me interested to see how things play out from here, though. I have a feeling that the beast titan is going to make for a great villain. It should be fun to watch.
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Monday, August 7, 2017
Sunday, August 6, 2017
'The Mist' Episode 7: 'Over the River and Through the Woods'
In comparison to the last couple of episodes, this one stands as a marked improvement. That's not to say that it isn't without its faults, but it was a stronger hour on several fronts.
Pacing is still a problem, but at least here, the character dialogue exchanges are more interesting and have more purpose than most of what's come before. Even if the plot hasn't advanced a whole lot, there was character growth for several people between the opening and closing credits of this episode.
Again, this episode goes for more of a "Walking Dead" approach, where it's more about the people than about the situation in which they find themselves. If you're a fan of that, than this episode'll work for you. If you're looking for supernatural horror, than this probably this isn't the episode for you.
Credit where it's due, though, Nash probably ranks as the show's best antagonist to date. He comes off as so innocuous in his first scene that his sudden heel turn comes as a genuine surprise. In hindsight, I really should have seen it coming as they are in the psych ward, but it still works really well.
The fact that he's both sympathetic and creepy adds to the whole scenario, as Kevin desperately tries to plead for Adrian's life. When Nash takes him hostage in order to kill the evil out of him..or something. It would have been interesting if their time in the mist did do something to him, but I'm guessing that it's just Nash's delusional psychosis at work
On other fronts, the conflict between the priest and Ms. Raven comes to a head, as the two pit their beliefs against each other in a life or death endeavor to determine the fate of the group. It's a stupid idea that has no real basis in logic, but it is decisive and it allows that particular plot point to wrap up.
Alas, Father Bulldog is no longer with us. It stinks. It's total BS. It, oh never mind. Of course, he was going to be the one to die. Frances Conroy is in the credits and he's a recurring guest star. Even putting that aside, having him die is "symbolic" or whatever. I suppose you could say that it's a nod to the scene when the monsters spared Mrs. Carmody, though this seems much less conclusive.
Moving back a bit, it was nice to see the cop instantly deduce what went down in the last episode just by watching the priest's behavior since. You do feel bad for the father, as the cop rains down his own form of justice, but it could also be seen as satisfying, given what Ms. Raven endured from Link.
I don't understand how the mall is running out of food this quickly. There aren't that many people there and there are lots of stores. Even putting aside an entire freaking food court, there should be convenience stores with drinks and candy bars. It's not the healthiest thing in the world, but they shouldn't be starving. They try to hand wave this when one character accuses Eve and her camp of hoarding food, but even that seems like a stretch.
Speaking of, how long have they been there? It's really hard to gauge the passing of time on this show. It seems like it should have only been a few hours, but it could be days by this point. We honestly have no way of knowing and that hurts the overall narrative as it seems like the devolution of society hasn't been given enough impetus.
The attempt to turn the mob against Eve and Alex also seems forced. I get that the woman has a beef, as the mist killed her daughter and spared Alex, but her big speech was loaded with fallacies and poor arguments.
Even if we're to assume that Alex lied about being raped, how would that draw the mist? Even on a show where several things make no sense, that stands out as one of the most nonsensical things we've seen on the show so far.
I have a feeling that this isn't going to be wrapping up in 3 episodes. I could be wrong, but the way things are going, it seems like they're trying to get a second season. Considering the source material is just a novella, a 10 part mini-series honestly seemed like the better way to go. At least "Under the Dome" was a door stopper, so you could understand how a multi-season plot could develop from that. I don't know if there's enough here to go another 10 episodes, but we'll see.
Hopefully, the final stretch of episodes can allow the show/season(?) to end on a high note. This was a step up. With any luck, the subsequent episodes will keep the momentum going.
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Pacing is still a problem, but at least here, the character dialogue exchanges are more interesting and have more purpose than most of what's come before. Even if the plot hasn't advanced a whole lot, there was character growth for several people between the opening and closing credits of this episode.
Again, this episode goes for more of a "Walking Dead" approach, where it's more about the people than about the situation in which they find themselves. If you're a fan of that, than this episode'll work for you. If you're looking for supernatural horror, than this probably this isn't the episode for you.
