I came home earlier today to a box from Syfy for their latest series Nightflyers.
Inside the box was a puzzle and a video with a two-minute countdown. All I had to do was take apart the puzzle and enter the code to stop the countdown on the screen. I failed miserably.
After some trial-and-error, pleading with God, and many tears, I was finally able to unlock the puzzle which led to a brand new trailer for Nightflyers. You’re welcome, everyone. All it cost was some of my mental sanity so I hope you all enjoy the new trailer above.
Nightflyers 10-episode run premieres with episodes 1-5 debuting Sunday, December 2 through Thursday, December 6 at 10/9c on Syfy. Episodes 6-10 will air Sunday, December 9 through Thursday, December 13.
About the series:
Based of George R.R. Martin’s novella, Syfy’s highly anticipated thriller, Nightflyers is set in the year 2093 and follows a team of scientists about The NightFlyer, as they embark on a journey to find other life forms. Their mission takes them to the edge of the solar system, and to the edge of insanity, as they realize true horror isn’t waiting for them at their destination – it’s already on their ship.
Hello Everyone! Welcome to the first ever combined Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl episode of Supertrash! You read that right, we talked about Episode 4.02 of Supergirl “Fallout” and the Season 4 premiere of Legends of Tomorrow “The Virgin Gary” in one single episode. Are we in Nia Nal? Yes. Are we obsessed with Soft/Domestic Avalance and everything Zari? Yes. Listen to the episode below to hear all of our trashy thoughts!
As we mentioned in this week’s episode, we are going to use these post as our show notes for the episodes. We will try to provide links to any articles, tweets, or videos we referenced and provide time marks for the episode.
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The first ever podcast turned tv series for Amazon Video, Lore is a horror anthology created by Aaron Mahnke, with Valhalla Entertainment and Propagate Content. Each episode features a new story based on actual events and folklore origins, exploring the eerie histories that give rise to mythical creatures and urban legends. Tales such as the origins of vampirism, or the first alleged incident in America involving a murderous living doll.
The Workprint got a chance to chat with some of the cast and executive producers of Lore at New York Comic Con 2018.
Thomas Kretschmann – Different stories from beginning to end. Totally different subjects, set in different times. What unifies all these stories is that they’re very creepy and exciting. The part I did, George Reingruber, is a story about a mass murderer – I play a detective brought into to solve this absolute mess (of a case). Nobody knows who did it, and it’s spiced up with flashbacks, where we get ideas what’s been the case, and going on? But the case is not solved even today – which by the way, I like a lot because it could go even further. An audience quest so to speak.
Thomas Kretschmann portrays Georg Reingruber, in the episode Hinterfaifeck: Ghosts in the Attic.
What preparation did you do for your roles?
Elie Haddad – We shot the entire season in Prague and I could just get inspired walking around those streets. If you go around town and ask about the Curse of the Orloj, they will all tell you different stories. Thanks to that, we had the freedom to create something closest to the truth. In terms of preparation, you break down the script, work on the character, try to find their primal needs. I based mine on survival mode. The story of two brothers, two Turks, hungry and needing shelter and money. They hear about this curse– that the whole city of Prague is under the black plague. That people believe that if someone can fix this clock, everything will come back to peace. So they come into the city thinking they can do it… Preparation was the same for any other project. I was just lucky to be at the place where everything happened.”
Elie Haddad portrays Jan Mirandesh, in the episode Prague Clock: The Curse of Orloj.
Afterward, we sat with executive producer Howard T. Owens and series creator himself, Aaron Mahnke. We asked questions on what to expect this season.
How did you choose the stories for the Second Season?
Aaron Mahnke – A lot of the same ways as season one, the difference being, we had an official writer’s room for season two. It led us to be a lot more intentional as a collection as a whole.
Howard T. Owens – Season one we were creating, ideating, literally figuring out how to do it. Season two we are dialed in now.
How does season two differentiate from season one?
Aaron Mahnke – Season one, you watch the main story come out. Throughout the episode, you’ll get pulled out to learn about this or see this in another place, great elements pulled from the podcoast. In TV it pulls you out of the moment. So here, it’s so much more focused on the A-story and those contextual moments when they happen, they’re natural and embedded organically.
Howard T. Owens – In a simple way, Aaron’s podcast could feature up to 30-40 names. Either of characters, types of science, places in the world, etc. In a tv show, if you have more than 5-6 characters in an hour of TV it’s crazy. In the second season, we were able to say here is the story. Here is the main characters and where we’re telling the story through. Aaron brought up a great point, in the podcast and in season one, his voice and pov is what’s in your head. In the TV show, we want the story to speak for itself. We want the main character to be who you’re watching.
Some of the episodes are not on the podcast. Why?
Aaron Mahnke – One thing we’ve learned is that some podcasts don’t translate to video. I think the same can be said for other ideas, that they’d work only well on a video format. The Prague clock episode is a good example, it’s full of gears and mechanisms because it’s such an ancient clock. You have to start with a story and say, “this story belongs in what format?” Some of them can go either way. Some of them go to audio, some go to video. Right now, we’re learning what we can do that with these story ideas. The Jack Parsons episode is another visually stunning episode – the occult symbols and rituals, things you couldn’t do in an audio show can go well in a TV show.
Howard T. Owens – It’ll always be based on the podcast. If lore is the franchise, the podcast is kind of the mothership, and I think that’s what we pivot off. But I think for season 2 and beyond we’re no longer bound to just being a podcast. We have our own organism in the TV show, as long as we’re tonally true to lore.
Aaron Mahnke – There’s a book series as well. They have stories in the podcast but also have stories that weren’t. In the print world, it’s a lot easier to group these likeminded stories and have it make sense. Every medium is a new flexible tool and we’re playing with that.
Gale Anne Hurd – Well, Glenn Morgan (showrunner from season one) was unavailable as he was doing X-Files, so we had auditions for showrunners. We met a number of people who pitched, what they liked about the first season or what they’d like to change, and Sean was the clear winner.
Sean Crouch – I came in hot. I had a big take to say, let’s do Black Mirror. Let’s do twilight zone season 2. But Black mirror if it was real, if all it happened at some point, how do we do that story?
Gale Anne Hurd – The truth is a lot of people fake passion for horror because that’s the hot genre right now. He’s the real deal. And I can sus that out.
What’s the most exciting thing you’re looking forward to concerning production?
Sean Crouch – I’m excited for people to see the production values this season. Amazon spent more money on these, character based, smaller stories. But spent more money so the production value is up. Prague is a beautiful location. I can’t wait for people to see how these stories are played out now.
Gale Anne Hurd – If you’ve seen the promo piece you’ll get a sense of just how much scope there was. Last season, we could should a few exterior shots but the rest were mostly interior in a house or different location. This season, we got drone shots, cranes, castes and horse drawn carriages, and a four-story! The clock episode? Our director and his team (Sean) constructed a four-story clock that works.
How much historical research goes into production?
Gale Anne Hurd – History is my passion. The idea of bringing these stories to life with that kind of scope is amazing. But at the end of the day, people tune in for the characters, so Sean and his writing team were able to bring in a great deal of nuance. While we can’t explore the world the same way the podcast does, that all comes through character this season. It’s evolved into something much more appropriate for streaming.
Sean Crouch – I tell people that ninety percent of my job is research. For example, Elizabeth Bathory, there’s ten different ways we could have told that story. Maybe, she was just a woman who had a lot of money and the king owed her money and made up everything about her? Maybe the blood part of the story came 200 years later? Maybe there was no blood? At some point, we have to take our research and then what is our best story that is as close to true as we can get. Now, when we do Jack Parsons in 1952 it’s a lot easier to be true to the story, or 1922 for Hinterfaifeck. 1420 Prague? You know it’s probably ninety percent made up in some fashion as there’s so much folklore to it.
At this point, Thomas Kretschmann popped back in to joke and say hi.
How is it working with a writer’s room this season?
Sean Crouch – I’ve always worked with a writers room. I love collaborating. Gale jumps in. For me, the best idea wins. So you have anybody coming in with the best idea.
Gale Anne Hurd – And actors, speaking of Thomas Kretschmann, he came in and with the director and they literally spent so much time going page by page, and when get to you work with someone like Thomas Kretschmann – the integrity that he insists on for him to flesh out his character makes us all better.
You can see all the interviews below. You can also stream all of Lore Season 2 on Amazon Video, right now.
Hi Guys!!!! Welcome back to the second season of Supertrash, a podcast where Jen and Alyssa discuss Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow.
This week we discuss the Season 4 Premiere of Supergirl “American Alien.” There is a whole lot to discuss this episode. Over the break, Kara has become a senior level reporter at CatcCo where she has unfettered access to interviewing the president. She is now a mentor to the young Nia Nal (Nicole Maines) who probably more qualified to be Kara’s mentor than vice-versa. Alex has a new badass hairdo, J’onn has become a man of the aliens, and James and Lena are unfortunatly still together. To hear all about our thought you can listen to the episode below.
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Last weekend, after watching the pilot of CW’s Charmed reboot, The Workprint got a chance to sit down with the new charmed ones, Melonie Diaz (Mel), Sarah Jeffery (Maggie) and Madeline Mantock (Macy) to discuss what fans can expect this season on Charmed.
What attracted you to the reboot?
Madeleine Mantock: For the first time they were attracted to me! When I read the script I just thought it was really fun. It made me smile a lot more than I was anticipating because I was a little bit skeptical. I didn’t know why this reboot was such a big deal and what made it different. But I was really pleasantly surprised. I just kept saying it’s very current and conscious in a way that I had not been expecting nor had I read in a long time. It feels like, every now and again I go on Tumblr, and it feels like if people on Tumblr got to write a show it would be this.
How are you putting yourself into the role and do you take into account the original series and its fandom?
Mantock: Macy’s a new character and in that sense, it’s kind of freeing because, I think much like if I suppose you were playing a real person, there’s extra pressure that comes with playing an existing character. Because we have a chance to create a new character I don’t feel so much pressure in that sense which I’m really grateful for because I think it would be a totally different story if we were just repeating what’s already been made. And whilst we are borrowing from and paying homage to certain elements of the show be that hopefully a sense of sisterhood and The Book of Shadows and having a Whitelighter you know those kinds of key elements. We really are trying to kind of build a new offshoot.
Sarah Jeffery: We definitely want to keep the original intact and pay respects to them and there’s a lot from the original that remains if not the same then similar. Obviously, we’re playing different characters but we’re also in a very different time and I think it’s the perfect time to do a show like this. It’s kind of a cathartic thing to be speaking on such troubling issues and so I think our show will reflect that magic and the sisterhood of the original while bringing in the reality of the political climate that we’re living in.
In the panel you were talking about how you wanted to mix the makeup loving girl with the intelligent girl. Maggie is in college and in the pilot we really only saw the Greek Life part, will we also see the academic part this season?
Jeffery: Yes, you will. We are kind of getting more into that now. I can’t give away too much. I think the thing about Maggie is that she’s sort of finding her tribe like maybe Greek Life isn’t completely for her. We’re still sort of exploring that. But she’s still young and she’s still navigating and figuring things out and I’m really having fun with that. Sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to do. I certainly didn’t for a while and found myself here. I think that Maggie will be a very relatable character and like I said we want to make her very multifaceted.
Is Macy going to struggle with how she fits into Vera family dynamics?
Mantock: It’s a definite struggle both in terms of the initial dynamic of trying to be a friend and a sister to these new people and then also within herself, figuring out that she’s a witch, does she fit in in this family, and she kinda feels anyway that she doesn’t have that much of a choice and moves into the house at the end of the pilot. Now she’s in, she’s a sister. But there are definitely some real fun moments actually, some of my favorites to play, especially between mine and Melonie’s character because she’s much less welcoming than Maggie is and I think maybe that we have more similarities than the characters realize so they butt heads a little bit. But those are some of my favorite scenes cause they’re the kind of human sisterly bond that hopefully, people will care about aside from all the fantastical magical wish fulfillment that’s also great but I really treasure those moments.
Diaz: You’ll see that Mel and Macy have a really interesting relationship cause they’re both very similar so they butt heads a lot which is hard for me because I really like Maddie, a lot and we laugh at all those takes and I’m like ‘I have to be angry with you but I don’t want to be angry with you.’ But yeah, kinda like the family dynamic is interesting in the first couple of episodes.
Jeffery: Mel and Maggie have always been close, unlike Macy. I think the thing I enjoy a lot about the show is that its a very real sister dynamic. You’ll see them butt heads but you’ll also see that they love each other unconditionally. And I think that the mother’s death is something that kind of tears them apart but brings them together at the same time. Maggie is a person who I think if she thinks about it or obsesses about it too much she’ll just crumble and Mel is very insistent on finding out what happened. So you kind of see their different ideas colliding and I’m hoping we hit a home run on the family dynamic of it all.
