In Showtime’s The Curse, the “Land of Enchantment” is an Oasis By Design

The Happy Couple — We are TV ready and hell-bound.

From the very jump of the Showtime x A24 collab The Curse, we go a bit claustrophobic, looking into the window of Fernando (Christopher D. Calderon), an ex-gangbanger and his cancer-stricken mother. Asher (Nathan Fielder) and Whitney (Emma Stone) Siegel are a couple filming the pilot of their HGTV series. Even with their joyous reveal of ‘giving’ Fernando a job at the new local coffee shop, I’m feeling tense. As a fan of Fielder’s, viewing the ‘uncomfortable’ might be a kink of mine because it’s at times a task for me to stare it down in person. Watching him feels like I’m afloat in a warm, saltwater soak until long, greasy-tressed showrunner Dougie Schecter (Benny Safdie) enters the picture, exercising creative license, fabricating tears for the mother, blowing menthol in her eyes for the redness. I’m suddenly feeling a bit uneasy inside. So far, the price of admission is one dropped stomach and I’ll happily plunk it down.

Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Oppenheimer) and brother Josh are goddamn craftsmen with high tension and anxiety. I remember feeling equal parts amped and uneasy watching Uncut Gems. When you combine that with the 151 Proof of Nathan Fielder’s awkwardness, the cold open feels like my first time drinking White Russians: I was queasy throughout, but the taste and elation of inebriation had me going back for more. Bottoms up.

Making Dougie an asset highly recommended by the network gives his agency more bite, but making Whitney’s character aware of their situation gives her more of an edge. The goddamn optics look pretty touchy themselves with them both being a straight, white married Tesla-driving couple who travel to Española, New Mexico to ‘save’ its destitute Hispanic/Latino community with their new eco-friendly homes, driving up the rent and ultimately displacing the Hispanic/Latino community like what happened to the Indigenous before them… for public display.

It’s gorgeously stomach-churning, right down to Whitney’s ‘invisible homes’ as an architectural example of the farce hidden in plain sight. The ‘net-zero’ passive houses are what I can only describe as Architectural Digest subscriber’s fever dream, externally looking like reflective modern art installations. Similar designs are meant to reflect nature, essentially erasing the house itself, which is what they’re doing to this neighborhood, deleting it. The structures are good “show, don’t tell”, just irritating enough to be disruptors in their own right.

On opening day at the Barrier Coffee shop, Asher blows quite possibly their only shot at promotion, interviewing with the local news station, blowing up at field reporter Monica (Tessa Mentus) for a sneak attack on Whitney doing more harm than good with her houses and mentioning her slumlord lineage, prompting Asher’s Mr. Hyde to emerge. Though not entirely unsolicited, his hostility is fucking creepy because it’s bubbling passive aggression, a measured type of screaming.

The ghastly first impression is a testament to Nathan’s acting. I felt that shit, so it only makes sense to me that he makes it right with a scoop for the reporter to retire off of in order for the review to be killed. It’s “borrowing from Peter to pay Paul”, which is precisely the type of high-stakes shit we had seen with Benny’s other work.

We don’t let up when the focus shifts to Dougie, staging an extemporaneous shot with Asher and a little black girl selling soda, embodying the very foundation of what makes reality TV the insidious mind rot it is. When the camera rolls, a redemptive moment blossoms before our very eyes before Asher figuratively snatches it away from us and literally from the little girl, prompting her to “curse” him, twisting the tone in a most distorted way.

Who even cares if his meeting with Monica ended kind of positively? A curse is in play and by dint of watching Asher, I feel cursed. Messes showing up on one’s doorstep? Compartmentalizing acts of shit so they don’t intersect until they all explode in magnificent fashion? It’s a Safdie staple for a reason.

Whitney’s parents fittingly don’t win any humanitarian awards. Paul (Corbin Bersen) is at best tolerant of his Jewish son-in-law with his wife Elizabeth (Constance Shulman) at least contributing to her daughter’s eating disorder. We’re not meant to like any of these people, but maybe just be surprised by them. Paul’s greenhouse speech about small dicks whilst he nourishes his tomato’s soil with his own urine is oddly enlightened, creeping back into the surreal. We get a solid glimpse of Asher when he urinates a few scenes prior and though I remember vaguely reading about it beforehand, it still snuck up on me. It’s not used for titillation but rather food for thought. Could this be the source of the dude’s anger, this curse, and the only way Asher can accept his gift, which, from what Paul says in no uncertain terms is accepting the truth? It’s a matter of philosophy ending on a ‘button’ of a visual micro-penis gag. “The Cherry Tomato Boys.” Wow.

Crass? Yes. Cringe? You bet, and even after a tender moment of decompression when finally home after a tense car ride, we’re back for more “Should I be watching?” in the bedroom where Asher uses a vibrator named “Steven” on his wife while being frozen out. It feels like we’re not meant to see this, but yet here we are. Then again, why should I spend all this glorious time feeling gross when it’s been a minute since I last felt dirty?

This comes hilariously in the form of Dougie showing Asher and Whitney his unaired reality dating show that places a masked burn victim in front of 15 potential partners. It’s hilariously in horrific taste, but the silliness is quickly swapped for queasiness when Whitney comes across the footage shot from earlier with the little girl. Come on, did you really think Dougie would cut?

I’m a fan of Asher consequently being forced to right a heinous wrong and pinheadedly ignoring the few ways he could. Sure, he doesn’t find the little girl, but instead of helping keep the lights on in a homeless shelter for one more night, he paints over the necrotic wood of his soul by giving a woman with a baby the money (only maybe scoring him a couple of good Karma points) then lying to his wife about finding the girl, embellishing to make himself sound heroic (putting him in the Karmic debt).

The episode titled “Land of Enchantment” ends with Dougie in Whitney’s ear and a question in ours. Sure, Dougie’s scuzzy, but at least he didn’t dash a little girl’s dreams. What would we do? It’s given the audience an interesting hypothetical to mull about.

Showtime Studios with A24 is an inspired choice, though I can see where the divisiveness can factor in. A24 is like McDonald’s in that when you pass the Golden Arches, you don’t smell food, you smell a brand. This arthouse studio is no different. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but I can see where A24 sycophants (like myself) will eat this up without holding more of a critical eye to it.

From the sometimes distant, yet intimate cameras, we’re given something that feels voyeuristic, not unlike the Nathan Fielder docu-comedy The Rehearsal. Benny Safdie employs the sick synths, compliments of jazz musician John Medeski and fellow Safide collaborator electronic music producer Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never) to keep the tension taut. The score grips you and never lets go, no matter the tonal shifts in the script.

In a show where glass houses are as much of a visual satire as they are a metaphor, we see the real invisible house, the farce of the facade: a couple constantly wallpapering over their shit for the camera. Seem like good bones to me.

Chicken Suits, Amish and Patrick Fabian Make Run With The Devil a Great Episode of Magnum P.I.

Josh Speer

Magnum P.I. - Season 5 — MAGNUM P.I. -- "Run With The Devil" Episode 516 -- Pictured: Tait Blum as Jacob -- (Photo by: NBC)

I had thought last week’s Magnum P.I. would be great because of my favorite former convict, Jin. Turns out, all the show needed to do better was an Amish kid, Higgins in a chicken suit and the fantastic Patrick Fabian. But before I get ahead of myself, let’s start at the beginning of the latest episode, “Run With The Devil.”

Though most episodes start with a small, humorous anecdote, I really have never seen anything like Higgy in a chicken suit, hawking nugget fliers for a place called Chicken & Brisket. Unable to resist, Magnum makes many horrible puns, but she’s there for a reason. She’s playing lookout for someone that skipped bail heading to a pawn shop across the street. When he finally shows up and she flashes her badge, poor Juliette is knocked on her feathers. Magnum checks on her first before chasing the guy at full throttle.

Not to be outdone, Higgy gives chase as best she can in the cumbersome suit, at one point accidentally rolling with a frustrated ‘bollocks.’ So it was surprising that Thomas was the one to get crashed into by someone’s windshield. Then the chicken lady manages to collar the criminal, though her suit loses a wing in the process. Sadly, she doesn’t wear the hilarious suit the entire episode.

Run With The Devil | T.C. — MAGNUM P.I. — “Run With The Devil” Episode 516 — Pictured: Stephen Hill as Theodore “TC” Calvin — (Photo by: NBC)

At La Mariana, Gordon is devouring a juicy looking burger and bacon as Rick stares hungrily at his plate. He’s trying to shave off a few pounds so he can fit into his dress suit for a Marine Corps ball, so he’s only eating kale and cucumber smoothies. He’s fighting the dreaded baby weight, and Gordon is having a lot of fun torturing the man. T.C. arrives, and to Rick’s dismay he’s not planning on attending. Mahina was his plus one, and after they broke up, he has no interest in going. Lucky for him, Rick’s not content to let his buddy sit it out.

Though Magnum is in a sling from his crash in the chicken incident, he still notices an Amish kid named Jacob placing missing girl posters on cars. He and Magnum talk, and it turns out his sister Hana is missing. Thomas asks if it’s unusual for people to leave the community, and Jacob insists his sister wouldn’t just leave him and his parents. He fervently thinks she’s in trouble and asks for help.

Kumu is tasked with contacting Jacob’s parents via the general store in Pennsylvania. As the two investigators continue researching, they find Hana stayed at a hostel in Hawaii, scooping ice cream. Then Thomas finds Hana on social media, noting she recently adopted a puppy. They track the mutt to her former residence, but only find Hana’s roommate. She says she loved showing the wider world to the Amish girl, but Hana lost her job. Somehow she kept paying rent, and then started bringing sketchy guys by. Eventually the roommate woke up one day to find Hana and all of her belongings gone. She also shares Hana had been spending a lot of time in nightclubs and bars before she left, which is the next lead our team follows, leaving Jacob with Kumu.

Back with Rick’s misadventures, he starts trying to find a date for T.C. to attend the ball. There’s a sweet girl named Emily benefitting from La Mariana’s free wifi, and Rick chats her up. It’s clear the girl thinks he’s asking for himself, but when he reveals he’s helping a friend and overshares, he scares Emily off. Suzie arrives with lunch, and suggests Rick try a celebrity date for T.C., since helping veterans is good publicity.

Run With The Devil | Higgy — MAGNUM P.I. — “Run With The Devil” Episode 516 — Pictured: Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins — (Photo by: NBC)

Back with Higgy, she’s been asking several places about Hana, and finally finds a lead at one nightclub. The bartender says he noticed Hana, but that she went by Chloe. She seemed badly drunk and kept getting hit on by men. Then one guy left with her, only for the bartender to find him screaming about how Hana and some guys robbed him. Also, it turns out Hana wasn’t drunk, except on club soda.

Gordon helps fill in some blanks. He knew Hana by reputation and had been hunting her for weeks. Several open cases paint a bad picture, including shoplifting, credit card fraud and a marijuana dispensary robbed at gunpoint with footage of Hana and 3 others. Maybe our little Amish girl has broken bad?

Jacob doesn’t believe Hana went criminal, and neither does Magnum. He thinks it would take longer than a couple weeks to totally discard all her values. Thomas is convinced she’s being coerced. Then Higgy finds a similar case involving a girl named Nora, so they head to the prison to talk with her. As for Rick, next he stalks an actual celebrity named Malia Manuel, and asks her to help T.C. out. He also overshares again, but somehow Malia is game to help out.

Run With The Devil | Surf — MAGNUM P.I. — “Run With The Devil” Episode 516 — Pictured: Malia Manuel as herself — (Photo by: NBC)

As they talk with Nora, Magnum and Juliette find that the men with her took her phone away, and threatened her with harm if she told anybody about them. When they push for a name, she provides a guy named Ben. With Gordon at the helm, SWAT then raids his place, only to find corpses. Not Hana’s, just the men that were using her.

Kumu seems to be bonding with Jacob over Hawaiian food, and talking about diversity as a strength and respecting different cultures. Then she gets called back by Jacob’s parents, and finds a problem. Jacob isn’t Jacob. His name is actually Saul, and he’s only 14. He stole his cousin’s ID to help find Hana, but the rest of his story tracks. The problem is Kumu is really hurt by his deception.

Meanwhile Thomas and Juliette decide to look for someone that Hana’s merry group of thieves might have harmed, and who may have retaliated by killing everyone but her. They find the marijuana dispensary was bankrolled by a private equity group. And wouldn’t you know it, the guy in charge, Sam Bedrosian, is played by none other than Patrick Fabian! AKA Howard Hamlin from Better Call Saul! He’s clearly shifty and nefarious, but when they ask to trade for Hana, they realize he doesn’t have her. Though it’s very likely his men are responsible for the carnage they found at Ben’s place.

Run With The Devil | Lucifer — MAGNUM P.I. — “Run With The Devil” Episode 516 — Pictured: Patrick Fabian as Sam Bedrosian — (Photo by: NBC)

Thomas thinks Hana escaped, and is ready to look for her. There’s just one problem – Saul got upset and ran away from Kumu. He’s busy placing fliers again when he gets a call about Hana, which he foolishly responds to. When Magnum and Higgins search for his phone later, they find it by a dumpster. Then it rings and the person on the other line wants to trade Saul for his sister, and the money she took with her.

They manage to track Hana by a saying Saul kept repeating, and find Hana took refuge with a pastor. The only problem is she doesn’t have the money Bedrosian’s men want, as it was stolen from her. So now they have to find a way to trade money they don’t have for Saul’s life.

It culminates in a tense standoff, as the armed men holding Saul are ready to kill him when Thomas shares they don’t have the money. But they have something better – Bedrosian bound and gagged in their truck! That does the trick, and they get Saul back. But not before Bedrosian swears revenge on them, so I fervently hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the talented actor.

Despite Rick’s best efforts, T.C. isn’t interested in going to the ball with a date, so he goes stag. Suzie and Rick are both ready to get crunk, and T.C. is just ready to enjoy a quiet evening. But then Mahina arrives as his surprise date! She’s gorgeous as always, and it looks like maybe their relationship isn’t over. Which is good, since T.C. needed a good break after his painful stint in recovery.

“Run With The Devil” ends with Magnum and Juliette watching Saul and Hana playing on the beach, as the adults talk about whether or not they believe in god. A really solid and fun episode of Magnum P.I. Here’s hoping Patrick Fabian shows up again to cause some trouble for our team of investigators.

The Killer Review: Fassbender Leaves A Trail of Dead in Fincher’s Dreamy Adaptation

Robert Kijowski

“He knows so much about these things”

The Killer (Netflix) is divided into Five Chapters with an Epilogue. With the source material being Le Teuer, a French comic book by Matz and Luc Jacamon, it seems most fitting. We are immediately given the title credits. It’s been a veritable dog’s age since last I’d seen a movie without a cold open or the title at the very end, so this was a total breath of fresh air. They’re reminiscent of a video game, as they slink past like Roman shades as flashes of The Killer’s method of erasing others as well as himself complement the icy synths of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross seep into the airspace before we report to The Killer’s first job of the movie.

His cool, calm, and collected inner musings are the first words to hit our Eustachian tubes. Hope you like voiceovers because outside of his direct actions and his playlist, this will be our only way of getting to know The Killer. Yes, the narration device of voiceover or V.O. in movies and television in years past had been shunned and vilified in the world of professional screenwriting. As a scriptwriter, I was taught to stay away from it when possible, but also to embrace it if it’s truly called for. Now, this is a David Fincher joint; you know this ain’t his first rodeo with the device. He plays in it as Johnny Marr would play in harmonics, so I’m all in. This Killer’s voice exudes equal parts detachment and bonhomie. He’s addressing us directly, but at times he’s just amusing himself and it’s feeling like a fucking back massage to experience.

“But I haven’t got a stitch to wear”

We kick it off in Paris. Amid the piercingly gorgeous rococo architecture, The Killer (Michael Fassbender) awaits The Target (Endre Hules) in an almost monastic fashion, like a hunter in a perch, setting the film’s pace. We wait with the protagonist because we have to. We never take our eyes off of him, not for a second. We follow his every movement. From his stretching regimen to his routine naps in order to stay vigilant to his bromides and insights, our sights are set on him as he prepares for The Target. Could we be the hunter as well? I mean it definitely feels as if we’re almost watching a nature documentary.

Donning some really nice, brightly colored digs, complete with a bucket hat, The Killer doesn’t look like any assassin I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t possess the trench, beanie, and tea shades of Leon (though we do see him nap in sunglasses later). I suppose I’ve seen a similar “German tourist” look in the Hitman franchise, because for both Agent 47 and this guy, it’s not a uniform, it’s camouflage. My guy doesn’t need a damn tactical suit like John Wick because the methodology behind his look is tactical to a floral button-down tee, which is pretty rad because it makes the most sense. In his words, “…at least avoid being memorable.”

It’s been five days. I like this a lot. It forces us to have patience with The Killer, to take a seat and pull up an ear for more of him waxing philosophically. With a movie title like The Killer, we’re expecting guns, grit, and gasoline because that’s what we were fucking fed for the last few years! What we if took a breath, put on some Smiths, and let the reward come to us, as a successful hunt should be.

I can feel your heartbeat. — Let’s make this a slow jam.

“I know, I know, it’s really serious”

In sniping, nothing is left to chance. Everything must be precise. However, statistics only get you so far. You can’t account for every single thing, you can only plan for it. Even then, nobody’s perfect. Suffice it to say, The Killer flubbed this shit. He flubbed it but good. Now, he did specify that he wasn’t a big fan of long-distance shit. If we remember anything from Leon: The Professional, sniper rifles are for novices. The fact that this motherfucker is most at home with the most intimate of killings in creatively staged accidents is ball-retracting chilling.

We don’t know this guy’s backstory, only their worldview and just now the shit show that’s landed on their doorstep. It’s a smart move because we don’t need much. If we’re in The Killer’s mind, his disquietude becomes ours, with his Cobra-like reflexes in self-erasure from a crime scene being just as entrancing as the location he’s in. It’s like watching a flower bloom before your very eyes, which makes the floral shirt so much more apt.

He’s now batting nine hundred and I’m finding myself stressing with him. Fassbender has a talent for showing ever-so-subtle cracks in this guy’s steely-eyed composure, especially when his boss is freaking the fuck out. His anticipatory instincts serve him well to change the flight last minute, but this is all about taking Mr. Perfect out of his comfort zone. This comes in the form of collateral damage in our second act.

“My only weakness is a list of crime”

Even when confronted with the rippling effect of an incomplete task, in this case, goons breaking into his hideout in the Dominican Republic, sexually assaulting his romantic partner Magdala (Sophie Charlotte) for info she never gives up, The Killer’s voice only grows icier in its resolve. Still, his soothing tone flies in the face of his actions, with the cadence of someone recording a memoir as he tags, tails, and hurts methodically all the way to the top, starting with his first “improvised” kill of a livery driver before heading to his former academic mentor and current employer, The Lawyer (Charles Parnell) and his secretary Dolores (Kerry O’Malley) in New Orleans before we get to Magdala’s assailant, The Brute (Sala Baker) in Florida. When I say this is a fight for the ages, it truly is.

It’s David and Goliath Disparity type shit and I’m all here for it. Shit, The Killer’s been talking our ears off for the last hour and a half, I would now like to see how his calisthenics pay off. You have size vs. speed and thanks to the beautifully choreographed stunt work, it plays out like a brilliant ballet of brutality in which everything not tied down is used to buy just a fraction of an adrenaline-drenched second. So much for “not improvising.” The fight looked damn good as if it were shot through the lens of an eu de toilette commercial, making it truly a set piece and a half. Give the Fassbender, Baker, stunt people, production designers, prop department, and sound designers their fucking roses.

“Please keep me in mind”

Many times, characters with “certain skill sets,” as dope as they may be at first, are poorly written because in all cases, they mainly have the upper hand which is fucking boring. They operate with the elegance of a basic directional pad in their thoughts and actions because their black-and-white autonomy isn’t being tested enough. In this case, you take a star and make him doubt himself. It’s subtle, but therein lies what makes Fassbender’s assassin so memorable.

True, from old TV sitcom aliases to vast amounts of coin to storage units as makeshift safe houses complete with “to-go” kits, The Killer is never ridden hard and put up wet the way John Wick was. He’s not ‘inherited a problem’ like Leon. I don’t want to bring it back to Fight Club, but The Killer’s only true enemy is himself, which is fabulous because you can never outrun your shadow, just wait for it to go to sleep.

The Killer isn’t some demon stirred so rudely from his ancient slumber. He’s simply a skilled practitioner in a highly exclusive service, enjoying what he does, or at the very least, not running away from it. He’s like Jay Leno in that he’s touched much of his “Tonight Show money.” I believe that he at least likes what he does. He’s in his prime, and his method for getting in and getting out is so beautiful to watch because it’s just as uncomplicated and single-serving as his personality. That being said, I like that as cool and compartmentalized as the man typically is, the external entropy and internal chaos as a direct result of his own actions hem and haw at this very crucial edge, making him even more engaging as the movie progresses.

“So drink, drink drink”

It’s only when we hit the third act that the momentum itself takes a bit of a nap as well. The Killer arrives in New York to meet with The Expert (Tilda Swinton). He’s not there for the cuisine or vintage whiskey drams. He’s there to listen. So am I. I could listen to Tilda all day, however, but I’ve seen enough of this lately to be kind of tired of it; a prestige actor in a high-positioned role that runs the potential risk of being just a fancy Pez dispenser for cheap exposition. I ain’t mad at it though because she does to The Killer exactly what the killer does to us by spoon-feeding him a bit of food for thought through humor. However, she did it with a grizzly bear joke as philosophical as it is comical.

Finally, it’s off to Chicago. With the voices of those hurt or killed as a result of his actions serving as a new mantra, The Killer slithers his way to The Client (Arliss Howard) in a way that sheer pleasure to witness. Money can buy you a lot of things, but it can’t buy you peace of mind and The Client filling in the missing pieces of the blood-soaked puzzle does little to assuage The Killer, but he does get to suck air for another day. Are those the floral notes of empathy I sense?