Credit where it's due, though, Nash probably ranks as the show's best antagonist to date. He comes off as so innocuous in his first scene that his sudden heel turn comes as a genuine surprise. In hindsight, I really should have seen it coming as they are in the psych ward, but it still works really well.
The fact that he's both sympathetic and creepy adds to the whole scenario, as Kevin desperately tries to plead for Adrian's life. When Nash takes him hostage in order to kill the evil out of him..or something. It would have been interesting if their time in the mist did do something to him, but I'm guessing that it's just Nash's delusional psychosis at work
On other fronts, the conflict between the priest and Ms. Raven comes to a head, as the two pit their beliefs against each other in a life or death endeavor to determine the fate of the group. It's a stupid idea that has no real basis in logic, but it is decisive and it allows that particular plot point to wrap up.
Alas, Father Bulldog is no longer with us. It stinks. It's total BS. It, oh never mind. Of course, he was going to be the one to die. Frances Conroy is in the credits and he's a recurring guest star. Even putting that aside, having him die is "symbolic" or whatever. I suppose you could say that it's a nod to the scene when the monsters spared Mrs. Carmody, though this seems much less conclusive.
Moving back a bit, it was nice to see the cop instantly deduce what went down in the last episode just by watching the priest's behavior since. You do feel bad for the father, as the cop rains down his own form of justice, but it could also be seen as satisfying, given what Ms. Raven endured from Link.
I don't understand how the mall is running out of food this quickly. There aren't that many people there and there are lots of stores. Even putting aside an entire freaking food court, there should be convenience stores with drinks and candy bars. It's not the healthiest thing in the world, but they shouldn't be starving. They try to hand wave this when one character accuses Eve and her camp of hoarding food, but even that seems like a stretch.
Speaking of, how long have they been there? It's really hard to gauge the passing of time on this show. It seems like it should have only been a few hours, but it could be days by this point. We honestly have no way of knowing and that hurts the overall narrative as it seems like the devolution of society hasn't been given enough impetus.
The attempt to turn the mob against Eve and Alex also seems forced. I get that the woman has a beef, as the mist killed her daughter and spared Alex, but her big speech was loaded with fallacies and poor arguments.
Even if we're to assume that Alex lied about being raped, how would that draw the mist? Even on a show where several things make no sense, that stands out as one of the most nonsensical things we've seen on the show so far.
I have a feeling that this isn't going to be wrapping up in 3 episodes. I could be wrong, but the way things are going, it seems like they're trying to get a second season. Considering the source material is just a novella, a 10 part mini-series honestly seemed like the better way to go. At least "Under the Dome" was a door stopper, so you could understand how a multi-season plot could develop from that. I don't know if there's enough here to go another 10 episodes, but we'll see.
Hopefully, the final stretch of episodes can allow the show/season(?) to end on a high note. This was a step up. With any luck, the subsequent episodes will keep the momentum going.
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'Dragon Ball Super' Episode 102: 'The Power of Love Explodes!? Universe 2's Little Witch Warriors'
From the shadows of the Pride Troopers' (well half of them anyway) defeat, come the warriors from Universe 2. Brianne de Chateau announces herself, as well as a pair of her compatriots: Sanka Ku and Su Roas.
There's a certain sense of showmanship to this universe that other fighters don't have. Even Helles, the universe's god of destruction gets in on it: announcing the fighters and hyping them up. It actually worked really well and you started to buy that this group was going to be a formidable force in their own right.
Of course, before they can fight, the girls have to transform, "Sailor Moon" style. The parody itself was affectionate and well done, though the real highlight is when 17 interrupts it by blasting the trio mid-routine.
When we saw the beam hit, I thought it was going to be the work of Frost, but it was the cyborg. He raises the perfectly valid point that they were wide open and seems legitimately confused as to why everybody is glaring at him. I can understand why Goku didn't care for it, he likes to fight people at their best. Even Toppo, though, rushes in and chides 17 for disrupting the routine, which he says is serious business.
Alas, post-transformation, the trio don't come off as particularly formidable. Rozie (the transformed Su Roas) has the most impressive ability, being able to deliver stronger and more accurate attacks with each attempted punch. Oddly, she gets the least screen time. We do see her put Goku on the defensive, though, so she gets a highlight moment.
