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‘Spaceship Earth’ Review or: How I Learned to Love Collectivism in an Age of Individualism

By
Jad Kaado
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The Participants in the Spaceship Earth Documentary
Image from Variety. Warning: This article contains some spoilers

Spaceship Earth is a great documentary that explores the potential of human curiosity and ethic, while also positing the dangers that can arise from big-thinking projects.

The amount of human potential that exists is innumerable.  To say that one can accomplish something may be a statement that we take for granted, but when mixed with the right resources, determination, and just the right amount of creativity, one can reach for the stars…kind of.

This is heavily exemplified in my recent episode of Movie Talk, where my buddies and I discuss the latest big documentary to be released, Spaceship Earth, which just dropped on Hulu. This is a testament to what big thinking humans can achieve with a common mission to positively impact the world.

The story begins with an introduction to a group of intellectual futurists, with funny nicknames such as Johnny Dolphin, Freddy, and Horse Shit, who banded together to create probably one of the most underrated achievements to occur within the recent history of the United States.

The documentary follows the journey of ecologist and adventurer John Polk Allen, who led artists, architects, medical doctors, scientists, and other types of academics in several projects that focused on tackling environmental issues from a globalist perspective.

To do so, Allen and his group of self-titled “Synergists,” utilized methodical steps to create specific projects, such as building a boat from scratch to traveling the world, opening the Synergia ranch, and lecturing on environmental sciences.

However, it was their overall goal that brought them to a whole new level of human potential that ended up being one of the most impressive architectural – and possibly scientific feats in the twentieth century –  an independently large biosphere with seven ecological biomes – an environment with distinct plants and animals – within it.

The documentary goes in-depth on how the Synergists, led by Allen and his partner Marie Harding, created and facilitated the Biosphere 2 project with the financial backing of philanthropic billionaire Ed Bass. The process was an absolute feat in human cooperation outside of government or institutional interference.

Having inspired the movie Biodome, the Biosphere 2 project had eight inhabitants, or “biospherians,” from different research interests stay locked inside the biosphere for two years straight. The film shows the types of research and challenges that the uniformed crew incurred throughout their stay, involving high stakes life and death situations and a weird twist involving a notorious White House Strategist under the Trump Administration.

In this article, I am going to explore three themes which the documentary presents.

Spaceship Earth poster

Collectivism has a lot more meaningful impact than individualism

Documentarian Matt Wolf had no difficulty demonstrating the amount of collectivism that existed within the Synergists, as each person involved was dedicated and determined in achieving an independently functional biosphere that would be the basis of researching biospheres for the development of planetary colonization and space travel.

One of Allen’s appeal as a leader, aside from his group’s mission, is that he welcomed many people from different academic and entrepreneurial backgrounds to achieve constructing different goals.

Each step that they took as a group was very methodical, showing how a largely democratically-run group was able to achieve architectural and technical feats that would be difficult for ordinary people. For example, one of the activities was constructing a full-on research vessel– named the Heraclitus – without outside help.  Each member took on different leadership roles and tasks that helped take the boat on many voyages around the globe.

Their shared collectivism also allowed them to buy and take care of a ranch – for habitation and also for research habitation purposes – while constructing a geodesic dome on their property that is still in use today.

What is really fascinating about their collectivism is that they took a very pragmatic approach in their scientifically-focused mission. Taking a different approach to many communes in the 1960s and 1970s, they used a self-described “capitalistic” method by incorporating themselves into companies, such as the Institute of Ecotechnics, and invested in business around the world, such as art galleries and farms.

The most fascinating aspect of the collectivism is the inclusion of arts within their processes, laying a foundational ideology that would last with them throughout their journey.

Combination of Arts and Theater with Scientific Research

Prior to taking on their large projects, Allen and his Synergists included theatrical arts within their group activities, even forming an artistic collective company called The Theatre of Dreams.

The documentary shows great footage of them practicing many theatrical exercises, as well as excerpts from a stage show that they performed on discussing all the dangers that could go wrong with the construction and projection of the Biosphere 2 project.

What is really important is that the combination of arts and sciences is two-fold. First, the inclusion of theater specifically reinforces the idea that they are all actors of a much larger piece and that each individual has an important role to play within that project.

Second, they were able to include these exercises and this type of thinking all the way throughout the Biosphere 2 project, literally spanning over a couple of decades.  Big thinking was their drive to tackling big problems – specifically environmental sustainability – and the arts and creative thinking are necessary when wanting to accomplish a grand feat.

Communication and Transparency Can Avoid Disastrous Situations

The genius of Allen and the Synergists was very much entrenched in their numbers. By working with many people from different backgrounds, they were able to accomplish a lot within a lifetime. Simultaneously, many different opinions, motivations, and perspectives contributed to that process.

Matt Wolf subtly examines the role of communication and transparency within the Biosphere 2 project, especially from different perspectives.  For example, the documentary goes in-depth into the daily lives of the eight biospherians and how they communicated with each other and the outside world, in both positive and negative situations.

Spaceship Earth also examines the eventual disastrous relationship between John Allen and billionaire Ed Bass. Bass has an avid interest in ecological research and funded the Biosphere 2 project, which became very contradictory due to the differing motivations between the Synergists and Bass’ camps – as well as the negative effects that resulted in it.

The most fascinating look at communication within Spaceship Earth; however, is the lack of transparency the Synergists had when disaster struck within the project.

Marketed as an independently functioning biosphere, there were two instances of danger that occurred within their two-year stay that required outside help – one due to an injury and another due to extremely high carbon emissions.

These two instances brought a lot of negative press and investigations in the administration of the project. The lack of transparency from Allen and the Institute of Ecotechnics had a negative impact on the relationship with them and Ed Bass.

It is always important to be communicative and transparent with everyone. By the lack of it that was employed by the Synergists, their problems escalated and could have been easily solved if they had proper outreach to different academic and research institutions during the construction and implementation of the Biosphere 2 project.

Dreaming Big is Important…and so is Circumstance

There is no denying that the construction of Biosphere 2 is one of the most important architectural achievements in our time, and the impact and research that came forth from it is definitely valuable and still being studied today.

Spaceship Earth does a phenomenal job of depicting how collective determination among like-minded individuals can accomplish grand achievements, especially for the benefits of others. However, the documentary also exhibits two different aspects that really gave way for this to be done: a lot of financial resources and privilege.

Keep in mind, this project was heavily facilitated by Ed Bass’ involvement within the project. Without his willingness to invest $150 million into the construction of Biosphere 2, it probably would not have happened.

There was also a sense of privilege that was underlying throughout Spaceship Earth that was glossed over very quickly by Matt Wolf. I have a feeling that if the project was headed or funded by non-white organizations, then there would have been a different reaction from the government, media, and even public in the intent and purpose of the project.

Regardless, Spaceship Earth is an awesome watch of a documentary, and does great job presenting on how human collaboration can achieve marvelous goals and help spur creative and scientific inquiry on a large scale.  This is definitely worth the watch and will definitely make you think about the potential that we all have a group, as well as the potential that is within ourselves.

 

‘Stargirl’ Review: A Powerful Gymnastic Stick!

By
Christian Angeles
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Brec Bassinger Shines as Courtney Whitmore, the titular character in Stargirl.
Brec Bassinger Shines as Courtney Whitmore, the titular character in Stargirl. Credit: DC Universe

Courtney Whitmore is the Jane Every girl who stumbles upon an artifact from her stepfather’s secret former life as the sidekick to the Justice Society’s ‘Starman’.

Courtney Whitmore is the Jane Every girl destined to be a superhero. A fish out of water and newcomer to Blue Valley, Nebraska, She has a mother named Barbara (Amy Smart), her stepfather, Pat (Luke Wilson), and his son/her stepbrother, Mike (Trae Romano).  With no friends and no means of fitting in, Courtney accidentally stumbles upon an artifact from Pat’s secret former life as the sidekick to the original Justice Society’s ‘Starman’ (Joel McHale).

The cosmic staff, a powerful weapon with special abilities and intentions of its own, soon champions Courtney as its new owner. Making her special but above all else: pushing her to fight evil.

Stargirl Mom and Daughter
Amy smart and Brec Bassinger in Stargirl

STARMAN

Let me begin by saying this opening scene in the pilot is Epic. A huge bout between Starman (Joel McHale) and the Injustice Society of America. It’s a spectacle that’s shot like a modern DC film. With cold color palettes, stunning effects, and movie quality cinematography. We also get to see Joel McHale as a superhero of poise and hilarity, stealing every minute of the scene he’s in

And though it’s short and sweet, as Starman and the JLA perish, Starman gets to tell his sidekick Stripesy/Pat, that someone special will pick up his mantle as defender of Justice with the cosmic staff… albeit, definitely not him. He iterates. Several times.

Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan in Stargirl
Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan in Stargirl

INHERIT LEGACY

From the pilot, the premise is all about successors. As Pat is, for some odd reason, seen as unsuitable for the mantle of Starman. So the story cuts away to Courtney, whose story is a bit dry in terms of setup, as we’ve seen this superhero trope hundreds of times. Despite this, Courtney’s story can be absolutely humbling to a young girl in a Spider-Man/Peter Parker type of way.  A high schooler who does not fit in her new environment, Courtney is called to fulfill a heroic destiny.

Brec Bassinger nails this role perfectly. She’s vibrant, awkward, and somewhat tacky, as the new girl trying to fit in, but the story is grounded in enough realism where it’s passable for a pilot — albeit somewhat boring. Where Courtney really stands out is that she’s relatable as her regular persona, but as Stargirl, and while wielding the Cosmic Staff: She’s an Awesome tour de force — and we’ve barely broken into the series.

Seriously, I cannot stress enough how unbelievably cool these gymnastic and magic staff abilities are and can only liken it to seeing Spider-Man web swing for the first time or watching Wonder Woman don her magic Tiara and bracers. Because of this remarkable staff and her desperation to be special, Courtney desperately wants to find if Star Man is her father, as she starts to wonder why the staff choose her to be its legacy.

Speaking of which, I cannot stress how heartwarming Pat Dugan is in being the simple yet supportive father and former sidekick to Starman. It’s not easy playing second fiddle and being the anchor of support, the Jarvis or Alfred to the superhero, yet Luke Wilson knows how to play this character. Having been the sideman for numerous projects over the years, Luke Wilson yet is every bit as endearing and supportive, as his role calls for caring uncle Ben type — a natural father who’s just there to protect and be there for his family.

The Family in Stargirl
Luke Wilson, Brec Bassinger, Amy Smart, and Trae Romano are the new family in Blue Valley.

AMERICA TOWN

It is strange, but the setting to this story tries to resemble hometown America. Like Smallville, except like something straight out of the 90s, especially when that rendition of Hanson’s ‘MMMBop’ drops in the pilot.  There’s this all-American midwestern town vibe that’s reminiscent of depictions of high school in a lot of outdated TV pilots and comic books, though we’ll have to see how the series utilizes the town.

Also, in Blue Valley, Courtney deals with typical high school melodrama: mean bullies, the inability to fit in, and the inevitable campy soundtrack means to encompass all these emotions. Which given the small-town roots, means everyone knows each other, and likely everything is somewhat connected.

Which brings me to one convenient issue in the pilot: that the bullies depicted in this Middletown America, are tied to the sons of some of the show’s villains by the pilot’s end. This seems way too coincidental for my tastes and detracts a bit from the story.

I’m also not that amazed by cliffhanger and I think it works only if you’re a fan of the comic, as it didn’t leave me all that compelled.

THE TAKE

It’s a decent premise for a fun-to-watch in action, superhero. There’s definitely more that needs to be set up but so far the cast and people hit the right beats. We just need more razzmatazz in the next episode.

‘Harley Quinn’ Season 2 Episode 7 Review & Recap: There’s No Place to Go But Down

By
Bassam Kaado
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2
Bane attentively leads prisoners Harley and Ivy in "the Pit."
Credit: DC Universe

In this week’s episode of Harley Quinn, Harley and Ivy find themselves planning a prison break they could have never imagined, and Jim Gordon and Batgirl try to work together to save New, New Gotham.

Batgirl holds Jim Gordon's empty flask to his face.
Credit: DC Universe

S6E7 Review (Spoiler- Free)

Put on trial by Judge Bane and D.A. Two-Face, Harley and Ivy must answer for the murder of the Penguin and “other stuff.” Their sentence: Life in Prison. But the ladies aren’t going to any old prison; they are being sent to Bane’s giant pit in the ground. 

Meanwhile, Jim Gordon and Batgirl’s partnership is off to a rocky start. They need to get on the same page if they are to restore order and save the city the clutches of Two-Face, who’s set up shop in the former GCPD headquarters.

Will Harley and Ivy escape? Or will Ivy never see her beloved again? Will Gordon finally pull himself together? How does Gordon not know Batgirl is his daughter?

These questions and more are answered!

Takeaway

This week’s episode really rewards the fans for tuning in and sticking with Harley on her crazy adventure to find her place in this New, New World. The writing as always is impeccable, which makes it arguably one of the best episodes of the entire series. Visually, it was stunning, and the crew used each frame effectively to accompany the stellar voice acting we have grown accustomed too. 

As a standalone episode or the culmination of the series thus far, “There’s No Place to Go But Down” hits thematic, emotional, and narrative beats with the painful accuracy Harley displays with her baseball bat or aerobic kicks.

It’s not too late to jump on the Harley train and get aboard, because it’s just getting started.

 

SPOILERS are present for the rest of the article. Proceed with caution!

 

D.A. Two-Face accuses the defendant Harley in front of Justice Bane.
Credit: DC Universe

S6E7 Recap

The episode starts with Harley and Poison Ivy on trial for the murder of the Penguin and other crimes. Bane is the presiding judge, with a cool and composed Two-Face as the D.A. and a shook-up and scatter-brained Man-Bat as Harley’s defense attorney (she’s screwed).

Two-Face questions a Penguin goon to get the murder story (a convenient recap), with Man-Bat doing a decent job for our heroin–um–protagonist. Unfortunately, no one can understand him. Then, Two-Face calls his next witness, Poison Ivy. Harley pleads with Ivy to blame it all on Quinn, clearing Ivy of any blame. Ivy has done so much for her, and Harley wants to return the favor so she can be free and secure her future with Kite Man. 

When she’s in the witness stand, Two-Face grills her on liking Harley, partnering with her, and planning to kill the Injustice League. Ivy thinks and then proudly admits the truth, promising to finish the job. Everyone is stunned, except for Man-Bat, who is furious. The two women are found guilty and sentenced to life in prison by Justice Bane. 

Jim Gordon and Batgirl patrol the sewers.
Credit: DC Universe

Meanwhile, Jim Gordon and Batgirl are on the job, searching the New New Gotham sewers. A diligent Batgirl reminds an inebriated Gordon that they need to find the villain, Ratcatcher, who she believes is smuggling weapons around Gotham. Gordon nearly stumbles into the sewage, causing Barbara to be furious at him for his inability to focus. They finally spot the Ratcatcher, who is relaxing with his rodent friends. 

Batgirl devises a plan to go around and block the exit to flank Ratcatcher. She orders Jim to stay put and wait for her signal. Upset and insubordinate, he drinks from his flask, chugging. He almost stumbles but catches his balance, but not before dropping his flask. The Ratcatcher and his rat army have been alerted.

Swarms of rats charge at the hairbag while Ratcatcher escapes. Gordon barely escapes the swarm by (finally) falling into the water. Escaping the swarm, he is helped up by Batgirl, whose disappointment is summarized by Gordon’s empty flask.

Elsewhere, a prisoner transport is speeding through the desert. Inside are a pair of Two-Face goons, Harley, and Ivy. Harley is upset that Ivy didn’t save herself, but Ivy states that she couldn’t let Harley go down alone. Ivy reassures Harley that they will be alright, because breaking out of Arkham is like muscle memory for them. Then, they are taken out of the van.

Warden Bane greets his new prisoners Harley and Ivy.
Credt: DC Universe

They are shocked to see nothing but a pit in the ground. Bane greets them, still dressed like a judge. He changes to his warden outfit and introduces them to his correctional facility, affectionately known as “the Pit”. The two women refuse to go in so Bane kicks them, 300 style (This. Is. The Pit). They fall endlessly to what seems like their doom, but Bane reassures the Two-Face henchmen that there is padding at the bottom. Bane jumps to follow them. 

Bane gives the ladies a tour and explains that “the Pit” is set up to be more of a rehabilitation center, meant to help those with potential of getting better. Killer Croc is an inhabitant, who is using art therapy to work on himself. Bane brings them to their cells, which have no doors because, you know, they are in a pit. Bane sees a messy bed and, while making it, explains that they must keep their rooms tidy to have a tidy mind. 

Ivy is panicking because she can’t find a way out. Who will protect the nature of the world? Will she not be able to marry Kite Man, someone she has finally opened up to and loves? Harley reassures her that they will find a way out and that Ivy will walk down the aisle to marry the man she loves. Ivy feels better, and the two are interrupted by Killer Croc, who gifts them hand-knit skull caps to keep them warm at night.

Harley consoles a down Ivy.
Credit: DC Universe

That night at the Gordon household, a depressed Jim and a worried Barbara are having a silent dinner. She asks her dad about his crime-fighting quest with Batgirl, but Gordon brushes it off as a waste of time, while indulging in tons of mayo and whiskey. She confronts him on his drinking and how it is a major problem, but he denies it. She asks him to give it up for her, and he is faced with an emotional dilemma. Before he can say anything, bullets start to fly.

The unexpected dinner guest is Two-Face, flanked by a pair of henchmen. The villain’s upset that Gordon tried to ruin his gun-trafficking plans, revealing that he is running New New Gotham. Gordon fires back to his best ability before calling for Barbara. He sees that she is gone before noticing a flashbang grenade that flies through the window. Gordon bolts right before it blows. 

Back in the pit, Victor Zsaz tells a dark story about dealing with his victims before saying that therapy is helping him with his murderous urges. This reveals a therapy circle that includes Harley and Ivy, being led by Bane. Bane tries to get the ladies involved, but Ivy says she can’t share due to the depressing nature of the pit. She suggests being transferred to Arkham so she and Harley can properly reform, but Bane states that “Arkham is for the criminally insane, but the pit is for the criminally capable.” 

Harley and Ivy are frustrated so Bane tries to comfort them. He reveals that a talent show occurring in “the Pit” tomorrow will have a special guest: George Lopez. Everyone is excited, including the ladies when they hear the detail that Lopez is entering the pit via helicopter. The girls devise a plan to escape that consists of Harley joining the talent show to follow Lopez with a comedy set of her own. Her set will be written with the goal to upset everyone and incite a riot, which will distract security and give the girls the chance to escape.

Trapped in his own prison, Gordon is hiding out in a closet while Two-Face and his henchmen look for him. Two-Face wants to end him quickly so he can make a dentist appointment the next day (mostly gum work). He lists off the ways he has hurt and demoralized Gordon, who hears all this while reloading the last of his bullets. Gordon knocks over a small box in the closet and sees old pictures of him and Barbara. Gordon apologizes to her and gives himself up. When Two-Face asks Gordon for his last words, Jim requests that his daughter know that he loved her. 

Batgirl delivers a diving kick to a Two-Face henchman.
Credt: DC Universe

Batgirl interrupts this last stand and distracts the bad guys. Jim gets involved, and the father-daughter duo take down the henchmen. Two-Face escapes, and Jim pities himself and declares his life as a failure. Batgirl confronts Gordon and reveals herself to him, saying how he was the true inspiration for her decision to fight crime, even if she is dressed like Batman. Gordon is taken aback by the news but ultimately is extremely proud of her.

Returning to “the Pit,” Harley is rehearsing a joke with Ivy about how Killer Croc looks like a talking backside. Ivy thinks the joke is low-brow comedy but muses it will probably work with the other villains. Bane comes over to confirm Harley’s entrance in the talent show but sees that her bed is not made. Bane punishes Harley by kicking her out of the show and moves her to solitary confinement. This cell is just like the other cells but is guarded by Cheryl, a woman with the Venom serum. Ivy, alone, looks up and sees the Lopez chopper descend, knowing she will have to carry out the plan.

Lopez does his ten-minute set and kills. Once he wraps up, Ivy is introduced and goes on stage. Harley wants to escape so gives an ultimatum to Cheryl. Cheryl chooses to fight. Ivy, nervous and awkward, tries the Killer Croc joke. It doesn’t work, leading her to keep telling jokes. The audience doesn’t like her jokes and barely boos her. She sees Lopez’ chopper starting up, leading her to ask the crowd to riot. Instead, they give her criticism on her jokes. Harley finally is able to best and escape from Cheryl, but it is too late; Lopez is out.

Prisoner Harley battles her cell Venom-powered guard, Cheryl.
Credit: DC Universe

Back in the Gordon residence, Barbara and Jim talk about the Batgirl revelation, and Barbara tells her dad to stop drinking and get clean. Jim takes a bottle, opens it, and pours out the bottle. He asks her daughter for help, and, through the power of montage, their teamwork helps him get sober (without showing the terrible parts of recovery). Barbara welcomes a new Jim home, but he won’t feel at home until he’s taken back the GCPD, Two-Face’s new lair.

The Lopez chopper has officially left “the Pit” and Ivy all alone on the stage. With no ticking clock and Bane’s encouragement, Ivy bares her soul. Ivy reveals the failed plan and talks about her isolation, in a way that entertains the crowd. She calls her emotional isolation in life a pit and talks about how she climbed out of it and was happy. Now, she is stuck in a physical pit, which is how she views life: hopeless and inescapable. This vulnerable tirade inspires the fellow villains to riot and try to escape, giving Harley and Ivy some hope.

As they try to break out, the Gordons go to break into GCPD headquarters. Barbara tries to strategize, but Gordon tells her he’s got it from here (a reversal of the Ratcatcher scenario). He enters in dual-wielding pistols and takes on droves of Two-Face henchmen. For the first time in the series, Gordon is in peak form, shooting and fighting his way, until he is the last one standing. He finally feels at home, that is, until he is hit by a police car that rams through the wall.

Harley and Ivy climb a fiery mound of debris to escape from Bane.
Credit: DC Universe

The situation has devolved into chaos at “the Pit,” with an intense amount of violence. Zsas has seemed to easily slip back into his murderous ways, stabbing everyone in sight. A massive mound of fiery debris has given the two ladies a chance to climb closer to the top of the pit. Bane tries to reason with Ivy to stay and continue progressing with his different types of therapy. Ivy tells him to shove it while Harley yells at him for trying to take credit. Bane has had enough and hits the Venom button. Double his size, he throws some debris at them to cut them off and then sprints up the mount.

The women are screwed, but the flung debris had caused a crack in the side of “the Pit,” exposing a vine. Ivy uses her powers to manipulate it and pull the girls up. Bane is not having it and goes to stop them from escaping. He jumps and captures Harley’s leg, pulling the ladies and the vine down slowly. 

Downed from his hit, Gordon tries to get up, and the driver of the car, revealed to Two-Face, exits the vehicle to finish the job. The two get into a fist fight, with Batgirl still waiting outside for a signal to help. Two-Face stabs Gordon’s hand, seeming to almost blind the man. Struggling, Gordon finds a bottle of alcohol and smashes it over Two-Face’s head. Gordon regroups, handcuffs the villain, and throws him in jail. Gordon has reclaimed his position and his home.

Ivy hangs from a vine, Harley hangs from her, and Bane desperately grabs on.
Credit: DC Universe

The episode makes its jump back to “the Pit.” Ivy, Harley, and Bane hang from the vine above a fiery mount of debris. Visually, it’s one of the most beautiful shots of the series. Bane lectures Harley about how hate is holding her back and love will only set her free. Taking the message to heart, Harley, to Ivy’s protest, lets go of her friend to give Ivy a chance at a life of love and a family. She says goodbye, and she and Bane fall while Ivy escapes.

Harley pulls at Bane’s Venom tubes, incapacitating the warden. Harley looks up at the opening of the pit, where she sees the dark, night sky. Accepting her fate, she turns with serenity to nose dive back down to the bottom. 

Just then, Ivy bungee jumps down with her vine and catches Harley. The two are brought back up to the surface, with Harley in Ivy’s arms. The two are relieved and happy to see each other. They stare into each other’s eyes and, after a moment, kiss each other. The two then realize what just happened. 

Where do they go from here? What will happen to Ivy and Kite Man?

Stay tuned next week for another episode of Harley, available on DC Universe.

Live-Action ‘Percy Jackson’ is Headed to Disney+

By
Nicole C
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Demigods everywhere rejoice! A live-action version of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is headed to Disney+ announced author Rick Riordan today on Twitter.

Riordan penned the five book series following the adventures of Percy Jackson, demigod son of Poseidon and his friends Annabeth Chase (demigod daughter of Athena) and satyr Grover Underwood. The first novel The Lightning Thief introduces us to the world of Greek gods and monsters set in modern times as Percy tries to clear his name after being accused of stealing Zeus’s master bolt.

The author has also written four other series that are all interconnected through various characters. Warning some minor SPOILERS AHEAD:

  • Heroes of Olympus – a series combining both Greek and Roman demigods as they deal with a new prophecy to stop the awakening of Gaia.
  • The Kane Chronicles – we follow the adventures of young magicians Sadie and Carter Kane as ancient Egyptian gods are released into the modern world and chaos soon ensues.
  • Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard – we meet Magnus Chase, a demigod who must deal with some tricky Norse gods, discover secrets from his family’s past, and stop doomsday.
  • The Trials of Apollo – what happens if a god falls from grace? Find out when the Greek god of the sun Apollo is condemned to mortality as he tries to redeem himself in the eyes of his father Zeus.

