LA BREA -- "Lazarus" Episode 206 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jack Martin as Josh, Veronica St. Clair as Riley -- (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
After all the painstaking preparation last week, the attempt to breach Lazarus falls apart almost immediately. In fairness, it isn’t the fault of the crew. No, it’s thanks to the tower having advanced surveillance and noticing Silas hanging around outside. The security guards Gavin bluffed his way past suddenly attack, Silas punctures a few with his bow and arrow, and the shit hits the fan. While Lucas gets tasered and Gavin gets captured, the rest of the group manages to get through mostly unscathed.
Scott and Lucas scatter, so the rest of the team decides to find Silas. After all, he’s the only one that might still be able to help them get in since he designed the building. Lucas is ready to help, but Scott worries about the mark on his arm and notes another dead man had similar markings in season 1. It might be more than a taser, so Scott convinces Lucas to return to the Clearing and get it checked out.
At the Clearing, everything is falling apart without real leadership. Into the power vacuum steps Judah, and let’s just say he’s not built for government. He mostly hands out candy bars to convince people to listen to his opinions. Veronica is being distant when she sees Lucas return, mainly because she’s upset he left without telling her.
LA BREA — “Lazarus” Episode 206 — Pictured: (l-r) Rohan Mirchandaney as Scott, Josh McKenzie as Lucas — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
But Lucas has more pressing issues to deal with since the mark on his arm is spreading across his body. Scott suggests a tourniquet and rushes off with Ella to find materials. Meanwhile, Veronica tends to the wounded man, who’s in a tremendous amount of pain. He totally misses that she has feelings for him, and has to pick that up from Scott of all people. Scott leaves him, saying he’ll reward Lucas with some candy if he shows he’s learned something from the exchange.
As for 1988, it turns out that Dr. Clark went to that period because it’s when the first time travel experiments occurred. She’s trying to develop some virus to shut down the Lazarus project. To that end, she’s been siphoning energy from a nearby ice rink, and all of a sudden the lights go out. Josh and Riley volunteer to fix the fuse box. It’s fixed pretty quickly, giving them time to bond while ice skating. Then they get a frantic call from Clark, saying the people that have been hunting her finally found the woman. She also cryptically tells them not to forget to eat their Wheaties.
LA BREA — “Lazarus” Episode 206 — Pictured: (l-r) Natalie Zea as Eve, Mark Lee as Silas — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
The main group of Gavin, Eve, Izzy, Levi, and Sam hunt for Silas. They find him, but there’s one problem. He’s incredibly reluctant to work with others. He’s also terrified of the man who runs the building, named James, who also happens to be Gavin’s father. Silas reluctantly agrees to work with others and secures an alternate route into the building, but it’s guarded by a prehistoric vulture. Eve distracts it and barely gets past the super avian and into the grate. Thankfully Silas works against character and helps the woman.
The big drama in Lazarus revolves around Gavin finally meeting his erstwhile father. While he seems to genuinely care for his son, Gavin suspects he’s not entirely trustworthy. James has a lot of cult leader energy and explains how everything he did was for the sake of his son. He was trying to fix 2076 L.A. with natural resources from the past. Never mind the expanding sinkhole problem or how he broke ties with the people that helped build the project. What’s especially interesting is when Gavin angrily asks why he never found him in the village, and James admits he had no idea where his infant son had been taken.
In his supervillain monologue, it’s also revealed that the black rock mined by the Exiles contains uranium, which is used to power the portal. They also apparently took control of an aurora, which is crazy even in a show with this level of far-future fringe science. The only problem is James says Aldridge was wrong, and that their portal leads back to 2076, not 1988.
LA BREA — “Lazarus” Episode 206 — Pictured: (l-r) Nicholas Gonzalez as Levi, Jon Seda as Dr. Sam, Zyra Gorecki as Izzy, Natalie Zea as Eve — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
The end of the episode revolves around a really creative message in a bottle. Riley and Josh find a device in a Wheaties box after Clark gets taken. She decides to talk to her father as a teenager and have him memorize a message so that his future self will remember it. And shockingly, it works like a charm. In the utility tunnel, Sam has a new memory and shares that Riley wants to meet the group by the marina. Unfortunately, it happens right before the group is surrounded by the guards.
Gavin calls James’ bluff and says that if he truly cares about him and his family, he won’t get in the way of saving his son. When James and Gavin find the group in the tunnel, it’s revealed he was lying about when the portal led. So in an act of good faith, James lets the group travel into the past.
As for Lucas, he bonds with Veronica over their shared heartache and they split a candy bar. It’s a sweet moment, but it comes with a cost – the tourniquet didn’t work, and the ugly mark is spreading all across Lucas’ body.
LA BREA — “Lazarus” Episode 206 — Pictured: Veronica St. Clair as Riley — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Lastly, Josh and Riley finally share a kiss while waiting to see if their plan works. Then their parents find them and they reunite moments before an earthquake shakes the marina, heralding the cataclysmic sinkhole that’s coming.
Overall a solid episode of La Brea, and I’m excited we finally have a real villain in James (or so I suspect). Here’s hoping the team manages to figure out how to stop the tidal wave without Dr. Clark’s help.
We are in an exciting time in the world of video games. Finally, no matter your preference, there is a console or device to satiate your gaming needs. Yet, old habits die hard, as big-budget titles continue to remain on consoles and PC, while mostly bite-sized gaming is what remains on mobile. However, that is all beginning to change with the rise of cloud gaming.
Many have tried to take a piece out of this new, growing market—including NVidia GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Streaming, Steam Link, and even the soon defunct Google Stadia have all tried to bring the grandeur of larger games on the go through cloud streaming means. Whether through streaming local hardware or connecting with a system hundreds of miles away, you are now getting the opportunity to play games such as Assassin’s Creed, Resident Evil, and more in the palm of your hand.
Yet, one thing that is still somewhat unfamiliar to this marketplace is a dedicated streaming handheld device. In the past we have had options for controlling our cloud games. We have seen external hardware that can connect to your phone, such as the Backbone and Razer Kishi. Or you can connect a controller through Bluetooth to your tablet or PC. While both solutions are a way to use these cloud services, it still doesn’t change the fact that you need room to bring along another device to play. Unless, of course, you want to try playing with touch controls—and we all know no one wants to deal with that hassle.
Logitech is attempting to break this trend of superfluous hardware with its introduction of the Logitech G Cloud—an all-in-one streaming handheld. But does it meet the needs of today’s agglomerated gamer? We have gone hands-on with this fascinating new handheld to see if it’s worth its excessive $350 price tag.
Comfortable And Stylish
The first thing you will notice about the Logitech G Cloud is its modern design. The all-white device with hints of yellow around the analog sticks and home button really catches the eye, with the black bezel around the 7-inch 1080p screen making it appear larger than it is. The back triggers and bumpers feel comfortable to press, while the standard X, Y, A, and B buttons feel great to the touch. Both analog sticks have a nice feel and response with just the right amount of give when you move them. The placement is comfortable, with no finger acrobatics or “claw” grip needed that could cramp your hands. It also features multipoint touch control support for your Google Play Store apps and games.
Gaming on this device never took a toll on my hands, with the textured grips on the back and lightweight 463-gram design making for a comfortable gaming experience over the many hours I have put into it. To place it into perspective, it is roughly the same weight as the Nintendo Switch. Also, while it boasts 12 hours of battery life, I typically keep my brightness at a higher setting, getting around 9-10 hours per 2-hour charge.
If there is a design choice I am not too fond of, it would be the placement and design of the start and select buttons. They sit raised at the top of the device, resting just above the analog sticks. While they function as they should, any time I would need them, such as bringing up the map while playing Gotham Knights, it never felt comfortable nor natural to do so. The buttons are hard to press down, and I just wish they could have put them elsewhere on the device, such as at the bottom.
Another disappointing fact is that this device only works on Wi-Fi. So, unless you have a 5G hot spot with you, you will be chained to your local Wi-Fi connection. And if that speed is not above average, your experience may be substandard. However, you can play any android games you have downloaded from the Google Play Store without an internet connection.
Where Is The Power?
When the Logitech G Cloud was announced, the first significant criticism came at the device’s power. It houses an older Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of flash storage (which can expand through a provided micro-SD card slot) and runs on an antiquated Android 11 operating system. However, when in “game mode,” it provides its own shell of an OS, which makes you forget that it’s just a tablet underneath with a fancy coat of paint and controller attached.
Gaming For Days
But how does it perform? It really depends on what you want the device to do. If you, like me, are looking for a machine to stream your household Xbox console or PC locally, it is mostly everything you want it to be. The majority of my time with the device was spent streaming my games over my home Wi-Fi. For reference, I have an average internet connection of around 300 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. (It is also worth noting that all the devices I am streaming from are hardwired).
When streaming local games, lag was nearly unnoticeable in single-player experiences. However, it was slightly noticeable when trying to play online heavy games such as Overwatch 2 or Sea Of Thieves. While the games are still entirely playable, the characters have a heavier feel to them.
Regarding fully remote play, such as with Xbox Cloud Gaming through Xbox Game Pass, lag was much more noticeable. As mentioned above with online games, controls had a heavier feel and never quite felt right. Everything was still playable, but I wouldn’t try any competitive modes in this situation.
Another thing worth mentioning when streaming, either locally or through the cloud, is that most games will be streaming at 720p, especially on Xbox. While controls feel tight when playing locally, the screen can still have an occasional blurriness to it. This is primarily due to how Xbox compresses the remote video feed to try and reduce lag times. Hopefully, in the future, we can expect a full 1080p stream option.
If you decide you need a bit more out of your portable playable, such as running games straight from the handheld, it does leave something to be desired. Games like Diablo Immortals and Minecraft run flawlessly, making great use of the controller support. However, certain games like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Mobile must be run at the lowest settings and do not recognize the controls. Unfortunately, this means touch controls are currently the only way to go with these. While issues like this come down to the publisher and not the device itself, hopefully, situations like these can be patched in the near future.
Since the device has access to all apps and games across the Google Play Store, I did test other games on the device, such as “Professor Layton and Curious Village” and the highly addictive “Marvel Snap.” Both games work great on the device, but the device needs to be held in portrait mode, making it look goofy in the hands.
Price Of The Cloud
Outside of the previous power complaint above, the other noticeable headline for the Logitech G Cloud since its original announcement was the price. Coming in at a steep $350 ($300 for those that preordered), it is a mightly tall ask for people to spend that kind of money when something similar like the Steam Deck can be yours for roughly $50 more. In that sense, I suggest waiting for a price drop.
However, there is a slight loophole in this conversation. If you are like me and fully invested in the Xbox ecosystem, you are more than likely taking advantage of the available Bing Credit and Xbox Credit (if not, you absolutely should be). Because this handheld is sold through the Microsoft Store, you can use all that credit toward this device. That is how I was able to get this at a reasonable price. The Xbox Credit and Xbox Gift Cards go a long way to make this device feel more attainable. For the amount I paid for this device, I am more than happy with my purchase. This is definitely something I will continue to use in the future.
7/10
Pros:
Comfortable controls
Long battery life
Perfect for at home streaming
Cons:
Streaming can be capped at 720p in certain situations
High Price Point
Low specs compared to other handhelds in this price range
One of the biggest artists of recent memory at Marvel comics, Peach Momoko has established quite the popular reputation. She won an Eisner award for best cover artist in 2021. Then, as part of Marvel’s rising-talent Stormbreakers class of 2020, Momoko had released Marvel’s Demon Days, a popular comic book series set in the artist’s own Momoko-verse, blending Marvel superheroes with Japanese folklore and traditions (such as featuring The Hulk as an Oni).
Known for her love of anime and Studio Ghibli, Momoko’s signature style is what sets her apart. Many of her early pieces feature very wide-eyed yet stoic faced young girls. Heroines with a strange sense of hauntedness behind them. Visuals as equal parts compelling as they are dark and mysterious.
“She isn’t really after depicting cute or beautiful visuals. She’s more interested in the mentality and inner-beauty/darkness of these girls going through their adolescence. Their youth…” said Yo Mutsu, Peach’s art manager and husband in a recent interview on Marvel’s Voices. “She likes to depict those inner-emotions with almost no facial expressions. Very plain. But you can tell in their eyes… You can just tell their emotions.”
Her partner in crime, Peach has been married to Yo Mutsu for over a decade. Moving in with him in Portland, Oregon back in 2010. It was around this time when the artist first came to the United States. But, about one year into living here, Momoko experienced her first jolt of culture shock. Which was harrowing to experience, yet also, sort of the catalyst that inspired her to create art.
The resulting work that followed would be where Peach Momoko would find her signature style. Her consumption of Japanese influences and culture, crafted from her longing sense of home (the artist moved back to Japan in 2013), gave wind to an art career that’s kept her sailing forward as one of the biggest breakthrough artists today.
Given all this, I always personally often wondered if her nickname of Peach Momoko originated from some some sort of historic appreciation of Japanese anime or folklore. Particularly, Hayao Miyazaki’s classic-hit Princess Mononoke, or even, the lore of Momotaro. Also known as the tale of Peachboy, as it seemed rather fitting. I was, however, absolutely wrong, as corrected over an e-mail exchange.
“Peach Momoko is my illustrator pseudonym. It has nothing to do with Princess Mononoke or Momotaro,” corrected Momoko when asked about it. “I just came up with this name in school goofing around with friends and just came to being attached to it.”
Peach Momoko’s Variant cover for Fortnite x Marvel Zero War #3
Peach is also known for her unique usage of watercolors. Which requires a lot more time, space, and attention to detail. It’s not exactly an expedited choice for modern comics creators who often rely on digital approaches due to the nature of crunch work these days.
Yet somehow, the talented artist makes it work. As a result, Peach Momoko’s covers have become highly coveted works of art. Those signature watercolors, shapely designs, and incredibly expressive eyes have become sort of a Peach Momoko trademark. You can tell almost immediately when one’s a Peach Momoko piece, regardless of that task or subject at hand, because the artist has made her mark with a very distinct and signature style and design.
“I do not have one favorite character because I am happy with all of my designs!” said Momoko regarding which one of her works she felt most proud of. “I feel like I am able to find just the right characteristics of both Yokai and Marvel characters.”
Peach Momoko’s Ant-Man Vol 3 #3 Variant Cover B
Indeed, seeing how Peach established her career was a unique trajectory having started as a simple passion in middle school with designing fashion and clothes. Designs were something Momoko enjoyed and always dreamed about doing.
Surprisingly, much of Peach’s early work delves into the usage of anatomy combining identity and the adolescence of change. In a different life, Peach Momoko would have been a tattoo artist. Which sort of makes sense given the similarities between watercolors and tattoo art.
“I was actually never a tattooist. I was just in the process of learning. I gave myself a milestone of by age 30, if I don’t make a living in art (not just in comics but any form of art that I can express), that I would apprentice under a tattooist,” said Momoko regarding her history with ink. “But before 30 I felt comfortable with my comic career that I kept going in this route.”
Peach Momoko’s Star Wars Revelations #1 Variant Cover. Notice, some of the skin detail, coloring, and how the light hits the piece.
It was around the Winter 2013 and Spring 2014 issues of Girls and Corpses magazine where Momoko finally caught her big break early in her career. The owner of the publication, Robert Steven Rhine, had taken Peach Momoko to her first major convention at Comikaze. It was there, where she met at editor at Heavy Metal,and through networking, was able to partake in the 40th-anniversary art exhibition in the summer of 2017.
She then met with the acclaimed comics writer Grant Morrison, then Editor-In-Chief of Heavy Metal, along with others at the magazine, who were able to pick up some short stories written and illustrated by her. The resulting short features appearing in issues 288 and 290, which of course would later, grab the attention of all the big publishers including Marvel. Still, today however, the artist considers herself an artist over a writer, first and foremost. Regarding the process of what it’s like to find your art style, Momoko shared:
“I just drew every day. But also went to museums, read art books, comic books, manga, anime, CG animation, etc. And looked and studied at all different styles of art. But mainly, I just enjoy drawing!”
Peach Momoko made her first-ever podcast appearance on a recent episode of Marvel’s Voices where she talks about her history, style, and sort of her approach to art, much of which I’ve detailed so far in this piece. Though I directly sourced to this episode of the podcast if you’d like to know more. She also, just recently, made her first-ever NYCC appearances leading to a pretty recent controversy initially covered by ReedPop’s own Popverse.
According to testimonies regarding happened, Peach Momoko was allowing for up to 10 items to be signed absolutely free for those who visited the table. An incredibly nice gesture for her fans by all means. The problem, unfortunately, was that there were no restrictions for fans to re-line up at the back of the line causing one of the worst traffic jams at the convention, and unfortunately, for collectors abusing her generosity. Essentially swarming her booth at artist alley. Initial reports even stated that a fight broke out. The artist was so overwhelmed that both Peach and her husband were forced to leave the signing booth…
“Peach had her earphones on zoning out at that time, but suddenly I heard some violent yelling and that is when Peach heard it over her earphones as well. The security [guards] went over to calm the person down, and that is when I went over as well to talk to them, and to tell them that they are no longer welcome to Peach’s signing,” confirmed Mutsu in an e-mail exchange between Popverse. “Unfortunately by that time, Peach got overwhelmed and scared and started to blame herself for creating this problem because of her presence, she couldn’t breathe properly so had to hide herself under the table. She was also shocked to see people would fight and argue over a signature.”
I should stress that I was actually in attendance Sunday as well covering the convention for The Workprint. Surprisingly, I also ran into Peach Momoko and Yo Mutsu pretty far away from their artist alley spot, though not too distant from the Marvel booth. I did however, choose not to engage with the couple given what happened, my own language barrier, and the fact that I knew this interview was happening online anyway.
Demon Wars
I would be remiss not to mention that so much of the recent Peach Momoko promotions at the moment are focused on Demon Wars, the artist’s sequel to the acclaimed series Demon Days and a popular adaptation of Marvel’s Civil War story. Yes, the same one featured in the 2016 movie, and in Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance 2, for any gamers out there.
The past two years, the Momoko-verse has done an excellent job adapting Marvel heroes with stunning Japanese folklore redesigns. Written and drawn by Momoko, the series focuses on the journey of Mariko Yashida, a woman who was often portrayed as Wolverine’s romantic interest, though in a very funny turn of events for this comic series: is Wolverine’s pet owner (as Logan has been reimagined as Yashida’s trusted doggie-companion).
In DEMON WARS: IRON SAMURAI, Momoko set the tone in a world that’s as equal parts fairy tale as it is demonic nightmare. It’s a stark yet lightly colorful environment that blends the best of both traditional comics, but also, some hints of manga techniques. Its second part, DEMON WARS: DOWN IN FLAMES, will apparently see the Civil War story finally collide with story elements from another legendary Marvel Comics storyline: the Phoenix Saga.
“I always write the story as I think of Marvel characters to fit the Yokai role. And for this issue I wanted to introduce Hi No Tori (Fire Bird) because it represents life and destruction (one of the themes of Demon Wars) and felt Jean Grey (Phoenix) was the perfect fit for the role,” Momoko explained in a Marvel press release. “Magik also had the perfect characteristics of a particular punkish oni so that is why I chose Magik to be in my Momoko-verse as well. I really enjoyed illustrating Phoenix and Magik’s relationship and using mainly fire for them to communicate. I actually wasn’t familiar with the Phoenix Force stories so it was interesting finding out more as I researched.”
DEMON WARS: THE IRON SAMUARI #1Written by PEACH MOMOKOArt and Cover by PEACH MOMOKOCo-scripted by ZACK DAVISSON Available Now DEMON WARS: SHIELD OF JUSTICE #1Written by PEACH MOMOKOArt and Cover by PEACH MOMOKOCo-scripted by ZACK DAVISSON On Sale 11/16 DEMON WARS: DOWN IN FLAMES #1Written by PEACH MOMOKOArt and Cover by PEACH MOMOKOCo-scripted by ZACK DAVISSON On Sale 2/1
Demons, Yokai, Marvel Superheroes, and the spirit world? Seeing this all come together is a neat blend of Western and Eastern fusion fans of not just Marvel, but art, are not to be missed. Special thanks again to Marvel for this opportunity and an even bigger shoutout to Peach Momoko and Yo Mutsu for sharing their story.