The trio unleash a large energy attack early on, but we never see any repercussions from it. There are some small explosions and a lot is made about how they are releasing some kind of pheromone to weaken the resolve of other fighters. It never seems like we see it directly affect anybody, though, so the build up was for naught.
It does convince Gohan to split up their group. Maybe it was the chemicals, but I don't understand this decision. Their teamwork was what was keeping them in the fight and it had been working quite well up to this point. The others seem to go along with it with no protest or question, so maybe it'll work, but I'm not so sure.
From there, the episode shifts its focus to Kakunsa, as she engages 17 in combat. She's certainly quick, but it never seems like 17 is at a serious disadvantage. As cool as the fight is, it lacked the tension that other fights had.
It was nice to see universe 2 use teamwork, as Vikal is able to use her wings to fly out and catch Kakunsa before 17 can knock her out of the ring.
Sadly, Vikal's stay is short lived, as 17 proceeds to knock her out of the ring with ease. It was a cool moment for him, and it makes sense from a tactical standpoint, but it's a shame we didn't get to see more of the bond between Vikal and Kakunsa. Judging by the dialogue, the two were quite close.
Kakunsa herself is knocked out shortly after, leaving 17 to face off against a ticked off Ribrianne.
This episode was entertaining, but I can't help but feel like there was potential there that went untapped. It just seems like this trio could have put our heroes on the ropes a bit more.
Also, characters are able to stand around and do nothing, despite the fact that this is an all out brawl between dozens of fighters. 18 is seen just strolling multiple times and a lot of other fighters dawdle when you'd think that they would be focused on knocking somebody else out.
They did say a while back that the fighters are starting to tire, so maybe that's it. The ending narration says that there is still 39 minutes left, so maybe stopping to catch their breath is the right move.
The tournament is still going pretty strong, overall, though. Each episode manages to feel distinct, despite the fact that they are all action heavy. We also see a few more fighters getting knocked out, allowing more time for the remaining fighters to establish themselves before elimination. Here's hoping next week's episode can keep the momentum going.
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There's a certain sense of showmanship to this universe that other fighters don't have. Even Helles, the universe's god of destruction gets in on it: announcing the fighters and hyping them up. It actually worked really well and you started to buy that this group was going to be a formidable force in their own right.
Of course, before they can fight, the girls have to transform, "Sailor Moon" style. The parody itself was affectionate and well done, though the real highlight is when 17 interrupts it by blasting the trio mid-routine.
When we saw the beam hit, I thought it was going to be the work of Frost, but it was the cyborg. He raises the perfectly valid point that they were wide open and seems legitimately confused as to why everybody is glaring at him. I can understand why Goku didn't care for it, he likes to fight people at their best. Even Toppo, though, rushes in and chides 17 for disrupting the routine, which he says is serious business.
Alas, post-transformation, the trio don't come off as particularly formidable. Rozie (the transformed Su Roas) has the most impressive ability, being able to deliver stronger and more accurate attacks with each attempted punch. Oddly, she gets the least screen time. We do see her put Goku on the defensive, though, so she gets a highlight moment.
The trio unleash a large energy attack early on, but we never see any repercussions from it. There are some small explosions and a lot is made about how they are releasing some kind of pheromone to weaken the resolve of other fighters. It never seems like we see it directly affect anybody, though, so the build up was for naught.
It does convince Gohan to split up their group. Maybe it was the chemicals, but I don't understand this decision. Their teamwork was what was keeping them in the fight and it had been working quite well up to this point. The others seem to go along with it with no protest or question, so maybe it'll work, but I'm not so sure.
From there, the episode shifts its focus to Kakunsa, as she engages 17 in combat. She's certainly quick, but it never seems like 17 is at a serious disadvantage. As cool as the fight is, it lacked the tension that other fights had.
It was nice to see universe 2 use teamwork, as Vikal is able to use her wings to fly out and catch Kakunsa before 17 can knock her out of the ring.