Disney-Hyperion also gave him his own imprint under Rick Riordan Presents that highlights mythologies and cultures from around the world. My personal favorite is the Aru Shah series by Roshani Chokshi.

Previously there were two feature films that adapted the first and second books: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief  (2010) and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013). Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario starred as Percy and Annabeth. Fan response to the films have been mixed but Riordan assures his audience that he will be heavily involved in the upcoming Disney+ series and it will closely follow the storylines from the source material.

With so many titles under his belt, this certainly opens the possibility for more novels to be adapted in the future. But in the meantime as we wait for more news, check out the books! Or re-read them, I know I will be!

What We Do In The Shadows episode 2.06 Recap – Jackie et Jim

By
Robert Kijowski
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What We Do in The Shadows

Have you ever had the desire to uproot your life and reinvent yourself? Find a new home in new environs, leaving the transgressions of yore are in the dust? It’s a bold idea and an even bolder move when put into practice. Sometimes these situations present themselves out of necessity a la Witsec. Sometimes they are for the furthering of a career. Sometimes they lack any underlying or profound mission statement and exist out of pure boredom coupled with a wild hair up one’s ass. Well, though a rolling stone gathers no moss, it’s in the sixth episode of What We Do In The Shadows (FX) titled “On The Run” that we realize, home is where the heart is… or several, even if they’re not beating.

At the ole’ homestead, Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) is marking off spots on the lawn with the help the others. No, this isn’t to mark off where their nemesis werewolves had shitted. Instead, this is to identify the vampires themselves had lain waste. Due to the accumulation of bodies buried, by each of them, the decomposing flesh was searing through the soil, thus causing sinkholes. Whereas the vampires see this as more of a game (1 point for the grave itself, 3 points per body in the said spot), this is more of amending a safety hazard, as exemplified in a mailman falling into one such puddle of body parts, causing him to freak and Guillermo to dry heave.

This search party is crashed by a mysterious vampire. Though he wants naught to do with Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) nor Nandor (Kayvan Novak), the foreboding figure (Mark Hamill) peels back the curtain reveals for Laszlo (Matt Berry). It just so happens this unwelcomed guest has a debt to be settled, as Laszlo in another lifetime had spent a sojourn in San Diego and rented out a room in dude’s beach house, ultimately dipping out and leaving his would-be collector high and dry on the last month’s rent and the security deposit.

After 167 years, now dead to rights, Laszlo does what any self-respecting creature of the night would- he says “fuck the payment” and opts instead for a duel to the death. Now, this would be a perfect and honorable way to go out, except this is also Laszlo Cravensworth. Four paces in, books and “bats” it the fuck outta there, once again giving his sub-letter the slip. Now, with super speed, this undead debt collector would easily have caught up to his escapee, if it were not for the massive sinkhole that traps him. CRAVENSWOOORTH!

Laszlo stops off at the Fayette Fields Motel and in a very No Country For Old Men move, extracts his “to-go box” from his room’s air shaft. In it are the two most valuable things for any vampire on the lam: a singular toothpick and a pair of finely starched denim slacks (in Laszlo speak, jeans to the layperson.) After penning a farewell missive to his beloved Nadja, before keeping it moving… to the salt of the earth people of Clairton, Pennsylvania.

In this town (also the setting for The Deer Hunter), Laszlo is a bartender at Luck Brew’s Bar and Grill. Oh shit, excuse me for my mistake. It’s not Laszlo. It’s Daytona. Jackie Daytona. Whereas Laszlo Cravensworth would enjoy the epicurean, hedonic, and overall pleasurable, Jackie Daytona loves simple things: being the “life” of the party, the town’s girls volleyball team, and the Bigmouth Billy the Bass adorning the tavern wall.

The town has taken a shine to Jackie, including one of the bartenders, Lucy (Madeleine Martin), who keeps admiring the loveable chap for his big heart. Coach Swanson (Ashley Botting) of the Clairton County Bucks has welcomed Jackie with open arms, as his arrival has lent itself to the girl’s volleyball team winning more games and Jackie’s having a ball. From kicking the shit out of a biker gang passing through (on a charitable run promoting Toys for Tots) to constantly buying rounds for the bar, Jackie’s put a smile to this blue-collar town in a state that almost sounds like Transylvania.

It’s dusk in Lucky Brew’s and celebrations are in order. The Bucks have bump-passed and spiked their way to the State Finals, thanks to a newfound verve in the form of Jackie Daytona. That mirth is short-lived, however, as state budget cuts have rendered it impossible for the girls to actually compete. Jackie’s fucking pissed and he lets the bar know it. I mean, seriously, he’s come too far murdering and scraping by to get to this point and have those efforts simply be in “vein.”

Trying to lend Jackie an ear, Lucy inadvertently lends him and this entire town a voice. In hearing her lowkey singing while cleaning up, Jackie comes up with the idea of putting on a talent show at 5 bucks per head. I’m sure Laszlo killed less for this, but this isn’t Laszlo. It’s Jackie and goddamnit he’s in the business of saving lives.

Back at the Isle of Staten, Nadja is too emotional to even enjoy a boring game of cards. Colin (Mark Proksch) tries to comfort her before offering up his lips, which she quickly denies. Don’t feel bad for Colin. This wasn’t a rejection. This was his midnight snack, as nervous energy is one of the more delectable treats. He attempts the same on Nadja’s doll and is just as quickly rebuffed. Seeing as possibly the doll has no energy to give… because it’s A DOLL, that actually hit him hard. You may now feel bad for Colin.

It’s last call at Lucky Brew’s and Jackie-boy has an unexpected patron in the form of his collector. After pints are shared, oh I mean shed (as vampires cannot indulge in human delights, well, except for humans themselves), and intentions are divulged as to why the crimson-clad cloaked one is passing through, we learn of his identity. Jim the Vampire. Yup! No crazy archaic name. No majestic title. Just Jim. The Vampire. I mean it says it on his business card for Christ-(hisss)-sake!

The interaction is tense, but Laszlo seems to make it out unscathed, as his two-pronged disguise of mouth and pants worked. Now that I think about it a toothpick would make sense. Actually having to use it keeps your mouth closed enough so you can’t always reveal your teeth. The jeans just make anyone normal and as we know, this ain’t The Lost Boys. Vampires in this realm have a clear style… Unless you’re Colin.

The night of the talent show seems an overall success. They’ve met their goal and now Lucy’s up to the mic to bring it on home with a rendition of Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible.” Apparently that song is a draw for vampires since Jim the Vampire has now entered the establishment. Though out of the weeds, Laszlo’s not out of the woods yet. Far from it, as when all you think is going well and Jim’s attended to throw a few shekels into the pot, disaster strikes when an unsuspecting bar-back accidentally knocks over a covering from a mirror behind the bar, alerting Jim to Jackie’s true form.

With the single removal of a toothpick from his lips, a community savior becomes a feared entity and the two tussle in terror of the patrons. With a few broken tables and a billiard ball ‘cross (hiss) the head, they square off in a “ward off.” Positioning the pool sticks at first as swords (a great nod to Star Wars), they proceed to cleft them in twain, using them as crucifixes. What’s that saying, an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind? Well, in this case, it leaves everybody burnt, as they get rid of that, and Laszlo takes to some fire tricks that ultimately leaves the Bucks’ bucks, well, fucked. Or well done. However you like your beef, humility has been served.

Feeling bad for not themselves but for how it escalated and really screwed over the volleyball team, Jim and Laszlo hash things out. Laszlo convinces Jim to forgive his debt in the payment of a Billy The Bass, which he convinces Jim is akin to the Mechanical Turk (look it up, it’s pretty cool.)

Laszlo wakes Lucy up one last time to say goodbye but no goodbye would be him burning one last time, basically smashing his newly bought Ford 4×4 pickup into the wall of his former home. Hey, he couldn’t fly, so he had to buy something, though not knowing how to drive.

Laszlo, proper comes home to an ecstatic Nadja and an ambivalent Nandor. It turns out, his old life bled into his new, as he set fire to the bar to pay for the girls going to State, but then burning down a historical building to pay for the funeral of a waitress inside the first building consumed. He’s also hypnotized the own into believing vampires don’t exist and hooked his enemy-cum-friend up with a nice existence. Assistant coach for the Bucks! Buck it up!

Now the last joke I will just leave for the rest of you to watch. Because like all good things, it finds its way home. CRAVENSWOOOORTH!

‘Hollywood’ Recap Scene-by-scene: Episode 4 (Screen) Tests

By
Christian Angeles
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0

The following are extensive scene-by-scene recaps on ‘Hollywood’. A Netflix social issues drama created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

As a special treat, I will be recapping every episode of the Netflix original series ‘Hollywood’ using a good amount of screenwriting prose, for what’s arguably, the most extensive scene-by-scene recaps you’ll be able to find on the internet. We’ve already covered the first two episodes: Hooray for Hollywood Part one and Hooray for Hollywood Part two along with the third episode: Outlaws.

Episode 4: (Screen) Tests

At Ace studios, Ace(Rob Reiner) eats a steak lunch in a meeting with Dick(Joe Mantello) and Ellen(Holland Taylor). They go over several movies — the kind of uninspired drivel Ace loves — just as Dick goes over the pitch for Peg. Rejective, Ace knows what he wants: Tits, Sword-and-Sandal, and a boy with a dog. Hollywood guaranteed hits. Dick agrees but says also wants Peg. They argue and Ace agrees to the greenlight but for $75,000 a quarter of their needed budget.

At a meeting, Raymond(Darren Criss) and Camille(Laura Harrier) ask Archie(Jeremy Pope) for a rewrite, wanting to change the character from White to Black while having a name change from Peg to Meg.

Archie notes that with two colored folks as writer and lead actress, the movie would hit limited distribution due to Hollywood prejudices and Archie does not want to be limited by his race. Camille disagrees, and thinks doing so would change things by putting a woman of color in lead.

At that same moment, Ace readies to head on vacation but before he leaves, runs into Raymond, Camille, and Archie. When asked who they are and what they’re doing, he’s shocked realizing what the Peg picture truly means.

In Dick’s office, Ace angrily returns to berate him and Ellen about hiring a colored writer. He thinks almost everyone in America will boycott the movie, as no one has ever produced a film written by a black man before. They debate, and Ace settles that to keep Peg, they must accredit some random white writer for Archie’s work.

At the Golden Tip, Jack (David Corenswet) approaches Archie revealing he’s auditioning for Peg. He shares that he thinks he’s better for the role over Rock Hudson — whom he stresses already has an agent — and would like to ask for a favor from Archie. Archie breaks down and cries as he can’t play favorites, let alone feels utterly disrespected and alone in Hollywood. Jack, also breaks down, as he has no means to provide for his family iterating this shot is all he has. Archie tells his friend all he can do is be perfect and nail that audition.

Meanwhile, Ace drives a convertible to a hacienda while smoking a cigar. He gets to his room, where actress Jeanne Crandall (Mira Sorvino)  awaits and places rose pedals on the bed. They kiss and talk business. Then, Ace bends her over. But minutes into it, he has a heart attack.

At the hospital, Ace is intubated as Dick hugs an arriving Avis and Claire (Samara Weaving). They awkwardly have to decide how to address the issue, as Dick reveal Ace was in Palm Spring engaging in ‘Extracurricular Activities’. Avis demands no one can hear about this out of their family’s reputation.

Claire cries and asks if Ace is doing to die. She reveals her screen test was Friday and is somewhat sad as her father can’t help her. This upsets Avis. Shortly after, Ace’s attorney, Lon Silver (Brian Chenoweth), arrives and tells everyone he’s left in care of Ace’s healthcare. He also gives Avis power of attorney over Ace’s assets, including the studio.

At Ace studios, Dick talks to Archie and sadly informs him that per Ace’s orders, he won’t be receiving a writing credit for his own movie. Archie rejects these terms, and that if Ace wants him out, he will have to tell him himself after he recovers.

Elsewhere, Camille and Claire get their skin and hair cared for, as Rock and Jack compete and compare physiques at the Studio’s gym — as both sets of rivals are all competing for lead roles in Pam.

Shortly after, in Henry’s office, he and Rock read lines where Rock admits that he’s afraid. He shares that directors remind him of his disapproving stepfather. Henry corrects him: that directors are friends there to guide you.

Later, Jeanne meets Avis at the dining hall where she reveals that she was intimate with Ace in Palm Springs. She reveals her and Ace’s affair has been occurring for a decade, and that Ace promised to eventually leave Jeanne as he caught Avis in an affair with Ernie (Dylan McDermott). Jeanne apologizes, and tells Avis she will be resigning, but Avis forgives her and asks her to stay on, saying she’d be a hypocrite to get angry.

At Raymond’s apartment, he and Camille go over lines for her audition. They’re interrupted by a knock on the door, where Archie storms in, defeated as he was fired. He tells Raymond that Ace studio’s couldn’t get the movie made, ‘knowing that a nigger’ wrote it.

Angry, Archie blames Hollywood for making himself become ‘an uncle tom’. He addresses Camille, and tells her to win this part: for the two of them.

Afterwards, Raymond and Archie read lines with Camille — effectively training her. Yet, they soon realize a major flaw in Camille’s acting ability: she can’t cry.

Elsewhere, Jack and Claire practice lines together. Claire’s surprisingly good. She gets close to Jack. They nearly kiss, but stop, as Jack is tired of cheating on his wife. He wants to be a good person. She reassures that he is.

On a sound stage, Rock sits at a makeup table where Jeanne arrives on set with a script, here to run scenes for Pam with the actors. She shakes Raymond’s hand, then Henry and Jeanne have a heated exchange before Rock and Jeanne begins their scene.

During the screen test, Rock fails again-and-again. He’s beyond nervous and requires over 65 takes. Angry, Henry leaves, as Rock tries one last time and fails — though Jeanne leaves words of encouragement.

Afterwards, Claire and Camille sit at a makeup table, their backs facing each other. Camille sadly admits she can’t cry, and so Claire oddly sympathetically: lets her borrow a bit of vapor-rub to place beneath the eye.

Freely giving her a technique to help her cry.

At her audition, Claire is perfect in every way. But she looks at Camille, and feeling sympathy, throws the audition by intentionally cutting off all emotional expression at the scene’s climax.

Soon after, Camille arrives with the rub and she wants to utilize it, but Raymond stops her from applying it — stating that she must do it on her own.

At the dining hall, Henry gives his sympathies to Avis about Ace but then uses this opportunity to pitch his client: Rock Hudson. He blackmails Avis: saying that he has photos of her at the Golden Tip Gas station with several men. She calls him a snake as she leaves.

At the screening room, the staff watch the screen test for Pam. They are surprised to see Claire bomb the audition towards the end, and then are shocked to watch Camille showcase a stellar performance. When they look at the net reels, they see Rock screw up again-and-again for 67 takes.

Being blackmailed, Avis doesn’t care, as she wants Rock in the role. Everyone tells her to look at another take: and she sees Jack, her light, from episode 2. Though he isn’t much better at acting, she casts Jack anyway.

Shortly after, when confronted on whether or not to cast Camille — she chooses not to as she can’t afford the backlash against the studio. Yet, she’s also hesitant to cast her daughter, Claire; Avis never being able to hear the end of it if she lets her daughter win.

Jack is ecstatic that he wins the part. He visits Ernie to quit that gas station, who in return, angrily rebukes him. Defeated, Ernie reveals that Vivian Leigh was supposed to hook him up with a role in a Tennesse William’s play. He congratulates Jack and hands him 50 bucks, sharing that he always knew he was going places.

At a banquet hall, the National League of Women host a meeting. Avis dines with Eleanor Roosevelt and tells the first lady that Ace had ‘caught a virus’ and so she’s now running the studio. She shares with Eleanor the story about Camille, and taken aback, visits Ace Studios.

Moments later, Dick and Ellen greet the first lady, and then proceed to the long table meeting room. Eleanor comments on what she saw in the south: Jim Crow, beatings, and lynching. She personally believes that the country is moving backwards, then asks them to cast Camille, a woman of color, in the lead. Avis mentions if casted, the movie will be controversial in the south, and boycotted in the North. Worst: the studio will be a target of the KKK.

Eleanor reassures her, that though it is a big move on their part, it could mean the world to a little black girl somewhere in this broken America. She admits that in her experience, it isn’t good government that changes the world, but inspiration, and what they do here at Ace: that can make the difference.

After Eleanor leaves, the three look at each other, and Dick asks Avis what she wants to do…

 

The Take

I like what the show has to say about race and gender, but I am really not sold on the approach. There’s a degree of censorship here and the inability to be cutthroat in a cutthroat industry, which in my opinion, sends out mixed messages of what actions are going too far, versus what is not far enough. An ambiguous moral high ground.

For instance, I didn’t like Raymond’s vapor rub prevention with Camille. For something that is a retake on the Golden age, they don’t show people getting down and dirty and doing what needs to be done to win: something which the Golden Age was all about back then.

And sure, maybe it’s a re-contextualization of the situation,  giving people of difference race and gender identity more moral support, while showcasing just the right amount of narcissism, shallow obscenity, and enticing nudity — but what’s lacking in this dramatic approach is that the show has been lacking casualties. Worst of all, it lacks agency for its minority characters.

The Hollywood monster is more glamour and ally friendly than the harsh realities we’ve come to learn. I don’t think the show goes dark and deep enough. Simply put, the series feels like there is little at stake.

I say this because every negative beat has an oddly uplifting tone. Every dramatic conflict, leads to a weirdly thematic and assertive message whose intentions — pure as they may be — neglect the sacrifices made by those throughout history.

Because not everyone in Hollywood is supportive. There are a good amount of bad people there — and this show, keeps steering clear of that villainization. Instead, redirecting problems of social issues not by persons or a face, but as a general consensus that racism exists in America — though does little, if anything at all, to showcase this.

Also, even though it was supposed to be intentionally bad… I really didn’t like any of the actors auditioning for Peg. I’d even go so far as to admit, that despite throwing it away: Samara Weaving’s Claire, was easily the most convincing actor, which I think is a huge problem.

As much as I want to love Camille, her demeanor is just far too reserved and sweet for this show. She doesn’t go the extra mile to steal our hearts or make decisions to break convention. And the audience is forced to love her, not out of her performance or actions, but because of her shitty situation. Because honestly, her audition in Peg and ‘compelling’ scene, was utterly unconvincing. You can even see the director focus on the casting’s facial reactions during scene and pulling away from Camille’s actual performance, a lot of which, is because it lacks conviction. And this isn’t the first time I’ve had to push through Laura Harrier’s lacking performance.

It’s the same issue I have with Raymond’s half-Asian dilemma, which while admirable, is still irritating as an Asian-American myself because no offense to Darren Criss: He absolutely looks white. Which is something the show address (his passability) but still irritates me to no end as this is not someone we see struggling what-so-ever in being Asian. He just looks like a white person playing pity party.

Most irritating though, is Jack’s broken inner-family: that the complaints about these issues of being able to support family and housing are high, yet the costs he pays for are astoundingly low-stake, and it’s incredible to me how Jack’s the focus, as nothing bad ever happens to him.

It’s my biggest problem with the show. All three characters have sustainable yet unlikable jobs, yet none of them stand up for themselves or what they believe in.

Jack stays with a wife he hates. Raymond is all talk but a huge pushover. Camille doesn’t stand up for herself and coerces Raymond into creating a role for her during sex.

Worst and most annoying of all: all three of them do not put in the effort and coattail it by the sacrifice of Archie, their greatest gay friend and ally.

Archie fucks the men Jack refuses to touch, writes the script that Raymond’s entire career depends on, and stirs the pot just enough about being colored in Ace Studios, to begin a convincing conversation that inevitably leads to Camille’s first role.

Simply put, this show royally fucks Archie.

In fact, this show’s gay characters, time-and-time again, must prove twice their worth to even have any sorts of equal say in Hollywood. Archie is a fantastic writer. Dick an amazing executive. And Rock, though dumb as a doornail, we all know becomes one of the greatest actors of a generation.

It’s clear to me that Hollywood’s queer leads are the only thing keeping this show interesting. The rest is just a bizarre, happy-go-lucky approach to the dark side of Hollywood, with a hackneyed message, a cowardice to villainy, and a way too positive approach on rape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Hollywood’ Recap Scene-by-scene: Episode 3 “Outlaws”

By
Christian Angeles
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0
Tallulah tells a story at George Cukor's fancy dinner party
Credit: Netflix

The following are extensive scene-by-scene recaps on ‘Hollywood’. A Netflix social issues drama created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

As a special treat, I will be recapping the first 4 episodes of the Netflix original series ‘Hollywood’ using a good amount of screenwriting prose, for what’s arguably, the most extensive scene-by-scene recaps you’ll be able to find on the internet. You can also find recaps on the first two episodes: Hooray for Hollywood Part one and Hooray for Hollywood Part two.

 

 Episode 3: Outlaws

     The Gold Tip Pump Boys learn about Cukor's Party

 An enthusiastic Ernie (Dylan McDermott) arrives at the Golden Tip Gas station where Jack (David Corenswet), Archie (Jeremy Pope), and the other pump jockeys gather around. They’re informed that they’re being hired for George Cukor’s party, where all types of Hollywood’s finest — stars such as Tallulah Bankhead and Vivien Leigh — will attend.

In a cutaway, we see glimpses of tonight’s party: as various people trying to make it in the business, partying and dining together, along with stars such as the infamous Tallulah Bankhead (Paget Brewster), who snorts drugs off her wrist with Ernie. We also see a series of naked young men hanging by the pool in the evening getting intimate.

Back in the station, Ernie reasons that to be openly gay in Hollywood is frowned upon. This party, and the copious amounts of gay sex work, is a service only they provide — an honor Ernie considers in Hollywood. Jack winces. The opening credits roll.

In a kitchen, Archie prepares biscuits and gravy for him and Roy (Jake Picking), who still awestruck from the night before. Roy can’t believe he let Henry Willson suck his dick. Unfazed, Archie is supportive as people do what they have to in Hollywood; however, what Archie is shocked about is  Roy’s new stage name: Rock Hudson.

They eat the biscuits, and Archie compares them to his mother’s. Rock admits his family wasn’t there for him growing up and he misses someone taking care of him. Archie thinks he’d be perfect for the love interest role in his script: Peg.

At same moment, Jack sits at the dining hall of Ace Studios across Dick Samuels, sitting down, and pitching himself for the same role. Dick has seen Jack’s tapes and thought he was outright awful, but that Mrs. Kinkaid sees something in him, and so he gives Jack an audition. Both Jack and Rock realize this part has major star-creating potential. They also, believe they’re perfect for this role: both being sincere All-American types though with shoddy acting ability.

Later, Henry Wilson (Jim Parsons) sits at an empty table two martini’s in. Rock arrives late, then greets his agent, who is unamused. Henry tells him how he once almost fired Lana Turner for being and Rock apologizes. Henry has a frank conversation: he wants Rock to masturbate, Regularly, as he can’t afford him ever being caught by police who are always hunting for homosexuals. He pulls out a copy of the Peg script and tells Rock he may have an audition for him but at catch: spend Tuesday night with Henry at his place.

Rock comments that Tuesday night is right now.

Henry Spoons with Rock

Back at Henry’s place, Rock sips a drink in an armchair as Henry twirls about the room lacey undergarments. Rock is uncomfortable but Henry tells him to ‘shut the fuck up’. When he finishes, Henry leads Rock into the bedroom, then asks to spoon. They spoon the entire night. The next morning, Rock bumps into a nightstand while sneaking home. When asked where he’s going tells Henry, the gym. Satisfied, Henry tells Rock they’re going to George Cukor’s party and will meet head of production at Ace pictures.

At her classroom, Ellen (Holland Taylor) coaches Jack on how to convey emotion with his eyes. He follows orders well, as Ellen shares this new technique known as ‘Naturalism’ is the new standard of acting. He thanks Ellen. She informs him about his competition: Rock Hudson; to win, Jack must woo Henry Willson over. She invites him to the George Cukor party to meet Henry.

Elsewhere, in a home office office, Ace Amberg (Rob Reiner) gets a blowjob from a blonde before being called in for dinner. He then joins Avis (Patti LuPone) and Claire (Samara Weaving) — revealed to be his daughter — at the table. Avis tells her family she’s trying to rally some Hollywood girls to cheer up Eleanor Roosevelt. Claire complains that neither parent wants her to be an actress, as her mother’s jealous of her beauty and talent, and her father Ace, thinks actresses are all whores.

Claire reveals she’s changed her name and isn’t using any sort of leverage from her family. She also says that she wants the role of Peg in the new movie. Avis is all for it, if only to get her daughter to be revolted by Hollywood. Ace says he’ll do it, so that she’ll see that she doesn’t have what it takes.

Camille is antagonized for trying to build her character

Later on set, Camille (Laura Harrier) approaches her director and is confused why despite years of being in this role, she’s being told to become an even bigger black stereotype more than ever before. She’s reprimanded for wanting character growth and not performing the line as delivered and is threatened to be fired.

At home, Camille talks to Raymond (Darren Criss) and asks if she can be Peg. He doesn’t know how that would work, as the real-life Peg was a white woman, but Camille has an idea: the camera cuts away to them having sex. She straddles Raymond, and while riding him, pitches a new backstory for a colored character named ‘Meg’ instead of Peg in the movie. Raymond agrees.