“Driving in your car, I never ever want to go home”

I’ll keep it a stack. My initial disappointment in the movie was the usage of the soundtrack. I’m not familiar with the source material, but neither was I the first time I watched Fight Club. I don’t know how much killing actually goes on in the comic book itself, but I was anticipating full-fledged vignettes for each kill, nearly full-length Smiths songs, each a sonic reflection of the creative dispatching… until it was brought to my attention in the opening credits this was scored by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. By the beginning of the end credits with the melodic rattle of Marr’s acoustic guitar and militant jangle of Rourke’s bass on “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” everything fucking made sense to me. The Killer is sad. His line of work is fucking grisly. Death is his business. As a Smiths fan 20 years strong, happy as they sound, you don’t listen to them in hopes it’s going to be a good day. The Smiths. Sad music for sad people.

Having watched it twice for this review, I realized that just a hair above two hours (yes!) the shit’s just a solid work of art, through and through. It’s like a big hunk of Brazilian cherry wood that’s been hewn, sanded, treated, and conditioned to make a one-of-a-kind centerpiece that stands out a mile away for its audacity, elegance, and odd, alien familiarity. This movie is elevated in its simplicity. It’s lush in its pin-drop moments as well as its blood-soaked ones. The Killer’s taciturn wit serves as the intoxicating elixir, an assurance to himself as well as us that everything’s going to be alright. Each frame of this movie I could fucking hang on my wall. David Fincher once again enlists Academy Award-winning Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt (Mank) for a film I can only hope gets made into an art book at some point. The adapted screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en) has some serious heat on it. It’s lean, slick, and packs a wallop. I think it goes without saying that Fassbender should absolutely be on the list of Oscar nominees.

It truly was the rewatch for me that cinched it. Something I didn’t catch the first time. The ending credits song is “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” It’s a very jangly, jaunty joint with funerary lyrics through a sardonic wit. This is precisely what the killer sounds like when he speaks to us. The song, despite poetically waxing of despair, shyness, and dread, there exists no hint of aloofness, despite the lyrics “If a ten-ton truck, kills the. both of us/ To die by your side/Well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine.” The songs are ultimately about hope.

A light that never goes out represents a house that’s always open, a place that’s always welcoming. In the tune, Morrissey pleads with his driver to take him “anywhere” because (like the transient Killer), he doesn’t really have a home. Though Morrissey also follows that up with “I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care,” he really does. So does The Killer, ultimately breaking his cardinal rule of actually “giving a fuck.”

Give Mr. Fincher his gladioli.

4.5/5 Stars.

Loki finds his “Glorious Purpose” in the season finale

Norton

We start the episode off where the last one ended – with Loki in control of his time slipping. His initial efforts to fix the loom fail, leading him to revisit his confrontation with Kang. It appears that death was just part of the plan for Kang. He’s been in a never-ending cycle with Loki, having the same conversation about his fate trying unsuccessfully to convince the God of Mischief to allow him to win. Trying to show Loki that killing Sylvie is the best course of action, not only for himself, but for Loki and the universe as a whole. Still, Loki isn’t one to be told what has to be.

After a few other visits to past moments the trickster god gets a solid idea of what he ultimately needs to do. Destroying something isn’t the worst outcome so long as you replace it with something better. And, while the TVA isn’t a perfect institution, the temporal loom is an inherently selfish and cruel device designed to benefit one man and one man alone. In the end He Who Remains doesn’t give a shit about the world or any of the people in it, he’s there for the glory. He revels in it, believing himself to be right above all others. But Loki knows what it is to lose, to fight, to evolve and learn from his mistakes – he understands the importance of free will. Oddly in direct contrast to his infamous speech from The Avengers.

In the end, Loki does lose, but losing is put into perspective allowing him to finally “win” as it were. Confused? Yeah, I think that’s the point.

It’s a powerful season (potentially series) finale. High concept as all hell, but well executed and better understood with a few follow up views – and some internet sleuthing. Ultimately, Loki gets the throne he so desperately wanted, then didn’t want, becoming the center of the World Tree (Yggdrasil). He is now the God of Stories – a title he picked up in the Marvel Comics – a multiversal being capable of rewriting and creating the “stories” of all those around him. In this case it seems he’s more interested in maintaining and protecting these “stories” (the timelines, I’m guessing) than creating or rewriting them. This sequence is amazing, visually. Watching Loki go from a cog in the machine of the TVA, stepping out into the temporal radiation, to transform into his full god self – complete with horns. Then, as he uses his magic to break the loom, and take hold of the branches, before vanishing with the timelines to the End of Time to take his place on the throne. My favorite image is the World Tree itself – it is beautiful.

What does all this mean for the show? Personally, I don’t think a season 3 should happen. We got a lot of questions answered here and the main protagonist got a hell of a resolution. Mobius’ past with Ravonna was revealed – he failed to kill a child variant (I’m thinking Kid Loki), which is how he got demoted to an analyst and she got promoted to a judge. We learned that Kang allowed himself to be killed by Sylvie in order to prove he’s inevitable. The TVA, as predicted, evolved into a Kang hunting force among other things. It also looks to be an agent for unification between the various timelines. Sure, questions still remain – will Miss Minutes go back to being a murderous love-sick AI? Will Mobius kill and replace his exiting self? Where is Sylvie going to go? How exactly does the TVA work now? Is Ravonna gonna survive the land of lokis? Probably my biggest one: why did Kang give Loki the ability to time slip?

Actually, the better question is how. If you pay attention to the end of the first season, the why isn’t much of a curiosity. Kang explains that he’s tired. He’s willing to give up the throne to Loki and Sylvie so long as they take up his cause. Giving Loki the ability to time slip might have just been a way to prolong the sales pitch, especially since he could see Sylvie wasn’t going to bite. But Kang is, as we know, an ordinary human being – he’s not a god who can grant powers to someone. So…how exactly does he grant the trickster god his new trick? We’ll never know, unless they do a prequel or cover it in some other MCU project. Frankly, I’m OK with the mystery.

I doubt Mobius will do any harm to his timeline self, if anything, he might find a timeline where he died and assume that life, or make a life for himself ala Sylvie on another timeline. Sylvie will also likely continue her exploration of what it is to be alive – if anyone deserves a spin-off series, I think it’s her. Ravonna should be fucked, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she wrangles the Lokis and makes herself Queen of the Void. As for the TVA, that could also be fodder for a spin-off series.

The main argument against a third season would be Loki himself. Now that he sits at the center of the World Tree, how do you handle him in a new season? If a third season were to happen it would likely involve either a way for the Story God to visit the worlds he’s protecting, OR, explore the life of another Loki variant. Again, my vote would be for Sylvie, though even if it was another Tom Hiddleston Loki variant, Sylvie could easily make an appearance. Hell, you could even throw in Mobius, the TVA, and Ravonna, but honestly? This was such a perfect ending the series that it would be a disgrace to continue.

Make a spin-off series if anything, but please, greedy capitalist media moguls don’t make a third season! I hate even numbers, abhor them, but even I can admit a third season would be a huge mistake. Let Loki rest in peace. Hasn’t he earned it?

Upload Episode 3×8 Review: Is “Flesh and Blood” Meaty Enough for a Finale?

Robert Kijowski

Nathan and Nora Finale — We know all victories have a shelf life in the world of Upload.

Review

With Dr. Kapoor now six feet under because he knew too much, the season finale of Upload titled “Flesh and Blood” throws us right on the trial, where Holden (Kristine Cofsky) exposes Horizen’s ad campaign aimed towards children for Lakeview. While putting Lucy (Andrea Rosen) under scrutiny is mildly satisfying to me, it’s downright bliss to Karina (Jeanine Mason), which skeeves out Aleesha (Zainab Johnson) with each passing comment. I get their relationship and where it plays in it all, but if they wrote this relationship to be only shallow, I’ve absolutely no problem with that. I don’t know if there’s much there worth exploring outside of a means to an end.

Nathan (Robbie Amell) proposes to Nora (Andy Allo) a trip to Montreal but there’s little to no room left for guessing why. They all but shove it in Nora’s face. What I’m taken about slightly is that she’s taken aback. Sure, she’s got a lot on her plate, but knowing the location is a honeymoon destination and not putting two and two together I ain’t exactly buying. It is interesting, however, to know that in the projected future, North America will have its own Paris in Quebec.

Nathan asking Luke (Kevin Bigley) to be his best man is a pretty joyous moment and for a second, I think that the same thing’s going to happen when Luke gets a call from backup Nathan asking him the same but with regards to Ingrid. In a classic tale of wires getting crossed, Luke would think Nathan’s getting “Upload dementia” or something, inadvertently spilling the beans harder than Kevin in The Office, setting up for a very messy outcome at the end of the episode. Nope. No such luck.

In this episode, we keep Aleesha (Zainab Johnson) Luke’s priority, which is what I’ve been waiting for. They want to take down Karina, enlisting Tinsley (Mackenzie Cardwell) and AI Guy (Owen Daniels). Tinsley’s ditzyness is momentarily played up a bit more than usual which would typically be annoying to me, but at this point, I don’t care. It’s not that I’ve thrown up the white flag on Tinsley but in a finale, moments have to pop, and her splash of uber-gullibility coupled with AI’s desire to feel more human brightens an otherwise simple setup to a fun plan that’s not super distracting to the rest of the story, as I’m a fan as any of group hijinks, which is a department they’ve been lacking in, so I’m happy with whatever the show throws me in the 11th hour.

I’m also a fan of the one person who can seemingly fall Horizen is not only the most accessible but also the hardest to flip. Looks like Nora and Nathan have to wine and dine Ingrid (Allegra Edwards). Hoo boy. The design of the swanky LA restaurant is based on the fucking horror show that is the Red Lobster lobby, except with livestock. It’s definitely a more effective satirical jab than the shock and awe of a fucking Cow-terpiller, but they actually work better together as a commentary.

Even though Nora is ravishing in red, all I see is red with her not picking up on the whole Montreal thing at dinner. It’s simply out of character for the typically on-the-take Nora, but I’m immediately distracted by Nathan 2.0’s good news to both IRL Nathan and Nora. I’m giddy because this means that some shit’s about to go down in the worst way. I love a series that has a talent for making hopeful territory fertile ground for catastrophic outcomes. That isn’t a slight in the slightest.

Ingrid does take some convincing, but Nora delivers on that with quite possibly the most important opening statement of her pre-law career before we check in with backup Nathan and a disaster waiting to happen at a beautifully lit area of Lakeview’s woods when he pops Ingrid the question. It goes as well as you think it would in the world of Upload, but at least we get to see AI Guy in his best outfit this season. This does lead to one of my bigger caveats with the episode.

Ingrid right before stepping into court is probably the most paralyzed and vulnerable we’d ever seen her but giving her very little choice in being a hero isn’t giving her much of a sympathetic angle from all of the horrid behavior she’d exemplified this season. There is absolutely nothing for her at stake since she’s already cut off from her family. There isn’t any risk of death or even losing her own Nathan for the sake of upload-kind.

Ingrid’s questioning of her standing with backup Nathan is completely valid seeing what Nora went through, but her waterworks do not seem earned. Even with Allegra giving it her all, it’s not punching hard enough because she was kept annoyingly spiteful and insecure the entire goddamn time. I’ll sidestep that for a brief moment to address Nora’s blind spot with Montreal.

Montreal ain’t the problem. It’s the damn lack of communication between her and Nathan throughout these eight damn episodes. With Nathan now a flesh-and-blood reality, they ironically couldn’t be farther apart in their interactions. Yes, their whole arc this season had flashes of unbridled warmth and inspired brilliance, but also many moments of utter aloofness and embarrassing vacuity.

I’ve proposed a few possible explanations. A.) Nathan truly hasn’t been carrying his own weight in showing affection B.) Nora’s the one who’s checked out C.) They both don’t care anymore D.) Their dynamics have unintentionally failed this season. E.) Their relationship is way more complicated than we think and is more representative of the true caprice in human beings.

With this being a comedy-drama, not the other way around, my money sadly is on “D.” It’s fucking hard to paint a hopeful picture of something that you may be too close to that can hold a lot of pain. The doubts in Nora and even Nathan throughout this whole season represent something so fucking raw and real with long-distance relationships. How do you inject hope into something with such a dismal success rate? Clearly, Upload hasn’t cracked that code yet. Their relationship this whole season seemed way more closed off when out in the real world and though most signs point to them getting together in the end, I’m just not rooting for them nearly as much as I should be.

Ingrid putting a target on Nathan through her impassioned declaration of love for an upload was a nice noose-tying of her own because it was an honest and heartfelt mistake, which is what makes what happens after her day in court when she comes home to Lakeview and a very understanding and loving Nathan a bit more… promising.

I was given the glimpse that Ingrid would have to lose majorly this season early on when they refused to show any real improvement in her character. Major shifts in a character’s personality are so much the fashion these days as a prologue to a major event in the finale, it’s not even shocking anymore. However, throwing something majorly painful at Ingrid is the only way we’ll see any character development in her. She’s not suffered enough to know what true happiness is, so I’m hoping that’s where the fourth season goes.

Ultimately, a battle’s been won in court but the war wages on. Sure, Horizen’s been fingered in the suit, and a landmark case had been won, resulting in a payout and peace of mind for the Freeyond victims, but IRL Nathan is no longer the property of Horizen which keeps him undocumented and now, detained. What’s more, Horizen’s still got the upper hand with a rebrand, now allowing all uploads to work, which will most likely bring in some lofty labor law commentary. These two revelations are a great setup for next season. I love that the people we care about are in for a Sysphean uphill battle. That’s the great part of this show. They put these people through the wringer… just some more unduly than others.

But that’s not what you’ve read up until this point are here for. What do I think about the final cliffhanger? I think it’s drawn me back in. For all of the gripes I’ve had with this season being more fulfilling than last season, but less punchy than the first, for the first time this season, they’ve given me a hopeful moment that I can count on in the elimination of a Nathan. Maybe we can start moving along with some true character development for Ingrid now?

4/5 Stars.

The Marvels Review: Higher, Further, Faster!

Josh Speer

Generally, when I go to watch a Marvel movie, I go for the veteran characters. Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man and the like. Which makes it so unusual that the reason I went to watch The Marvels wasn’t Captain Marvel, nor was it the incomparable Monica Rambeau. No, it was all about Kamala Khan, at least for this fan. And while I went for the delightful acting of Iman Vellani, I’m glad I stayed. Because The Marvels was not only full of heart, but it has some amazing fight sequences and great character interactions.

To the surprise of nobody, the reason that the three main characters get entangled is because of the actions of the villain, the Supremor Dar-Benn. This twisted zealot is like Ronan the Accuser on steroids, and determined to make Hala whole and livable again. A noble enough endeavor in theory, except that she plans to do so by stealing resources from other planets. Worse, she has the means to do so. First thing in the movie, she finds the twin bangle to Kamala’s, and uses it to devastating effect, opening a rift in spacetime.

Believe it or not, that’s not much of a spoiler, at least if you have seen any of the trailers. That said, I will do my best as always to avoid the biggest ones. Though in fairness, there are not many big surprises in the movie, outside of the mind blowing mid-credits scene that every fan of the MCU should already know to sit and watch for. That aside, let’s talk about what makes The Marvels so much fun.

Like many other Marvel movies, this is a rollercoaster. It starts fast, and though it occasionally slows down, it’s never for long. Usually it does so to give us a training montage or flashback for context. I admit I forgot how Monica is connected to Carol, so I really appreciated some of those flashbacks. In many ways, this is a movie you can only truly appreciate if you’ve seen a ton of series on Disney+. Specifically, Ms. Marvel, WandaVision and, to a lesser degree Secret Invasion, on top of the Captain Marvel movie. That’s a lot of viewing, almost making The Marvels feel like a mini Avengers team up of sorts.

One thing I liked about the movie is how each of the main characters has a purpose on the team. Carol is the brute force, Monica is the brain, and Kamala is the beating heart that draws them all together. She’s also hilarious, regularly fangirling, yelling “Twinsies!” and reminiscing “Oh captain, my captain” as she stares wistfully at her favorite blonde bombshell (while an exhausted Monica simply rolls her eyes).

Each of them also gets their own amazing comedic moments, such as Carol’s look of pure panic as she crash lands in the Khan household, and tries to walk covertly outside with mixed results. Or Monica’s patience with Kamala as she keeps trying to workshop a nickname for the former Lieutenant Trouble. Hell, even Nick Fury gets in on the fun, yelling at Monica to use “Black Girl Magic” to finally fly and save an endangered plummeting Kamala.

As if that wasn’t enough, Kamala’s family is also very present in the movie, with her mother stealing the camera more than once, and providing some amazingly uncomfortable laughs. Her dad and brother also get dragged into space by a series of events, and let’s just say Dad doesn’t like Nick Fury’s space elevator. Also, as a fan of all things feline, I’m very happy that Goose gets lots of cameos in The Marvels! Not only does the space kitty terrify Kamala, but she manages to save the day during a very tense sequence on the S.A.B.E.R. station. I won’t spoil it, but it’s amazing and easily one of my favorite scenes outside of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

Also, did I mention the fight scenes? Not only are they well choreographed, but many of them take place in multiple locations simultaneously, taking good advantage of the swapping mechanic afflicting the three ladies. The first big fight nearly destroys the Khan house, and they don’t get much calmer from there. Once the big bad realizes Kamala has what she most desires, they get even more intense.

The smartest thing about The Marvels is how Carol is forced to work with a team. By herself, Captain Marvel is a cosmic hero, capable of almost anything. So it’s hard to make a villain to counter that sort of power. But here, she’s constantly foiled by the entangling. Worse (for her, at least), Dar-Benn’s bangle can absorb light energy, which she uses to great effect to thwart Carol’s best attempts to defeat her. Not to mention, she swings a pretty mean hammer.

As to why Dar-Benn is so pissed off, let’s just say the movie is all about unintended consequences, and there’s definitely some collateral damage. Dar-Benn’s first atrocity forces our team to save as many Skrull refugees as possible from a dying planet, and Kamala definitely takes it hard when they can’t save everyone. Not to mention, Carol has some dark history she’s afraid to face, but which eventually is forced into the light of day.

Though the movie’s not perfect, and definitely can strain credulity as far as how the powers involved work, I still rather enjoyed The Marvels. Kamala and company make a surprisingly effective team, and the aftermath of the movie sets up some fun possibilities. Don’t buy the negative talk about the decline of the MCU. This movie shows there’s lots of potential in the stories yet to be told.

‘When Evil Lurks’ Review: Bleak and Brutal Film Revels in the Visceral Horror of Demonic Possession

Sunil Patel

When Evil Lurks gripped me far more tightly than Terrified, Argentinian writer-director Demián Rugna once again displaying his talent at crafting unnerving imagery but now offering more in the way of worldbuilding, narrative, and emotional investment in characters to deliver a brutal, nihilistic horror film that will satisfy those who are into that sort of thing and traumatize those who aren’t. Like Talk to Me, it’s got a fresh new take on demonic possession, but unlike that film’s more obvious metaphor, this one has an idea so cool and horrifying I’m surprised I haven’t seen it done before.

Most possession horror treats possession as an extraordinary event that occurs to a single person. Rugna, however, posits a world that feels almost post-apocalyptic, where demonic possession is common enough that the police don’t want to deal with it, but uncommon enough that you as an individual might still find it extraordinary when you witness your first possessed one. Which is what happens to brothers Pedro and Jimmy after they investigate some mysterious gunshots in the middle of the night—I love that this film wastes no time, its plot kicking off immediately from the opening scene, the entire rest of the film occurring because Pedro and Jimmy heard some mysterious gunshots in the middle of the night.

This is one of those films that’s best to go in knowing nothing about it because Rugna, as was clear from Terrified, likes to just throw the audience into a world and let them figure out what’s going on and why. There are certain approaches to genre that really appeal to me, and they’re opposites. One is where the film exists in a very heightened world and simply asks you to accept that it’s quite different from our own. The other is where the film exists in a very grounded world that integrates the genre element into it so seamlessly and matter-of-factly that there’s almost an element of cognitive dissonance because the world is too close to our own. This film does the latter brilliantly, and so we learn the rules of this world by observing what the characters who know the rules of this world say and do. (And Rugna’s kind enough to give us a scene where a character literally lists the rules of this world and a scene where a character provides a bit of backstory about the origins of this world.)

Rugna doesn’t explain everything, but he explains just enough to be able to follow what’s going on without demystifying the supernatural horror. There’s no sound effect or visual effects to indicate when people are possessed, for instance. You just…know. Because they are…off. And also they will violently kill someone. That’s usually a good sign they’re possessed.

Once things start going bad, they just get…worse and worse, as Pedro and Jimmy attempt to escape with their family. And people weren’t kidding, this movie gives no fucks. Don’t get attached to anyone. But also do, because no one feels disposable here! I actually cared about the fucking characters, unlike in Terrified. Ezequiel Rodriguez and Demián Salomon have good older brother/younger brother chemistry, and I spent the entire movie waiting for something bad to happen to one or both of them.

The film establishes early on how few fucks it gives and what lines it’s willing to cross, so that keeps things niiiiiice and tense for the rest of the movie. Although to be honest, from the way people were talking about this movie, I was expecting a lot worse. Rugna’s violence is vicious and unexpected, and he gives some gore but, again, not as much as I expected from what I’d heard. It’s the sort of movie where you think you see more than you actually see because the impact is just so hard.

And he’s operating on a psychological level as well, evoking the supernatural dread of the demon’s ultimate goal, the eerie hopelessness of seeing or hearing a loved one possessed by a demon, and the uncanny spookiness of creepy fuckin’ children. This is an intentionally distressing film, and Rugna knows what he’s doing. God, the precise and controlled camera work here is so masterful, and Pablo Fuu’s score really adds to the atmosphere.

The film does make a couple of missteps. One of Pedro’s sons, Jair, is nonverbal autistic, and I’ll admit I just assume any portrayal of a nonverbal autistic character in a movie, especially a horror movie, is offensive in some way because, you know, film history. Here, the character himself seems fine until it becomes clear the only reason he’s autistic is so the film can play with the intersection of autism and demonic possession in this world, which veers into Magical Autism territory…until it doesn’t? I don’t know, feels like the film still could have gotten to the ending it wanted without being another horror movie that’s not great about disability.

And speaking of that ending, I did like the resolution of the demon storyline, but the denouement/punchline relies on characters somehow…forgetting about another character until it’s relevant. There’s a bit of messiness in the second half for sure compared to the expert build of the first half.

