'Castle Rock' Season 2, Episode 7: 'The Word'

 

This episode takes us back to the past.  Not to play bad video games, but...wait, I have deja vu.  We do kind of have another flashback episode fairly quickly.  However, where that focused on Annie's upbringing this one reveals the origins of the cult that is slowly overrunning the town.

I was expecting this to be a whole episode flashback, but instead, this intertwines those with events that are unfolding in the present day.  I think it worked out for the better.  While the flashback story did have highlights once it gained momentum, I don't know if there was enough there to carry a whole episode.

Annie and Joy mostly sit this one out.  There is one scene where Annie is trying (not very successfully it appears) to maintain the cover story that she was the one who committed the murder in the previous episode.  It seems like they're overcomplicating this.  The woman really was trying to do Annie harm, so wouldn't that give Joy a pretty strong defense in court?  It seems like they're lying when they don't necessarily have to.  We'll have to see where that goes.  In the meantime, though, the cult is still aiming to make her a vessel for their prophet, Amity, who's story is told in the aforementioned flashbacks.

Most of the present day plot focuses on Ace, as he is made aware of the strange things his son has been up to.  There's a little bit of dumb luck to get things started, but once Ace is put on the trail, his part becomes pretty compelling.  Even though he doesn't have all the pieces, it was interesting watching him put the pieces together to figure out that something is up.  He even tries to warn Abdi, who ignores said warnings.  The latter is later made aware when he sees 

It was also amusing to see Tim Robbins return to Shawshank.  Sure, it's a different character under entirely different circumstances, but that had to be intentional.

This also allows this season's plot to tie into that of the first.  While this season has done well telling its own independent story, the link was a nice touch.  The timing fits, as we are nearing the end of the series.  I doubt it'll tie everything up, but it does shed light on some things that were left hanging.

It's been quite some time since I was able to sit down and watch this.  Despite the gap, I was still able to keep up with what was happening.  Really, the only point my brain needed to stop and think about what was going on was with Annie and the cops.  Even that didn't take that long to click back into place for me.

The episode is fairly well paced.  I wasn't sure about the flashbacks at first, but they found their footing and became just as engaging as the present day plot progression.  

We're down to the final three episodes and it's quite clear that things are being set up for the final confrontation.  It'll be sad to see the series go.  This season has been quite strong overall, but I am still looking forward to seeing how things wrap up in the episodes to come.

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Content Creator Mk II

 So, I've been feeling the itch to get back to writing. A heckin' busy schedule and a slow as all get out netbook had been hindering me for some time.  While the schedule is still somewhat absurd, I am finding windows here and there.  This has been helped by the fact that the aforementioned netbook died, forcing me to upgrade.  I have also been making an effort to pull back at work, so as not to burn myself out mentally and physically.  

Now, this won't be like the last time around.  The jobs stay put.  This is going to be more of a "Buzz Beer" situation as opposed to trying to go the "self employed content creator" route again.  So, for all intents and purposes, I will be working three jobs as far as I'm concerned.

While content will be more consistent on both sites going forward, the plan is to ultimately move into fiction. I talked about it back when the Patreon was up and, while the means are different, the end goal does remain the same.  I do still like the idea of monthly novellas.  Short stories and full-on novels are also possibilities, but the novella seems like it would strike the right balance for me.

So, how does this little endeavor finance itself?  Well, from where I sit, there are four main sources of revenue.

1. E-Poll

Not a huge money maker, but every little bit counts.

2. Swagbucks

You know, it's funny, as much as I feature the referral link, I haven't really used the site that much. It didn't really get along with my old computer.  Now that my tech is more up to speed, I need to put this site to use to increase cash flow and boost my metrics even further.  I doubt it'll be big money, but again, every bit counts.

3. Reviewstream

This one is probably the best, as it is actually tied to writing.  Not only that, but I can throw the content on to either site. There is a pretty high payout threshold, so it'll take a while to get funds, but when they do come, the needle will move.  On the plus side, I don't need to come up with some outlandish number in terms of articles per day to ensure my bills get paid.  All that is already taken care of.  I can just work at a reasonable pace and still allow myself to put some focus on bigger projects

4. Dividends

This will really be the backbone of the operation.  It may not seem like it now, but as time goes on.  It's going to play a bigger and bigger role.

Wait, you're using side hustles to fund a side hustle?

Yes.  It's like seed money or startup capital.  

The Patreon...stays down.  It had its chance.  Truth be told, I think I put together a good system, but it didn't go anywhere after several years, so there's no sense in wasting time and energy with it.  I'm on a better path anyway.  Not only is this delivering much better results, but it suits me better.