On the point of feeling too much, Maggie probably has the most intrusive power out of all of them. Are we going to see her deal with how to handle knowing someone else’s thoughts that you don’t want to know?
Jeffery: Yes, I would say intrusive is the perfect word. That’s definitely been a throughline for my character and I hope we can do more with it. I mean it’s very interesting in terms of being able to control what you hear and when you want to hear something, when you don’t want to hear something, and what you do with that information because it definitely has shown up, as you will see in the following episodes, at very inopportune times which can be quite humorous but also quite devastating for her. I’ve sort of been like “what would it be like to actually read minds?” and it seems like it would be kinda shit. But on the opposite hand, it does have pros as well.
In the first 5 minutes of the pilot, we get to see Mel in bed with another woman, which is very rare for a main character on a network show. How does it feel coming into the reboot playing this main character that is hopefully gonna be a gay icon?
Diaz: Oh my god. From your mouth to God’s ears. I would love to be a gay icon. It feels really cool and it also feels really cool that the creators and I, we’re making a very conscious decision never to talk about her being a lesbian. It’s not an issue, she’s a woman who loves another woman, and she’s a human being and she’s a witch. We’re not making an issue of it, it just should be normal. SO I really feel great that they are like ‘ You know, she’s a human being.’ and that’s it
You can find the full interviews with all three actors below:
Based on the acclaimed comic by Rick Remender and Wes Craig, Deadly Class is what you get when you combine the deadly assassin filled violence of Wanted with the adolescence angst of X-Men. Combining the best of both worlds.
Set in the late 1980’s, in a post-Reagan, punk-themed countercultural world. The story about a homeless and bullied teen, named Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth), who is conscripted into a private school for assassins. Imagine Harry Potter being called into Hogwarts, except replace learning magic with mastering the art of assassination.
There is also your usual young adult dilemmas: dating, drugs, and friendships. In this universe, social cliques are divided by the world’s most notorious crime families and assassins (think Yakuza, Cartel, the gangs of Compton and even white neo-Nazis).
We got to attend the Deadly Class premiere at NYCC 2018. The audience in attendance saw the world premiere of the pilot, and also got the show’s premiere date. Featured, was the new teaser trailer with Q and A with the cast.
Left to Right: Meet Saya, Willie, Master Lin, Maria, and Billy.
I say this without reason of a doubt, Deadly Class was the best pilot that I’ve seen for 2019. It’s a melodrama for young adults but also very action-packed, with well-choreographed fight scenes, surprisingly excellent cinematography and some very adult themes. Unsurprising, given that it’s executive produced by Anthony and Joe Russo – the renown directors behind the Captain America movies and Avengers: Infinity War.
The show is reminiscent to me, of Kick-Assor Scott Pilgrim regarding quality story with finesse stylings and teen dramatics. Often going to an extreme, these are dark stories about growth and overcoming dark traumas. Especially, within this deadly world featuring death and assassinations.
There’s also geeky tropes and comic references involving meta-humor. With lots of cliques, high school angst, and of course, assassination training – featuring many fighting montages and even a lecture by Jürgen Denke (Henry Rollins), in the art of poisoning.
Oh, and of course there’s romance. Lots of it in the pilot episode, as Marcus is pulled between Maria, the girl he wants to rescue (Maria de Faria), and Saya (Lana Condor), the girl who recruited him and saved his life. Though both are intriguing budding romances – we learn very early on, none of these women genuinely need Marcus. The women in the cast are fiercely independent. They know how to play the game – both of their mission and of high school.
Amongst the cast, the audience absolutely loved actress Lana Condor. Most remember her from the hit Netflix film, To All The Boys I’ve Ever Loved Before and for playing Jubilee, inX-Men: Apocalypse. She arrived fashionably late, though with much accolades from her fans. The other most notable actor of note was Benedict Wong – a seasoned veteran of the comic conventions thanks to his role as Wong in Doctor Strange and Avengers: Infinity War. He felt honored to be passing the torch during the panel. The most seasoned actor there, he imparted words of wisdom to his cast and had high hopes for the series.
Honestly, this is the show I’d wished I had when I was 14-year-old outcast feeling alone in the world. It’s near perfect in every way, in what it’s trying to do. Though what’s most honorable, is that despite the macabre and death filled environment – you get a sense of heart. Especially, with Marcus, the reluctant anti-hero just trying to do the right thing. It’s hands down the most well-produced series I’d seen at the convention.
Deadly Class premieres January 16, 2019 at 10PM on SYFY.
At New York Comic-Con this past weekend, author Deborah Harkness revealed that U.S. and Canadian viewers would be able to binge watch A Discovery of Witches on Sundance Now and Shudder this coming January 17, 2019.
Based on the first novel of her All Souls Trilogy, ADOW tells the story of alchemical historian Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer), a reluctant witch who discovers an enchanted manuscript at the Bodleian Library. She soon meets Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode), a geneticist and vampire who becomes her unlikely protector as other vampires, witches, and daemons seek her out for the mystical book.
During her NYCC panel, the Harkness talked about being on hand to preserve the authenticity of the novel.
“On of the things that I think helps us adults is to suspend our disbelief is a feeling of authenticity and grounded-ness, so even if it is about you know witches, demons, and vampires, it’s still set very much in our world and it needs to reflect that in a way.”
She also discussed the casting process and what she was looking for in her in the lead actors.
“For me the first thing was that they had to be phenomenal actors because I think that these roles, or really any roles that delve into the supernatural that again push the boundaries on what it means to be human whether it’s a superhero or a witch or a vampire. I think it’s so crucial that the actors themselves are able to take it seriously. I think as an audience member you sorta almost smell it if the magic is sort of held in a distance. And so that demands a really strong acting talent I think to be able to take that on and in the case of this cast it was just phenomenal to see them take on the characters and take on the material and then to run with it and expound it.”
For more on the panel, check out our video below:
Attendees were also treated to a screening of the first episode of the series which was an immense treat. As a huge fan of the books it was wonderful to see the world come to life with both Palmer and Goode standing out in their respective roles. The pilot beautifully captured the aesthetic and tone of the novel, with gorgeous backdrops and striking locations. The first season will cover the first book and is comprised of eight episodes. Currently the show is already airing in the UK on Sky One and streamed through NOW TV.
Filming was done at Wolf Studios Wales and on location in Oxford and Venice. Kate Brooke (Mr. Selfridge) penned adaptation for television and also serves as executive producer along with Jane Tranter (Doctor Who, The Night Of), Julie Gardner (Doctor Who, The Night Of), Lachlan MacKinnon, and Deborah Harkness. The series also stars Alex Kingston, Louise Brealey, Owen Teale, Valerie Pettiford, Elarica Johnson, Trevor Eve, Greg McHugh, Tanya Moodie, Lindsay Duncan, Trystan Gravelle, Aisling Loftus, Daniel Ezra, Malin Buska, Greg Chillin, Aiysha Hart, and Edward Bluemel.
Excited yet? Here’s the trailer to tide you over until January 17!
This past weekend Freeform’s mermaid-centric show Siren was at New York Comic Con and screened their first teaser for the series second season. The Workprint got a chance to sit down with the cast (Fola Evans-Akingbola, Alex Roe, and Eline Powel) and creators (Emily Whitesell, Eric Wald) to find out what else we can expect when the series returns on January 24, 2019.
As a quick refresher, season 1 of Siren ended with only one mermaid left on land and the big reveal that not only is Helen part mermaid, but she is also related to Ben. If you were worried that this mermaid show would be lacking in the mermaid department in its sophomore season you can let out a sigh of relief.
Emily Whitesell: We’re gonna tell you some stuff because we want fans to be excited! You will see more mermaids come to land and there are also more other… well, Helen, for instance, is part mermaid and believed she was the only one on land so that may happen to. So we have a lot of exciting things going on.
Speaking of Helen, we will get to see the relationship between her and her distant relative Ben develop more deeply throughout the season:
Alex Roe: Helen’s that person that has always been a believer and an outsider in a similar way to Ben but in her own way on another level. I think Ben has a lot of respect for her because of that and I think that as they need to work together in some way to figure out however whether these mermaids are gonna be dangerous, peaceful, why they’re here… that relationship and that mutual respect is gonna help them figure this stuff out and obviously her family connections and that will be explored too and what that means to Ben.
Besides new mermaids, another new addition to Season 2 is Maddie’s mother (played by Garcelle Beauvais) and her arrival will have a huge impact on Maddie’s story arc throughout the season.
Fola Evans-Akingbola: Maddie’s obviously left in very painful place with this fracture with Ben and the confusion about how she’s feeling about Ryn then her mom coming back becomes, for a little bit of time, a more pressing challenge. That’s not to say this doesn’t matter to her. It really does. She’d rather probably be spending her time with Ben and Ryn but her mom is a difficult presence in her life and is bad and that kinda distracts her a bit I think.
While we are on the topic of Ryn and Maddie, I obviously had to ask Evans-Akingbola and Powel if we should expect to see any sweet lady kisses this season:
Evans-Akingbola: We can’t tell you! We can’t confirm nor deny but I think they both enjoyed it. I think we can’t give it away but I think the definitely the throuple is explored more and that’s all we can say. Sorry, that’s so boring.
I don’t know about you guys, but that answer screams a big ol’ “Yes” to the possibility of some more Ryn/Maddie action.
One of the most interesting and fun tidbits, while not explicitly related the upcoming season, is that the show shoots their rescue center scenes at an actual marine rescue center in Vancouver, Canada. Not only that, but the show has actually kept the center afloat (pun intended).
Whitesell: And we are so proud of the fact that that rescue center you see on the show, we are able to with some of our production money to keep that place going. It was about to shut down when we started the pilot and we were able to help them stay open and we are really proud of that.
Watch the full interviews with the cast and creators below!
At New York Comic Con 2018, Hulu brought out the cast and crew of their sophomore series, Marvel’s The Runaways.
Season 2 of Marvel’s The Runaways finds the Alex (Rhenzy Feliz), Nico (Lyrica Okano), Carolina (Virginia Gardner), Gert (Ariela Barer), Chase (Gregg Sulkin), and Molly (Allegra Acosta) as actual runaways after spending the first season of the show investigating the truth behind their parents secret cult and horrific actions.
The Workprint got a chance to sit down with Virginia Gardner to discuss Karolina’s alien powers, her struggle to learn more about who she is, and what it’s like to become an on-screen gay icon.
Virginia Gardner: Awesome! In real life, it’s crazy because I’m just covered in tracking dots all the time. It looks like I have a weird version of the chickenpox, but it ends up looking great on TV.
How does it feel to be a gay icon?
Virginia Gardner: Amazing! It was always Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s intention to write out the relationship of Nico and Karolina from the beginning, but we were like “we need to push this!” Lyrica and I read the comics and we shipped Nico and Karolina, as most people do. We were really pushing to have that explore this season and it’s explored so much more compared to last season to the point where Karolina and Nico are living above Alex in a bedroom. I really throw it in Alex’s face that I stole his girl. It’s really awesome to explore that. Representation I think is so important and the fan response has been really, really amazing. It’s great!
Carolina discovers she’s an alien in Season 1. How does that play into Season 2?
Virginia Gardner: In Season 1, Karolina was afraid to embrace her sexuality and her alien side. In Season 2, she stops caring about that. The group is living on their own now. They aren’t worried about living up to any expectations their parents may have placed on them. This season they’re fully embracing everything about themselves.
The other Runaways don’t need anything from their parents, but Karolina has just learned about her alien side. How will this affect her in Season 2?
Virginia Gardner: She is kind of sneaking around a little bit to try and develop a relationship with her dad without the other Runaways knowing. I do think she does get isolated this season because she is the only one who does need that relationship. It’s very easy for the rest of them to label Jonah as evil, but for Karolina, that is her dad and she needs to learn where she came from from him. I don’t think it is as easy for her to just label him as broadly. This season she really has a push and pull with what the relationship will be.
What can we expect from the group dynamic in Season 2?
Virginia Gardner: We are a family, so you can expect some fights. There is a lot of disagreements, but a lot of love also. What separates our show from a lot of other Marvel shows is that it is not just action. It feels like a family show, a teen drama still. You get a lot of heartwarming episodes this year as well. Not just actiony.
With Karolina getting used to her powers this season, will we see her powers grow?
Virginia Gardner: Yes! There is so much more flying this season. Everyone is honing in on their powers and seeing what they are capable of. Karolina, especially, has a full arc this season of discovering what she can do. By S2E12 she becomes fully aware of what her powers are capable of, but she’s not maxed out on what she can do. She’s definitely, really growing and learning what she was born with.
Season 2 of Marvel’s The Runaways will air on Hulu on December 21.