At the dining hall at Ace Studios, Claire finds Jack reading script pages and offers to run screen test together; perhaps, even work on their chemistry: as Peg and boyfriend. Taken aback, Jack hates to decline, but says he has the George Cukor party. Claire gets jealous, as apparently all the top Hollywood types are going.

At the party, several scenes happen over a Long dinner table. Dick (Joe Mantello) sits next to Raymond and talk business. Jack is coached by Ellen to speak with Henry about securing the Peg role away from Rock. Vivien (Katie McGuinness), from Gone With The Wind, swaps stories with other movie stars. Henry coaches Rock to meet Vivien. Jack meets Noel Coward ( Billy Boyd). Ellen turns to Avis, commenting on how Richard is the perfect gentleman, as Avis teases Ellen as becoming an Old Maid. Vivien is introduced to Rock Hudson, though Rock is not fully sure who she is in Gone with The Wind — to which Henry gets angry about, as she’s the most popular actress in the world right now, as Scarlett O’Hara. Dick recommends to Raymond that he leave early after Dessert, as nothing good comes from these parties.

Just then, Ernie arrives with the Gas boys as Avis enters the foyer. Ellen is driving her drunk friend home, just as Ernie greets Avis and squeezes her backside goodbye. Finally, George Cukor (Daniel London) comes downstairs and hugs Ernie, as he mentions Vivian’s in the guesthouse having an episode. George greets the pump boys.

The Cukor Party

Afterwards, the swanky soiree continues as guests cluster about a large pool and a live band plays. Ernie immediately notices Jack, who freezes and explains he was invited. Ernie tells him ‘fuck you’ and orders him to work and keep Tallulah Bankhead (Paget Brewster) happy.

At the bar, Rock meets Raymond just as Dick stumbles outside, drunk. Dick fixes Raymond with a negative look, telling him he should’ve left already. He does. Inside, Raymond surprisingly runs into Archie, but learns that he’s there not there for business but to work with the boys from the gas station. Raymond admires he does what he needs to follow his dreams. Archie spots Rock and then heads the other way.

Suddenly, Henry sees Rock and approaches. He Tells him to only drink water at industry functions. He tells him to comb his hair and approach Dick now that the executive’s good and drunk. As Dick tries to leave, he sees several handsome young men in matching red cardigans arrive, then sheepishly looks up and then decides to. Henry notices this from a distance confirming suspicions: Dick is gay.

On a patio, Noel meets Archie and extends a hand revealing he’s a screenwriter. Together, they watch some scantily clad football quarterbacks jump into a swimming pool. From outside, Rock sees Noel and Archie embracing, and now saddened, calls out to Archie. He tells him he dislikes him being here. Archie tells Rock that he’s working. Henry asks what’s going on to Rock, as Noel approaches Archie, and takes him away for a dance. Rock scowls.

Else, indoors, Ernie finds Vivian. She mentions that she’s been hospitalized recently, after reading for ‘A Streetcar named Desire’. She maniacally organizes her bracelets. Ernie gently kisses her hand and tells her they need to just ‘feed the kitty’ a couple of times to help calm down. They kiss.

Back at the party, Tallulah jumps into the pool while in a velvety golden dress. Meanwhile, Dick watches several naked muscular men walking by. Henry walks up behind him and joins, the two men secretly enjoying the view. Henry implies Dick’s always been a flawless person, though he stayed here tonight: implicating he thinks he’s gay. Dick tells Henry to fuck off, then leaves, as Henry calls over Rock and introduces the two. He asks Dick to perhaps mentor Rock a bit… in private. He agrees.

Inside, Tallulah lounges between two muscular robed men and fools around with them. Jack watches from a room on the other end. Henry comes up behind him and asks what he is doing. Jack Castello introduces himself to Henry, and realizing they are talking business, Henry grabs a bottle and tells Jack to walk with him.

Finally, Claire arrives at the house as she catches Henry leading Jack down a narrow garden path away from the party. She follows them at a distance. The men step on an empty tennis court. Henry eyes up jack. Claire watches from behind a fence, unseen. Henry commands him to take his pants off. Jack obliges. Henry asks to suck his cock. Jack refuses, feeling guilty about doing this to his wife again-and-again. Henry makes him realize: Jack doesn’t love his wife and only married her out of needing a sense of security after the war. Jack just wants to be a somebody. Henry says Jack needs him. Jack backs away, saying the dream isn’t worth it if this is how he obtains it. Henry threatens Jack’s career is done if he won’t let him suck him off. Claire watches Jack leave.

In the cottage, Rock plays a record, then begins undressing in front of Dick. He takes the older man’s hand, and places it on his side. Dick strokes his chest and then cheek, and then removes his jacket and sits on the couch. Rock takes off his pants and underwear as Dick looks at a chiseled, naked Rock. Before they fuck, he asks for the role in the movie. Dick thinks hard about it and then gulps his scotch and tosses the glass, shattering it.

Dick angrily steps away. He commands Rock put his clothes back on as neither of them are these kinds of people. Dick smokes a cigarette and asks Rock’s real name — revealed to be Roy Fitzgerald. Dick repeatedly says he’s sorry. That he’s been a good man his whole life, but tonight: he slipped. He regrets that he couldn’t be who he really was inside or risk his career. That he accepted it year-after-year, playing the part of bigshot stoic Hollywood executive. Somehow, Dick admits, he lost the person he was — or worse — the person he wanted to be.

Dick, finally breaking down and opening up
“You hate yourself for letting yourself go under because you wanted people to love you.”

 

Rock, in tears, embraces Dick, who then apologizes for all of this happening. Rock tells Dick not to worry, as nothing happened, and Dick may be the first good man he’s met in Hollywood. In return, Dick tells Rock that he shouldn’t ever let Henry sexually abuse him…

Back at the party, Archie and Noel dance as Rock tells him to get his hands off his boyfriend. Archie says he doesn’t belong to Rock, but the man sternly rebukes him, as confesses: he belongs to Archie. He confesses his love to Archie as the two men sway in the now empty room.

Later, Camille lies in bed reading a book as Raymond enters the room. She tries to apologize for manipulating him during sex, but he reveals that the idea was actually rather good. That he loves her and wants to see her be the star of Meg.

Later, Jack arrives home late as Henrietta (Maude Apatow) rubs her belly. Jack crouches beside her and lays his head on her lap and cries, promising to do better. She tells him she loves him, and he avoids her gaze. They go to bed.

The next morning, Raymond reveals he’s half-Filipino to Dick. He wants to be who he is and takes risks, insisting on Camille Washington to play the lead role. Raymond says he won’t direct if she doesn’t get the lead. Dick admits he’s right, and so they’re going to do it — feeling bad for not fighting for Anna May Wong and so many others throughout his career. Ellen Kinkaid, who is also in the room, is overjoyed. They agree to test her.

Later, Henry talks with Rock who admits he did not sleep with Dick. He agrees to help Rock as he seems to be bringing out the best in him — believing that Rock is something special. Henry reveals a large reason he is the way he is, was because a long time ago he was in a relationship with Trent Durkin — whom he had a relationship with. He lost Trent in a car crash. Something just broke. Henry finds passion in Rock Hudson again.

Henry cries. Then drinks. Rock hands him a tissue. He tells him the screen test is this Friday. Henry reveals he was wrong in that Rock could use new friends, then he opens a door and introduces him to two half-naked men: Rory Calhoun and Tank Meyers. Henry then tells Rock to sit on the bed with the two men while he watches.

 

Rock and Archie Embracing

The Take

I loved Katie McGuinness as Vivien, though it could also be because I loved her a Keira in ‘The Witcher 3’.

I also loved how deep we get into Dick’s story, and wholeheartedly thought Joe Mantello gave a rousing performance. His vulnerability between himself and Rock was the tiny bit of light, in what’s so far, been a morally ambiguous message in my opinion. I also loved Archie and Rock in this episode and find their gay love story compelling — especially with how accepting they are of one another. Sex work and all.

But as much as I loved Jim Parsons as an actor, I loathe his character, Henry. He very much embodies the casting couch narrative but puts a homosexual vibe to it, which doesn’t make it all the better. It’s strange, because the show makes light of rape by having it be Henry who wants to suck men off as compared to penetrating them? It makes the taboo lighter in a sense, though I don’t think rape should be taken lightly in TV, and it especially bothers me they try and humanize/have fun with this serial rapist of a character.

And I can’t even say, ‘that’s Hollywood’ because this is the show’s version of Hollywood. With full respect to Jim Parsons, who’s nailing it, but with some serious questioning of what Ryan Murphy was thinking…

Then again, I remember it’s Ryan Murphy.

 

 

 

 

 

‘Hollywood’ Recap Scene-by-scene: Episode 2 “Hooray For Hollywood Pt. 2”

By
Christian Angeles
-
0
Raymond tries convincing legendary actress Anna May Wong in Hooray for Hollywood Part 2
Credit: Netflix

The following are extensive scene-by-scene recaps on ‘Hollywood’ a Netflix social issues drama created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

As a special treat, I will be recapping the first 4 episodes of the Netflix original series ‘Hollywood’ using a good amount of screenwriting prose, for what’s arguably, the most extensive scene-by-scene recaps you’ll be able to find on the internet. We’ve also already covered the pilot episode of Hollywood earlier, this recap is on Episode 2. So if you think you missed anything, want to see if this show’s for you, or just feel like catching up on the series, check them out right here.

Jack spends the night in jail after being caught prostituting himself in Hooray for Hollywood Part 2

Episode 2: Hooray For Hollywood Part 2

At a police station, officers take Jack’s (David Corenswet) mugshot. He’s taken to a holding cell and is released on bail by Ernie (Dylan McDermott). Jack complains he can’t have a record, but Ernie tells him vice squad is part of the gig. That Hollywood sells the false idea of American virtue despite being rotten to the core.

Afterwards, at the Golden Tip, Ernie tells Jack that Avis (Patti LuPone) desires another ‘servicing’. Jack complains, as he wants to see his wife having spent the night in jail, and has to attend an audition that evening.

He goes anyway and joins Avis as her escort into a mansion auction. One where her husband’s items are being auctioned off. Jack reveals a casting agent (the brunette he slept with) is going out of her way to help him land an audition at Ace studios. Avis reveals her husband runs Ace. She insinuates that if he satisfies her, she’ll do a favor in return. Minutes later, a pantsless Jack thrusts hard into Avis, as he looks up at a collection of Oscar statues up above them.

Elsewhere, a man with a briefcase later revealed to be Raymond Ainsley (Darren Criss), knocks on the door of acclaimed Asian actress, Miss Anna May Wong (Michelle Krusiec). She lets him in and pours him a scotch but Raymond refuses. He reveals a dream project script he’d written called: Angel of Shanghai and comments on he hates how Americans vilified Asians during the war, revealing he’s half-Filipino himself, much to Wong’s surprise. Though she appreciates the gesture, she doesn’t believe the movie will do well with an Asian woman lead and a half-Asian director. Her proof: her entire career as Asian fetishized, over-sexed, opium addled courtesans and temptresses — roles expected from someone like her in the industry.

Sincerely, Anna asks: who would make this movie? Roman says: Ace Pictures.

At a dining hall at Ace Studios, a black woman Camille (Laura Harrier), reads a document at a dining hall just as Raymond kisses her cheek. Camille comments it isn’t good seeing a white man kiss a black woman in public — especially for both of their careers.

Suddenly, we hear laughter a few tables away, and Camille sees her competition: a young blonde woman later revealed to be Claire (Samara Weaving), who offers a dainty wave. Camille returns a smile. Raymond leaves as Claire eyes him down.

Raymond gives a rousing speech to Dick in Hooray for Hollywood Part 2
“Movies don’t just show us how the world is they show us how the world can be, and if we change the way movies are made, you take a chance and you make a different kind of story, I think you can change the world.” – Raymond (Darren Criss)

Later, Raymond pitches Angel of Shanghai to big shot executive Dick Samuels (Joe Mantello) in his office. Raymond gloats that he got Anna May Wong to play the lead. Dick comments Anna has a bit of a drinking problem but Roman defends her, saying they can resurrect her career and get her the Oscar she deserved for The Good Earth. Dick reveals he knows… he was there.

A flashback reveals Dick was an essential part in Anna’s career. She was the only Asian star in town, and this was to be her big moment. She was excellent in this movie, but as she cradles what is revealed to be a dead baby in her arms during a powerful monologue. The scene soon transitions to the Oscars, where in the audience, Dick looks above at May in the balcony: crying. She had lost out on the role in The Good Earth to a white woman – never being given a fair shot because the studio didn’t think an Asian lead would get distribution.

Dick iterates stresses you can’t open a picture with a Chinese or colored lead. They disagree. Afterwards, Dick shows Raymond a stack of scripts Mr. Amberg (Ace Studio Head) is excited about. He tells him to read them over.

Later that day, Jack has a screen test for the film ‘Tap Roots’. His performance is loud and overly aggressive with a poor sense of framing. Dick calls him talentless, but a woman in purple, later revealed to be Ellen Kingcaid (Holland Taylor), says she sees his talent. She claims to have been responsible for finding William Powell, Lana Turner, and Judy Garland. Dick says he won by discovering Vivian Leigh. Ellen says she has a feeling about Jack, and Dick lets her hire him. The brunette casting director from before who is also in the room grins as does her friend.

Ellen meets with Jack just outside and tells him says she’ll put him on contract for 25 a week. He is ecstatic. Later, Ellen teaches a class on annunciation where she calls out Claire, the blonde woman from before, to answer a question. Then she asks about where the Mid-Atlantic accent comes from, and Camille answers correctly instead. Ellen then leaves with Camille leaving Claire jealous.

On set, Camille is given her first role. She enters a scene dressed as a servant and utilizes a perfect ‘Mid-Atlantic’ accent. The director cuts and calls Camille, as Ellen watches from the distance. In private, the director tells Camille to ‘make the line funny’, like something Hattie McDaniel would do. It’s obvious they want Camille to act like a subservient black stereotype, going from elegance to slack-jawed buffoon. Camille does it the way the director wants and nails it, though feels awful having sold all integrity to get her foot in the door.

At their apartment, Raymond is greeted by Camille who updates him on her day. He reveals that of the 25 scripts, only one is good: The one about Peg Entwistle that Archie had written. When asked about Anna May Wong, Raymond reasons that the only way to get Angel of Shanghai made is to direct a successful film first. Camille returns in a nightgown with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. The couple celebrate and have sex.

Using a sex transition cut, we move from one sex scene to another, where a topless woman straddles Jack. In the morning, he comes home and quietly closes his door. Henrietta (Maude Apatow), his wife, waits with folded arms. She approaches him and takes his pants off and smells another woman on his cock. She yells at him to get out then clutches her pregnant belly in pain. They rush to the doctor, who tells Jack that for the baby’s health: keep his wife calm and stop fucking around.

Raymond pitches to Archie how he wants to film Peg in Hooray for Hollywood part 2

At a fancy restaurant, Archie (Jeremy Pope) and Raymond meet for the first time over martinis. They talk about Archie’s script and agree to make his movie. Raymond asks Archie, how as a black man, he was able to write such a strong portrayal of a distressed white woman — revealing their similarities as repressed people in Hollywood. This spark’s Raymond’s dream: to get more diverse representation, especially because he himself is half-Asian. He also reveals that he has a black girlfriend. Archie approves, but shows concern about being discovered that he’s black (Though he’s the screenwriter, no one’s seen his face before). The two agree on one thing: That they want to change the industry for the better.

That evening, at The Golden Tip, Archie is picked up by Roy (Jake Picking). And they go back to his place to have sex. Afterwards, Roy asks why he was never charged for their times together and asks this makes them boyfriends. Archie shuns the idea, as both want careers in Hollywood. Roy wants Archie to consider it: a life of happiness and growing old together. Before archie leaves, Roy asks him to coach him on lines. He agrees and the two prove to be quite the emotionally compelling pair.

Later, over one continuous scene at the studio cafeteria, Camille asks a Ms. Ryman for a role consideration but is told the part is for whites only. At another table, Raymond shows storyboards of the Peg Entwistle movie to Dick. He congratulations Raymond on getting his first picture green lit and shake on the deal. Immediately after however, Raymond asks if he can do Angel of Shanghai after this movie, somewhat spoiling the moment. Shortly after, the camera now follows Claire as she sits with Jack and congratulates him on his contract. After some flirting, she reveals that the Peg Entwistle story was green lit (having just eavesdropped) and she tells Jack she’s auditioning for the lead, the romantic interest role being open.

Elsewhere, a nervous Roy has a meeting with an agent, Henry Willson (Jim Parsons). After looking him over for 30 seconds he tells him he’s signing him, as despite being a terrible actor he thinks can be a marketable star. Still, Henry wants a makeover: drama lessons, posture correction, and voice work to make a low baritone. He renames him: Rock Hudson and offers not just to be his agent, but like his godfather too.

Before he can sign, Henry has one stipulation: he gets to suck Roy’s cock. Flabbergasted, Henry rebukes that he knew Roy was gay the moment he walked in, and that he’ll help teach Roy how to hide it, but only after sucking him off cock. Roy reluctantly agrees.

May is dismayed when Angel of Shangai is rejected in Hooray for Hollywood part 2

Later that evening, Raymond visits Anna at her house and reveals they’re not making the picture right now. He says he’s trying. She tells him it’s never happening — especially, as someone unable to pass as white, unlike Raymond — then she wishes him luck and looks away. Raymond leaves.

At Ace Studios, Raymond drives into his new private parking spot with Archie. They’re greeted by Jack, who just happens to be strolling by. Surprised, Jack tells them he’s auditioning for the part of love interest in their movie (which is unbeknownst to them somehow?). The three go to lunch but are soon met by Ellen and are introduced to Avis Amberg (though as we know, Jack already knows her intimately). Ellen is surprised Archie is colored, but approves. Avis is helped down the steps of the small walkway by Jack. The camera then pans up to the Ace Studios water tower… with the Hollywood sign in the far distance.

The Take

A good episode that’s powerful yet also, getting a little preachy. I like it’s themes though the execution seems a little too coincidental, especially with how everyone meets. Then again, from what we hear and gather about the industry: that’s Hollywood.

I also do like how Jack and Archie attain their goals by separate means and how hypocritical Hollywood is in itself. Behind the scenes, it’s well-known this process was less than wholesome.

I do wonder if the show’s more censored than it should’ve been as the series seems a little too hopeful, especially regarding such dark topics. I don’t think it should make light of things like sexual abuse but the series runs a thin line between acceptable sex work and who’s using sexual favors as leverage.

It’s a mixed message but entertaining if this is what you’re looking for.

‘Hollywood’ Recap Scene-by-scene: Episode 1 “Hooray For Hollywood”

By
Christian Angeles
-
0
The Cast of Hollywood on Netflix
Credit: Netflix

The following are extensive scene-by-scene recaps on ‘Hollywood’. A Netflix social issues drama created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan

As a special treat, I will be recapping the first 4 episodes of the Netflix original series ‘Hollywood’ using a good amount of screenwriting prose, for what’s arguably, the most extensive scene-by-scene recaps you’ll be able to find on the internet. So if you think you missed anything, want to see if this show’s for you, or just feel like catching up on the series, check them out right here.

 Jack gazes at the moving pictures in Hollywood Episode 1 Hooray for Hollywood

Episode 1: Hooray for Hollywood

We open on a young blue-eyed man. He is kicking back and watching a news reel in the balcony of a near empty cinema. This reel talks about Hollywood: the former central hub of the WW2 supply industry turned post-war haven for the moving pictures. A place filled with starry eyed dreamers seeking to become the next Paul Muni or Hedy Lamarr. The man smiles, sold on the pitch of Beverly Hill pool parties, fame, and the promise of the beautiful southern California sun.

After the Hollywood opening titles, we segue into a large crowd swarming the closed gate of a large entrance; The overhead sign reading: Ace Studios. The blue-eyed man, now in a yellow overcoat and a pinched front fedora, makes his way toward a shorter man in a bowtie at the front of the crowd, Lou.

Lou greets the blue-eyed man, who in turn, reveals his name to be Jackie (David Corenswet). The two exchange some Hollywood jargon — the definition of what ‘Lensing’ (shooting) and ‘Producing’ (Making a movie) is — before a middle-aged woman in red opens the gates and addresses the want-to-be extras. She goes over rules; reveals that they are lensing a scene from a war picture, a perfect role for Jack as an ex-soldier. As she fingers over the crowd looking for extras, she stops at Jack, but instead, picks Lou.

The crowd disperses. Jack shows gumption. He approaches the now closed gate and addresses the woman in red, revealed to be Ms. Roswell, as he introduces himself as Jack Castello. He mentions he’d be great in a war picture as he fought at Anzio. She asks if he had training and he says no. She calls him out:

“Pretty face but no training? — A dime a dozen.”

Saddened, Jack straightens his hat and walks away. He then drinks at a bar, defeated and alone. Before he can pay his bill, a man with slicked grey hair covers his drink. Jack tips his hand at the man as he passes. The man smirks.

Henrietta and Jack apply for a bank loan in episode 1 of Netflix's 'Hollywood': "Hooray for Hollywood"

At a bank, Jack, now in his old military uniform, and a young woman apply for a home loan. She tells the banker that she’s a waitress, and Jack, a supernumerary (background) actor. Given the lack the income needed for a home loan, they’re rejected.

Back at the bar, Jack knocks back a drink and then points at his empty glass for a refill. The man with the slick hair watches, takes a drag from his cigarette, and then approaches the counter ordering he and Jack two more drinks. He introduces his name as Ernie (Dylan McDermott), thanks Jack for his service.

He then talks about how he wasn’t able to serve because he has a 12-inch dick.

After breaking the ice in crude fashion, Ernie offers Jack a job as a gas station attendant… specializing in ‘good looking employees’. He temps Jack with a wad of cash, but Jack rejects it. Ernie leaves him the name of the company: Golden Tip Gas.

 At the gate again the next morning, Lou is picked over Jack yet again. Later, Jack walks through an ornate lobby and into his apartment, where his wife, Henrietta (Maude Apatow), reads by candlelight because their electricity was cut. He approaches her but she’s dejected with his failure to pay the bills. Jack blows out a candle… alone.

At the Golden Tip Gas’ garage, Jack steps out of the bathroom wearing a sidecap and a white shirt bearing his name. Ernie, now in a captain’s hat, asks Jack if he has any venereal diseases. Jack is confused. Ernie divulges that he’s similar to Louis B. Mayer in that he provides his customers ‘a fantasy’. How some of the attractive station men ‘service’ some of the clients, much to Jack’s surprise. Ernie asks if Jack’s ever cheated. Initially in denial, we reveal in a cutaway flashback: Jack having sex with a woman while on shore leave. Ernie says “Good” as the first one is always the hardest.

(Sidenote: Ernie is based on the infamous pimp Scotty Bowers, who wrote the memoir Full Service)

Suddenly, a black car pulls in. Ernie offers 100 bucks to Jack for ‘service’. He hesitates but eventually agrees.  As Jack walks up the older woman, she requests ‘To Go To Dreamland’, the official code for prostitution. Jack gets into the passenger seat.

Later, Avis (Patti LuPone), later revealed to be the woman, drives along a road lined with lush greenery and pulls up to the lavish ‘Beverly Hills Hotel’. Jack follows her inside. They freshen up together. Jack reveals he is from Missouri wanting to be a movie star. Avis makes a pair of dry martinis and reveals that she herself was a silent picture movie star but was inevitably rejected in the industry afterwards for being (and sounding like): a Jew. She was told by an up-and-coming low-level executive, that she’d barely amount to anything anymore — to which Avis said: “Fuck this town.”

She then slept with, get knocked up by, and married to that executive. The woman asks Jack why he wants to be a star. He reveals that everyone he knew thought he was a dumb good-for-nothing and so he wanted to do something that truly matters.

Jack reveals, that movies make him feel alive. That he held all his best and most intimate memories there, and always left the theatre feeling better than when he walked in. Jack asks why she’s here doing this with him? She reveals her husband loathes her, and that coming into a public place and hooking up with strangers, is an attempt to be caught and make him jealous. She eyes the wedding ring on Jack’s finger. Asks if he feels guilty. He says he must provide for his family. She tells him to provide.

They enter the bedroom. Before Jack begins, he asks if Avis believes he has what it takes to make it? She tells him she doesn’t know — but what she does know, is that Jack has a strong light inside. She asks him to share it with her. Make her feel like she matters — even if that’s a lie. They kiss. He goes down on her. She enjoys.

Jack is paid by Ernie for his services in Hooray for Hollywood

Later, Jack gets back to the garage and is handed an envelope of money. Ernie sends Jack to the trailer out back for a quickie. Jack opens the door revealing a pantsless man in an armchair. Jack shuts the door then marches back saying there’s a mistake. Ernie tells him that’s Cole Porter, the musical legend. Jack refuses the job, but Ernie angrily rebukes him. Low on guys and with a bad cough, Ernie threatens that if Jack doesn’t service Cole, he’s not getting a dime. Ernie snatches his payment back. Jack quits.

Later, Jack enters a drug store with an ice cream counter and finds his wife flirting with a coworker. He takes her to a Doctor Hiram’s for an Obstetrics appointment. At Doc’s office, over Smalltalk, Henrietta reveals the couple are renting and Doctor Hiram comments a kid is just as expensive as a mortgage — which makes Jack wince. He then reveals they’re having twins. Jack faints.