You might have caught our earlier coverage of the Women of Marvel panel at the NYCC. If not, that’s okay. Today we have an update that should clarify when and where you can pick up the Deadly Regenesis five issue arc.
Written by Erica Schultz and illustrated by Edgar Salazar, Deadly Regenesis tells the tale of how Laura Kinney AKA Wolverine went from assassin to hero. It takes place during the Utopia arc, when Laura tries to discover who she truly is. Below is a snapshot of what to expect from the series:
Laura Kinney, A.K.A. X-23, was cloned from Logan and trained by the Facility to be a deadly assassin. Even as she tries to put that life behind her, forces will try to drag her back — and she’ll fight them tooth and claw! Beset by new enemies – as well as old favorites – this series follows X-23 during her days as a member of the X-Men and X-Force when she walked away from the island of Utopia to find where she truly belongs. Don’t miss this all-new story in the fan-favorite saga of Laura Kinney!
It sounds pretty promising. Be sure and check Deadly Regenesis out on March 8th when it will launch, and don’t miss an issue of this sure to be exciting and bloody adventure!
No matter how poorly they’ve fared in the movies, the Fantastic Four has been successfully adventuring for a long time in comics. They’re beloved because they put family first, and also manage to astound us with daring feats and mind-blowing fringe science.
Now there’s a new era kicking off on November 9th penned by Ryan North and illustrated by Iban Coello. It will see the family team dealing with the devastating aftermath of an incident, and starring in standalone adventures until meeting back up in the 4th issue (fancy that).
But what’s really exciting about this new Fantastic Four arc is that the covers of all four issues are drawn by none other than the legendary Alex Ross! Not only that, but there’s going to be four sexy black and white variant covers as well.
It should be very exciting to discover what the latest adventures of the Fantastic Four will involve. And if you’re not a fan of them yet, the name Alex Ross should be sufficient to make sure you still give the iconic Marvel series a look.
The third episode of The Peripheral, entitled Haptic Drift, teaches us quite a bit about the world in this story. Less action and more long and drawn out talks with the occasional gorgeous set piece, this is an episode that focuses in on the complexity of its players. Mostly, on how deep Corbell Pickett’s influence and ambitions are on the show.
Though he’s portrayed as a generically wealthy bad guy, one who isn’t afraid of going to toxically violent ends and to execute his enemies, the episode really sells us just how much control Pickett has. He’s someone does what suits his interests, with much of this episode focusing in on not just his backstory – including his nephew, Jasper, who is husband to Flynne’s best friend and secret sharing Billy Ann – but also, Pickett’s assassination orders against the Fishers and what the family must do in return.
As for the Fisher siblings, Flynne and Burton’s money from Wilf is used to buy them some protection. As Burton armed themselves to the teeth to stop anyone from harming them; all by using the 3D print factory, some friends, and a very cockamamie strategy. Even though it’s the smart move, it’s obvious to the audience that Flynne is not happy about it, acting rather upset that her brother keeps making their decisions without her (and justifiably so, as she’s the smarter of the two).
She travels to the future to keep her obligations to Wilf for both the money and cure for their money paid out to them though soon discovers that someone is trying to hire Pickett to kill her. Burton, of course quick to go on the offensive, finds then threatens Pickett to leave them alone. Even willing to bribe him using Wilf’s money. This just strikes the villain’s ire more as he’s used to owning the town. It’s a series of actions inevitably leading Pickett to ask for Jasper’s assistance in a complex story of secrets becoming layered in secrets.
For the B-Plot, figuring out Wilf’s relationship to Aelita is probably the biggest reveal in this episode. It provides a bit of context to the characters in the series and gives the audience a lot of gorgeous set pieces to look at. We also get more context to the usage of technology in this episode, with more peripheral robots being used to fill in voids left in people’s lives. Whatever happened… exterminated much of society. These machines, are in many ways, a form of keeping that semblance of other people alive.
This episode, particularly focuses in on the idea of ‘haptic drafts’. That a person coming together as one in a machine can get lost in the other person’s desires. It’s explored both in the narrative of this overall plot of the series along with almost intimately in this episode. We also get a nifty recollection regarding Burton’s time during the war. Though it all stresses upon the fact: that it’s never fully you…
Which I think is an important theme for this series.
Ultimately though, none of this so far does much in terms of drawing us in regarding the primary plot as its story still feels as convoluted as ever. I’m uncertain as to where the show is going and I think we’re all still too early to understand what’s happening on this ride. At the same time, this episode does a lot to up the family stakes. Especially, once Wilf’s mother enters the fray to leave a cryptic clue of where to investigate next.
On Wilf and Flynne quest to find Aelita not much gets accomplished. More dead ends get reached, as Flynne stands out to some of the future robot police, showcasing just how advanced the surveillance of behaviors has gone into the future. More importantly, that the relationship between Wilf and Flynne gets explored as chemistry ignites the air, and we discover just how these Peripherals, these Westworld-like cyborgs created for people to transfer conscience into, are sort of the key.
Still, the biggest question in this episode is regarding Aelita’s location. Which is not something Dr. Cherise is happy about. Confronted by the evil doctor, who’s quite literally the ‘queen bee’ in this episode, we see the rise of another complication due to her party’s conflicting interests leading to a tight showdown involving Flynne, Wilf, and a related player.
The Take
Overall, Haptic Drift leads us to more questions than answers though keeps continuing to showcase some great science fiction at the least. The episode is significantly slower than the first two upon debut, and the action, which was arguably the best thing about the series, was incredibly scaled down. Still, the slow pacing is worth it if you love how layered the story is showing itself to be.
The tragedy of art is that it’s a product once out of your hands.
The tragedy of art as well is that while in your hands, it’s just a dream.
Season 4 Episode 8 Recap
In an effort to exculpate B.A.N. from any misrepresentation, we are greeted by a disclaimer that the following is fact-checked to the best of their abilities and that not everything could be endorsed by The Walt Disney Company. I think we’re in for a wild (dark) ride.
Journalist Jenna Wortham sets the stage: it’s the early 90s. The Little Mermaid has fished The Walt Disney Company out of debt. Beauty and the Beast stun as the first and only animated couple to grace the Oscars’ Best Picture Category and TheLion King cements the House of Mouse as something not to be trifled with.
Oppositely, just a hop, skip and jump away from sunny Burbank, the sky is ablaze, precipitated by the cowardly beating of Rodney King and the officers’ subsequent acquittal.
This was a milestone for black history, but it wasn’t the only one that took place that day. Behind closed doors, Disney named its first black movie & TV head, Thomas “Tom” Washington (Eric Berryman).
Welcome to “The Goof Who Sat by the Door”: the Thomas Washington Story.
The first interviewee is Thomas’ mother, Evelyn (Ann Nesby). The boy was named after Tom Jones (a Welsh singer who you could’ve sworn was African American if you didn’t see his face) as his dad Ronald courted her by playing his music.
According to Thomas’ cousin Philip (Jay DeVon Johnson), he was never seen without a pencil in hand, drawing. Astro Boy was his obsession and only wished for him to materialize into being to save the world from itself. Pretty deep for a little kid if you ask me.
Growing up, Thomas wanted to fit in, but being different meant that he was called on it, especially due to his desire to draw.
In 1987, Thomas attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). A professor, Mark Dillard (Jerry Winsett) admits that though black attendance at the time was scant, Thomas radiated ambition, going so far as to submit a flipbook with his application, detailing his journey from SCAD to Disney.
Art Babbitt came to SCAD to lecture on his creation of the character Goofy. This truly affected Thomas, who immediately took to Babbitt’s characterization of the dog as “… a gullible Good Samaritan, a half-wit, a shiftless, good-natured colored boy,” and “philosopher of the barber shop variety”. This is what Thomas used as the core of his sketches called ‘Goofy, Please’.
These would soon lay the foundation for The Goofy Movie. Philip recalls how Thomas maintained that Goofy was blacker than most thought.
His potential was ostensible in his freshman thesis, an animated take on the Little Prince with a sad Prince Rogers Nelson on the moon, probably spurred on by the untimely death of his father. The work was either massively comedic or tragic depending on who saw it and when.
Mr. Dillard is convinced the short is what shot him to Disney, straight out of college.
Thomas is enrolled in their Diversity Program, something former Disney Executive Leonard Trussell (Lindsay Ayliffe) is mighty proud about.
Starting out as an assistant animator on the Ducktales movie, Tom’s living alright… until the uprisings started.
It’s 1992. While racial tensions were boiling over in L.A., Thomas was gainfully employed mere miles away. Though his desire to join the masses was strong, Evelyn assured him the most effective way to riot was through his medium. If he ever had the chance to do a movie, he wasn’t going to pull punches.
This revolution was to come quicker than anybody imagined. The person Michael Eisner put in charge while he went on sabbatical happened to take a dirt nap.
As Fate would have it, though the board would vote for a “Tom” Washington (white), they would find out, they would vote instead for Thomas Washington, a black animator with a head full of radical ideas.
With much scrutiny on the heels of their landmark Beauty and the Beast home run, Thomas took the opportunity to step up, not aside. Disney was headed in a new direction by default, not by design. This had the pasty-white board sweatin’ fierce.
Former animator Gary Welch (Pat Dorch) explains how the first day in office, Thomas had shown all of the crew a frame of animation with Mickey pulling Pluto on a leash, questioning if Goofy is also canine, why he’d allow his own to be treated as less than.
Director Frank Rolls (Fracaswell Hyman) knew that “T” had the company shook from the first day as CEO. As an “in-betweener” (the grunt work of animation), Frank didn’t see much in terms of upward trajectory, but with Tom at the helm, he was moved to lead director on “the blackest movie of all time.”
Tom wanted to make a film about black fatherhood, broaching subjects from segregation to the amount of cheese in African American diets. He wanted to start a revolution on painted celluloid with Goofy as the vessel. Thus, A Goofy Movie was born.
He desired to show that though viewed by the public as dumb, Goofy was dealing with systemic factors way beyond the comprehension of lily-white asses filling theater seats: shitty job, angry kid, embarrassment from lack of influence. Heavy stuff coming from someone with a solid home life…
His wife, Anna Speilman (Sherry Richards) married young, and without much, but her husband never let it get them down. If they couldn’t afford it, he’d draw it, like the custom Tex Avery-Esque pictures he drew for their wedding in lieu of a professional photographer.
They also had their son, Maxwell pretty early on. Thomas asserted that the Goofy Movie was for Max to the point of wanting Anna to show him the movie if he’s not around.
This was in reaction to the zeitgeist. Black masculinity was either withered down to faux queerness a la “Men On…” segments or an ice demeanor a la Nino Brown. Goofy stands in stark defiance as just a man whose main concern is to take care of his family.
Jenna believes Goofy’s philosophy was to love your children for who they are, accept them and deal with the pain that the world won’t ever love them as you do.
All grown up, Maxwell believes dad slipped a lot into the movie for him. When Max sings and dunks to the cheering of his peers, a case could be made of commentary on the notion that smart, erudite blacks are the exception, not the rule, and assimilation is key to survival.
Thomas wanted to blow those notions out of the water and had done so by including the real-life fishing trips he used to take his son on as the basis for the journey of the film.
To Frank, the initial intention of the trip in the movie was as a “freedom ride” of sorts with the map representing Goofy’s trust in his own son, giving the viewer a sense of how the Green Book worked as an invaluable navigational tool through Jim Crow south.
Everybody knew the film had deeper meanings, but it meant a ton more in Thomas’ eyes. He wanted every black in America to feel as if they were a road trip away from being part of a movement, even if the kids couldn’t see the bigger picture.
In a meeting, Thomas speaks on how authentically black characters have yet to be drawn before a white animator on crutches hobbles in. This is Thomas’ goal. This worker can now be on his path to drawing a black character because he got his ass beat at a black cookout.
Thomas tried pulling back his methods, but the train of thought was too full Steamboat Willie ahead.
Thomas knew he was going to invariably get fired, so he wanted to make his time at the company count. This included forcing the animators to properly animate dancing and dapping throughout 18-hour days.
Fingers bloodied, Chris couldn’t take it, so he went up to have a word with Mr. Washington, only to find him in the company of Janet, Sinbad, Townsend, and Howard. He was sent back with a chorus of laughter and a white joke at his expense.
Brian McKnight even regales the parties that Thomas had thrown. Sinbad himself could even vouch for the dude and their meetings in plotting to overthrow Hollywood.
Brian, for instance, recalls how Bryan Adams’ ballad for the movie was swiftly replaced with Tevin Campbell on Thomas’ insistence.
Sinbad knew that Thomas had a mean side if you challenged his blackness though. Frank believes it stemmed from a harbored insecurity of not being black enough due to his profession as an animator and the only way to solidify it was to inject the culture into his career, not the other way around.
Brian knows pressure was beset on all sides of Thomas. Frank recalls once Thomas showed him the heat he was packing in a suitcase. His reason? A reminder to himself of how under the radar he is.
Then the cracks begin to show. He’d been stepping out and drinking more, gaining more of a nasty streak among his family. This included raising his hand to his only begotten son.
Anna knew if the path didn’t change, he’d lose his son, to which he asserted that everything ever done was for him.
His wife left him, leaving Thomas to fall fast, all coming to a head one day at a budget meeting, where Thomas maniacally declared himself Goofy before the board of trustees. I mean, what could Disney do but try for an emergency buyout to the tune of $75 millie over 10 years?
He refused. It’s a matter of principle.
Paranoia became increasingly problematic to the point of employing the Nation of Islam as security, with Thomas going all over, touting the film’s future success. He might’ve made one too many deals.
Frank thinks it came down to the movie’s finale. According to Chris, Thomas originally wanted both Goofy and Max to meet their demise at a traffic stop. As intense as it sounds, according to Philip, pops was supposed to be merked once he rushed the stage at the Powerline concert.
When asked by director Devonte if he believes Thomas’ death was an accident, Philip would rather not answer. Chris doesn’t believe it was due to the last known video footage shown (with the family’s permission).
It shows an inebriated Thomas singing “Eye To Eye”. He is clearly becoming unglued, affirming to himself that he’s “so close” and distraught, assures the camera he’s “gotta finish it.”
Once Thomas was officially out, the company let him back on the lot for a screening of the piecemeal product, completed behind his back.
The corrupted result was a blow to Thomas, especially the Bigfoot scene, which supplanted Goofy and Max wandering into a thrift store, finding Huey P. Newton’s rattan throne and Max sitting on it. This was the executives comparing Thomas’ vision to Bigfoot: an elusive fantasy. Maybe he was overshooting with that one.
The last bit of tape has Thomas addressing his son, saying that he’s doing it for him as well as everybody before breaking down.
At the screening, Chris could see Tom get up and leave. Frank saw the look in his eye before he left and knew it couldn’t be good, for on January 14th, 1995, investigators found his Impala at the bottom of the same lake he used to take Max fishing.
Anna now takes solace in viewing the movie, as if it’s a piece of him still with them. Max attributes a popular meme to his father because its essence draws back to Thomas’ early college sketches: black people living their lives, being funny, free, and real.
At least he made “the blackest movie of all time.”
Season 4 Episode 8 Takeaway
The Black American Network is back beh-beh!
Directed by Donald Glover himself, and just like the first season’s “B.A.N” episode under his direction, we are introduced to a Whole New World. The fact that Disney allowed Glover and co. to use this amount of footage is “indescribable”. The Astro Boy intercuts were an extremely welcomed surprise as well. Gave me throwback chills.
From the tender scenes of Thomas’ thesis to the cleverly animated explanation of the animation process itself, almost looking like actual cels, this whole episode was a revisionist fucking work of art.
Having grown up on The Goofy Movie so much, I’d place it as one of the first movies I’d actually worn out on VHS (before the discovery of adult entertainment), I’d have to say the narrative of this entire documentary was nothing short of brilliant.
Dealing with the rise and inevitable fallout from being thrust into a high-ranking position overnight with so many thoughts in your head of where you can take entertainment was handled with deftness and without prejudice, just like a good documentary piece should be.
The camera lens holds zero bias. It is for us, the viewer to decide. Then again, how would you like to be held under a lens?
The sheer majesty of both clips of The Goofy Movie and Astro Boy being interwoven with a beautiful and haunting score only bolstered this episode to the heights of something I’d watch a full-fledged movie of.
For those who study fiction writing, certain story structures will become extremely familiar. The one that’s often taught for commercial fiction, and one I’ve seen in most popular movies these days, follows this basic pattern: inciting incident, rising action with small setbacks on its way to a grander goal, a huge fail that seems insurmountable (what I call the “pit of despair”), followed by an EVEN HUGER TRIUMPH that ends the story on a euphoric note (Think the Emperor defeating Luke in Return of the Jedi… and then Vader’s 11th-hour return to the light side. Or the ending of every Pixar movie ever). Some balk at the concept of following basic story structures, claiming it makes plots formulaic. I say it’s a tool, and when used well, is absolutely exquisite to experience.
The third season of Lower Decks has given us more of an overall story arc than the first two, planting the seeds of a larger plot throughout its fun, irreverent episodes. And it’s all been leading to this finale, which wields that pit-of-despair-to-euphoric-triumph structure with aplomb.
We start the episode in the pit of despair. The penultimate episode, “Trusted Sources,” left me absolutely gutted after Mariner was kicked off the Cerritos by her own mom after everyone thinks she trashed the ship and its crew to a reporter (she didn’t, but given her behavior over past episodes, it’s easy to see why everyone thought she did). The Cerritos was totally pommeled by an unexpected Breen attack and had to be rescued by a new type of automated ship, the Texas class, and of course that reporter roasted their reputations.
The finale, “The Stars at Night,” picks up where “Trusted Sources” left off. The Cerritos is being repaired, and Captain Freeman must face the music for her perceived failure. Admiral Buenamigo, who’d authorized last week’s Project Swing-by second contact mission and also spearheaded the Texas class project, proposes that the Texas class should take over support missions entirely. Meaning the entire California class of ships to which the Cerritos belongs would be decommissioned, all those crew members replaced by a few machines. To Freeman’s dismay, the council agrees.
Word spreads to our remaining lower deckers, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford. The first two are understandably upset and freak out about their futures in Starfleet. Rutherford, however, nerds out to the Texas-class ship Aledo‘s code. To lighten the mood, Boimler starts doing impressions of the bridge crew. You know it’s coming: one of them walks in as he’s doing an impression of them. And it’s Shaxs. Who’s had a special fondness for “Baby Bear” Boimler since the latter joined his Bajoran dirge choir. And who, despite his gruff, growl-y persona, is a big ol’ softie and deeply hurt (despite Boimler’s hasty apologies).
Meanwhile, Mariner is living out an ethical Indiana Jones-style adventure of stealing artifacts from black-market traders and returning them to the museums of the cultures those artifacts belong to, with fellow Starfleet dropout Petra Aberdeen. But when Mariner asks who’s funding their missions, Aberdeen gets cagey.
Lower Decks initially billed itself as being about the lowest ranking officers on the least important ship in Starfleet. Now, Starfleet itself has decided that the Cerritos and all ships like it are so unimportant, they can be replaced by a big shiny drone. Of course, Freeman isn’t about to let her ship and her peers go down without a fight. So she challenges the Texas-class ship, the Aledo, to a mission-off. It’s that age-old sci-fi classic: man vs. machine. (Actually, come to think of it, the tale of John Henry predates sci-fi…)
The council agrees to let the the Cerritos race the Aledo to complete three support missions before chucking the whole California class into the dustbin. The whole crew goes into Hustle Mode to get it done.
First mission: Galardon for some equipment repairs and updates. The crew goes into overdrive to get it done, but the Aledo is able to drop a whole new structure onto the planet.