Space Phrasing. Yes, that’s a confirmed gag in the tenth season of FXX’s Archer. Because this season, as hinted by last year’s finale, is set in the final frontier: space.
Featured as the last panel at NYCC, the preview of Archer:1999 was a befitting send-off to the con, filled with science fiction tropes inspired by movie classics such as Alien, The Last Starfighter, and Star Wars.
Moderating the panel was the show’s executive producer, Matt Thompson. He did a good job answering questions from fans while interviewing/riffing his cast.
“Ready to see a bunch of tight-knit group of people being shitty towards each other?!” – Matt Thompson, as he addresses the audience.
Featured, were cast members H. Jon Benjamin (Archer), Aisha Tyler (Lana), Amber Nash (Pam), Chris Parnell (Cyril), and Lucky Yates (Krieger). Arriving late in attendance, with a standing ovation from fans, was Jessica Walter (Malory). The panel was hilarious. With H. Jon Benjamin being made fun of for selling out via Arby’s money, and Aisha Tyler being acerbically witty in comedic deliberation – calling bullshit, but also keen on sensitive issues. Even Jessica Walters joined in on some of the raunchy jokes of her cohorts.
The season premiere preview started with Archer and Malory aboard a space vessel – the crew tucked away in stasis lock. It begins like the movie ‘Alien’, with Archer as Captain and Malory as a sort of guiding light. A literal ball of energy this season. Though still very much herself.
“She’s Malory inside the ball and she’s Malory outside the ball. She’s got balls.” – Jessica Walter, on her character for season 10.
They dock with a mysterious ship, though it’s less rescue mission, and more Malory seeking to be space pirates. Things go awry, the crew awakens, and there’s your typical group debacle – broken by an encounter with an adorable little green alien (Portrayed by Sam Richardson).
This season, Archer and Lana are divorced. She’s really having at it with him, taking ownership of half his things, including the ship. Aisha Tyler joking, that she’s pooling from her own recent experiences.
Malory is an energy being. Though it seems she can change appearance into her human form. Despite this, she’s still very much herself. Malory is temperamental, judgmental, slightly vain, and yet ever cunning; above all else – kickass.
Krieger has turned full android. Fully embracing the role of Bishop this season. Though it’s also implied in the panel, that he’s gone full Ken Doll in the genital region. Yet, an enthusiastic Lucky Yates implied, there must be attachments for his character; some assembly required. After all, this is Krieger we’re talking about.
Speaking of which, Barry makes a return, though is a full-on robot. Part of me wishes this means he’ll be more like HAL 9000, but we’ll have to wait and see. Likewise, Brett is also making a return. Fans will remember him as the loveable coworker who always misfortunately gets shot (I hope he’s a Greedo look-alike that gets shot in the series).
Finally, Pam is a rock monster. A literal gigantic rock monster. One of the running jokes, according to Amber Nash, is how Pam seemingly sizes up every season. This year, seeing her most massive form to date. We learn in episode 2, that Rock Monster Pam can also, in fact, get boners – though not a physical one. Her species, whatever that may be, emits an overpowering stench when aroused. A running joke for the season is that you can smell Pam’s boners.
A noticeable feature of this panel was just how friendly the cast members were with the fans. There were returning Q&A questioners from last year and even some from SDCC in attendance. One of whom created a shirt for H. Jon Benjamin that said: “I Love Jessica Walters”. An attendee even requested the cast autograph a piece of artwork for her, which Matt Thompson obliged. I’ve never seen this sort of heartwarming fan service. The ‘Archer’ crew truly loves their fans.
H. Jon Benjamin and Aisha Tyler borrowed a fellow fan’s custom made glasses for Comic Con. You can see them scroll out ‘Danger Zone’.
- New York, NY - 10/5/18 - Netflix and Chills Panel at New York Comic Con 2018 featuring Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
-Pictured: Chance Perdomo, Michelle Gomez, Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Miranda Otto, Kiernan Shipka
-Photo by: Marion Curtis / StarPix for Netflix
-Location: Jacob Javitz Center
October is truly Sabrina’s month as the cast and showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa attended New York Comic-Con to bring the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to excited fans. Based on the comic book series from Archie comics, the Netflix show tells the coming of age story of Sabrina Spellman, a half-witch half-mortal young woman (Kiernan Shipka), who must choose on her sixteenth birthday between the magical world of her family and the ordinary human one of her friends.
During their press conference, Aguirre-Sacasa (who also helms Riverdale) talks about how there is a strong genre element on both shows with Riverdale having crime, pulp, and noir while Sabrina has horror. The latter is a lot darker but also in some ways more innocent. The showrunner also told press that in his mind the two series are in the same universe and there is a possibility of a crossover in the future. This obviously needs to happen.
When asked about her character’s coming of age narrative, Shipka said, “It’s really amazing to play a character who is coming into her own and finding her strength. As a character, as a person, I find Sabrina to be extremely brave, extremely selfless. She is so kick ass and cool I would want to be friends with her in real life in a heartbeat. I would want to get lunch with her and she could teach me a few things. Still at the same time she’s got so much to learn and that’s why it’s so much fun to play her because she’s equal parts human and witch and that’s an interesting route to go down. And just playing around with that duality and making her a complex person, just as she figures things out as she goes in these kind of crazy situations, it’s so fun.”
We also learned about Michelle Gomez’s audition as she plays both high school teacher Mary Wardell and the villainous Madam Satan. The actress came in to read with her hair neatly in a bun with glasses on then quickly took off the frames and undid her hair to portray the antagonistic character.
To see the entire press conference, watch the video below.
At their New York Comic-Con panel, the pilot episode was screened and it definitely delivers the chills and thrills. Sabrina evokes a sense of foreboding as the heroine must soon decide what world she wants to live in but is determined to do things on her terms. The show’s tone is a dark comedy yet addresses a lot of relevant and important issues such as bullying. While the satanic witch/warlock aspects are a large part of the series, it’s balanced out by the relationships that Sabrina has with her family and friends. We also got to see Salem and fans will be surprised to see how the furry feline is portrayed. If the rest of the episodes are anything like the first one, Netflix has a solid show on their hands and I am looking forward to binge watching the whole thing come October 26.
Series synopsis:
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, starring Kiernan Shipka, imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, this adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit. Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who also serves as chief creative officer of Archie Comics, penned the script for the series. Aguirre-Sacasa executive produces alongside Riverdale collaborators Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater and Lee Toland Krieger. The drama hails from Warner Bros. Television-based Berlanti Productions.
At New York Comic Con 2018, Hulu brought out the cast and crew of their sophomore series, Marvel’s The Runaways.
Season 2 of Marvel’s The Runaways finds the Alex (Rhenzy Feliz), Nico (Lyrica Okano), Carolina (Virginia Gardner), Gert (Ariela Barer), Chase (Gregg Sulkin), and Molly (Allegra Acosta) as actual runaways after spending the first season of the show investigating the truth behind their parents secret cult and horrific actions.
The Workprint got a chance to sit down with Ariela Barer to discuss Gert’s journey thus far, what to expect in season two, and what it’s like to push a dinosaur around in a shopping cart.
Were there any changes in how Old Lace was depicted on-screen in Season 2?
Ariela Barer: Everything was pretty much the same but there is one pretty big change that is a huge plot spoiler. I can’t tell you. At one point she does have a different skin. I’ll tell you that much.
When you’re pushing the cart, what’s actually in there?
Barer: There are a couple of takes where there is a full puppet in there and I was really struggling. I remember watching playback and there are some scenes where I’m really far behind. We have two versions of the puppet – a full one and a blocking one that is not as heavy. For the very wide drone shots, the cart was filled with balloons.
How did you like the dynamic of the relationship between Gert and Chase that developed over the course of Season 1?
Barer: I kind of love it. I love the slow burn. I love that I got to be the girl unapologetically chasing the guy. She got to be the quirky, hopeless romantic and not feel shamed for it. I don’t think she ever feels like she’s in the wrong for pursuing what someone would dub “out of her league.” She knows what she wants and she pursues it. Gert is a strong lady who goes after what she wants. I was really happy she got her way.
What can we expect from the relationship between Molly and Gert in Season 2 now that the parents are out of the way?
Barer: It is a very interesting dichotomy between the two ways their stories are progressing. Molly never had parents and Gert just lost her parents, but it is still very different what they’re going through. They both are rediscovering family in a new way that I think together is very, very powerful, but there is also a separation that they both haven’t figured out yet that is very interesting to see throughout the season.
Now that you guys are runaways, is it a different feeling like you’re in the meat of it?
Barer: Definitely! The stakes are way higher. Last year was the investigation of all these things possibly happening and now they are happening. It is life and death. Definitely the stakes are higher. It’s a teen drama still, but it’s definitely under different circumstances. We don’t really have time to think, “Does this person like this person? Are we doing this?” Everything is out on the line right now and we’re discovering the truths about people really quick. It’s scary. What they do in the later episodes is stunning. The writers trusted us this year with a ton of intense material that I’m excited about.
How is Gert’s anxiety influence the team dynamics with the group now living in the hostel?
Barer: It definitely influences the team dynamic, especially when we are learning to be superheroes – when we are training and doing missions. It’s really hard for Gert to adjust to this new lifestyle.
Season 2 of Marvel’s The Runaways will air on Hulu on December 21.
- New York, NY - 10/5/18 - Netflix and Chills Panel at New York Comic Con 2018 featuring The Haunting of Hill House
-Pictured: Kate Siegel, Victoria Pedretti, Elizabeth Reaser, Henry Thomas, Carla Gugino, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Michael Huisman
-Photo by: Patrick Lewis / StarPix for Netflix
-Location: Jacob Javitz Center
At New York Comic-Con this year, Netflix’s terror game was spectacularly on point with The Haunting of Hill House. Cast members Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Victoria Pedretti were on hand to discuss the upcoming series that comes out on the streaming service October 12.
The show is a modern retelling of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 gothic horror novel of the same name centering around siblings who grew up in the most haunted house in the country. The Haunting of Hill House will have two timelines following the kids and their parents as they occupy Hill House and then flashing forward to the group as adults after a tragic event strikes and forces them to deal with the ghosts of their past.
During their press conference, cast members talked about what a pleasure it was to work with director/producer Mike Flanagan (Hush, Oculus, Gerald’s Game) who helms the series. They also teased how audiences can expect something different from the book as themes, concepts and colors are shattered, but at the same time there will still be language and characters from the novel that die-hard fans will see in a new light.
Watch the full press conference:
During their panel, fans were treated to some sneak peaks that were truly scary as heck with one scene depicting the youngest brother going down a dumbwaiter into a small and very dark cellar. He moves his flashlight around telling his sister who come down and get him when he suddenly sees a hand come out from behind a box. His flashlight then starts to flicker out as we begin to see a horrific looking dismembered body making its way to him. Sufficient to say most in the audience were freaked out. Another scene shows a young girl who’s fallen asleep on the couch with Carla Gugino’s mother tiptoeing away from her child. As the older woman disappears from view, the girl wakes up paralyzed with fear as a terrifying ghost woman hovers above her.
NYCC attendees were also treated to a first glimpse of the Bent Neck Lady ghoul as the session ended with ten of them appearing on stage while the room was still dark from the scene screening. Needless to say this is the perfect show to binge watch just in time for Halloween.
Series Synopsis:
A modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s iconic novel, The Haunting of Hill House explores a group of siblings who, as children, grew up in what would go on to become the most famous haunted house in the country. Now adults, and forced back together in the face of tragedy, the family must finally confront the ghosts of their past — some of which still lurk in their minds while others may actually be stalking the shadows of Hill House. Created, directed and executive-produced by horror mastermind Mike Flanagan (Hush, Oculus, Gerald’s Game), The Haunting of Hill House is a complex family drama wrapped in a chilling horror story.
Trevor Macy serves as executive producer alongside Flanagan. Meredith Averill acts as co-showrunner and executive producer. Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank executive produce, as well. The series debuts on Netflix October 12.
Season 2 of Runaways might not return until December 21st, but the cast and creators of the series surprised NYCC 2018 con goers with a special screening of the premiere. The season begins right on the heels of where the inaugural season left off, with the teens on the run and trying to figure out how to live on their own.
Pride has a new evil headquarters
With their children on the run, Pride needs to set up a new evil headquarter. I mean how else can they keep track of their offspring who are dubbed as fugitives due to their parents accusing them of murder and kidnapping? Anywho, the digs that Pride picks is the swanky nonprofit poverty charity they run for those in need in LA. (But seriously as someone who has worked in their share of nonprofits… this is not what they normally look like.)
The teens experience the dark underbelly of the city they have lived in their whole lives
Speaking of those in need in LA, this is the world that our Runaways now live in. They are no longer in the safety net of the privileged life they grew up in. They are thrown into the real world with no money, no resources, and most importantly no support. They are forced to eat at soup kitchens (which incidentally are run by Prides charity work) and sleep beneath the underpasses of LA.