At the western costume company, Jack rents a police costume. He walks along the streets in his new outfit and then enters an unmarked door and through a red curtain hallway into a movie theatre. On the screen, are several naked men working out in a weight room. Jack takes a seat in the back row, soon noticing a man’s head bobbing up and down on the lap of another man. Jack watches another couple: a young black man joining a different blonde man offering him sex. Jack walks up to them and presses a toy gun to the blonde man’s head. He breaks up their encounter and makes an arrest, taking the black man to Schwab’s Drug Store.

Jack, in a cop's uniform, talks to Archie for the first time in Episode One Hooray for Hollywood

At Schwabs, Jack and the man sit down as Jack interrogates him. The black man reveals he moved to LA to become a writer having written a screenplay about Peg Entwistle, the rejected girl who jumped off the Hollywood sign. He sold the script for a hundred bucks yet the studio refused to put him under contract for being black. The two get to know each other and Jack offers him a chance at sex work at a safer place and for higher pay. The man finally realizes Jack is not a cop; Jack takes solace in his acting ability as he thought he was.

Afterwards, at the Golden Tip Gas, the young man emerges from Ernie’s bathroom and agrees on specializing in gay sex for a 60-40 cut. Ernie likes his business acumen immediately seeing the potential. They shake on it and formally greet: Ernie West and Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope). Ernie shares their solicitation password: Dreamland.

Jack gets his cut from before.

Seconds later, Archie approaches a car where a young white man, awkwardly asks to go to ‘dreamland’. He reveals himself as Roy Fitzgerald (Jake Picking), an actor who’s later revealed to be based on the real life Rock Hudson. The two pull away in Roy’s car.

On the second-floor building of an apartment, they sit on a neatly made bed. Archie asks what Roy wants to do as he begins undressing. Roy reveals he wants to be an actor, and so their encounter must be secret, as gay people are shunned in Hollywood. Archie reveals he’s a writer. The two talk about their Hollywood dreams just as the men proceed to make passionate love.

The next day at Golden Tip Gas, Ernie pays his workers and then severely coughs as he smokes his cigarette. A montage begins as all the workers service their many customers that drive in throughout the day, each requesting for: ‘Dreamland’.

A montage begins. In a bedroom, Jack carries a young woman onto a dresser and thursts inside of her wearing only his side cap. In a kitchen, Archie stands behind a young man thrusting into his behind. Later, Jack gets dressed as a brunette enters the bedroom in a towel, complimenting at being ‘good at that’. He tells her he only does this to make ends meat as an actor. She smiles back, revealing she’s in casting.

The next day, a crowd swarms the gate at Ace Studios yet again. Jack, confident this time, finds Lou. Miss Roswell then arrives with the Brunette from last night who shares a look at Jack. She leans towards Miss Roswell, who turns and asks for ‘Jack’ as he enters the gate with a grin. Jack looks back at Lou, who wasn’t picked today, and reveals he’s got a walk-on role for a Cecil B. DeMille picture, as he joins the Brunette.

That evening, Henrietta enters the apartment after work. Jack cooks the two a candlelit dinner and tells her to quit her job. He gifts her 500 dollars meant to be spent on a house down payment, and then reveals he paid for rent and gas too. Henrietta smiles.

At the Golden Tip Gas the next day, Archie introduces a man named Stan (Conrad Solaka) to Jack, revealing that Stan is ‘Sexually ambidextrous’ (He’s bisexual). Jack approaches the driver of a red car and meets a redheaded woman in the back. She leads Jack to a bedroom and offers a tip. After he takes it, she pulls out a badge and arrests him.

 

The Take

A brilliant cliffhanger to end a much more provocative series than anticipated, this show features a surprising amount of sex and re-frames a lot of the heteronormative narratives of the Golden age of Hollywood. More than anything, it alters history by taking on social issues, at a time where none were really addressed — all for easily, one of Ryan Murphy’s most interesting pilots to a series.

‘Harley Quinn’ Season 2 Episode 6 Review & Recap: All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues

By
Christian Angeles
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0
Harley Quinn sits in therapy with Joker in All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues
Credit: DC Universe

This episode gets psychological, taking a look at the origins of Doctor Harleen Quinzel, with a Review, Recap, and Podcast below.

Joker dances with Harley Quinn in "All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues"

S2E6 Review (Spoiler-Free)

In this episode, we delve into Harley Quinn‘s past as a psychologist, including her first assessments with the Joker and her first encounter with a misanthropic Poison Ivy.

We also revisit an old friend who reappears from out of the shadows. Forcing Harley and Ivy to acknowledge just how much has changed, not just in the city, but in their respective interpersonal lives as well. The two becoming vastly different people from who they used to be.

This heartwarming flashback episode delivers on both depth and backstory, as we get to learn a thing or two about the heroes and villains prominently featured in Gotham City thus far this season.

Most importantly, this episode takes a look at Harley’s first impressions with The Joker — who very much steals the show — all in an emotionally sentimental take on traumatic origins, acts of kindness, and budding best friendships.

 Harley talks with Ivy in all the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues

S2E6 Recap

At Noonan’s (The Bar), Harley and Ivy play ‘Marry, Fuck, Kill,’ when, suddenly, Harley gets distracted by a bartender she believes is Joker. Ivy calls him just a typical boring white guy, but Harley takes a picture of him and then colors in his face. They confirm it’s definitely him.

Ivy wants to murder Joker, but Harley wants to sneak out. As they crawl on the floor to escape, Joker trips on the duo. They meet, and it’s revealed that Joker has become a normal person after falling into the ‘undoing acid’ last season. We learn that he has a girlfriend now, along with two kids that he’s adopted (the girlfriend’s).

Disgusted, the girls go to leave but are stopped by Joker, who picks up Harley’s bat and gives it back. Ivy distrusts the situation and still wants to murder Joker while making a ninja star out of a flower. Harley says she does not want to kill a normal person. Ivy says you are who you are at your core. Harley says she is wrong and wants to prove it.

This prompts a flashback to Harley’s first day at Arkham Asylum. She walks into the administration office to see Harvey Dent — the district attorney up for reelection — and Commissioner Gordon having a shirtless contest of push-ups and squats. She is happy they hired her because of her extensive work studying the Joker’s pathology, though it is revealed they only hired her because she’s cheap, and Joker has already killed his other shrinks. Harley is assigned to get Joker to reveal where the bomb is, though it’s obvious Dent only wants polls to reopen today for his D.A. reelection campaign in a callback to the original series.

At that moment, alarms blaze as some vines tear a guard into pieces. Another guard comments that the cafeteria had allegedly ordered living lettuce, something Poison Ivy utilizes until taken down by unsanctioned flamethrowers. Harley protests the deed and comments about prisoner rights. Gordon commands her to stop gawking and find the bomb.

Back to work, Harley walks past some of the infamous Batman rogues, including Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Calendar Man, Man-Bat, and a fully haired Riddler. She then checks on Poison Ivy and apologizes to Ivy for their harsh treatment of her, but Ivy brushes her off. Afterward, Harley checks in on and meets with The Joker.

Joker greets Harley as Puddin’ — her infamous nickname for the Prince of Crime —  though it is revealed that Joker thought he was calling out to Arkham’s in-house chef, Luigi, with his lunch, as Joker likes to eat dessert first. He misses eating at the cafeteria like a normal person.

The Joker soon calls out Harley’s thesis as fanfic. She tells him that she’s there to set the record straight. Joker knows she is only there to find the bomb. He plays with his mashed potatoes and disregards her. So, Harley, desiring to get on his level, goes inside his roomy and isolated cell. After some getting to know each other, he takes her hostage, but she fights back and gets away.

Moments later, Gordon tells her she’s done. She asks for another chance, and Dent doesn’t think they have a choice. But, from the shadows, Batman arrives and offers aid. He interrogates Joker, but the clown rubs in the death of Jason Todd to his face. Losing it, Batman badly beats Joker but still gets nothing out of him. Afterward, Gordon asks if Batman has plans — showing the beginnings of their friendship.

Taking command, Harley meets with Ivy, after discovering she and Joker went to group therapy together. Ivy reveals her grim view of the world: that people just aren’t worth saving. Harley disagrees and gets Ivy to reveal that Joker has family issues: which is something she can work with. When Harley visits a newly bruised and broken Joker again, she asks about his life growing up, grilling him on his daddy issues.

Joker reveals how he got his emotional scars. That his parents were wealthy yet negligent, and so Mr. Farris — his pet ferret — was like a brother to him. Inseparable until the day he walked in on his father sleeping with the maid. As a result, his father took Mr. Ferris away then beat the shit out of him, all while smiling.

Harley sympathizes and offers to help. Joker requests to have a normal meal at the cafeteria, tonight — as he doesn’t trust the ones in charge to keep their word. She agrees. He reveals that the bomb is in the heart of Little Italy. That night, Harley thanks Ivy and gifts her a tiny plant, which Ivy grows into flowers.

At Gotham, Batman rushes to Little Italy with Gordon as Joker gets to finally go into the cafeteria with Harley at Arkham. Joker treats it like an informal little date. Harley seeks to turn her thesis into a novel, as Joker realizes she never cared about the bomb, just herself. It dawns on Harley what’s actually happening; Joker reveals that Luigi, the cafeteria chef, is nicknamed ‘Little Italy.’ Luigi detonates, creating a hole in the wall to escape.

Joker steals Harley away in All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues

Joker carries Harley and says she’s the only one that understood the joke. Dent chases after with a squad, but they cannot take a shot without killing her.

Dent commands to do it anyway. The sniper shoots.

Yet, the two survive, thanks to Ivy protecting Harley with her plants.

When asked why, Ivy reveals no one’s ever given her a gift before. Harley thanks Ivy for saving her. Suddenly, the villains are surrounded by guards with flamethrowers, and it’s obvious that, though Ivy can keep fighting, Harley might die in the process. Ivy surrenders to keep Harley alive. When Dent walks over to congratulate her survival, Harley spits in his face, telling ‘Two-Face’ to fuck off, effectively creating his trademark nickname.

Back at the bar, Harley tells Ivy she changed her mind that humanity was worth saving back then. Ivy retorts that she didn’t change her, just helped her, as she didn’t always hate people.

She then reveals Mr. Ferris was her Ficus plant. That story was hers, not the Joker’s. This upsets Harley, as she’d gone years doing ferret themed everything for Joker. They wonder what to do about the reformed Joker and use Doctor Psycho to probe his mind to be sure he’s legit.

It’s revealed… that the Joker really has become a boring and kind person and father with no memories of before the Tower incident. Harley says bye for the last time but right as they leave the Noonan’s, they are caught by Harvey Dent.

Joker goes back to working at the bar. He sees a picture of his kids from the ‘best girlfriend in the world’ and maniacally laughs at a picture of the kids covered in sauce — hinting that a little bit of Joker is still there, though he’s mostly, still this new man.

 Ivy and Harley confront a normalized Joker in All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues

The Take

This was a really good episode that delved into some heartfelt moments between Ivy and Harley. Mainly, they’re not all that bad of people.

Though I’d be remiss not to give kudos to Joker as well, as his and Harley’s dynamic was acerbic yet foreshadowing, a set-up for the inevitable fates we know befall on them both. I also have to give it Alan Tudyk, who’s been nothing shy of amazing this season as Condiment King, Doctor Trap, Clayface, and now of course: The Joker.

Arguably the best episode thus far this season, in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What We Do In The Shadows episode 2.05 Recap – Unfinished Siphoning

By
Robert Kijowski
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Mark Proksch as Colin Robinson in Colin's Promotion
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS -- "Colin’s Promotion" -- Season 2, Episode 5 (Airs May 6) Pictured: Mark Proksch as Colin Robinson. CR: Russ Martin/FX

In this episode, Colin Robinson gets super powerful and gets to show his true potential to the shock of his roommates and we realize that the remaining three remain to have some issues to work out from their past.

Miriam-Webster defines the term “Sleeper” among other things as a few things. Did you know it’s a piece of wood, stone, or steel on or near the ground to keep railroad rails in place? A little known fact is that the term can also be used to describe a stud earring worn to keep a pierced earlobe from closing. Or it can simply mean one who slumbers. I, however, am more fascinated by it defining someone or something that goes relatively unnoticed until it attains a level of prominence or value right under everyone else’s noses. It is in that capacity that we find ourselves at the fifth episode of What We Do In The Shadows: “Colin’s Promotion.”

We open in on Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) in his natural habitat- the sterile environs of a workplace. These fertile feeding grounds are where he spends a decent chunk of his waking life, managing to maintain a milquetoast and unobtrusive existence among the boringly congenital worker bees. That is until he is summoned to his superior Laura’s office from some truly horrifying news: Colin’s being promoted. Whereas most would delight in climbing up the professional ladder, Colin couldn’t be any less aghast at this news, as this will surely cut a swath into his ‘bonding time’ with his roommates.

Back at the house, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Laszlo (Matt Berry), and Nandor (Kayvan Novak) decide to switch things up about the house, literally. They are rotating works of art on the walls. These pieces include a simulacrum of an original Picasso (Nadja just cut out her piece of the painting for exhibition), a painting of Laszlo’s first ship (a possible cutty sark which he considers to this day a piece of shit), an artful representation of Nadja’s vulva that would make Georgia O’Keeffe blush and a painting of her beloved creating the first “portrait bomb” in which he had to sit for 7 hours in order to have his likeness put bunny ears behind his fallen enemy.  Notice how Nandor has yet to claim a painting… but that’s of no concern at the moment, as Colin comes home from work.

The poor guy is met with the same level of ambivalence as always. Even when trying to relay some potentially good news to them about the promotion, all three gloss over him like a Conde Naste publication. In fact, Colin’s given his “self-portrait” back to him, which actually was a portrait he made of the four of them, and then they want to give him one last present… the boot.

One can’t help but feel for Colin. Being an energy vampire has its drawbacks, chiefly that nobody can trust if you’re being earnest in conversation or simply nibbling away at their life force. It’s his cross (hisssss) to bear, making it distinct that he doesn’t “live to drain,” but rather “drains to live.”

Now in a newly appointed position of superiority with an assistant, Joanna, Colin finally learns the machinations of his company and possibly what they actually do. Spoiler alert: it’s either playground design and marketing or landmine design and manufacturing. He also learns an even more invaluable fact… he might actually be likeable around the office for one reason and one reason only- he’s the fucking boss! His underlings have no choice but to give off, however disingenuous, a seal of approval to his really crappy jokes.

This forced energy, which many of us have experienced expending in a boring office gig is a whole new type. We give it, whether we like it or not and the rest of our energy is spent possibly hating ourselves for indulging a superior of whom may be barely funny. Colin feeds on this first taste of this and like many new drug experiences, it comes with interesting side effects. I can’t see our resident plebeian doing cocaine, but if this is the closest he can come to feel like a goddamned god, I approve. He’s got the power of “a thousand cowboys” coursing through his non-pumping veins, crushing trash receptacles like empty beer cans and he’s just getting warmed up.

He lets this surge of power wash over him daily and has his staff know this. He uses them now like mid-day snacks, like energy cheese-sticks. This transfers into the sadistic when he makes a staffer write a 2,000-word essay on an off the cuff question, just for his whim. It’s good to be the king.

Meanwhile, as Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) helps with the rearranging of painting, Colin comes in, painting a different picture of how they know him. He, on-call, basically ignores them and gives a bit of the ole lippy-lip to Nadja. This is a new Colin they weren’t expecting, but just as their house aesthetic is changing, so is one of the inhabitants. They are especially impressed as Colin could procure two flying shits about what they are doing with their boring mission. He now can levitate things, like paintings, so it’s of no worry to him whether they are receptive of him. He’s getting to Super Saiyan level and, well, those guys are left in his dust.

Speaking of the past, the painting Colin raises to put on the wall is something that Nadja has slight memories of and Nandor wants to completely forget. It’s a grim, but beautiful piece of a village being turned into cinders. Nadja knows exactly what this is and confronts Nandor about it.

Though documented 200 years before her actual birth, this particular artistic documentation in majestic oils (which is a very diplomatic way of saying the capturing of a town slaughter through old school photography), has Nadja riled up. Ostensibly Nandor the Relentless was responsible for generations of her village growing up physically and mentally stunted since his army only left the dumbest and weakest alive.

Nandor tries to claim innocence and feign ignorance to no avail. In fact, this draws the ire of Nadja more and has her go apeshit on him, with nothing but her beloved, Laszlo holding her back from killing a friend. This has Colin orgasmically reaping the residual reward, as negative energy is a different kind- possibly more potent than positive energy and most assuredly more volatile.

Including a put-on call with the Hoboken branch of whatever he still does in front of a boardroom, sorry, a bored room, Colin is close to his neXt level uP. He can now grow hair. He can drain the power of one human with a simple trite phrase. He can kill plans with a gesture. This is a wolf in the henhouse situation, but I wouldn’t dare call him a wolf, as he’s a vampire. Totally different entities.

At the house, Guillermo attempts a mediation. With Nadja super peeved about Nandor fucking up her town for generations to come, Guillermo tries to give Nandor a path to forgiveness through admittance. His master refuses. He was just doing what was in his nature and it should be water under the bridge. That is not an excuse though and Nadja makes it known. This energy can now grant Colin the gift of flight.

Though they realize how Colin has grown in power at an exponential rate, they realize that the only way they can stop the madness is to kill his office.

It doesn’t work and they all end up worse for the wear. Colin now has them at his mercy and though they keep trying to combat him, he’s basically drained them to the point of dying old age, and all.

The great joke goes on “Pride goeth before destruction, and a spirit before the fall.” (Proverbs 16:18).

Colin truly drank his own Kool-Aid and after splitting apart with two others of himself, he’d played Jim Jones.

The only way to do himself in is talking to himself and through 63 minutes of three Colin’s talking to themselves, they killed each other. Literally bored themselves to death.

In the house garden, whilst burying the remains of, let’s be honest, like Mr. Fantastic, the group finds a few kind words, however boring they were to him. Dude left them in slight financial ruination.

This episode has a slight deviation. In rumination, we are left with a few moments of an afterthought and I’m good with leaving this episode on Laszlo painting Nandor into a burning house.

He paints out Nandor, replacing Nandor, his “Persian Frank Zappa” in his stead on that steed, approaching Nadja to engage in carnal congress.

Oh, Nandor has a place in that piece of art… in the form of a denizen of a smoldering house. I guess when you’re on fire, you’re on fire.

 

 

 

A Parks and Recreation Special: A Bright Spot in Dark Times

By
Bassam Kaado
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Screenshot from the Special of Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler)
Photo credit belongs to NBC

A Heartfelt and Creative Endeavor, A Parks and Recreation Special gives fans a fun revisit to the world of Pawnee while raising money for Feeding America. SPOILER-FREE

Cast of the Parks and Recreation Special

Parks and Recreation is one of my favorite shows of all time, probably my favorite live-action sitcom. The seven seasons and 125 episodes took me through a whirlwind of emotions, and it’s a trip down memory lane that I rarely hesitate to revisit. So, when I heard they were doing a reunion special, I squealed with glee.

Working around the current situation, A Parks and Recreation Special is set during COVID-19, with each member video calling each other. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) has developed a calling system to make sure everyone checks in on everyone. This gives the viewers an insight into how each character is holding up, highlighting each person in their element.

The Cast

Every single one of the core crew returned for this special, plus a handful of amazing cameos. Poehler leads the charge and does her due diligence as the everlasting glue of this Parks department. Her intensity and radiating positivity is a welcoming presence.

Every other person delivered equally as effectively. We get healthy doses of Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe), Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), Donna Meagle (Retta), and Gary (Jim O’Heir). Seeing the crew back together was a great way to highlight the beauty that Parks and Rec gave us during its run.

There are plenty of great cameos and callbacks to the series, but I really don’t want to spoil them. UGH! So good.

The Vision

Creatively, this special is impressive.

The script was written in the course of three days, and it effectively hits the marks of each character while moving fluidly through the story. It honestly feels like the show didn’t miss a beat since ending in 2015.  Nothing felt forced, and any information revolving the crisis was addressed in a way that made sense in the realms of the world.

The visual elements worked really well. Every actor had iPhones and tripods sent to their houses, which helped them during this isolation staycation. Each frame was composed to set the tone for the individual calls, and it really reflected their personality. Also, the character would manipulate the screen and change the names shown, letting them have fun with the process.

The Takeaway

I absolutely loved this. Though plans of a Parks and Rec revival were never in the cards, the current pandemic brought it to reality. The special also acting as fundraiser for Feeding America really exemplified what Leslie Knope is all about. Doing good for the people you love in the place you love. It was such a joy seeing the characters all together again, and it made me really miss the show. If you have seen the show, do yourself a favor and watch. If you haven’t, go watch the show, then the special.

The special can be found on NBC’s website, NBC’s Youtube channel, or on Hulu.

Parks and Recreation the series is available on Netflix or on NBC’s website with a cable subscription.

You can also donate to Feeding America directly (which is the purpose of this special).

 

 

 

 

‘Harley Quinn’ Season 2 Episode 5 Review & Recap: Batman’s Back, Man

By
Christian Angeles
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A Shirtless Bruce Wayne Returns in Harley Quinn Batman’s Back Man
Credit: DC Universe

We take a look at the reintroduction of the Caped Crusader in this spin-off episode of Harley Quinn. Podcast, Review (spoiler-free), and recap below.

Batman's New Suit in Harley Quinn Batman’s Back Man

Harley Quinn S2E5 ‘Batman’s Back, Man’: Review (Spoiler-Free)

Batman Returns! In this Batman focused spin-off, we get to know Bruce Wayne/Batman in full detail, as we laugh at one of the more childish yet obsessive characterizations of Batman to date in a character study that’s more ‘Lego Batman’ than ‘Dark Knight Returns’ (though there are references to both in this episode).

We also see Alfred get parental on a less-than-cooperative Bruce Wayne, exploring their dynamic. Bruce, dealing with his feelings, attempts to stalwart himself and become his ‘Man of Steel’ in this episode.

A side-story breather type of episode meant to delve into the world of New New Gotham; characters converge, and plotlines begin to come together. This includes a focus on how the Injustice League is dwindling, as both Two-Face and Bane are all that remains — meaning something different must be done if the villains are to continue.

Overall, ‘Batman’s Back, Man’ brings to light some established threads while delivering some much-beloved side character screen time. My only negative critique (if you can even call it that) was that there is little-at-stake for Harley and crew, as they are not featured really at all in this episode.

Meta-Nerds watch the episode on Harley Quinn Batman’s Back Man

Harley Quinn S2E5 ‘Batman’s Back, Man’: Recap

We open in on a sighing mouth-breathing fanboy wearing a ‘Release the Snyder Cut’ T-shirt. He trashes talks Harley Quinn for its ‘Heavy-Handed Female Empowerment’ themes, and after bashing on the episode to his friend —  who seemingly enjoys the show — they read the byline for this week’s episode:

“Batman wakes up from his Coma and is ready to retake Gotham City.”

Enthused, they take back everything they said and start the show. Cue Intro.

We begin with Bruce (Diedrich Bader) waking up in his bed at Wayne Manor. He stumbles forward and sees how well the city is doing, only to realize, it’s a painting. The city is in ruins.

Alfred offers Bruce pigs in a blanket and honey tea, but Bruce refuses because Gotham needs Batman! Alfred asks him to rest, even offering to be TV Binge buddies! Bruce refuses this too. They call Commissioner Gordon, who comes over to visit Bruce (not Batman) to fill him in and request a list of budgetary needs to retake Gotham: Police Officers and a cock-piece that opens up fires a tiny missile.

Stupified, Alfred tells Gordon that Wayne won’t bankroll him, though Bruce wants to know where are the other heroes? Gordon shows him Gotham’s only two vigilantes:

We meet ‘The Macaroni’, a dandy themed superhero in 18th-century attire and gigantic powdered wig. We also officially meet Batgirl for the first time, who’s posting her crime-fighting escapades on social media.

Bane gets the little chair on Harley Quinn Batman’s Back Man

Back at the Injustice League HQ, Two-Face commands Bane to sit back onto his tiny chair. Despite the pair being the final members, Two-Face still greats him like garbage. Bane requests a team-up as they’re only remaining ones left though, but Two-Face rejects, as he still treats Bane as a joke.

Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce sees video footage of Batgirl filming herself beating bad guys. He is mad at the unsanctioned use of his symbol/logo. Alfred argues Bruce can’t even make a solid bowel movement in his condition. Later that evening, Batman decides to meet her anyway as a warning. She pulls him toward her and blasts that BATMAN IS BACK! All over social media.

At a bank, Two-Face robs the joint but can’t seem to keep the people in line. They’re no longer afraid of him because Batman is back, as his appearance on Batgirl’s feed has given hope to the people in Gotham.

That evening, Alfred smugly judges Bruce for selling false hope to the people. They argue. Alfred tells Batman that if he can’t even put on his own socks, then he definitely can’t defend the city. That Bruce’s ego is writing checks his broken body can’t cash. Annoyed, Bruce calls Lucius Fox.

Back at the tower, Two-Face finally gives Bane a chair. Bane’s ecstatic with joy and comments about its excellent lumbar support. Two-Face offers now to join forces, though Bane questions if it is only because Batman has returned? (It is). They agree to a 50-50 partnership, but their new brand and logo: ‘Two Faces’, doesn’t seem all that representative of Bane. In fact, it completely omits him.

Back at the Batcave, Lucius unveils a Titanium-based body armor for Batman. Alfred catches Lucius and Bruce and takes away the new suit into his bedroom, like a parent keeping a child away from a new toy. That evening, Bruce commands the suit’s A.I. ‘Monica’ to put on the Iron Man styled suit.