Second mission: LT-358, an uninhabited planet, to build an outpost. Once again, the crew springs into action. But then Tendi’s scan indicates the possibility of microscopic life forms, and all work is halted so the crew can test to see whether they’re sentient, and therefore whether building the outpost would be an ethical violation. The Aledo has no such qualms. It drops its outpost and warps out. Dr. T’Ana confirms that the life-form reading was false, and the crew scrambles to complete the mission.
Third mission: Ockmenic 9, a planet that, for some sci-fi dimension-shifting reason, only appears for a few hours once every few years, to drop off supplies. The Aledo pops in and transports the supplies. By the time the Cerritos arrives, the planet has already disappeared again.
And so, as is often the case in these kinds of stories, the machine won. But also, as is often the case with these kinds of stories, its ruthless efficiency missed a crucial ethical step – the part where the Cerritos had to double check that they weren’t stomping on a sentient microscopic life form’s way of life.
Freeman points this out to Buenamigo and argues that it proves the Texas-class ships aren’t fit for duty. At the same time, Rutherford realizes why he’s so obsessed with the code: It’s his! He’d written it before he got his implant! We finally get a payoff to the Episode 5 flashback where Rutherford saw a shadowy figure ordering his memories erased, and the person who gave that order was… *drumroll*
Admiral Buenamigo! Who wanted to leave a lasting impact on Starfleet with his automated ships, whatever the cost! Oh, and that thing with the Breen? He totally set up the Cerritos to fail there, just so his robot ship could save the day. When challenged by Freeman over a little thing called the Prime Directive, he loses his cool and orders the Aledo to go fully independent and attack the Cerritos.
In a neat tie-in to the first season, Rutherford confesses that his code had issues. It’s similar to what he’d used to create Badgey, a holodeck tutor that turned evil and murder-y. So, of course (midpoint reversal!) the Aledo goes all HAL-9000 the instant it gains independence from Buenamigo and blows up the admiral. It then activates two more Texas-class ships and starts laying waste to the space station while the Cerritos desperately tries to stop it.
Meanwhile, Mariner and Aberdeen arrive to drop off the artifact on its home planet. The moment Aberdeen leaves, Mariner, certain something nefarious is going on with their funding, starts digging into her private files. Aberdeen catches her and reveals that their mysterious benefactor is… Jean-Luc Picard. Who’s also passionate about archaeology, as Next Generation fans know (Sorry, Mariner, no evil plot for you to untangle)!
Mariner is obviously disappointed by how… normal… her new life is. She misses feeling like she’s making a difference in the galaxy (Aberdeen pointedly remarks that archaeology does make a difference, but we’re Trekkies and we see what you mean, Mariner). Aberdeen pulls up a newsfeed to show how much worse off Mariner would be with Starfleet, and the footage shows the attack the Cerritos is engaged in. Shocked, Mariner snaps into Hero Mode and insists that she and Aberdeen, in their little archaeology ship, must go help. Aberdeen objects but Mariner wins her over, and off the go to… take on a powerful murder robot ship in their barely-more-than-a-shuttle clunker? Hey, why not. Everyone loves a David vs. Goliath tale.
Freeman, hoping to save civilian lives, uses the Cerritos to draw the three Texas-class ships away from the space staton by dangling Rutherford in front of them. (Oh, you have daddy issues, evil murder robot ships? Here’s the guy who wrote your code! Come and get him!)
The Texas-class ships take the bait, and into warp they go. Now what? Everyone starts talking at once. Shaxs tries to make a suggestion but isn’t heard in the chaos and, still smarting from Boimler’s mockery, seems too insecure to try again. It’s Boimler who tells everyone – including *gasp* the captain – to “shut up and listen to Shaxs” (that’s his actual line). Shaxs proposes ejecting the warp core. It isn’t the first time he’s (over-eagerly) made this suggestion, but it makes sense this time. Dumping the warp core would drop the Cerritos out of warp while the giant hunk of machinery crashes into their pursuers, acting as a bomb to get rid of them once and for all. So Freeman orders him to make it so.
With stars in his eyes, Shaxs rushes through the Cerritos to the crew’s encouraging cheers and meets Billups in engineering. Together, they turn their keys, and out goes the warp core. Ka-boom! Triumph!
… or not. Two of the ships are destroyed, but the main baddie, the Aledo, survives. And it is not happy. The Cerritos, already heavily damaged, can’t even run away without a warp core. If the final moments of last week’s episode were the season pit of despair, then this is the episode’s pit of despair – the pit within the pit, the “all is truly lost” moment. Which means what comes next is…
TRIUMPH! Mariner shows up to save the day! In that little clunker? Of course not. The Aledo is too much for a California-class ship to handle, so she called all of them. Every city in Cali turns up to defend one of their own against the murder robot ship that tried to replace them. Friends and rivals and former crewmates (and weird doppelgangers) all have the Cerritos‘ back. Pew, pew, kaboom, bye-bye evil murder robot ship. People and ideals win, coldly efficient super machines and the unethical jerks who unleash them lose.
It’s that moment of euphoria that almost every piece of popular media strives to end on, and even though one could’ve seen it coming from a galaxy away, Lower Decks pulls it off splendidly. Anyone can apply the formula, but to execute it well is no small feat, and the show has done a great job of setting up this moment over the course of Season 3, dropping not only plot crumbs, but also moments of character development. Even minor things like Shaxs finally getting to eject the warp core and seeing the other California-class captains show up for the Cerritos feel like a giant reward for all the time we’ve spent with this show.
The Cerritos gets repaired, and everyone hangs out at the cafeteria. Mariner returns, where her friends greet her warmly and Boimler apologizes profusely for not defending her more when she got kicked off. In a show of character growth, Mariner confesses that her own behavior gave them reason to doubt her.
Tendi’s officer training is going so well that Starfleet sent someone to train with her: the “emotional” Vulcan girl from from Season 2’s “wej Duj.” Tendi is, characteristically, thrilled.
Boimler finally gets a bridge buddy in Shaxs, and Rutherford makes peace with his implant, which he finds too dang cool to resent even though it was used to exploit him.
Freeman apologizes to Mariner and has her reinstated, and Mariner seems ready to really commit to Starfleet this time, even choosing Ransom as a mentor (much to his dismay, in a hilarious reversal of the first episode‘s dynamics).
I was somewhat surprised to see this season wrap up so neatly, since the first two seasons both ended on cliffhangers. In fact, I thought they were going to draw out Mariner’s departure more, and possibly make her return to Starfleet a whole arc in the next season. I don’t really mind that she’s returned already, but I do think it could have been even more impactful if we’d had more than half an episode (just 10 minutes since these episodes are so short) with her away.
It was nice to see her character mature over the course of this season. Whereas the first two seasons mostly had her treading water as the arrogant, rebellious badass with a devil-may-care attitude that made you wonder why she was even in Starfleet if she hated its rules so much, the third has allowed her to grow up and recognize that this is indeed something she wants to do.
To a lesser extent, Boimler and Tendi have had a chance to grow too, with the former challenging himself to be, well, Bold Boimler, and the latter recognizing her own ambition and going for it. Rutherford has mostly been a plot device, with a bit of backstory added, but he was in a pretty good place to begin with and is always just fun to have around.
Despite being a cartoon comedy full of lowbrow gags and referential humor, Lower Decks has proved adept at both driving plots and developing characters as well as any prestige sci-fi drama… and better than many. The show’s format has given it permission to have fun in ways that the live-action Paramount+ Star Trek series lack, yet it never forgets that it is, first and foremost, Star Trek.
In 1964 The Munsters made their TV debut. Around the same time The Addams Family also dropped onto boob tubes around the US. Each series only ran for two seasons before getting the boot, but Charles Addams’ ooky family definitely had the last laugh. After starting off in the late 1930s as a gag in The New Yorker, Gomez and the gang had their live action run, a guest appearance on Scooby-Doo, a Halloween special, two animated series, and two more live-action adaptations including one on Netflix, and that’s not even mentioning the four movies they’ve been made into!
That’s not to say the Munsters hasn’t tried getting back into the popular culture landscape—they actually had a revival series The Munsters Today which ran for three seasons from 1988 to 1991. They also boast four made-for-TV movies, an animated special, and Bryan Fuller’s attempt at reinventing the series: Mockingbird Lane. However, Rob Zombie’s The Munsters is probably the best example of why this family doesn’t take to longevity the way the Addams do.
Let’s begin with a very simple fact: the Munsters were a rip-off of the Addams family. I’m not saying this as someone who prefers Charles’ brood to Universal’s (though I do), Allan Burns one of the co-creators of the series admitted to this. Then there’s the fact that Universal insisted on classic movie monsters being used for the core family members thus creating a strange mishmash of beings that seemed completely unrelated. I mean, a Frankenstein monster married to a vampire who has a werewolf son!? How the fuck does that work? It does make Herman Munster the perfect patriarch to such a clan though—a man pieced together from the parts of others to make one horrifying whole? But lastly, and probably the most important factor, is that The Munsters were designed to be a satire on the ubiquitous American sitcoms of the day. The endearing dad, loving mother, outspoken in-law, innocent teen, and plucky child were all represented here in twisted yet loyal ways. It traps them in a specific time and place, really. Which is a big problem if you want longevity in an IP.
Conversely, the Addams are a completely different breed. For one thing they are an original idea, for another they’re all basically the same i.e. mostly human. Yes, Lurch, Thing, and Cousin Itt are fairly monstrous, even the grandma is assumedly a witch, but they are nowhere near as disparate as the Munsters. Finally, their satire of the American family is much more general in terms of execution. The Addams family was designed to be an opposition to the classic 20th century family with the added bonus of making them eccentric aristocrats instead of a blue-collar bunch. The fact that they have extended members also makes them easy to adapt to the shifting definition of “family” over time.
Rob Zombie’s The Munsters is an almost unwatchable film for the sheer reason that it loyally executes an old dog while trying to teach it new tricks. I realize that sentence is pretty funny, but let me explain…Zombie’s entire movie is an attempt to deepen the shallow pool that is The Munsters’ backstory. We start with Lily (Sheri Moon Zombie) whose father the Count (Daniel Roebuck) wants her to marry a rich suitor. In classic Munsters camp fashion, Lily goes out on a date with a nosferatu-type vampire but isn’t happy. At the same time, Dr. Wolfgang (Richard Brake) is on the hunt for people parts assisted by his less-than-brilliant companion Floop (Jorge Garcia). After a “hilarious” brain mix-up Herman Munster (Jeff Daniel Phillips) is officially born. He’s not what the doctor hoped and so off into exile Dr. Wolfgang sends himself, while Floop and Herman get into the cut-throat world of show business!
Lily sees Herman’s existence-premiere on the TV and that’s that. They meet, fall in love, and get together. Ah yes, there’s also the matter of Lily’s brother who is a werewolf! Which, I guess, explains why years later Lily gives birth to a werewolf son? Anyway, her brother, Lester (Tomas Boykin) is something of a loser and clearly the black sheep of the family. He’s gotten in over his head with a Romani woman, Zoya Krupp (Catherine Schell) who also happens to be one of the Count’s ex-wives. She tasks him with getting the deed to their ancestral home and he easily tricks Herman into signing it away.
The movie’s final act focuses on The Munsters acquiring their iconic home. After losing their castle to Krupp, Herman, his wife, their new pet Spot, and the Count, relocate to California. Cassandra Peterson makes a fun cameo as their relator, Barbara Carr, and because they visit the house on Halloween night, they believe it is the perfect place for them as there are monsters everywhere! It’s just like Transylvania…until the next day reveals that all of their neighbors are actually hideous human beings. On the bright side, Lester shows up out of nowhere and gives Herman his share of their “business venture”, which apparently leaves them filthy rich. Yay?
It’s not that trying to give the Munsters some depth is a bad thing; it’s the way Zombie goes about it. I actually like ideas of the creation of Herman, and the courtship with Lily, but the lack of Eddie and Marilyn leave something to be desired. The execution of everything in this movie is disjointed and ham-fisted at best. There is absolutely 0 context given to any of the scenes throughout the film. Literally, the audience is thrown into a 70s acid trip without a net. I get that a lot of people watching this will be fans of the original show, but holy fuck is this a blind box. And that’s not all, the presentation of the movie is equally bungled.
Zombie’s use of blacklight in the beginning of the film is near obsessive. He drops in EDM music into a 70s setting without reason or explanation, also has a 70s atmosphere draped over what is supposed to be the 1860s because…why not? Later, we get an animated sequence that looks less like an artistic choice and more like the budget ran out. And then there’s the lighting. I know this will sound strange coming from me, but this movie is way too bright! Shot in crisp HD with colors that pop off the screen—it hides nothing. This clean format is unforgiving when it comes to makeup or special effects fails, and though I’m guessing this might be on purpose since the original series is known for its camp composition. But without the nostalgia of black and white or even an “old timey film” filter of some kind, all the movie has to stand on is the performances and the material—neither of which are strong enough to support it.
Ah, casting. I’m not a fan of Phillips as Herman, his voice is not deep enough and he does not carry a goofy yet lovable air well. His Herman is annoying at best and grating at worst. Zombie is one of those directors who insists on putting his wife in everything he makes so we have Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily who reads her lines as if she’s in some 1940’s movie with that fake transatlantic accent they all used back then. It’s a shame since Lily’s part as the wife could have been expanded or strengthened, instead she comes off as a lovesick puppy who depends on her dopey man to her own detriment. Roebuck is probably the only actor who at least tries, granted his Grandpa is not only a grump but also too hammy for his own good. I don’t remember the Count hating Herman nearly as much as he does here. Yes, we get a good reason, and the old sitcom trope of the father-in-law begrudging his son comes through loud and clear, but it isn’t fun…just mean.
The Munsters, as a satire of the sitcom family, could work as a movie but you need to handle them as they are. Expanding on their lore, giving Lily and Herman a love story isn’t the problem, it’s how you do it. If you want to bring them into 2022 then update them to fit! Fuck, let them satirize the insanity of the world today, its modern technology, the streaming wars, social media…there’s so much juicy meat to chew on here! If the greatest gift The Munsters ever gave was the idea of beauty within why not let them show it now? It’s not impossible to cut down the Herman and Lily origin stories to fit a flashback, and then have Eddie and Marilyn in the present. Think about it, their second live-action show didn’t try to trap them in the 60s from whence they came, it allowed them to explore the new decade in which they found themselves. And, since Lily and Herman are said to have met in 1865 why not go full 1865??? Why twist 1865 into 1970? Zombie tries to make a schlocky 70s horror movie while also making a campy 70s TV show…and it fails amazingly. Painfully. This movie isn’t even fun bad, it’s just bad bad.
I give this movie a solid F, there are no redeeming qualities here save for the ghosts of good ideas that clearly didn’t haunt this director nearly enough.
The latest episode of The Winchesters, “You’re Lost Little Girl”, is treading old ground but with a few new tricks.
Once again, we set up the monster first and foremost – it’s a demon in a sack called Bori Baba (JD Garcia) who attacks a little girl after luring her with her lost toy. Back at the monster club, Mary is having a bad day – not only is the trail on her dad cold but now her mom is missing too. Latika’s efforts to help fall on deaf ears and our attention turns to Ada.
The would-be witch explains that the demon who possessed her had a partner and they need to find him. Carlos appears and we learn that Carrie (Avangeline Friedlander), the little girl from our opener, is actually Mary’s neighbor. Her brother Ford (Trayce Malachi) confides in Mary that a monster grabbed his sister and pulled her into a sack.
John, meanwhile, runs point on Betty (Andrea Londo), a cop who clearly has a history with him. Ada and Carlos deal with their demon friend while Latika’s insight into the monster helps Mary rescue the children and save herself before John ultimately puts the monster down for good. Or…maybe not? This episode ends with the reveal of our mysterious big baddie: the Akrida leader.
Well, I’m happy to see Ada and Latika getting some meatier exploration in tonight’s episode. While the former may have been something of a silent partner during the last two outings, I’m happy to report we get a much clearer picture of her here. Ada starts off as her usual guest appearance but then she and Carlos team up for a stakeout that expands upon her character. Carlos is all personality, he can’t help it, but to her credit, Ada takes center stage in their scenes. She surprises her partner by revealing a hard edge none of us saw coming. When interrogating the demon, Ada uses the threat of a bonsai plant to intimidate him into talking, which works, but then she goes ahead and traps him in the plant anyway! How killer is that?
Carlos is actually the weakest character in this episode yet that’s not a bad thing. Again, he is a big personality and he got to shine in the last two so giving the spotlight to Ada and Latika is a refreshing welcome. Latika, as you may remember, has also been a pretty shallow character up until now, with her history and relationship with the others being tenuous at best. I will say that her interpersonal relationships don’t necessarily grow leaps and bounds but they are still improved.
Her interactions with Mary – her attempts to comfort her friend, provide insight into Samuel’s potential motives, and even offer a way for Mary to relax are all building blocks for Latika as a person. Not only that, but we even get a little mystery for her! Yes, I’ve mentioned that whatever happened with Maggie is a mystery, but this one is much more satisfying because it is dramatic irony – which means the audience has inside information.
See, Mary reveals to John that both of Latika’s parents died a long time ago, but later on when Latika is on the phone with one of her relatives the subtitles expose that her mother is actually alive. Now we’ve got something interesting to wonder like why is Latika lying about her parents? Is her father also alive?
Our main characters, John and Mary, naturally get the lion’s share of character development here. Which, again, isn’t a bad thing. Hell, it factors perfectly into the episode’s plot so that works out nicely. Mary and John have a chat about childhood dreams with Mary’s depressing confession being that all she’s ever known is the life of a hunter and that’s the only future she’s ever been able to imagine for herself. This fear of not knowing who she might be without hunting leads to her being unable to burn the lost object (her father’s hat) that both helps her enter Bori Baba’s pocket dimension and keeps her trapped there.
In the end, it’s John’s supportive words that she doesn’t need to figure out who she is right now, that she just needs to be OK with not knowing, which help her to confront and overcome this fear. It also, funnily enough, allows her to embrace the idea of a break from her dogged pursuit of her father. She ends the episode by taking Latika’s suggestion to go see a movie and winds up meeting a man (hi “Slick” played by Ryan McCartan). What do they always say? You find love when you’re not looking…
John, conversely, has his own romantic past to contend with. One of the officers who respond to the scene is Betty. We learn that she and John were an item before he went to off to war. She’s happy that he’s not dead, and they eventually agree to be friends with her giving him a ring back. That’s right, kids, John almost got married to someone else! John’s bigger development though is his obvious interest in Mary. We see in this episode for the first time John’s deep connection to Mary, with the idea of anything happening to her as unfathomable. He nearly panics when she goes into the pocket dimension, and it is by his insistence that Latika even tries to contact people back home for more information about their adversary. And, as mentioned earlier, it’s his words that help Mary overcome her dilemma thus saving her life.
Finally, we get the reveal of the Akrida leader – a radio DJ by the name of Rockin’ Roxy (Bridget Regan). Now, I will confess that initially when they said the Akrida leader was posing as a woman I thought it might be John’s mom. Then I forgot they said it was a woman and I focused my attention on the mysterious movie man who wins over Mary’s icy heart, but of course, it’s a completely random person who has only just been introduced to us. I think having Millie be the leader would pack more punch, but I get why they didn’t go in that direction.
Now, let me do a quick assessment of the acting. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I haven’t brought it up yet, and that’s not because I never intended to, it’s because I wanted to wait. As a rule, I like to give a show three episodes to find its groove, I think that’s a fair rule to have for actors as well. Meg Donnelly is best known for her portrayal of a teen alien in the Disney juggernaut Z-O-M-B-I-E-S, but, she’s also played a more sullen teen in ABC’s recently canceled American Housewife. I’ve enjoyed her in both roles and I feel like she does a good job getting into the skin of yet another embattled teen. Mary Campbell isn’t as plucky as Addison from Z-O-M-B-I-E-S nor is she as stubborn or ditzy as Taylor from Housewife, instead, she feels like an entirely original character which I think is a good sign.