We are finally introduced to the Hostel
But alas, the days of living beneath underpasses do not last for long as the Runaways quite literally stumble upon a mansion hidden inside/beneath the hills of Los Angeles (LA folks, are hidden hill mansions a real thing?). Fans of the comic will immediately recognize these new digs as The Hostel, and though there may not be electricity or running water, it is still a place to call home.
Nico and Karolina are still going strong
You didn’t think I would have a post about the premiere of Runaways without mentioning how Rainbowbrite and the Wiccan are doing, did you? They are going strong, even if Alex is still wrapping his head around Karolina “stealing his girl.” (News flash… she was never his girl). Be prepared to see comforting back caresses, hugs, and possibly sweet lady kisses when Runaways returns.
Alex has a possible new love interest
Alex doesn’t seem to mope over Nico for too long because as soon as he meets Darius’s sister-in-law, pink hearts start popping out of his eyes and he is all like “Nico who?”
The following is NSFW and contains explicit content. Discretion advised.
Easily SYFY’s most offensive show, HAPPY! is a beautiful sort of train wreck. It’s heinous and horrendous, yet hard to look away – it’s just that engaging. Based on the graphic novel by acclaimed writer Grant Morrison and illustrator Darick Robertson, Happy is the story of Nick Sax (Christopher Meloni), an ex-cop turned hitman and his partner/imaginary friend HAPPY! (Patton Oswalt), a talking animated unicorn.
Last season, Happy requested Nick’s help in finding Haley, Nick’s kidnapped daughter, and Happy’s original companion. This led to a season-long arc of fatherhood redemption, though one involving drug use, mob wars, a furry orgy, strap-on anal penetration and a whole lot of gratuitous violence and nudity.
Did I mention that the show is extreme and NSFW?
“Am I the only one who thinks this is fucking crazy?!” – Moderator of the NYCC 2018 panel, Michael Ausiello.
We sat in during the panel on Saturday afternoon at NYCC. Joined by executive producers Patrick Macmanus, Brian Taylor and Grant Morrison himself, the panel discussed expectations for season 1 while answering questions from fans. The primary cast, also in attendance, were Christopher Meloni, Lili Mirojnick (Det. Meredith McCarthy), Medina Senghore (Amanda Hansen), Ritchie Coster (Francisco Scaramucci), Patrick Fischler (Smoothie) and Christopher Fitzgerald (Sonny Shine). Also in the audience, was Very Bad Santa (Joseph D. Reitman) and Bryce Lorenzo who plays Nick’s daughter, Haley.
Christopher Meloni and the series creators summarized that the primary goal is to make a show that on a scale of 1 to 10 of what’s possible, dials it up to 11. To go where no other show has gone before per say, but mostly in the most offensive way possible.
Where season 1 explored themes of Christmas and featured ‘Really Bad Santa’ as the primary antagonist, season 2 will be dedicated to Easter. The creators jokingly admitted that wanted to pick a holiday no one wanted around. Perhaps for every season. Though they also jokingly admitted, that ‘President’s Day’ didn’t sound that awful of an idea.
Perhaps the best way to describe the trailer and discussion for this season is that it’s everything deranged about season one, except more. With bloody violence, exploding nuns, Smoothie’s skinned victims, inconceivable fights of all sorts, tasteless nudity (Expect some full frontal this year, particularly, of men), and more gimps – this time, of Easter bunnies.
Because Easter is the Holiday theme this year.
This season, the show will focus more on other characters arcs beyond Nick’s story. Amanda Hansen, Nick’s ex-wife, allegedly having a prominent arc and new love interest. While Detective Meredith McCarthy, allegedly really comes into her own this season. Also promising in this season: we will have an episode dedicated to Smoothie’s origin story. Maybe find out why he’s like a living Ken Doll in that he’s lacking genitals.
There will be special cameos this year. Notably, from Weird Al Yankovic, but also implied is a possible return from Billy West – renown voice actor in the animation world.
Finally, we conclude that this year, Happy… becomes a teenager. What that entails? We don’t know but we’re dying to find out (It’s probably gross).
Amazon’s six-part mini-series ‘Good Omens’ is a fun end of the world adventure. Adapted from the acclaimed novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, the series is a comedy adventure starring Michael Sheen as Aziraphale, a well-mannered angel living on earth, and David Tennant as Crowley, a rebellious demon compatriot/frenemy/best friend, also living on earth.
Whereas heaven and hell prepare for the upcoming apocalypse, Aziraphale and Crowley sort of want things to stay the same. As they enjoy the way things are.
The NYCC 2018 panel was a unique experience. More like a concert than a panel in the large Hulu theatre in Madison Square Garden, it opened with an anthem of Queen in the backdrop – fans raising cellphones and rocking out as the participants came on stage. Moderated by the phenomenal Whoopie Goldberg, she discussed the long-awaited series with showrunner Neil Gaiman, director Douglas MacKinnon, and an all-star cast of Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Miranda Richardson, and Jon Hamm.
Here are some highlights from Saturday Morning’s exciting panel:
Utilizing Queen (which was in the trailer) was an inside joke between Neil and Terry. As they joked that any random cassette left in a car over a long period of time, inevitably turned into the best of Queen. That there was something appealing about Bohemian Rhapsody turning into the literal voice of hell.
Much of the panel were fans of Neil’s previous works, but the sheer boldness of the script just compelled David Tennant and Miranda Richardson.
David Tennant was also very excited to be “Ginger”.
Tennant mentioned in the QA, what was fascinating to him about the show was the tone of the series. How the bizarre and extraordinary crashes into the mundane.
Michael Sheen likewise agreed, mentioning that in the middle of the story is two extraordinary beings trying to be human, when it’s evident, how they’re not.
Tennant and Sheen’s chemistry on screen and in-person is magnetic. With both agreeing that one of their favorite episodes to work on was episode 3, where see the duo’s relationship build throughout the entirety of all of time itself.
Jon Hamm’s approach in playing the angel Gabriel: “To be a boss so certain of his correctness even though he was wrong… something we can all relate to today (referring to our political administration).”
Throughout the morning, Hamm unabashedly joked several times “I did this for the money”. Going so far as to admit his favorite part about shooting “Was the paycheck! Amazon are Rich!”
Several clips from the show were played for the panel. The first was some cinematic shots and some riffing between Aziraphale and Crowley on music tastes. The second, was Hamm as the Angel Gabriel at a library, completely misconstruing human behavior, and asking for the pornography – because that’s what humans do at libraries, according to ill-informed right hands to God.
One of the noted changes from book to screen was the footnotes, as the TV can’t feature them. What the series does to compensate, is explain things through the voice of God (Played by Francis McDormand).
One of the reasons Gaiman adapted the series into a tv show was that it was one of his good friend and co-author, Terry Pratchett’s final wishes. Pratchett sadly passed in 2015 from complications of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Finally, the panel concluded with the trailer which you can see here.
Warner Bros. has wasted no time with their big announcements ahead of New York Comic Con.
Ahead of the world premiere of Titans, Brendan Fraser and Kaley Cuoco took to the stage to make two big announcements.
Fraser revealed that Matt Bomer (White Collar, American Horror Story, The Normal Heart) has also joined the Doom Patrol team. Bomer will provide the voiceover performance for the character of Negative Man, and he will also appear as Larry Trainor in flashback scenes. Matthew Zuk has been cast in the role of Negative Man, and he will provide the physical performance of the character on set in costume.
In addition to Fraser and Bomer, Doom Patrol stars Joivan Wade as Victor Stone/Cyborg, Timothy Dalton as Niles Caulder/The Chief, April Bowlby as Elasti-Woman, Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane and Alan Tudyk as Mr. Nobody.
Warner Bros. Animated revealed the first trailer for upcoming animated series Harley Quinn, with none other than The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco voicing the titular character.
Cuoco will be joined by a strong voice cast which includes comedic talents such as Lake Bell (In a World…, Wet Hot American Summer series, Childrens Hospital), Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Ron Funches (Powerless), JB Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Wanda Sykes (Black-ish), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Natalie Morales (Bojack Horseman), Jim Rash (Mike Tyson Mysteries), Diedrich Bader (Veep), Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep), Chris Meloni (Happy!, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).
Bojack Horseman Season five deconstructs its eponymous character, examining the glorification of abusive yet tragically flawed men in entertainment.
Five seasons in and you’d think Bojack would be redeemable by now. He’s not a bad person but he’s not exactly a good one either. His repertoire of sins goes so far as to destroy the careers of the people that believed in him. Or ruining the relationships by sleeping with, or at least trying to hook up with, friend’s significant others. Usually in moments of weakness – which is a shallow way of justifying Bojack’s behavior.
But Bojack has also done good things. He comes through for his friends now and then – especially when they need it the most, built an orphanage, and showed that he could be a decent father.
It’s humanizing in a way. Bojack’s intentions are often honorable, yet his actions tend to execute otherwise – often backfiring, failing, or hurting the very people he cares deeply about. Bojack is a toxic person. But what’s captivating about the series is how much he doesn’t mean to be. His actions, shitty as they may be, are justified by his dramatic backstory. In what is one of the most authentic depictions of self-abuse and addiction portrayed on TV.
The show is this metanarrative struggle about how difficult it is to change. How easily susceptible we are to the downward spiral. Granted, we don’t always go on a luxurious drug-induced bender like Bojack, but slipping is something everyone can relate to.
Bojack is needy, severely depressed and above all else: incredibly lonely. He lives with the guilt of being… himself. It’s humanizing to a fault. Which is odd given that the series is a dark comedy about anthropomorphic animals working in the entertainment industry. Though it’s this sort of tragedy that makes the series so compelling.
Last year, Bojack had a bit of a redemptive story arc taking a break from the bustle of Hollywoo and beginning the steps toward healing. Mostly, as a result of coming to terms with his parents and playing reluctant father himself, for a little.
His friends and support system, all started their own unique arcs toward success that ironically, showcased some of the cracks in their characterization and relationships. Maybe it wasn’t just Bojack? The tone of the series is very much about how susceptible we are to unhappiness. That life is variably complex and wallowingly sad. Especially when self-reflecting upon wanting to change.
There is a beautiful sadness in having everything yet finding meaning in absolutely nothing. It’s very Hollywood in style, with art and themes of the artificiality that is the entertainment industry. How easy it is to demonize ourselves to justify shitty behavior.
The series has gotten so popular, in an unprecedented move, Comedy Central has syndicated the Netflix series. With good reason, as without a doubt, I’ll say Bojack Horseman is one of the most enticing dramas I’ve watched on television. And I don’t say that lightly.
Bojack Horseman Season 5
Season 5 starts with Bojack on a TV set shooting, ‘Philbert’. It’s sort of a parody of dramatic crime shows, self-referential meta-fiction and a whole lot of dramatic tropes in between. There’s a lot of allusions to CSI, procedurals being set in almost every setting imaginable (Think walking dead and 24 level apocalypse situations), and even Mr. Robot (With a not so subtle Rami Malek cameo this season poking fun at himself). What’s ironic is that the set is a replica of Bojack’s home – creating this blurred line between reality and fiction – of its character participants.
It’s brilliant in its self-referencing drama. With one major arc being that Bojack, as he spirals yet again, cannot differentiate between reality and fiction. Though why should he? The show glamorizes his behavior and character – this flawed person established the past four seasons, and in a brilliant and unprecedented way…
Ties it into the #MeToo movement.
That’s right. This season takes this flawed character we’ve grown to love and puts him smack into the middle of his own #MeToo situation. Which is fitting to the tone of the show, but it’s also unprecedented because we start to look at it from the lens of the abusers and the culture of Hollywood itself – often how hypocritical it can be, and how it glamorizes overt sexuality in the context of character development.
In the season opener, we see BoJack complain to director Flip Mcvicker (Rami Malek) as his co-star/girlfriend Gina (Stephanie Beatriz), critiques the series as “gratuitous and male gazey”, particularly with it’s oversexualized portrayal of female characters (Think Game of Thrones seasons 1-3). As a result, they cut some of the other female sex scenes, then call for nipple ice as they immediately focus on a full frontal nude scene for Gina herself – because it’s acceptable if the nudity is character-centric as it develops context.
In another episode entitled, “BoJack the Feminist” BoJack accidentally calls out his co-star Vance Waggoner (Bobby Cannavale), a character designed to be the worst of Robert Downey Jr., Louis CK, and Mel Gibson combined. Bojack is praised once he realized that that problem with feminism is that “men weren’t doing it”. He ironically becomes the face of the feminist movement.
