Saturday, January 31, 2015
Saturday is Haul Day 29!!
This week I brought home an exciting mix of stuff, seriously, this Haul contains just about everything. Kicking things off is Fortune and Glory, created by Jason C. Hill and published by Flying Frog Productions. I've wanted this game for quite a while and finally managed to get my hands on it. The game casts players as one of several pulp characters. The object of the game is to track down and acquire artifacts faster than your opponents. Although it has a steep learning curve Fortune and Glory has something to offer almost any type of player, featuring competitive, team, cooperative, and even solo game types. And you get to beat up Nazis or Mobsters, what's not to love?
Next is Dying Light, developed by Techland and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Improvised weapons, parkour, and zombies; that just about sums it up. Dying Light features zombies that, during the day are slow and easy to deal with but at night become much more formidable enemies. Players have to use a combination of salvaged weapons, traps, and the environment to survive the hordes of zombies sent their way.
Antoine Fuqua reunited with his Training Day star to bring us 2014's The Equalizer starring Denzel Washington. Although every Fuqua movie couldn't be called a classic they are generally pretty entertaining. Denzel has seemed to get a little too comfortable playing the same two or three characters over and over, but the trailers for this one make it look like that's exactly what the role calls for.
Finally, on to the comics. The pull list was a little light this week, but there's always something to get. Batman #38 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, Danny Miki and FCO Plascencia, and Tomb Raider #12 by Rhianna Pratchett, Gail Simone and Nicolas Daniel Selma round out this week's Haul.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Constantine: Season 1, Episode 11
Constantine
Episode Title: "A
Whole World Out There”
Channel: NBC
Director: Tom
Wright
Writers: Davita Scarlett and
Sneha Koorse
Genre: Fantasy,
Horror
Runtime: 43
min
Rated: TV-14
Original Air Date: January
30, 2015
It's
a solo John episode this week. I prefer the team all together, and
the excuses for them being separated are getting a little thin. I'm
not sure if it might be better at this point to just ignore Zed and
Chas when they're not around. Silence might be better than the
flimsy ways the writers have explained their absences. The solitude
does allow the audience a peak behind the curtain; John's facade is
stripped away and we get to see a man that is deeply troubled by the
decisions he's been forced to make. His brash and confident demeanor
is normally enough to make the viewer forget that although he's been
making the tough decisions, they're still tough and he still feels
them.
Bringing
Jeremy Davies back as Richie was a great decision. So far, of the
characters that have been introduced previously in single episodes,
he's been my favorite character, and the one most able to complement
John. Their back and forth bickering perfectly reflects the way that
two old friends, who've been through a lot, interact with each other.
One moment that really stuck out to me was during an argument on a
college campus; Richie is talking about the sacrifices that John has
made, and his reaction to them. Matt Ryan captures the facial
expressions during that exchange very well, there's pain and sadness
reflected in his face, without overdoing either. The well concealed
vulnerabilities that John exhibits are what make the character so
strong, yet relatable.
The
case itself revolved around a group of students that had discovered
how to spiritually leave their bodies and enter another plane of
existence created by a deranged killer, Jacob Shaw. This was
unfortunately where the episode began to fall apart. I don't know if
it was because the writers borrowed from so many other horror
stories, Nightmare on Elm
Street
being the foremost example, or if something important was left behind
in editing, but the conflict and resolution seemed like a cornucopia
of half-formed concepts. One bit of good news is that the pace
slowed down a little bit when John and Richie enter the dreamscape,
allowing for a couple of suspenseful minutes. Blood and gore aren't
the only ways to be scary, and those tense minutes felt like a decent
horror flick. The conclusion felt 'off'. After being told that in
his world Shaw was God, Richie somehow wrests control away from the
villain and wills
him gone, with barely an explanation as to how he managed it. The
attempt to tease the audience with Richie staying behind in the dream
world was a bit weak, we all know by now, that is no where near a
violent enough end for one of John's friends.
My
main gripe with this episode? There are two episodes left, and we
still have next to no information regarding the Rising Darkness. The
previews for next week show a continuation of the present arc, and
not a flashback as I had been half expecting, but that still doesn't
leave us much time to make significant progress regarding the story
before the finale. I'm afraid that the penultimate episode is going
to be of the 'information dump' variety.
Conclusion:
Richie's return hit all the right notes as far as the character
interaction goes, but the story itself felt weak. The weak villain,
and even weaker explanation of John and Richie's victory over him,
kept the story side of the episode from being as successful as the
character side. The superb acting of both Ryan and Davies couldn't
make me ignore the scripts faults
Rating:
6.75/10
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Arrow: Season 3, Episode 11
Arrow
Episode Title: “Midnight City”
Channel: CW
Director: Nick Copus
Writers: Wendy
Mericle and Ben Sokolowski
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 42
min
Rated: TV-14
Original Air Date: January 28,
2015
This week's Arrow
continued to chronicle the struggles of Team Arrow regarding their
attempts to continue Oliver's work without him. The newest crime
boss in Starling City, Brick, is making his play for power; this time
kidnapping several city officials and threatening their lives if the
police presence in the Glades isn't withdrawn. Meanwhile, Oliver is
convalescing in a cabin tended to by Maseo and Tatsu.
The
crisis in Starling City has reached new heights, the newest threat to
the city has escalated quickly and it wasn't long before the
remaining members of Oliver's team, along with Laurel as the Canary,
decided to take action. I'm actually really liking the way the team
is functioning without Oliver. Roy is becoming more comfortable with
taking the lead in the field. Harper has been an underutilized
character this season, so seeing him with something meaningful to do
is an improvement. Laurel's first few appearances as the Canary have
not gone well for her. I'm glad that she hasn't been thrown into the
fight and shown that she's somehow become a fighter of the caliber of
the rest of the team. Besides the physical abuse that she's received
she was also confronted with the consequences of her failures. At
the moment that she's at her lowest Felicity comes into play to
remind her that although their mission comes with a huge price to pay
it's something that has to be done. Diggle and Roy's moment over
drinks after a long day served to show that everyone that Oliver has
left behind are finally coming to grips with his absence.
The
one major negative I saw in the scenes from Starling City involved
Laurel's interactions with her father. I know that she's convinced
that learning of Sara's death would kill her father, but the way in
which she's deceiving him is sure to have dire ramifications going
forward. When the ruse is is revealed it seems like it is going to
do irreparable harm to their relationship. That's a moment that I'm
dreading.