When Evil Lurks delivers on the visceral horror of demonic possession, but it has more than blood and guts on its mind. There’s a lot to unpack with regards to what the possession represents—one character compares it to a disease, and indeed a lot of the individual and community reactions do mirror reactions to communicable disease—and what the construction of this world is meant to say about our own. It seems telling, for instance, that you’re not supposed to use firearms on a possessed one. Rugna does not find much light in this world—and definitely not electric ones, which produce some subtle shadow effects I wanted more of yet almost found scarier for the fact that the film didn’t call attention to them—but that doesn’t mean he’s not trying to shine a light on something or other. And after this movie, you just might want to keep the lights on.

Blue Eye Samurai is the Best New Animated Show of the Year

Victor Catano

One of the features of Netflix is that thing often just appear, without warning, and can be easily overlooked if you don’t happen to check your home page the day they’re released.

This almost happened to me with Blue Eye Samurai, an animated martial arts revenge thriller. I had heard nothing about this show before its release. If I hadn’t heard something about it on social media, I might have skipped it entirely. I’m not a big anime guy, but the reviews were so glowing that I decided to watch an episode.

And I am so glad I did. This is, unquestionably, the best animated show of the year, and the best animated show Netflix has put out since season one of Arcane. (Hey, speaking of Arcane, when is Season 2 coming out, Netflix?)

Created by the husband-and-wife team of Michael Green and Amber Noizumi, the story offers a twist on the revenge plot so popular in samurai and martial arts movies. There is a lot of weight given to what revenge costs and how it weighs on the soul. Green was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay to Logan, and you can see a bit of that DNA in the script.

The story is set in feudal Japan in the mid-1600s, after Japan has closed its borders to the outside world. Mizu (voiced by Maya Erskine) is the title character. The blue eyes come from from her mixed-race heritage. When she was born, there were only four white men in Japan. Mizu’s plan is to kill each one as revenge for making her a mixed-race bastard and an outcast. So she wears colored glasses to hide her eyes. And since revenge and swordplay are not paths open to women, she must disguise herself as a man as well.

On her quest, she meets a variety of characters, including the lovable Ringo (voiced by Masi Oka). Ringo sees Mizu dispatch some villains in his father’s noodle shop and immediately decides to become her apprentice, much to Mizu’s annoyance. Ringo has no hands, and he feels a kinship to Mizu because they’re both “deformed.” He can still make great noodles and medicinal brews, though. Ringo fills the archetype of the good-natured lummox with hidden depth splendidly. Ringo is fantastic. If Ringo is not your favorite character, we cannot be friends.

She also comes across Taigen (Darren Barnet), a samurai in a town she passes through. After defeating everyone in his dojo because they won’t give her the information she wants that will lead her to the first white man she wants to kill, she proceeds to humiliate him by lopping off his topknot. This enrages him so much that he follows after to demand a rematch. This in turn causes his fiancée, Princess Akemi (Brenda Song), to chase after him lest her father marry her off to the Shogun’s cruel son. Akemi is more than just a lovestruck girl, however, and over the series shows resilience and intelligence. Akemi is accompanied by her governor, Seki, voiced by George Takei, and George Takei gets to say some absolutely bad ass lines. Holding a sword to a bandit’s throat, he says “It’s been a long time since I killed a man. I wonder if I remember how…”

Believe me when I tell you that the animation is gorgeous It’s a combination 2D and 3D techniques, and it looks spectacular. Every frame is beautiful. There’s a fight on a beach at sunset, where the red waves are crashing as the two enemies fight, mimicking waves of blood.

And the action! These are beautifully choreographed fights, fluid and vicious. There’s a sequence where Mizu has to defend a brothel from about one hundred hoodlums, all armed with Wolverine-claw gauntlets. There’s another where she fights off four assassins called the Four Fangs while doing handsprings down a cliff face. It is spectacular. It’s amazing, yet it all feels realistic and grounded, and not at all weightless like it would if this was CGI in a live-action film.

This is very adult animation, and not just because of the violence and sex. (Though to be clear, the violence is very graphic, with limbs flying, blood spraying, and people being disemboweled. And so is the nudity and sex, as a couple of episodes take place almost entirely in brothels.) This also covers a lot of adult topics, like class, racism, and sexism. The show is very explicit about how badly people treat Mizu when they see her eyes, spitting insults like “half-breed,” and how limited the options are for women.

If you’ve been looking for a new show that’s great to look at, with memorable characters, and some great dialogue, get to your device of choice right now and start watching. Get those numbers up, because I want to see about 10 more seasons of Mizu’s revenge quest.

‘Quantum Leap’ revisits a dark piece of Asian American history in “One Night in Korea Town”

Mary Fan

Quantum-Leap-Koreatown-riot-episode — Image: NBC

Looking back on how American history was taught back when I was in school, it often felt literally Black and white. Which was odd for someone who, as the child of Chinese immigrants, was neither. Even as I entered my college years and beyond, even as civil rights matters surged back into headlines, throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s, I often felt like I existed in some kind of null space outside the world the rest of America — at least the one that was being written and talked about in the media — seemed to exist in. Everything I know about Asian American history, I learned on my own, reading and watching documentaries in an attempt to fill in the gaps left by the American education system.

I remember a few brief lessons in school about the 1992 LA riots, and they all focused on how the riots erupted after a Black man, Rodney King, was brutally beaten by white police officers, who were then acquitted. What they never taught us was that a second injustice — the murder of a 15-year-old Black girl, Latasha Harlins, by a Korean store owner, and that store owner’s subsequent light sentence — played a part as well.

“One Night in Korea Town,” the fifth episode of Quantum Leap‘s second season, takes Ben to this dark chapter in Asian American history… one that’s too often glossed over or ignored outright. In most of Ben’s leaps, his race is inconsequential; even when he leaps into a person of color, it doesn’t significantly impact his quest. This time, though, Ben leaps into a fellow Korean: the teenaged son of LA sneaker store owner Jin.

In an eerie nod to what happened to Harlins — who was accused of stealing an orange juice for perhaps no reason other than that she was Black — Jin sees a Black teenager, Damien, enter the store and immediately accuses him of trying to steal. Though it turns out Damien is known to Jin’s other son, Sonny.

The episode briefly explores generational tensions between Jin and his two sons. Like many immigrant parents, Jin is very proud of what he has built after arriving in America with nothing and wishes to pass on his legacy to his children. But the boys have different ambitions… Sonny wants to start his own shoe line, with Damien as his designer and business partner, and Ben’s host is planning to join the Marines.

Since, at Ben’s request, Addison is no longer his hologram, Magic is the one who steps into the imaging chamber this week — a necessary move on the part of the writers, since the episode explores tensions between Black and Asian Americans, and so his perspective is vital. Magic is also the only member of Team Quantum Leap that hadn’t taken on the role of hologram yet, and so you could also say it was his turn. I’m glad the show will be rotating who gets to be the hologram this season; Ben and Addison’s drama has been well played out over the course of Season 1 and early Season 2, and it’s nice to give the other characters (who are all excellent) more time to shine.

When the deadly riots break out, Ben learns that his quest this time is to save the people around him. First, a nurse who’d stopped into the store for shoes and would have been caught in the crossfire trying to get home. Then Jin, who arms himself with a rifle and attempts to defend his store.

Tensions and emotions run high as Ben hunkers down with Jin, Sonny, and the nurse in the store, unable to leave without running straight into the violence outside. Magic initially tries to act professionally detached, advising Ben on strategy. But when he sees Damien, who’s fated to be mistaken for a rioter and shot by police, the leap gets personal. Because Magic knows what it’s like to be treated like a criminal because of his race alone — it happened to him as a young soldier. And he was there for the 1967 race riots.

The episode also gives us a glimpse into Magic’s personal life — something the show has been relatively vague on until now. Turns out he’s more than the tough, competent boss he was portrayed as in Season One. Now, he’s also struggling with alcoholism, exacerbated by the stress of Ben’s disappearance and the loss of Quantum Leap during the three-year time jump. And he’s been dating Beth Calavicci — Al’s widow.

This iteration of Quantum Leap has placed great emphasis on humanizing its characters — both its regulars and its guests — and takes special care to give each and every one emotional depth. “One Night in Korea Town” does a particularly good job of doing that for Magic and adding layers to a character we already know and love. Ben was the main character of this episode, but Magic was truly the standout.

There’s a lot to unpack in this episode, and given the heavy topic it chose to tackle, its conclusion feels a bit overly optimistic, wrapping everything up in a little too neat a bow. But then again, that optimism has been a part of Quantum Leap‘s DNA since the very first episode of the original show. After all, the entire premise of the show is that it’s possible to change history for the better. And let’s face it, we could all use a happy ending now and then.

5/5 stars

Upload Episode 3×7 Review: In “Upload Day”, the Only Display of Growth is Sadly in Ingrid’s Nose

Robert Kijowski

Review:

The penultimate episode of Upload (Prime Video) season three opens on Nathan’s new base of operations in Lakeview, a white space with a very comfortable chair. The idea of having Nathan (Robbie Amell) affixed to Nora (Andy Allo) like Iron Man’s “Football” armor is really appealing, especially when mobile. Their using the twenty minutes affectionally before Nathan uploads is the perfect setup for impending doom. I mean, the look of love in bed could make anybody delay the inevitable. It’s a tried trope for a reason. I’ll give them credit, they laid out the 1-2 punch of “that doesn’t sound good” and “once again for those in the cheap seats”. Happy “Upload Day”, IRL Nathan.

The one thing I’ve found most depressingly consistent in this season so far is dropping the ball with Ingrid (Allegra Edwards), and I’m confident to report this episode doesn’t disappoint. Her grilling Nathan 2.0 about the time spent in the Memory Parlor with Nora is truly grating, but not for the reason intended. I’ll fucking bitch about Ingrid’s portrayal until it’s remedied. Her asking Tinsley (Mackenzie Cardwell) to prepare Nora’s skin is not only creepy (which I’m sure is the point) but also very gross in a manipulative way on her behalf. It’s as if ya’ll didn’t realize there’s a common enemy that’s actually evil.

Ingrid playing Nora just feels wrong — not because it’s a white woman donning a person of color’s digital skin, but because it’s all in the context of the story, but rather because it just seems to be low-down, sickening behavior. We get it. Ingrid’s supposed to be the one you’re rooting against and jealousy’s a beautiful motive, but it shows no growth in the writer’s room concerning her and very much exemplifies that just because a series is set in the future doesn’t guarantee its mindset is caught up.

Luke (Kevin Bigley) requesting to meet Karina to sniff out her character seems like an apt enough choice in the script. It was only a matter of time until it happened anyway. But why now? Last season was so beautiful between him and Aleesha (Zainab Johnson). I have absolutely nothing wrong with Aleesha having someone in the real world, in fact, she is damn deserving of it. However, a juicy setup for a love triangle seems to be shot down when Luke is referred to as a ‘friend’ by Aleesha. On second thought, is yet another love triangle what we really need at this juncture? The penultimate episode should be for all the pieces coming together so we can start to blow them up by the end of our season finale in the next episode, so any unlit sticks of dynamite plot-wise they happen to throw in now just kind of seem like last minute additions.

Speaking of, Nathan 2.0 thanks Ivan (Josh Banday) about the Choak drives, but mum’s the word… between the three. Oh, AI Guy (Owen Daniels) heard it all, and I like that they’re peppering in his expanding humanity. His unbridled desire to tell a secret is enough fuel to propel the scene, in spite of otherwise milquetoast Ivan. I will say that Ivan’s exquisite garb in Lakeview is top-shelf, but even that just seems a glaring way to mask his character’s lack of depth. Josh Banday fucking owns the screen though when he’s on it, so no notes on the acting. He’s truly making lemonade.

Nora wants to make Nathan’s first Upload Day special, including breakfast, and a birthday-gram. Nathan knows you can only delay what’s coming, not eliminate it and as the universe would have it, Nora is called down by Holden (Kristine Cofsky) with a client getting cold feet. I’ll be honest; I eat this stuff up with a tablespoon, just shovel it into my brain, Upload. I love the inherent romance in tragic love. These outcomes you can usually spot from miles away only because they’ve been such an effective tool in storytelling for so long. Timing is so crucial in all of this and as sci-fi as this series is, time is the one uniting factor that makes this series effective in its immediacy. There are very few slow moments overall. The minutes forge on, whether the characters like it or not, and the constant chaos of life is something that could never be too out of reach for us as viewers to read as fiction. These grounding elements keep the clock ticking (and my mind guessing) as to how this will all play out.

The first hit of bad news comes when Choak’s shit is inadmissible by nature of being stolen property while Nathan is a no-go in the witness box because his mind’s owned by Horizen. With Nora still on the hook with Holden in her offices, this delay of celebration has kept me invested as I’m not even trying to think of when the cork will pop but how as he waits for his complimentary meal.

Having Luke set up a date for drinks with “Al” and Karina doesn’t seem out of place, and neither does Karina (Jeanine Mason) switching it to her private executive bar to display her power. Luke not capitulating to her pomp and circumstance but showing his hand by spilling the beans on his hacking ability was a great way to paint a target on his head. Oddly enough, as much as Luke is up there as one of my favorites, his dummkopf moments make a lot more sense than Ingrid’s. For those of you screaming at your screens, hear me out. I don’t care if Luke fucking served under Napoleon himself, even though he’s got a soldier’s heart and fight, him losing the awareness I’m okay with because it kind of would make sense. He ain’t on the battlefield anymore. Far as he’s concerned, this is goddamn Valhalla. He’s allowed to be a bit on the slower side as opposed to Ingrid, who still has a flesh-and-blood vessel in this constant battlefield of the real world. She ought to have a bit more self-preservation than someone who’s already lived their life on this mortal coil.

Ivan sweating a little in Lakeview because of the threat of AI outing him did absolutely nothing for me. It was a thread that went absolutely nowhere. Having Ingrid work in Lakeview because backup Nathan called her bluff didn’t do a damn thing for me either except throw another carrot dangled into the fire. The reason is that Ingrid’s defending of herself comes off as less of taking a brave stand and more of an explicit threat on “Nora’s behalf”, so the optics come off more as “I’m comfortably wreaking havoc in someone else’s name” than “You’ve affronted me and I’m going to verbally rip you a new one.” That’s some cold-hearted shit and if that wasn’t the intention, was a beat with the already comely Ingrid in the body of the also comely Nora weaponizing her sexuality against of bunch of IT nerds even fucking needed?

It’s a fake high. There is no growth, only static in the scene. You could have done anything else. Maybe I’m the dumb one here, but as much as Ingrid’s vapidity suited her well for a while, I’ve always suspected a smarter person on the inside, almost a Paris Hilton type… but the show’s failed us time and again with any depth to her.

If they wanted us to unequivocally rally around a pretty girl being chastised by IT nerds (which is so old-hat it ain’t even funny anymore when technology is so prevalent in our lives), “This is not the way.” Kids are smarter than you think, guys. Her Tiananmen Square moment seems more like a half-written attack on people who were disappointed in someone who couldn’t do her job. We don’t see her actually redeem herself on the remaining jobs. That could have been such a fucking stellar C plot. For a criminally underwritten part, Allegra truly sells what she’s given. The only difference between her and Ivan is I care about what the shit happens to her.

We wind down the episode with news of a surprise star witness as well as Holden offering Nora a job, surely a thread for next season, and get back to Lakeview with Nathan 2.0 wanting Ingrid to spill the beans. She doesn’t (what a shocker) and though this could have been another chance for her redemption, backup Nathan gives her a pass when the “L Word” is dropped. The more I think about it, the more it seems the show is making their relationship less and less meaningful with each passing deception.

The last few minutes of the episode play out in an almost arty way. It’s actually a glaring slow moment, which leaves me conflicted. On one hand, you have this beautiful dip in momentum, a moment of unbridled calmness and happiness. Honestly? Possibly the first real one I’ve seen this season. It’s meant to stand out for a reason so that the final moments of the episode play out in chaos.

I’m going to chalk this up to an unhappy U-Day, for reasons both intended and not. Who knows, maybe I’ll be duly impressed in the finale.

3.5/5 Stars.

Loki asks what’s “Science/Fiction” when it comes to life?

Norton

As predicted, no one’s dead, but they’re not unaffected either. Loki’s time slipping is back – not sure why – and it’s taking him to specific places. The TVA (before its destruction, obviously), Casey’s timeline (who knew the guy was such a rebel!), Sylvie’s timeline (this is an issue we’ll come back to), B-15’s timeline (poor girl still doesn’t get a name), and Mobius’ timeline (the jet ski connection is finally explained), until he seems to settle on O.B.’s timeline.

Lucky for him O.B. is an aspiring science fiction writer who teaches theoretical physics on the side. Since Loki’s tale reminds him of the book he’s unsuccessfully trying to sell, he’s all ears. His theory is that in order to return to the TVA Loki needs to find others who have a strong connection to it. As Loki’s time slipping has taken him to each one of these individuals, O.B. further surmises that the God of Mischief should be able to control it, after all he hasn’t been slipping randomly. Following many failed attempts Loki suddenly slips after giving O.B. the TVA handbook.

From here the episode becomes a heist movie recruitment sequence – especially once O.B. creates a working temp-pad prototype. The added complication of amnesia makes things a bit tricky but seeing a time door goes a long way to changing people’s minds. The only hold out? Sylvie. The Lady Loki is content to be selfish, sticking to her own world while convincing Loki his motives are no less self-serving. The crisis of faith here really doesn’t compute, but it’s a moot point when Sylvie shows up to warn everyone that the thing Loki’s been saying would happen, is. Without the TVA the branched timelines are dying (uh…why? We’ll be coming back to that, no worries). And, while it makes no sense, it proves motive enough for Loki to get his time slipping under control, leaving us with hope for the finale.

Not a bad episode given the weight of the previous one, but it sure has some issues. As mentioned earlier, my biggest problem is the mythology surrounding the TVA, the variants, and the branched timelines. All three are on full display in this episode. Before we get to those, because it will be a long discussion, let me briefly complain about the crisis of faith here.

When Loki goes to 1982 to recruit Sylvie to the cause, she refuses him. She explains that her motives are purely selfish – she wishes to live out her life, left alone by the drama of the TVA. Ok…sure, I get that. She’s got a lot of issues with the TVA for obvious reasons, but then she turns the argument against Loki. Granted, he kind of forces her hand since he doesn’t fathom why she wouldn’t want to help an institution that tried to hunt and kill her for decades just for existing. Still, she pushes him to admit that his desire to save the TVA has nothing to do with “glorious purpose” (in this case saving the universe and all its timelines), but is rather about getting his friends back. It tracks – Loki, like Sylvie, hasn’t exactly had much luck in the way of personal relationships. Even his failed courtship of himself (Sylvie) had to sting, but at the TVA he bonded with Mobius and to an extent with Casey and O.B., this season. However, even if that is true, and his only reason for wanting to save the TVA is to get his friends back is that so terrible? He has faith that the TVA is an important institution to the fabric of the universe, even if logic says otherwise, so saving the TVA, while tied to his friends, is no less important.

There’s also the very real fact that Sylvie isn’t necessary for him to save the TVA. Or she shouldn’t be, all logic considered. Let’s be honest, Sylvie may have strong feelings about the TVA, but she doesn’t have a strong connection to it in the way that O.B. presents it. B-15, Mobius, Casey, and O.B. all make sense because they worked there, for a long time presumably, but Sylvie didn’t. Sylvie spent her time running away from it and hating it, and ultimately tried to destroy it before learning to ignore it entirely. I mean, just take the hint that she doesn’t want to join your mission and move on man, why take the bait and suddenly give up on this thing you’ve been fighting for the entire fucking season?

OK, back to the larger issues at hand. As I understand it, the TVA’s sole purpose was to prevent branched timelines from being created out of the fear that variants of Kang would eventually come into being and lead to a multiversal war. Before the TVA, the timeline branched without issue (excluding the Kangs). So, why, without the TVA, do the branched timelines suddenly die? If it’s a Kang issue – if Kangs are at the source of the problem – at least show some indication of this. There’s zero mythological explanation for why the branched timelines can’t survive without the TVA.

Issue number 2: If the whole purpose of removing variants from the timeline is to prevent branched timelines, then how do the variants of the TVA have lives to return to on branched timelines? The easiest explanation is that without the TVA pruning variants those original branches happened to get recreated by different variants, but that’s me being generous. Realistically, this is a flaw in the logic.

Lastly there’s Loki and Sylvie. Why didn’t they return to their respective branched timelines? Why did they retain their memories? Let’s tackle the latter first.

It’s possible this has to do with their not being a part of the TVA. All the other variants purposely had their memories erased by Kang, but Loki and Sylvie were meant to be pruned so there was no reason to wipe their minds. Though, it does inspire new questions like, how long ago did Kang wipe everyone’s memories? Did he pick the employees specifically and completely all at once and no one new ever joins the ranks? Loki’s story suggests that any new recruits would be shown their ultimate fate, meaning staying at the TVA would be the better option, but then…isn’t everyone’s ultimate fate death? Also, the trajectory of Loki’s life shown to him is a lie if you think about it. Loki is a variant, his branched life could have gone very differently, he may have lived a lot longer than his “sacred timeline” self. The point is, the memory retention can be understood, even without the memory-wipe aspect there’s the fact that Loki and Sylvie are gods. It’s entirely plausible their magic shields them from memory loss, especially given most of their magic is in mental projection and manipulation.

The branched timeline side of things is tricker. Because my argument would have been, well, the branched timelines didn’t happen because they were removed. However, since all the others returned to their respective branched timelines and I already covered how that might be OK, the question remains. For Loki, the time slipping could be key here. Although, that leaves Sylvie without a proper excuse. My theory then becomes due to their magic Loki and Sylvie were able to return to places they wanted to be, instead of places they were supposed to be. Places they felt were “home”.

A small comment on Loki’s time slipping – how exactly is it back? I get that it was tied to the loom and all but, we never really got an explanation for why it started in the first place, so why is it back? I’m gonna go with plot on this one because it appears to be the only solution to the problem of preventing the destruction of the TVA. It also serves as the means by which Loki is reunited with his friends from the TVA. I did notice, and perhaps I missed it the first time around simply because of the novelty of the thing, that it is a purposeful act. When Loki slips into the future, some part of him knows he’ll be there to prune himself. Here, he slips when the effort to speak with his comrades is either impossible or not helpful, just getting a glimpse until O.B.. With O.B. he only slips again once he gives the physicist the key to the TVA.