Unfortunately, Meg is the only actor in this series I’ve seen in previous projects. Still, you can see that JoJo Fleites is a powerhouse doing his best to rein it in so he isn’t too much. I give the actor credit for imbuing Carlos with enough pep and vigor so as to exist even without expositional filler – which I’m sure is coming. It’s impressive that this is his first major gig and it makes me very interested to see how his career evolves from here.
Nida Khurshid’s Latika is so far a subtle portrayal and I’m eager to see her blossom into a more confident person along with her character. Right now, she fades too easily into the background and doesn’t seem to breathe into Latika the kind of life the other actors do, but this is still early in her career so she’s got room to grow.
Demetria McKinney on the other hand is a seasoned actress and it shows. Her Ada, while not a lead character, is not ignorable either. In this episode, she really brings out her strengths with regard to giving the character an independent personality beyond what we’ve seen thus far. I’m very pleased.
Then there’s Drake Rodger who actually has fewer credits to his name than Khurshid but feels more comfortable with his role. His John is a quiet yet not brooding man, which is a nice change of pace. He gives John a lightness that Jensen brought so nicely to Dean. This actually makes his playing Dean’s father work even better!
As a whole, this is a good episode. I’ll give it an A.
As with the ones before it, we get a lot more representation than what this universe typically provides – Carrie, her mom (played by Kanesha Washington), and Ford are all black. As a longtime fan of Supernatural, I can tell you that the majority of their victims were white. And, on top of that, we’ve got yet another minority-based monster. Bori Baba is born out of Norther Indian lore, which is why Latika plays such a large role in this episode.
It’s worth noting that Mary brings up the unusual nature of their enemies having noticed how unique they are, and the variety is somehow linked to the Akrida. Guess we’ll see, eh?
Want to know what’s going to happen in the lives of your favorite Star Wars heroes and villains? Check out Star Wars Revelations #1 with covers and never-before-seen artwork coming November 23!
It begins when Star Wars Revelations #1 kicks off what will be an incredible 2023 for Marvel’s Star Wars comic series. Giving fans an idea of what’s to come in current titles Star Wars, Star Wars: Darth Vader, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, and Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, not to mention the amazing limited series Star Wars: Hidden Empire.
All these series take place in the basically uncharted period after Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and seek to reimagine the Star Wars mythology with daring adventures. Don’t count that galaxy far far away out just yet, Stars Wars: Revelations #1 will flip the scripts of these ongoing adventures as they careen towards an unknown outcome.
Star Wars: Revelations #1, written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Salvador Larroca, Pere Pérez, Emma Kubert, Justin Mason, and Paul Fry, may start out within the nefarious lava pits of Mustafar but soon the readers will find themselves visiting the many beloved crooks of the galaxy. Darth Vader is bearing witness to the destinies of the Rebellion, the Empire, Doctor Aphra, and some well-known bounty hunters, that it will leave him, and the fans, flabbergasted.
The Rebel Alliance are in a bind, trying to fight the Galactic Empire’s dominance on numerous planets. Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian and the rest of the rebels are on Darth Vader’s hit list, but he’s not alone. Padmé Amidala’s handmaiden, Sabé, is helping him hunt anyone who opposes the Empire. Beilert Valance is about to run into his one-time partner, T’onga along with her crew of bounty hunters. Archaeologist Doctor Chelli Aphra has been possessed by The Spark Eternal – an ancient tech that gives the user Sith-type abilities. And the leader of the Crimson Dawn crime ring, Lady Qi’ra, is primed and ready to make an all-out attack in hopes of collapsing the Sith and taking power back from the Empire. These may seem like completely unrelated tales but Star Wars: Revelations is about to bring them all together in a startling single storyline. Plus, Vader will become aware of a new problem on the horizon. Ajax Sigma is a wholly unique droid unto himself. With deep roots throughout the Star Wars history once he awakens there’s a sinister goal he’s got in mind that will change everything!
“Now, we all know that the Force can be used to glimpse the present, the past, and possible futures,” Guggenheim told StarWars.com. “Well, The Eye [of Webbish Bog] is going to show Vader all of the above, including moments that will be coming into play in 2023 all across the Star Wars line. It’s our clever way of giving readers a preview of what everyone has up their sleeves for next year, but this isn’t a 40-page movie trailer. It’s a real Star Wars story with Vader at the center.”
Don’t miss this dramatic chapter in Star Wars comics storytelling when STAR WARS: REVELATIONS #1 arrives on November 23.
STAR WARS: REVELATIONS #1
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art by SALVADOR LARROCA, PERE PÉREZ, EMMA KUBERT, JUSTIN MASON & PAUL FRY
Jason Aaron’s Avengers run ends with an epic tale for the ages. Beginning with Avengers Assemble Alpha #1, dropping this November 30th, Marvel fans can see Mephisto and his legion of villains clash with the Avengers. Especially, in this brand new trailer.
Imagine a battle to end all battles: one side comprised of the most supreme superheroes ever brought together. The other, a band of the most lethal villains of all time. The Brilliant Jason Aarons writes a story that sees the his almost five-year era on Avengers collide with an astounding crossover between his two current titles: Avengers and Avengers Forever.
“Four years of Avengers stories. Threads from really every major series I’ve worked on throughout my last decade and a half at Marvel, from Ghost Rider to Thor. It all leads to this. The biggest Avengers story I could possibly imagine,” Aaron said in a press release from Marvel. “Featuring a cavalcade of characters from across creation. And I’m so deeply thrilled and honored that it all kicks off with an oversized ALPHA issue that’s being drawn by the legendary Bryan Hitch, who I’m getting to work with here for the very first time. Avengers Assemble. Say the words like a prayer. It’s the only thing that can save you.”
The ball gets rolling in next month’s Avengers Assemble Alpha #1 and features famed artist Bryan Hitch. Fans see the birth of a war outside of all vision – an outstanding encounter that spans from prehistoric times when Earth was guarded by the Avengers of 1,000,000 BC to the dusk of what we know to be true and all that lies between!
Avengers Tower stands at Infinity’s End but it is under attack from the greatest of foes including the Multiversal Masters of Evil and their leader, Mephisto. In this final epic, fan favorite Avengers throughout time will join forces to defend Avengers Tower. Their efforts don’t just protect the reality we’ve come to love and know, but they also, ensure the fate of Marvel’s longstanding history as we’ve come to know it.
Halloween is upon us once more, and so is Hocus Pocus. Every year, when October rolls in, scenes and memes from the 1993 Disney movie starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as a trio of witches known as the Sanderson sisters fill the internet. And this year, we were even given a sequel on Disney+, with the three (and Doug Jones!) reprising their roles.
Hocus Pocus has become as much a part of Halloween as A Christmas Carol has become a part of, well, Christmas (I, for one, rewatch it regularly whenever October rolls around for nostalgia reasons). So powerful is the Hocus Pocus brand that Disney didn’t even bother giving its well-received sequel a subtitle—it’s just Hocus Pocus 2. Yet when the movie first came out nearly 30 years ago, its cultural status was far from certain. How did we get here?
Victor Catano and I discuss below.
MARY:
So I was a kid when the original Hocus Pocus came out in 1993, and I remember it being a perennial Halloween favorite. I also remember finding the witches kind of scary because they killed a little girl in the beginning. What do you remember from its release?
VICTOR:
Well, as a grizzled old man, I must confess that the original came out when I was in college. As such, I really don’t have the same emotional connection to it that many of your generation do. I mostly remember it getting panned by critics and not doing great at the box office.
I have much fonder memories of another film that came out in 1993 and also became a holiday classic. aka Nightmare Before Christmas. That connected to me on a much deeper level. (I think if you count up my t shirts, you’d find that after Star Wars, I have more NBC gear than any other franchise.)
MARY:
The generational difference is so interesting! I guess my cohort were all in elementary school and had no concept of whatever it was the critics disliked… we just knew it was spooky Halloween fun. 30 years later, we’re all grown-ups and definitely wearing nostalgia goggles as we watch the sequel. I’ll admit, I enjoyed Hocus Pocus2 a lot. It was campy nonsense, but that was the point… I love that it took itself even less seriously than the first one. What did you think?
VICTOR:
Generational differences really sneak up on you, huh? I remember when I was working at a college, I’d sometimes ask the students what their favorite Halloween film was as an icebreaker. Half today them answered “Twiches,” which I had literally never heard of and I thought they were punking me. (It stars Tia and Tamera Mowery as twin witches.)
Like you said, Hocus Pocus starts off with child murder and a mass hanging. It’s tough for Monty Python to make a family comedy out of that let alone the Disney borg.
And I’m not a big fan of the original. The tone is all over the place. Is it supposed to be campy? Scary? The kids are often in mortal danger! A couple spend a long time locked in a cage!
MARY:
Thinking about it critically, and as an adult, you’re totally right. But I think as adults, it’s easy to forget how absurd kids’ entertainment can be because kids see the world differently. A lot of things we find horrible don’t register to kids in the same way, especially when depicted in such a silly tone. I think the reason why Hocus Pocus had a strong cultural impact despite being critically panned is because it captures what contemporary kids (well, contemporary in the ’90s) wanted out of Halloween: something that was both spooky and fun. Scary, sure, but not horrifying.
And of course it has all the elements of the fun commercial Halloween that ’90s American kids were into… witches, black cat, zombie, dark magic…
While I found the opening of Hocus Pocus2 a lot of fun, I did think it a little weird that the Sanderson sisters were being low-key reinvented as girlboss types. But I guess that’s not surprising when in 2022, witches have for the most part become representative of female empowerment.
VICTOR:
I think you’re right about that. How many times have you seen that “We are the daughters of the witches you didn’t burn” meme on Facebook?
It’s telling that the original felt the need to have a teen boy as the protagonist, and the sequel just fully embraces Girl Power. The only young man in this is a doofus boyfriend. I think it’s also a sign that Disney knows where a good portion of the Hocus Pocus fan base is coming from that they literally have the Sanderson Sisters crash a drag show (And lose!).
It’s kind of incredible how much the Sanderson Sisters have bubbled into pop culture consciousness. I would not have guessed that this trio would have this much staying power back in ‘93. Some of that is attributable to kids like you growing up and watching them, some of it is Disney marketing muscle, but it’s a real thing. Real enough that Disney produced a big 25th anniversary special a couple years ago, Bette Midler did an online Hocus Pocus fundraiser special in Oct 2020, and the Sandersons are the hosts of the Villains show at Disney World.
And the sequel is honesty better than it has any right to be. As you well know – from your deep dives into Disney remakes and sequels – the mouse house often just churns out content without regards to quality. And this was actually fun! It gives me hope that Disenchanted might be fun to watch!
MARY:
I was so skeptical of Hocus Pocus2 when I first heard about it. “Here we go, another soulless Disney cash grab,” I thought. But it was actually good! And I think the reason is that it’s one of Disney’s few blasts from the pasts that actually figured out what made the original so compelling: the shameless fun of it all. The kids’ party store kind of Halloween. No overstuffed plot, no endless CGI action scene, no weird crossover attempts, and minimal corporate wokeness (a bit of a nod to girlboss feminism, but it was a light touch and fun to watch… not preach-y). Just the Hocus Pocus we know and love, back again for another wackadoodle Halloween adventure.
So much of entertainment tries to be “more” in some way… message-y, or a franchise starter, something like that. The original Hocus Pocus was content to be a fun Halloween adventure, and they did it well. I think that’s why ’90s kids loved it so much. And the new one has recaptured that feeling, which I think means the now-duology will be a Halloween staple for years to come.
VICTOR:
Well, there’s a pretty clear sequel hook in the post credits scene, so I may withhold judgement. We should check in 29 years from now for HP3, featuring an all CGI Bette Midler.
MARY:
I totally forgot about the post credits scene! I guess we’ll have to wait and see what comes out of it…
LA BREA -- “The Heist” Episode 205 -- Pictured: (l-r) Eoin Macken as Gavin, Natalie Zea as Eve, Jon Seda as Dr. Sam, Josh Mckenzie as Lucas, Zyra Gorecki as Izzy -- (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
La Brea Season 2 keeps the good times rolling with another action-packed episode in The Heist. While there’s still some big unanswered questions that annoy me, such as how Aldridge was able to heal so miraculously before and yet somehow falls prey to a wolf bite, they nevertheless do a great job establishing the lore of the show. While the time travel rules are a bit more loose, overall I can’t really complain. It’s a notoriously hard genre to write, with cause and effect often left in a tangled mess.
It starts off with our action hero team of Sam, Gavin and Levi planning how to steal a wagon of black rock from the Exiles and using said wagon to access the Lazarus tower. They have all the tools they need, and it sounds like a relatively simple mission. Which should have been the first sign it was all going to go pear shaped.
LA BREA — “The Heist” Episode 205 — Pictured: (l-r) Rohan Mirchandaney as Scott, Josh McKenzie as Lucas — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Some of the smaller side stories involve Scott and Izzy, and dealing with their relative issues. Izzy is furious about her mother’s affair, and angrily asks why bother coming back in time if her family is shattered. As for Scott, we finally learn the source of his anxiety, and the reason he uses drugs as a crutch to treat it. Ty also leaves to join Paara at her village, and things don’t go as planned. Mostly because his new wife to be is extremely cagey about her first marriage. Not to mention the villagers don’t look to fondly of her bringing in a Sky Person to their ranks.
Before he leaves, Ty gives Eve very good advice. Namely not to let her relationship baggage fester and ruin things. He says she has to choose between Gavin and Levi, for both their sakes. Levi also wants to talk with Eve about their relationship, while Gavin is committed to winning his wife back. It’s a complicated love triangle, but they push it aside in The Heist to focus on trying to get into the tower and save Josh from 1988.
Speaking of 1988, Josh is overjoyed meeting his grandmother, and she seems equally affected by meeting her grandson. She tells him and Riley she’ll help stop the tidal wave, but first she has something to attend to. Dr. Clark also reveals a huge nugget – Gavin wasn’t from 10,000 BC. Caroline Clark and her husband are actually from the future, and were trying to save their time by traveling into the past. Instead, they did a lot of damage, creating the sinkholes and other disasters. Now she’s committed to fixing things. Then when Riley goes to meet with Dr. Clark, it’s revealed she’s at the adoption agency where Isaiah is. Which makes Riley worry she’s going to break the timeline and adopt her own son, which would effectively erase Josh and Izzy from existence.
Once the group from the Clearing head out, things get messy. Virgil appears, having escaped from the mines thanks to dumb luck. He reveals the Exiles are moving their prisoners to another location, and have stepped up security. Once they get to the ridgeline overseeing the camp, the group of 7 agree to split up and do different tasks. Scott and Lucas want to save the prisoners, while Eve and Gavin are committed to reaching the tower. So Gavin, Eve, Sam and Izzy go on their Lazarus mission while Levi joins Scott and Lucas for theirs.
LA BREA — “The Heist” Episode 205 — Pictured: (l-r) Eoin Macken as Gavin, Zyra Gorecki as Izzy, Natalie Zea as Eve, Jon Seda as Dr. Sam — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Moments after setting out, Gavin’s team falls into a trap door, which lands them right back in the mines. Worse, they land in a dark pit full of spiders. Izzy just happens to be terrified of them, and these are some huge arachnids. The use a lighter to keep the bristling horde at bay, and escape through a hole in the wall. Then they wander around until they’re able to find a group of guards. They make quick work of them and take their clothes, which they use to escape via wagon. Taamet almost makes them, but they luck out. Then seconds later, the Exiles realize they’ve been duped, and Taamet leads a group on foot to chase the wagon.
As for Levi’s group, they quickly realize the Exiles are heading close to Paara’s village, so Levi leaves the boys and goes to get reinforcements. Scott isn’t handling his emotions well, and blames himself for Aldridge’s death. Lucas says he has to be honest about how he feels, and stop using his vape pen as a crutch. Then Scott runs out of vape fluid and gets totally anxious. Hhis anxiety comes from watching his older brother die when he was only 13, and being unable to save him. Lucas says he can get past it, and they come up with a plan to distract the Exiles and light their raft on fire, keeping the prisoners from being taken to another camp. It works, but then guards chase Scott, only for him to be saved by the timely arrival of Paara’s people, who skewer them with arrows.
LA BREA — “The Heist” Episode 205 — Pictured: Villagers — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Though Gavin and company do a good job using the wagon as a decoy and then attacking the Exiles, the fight is really tense and things quickly look bad. Izzy is caught by a guard and Gavin and Eve are terrified they’ll lose their daughter. Then Levi arrives out of nowhere to save the day, which only complicates everything. Izzy is not happy with the man, and is lashing out at her parents at every opportunity. Gavin barely convinces her to keep her feelings in check so they can rescue her brother.
After Levi saves the day, one of the Exiles escapes – Taamet. Paara and Ty chase after him, and she has him dead to rights with her bow and arrow. Only to suddenly put her bow down, and let him escape. Turns out, Paara’s first husband was Taamet, and he fomented a rebellion in the village, leading to his group getting exiled. Which is not great news for Ty, as Paara’s soon to be husband. Nor is it good news for anybody else, since Paara is certain the Exiles will lash out soon in retaliation.
LA BREA — “The Heist” Episode 205 — Pictured: (l-r) Veronica St. Clair as Riley, Teacher — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Back in 1988, Riley and Josh find Caroline, but turns out she’s not breaking the timeline. She’s helping it stay on course, and makes sure a young Isaiah gets adopted by the Harrises. She just wanted to see her son again, and talks with him briefly. He reveals that he doesn’t remember anything except for the events of the past few days. Which is very curious, but that’s a mystery for another time. For now, Dr. Clark is ready to help stop the tidal wave that’s coming in 72 hours or so.
The Heist ends with the group reaching the Lazarus and getting ready to infiltrate the tower. Scott had great growth, and seems to be pushing past his anxiety. He even tosses away his vape pen at Lucas’ urging. As for Izzy, she’s in a worse place than before, and it’s clear she’s gonna make trouble for her parents. Plus I’m still waiting to see if Sam’s drug dependency becomes an issue. If not, I’m curious what has changed. But in any case, another really solid episode that does a good job of weaving the fabric of the show. Here’s hoping things stay consistent for the rest of season 2!
LA BREA — “The Heist” Episode 205 — Pictured: Tonantzin Carmelo as Paara — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Just in time for the season of horrors and hijinks, Marvel Unlimited is getting readers prepared for Halloween with some interesting shorts of Halloween-themed infinity stories. These cute little Halloween tales will be featured both this week and next week kicking off with everyone’s favorite neighborhood-friendly superhero.
It kicks off with Spider-Verse Unlimited Infinity Comic #21. In this issue, a sneaky Green Goblin wants to stop some trick-or-treaters, including Gwen Stacey, from enjoying their Halloween by stealing their candy. But never-fear… Spidey is here! And though he’d like to sit by and enjoy his paper while drinking coffee on a calm autumn evening, our webbed headed hero jumps into the action to save the day…
Or so he thinks. As an equally menacing old foe from Spidey’s past, and an equally grumpy old boss-man, weren’t also in the fray of ruining Halloween. Though thankfully, Spidey has some friends in… dare I say, ghostly places?
It’s a short and sweet comic run that feels awfully like The Great Pumpkin, less so in Green Goblin’s use of pumpkin bombs, but more so in that the art style is very reminiscent of Peanuts. Particularly in one enjoyable scene.
Afterwards, on Wednesday October 26th, Johnny Blaze has to face some of his worst fears in a brand new one-shot of Strange Tales: Ghost Rider #1. The premise of the story is that on a lonely highway, Johnny Blaze faces some of his worst fears – the other Ghost Riders, Danny Ketch and Robbie Reyes!
Who will come out on top in a knock-down, drag-out battle between Riders? You’ll have to check it out next week!
SPIDER-VERSE UNLIMITED INFINITY COMIC #21 – Available Now!
If the appeal of the original Quantum Leap was seeing a character we love, Sam Beckett, travel through time to fix history for the better, then the sixth episode of the 2022 sequel seems to have missed the memo. Last week, I wrote about how the show seems to be falling into some kind of peak TV / streaming wars trap of needing a binge-able season mystery, whereas the original was designed to be episodic, and as a result, it often feels like we’re watching two shows at once. This week’s episode feels like it made its decision: 2022 is what matters, and the history to be fixed is merely an obstacle.