Later on, Diane is hired to make Philbert more rounded and represent women better, only to be shafted and put in a corner office meant to keep quiet. And even though her eventual breakdown and efforts to fix the show lead to great success of the series – she’s never given any serious credit.
This season is all about how women don’t get a say in the entertainment industry. How belittled they are by their male cohorts. Gina is not at all happy about how the events of this season unfold yet continues to fake smile and press forward because “Philbert” for better or worse, is the highlight of her career.
In a not so subtle joke, Todd gets in yet another wacky adventure and creates a literal sex robot in a naive attempt of helping a friend. Hilarious antics ensue as always in a Todd B-story, but what’s most disturbing is that the sex robot fails upward to become the head CEO of the company producing Philbert, in a direct reference to how easy it is for these Weinstein like sexual predators, to succeeded where women have always struggled.
Style
Featured in ‘INT. SUB’ where an entire episode is told from the perspective of a therapist (Wanda Sykes) and her partner (Issa Rae). The titular characters replaced by made up aliases – though still animated.
For five seasons, we’ve watched Bojack Horseman, this washed-up TV actor that more than resembles Bob Sagat, struggle with addiction and the inability to be happy. Though rather than continue episode-by-episode in sitcom or even traditional story drama format, the series has very much utilized its animation medium and unique sense of writing.
The season cliffhanger drives the writing. Season one goes into two with filming Secretariat, this dream project about BoJack’s hero and perhaps his last shot at being a serious actor. Two into three, was BoJack’s Oscar push, this idea that the award would finally be something of meaning in his life. Four was a bit of a damage control break. Featuring the Hollyhock storyline and finally seeing the environment BoJack was raised in. We understand just how damaged his family was and how he ended up that way.
But it’s more than BoJack’s main arcs. Over the years, we’ve seen Princess Carolyn develop as she’s gone from ace agent to an older woman, struggling with starting a family of her own and not know how to balance the act. She’s doing her best to adopt a child this season, and we get snippets into her own backstory. It is subtle yet impassioned, as we realize Carolyn comes from simple roots, and see that she’s spent a lifetime managing other people. Her success, necessitated out of her own survival of being an independent person – though one that’s often just as lonely as BoJack.
Mr. Peanutbutter and Diane’s stories have always been a gem of seeing the difficulties of marriage. This season has them finally divorced yet still developing on their own. In a hilarious Halloween party episode, that takes us through several time-sensitive and pun-filled flashbacks, we see that the gallant yet happy-go-lucky Mr. Peanutbutter has always had his own developmental problem. His childlike positivity comes at the cost of his own ability to grow up and take responsibility.
Diane goes to find herself this season, traveling to Vietnam to find her roots in an episode styled like sex in the city or Eat. Pray. Love. Though its conclusion is sort of isolating. It’s oddly representational, having Allison Bree, a white woman, play a Vietnamese woman feeling isolated from her Vietnamese American family. The Bostonian roots feel more rooted in its anti-culture than any sort of familiarity with being Asian. The series feeling intentionally alienating.
And of course, there’s Todd. He’s coming to grips with his asexual identity, seeking partnership yet also still being… Todd. There’s an episode where he meets his asexual girlfriend’s family – who happens to be openly sex-positive, in one of the season’s funnier bits about sexual identity.
Though his episodes are heartwarming, Todd’s always played more of a fun B character who accentuates the more prominent story arcs. This season, Todd rises to a position of authority, mocking a problem with modern Hollywood. How brainless nobodies call the shots and how unfortunate that can be – particularly for women. This season is more about Todd’s reluctance to act or say anything against his new boss. A boss Todd built personally: his recently assembled then discarded sex robot, Henry Fondle (Todd built it for his friend, but he himself knows absolutely nothing about sex).
One of the prominent things about the series is how well the animation accompanies the writing in a unique blend in style. We’ve seen it time and time again. The show will play from a misleading point of view to fool the audience, like Princess Carolyn’s granddaughter from the future or Diane’s book that was never an actually written book, and showcase dominant themes about how artificiality and the dream itself – often a metaphor of Hollywoo culture – is much more influential than reality. Because life is bleak at times… So the animation leads us on a misleading adventure to help us forget.
Though the creators don’t shy away from more grounded stories. From the much acclaimed underwater episode, where BoJack wants desperately to apologize to Kelce for being fired and everything is shot without a line of dialogue, to this season’s “Free Churro” written as a three-act eulogy with no cutaways about BoJack’s now deceased mother, and how the death of a parent influences you… even if it’s a reviled parent.
Again, I can’t understate how powerfully dramatic this show is. Though I should also mention, perhaps the most memorable of the series’ episodes have been BoJack on his benders. Where reality blurs and we see him confronted by his manifested psychological issues – usually through drug-induced hallucinations. Last season, “Stupid Piece of Shit” was a beautiful blend of Bojack’s self-critical inner voice and animated scribble-like drawings of self-loathing – mostly while he was drunk.
But the most tragically beautiful and memorable, were BoJack’s episodes featuring Sarah Lynn. They usually include drug tripped hallucinations and time lapses, allowing for flexible storytelling. They also are some of the most powerful episodes of the series. We see BoJack, vulnerable and screwing up his life yet again – but in context, can also understand why he goes on these binges.
The damage it causes though… it’s horrible yet also, human.
#MeToo
Which is where the most humanizing and polarizing arc is in this season. BoJack gets into an accident this season, which leads into a season-long addiction to painkillers. We see him confronted with his identity. How glamorizing his shitty behavior and life choices, and then adapting it into a show about himself, which ironically is what the BoJack Horseman series is about: drives him insane.
BoJack loses who he is in the character. He is overworked, severely depressed, and his relationships are coming apart. Especially, once some of his past comes to light to haunt him…
He is alone. And in default BoJack fashion, we see him overindulge. This leads to some of his most reprehensible actions to date. BoJack assaults a woman. And it’s not funny. Though we also sort of understand the events that lead to him doing it…
Which is why this season is powerfully compelling.
Diane mentions towards the end of the season… that she didn’t expect her writing in ‘Philbert’ to glamorize the actions of shitty people. By making them human, and therefore, forgivable we normalize the culture into forgiving these monsters. As if everything they’d done was okay. It’s a bold statement about Hollywood. And we see the person we’ve come to truly feel for, in BoJack, do something utterly horrible. And we don’t know how to feel about it.
The Take
It took me a long time to write this. As someone that used to work in the mental health field, substance and sexual abuse are subjects I take to heart. I’ve seen many lives ruined by it. I’ve also heard many stories of redemption. Which is why I think season five was an essential message for the culture of entertainment. It addresses the topic abuse, both substance and sexualized, and reforms it into a critique of the entertainment world.
It is without a doubt, one of the most authentic depictions of self-abuse I have ever seen. Humanizing both the victims and the abusers, while making us realize how tragically flawed we can be.
Bojack Horseman makes us address our darker moments. How we deal with our indignities and the sins of our past. Life is complicated. It doesn’t always work out the way we think, and for the most part, we’re barely keeping it composed. But this season seals it. That all the drugs and debauchery and awards can never fill that void of guilt and isolation.
Because when you hate yourself so much. Because when you continuously question if any of us are good people? You have to acknowledge that there might be something broken inside. At least, I think so.
Bojack is an odd show about beautiful sadness. This season is as equally funny as it is depressingly captivating.
You can watch Bojack Horseman steaming on Netflix.
In the season four finale of Syfy’s Killjoys, the big showdown between Team Awesome Force and the Lady takes place inside the green and all hell breaks loose in the aftermath.
With Aneela in Dutch’s body and Dutch in the green, the Jaqobis brothers are forced to work with the woman they once viewed as enemy number one and it’s not exactly friendly. She tells them however that she needs to get to the active green pool in order to get Dutch out and destroy the Lady once and for all. They leave Westerley and head for her armada where Turin and what’s left of the R.A.C. are currently residing. Once on board, the trio make their way to Zeph’s lab where the scientist quickly realizes that “Dutch” is acting strange. Turin bursts in and explains she’s Aneela and he’s here to make her pay for her crimes having realized earlier who she truly was. Johnny and D’av though can’t allow the other man to kill her because they need her to get their teammate out of the green. As a compromise, the elder Jaqobis brother has Zeph give Turin the spore so that if they aren’t able to accomplish their mission he can still use it to kill the green and anyone connected to it.
Once the older man agrees to it, Johnny informs Aneela that he is going with them after the Hullen leader first said that she only needed D’av to enter green space with her because he is the one who can distract the Lady long enough for her to get them all out. Incidentally, we also learned during a conversation between Zeph and Aneela that the plasma works on a subatomic level akin to radio waves and the much older woman can manipulate the frequency mentally, which is how she is able to pull people in and out of the green (despite being in Dutch’s body and not her own). Meanwhile D’av wants to bring a gun but is told that all he needs is his abilities. Aneela explains to both men that the Lady is going to use their worst memories and weaknesses against them and so they must be prepared. She then pushes the elder Jaqobis brother into the plasma and he then wakes up shirtless inside Lucy. He is now reliving the scene when he went into universal soldier mode and was beating the crap out of Dutch. Eventually he is able to snap himself out of it though and realizes that this isn’t real and runs off to look for the real Dutch.
In the meantime, Dutch inside Aneela’s body is running around trying to bait the Lady to engage her when she comes upon a red box in the forest that she believes Khlyen left. When we see her next, she and Aneela have returned to their respective selves. The Hullen leader asks the Killjoy what’s in the box and Dutch says that it was empty, but she thinks her mentor meant it for his daughter. When Aneela opens it inside is an apple. She tells the other woman then to find the Jaqobis while she’ll keep the Lady occupied.
D’av is able to meet up with Dutch in the forest and he asks how he can be sure it’s really her. She gives him a big passionate kiss and that convinces him. They still need to find Johnny however and his brother figures out where he could possibly be. Baby bro is of course reliving his own worst moment which is Pawter’s death at the hands of Delle Seyah. He is able to stop the killer Scarbacks and takes Pawter outside of The Royale, insisting that they need to keep moving. It’s such an emotional moment for Johnny as he realizes that his love is actually still dead and that this isn’t real. The Lady wearing Pawter’s face (so amazing to have Sarah Power back even for just one episode!!) tells Johnny that this can be as real as he wants it to be and that he can just stay in here and love her forever. When he addresses the entity and asks what it wants, she says that she wants their memories. It’s apparently something that her own kind doesn’t have. The Lady explains that she wants something deeper that allows humans to remember connections to their past and to imagine their future. It’s what makes them so unique and vulnerable at the same time. Thankfully though, D’av and Dutch soon arrive and are there to provide emotional support as Johnny is forced to walk away from fictitious Pawter asking him to not to let her die again.
The trio then make their way towards Aneela and the Lady (who currently looks like Delle Seyah) but are temporarily blocked by Ferans with guns. Team Awesome Force then imagine themselves in the R.A.C. to get their own firepower. Once they return, a gun battle commences but they still appear to be out numbered. D’av then uses his Force-like abilities and says enough, dispelling the imaginary foes from their path with his ferocious poo face.
Meanwhile, the Lady has taken Aneela to the hidden chamber, the real one which currently resides inside the hidden planet that Dutch had visited and met the original Yalena, Khlyen’s wife. We find out that the Lady’s people had been ancient while she herself had been young and something happened that caused her to be the last of her kind. Then she discovered the original plasma pool. It was a way for nothing to be lost and everything to be remembered. Aneela realizes that the Lady is actually just a memory and that she only exists in the green now. That is some crazy stuff to have a being so powerful that even the lack of a physical form she is able to control the plasma and the Hullen to do her bidding. The Lady says that she just wants the same thing everyone else wants. She offers Aneela a chance to join her outside the green because she has big plans. As D’av, Dutch, and Johnny come closer the Lady makes her final offer to the other woman, getting her family back.
As the three Killjoys enter the ruins where Dutch, Aneela, and Khlyen once hid, D’av gets separated from them and then gets mind interrogated by the Lady (who now looks like the original Yalena). She’s trying to figure out where Jaq is but it’s a good thing he had that memory removed earlier. The Lady says that finding the heir is not for her, but for Aneela. She also adds that the other woman accepted an offer and Dutch’s doppelganger says that she’s going to get her family back – but not Khlyen or her mom, but Delle Seyah and Jaq. The Killjoy begs Aneela to reconsider and not to trust the Lady who wants to kill all of them. Their nemesis proclaims she just wants more time, more life, and a family of her own just as every living creature does. It’s a tense moment as Aneela apologizes, her parting words to Dutch to remember that she was here and she mattered.