I’m curious to see where this goes for the finale (also, will it be a series finale?). Since the temp-pad gets built, I don’t think getting the band back together was actually necessary, but for the thing he needs to accomplish he’ll need all the help he can get. I’m expecting Ravonna, Victor, Kang, and Miss Minutes to return. Likely X-5, Dox and the bunch, and D-90 too. Can I get the odds-on Miss Minutes getting a human form? I don’t know the status of a season three, so if this is a series finale, I’m wagering it’ll be an optimistic one.

Will Loki combat Kang? Will he go back and baby Hitler the man at the end of time? Will he build his own TVA and run it with Sylvie for the purposes of good? Only…wait for it…time will tell!

Bad CGI Gator trailer sees Full Moon Features Fully Embracing Their B-Movie Subculture

Christian Angeles

November 8, 2023

Bad CGI Gator is the latest B-Movie gem from indie low-budget filmmaking darlings, Full Moon Features. Written by Zalmand Band and directed by Danny Draven, the movie is a direct-to-video release that’s decidedly going down the wind tunnels of bad CGI monster flicks such as Eight Legged Freaks or Sharknado. With Fool Moon Features seemingly more adamant in embracing its admittedly bad special effects.

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Shot in the Georgia swamplands, Bad CGI Gator is pretty much exactly as it sounds. A B-movie storyline that sees a terrible CGI gator terrorize a group of sexy college graduates. It’s a film that’s about on par as absurd as seeing flying sharks absorbed in tornados, with promise of the premise simply being: this is a bad CGI Gator. Synopsis as follows:

“Six college grads on Spring Break get a cabin in the swamplands of Georgia. They decide to throw their school laptops in a backyard lake in an act of youthful defiance, which unknowingly turns a lurking alligator into the dreaded and insatiable… Bad CGI Gator!”

“I’ve long been against the overuse of CGI in genre films, and in many ways, this movie is a fun, tongue-in-cheek antidote to that,” says Full Moon’s CEO and founder of Full Moon Features, Charles Band. “When done right, CGI is a great tool to accent special effects. When done wrong…well, we get BAD CGI GATOR! Get ready!”

Full Moon Features is known for its B-Rate direct-to-video horror movies such as Jack Attack and the overall Puppetmaster franchise that were quite popular in the 90s. More recently, the studio has made major headlines in revealing that they’re also making an actual Barbenheimer movie, based on the popular summer trend of seeing Barbie and Oppenheimer.

Upload Episode 3×6 Review: “Memory Crackers” Doesn’t Crumble Under the Pressure

Robert Kijowski

Review:

The sixth episode of Upload (Prime Video) titled “Memory Crackers” spares little time in splitting up both halves of Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell) leaving Leia Organa, I mean Luke (Kevin Bigley), a bit jealous. Though Nathan does promise to make time for him, the script gets off to a good start with Viv, now knowing of the truth, in possession of David Choak’s hard drive in the hands of Nathan’s mom, reminding us that time is something they have very little of.

Nicely juxtaposing, for Nora (Andy Allo), time is something that’s suddenly stood still. Aleesha (Zainab Johnson), now her Angel, attempts to calm her down with Karina in her ear, squeezing her for information instead of just squeezing her, whispering pillow talk in bed. The very alive, but heavily drugged Nora in a precise copy of a traditional Lakeview bedroom plays out quicker than I would have liked, as it could have put both women in a spot where they’re forced to be open and transparent with each other, but with Karina (Jeanine Mason) keeping a watchful eye over it all, I understand the logistics on that wouldn’t work in a half-hour time constraint.

Aleesha knows what they’re doing is the opposite of ethical, but Karina knows what buttons of hers to press. Nora does let slip a few vague details, but Aleesha’s able to penetrate the fog in her best friend’s skull enough to warn her before Karina arrives to grill her and guide her through mannerisms. Having Karina buy it and not Miro Mansour (Bassem Youssef) makes me think that they might be setting up Karina for a redemptive turn, as she still seems trusting. Whether they do or don’t though honestly makes no difference to me. A higher-up getting involved with an employee isn’t anything new, but Karina to me doesn’t seem more than a vehicle for Aleesha to get where she needs to be. I’m all for that, but taking that into consideration has me considering what I would have done with that character’s arc.

Cutting Nora loose and dropping her off in the middle of a park, where she finally gets in touch with Nathan doesn’t seem out of the blue as much as it seems abruptly. Sure, where else can they go in the script if she isn’t saying anything plot-wise, the show had a missed opportunity for some real talk between her and Aleesha. Still, the story has a decent motion with real Nathan heading to his mother as Nora goes back to Lakeview to meet backup Nathan, who isn’t taking any more of Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) and her patented deception.

Nathan gets a private few words in with a now-captive David Choak (William B. Davis) while Nora and Nathan 2.0 share a tender moment before all three go on a deep dive into the evil geriatric’s memories. They’ll be there for a while, so they try to fill in a few blanks with each other while hunting for the Choak’s smoking gun. See? That’s what I’m talking about. Let’s get intimate, let’s get vulnerable. It doesn’t have to be so fast-paced all the time. Give it room to breathe.

Backup Nathan getting Nora flustered when he hits on her throws an interesting fly in the virtual ointment. Holden (Kristine Cofsky) encourages it, but Luke (unwittingly) encourages backup Nathan to go for Nora, further murkying an already sticky situation. However, even then, when it comes to back-up Nathan’s views on Ingrid and her extreme devotion, fishing out the conclusion that she inadvertently helped him get with Nora by having his body grown unequivocally tells me his mind hasn’t caught up.

I mean, Nathan is still Nathan, no matter how ya slice him, dice him, bake him, and/or fry him, so lack of emotional maturity seems to be an intractable trait. Clearly, it’s a trait that Ingrid would happily take any day of the week, swilling down her woes at the Lakeview bar.

I’m ecstatic because it’s a reason to see AI Guy (Owen Daniels) who this season is wiping the floor with everybody, scene-stealing-wise. His smile alone is infectious and his hard-hitting advice earns him a kiss on the lips from a fully inebriated, doubtfully enlightened Ingrid. She’s off to make things right with… you guessed it, with Nathan.

Ugh. Come on, Upload. I don’t ask for much, but having Ingrid this long as the histrionic hen, pecking at both Nathans is now beyond reproach and now just a “moment of the show I can emotionally check out of” which is something you don’t want in a series. However, her showing up blitzed, casting woes onto Nathan, gives me temporary hope. Ingrid displays a more vulnerable facet with the bottle of hooch between the two, causing a very crucial but subtle shift to take place: Real-life Nathan may fall for Ingrid again.

The poking and prodding of Choak’s memories yields a few bombshells. We see that evil incarnate is short votes to flip the swing state of Wisconsin, prompting Miro to cash in on a favor, giving the board total dominion over the entire United States with law HR2235. The political angle, though not 100% prevalent, was a through line enough for me not to bat an eyelash at the reveal. I was more interested in that the law gives uploads the right to work. This speaks to something even more sinister, labor laws, which is something that doesn’t get much play in mainstream media, so a big kudos.

Nora does notice Karina in the file, who by the way is currently giving Aleesha such mixed feelings, she goes to the best font of advice she can think of, Luke, upset with Nathan’s new bond with himself. Leesh wouldn’t leave him out in the cold, however, fixing him up a steaming hot cup of undivided attention. Interactions like this bolster my hope that, despite little to no interaction so far this season, my favorite second-season duo (not Nathan and Nora) are getting more screen time.

When both Nathans, Nora, and Ingrid watch a memory containing her pops, Oliver (Barclay Hope) being paid off by Choak himself to rent him the uploads Horizen owns only to of them to save a half-billion dollars, the nail in the coffin isn’t for Choak but rather Oliver when he laments his pockets won’t grow fatter while his daughter still roams the earth. What sticks in my fucking craw is this very optimal moment for growth and grace on Ingrid’s part is unceremoniously shot down when she gets handsy with Nathan. Sure, the alcohol is a goddamn great solution for lubricating the id, but it’s almost as if this series is either too uncomfortable making her character anything but 2D or way too comfortable in portraying her as nothing more than “the mess” until an even bigger shit show arrives. There’s been no satisfying medium thus far and this moment seems like a solid nail in that coffin, which holds the real tragedy in this scene.

The only takeaway Nathan 2.0 and Nora have is that their ‘partners’ had a fun time without them and while it may not seem like much, jealousy is a febrile emotion, so it could set up for some heated talks in the next episode. Yes, Nora realizes that “the fantasy” vs. “the reality” are literally and figuratively worlds apart. Grey zones aren’t just unsanctioned wastelands of unlimited possibilities in a virtual afterlife operated by the evil rich and because nobody involved can afford to wax philosophically on the messy machinations of the heart, feet need to be planted and boundaries set, which Nora does. Injustice may win out in the end if people don’t start hauling ass, so though the episode ends on a bittersweet grey area between all four involved with the memories, we’re also reminded very much throughout this episode that the ‘clock is ticking.’

Owen Daniels’ (yes, AI Guy) first “Written By” credit for the series sets up the last two pretty decently. These days streaming seasons are 10 episodes or less (which is a great thing), so fires need to be lit quicker with a lot more punch than their network counterparts. Though shaky in parts and annoyingly intractable in keeping certain characters whose names I need not repeat from spreading their wings, relationship dynamics were shaken, and a very big fuse I believe was lit.

I mean, come on, you don’t just get over the news of your father wishing you truly were dead, especially while drunk.

4/5 Stars.

‘A Capsule for Robin’ Takes a Meditative Look at the Apocalypse

Mary Fan

How do you plan for a future you won’t be a part of? Is it even worth it? Those are the questions at the heart of writer/director Lalithra Fernando’s sci-fi short film, A Capsule for Robin, which debuted at the International South Asian Film Festival (iSAFF) in Canada and will be screening at Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF, Nov. 2-12), both in person and virtually.

After an unnamed plague wiped out most of the world, Rina (Ami Sheth), one of the few survivors, gathers her remaining friends to celebrate being chosen, along with her husband, Gus (Vandit Bhatt), to be genetic donors for a child who may be born in the future. The title refers to a video they’re all recording to serve as a time capsule for this child. But conflict arises when Gus reveals doubts about bringing kids into an uncertain future that no one they know will be alive to see.

The entire 13-minute film takes place in the couple’s home, coming to life through the characters’ interactions. Unlike a lot of sci-fi, it doesn’t concern itself too much with the nuts and bolts of what went wrong, focusing instead on the toll of the fallout. The apocalypse, described only vaguely in a few lines of dialogue, serves as a backdrop to the human story at the film’s center. And it’s one that reflects thoughts that many of us have likely had, thanks especially to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change. Is it ethical to create a new life when that person might have to live in a terrible world, one nobody can predict? Through finely crafted dialogue and subtle yet emotional acting, the characters in A Capsule for Robin flow between despair and hope as they contemplate their decision.

The darkness outside is reflected through the literal darkness of the set, with the black of night pressing against the windows in the background. Yet the warmly lit home, which has contemporary trappings apart from a sci-fi gadget being used to record the virtual time capsule, feels familiar and comforting… perhaps representative of the glow of life amid the wash of the void beyond. Quiet and meditative, yet packing an emotional punch, A Capsule for Robin is a beautiful and contemplative look at uncertainty, despair, and hope at the end of the world.

“Science fiction questions the default,” Fernando said in his director’s statement. “Who gets chosen to repopulate the world? What culture do they pass down? More fundamentally, is it even right to bring kids into a troubled world? A CAPSULE FOR ROBIN delves into a somber world and finds characters who still choose to believe in a better future for their children and the world.”

View a trailer for A Capsule for Robin below.

Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

Upload Episode 3×5 Review: “Rescue Mission” Saves the Dreaded Mid-Season Slump

Robert Kijowski

Upload-Season-3 — I mean, ya gotta see what the Power Charging Station looks like to a guy!

Review:

Luke (Kevin Bigley) now a full-time lunch paler rocking the Eddie Bauer business casual is a strong start to the episode. Not that I want A.I. Guy to be turned in, but I’m excited to see more of Luke’s journey. This would be the time to galvanize what relationships are already on shaky ground. Instead? We divide them. Aleesha (Zainab Johnson), beaming from the retreat, hits up her “friend-o” in the Grey Zone. I am taking note that all interactions in the Grey Zone are fitting. Luke being as opaque to Aleesha as Nora (even with her safety in mind) seems like the more digestible way to further her growth, but that also kind of entails the possibility of her mistrusting her crew in the 11th hour. If that is a possibility, I’m very much on board.

The betrayal of trust kicks off the next plot when Nora’s pissed at him for lacking transparency. Luke’s in a bit of a bind, leading us to the inevitable lie of omission on the part of Nora (Andy Allo) to Nathan (Robbie Amell). For the moment, Luke just wants help while Nathan 2.0 wants answers. Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) balks and dips. At the moment, there are still a few embers of hope that her arc may win me over.

Her story diverting to Nathan 2.0 makes sense and I’m a massive fan of Andy’s acting and her honesty in portraying uncertainty. This makes total sense with long-distance relationships. It’s the gap that continues the longing that nourishes the fantasy. Reality distorts that, so I’m curious where this will be headed. Ingrid does catch them, but her genuine emotion in Lakeview and her actual reaction in the bathtub seem incongruous. At least we get to see her do something outside of finding a sliver of agency and pissing it away, right? Her friend Mersaydeez (Veronica Long) ain’t giving me hope, though.

When Aleesha is brought in to pilot a clone of A.I. Guy (Owen Daniels) in the real world, I’m for it. It’s another trial by fire, so you don’t need to tell me twice to get pumped. Her verbally guiding ebullient A.I. Guy through ten blocks of NYC streets was satisfying because it knocked Lucy down a peg while impressing Karina (Jeanine Mason). Don’t get me wrong, I like that Lucy (Andrea Rosen) is Lucy to the bone, a holdover from a more toxic era. I feel at this juncture, any saving grace to Lucy’s soul would be plucked from the drawer containing Hand of God moments since the only sympathetic bone they’ve thrown at her was during the last episode when she revealed her shitty sleep was due to a divorce. It was a genuine shared moment immediately overshadowed by everything she’s said or done after that. Gee, it’s as if this series doesn’t respect some of its biggest diamonds in the rough sometimes.

With Nora telling Nathan 2.0 he’s the ‘knockoff’ (ouch, but his words), we have an almost a-Ha “Take On Me” moment. Two halves of a whole, two different worlds converging. Now, you’d expect this to have an air of dramatism to it, but it’s played for laughs as a pivot to them now having to work together without Nora. The interesting thing is it puts on display the uniquely human trait of delusion, injecting a banana peel joke either for the fuck of it or as a character trait. He was in the Marines. I’m sure it’s not too far off the mark to know that Luke knows how to mark his trail. At the end of the day, love it or hate it, is still a classic setup for physical comedy.

As both Nathans head to the black market, the tension builds. A rap about relationships past/present is to me about as close to what I believe is spelling out to the audience as they’ve been yet: technology can create a human pumping heart, but it cannot replicate what makes a heart “human”. We’re fucked up, complex creatures that live in the grey area, sometimes our whole lives. Placing both Nathans on an escalator to their destination kind of beats over the head what’s been the story that I’d wish they’d break out of: Nora still remains the object of both their affections, which basically leaves Ingrid out in the cold. It’s like bro, lay off Ingrid. She’s getting some much-needed depth, but it feels like they’re trying to get us to rally around her by dint of her having nobody. As if being alone for the time being wasn’t a noble fucking thing.

Gotta say I’m not a fan of the season dangling independence in front of her face like a fucking carrot before tearing it right out of her head. She may have started as the epitome of avarice, materialism, and possessiveness (all stunning qualities in a would-be villain), but I believe she’s earned the right to stand on her own. There’s no reason why she couldn’t have had this since the beginning of the season. Make it a throughline. Make that your challenge. Have the audience rally around someone we initially were meant not to like through finding oneself. I never said it had to be boring, just don’t make it so that she looks to still be co-dependent.

At VR equine aerobics, although meant to be silly while serving the plot, we’re served naught more than a queef joke served alongside the cold fact that Ingrid isn’t giving herself time to process any hurt and grief. Her plot in this episode could have been so much more. Is having a day to yourself such a bad thing? Sure, writing-wise, it has the potential to be static and go nowhere, but introducing a friend just to show the audience how far she’s come wasn’t really convincing me of any progress.

Her white-hot flashes of independence this season are only tamped down by her blind devotion to Nathan who she only knows exists as an idea. Yes, she cannot cast the first stone, but she’s not undeserving of the companionship of any kind, even in Lakeview. Shit, LA’s got a gargantuan homeless pandemic. I’m not saying throw her in the damn soup kitchen but at least put her in a situation where she’s given a choice, her old life or a new experience. Put her in a slightly uncomfortable reality and let the path of empathy take hold. The writers’ room must know Ingrid’s not a one-note monster, but ya’ll play too damn much. Instead of keeping her the repository of half-baked ideas for character development, why not just do the work and nudge her story more to the front? Keeping a person starved for connection in what is essentially now a bizarre love triangle is playing on the edge of a knife. Let’s hope Ingrid still has hope in her future… without a present Nathan. Wishful thinking, eh?

Luke Leiai’d up to Russian gangster Zalan (Yasen Peyankov) is a sight gag worthy of the setup to break him out. My only reservation is why Luke would want to give up A.I. Guy in the first place. They’d been ‘boyz’ in the past, so it really doesn’t seem like a move that’s totally in line with Luke as we know and love him. I’m not buying that the Grey Zone changed him because we were introduced to this deployment of employment just last episode. One could argue that Luke allowed A.I. Guy to escape, hell, even turning A.I. Guy could be a positive character trait that backfires… but Luke being a standup man would’ve meant he would’ve tried an alternate way before even thinking about the ramifications of giving up what amounts at this moment to his only readily available friend in Lakeview. Fuck bro, he could’ve still landed in the same position if he just tried to go straight to Zalan himself. Luke’s a good person and the banana peel joke I took as an elegant, predictable (by design) visual gag that would portend to him acting without a second thought (which is both great and horrible in a war), but also being a commentary on where the scene is taking place itself. Everything that goes on in the Grey Zone is morally grey, from the conversations to the actions made. It honestly makes me love this series that much more as a whole.

Nora’s plot ends the most abruptly because it’s treated like less of a plot and more of a thread, but a thread that is immediately tugged with great force and vigor. A thread that is part of a virtual sweater that will kick off the antepenultimate episode. We’re in the final stretch. The effective fashion these days in streaming is to truly earmark the last three episodes as truly blowing us away. Fingers crossed.

4/5 Stars.

Addendum: “Rescue Mission” marks a top cameo of the year in television for me (beating out both Jamie Lee Curtis in The Bear in addition to Patton Oswalt in What We Do in the Shadows) with William Gibson as the holographic herald of the Terms and Conditions to the Public Library. If you don’t know who that is, maybe invest (your time) into obtaining a library card. They are the only free pass into the world’s most dangerous place.

Something is rotten at the “Heart of the TVA”

Norton

Last week Miss Minutes (MM) confessed her real motives for helping Victor, Sylvie spared the Kang variant so he could potentially save the TVA, and Ravonna was promised a big reveal.

This week Ravonna learns she was Kang’s #2 until he had her memories erased. MM enlists her help in taking over the TVA, and running it without the man (girl power!), so they go back to recruit Dox and her minutemen to the cause. It does not go well, ending with just one added soldier. Meanwhile, Victor is given the 411 on the looming danger (I had to!). After him and O.B. lamp shade the Ouroboros in the room, he’s happy to put that brilliant mind to the task of saving the TVA. But, MM, Ravonna, and X-5 are not going to make it easy. X-5 kidnaps Victor after pruning D-90 (Neil Ellice) so Ravonna can drill him for information as MM fucks with the facilities. The solution? A system reboot will take the evil AI offline, and give Loki and Sylvie access to their magic within the building.

It works, Sylvie gets the drop on X-5 and enchants him to prune Ravonna, and Victor is rescued. Sadly, though they have all the puzzle pieces ready, the temporal radiation kills Mr. Timely almost instantly (a very untimely death, eh?). And before any kind of Plan B can be made, the loom explodes in the wake of an atomic blast level surge of energy. The bright light heads for Loki and the TVA, and that’s where we end.

There’s definitely stuff to unpack in this episode. Not only does Ravonna prove why she was Kang’s #2—ruthlessly murdering Dox and her squad via time box when most of them refuse to align with her, but MM goes full psycho. I’ll give credit to the animators here because they expertly capture the morbid glee as it gradually takes over her face. At first she’s kind of shocked, maybe embarrassed, but by the end she’s given into it completely. It’s a chilling scene.

We finally learn what happened in the future Loki visited. Who the phone was for, who Sylvie was looking at, and who pruned him. In yet another time paradox twist, Loki (forced to take the stairs thanks to MM) comes upon himself, hears the phone, and realizes what moment this is. Yes, Loki pruned himself. Hiddleston does some great, subtle heavy lifting but Di Martino matches it with her own. Sylvie watches her comrade get pruned only to then see who did the pruning. The two of them perfectly convey the absolute insanity they can’t linger on because that phone needs answering. Who’s calling? Why O.B. and Casey to remind Loki and Sylvie of the ticking clock, but also to suggest shutting down MM.

Then there’s that ending. It reminded me of both “Lamentis” and “The Nexus Event” from season 1. The first episode mentioned finds Loki and Sylvie trapped on a doomed moon as it explodes, while the second is when Loki is pruned. Both are solid cliffhangers, and this one follows suit. Still, since we know there’s two episodes left this season it’s unlikely Loki and the gang are actually dead. The real question is where do we pick up?

Will we see Ravonna in the land of Lokis (a potential army if she can wrangle them)? Will it be a flashback to Kang and Ravonna’s war? Maybe it’ll follow MM’s journey this far up to her reboot. It’s a juicy mystery, perfect for a thirsty audience.