“What a Disaster!” (I’ll resist snarking about the title) opens with the last few moments of the previous episode, “Salvation or Bust,” where we were introduced to yet another mystery element from 2022 (because it’s spoiler free, I won’t say exactly what it is in case anyone reading hasn’t caught up on the season yet). And it becomes clear from the get-go that the episode will be focusing on the present-day Quantum Leap team dealing with said mystery.
Ben (Raymond Lee) runs through a crowd after an earthquake | Quantum Leap
Ben then leaps into 1989 San Francisco, in the moments before the infamous earthquake. This time, he is… a guy having marital problems. That’s pretty much the extent of what we learn about the man he’s leaped into. Poor Ben comes to just as the man’s wife, Naomi (played by a most excellent Jewel Staite) is talking through their issues, leading up to the request for a divorce. And then the earthquake strikes. And then Ben goes looking for the couple’s son, who’s missing in the aftermath of the disaster.
That’s it. That’s the fixing-history adventure. There’s really nothing to spoil when it comes to that part, because frankly, nothing much happens other than a lot of disaster-movie-style stunts.
Even Ben doesn’t seem too concerned with what’s going on in 1989. His attention is focused on scattered flashbacks of his mother, which leads to some great emotional moments with Addison, but really drive home the feeling that the whole earthquake thing is just background noise.
Magic (Ernie Hudson) and Ian (Mason Alexander Park) look at a computer screen | Quantum Leap
The episode’s attention, meanwhile, is fixed on the 2022 Quantum Leap team following clues to untangle what the heck happened at the end of “Salvation or Bust” (again, trying not to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it). A lot of theories are floated around, a lot of high tech sci-fi equipment is used.
The show has done a great job of introducing an interesting cast of regulars, characters you can really care about. The problem is they draw so much focus, especially with the great season mystery looming, that it’s really hard to become emotionally invested in the guest stars. Despite a powerhouse performance from Staite, it was difficult to see her character as, at best, a prop for Ben to deal with his own familial issues, and, at worst, background noise.
Addison (Caitlin Bassett) watches as Ben (Raymond Lee) makes a phone call in 1989
“What a Disaster!” does make a gallant attempt at retaining the heart and soul of Quantum Leap, the bright-eyed optimism and do-gooder attitude that’s so comforting to watch and makes you believe the world could be a better place. There’s just too much going on around it.
The show is still pretty early in its run, so it’s possible it will figure out a better balance between past and present in upcoming episodes. Or maybe it will fully lean into the sci-fi mystery element, the element it seems more interested in, and the adventures in the past will simply become backdrops. In which case, would it still be Quantum Leap?
We have come to the end of an era. It’s been twenty years (or ten weeks) since the start of the season, and the reign of King Viserys the Peaceful is about to descend into a bloody, fiery war. I’ll give House of The Dragon credit. A lot of the seeds and themes planted early on come to fruition in House of The Dragon’s Episode 10… with some more effective than others.
We open back in Dragonstone, with Lucerys looking at the giant war table/map of the realm. As his fingers trace the lands he will one day rule, His mother Rhaenyra comes in. He’s worried that he won’t live up to Corlys and be worthy of command of the navies, but she tries to reassure him. She was the same age as him when Viserys made her his heir, and she had to grow into her role and responsibility. She knows that he will, too. This is a sweet and tender moment and probably the last one we’ll get for a while. It’s interrupted by Rhaenys’ arrival on her dragon.
Rhaenys tells them of the death of Viserys and the hasty coronation on Aegon. Daemon is furious, convinced that the Hightowers murdered his brother in order to steal the throne (They didn’t, but if Alicent gets to willfully misinterpret Viserys’s dying words, then Daemon gets to blame her for his death). He asks the question that frankly bothered me last week. Namely, why didn’t you burn the false king and the traitors when you had the chance? Rhaenys shrugs, “A war is like to be fought over this treachery, to be sure. But that war is not mine to begin.”
She knows that a war will kill thousands and she isn’t going to instigate it (funny, she didn’t have any compunction about stomping on dozens and dozens of peasants on her dragon last week). Rhaenyra is the one who has to do it, if she wants to. She is the heir, it’s her claim, and her army.
This is all a shock to Rhaenyra, and the stress of this causes her to go into premature labor. It is a bad and bloody thing, and it is the fourth time this season we get to experience the miracle of birth, GoT style. Poor Aemma died in the series premiere from a c-section that was more like a vivisection. Laena died in Episode 6 from suicide by dragon due to the extreme pain of her breech birth that would not come out. Rhaenyra had a “good” birth earlier this season, and now, shunning the help of her midwives, she bears down and pushes out the stillborn premie. The rather heavy-handed metaphor here is that Rhaenyra is made of stronger stuff, strong enough to rule the fractious county,
(Ok, time for a sidebar, Look HotD. I like your dragon show. I really do. Can you please knock it off with the whole “death by childbirth” thing? I fully understand that childbirth would’ve been a terribly risky venture for anyone in that world and that childbirth today can still be extremely harrowing. I understand all that. Please never, ever show another child birth scene on this show. I do not want to see any more women screaming through a traumatic labor. I swear, I will do a kickstarter to get a neo-natal unit to Westeros.)
While her screams of labor echo through the halls, Daemon takes charge and starts to plan for war, counting up allies and dragons, and helpfully reminding the King’s Guard about loyalty (re-pledge yourself to Queen Rhaenyra or turn in your resignation to Caraxes the Dragon who will conduct the exit interview). They quickly come to the conclusion that while Dragonstone is relatively easy to defend, it’s not a great place to launch an invasion from. They have a few declared allies and a bunch of people they hope will join, but cannot count on. Even Rhaenys is cagey about her allegiances, saying that’s up to Corlys. But, the Blacks have one advantage…
“DRAGONS”
And as we saw last week, one dragon can cause a whole lot of damage and cause a whole lot of fear. The Greens (the Hightower side) has three adult dragons. The Blacks (Rhaenyra and Daemon and company) have many more. Plus there are some “unclaimed” dragons on Dragonstone (huh, wonder if that’s where the name comes from…) including the massive Vermithor, the dragon of King Jaherys, the king prior to Viserys. Daemon will later go into the caves and try to coax Vermithor out with some lullabies in high Valyrian. There are also the younger hatchlings that Jacerys and Lucerys have, which could also be helpful.
As Rhaenyra is having a small funeral for her stillborn child, they are interrupted by Erryk, Aegon’s former Kings Guard who helped Rhaenys escape. He kneels before Rhaenyra, pledges his loyalty, and offers her a crown. It’s not the Iron Crown Aegon has, but it is the one her father used to wear. Before we can get too much into celebrating the Black Queen, an alarm is raised. A ship bearing the sign of a green, three-headed dragon is approaching.
It’s Otto. He starts to cross the narrow bridge to Dragonstone and he’s met by Daemon, who is eager to start something. Otto is bearing a message for Princess Rhaenyra, and will only deliver it to her. With that, in an echo of a similar scene in Episode 2, Rhaenyra swoops in on Syrax and lands behind, blocking his retreat (once again, a well timed Dracarys would solve a lot of problems here, but alas).
Otto has an offer for her, straight from Alicent. Renounce her claim to the throne, accept Aegon as ruler, and she and her family will be safe on Dragonstone. Not only that, her extremely, totally legitimate children from her marriage to Laenor will have titles and honors and be the heirs to Driftmark and her children from Daemon will be the King’s cup bearers (also, Otto will never once try to kill her, pinkie swear!). Daemon tells him to shove his offer somewhere unpleasant. Rhaenyra interrupts him…
“King’s Landing will have its answer in the morning.”
Daemon is aghast that Rhaenyra would even consider the offer. They stole her birthright! Rhaenyra is thinking about it, because her father taught her that she would one day be protector of the realm. She has no desire to murder thousands and become Queen of the Ashes.
If renouncing her inheritance and spending her days at Dragonstone in wealth and luxury means the populace will be safe, then it’s worth considering. Besides, they’ll need all the men they can get when the time comes to fight in the vision of Aegon the Conqueror. This puzzles Daemon, so she helpfully starts to explain the whole Song of Ice and Fire deal. This enrages Daemon, who grabs her roughly by the throat, choking her. (Never forget, as charming as Matt Smith is, this character murdered his first wife with a rock back in episode five. Plus, you know, all the incest).
Daemon doesn’t care about dreams. Viserys always had his portents and omens, but House Targaryen are kings because of dragons, not dreams. Rhaenyra realizes that Viserys never told his brother of this dream. If this is a charge passed down from king to king over the years, and Daemon was the heir at one point, then why not tell him? I’m not sure if that will cause a rift between them going forward, but it may bear watching.
Corlys, after his adventures in the narrow seas, has finally recovered from his wounds and blood fevers. Rhaenys is pissed at him. Their kids died and he ran off to have adventures at sea, leaving her alone to pick up the pieces. He admits that was how he coped with loss. Rhaenys nudges him to thrown in with Rhaenyra. She’s the only one advising caution. Every man in the castle is eager to jump into war, but she is showing the maturity and judgment of a leader. Corlys agrees, and informs Rhaenyra that his navies are with her. Not only that, they finally crushed the Triarchy (another word I never want to ever hear again on this show) and this time they stationed a garrison to make sure they don’t come back (cool you learned from your mistakes and all, but man, that certainly seems like one you should’ve figured out the first time around). This means they can effectively blockade all shipments through the narrow sea, and they can starve King’s Landing. Rhaenys herself will take Meleys to help support them.
With a strategy in place, Rhaenys moves to secure Alliances. She orders ravens sent to Winterfell and the Vale and to Storm’s End to secure the loyalties of the Starks, Arryns and Baratheons. But young Lucerys interjects. He and Jacerys should go. Dragons are faster than ravens, and they’ll be more impressive. (Aww, young Lucerys, trying to grow into the responsibility like mom suggested.) There is agreement in the court, and Rhaenyra agrees. But remember, they are going as messengers, not warriors. Don’t start anything. Jace will fly north to the Vale and then to Winterfell. Luce will go to Storm’s End.
After flying through a terrible storm to get to Storm’s End (I guess the name is ironic.), Lucerys lands Arrax and is about to enter the castle when a lightning bolt illuminates the sky. Standing in the courtyard is the massive form of Dhragar, Aemond’s dragon. This is an impressive, frightening shot, making the dragon look like Godzilla eyeing the Tokyo skyline.
Rhaenyra is not the only royal looking to secure alliances. Alicent (or more likely, Otto) has sent Aemond to Storm’s End first to get Barros Baratheon on their side. Barros points out that Aegon has offered Aemond to marry one of his daughters. Who is Lucerys going to marry? Lucerys demurs, saying he is already betrothed. Barros scoffs. So you came empty handed to scold me? Begone! So, not going so well for young Lucerys’ first diplomatic mission.
He’s about to return home with the bad news, when Aemond stops him. He taunts him, calling him Lord Strong, and demands some long overdue justice for his eye. He tosses a dagger at his feet, telling him to be a good lad and poke out his eye. Only one. Aemond won’t be cruel and blind him. Lucerys says no (obviously), which prompts Aemond to call him a coward and advance on him.
I would like to point out that these two characters are supposed to be only two years apart in age. Lucerys is 14 and Aemond is 16. However, Aemond towers over Luc the way Dhragar towers over Arrax. He looks about a decade older, while Luc’s boyish face makes him look even younger. The prospect of these two fighting would be like Jacob DeGrom facing off against little leaguers or Michael Jordan dunking on a church league team. There’s no contest. Still, Lucerys gamely draws his sword. Barros puts a stop to the fight, telling Aemond to knock it off. He’s not going to kill the princess’s son in his house. Barros tells the guards to escort Luc back to his dragon.
As he mounts Arrax, Lucerys notices that the hulking Dhragar is gone. I’m sure he’s just gone for a walk and nothing ominous is about to happen. Oh wait, what is that monstrous shadow soaring over Arrax while they fly away? You guessed it.
Aemond is chasing Luc and Dhragar snaps at their heels. He’s bigger and stronger, so smartly, Lucerys has Arrax dive into the narrow rocks around Storm’s End, using the maneuverability and agility of his dragon to his advantage. And it seems to work! Dhragar can’t dive into the narrow crevasses and it would appear that Luc has gotten away. Except that the impetuous dragon Arrax didn’t like being chased and dives out to strike at Dhragar, in spite of Luc screaming at him not to.
Similarly, Aemond tells Dhragar not to attack, but Dhragar has his own ideas. (Guess these kids aren’t the most skilled of riders yet, huh? Syrax and Caraxes would never disobey Rhaenyra and Daemon.) Arrax soars above the clouds, hoping to lose Dhragar, but to no avail. Dhragar emerges from the cloud cover and chomps Arrax and Lucerys. Aemond looks on in shock as the papery wings of Arrax flutter to the ground far below.
Rhaenyra had said she would not be the one to start a war. Well, the king’s brother just killed her son and his dragon, so war has been declared. There is going to be blood of humans and dragons all over the seven kingdoms.
And we have to wait until 2024 to see it. Awww…
Final Take
I have to say, considering how much trepidation I had at the start of the season, this show has really delivered. Now that the interminable time jumps have stopped and the characters get more time to grow, this has become a worthy addition to the Game of Thrones canon. I’ve gone from being apathetic about a new Game of Thrones to being an ardent fan, so good job.
Part of that is due to the skill of the actors – Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock, Eve Best, Paddy Considine, Rhys Ifans, all just doing tremendous work. Part of it is making me care about a story full of terrible, terrible people. And part of it is the awesomeness of the dragons.
Thanks for joining me on this journey! We shall meet back here in eighteen months, plenty of time for you to work on your Green and Black sigils.
Episode Rating: 4 out of 5 You get docked half a point for yet more visceral labor scenes and half a point for mentioning the goddamn Triarchy again.
Season Rating: 4 out of 5
Who’s the Worst? Aemond, you prat. You just ensured a bloody civil war because you nursed a grudge for a decade and couldn’t control your dragon.
Line of the Week: “I would rather feed my sons to the dragons than have them carry shields and cups for your drunken, usurper cunt of a king… (Alicent) can have her answer now, stuffed in her father’s mouth along with his withered cock.” Daemon, exhibiting his classic skill at diplomacy.
The second episode of our plucky spinoff is a run-of-the-mill “monster-of-the-week” setup. Classic Supernatural. We start off with the monster tease—two hippies walking in the woods when one sees his dad and is attacked. After the title sequence our focus shifts to the scooby gang—Mary has followed the clues to an abandoned warehouse with already killed zombies and no leads on the Men of Letters. But, it’s not a total waste as some of the zombies aren’t quite dead yet, and Mary swears her father is leading her to his whereabouts. This desperation brings our newly formed monster-hunting squad to a hippie commune, after a pit stop at John’s mom’s garage for some fun parent guilt tripping. While the leader of the pack (aka Clyde played by Michael Regan) seems the obvious culprit, it turns out the baddie is actually a lady plant monster from Colombia named “La Tunda” (Juliene Joyner) who isn’t a fan of disobedient children. Unfortunately, John’s recent issues with his mom makes him the perfect target, but he isn’t totally helpless as he awaits his inevitable rescue.
Overall, this episode isn’t a bad follow-up to our relatively strong pilot. I do feel that the momentum from the first episode is a little lost in this one, but a slow burn for character building isn’t the worst thing from a show. There are essentially three storylines here: John’s momma-drama, Mary’s father issues, and our monster—who feels more like a footnote than the focal point. Which, again, if the show is going to center largely on these characters and treat the monsters as an aside (save for the Akrida), isn’t bad as long as the character building is there. After all this is a spinoff, and a lot of the monsters that inhabit the Supernatural world have already had their debut episodes long, long ago. So, let’s dig into some of this development…
Mary is taking charge as the defacto leader of our ragtag team, but her idea of leadership seems to be just mimicking the management style of her father. According to Carlos, Samuel Campbell is a “my way or the highway” kind of leader. He isn’t down with this and tells Mary as much, but when she gives the gang the riot act they clam up and concede to her wishes. Luckily, further into the episode we get a better picture of the group dynamic with respect to Carlos and Mary at least.
Mary clearly has a history with Carlos, we saw a peek of this in the pilot and we’re getting another piece of the puzzle here. They don’t always get along but this isn’t usually an issue, unless musical theatre rears its divisive head, but ultimately Carlos is a good check for Mary. He genuinely seems to care about her forging her own path instead of just following in her father’s footsteps—which makes him the Sam to her Dean really. Which is a little funny considering he’s also more of a go-with-the-flow type—a definite Dean quality. So…a little bit of both!
Latika, conversely, doesn’t get any respect. Mary seems dismissive of her contributions which makes me more curious about their history—we learned that Latika had some kind of relationship with Mary’s sister but we don’t know exactly what or if that’s contributing to their apparent rift. Carlos is obviously team Latika and like with Mary, he wants her to succeed on her own merits, but his handling of her is very kid-gloves if any. He does offer her a little feedback though, as he is initially bothered by her weirdness but later praises her for it. Still, Latika’s growth in this episode is really her own with a tiny bit of help from Ada via old-school landline.
Speaking of these two…Latika and Ada serve as the magical minorities here—literally, in Ada’s case. Ms. Monroe is tasked with fixing the mystical monster-box from the beginning of the episode and winds up…channeling a demon? I’m not entirely sure, from what I can gather she claims that if she can commune with the demon that possessed her in the pilot she can figure out how to fix the box? She also has this weird throw-away moment with John’s mom where she explains that she knew Henry (kind of), and reveals the plant—jasmine—that’s growing vines on the garage is for protection.
Latika, meanwhile, is still the weakest character in the series for me. I mean, Ada is the “Bobby Singer” type, she’s there to help the team and maybe get a little exposition, but mostly matters more as the series evolves. Latika, on the other hand, is a main character! She needs to be better explored. Why is she a pacifist? What happened with Mary’s sister? Why does she agree to go on these hunts if she really doesn’t show a taste for it? I’m aware that these answers will come in subsequent episodes, but so far the little we’re given isn’t very much, especially when you compare her to the stronger characters in the series like Mary or Carlos. Latika connects with Ada for a consult after seeing a mysterious flower—which proves that she’s strong enough to ignore Mary’s dismissal. That’s something at least.
Finally, there’s John, who becomes the victim of La Tunda because he’s having a fight with his mother. See, Millie isn’t happy that John took off in a van with a bunch of people he just met and hasn’t been home in…two weeks? Three? Regardless, she gives him the old “you’re just like your father!” guilt trip. “Daddy Issues” is something of an understatement when it comes to the Supernatural universe. Sam and Dean started their journey because “Dad went out hunting and never came home”, which is, in a loving tribute exactly how The Winchesters starts their story—well, for Mary at least. John’s experience is abandonment—Dad went out for cigarettes and never came back kind of a thing. Though, in this version of his origin he has the letter from his dad giving him a little taste of closure. It doesn’t seem to have done any good for his mother though.
Millie is a complete blank as far as character developments go, even Latika gets some personality here, but Millie is just your standard “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you?” mother-type. Which doesn’t ring right with what we’ve been shown of her. Though perhaps they are going for a juxtaposition? Tough mom with a tender heart?
Character development aside there is something else I would like to praise this episode for. A change of pace to the usual Supernatural victim roster. First off, this episode’s baddie is a lady monster, not to say the series hasn’t had female villains but to get a series rolling off with one is impressive, but more importantly all the victims in this episode are men! Considering the horror origins of the series, the standard victim for many episodes were women. Yes, there were male victims over the years, even in the first season, but what sets this episode apart is the victimology setup. Usually when you have male victims in a horror movie or a show, and the monster is a woman she’s generally out to get men specifically. She will hunt men, maybe killing the occasional woman to get to the desired male victim, but it’s all about killing men. In this case, La Tunda isn’t out to get men it just happens that all her victims for this episode turn out to be male. Staying true to the Supernatural playbook these boys are “bad”, rebels who disrespect their parents, oh John…if you could only see the furture!