The door to the hidden chamber closes and Johnny begins to angrily rant about how screwed they are and how the Lady will probably use the spore on the green just to spite them once she gets out. Dutch then realizes that Aneela meant for her to remember that in the real world she had been in this very chamber. She is then able to generate the deadly cylinder from that memory and hopes that Aneela is stalling for time for them to complete this mission. Dutch tosses in the spore into the green pool and the inner world begins to collapse. Outside the Lady asks what the other woman did because the pathways in and out are apparently open now. Aneela gleefully says maybe but she’ll make sure she never ever gets out. The two then engage in some good old-fashioned hand to hand combat. As the trio arrive, the find only Aneela slowly getting back to her feet and telling them they need to hurry. They all run and the camera pans to a wall where the real Aneela is unconscious. Oh crap! As she comes to the world around her is crumbling and she whispers papa with Khlyen then appearing behind.
Back on the armada, Dutch, Johnny and D’av have all made it out of the plasma just as the pool turns clear. The leader of Team Awesome Force stares at her own reflection desperately hoping that Aneela makes it out that just as she puts her hand over the surface another hand grabs it from the water.
In the next moment we see Johnny and Dutch cuddled in bed and he tells Yala that they’ve got to get up. They look to be inside The Royale with Yala as the bartended and Johnny her doting husband who works at the local plant. When Johnny steps outside, we see a much longer haired Turin who’s still surly as ever and Gared who appears to work along the younger Jaqobis at the plant. He accidentally runs into D’av (who is still a Killjoy) and they don’t seem to know each other. Dutch comes out with Johnny’s lunch and D and D give each other a flirtatious smile. We then see D’av’s comm and there is a warrant for Jaq Kin Rit whom he has also has no clue is his son. There is a voice over of a young girl saying that memories are not just where you’ve been but who you are and if I own that I own you and now that I am out I will own everyone. This isn’t just Old Town, but the Lady controlled version of it. There are tall buildings with ominous green smoke pouring out and a creepy little girl that looks to be possessed.
So obviously the Lady got out of the green and is now controlling a lot of people. The second storyline in this episode was the children that had been kidnapped from Westerley. We finally discover that they were used for very diabolical purposes, the spreading of some kind of disease. A majority of Old Town’s population got it and Zeph had to come up with an antidote or else the Nine were going to blast the settlement to bits to keep the virus from spreading. While the scientist was able to come up with a cure, there was a very unexpected result. She first tested it on Pree and when his fever went down he suddenly had no idea who Gared was. Nooooooooooo!!! This started happening to all the others and eventually even to Zeph herself. Initially the sickness put people in a coma though everything else was fine. So the Lady truly did want people’s memories and she had the Hullen bioengineer a nasty way to take it from humans. As she mentioned earlier, memories allow man to imagine their future and there must be some connection to that and Jaq’s unique ability to remember things that will happen in the future. The Lady must have a greater purpose for him than just as the first half Hullen born into the universe.
Next season will be the final one and it’s promising to be one hell of a ride to the very end. The preview shows us some intense scenes including Dutch beaten up, D’av pulling a gun at her, Johnny and Dutch kissing, an unknown woman screaming, and Delle Seyah with her glorious hair down shooting someone. It’s going to be so much fun to see this alternate life for all our favorite characters and whether or not they will be able to tell that something isn’t right with life.
Season four took us deep into the rabbit hole and now the good guys will face their biggest battle yet. I am though going to miss Aneela and hope she somehow managed to survive. She and Delle Seyah are simply great together and even she deserved a better ending. Yes, she killed a lot of people but in her final moments she tried to do the right thing. We saw so many new sides of Johnny, D’av, Delle Seyah, Zeph, Pip, Dutch, Aneela, and even Turin. Killjoys continues to bring audiences crazy plot twists, exciting and unexpected narratives, kick ass action, awesome visual effects, and razor sharp dialogue. The actors really brought their A game this season and we were moved to laugh, cry, and rejoice with them.
It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to this show next year but until then, bring out the hok to get us through the hiatus!
Killjoys airs on Syfy Fridays at 10/9c. Relive all the epic moments from seasons 1 – 3 now on VRV.
In the penultimate episode of Killjoys season four, we say good bye to a memorable character who departs in a blaze of glory while remaining in our collective hearts forever.
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SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SEASON 4 EPISODE 9
When we last left Pip, he was on his way back to Aneela’s armada with Zeph after she whisked him away from the rest of Team Awesome Force to prevent him potentially working on behalf of The Lady. She discovers that the spider that had entered his body while at the Necropolis fused with a part of his brain and is now keeping him alive. She tries a number of dangerous procedures and is able to disrupt the spider’s connection to his impulses to hopefully prevent further control from their green adversary. However, the insect wasn’t meant to live outside the green for long and so it’s also dying. Pip asks Zeph how long he’s got but she just answers that she’ll find a way once they are back on the armada and she has access to Aneela’s lab.
We first met Pippin “The Mouth” Foster in the first episode of season three with Dutch and D’av kidnapping him at the Veluvian Steam Baths on Leith . They Killjoys needed him to find a beacon that would help draw out an organized crime syndicate moving into the Quad. As a black marketeer, Pip is able to find the beacon and sets up a sale. However this was just an elaborate ruse because D and D were actually trying to lure the Hullen out of hiding.
We next see him in episode nine where his help is needed to find a device that would record memories. D’av and Zeph had come up with a plan to save Dutch and take Aneela out of the picture without killing the Hullen leader. They were going to plant a false memory of Dutch and D’av arguing about her going into one of the Hullen cubes alone in the green and that would hopefully trigger Aneela into going after the other woman. She would then be trapped inside the cube because Khlyen had designed the space to be a prison for his daughter. Their plan though also hinges on the Hullen Kitaan and initially they are able to implant the memory into her through D’av’s abilities. However, things get crazy after a knife that was keeping her paralyzed falls out and she accosts Pip, forcing him to fly Lucy to a planet with plasma so that she can warn her people about Team Awesome Force’s devious plan.
When war comes to the Quad, Pip is on Leith with Pree and the Ferans as they guard a device created by Johnny that would disable the tech on Hullen ships. In the aftermath Zeph and Pip end up on the Hullen occupied R.A.C. at the beginning of season four. The two are alone and all the other inhabitants have gone dormant as The Lady has been battling Aneela, Dutch, and Khlyen in the green. Eventually the scientist is able to hot wire a Black Root ship and they fly to Aneela’s armada where Turin, Fancy, Pree, Gared, and the rest of the good guys are. In order to find Dutch and the Jaqobis brothers, Zeph, Pip, and an ex-Scarback head to the Necropolis to find out what happened to the trio. Inside the tomb, a plasma spider gets into Pip’s body and he wakes up with no memory of what happened to him. The insect lays dormant though until Team Awesome Force (with young Jaq) are at Utopia. There The Lady makes a move and controls Pip into almost taking the heir to the Quad. He is knocked out and sedated with Zeph eventually flying him back to Aneela’s armada.
With the Hullen holding Westerley kids prisoners on the R.A.C., the good guys are trying to figure out a way to rescue them. Meanwhile, Zeph is also trying to figure out what the scars on Dutch’s back mean and the closest match she gets is an old Scarback language. She and Pip head to Eulogy to speak to Fairuza who tells them that the symbol is a Shadow Scar, the language of their dead. Apparently every Scarback creates their own to be carved on their body at their death. She goes on to say that each symbol tells a story and this particular one is actually a combination of three characters. They mean evolve, elixir, and the last one being disappear or dissolve. Zeph can’t understand why The Lady would carve that on Aneela and therefore on Dutch as well and tells Pip that she needs to think. This is code word for some intense love making and so the duo rent a room and get busy. The aftermath is actually a rather tender scene between the two where Zeph begrudgingly reveals that she was a farm girl on Leith where her sisters were traded like cows after Pip asks her why she wears a necklace. He says that he knows they are just banging buddies but he wants to get to know her and that he respects her. He asks for some understanding that this is hard for him and that he’s trying to find the middle. She moves in closer to him in bed and agrees that the middle is good.
Once they return to the armada, Pip volunteers to help rescue the kids despite Zeph telling him not to go. He says that he thinks it’s about time he tries being brave solo and with Johnny and her staying behind someone needs to be the designated geek. She hugs him and makes him promise that he’ll ride with Dutch, which he refuses to at first. Zeph insists though that the Killjoy won’t let him go unless she can spider watch him anyways and in that way the master assassin will also be able to protect him. He then asks her if they are doing a goodbye kiss or if they’re keeping it professional and she quickly gives him a passionate smooch. He joins Dutch as the third team and goes with her into the room on the R.A.C. where the liquid green pool resides. Dutch then drops in transponder that is supposed to allow Lucy to transfer it to the armada. Things go terribly wrong though when Johnny feels the bio shield that the Hullen erected around the R.A.C. dying. Earlier another team commanded by Weej (the woke Hullen) crashed into the shield and the Black Root ship exploded because undercover Killjoys who were not Hullen were on board. Johnny surmises that this caused irreparable damage and the R.A.C. will think it’s a virus and do a hard reboot to keep the ship from imploding. This is bad because that means that the their enemies will now have access to the R.A.C.’s heavy cannon and be able to blast the armada. With the green crystalized on their own ship the Killjoys won’t be able to raise shields or get away. Over comms, Turin tells D’av, Dutch, Fancy, and Pip that they’ll need to use his master code to essentially cause the R.A.C to self-destruct, the only problem is that it will have to be entered manually. Dutch is quick to volunteer first but D’av grabs her and says no he’s going to do it. Fancy then says in annoyance that he’ll do it just so he doesn’t have to watch their sappiness. But then Pip tells the group that he’s drawn the short straw and that whatever R.A.C rises from these ashes it’ll need Killjoys and a designated asshole. He goes on the say that it’s ok he knows he’s a dead man walking and that doesn’t scare him. It’s the thing that put a spider in his brain is that frightens him and he knows that their the only ones that can stop it. Dutch can’t let him though because of Zeph, but he cuts her off and explains that Zeph will never forgive herself if she can’t save him however, she will get over him saving them. She gives him a tight hug, D’av thanks him for his service and Fancy nods with gravity.
As Johnny has to break the news to Zeph that Pip volunteered to put in the auto-destruct code, what comes next is heartbreaking. She contacts Pip over comms and tells him to get out of there right now. He counters back that he can’t do that because then she’d get blown up and he’s not cool with that. Zeph is trying so hard not to cry and says that she hasn’t figure out how to get into the green yet and they have so much thinking to do. She wants him to find Dutch because she’s magic and will get him out of there. Pip reminds her that scientists don’t believe in magic but she argues that she will if that means he gets to come back. At this point my eyes are just brimming with tears and I want to hug these two so bad.
“You’re looking at it the wrong way Zephyr, genius farm girl from Leith, almost falling for a spoiled loudmouth from Qresh, hells if that ain’t magic.”
Zeph struggles to get the words that she wants to hell him out and he says its ok he knows. What a very Han Solo and Princess Leia moment there! He then inputs the code and says to her to meet him in the middle. She calls out for him a few more times and then we see the R.A.C. explode as my heart implodes with it. Much like Pawter’s sudden death in the penultimate episode of season two, this is so horribly gut wrenching but amazing television.
Pip has grown and evolved so much and this was such a heroic way to send him off. He started out as a side character that served as comedic relief, but darn if he didn’t grow on you from last season to now. His relationship with Zeph was incredibly surprising and surprisingly endearing. You couldn’t help but root for them. They were two individuals who didn’t really fit into the molds of their respective backgrounds and were thus outsiders in many respects. It was also so refreshing to have Pip as the male character be the one more interested in seeing their friendship grow into something more. But what was most heartfelt about Zip was that Zeph made him want to be a better man and in the end he became one. He chose her over himself and his sacrifice was so that she and the other Killjoys could live and fight their enemy. I would never have expected that from the Pip we first met in season three. He’s come an incredibly long way and Atticus Mitchell did a tremendous job playing him.
What was also such a treat to watch was seeing how Pip in turn affected Zeph. When we first met her last season, she was a lot more clinical and detached from her emotions. Her time with the black marketeer however allowed her to tap into her feelings more and lower some of those walls she erected from the life she had been born into. She has been reluctant to admit to herself that she cared deeply about him given her past experiences with men, but when she discovers the spider in his brain she comes to the realization that she doesn’t want to lose him. Ultimately when he sacrifices himself to save her and the others, Zeph finally realizes that she loves him even though she can’t say the words. That final scene between these two really destroyed me. Kelly McCormack’s performance in their final scene was masterful and I was a ball of weepy sobs.
Pip’s journey was unexpected but grew to become a deeply meaningful narrative this season. While we say farewell to him, we’ll always remember that boy from Qresh who became a hero.
Killjoys airs on Syfy Fridays at 10/9c. Relive all the epic moments from seasons 1 – 3 now on VRV.
The Following are recaps and reviews of ‘Better Call Saul Season 4: Episodes 4, 5 and 6. Warning, there will be spoilers.