Let me say that while I did enjoy this episode, there are problems with it. Firstly, what exactly is Ravonna and MM’s plan for the TVA? Renslayer’s carrot to Dox and her squad was a place on the sacred timeline (ST) if they wanted it, but that just brings me back to the issue with Brad’s episode. If being a variant is what fucks up the ST, then how do you return a variant to the ST? Also, does Ravonna know why the ST is sacred? MM made a strong case for saying nuts to the patriarchy and letting the women run the show, but wasn’t the whole point of the ST to prevent Kang variants? If that’s the issue, then once again, the easiest solution is to form a Kang hunting squad, no? I really don’t trust MM at this point, and if Ravonna is smart she won’t either.

Consider the memory she played for Ravonna, how do we know that’s not doctored? Getting rid of Kang’s #2 puts MM right back where she wants to be—by his side for all of time. Given she’s basically the system there’s no reason not to believe she altered that footage to pit Ravonna against Kang.

However, a very important flaw becomes clear here. If MM was in love with the man at the end of time why didn’t she save him? It’s clear from this season she has corporeal capabilities: she can grab things, possibly push people, so why not hulk out and save the man she loved when two rogue Lokis were gunning for him? On the one hand you can argue that maybe Kang told her to stand down, maybe he locked her out, or maybe she’s just not strong enough, all fantastic counters but the larger issue is mythology.

See, when you world build, you need to have a plan. In order for it to work right and please the audience, world building can’t be a seat of your pants, fly by night operation. If MM is going to be a sinister figure, to the degree that once Gen. Dox sees her it clearly causes concern, you need to set that up in the first season. Otherwise the brain goes… wait… why is the general so afraid or distrustful of the cartoon clock? Was this always a thing? Has Dox brought this concern up to anyone in the past? What happened between Dox and MM? What does Dox know about MM?

Dox is new this season, as is evil MM, and while Ravonna isn’t, her alliance with MM isn’t well established. I love O.B., I love that Casey has a better place in his world suddenly, the temporal loom is growing on me, but there are times when these changes are blatantly shoehorned in. And, while I have nothing against adding new characters or new motives to old characters, if you’re going to evolve an already conceived world, it needs to be done so it makes sense. Sequels based on high concept worlds fail for me when they ignore or break rules they’ve established in the first movie (book or season).

Ralph Breaks the Internet is a good example of this. Wreck-It Ralph established some cool rules in the first movie which the sequel promptly takes a sledgehammer to. A weak story didn’t help, but rule breaking made it worse. The first season of Loki put enough bricks in place that the second season is now clumsily tripping over as it tries to expand the TVA.

Still, I’m along for the ride. Let’s see what’s on the other side of that bright ass light.

‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Ends Season 4 Heavy of References but Light on Plot

Mary Fan

lds-410-preview-03-1280x720 — Image: Paramount+

The problem with a show being very, very good is that you wind up expecting more and more from it. An episode that you once might have appreciated as, “Oh, yeah, that was decent,” feels more like, “Eh, they could have done better.”

Star Trek: Lower Decks has set the bar extremely high for itself. For four seasons now, it has proven to be more than a cartoon comedy that parodies its own franchise. It’s also a solid sci-fi show in and of itself, presenting great character development and unexpected stories as well as references and humor. And with its season-long plot arc, showing various alien vessels being attacked by a random mysterious ship nearly every episode, it also set the bar high for how it would all conclude.

Episode 410, “Old Friends, New Planets,” does manage to tie up the mysterious ship plot with a neat little bow in just 20 minutes, while also allowing for its signature humor and references. That’s a pretty impressive feat. The execution, though, felt a bit… easy.

The episode opens with a flashback to Starfleet Academy, back when Mariner was a bright-eyed bushy-tailed little froshling. Nova Squadron, from the famous/infamous Next Generation episode “The Last Duty,” is discussing the ill-fated maneuver that will get Nick Locarno — revealed at the end of last week’s episode to be this season’s Big Bad — expelled. Of course, all the original voice actors are back… would it even be Lower Decks without such fan service?

Thirteen years later, Locarno still hasn’t gotten over being kicked out. All those ships that looked destroyed were actually being stolen… by their own lower deckers, who then marooned the officers. And the point of all this? Why, to form an independent fleet! Nova Fleet! And what exactly will Nova Fleet do? It seems nobody knows… all these lower deckers were just sick of being pushed around and looked down upon.

And you know what? The show could actually have taken that somewhere. The Cerritos itself is hampered from saving Mariner after Locarno nabs her because Starfleet’s bureaucracy doesn’t want to risk ruffling non-Federation feathers. How many redshirts have died senselessly across five-plus decades of Star Trek, sometimes because of profoundly unwise decisions made by the command crew around which the shows revolved? This show is called Lower Decks, and it might have been interesting to explore the perspectives of low-ranking officers and crewmen who, unlike our Cerritos team of Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford (and now T’Lyn), are thoroughly disillusioned and disgruntled, possibly for good reason.

But, no. Nova Fleet, and Locarno himself, serve only to function as wild-eyed, one-dimensional villains for our heroes to defeat. Locarno kidnapped Mariner thinking she, the forever ensign (alongside Harry Kim! But that’s a topic for another post), would appreciate his mission. Which of course she does not. I guess they already had Mariner quitting Starfleet in a huff last season, so they couldn’t exactly do something like that again. Instead, she barely pretends to side with Locarno, then immediately snaps into Hero Mode when given the chance, interrupting his Big Villain Speech and taking off with his bargaining chip, a black-market Genesis device. The ensuing chase is… not very interesting, to be honest. Some clever maneuvers, some tossed-off quips. Visually pretty, but somehow not much fun… maybe because it was so predictable.

The plot with the Cerritos fared better. After being denied Starfleet’s assistance, Captain Freeman goes rogue. And of course her entire crew sides with her. Thanks to Tendi, they have a plan for penetrating the super-high-tech shield Locarno has keeping enemies away from Nova Fleet… and Nova Fleet (including the ship Mariner steals) inside the star system. It’s to obtain an Orion war ship from Tendi’s sister, introduced earlier this season during Trek‘s first-ever jaunt to the Orion home world.

Tendi’s solution — to pit a Cerritos fighter against an Orion one, and to choose Dr. Migleemo because the big Orion fighter has allergies — was quite fun to watch. I mean, Migleemo puffing up and causing the enormous warrior lady to knock herself out wheezing was pretty hilarious. Unfortunately, she faints on top of the hapless counselor, making her technically the winner. So Tendi offers up herself in exchange for the ship instead, and her sister accepts. The continuation of the Orion story line was pretty satisfying, and Tendi’s bargain means we’ll get to see more in Season 5.

There were a few other delightful moments as well — Boimler and Rutherford arguing over Locarno’s resemblance to Tom Paris, a throwback to one of the more absurd moments this season (the Twains, also from the fourth episode), Boimler thoroughly enjoying himself as acting captain, T’Lyn just being T’Lyn. And getting to see Freeman stick her neck out for her troublemaker daughter was fantastic; I daresay Freeman was the best part of the episode.

All in all, “Old Friends, New Planets,” was an enjoyable, if somewhat disappointing watch. Perhaps Lower Decks tried to squeeze too much plot into a few 20-minute episodes. Perhaps it just set the bar so high after the first three seasons, that it was bound to stumble eventually. Perhaps it got so formulaic with its set up — depicting a different alien vessel vanishing each week, plus having Mariner very obviously self-sabotage in each episode — that any conclusion would have felt too easy (Mariner’s big revelation last week seems to have resolved all her issues once and for all, the speed and expediency of which weakened an otherwise great episode; oh, and I rolled my eyes so hard when Locarno got offed… mostly because he turned out to be such a flat villain, and his demise was pretty flat too despite a last-ditch joke).

Or perhaps Lower Decks starting to outgrow its premise. Remember how the show was supposed to be about the lowest-ranking officers on the least important ship in the Federation? About overlooked underdogs and the workplace-type humor of being just an average shmoe in Starfleet? Perhaps the lower deckers are still only lieutenants junior grade, with plenty of menial duties, and perhaps the Cerritos is still technically a support ship, but the plots keep escalating, as TV plots tend to a few seasons in. Often, it feels like shows can’t accept that it was the lower stakes their earlier episodes that allowed the characters and fun to thrive, and instead have to keep pushing and pushing for bigger external threats, at the expense of what made it special.

I hope Lower Decks doesn’t go in that direction. One thing that was sorely lacking from this season finale was that heart-of-gold warmth that earlier seasons managed, and perhaps that was because Mariner was isolated from the rest for the majority of the episode. I get that Mariner has to develop eventually, but this season seems to have sanded off her edges… her defiance and self-sabotage was so blatant as to be unbelievable (you, like Ransom early on, knew she was doing it on purpose).

After a generally solid season, I was hoping for a conclusion as epic as that of Season 3, but I get it, it’s a tall order. So credit where credit’s due — Season 4 tied up its plot threads very neatly (a little too neatly) and served up its usual amusing fare and fan-pleasing references.

Episode 410, “Old Friends, New Planets”: 3 / 5 stars

Lower Decks Season 4: 4/5 stars

‘The Retrieval’ Is An Irritating Step Back for Magnum P.I.

Josh Speer

After last week’s great episode of Magnum P.I., I had high hopes for this week’s episode, called “The Retrieval”. Especially once I discovered that my favorite former convict, Jin Jeong, played a role in it. Unfortunately, I found this episode a step backwards, and don’t feel Jin was given enough to work with in order to really shine comedically.

It all begins with the team plus Jin outside at a wooden table eating Korean ribs and eggs for breakfast. Despite placing his order last, somehow Jin got an extra rib, which Magnum gives the cook a hard time about. It’s in good fun, but he guesses correctly that it’s just a tribal thing, since the cook is also Korean, and even gives Jin a little secret fist bump. It’s good that Jin gets a little boost, since the rest of “The Retrieval” does not go his way.

MAGNUM P.I. — “The Retrieval” Episode 515 — Pictured: (l-r) Zachary Knighton as Orville “Rick” Wright, Stephen Hill as Theodore “TC” Calvin — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)

The main story involves a group of gamers that haven’t met in person, but who regularly play raids in a game called BattleCraft online. They Zoom our favorite investigators about a concern. Their friend Artemis2673 (they don’t know his real name) suspiciously missed a raid he planned, and they haven’t been able to reach him afterwards. One of them, named Minka, is especially concerned, and so Thomas and Juliette take the case, certain it’ll be an easy solution.

At first Magnum and Juliette are bored out of their minds watching replays of the BattleCraft games, until she finds the point where Arty went missing. He had placed a food order, and Higgy hacks that to find his real identity, Kilo Mona. This leads to information that Kilo has been missing at work as well, at the Oahu Family Clinic. When they go to his residence for clues, they find a bloody scene with signs of a struggle. Magnum retraces Kilo’s steps and uses a plastic bag to get a blood sample. Meanwhile Juliette checks his computer and finds pretty serious threats against Kilo / Artemis from someone that goes by Chewy. Including a photo of where Kilo lives.

Back at La Mariana, Jin is super twitchy with Rick and T.C. about his ex partner in crime getting out of prison. His name is Beau, and turns out him and Jin don’t have a great relationship. For one, he considers Jin his lacky, not even a sidekick. For another, he’s not there to visit. No, Beau needs his cut that Jin had been hiding away for him. Beau promised it to someone named Heavy Mike to protect him in prison, and if he doesn’t get it to him quick, there will be serious trouble.

So, Jin shows up at the crime scene Thomas and Higgy are working, leaning on their car trying to look cool. He needs their help finding a dryer where he hid a map that leads to the cut. The problem is, his landlord sold the dryer on Craigslist. Lucky for him, Higgy is a great hacker, and finds the new location of the dryer in moments. Which is about the last thing that goes right for Jin.

MAGNUM P.I. — “The Retrieval” Episode 515 — Pictured: (l-r) Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)

Ignoring Jin for a moment, Thomas and Juliette get an update from Minka, who knows a bit about the mysterious Chewy. Despite the threats he’d been sending, turns out Chewy is a 15 year old kid named Sam. He was upset because Kilo had implied he was cheating in BattleCraft, which took away any chance of getting sponsored. But he’s not a criminal mastermind. The only thing he helps with is providing the last known location of Kilo, which oddly enough was at the clinic he works at.

The clinic is air gapped, so Magnum and Higgins have to pretend to be there as clients. They talk with a Dr. Lim about wanting a family, and have a pretend argument about different parenting styles that very much doesn’t feel like it’s entirely make believe. Thankfully it works well enough, and the doctor leaves to give them space to talk, which Higgins uses to hack her computer. As she does, they talk about discipline and freedom, and Juliette reminds Magnum she went to boarding school, so he can guess where her parenting style stands. Then they find an email that the clinic had been robbed. Not of cash, but of frozen embryos. And wouldn’t you know it, the missing Kilo was a lab tech.

When Dr. Lim returns they give her the third degree, and she reveals Kilo’s keycard had been used to access the lab. She was sworn to silence by the true criminals behind it, but they also used burner phones and disguised their voices. The reason she didn’t say anything is she was warned not to involve the police, otherwise the embryos would be opened to the warm air and ruined. The only thing helpful she reveals is the embryonic container has a tracking chip, and she had been tracking it up until the signal suddenly cut out.

MAGNUM P.I. — “The Retrieval” Episode 515 — Pictured: (l-r) Stephen Hill as Theodore “TC” Calvin, Bobby Lee as Jin Jeong — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)

In the ongoing misadventures of Jin, him, T.C. and Beau go to find the dryer in disguise, pretending to work for an energy company. They manage to talk their way into an older woman’s house, and Jin finds the map. At first it looks like gibberish, but he’s a fan of Mad Magazine, and shows how folding it a certain way reveals a hidden message. One that seemingly leads to the buried loot.

Magnum and Juliette track the last location of the signal, and find a dead end. Literally. Not only was the transmitter ripped out of the container, but they find Kilo’s corpse nearby. And as a gamer myself, I was a little perturbed that the one time they don’t save the victim in Magnum P.I., it’s a gamer. But that’s a conversation for another day. Gordon is pissed that he was kept out of the loop, and Kilo’s friends, once informed, are bereft. You might think this was the end of this episode, but there’s a twist coming that keeps it going.

When our duo returns to Dr. Lim, she reveals that now the criminals that were extorting her are extorting patients individually. Meaning her efforts to hide the theft are over, and things aren’t great. Worse, it seems the criminals were extorting vulnerable individuals, such as cancer survivors. One is named Lana Turk, and it seems odd she hasn’t been in touch. So the two go to meet her, and find her about to pull out of the driveway with a bag full of cash. She talks with our team, and they convince her not to pay the ransom for her stolen embryos. Instead, they’re gonna try things Gordon’s way, and set up a sting.

As for Jin, he’s lazily lounging while T.C. and Beau dig up piles of dirt, only to realize that his map lead to the wrong place. So he tells them to move someplace else, only to remember the map was a decoy. He actually didn’t bury the cut, he gave it to his mentor, a man that goes by Squirrel. Information that doesn’t go over well with the two men that had been doing all the hard work.

MAGNUM P.I. — “The Retrieval” Episode 515 — Pictured: Tim Kang as Detective Gordon Katsumoto — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)

Long story short, it turns out that Lana has been lying to everyone. She said she was married and had to put aside the embryos thanks to a cancer scare. But she’s actually divorced, meaning she doesn’t have access to her own embryos. Worse, she’s one of the people behind the whole theft, along with a partner named Nico. Magnum and Higgy track them to a mall, and both split off to chase one of the criminals. Higgy fights with Lana in a kitchen, while Magnum has to chase Spider-Man lite all around. Nico hurls the lid off the container to distract Magnum, so he’s forced to grab it and secure it before the embryos are ruined. Luckily Gordon is there to clothesline the criminal before he can escape.

“The Retrieval” ends with Jin forced to refill the holes that T.C. and Beau dug up, Beau getting his cut to Heavy Mike, and Thomas and Juliette talking more about kids. She’s worried their love won’t be enough in the face of their different styles, but he’s convinced they can make it work. A good enough episode, but I really hope for better next week.

NYCC 2023 Exclusive Interview: Dee Snider on Messed Up Parents, John Denver and His Upcoming Graphic Novel from Z2 Comics

Robert Kijowski

November 1, 2023

Speaking truth to power isn’t a new concept but in the form of music, the accompaniment of melody turns mere words into fucking war chants. From Aretha Franklin’s divine command of the alphabet on “Respect” to Zach de la Rocha’s belted bombs of ‘Fuck you! I won’t do what you tell me!’ on “Killing In The Name Of”, bubbling frustrations and otherworldly anger is distilled to their rawest form: the anthemic roar.

This doesn’t mean that it’s always welcomed. Look to the ancient Greeks. The Athenians invented “freedom of speech”, but Socrates was also tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by Hemlock for ‘corruption of the youth’ when he implored others to think for themselves by questioning authority (in this case, the gods). Even in 1985, one year after Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” was released and 2,421 years after Socrates’ death putting hypocrisy (another Greek invention) on the map, things haven’t changed, but neither has the damn fire in our bellies to fight for what’s right.

I was just under a year old when the trio of Frank Zappa, John Denver, and Dee Snider faced down a snarling committee of the Parents Music Resource Center (or PRMC) in Capitol Hill. As an import from El Salvador, a country going through its own blood-soaked rebellion, I was far too young to realize something major was happening in my new country of America that was to change the course something that would turn out to be a lifelong love and obsession for me: music.

Only years later in the 1990s, during the formative teenage years of free thought and rebellion would I see specials on VH1 and MTV that went deep into the archival stacks to show the real backstory of some of music’s most watershed moments did I learn of the origins of the Parental Advisory sticker, a stamp I once saw as more of a badge of honor on a Cassette or CD for the artist as much as it was for the consumer. To be fair, my mother was a music teacher, and God-fearing as she is, she never restricted musical tastes in the house. (I just wasn’t allowed to watch Simpsons, lest I follow Bart Simpson into the depths of depravity. How does that work?)

Of the fifteen artists in question on this “Filthy Fifteen” list as a sort of bellwether (or rather cowbell) of what’s morally objectionable in the then-modern day music scene, Daniel “Dee” Snider stepped up to represent. The reason? The iconic music video “We’re Not Gonna Take It” portrayed “violence”. Not his song lyrics. Not his message, his music video and one could see that he was going to show Tipper Gore and the Stepford Wives of the Senate that behind his snarling, ambiguous look that is theatrical, his actual words and intentions are the real thing they should be worried about… because they speak truth to power.

Dee Snider with co-writer Frank Marrafino (Marvel Zombies) and the amazing art of Steve Kurth (Avengers, X-Force) take it from the stage to the page in Dee Snider: HE’S NOT GONNA TAKE IT, an explosive 117-page graphic tome from Z2 Comics. I sit down with the legendary rocker from Long Island and get a bit of the skinny on failed band names and the lasting effect of dunking on OG Karens for all to witness in the name of artistic freedom.

Transcript below:

Robert Kijowski: I’m Robert Kijowski for the Workprint. I’m here with Dee Snider speaking about his new graphic novel, “He’s Not Gonna Take It.” It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.

Dee Snider: Thank you.

RK: Brio. Grit. Determination. These permeate the entire book. What was the spark of you wanting to make a visual realization about this all?

DS: Well, in all honesty, I didn’t really think about it until Z2 Comics approached me and felt that it was a great graphic novel in not just me going to Washington, but how I became that voice moment at that moment in time.

RK: Yeah.

DS: You don’t just appear from the aether-

RK: Yeah!

DS: You know?! It’s like I had a whole life behind me before that and I know that different people like to get their information in different ways. Like in this day and age, there are people who will not read books, but they will listen to books on tape endlessly.

RK: That is very true! Yeah.

DS: There are people who like a visual representation who don’t just want words on a page. They want to see some images go with it, so I knew that. I’m a fanboy, so I knew the graphic novel would tell the story to people who might not normally hear and know about the story. Plus, I get to be portrayed like a superhero.

RK: Oh, definitely, definitely. The art is honestly in the book is as kinetic as your music. What was it like working with a co-writer and a comic book artist?

DS: Well, credit to my son Jesse, who’s written comics at Marvel and DC and they said “Who do you want to use as an artist,” and he recommended the artist when Z2 saw him, please, look up his name [Steve Kurth]… when Z2 saw him, they said this is the guy and he did an amazing job. So, to see those- my life brought to life in that incredible comic, and by comic, not comedic but just that way those impossible shots that comics get…I wanted me on stage from an angle that I knew existed, but there was no person or camera [at the time] that could see me like that, the hand reaching up [gesticulates holding up microphone], it was just amazing and the artist really just brought the whole story to life. And that’s, I wouldn’t say the most essential part, of course, the story is, but to have something to really capture that, frenetic, you use the word frenetic energy…it is frenetic.

RK: Yes!

DS: Yes!

RK: You mention designing band logos and coming up with band names. Are there any that you remember from your youth?

DS: Sure! I mean, you know, there’s “Snider’s Spiders” and “Dusk”, D-U-S-K, which I mention in there, and “Heathen“… “Quivering Thigh“…

RK: Ooh!

DS: Pretty good one!

RK: I like that one!

DS: That was from an R. Crumb comic.

RK: Oh, nice!

DS: Quivering thigh. And a horrible name that I didn’t come up with… a band called “This”. T-H-I-S!

RK: T-H-I-S?

DS: And when they told me the name of the band, I said “That’s the name of the band, THIS?” and they said “Yeah, like this is great, this is the best” and I’m like “What about this sucks??”

RK: Yes! Perfect rebuttal. The perfect rebuttal!

DS: Exactly! When I joined Twisted Sister and they wanted to change the name I said “Ohh, no. That’s money. That’s the keeper! We ain’t changing that name, Twisted Sister.”

RK: It’s got the rhyme, it’s got just the perfect amount of syllables-

DS: Yeah, everything.

RK: Now, you also touch upon a song from your childhood that immediately would make you cry. My mother actually had a song that she would sing at the piano as well that would immediately and instantaneously make me weep.

DS: Ohh.. let’s commiserate for a second… yeah, what a fucked up thing, yeah, sorry-

RK: Yeah! It’s all good.

DS: Yeah, yeah! It was “So Long, It’s Good To Know You” by Woody Guthrie!