On the streets, Batman tests out the suit’s capabilities and beats up some of Two-Face’s men. Eventually, he finds Bane and the two battle. Batman tells his old nemesis that his beef is with Two-Face: the one running the operation. This infuriates Bane as Batman doesn’t ‘get’ the new brand.

Bane turns on his Venom and the two exchange powerful blows. Eventually, Bane gets atop Batman before… a cock rocket (like what Gordon asked for) hits Bane in the chest. Despite the effort, Batman is pummeled, as Bane breaks Batman’s legs.

Batgirl and The Macaroni kick butt in Harley Quinn Batman’s Back Man

Now with a powerless suit, Two-Face’s crew hang Batman and are about to kill him just as ‘The Macaroni’ arrives to save the day. Batgirl arrives as well and kicks some serious goon butt. Macaroni then frees Batman… revealing himself to be none other than Alfred. Together, they help Batman up.

Back at the Injustice League HQ, Bane rages as even Batman thinks Two-Face is solely running Gotham. Two-Face calms Bane’s worries and then says to consolidate their partnership, he got the perfect place for Bane: a giant hole in the desert (A callback to Bane’s origins and obsession with deep dark pits. Think Bane from The Dark Knight Rises).

Finally, Batman calls Jim Gordon on the Bat-Signal. They talk about how to go about saving the city, and Batman reveals he’s not able to help. He presents to Jim a new partner: Batgirl, the only one who can keep hope alive. Jim reluctantly agrees, and Batgirl makes an official announcement on her social media.

Back in the basement, the two nerds watching the episode agree they liked it but are annoyed the next episode won’t be out for a week. They agree to torrent some Hentai.

Batgirl's Social Media on Harley Quinn Batman’s Back Man

The Takeaway

Funny all around with some of my favorite Batman character puns this season. ‘Batman’s Back, Man’ paints a flawed picture of Batman and Jim Gordon.

I also loved the callback to the ‘Batgirl of Burnside’ comics it seems that they’re inspired by this season — as Babs is very much that beloved version of Batgirl.

I have a feeling Team Bat vs Team Harley will come into conflict this season. Especially, given how resolved the injustice league storyline already seems to be.

But what were your thoughts? Feel free to comment below with what you think might happen next or even just to comment on your favorite scenes from this season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What We Do In The Shadows episode 2.04 Recap – Pay It FWD:

By
Robert Kijowski
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0
Ghost Machine

Correspondence has taken on various forms through the ages. In ancient times, cuneiform was the preferred means by which rulers could say “Sup?” to each other. This would eventually give way to papyrus scrolls and so on and so forth as the affairs of state weren’t the only subjects that were lobbed about by couriers, but rather a myriad of exchanges, from history to curses. Cut to Denver 1935, whence the local Postal Service was flooded with letters claiming to be from a “Prosperity Club” and thus the first chain letter was born. As we learn in the fourth installment of the season of What We Do In The Shadows (FX) entitled “The Curse,” the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Opening up on Nandor (Kayvan Novak) rifling through a chest of old missives, we catch a glimpse into his past lives. A letter from his mother and father when he was training with the Al Quolanudarian forces asking if the rocks he used as pillows and a blanket were too hard and an unopened letter of resignation from a leader of the opposing army he slaughtered are but a few flashes of the bloodthirsty warrior he once was. It is, however, an expired coupon for a free scoop of ice cream from Baskin Robbins that prompts him to wonder what else he’s been missing out on.

Nandor summons Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) to hook up a laptop to the internet in order to peruse what’s electronic mail he’s been remiss in checking. Clearly out of touch, Nandor fumbles with the computer, but Guillermo has little time to hold his master’s hand. He’s got a vampire hunter club to infiltrate!… And a Tide Pens to Go run.

At the club, the crew is fucking pumped. Claude (Craig Robinson) briefs them all on what’s about to go down and they could all feel it in their bones. They are going on their maiden vampire kill fest and suddenly, Guillermo isn’t feeling as confident in his ability to take the group down from the inside. This is especially evident when he finds out what house Shanice (Veronika Slowikowska) earmarked for their hunting grounds- a place in Staten Island that may have questionable topiary. Sound familiar? Though Guillermo tries to sway them from the house, their heads and hearts are too intent on stabbing other heads and hearts, so they pack into the Derek’s (Chris Sandiford) mom’s catering van and set sail… for a limited time. The van needs to be back by morning.

After forgetting but then remembering his email password (we’ve all been there, brother), Nandor realizes he’s missed the boat on some fun stuff, including a special screening of The Blindside. However, the one digital announcement that has Nandor “shook” is a simple chain letter, immediately cursing the reader but offering unforeseen riches if the letter is met with 10 recipients by sundown of the next day. Failure to do so would result in a visit by Bloody Mary. Mind you the letter is “NOT A JOKE!” I mean, it states that multiple times, so it must be real, right?

Finding this hoax to be a bonafide hex, the assistance of Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Laszlo (Matt Berry) is sought to make sense of it. Nadja is no stranger to curses, as she relays a story about a man who once didn’t pay a fair price at the market and summarily has his plums shrunken down to the size of raisins if ya pick up what I’m putting down. Nadja’s doll likeness also makes a little cameo and she’s so much welcomed as an addition to the household.

This leaves the trio no choice but to rustle up as many email addresses as possible to relay the curse. One of these unlucky souls is Timothy, a Circuit City employee kind enough to leave his business card with his contact information on it, email included. The three delight in being only 10% of the way in and I couldn’t be happier for them. For having lived countless lives and experiencing so many things, these guys possess this extremely adorable incipience.

En route to their destination, Guillermo isn’t feeling so hot. Maybe it’s the insanely loud nu-metal the group is vibing on. Maybe it’s the fact they sit among boxed shrimps. Maybe it’s because they’re about to fucking kill all of his friends! Either way, Guillermo does the only thing he can and tries to warn the house.

In a very Frasier-esque moment, the crew is at first spooked by the phone ringing and in searching it out listen to Guillermo’s distorted, muffled voice message telling them to get out of the house and that it “wasn’t a joke.” Without any context, that was all the three needed to freak the shit out. They need those email addy’s and they need them, like, yesterday. This prompts Nadja to attempt to volley the curse back to “bloodyfuckingmary@aol.com” to which they get a Mailer-Daemon which has the three spooked. I have to say, the only thing scarier than having to witness that if I were in their capes is how bloody genius that joke was.

Desperate times, so they enlist a desperate measure in the form of Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch). He gives them his email address (travelbug54@aol.com) and they unwittingly give him their scrumptious energy, so curried with nerves, it probably has some kick to it.

At their target house, Guillermo is able to breathe a sigh of relief. This isn’t the residence of his undead friends. It is, however, a vampire breeding ground, so everyone shakes their limbs to get ready for business. With crosses up and out, they proceed into the house.

Observing the pictures on the wall, Guillermo believes it’s simply a human family. Unconvinced or just plain ignoring Guillermo’s protestations, the group splits up, with Guillermo going after Shanice and Tonya (Abigail Savage) going at it alone on the top floor. As Guillermo has Shanice’s six, he still tries to convince Shanice to just go and that they are simply kids in their beds. I mean, what vampires sleep in twin beds? I have an answer for that. Twin kid vampires, duh!

Whodini once sang that the freaks come out at night. Well, this house isn’t any less true. Outside of the Shining twins and a disco vampire, the large house is chockablock with nightwalkers. Even Leeroy Jenkins would’ve said, “You should’ve probably rethought this.” As a Van Helsing by bloodline, Guillermo is swift at making an exit… leaving his friends to be fucked up. Alls well that ends well, right? I mean, he got what he wanted- the group to be eradicated. Well, he wanted them disbanded, so the better of his natures kicks in and blazing back into the house to save these goddamn amateurs.

This includes a mastery around stakes, warding off with confidence, and simply going H.A.M. Instincts are instincts, and he knows how to use them, especially when it comes to saving Shanice. Using his gut instinct, he pushes her out of a window and then makes a bad assed exit himself, chucking two chonky middle ones in the air as one last sayonara. It’s just too bad Derek’s gone or been turned. Maybe as one of the converted, he’ll convince his group to be more tolerable towards vampires. At least his mom will get her catering van back on time!

As the group finally completes their task of 10 emails sent (including maybe Sir Bob Geldof), the doorbell rings. Now we all know it can only be one person, but they don’t, so with some trepidation, they approach the door until Guillermo just opens it, fresh from the hunt. The group gives so little a shit to his arrival, they mistake him being drenched in the blood of their brethren to tie-dye.

Guillermo produces the Tide Pens and because they were on sale, Nandor had some extra cash left over. The trio takes this as the aforementioned “Unforeseen Riches” and embrace as the curse has been lifted. Oh, guys, never change… unless it’s into a bat.

Nandor lays down for the day’s slumber but not before taking an opportunity to censure his familiar for giving him a machine that incited a curse upon the house. Classic Nandor. Already tired and defeated, he takes it. Technically, Guillermo knows he has a feared power but doesn’t want to use it against his own house. Classic Guillermo. Nandor implores Guillermo to stay with him until he falls asleep because he’s afraid of being killed. The warrior is showing signs of fear and Guillermo obliges. Classic them.

The episode was hilarious and actually raises a lot more questions than answers. Is the house, now harboring a vampire hunter marked in the vampire community, unbeknownst to them? What will be the takeaway from the group’s encounter at their next meeting and will those survived question Guillermo on his prowess during the fight? Will they hold him as their leader? Will the house stand behind, if they find out, what an antecedent Guillermo was or distance themselves from basically their only friend?

Keep an eye out in your emails to find out.

Queen Sono Renewed For a Second Season

By
Christian Angeles
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Queen Sono Netflix
Credit: Netflix

Queen Sono Season 2 marks the renewal of the first African Original Series on Netflix

Starring Pearl Thusi, the six-part original series and first Netflix production solely set in Africa, is renewed for a second season, with shooting beginning towards the end of this year.

For those out of the know, Season One of Queen Sono is the story about a secret agent working for the South African intelligence unit S.O.G. — An agency whose work is devoted to protecting the people of Africa.

When the man who killed her revolutionary mother comes up for parole, Queen finds herself torn between justice and revenge — seeking the truth about her mother’s past while navigating her work life and complex love life with her former S.O.G. partner, Shandu (Vuyo Dabula). This upcoming season will see Queen on a quest for revenge across Africa while discovering even more truths about her family’s past.

Showrunner Kagiso Lediga had this to say about the anticipated series:

“I am so excited by the appetite for African stories and that Netflix is continuing to partner with us to bring to life the next chapter of Queen’s story and showcase it to the world.”

Queen Sono

Much praise has been made about the series not only for its content but because of the fact the series is created and produced by teams actually in Africa. With a local production team and crew that is expected to grow this season, as confirmed by the show’s executive producer: Tamsin Andersson.

Greatly in due to the show’s success, Netflix is pursuing many other forms of African original content including the series: Blood & Water — a young adult drama set in Cape Town, South Africa. The company also announced its first Nigerian original series by acclaimed director, Akin Omotoso, as well as an animated project, Mama K’s Team Four.

Prodigal Son: “Like Father…” Review

By
Norton
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0
Tom Payne as Malcolm Bright in orange
Is this how we'll be seeing Malcolm Whitly from now on?

Season finales are things of beauty, and this one’s no exception!

Ah, it feels good to be right! I would say I’m not gonna gloat, but that’s a lie. Also, I haven’t been reading other reviews of this show, so maybe someone else figured out what I did about dear little Ainsley. Still, I called it! Ok, ok. Let’s go over some business before I do my review dance of joy…

Season finales have a lot of heavy lifting to do – not nearly as much as series premieres, or finales, but still – they need to close out most if not all the storylines from the season and set up for the next season. Mind you, not a lot of set up, as a general rule a nice cliffhanger with an immediate conclusion in the next season’s premiere is good enough but depending on how long a show has been on, the finale really is key. Openers and closers, kids, that’s where it’s at!

Prodigal Son’s first season finale is a two-parter. The penultimate episode – last week’s case which lead us to the discovery that Nicholas is the real bad guy – has resulted in the following storyline of whether or not Malcolm killed Eve’s killer. Now, I know some of you eagle-eyed internet stalkers have noticed the name of the episode is “Like Father…” and there’s an episode 21 listed on IMDB as “…Like Son.” HOWEVER, my guess is filming got interrupted and they were comfortable ending it on episode 20. Now, back to the review:

A lot happens in this episode, not the least of which are Gil’s potential death, and Nicholas’ definite death. We pick up with Malcolm having a psychotic break in the holding cell at the police station – imagining he’s in gen-pop with his dad, denying murder like a seasoned criminal. Did Malcolm kill the guard/assassin? Nope! Firstly, there’s his strong denial of the crime, and secondly, there’s an obvious larger figure who could easy be cleaning up loose ends. Endicott killed the guard – or had him killed – and owns the DNA testing lab that helped frame Malcolm. Malcolm finds this out while ignoring his house-arrest order, after Jessica gets him out on bail, but proving Endicott did it is still the trick. There’s also the matter of Martin, who has lost all of his privileges and been thrown to the “wolves of gen-pop” with a bounty on his head. Finally, we have Jessica, who has attracted yet another monster to her. She has some wheels turning in that suspicious head of hers, but unfortunately Malcolm is afraid for her and sends Gil to help out.

Long stories short:

Malcolm and Ainsley go to prison only to learn dear killer daddy doesn’t actually have any magical evidence on Nicholas. Martin imparts that his son has to kill the guy in order to protect the family – which should have been a HUGE give away to what was going to happen because, as usual, daddy only addresses his son while his daughter is ALSO a Whitly. I’ve been saying from the start Ainsley’s been getting the cold shoulder from her whole family and that it probably means she’s the real shark in the gene pool, and tonight, well…I’m getting there. Once he knows there’s no evidence coming to exonerate him, Gil advises Malcolm to pack a go-bag and go, go, go! He almost does, but a wistful listen to Eve’s final voicemail leads him to the Girl-in-the-Box, alive and well and hiding out as a vet. Unfortunately, he’s too fine a guy to trade her freedom for his (She’s the one who killed Eve’s killer, understandably).

Gil goes to Nicholas’ to try and “rescue” Jessica only to get himself stabbed, and then rescued by Jessica (stabbed by one of Endicott’s men, not Jessica). And, I’ll take a moment here to congratulate Jessica on a very sensible rescue. Girl manages to incapacitate her captor, sneak out, grab a useful item (keys to Gil’s car), and execute a simple plan without getting lost in the moment (i.e. once she incapacitates the guy who was gonna get rid of Gil, she gets Gil and gets the hell out of there, she doesn’t try to kill the guy or anything else).

Lastly, and most importantly, Ainsley KILLS Nicholas Endicott. This was the moment I was waiting for. The one I predicted back when I said Ainsley definitely has a dark side and might take after her father more than her brother. Though, there is some important context to her murder. Yes, Martin instructs Malcolm to kill Endicott as the only means of saving the family, but Malcolm isn’t actually in immediate danger from Endicott (remember, he was fully prepared to run from the framed murder rap). Jessica is safe at the hospital, which Malcolm also knows, but Ainsley? Ainsley gets kidnapped (it’s honestly not clear how Ainsley and Endicott wound up in the Whitly home)? Either way, she has a pretty good reason to do what she ends up doing. Here’s a fun thread for thought: Malcolm comes to help his sis out, ends up pointing a gun at Endicott but unable to pull the trigger – he just can’t bring himself to do it. He believes in the justice system and evidence. Ainsley? Ainsley is more practical. She’s not like her father in the sense that she’s a cold-blooded killer who plans her murder and draws it out, but she is like her father in that Ainsley acts out of an underlying need to protect her family. Endicott is openly threatening the entire Whitly clan, promising that nothing they can do will stop him. Her instincts tell her that the simplest solution is to end this man’s life. It’s not all that surprising then that while he’s distracted with Malcolm (ignoring her like everyone else in this show has done ALL THE TIME), she takes advantage of the opening and slits his throat. What is a little bit of a shock is the follow-up stabbing.

For a show that has been pretty good about psychology, it will be interesting to see how it explains Ainsley’s behavior. A crime of passion, no doubt, but given her shocked “What happened” response to being covered in blood, one could also argue a stress-induced fugue state that resulted in a violent impulsive action of defense. How cool is that? It’s the whole, “You didn’t need the feather to fly, it was in you the whole time!” kind of thing. Or, nothing like that. I make odd connections I know. And…it was kind of nice that upon hearing the good news Martin’s favor swings to his daughter now.

But, as a finale, I was largely pleased with this one. My predictions about Ainsley came true (not exactly how I predicted, but she did kill someone, so I’m gonna take that as a win). We got some decent cliffhangers for whenever season 2 is due (if I remember right this was one of the few shows that got a season 2 confirmation very early on).

  1. Will Malcolm avoid going to jail?
  2. Will Ainsley kill again?
  3. Will Martin become the ruler of prison?
  4. Will Gil surive?

My predictions? Gil will survive, Ainley will kill again (though probably not till the end of the season), Martin might learn to rule the yard, and Malcolm? Oh he’ll be just fine.

Let’s see if I’m right…

‘Coronavirus Explained’: An Overview on What’s Happening

By
Christian Angeles
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Coronavirus Explained
Credit: Vox/Netflix

Narrated by J.K. Simmons, the popular Netflix documentary series goes over the current Coronavirus Pandemic, with two more episodes planned later this Summer.

 If you haven’t checked out the Netflix series ‘Explained’, it’s a documentary series produced by Vox Media that explains interesting and popular topics in today’s society. Everything from how artificial intelligence and the human mind works, to different intimate practices and understanding human sexuality.

Debuting today on Netflix, in a rushed two-and-a-half-week production, the team at ‘Explained’ expedited this latest episode dedicated to understanding Covid-19. They did so while working remotely from home.

Previous footage used in this episode had been taken from interviews on a previous episode meant to be dedicated toward ‘The Next Pandemic’ without realizing an actual one would happen to be here. The development team at ‘Explained’ then sought to rush this episode out in order to get the facts across for those seeking to understand what has been happening.

Most of this episode is original content pulled from day-to-day news footage, research, and updates about the outbreak. The team also had animators and archivists working around the clock to produce this episode and called in actor, J.K. Simmons to narrate over a voice recorder sent to his home.

The series explains the nature is of zoonotic viruses, asymptomatic disease spreading, and what the coronavirus family is, including SARS, MERS, and even certain types of the common cold.

It then comparatively measures some of the worst infectious diseases in human history. Things like Smallpox, Ebola, and the Influenza of 1918: all scaled on a measure of contagiousness and deadliness, and where SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) stands in comparison.

But not all is grim. Though the documentary stresses the need for more viral research for the sake of humanity’s overall preparedness, as well as stresses the importance of quarantine/social distancing implementation measures, it does take note that when it comes to technology, science, and coordination: people are more prepared than ever before.

 

The Take

Overall, an informative short with a glimmer of hope. I’ll be looking forward to watching the later two episodes in the series: one that will be dedicated to coping in isolation, and a second episode covering where we are in terms of Vaccine Development.

 

You can Watch ‘Coronvavirus, Explained’ on Netflix Right Now

‘Harley Quinn’ Season 2 Episode 4 Review & Recap: Thawing Hearts

By
Christian Angeles
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Harley Quinn Thawing Hearts
Credit: DC Universe

Harley confronts Mr. Freeze as Ivy helps Kite Man achieve a dream, learning what we do for the ones we love. We cover ‘Thawing Hearts’ in detail with the ‘Harley Talk’ podcast, Review, and Recap all below.

Harley Quinn S2E4 Review (Spoiler-Free)

An empowered resolution to last week’s cliffhanger, this episode sees Harley come face-to-face with Mr. Freeze, whose subzero heart of cold subverts all audience’s expectations. Meanwhile, Ivy takes the next step in her relationship with Kite Man, as surprisingly bitter yet cheesy rivalries are revealed, and assistance comes from supportive boos in a way Harley doesn’t understand.

This episode focuses more on supportive characters yet again, though teaches Harley that people are more complicated than they appear. A notion which Kite Man shares, as we learn a bit about his… oddly simple dreams and an odd obsession with Clint Howard’s nuptials at the Gotham Corn Factory.

An overall funny and to the point episode that has Poison Ivy play the role of supportive girlfriend while teaching Harley a much-needed lesson that not everyone’s a dick, emotions are layered, and there are complexities in true love.

Harley Quinn S2E4 Recap

We open on Mr. Freeze’s ice wall, where Harley Quinn burns out a vagina-shaped entrance in defiance of the patriarchal script of all the villainous sexist dicks. Confused, King Shark takes a second to realize it’s a human vagina, and Clayface comments that it beautifully reminds him of his mother.

Having used all the gas in Firefly’s flamethrower, the team enters Freeze’s territory but are shortly interrupted by a phone message: Ivy and Kite Man are engaged.

When they enter the yard of Freeze’s large manor, they are greeted by ice hockey goons. The gang stylistically fights them, with King Shark bites off heads and Harley figure skates her way forward, all while discussing who to bring, or bang, as dates. Suddenly, the gang is interrupted by Mr. Freeze, who freezes everyone over.

Back at the Mall HQ, Ivy and Kite Man wedding plan, where Kite Man reveals a sarcastic congratulation message from his nemesis, Condiment King. Kite Man freaks out over wedding venues, while Ivy calms him down as the two agree to lock their venue down.

In his makeshift lab, Freeze unfreezes Harley and the gang then goes over his plan to find a way to cure his wife. He seeks to use Harley as a subject for a cure. Harley breaks free but is frozen before she’s knocked out. Before she’s used for experimentation, Harley offers to have Poison Ivy cure his wife. He agrees then goes off to prepare the group’s lunch.

Back in their cells now, Harley admits to stalling for time so she can take Freeze’s wife hostage in exchange for his freeze ray.

At the fine lunch table, the gang is frozen to their chairs. Freeze brings out his wife, who looks terrified but has a tube leading to her throat. Harley, in honor of all ice block women, vows to free her.

Mitchell, the Condiment King, is at the venue Kite Man and Ivy are hoping for, stating he’s brought his ‘fiancee’ Becca to possibly steal their venue. He fires mustard on Kite Man’s suit to make it harder for him to be approved.

Back at lunch, Freeze gets off by hearing his guests describe their meals since he cannot eat. Doctor Psycho compliments the texture of the steak as “like butter.” King Shark asks for how they met, and Freeze reveals Nora owned a “Mom and Pop” cryogenics lab he was determined to squash as a CEO of a multinational corporation. Freeze, Ironically, hit it off with Nora at the same time. Harley angrily denies true love, as she brings up with her relationship with Joker, having given up her career as a psychologist and ruining her life. The gang continues to eat, while Clayface gets out to free them, reversing the freeze gun and liberating the gang.

Harley uses the gun to free Nora, who reveals she and Freeze are in love. Condemned to death by a rare genetic blood disease, Freeze locks the place down and sets off a time bomb with a warning: Ivy finds a cure or everyone dies.

The Condiment King hits it off with the wedding venue owner. Kite Man and Ivy seem to be losing the place, which causes Kite Man to claim and now defend his “personal connection to corn” to secure the venue.

Ivy arrives at Freeze’s lab, responding to Harley’s distress call. As Harley condemns Freeze for ruining her life by freezing her, he defends that he saved her life. As the other villains wanted to kill her, he convinced them, a group of white cis-gendered heterosexual crime lords, to turn her into a helpless object of mockery.

“Well, I hope you’re proud of yourself. You falsely accused the most woke ice-themed villain of all of New New Gotham.”

Ivy calls Kite Man to bring something from the old Greenhouse. He sacrifices the dream venue to do whatever he can for his fiancée. Kite Man is unsure which flower is the proper one, having inhaled the reddish pink one, effectively paralyzing him, but not before he arrives with the needed flower.

Ivy makes the cure for Freeze’s wife but reveals that the poison will need to be given and then extracted from a subject, one who’ll likely die. Freeze volunteers himself.

“If you truly love someone you’ll do anything for them.” – Mr. Freeze

Nora is healed, but Freeze dies. Everyone cries. Harley admits she’s never seen love like that before. They all agree Freeze was a good guy, as his wife screams to them all to leave.

Kite Man admits he’s down for wherever they can get so long as they’re together. The Old Gotham Corn Factory calls, where Condiment King rubs in the fact that he secured the venue. Ivy thinks he’s her nemesis now too.

The Take

An episode about love and misconceptions, there was a lot to enjoy in this one: from the low brow comedy that flipped subversive gender expectations, to the Condiment King rivalry wedding planning. There was a lot to unpack from last week, and this episode nailed it on all fronts. What I thought was the most rewarding was the oddly redemptive Mr. Freeze, who’d taught Harley, and us all really, the value of love.

 

 

 

 

 

What We Do In the Shadows Episode 2.03 Recap – Tossed Salad and Scrambled Brains

By
Robert Kijowski
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In this great country of ours, there is but one day that commercialism reigns supreme. There is but one day that people from all walks of life can convene in a singular setting. There is but one time that differences are tossed aside through the unadulterated fellowship of sport. There is also one day a year that only there is an ineffable phrase, only fit to the likes of kings… or whoever is malleable. Oh, you thought I was speaking of Black Friday? Welcome to the third episode of What We Do In The Shadows (FX), “Brain Scramblies.”