The middle of ‘Better Call Saul’ season four is focused on character building and boiling points. The story, filling in details as to how we get from the beginning of our series to our inevitable ending (the beginnings of ‘Breaking Bad’).
The mid-season sees the main cast of Jimmy, Kim, Mike and Nacho – settle into their various new roles. How they handle these changes, is very much the dramatic tension of the season.
Jimmy, now a non-practicing lawyer, tries to find ways to keep occupied, swallowing his silent guilt over his own brother’s death by trying his best in distracting himself and descending into more criminal activities. Mike Ehrmantraut, slowly slips into the role of Gus’ right-hand man. Nacho Vargas, a cunning criminal in his own respect, sees his freedom taken away as he is sucked into being Gus’ secret inside man against the Salamancas. While Kim, perhaps the only voice of righteousness now in the series, starts to forge her own path in helping others by slowly pursuing becoming a criminal defense attorney.
Where the earlier episodes did a great job in worldbuilding by establishing the downfall of the Salamancas and the rise of Gustavo Fring’s empire – the midseason sees some detailed layering of its characters. Showing us how morally decent people can slowly fall – particularly after trauma.
The story follows a similar trajectory as to Walter White in Breaking Bad. But what I think makes it a little more compelling, is that its less of a black and white story. Whereas Heisenberg very much becomes the villain of the story, Saul Goodman, is renown for being morally grey. He’s a bit more unpredictable at this moment in his timeline – and episodes 4-6 highlight this.
Episode 4: ‘Talk’
https://youtu.be/PDYyUR2uagI
Jimmy is given a job offer as a cell phone store manager but rejects it. At least, until Kim presses him to attend therapy. Aversive to dealing with his feelings, he feigns having no free time and immediately takes the job offer as manager instead. He discovers that the store location is quite isolated. Bored, Jimmy tries to look for ways to pass the time. He later goes onto collect his share from the Hummell figurine heist, and inspired by his fellow cohort, Ira, approaches his cellphone store with a new angle: to market burner phones to fellow criminals under the false pretense of unadulterated “privacy”.
Meanwhile, Kim is bored with having Mesa Verde as a client. She spends a day in Judge Munsinger’s court to remember the excitement of what being a lawyer was all about. The judge calls her in during recess and in a playful conversation, threatens to put her to work as a pro bono defense counsel if he finds her there sulking again. Surely enough, she’s watching him in court minutes later.
Shortly after a drug deal, Nacho lies to The Salamanca Cousins by identifying that it was the Espinosas who ambushed him. He wants to return with some backup, but the Cousins have a different plan. In an elaborately filmed shootout scene, the cousins proceed to kill every single member of the Espinosas, all seen from Nacho’s perspective. He tries to help despite being very injured along the way.
In the aftermath, Nacho meets with Gus and acknowledges the frame job was to eliminate more of Gus’ competition, increasing more of his territory. Gus suggests there is more work for Nacho to do. Nacho goes home to his father, miserable about his predicament.
Mike has lunch with fellow support group member, Anita. He claims that Henry, another person in the support group, is lying, with a made-up story about a dead wife. Mike calls him out with some very solid evidence, leading to an awkward storm out by Henry.
Mike later meets with Gus, who is mad that Mike didn’t share his knowledge of Nacho’s intended murder attempt against Hector. Though Mike claims that wasn’t the promise he agreed with, as he only wouldn’t kill Hector himself. In an almost standoff, a gutsy Mike asks Gus to essentially cut the crap and tell him about the ‘job’ that need to be done.
‘Talk’: The Verdict
Overall, ‘Talk’ was a surprisingly introspective journey of the season. It involved many of the main characters needing to say things, yet going out of their way to distract themselves for their respective secrets. It was one of the slower episodes for Saul and Mike’s storylines – but Nacho’s and the Cousins’ thrilling showdown kept it exciting. It’s interesting how much this episode plays with the idea of things that needed to be said – the necessity of talking things over yet never actually going there.
Which is poetic, because the only persons that do cut through the bullshit by episodes climax – are Mike and Gus. And it’s only about their inevitable drug business partnership.
Episode 5: ‘Quite a Ride’
The episode opens on Saul, sometime near the end of ‘Breaking Bad’. He’s seemingly on the run and executing his escape plan, giving Francesca some final orders and quite the large severance pay before departing to establish his new identity – as seen in the flash forwards of this series.
In the ‘Better Call Saul’ timeline, Jimmy goes out of his way to sell some pay-as-you-go phones. Going deep into the underbelly of the streets, he successfully sells his phones to some devious clientele, including a biker gang. All seems well – until he is mugged by some wily teens that he’d tried to sell phones to, and failed, earlier in the scene.
While being nursed at home by Kim, Jimmy is upset he hadn’t noticed the teens that mugged him. He grows nostalgic for the old days when he was once a conman. When people respected him on the streets. Concerned, he relents to Kim’s suggestions in seeing a shrink. He then goes to his phone store and removes his “Privacy Sold Here” paint from the store windows.
Mike begins his journey in becoming Gus’ right hand. He oversees covertly escorting some engineers to the planned location of Gus’ planned industrial meth lab, as seen in ‘Breaking Bad’. After a round of rejection, Gus eventually approves of structural engineer Werner Ziegler, in overseeing the difficult task of constructing the lab in secret.
Kim takes on some pro bono criminal defense cases and seems to do a great job with it. She eventually is called in by Mesa Verde about some errors in paperwork, but hangs up them, as she is preoccupied with her criminal casework. When she later arrives at the Mesa Verde office, she discovers that the legal staff fixed her problem, though at heavy costs. She is reprimanded. The bank was supposed to be her only set of client work. Kim promises them that she won’t make the same mistake again.
At the DA’s office, Jimmy runs into Howard in the bathroom, who is looking worse for wear. It’s apparent that Howard’s guilt is eating away at him. He’s no longer sleeping and having difficulty in doing his job ever since admitting to his possible role in Chuck’s death.
Jimmy shares with him, a psychiatrist’s number that he had received from, Kim. Howard admits he’s already in therapy. Seeing how ineffective therapy was for Howard, a man also dealing with the guilt of the death of his brother, Chuck – Jimmy naturally discards the number of the psychiatrist. He then meets with his probation officer and declares his intent to become an even bigger and better lawyer once his suspension is done.
‘Quite a Ride’: The Verdict
This was a great midseason episode that introduced a lot of change. On the technical side, the opening scene was fantastic as it literally recycled some of the original ‘Breaking Bad’ set, was the first flashback set in that timeline, and was entirely shot on film, just as Breaking Bad was. Atop that, we got some great visual moments of characterization, such as Jimmy’s literal tossing of the psychiatrist’s number into the toilet and his slow scraping off the words in his store’s window. The show is known for its visualization cues and what you see in this episode are objects metaphorically representing internal conflicts. When Jimmy rejects therapy, he ergo the guilt of his brother’s suicide.
Strong messages to say the least. Atop that we see Kim take charge of her life. She’s finding meaning and letting go of her potential cushy banking lawyer job in the process. She’s focused on helping others. Which might have stronger implications, as we’ve noted in the previous episodes.
And of course, we see Mike do what he does best: know how to plan sketchy operations and deals. Though his motivations at this point seem questionable. Can everything simply be an excuse for family? If so, how is this characterization of Mike any different from Walter White?
Episode 6: ‘Pinata’
https://youtu.be/HC-vXqoBhM8
We open to a flashback of Jimmy and Kim’s days in the mailroom. Where Chuck nails an impossible case – too much applause from his peers. Jimmy seems upset being in Chuck’s shadow. He passes the library of HHM, where he and Kim work in the mailroom, and enters while no one is watching.
In the Better Call Saul present, Kim is distracted from her work with Mesa Verde. She’d rather be working her public defender cases from the courthouse. She tries to approach Jimmy but finds him asleep with his sketchpad. It contains drawings and notes, hinting that he dreams of building a firm with Kim. He explains to Kim the following morning that he didn’t see the psychiatrist. Later on, Kim meets with Rick and suggests establishing a banking division.
Meanwhile, Jimmy gets a call about his first elder law client, Mrs. Strauss. She has passed away. There are questions about the will and he redirects them to HHM, as his law license is suspended. At dinner, Kim reveals to Jimmy that she was offered a partner position at Rick’s firm to start a banking division. This would allow her to keep Mesa Verde while working as a public defender – the best of both worlds for Kim. Jimmy is heartbroken, as he still had plans to be partners with her, though still gives Kim his approval.
Gus and Mike work together in creating arrangements for Werner Ziegler and his team. Wanting to create the meth lab, they’ve already begun by building two homes in a large warehouse.
Mike recommends luxuries and entertainment to keep the team happy, as their days are long and isolated. He also recommends security precautions to keep the place safe. Later on, after meeting the workers, he fingers security to keep watch one of the more dissatisfied ones – being the ever-vigilant Mike we’ve known since the beginning of the series.
Gus is called away. Hector has gotten worse and so Gus leaves to check on him. He shares an ominous story with Hector. About a precious fruit tree and a wild animal he caught trying to steal from it. He kept the animal to watch it suffer for the rest of its life. He plans on doing the same to Hector.
At HHM, Jimmy visits Howard and notices the place is struggling. A very defeated, Howard admits it’s due to the loss of its reputation. Jimmy calls Howard a bad lawyer but a great businessman, mostly showing tough love to get him motivated. Howard swears at Jimmy, in a jarring yet surprising moment for cable TV. Jimmy then uses the money from his inheritance check to buy a bunch of pay-as-you-go phones.
That night, Jimmy meets with the teens that mugged him and tries to convince them to help him sell phones. They don’t buy it and try to mug him again, but Jimmy leads them into a trap. They are tied upside down in a room filled with pinatas, where he intimates the teens by having his enforcers smash the hanging decorations, eventually leading to them but they stop seconds before hitting the teens. Jimmy convinces the teens to tell everyone on the streets he is off-limits.
‘Pinata’: The Verdict
It was inevitable Jimmy would get his revenge, though it seems slightly petty at the same time. Though just as before when his brother made him feel small, Jimmy is slightly downsized in ego this episode. His entire hopeful future seemingly coming to an end. As a result, we see him embrace more Saul Goodman characteristics. The gritty intimidation tactics and in your face tough love, we’d expect more from Saul than kindhearted yet out of luck Jimmy.
At the same time, we really see Kim come into her own this episode. She is slowly showcasing her distancing from Jimmy. Her career independence and Jimmy’s lack of empathy over his brother’s death, the obvious wedge driving the two apart. While we began the season with the two very close, with Kim being quite protective of Jimmy, we now see them with different visions of their respective futures. Perhaps hinting at the beginning of the end for the pair.
Finally, at this point we really see Mike come into his own as Gus’ hand. His suggestions for the lab are immediately taken to heart and implemented. Gus gives Mike a lot of control, despite barely knowing him. It’s creepy how natural the two are working together with stellar performances to both actors.
If you’re having trouble remembering, you aren’t alone.
Originally released in 2008 on the Xbox 360 and PC in 2009, The Last Remnant is finally making its way to Playstation for the first time. The remastered title “tells the story of a world filled with “Remnants” — ancient artefacts that grant mysterious power to their wielders, changing the world’s balance and leading to an era of countless frays between those who ruled, and those who obeyed. Within this war-torn fantasy world, players will follow the journey of a young man who is determined to uncover the truth.”
The remastered version will feature the same story, countless characters, and an intricate battle system, but will feature enhanced graphics enabled by Unreal Engine 4, allowing for a more “immersive and captivating adventure than ever before.”
The Last Remnant Remastered will be available digitally via the PlayStation®Network for $19.99.
Warner Bros. and New Line are back with their latest entry inthe Conjuring universe – The Nun. Centering around Valak the Defiler from The Conjuring 2, The Nun takes the franchises creepiest demon and gives us a supernatural origin story that lacks the staying power of the mainline movies.
After a nun commits suicide in a remote, ancient abbey, The Vatican sends Father Burke (Demian Birchir), an experienced exorcist, and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga). a nun in training, to investigate the incident. It quickly becomes apparent that all is not what it seems. The locals who live near the abbey want nothing to do with the abbey. It’s only in Jonas Bloquet’s Frenchie, the man who found the dead nun hanging from a rope, that the spiritual duo finds assistance in getting to the secluded abbey. Upon arriving, it becomes quite apparent that an evil force is at play and everyone is way over their heads.
Performances are a mixed bag when it comes to The Nun. Taissa Farmiga does a fantastic job as Irene, dealing with the brunt of Valak’s nightmarish deceit. It would be easy to say that Farmiga was the standout of the film, but a part of that is due to the fact that she is the only well-written character in the entire movie. Demian Bichir’s Father Burke, on the other hand, comes across as one of the most pointless characters I’ve seen in a long time. Outside of bringing Irene to the abbey, Father Burke accomplishes nothing even though he is a trusted exorcist of the Vatican. None of this is Bichir’s fault, as he plays the character well, but with the writing.