RK: Yes!

DS: And when they [parents] realized how I reacted to the song, they would play it incessantly and laugh! They thought it was hysterical that this child was weeping! But it struck a chord with me, a sadness, but why on earth would you do that to a kid?

RK: That’s true!

DS: Why? Why?!

RK: Yeah, I totally fucking agree with you! Now you were also part of the triumvirate that was [Frank] Zappa and [John] Denver as well with the PMRC. What did it feel like watching them on screen, kicking ass?

DS: Well, I knew they would be there and I was the only one on the “Filthy Fifteen”, so we were spokespeople-

RK: You came to represent!

DS: I came to represent. Frank, you know, I knew where he would stand, and he was brilliant. But Frank and I were in the back area, John was coming from NASA, where they were interviewing him to be the first musician in space, and he was so “mom, American Pie”; we were worried that he would be against us.

RK: Yeah.

DS: And as we watched him speak, his words were so profound because coming from someone appearing straight [laced], which it turns out he wasn’t, he hit very hard to the conservative people that this icon John Denver compared what was going on to book burnings in Nazi Germany!

RK: Yes! Yes.

DS: We were so happy the people were cheering.

RK: I have to honestly say, the PMRC thing was a total inspiration for me.

DS: Thank you.

RK: What does it feel like for the new legions of fans coming up to you and saying, “I’ve seen this on Youtube”? How inspiring, how inspired is that?

DS: It’s crazy that it resonated for decades. It’s taught in schools. And days go by when somebody just like walks up to me and just shakes my hand and says “Thank you!” At the time, with the exception of Frank and John, I felt very left out and hung out to dry.

RK: Yeah.

DS: Most of the music industry sort of just went quiet. They agreed to the sticker. My phones were tapped. My mail was being checked.

RK: Yes, that’s nuts!

DS: Yeah, all that stuff was going on and it really felt like, “What did I do?” Part of me said, “Did you make a mistake here?” but I did what was right. So I never regret doing what’s right.

RK: I will say, I read the comic through and through; it’s a true inspiration.

DS: I haven’t read it yet, so thank you.

RK: I will say, you are a true testament. To anybody that naysays or dream-kills, you are a true testament in saying “Fuck you guys, you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do, and I’m going to make it work.” Total inspiration.

DS: People, those are my words, but he heard them and he’s regurgitating them to you! And that’s what really needs to happen! People need to spread the message.

RK: Buy the book! Buy the book!

DS: Spread the message.

RK: He’s not gonna take it.

DS: And you’re not alone either!

RK: It was a pleasure talking with you, sir!

DS: Thank you!

Dee Snider: HE’S NOT GONNA TAKE IT from Z2 Comics will be available at retailers everywhere on November 21st, 2023.

An Interview with Christian Angeles and Jameson Matunas on the Tomb of Baalberith V2

Josh Speer

October 31, 2023

It’s not every day I get to interview a friend and colleague about an exciting crowdfunding project. But that’s exactly what happened today! I got to interview Christian Angeles and artist Jameson Matunas about their inclusion in a new horror anthology on Kickstarter called The Tomb of Baalberith V2. The following is a transcription of our conversation.

The Workprint: First and most important, how cool has it been working with Mark McKenna and Virtual Inks Inc. (VII) to contribute a story to The Tomb of Baalberith V2?

Christian Angeles: Mark has been an amazing friend and mentor so I’m excited to be working with him, to say the least. One of the original members of John Romita SR’s Romita’s Raiders, the man has more publications with his name than most professionals in the industry, with over 2000 titles.

Not only is Mark the coolest in my book, but in 2017, I won a comics writing contest with my story, Paperless. It was a contest to make a comic book in a day where Mark McKenna was one of the judges, and he absolutely loved my story I made about a tree come to life who effectively became a CEO, replacing a human labor force with anthropomorphic trees. That said, Mark got me my start both there and with this comics anthology. We’ve been good friends ever since.

Jameson Matunas: When you pull back and look at Mark’s overwhelming tower of contributions, it is humbling. When I first got to sit down and speak with Mark, he was warm and welcoming. Mark’s passion for storytelling runs deep and it shows in his conversation, collaboration, and creation. He has a way of passing on his creative fire.

TWP: Tell us a little about yourself. What comics specifically got you excited about creating your own stories?

CA: In 2011 I tore my Achilles tendon and was bed ridden in recovery for 9 months. While in recovery, that was when I read Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series. A story which changed the course of my life. Before that, I was pursuing a career in academic psychology and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a series of prospects in my future. But reading that comic book, seeing the world from the perspectives of the Endless, these anthropomorphic larger than life entities encompassing life’s deepest intricacies – I was hooked.

That’s when I realized everything in my life up until then was a lie. I knew there and then I wanted to be a writer, and soon after, read everything by Gaiman and the legendary Alan Moore, who was sort of Gaiman’s mentor in comics. I wanted to make larger than life stories to change the world for the better. That’s my mission in life whether it be through fiction or random acts of kindness.

JM: Being able to express your experiences, your innermost feelings, your burdens and your dreams.. is healing. I first felt the flicker of reflection, in comics specifically over any other medium. Reading panels, you can reread or linger, sequentially or not. You tell the story chosen through how you enjoy interacting. Finding myself in each read, each character, supplied endless moments of self discovery – of knowing who and what I needed to become.

My first love was X-Men #23 by Clairmont/Lee. I remember Cyclops is being influenced by Mr. Sinister. Tension between Scott and his love was palpable. Scott never dons his blue and yellow armor, instead wearing a trenchcoat and scarf, all the while being hunted by a gang of ruthless mercenaries. Which struck me as beautiful, because I realized the magic of storytelling – that I was hanging on the words of an underhanded discussion between villain and hero as they quietly walked through a chilly winter forest, I was more concerned about a guy with relationship turbulence and gray moral conversations. There was no victory, just more complications when trying to navigate the choices before you.

**TWP: What are you hoping to bring to your tale of terror in Tomb of Baalberith V2?**

CA: I wrote about it extensively in a previous post, but ideally, I wanted to take something I found toxic in today’s culture, in this case the be-all-end-all chase for fame and commentary on it. I did so with an examination of beauty influencer culture and Instagram celebrities. People selling their looks for a dream of being famous, with the intention of portraying a character who would absolutely do anything within her power to be famous through her good looks. Sort of that dream taken too far.

The idea was never to shame people pursuing this as a career, but rather, to stress that there are indeed toxic people who will do anything to get that level of success and fame they feel entitled toward. My character, Brandi, is exactly that type of character. What results… isn’t so much a foreboding tale as much as it is… sort of acknowledging a truth we take for granted.

That some people only care about themselves. That there are those willing to sell what’s theirs in order to conquer the world. Way I see it, there’s a toxic nature in the be all end all type of thinking that I think is in some ways, is a terrible influence on youth of today. I wanted to showcase this type of monster.

JM: I was hoping to infuse the tale with a sense of self awareness. A sense that while we may not be Brandi, or even live her life, her choices are our choices. Her desires are human and her choices are what define the character and perhaps the mirror in which we can see ourselves more clearly.

For approaching the illustration, making certain her emotions, specifically pain, was genuine. Allowing for a deep and lasting moments of empathy and self reflection.

**TWP: Tomb of Baalberith V1 had creators doing double duty as artist and writer. How has it been teaming up with someone else to create a story for this volume?**

CA: Sometimes in life, you find moments of serendipity and Jameson and I meeting has been that for me this past year. We have similar visions of wanting to wake up modern culture and media from what I call, THE GREAT DISTRACTION. We both want to make stories that say something about the times, rather than create more escapist entertainment that so proliferates our culture today. His art style and vision absolutely sees my strange dreams become reality so it’s been amazing for me to say the least. I also give him a lot of free rein to be himself, as I do think comics are a partnership between art and story. An agreement of saying something important done to the best of our ability, using the tools available to us… Because it’s both our art, but also, our life story, and it’s been thrilling to grow with him to say the least.

JM: It’s been a dream. Christian and I are parallels. We have the same fire for self growth and expression. We have built ourselves in similar ways with different tools. Communication and creativity are free flowing. Adjusting from conversation to conversation to serve our dreams. We help each other best we can, which makes even the most strenuous moments fun and memorable.

The best part has been making something beautiful that could not have existed without our combined energy.

TWP: I’ve backed a lot of videogames, but not as many graphic novels. What sort of exciting rewards is this project using to incentivize backers?

CA: There are a lot of tiers for the Kickstarter but the biggest one is the both the digital and physical books themselves, including signed copies of everything. There’s also commissioned art and original pieces from all of our artists and a wrap around variant cover from Shawn McManus. We also have T-shirts and bottle openers too, along with prints that Mark’s been gracious to share with backers, taken from his personal portfolio.

TWP: This question is for your artist, Jameson. I find artwork is often what first draws me to comics. How did you get your start drawing, and what are some of your inspirations?

JM: I think.. Static imagery. Still photography, illustration, painting.. are ways to hold onto a feeling.. Forever. I’ve never been able to separate from the endless energy a single image can provide. Alphonse Mucha and Rembrandt classically and Bachalo, Coipel, JRR, Kuberts, Murphy, Ramos, Lee, Kirby, Scalera, Nihei, Mora, and DiMeo contemporarily.

TWP: Also for Jameson – Do you enjoy horror? What’s your favorite genre to illustrate?

JM: I do love horror! I love Noir imagery, striking uses of shadow and composition. Horror allows for freedom to play on the subtle and subconscious. The shadows, deep blacks, loose or obscured lines. The imagination does the heavy lifting when viewing horror. I think any story can hold calm, still moments that matter. I find that fitting those moments in any genre make it exciting.

Though, slice of life has to be my favorite to illustrate. Making the mundane extraordinary will always be my daily effort.

**TWP: If Tomb of Baalberith V2 does well, are there any plans for a third volume down the line?**

CA: That’s entirely up to Mark but I will say this is the beginning of Jameson and my partnership on the comics journey. My bet is yes. Though, if so, I’d like to do an entirely new story about the trying times of today. That was always the mission. To say the things we’re too afraid of addressing kind of like the series Black Mirror or the Twilight Zone.

Many thanks to Christian and Jameson for their time. And if you like what you’ve heard, be sure and check out The Tomb of Baalberith V2 on Kickstarter!

Five Nights At Freddy’s Is a Faithful Adaptation of the Popular Horror Series

Josh Speer

I’m one of those old people that still remembers Chuck E. Cheese from my childhood. Not well, mind you, but enough to remember the mouse logo, animatronic musicians, and pizza. Which by themselves aren’t scary, but it doesn’t take much effort to make something otherwise mundane terrifying. Especially where robotics are involved. No, I’m not going to go off on a tangent about AI (though I easily could), but suffice to say cold, hard metal conveys a dread that flesh and blood cannot.

With this in mind, I decided to see what the fuss was about and check out the movie adaptation of the Five Nights at Freddy’s game series. Mind you I haven’t played any of the games. The closest I got was watching a colleague try a playthrough one time, and marveling at her courage in navigating the numerous jump scares. I am scared quite easily, and it’s only with plenty of practice that I can enjoy horror at all. Even then, I still get frightened pretty quickly, though I’d venture that’s part of the point of the genre. If you’re not scared, then why bother?

Five Nights At Freddy’s hews pretty closely to the games, at least from some research I did before watching the movie. And though I’d like to assure you there are no spoilers in my review, I wouldn’t be able to talk much without some. So this is the point of no return, assuming you don’t want to have anything from the movie spoiled for you. I’ll do my best to avoid the largest spoilers, but I’ll have to reveal some secrets to discuss the more fascinating elements of the movie.

The primary cast of the movie is Mike (ably played by Josh Hutcherson), his sister Abby (Piper Rubio) a sassy cop named Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), and a job counselor named Steve (Matthew Lillard). Mike is a down-on-his-luck security guard tormented by a past incident that has broken him and left him saddled with a lot of bubbling rage. Abby is a quiet girl who only seems to have imaginary friends, constantly drawing pictures and finding ways to throw shade at her older brother. Vanessa shows up about midway through the movie and makes an immediate impact. It’s clear she knows more than she’s letting on, and she brings a lot of good energy and humor to her role. As for Steve, he’s quite something. He’s the reason Mike finds his new job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, and he alternates between sarcastic glee and quiet introspection.

Every night Mike uses pills, a poster and nature sounds to recall the traumatic moment when his younger brother Garret was taken from him by some cruel stranger. Though he was only about 12 when it happened, it marked him, and he’s ashamed it happened on his watch. Even as an adult, Mike is haunted by this horrible incident and is trying to shape his dreams to recall details that might shed light on who took Garret. Now his life is defined by trying to make enough money to take care of little sister Abby, though that’s complicated by a greedy aunt that only wants custody for the monthly paycheck.

Once Mike starts working at Freddy’s, things quickly start to get weird. Suddenly his nightly recollection of the day Garret was taken gets invaded by 5 ghostly children. He tries to ask them for answers, but at first, they’re unwilling to talk, running away. Weirder yet, when Mike trips and falls in the dream, he wakes up with a gash on his leg. Then just as he’s starting to mellow out, a police car shows up outside. Here he meets Vanessa, and she has a sort of magnetic energy that draws them closer. At one point I thought perhaps she was an ill-fated love interest, but thankfully she serves a far more interesting role.

Things get bloody when Mike and Abby’s aunt decide to force the custody issue by using hooligans to make Mike lose his new job. Their job is to trash the joint for her. Three burly miscreants plus one woman (who has been babysitting Abby for some time to secretly find dirt for the aunt regarding her custody claim) break into the abandoned building at night, and quickly wish they hadn’t.

The most adorable of the animatronics, Cupcake, makes a grisly meal of one man’s face. Another gets crushed to death by Bonnie the Bunny, and Foxy slices up another. When the bad babysitter investigates what happened, she gets lured into a backroom by a child’s voice, and gets a bit too close to one of the animatronics. It’s a bloody spectacle and one of my favorite parts of Five Nights At Freddy’s.

Five Nights at Freddy’s picks up when Mike is forced to bring his sister to work with him after he is unable to find his regular babysitter to watch Abby. He tells her to stay put, so of course she starts getting whispered to by ghostly little voices. When Mike wakes from his nap, he finds her screaming, surrounded by animatronics suddenly come to life.

Or that’s what he thinks, but it turns out she’s squealing with delight, being tickled by the suddenly docile and not murderous machines. She reveals to her big brother that she’s friends with them, and they even go so far as to build a fort with the assistance of Vanessa. It’s surreal and seemingly at odds with the violent scene earlier, but there’s a reason for that we’ll get to later.

Eventually, Mike learns that the reason Freddy’s got closed years ago was the disappearance of several children. The police searched the premises but never found them. Freddy’s has remained in disrepair ever since, other than the security guards hired to watch over it who keep going missing themselves.

Mike makes the connection that perhaps the ghostly children in his dreams are the ones that went missing, and he starts to get somewhere talking with one of them. One cold blonde child offers to make it so Mike’s nightly dreams are happy instead of horrible, there’s just one small cost. He wants Abby to be his friend forever. Which is problematic, since the ghost children are the ones inhabiting the animatronics. Worse, though they’re often childlike and full of joy, they’re under the control of the man who murdered them, one William Afton.

The final arc of Five Nights At Freddy’s is focused on Mike saving Abby from the animatronics. Though they consider her their friend, the malevolent influence of Afton compels them to make her an animatronic, just like them. With Vanessa’s help, Mike fights back with tasers to short-circuit the haunted animatronics. And just when he thinks he’s free and clear, the real villain reveals himself, none other than William Afton in his nightmarish Springtrap suit! He’s a true sadist and takes real glee in the suffering of his victims. Worse, he and Mike have a shared history, and he’s armed with a giant butcher knife. It’s only thanks to Vanessa’s sacrifice and quick thinking on Abby’s part that they make it out alive.

One of my favorite parts of Five Nights At Freddy’s is how they gradually build tension with smart camera angles. The games are all about watching security monitors and slowing down the animatronics. Here, the audience quickly learned to keep our eyes peeled for Freddy and friends walking past doors, casting shadows, and generally getting into trouble. As for the animatronics themselves, they’re brought to life with Henson magic, and express a wide range of emotion with their cold robot eyes. The sound design is intense as well, with one of the first things we hear in the movie being a man frantically trying to unscrew a bolt to escape into an air vent and flee from the murderous robots. Or take my favorite sound, the guffawing song Foxy sings before charging his victims. Visually it’s a really fun time as well, with the decrepit Pizza parlor offering numerous hiding spaces and jump scares.

I enjoyed Five Nights At Freddy’s, even if it perhaps wasn’t as terrifying as I thought it might be. It is rated PG-13, after all, and scenes that would often end in a bloody spectacle have the camera pan away just in time. A lot of the violence is strongly implied, not shown on screen, though I feel that helps build the tension better than a slasher spectacle. While there are a couple of moments where characters chew the scenery too much and one weird plot hole in the final arc, overall I feel this was a very successful adaptation, and I’m hungry for some sequels!

Upload Episode 3×4 Review: “Download Doctor” Remedies Some Problems, Ignores Others

Robert Kijowski

Tinsley — Come on. This ain't no "Uh-oh Spaghetti-o type shit."

Review

Picking up where we left off with Nathan (Robbie Amell) and his predicament, the fourth episode of Upload (Prime Video) titled “Download Doctor” darts right out of the gate with Neveah (Chloe Coleman) coming through in a pinch with a tampon to stanch the flow- a smart pump of the brakes so as not to redline it so soon with the nosebleed. We do get a fun glimpse into their vision of the future when Nora (Andy Allo) and Nathan hitch a drone to San Fran to visit the doctor fired from Oscar Mayar Intel for his botched public download. The dramatic setup in this cold open is great because Nora promises to keep mum about Nathan’s condition. A promise portrayed in media seldom ends well.

The B plot of this episode gives us the obligatory ‘office retreat’ with Lucy (Andrea Rosen) and Aleesha (Zainab Johnson). Yes, this is a series from the person who gave us what arguably is a rarified adaptation that surpasses its source material in his U.S. version of The Office, and this is a part of office culture, so don’t think when I say ‘obligatory’, I’m not necessarily being reductive. Keeping the tension between Aleesha and Nora bubbling is a steady move. Lack of transparency is frustrating for anybody, especially when it comes to a close relationship, so this was a good scenario to put in as we keep the group (mostly) separated to let them grow as individuals. Plus, actual retreats on their best day(s) are just a reason to get sloppy drunk and make an epic mistake, so leggo!

The cessation of veteran funding keeps the message flowing while putting Luke (Kevin Bigley) in an even tighter spot all in a matter of maybe a minute, ending on physical comedy. Moments like that, the ones that deliver so much in so little are what this series does very well, I’ll give them that, and with the chemical taste of “CyberDiscountDay” waning on my palette, I’m praying this uptick in good moments isn’t a fluke.

Since Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) is off for the day, she and Nathan 2.0 going on a bit of a field trip themselves, serving as a nice juxtaposition to the business retreat. Nathan’s explanation for a hack to get to the first-floor beta build gave me the fucking willies. Ironically, elevators have never represented anything good in a well-written beat. But a free bar with a drunk setting? What are we, effin’ teetotalers? Let’s go!

This causes Nathan to fall off the grid once again with Tinsley (Mackenzie Cardwell) subsequently replicating him yet again. It isn’t making any sense to me at the moment. I like her, but she seems to just exist as a foil, the entre for more wacky shit to happen, which is getting a little limp to me. Sure, she lusts after Nathan, but ostensibly so does everybody else in this series, so I wouldn’t mind seeing a bit of growth in her. She is, after all, an actual living human being. Give her a bit more to work with.

Oppositely, Luke and Yang (Phoebe Miu) give me life. I wouldn’t mind the two as a romantic possibility, and keeping the 2 Gig Yang in a mid-question stasis opens the space for even more emotional throughlines that can both complicate and enrich the world of Lakeview even more (if executed just right). She does hook him up with a job, so he at the very least owes her an answer to the question she didn’t even have enough memory left to ask. I will say, this as a device is great, however, I believe they ought to be thought of as time outs in any sports game; limit yourself and use them wisely.

Nora and Nathan find their way into the home of Dr. Kappor (Ravi Kapoor). I’m not sure if this was by design, but this scene nicely shifts emotional dynamics through dialogue between Nora and Nathan by misdirection. We’re used to caring about the bigger picture (Dr. Kapoor), so we may have missed what happens in a matter of seconds; Nora breaks a promise to her love and Nathan’s been lying to his. The gravity of this cannot be ignored, and yet, all some may come away with is that Nathan scored some magical pills to stave off impending death. It all seems a bit fishy to me, but Dr. Kapoor isn’t the true star of this scene, a shift in demeanor is. Also, was the pizza order joke something more than a simple joke, since the person on the other end of the line was listening?

Founders Grove, the largely geriatric and Caucasian boy’s club, looks like any luxurious retreat with a bit of an Eyes Wide Shut feel. Miro Mansour (Bassem Youssef) does acknowledge and welcome the new presence of women and the gender diverse. At least it’s a progressive evil society. So long as you’re good at what you do, what you identify as should have no bearing, so for the moment, I’m not rolling my eyes. Aleesha finds a kindred soul in Karina (Jeanine Mason) when they share a cute moment in understanding that Lucy’s gone to the sky with diamonds. When your time is limited at a retreat, the seemingly innocuous becomes heightened. Every second should have a purpose and Aleesha is fully aware when she’s summarily put on the spot by Miro to pitch an idea. I love a good underdog story, so let’s keep Aleesha on the incline and not do what we’re doing to my girl Ingrid’s redemptive angle, alright?

David Choak (William B. Davis) and Oliver Kannerman (Barclay Hope). Choak growing increasingly angrier seems like the real ‘Ticking Clock’ because I’m sure there’s nothing more annoying than ageism when you’re that age… so when the ‘Ghoul Busters’ joke came into play, an immediate belly laugh wasn’t unearned.

At Founders Grove cocktail hour, Karina gets a chance to formally introduce herself. Aleesha needs saving so Karina offers herself as the one being saved, a move which couldn’t be smoother if it was made out of silk. Aleesha is aware of this woman’s status and from the get-go, we know that Karina’s a go-getter who seems to value Aleesha’s mind among other attributes.