So it seems the gang is getting gussied up for a party next door, which concerns a one Superb-Owl. I mean that’s enough reason to dress in your own finery, right? I mean it’s the best owl ever, right? Little do they know, their surmising was a turkey. Colin (Mark Proksch) knows though the sly yet soporific fox in the vamp house he is isn’t willing to share that information. They all think it’s just a party to exalt a majestic last living dinosaur (birds are though, look it up), but it’s just for a dumb Superbowl party. Hey, they only have dominion over two streets, beggars can’t be choosers.

At the homestead, they are greeted by Shaun (Anthony Atamanuik), an archetype of a tri-stater and basically the warmed-over frozen dinner of what everyone else perceives of these three beautiful states. They are also met with his wife, Charmaine (Marissa Jaret Winokur)- the spitting image of a Sopranos wife, only frozen-over from her hubby’s lethargy in the relationship.

After being invited in, as they can only entire any structure on this one defining rule which they must abide, they must also follow the weird request of leaving their footwear at the entrance, and because of Laszlo (Matt Berry) giving pretty much no fucks to that, I will give him his proppers. Respect.

Upon entrance, we realize that Charmaine is just raring for a fight with her husband. In front of the company, no less. What shit has this group stepped in now and have to try to walk off?

Back at base camp, Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) scours the interwebs for virgins. It’s feeding time for his superiors and they just don’t grow on trees. They convene in vines and he needs to complete this task, as he reflects on his Van Helsing lineage and tries to fight it. It’s as if the brah was trying to outrun the tsunami of fate. Cute, but ultimately futile. Breaking the cycle only works if you’re a beast in spin class.

As Colin is enjoying his appetizers at the party right at the kick-off, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) is pulled to the kitchen with the other wives. Shaun likes the company of his guests and wishes they were over more often, but because of them seldom being seen, save for night, he makes the off-handed comment of them being vampires. Question- you want to spook a vampire in this day and age? Intimate that you actually know you exist.

Both Laszlo and Nandor (Kayvan Novak) go off to the only secluded place in the house to plan their next room: the bathroom. The “taking a shit together” gag always gets me. But, I digress. They workshop ideas until dual hypnosis rears as the only option for Shaun.

Back at the house, Guillermo’s hit paydirt. His dart lands on the Mosquito Collectors of the Tri-State Area. If that didn’t set alarms off, then you deserve to be bitten.

At the meeting, our guy is confronted by Claude (Craig Robinson) and Tonya (Abigail Savage) about his intentions. Guillermo in lockstep says all the right things but he realizes the mosquitos are not what they seem. The entomologist title is simply a front for vampire hunters that wanted to gather… He stumbled into an oops. Wait, Fate, Providence, Kismet, call it what you will- the universe doesn’t have time for fucking “oops.”

With their plan freshly cemented, Nandor and Laszlo get Shaun to take them on a tour of the house… or at least someplace secluded. Back in the kitchen, Nadja is perplexed as to why the wives are vibrant and full of life when their husbands want to drink and zone out to a bunch of people professionally turning their skulls into a mixing bowl. This aging process for humans is fucking with her.

Just then, like a goddamned hawk, swoops in Joanie (Sondra James), Shaun’s mother. She hears all the frivolity going on between the women that drink wine and is curious. She notices Nadja right off the bat and knows her powers, but Nadja blames it on her easy out- the octogenarian has dementia. This gives pause to the vampiress, however. She used to be a sight-unseen nanny to Joanie when she was a kid. She remembered that fresh-faced cherub but now she’s basically a sack of skin, as we all will be one day. She can’t grapple with it.

As Laszlo and Nandor are growing increasingly bored with Shaun’s tour of the domicile, he brings out his coup d’ grace- the world’s largest (albeit un amazing) collection of Oceans 12 memorabilia. This joke I found to be not only subversive to boring husbands everywhere but also to collectors. It’s creepy. Get a hobby. Oh, wait.

Both vampires cut to the chase and go ham on his brain with dual hypnosis after they confront him, and giving themselves away. Because Shaun freaks, they have to. Mind you, this isn’t one of those MIB toys. This is deep dive skull-fuckery… And maybe it worked too well…

At the meeting, as Guillermo’s actually feeling slightly, but uncomfortably at home. Claude opens the floor for comments and Derek (Chris Sandiford) proposes they all have sex with each other to stave the vampires off since they wouldn’t be virgins. I thought this was a cute joke, as it ripped out a page from “It”. I like where ya fucking head’s at, Derek- stay gold status. Yeah, he’s shot down.

Back the festivities, Nadja sneaks out and catches up with Joanie. Observing the woman’s wedding photo, Nadja realizes that Joanie’s adorned with a prized family heirloom- a necklace with a jade piece. This isn’t some Ming dynasty shit, oh no. It’s way more precious. This was given to Nadja by her mother before she was mauled to death by a bear. The jade itself holds properties though. It can absorb the screams of people, so she wants it BACK!

Nearly choking Joanie to death for it, playing it off as her being demented to the other guests and ransacking the house to the point of destruction, Nadja is left without the necklace.

Back where the party’s at, Shaun makes the guests a big plate of nachos (aka baked batteries.) Yeah, this guy is beyond gone. Ostensibly, Laszlo and Nandor with their powers combined leveled it up. You see, there are three levels to over-hypnosis. There’s “Weak Brain” and going up “Thoughtless Sallies”. They went the third tier, “Brain Scramblies” which should never be achieved. They eschewed killing him and killing his brain is somehow worse.

Laszlo for some reason really loves his “good time boy” and convinces the other two to spare his life for one night and perhaps make it the best he’s ever had…

At the meeting, Guillermo finds out most have yet to encounter an actual vampire, save for one. Shanice (Veronika Slowikowska) actually was Jenna’s (Beanie Feldstein) roommate and watched her die, come back to life, and vanish. Because of the vampire, she now vows vengeance. Hey, at least Guillermo and Shanice have a mutual friend!

Back at the party, the trio steals Shaun away and attempt to show him a crackin’ night. The dude, whose brain is basically pudding is terrified of all that they consider fun. This includes flight, transfiguration, scaling, and conjuring. The sheer terror of all fun things to him was probably my favorite joke of all. Poor guy. Not really.

Amongst his brethren, Guillermo becomes more aware of the things he and his household have done. The fallout from a vampiric encounter hurts their family and friends, too. He catches himself though before he falls into the lifestyle that is coursing through his veins. This was not exemplified more than him attempting to shoot a crossbow and pegging all three targets in their noggins instinctually. Guy has to leave. He has loyalty… but to a house, that is going to constantly rag on him? At least these people respect and like Guillermo. I believe this will become a throughline in the coming episodes.

As the night winds down, poor Shaun is more fried than ever. Nandor, in his nature just wants to rend his head from his shoulders (first ya gotta do the neck) but in a stroke of the universe, Shaun sees his wife take out the garbage and is smitten. Granted, he doesn’t know who the fuck she is, but it’s just the flint to ignite the well-needed spark in that marriage. With a happy ending like that, how could you kill a guy to feed?

Even if he before your eyes gifts his new girlfriend the necklace you’d kill for.

Prodigal Son: “The Professionals” Review

By
Norton
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Scene from Prodigal Son season 1 episode 19
Malcolm, JT, and Dani are on the hunt for an assassin

Tonight’s episode kills off Eve and gives us some Dynasty level burns!

Welcome to the penultimate episode of the season. Up until this point Bright’s been an uncanny profiler – not only sniffing out criminals, but revealing some truths about his co-workers and family. Tonight’s villain might just be the Moriarty we’ve been looking for: an assassin! Turns out that’s the one criminal Malcolm can’t understand. Why? More than likely because assassins, at least the really good ones, don’t kill for the usual reasons. There’s no passion, no fervor, they don’t generally take trophies, and they can kill in any number of ways as long as it gets the job done. At the end of the day, killing is like any other side-hustle – a way to make ends meat – the only difference? Generally, unless the media has lied completely, that’s a very lucrative side-hustle. Though, to be fair, it makes sense considering how…complicated it is. I mean, anyone with a car can become a ride-share worker, but it takes a certain kind of person to decide killing for money isn’t a bad way to make a buck.

Unfortunately, the first hitwoman is a red herring. Though Malcolm’s plan to draw her out did give us this episode’s cuckoo-bananas moment. As per TV rules, if you see a new person suddenly introduced, they are probably the killer – so naturally, Martin’s new prison guard is our killer-at-large. I will say that I don’t necessarily agree with the false-killer’s proclamation that in order to make a murder look like a suicide (a drowning, specifically), you need to research the victim. Really, it’s just an excuse for them to search Eve’s home for signs of surveillance, which honestly, they should have discovered in their initial inspection of her home (you know, after it was decided she was murdered).

On the family front Jessica Whitly is less than pleased to learn her current beau is yet another monster hiding in plain sight. On the bright side (always pun intended) our dreams of a Gil Jessica hook-up have finally come true! After some well-deserved emotional build-up that gives these kids a proper backstory, we get the kiss the previews have been promising. Ah, but will it last?

Ainsley, meanwhile, is excited. Her reporter brain firing on two cylinders – revenge for her mom’s suffering, and always chasing that potential Pulitzer. But since we’re getting close to the end, it’s high stakes – will Ainsley’s digging turn into her own grave?

Finally, Martin. Nicholas Endicott (Jessica’s ex) is the one who made it so Martin has such cushy digs. Ainsley discovers it’s because her dear old murderous dad worked for one of Nicholas’ research facilities. Whatever he learned about the man’s business must have been juicy because once Malcolm ratted Martin out, Nichols was there to help his old “friend” out in exchange for silence. So…when exactly did Martin fuck over Nicholas? Near as we can tell, Nicholas and Jessica were a fairly new item, and in the flashback Nicholas promises if Martin fucks him over he’ll sleep with Jessica, and ruin his kids (not to mention bankrupt him), but I don’t see the moment of betrayal. Was it just the whole business of Malcolm bringing Eve in to find her sister? I can’t remember if Jessica was talking about Nicholas by that point. Another aspect of the show that isn’t entirely clear is the passage of time. But, if anything, Eve might have been the key. And Eve brings us to…

Malcolm:

Malcolm is pushed far when he loses Eve (I’m glad she’s dead, but I didn’t like her to begin with). A more logical argument would be that he didn’t know her for all that long, is it really that upsetting she was killed? Really? But, I know the humanitarians and “normal” people would argue that it doesn’t matter how long you know someone, loss affects everyone differently, plus, he’s a child of trauma, piling more on isn’t helpful (also, also, no idea how long they were actually an item). Our real concern, by episode’s end, is that Malcolm may have been driven to MURDER! Unlikely, but it is always an inevitable plot twist in profiler shows – sooner or later the profiler is accused of murdering someone. Sometimes it’s the victim, mostly it’s the suspect, either way the profiler generally is found not guilty by the end. Will it be the same for Malcolm? So far, I only know two shows where “good” guys kill a criminal (one was a profiler on Criminal Minds, the other was multiple people on The Blacklist). Though, who is really “good” on The Blacklist?

Did Malcolm kill Eve’s murderer? Will Nicholas succeed in destroying Martin OR, will Martin succeed in convincing his son to follow in his footsteps???

The Platform: A Reflection on Modern Societies

By
Jad Kaado
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the platform

Nothing reflects modern-day societies more in art than speculative fiction. Whether it is through films, books, or comics, artists are able to examine serious issues that range from a personal to systematic lens within the realm of fiction. One such example is the recent release of Spanish-Basque movie El Hoyo – “The Hole” or, as it is known in the United States, The Platform.

In this sci-fi and horror film, writers David Desola and Pedro Rivero, along with director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, bring together a phenomenal prison tale that touches upon human circumstances and nature, in relation to authoritative systems.

The story begins with our protagonist, Goreng, played by Iván Massagué, checking himself into a prison in order to overcome his smoking addiction.  He later mysteriously awakes to find himself with his copy of Don Quixote – since prisoners are allowed one item – and his roommate, an old man named Trimagasi, played by Zorion Eguileor.

Goreng quickly learns that he is in a tower with multiple levels and that the prisoners are fed once a day by a giant platform that inexplicably floats through a giant square gap (the hole), containing an array of food.  Trimagasi explains that they are lucky being on floor 48 – supposed a mid-tier level – where they can enjoy some leftovers, while others below them aren’t so lucky.

The essence of the story is based on the distribution of food.

This is a wonderful allegory that the filmmakers choose to explore because it explains how wealth is generally distributed throughout most societies, regardless of their economic systems. However, the parallels between the film and capitalism are striking.

The food is prepared on floor 0 by what appears to be a cohort of chefs that belong in an upscale restaurant – the bourgeoisie if you will – who then send down to the lower levels with no real instructions.

As we see in the movie, by the time the platform reaches our protagonist, the food is essentially finished. Trimagasi explains how they are lucky to be at that level as starvation becomes a real issue for those below them.

Goreng becomes friendly with his floormate, and he learns that Trimagasi is spending a year in the platform prison for accidental manslaughter and that his one item is a self-sharpening knife called the Samurai Plus.

After establishing a daily routine making the experience more tolerable together, a month finishes up and they find themselves reassigned to level 171.  Goreng wakes up, after being gassed by the prison authoritarians (who remain unseen), to find himself tied to his bed by Trimagasi.

His older roommate explains that he’ll do the best not to resort to cannibalism but caves in after a few days, slicing off strips of Goreng to feed them both.  Before Trimagasi is able to do much damage, another character – named Miharu (played by Alexandra Masangkay) – travels down the platform and saves Goreng by killing Trimigasu.

Although difficult to watch, it is interesting to show how easily humans can resort to primal (and disgusting) instincts while placed under extreme conditions, in this case, starvation.

Human characterization, nature, and interaction are heavily explored in this film.

Goreng is a representation of the idealist academic.  He enters the platform prison with high hopes of becoming healthier and a book – both of which are criticized by multiple characters throughout the film. The fact that he ends up (almost) being a victim of Trimagasi’s depravity is also an interesting metaphor for how society continuously attacks educational institutions and academics.

However, Goreng isn’t the only idealist within the story.  After Trimagasi’s death, Goreng eventually gets reassigned to floor 33 with a new roommate, Imoguiri (played by Antonia San Juan), who ends up being the same administrator that checked Goreng in the platform prison.

Imoguiri explains to Goreng that she checked herself in, with her dog, because she wanted to inspect the facility and address any issues within the prison.  Her character is essentially the idealist bureaucrat that has faith in the system and is futilely intent on showing the inmates that there is supposed to be enough food for everyone to share if they only stuck to their portion.

This is interesting because the divvying up the food portions isn’t really discussed throughout the film – only slightly hinted at – and shows the naivete that people would just naturally recognize that altruism is important under extreme circumstances.

Another character that exemplifies a revolutionary idealist is Baharat, played by Emilio Buale Coka. Baharat is another floormate of Goreng, who is looking to climb up to the top of the tower with his rope.

After literally getting shit on from above, a visceral representation of how the upper class tends to poo-poo on the lower classes, he and Goreng play off of Imoguiri’s idea of food rationing among the inmates and deciding to take matters into their own hands.

The last character I want to talk about is Miharu.  I don’t want to get too much into her storyline, but her character is constantly looking around for her missing child, which constantly gets questioned throughout the film.  What is really important about her; however, is the “parental instinct” or rather “tribal mentality” that is innate in humans under extreme conditions.

The movie visually reflects its theme in every shot.

As a viewer, I appreciate it when productions focus on every aspect on the movie, without having to rely on just the script or just the acting.

For example, within the movie, most of the action that the characters face occur around the center of the prison – the hole – where the platform moves vertically once a day.  Its metaphorical illustration adds a resonance throughout the entirety of the film that this prison is filled with never-ending hopelessness with glimmers of hope floating through from time to time.

The cinematography achieves a sense of being cramped up in tight spaces, almost limiting what is seen so that there is no choice but to focus on the characters themselves. Each actor breathes a duality into each character – one aspect on hope and another on darkness.

The movie isn’t afraid of portraying uncomfortable scenes. There are instances of extreme violence, especially with cannibalism, that will definitely leave the viewer uncomfortable.  There are also subtler scenes that capture terrible reactions the different inmates have during their stay – especially with the food.

There are also positives scenes sprinkled within the movie. The filmmakers make a point of showing that anyone can resist primal and terrible urges when there is enough communication and goals toward a bigger picture that can help people.  This is wonderfully exemplified in the end, which I won’t spoil in this article!

Overall, this is a fantastic movie to watch.  It’s filled with enough thrills and metaphors to keep your mind guessing and thinking about until the end.  There is enough gore and horror in it to make one queasy, so it’s not for the faint of heart.  I give this movie a solid A!

You can watch The Platform on Netflix.

‘Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth’ Review

By
Christian Angeles
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Here We Are Notes For Living on Planet Earth
Credit: AppleTV+

This adaptation of the beloved children’s book by Oliver Jeffers is an informative yet soothing animated movie.

 Debuting on April 17th, ‘Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth’ is the kind of movie you watch with your children to teach them important lessons about living. A 35-minute visual masterpiece that showcases the wonders of life on our planet.

In an homage to Earth Day, AppleTV+ has adapted this short film, bringing along with it, a star-studded cast, beautiful animation, and a few precious gems to take away for the kids.

This movie is chock full of interesting tidbits ranging from astronomy, anatomy, and even creatures of the deep blue sea, covering a range of topics that children of any age (and some adults too) will find educational. A living breathing museum of life, packaged in narrative form, showcased in an animated movie.

Narrated by Meryl Streep, and featuring actors Ruth Negga and Chris O’Dowd as parents, this very accessible story follows the birth and life of a young boy named Finn, played by Jacob Tremblay, whose curious desire to know everything there ever is, sets he and his family onto an outing during Earth Day, to the Museum of… well, Everything.

There, at the Museum of Everything, they find an engaging Earth exhibit and learn all about the world, though not just by reading or observing about it, but by living in it.

With various education lessons, there is an assortment of occurrences and pastimes all providing gems of wisdom in this story, from bike riding and kite flying, but also butterflies and ladybugs, towers and telescopes. A nonstop bombardment of factoids, with the sad but beautiful realization, that there are too many things to know in this world for a lifetime. And though we are but specs lost in a great big universe…

All life. All time. Is precious.

‘Harley Quinn’ Season 2 Episode 3 Review & Recap: Trapped

By
Christian Angeles
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0
Harley, Ivy, and Catwoman discuss business
Credit: DC Universe

Harley and Ivy team up with Catwoman on a heist as Doctor Psycho loses track of the Riddler.

The Workprint’s ‘Harley Talk’ will be reviewing every episode in Season 2. Available on Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, and Spotify.

King Shark, Ivy, and Clayface at Freeze's Wall

S2E3 Review (Spoiler-Free)

With Mr. Freeze next in Harley Quinn’s crosshairs, the crew runs into a wall on their journey. The solution: a weapon in possession of Doctor Trap. As Harley calls upon the services of Catwoman to aid them in a heist, issues are brought up, as Catwoman and Ivy’s troublesome history is revealed.

Solely dedicated into exploring Poison Ivy’s roots, this episode is pure character development. This consists of comparing who she used to be in her Catwoman days versus who she is now and her sudden dependence on others. We also delve into a bit of Ivy’s relationship with Kite Man, who goes on a quest to prove himself worthy of her affection.

Finally, back at the mall, we get a fun banter-filled B-story, involving Doctor Psycho and the Riddler, played by a returning Jim Rash. Their high-pitched and antagonizing dialogue plays a much-needed comedic break among the introspective Ivy scenes.

An overall solid episode, this one feels more like a build-up for next week with the occasional jokes and necessary trials tossed in-between.

 Harley finds Kiteman caught in a trap

S2E3 Recap

Failing to break through Mr. Freeze’s giant ice wall with a bomb, the gang decides to give up on recapturing Freeze’s territory, but Harley wants revenge. After all, it was Freeze that put her on ice and caused her fall from grace in the first place. While debating, Ivy finds a two-week-old newspaper, whose headline was regarding Ace Chemical’s dumping of waste into Gotham Harbor.

Harley then tries using an RPG on the wall to no avail. Hilariously greeted by Freeze’s wall-guarding goons, Fred and Kevin, the gang learns, rather conveniently, that they need to obtain Firefly’s flamethrower to break the wall. Harley thanks the duo and asks them to text her any more details if they accidentally think of any.

An affectionate Kite Man drops an equally-loving Ivy, and a very repulsed Harley, at the Gotham Museum. When they get inside, they stumble upon an array of Batman villain collectibles, and a menacing Doctor Trap who… sets off a series of spikey overkilling death traps.

Realizing they need help, the girls go on a lunch meeting to try and recruit a very suave and convincing Catwoman — who we learn had a longstanding history of mistreating and taking advantage of Poison Ivy — into helping them on their flamethrower heist. She agrees, but it’s evident to Harley that Catwoman’s a negative and controlling influence over her.

Late to the heist that evening, Catwoman makes a grand entrance as she’s greeted by Ivy and her boyfriend, Kite Man. The cool vixen is surprised to see the formerly independent Ivy so smitten. As Harley goes over the plan, Catwoman largely ignores her suggestions then dictates that she’ll take down the traps as they follow her lead.

As they break in, Kite Man reveals to Ivy he can’t join, as he’s deathly terrified of two things: traps and outer space. When the girls leave to break into the museum, Kite Man pulls aside Harley and admits to her that he’s lying; he’s secretly going in as well to seek a leafy green diamond ring to steal in order to propose to Ivy.

Harley and Kite Man enter the museum late, and Kite Man slips on a trap, which turns out to be just a pencil on the ground. Meanwhile, Catwoman and Ivy slip through all of Dr. Trap’s various contraptions, as the two have a heart-to-heart. Catwoman points out that, since she’s made these new relationships, she’s very much lost her environmental convictions.

Back with Harley, Kite Man has proven himself to be a bumbling idiot, who’s falling for every single trap in the Museum. Harley frees him and wants to get back to the girls, but Kite Man professes just how much he loves Ivy, refusing to surrender. Harley agrees to help him. Kite Man triggers another trap and almost gets eaten by a nest of spiders.

Later, as Catwoman and Ivy carefully get through the traps to the flamethrower, Harley surprisingly joins them. Wondering how she got there without triggering all the traps, Kite Man is revealed to be there as well, stung by bees and having sprung all of the traps they just mentioned.

Ivy checks up on her boyfriend and is surprised he is there. Catwoman opens the glass case to the flamethrower. Kite Man then pops the question… surprised to find his engagement box empty, as Catwoman bids them farewell, with the rare ring in hand as she makes her escape.

Suddenly, Doctor Trap sets off a glass trap that slowly descends to a crushing death. In this awkward moment, Kite Man proposes to Ivy, who tries to think like Catwoman to escape, but then, freaks out about who she is and if she’ll ever be ready to be married. Before they are killed, Harley uses the flamethrower to melt a hole through the glass so the group can escape. She then breaks Doctor Trap’s metal jaw with her bat.

Harley's Gang formulating a plan
Doctor Psycho rallies the gang and seeks to find the Riddler

Back at the Mall, Doctor Psycho feeds the Hyenas dog biscuits as the Riddler, who is still running on a hamster wheel, asks for one. Psycho is angry at Riddler for not being invited into the injustice league. Riddler eggs on Psycho, leading to a confrontation where the telepath flings assorted bottles of oils and lubes at him. Hours later, the Riddler goes missing, having used the body butter to slip out of his constraints.

Wanting to prove to the group he’s a competent leader, and feeling guilty because he’s failed at every task Harley has left him to do thus far (he ate the koi fish instead of feeding them) Doctor Psycho rallies the others to find the Riddler. Yet, the evil genius proves to be more tricky than they can handle, mostly by feeding on Psycho’s insecurities about becoming Harley’s Hench and a failure.

When Harley gets back, Clayface breaks and admits that they lost the Riddler. When they search for him, they find Psycho on the hamster wheel generating the Mall’s electricity. It’s then revealed Riddler never left and was sitting there the whole time, revealing that he wants to stay. The outside world is a mess, and, with three square meals, plenty of cardio, and the group’s drama as entertainment, the Riddler chooses to enjoy this until he’s ready.

At the harbor, Ivy punishes the Ace Chemicals executives and Harley joins her. The girls have a heart-to-heart, where Harley reveals Kite Man isn’t so bad, and Ivy’s a better person for opening up to people. A lot more put together than Catwoman.

Accepting all of this, Ivy comes to a decision. She goes over to Kite Man’s place and apologizes for taking it out on him for not having the life she thought she should. She tells him to ask her and…

We’ll find out what happens next episode.

 

Ivy and Harley Melt Ace Chemical CEOs

The Take

This one was a solid character and relational buildup, though I didn’t take much else away from it. It did have a nice theme about relationships and how it is okay to let other people into your life, especially if they like and are trying to help you.

Outside of the character plots, all the beats were met, and the jokes were funny enough. All for a solid yet unspectacular episode.

 

What We Do In The Shadows episode 2.02 Recap – Vanity Mirror

By
Robert Kijowski
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0

If you died, what would you say to a version of your living self? It would be like a version of time travel except the paradox is way odder. If you died, would you said to yourself ‘I wish I said that thing’ (which by the way is called Esprit De L’escalier). Fuck no. you’d want to be your best friend in all of the mire and muck. You would be your own fucking Calvin and Hobbes. You would want to them to be the Mickey for your Rocky. But what if, what if, for an even a day, you could talk to your former self? Welcome to What We Do In The Shadows (FX), episode “Ghosts.”

We open up on where Laszlo (Matt Berry) is spooked. It’s a spectre fucking around with Guillermo (Harvey Guillen). Its presence and status is known though.