Thea
has refused to flee Starling with Malcolm Merlyn; setting up and
inevitable confrontation between them and Ra's al Ghul. A seemingly
useless plot point from much earlier in the season finally showed
some purpose when it was revealed that the new DJ at Verdant
is at the very least a League of Assassin's informant, or possibly a
member himself. Maseo's role in the current plans of the League is a
little unclear but we've been led to believe that he's somehow
spearheading the League's eventual confrontation with Merlyn.
Between his actions regarding Oliver and his involvement with
whatever is in store for Merlyn I found myself wondering; could he be
setting Ra's up for a fight with Oliver and Merlyn fighting side by
side. I think it's possible that whatever caused the separation
between Maseo and Tatsu was the result of something Ra's did.
Maseo's insistence that he return to the League may be the result of
his desire for revenge. It's just a crazy theory, but you never
know.
That
brings us to Oliver and his recovery. The words “Lazarus Pit”
haven't been uttered yet, to my disappointment. There's no other way
to explain Oliver's recovery, I refuse to accept that some penicillin
tea somehow saved him from his wounds and the elements. The
flashbacks in this episode served to highlight the dramatic change in
Maseo and Tatsu's relationship. While nothing notable was discovered
this week during those flashback they have the feeling that they're
setting the audience up for tragedy.
Conclusion:
I actually could have done with less Oliver this week, as the more
compelling moments of “Midnight City” revolved around his friends
and the way they're coping/carrying on following his death. Laurel's
blunders during her first forays as a vigilante are also managing to
soften the disbelief I had feared would surround her shouldering of
the Canary mantle.
Rating:
7.5/10
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
The Flash: Season 1, Episode 11
The Flash
Episode Title: “The Sound and
the Fury”
Channel: CW
Director: John F. Showalter
Writers: Alison Schapker and
Brooke Eikmeier
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 43
min
Rated: TV-PG
Original Air Date: January 27,
2015
“The Sound and the Fury” was
Harrison Wells' episode, which means the audience got more insight
into the most mysterious of the show's characters. When he's
attacked at his home we finally see him use some speed. Although
we've assumed it for a while, its the first visual confirmation that
Wells is a speedster of some sort. I'm not prepared to jump on any
of the bandwagons concerning Wells' identity, but the show finally
mentioning the Speed Force means that he could be one of any number
of characters. I have a feeling that the most obvious answers will
turn out to be incorrect, so instead of pondering it too hard I'm
going to sit back and enjoy the ride.
The best parts of the episode were
those involving Wells and his relationships with Barry, Caitlin and
Cisco. It's beginning to seem that he actually considers them his
friends instead of his subordinates. Of course, that might not be the
case at all. They could be instrumental in whatever event he's
trying to bring about, so he sees the necessity in keeping them
around and happy. After having just earned back their trust a
revelation like that could conceivably devastate the team.
This week's villain, the Pied Piper,
was a bit of a mixed bag. There was definitely more back story
present than usual for the villains on The Flash,
but that's due to his prominence in the events leading up to the
accident at S.T.A.R. Labs and his role in upcoming episodes. While I
liked the portrayal of the villain I can't help but feel that the
writing let the character down. The best villains are those that the
viewer can at some level sympathize with. That's why villains are so
often bullied, wrongly accused, or suffering from some sort of
affliction; they weren't really bad guys before they were dealt a bad
hand. The audience can at that point understand where the villain is
coming from, even if they don't agree with his methods.
Unfortunately for Hartley Rathaway, aka the Pied Piper, there were
precious few of those sympathy building scenes. Even before his
descent into evil he was a huge douche, there was no sign of a single
redeeming quality in his persona. By the time his trouble with his
family, and that he lost his hearing in the particle accelerator
explosion, is revealed the character is already too insufferable for
me to empathize with him.
Another
item of note is that Joe's distrust of Harrison Wells has grown to
the point that he's asked Eddie to begin an investigation into the
doctor. Eddie's involvement seems sure to lead to some important
reveals regarding who exactly, is who. Iris' new job feels like a
holding pattern while the writers figure out what exactly to do with
the character. I hope something meaningful can come from it, but
from the brief glimpses we saw it seems like a pretty standard “gets
a job due to seemingly inside info, gets no respect, and has to
figure out how to be taken seriously,” story line. Lets hope for a
curve ball because I've already seen that story.
Conclusion:
Due to the failure of the script to elicit much sympathy from the
audience on behalf of the Piper “The Sound and the Fury” was not
as successful as it could have been. The insights into Dr. Wells
help to offset that shortcoming somewhat, even if they raised more
questions than they answered.
Rating:
7.25/10
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Gotham: Season 1, Episode 13
Gotham
Episode Title: “Welcome Back,
Jim Gordon”
Channel: Fox
Director: Wendy
Stanzler
Writer: Megan Mostyn-Brown
Genre: Crime,
Drama, Thriller
Runtime: 42 min
Rated: TV-14
Original Air Date: January 26,
2015
I hate writing reviews like this one.
Gotham has consisted of
several ups and downs in its short history, and I've tried to give
the writers the benefit of the doubt. It takes some time for a show
to find its identity, to find the right balance between the larger
story arc and the cases in between. Finding the sweet spot as far as
how many individual character arcs you can fit into one episode must
be difficult, and Gotham
is operating with a very high number of concurrent stories to juggle.
“Welcome Back, Jim Gordon” is an example of most of the things
wrong with the series so far.
Present
in the episode are: Gordon's investigation into another member of
the GCPD, Fish Mooney's plight at the hands of Don Falcone, Penguin's
ascension as a major player in the underworld, Bruce's search for
Selina and the knowledge of his parents' murders, and Nygma's ongoing
infatuation with Ms. Kringle. It's just too much, there isn't enough
time to focus on so many different things. An episode that is only
42 minutes long cannot tell a self contained episodic story and move
the serial plot along with so much time devoted to things that don't
matter at the moment. The latter two plot points fall into this
category.
While
I'm glad that Bruce now has a reason to resume his own investigation
into the murder of his parents the setup for it should have been
withheld until his investigation plays a bigger part in an episode.
Combine those scenes with the scenes in which the audience is still
getting bludgeoned by how weird and creepy Edward Nygma is and you
have a major chunk of time that could have been more effectively used
elsewhere. Lets leave Nygma alone for a while, the show already has
plenty of villains to go around; there's no purpose in continuing
those scenes. A large percentage of the audience must know how he's
going to end up, and the ones that don't must see these scenes
largely as filler.