I would be very remiss in saying, from the Burton-esque elevator ride to the Kubrick-ian First Floor, complete with jump scares complements of the very first A.I. Guy (Owen Daniels) to the Brutalist architecture of the Grey Area’s Sex & Cheese Shop, the production design truly spice up the side plots of this episode that could have been real throwaways. Thankfully, the writers kept a character like Luke, currently without any massively compelling story a good sense of purpose. We already know that I think there are a few more characters that could benefit from that magic. His new gig as a telemarketer isn’t fully Orwellian, which is good because you don’t want to pile on too much, especially since Guy With No Eyelids has that part covered in the creepy liminal space of the First Floor, which nicely takes its inspiration from the creep factor of ‘dead rooms’. Hell, even the sybaritic look of Founders Grove was a very nice departure from anything we’ve seen before.

Nora and Nathan deciding to stay and deliver more drives is also a great departure from LA, NYC, and Lakeview. This episode marks enough of a clear shift, and with us being exactly halfway through the season, adding Nathan’s ex, Holden (Kristine Cofsky) not only stirs the pot but also enhances the spice, and having her non-profit now able to go after Freeyond in something landmark: a class action.

This is huge and would be a good beat to end the mid-season on… but just in case something that will set up the rest of the season isn’t ‘good enough’ for you, we end on a few scrumptious bits concerning Tinsley and Aleesha separately. Still, the biggest reveal is also the biggest letdown concerning Ivan (Josh Banday). I’m not going to spoil it, but all I’m going to say is, it doesn’t seem earned.

Overall, this was better than the last episode. It was slightly experimental, brought in new locations, dialed Ingrid back a bit, threw a wrench in Nathan and Nora’s relationship, and gave Aleesha and Luke something to talk about down the line. That would have been enough, but Ivan’s ‘heroic act’ is too little, too late for me. I do believe his character is the most underwritten from the standpoint of him being with us from day one but handing him redemption on a silver platter when all he’s been this entire time is a personification of all that’s wrong with the internet just didn’t feel rewarding. And don’t get me started on Tinsley’s fuck up at the end. She and Ivan, are both characters that exist as mere effigies.

Ivan’s joined the fucking circus as far as I’m concerned. Do you really want to give Tinsley character? You give her Nathan 3.0 and have her interact with it. You have her really care about something, if only for the episode, and then you wrest it from her when backup Nathan comes back into the fold the next episode. You give an underwritten character life-changing consequence, not just a threat of getting fired.

Despite not knowing exactly what was axed in the shooting script, the only thing I am assured of is that the end of this is choppy as fuck.

4/5 Stars.

‘Haliya: Heir to The Warrior Moon’ is The Perfect Kickstarter Supporting Filipino American History Month

Christian Angeles

October 30, 2023

Set for release during Filipino American History Month in a joint venture by Kwento Comics and Clover Press, The Mask of Haliya: Heir to The Warrior Moon is a 200-page hardcover comic about a young adult teen who finds a magical mask at her great-greatmother’s wake. Created by an all-female and all-Asian-led team, the hardcover featured cover art by Haining (Spirit World, DC vs. Vampires: All Out War). The Kickstarter campaign is live just in time for Filipino American History Month. The first in a series of books published by Clover Press, the series tackles topics such as mental health, intergenerational trauma, and corruption, with a major emphasis on its female characters, all linked and described below:

In THE MASK OF HALIYA, seventeen-year-old Marisol Reyes is in need of a do-over. After getting kicked out of one too many schools for strange and unsettling behavior, Mari’s overbearing mother sends her to the Philippines for a fresh start. The promise of a normal life is dashed, however, when Mari attends her recently deceased Lola Talia’s wake. For it’s there she discovers a mysterious wooden mask that unlocks frightening visions… and terrifying abilities. So begins THE MASK OF HALIYA, where Mari must forge new allies and battle new foes while finding her place in a world on the brink of darkness. In the heart of Cebu, an ancient power awakens…The Mask has chosen its new heir.

The Workprint had the chance to interview the Co-Founder of Kwento Comics, Waverley Lim, and the Mask of Haliya writer, Kaitlin Fae Fajilan. We discussed this latest project and the importance of seeing Asian Women in comics and media.

INTERVIEW WITH WAVERLEY LIM

Can you share with us your company’s mission statement and the kinds of projects Kwento Comics is seeking to publish?

WL: Our mission is to create stories that introduce Filipino and other Asian mythology through riveting contemporary fantasy series. Our stories aim to inspire young women everywhere as they follow our female heroines who learn to spark the warrior goddess within. Our hope is that our readers will be inspired to face the future with hope, compassion and grace born from an understanding of the past and the struggles of our ancestors.

Our goal for the future is to continue creating more meaningful content that
shines a light on our unique heritage while introducing more dynamic and diverse
heroines at the forefront. The Mask of Haliya is the first of many more stories to come!

With the exception of TRESE, there hasn’t been a lot of Filipino mythology-based IP despite the Phillippines’ rich history with monsters and Gods. Why is it important to share these stories about such distinct voices? How does Filipino culture, and our relationship with family, have an influence on everything we do?

WL: As a Filipina born in the US, I was fortunate enough to have my family who instilled in me my Filipino roots and heritage at a young age; however, not having grown up in the motherland, there are still so many things about my culture that I am still learning about today. The vibrant world of Philippine mythology is something that I found later in life as the result of wanting to tell more stories with Filipino fantasy! Our research led us to some of the most scary and interesting creatures and we just knew that we wanted to help bring this world to audiences who have yet to discover our mythology.

Family is definitely a strong core value to the heart of the Philippines, so much so that it allowed me naturally to create a business with my mom and a creative family within our team at Kwento. I’m really grateful that my identity to my roots has continued to evolve as I’ve gotten older, to where I have a genuine appreciation from where I come from and a desire to share that with the world, which in turn led me to a creative venture into comics that I never would’ve imagined!

It’s not just about being Filipino culture but about women’s voices too. How does Kwento uphold this ideal of representing women-centered creative teams and what kinds of follow-up projects are in store after Haliya to keep this mission statement going?

WL: We launched during Women’s Herstory month in March of 2022 to show that it is never too late to make your own HERstory! In an industry such as comics that is still heavily male dominated, we wanted to not only give talented women a platform to show their incredible work, but also have our stories written and drawn from the perspective of a diverse group of women who readers can see themselves reflected in. I know how important it was for my mom and I to show that women can do it all! We can be entrepreneurs, CEOs, writers, and artists, while coexisting in both business and creative spaces! We want to show how special a collective of all women creators can be and what you can truly create when you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals who all are inspired by a shared mission and vision. Meeting women at conventions and seeing them be inspired by our booth to create their own stories are some of my favorite interactions at comic cons! We have a brand new series currently in the works featuring a new goddess from the Philippines with a brand new team of incredible Filipina writers and artists!

INTERVIEW WITH WRITER KAITLYN FAE FAJILAN

Can you share with us a little bit about your writing background and what it was that inspired you to create this story?

KF: Though I’ve composed short stories, plays, and poems for my own amusement since childhood (Sailor Moon fanfiction being my first foray into creative writing), it wasn’t until the past decade that I began working professionally as a journalist, and then screenwriter.

When Cecilia Lim (CEO of Kwento Comics) first approached me to write a graphic novel series about a Filipina-American teenage superheroine, I was not only a complete newbie to the medium of comic book writing, but a total idiot when it came to the culture and mythos of all things Superhero™. The more I pondered Cecilia’s concept, however, the more I realized that I had, in fact, always been a fan of mythos itself. In college, I wrote a play involving Filipino gods and monsters; I remembered how thrilling it had been to do the research and breathe life into the vast world of Philippine folklore and superstitions—something I felt not nearly enough people knew about. My mind began to spew out images of an anxious young woman thrust into a landscape teeming with these dark supernatural beings and voila! The Mask of Haliya was born.

For those unfamiliar, can you tell audiences about Haliya’s story in a short synopsis and what to expect if they support the Kickstarter?

KF: According to Bikolano legend (Bikol being a region in the Philippines), there used to be seven moons in the sky, all of them siblings and children of the Creator god. One day, Bakunawa, a gigantic sea serpent, attempted to swallow the seven moons, so transfixed was he by their unearthly beauty. Before he could swallow the last moon, however, the Creator god came and pried her from Bakunawa’s jaws. That last moon is Haliya, the lunar warrior goddess featured in our upcoming graphic novel, The Mask of Haliya: Heir to the Warrior Moon.

Supporting our Kickstarter allows us to continue the saga of Marisol Reyes, a troubled Filipino-American teen who moves to the Philippines and discovers her connection to the lunar goddess Haliya–and all the excitement and danger that revelation unearths.

A big thing about Filipinos, and Asian families in particular, is the idea of expectations. That neuroticism that comes with always trying to be the best out of familial pride. Do you think OCD-like tendencies are a hindrance or a help in the artistic process? How do we balance that fine line of making good art while still remaining good, and better yet, kind to ourselves?

KF: This might sound a bit controversial, but I do think that OCD-tendencies can drive artists to constantly better themselves. OCD-sufferers (and other types of perfectionists) are less likely to settle for “good enough,” opting instead to consistently improve their work, even if that means demolishing everything they’ve built over the course of months and starting over, endlessly raking through the minutiae of their projects with a fine-toothed comb. However, I need hardly say how utterly detrimental neuroticism is to one’s mental health and overall wellbeing!I think the key to balance here lies in three things:

1.) eagerly focusing on the aspects of your work that you’ve successfully accomplished, versus the things you didn’t (for example, a single page filled with writing is better than no page at all), 2.) forgiving yourself for your so-called “mistakes,” because life is short and it’s a waste of energy to spend hours of the day beating yourself up over things you can’t change, and 3.)practicing radical self-love and self-acceptance–and yes, sometimes this means settling for “good enough”!

‘Slay The Princess’ Review: A Game That Exceeds All Narrative Expectations

Christian Angeles

Every year there are a slew of surprising hit indie games that arrive on the scene to exceed all expectations. In 2022, that game was Cult of The Lamb, a roguelike cult simulator that saw adorable farm animals do very messed up ritualistic things to defy an Elder God. Then, in the previous year, It Takes Two took the spotlight as Game of The Year. Already in 2023, most people will say Sea of Stars seems poised to claim a breakout indie title this year, in what’s easily considered one of the greatest years of releases in gaming history. Yet, when it comes to truly underground indie titles, the kind of gems that are made out of a love of the craft by developers and creators who’re doing this out of a love of gaming, I’d actually say Slay The Princess stands out.

Had it been released in 2021, I think it could’ve even been a surprise GOTY contender, because the game is in every way a testimony to the possibilities of storytelling in video games and visual novels. By all means, this work is such a beautifully terrifying work of art with such a powerful purpose behind its meandering prose, which will take the player on an unexpected yet spooky journey.

Developed and distributed by Black Tabby Games for PC, Mac, and Steam Deck, Slay The Princess takes the basic premise of Princess Peach in video games and turns it on its head. Whereas in most cases the princess is the one meant to be saved, in this reality you’re the one meant to destroy her. Especially, because she’s allegedly destined to end the world. A masterclass in metanarrative and philosophy, this is a game about destinies and the countless consequences of choices – most of which end in murder between you and the princess.

The story is a trippy journey with multiple endings and paths, where the narrative itself becomes a part of the monstrous experience. What’s compelling is that it becomes challenging to discern who’s at fault for our impending doom, or if anything you’re experiencing and learning about your role along with the princess is actually the truth. There are destinies to fulfill against a backdrop of conflicting personalities.

There’s the game’s English-sounding Narrator (voiced by Jonathan Sims of The Magnus Archives podcast), the less-than-human Princess that may be evil (voiced by Nichole Goodnight), and of course, there is you. Which should be straightforward yet is murky because the more you delve into the choices within the game, the more varied your voice becomes. Creating, in turn, different dialogues and various pathways to the story along with different endings.

The game establishes archetypes for both yourself and the princess. With each encounter creating a sort of metanarrative defying unit – that without spoilers – ties every decision and non-decision made in the game into its endgame content.

“It’s up to you to decide the truth,” says Tony Howard-Arias, Lead Writer at Black Tabby Games. “There is no one way through this story, and how players arrive at situations alters the narrative trajectory as much as the scenarios themselves. We’re so curious to see how players react to the story’s context changing along the way and how that affects their decisions moving forward.”

One of the most ingenious aspects of the gameplay is the featured time loop, where death in whatever fashion sort of resets the story from the beginning. A single session is broken into three repeating looped chapters, each influenced by your decisions previously, which more or less create divergent pathways and inner voices (because your actions have consequences both you and the princess remember).

I’ve genuinely never seen anything like this before in a video game, which is pretty rare to say the least. Add on top of this a brilliant use of multiverse theory in an age where it seems all of pop-cultural superhero entertainment seems obsessed with it, and what you play here is repeated experiences of horrific outcomes and repeated attempts to break the cycle. The player’s exploration of this world’s limits, both its physical boundaries but also it’s story cycle, sort of builds this otherworldliness to the tale.

I can’t stress enough, that despite the many, “Will she kill you” or “Will you kill her” scenarios, this game isn’t entirely about that, so much as it is the great beyond of what comes after. It’s this characterization of your choices and the conscious voices you’re effectively creating, that delve into profound themes like finding peace, rebirth, death, and even infatuated love. It it thus this depth of scripting, beyond anything I’ve ever really seen, which is why this game is so horrifically well constructed. Building on the stakes of what happens next.

Taking a page out of choose your adventure novels, Slay The Princess is set in its design to clicking about and make dialogue choices that end up altering the world around you. Primarily focusing on the cabin, the woods, and the basement where you find the Princess, much of the shock comes in the creative ways these settings and situations evolve with every playthrough depending on how you left things with the princess and whether or not you choose to kill her, she killed you, or you both did something else entirely. It’s intriguing to say the least, seeing how your voice is distinct from the narrator’s.

Again, your actions create new voices and impact the different story outcomes, wherein as the game progresses, it becomes utterly unclear whether the Princess is good or bad, much like the narrator who at times controls your fate, and even, yourself. It is in these moments of characterization that the game features several wall-breaking scenes, as even exiting and reentering the game can become a part of the story, creating a very creepy fourth-wall experience. If you’ve ever played Doki Doki Literature Club, you’ll find similar vibes here.

The artwork in Slay The Princess evokes such different types of horror including body horror, murder noir, otherworldly ghosts, and gruesome beheadings. Everything in this game is actually hand-drawn in monochromatic illustrations by Ignatz-winning graphic novelist Abby Howard (The Crossroads at Midnight, The Last Halloween). It’s simultaneously cringe-worthy and beautiful to say the least, with pencil-drawn black and white style, coupled with brief animations, which accentuates surprise and suspense.

Atop of this, your choices, whether aggressive or pacifist, often influence your relationship with the game itself as you learn more about it, and it learns more about you through your decisions – making the artwork change based on which chapter and path you’re currently on.

THE TAKE

In summary, Slay The Princess offers a rare depth of storytelling for a visual novel centered around a seemingly simple concept. It defies expectations, compelling players to question their purpose in this world.

5 STARS

Upload Episode 3×3 Review: The Turkey Serves Itself in “CyberDiscountDay”

Robert Kijowski

Review:

Coming right out the gate with Nathan (Robbie Amell) finding out that his business partner/best friend in life Jamie has passed out and coupling that with Nathan’s first nosebleed raises the stakes immediately, piling even more questions on. It’s a smart move for the first minute or so to get the blood pumping as he and Nora (Andy Allo) proceed to their next location, the Charlie Munger Reduced Circumstance Housing.

Inside, the environs are an amalgam of dorm room efficiency with real-world “Lake View 2 Gig Status”. There, they see Nathan’s mom Viv (Jessica Tuck). It’s “CyberDiscountDay”, which seems to be treated mainly like Thanksgiving. Fingers crossed that keeping in line with the traditional American holiday, our bellies will be full by the end of this episode through in-fighting, miscommunication, and overall drama juicier than bird cooked by Gordon Ramsay.

The romance between Nathan’s mom and Mauricio (Peter James Smith) is a bit too close for comfort, somehow more so than the ensuing sleeping arrangements. I’ve never had a family member bring a new romantic interest to Turkey Day dinner, however, I’m sure this hits more than close to home for more than just a few people, so that’s a nice inclusion. While Viv and Mauricio’s romance may seem random as fuck at first, I believe it totally fits into the hilariously uncomfortable beats of a Greg Daniels series.

My main problem with the episode presents itself when we head on into Lake View. If you didn’t get from the title that this was going to be a grotesque self-suck, the party inside the afterlife joins the club and then beats you over the head with it. Now, I love a fake holiday just as much as any television watcher. From Festivus to Galentine’s Day (Festivus and Treat Yo’ Self Day are in a whole other echelon), I’m a fan of supplanting real holidays with proxies. If done well, a made-up holiday for a television series will share the happiest bullet points with its real-life counterpart (which thankfully means extricating any imperious religious angles from it). If written right, it’s something that sticks in your memory. This shit just sticks in my craw. CyberDiscountDay is depressingly too close to our own reality that there’s nothing to divorce us from the grim reality that we’re fucking consumers. I mean, we’re watching a goddamn show on Amazon, whose holiday is their own. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s attempting to be a satire on the power of Amazon, but it’s not barbed enough to work.

That being said, what could work is giving Nathan 2.0’s girlfriend a bit more of a character facelift. Having Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) financially powerless is a step up in beefing up her character by taking away her safety blanket. For the time being, her having to think without dollar signs in her eyes is giving me hope.

But then it’s lost again, dropped like Matteo. Yeah, pretty happy he didn’t survive. Ironically, that’s giving me life. Ingrid still hating on Luke is more reductive to a trait of jealousy that can be mined so much more. It’s a very abrupt tug that seems a little harsh for someone I’m still trying to be on the side of. Writing an anti-hero is interesting ground, which is what I’d label her as. She’s not on the side of evil, but her morality in the balance can be a tricky thing to write, I’d reckon. I personally fucking love writing morally gray characters into my scripts, but for all the subtly between Nathan and Nora, hell, even Luke and Aleesha, Ingrid’s path, for the moment seems to just be circling everybody else. Her coming clean to Nathan seems more like it’ll come sooner than later, hence that hairpin turns with her. I suppose, for effectiveness, it’ll appease those who want a saccharine fix. At this point, it’s up to Allegra to carry this. We’ve seen her do it before in that poker episode.

Aleesha (Zainab Johnson) has plenty on her CyberDiscountDay plate. A disappointed family is definitely a staple at Thanksgiving dinners, so another uncomfortable necessity makes for a good tension riser. Her mother takes an immediate shine to Luke while her sister isn’t so fond of anything. Lucy (Andrea Rosen) keeping her newly promoted on a “Leeshy” this holiday is most likely the most ‘barbed’ this script will ever get. To be fair, you can only say Aleesha is overworked, not underpaid, as she’s promoted, so the script puts in a failsafe from truly being anything great.

At best, it sets up a decent conflict while ‘getting one over on the man.’ The rub is, whereas “Strawberry” was too garishly preachy for its own good, the only “ballsy” move thus far in the episode is the wall massaging joke. Moments like that dial me back in, so sincere kudos. Aleesha scolding A.I. (Owen Daniels) for taking a rest on the busiest day of the year may be getting a bit closer to what I feel this episode could achieve in regards to sending a message about Amazon, their practices and consumerism all around, but that was never the main objective. The main objective is to provide an entertaining, funny, thought-provoking script.

Luke (Kevin Bigley) and his pedagogy with the A.I. are giving hints that the real teacher in this season isn’t the person paid to do it, but rather the person who lacks a sense of purpose that was born to do it. This is a nice throughline I want to see more of because Nathan as a garbage picker because of his ‘undocumented’ status isn’t really doing much for me momentum-wise. I get it though. Keeping him separated from Nora as she researches more on downloads gives us just enough of a score to drive a wedge between the two, especially with her newfound knowledge of Nathan 2.0.

In Lake View, Nora this season looks stately and radiant, if only for the moment. She’s spying on Nathan, sure, but the excitement on her face belies the seldom spoken foible when it comes to the long-distance relationship: the fantasy vs. the reality. Lake View was their breeding ground for romance, the incubator of emotions. The distance keeps the fantasy alive as opposed to the smelly, cramped reality beyond the headset: relationships, in reality, can be complicated.

Speaking of which, Lake View Ingrid’s story isn’t much more storybook than her concurrent real-world one. She’s working retail at a Hug Suit Store just for the access to Nathan and seems refreshingly down-to-earth. Sadly, Allegra’s awesome sobering performance of someone humbled is short-lived. Just when it feels as though we’re going to get another dimension to Ingrid, the script has a problem with making certain we know that she’s “not good.” Shit, we already have big conglomerates as the big boss, Lucy, and the underlings as mere imps; do we really need another person to rally against? Keeping Ingrid a bad egg is one thing, but her capriciousness is so herky-jerky, that it just seems out alien in the grand scheme of things. We get it, her unhealthy obsession with Nathan is an easy move, but it toes trite eye-rolling territory and overshadows something more compelling, which is her quest for self-respect. What I am thankful for though is Allegra’s acting, as it shows flashes of brilliance when she’s playing it more nuanced. Sadly, the script only gives her flashes and immediately wrests them away.

The episode ends with Nathan 2.0 calling. A great moment when the “L” word is mentioned by Nora, setting off that faucet of blood Nathan calls a nose. It’s a very strong beat to an episode that seemed more pageantry and fanfare than anything else. Though we do have a nice warm and tender moment between Luke, Aleesha, and A.I. at their dinner, “CyberDiscountDay” for me isn’t going to be remembered like “Snowflake Day” from Clone High, as a creative spin on something universally separated.

“CyberDiscountDay” is going to be remembered for giving me dyspepsia, so I suppose that it nailed that Thanksgiving beat perfectly.

3.5/5 Stars.

‘Quantum Leap’ digs into emotions in ‘The Lonely Hearts Club’

Mary Fan

Quantum-Leap-Season-2-Episode-4-Ben-and-Addison- — Image: Peacock

Raymond Lee wasn’t kidding when he said, in a interview conducted pre-strike earlier this year, that Ben and Addison’s relationship would get more complicated this season. And while Episode 204, “The Lonely Hearts Club,” is ostensibly about Ben saving an aged TV star destined for a tragic death, it’s his own heartbreak that’s in the focus.