Sadly, Vikal's stay is short lived, as 17 proceeds to knock her out of the ring with ease. It was a cool moment for him, and it makes sense from a tactical standpoint, but it's a shame we didn't get to see more of the bond between Vikal and Kakunsa. Judging by the dialogue, the two were quite close.
Kakunsa herself is knocked out shortly after, leaving 17 to face off against a ticked off Ribrianne.
This episode was entertaining, but I can't help but feel like there was potential there that went untapped. It just seems like this trio could have put our heroes on the ropes a bit more.
Also, characters are able to stand around and do nothing, despite the fact that this is an all out brawl between dozens of fighters. 18 is seen just strolling multiple times and a lot of other fighters dawdle when you'd think that they would be focused on knocking somebody else out.
They did say a while back that the fighters are starting to tire, so maybe that's it. The ending narration says that there is still 39 minutes left, so maybe stopping to catch their breath is the right move.
The tournament is still going pretty strong, overall, though. Each episode manages to feel distinct, despite the fact that they are all action heavy. We also see a few more fighters getting knocked out, allowing more time for the remaining fighters to establish themselves before elimination. Here's hoping next week's episode can keep the momentum going.
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Saturday, August 5, 2017
'The Mist' Episode 6: 'The Devil You Know'
As the series/season(?) enters its second half, one might expect tensions to increase, the pacing to pick up, you might even anticipate a big reveal. This episode delivers...well none of that, really.
Even the meetup between "Bryan" and Bryan turns out anticlimactic as the two immediately come to blows. I guess I can't fault the real Bryan for his reaction, but it's another missed opportunity for the writers.
Admittedly, it was a good fight, with both parties landing some solid hits before Bryan/Jonah ends it, but the kill is especially strange as Jonah wanted answers and killed the best lead he's had since he woke up in the woods.
From there, the episode just kind of lollygags. It's a good long while before anything of note happens. You'd think that with 10 episodes and such a large cast, that things would be moving a bit faster, but such is not the case.
Thankfully, the episode does eventually get around to moving the plot forward, as Kevin is taken hostage by the doctor to be a test subject. I can understand the doctor's desire to try to study the mist in order to better protect people, but looking at it from the viewer's perspective, it's clear that this is a futile endeavor. The mist does whatever it wants whenever it wants with no particular rhyme or reason. I did get a kick out of his assertion that he's not crazy. He might be right, his reasoning was somewhat sound, but from Kevin's perspective, the issue was rather moot. Once again, though, the mist itself doesn't seem to do anything so everybody's insistence that they can't let it touch them really seems unwarranted.
Mia's plot goes down as the episode's highlight. Not only does it give us a brief glimpse into her history, but the scenes with the apparition of her mother are also fairly creepy. It's not enough to turn the episode, or the show around, but it's something at least.
On the plus side, the episode doesn't really give us anything mindbogglingly stupid, like the last episode did. The owl hallucination was weird and out of place, but that seemed somewhat intentional and gave the episode at least a brief dose of levity.
Odd as it may sound, there's not much else to say. I mean, there were other subplots, but nothing that really stood out to me as warranting a mention. I'm trying to care, and the show has moments, but this has been an underwhelming adaptation thus far.
As much as I'd love to say that we're coming to the conclusion, I have a suspicion that this will be spread out over 2 or 3 seasons. Maybe it'll get better, but it doesn't seem like that's in the cards.
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Even the meetup between "Bryan" and Bryan turns out anticlimactic as the two immediately come to blows. I guess I can't fault the real Bryan for his reaction, but it's another missed opportunity for the writers.
Admittedly, it was a good fight, with both parties landing some solid hits before Bryan/Jonah ends it, but the kill is especially strange as Jonah wanted answers and killed the best lead he's had since he woke up in the woods.
From there, the episode just kind of lollygags. It's a good long while before anything of note happens. You'd think that with 10 episodes and such a large cast, that things would be moving a bit faster, but such is not the case.
Thankfully, the episode does eventually get around to moving the plot forward, as Kevin is taken hostage by the doctor to be a test subject. I can understand the doctor's desire to try to study the mist in order to better protect people, but looking at it from the viewer's perspective, it's clear that this is a futile endeavor. The mist does whatever it wants whenever it wants with no particular rhyme or reason. I did get a kick out of his assertion that he's not crazy. He might be right, his reasoning was somewhat sound, but from Kevin's perspective, the issue was rather moot. Once again, though, the mist itself doesn't seem to do anything so everybody's insistence that they can't let it touch them really seems unwarranted.