I am toying with the idea of taking certain aspects of the campaign and applying them to the dividends, namely the quasi-basic income guarantee pledge (where at $1,200/month at least 10% goes to other creators to help build their income floor) and the charity milestone (where at least another 10% goes to charity).  Back when the Patreon was up, I had the latter milestone set at $4,000/month, but I am considering lowering it to $3,000.  Overhead isn't the concern that it was then and getting there sooner would be better.  We're still a ways away from that, but it is something to look forward to in the years to come.  Better yet, at that point, I'll be able to put E-Poll and Swagbucks points towards charities to bolster things even further.

One tricky thing, though, is that dividend payouts aren't even from month to month.  So, would I have to cross the threshold for all three quarter months before the perks get initiated or would I apply it to each quarter month as it hit?  The latter seems like the better way to go, but it is something that will have to be ironed out.  Again, I've got time on that one.

Could this phase out the current second job? Theoretically, it's a nice idea, but I don't want to get ahead of myself like I did the last time around.  I'm taking great care not to make the mistakes I made in the first go around.

I'm excited for this.  It'll be some time before you see anything substantial.  I still have brainstorming, drafting, and quite a bit of rust to shake off; but I think getting back into this will be good.  I think the setup is a lot better than the one I was trying to run on previously.  It's going to be interesting to see how things play out this time around.  I'm looking forward to it, though.  

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'Luke Cage' Season 2, Episode 3: 'Wig Out'

 

This episode picks up where the last one left off, with Luke hanging around after beating Cockroach up something fierce.  You have to figure that was awkward for all parties.  His family is still cowering in the corner and he's just sitting there.  Yeah, he's waiting for Claire so she can administer some first aid, but they don't know that.  Having Misty come in to effectively let Luke off the hook probably didn't help matters.  She does get flack for it later, but again, they don't know that.  

 Claire, on the other hand, is still concerned. To the episode's credit, it isn't quite as blunt force as its predecessor was, it just continues the plot thread.  There is still tension between the two and it culminates in one of the episode's final scenes where the two hash it out.  It's an appropriately intense scene, and the two actors do pretty solid work, but there are script elements that undercut it.  Luke tying his whole hero endeavor to his manhood comes out of left field.  It's never been an issue with him before and it, frankly, makes no sense that he's bringing it up to the extent that he is.  In any event, the two seem to have parted ways, as Luke's anger issues are clearly becoming more apparent.

On other fronts, we do see Mariah using blackmail to help set herself up for her upcoming "retirement".  It is very much akin to something you'd see on "Melrose Place" but it worked.  She is also bonding more with her daughter.  It's nice to see the two coming closer, though Shades is still not on board with the whole arrangement.  

He does note that he's being reduced to errand boy when Mariah tells him to go get the money from the last viable buyer.  Oddly enough, him bringing up manhood would have made more sense than Luke's did.  Considering Mariah just tells him to shut up and do it, it's probably a moot point.

This does allow Shades to meet Bushmaster face to face.  It's a pretty memorable scene.  Of course, having the latter hand the prior a duffel bag full of money with a decapitated head in it would leave an impression.  Credit to Shades, though, he doesn't flinch.  I thought he'd be unnerved, but a later scene shows that he's happy to see the deal going through.

In a similar fashion, Luke also meets Bushmaster.  He's trying to stop the deal from going through and tries to exert some pressure.  Up until this point, it didn't seem like the two had any real conflict.  Even one of Bushmaster's men points out that they have a common enemy in Mariah.  But, Bushmaster is still a criminal seeking to grab power, so that puts the two at odds.  Bushmaster does propose an alliance to take her down together, but he could have been joking.  Luke doesn't bite anyway so it looks like we'll have a three way face off this season.

Misty's part of the plot had the most meat to it.  She's still grappling with the loss of her arm, which she equates to a part of her identity and soul.  Unlike Luke's manliness thing, this actually makes sense.  She did lose a literal piece of herself, but she also invokes her playing basketball and being right handed when lamenting what she'd lost and how she's struggling to adapt.

Luckily, Colleen pops by to help.  The two do play well off each other and it is a nice way to show the linked nature of the shows in a more subtle way.  I know Danny's going to pop in later, but for now, it was like a little mini-crossover.

All in all, this episode was decent.  It had a good bit of humor, and there was enough action to keep things going.  Almost all of the characters saw some progression and it ends in such a way that you want to tune in to see what happens next.  It did feel like there was some padding here and there.  The script also needed some work, but not a bad entry by any stretch.

Random musings

- Even if Luke was faster than Usain Bolt, doesn't his status as a metahuman render that comparison invalid?  If anything, the comparison is complimentary to the runner as he would (I presume) hold his own and come in a close second in a race

- Colleen is given grief for wanting to go to a library if she had a million dollars.  Perhaps a better option would be to buy a ton of books and put a library in her house.  Assuming she doesn't want to just fund a local library, that's also an option.