A huge
missed opportunity in “Welcome Back, Jim Gordon” revolves around
the capture of Fish Mooney. I think it's safe to say that we all
knew that Fish wasn't going to be thwarted quite so easily, she
wasn't going anywhere during so inconsequential an episode as this
random midseason dud. As her character is not protected by years and
years of comic book stories she represents too ripe a possibility for
surprising the audience. As one of the few characters on the show
that the writers have complete control over she doesn't have to fit
some preconceived role reinforced by decades of previous stories.
During the whole of her captivity I expected her to take matters into
her own hands, hatch an escape plan, and deal with her torturer in
most brutal fashion. Instead she's rescued by Butch, wasting the
chance to really see her cut loose. The only positive item of note
in her story this week is the revelation that she and Harvey may have
a closer relationship than we had suspected.
The
presence of Gertrude Kapelput, the Penguin's mother, in nearly all of
his scenes made them borderline unwatchable for me. Add to that a
very strange “getting drunk” montage straight out of an 80s flick
and you've got a sequences that had me begging for a commercial
break. For a character that had previously been one of my favorites
this was tragic misstep. His scenes with Fish near the end were
sullied by a new level of overcooked acting from Jada Pinkett Smith
as she decided to up the corny factor in her expressions and delivery
Gordon's
storyline involved him investigating something he'd been told to
leave alone, rampant corruption throughout the law enforcement
community, scenes in which we see that none of the other cops really
have his back, and Captain Essen being the one to step up and take
his side. Ultimately, after wasting a chance to change the show by
leaving Arkham Asylum behind, Jim's role this week was to do almost
nothing we hadn't already seen from him. The one bright spot
involved his appeal to Cobblepot for help in his investigation. Upon
receiving the Penguin's assistance Gordon is shown dealing with the
fallout of his agreement. Did he take the only option available to
him, and if so does this signify that Gordon has accepted that he's
going to need to choose between the various evils in Gotham to
achieve that best possible outcome?
Conclusion:
“Welcome Back, Jim Gordon” tried to do too much and through its
lack of focus managed to do nothing well. Between unnecessary scenes
and a blatant rehash of themes previously presented to the audience
nothing here felt new or important.
Rating:
5.5/10
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Constantine: Season 1, Episode 10
Constantine
Episode Title: "Quid
Pro Quo”
Channel: NBC
Director: Mary
Harron
Writer: Brian Anthony
Genre: Fantasy,
Horror
Runtime: 43
min
Rated: TV-14
Original Air Date: January
23, 2015
In
“Quid Pro Quo” we finally get some background information on Chas
and his relationship with Constantine. After Chas' daughter's soul
is stolen just prior to his visit the team gets together to get it
back. It was odd placement for this kind of episode in the season;
the finale is right around the corner and I was really hoping to get
more information on the Rising Darkness. Instead we get a standalone
episode that really tried to delve into the Chas character.
Unfortunately, it was lacking the extra emotional impact that a
family member in danger should have imparted on the audience, mainly
due to the fact that this was also our introduction to the
characters. If there had been more than a passing reference to Chas'
daughter previously it would have helped greatly; instead she seemed
more like any other random victim.
The
most successful moments of “Quid Pro Quo” were the scenes setting
up and dealing with the aftermath of Chas' immortality. We discover
that he's not really immortal, he's become the vessel for 47 other
souls as a result of a jokingly cast spell from John and a subsequent
tragedy. Chas, knowing that he survived something that so many
others didn't, dedicates his life to making sure that his extra
chances don't go to waste. The audience sees the strain that this
put on his marriage, with his wife Renee unable to accept the amount
of time he spent away from home they eventually split. It seemed
like an overreaction from her, but I suppose the writers needed to
create conflict somehow and the easiest way to do that is to make
sure that no one has a happy home life.
The
antagonist in this week's episode was none other than Felix Faust.
It seems strange that a fairly well known character in the DC
universe would be dispatched over the course of one episode. With a
chunk of the episode being devoted to the pursuit of a demon that had
been tampering with Faust's plans there was little time to develop
the character. In the end the demon-hunt doesn't even matter, Felix
changes the terms of their agreement. I would have preferred seeing
more evidence of how bad a guy Faust was. Yes, the audience saw more
victims being taken to the hospital, but there was very little first
hand information to convince the audience that he deserved his grisly
end. I like to see my evil bad guys being really, really evil.
Ultimately
Chas outwits the sorcerer, and does so just in time for his ex-wife
to see him make the sacrifice. While I liked seeing Chas take things
into his own hands it left John sitting quietly on the sidelines for
the majority of the episode, especially the conclusion. This is
something that I don't mind in small doses, but it's a fine line to
walk between giving the side characters compelling stories and making
sure the focus is on the main character.
Conclusion:
“Quid Pro Quo” does a good job of explaining some of the
complicated history surrounding John and Chas. The case itself could
have used more setup to make me care about the newly introduced
characters. Without that setup it seemed less like a family crisis
and more like the monster of the week episodes that we've already
seen.
Rating:
7/10
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Saturday is Haul Day 28!!
There's lots of new stuff this week! In movie news, I've picked up Automata starring Antonio Banderas, Frank starring Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Scoot McNairy, Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel starring Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton and a host of other major names, and Luc Besson's Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman. Basically there's a little something for everyone there.
In the world of comics is was also a busy week. Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1952 #2 by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Alex Maleev, and Dave Stewart, Intersect #3 by Ray Fawkes, The Kitchen #3 by Ollie Masters, Ming Doyle and Jordie Bellaire, Moon Knight #11 by Brian Wood, Greg Smallwood, and Jordie Bellaire, Rocket Raccoon #7 by Skottie Young, Filipe Andrade and Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and finally The Wicked + The Divine #7 by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson and Clayton Cowles.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Arrow: Season 3, Episode 10
Arrow
Episode Title: “Left Behind”
Channel: CW
Director: Glen Winter
Writers: Marc
Guggenheim and Erik Oleson
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 42
min
Rated: TV-14
Original Air Date: January 21,
2015
After the cliffhanger Arrow
left for the audience in “The Climb” I was very excited for the
third season to resume. We all knew going into it that Oliver's
death would be anything but final, but that the immediate effect on
those that care about him would be profound. It is in that area that
“Left Behind” was most successful. With Oliver temporarily out
of the picture this episode placed much more emphasis on his
supporting cast. Both Diggle and Roy took center stage as they
strived to continue the Arrow's work in his absence. Seeing those
two do something was a treat as they've taken a back seat in season
three.