Upon a house meeting, the company initially doesn’t believe in its existence. Guillermo gets it right with cracking, not breaking the fourth wall. They’ve been through werewolves, necromancers, zombies and a council of bloodsuckers and Babadooks. They’ve seen a shit ton. But ghosts don’t exist? Like what?

Oh and Colin (Mark Proksch) doesn’t believe in ghosts, but does believe in what? ‘Updawg’. Like what is that? You will learn later.

Through a seance, the crew tries to conjure this invisible mayfly. Oh, do they. The ghost of Jeff/Gregor (Jake McDorman) is brought up. He’s simply here for Nadja (Natasia Demtriou) and he could scare them with a Beetlejuice parlour trick. This sends Nandor (Kayvan Novak) to go nuts and attempt homicide… on a fucking ghost with a sword and a knife! His reward is a fall and ectoplasm all around. Good luck getting that shit out.

As the entire crew marvels at a ghost interacting with one of their own, Nadja explains how he’s basically an ex that won’t leave her alone. His soul comes back and back to her as he’s they are attached like a fucking magnet. Now that he’s deceased, she’s lost the intensity, thus the attraction is gone. She’s basically lost her lady boner for him.

The squad gets an idea. They conjure up their own former selves. We realize these are they are their best friends or worst enemies.

The ghost of Nandor is “killing it”- literally. He’s decimating villages and taking wives. So what did his ghost want?

The ghost of Nadja was the same. She was SLAYING it and was an independent woman. What happened her former ghost asked her. She’s got to shack up with a bunch of guys? She fell fucking cities! Nadja tells Gregor (or the ghost of) to fuck off whilst she sits down and has a heart to heart… with her former self.

We actually find out what Nandor’s spirit wants. It’s actually simpler than you would think. Throughout the eras of when he slew countries, there was only one steed that was there for him. It was his bestie. It was his horse, “John.” I personally think that was a beautiful touch and I’ll get more on that in a moment.  Both he and his ghost can communicate on something (as his ghost speaks in archaic language.)

We also find out why the horse was the desire of his ghost. As heaven would have it, in a battle with limited soldiers and no provisions, he had to eat his best friend and took that to the fucking grave. Hey, when the going gets tough, the for not said for are tough and chewy.

This leads us into a moment of clarity. Nandor’s ghost needed to be reunited with this equine familiar and in that, they go both disappear into the ether. To me, this was a fucking brilliant moment. I swear, if this season gets this creative, which I think it will, it will be amazing.

In letting go of his haunted past, both Colin and Nandor both hug it out. That’s something we need now. Hugs.

As Nadja hides her doll, her now bestie in plain sight, she’s realized Laszlo’s gotten rid of his spirit, but with ‘plasma’ everywhere. Yeah, it went there. He’s finished he mission with a cone of shame, but he’s a narcissist anyway, so isn’t just masturbation?

As a final fuck you to anyone, Colin deploys the incantation spell to see his dead grandmother. Oh, it ain’t for anything else but to workshop his ‘Updawg’ joke. ‘Updawg?’ ‘What’s updawg?’ ‘Not much what’s up with you?’ The long set up is what I love about this series. So he could have asked her anything but just wanted an audience of one to get it and promptly blew out her candle, which cancels her from existence. Colin, never change.

 

 

What We Do In The Shadows Season 2 episode 2.01 Recap – Who Ya Working For?

By
Robert Kijowski
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0
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS -- "Resurrection" -- Season 2, Episode 1 - Pictured (l-r): Harvey Guillén as Guillermo. CR: Russ Martin/FX

Do you know the old proverb? Guests and fish begin to be pungent after three days? Well, they never factored in necrotic nabobs. Sometimes, having a helping hand about the domicile would seem more like a chore… and isn’t that what they are tasked with? Sometimes, you need to take a good look in the mirror to see what’s in front of you… unless you’re a vampire. Welcome to the first episode of the second season of What We Do In The Shadows (FX), “Resurrection.”

Now for those of you who aren’t caught up, it’s basically a fishbowl show wherein we see the lives of five people, sorry one person and four undead living out their lives in a nice corner of Staten Island. Though as vampires, they’ve lived out many fucking lives, am I right?

The crew is back from a summer stay-cation and tried to find something to tether them. Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Laszlo (Matt Berry) ran through a handful of familiars to no avail. Nandor (Kayvan Novak) tried finding himself in his new power of turning into vapor, which didn’t work quite so well if an air purifier was around. Colin (Mark Proksch) has his driver’s license and a sweet ride to boot. It’s Guillermo (Harvey Guillen), though that had the lion’s share of the work.

He’s been staking vampire assassins who want the blood of the crew left and right since they left their night-trodding cabal. Granted, the guy is a Van Helsing, so staving off that has been a skill in his own right. He only wants to please become one of the crew. Therein (be)lies the rub…

Nadja and Laszlo have finally found a familiar they love. Actually, everybody loves him. His name is Topher (Haley Joel Osment) and not only does he live to please them… well, I got nothing. He lives to please himself and only himself.. Wait that sounded wrong. Let’s recalibrate.

So Topher is this twenty-something hustler that is simply applying to a job with his swagger. He’s a turncoat and in this economy, I can’t say I blame him. He couldn’t care less about becoming a vampire, but he’s basically a golden god to the rest of the house and for this, Guillermo won’t stand for.

After nonchalantly letting a few vampire assassins in, Guillermo’s to his wit’s end. The entirety of the house, save for the walls, even then they might treat him like an ornament. A doormat. So Guillermo, let’s say, knowing Topher’s go-get-em status, let’s the dude fry with a short circuit and a backyard pond.

At the burial, Guillermo almost does the dumbest thing of all. Give his status away. Maybe Topher was better. They want him back and so they shall!

Nadja puts in a call to her friend, a Necromancer and this is where things get interesting (as if they haven’t already.)

In seeking him out, Colin’s besotted with a local performance of Our Town. I thought it was a cute joke. Only one to be revisited again, like a second act! Anyway, so they meet her friend Wallace, like as if he were a drug dealer, in the park. Wallace is fucking choice. He’s got all you need. Spells, potions. Little licence plate keychains with your name (possibly) on them.

Laszlo thinks all necromancers are charlatans but proceeds with the group anyway, as you do.

We are greeted with Wallace (Benedict Wong), who looks a spice melange of Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean and a Youtube makeup tutorial. He is funny, he talks fast but convincing and Laszlo is still convinced he is going to swindle them of… Oh what is that? Three hundred-fifty big ones to give someone life? Sold. Through a bit of hilarious mishegas, Topher is now alive… Tomorrow.

Some say tomorrow never comes but it did. Tomorrow. The house is now dealing with a fucking demon running on the walls and screaming his name. Is he Hulk or is he a zombie. Only one of those would win that battle. I don’t bet on green right now.

Somehow, Guillermo sees what others can’t see. The truth. It’s staring yourself in the mirror, but shit- I forgot vampires can’t do that. God damn you Interview With A Vampire. If I were Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, I would look at my brooding self forever!

Anyway, Guillermo, thinking there’s another assassin around the corner basically stabs Topher. Feeling remorseful, he tries to apologize. but is met with a sad high five, which is actually kind of poignant. Topher doesn’t hate him for a mistake, but Topher definitely wants that high five, even after his goddamned arm fell off!

After Topher chases Guillermo, now pissed (didn’t know zombies had emotions, but I guess in this world they could- memories and all), and tries to drown him, Nandor steps in and saves the day.

The crew brings Topher back to Wallace and they aren’t happy. They were sold damaged goods and want a fucking refund. The is though, Wallace don’t do refund. He’s amenable to taking the rabid whatever back, but no refunds.

For their troubles, they at least get a free keychain! Nandor chose “Steve”. Nadja got “Nadia”. Because they didn’t have a Colin, Colin got “Condom”. Guillermo got “GiGi”, which I think was appropriate because this whole mess was a shit show, in the finest of ways.

We end on a positive note, as Guillermo acknowledges that though he’s been the protector of the house, having to be a vampire slayer in secret, his Master had protected him and it means the world… but like that person that you know that you realize are thirsty for you, they are. One way or another.

PAX East 2020 Round Up: Fit to Print

By
Robert Kijowski
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0
Pax East Boston

As we move into the miscellany mishegas, I reflect on a few of the games and moments Norton and I experienced that were not featured but that did leave an impression on us nonetheless.

We start off with the first night Norton and I touched base in Boston. There was a rather small soiree in which a number of indie developers set up shop in this workspace named District Hall. The party was more packed than we’d anticipated, so Norton and I were only able to get our paws on but a few games. One of these games was Last Slice. In this top-down party brawler, up to four plays may throw down in order to be the last person standing with the very last slice of that good stuff. The gameplay was fun and frenetic. Having played it a few times with two other strangers, which is one of the idiosyncratic draws to the PAX experience, I would highly recommend giving this game a peep. Norton and I had also a little game time with a Grayland, a challenging puzzle game in the vein of Super Meat Boy. It’s by Demmy Mangusso. In it, the major reward is restoring color to an otherwise black and grey world. Simple, yet super satisfying runs the gameplay itself. Lastly, we’d spent a little time watching, however not getting to try No Crying In Baseball. This game by Anthony Bockley is an ambidextrous work out as you try to knock pitches out of the park as you try to keep an emotion meter in check. It’s a silly but funny premise that actually is kind of addicting!

Hope springs eternal…
…Until you take the last slice…

 

 

…And makes poppa happy.

On the actual PAX floor the next day, we were greeted immediately by an assailing of the oculars. Since we had a little time to kill before our first interview, the Annapurna booth caught our eye, as we had no idea that the critically lauded motion picture company had its fingers in videogame publishing as well. Much to our delight, the trio of games we tried out did not disappoint. First off was The Artful Escape by Beethoven and Dinosaur Studio. The stunning side-scroller takes you into the story of a teenager armed with a sweet ax who embarks on a multidimensional journey in order to inspire his rockstar stage persona. The level design was out of this world, quite literally and the music was very 70s prog rock, which fit the color palette in every way imaginable. Next up we had If Found by Dreamfeel Studios. This is wholly a dreamy and gorgeous experience, as you simply erase an Irish girl’s destroyed diary to uncover secrets. The only action is erasing but it through her diary and an ambient soundtrack uncovers a very rich story that would make you want to turn the page on which lies myriad art styles. Tertiary, though we only had a brief time with it was Sayonara Wild Hearts by developer Simigo. In their own words, it is a pop album video game. It lets you ride motorcycles, skateboard, shoot lasers, wield swords and dance battle. Set to a super catchy and fun soundtrack and featuring art without parallel, the experience will have you coming back for more and more.

Try to explore your inspirations…
..But who says you can’t go back home?
…I say NO FUCKING ONE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the bigger attractions we got to experience through the grace of having the right media passes at the right time was Fuser from Harmonix and NCSoft West. Pithily put, it’s basically Drop Mix, which is a musical card game and Rock Band. The line for the event was massive, but we were able to scooch in for some exclusive playtime. Available soon and all systems, the game lets you truly experience what it’s like to mix vocals and individual instrumental elements from over 100 songs. Unlike a DJ Hero, Rock Band or Drop Mix, the only peripheral you need with this is the controller you already own. The controls are very intuitive and is sure to make if you don’t have Drop Mix (which can be pretty pricey), this a nice worthwhile party investment!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEp9Lfj6UsY

Congrats! You’ve made it through. Now a celebration.

As for another few random bits, Evolutis is an astoundingly animated 2D action game inspired by Ghost In the Shell and Blade Runner by Portugese developer Poke Life Studio. Star Crossed is a co-op action game that plays out like a galactic version of Pong. The Wonderful 101 Remastered is if the Pikmin got a psychotic face-lift. Inertial Drift is a fast-paced, cel-shaded racer by Level 91 Entertainment and highly inspired by the anime Initial D. RADARjam by Hamra Digital is a stealth game in the vein of Asteroids, but only much, much harder.

So there you have it, the culmination of our experience of PAX East 2020…

Oh, and like any awesome video game, there’s a bonus round. I didn’t record the entire song and I could have linked a youtube vid to them, but this was recorded on site. That makes it more magical, as we know. Ladies and Gentleman, the Roadhouse is proud to present… Super Soul Bros.

Would you like to restart?

‘Harley Quinn’ Season 2 Episode 2 Review & Recap: Riddle U

By
Christian Angeles
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0
Ivy and Harley attend College
Coeds Poison Ivy as "Isadora Staplebumpkin" and Harley Quinn as "Heather Witherbee". Credit: DC Universe

Harley, Ivy, and the method acting Clayface, infiltrate Riddler’s stolen university: ‘Riddle U’ by posing as hot young coeds, finding some very surprising help along the way.

TV Talk, Harley Talk will be podcasting spoiler-filled reviews about every episode of Harley Quinn Season 2. Available on Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, and Spotify. 

Harley, Ivy, and Kiteman fly above Riddle U

Credit: DC Universe

S2E2 Review (Spoiler-Free)

With Joker and Penguin down, Harley (Kaley Cuoco) finds the Riddler next on the list of her vengeance quest, the ‘Injustice League’ member holding out at the former Gotham University — withholding the City’s only functioning water and power.

A fun college-themed premise, this episode was some of Harley Quinn at its best. Both fun and funny, with surprises in how things go down and where the episode could possibly go next.

With a little bit of fan service on almost all fronts as well, as we get to see Ivy (Lake Bell)and Harley as hot young coeds, see Kiteman make a tiny reappearance for his ‘green with envy’ girlfriend, and get to catch a hilarious Clayface (Alan Tudyk) in the role of Stephanie: the valley speaking popular girl.

The Riddler, played by Jim Rash, unironically plays a University’s headmaster, in a not so subtle callback to his character, Dean Pelton from the TV show Community.

While the college antics go down, King Shark (Ron Funches) and Doctor Psycho (Tony Hale) are tasked on a fetch quest and have their own Mad Max styled adventure across Gotham, being chased on their own wacky adventure.

We also get to see the reappearance of one beloved character and get to see a bit of an origins story for a different one, as this episode fires on all cylinders and embraces all the fun aspects you love about the series: Laughs, Batman mythos, fan service, and adult related action content.

Babs, Harley, and Ivy in Bab's dorm room

Harley: “Hope you’re vaccinated for HPV because we’re going to college!” 

S2E2 Recap

At the mall, Harley struggles with the power being out, so Doctor psycho hands her a candle made of zebra fat, as lost zoo animals are their only consistent resource.

Across town, the gang sees a digital ad for ‘Riddle U’ revealing it to be the only place with running water and power. Harley comes up with an idea to infiltrate the University as coeds, kill the Riddler, and maybe sneak into a party. Most importantly, she wants to take all their water and power.

Clayface immediately volunteers to go deep undercover, seeking to be like a young Jonathan Depp in the TV series ’21 Jump Street’, or like a very old Jonathan Depp in movie… ’21 Jump Street’ (his words not mine). He comes up with an overbearing character: Stephanie, a young transfer coed from Chico State. The gang says no.

We then cut to the University revealing that it’s heavily guarded and gated. It’s also the only location that seems to be functioning normally.

Flying high above, Kiteman makes a cameo and drops off Harley and Ivy, and after a lovely goodbye, the girls meet the campus tour guide. Harley introduces them as Heather Witherbee (Harley) and Isadora Staplebumpkin (Ivy). The skeptical tour guide finds their sudden appearance and distinct names odd, though the duo is suddenly vouched for by the most popular girl in school: Stephanie (Clayface, playing yet another very eccentric character). They’re then given the tour.

After walking the grounds and the 17 different Riddler themed hedge mazes, Ivy asks if eventually, they’ll meet the Riddler. The guide reveals that no one ever sees him anywhere despite the fact that he sees everywhere. The tour concludes.

Suddenly, a group of student protesters get arrested, as Stephanie (still Clayface) reveals only the Riddler is allowed to ask questions here. Asking permission to see the theatre department, Harley barks at Stephanie/Clayface to gather intel, as the clay monstrosity reluctantly agrees, then excitedly greets hi to a passing ‘Chad’

Harley and Ivy then take a look at the vast campus map and wonder they can possibly find Riddler, just as a man dressed as the Riddler walks by.

Harley kicks his ass and drowns him in the fountain. Before she can murder him, he reveals himself to be Jiminey Riddles, the school’s mascot.

Her makeup now smeared, Harley’s identified by the campus tour guide. She gives chase but the guide is surprisingly agile. Ivy then catches up to Harley, and together,

the duo track the guide to her dorm.

When cornered, Ivy calls out to ‘Babs’ to stop resisting, revealing the tour guide to be none other than Barbara Gordon (aka Batgirl/Oracle). Playing her ‘Waynebox’ music player to hide their conversation, they have a tiny three-person dance party (because why not?) where Babs reveals that people have gone missing at the school.

Suddenly, Barbara’s father enters the room, as Babs reveals the disgraced commissioner Gordon (Christopher Meloni) — a depressed mess who’s often crying to himself — had apparently been living with Barbara for months since losing Gotham city, his wife, and Batman.

Babs reveals she’s been tailing the Riddler, seeing people go into a Frat house but never come out. She shows the girls that she acquired three wristbands to that same exact frat house’s party tonight.  Harley steals them, as Babs complains about having to chug a whole beer — an act which she hated — to acquire those.

King Shark and Doctor Psycho steal a water purifier
Credit: DC Universe

While all of this is happening, King Shark and Doctor Psycho go on a side quest to find a water filter for the base under Harley’s orders.

They find easily, but are disrupted by a squad of surrounding cop cars, revealed to be Two-Face’s Tommy gun wielding henchmen. We then discover why they call the gun a ‘Chicago Typewriter’, as the two seek cover. Surprisingly, they find a small car which with a few of King Shark’s modifications, the duo convert into a Mad Max themed vehicle, with King Shark sitting atop, manning a gattling gun.

After the short but epic car chase, the duo arrive at Baneton, where find several of Bane’s goons raged out on Venom. Their car is made short work of as their struggle continues.

Outside the Frat party, Stephanie admits she likes Chad. Harley and Ivy pull her aside, and after a longwinded story about nipples the size of pancakes that touch in the middle, Stephanie reveals she has a VIP wristband… from Chad.

Now inside the frat party, people do body shots and Harley jumps in to take a shot on a mini-ice luge before being scolded by Ivy. They see Riddler enter the VIP lounge and ask Stephanie to follow.

Back in Bab’s dorm, a half-naked and lazily lounging Jim Gordon comments that the best thing about chest hair is that it’s a chip catcher. He wallows over missing the Bat. Determined to do what his father won’t, Bab’s decides to take action against Riddler herself.

Back at the party, Harley knocks out the bouncer as her and Ivy sneak into the VIP. They find Stephanie and discover that the Riddler generates electricity by kidnapping guests at frat parties, and then makes them run to their death on a hamster wheel.

Discovered, Harley and Ivy beat up the surrounding guards and reveal themselves. The Riddler says he knew it was them all along given their outdated 90’s attire. He then shows them his riddle stick, and though they laugh at it, it shoots electricity and knocks them both out.

When they come to, now forcibly running on their own Hamster wheels, Stephanie cries over Chad for having broken her purity ring (Implying he had sex with him). Harley tells Stephanie/Clayface to go out and get help as he can easily slip away, but he remains crying. As he’s very much locked into character.

In a hoodie and mask, Barbra then arrives to save the day. Riddler commands his henchman Tanner to kill her, and she accidentally while tripping, subdues him. Barbara gets surrounded by goons and so she tries shooting the off-switch of the facility with a nearby gun, missing every single shot. Then, she tries tossing the gun and luckily knocks Riddler’s head, causing him to trip, and release everyone. The girls all get free (I’m including Clayface as he’s still Stephanie) and they easily beat everyone up and win the day.

Babs gets super excited and hocked up on their victory wanting to celebrate or do more! She offers to call her dad to arrest the Riddler, but Harley offers to take him away to Arkham, instead. As team Harley avoids hanging out with the socially awkward Babs.

When we get back to the mall, it’s revealed that they’ve turned Riddler into their own hamster wheel runner, as he keeps the headquarters’ electricity running.

Just then, King Shark and Doctor Psycho arrive and share all the crazy hijinks they had gotten into for the water purifier. Harley doesn’t really care or needs it anymore and destroys it. Just then, Clayface, ready to move away from the petty campus life, giddies in excitement when he receives a text message from Chad.

Back at university, Babs officially makes her own costume and becomes Batgirl.

The Take

This episode was a joy in every way. A funny college parody featuring our beloved Batman femme females, with a lot of solid jokes, and a lot of downward spiraling. If this is the direction the season’s going, I’m all up for it.

 

 

 

‘Resident Evil 3’ Remake Review: Short but Encourages Replayability

By
Christian Angeles
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0
Resident Evil 3 Remake Cover
You can casually beat RE3 in 4-5 hours. Perhaps longer if you’re like me and obsess over collecting items and taking-in the scenic route. CREDIT: Capcom

The Fun Capcom Classic finishes rather quickly but is meant to be Played Several Times Over

Resident Evil 3 brings back a lot of what worked with the previous remake but is focused more on an action-driven story campaign. With a runtime that could’ve easily made for DLC in last year’s game, and a setup gearing towards the more action paced Resident Evil 4.

We breakdown what was good about the game in detail below.

You can listen to our spoiler-filled take on RE3 in the latest Gamescast episode of TheWorkprint Podcast. Available on Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, and Spotify.

 

The Story Remains The Same

Jill in the train talking with Mikhail and Carlos

It’s the eve of the zombie outbreak in Racoon City and Jill Valentine — one the main protagonists from the original game — is still here, investigating Umbrella, after the incident at the Arklay Mountains (Resident Evil).

Needing to escape the city, she is warned by fellow S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) member Brad Vickers that something is wrong, as Nemesis — a super-zombie bioweapon capable of using heavy grade weapons such as flamethrowers and rocket launchers — finds and hunt Jill throughout the entirety of the campaign.

Along the way, Jill meets Carlos Oliveira, a member of the U.B.C.S. (Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service), whose organization’s goals are to save as many civilians as possible, though like much of the Umbrella, features some nefarious characters with their own greedy intentions.

Can Jill and Carlos make it out of the city alive with mankind’s only hope of a vaccine?

This is the plot of RE3 and is the plot of almost every Resident Evil game. Though it’s not really about the outbreak…

 

It’s about Jill

Jill Valentine aiming a gun

The first noticeable difference in the remake is how much of the story now focuses on Jill. Seeing much-needed character development that addresses her PTSD.

She’s hocked up on pills and having drug-addled nightmares, fearing zombification, while still investigating Umbrella after the Mansion incident despite her own police suspension. In every way a ‘super cop’ capable of tremendous athletic ability, we soon learn Jill can hold her own in a fight, as she’s thrown into heroic situation after heroic situation, many times throughout the story.

Often, Jill tries doing the right thing, which in this game, means trying to save lives by battling the Nemesis, because nobody else can fight Nemesis the way she does, and survive.

A definitive character with a sense of style — if you look at those magazine clippings, notes on Umbrella, and posters in Jill’s room, there’s a lot more characterization of Jill compared to the original. Especially, in her elaborately detailed apartment. A moment which is also,  the only breather in-game, representing Jill’s ‘world before’ as the action hits the ground running once Nemesis comes into play.

 

The Singular Ending

Jill being stopped by Mikhail

Besides the bigger focus on Jill, the remake also does away with RE3’s original branching narratives, as choices matter less as there’s only one singular ending. And unlike last year’s game, RE3 also lacks a B-story campaign, meaning the only segments to play as Carlos, comes in the middle of the game. There are also, a few omitted locations such as ‘The Clocktower’ taken away from the game to again focus less on branching narratives and more on the singular story.

That said, despite the linear narrative it’s still incredibly fun exploring Racoon City. With alleyways and neon signs and zombies whose jerky motions make it difficult to shoot in the head. The gameplay feels a lot like last year’s in terms of the zombie apocalyptic experience — though because of the more open world, now you have more options in how to handle zombies and your situation. With different difficulty levels adjusted towards your style of gameplay.

For those who find the game too easy, there’s nightmare and inferno mode, which increases the zombie difficulty, reduces resources, and even mixes up the zombie spawn patterns for a uniquely devastating experience. And though the city is small, it’s linear play makes it feel like a tiny midwestern city in the 90s. With such attention to details in locations such as theatres, pharmacies, hidden alleyways, donut shops, and more.

New Nemesis

Nemesis and jill

Much like the original and like Tyrant/Mr. X in RE2 there are moments where Nemesis chases you around town. However, these only occur within specific checkpoints. And though these battles are fun and Nemesis gets to use his infamous Flame thrower and Rocket Launcher, there does hit a point in the latter half of the game, where it feels like he’s less memorable and just a repeated, body horror themed boss battle. Evolving grotesquely, though never all-that imposing.

A big difference between the games is that puzzle-solving isn’t that emphasized in this one. Especially, when Nemesis is on the field, and even when he’s present, it often occurs with a lot of space in between so there’s plenty of room to dodge. He’s also less anxiety-provoking than Mr. X because without puzzles, and thus the necessary need to explore, you’re very much just trying to dodge him while trying to get to a specific location. You’re also trying to battle him in specific moments to acquire unique items, so Nemesis feels plot triggered and less surprising.

There’s also a lot less claustrophobia in this game, and if planned correctly and with good dodge timing, a lot less of an imposing threat felt unless you get yourself cornered.

So instead, you get to plow through sections of zombies or else fight Nemesis and an eventual wall of zombies. Fun with a proper shotgun or grenade, though again, much less horrifying and more action-centric.