The second episode isn’t too bad. I’d say it stays to the solid B the pilot established. Character development might be a slow burn here but the weird thing is that it doesn’t have to be. Since all your monsters have had their day in the sun, so to speak, you’re free to really flesh these kids out, so do it! But keep up with the new spin on old tricks, it’s fantastic.
Julie Plec is a busy woman and has been for a long time, but she’s managed to carve out a few hours to sit down and talk to the fourth estate at this year’s New York Comic Con.
Let’s give you a brief history of this amazing woman: Plec, it could be argued, is responsible for the second renaissance of The CW. When the station was near failing and rumored to be sold-off, The Vampire Diaries became a massive hit – saving it. This allowed The CW to steadily build a roster of successful shows over the ensuing years, including spinoffs of its savior: The Originals and Legacies. Eventually, they gave boosts to other new shows and helped ring in the CW’s DC era.
But, Plec has moved onto the streaming realm, specifically NBC’s Peacock. Her newest project is Vampire Academy, a show based on a six-part YA series of the same name which follows the complicated friendship of two girls living very different lives. Rose Hathaway (Sisi Stringer) is a dhampir (half-vampire-half-human) who is being trained to become a guardian. Her best friend Vasilisa Dragomir (Daniela Nieves) is a moroi (good vampires) princess who has been thrown into the royal deep end after the death of her would-be-king brother. And, as if those personal problems weren’t enough, their entire existence is threatened by the strigoi (evil vampires) mindless killing machines who are immortal and neigh impossible to kill. Fun times, right?
Luckily there’s a whole cast of characters to lighten the load including hunky guardian trainer Dimitri Belikov (Kieron Moore), loving godfather and Lissa’s legal guardian Victor Dashkov (J. August Richards), and handsome misunderstood moroi outcast Christian Ozera (André Dae Kim) who’s folks turned strigoi, just to name a few! Let’s face it, there are definitely a lot of names and faces to keep straight but to see how they’ve been brought to the small screen here and what new parts some of them play is worth the effort for fans of the book.
Especially since, way back in the mid-aughts Vampire Academy had a pretty loyal movie adaptation that flopped hard, so while the show has made some dramatic changes from the source material it might be for the best.
And, that’s not the only show Julie has on her plate this year. She’s very excited about her newest acquisitions: We Were Liars, the bestselling YA novel and its prequel Family of Liars, which she is giddy to turn into the next hit show. I’ve never read either but given the critical feedback, and having seen what she’s done with Vampire Academy, I know the product will be thrilling!
We Were Liars follows the Sinclair family, specifically Cadence, and takes place over the span of two “summers”, when Cadence is fifteen and when she is seventeen. Telling more would risk spoilers, but let it be said that the story is a twisty, mind-bending thriller that takes the adult novel trope of the “unreliable narrator” and sets her firmly in the YA space complete with a reasonable YA explanation for her unreliable nature. I’m highly curious of how this book will translate to the screen.
Here are a few highlights from our conversation:
On color-blind casting:
Julie Plec: Our approach was just full inclusivity…if we limited ourselves to Slavic characters it’s a show of white folks…I have learned a lot over the years about representation in shows…I was really proud that at the end of it all we picked the best people for the parts and ended up with seven out of ten characters of color.
On keeping the vampire lore fresh:
Plec: This show was particularly easy to take on because the vampire world build is so unique…[Richelle Mead] borrowed from Romanian culture, and she borrowed from old vampire lore, and she made a lot of it up, and so that was fun…especially…the strigoi who are just evil, and there’s no…’Oh they’re just misunderstood’, no they’re just feral…I loved being able to create actual monsters.
On the projects she chooses:
Plec: The sad thing about being a busy TV writer is that you stop reading…I read now, basically once a year….I read so much as a kid…I prefer to work with stories that I know I like as opposed to trying to come up with stories that are just born completely from my own head…I like being able to say ‘I can see this world, I can see the characters in this world’…in the case of Vampire Academy it’s such a unique and interesting world and so well told that I get to have the fun of building around it…
On which elemental power she would like to have:
Plec: I feel like I would be most excited about being a fire user…I finally saw Mia throwing water at somebody…I finally saw the visual effect cut in and it’s so cool…so maybe I’m a fire and water combo…
She’s a steam user ladies and gentlemen! Done!
Vampire Academy is currently airing its first season on Peacock.
“ATLANTA” -- "Snipe Hunt" -- Season 4, Episode 7 (Airs Oct 20) Pictured (L-R): Austin Elle Fisher as Lottie, Zazie Beetz as Van, Donald Glover as Earn Marks. CR: Guy D'Alema/FX
The future can be a scary thing, especially as we get older.
When it comes to birthdays, however, all it takes is one candle and one exhale to be excited, if even for but a moment, about what could be.
Season 4 Episode 7 Recap
We open with the vox of ageless enchantress Sade. “Your Love Is King” fills the airspace as Earn (Donald Glover) and Van (Zazie Beetz) keep the conversation uncomfortably taciturn.
She suggests they slow down a bit on the country road. This is textbook foreshadowing 101.
Earn comes to a gentleman who also tells earn to slow down around the campground. Earn booked the entirety of the grounds for the birthday girl in the backseat, Lottie (Austin Elle Fisher). Upon him wishing her a happy one, Lottie lets a smile slip…
Once parked, Van is slightly concerned that Earn thinks there might be an 8% chance of the three of them being murdered in their sleep by the owner of the campsite. It’s surely 8% more than she was hoping for.
Earn begins to set up a massive tent, said to house up to 12 people and Van knows they’re going to be freezing due to the sheer size of it. Lodging like that is going to be a multiple-person job, but Lottie refuses to pitch in and help, catching Earn off guard. Van reassures him she’ll be fine.
Stopping at the edge of the lake, Lottie takes in the sheer vastness of the woods, the sheer immensity of the unknown.
As Earn and Van set up, he brings up the elephant in the woods: Los Angeles. She’s thought about it a lot, but at the moment, that’s as much ball as she’s going to play. She prefers to table the talk for later. This is Lottie’s celebration, after all. The nature around her is her oyster.
After what is said, or rather unsaid, they both complete the construction of their temporary home. Something feels off about it, but Lottie’s loving it, so it’s a success all around. It may be imperfect, but it’s something they built together.
Lottie claims her spot, insisting that dad sleep outside. So far, he’s battin’ a fuckin’ thousand.
The three embark on their hike. They seem to be having fun until they come across a rather aggressive river. Earn thinks they can ford it, but Van adamantly refuses. This seems to mirror their California dilemma perfectly. She heads back to set up their picnic somewhere else, leaving earn to his thoughts.
Earn’s worry about Lottie’s disposition grows only further when she reveals that she’s not enjoying her birthday. She’s in a mood due to not being able to catch any creature. Van promises her that the day only has more fun in store for her; they go fishing, and tonight Lottie’s going to have the chance to catch a “Snipe.”
If you’re familiar with Snipe hunting, you know this is more of a prank than an actual game, meant to tire out kids. Van wants her daughter to have some fun using her imagination, especially when explaining why only the coolest and smartest are able to catch it.
Armed with more confidence about the night’s hunt, Lottie’s day is looking up as she’s caught a toad. The happiness quickly subsides as Van makes her release the newfound friend. It’s nature and it’s to be appreciated, not kept.
On their way to catch fish, Earn entertains Lottie with a silly story to lift her spirits and at the moment, Van can’t help but have eyes for him. He’s trying his damnedest and Van is starting to notice, even if she refuses to admit that to herself.
On the canoe, Lottie admits to wishing her grandparents were with them. It makes sense to Earn but does admit to loving it just being three of them together since it’s a rarity. This breaks Van’s heart to hear because their daughter knows it’s the truth.
Sitting down to dinner, Earn brings up L.A. again. Van knows it’s a conversation that needs to happen, but before they can rip the band-aid off, Lottie knows it’s time for the hunt. Though the vibe has been brought down, they simply cannot disappoint the birthday girl any further.
After giving Lottie instructions on the fool’s errand, Van and Earn decamp to the fire to have an honest talk. Earn’s the first to speak up, but Van seems to deflect. The pain in their eyes is palpable, with her admitting the only reason to remain in the ATL is that it would be a choice she made for her and that type of agency is significant.
She also feels his main desire to bring her and Lottie out there is just for fear of being lonely. She refuses to play the role of a grown man’s security blanket. Before they can both internalize that cold, but honest sentiment, it looks like a certain special someone caught the Snipe!
When asked about its appearance, Lottie proudly describes what is exactly in her pillowcase: a long creature with red eyes. Van’s now freaked the fuck out. The Snipe was never meant to be caught because it doesn’t exist. She commands Lottie to drop the pillow case and run.
Earn is equally freaked out but curious, approaching the pillowcase slowly before whatever the hell was in it jumps out and scurries away, letting out some otherwordly sound. The only one not to scare is the hunter. The beauty of the fearlessness in a child’s eyes is something both Van and Earn could use more of in life. On a night like tonight, nothing is impossible, everything’s in play.
Tuckered from the day’s adventures, Lottie refuses to be sung to, instead making her wish among the chirping of crickets. Year 6 of her life is sure to be a good one.
Bedding down for the night, Earn’s freezing. Van allows him to get in with his family. He admits in going to LA, being alone wouldn’t have to be the only option. He could find new people, find a new woman. The truth of the matter is he wants to be a family. Lottie is a byproduct of true love in his eyes and that love for Van has never been extinguished. Vanessa needs more than to exist as simply a love for the mother of his kid and Earn knows this. He’s madly in love with her and has been since Amsterdam.
The interaction between the two is the most genuine and heartfelt I’ve ever seen. He’s fighting for her and his speech about how special she is to him not only as a mother but also as a woman had me legitimately on the verge of tears.
I swear to fucking god, if Donald doesn’t win an Emmy for this heart-bursting monologue, something’s seriously screwy with the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
The impassioned plea works, however, and Van agrees to the move. She won’t be alone. They’ll be right by her side ’til 3005. For the night, however, she’ll have her fellow adventurers right by her side in one giant sleeping bag.
The next morning, the crew books it, leaving their expensive tent behind, as the rain starts to pour. Inside the car, Sade’s “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” plays on as Earn drives home as if to guide them through that metaphorical storm ahead.
With the banter lively and jocular, Lottie notices how happy Daddy is making Mommy and lets a smile slip…
Season 4 Episode 7 Takeaway
This was by far the most gorgeous episode in recent memory. Hiro Murai, never one to play it safe utilizes the practice of natural light with all of the shots, which is bold, but easily beautiful and haunting if done right. Francesca Sloane’s script took the paucity of dialogue and used it judiciously, letting the episode breathe and handing over the reins to the biggest star: nature itself.
The bookend of love’s ambassador, Sade was simply the hot fudge on the top and bottom of a deliciously complex, poetic sundae.
The latest series by Amazon Prime Video, The Peripheral is a sci-fi thriller meant as a reflection of our times. You’ve got the financial powerhouse of Amazon, who’d recently spent 1 billion on adapting The Rings of Power, the creators of Westworld in Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, and most importantly, a story adapted from one of the more recent novels by William Gibson, who, for those that don’t recognize it, had written the science fiction novel Neuromancer… Which is often considered to be akin to The Godfather of cyber punk fiction.
Suffice to say, The Peripheral seems like its great hands. The pilot is endearing and visually breathtaking, absolutely well-executed in that it’s a balanced introduction of this world. The story kicks off with Flynn (Chloe Grace Moretz) and her ex-marine brother, Burton (Jack Reynor) in 2032. Who are two sibling adults struggling to make enough to support their dying mother.
In this present, though technology has progressed to include Roomba robots, drones, and perfectly balance Motorcycles in even in the most rural of areas, what’s truly big is this special VR gaming technology known as ‘Sim’. Which is more-or-less Ready Player One’s Oasis but with an even more complicated, slightly convoluted, history.
Achievement points and prestige are very much a thing in this reality, and so Burton’s avatar reputation, secretly piloted by Flynn and her skills, kind of kicks off the pro-gamer ready to become the fish out of water chosen one just like Neo from the Matrix. But when a mystery headset from Colombia arrives for Burton, without spoilers, Flynn’s usage leads to a brand new world in a futuristic London.
While the first episodes missions of The Peripheral feel very cyberpunk-like in that it’s often perform a task mission to get some money… not everything is as it seems. And something is deeply wrong in the ‘Sim’ world. Thus, Flynn takes the lead on a journey to discover the mystery of the device, its usage, and just who exactly it is that she’s apparently upset in the world.
As for the effects and cinematography, so much of what you see pays homage to old science fiction films and tropes such as the divorce of mind and body. New London is smog-filled yet sleek and techno-futuristic in terms of its worship, like something straight out of Bladerunner. Populating this dreamlike yet ethereal alternate world, are futuristic-looking sim people with state-of-the-art fashions, along with their sim cyborgs. Who really do elicit a Terminator/Matrix/Cyberpunk 2077 kind of vibe. I’ll also give kudos to the sendoff song in episode one.
The pacing in the pilot is solid and really does a good job layering the science fiction of the new world.The energy is also pretty high for an episode one, and the first two, are actually filled with a lot more gun fights than I was expecting. The tech in the modern world is also about where I’d imagine we’d be with wireless networking and camera technology, making the pilot feel as close to the near-future without losing itself too much in the VR.
I also really love the homage to marine skills revealed by episode 2, though complaints could be had regarding the long monologues about the ins-and-outs of the science behind what’s happening. Not that it’s difficult to follow for anyone familiar with science fiction, but rather, the timing is terrible given we’ve gone through so much multiverse products and timeline talks these past several years that I genuinely believe audiences are sick of it.
Finally, the acting in this is actually really well. The southern drawl and overall, sense the world is ending, are not easy to pull off especially given the geolocation shifts between the two places.
Some kudos of note.
I really like Charlotte Riley from Peaky Blinders who plays a memorable character on the screen when she’s around. There’s just something about her control of the moment that intrigues me.
Likewise, the star of the show, Chloe Grace Moretz is just spot-on perfect in terms of her emotional range in the series, though I still get weirded out that she’s an adult now. I will say, her southern accent comes and goes a bit, but is strangely, the most grounded performance on the show in that you feel for her character almost immediately.
Jack Reynor is pretty badass. His dialogue with Moretz feels pretty spot on with all of the cussin’ and swearing bouncing off each other, just like genuine siblings. Though the one most will probably talk about is the character of Conner, played by Eli Goree, who’s a badass, yet also, coming from a place you’d least expect which I am omitting for the sake of spoilers.
The Take
The Peripheral shows some really good promise if viewers can stick around to let it build-up week to week. It’s complex enough where it’s intriguing to figure without feeling drawn out, but also, grounded in that everything feels sort of artificial – which is surprisingly, a great thing.
Note: I’ll be reviewing the first six episodes of the series.
For all I’ve said about how soothingly low-stakes Star Trek: Lower Decks feels compared to the galaxy-changing plots of the live-action series, the show does build up and carry story arcs from episode to episode and across seasons. And this week, the stakes could not be higher… emotionally speaking.
A lot of intro writer courses will introduce you to three types of stakes in stories: the external (What alien crisis will the Cerritos deal with this time?), the internal (Can Mariner overcome her worst tendencies for the sake of her friends?), and the moral/philosophical (Will Mariner do the right thing? Will concern for others triumph over selfishness?). The ninth episode of Lower Decks’ third season leans on the hours we, the audience, have spent falling in love with the Cerritos crew to ramp up the emotional and moral/philosophical stakes, while the physical stakes serve largely as a backdrop to this week’s character drama.
But Captain Freeman only cares about the physical stakes, because her reputation is on the line. Lower Decks introduced us to the Cerritos with the episode “Second Contact,” emphasizing the ship’s unimportance by making it a second-stringer to the classic Star Trek first contact missions. In “Trusted Sources,” Freeman has managed to convince Starfleet that California-class ships’ second contact missions are, in fact, important. Which makes sense… after all, why go through all the trouble of introducing yourself to a whole civilization if you’re just going to warp out and never talk to them again?
Dubbed Project Swing By, the mission is to check in on these neglected planets. The Cerritos’ task is to find out how things are going on the planet Onara – a throwback to an episode from a long, long, long, long, long time ago. As in, Season 1 of Star Trek: The Next Generation long. Tasha Yar long (this was the episode where Denise Crosby can be seen waving goodbye in the extreme background since it was her last episode filmed).
So confident is Starfleet in the importance and success of the Cerritos’ mission that they’ve sent a reporter to cover it. Which immediately puts Freeman on edge. After all, the Cerritos isn’t exactly known for leaving a good impression.
The episode gives us a helpful recap of what happened with the Onarans, for those of us who don’t regularly rewatch TNG Season 1 episodes. Essentially, the Onarans were dependent on their sister planet, Brekka, to supply a drug that ostensibly cured a plague but was actually a narcotic that turned all of Onara into a planet of addicts. Picard solved the problem by cutting off contact between the two planets – severing the addicts from their supplier. And then warped out without looking back.
But Freeman is more concerned about reining in the typical Cerritos chaos for the cameras. Mariner, especially, must be hidden from view, a point emphasized by the blueberry juice covering her uniform in her first appearance in the episode. So Beta Shift is reassigned. Mariner, of course, doesn’t seem to take any of this seriously. As Freeman walks by with the reporter, she (still covered in blueberry juice) offers the reporter a tour. Freeman responds by telling our lower deckers that it’s bedtime and orders lights out.
Meanwhile, the reason Mariner was covered in juice in the first place is that she was prepping for the ship’s pie-eating contest, something that she and the rest of Beta Shift have been eagerly anticipating. But, of course, it’s canceled. Can’t have the cameras catching a bunch of officers cramming pie into their faces!
The reporter interviews several approved crew members who put their best foot forward, describing life aboard their ship in glowing terms. Naturally, Mariner isn’t on that list. That frustrates her because she feels the reporter isn’t capturing the truth about the Cerritos. While her mood about the whole thing was initially chipper and dismissive, her annoyance begins to bubble over.
Freeman takes the reporter and an away team to Onara, where they find a happy, wellness-obsessed planet that’s completely recovered from its drug crisis. No need for any Starfleet assistance here – they’re good! Freeman suspects – hopes, actually – that there’s something sinister going on beneath the surface. Because there always is, right? Not this time! The reporter, naturally, is not impressed, and Freeman is irritated that her mission appears to be superfluous.
But wait, there was another planet involved in the whole drug thing! What about Brekka, the supplier? Eager to find a problem she can solve, Freeman orders the Cerritos to go there instead.
Mariner runs into the reporter in the hallway and states, with eyebrows raised, that she has some things to say… This is it, isn’t it? The part where Mariner ruins the illusion of a put-together Cerritos that Freeman and the rest of the crew have been doing their best to project for the cameras?
Freeman certainly thinks so. The reporter arrives in Freeman’s office for her interview, but when Freeman claims she runs a tight ship, the reporter starts rattling off all the “chaotic,” “irresponsible,” and “silly” things she’s heard… details from several of Lower Decks‘ wackadoodle episodes (Remember that time Freeman took engineering on a spa trip and lost it? Or Lt. Kayshon turned into a puppet?). Turns out, while we, the audience, have been watching a cartoon, Freeman actually takes her job seriously and isn’t happy that she and her crew have been made to look foolish. And she’s furious when she learns that Mariner spoke to the reporter.
Mariner is called to Freeman’s office, where Ransom is waiting as well. She greets this with her usual nonchalance. What’s another talking-to, right? But Freeman is serious this time. She’s through with Mariner’s nonsense and has had her transferred to Starbase 80, which the season has been building up as the least desirable place for a Starfleet officer (Ransom once threatened to have Mariner transferred there, and Mariner, in horror, said not to even joke about that). At first, Mariner assumes Freeman must be making another empty threat, but Freeman is completely serious this time – a fact that shocks even Ransom. Mariner protests that she didn’t say anything bad to the reporter, but Freeman doesn’t believe her. The transfer shuttle is already on the way.