The
writers also did a great job with Felicity's character this week.
They abandoned her usual quirkiness to allow her to really
demonstrate the loss that she's feeling. Her best moments were those
during which she shared the screen with Ray Palmer; his plan to
become a hero striking very close to her heart. Brandon Routh played
his part extremely well, displaying his seemingly limitless
exuberance all the way up to the moment that Felicity began harping
on his past and motivations. Then we got to see a side of the man
that the we hadn't before, a steely determination that is enough to
make one believe that he might just succeed.
Malcolm
Merlyn popped in and out of the episode, seemingly at random to
provide Team Arrow with theories regarding, and eventually proof of
Oliver's death. The most obvious purpose of those scenes was to
maintain the mystery surrounding the visitor to Oliver's final
resting place until late in the episode. The effort was largely
waste as it was easy to guess who that visitor was fairly early.
Related to that in a way were the Hong Kong flashbacks present
throughout “Left Behind.” It's good to see that the flashbacks
are finally serving a purpose; most of the Hong Kong material thus
far has been unremarkable. That could not be said of the scenes this
week. Besides allowing the audience to experience at least a little
Oliver screen time, the flashbacks also set up his eventual return.
Even if the reveal at the end was not very shocking.
Vinnie
Jones' introduction as the would be crime boss Brick was quite
entertaining. He has the presence required to make me believe he
could lead a bunch of criminals, and the physicality to make me
believe the could hold his own in a fight. I'll be more than happy
to see him stick around for a while and serve as Team Arrow's nemesis
while they wait for Ollie's inevitable return. The other major
reveal involved Laurel donning the Canary costume and going after her
first bad guys. I'm still not sure that I can buy her as vigilante,
and the one-liner they wrote for her was horrible, but I'm willing to
give it some time to develop.
Conclusion:
“Left Behind” was a satisfying follow up to Arrow's
mid season finale. The emotional toll Oliver's death is taking on
those that love him was well displayed. It's also very nice to see
something actually coming of the Hong Kong scenes after they had
seemed to tread water for so long. I'm actually hoping that Oliver
is away from Starling for a while, allowing the rest of his team to
shine for a while.
Rating:
7.75/10
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
The Flash: Season 1, Episode 10
The Flash
Episode Title: “Revenge of the
Rogues”
Channel: CW
Director: Nick Copus
Writers: Kai Yu Wu and Geoff
Johns
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 43
min
Rated: TV-PG
Original Air Date: January 20,
2015
The
Flash
is finally back from its winter break! After the events of the
mid-season finale we all knew that the Flash's world was going to
change, and “Revenge of the Rogues” does a great job of giving us
our first glimpses of what to expect. The most noticeable change in
Barry comes from the realization that he is not the fastest man
alive. This knowledge drives him to remedy that as soon as possible,
by pushing himself in training for more than he has in the past. Dr.
Wells plays a large part in Barry's decision to focus on his training
instead of his day to day hero-ing and when a threat rises in Central
City, Joe immediately questions Barry's reluctance to enter the fray.
The dynamic between those three characters will be fun to watch
unfold, Joe is trying to get Barry to be the hero he claimed he
wanted to be early on, and Dr. Wells is grooming him for some unknown
future events. Ultimately Barry decides that the two missions can
coexist and he enters the fray.
This
week saw the return of Captain Cold, and this time he brought a
friend, as Dominic Purcell reunites with his Prison
Break
co-star to assume the role of Heat Wave. I know we're watching a
television show based on a comic book, but the performances from both
men seemed to be a little overcooked for me. Hopefully they'll tone
down the camp in future appearances. When the confrontation between
the villains and Barry finally arrives it was a little underwhelming.
I'm all of any reason whatsoever to include a Ghostbusters
reference, but the handling of the showdown left a lot to be desired.
I know that there isn't much conflict at all if Barry just takes
both guys out at the speed of sound, but it was tough to suspend
disbelief enough to buy the necessity of the 'crossing the streams'
resolution. It seems as if some mechanic could have been added to
the script to make this the only viable way to defeat the villainous
duo. Camp and the shaky mechanics behind the final fight aside, I'm
glad the writers are experimenting with the idea of recurring
villains, something comic fans have seen for years. An interesting
side effect of the battle between Captain Cold, Heatwave, and the
Flash is that now the citizens Central City knows the scarlet
speedster exists. Their collective reactions to his successes and
failures will add a new dynamic to the show.
The
emotional moments in this episode really hit the mark. Barry and
Joe's moments were again the cream of the crop. With Iris moving in
with Eddie, Joe was preparing to live the life of a bachelor and it's
decided that it would be good for both Barry and Joe if Barry moved
back in. The casual, non-crime fighting moments between these two
characters are so fun and genuine that any excuse to get more of them
is an exciting prospect. After Barry revealed his feelings to Iris
their relationship has become strained, but at the end of the episode
it looked like they were both willing to move forward and attempt to
repair the damage. The audience was also treated to a little more
information regarding Firestorm. The way this information was
revealed was more organic than in the previous episode, as Caitlin's
foray out of S.T.A.R. Labs was necessary for her capture, and the
initiation of the showdown. She might as well be revealing some
pertinent information while she does it. Cisco also had what I felt
were his best moments in the series so far, attempting to repair
relations between the labs and the police, gaining their trust, and
eventually their respect.
Conclusion:
While not as strong as “The Man in the Yellow Suit,” this
episode served as a great way to kick off the second half of the
season. If some of the corniness of the villains can be shed things
look good going forward. Barry's uncertainty concerning what he
should be doing next feels genuine and his emotional moments with his
friends and family served as highlights of the episode.
Rating:
7.75/10
Gotham: Season 1, Episode 12
Gotham
Episode Title: “What the
Little Bird Told Him”
Channel: Fox
Director: Eagle
Egilsson
Writer: Ben Edlund
Genre: Crime,
Drama, Thriller
Runtime: 42 min
Rated: TV-14
Original Air Date: January 19,
2015
The one thing this episode got right
was the focus. Instead of trying to weave three or four stories into
one block of time the majority of the episode focused on two story
lines. That is of course if you discount the scene involving Barbara
returning home to her parents. That probably should have been left
off completely, as Barbara has become so unlikable I think it would
be best if the audience were allowed to forget about her for a while.