Mia's plot goes down as the episode's highlight. Not only does it give us a brief glimpse into her history, but the scenes with the apparition of her mother are also fairly creepy. It's not enough to turn the episode, or the show around, but it's something at least.
On the plus side, the episode doesn't really give us anything mindbogglingly stupid, like the last episode did. The owl hallucination was weird and out of place, but that seemed somewhat intentional and gave the episode at least a brief dose of levity.
Odd as it may sound, there's not much else to say. I mean, there were other subplots, but nothing that really stood out to me as warranting a mention. I'm trying to care, and the show has moments, but this has been an underwhelming adaptation thus far.
As much as I'd love to say that we're coming to the conclusion, I have a suspicion that this will be spread out over 2 or 3 seasons. Maybe it'll get better, but it doesn't seem like that's in the cards.
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Friday, August 4, 2017
'The Mist' Episode 5: 'The Waiting Room'
In lieu of jumping around from one group of survivors to the next, this episode puts its entire focus on one group, as Kevin and his crew reach a hospital to try and treat the gunshot wound that Bryan acquired in the last episode.
On some levels, this approach works to the episode's benefit. We're able to spend more time on this group and get to know them more than we have when they were fighting two other camps for screen time. This also allows for more momentum in terms of plot as we have a few revelations come to light.
One of the big whammies is that Bryan isn't Bryan. Instead, he's someone named Jonah Dixon and Bryan Hunt lies injured in another hospital room. Given the name, it's possible that they could have just had the same one, but the show seems to be going a different route. It should lead to some more information about "Arrowhead" in the next episode as the two end the episode meeting face to face.
The episode actually seems to draw a lot from "The Walking Dead" in the way that its structured. Whether you view that as a positive or a negative depends on your view of the show. I don't know if I'd want to see every episode take this approach, but it worked here.
In order to keep the episode from getting too claustrophobic, we are given some flashbacks to Kevin and Eve's earlier days of marriage. It allows us to see a world where the sun still shines and the couple are happy. It was a breath of fresh air in all honesty. As dour as things are, it helps to get a brief breather now and then.
It would have been nice if the previous episodes had better established Kevin's brother. If the flashbacks hadn't reminded us that he was mentioned, I would have thought he came out of the blue. It seems they're a tad estranged, so I guess that helps justify it, but I think it would have helped add to the emotional conflict in which Kevin finds himself.
For all the episode does well, when it goes awry, it goes really awry. Kevin's decision to perform surgery on his brother while a doctor instructs him over a radio headset is probably one of the dumber ideas presented. If there was a live video feed, I might have been able to go along, but this was much harder to buy. The fact that both the doctor and Kevin's brother point out that this is a stupid plan doesn't really help change the fact that it's a stupid plan.
The surgery itself was engaging in a gruesome way, but it still seemed like the stupid outweighed the tension.
Outside of that, Adrian takes a step backwards, coming off more like he did back in episode 1, when he was one of the show's most glaring flaws. You still kind of feel bad for him when one of the jocks from episode 1 beats the crap out of him, but the ensuing love scene is just played weird.
Same goes for the hetero love scene between Kevin and Eve in the flashback. This more because it came off as rather gratuitous, but it still has an odd vibe to it.
As to the titular mist, it takes a backseat. It's actually a plus, as when it does come to the forefront, it makes the episode more goofy than scary. Any interest in the true nature of the mysterious fog wanes, as it is clear that even the writers don't know what the mist does or how it works. Sometimes it makes monsters/killer animals/manifests the dead, sometimes it drives you crazy, sometimes it does nothing, and sometimes it rots your flesh. There's no rhyme or reason to any of it. Sure, it's a plot device, but they could at least try to hide the fact a little better.
We're halfway through. Hopefully, the writers will be able to bring more cohesion and consistency to the show's second half.
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On some levels, this approach works to the episode's benefit. We're able to spend more time on this group and get to know them more than we have when they were fighting two other camps for screen time. This also allows for more momentum in terms of plot as we have a few revelations come to light.