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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 4, Episode 10: 'The Getaway'

The team travels to 1973 to try and figure out why Nixon is, all of a sudden, telling the truth.  This aspect of the plot becomes tertiary at best, as Hank's desire to stop the Legends from figuring out his plan becomes more of the focus.

On paper, this episode had potential.  You've got the team road tripping in an RV, you've got a mystical bug that forces people to tell the truth, you've got police chases.  The results, alas, aren't what they could have been.  It's not a bad episode, but it doesn't leave an impression the way other episodes have.

Part of this could be because the episode is much more grounded.  There's no big action sequences, nor is there the zaniness that previous episodes have delivered.  There's still good stuff to be seen, though. The truth bug, while a plot device, does bring a decent amount of comedy, character development, and even a dash of squick for good measure.  Sara and John have a nice scene where John gives a fake pep talk that somehow manages to still work.  Nate and Hank have some great moments as well.  

Alas, there's also quite a bit of filler.  It negatively affects the episode's pacing.

While Nixon takes a backseat to everything else, he was still a detriment.  A part of it is due to the actor never really selling us on the idea that he's actually the former President.  The jokes at his expense were also largely obvious and have been done to death.  Really, the only joke that landed on that one was John's "dick in a box" line.  His final speech about how he had become inspired to be a better person and leader was a nice moment that was amusingly subverted when the team had to "undo" it to preserve the status quo.  Other than that, though it was a bit of a dud humor wise.

As far as the over-arching plot, this episode does move the needle a bit.  Hank is dead, killed by Neron after trying to back out of the arrangement.  Nate also mistakenly believes that Nora is responsible, as she had broken out to try and help.  

The big reveal about Mona is also followed up on. To her credit, she does repeatedly try to tell Sara what her deal is, but keeps getting brushed off.  It comes to a head when she transforms again and Sara has to talk her down.

You can see what the episode was trying to do, and Lotz does what she can to bring the scene some emotional weight, but it's undercut by the creature makeup effects which are..not good.  It's odd as the show can, and has, done better, but this time around, it ended up taking me out of the scene.  The fact that she's supposed to be bawling in grief really didn't help matters.

Overall, the episode passes the time well enough.  It does have its strengths, but it doesn't pop as well as some of the show's earlier episodes had.  We'll see where things go, though.  As I noted, it does plant some seeds for things down the line, so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

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Moro Vs. Cooler: Who Should be the Villain in the Next 'Dragon Ball Super' Movie?

 You've probably heard that there is another 'Dragon Ball Super' movie in the works, set to come out some time next year.  Being a fan of the franchise, I am naturally excited and intrigued. There hasn't been any official word on what the plot would be, or who the heroes will confront, but there are two major contenders for the role of film antagonist, at least based on what musings I've come across.

The first is Moro, the ram-like sorcerer who acted as the main foe in the first major post-Tournament of Power arc in the manga.  I don't read the manga, but I it's been well received.  Moro himself is a distinct villain who operates differently from most dragon ball villains.  The arc also gives Vegeta quite a lot of development and even gives the human Z-fighters a chance to shine in the final battle.  

Whether it's in film or a relaunched series, I am looking forward to seeing this arc get brought to the animated medium.  

While this is a convenient way to go, as the story's already been written, there are some among the fandom who would rather the arc wait for a full series.  It is a big arc and a movie might not do it justice.

On the other hand, remember how 'Super' started.  We had the two "canon" Dragon Ball Z movies (Battle of Gods and Resurrection F), then when the Super started, it kicked off by retelling and embellishing on those two plot points. It's possible that viewers can have their cake and eat it too.  The movie gives us a glimpse of what the arc would look like, then when (or if) the show returns we can see the more elaborate and fully fleshed out take on the story line (as well as Broly's).

Speaking of Broly, that brings us to the other lead suspect: Frieza's brother, Cooler.  I'm not entirely sold on this idea, to be honest.

For one thing, you just did Broly, so going back to the old movie well for another villain seems kind of...lazy.

On top of that, if they wanted to canonize Cooler, they had a perfect opportunity in the flashbacks of the Broly movie.  It wouldn't have taken much, either a quick cameo or even just a line alluding to his existence would have been enough. That way, if he did appear, it would have been more organic.  

Now that I think about it, they could have thrown in a Turles appearance too, really brought the movie rogues into the main storyline (Garlic Jr. is already canon, remember.)

Another option would be just to wait a bit.  Bringing Cooler in might go over better if there is some space between him and Broly.  It would be interesting to see more of the movie villains become part of the main story, but doing them all in rapid succession takes away some of the appeal.  