This would allow the writers to figure out some way to make her more
tolerable. Her painfully awkward reunion with her parents and their
level of strangeness only served to cause a stutter in the narrative,
instead of making me care at all about them.
Early on the audience is led to believe
that Fish's plan is finally coming to fruition. She's prepared to
make her move and make herself the head of the crime families of
Gotham. She has an agent in place that's trusted enough by her
target to take him out with little to no suspicion from the Don.
When Fish's plan is revealed to be forcing Falcone out of Gotham
instead of eliminating him it feels like a huge let down. After all
the vitriol she's spewed behind his back she decides to offer him
exile instead of death. It's just not the kind of resolution I can
believe coming from Fish. After all of her machinations she'd never
leave an enemy alive and able to exact revenge. When Falcone is
informed of the plan by The Penguin he takes the fight to Fish and
demonstrates first hand the weakness in Fish's plan, as he does
personally what she was so unwilling to do by proxy. The threat
posed by Liza is ended by the Don himself, although inexplicably he
allows Fish to live. That decision seems to have been made by the
writers simply to keep Jada Pinkett-Smith around for a while longer.
The excitement from last week over the
prospect of a recurring villain in the character of Jack Gruber
dissipated quickly this week. Gruber is out for revenge against the
man he believes sold him out years ago, Don Maroni. His methods are
so haphazard that after his initial strike it became apparent that he
was no kind of threat. He killed people he didn't need to, and left
alive those that were supposedly his targets. To make matters worse
he is ultimately thwarted by a glass of water. While humorous, there
could be no more ignoble an end than that for a villain. Since the
Electrocutioner had been developed far more than any other villain
thus far, barring the crime families, I had expected a far greater
pay off. This doesn't even take into account the 'investigation'
that surrounded his case; it wasn't so much an investigation as a
series of coincidences that filled in all the blanks. It felt like
very lazy writing.
Bruce and Alfred were missing in action
again, which I think is a good thing. When they do appear again it
may be with significant growth in their relationship and Bruce's
skills, without forcing five minute tidbits into already overflowing
episodes. Also the writers' fascination with reminding everyone who
Nygma will become is trying my patience. It's time to allow him to
fade into the background until there's something worthwhile for him
to do.
Conclusion:
The two stories covered in “What the Little Bird Told Him” and
their resolutions did not leave behind a feeling of satisfaction.
Supposedly ruthless people making boneheaded decisions is not good
drama, it's just bad writing. While the primary focus of the episode
on two stories was a good plan; the peripheral events detracted from
what was already a weak episode.
Rating:
6/10
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Saturday is Haul Day 27!!
The Haul this week is all comics, as I haven't decided what to read next book-wise. There's Constantine #21 by Ray Fawkes, Jeremy Haun and Richard and Tanya Horie, Hexed #6 by Michael Alan Nelson, Dan Mora and Gabriel Cassata, Rat Queens, Special: Braga #1, by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Tess Fowler, S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 by Mark Waid, Carlos Pacheco, Mariano Taibo, and Dono Almara, and Supreme Blue Rose #6 by Warren Ellis and Tula Lotay.
Constantine: Season 1, Episode 9
Constantine
Episode Title: "The
Saint of Last Resorts, Part 2”
Channel: NBC
Director: Romeo
Tirone
Writer: Mark Verheiden
Genre: Fantasy,
Horror
Runtime: 43
min
Rated: TV-14
Original Air Date: January
16, 2015
Constantine
returned from a month long hiatus with the conclusion of a two
parter. This episode picked up exactly where the first part left
off, with John shot and the newly introduced Invunche preparing to
make a meal of him. As a last resort John allows the demon lord
Pazuzu to possess is body. The demon heals his body and the
countdown begins; how long can John remain John before the demon
takes complete control and wreaks havoc?
I was
a little disappointed that his episode didn't reveal more about the
Rising Darkness. The previous episode had finally gotten the ball
rolling regarding the major arcs that the audience had previously
only had glimpses of. Besides the Rising Darkness, Zed's past had
finally caught up with her. She had been captured and was in transit
back to her father, for whatever insidious purpose he might have.
All the work of the proceeding episode was undone in mere minutes as
Zed escaped and jumped back into the fray to rescue Constantine. So
instead of learning anymore, it revealed the purpose of the previous
events to be for a cliffhanger's sake only.
Putting
that disappointment to the side, “The Saint of Last Resorts, Part
2” delivered on every other level. Firstly, this episode felt very
focused, and didn't suffer from the pacing issues that some of the
others have. The entire team was together, with the addition of Anne
Marie, and the interplay between the characters hit all the right
notes. The dialogue was deadly serious when it needed to be, and
managed to lighten the mood just enough when necessary. The real
highlight of the episode though was Matt Ryan's performance. He
didn't hold anything back as he raged, literally foamed at the mouth,
and writhed as his friends tried to save him from the demon's grasp.
There
was one odd decision, from a storytelling perspective that left me
scratching my head. The audience is briefly introduced to a man
named Vicente, who is revealed to be the tempter; the serpent from
the garden of Eden. One would imagine that an entity with that kind
of resume would have the potential to really make some waves at some
point. Instead, no sooner is it revealed exactly who the character
is, he is dispatched with what seemed like casual ease. I believe
that we'll see him again, the opportunities that the character
presents are too interesting for him to go out so quietly
Conclusion:
Although “The Saint of Last Resorts, Part 2” didn't pick up the
main story arc threads that had been present in the previous part it
did manage to tell a very compelling story. Getting more insight
into the Anne Marie character and watching Matt Ryan got all out
during his possession scenes were aided by much improved pacing to
deliver a great episode.
Rating:
8.25/10
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
A Taint in the Blood by S. M. Stirling
A Taint in the Blood
Shadowspawn #1
Publisher: Penguin
Books USA as Roc
(2010)
Author: S.
M. Stirling
Genre: Urban,
Fantasy, Horror
Pages: 502
Price: $9.99
Aeons ago, Homo
nocturnus ruled the Earth. Possessing extraordinary
powers, they were the source of all manner of myths and legends.
Though their numbers have been greatly reduced they exist
still – though not as purebreds.
Adrian Brèzè is one such being.