One of the big whammies is that Bryan isn't Bryan. Instead, he's someone named Jonah Dixon and Bryan Hunt lies injured in another hospital room. Given the name, it's possible that they could have just had the same one, but the show seems to be going a different route. It should lead to some more information about "Arrowhead" in the next episode as the two end the episode meeting face to face.
The episode actually seems to draw a lot from "The Walking Dead" in the way that its structured. Whether you view that as a positive or a negative depends on your view of the show. I don't know if I'd want to see every episode take this approach, but it worked here.
In order to keep the episode from getting too claustrophobic, we are given some flashbacks to Kevin and Eve's earlier days of marriage. It allows us to see a world where the sun still shines and the couple are happy. It was a breath of fresh air in all honesty. As dour as things are, it helps to get a brief breather now and then.
It would have been nice if the previous episodes had better established Kevin's brother. If the flashbacks hadn't reminded us that he was mentioned, I would have thought he came out of the blue. It seems they're a tad estranged, so I guess that helps justify it, but I think it would have helped add to the emotional conflict in which Kevin finds himself.
For all the episode does well, when it goes awry, it goes really awry. Kevin's decision to perform surgery on his brother while a doctor instructs him over a radio headset is probably one of the dumber ideas presented. If there was a live video feed, I might have been able to go along, but this was much harder to buy. The fact that both the doctor and Kevin's brother point out that this is a stupid plan doesn't really help change the fact that it's a stupid plan.
The surgery itself was engaging in a gruesome way, but it still seemed like the stupid outweighed the tension.
Outside of that, Adrian takes a step backwards, coming off more like he did back in episode 1, when he was one of the show's most glaring flaws. You still kind of feel bad for him when one of the jocks from episode 1 beats the crap out of him, but the ensuing love scene is just played weird.
Same goes for the hetero love scene between Kevin and Eve in the flashback. This more because it came off as rather gratuitous, but it still has an odd vibe to it.
As to the titular mist, it takes a backseat. It's actually a plus, as when it does come to the forefront, it makes the episode more goofy than scary. Any interest in the true nature of the mysterious fog wanes, as it is clear that even the writers don't know what the mist does or how it works. Sometimes it makes monsters/killer animals/manifests the dead, sometimes it drives you crazy, sometimes it does nothing, and sometimes it rots your flesh. There's no rhyme or reason to any of it. Sure, it's a plot device, but they could at least try to hide the fact a little better.
We're halfway through. Hopefully, the writers will be able to bring more cohesion and consistency to the show's second half.
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Tuesday, August 1, 2017
'Attack on Titan' Episode 25: 'Wall: Assault on Stohess Part 3'
At long last, we come to the first season finale. Here's hoping we move through the second a lot faster. It's only half as long, so that should help.
Not surprisingly, the finale goes big with an all out brawl between the two enemy titans. It's an appropriately jaw dropping set piece as humanity's inner sanctum is (not surprisingly) pretty much left in ruins as a result.
Unlike a lot of sequences that involve devastation of this level, the episode actually goes out of its way to remind you that, yes, people are in these buildings. It dissipates as the fight progresses and the devastation becomes more extreme, but I still thought it was a nice touch. It sounds odd, like I'm saying "yay, large numbers of people are being hurt or killed!" but it adds realism and weight to what we're seeing.
For the most part, the humans take a back seat on this one. They talk about helping. Armin reminds us that Eren was unable to defeat Titan-Annie last time and the scouts seem like they're going to enter the fray to stop Annie from reaching open ground, where they will be completely useless. Turns out it didn't matter as they were pretty useless anyway.
The only two who do something of note are Mikasa and Levi. The prior cuts off Annie's fingers when she tries to climb the wall to escape and the latter pulls Eren out when he tries to eat Annie after finally vanquishing her titan form.
While the day seems to be won, the plot takes something of an emotional downturn as the people realize that, despite all of this, they haven't accomplished anything. They're unable to study Annie, as she encased herself in crystal just in the nick of time.