 

Nemesis

The Style

Aesthetically the game is like last year’s, with gorgeous graphics, lifelike character models, and a special focus on lighting and shading (hint: double check your shaded areas as items/zombies may be more hidden than they appear). The sound quality is also excellent witch an emphasis on every growl and moan. If you listen carefully, you can even hear the trademark Nemesis: “S.T.A.R.S.!”

Unlike the mysterious mansion or claustrophobic police station, this game gets you jumping right into the city. Dodging zombies and blowing up canisters. Again, I personally loved the sprawl of downtown, and the need for heading back to a place to check on items and supplies.

You can knife and handgun your way through most zombies with solid planning. And most monsters have some sort of exploitive vulnerability.

Carlos Fighting off a Hunter

I will admit that the Hunters are probably the most annoying enemies in the game, though it’s mostly because Carlos’ machine gun does very little to stop them.

Jill facing off against Drain Deimos

In the substation, Drain Deimos try and implant babies down Jill’s throat much like face-huggers from aliens. It’s one of the scariest points in the story.

Finally, one of the things I loved about the beginning of Resident Evil 3 is that it works-in some live-action footage on the opening days the epidemic. It’s a very cheesy nod to the original series, as back in the day of the mid 90s, live-action cutscenes were still the rage prior to CG.

The Original Live-Action intro of the First Resident Evil Game.

The New Live-Action intro of the Resident Evil 3 Remake.

 

How The Game Sets Up For Resident Evil 4

More action than survival horror, I’d argue RE3 falls right smack in the middle. Similar to RE4 — which fans have acclaimed as the series’ masterpiece — the game focuses on action mechanics and QuickTime dodging, while still tries to stay in the realm of horror and the outbreak elements featured in RE2.

More than anything, just like RE4, the game encourages replayability. Where some items in the unlocked shops are only unlockable once you’ve beaten the game. This includes different outfits, items, and weapons, which can only be bought by accomplishing record challenges.

This is why you want multiple save points.

Atop of this, there are actually several hints in the game alluding towards the development of an RE4 remake. Two of my favorites:

Nathaniel Bard, the doctor with the vaccine you’re trying to save in the game, hints in a note about Nemesis that he is a Tyrant who’s controllable because he’s infected with a parasite.

For those familiar with the series, parasites and not viruses, are the focus of RE4. Implying the Nemesis creation process involved someone procuring one of these creatures featured in RE4.

Atop of this, there are hints at RE4 being introduced as Nemesis, who is technically part-tyrant and part-parasite, has this uncanny ability in this game to infect people with ‘alpha-parasites’. Who when infected transform into tentacled facehuggers that strike an uncanny resemblance to the ‘Plaga’ monsters in RE4.

Between the gameplay being more action-centered, the unlockable inventory shop, and the introduction of parasites both visually and in the lore — it very much seems like the series is heading towards a RE4 remake.

 

5 Major Tips for Your First Playthrough

  1. Play at your own comfortable pace. RE3 is short and can be beaten in 5 hours. Even shorter once you know where everything is.
  2. Make MULTIPLE SAVE FILES across the different sections throughout the entire game. This includes plays as both Carlos and Jill. The reason being that challenges to unlock items afterwards will be infinitely easier if you can load specific parts in the story.
  3. Use the knife. It’s infinite this time around and conserves ammo.
  4. It’s okay to leave things behind. This includes living zombies, as you won’t be backtracking as much as you had in RE2, and items, as they’re a lot less scarce than in the previous game.
  5. Know your surroundings. With the new dodge ability, you can avoid most conflicts with excellent timing. Your biggest problems in the game come when you’re caught off guard. So, know your points of egress and have a clear path if you can.

 

The Takeaway

The Resident Evil 3 Remake is a lot of fun but is a very short game. Though it’s definitely replayable and sets the groundwork for the production of a Resident Evil 4 remake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyCZP1wDxEM

8.5/10 Story

9.5/10 Graphics

9/10 Gameplay

9/10 Overall Game.

‘Harley Quinn’ Season 2 Episode 1 Review & Recap: New Gotham

By
Christian Angeles
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0
Harley Quinn makes a rousing speech in Season 2 Episode 1

The Second Season Kicks-off with pure Anarchistic Bliss

Where season one of Harley Quinn was a hilarious and over-the-top origin story focused on Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and friends, in season two, the party is just getting the party started. As the gang is all here. And the authorities have all gone dead or missing.

TV Talk, Harley Talk will be podcasting spoiler-filled reviews about every episode of Harley Quinn Season 2. Available on Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, and Spotify. 

 

S2E1 ‘New Gotham’ Review (Spoiler-Free)

Last season, the collapse of Joker’s tower caused an earthquake which destroyed Gotham city. The Joker had been killed or possibly even returned to sanity. Batman was left for dead. And the Justice League had all but disappeared.

As Harley Quinn, victorious atop the smoldering ruins of Gotham, celebrated. Whereas most villains, like the Joker, would claim Gotham as their own, Harley reveled in this sort of anarchy. Doing whatever she wanted with her gang while having no plans, despite Poison Ivy’s reluctance, to take any sort of control. As Harley relishes in a plunderous and truly free Gotham liberated from all forms of leadership.

At least, until the ‘Injustice League’.

Minus the spoilers, the ‘Injustice League’ is very much the setup for this season. As the first episode takes a funny look at responsibilities, leadership, and difficult to break the cycle of hierarchies, while still holding true to the same shock value laughs and grotesque humor that’s made the series juvenile, yet also, strangely compelling. We also get a lightheartedly blunt approach that focuses on the values of friendship, especially between Ivy and Harley, who become possible romantic lovers as hinted at this season).

Harley’s journey of self-discovery without the Joker seems to take a backseat to her growing responsibility as the gang’s boss and leader. As Ivy, Doctor Psycho, Clayface, King Shark, and Sy Borgman, have proven somewhat incompetent and unhinged, as noted by the end of this episode. It being clearly evident to the audience (and Ivy) that Harley needs to stop avoiding responsibility, step up, and take control of Gotham.

It’s a great setup for a season-long arc that’s reminiscent of the videogame Arkham City as the rogues take command of Gotham. More than anything else, the series seems prime and filled with plenty of more adventures, shocks, and twists, as a well-established character dies, as another returns, all for a promisingly engaging season.

 

Harley Quinn Season 2 Poster

 

S2 E1 Recap: NEW GOTHAM

On a tiny TV set, the Harley Quinn gang sees the President declare Gotham no longer part of the United States, as anarchy fills the streets, and a man has his arms ripped off by a common thug. At that moment, Harley drives by, enjoying the leaderless anarchy as she rides a joker-faced go-kart that’s being pulled by her hyenas, Bud and Lou.

When she arrives back at her mall headquarters, she feeds each Hyena a steak, while pulling out Takashi, a Michelin star sushi chef out of the trunk of the go-kart, to cook for her crew. The others are excited, though the Sushi chef is devoid of supplies, let alone fresh ingredients, and so cooks up a raw pigeon roll. Ivy thinks maybe now’s the time to wrap this three-week party. She tells Harley with no joker or Batman, now’s the time to take over.

Suddenly, the Penguin’s goons arrive calling dibs on their mall, so King Shark bites off one of their heads, asking Takashi if they could incorporate his corpse into a rainbow roll, light-on-the-rice. Soon after, Two-Face’s gang arrives and tries the same thing. Harley decides to take Ivy’s advice and address the issue

She shows up to a henchperson bar and tells them now’s the chance to even the playing field.

“Why work for assholes when you can rise up and be your own villain?”

The Henchmen rally to her rousing speech. At a bank hold up, Two-Face is double-crossed by his owned goons, just as Ridler is disrupted on TV by his henchman ‘Craig the Inquisitor’, who also tries to be his own boss as he quits live on the air.

Harley Quinn captures Takashi the Sushi Chef
PC: DC Universe

At the Iceberg Lounge, Penguin calls a meeting with Bane, Ridler, Two-Face, and Mr. Freeze, as the goons no longer follow them due to Harley’s insurrection. Bane wonders if they should’ve invited Harley.

At GCPD, Gordon sits by the Bat-signal waiting for Batman. Robin shows up wearing batman’s much larger clothes, sharing that the Dark Knight hadn’t returned since Joker tower had fallen. He then, in an adorable child sounding attempt at a guttural growling Batman voice, declares himself the new ‘Batman’, before Gordon hits him with a plastic bottle of whiskey he’s drinking.

Harley returns to her crew, delayed, having to battle several question-based villains. Ivy sidebars with her, telling her that this was her chance to take the city but now,  instead of five assholes, there are a thousand little assholes trying to rule. She also, in a typical Ivy matter-of-fact fashion, rubs in an ‘I told you so’ to her bestie.

Harley then gets an invite to the injustice league meeting. She attends the meeting at City Hall revealing the injustice league is just former Batman rogues: Penguin, Two-Face, Bane, Riddler, and Mr. Freeze. Who all sit in fancy swivel chairs, though Bane and his giant frame are given a tiny folding chair. Two-Face declares they’d like to restore the natural hierarchy of things: supervillains, sidekicks, goons that went to Harvard, and then goons.

Harley defends that this is the chance to do something new, but the others want to divide the city into their own territories. They offer Harley the tiny little bad part, which she denies, and so Mr. Freeze freezes her into a giant ice cube.

Doctor Psycho, Clayface, and King Shark eat Sushi.
PC: DC Universe

On the streets of Gotham, people stab each other. Gordon looks on from inside the GCPD as the cops hideout as America has turned its back on Gotham. Gordon tells the cops they’re going to retake the town, just as Two-Face arrives and declares this police precinct his, then shoots two cops in the dick.

The cops choose to surrender leaving a gun-ho Gordon alone as he flees on a quest to go and find Batman. Driving away on a flatbed truck that holds the bat signal, singing that he’s a good cop, and still hoping Batman arrives. Suddenly, while on a bridge, the truck is overturned by caltrops, and Gordon is mugged by the very cops he just left behind. Self-declared ‘Bane Boys’ now, as things keep changing quickly on Gotham’s crazy streets.

The bat signal is broken in the struggle. Hopeless, Gordon tosses his badge into the ocean.

Penguin is ecstatic the Iceburg lounge is popular again. As, Harley is still on ice as his decorative centerpiece. A French waiter offers a toast, which is obviously Clayface, who is unable to dumb down his ‘ACTING’. As Doctor Psycho, with his tiny head, stands on the shoulders of King Shark, in a single black suit, as the gang ‘tweet tweets’ the signal towards Ivy, who plays cards and refuses to reply the stupid starting sign.

The plan begins. Sy Borgman takes to the piano and vents gas from his wheelchair during a rousing speech where Penguin takes credit for putting down goon rebellion. The plan takes too long so Sy stalls by singing Happy Birthday, and the gang extracts the giant ice cubed Harley but is caught mid-heist and runs.

Ivy stresses that it’s important not to rattle Harley as she’s fragile, just as the gang accidentally bangs the ice block against the wall, murdering a waiter.

Though the impact cracks open and dislodges a part of the cube. Harley, able to speak again, tells them to get them the fuck out of there. The gang runs taking out goons along the way, with Sy Borgman, in his wheelchair, carrying Harley. Eventually, they crash, and Harley, now free of the ice, is confronted by Penguin, who while rubbing in his victory over her in a rousing speech up toward face, has his nose bitten off.

In the battle, Harley breaks her bat. Though she still finds a way to approach Penguin his from behind, and with the bat handle, stabs him in the neck. Making him bleed out.

Back at home, Gordon tells his wife he’ll start a new department at his home. Husband and wife cops! Barb replies she wants a divorce.

Back at home again, The gang reluctantly reveals that Harley’s been on ice for two months. Everything in their life was a disaster. Clayface, and his ‘heist’ plan developing his Francoise waiter character, was their last resort – which worked. Albeit months later. When all the goons and benches returned to working for their bosses.

Ivy shows Harley the Injustice league, carved up the city into ‘New Gotham’ where all the city is divided now into their territories. Harley declares she’s going take them all down. That Gotham should’ve been hers.

Later, at an army triage tent stationed by Gotham, a doctor says they found a survivor in the rubble. When they unbandage him it’s revealed it to be Bruce Wayne.

Batman had survived.

 

The Take

The first episode of season two kicks things off not with a bang, but with a smoldering ruin. It’s definitely intriguing and it’ll be fun to see how Gotham is remade and reshaped this season. So follow along if you can!

 

You can watch Harley Quinn season 2 on DC Universe. 

 

All The Moments You Need To Know in ‘The Magicians’ Series Finale

By
Nicole C
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0
THE MAGICIANS -- "Fillory and Further" Episode 513 -- Pictured: (l-r) Arjun Gupta as Penny Adiyodi, Stella Maeve as Julia Wicker, Olivia Taylor Dudley as Alice Quinn, Trevor Einhorn as Josh Hoberman, Hale Appleman as Eliot Waugh -- (Photo by: James Dittiger/SYFY)

The Magicians series finale leaves audiences with a roller coaster ending and the seed of a new beginning. Here are seven epically unforgettable moments from tonight’s episode:

(SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!)

 

Santa Brings Christmas Early

After answering Alice’s distress call, Santa sets up the apartment as if it’s December and brings gifts for all. He shrugs that he couldn’t help it since their quest-heavy lifestyle meant there was no guarantee any of them would survive to the end of the year. We also soon discover that it was Santa who gave Alice the seed instruction page because she needed something to get back into the game. There was no way she would have passed on a mystery that she thought Quentin was working on. Santa adds that wherever that page has taken her and will take her is her story, not his, but he thinks Q would have been proud of her for continuing to fight. He disappears though as everyone else starts to wake up. Josh gets a very sought after knife, Eliot has a bracelet, Zelda lands a smoking pipe, Margo gets a small glass box on a chain, Fen a fancy knife sharpener, Penny 23 receives a baby wrap, and Julia a baby bag. All these gifts will be significant throughout the rest of the episode!

Mind Swaps and Someone Unexpected Makes a Comeback

Rafe sends a bunny message that Fillory needs them now and so the team goes into planning mode with the addition of Plum and the disappearance of Kady. Margo and El will go to Fillory and activate Umber’s ark then head to the clockwork dwarf to move back the timepiece. However, they currently don’t have a traveler that can get them out as Penny 23’s abilities are still not working, Hyman isn’t talking to them, and Plum travels back in time (which would also put them in the crosshairs of the time police). Meanwhile Team World Seed (Fen, Alice, and Zelda) will work on blooming the seed. Z suggests that they do so in the Neitherlands to circumvent the wacky circumstances on Earth. Margo also strongly suggests that the new Fillory needs a wellspring so that they don’t permanently loose magic. She asks if anyone has any questions and if not they can break when Julia laughs and says that her water just broke.

Margo and Eliot try to get Hyman to travel them out of Fillory but the guy is uncooperative. He’s tired of being tethered to a body that just constantly poops and isn’t willing to risk his life. In comes Charlton who tells El that maybe the traveler would be willing to give him a body. The former high king of Fillory tell Hyman the idea and the guy is totally onboard under the condition that Charlton do lots of crazy sex things. They manage to swap out with Hyman back in the astral plane where he’s wanted to be. Unfortunately, though Charlton is not able to use his traveler body’s ability quite yet. Margo says that they don’t have time for this and reveals that she knows a shortcut to get out of the clockwork dwarf’s place and so Team Fillory departs.

Rupert is summoning more Takers as Margo, El, and Josh are looking for a magical royal census scroll that they can use to make certain that all Fillorians have been accounted for in the ark. They activate the pocket world and it seems to be working as the population count begins to drastically drop. Suddenly though Eliot disappears as the Dark King transports him to the Taker realm. Turns out Rupert wants El to close the door after Lance comes through so that the other dead do not crossover. Right on schedule you can hear lover boy on the other side as the Dark King swings the door open to let him through. The eldest Chatwin is so happy to be reunited with Lance, but plot twist, it’s not really his boyfriend but The Beast! So Martin Chatwin duped his own brother to let him return from the Underworld along with some friends. Apparently Lance passed on a long time ago and he never even met the man. Martin did meet Cassandra and read all about how Rupert was going to save his love. The Beast realized that it was through big bro that he would be able to get all of Fillory forever. He opens the door to let his allies through and as he’s about to strike Eliot, Rupert is able to unfreeze himself and transport them both away.

Julia Gives Birth, Fogg Returns

At Brakebills, Kady appears with a frantic and incoherent Dean Fogg (from their current timeline). He somehow got out of the etheric realm and had called the hedge witch leader. At the same time Julia and Penny 23 arrive with Professor Lipson ushering them to a bed nearby. At some point however the dean disappears and he arrives at the Neitherlands where Kady, Fen, Zelda, and Alice are preparing to awaken the world seed. Fogg casts his own spell and takes the most prized object in the multiverse with Kady going after him. He returns to Brakebills where Julia has just given birth and quickly severs the tether between mother and child. Mom suddenly faints and Kady punches the dean.

Zelda Makes a Noble Sacrifice

Back at the Neitherlands, Fen, Alice, and Zelda are still waiting for Kady’s return when a familiar voice begins to sing. The phosphoromancer recognizes The Beast and the librarian states that means the dead have risen. The three women lock themselves in Zelda’s office where she tells Fen and Alice that there’s a portal in the other room that will take them back to Earth. She needs to stay there to initiate a protocol that will destroy all the fountains so that the dead won’t be able to infiltrate other worlds. Before departing she tells Alice that master magicians know that they can control their inner circumstances and she believes that the younger woman will get there, she only needs to try. Alice tearfully hugs Zelda and thanks her for everything. The librarian smiles and adds that death only means a transfer to a different branch. As the two depart Martin breaks through the wards and Z locks the fountains. The Beast then kills her with a touch.

Time Magic is a Tricky Thing

Lipson tells Penny 23 that his daughter is doing fine but Julia hadn’t regained consciousness and her organs are shutting down. Plum heads outside to offer her professor some food and he’s freaking out, asking her to use her abilities to go back in time to stop Julia from dying. She glumly says that they can’t because they already tried. Queue the dramatic music! Plum explains that this is the do-over and things got so much worse so fast. He had taken her to see her grandmother Jane Chatwin and Jane (who then was pregnant with Plum’s mom) said that the only way they could do this was to create a time loop. Unfortunately, Plum only had enough plasma for one try. The only thing she was able to change was Josh escaping from Fillory while the others got trapped there unsure if the ark worked. Meanwhile Team World Seed tried to grow the seed on Earth but it didn’t work so Zelda took them to the Neitherlands but they never returned. So now that makes sense why Plum was so hesitant earlier as they were making plans. Jane had also warned her not to change too much because it could cause even more damage. Plum reveals that they had also told her grandmother that they were going to destroy Fillory to stop Rupert, but the elder magician assured them that she would still be there in the Clock Barrens though it might just be a little bit harder to find. Plum also adds that she had no idea Fogg was going to attack Julia though Penny 23 then remembers that the dean retains knowledge of times loops so perhaps he was trying to change something.

Professor Lipson gives Fogg a cat that apparently can absorb the crazy from a person while being held. Once that happens the dean appears to be back to his normal self and asks if he managed to get everyone out of the Neitherlands in time. He also explains that he cut Julia’s cord roughly to allow it a chance to be transplanted to someone else since a delicate incision would have rendered it useless and she and child would have died. Now they would need to connect the very powerful traveler baby to someone who can handle her abilities. In the meantime, Fogg hid the seed inside the lab. Kady, Alice and Fen grab it and they begin preparations for its growth.

When Julia wakes up, Penny 23 is asleep on a chair nearby and she tells him that she can’t hear anything anymore. He tells her that she’s fixed and Lipson soon comes in bringing their baby. Penny 23 takes his daughter who has just pooped and tells Jules that he likes the name Hope and that he can live with Quentin being her middle name. She’s confused though because she didn’t say those things out loud and it’s the professor that fills her in that they had to connect the baby to her father. So now when he’s holding baby Hope, he has psychic abilities once again through his child.

Margo Gets on the Sacrifice Bandwagon

The Dark King brought Eliot and himself back to Whitespire. Rupert tells El that he’s sorry but the other man just didn’t understand why he had to do this. The former high king interrupts that he’s always understood. The eldest Chatwin asks what their original plan was and El reveals it with Rupert agreeing that this could still work. He would delay the dead for as long as he could while Eliot goes and find his friends.

He locates Margo and Josh and they head to the secret entrance to the center of Fillory. Josh says they need to talk about this shortcut when Margo comes clean saying that there isn’t one. She’s doing this by herself so that they don’t die. If Q taught her one thing it’s to make a sacrifice for the ones you love. Josh hands her a very fancy ham sandwich as a bribe to the dwarf in case he hadn’t been raptured. She then pops out her fairy eye, puts in the small glass box Santa gave her, and hands it over to her significant other so that she’ll know that they are safely away. With that Margo jumps into the underground room. Once she gets down there, the dwarf is gone with only a note to not turn the clock backwards left behind. Meanwhile Josh and El get to the portal tree. Josh tells the eye that Margo is the love of his life. The two check the census scroll one more time to make sure it’s at zero and go into the portal together. Once she sees that her boys are safely away, Margo flips the switch and eats the delicious sandwich to usher in the end of Fillory. Upstairs in the throne room, we seem a number of bodies on the ground with Rupert tiredly seated on the steps. Martin enters and asks what is going on and his brother answers the end of Fillory. As the castle collapses Rupert seems to disintegrate as The Beast is buried within, entombed in the world he loved so dearly as it is destroyed. In the nick of time, Penny 23 arrives in the clock room able to save Margo as his traveling abilities are back through his daughter.

Endings and Beginnings

At the lab in Brakebills, the team is preparing to cast some magic. Alice tells Josh, Fen, and Margo that they need to accept all the good and bad within them so they can adjust their casting for inner circumstance since this is what they can control. The ex-niffin also attempts to do this one-handed as Eliot also recently had his hands damaged by The Beast and still needed time to heal. As the three magicians begin, the seed starts to glow and Fen’s role is to talk to it and to share her memories of Fillory. She begins with the first time she saw a Pegasus when she was ten but then quickly realizes that there are so many things that were backwards in her home. What Fen really wants is the best of Fillory, Earth, and the cool movies she and Todd watched. Suddenly the seed cracks little by little and emits a super bright light. When the light vanishes Fen, Josh, Margo, and Alice are nowhere to be found.

Sometime later, Fogg is back in his suit and still with the cat. Magic hasn’t disappeared, the hedge witches are retaining moon devotees to help calculate circumstances, and Eliot’s joined the faculty at Brakebills. At the Physical Kids cottage, El is mixing himself a drink when Charlton appears, commenting that the other man is in his happy place but doesn’t seem very happy. The new professor explains that he thought coming to the school would help but he still misses his friends very much and he feels lost and alone without them. Eliot even misses Fillory and asks Charlton if he thinks there’s any way that Seb (Rupert) survived. The other man says probably not but he’s likely in a better place with someone who loves him and sure enough audiences see that he was rescued by Jane and taken to her cottage in the Clock Barrens. He tells El that he isn’t alone and has a surprise for him. Charlton had been working with Pete who helped him figure out what Santa’s bracelet gift was. He puts it on and instead of looking like Hyman he now looks and feels like himself. Eliot touches the other man’s face and proclaims that this is weird. But good weird adds Charlton who then proceeds to ask the awkward question of whether the magician could ever be romantically interested in him. He knows Eliot’s emotionally available and he planned to stick around. The former high king of Fillory gives in and says that they are going upstairs to explore this more. The two have their first kiss on the stairs with Hyman watching on. The traveler pauses for a moment to let them have their intimacy but quickly changes his mind.

Meanwhile Julia, Penny 23, and baby HQ are off traveling to different worlds looking for their friends who disappeared. Speaking of which, Fen, Alice, Margo, and Josh are in a brand-new world where there are pizza ovens, knife trees, and fields of bacon. It’s not the same as the original Fillory but there’s plenty of food and no predators to be seen. Fen takes out the ark and dubs high king Margo the creator as the leader of this new land. Their lives are going to change in even more ways they can’t predict but they find some comfort in that. Alice says that this is their story as Margo presses the button at the bottom of the snow globe.

Final Thoughts

I wasn’t sure what to expect in this series finale but I am glad that everyone got a new beginning. It may not have been what they had wanted but it still worked. I audibly gasped when Martin revealed himself because I love it when a show circles back to it’s beginnings and in this case with it’s original villain. The Chatwin siblings were such an integral backstory for The Magicians and it was satisfying to see how they all ended up.

There were so many aspects of this show that were beautifully crafted from the different story arcs, world building, and of course the characters. Before the show premiered it was pitched as Harry Potter for grownups and it blew away all expectations. We got a very rich, vivid, and complicated narrative full of various twists and turns that was different from the books but just as engrossing and enjoyable. And honestly I can go on and on about how much I love this series but my final thought is this: no show has ever made me cry as much as I did when Quentin Coldwater watched his friends grieve and say goodbye to him. I’ve seen this season four episode more than once and every single time the water works flow because his death meant something and it felt like I was saying my own goodbye to a friend. So many have seen themselves in Q and his question to Penny as to whether he actually did a brave thing to save his friends was so powerful. Because in the end I believe we’d all like to do just that, be brave and do good.

Thank you to the entire cast and crew of The Magicians for bringing five thought provoking, whimsical, and imaginative seasons. This show is one of a kind and I’m looking forward to binge watching everything all over again.

 

The Magicians airs on Syfy Wednesday at 10/9c.

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