The tone of the whole episode changes with Mariner’s mood as it hits her – and the audience – that she’s being kicked out for real this time. Mariner has been a troublemaker from the start, with Freeman her exasperated, bridge-of-nose-pinching captain and mom, and the audience fully confident that no matter what, things will work out and Mariner will stay on the Cerritos. “Trusted Sources” takes that formula and rips it to shreds.
As Mariner leaves, she gets dirty looks from the entire crew, who are all upset that she apparently torpedoed their reputation after all their hard work. She runs into her girlfriend, Jennifer, hoping at least she’ll understand. But Jennifer might be the most upset of them all since Mariner hurt the entire crew by making them sound like losers. Mariner has always been a little bit horrible as a person – arrogant, self-centered, impulsive – and that was part of her charm, but it seems she’s gone too far this time. Realizing that everyone has turned against her, Mariner walks away in tears.
Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford watch as Mariner packs, with Boimler protesting that she can’t leave, that it’ll all blow over if she just apologizes. But Mariner, still insisting she didn’t do anything wrong, dismisses him. This isn’t the first ship she’s been kicked off of, and she’s done with this place.
This whole sequence was truly gut-wrenching to watch. I’ve often said that Lower Decks is special because of its red giant-sized heart, and how the friendship and camaraderie between the crew is the soul of the show behind all the hijinks and referential humor. And now, it seems, that heart is breaking.
Mariner unceremoniously boards the shuttle to Starbase 80, with no one to see her off.
With the troublemaking ensign gone, Freeman proceeds with the mission to Brekka. The away team arrives to find that the place has been invaded by the powerful, warlike Breen. They hurriedly beam back onto the ship, where Breen ships attack the Cerritos. For a moment, it seems all is lost, but then a shining Starfleet ship swoops in to save the day. Who’s on that ship? No one, it turns out. The new Texas-class ship is fully automated.
The whole sequence with Brekka is over and done with pretty quickly, solved with a deus ex machina. Literally – a god (or ship with godlike powers to fix the plot) in a machine. And that’s a good thing… at this point, the whole Onara/Brekka thing doesn’t feel important. I mean, the main character just got kicked off the ship! The external stakes are solved, but they never really mattered anyway. The internal and moral/philosophical ones though? Still sky-high.
The report comes out, with the sensational title “Starfleet’s Shame.” It’s framed as an expose, with dramatic, reality show-like snippets of the crew interviews as they offhandedly talk about the Cerritos’ shenanigans. Turns out, it was those oh-so-polished, approved crew members who inadvertently exposed the ship’s chaotic nature. As for Mariner? She gave a sincere interview about how the Cerritos was her family. “If you’re measuring by heart, this is the strongest ship in the fleet,” she says – a statement that’s also true for Lower Decks itself.
Which of course is absolutely gutting since she was just exiled from this ship she loved so much.
Freeman desperately calls Starbase 80 to admit and fix her mistake. But Mariner is nowhere to be found… because she resigned from Starfleet.
Dang, they actually did it! After three seasons of Mariner walking the edge, she actually went over and quit, blowing up the show’s sitcom-like approach. This time, not everything got resolved in 20 minutes. Okay, the whole Onara/Brekka thing did, but we didn’t really care about that anyway.
Where did Mariner go? Back in Season 3 Episode 5, “Reflections,” she met a roguish archaeologist who mocked Starfleet and offered her a life of adventuring instead. At the time, Mariner blew her off. Now, she’s that archaeologist’s first mate.
And cut to credits, leaving us to go, “Wait, what?! What???”
It’s a startling yet fitting place for the show to go – and a way of reminding us that while it’s a sitcom-y cartoon, it’s still Star Trek, and these characters are actual characters, not just vessels for jokes. With one episode left in this season, I’m doubtful they’ll wrap everything up nicely and send Mariner back to the Cerritos next week.
I do love that it seems Lower Decks’ main season arc isn’t around a looming alien threat like Discovery or Picard, but rather on Mariner’s character development, from breaking all the rules for the right reasons in the first episode, to trying to clean up her act, to now being kicked off the ship for something she didn’t do.
It’s possible this will all get resolved at the start of the next season. After all, Boimler was promoted to the USS Titan at the end of Season 1 and brought back to the Cerritos, via transporter clone shenanigans, two episodes later. And the Season 2 cliffhanger was Freeman getting arrested, but she was cleared at the very beginning of Season 3. I can’t see Lower Decks leaving the band broken up for too long (that doesn’t seem to be the tone of the show), but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man meets a deadly new villain in the tech-savvy, Rabble! Set to debut this upcoming December, writer Cody Ziglar and newly minted Stormbreaker artist, Federico Vicentini will introduce fans to this newly minted enemy of Miles’ rogues gallery, who’s someone that quickly proves to be as cunning as they are deadly. As Rabble isn’t someone Miles will want to cross!
In a long thought-out scheme spanning what’s apparently years, and featuring an army of drones and state-of-the-art technology at her disposal, this mysterious new foe seeks to ruin Miles’ life by threatening both his friends and family. Though ultimately, why, will be a different story that will unravel throughout the course of the series.
“It’s fantastic to work on this new character,” Vicentini said in a statement in Marvel’s recent press release. “I was given total freedom of creation. Based on Cody’s description and on his notes, I had a clear idea of how I wanted to portray the armor; it had to be something rough, but resistant and ingenious at the same time. And thanks also to the drones, Rabble’s gonna rock! Brace yourself, Miles!”
Hinted at first in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1, then later, appearing in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #2, this diabolical new villain will make her debut this January. Whereas Miles Morales: Spider-Man #3 will officially begin this new story arc. Though details are pretty sparse, you can check-out these awesome new variant covers to get a hint of what’s in store.
MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #1
Written by CODY ZIGLAR
Art by FEDERICO VICENTINI
Cover by DIKE RUAN – 75960620483000111
On Sale 12/7
MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #2
Written by CODY ZIGLAR
Art by FEDERICO VICENTINI
Cover by DIKE RUAN – 75960620483000211
Design Variant Cover by FEDERICO VICENTINI
Variant Cover by JONBOY MEYERS – 75960620483000231
Marvel comics has just debuted Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1. Featuring a new song, along with a promotional trailer from Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, the 30-page comic looks has some incredibly dark artwork by Juan Ferreyra, and is by all accounts, is a visually stunning comic. Co-written by Taboo and B. Earl, whom together had written Marvel’s SpiritRider series, Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man takes the web-head into a dark and personal nightmare in what’s promising to be, a very intriguing five-issue limited run.
“It was an absolute ‘Fanboy’ dream come true for B. Earl and I to work with our amazing team made up of Juan Ferreyra, and editors Devin Lewis, Thomas Groneman, and Nick Lowe,” said Taboo in a recent Marvel press release. “As a Native/Mexican kid from East Los Angeles, I never would have dreamed I would be creating stories with Marvel Comics—let alone getting to co-write and bring Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man to my city of Pasadena, California!!! This story is not only a crazy roller coaster of a read, it’s also paying homage to the love that B. Earl and I have for the horror films of the 80s.”
DEADLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #1 (OF 5)
Written by TABOO & B. EARL
Art by JUAN FERREYRA
Cover by RAHZZAH
“I remember the moment when we got the call to write Spidey. I was sitting at the breakfast table reading emails, and I saw one from C.B. Cebulski. Before I had even finished reading the email, my phone was ringing. Taboo was on the other line and all I heard was ‘Bro. SPIDER-MAN!’” said B. Earl. “It’s not every day you get to live your 11-year-old dream and play with Marvel’s biggest toy in the toy box. To say it is an honor is an understatement. I will be forever grateful to C.B. for his trust in us and the team of Nick, Devin and Tom who have guided this journey. But as a writer, my purest joy is to give an artist the sandbox to play in and get really weird and wild. Juan has amazed us every time with his ability to not only elevate the story, but make it even more deadly than we ever could have imagined. I really hope the fans dig the crazy world we have created for Spidey since it’s like nothing he has ever encountered!”
Surprisingly set in Los Angeles (as compared to Spidey’s traditional home of NYC), the series focuses on Peter’s darkest fears and insecurities. All for a psychedelic journey that forces his demons to be brought to life. The story will see Peter undergo a journey to become the Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man and face his deepest fears in a confrontation with… Demon Bear, from the X-Men!
The trailer for the comic, as seen below, likewise features an original track by Taboo called “Welcome to the Neighborhood.”
“Welcome to the Neighborhood“
Written by TABOO
Produced by DJ ARTEK (EDGAR SINIO)
Engineering by JOHN NORTEN
“As far as the inspiration for ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood,’ this is my way to say thank you to all our Spider-Man fans across the Marvel Universe who have read the comics, watched the movies and now get to listen to a song that came from ultimate love and appreciation for all those who will be rocking with DEADLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN. SKODEN!!!” Taboo said of this new song exclusive. “When creating ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood,’ I was inspired by songs like ‘A Nightmare on My Street’ by Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince and ‘Children’s Story’ by Slick Rick.”
The market price for Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man sells for $4.99, which is slightly more, given that it’s a 30-page first issue. The story is also friendly for new readers, as it’s an entirely standalone take on the traditional Marvel character.
LA BREA -- "The Fog" Episode 204 -- Pictured: Ming-Zhu Hii as Dr. Rebecca Aldridge -- (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
I know I said some really good things about last week’s La Brea. But The Fog is honestly the best episode this season. Not only does it feature some really touching moments between characters, but there’s incredibly tense action and some truly game-changing secrets revealed.
It begins with Eve and her daughter bonding after so long apart. Izzy is happy that the prehistoric mess helped repair her parent’s relationship, and they’re both determined to get Josh back from 1988. It occurs to me that since watching La Brea, I’ve started to think of periods of time as physical destinations, not unlike taking a plane to visit LA. It’s just that here, you travel via sinkhole or rift in time.
LA BREA — “The Fog” Episode 204 — Pictured: (l-r) Zyra Goreski as Izzy, Natalie Zea as Eve — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Lucas and Veronica are bonding, mostly with Lucas being a jerk and thinking he’s funny. Both of them have one thing in common – they don’t trust Scott. And for good reason. He’s hardly a secret agent man, and he’s definitely hiding things. Meanwhile, at the Clearing, Sam and Ty are preparing for reprisal by Paara’s people for the theft of their food. They build lookout posts, which would be smart under normal circumstances. But as Gavin points out, a dangerous fog is rolling in. And it’s not just going to kill visibility, it’s bringing chaos in its wake.
Scott tries poorly to convince Gavin to secretly go and speak with Aldridge, though he cautions him that he can’t tell anybody else about it. Supposedly he will go to the Tower and there find a portal to retrieve Josh from 1988. Then Eve hears him and pushes Scott for more answers. Scott does his best to avoid her and lucks out when Gavin says he’ll go with the nerd to meet Aldridge, assuring his wife she can trust him.
Speaking of 1988, Josh and Riley are working with Franklin Marsh to get Josh’s modern phone working again. Marsh is smarter than he appears and gets the battery fixed. Then they look at tons of pictures taken from when they were in 10,000 BC. Marsh is sure this will convince the head of his Geology Department to believe he’s not just pushing a crackpot theory, even though Dr. Clark has been less than supportive in the recent past.
LA BREA — “The Fog” Episode 204 — Pictured: Veronica St. Clair as Riley — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
While Gavin and Scott go out to meet Aldridge, Lucas and Scott go out to find the supposed field of weed that Scott used to deflect their questions earlier. Instead, they come upon Paara’s people plotting vengeance in the woods. Then they rush back to warn Sam and Ty. As for Aldridge, she reveals that the Tower is actually called The Lazarus (which explains the keycard). She thinks they can steal a shipment from the Exiles to the Tower, and use the keycard to access the room they need to save Josh. She also reveals she knows Gavin’s parents, and that she worked with them and Silas to build the facility. Better yet, they’re both still alive!
Ty still believes the people in the Clearing and Paara’s villagers can make peace, but Sam tells him to pick a side. Then when Ty is out doing basic chores, he has a sudden bout of dizziness. Right after that happens, he discovers one of his old patients in 10,000 BC. His name is Anthony and he says he needs Ty’s help to find his group. So Ty agrees and wanders off into the forest, right before things get wild.
LA BREA — “The Fog” Episode 204 — Pictured: Jon Seda as Dr. Sam — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Gavin, Scott, and Aldridge find Paara herself in the woods, but luckily she’s there to stop her people from starting a war. She realizes Gavin is grown-up Isaiah, and it’s clear she has a lot of love for the grown-up cave boy. Back in the Clearing, Eve suggests they make a distraction to slow down the group led by Joseph before they all bunker down to defend themselves since the thick fog prevents them from going anywhere with any visibility. Oh and Izzy reveals that she blames herself for her parents’ divorce, and thinks her leg had a role in them splitting apart.
Joseph’s group suddenly attacks decoys made of what appear to be straw and clothes around a fire. They’re perplexed and find themselves quickly surrounded by a group from the Clearing armed with sharpened sticks. Paara pops in and tells Joseph to stop this pointless violence. It looks like things will calm down, but then the pack of prehistoric wolves arrives.
We haven’t seen these brutal hounds since season 1, and they’re no less terrifying here. There are about six of them, and they rush out to enjoy the buffet of human flesh. Everyone races to hide, either in cars or overturned buses. Aldridge protects Gavin and gets badly bitten by a huge wolf. Eve does the right thing and helps out a wounded Joseph before Levi has to save them both. Everyone gets to relative safety, but Eve and Izzy are separated, and both want to save the other.
Though you’d think a metal bus would be safe, the wolves do their level best to get inside. Veronica starts freaking out and hyperventilating, and Ella helps her calm down. Then she reveals to Ella that the reason she’s been avoiding her is that she feels guilty. Apparently, she had a hand in picking her out for this mysterious Aaron to snatch off the street as a child.
The wolves manage to rip a hole in the underbelly of the upside-down bus, and only get shooed away by Sam’s quick thinking. He finds a fire extinguisher and sprays them in the face. But then they try and smash through the side windows, and it’s clear the bus is moments away from being taken by the hairy horde.
LA BREA — “The Fog” Episode 204 — Pictured: Zyra Goreski as Izzy — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
The only reason the bus dwellers survive is that Eve goes full Rambo. She takes some of the ore from the Exiles camp, attaches it to an arrow, and fires it at the fire. It explodes in a torrent of flame, and the doggies go running. Paara thanks Eve for saving her people, and tells Gavin to come and visit his childhood village. For now, fences have been mended and threats averted.
Back in 1988, Riley does her level best to convince Dr. Clark to listen to Franklin and to believe his theories about the sinkholes. The woman looks through her photos and says they’re just Hollywood magic, clearly faked. Then as Riley is about to walk off in despair, Clark’s assistant tells her to come with her.
Ty goes on a long and talkative journey with Anthony and reveals some of his own failings as a husband. He’s trying hard to help Anthony cope with the stress of their situation. There’s just one little problem – Anthony isn’t actually there. This whole episode Ty has been hallucinating him, meaning his fatal brain condition is worsening. So he makes a big decision, and tells Paara he wants to spend what remains of his life with her.
LA BREA — “The Fog” Episode 204 — Pictured: Eoin Macken as Gavin — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
The Fog ends with some really big moments. Eve tells Izzy that the reason she and Gavin broke up was that she started a relationship with Levi. Not to mention, she still loves both men. As for Aldridge, she’s apparently dying, despite her miraculous healing earlier in the season. She apologizes to Gavin for involving him, and says it was out of her hands. She also reveals that Gavin’s mother is in 1988.
Riley and Josh meet up with Dr. Clark later on, and it turns out that she’s actually Gavin’s mother and Josh’s grandmother. And she’s trying to fix the timeline, somehow. Like I said earlier, some really big secrets and a really great episode overall. Stay tuned for any huge secrets that pop up later this season in La Brea!
In 2009, The Paloni Show was an upcoming Fox series billed as a variety anthology of animated shorts, not so dissimilar from Seth Macfarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. Focused on a host known as the Paloni family, the series was originally created by Justin Roiland, the mind behind Rick and Morty and the co-creator of Solar Opposites.
We spoke with the creators behind the Paloni Show! Halloween Special! at NYCC, which is the spinoff sequel series created exclusive for Hulu. We were also given access to some early screeners, of which, I’d only gotten to review right now. What we saw with these thirteen episodes, was a pretty ridiculous amount of antics varying in animation and directorial style, along with the comedy. Gratuitous, ridiculous, offensive, and at moments, outright stupid, the Hulu Halloween special is more hit-than-miss, carried heavily by its vocal talents of Justin Roiland, Zach Hadel, and Pamela Adlon.
In Paloni Show! Halloween Special! The Paloni family decide to host a Halloween special for Hulu (there are a lot of Hulu self-referential jokes) and so the family tries playing narrative host of the night, while also, going along their own Halloween misadventure. With featured story cutaways serving as the nice sort of jump cuts between their strange progression in their stories.
As a Halloween special everything is pretty ridiculous and very Justin Roiland styled in comedy, in that the jokes leans heavily on the absurd and strange vocal gags at first. With plenty of improvised takes in between. As for the family, the horror fully overtakes their storyline, all for a plot riddled with serial killers, chucky-like dolls, cults, and a strange Michael Myers and Dana Carvey gag that’s meant as a play-on names from both the Halloween series, along with Waynes World.
Though what I think works best is that the runtime for each guest animator and director, features only short minutes-long series. It’s just enough of a bite for a tiny bit of a payoff, with a splash of horror, meant to make you laugh uncomfortably given the amount of murder, viscera, and… well, let’s just call it: goop. The styles of each short utilize a wide range of aesthetics from animation, live-action, claymation, and more as well, meaning each short feels distinct from another and well worth the price of admission (of a monthly cost for a streaming service, anyway).
As for the comedy, the jokes are similar to Rick and Morty and the type of improvisational weird horror led by Justin Roiland. For instance, in lieu of baby legs (like in Rick and Morty’s Inter-dimensional Cable) you’ve got little long legs of a child with… well, elongated legs. It’s again, that strange Justin Roiland type humor, yet also, serves a pretty funny purpose when put together.
It should also be noted, that this is the last voice-over role of the late Gilbert Gottfried. Whose role in this one was… something to say the least, though the voice acting was superb. Again, the shorts themselves can be a bit hit-or-miss depending on what you find funny and given that it’s a horror comedy, expect some of the grotesque, such as plays on cannibalism, aliens trying to microwave babies, and a whole lot of serial killer chase sequences.
The Take
If you like animation this is probably worthwhile as the pool of talent makes for some entertaining shorts of, mostly absurd and extreme types of comedy. Likewise, if you find Solar Opposites or Rick and Morty funny, you’ll likely enjoy this anthology too.
My only qualm with the series is that it does feel sort of aimless and the stakes lack the heart of other Justin Roiland creations. Still, if you’re here for a fun thoughtless anthology of blood splatter, jokes, and Halloween parodies, this is definitely one for you.
A distinct feature of the current TV era is the need – requirement, really – for overarching storylines even on shows designed to be episodic, and Quantum Leap is no exception. The question of “Why did Ben leap?” and “How are we going to get him back?” continues to loom in the fifth episode, “Salvation or Bust,” which brings Ben to the Old West.
With some of his personal memories recovered, Ben is more desperate than ever to return to 2022. But something odd is going on with Quantum Leap… it has taken him back to the American West in 1879, far outside Ben’s lifetime. The small frontier town of Salvation, founded as a refuge for people of color and other outsiders in 19th-century America, is in danger. A railroad company wants the land and has enlisted a dangerous outlaw to chase the people out. And Ben has leaped into the body of a legendary Mexican American gunslinger, who was summed by his granddaughter to save the town. However, not only is the gunslinger far past his prime, but Ben is a pacifist who detests the idea of a gunfight.