Ben is initially ecstatic to have leaped into a Hollywood agent’s assistant, tasked with handling an actor that Ben himself is a huge fan of. But in the original timeline, that actor, Neal Russell, goes sailing alone instead of appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as scheduled, and his body washes up a week later. Addison is adamant that Ben’s one job is to get Neal onto that show to promote his memoir, which will revive the has-been’s career.

But when Ben discovers Neal trying to win back his ex-wife, things get… weird. Ben is determined to make it work for Neal. The show isn’t even a little bit subtle about Ben using Neal and that ex as proxies for himself and Addison — Ben even helps Neal come up with a “win her back” speech that could easily apply to Addison as well. All while Addison, as the hologram, watches with a mix of frustration and sadness.

This iteration of Quantum Leap has always leaned into its characters’ emotions — sometimes a little too much — but this week’s conflict between Ben and Addison feels both earned and earnest. Ben, who can come off as a little too goody-goody sometimes, finally snaps at Addison for getting with another man during Ben’s three-year absence from her life instead of waiting “forever” as he believes he would have. He’s jealous, he’s petty, he’s judge-y… and he’s totally real. In that scene, Ben is not the best person in the world — in fact, he’s downright terrible. And anything less would have felt dishonest given how much he and Addison were in love in Season 1, and how abruptly the circumstances changed from his perspective.

And we get some powerful emotions coming from Addison too as she describes how she jumped into the quantum accelerator hoping to join Ben wherever he was, then grieved when she finally had to give him up for dead. She gets to express her anger too — she reminds him that he was the one who left her by leaping in the first place, whatever his intentions.

That’s right, Quantum Leap, dig into those feels. It’s what we’re here for. Though maybe be a little less on the nose? I’ll allow it this time… thanks to a masterful guest performance by Tim Matheson as Neal, plus a few plot-y shenanigans, the leap itself manages to remain interesting even if the episode really just wants to talk about Ben and Addison’s feelings.

Back at Quantum Leap HQ, there are lots of feels to go around as well. Addison’s cookie-cutter new boyfriend, Tom, is there to oversee the Quantum Leap program’s resurrection. So far, this character has felt more like a plot device than an actual person. It’s as if the writers knew they had to tread very carefully when introducing this love triangle, to make sure Addison doesn’t look like an idiot for picking some jerk over Ben. So instead, they make Tom so inoffensive, he barely has any personality at all. So far. But we’re still early in the season. And, of course, with the way TV twists work, they might be making Tom appear all nice-ty nice for now so it’ll be more shocking if/when he’s revealed as somehow being evil.

Come to think of it, Tom does suggest that maybe the nature of the quantum accelerator is that it’s a one-way trip, with sacrifice being required to change history. A tragic truth? Or a little sinister?

Anyway, Ian is back with their ex, Rachel, but of course things go awry. Apparently Ian needed Rachel’s unnamed boss to create a chip for Ziggy, and that chip is now hemorrhaging info back to its creator. Who is this boss, and what are they after? Unlike Season 1, which made the season arc very obvious from the start (“Why did Ben leap?!”), Season 2 has thus far been light on the sci-fi mystery element, other than the question of “Why didn’t Ben come home”? Which, frankly, isn’t a very compelling mystery on its own for viewers accustomed to seeing leapers flung from time to time at random. With the mention of this “boss,” it seams the show is setting up its Season 2 arc. And the fact that the “boss” is so far unnamed leads be to think it’ll tie back to the original show somehow.

Jenn and Magic get less time in the spotlight this time around. With Ben (correctly) saying that it’s impossible for him to move on from Addison when she’s still his hologram, though, we’ll probably get to see more of them in subsequent episodes. So far, Magic is the only one who hasn’t been the hologram yet…

All in all, “The Lonely Hearts Club” successfully brings the show’s regular characters to life with believable and realistic emotions, without ignoring the leap and its guest star.

4/5 stars

Loki and Sylvie go round and round in “1893”

Norton

loki_2x03_1893_plano_critico — Image Credit: Marvel Studios

Welcome to Chicago, IL. 1868 where Miss Minutes has a clandestine mission for Ms. Renslayer. Fans of classic sci-fi will appreciate the “Bootstrap Paradox” that occurs here when Renslayer provides a young Victor Timely (our Kang variant for this season) with a TVA handbook.

Meanwhile, back at the TVA, despite the mass pruning, new branches have started springing up again—causing O.B. major panic. I need to point out this seems suspect as the new branches can’t be as far along as the old branches were yet he seems equally distressed. Still, logic aside, there’s hope! Renslayer’s temp-pad has been found in Chicago 1868, then again in 1893—for those in need of a history lesson that’s the year of the Chicago World’s Fair. 1868, on the other hand, has nothing of note. Loki and Mobius jump to the significant year and are duly rewarded.

The World’s Fair gives them confirmation of Miss Minutes (a “ghost clock” in the news), confirmation of Kang’s variant, hello Victory Timely, and the lady of pursuit: Ravonna Renslayer. Victor ends up being a kind of flim-flam artist who plays “quirky” until the bill comes due, then he’s quick as a bunny in the opposite direction. Loki and Mobius, and Renslayer and Miss Minutes all give chase with Sylvie making a surprise appearance, but thanks to Loki’s intervention (fighting Sylvie to keep Victory alive) and Miss Minutes’ improvisation (the ghost clock is real, y’all!), Victor makes a safe escape to his…home? Not entirely sure what the place is, but he, Ravonna, and Miss Minutes get a little time to talk before having to high tail it again.

Long story short, Victor fucks over Ravonna because he has a thing against partnerships, Loki and Sylvie have another fight wherein she wants to kill Victor and Loki insists the TVA needs him. Miss Minutes reveals herself to be a cliché, and Ravonna is about to learn some pivotal information.

Thus far this is my least favorite episode of the second season. I didn’t hate it, but there are a number of elements that don’t exactly work in my opinion.

As I mentioned earlier, the ticking clock of the temporal loom plays out as an illogical boogieman meant to force action. Consider that until Loki brought up the issue of his time slipping, O.B. had no interest in the loom, but once it was introduced it became a monster of its own. I kind of get that the loom wouldn’t be designed to handle more than one sacred timeline since that was Kang’s plan overall, but in all his infinite wisdom he didn’t foresee this possibility? Wouldn’t have designed a backdoor of some kind? Technically, the easiest solution would be to return all the variants working in the TVA to their original branches, let the institution fall, and just create a Kang variant fighting force. Loki’s argument to Sylvie about saving the TVA loses a lot of steam if you take the destruction of the TVA to its natural conclusion. It really only hurts the TVA.

Upon second viewing, I was less annoyed by Victor’s affectation, seeing how it is largely employed as a way to lower the guards of his victims (since it immediately disappears once they call him out). But, the stutter also appears when he’s talking with Renslayer and Miss Minutes—coming and going during their first interaction—which means either he’s trying to play them or it’s a genuine stutter he’s learned to weaponize at times. Speaking of time…allow me a few minutes (excuse the pun), to discuss Miss Minutes.

What the literal fuck is up with this clock? Season 1 introduced Miss Minutes as the Jarvis equivalent at the TVA—a helpful little cartoon clock designed to fit the weird retro aesthetic while informing incoming variants of their impending fate. Suddenly, we learn she’s been working with Kang at the end of time, and that she enlists Renslayer’s help at the end of the first season. Now, in season 2, she’s a rogue A.I., operating under Kang’s instructions in order to reestablish his place as the head of the TVA.

Uh, hold the phone, could it be that this is a lie? Let’s not forget that Kang almost welcomed death at the end of last season. Instead, it’s very believable Miss Minutes is actually the one on a mission to resurrect Kang. To what end, you may ask if you’re reading this without having seen the episode—well, SPOILER, Miss Minutes fell in love with her maker. Much like many lovestruck A.I. she longs to escape her digital body and become flesh and blood. It’s clear Kang’s hinting at this potential probably never happened. Victor is outright panicked when she confesses her feelings for him, which means there’s a good chance Kang wasn’t a fan either.

No, Miss Minutes’ affection for her maker is more than likely one-sided, and her loyalty to him reads more clingy child than romantic lead. But, aside from Miss Minutes’ feelings and motives, there’s a simpler curiosity at work: Why recruit Renslayer at all? Repeatedly we have seen that Miss Minutes has a physical presence in the world around her, despite being able to make up her own plane of existence (walking on…air ground?). In this episode she hides behind objects, grabs items, sits on objects, stands on people, and even pushes Ravonna at one point in Victor’s place. My best guess would be she needs someone with a temp-pad to allow her to manifest, but then that only leads to confusion when you consider the beginning of the episode. Miss Minutes is hiding in a barn when Ravonna goes to 1868.

Why? How? Near as we know there’s no temp-pad there until Ravonna travels there, which she only does on Miss Minutes’ instruction. Yet, Miss Minutes doesn’t appear to “project” from Ravonna’s temp-pad, rather she is in the barn and calls out to the ex-judge. Leading to the problem of, if Miss Minutes can physically interact with the world around her and exist without the assistance of a temp-pad couldn’t she have just snuck into the TVA, taken a handbook, and then dropped it in young Victor’s window on her own?

Perhaps the key lies in Renslayer. My theory is that Ravonna is actually a female variant of Kang. Consider Loki—of all the variants we’ve seen of him, Sylvie is the only female, and she does not give herself any Loki adjacent name either. Loki and Kang are similar people, and my conjecture is that being able to love themselves is one—meaning Victor’s apparent instant affection for Ravonna could easily be rooted in her being his variant. This also tracks if Miss Minutes isn’t lying and the plan to resurrect Kang isn’t hers, naturally he would want to involve Ravonna. We also know, from what Loki heard, that Ravonna and Kang were partners in the past.

Lastly, I’m with Sylvie—bringing Victor to the TVA is a horrible idea. I’m predicting his “meek” shtick will wear out right quick, and he’ll slip into conqueror mode easy-peasy. Though, if Sylvie is really worried, she’s bound to show up if only to keep an eye on him.

We Called It: Ultimate Spider-Man is a Return to Peter and MJ’s Marriage

Christian Angeles

October 26, 2023

I was incredibly excited to cover the news about Marvel’s new Ultimate line at New York Comic-Con. The biggest reason why, was because the story promised that the new Spider-Man Ultimate story would take a page out of Peter B. Parker. To fanboys such as myself, this hinted at a pretty obvious potential storyline that middle-aged Spider-Man fans have been waiting on since they retconned their marriage during One More Day: to see Peter and MJ just living it out many of us comic-collecting adults… struggling to get by, married with children.

Well, it seems like Marvel listened and gave the fans exactly what they wanted. Writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Marco Checchetto’s new ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN is going to accomplish just that in featuring an older Peter Parker, who balances being a hero with responsibilities as both dad and father.

“When we decided that we were going to do a book about an older Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man, we really wanted to lean into him starting his superhero life from a very different place than what’s traditionally expected,” Jonathan Hickman explained in Marvel’s latest press release. “Peter and MJ being married is one of many decisions we made that underline this being quite a ‘different’ kind of Spider-man story.”

Without getting too nerdy into it regarding data, I think this is fantastic news as the entire Spider-Man demographic has been waiting for something like this for over a decade. Atop of this, fans from 2008-2012 are just about hitting dad age, so this story honestly relates to us a lot more regarding relatability. And to be honest, Marvel fans already have characters like Miles, Gwen, and the newly minted Spider-Boy, to cover the young teens to early 20s base demographic for the fans.

Personally, I also just think a large amount of Spider-Man fans just want to see Peter and MJ get the happily ever after they deserve. More recently, sentiment has soured a bit regarding Parker’s chaotic love life, particularly with the latest Black Cat breakup, and while marriage itself is never going to be perfect, the material is ripe for exploring as it hasn’t been touched upon in a long time in the Spider-Verse. Especially, in seeing how contemporary marriages could work – as romance in today’s age is much trickier now in terms of pop culture depiction.

To celebrate, superstar artist Elizabeth Torque will be providing some variant covers for the first four issues. Ryan Stegman also has a few promotional pieces for this interesting launch and take on the character. You can check out Marvel’s official press release below.

RELATED:

NYCC 2023: The New Marvel Ultimate Universe Gives Fans What They Want – An Older Peter Parker and More Peach Momoko

New York, NY— October 26, 2023 — Writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Marco Checchetto’s bold new take on ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN is shaping up to be full of surprises! Launching this January as the first ongoing series set in Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN will star a very different Peter Parker—an older, wiser web-slinger who balances his super hero duties with his responsibilities as a husband and a father. That’s right, Spider-Man is a married man!

Meet Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson—MR. & MRS. PARKER! They’re one of pop culture’s most iconic couples, and now readers will see them stronger than ever in the Ultimate Universe. To celebrate, Peter and MJ’s romance will be featured on a series of picture perfect variant covers by Elizabeth Torque that will adorn the first four issues of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN. Spidey superstar Ryan Stegman also spotlights the whole Parker family on a new promotional piece.

“When we decided that we were going to do a book about an older Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man, we really wanted to lean into him starting his super hero life from a very different place than what’s traditionally expected,” Hickman explained. “Peter and MJ being married is one of many decisions we made that underline this being quite a ‘different’ kind of Spider-man story.”

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 – 75960620796100111

Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN

Art and Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO

Variant Cover by ELIZABETH TORQUE – 75960620796100191

On Sale 1/10

‘Lower Decks’ Returns to Classic ‘Trek’ Ideals… and a Classic Villain

Mary Fan

lds-409-preview-03-1280x720 — Image: Paramount+

The first half of Lower Decks Season 4’s two-part finale, which Mike McMahan described as “the ultimate Star Trek, the ultimate Lower Decks” at NYCC and held back from the press to avoid spoilers, is here at last, and it’s easy to see why he described it that way.

Sometimes, studios put big, important franchises in the hands of people they deem will be good for business, regardless of whether the individual(s) actually care(s) about said franchise as anything other than a product. That has never been the case with Lower Decks; it’s been clear from the start that McMahan is a huge Star Trek fan himself, who really understands what Trekkies love about the franchise. And a big part of that is respecting the ideals Gene Roddenberry originally put forth in the 1960s.

Half a century later, those ideals — of peace, cooperation, respect for different cultures, exploration for the sake of knowledge and not conquest, etc. — still resonate. It’s something other iterations of Star Trek (which I won’t name specifically because I’m not here to bash other parts of the franchise) have found convenient to ignore, seeing Star Trek as just another special effects-laden sci-fi show where big ships go boom amid eye-popping space battles.

To be fair, it’s easy to see why some folks wouldn’t understand that Trek isn’t meant to be about action and war. There have been lots and lots of explosive space battles and bloody combat scenes throughout the franchise’s run. The show’s about peace and exploration, you say? Starfleet isn’t the military, you say? Well, it sure feels like we’re watching Star Battle rather than Star Trek sometimes… between the Klingon War, the Dominion War, the ongoing fights with the Borg and the Hirogen and whatever other threats the writers come up with…

Episode 409, aptly titled “The Inner Fight,” calls out this tendency to jam violence into a show that claims to be about peace. After an entire season of self-destructive behavior, Mariner finally reveals what’s going on in her head. Following an episode opener where she yet again throws herself into unnecessary danger, Captain Freeman, concerned about her daughter’s safety, calls the other lower deckers together and, at Tendi’s suggestion, assigns them a super-safe mission to fix a buoy. The mission, of course, goes awry… a Klingon Bird-of-Prey appears and destroys the shuttle; Mariner, Tendi, Boimler, and T’Lyn barely beam down the planet in time. There, they discover the aliens that have been attacked by the random mysterious murder ship, recently revealed to be a random mysterious kidnapping ship, all season. Mariner, of course, breaks off from the group. She encounters a stranded Klingon warrior, and it’s to him that she reveals what’s troubling her: A friend from Starfleet Academy, who was stellar at everything and should have been a captain someday, died while serving as an ensign on the Enterprise.

Instead of exploration, that friend got violence. And Mariner is troubled by how Starfleet feels like a military… she’s quite right to point out that often, its leaders act as generals. And that’s why she tried so hard to avoid being promoted — she doesn’t want to be a general and send people into danger. That’s not what Starfleet is about.

To her surprise, the Klingon provides great insight: Peace comes at a cost. That friend died to ensure that people like Mariner would be safe to explore. In a short but impactful conversation, the show reconciles the two seemingly at-odds sides of Trek: a show about peaceful exploration, but riddled with violent encounters.

The no-longer-destructive Mariner then convinces all the other stranded aliens, who’ve been at each others’ throats fighting for survival, to work together in order to escape. The resolution is a bit too quick — a bit too “one big speech from the main character solves the whole problem” — but I get it, we only have 20 minutes. And then she suddenly vanishes…

Meanwhile, Captain Freeman, Rutherford, and Shaxs have been advised that the random mysterious kidnapping ship has moved on from non-Federation aliens and is now targeting ex-Starfleet individuals (including Seven of Nine, Beverly Crusher, and Thomas Riker… nice reference to where they all ended up later in the franchise’s timeline). The Cerritos is to track down and protect one of these: Nick Locarno, the disgraced Starfleet Academy pilot who once caused Wesley Crusher a moral dilemma.

Well, there’s a villain we haven’t heard from in a few decades. Personally, I always wished that Voyager hadn’t chickened out of letting Robert Duncan McNeil play the same character, instead of softening him into Tom Paris to make a redemption arc more palatable. Well, McNeil is back to voice Locarno, who has been making a living as a pilot-for-hire on the fringes of society.

After a fun jaunt to a lawless town, where Freeman continuously makes a fool of herself before revealing it was all part of her big plan to track down Locarno, the crew finally makes it to the guy’s lair. And… *dun dun dun*… they discover schematics for the random mysterious kidnapping ship! Turns out it was Locarno all along! And Mariner is now on board his ship!

It seems there’s an interesting Star Trek experiment going on here. In the Next Generation episode in which he appeared, Locarno was depicted as brilliant yet arrogant, and almost psychopathic. That he’s the one kidnapping non-Federation aliens and throwing them together on an otherwise deserted planet seems like some kind of social experiment, perhaps related to his truncated Starfleet career. But is he truly the mastermind, or is he just the pilot-for-hire executing someone else’s plan? I guess we’ll have to tune in next week to find out…

I hope they do something interesting with the character, besides just having him be a big bad that must be stopped then thrown in jail. Who knows, maybe he’ll even turn out to be not as bad as we thought, which might be more difficult to work in (especially given that Star Trek chickened out of that once) but, if done right, would be more compelling to watch. Lower Decks has thus far proved good at clever conclusions… here’s hoping we get another next week.

4.5/5 stars

NYCC 2023: Cosplay Quest

Josh Speer

October 26, 2023

NYCC is not my first convention, but it’s definitely the first one I’ve attended where cosplay is a gigantic part of the experience. I’ve seen some assorted cosplay at PAX West and E3, but never like this. Everywhere I looked there was amazing cosplay. So I decided to whip out my phone camera and take as many photos as I could.

At first I tried asking for permission, but in the sea of humanity I was often unheard. As such, I decided to take the photos whenever I could, usually stopping in mid step to pull up my camera and click a winner. And I’m someone that very much believes in candid shots and visual variety. So even if a photo turned out blurry, if the cosplay was great I kept it. Though thankfully there were only a couple blurry ones.

What follows first in my Cosplay Quest, what I consider my top 10 from the show. Stuff that either resonated deeply with me or which took a chance in an impressive fashion. It runs the gamut from comics to video games and everything in between. Take a look!

Top 10 #1 – Poison Ivy and Deadpool

Top 10 #2 – Sentinel

Top 10 #3 – Blue Beetle

Top 10 #4 – Kirby

Top 10 #5 – Captain America Robocop

Top 10 #6 – Kraid

Top 10 #7 – Spider Punk

Top 10 #8 – Resident Evil

Top 10 #9 – Silk and Spidey

Top 10 #10 – Jokers and Baby Batman

But wait, that’s not all for Cosplay Quest! Here are the rest of the cosplay pictures I took at NYCC 2023, in a handy gallery. Please give them a look and marvel at the massive talent on display. And thanks for checking out The Workprint’s ongoing coverage of the convention!

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“He knows so much about these things”

“But I haven’t got a stitch to wear”

“I know, I know, it’s really serious”

“My only weakness is a list of crime”

“Please keep me in mind”

“So drink, drink drink”

“Driving in your car, I never ever want to go home”

Review

Review:

Review:

Review:

TWP: Tell us a little about yourself. What comics specifically got you excited about creating your own stories?

TWP: What are you hoping to bring to your tale of terror in Tomb of Baalberith V2?

TWP: Tomb of Baalberith V1 had creators doing double duty as artist and writer. How has it been teaming up with someone else to create a story for this volume?

TWP: I’ve backed a lot of videogames, but not as many graphic novels. What sort of exciting rewards is this project using to incentivize backers?

TWP: This question is for your artist, Jameson. I find artwork is often what first draws me to comics. How did you get your start drawing, and what are some of your inspirations?

TWP: Also for Jameson – Do you enjoy horror? What’s your favorite genre to illustrate?

TWP: If Tomb of Baalberith V2 does well, are there any plans for a third volume down the line?

Review

INTERVIEW WITH WAVERLEY LIM

Can you share with us your company’s mission statement and the kinds of projects Kwento Comics is seeking to publish?

It’s not just about being Filipino culture but about women’s voices too. How does Kwento uphold this ideal of representing women-centered creative teams and what kinds of follow-up projects are in store after Haliya to keep this mission statement going?

INTERVIEW WITH WRITER KAITLYN FAE FAJILAN

Can you share with us a little bit about your writing background and what it was that inspired you to create this story?

For those unfamiliar, can you tell audiences about Haliya’s story in a short synopsis and what to expect if they support the Kickstarter?

THE TAKE

Review:

**TWP: What are you hoping to bring to your tale of terror in Tomb of Baalberith V2?**

**TWP: Tomb of Baalberith V1 had creators doing double duty as artist and writer. How has it been teaming up with someone else to create a story for this volume?**

**TWP: If Tomb of Baalberith V2 does well, are there any plans for a third volume down the line?**