The scenes were presented in dour fashion, but it was nice seeing those in charge try to hold people responsible for the consequences of their decisions. Usually, that sort of thing gets glossed over, but the show doesn't seem to be doing that.
Ultimately, the episode does end on an optimistic note. Those in charge believe that there are other human titans who can be used to turn the tide and save humanity. They vow to find every titan within the walls before the episode cuts to credits.
In a post-credits twist, we see the body of a titan within the wall itself. It was a rather odd case of foreshadowing as the episode didn't bother to let it simmer. If the line had been said an episode or two back, it might have worked, but they didn't and it just seems very on the nose.
Ultimately, that's a nitpick, though. This was a fun episode. It gave us a great action set piece and laid the groundwork for some plot points to go into the second season. All in all, not a bad way to wrap up the first season.
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Not surprisingly, the finale goes big with an all out brawl between the two enemy titans. It's an appropriately jaw dropping set piece as humanity's inner sanctum is (not surprisingly) pretty much left in ruins as a result.
Unlike a lot of sequences that involve devastation of this level, the episode actually goes out of its way to remind you that, yes, people are in these buildings. It dissipates as the fight progresses and the devastation becomes more extreme, but I still thought it was a nice touch. It sounds odd, like I'm saying "yay, large numbers of people are being hurt or killed!" but it adds realism and weight to what we're seeing.
For the most part, the humans take a back seat on this one. They talk about helping. Armin reminds us that Eren was unable to defeat Titan-Annie last time and the scouts seem like they're going to enter the fray to stop Annie from reaching open ground, where they will be completely useless. Turns out it didn't matter as they were pretty useless anyway.
The only two who do something of note are Mikasa and Levi. The prior cuts off Annie's fingers when she tries to climb the wall to escape and the latter pulls Eren out when he tries to eat Annie after finally vanquishing her titan form.
While the day seems to be won, the plot takes something of an emotional downturn as the people realize that, despite all of this, they haven't accomplished anything. They're unable to study Annie, as she encased herself in crystal just in the nick of time.
The scenes were presented in dour fashion, but it was nice seeing those in charge try to hold people responsible for the consequences of their decisions. Usually, that sort of thing gets glossed over, but the show doesn't seem to be doing that.
Ultimately, the episode does end on an optimistic note. Those in charge believe that there are other human titans who can be used to turn the tide and save humanity. They vow to find every titan within the walls before the episode cuts to credits.
In a post-credits twist, we see the body of a titan within the wall itself. It was a rather odd case of foreshadowing as the episode didn't bother to let it simmer. If the line had been said an episode or two back, it might have worked, but they didn't and it just seems very on the nose.
Ultimately, that's a nitpick, though. This was a fun episode. It gave us a great action set piece and laid the groundwork for some plot points to go into the second season. All in all, not a bad way to wrap up the first season.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
'Mr. Mercedes' TV Series Trailer Reaction
The latest trailer trilogy wraps up with the first promotion for the upcoming television adaptation of "Mr. Mercedes". I knew it was coming, but I wasn't aware that it was premiering on August 9th. That's actually quite close. Sadly, I don't have the network on which it airs. If it's streaming somewhere, I'll be sure to tune in. If not, I'll have to wait for it to hit DVD or Netflix.
That's neither here nor there, though. Today, we're just looking at what the trailer gives us. In that vein, the trailer does what it needs to do, as it gives you the general plot hook as well as an introduction to the cast of characters.
Brendan Gleeson looks like he's going to be a solid Hodges. He has that grizzled look down pretty well. From what we saw, he leaves more of a lasting impression than Brady. You could chalk part of that up to the fact that Hodges gets more screen time; then again, I found Brady underwhelming in the first book, so that limitation might also be a factor.
The one thing that stood out to me about Brady was the fact that he's not really hiding the fact that he's crazy very well. When your manager tells you that he thinks you're weird, going into Kubrick stare probably isn't the best response.
If there is a weak aspect to the trailer, I'd have to say the dialogue itself. A lot of the lines are things you've likely heard hundreds of times before in books and movies. Then again, the plot is pretty familiar, so I suppose that's no surprise.
Still, should be an interesting adaptation. I hope I'll be able to watch it in a fairly timely manner, but we'll see how things play out on that end.
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