Both a nod to and critique of Westerns, “Salvation or Bust” is a rare depiction of the Old West that actually acknowledges how diverse the American frontier actually was, unlike the whitewashed versions first concocted by Hollywood in the early 20th century that has managed to cling to cultural memory and cause audiences to get it mixed up with the real thing. Black, Latinx, and East Asian characters form the majority of the Salvation townspeople seen on screen. Perhaps the Federation-esque racial unity depicted is as much a fantasy of the Old West as the lily-white versions, but it was a nice change. It seems fitting for a show where none of the regular cast members are white men, yet diversity isn’t treated as an “issue.”
In 2022, the Quantum Leap team, who have been trying to hide Ben’s transgression for fear of being shut down, receive an unexpected visit from a congresswoman. Considering how quickly the overarching plot – the “Why did Ben leap and how will we get him back?” plot – seemed to be moving in the previous episodes, it felt like the show was treading water this week.
While I understand the desire to keep audiences hooked with some big season arc, the juxtaposition of “time period of the week” and long-plotted sci-fi mystery is growing more jarring from week to week. The leaps themselves are starting to feel more and more like backdrops to the season mystery, which makes it harder to invest in the fate of those whose lives Ben is changing. That’s a shame because the period storylines have showcased a lot of great acting from their guest stars.
It sometimes feels as if Quantum Leap is trying to do too much with too little – to stuff too much plot into a 40-minute episode – and tell two stories at once in a way that causes one to feel like a distraction from the other. And a tease at the end of this “Salvation or Bust” hints that even more plot is coming.
That’s not to say it isn’t an enjoyable show. I’d still recommend it to anyone who asks, and as a fan of Westerns (imperfect as they are, they’re just fun to watch), I loved getting to watch Ben deal with his own version of one. I just wish that had felt like the true point of the episode, rather than one more step on the way to solving the Great Season Mystery.
Perhaps this was inevitable since we’re basically seeing two eras of TV clashing. The original Quantum Leap came out when the point of episodes was so that most people could tune in casually and know right away what was going on (I watched the original completely out of order when was rerunning on SyFy and never had trouble keeping up). 2022’s Quantum Leap is dealing with the current era where each episode is more like a chapter in a book, meant to be viewed sequentially with each leading into the next.
What once felt novel now feels a bit tiresome, more like an obligation than a creative choice. Again, I don’t hate the fact that the new Quantum Leap has such a strong emphasis on its 2022 story arc. I just wish they’d done it in a way that felt more balanced.
Back in the mid-nineties, Ghost Planet Industries received a formal letter of recommendation, seemingly writ by a child. This just so happened to be from a young Dave Willis. Impressed with his knack for humor, he was put on board to write for Space Ghost Coast to Coast. It was here he met Matt Maiellaro and soon thereafter a creative partnership had formed, culminating in the surrealist tsunami known as Aqua Teen Hunger Force on a little-known block eeked out late-night on Cartoon Network just for those within smoke-filled dormitories.
This came to be known as [adult swim].
I sit down with a few fellow writers from other publications to dive into and pick his brain about what makes Carl’s nerves curl when it comes to football, why Meatwad’s voice wasn’t a favorite for executives, and how Run The Jewels started.
On the Baffler Meal Boxed set:
Dave: It looks awesome. I haven’t got it yet. Twenty DVDs is kind of mind-blowing. My only issue with it was Meatwad was never a hamburger patty. “The bun is in your mind.” That was his original catchphrase and have to reshoot it again, Adult Swim said it’s already printed, so never mind.
On the number of explosions in Plantasm:
Dave: Oh, a plethora. I haven’t counted the amount, though I should. There should be a game we play we you can spot a mistake in the movie.
On commentary in the DVD:
Dave: Yes, but not very insightful because those we brought in (Dana, Carey) had not watched the movie, but it’s all funny. The DVD has a ton of cool stuff. There’s an interactive element that I would not divulge I had not seen or heard of any movie doing. When you see it tonight, it’s not going to be activated, but it’s super, super, super cool. On the DVD, there’s a longer version of said interaction and I’m proud of it.
On the evolution of the characters:
Dave: You know, Meatwad’s voice was replaceable to the executives. They couldn’t understand what he was saying. Then it got more Southern. With Carl, I lowered my voice. Still sarcastic, but riled up. Once we cast Shake, Dana’s bombastic, but he always is. Carey has always been the same consistent Frylock. He was always the straight man but we gave him more personality as the show went on. He’s the star of this movie.
On culling a fire cast:
Dave: They’re all great. Tim (Robinson) was cast in Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell before I Think You Should Leave was a thing. We got Robert Smigel, Natasha Rothwell from The White Lotus, Chris Powell, Jo Firestone, and Serafinowicz is awesome. Great cast. All ringers. Paul Walter Hauser, he’s unbelievable, never having done voice-over before this. He’s great.
On working with Run the Jewels:
Dave: Killer Mike is basically an Atlanta legend. Run the Jewels started at Williams Street. Killer Mike had an album at our Williams Street Records before El-P was brought on. So they did the song for our movie, and we cast them both. He has a very pivotal role. I mean, he’s an ATL legend. He’s doing shit with the mayor, so. Even T.I. knows what’s up.
On what is exciting to watch audiences cling to:
Dave: The interactive element. I thought we were going to do it tonight. I understand why we didn’t. It’s something you’ve seen in the real world around you and yet, something you’ve not seen around you. I urge you to follow its instructions when it comes out on November 8th.
On a theatrical release:
Dave: Nope. I would love that, but this was always designed as DVD, VOD, and HBO Max. I’ll be the first to say, our first movie kinda sucked. It was just too long and it was kind of a mess and we didn’t know what we were doing. This movie feels like a movie and kind of spackles all over the cracks. It’s a big story. The Aqua Teens break up. How and are they going to get back together?
Me: So it has emotional heft…
Dave: I mean, as emotional as we’re gonna do it.
On Meatwad/Carl both going after the mail-order bride from Russia:
Dave: “It don’t matter. None of this matters.”
On Carl’s Stone Cold Lock of the Century of the Week:
Dave: I would always listen to sports radio and Carl seems the type to always call in, and wait on the line for 45 minutes just so he could say “Alright, the Yankees are pissing me off, first-time listener, long-time caller, we’ll talk about how they’re pissing you off too, I’ll hang up and listen.” And I’m an NFL fan as well, and it was fun, not to go much off of sports but more of something like Brett Farve sending dick pics or something. Carl would have a very specific take on that. He’d have a lot to say about the Giants this year. “Look I understand they have a new coach and a new system, I gotta work with that… I’m settin’ the bar low. I don’t think it’s a big deal to expect 15 and 1 and then they take it to the Superbowl. Danny Dimes, we got Danny Dimes… you know, it was more like Danny Pennies, more like Danny Crypto… which I lost a lot of money on.”
On the NYCC Comic-Con show floor:
Dave: I would like to take a lap with my son. We have the movie tonight and the floor closes at 7, but I hear this thing is huge. We’re doing like 2,000 at the screening. Have you ever been to San Diego? That kind of jumped the shark. I remember looking at a line six blocks long for Halle Berry when Catwoman came out. Angelina Jolie was doing a similar thing with Tomb Raider and I’m like this is nuts.
On what to look forward to at Comic-Con:
Dave: I’d like to see how our movie (Plantasm) plays in a big room, cos we’re not going to have that opportunity again. This will be the only real screening of this.
There you have it. Dave rounded out our interviews and was more than gracious in spending a little extra time at our table. Thanks to Dana, Carey, and Dave for bestowing us with their time, wisdom, humor, and presence. Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I had partaken.
The King is dead! Long live the…King? Queen? Someone else?
Yes, King Viserys the Peaceful is no more. He has hung up his mask, breathed his last, and shuffled off this mortal coil. Bereft of life, he rests in peace. And he is the only one peaceful or resting.
Moments after his final breath, the various factions in the castle start jockeying for position. Alicent is awoken with the news from her maid. She runs to tell her dad that Viserys’ dying wish was for Aegon to be king. (It wasn’t, but since there are a dozen Aegons, Alicent honestly believes it was.) He’s skeptical, but since it benefits his family, he’s willing to overlook any doubts. Otto wants to keep the death under wraps until he can secure Aegon’s path to the throne. The castle is on lockdown, loose-tongued servants are rounded up, and Rhaenys is locked in her room.
The small council is on board. Even though the lords all pledged fealty to Rhaenyra, that was 20 years ago. She’s been living at Dragonstone and away from court for years, so she has few remaining allies in King’s Landing. In fact, the council is happy to have an actual reason to pass over Rhaenyra, so they don’t have to make one up. Alicent is appalled to find out that Otto and much of the small council have been plotting this for some time now. Lord Beesbury, the master of coin, is also shocked. He denounces them all as thieves and traitors and he’ll have no part in it. Criston rather vigorously forces him back in his chair. A little too vigorously, since he cracks his head open on the desk. Well, at least now the council is unanimous!
Criston then refuses a direct order from his commander to remove his cloak and sword- since he just murdered a guy – by snottily replying he is only defending his queen from threats. Remember when we thought Criston was cool? Man, that seems like ages ago…
Alicent is even more appalled at Otto’s plans for the princess. He wants to have Rhaenyra put to death. Fewer challengers to the throne mean fewer fights and smooth sailing for Aegon. Oh, and her kids. And Daemon, too, just to be safe. It might be a little messy, but it’s a small sacrifice! And they need to act fast. Rhaenyra and family just left the keep last night and don’t yet know Viserys is dead. He orders the commander of the King’s Guard to go take care of it, but Harrold Westerling refuses. You see, he’s the commander of the KING’S guard. And if there is no king, there is no one to give him orders. He leaves his cloak behind and exits. And excellent work, using grammar and fine print to get out of regicide.
Alicent does not want Rhaenyra murdered, since she is certain her late husband would never want his daughter, brother, and grandchildren dead. This sets off a race to find Aegon since whoever finds him can tell him what is to be done about Rhaenyra.
However, there’s a slight hitch. No one can find him.
Sister-wife Haelena hasn’t seen him. He’s not in his room. He’s not anywhere in the keep. Otto tracks down his King’s Guard, Erryk, to ask where he is. He doesn’t know either, but he has some strong suspicions Otto sends him and his twin brother Arryk out to find him, and only bring Aegon to him, no one else. Alicent sends loyal Criston out to find him with instructions to bring Aegon straight to her, and Aemond comes along to help.
Aemond leads Criston to the brothels since that was where Aegon took him the last time they came out of the keep. After remarking on how much Aemond has grown (for real), the brothel madam says she hasn’t seen him Aegon in years. He’s into weird kinky shit now. Kinky stuff that his King’s Guard Erryk knows all about, He and Arryk head to a fighting pit, where orphan children have their teeth sharpened and their nails filed to points and then told to go kill each other for the amusement of the crowds, And, look, I know we’ve had a good solid run of child marriage and cousin humping, but this is dark even for GoT. Erryk is disgusted that someone so debauched that he would happily cheer on ten-year-olds in baby Fight Club is going to be king. There’s still no sign of him, but one of Mysaria’s agents finds them. She knows where Aegon is and will tell only the Hand.
Back in the castle, Alicent has come to talk to Rhaenys, who is understandably pissed about being imprisoned in her room. Alicent tries to get her on board with the new plan of succession. What has your loyalty to Rhaenyra gotten you? Laena and Laenor are dead, she bore you bastard grandchildren, Corlys is mortally wounded and still grasping at the throne. Then she tries to sweet talk her. We both know that you, Rhaenys, should’ve been queen. Viserys would’ve been happy as a country lord, hunting and reading histories. Rhaenys is not impressed. All your scheming and you only serve different masters – your husband, your father, and now your son. All you are asking for is a fancier window in your prison cell. Has Alicent really never pictured herself on the Iron Throne, wielding power for herself? (Yes, Rhaenys! Smash the patriarchy!)
Otto takes a break from murdering lords still loyal to Rhaenyra who won’t bend the knee to Aegon and goes to meet with Mysaria. She heard through her network that Viserys had passed, so she did the neighborly thing and tucked Aegon away for safekeeping. She could have easily killed him, but she’s nice like that. All she wants is for Otto to end child exploitation in King’s Landing. No more child fights, no more child sex trafficking. Otto says, sure, I’ll get right on it. He seems totally sincere!
Mysaria points Erryk and Arryk to the church of the Seven and they find Aegon moaning underneath the altar. Good, leave him there, where he can’t rape anyone. They drag him out but are intercepted by Criston and Aemond who yoink him away after a brief sword fight. Aegon cries for his brother to let him run away on a ship, but Aemond is tired of his whining.
Back in Alicent’s chambers, she meets Larys, who has spent the episode lurking and spying. He tells Alicent all about Mysaria’s spy network (which includes her own chambermaid) in exchange for some longing glances at Alicent’s feet. (In a scene that Quentin Tarantino would consider a little over the top, he proceeds to fondle himself as she rolls off her stockings and puts her feet up on the table.) He can of course help her out. If the queen bee is eliminated, then the drones will fly without purpose. Alicent sighs and says that sounds like something he can take care of. It’s one of the trademarks of the Game of Thrones to show how power corrupts. It was only a few episodes ago that Alicent was shocked, shocked!, that Larys would ever think that she wanted him to kill for her. Now, it’s just, fine, finish wanking to my ankles and then go murder someone because it will help my dickhead of a son ascend to the throne. Later on, we see a hooded figure walking away from a burning building, so I can assume that he’s carried it out. Guess those kids are going to be stuck in the fight pits, huh?
Rhaenys is still trapped in her tower until Erryk (I think) comes to save her. He drags her out of her room, through the secret passages of the keep, past the bodies of those who would not bend the knee to Aegon II, and out to the streets. She wants to get her dragon, but Erryk (yes, pretty sure it’s Erryk) wants her to get out of Dodge before Otto and Alicent realize she’s gone and possibly murder her. But as they try to get to the port, they get swept up in a crush of people. The city watch is herding everyone into the Red Keep to witness the glorious coronation of Aegon, Second of his Name, Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, yada yada yada.
Aegon has had to be dragged here by practically everyone – his mother, his brother, Criston, Otto, etc – and he really does not want to be here. He pouts the whole ride, and Alicent has frankly had enough of his crap. Aegon does perk up a bit when his mom tells him he’ll get Aegon the Conqueror’s cool black sword, though.
As the crowd is shoved into place, Otto announces the sad news. Viserys is dead. But rejoice! For he has picked Aegon as his successor. The crowd greets this news with scattered applause. And I do wonder just how much your average peasant would care about changes in royal lines. Life in Flea Bottom looks pretty rough, and I doubt it would make much difference if Rhaenyra or Aegon sat on the throne. Still, everyone is awfully quiet all through the ceremony. It reminded me of Jeb Bush’s infamous “Please Clap” moment on his doomed campaign for president.
The crowd does start to come around as Aegon thrusts the sword, Blackfyre, into the air like he was fist-pumping at a Black Sabbath concert. The crowd is just getting into it when…
DRAGON!
During the coronation, Rhaenys slipped away and managed to get to the dragon pits. She collected her dragon, Meleys, and is bursting through the cathedral wall, just like Donkey at the end of Shrek. Apparently, Alicent’s nice speech did little to persuade her to change alliances. Meleys roars and stomps around, scattering terrified peasants everywhere. (See what I mean? These poor people are going to get stomped by whoever is on the throne.)
Rhaenys and Meleys approach the altar, where the entire Hightower-Targaryen clan stands. Meleys gets nose-to-nose with Alicent. Alicent flinches, sure she is about to be burned along with her family. Meleys opens her mouth and… just screams at her, real loud, like Pee Wee Herman just said the magic word. Rhaenys glares at Alicent, then flies away, presumably to warn Rhaenyra of what is to come.
Now, I cannot quite figure out why Rhaenys didn’t just Dracarys everyone and save us all a lot of trouble. Perhaps she still wants to be queen and thinks her best shot will be to pick up the pieces after Rhaenyra and Aegon kill each other. Perhaps she wants Alicent to think about what she told her – stop serving men and start serving yourself. Still, it’s a bit of a mystery.
I’ve been a little slow to warm to this show, but the last couple of episodes have really felt like the best of old-school Game of Thrones. The end of the time jumps has let us spend more time with the characters and see their relationships and resentments develop. The pacing has been great and the plot turns are building on character beats. It’s a thrill to see this show finally click on all cylinders and peak as the season comes to an end.
It was a smart choice to focus entirely on the Hightowers-Targaryens this week. And it looks like next week’s finale will be all about Rhaenyra’s response. And also more dragons. Can’t wait!
Rating: 5 out of 5 – I considered docking half a star for the foot stuff, but the ending made up for a lot.
Who’s the Worst? – After many weeks of almost getting this prize, it’s time to reward the shitbaggery of Ser Criston. Great work, murdering an old man!
Line of the Week: SKEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! Courtesy of Rhaenys’ dragon, Meleys.
Runner up: Aegon: Do you love me?
Alicent: You imbecile.
If you are of a certain age, you will remember the Special Presentation intros that networks used to have. With a fanfare of trumpets and a swirling logo, you knew something cool was about to come on. Maybe even a holiday cartoon!
The first images of Werewolf by Night, the new special on Disney+, knowingly mimic this. It’s the first indication that we’re in good hands here.
Werewolf by Night is Marvel’s horror comic from the 70’s. It’s a cool name for a comic, but doesn’t make a lot of sense. After all, when else would someone turn into a werewolf? Their whole thing is changing under the full moon. It might be best known today for being the first appearance of Moon Knight as a werewolf hunter. (Get it? The Moon Knight hunts the werewolf?) Anyway, don’t worry if you’ve never read the comic. This special has very little to do with it except for sharing a name.
The special is a fun and scary throwback, not just to the TV specials of yore but also to the Hammer Horror films of the fifties and sixties. Shot in black and white by first-time director Michael Giacchino (better known as the Oscar-winning composer of movies like Up), this looks amazing and I hope he can take the reins for more MCU fare in the future.
The world’s greatest monster hunters have arrived at Bloodstone Manor for the funeral of Ulysses Bloodstone, the world’s greatest monster hunter (I did not realize that was a competitive field. I would certainly watch that on ESPN2). Among them are Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Ulysses’ estranged daughter, Elsa (Laura Donnelly). At the funeral, Ulysses tells them – from beyond the grave… oooo – that they are actually here to take place in a hunt. There is a monster in the maze with the fabled Bloodstone attached to him. The bloodstone allows the owner to control all monsters and whoever finds it gets to keep it. It’s a no holds barred affair, so if a fellow hunter should get in your way, well, better watch out for your ax.
This is a great spin on a couple classic horror movie tropes – strangers brought together under odd circumstances, a location they’re trapped in, and of course a MacGuffin hunt. But there are twists and turns and not everyone is who they appear to be.
The cinematography and editing are great here. There is a distinct effort to pay homage to the style of old horror movies, especially the ones you’d watch on a Saturday afternoon creature feature. Lots of dramatic lighting and closeups! And considering how much flak Marvel has been getting for its CGI lately, there are some incredible practical effects here.
This is the loosest and most fun Marvel project I’ve seen in a while. Lately, too much Marvel fare can feel like homework. (“If you don’t watch the new Doctor Strange movie and the Falcon TV show, you’ll fall behind on all the details in Phase Five! You don’t want to fall behind, do you?”) This is just people taking a weird concept and having fun with it. I hope this frees up the creatives at Marvel to do more unconventional one-off shows. Think of all the weird and wild stuff they could do, not having to worry about continuity or where it fits into the larger MCU? (Come on, like you wouldn’t watch a Halloween special featuring Hellcow, an actual vampire cow that appeared in Man-Thing and Howard the Duck comics? #HellcowSpecialNow)
At a brisk 54 minutes, this is a great addition to your Halloween viewing. Play it at your next costume party and pair it with some Vincent Price classics.
DEMON WARS: SHIELD OF JUSTICE #1Written by PEACH MOMOKOArt and Cover by PEACH MOMOKOCo-scripted by ZACK DAVISSON On Sale 11/16
DEMON WARS: DOWN IN FLAMES #1Written by PEACH MOMOKOArt and Cover by PEACH MOMOKOCo-scripted by ZACK DAVISSON On Sale 2/1