Seeing Janemba or Hildegarn get brought in later on down the line would be cool, but I wouldn't want to see them right after Broly and Cooler.  Mix it up a bit.

So, my vote goes to Moro, but I know that Cooler has his fans.  Of course, the movie could throw a curve ball and do something completely different.  If Moro is too big for a movie, just do something smaller scale that gives the team something to do and possibly give the (maybe) returning anime some story fodder going forward. 

As of now, it's too soon to tell, and it's all just speculation.  In either case, I am looking forward to seeing 'Dragon Ball Super' make its return.  It has been far too long since we got our fix in.

'Castle Rock' Season 2, Episode 6: 'The Mother'

 

While the plot of this episode is centered in the present, it pretty much acts as a sequel to the events featured in the one that preceded it.  

After Joy's phone call, Rita has a pretty easy time tracking down her long lost daughter. It does take a bit of reluctant assistance from Chance, but Rita is eventually able to reunite and tell Joy about what really happened all those years ago.  Suffice it to say, it's a curve ball that leaves the young girl reeling.

Nadia herself is reeling from her own revelations.  Learning about Pop was bad enough, but following that with learning that  her brother also knew the truth does little to help the matter.  She's left confiding in someone who technically isn't even there anymore.  It does put a dark twist on the scene.  Not much is really done with it, but I noticed it.  

The reunion between Ace and Annie also seemed like a missed opportunity.  After all this time, you'd think that there would be more tension, but she gets even more drunk, then he take her home and puts her to bed...that's it.    

While we're on the subject, we are given some illumination about what Ace is doing.  It turns out that the resurrected townspeople are reincarnation vessels for the town's early settlers.  Ace himself is referred to as "Pere Augustin" at one point.  We also learn that certain medications hinder the transfer process.

This aspect of the plot is put on the back burner, but there is enough to keep the viewer satisfied.  It's also nice to see all the plot lines converging.  Nadia is (sort of) brought into the fold when a young woman (briefly) escapes the clutches of the cult and makes it to her hospital.  Annie is unknowingly brought in when Ace/Pere decides that she is to be the vessel of a woman named Amity.  

Not surprisingly, the Wilkes family drama brings the best material for the episode.  All of the characters are put through an emotional wringer and you can empathize with all of them and see where they're coming from.  We also get another impassioned plea and declaration of devotion from Annie to Joy.  You'd think that it would be old hat by now, but Caplan is just so damn good at it that it works every. freaking. time.  

Overall, this was a solid episode.  It wasn't quite as impressive as some of the other outings, but there was a lot to like.  The plot advanced on several fronts and the cast all turned in strong performances.  It's weird to think that there's only four episodes left.  It seems like there's still a lot of plot to cover, so we'll see how things play out.

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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 4, Episode 9: 'Lucha de Apuestas'

 The team is tasked to find the Kaupe, which had escaped Time Bureau custody.  In true "Legends" fashion, the plot manages to rope in a variety of disparate elements: Mexican wrestling, government conspiracies, romantic tensions; and throw them together in such a way that it all still works.

The Bureau's shadier dealings have been known (to the viewer anyway) but its presentation here is more akin to other science fiction plots.  Mona herself makes a direct comparison to "The X-Files".  If you watched Justice League Unlimited back in the day, you might think that this would have been a great opportunity to bring the Question to the Arrowverse.  Sadly, it doesn't happen.  

The episode does still bring a lot to the table.  It's entertaining as all get out.  Seeing John help coach a washed up wrestler so that he can reclaim his former glory against Konane was one of the episode's many highlights.  There's quite a bit of slapstick involved, as the team has to teach Konane to lose; but seeing the two join forces against the Bureau MiB's was a splendid thing.

While the show does get wacky, it still manages to bring a healthy dose of heart to the proceedings.  The Mona/Kaupe "romance" is still a little weird, but it isn't without its heartwarming and tragic moments. When Mona does decide to part ways and say goodbye, it actually is a moving scene, even though it should be ridiculous by any stretch.  

Even Mick gets to have a serious and sincere conversation.  It's a small scene, but it was well done and Purcell did a great job with it.

Speaking of romance, it seems as if the Sara/Ava ship has sailed. The episode puts the two at odds and creates a rift that even a conversation over a tango can't fix. It is sad.  The two were great together. On the other hand, this could just be a tension building thing. The wrestler even notes that stories involve falls so that the heroes can rise.  This could be one of those things.  We'll have to see.  I'm still rooting for them.

All in all, this was a solid episode.  It brought fun, the wrestling sequences were fun, and the character moments all worked out.   This episode did shake things up on several fronts so it'll be interesting to see how things play out.

 

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