Wealthy and reclusive, he is more Shadowspawn than human. He
rebelled against his own kind, choosing to live as an ordinary man,
fighting against his darker nature. But Adrian's sister is
determined to bring back the reign of the Shadowspawn, and now she
has struck him at his weakest point by kidnapping his human lover,
Ellen.
To save Ellen – and perhaps all of
humanity – Adrian must rejoin a battle he swore he would never
fight again.
I'm a
huge fan of urban fantasy. Give me the familiar fantasy elements and
drop them into present day and I will give the story a chance. I
made a mental note to pick up this series after attending a panel
discussion that included Mr. Stirling. It took me a while to finally
get around to it, but I finally did.
A Taint in the Blood
introduces the reader to the world of the Shadowspawn. They've been
around since before humans recorded history. Besides their vampiric
thirst for blood they can read the minds of those they've fed on and
affect probability in major ways. This ability is explained as
having something to do, loosely, with quantum mechanics. Is it the
best explanation for magical powers I've read? No, it's not, but at
least it's something I haven't run across before so there can be some
points awarded for originality. The way it's presented in the book
makes me think of the Shadowspawn as the walking embodiments of
Murphy's Law. If there is the slightest chance something can go
wrong, a Shadowspawn can make it so.
The
story itself isn't anything terribly original. You've got a
reclusive former member of the bad guys that has sworn of everything,
deciding to fight for neither side of the ongoing conflict. Someone
he cares about his stolen away from him, and he and his grizzled
mentor most do everything they can to get her back. The villain is
someone very close to the protagonist, his sister, and she has
kidnapped his former lover, Ellen, to draw him out of retirement and
end the threat he poses once and for all. In the background bigger
plans are being set into motion that will bring about the end of
civilization as we know it, a return to humanity's days of being
nothing more than cattle for the Shadowspawn.
The
quality of the writing helps to make some feelings of “I've seen
that before” fade from the reader's mind as the book progresses.
The characters are well crafted, and none of the main players seemed
to suffer from a lack of personality or motivation. Despite the
quality of the writing there were times when I felt there was a
little too much detail. Some of the locales are described to a level
unnecessary to the story, but the most glaring offense in this
department comes with the food the characters eat. Due to the
Shadowspawn's heightened senses they like food with lots of taste and
layers, and every bit of the meals is described in painstakingly
elaborate detail. These were the passages during which I noticed my
mind wandering the most. I didn't find myself needing to kick back
into gear when the action resumed, but it was close a time or two.
Another
aspect of A Taint in the Blood
that is highly detailed is the depiction of sexual relationships,
sadomasochism, and at times, rape. This is where I believe the book
could lose some of it's potential readers. Very little is held back
during those scenes and I'd imagine that they could spark some
uncomfortable feelings in some people. The world itself is an
intriguing creation, although the endgame of the villains is
stereotypical, the method by which they can accomplish their goals
isn't quite so familiar feeling. Besides, there's something to be
said for taking an old idea, and making it new by adding a little
twist.
Conclusion:
There aren't a lot of new ideas contained in A
Taint in the Blood,
but fans of the genre should find enough there to be entertained.
The amount of detail hammered into the story can get tedious, even
though there are reasons for that much detail to be included.. When
it's all said and done there's room for a lot of improvement in
subsequent novels, but there are enough positive aspects to make the
beginning of a fun series.
Rating:
6.5/10
Monday, January 12, 2015
Boyhood
Boyhood (2014)
Producers: Richard Linklater,
Cathleen Sutherland, John Sloss, et
al.
Director: Richard
Linklater
Rated: R
for language including sexual references, and for teen drug and
alcohol use
Runtime: 165
min
Genre: Drama
I
haven't seen a lot of Richard Linklater's films. The one's I have
seen have always evoked mixed reactions from me. Perhaps most
surprisingly; the film he's directed most like this one, Dazed
and Confused,
is one of my least favorite. I didn't relate to the characters,
didn't grow up in the 70s, and in general found the whole thing a
little disappointing, especially after some of the glowing things I
had heard about the movie. Maybe I was in a bad mood when I saw it,
but everything seemed so superficial that I just couldn't get
anything out of it. So, it was with a mixture of excitement and
trepidation that I dove into Linklater's latest offering.
First,
a little background on the film for anyone that hasn't kept up with
that kind of thing. Boyhood
was filmed over the course of twelve years using the same actors for
all of the roles. I can't imagine what an undertaking this was.
They filmed for 45 days of that time, somehow finding holes in
everyone's schedule and making it work as they went. Linklater's
idea was to film short films depicting the important events in each
year of a boy's life and then to edit them together into a feature
length film. It's an ambitious project, one that seems to have had
so many moving pieces that it couldn't possibly work, but it does and
the results are impressive.
The
audience joins Mason Jr. after a parent/teacher conference at school.
What follows are a series of events that shape him into the man
he'll eventually become. His parents are divorced, and both are
doing what they can to be there for him, in their own way. There's
the “parade of assholes,” as Mason so succinctly puts it, that
come into his and his mother's lives, step siblings and friends that
he's forced to leave behind as his mother tries to make a better life
for him and his sister. One of the things that I most appreciated
about Boyhood
is the number of unanswered questions: most of the people that pop
into Mason's life and are left behind are never seen again. It's a
very un-Hollywood way to tell a story, we're used to happy
coincidences reintroducing long lost friends, but in life we're often
left never knowing what happened to childhood friends we left behind.
Those relationships are often never wrapped up in a neat bow and it
was a strangely satisfying, and unsatisfying, to have those questions
never answered.
The
serendipitous reappearance of a character (maybe two, I only see one
Nicole in the movie's cast of characters) near the end of the movie
serves to highlight the lack of closure people are so often subjected
to. Even then it's not really closure, it's just one of those “small
world” coincidences that pop up every so often. It doesn't feel
false or forced when it happens, it's just a little awkward, as it
many times is when you reveal to a person how much their passing
kindness, all but forgotten to them, changed the course of your life.
The
big events in one's life are easy to identify. Where Boyhood
really excels is in the introspection that the little things cause
in the viewer. The camping trips during which nothing happened, the
uncertainties surrounding one's future, the parental decision to let
you make your own choices, even when those choices aren't your best
course of action, the insults and kind words said only in passing;
sometimes those things shape the adult we become just as much as the
first broken hearts and overheard shouting matches. Shining the
light of importance on even those small things might be what Boyhood
does best, and it's worth it to all of us to take a moment and do the
same for ourselves.
Mason
Jr. isn't the only character that grows during the movie. No one is
the same person they were when the audience is first introduced to
them. Seeing his parents trying to live their own lives while
simultaneously attempting to guide him through his is a gratifying
experience. There's a scene in which Mason's mother realizes that
her entire life for nearly two decades has revolved around providing
for her children, to her it's her identity and it's at that moment
walking out the door. I have no children of my own as of yet, but
the way in which Patricia Arquette expresses the rudderless feeling
that her character is feeling is heart wrenching, even to myself.
Conclusion:
There's a lot more I could say about Boyhood,
but I think it's best if I don't. I get the feeling that it will
affect different people in different ways upon viewing. I understand
if someone complains about the lack of an actual plot beyond watching
a kid grow up, but even that is a reminder that there isn't really a
plot to life. Life is a series of moments, and every one of them
impacts us in some way. It's not always grand, it just is.
Rating:
8.25/10
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Saturday is Haul Day 26!!
The holidays are over and things are back to business as usual. This week I picked up two movies: Boyhood directed by Richard Linklater and starring Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, and Ethan Hawke. If you haven't heard some of the buzz surrounding this movie, especially regarding the manner in which it was filmed do yourself a favor and give it a look. It's an interesting concept that worked remarkably from everything I've heard. I also got Horns based on the Joe Hill novel of the same name and starring Daniel Radcliffe.
After a quiet week in comics with the New Year throwing everything off schedule things are back to normal. I brought home Green Arrow #38 by Andrew Kreisberg, Ben Sokolowski and Daniel Sampere, Lady Killer #1 by Joelle Jones and Jamie S. Rich, S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 by Mark Waid, Carlos Pacheco, Mariano Taibo, and Dono Almara, Trees #8 by Warren Ellis and Jason Howard, Wolf Moon #2 of 6 by Cullen Bunn, Jeremy Haun, and Lee Loughridge, and The Woods #9 by James Tynion IV, Michael Dialynas, and Josan Gonzalez.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
A Princess of Mars
Barsoom #1
Publisher: Serialization – The
All-Story (1912), Novelization –
A.C. McClurg & Company (1917)
Author: Edgar
Rice Burroughs
Genre: Fantasy,
Sci-Fi
Pages: 204
Price: $7.95
When
Civil War veteran Captain John Carter is incredibly transported from
Earth to a strange landscape on Mars, he finds that the weak gravity
exponentially increases his speed and strength. Taken prisoner by
Martian warriors, Carter impresses them with his remarkable fighting
skills, and is quickly made a high-ranking chieftain. Before long,
the captain finds himself embroiled in the deadly warfare and dark
intrigues that have been polarizing the Martian races. The heroic
Carter also finds dangerous romance with the divine princess Dejah
Thoris, who wins Carter's love the first moment his eyes meet hers.
I've long been a reader of science
fiction and fantasy stories. Starting at a rather young age I was
already jumping into the genres with H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, and
as I entered my teens I'd moved on to Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke.
Somehow along the way I'd missed Edgar Rice Burroughs, and it wasn't
until very recently that I rectified that oversight on my part. I
mention this only to give a little context regarding my view of the
book, it wasn't my introduction to the genres and in fact came much
later in my reading life than for many people
A Princess of Mars
is essentially a travelogue describing the journey and things our
hero encounters a long the way. The first half of the book
especially does this very effectively; while there are a lot of
flowery descriptions of the things John Carter sees and does
everything moves at such a pace that it's impossible for the story to
get mired in the doldrums that sometimes accompany that kind of
story. It's not just walking and seeing a lot of wondrous things.
John Carter fights, falls in love, discovers new races, is taken
captive, and wins his freedom throughout his travels. So, while it
is a travelogue it isn't the type that succumbs to the negative
connotations that are sometimes associated with the word.
I
enjoyed the set up for the story immensely. It's presented to the
reader as a true account, a memoir left to Burroughs upon the death
of John Carter. The device feels very modern in its application to
the story. It does have the unfortunate side effect of requiring the
remainder of the story to be told in first person. When one is
dealing with a character of immense power, and desirable, for the
time, morals this has a slight negative effect on the story. Instead
of the reader drawing their own conclusions as to the prowess and
fortitude of the character they're told, by the man himself, how good
he is. It gets a little tiresome after a while.
Burroughs
isn't a bad writer, but his style is somewhat limited. After a few
fights, captures and escapes they started to blend together a little
bit and I lost count of the individual incidents. Due to this I
found more enjoyment in the reprieves from the action. There are a
couple of really fun characters sprinkled in among all the fighting,
specifically Sola and Tars Tarkas. Ironically, the chapter that
delves deepest into the character Sola was excluded from the original
serialization of the story because it was decided by the publisher
that it slowed the story down too much. I felt the exact opposite,
it added weight to the tale, making it easier to relate to the alien
characters. Finally, I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending.
It happens very abruptly, almost as if a word limit had been reached
and everything had to be wrapped up quickly. Burroughs also leaves
unanswered the one question running through the readers' minds as to
the fate of a very important character. While I'm sure it's answered
in one of the subsequent books it was an unfulfilling way to end the
book.
Conclusion:
Burroughs is considered by many to be one of the great-grandfathers
of science fiction, and I can see where his work influenced many of
those that came after him. While I enjoyed the story, for the most
part, I think that because I read it so late in my experience with
sci-fi that it didn't resonate with me the way it does for some.
Rating:
7/10
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Forbidden Island
Forbidden Island
Publisher: Gamewright
(2012)
Players: 2-4
Play Time: Approximately
30 minutes
Genre: Board
Game, Strategy, Co-op
Price: $17.99
Forbidden
Island
is another game from Matt Leacock, you might remember him from my
previous review of Pandemic.
It's another cooperative game, in which the players assume the roles
of adventurers on an island, trying to track down four treasures.
What could be so hard about that you might ask? The game is a race
against the clock, the island is sinking and you must recover the
treasures and escape the island before it sinks into an oceanic
abyss.
Much
like Pandemic
the adventurers in Forbidden
Island
each have a special ability that helps you solve the puzzle that is
the island. The different roles open up options for the players in
movement and abilities, such as shoring up flooded island tiles
essentially unflooding them. If a previously flooded tile is flooded
again through a “Waters Rise” draw it is removed from play.
There in lies the danger in the game. Mr. Leacock again creates
multiple ways to lose the game, and only one way to win it. To win
the game the players must collect all four treasures, congregate at
Fools' Landing, the very appropriately landing pad for the heroes
only means of escape from the island, and then one player must play
one of three Helicopter Lift cards from the treasure deck.
Losing
the game is much easier. There are four different ways to lose the
game, all based around the flooding mechanic. The first and most
obvious is if the water level reaches the dreaded skull and
crossbones on the Water Meter. If a player is on an island tile that
sinks, and there is no adjacent tile for them to escape to, they
perish; thereby losing the game for the entire team. Leaving a man
behind is not an option. If Fools' Landing sinks then your only
method for escape sinks with it and the team loses. Finally if both
of the tiles that grant access to any one of the treasures sinks the
game is lost, returning home with three of the four treasures is not
acceptable. No one will buy an incomplete set apparently!
With
all that in mind the game play can be quite hectic. The first time
several places that you need to win are flooded there's a mad
scramble to save them before the next “Waters Rise” card. It's
important during those times that the players really talk about what
their next few steps should be. Any inefficiency in action can
result in a quick reshuffle and restart. The most important thing to
keep in mind, like in most cooperative games, is that you're there
for everyone
to have fun. One person ruling the table is not fun for everyone
else. Sure, if you're teaching the game to new people you might have
to be a little more visible in the decision making process, but after
one game everyone will understand the rules and complexities enough
that they can and should speak their minds.
When
all the planning comes together and you finally escape the Forbidden
Island
I find you're almost always tempted to set up another game. I'm
proud to say that I know this from experience, as this is a Matt
Leacock creation that hasn't stymied me at every turn, unlike my
nemesis Pandemic.
That's when another game feature shines. Not only can you make the
game harder by starting the water level at a more advanced state, the
game board changes every time you play. That easy first game you
played, with the treasures all clustered around Fools' Landing, it's
but a memory as you're next game features a treacherous hike from
important place to place. It's the variety in the game place that
will keep me coming back for more.
Conclusion:
Forbidden Island
is a great cooperative game, so if playing with friends instead of
against them is your thing then this is a great place to get your
feet wet (ha ha). Between the variable difficulty and the multitude
of configurations for the island there's a lot of replay value to be
had here. This is a game well suited to a wide range of gamers, the
inexperienced and the old experts, which makes it a good way to get a
group of varying experience levels together and gaming.
Rating:
8/10
Monday, January 5, 2015
Gotham: Season 1, Episode 11
Gotham
Episode Title: “Rogues'
Gallery”
Channel: Fox
Director: Oz
Scott
Writer: Sue Chung
Genre: Crime,
Drama, Thriller
Runtime: 42 min
Rated: TV-14
Original Air Date: January 5,
2014
Gotham
is back from its mid-season break, and with its return I was excited
for the change in venue. It's clear that Arkham is going to play a
large role in the show going forward, from the inmates to the
possible connection to the Waynes' murder. With the place's
importance being so evident I expected this episode to focus on the
asylum and its inhabitants. To be fair, a decent amount of the
action does take place within the walls of Arkham, but there are a
lot of things going on in this episode. All of the peripheral stuff
takes away from what should have been a should have been the star of
the episode, the setting.
In
Arkham, Gordon is having a tough time winning favor with his new
supervisor, and after a pseudo-murder launches an investigation into
the inmates and eventually the staff. Morena Baccarin makes her
appearance as Dr. Leslie Thompkins and shines. It's not made clear
what exactly her place is within the corrupt machine that is Gotham,
but she seems trustworthy. The intent with her character appears to
be for her to assume Bullock's role as Jim's partner for his time in
Arkham. It was pretty clear early on that Nurse Duncan wasn't to be
trusted, even if she didn't materialize as the big bad of the
episode. The reveal concerning her involvement really pushed the
boundaries of my ability to suspend disbelief. The moment the
administrator of the asylum, Dr. Lang, realizes that she's not part
of his staff would have been far more believable if he hadn't had
interactions with her earlier in the episode. The actual big bad,
whose identity wasn't terribly surprising; he's the most sinister
sounding inmate we saw interviewed, is actually pretty interesting
and in keeping with what one might expect from a villain in Gotham.
That aside, he wasn't eliminated at the end of the episode! The
audience will actually get to see a villain more than once before his
defeat. The prospect of that has me excited, I've felt for a while
that the show was misusing its villains by eliminating them by the
end of an episode.
The
rest of the episode was a mish-mash of things that the audience
either didn't need to see in this episode, or at all. Penguin's
scenes especially felt jammed into the episode. I'm sure that the
writers recognize that he's the character that a lot of the audience
has grown to appreciate most, but that doesn't mean that he must be
inserted into episodes without consideration for the way the rest of
the episode is impacted. We also got to see another baby step
forward for Fish's plot against Falcone, but what we saw doesn't
really do much to advance the conspiracy. Butch's loyalty was
proven, and a rival was struck down, but it seemed that those could
have been handled in a way that required far less screen time than
was provided. Selina and Ivy break into Jim's (Barbara's) apartment
while Ivy recovers from an illness of some sort. While there Ivy
answered a call from Barbara and made more trouble in the Jim and
Barbara relationship. At this point I'm not sure how the writers
might redeem Barbara's character. Aside from leaving Jim, running
off with an ex-lover, who later decides Barbara is toxic, and her
drug and alcohol problem, now she can't tell the difference between a
hypothetical lover of Jim's and a pre-teen on the phone.
Bruce
and Alfred were notably absent from “Rogues' Gallery.” As much
as I've been enjoying the way that part of the story has been going
over the past few episodes I'm glad there were no scenes with them
this week. I'm not really sure where they could have been crammed
into what was an already bloated episode and this will give a little
time for things to have evolved on that front without inundating the
viewers with the minutiae. I was also glad to see Bullock pop back
up, he has quickly become one of my favorite parts of the show and I
had hoped that Gordon's reassignment wouldn't deprive us of his
presence.
Conclusion:
There was just too much going on in “Rogues' Gallery” for it to
be a great episode. Most of the stuff that happened in Arkham was
good, but there were so many other things being thrown at the
audience that it detracted from the episode as a whole. Morena
Baccarin's addition to the cast, along with the villain, Jack Gruber,
escaping and poised to make additional appearances, were the
highlights of the episode.
Rating:
6.5/10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)