I’ve always found the religious horror to be a fascinating genre ever since I watched The Exorcist as a child. It’s no surprise that I quickly fell in love with The Conjuring series, with its strong storytelling and concentration on characters. While the films dealt with demons and exorcism, there was a strict mythology that grounded the supernatural in reality. The atmosphere and tension hung heavy in the air no matter where I watch those films – either it be at home or in a theater. There was a feeling of it being so real. Sadly, none of this reigns true when it comes to The Nun.
Countless times the film draws up a supernatural zombie, serpent, ghosts that it has no way of explaining. Father Burke finds himself haunted by the victim of a botched exorcism from his past. Common sense would tell him its a trap, but like the plot, there is no sense to be found.
Not all is bad though. The Nun does offer up some great set dressing and scares. As infrequent as the scares are, I did find myself jumping a few times over the course of the hour and a half runtime. However, don’t expect a quality of scare or tension from the mainstay Conjuring movies. Nothing comes close to scene in The Conjuring2 between Lorraine and the painting of Valak. If you’re still interested in checking out The Nun, I’d recommend waiting for it to hit rentals.
KILLJOYS -- "It Takes a Pillage" Episode 408 -- Pictured: (l-r) Luke Macfarlane as D'Avin, Aaron Ashmore as John -- (Photo by: Ian Watson/Killjoys IV Productions Limited/SYFY)
In this week’s episode of Killjoys, Johnny follows D’av and Jaq to the Jaqobis home world of Telen and it becomes a family reunion to remember.
The Boys Have Home World Adventure
Johnny realizes onboard Lucy that D’avin has taken his son back to their home world of Telen because there is a family “in case of emergency” item his brother will likely be grabbing. Meanwhile, D’av and Jaq are trudging in the sandy plains when they suddenly get shot at. The shooter turns out to be old man Jaqobis. The trio then head down to the family bunker because a silica storm is heading their way. We find out that grandpa became sober after Khlyen and Fancy paid him a visit back in season two trying to figure out if D’avin’s reaction to the green was hereditary. He may be laying off the hok, but he’s still a douche. In fact he spent the money that his wife hid for their sons. Gramps tells Jaq the story of how D’av left the planet and joined the military, making it seem that it was his guidance that made his oldest son into a man. The elder Jaqobis brother isn’t having it though and tells his father to stop with the inaccurate tales.
Johnny in the meantime has made his way to the family home. He’s told by Dutch who’s still on Lucy that two Hullen ships have breached the planet’s atmosphere and so he’s got another problem on the way. Inside the bunker, John reunites with the other Jaqobis men and all is not peachy. He runs into Jaq first who was sent into the tunnels to retrieve a tool for his grandfather. However, the Hullens are also there but luckily the two are able to quietly slip away without detection. Once reunited with D’av and gramps, the power gets killed and that’s a big problem because they need energy to keep the filters going in order to prevent silica sand from coming into the air vents. Johnny works on getting the filter back on while his father demands to be told what the hells is going on. When the Killjoy tells the truth that Jaq is a product of a splice between D’av and a 275-year-old woman who disappeared into a trans-dimensional space and now they are being hunted by her undying enemy, the old man thinks he’s being lied too. He also informs dear old dad that he’s a level 5 Killjoy now.
D’av is spending some quality time with his kid as he sets up booby traps for the Hullen. We see how he’s being incredibly protective of his son even though the younger man wants to help. Jaq asks if D’avin was scared when he joined the army and the elder male admits that he was. D’av further expands that grandpa doesn’t always get the story right and that the dude is mean having beaten Johnny up as a child while drunk. More often than not he would take the abuse for his younger brother until one day he had enough, fought back and then found himself in the army. After Jaq reveals that grandpa had sent him in the tunnels to man up, D’av confronts his father who’s arguing with Johnny inside the bunker. The three are fighting away when someone triggers one of the traps the elder Jaqobis brother set up earlier.
Outside their door they find a Black Root soldier passed out from the explosion. The unconscious male is hauled inside and restrained. Gramps wants to take the fight to the Hullen while Johnny interjects that they should get topside and get to the eye of the storm for Dutch to pick them up. D’av surprisingly agrees with his dad for once and knows that the Hullen will just come after them so he and the old man will engage down in the tunnels while John takes Jaq up top and off the planet. The teenager reveals to his uncle that he can remember things before they happen sometimes and sees that the three older men will be in a dark room and that he’s in trouble with no one’s coming to save him. Suddenly someone is coming down into the bunker from a ceiling entrance wearing a sand suit. Jaq heads to a different room and Johnny tells the newcomer to identify himself. Except it’s not a he, but a she! She turns out to be Charlie, an old flame of his and current sheriff.
Meanwhile grandpa has charged ahead to attack the Hullen head on and just as D’av is about to go after him, he gets knocked out by a small device. When he regains consciousness, he’s on a couch with Johnny, Jaq, and Charlie inside the bunker. Looks like they got to him before the Hullen, but the eldest Jaqobis got taken. D’av then decides that he needs to interrogate the trespasser they caught earlier to find out what the Lady wants with his son. As he begins some electric shock therapy, the Hullen reveals that all he knows is that the heir is to be taken to the Quad. The Black Root soldier goes on to say that Jaq is not a child and that he is the beginning to everything and the end to all of them. Before he can say more however, a kill chip is activated and he dies. Suddenly a voice speaks through a walkie and one of the dead Hullen’s compatriots tells D’av that they’ll trade his father for the first born. Charlie volunteers to take Jaq to the eye of the storm to get him onboard Lucy then circle back to grab the Jaqobis afterwards.
The brothers then head off to find the Hullen and their father and that’s where things go south real fast. They find dear old dad but Charlie appears with Jaq in tow and we find out that she’s been working with the enemy all along. The Jaqobis men then get locked into a room where the Hullen open the vents for the silica to enter while Charlie hands over their heir for money. Johnny tries to convince her that she doesn’t have to do this but she needs the funds for her own kid. Thankfully however, John though is able to break his bonds with a small laser that he pocketed from his dad’s toolbox earlier. He then frees D’av and they then try to figure out how to open the steel door when Jaq slides it over. Turns out he used the training he received from Dutch well and was able to incapacitate his Hullen captor. His dad is so proud! Johnny in the meantime finds Charlie and she tries to appeal to his sympathetic side but he ain’t having it. She betrayed him not just him but his family and so she gets cuffed. Though not sure who he would send her too since she’s the sheriff.
The Ladies Take a Sunny Trip
Back on Lucy, Dutch is unable to communicate with John because of the silica storm. She does however get in touch with Zeph who is on the armada. The scientist shows her the video of the Hullen draining green plasma from bodies on the R.A.C. to create a viable green pool. Dutch realizes though the Lady wants to use that as her means of escape, but Zeph points out that it’s also their way in to rescue Aneela. The leader of Team Awesome Force then explains that Khlyen left her a weapon and shows the cylinder filled with a mysterious substance that is supposed to destroy the green and everyone connected to it. After scanning the item and transferring the information to Zeph, they find out that its some kind of spore but it’s also decaying at an alarmingly fast rate. They need to break it down to its components so that the scientist can figure out to recreate it. Unfortunately, time is running out and since the ship is currently hovering above Telen waiting for the collective Jaqobis men, Dutch is going to have to do it herself. Zeph instructs her to use a centrifuge but unfortunately there isn’t enough force to manage the separation because super spores. Holo Zeph casually mentions that Dutch need to hurl herself against the sun’s gravity to get the kind of g-force they need.
Dutch naturally goes ahead and sets their course for a nearby sun while holo Zeph is adamantly stating multiple reasons why this is a terrible idea. Stubborn as ever though, she has Lucy mute the scientist and then takes manual control of the ship’s system. Incidentally a verbal override command will be needed for Lucy to regain command of the vessel again. Dutch soon loses consciousness and Zeph is freaking out big time trying to figure out how to save the other woman when she’s been muted and can’t tell Lucy to override. In the nick of time she is able to boost the light on her holo projection and destroys part of a control panel, which then activates extinguishers and the sudden burst of air wakes up Dutch. The leader of Team Awesome Force is able to give the verbal command and Lucy whizzes them away. The weaponized liquid also gets separated and Zeph gets the information she needs to recreate it. She berates Dutch in the aftermath that she can’t lose another friend and the other woman asks her to come clean with how severe Pip’s situation is. Zeph admits that if she cuts out the spider it will kill him and if she leaves it in the spider will kill him anyways. Dutch tells her that she just needs to do what she does best, face the truth and kick its ass with science. In turn the scientist tells the warrior that no matter what dark crap she’s been through she can let in some light without setting everything on fire.
Team Awesome Force Is Together Again
The three Jaqobis men return to Lucy and is greeted by Dutch. Johnny takes his nephew aside to give his brother and his best friend some alone time to work out their issues. The two head to the cockpit where Jaq asks why the Hullen are hunting him. The elder man admits that they don’t know why the Lady is after him but they’ll keep fighting her. The boy correctly says that they can’t fight her if his dad is always trying to protect him. He then shows Johnny the pendant that Delle Seyah gave him in order to find her. Jaq thinks that he might be safe with his surrogate mother for the time being and wonders if D’av will understand. The level 5 Killjoy says that being safe is all his dad wants for him.
Meanwhile, Dutch and D’av share a drink and talk it out. She tells him that it really hurt her that he left because he felt that she couldn’t do better and asks him if he’s giving up on them. He definitively answers no and she says good because neither is she. They then kiss and make up. But their physical display of affection is interrupted by a searing pain on Dutch’s back. When D’av unzips her top he sees some kind of symbol appearing on her skin. Is this something that is also happening to Aneela in the green and thus affecting her creation because of their connection? Only time will tell.
Final Thoughts
It was great to have Zeph and Dutch bond some more and have some girl time in this side adventure. It’s nice for the two strong independent women to have some quality girl time for a change.
Could the Hullen be bringing Jaq to the Quad in order to put him inside the green to get Aneela out? Or perhaps she just needs him there waiting for her one she manages to get herself out?
It was super cool to see Jaq in action and we get to see a bit of Aneela and Dutch in him. He will be a formidable fighter as he continues to grow in his abilities. Speaking of which, I wonder if his precognition comes from Aneela or D’av’s side of the gene pool.
Johnny telling Charlie about having someone once made my heart ache. I miss Pawter!
Also what a treat to see where D’avin and Johnny grew up. Bonus on getting a look at what their life was like with their father and how both have grown so much since leaving Telen.
Killjoys airs on Syfy Fridays at 10/9c. Relive all the epic moments from seasons 1 – 3 now on VRV.
One question led us to the door of Maricar in Tokyo earlier this year.
“What if we did a tour of Tokyo in go-karts?”
The answer was obviously yes!
My wife and I have been a big fan of doing tours on vacations. It started with a Segway tour of Rome which helped us with understanding the layout of the city and spotting new places we wanted to check out. We’ve been a fan of tours on wheels ever since.
Maricar, no relation to Nintendo and Mario Kart, is based out of Japan with locations across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Okinawa. Riders are able to dress up as their favorite characters from multiple properties including Nintendo, Marvel, DC, Dreamworks, and more, as guides take them on a tour in the particular city. Riders can choose between a 1.5-2 hour or a 2.5-3 hour tour based off the package they chose.
In order to drive one of the karts, riders will need to have a Japanese Driver’s License or an International Driving Permit. Living in the United States, my wife and I opted for the International Driving Permit which was fairly easy and painless process to acquire at an AAA office.
Upon arriving at one of Maricar’s Tokyo locations, we were greeted by our guides for the day and a fellow rider in our group. My wife and I got to choose our costumes, Yoshi and Mario respectively, and received a breakdown of the rules on the road before heading out.
It’s pretty easy to see the go-karts as miniature cars. You’ve got your accelerator, brakes, signal and steering wheel. The karts themselves are well maintained and much faster than I expected. Since the karts are driven on the main roads and highways, they can accelerate up to 70 mph. Yea, these aren’t your average go-karts!
The experience of touring Tokyo with Maricar was fantastic. The tour guides constantly kept the group entertained and provided great guidance as we took the go-karts out onto the streets. Our group was updated with what was coming next, and things to keep an eye out for. When opportunities arose, the guides took pictures of the group which were later printed as souvenirs. This is important as you’ll find yourself driving next to everyday traffic, including buses and trucks.
Driving the karts themselves was easy to pick-up, but being a confident driver goes a long way in regards to your comfort driving the go-kart. I never felt in danger, but at moments it could be a bit daunting when a bus or truck towers past you in the next lane. You’ll also feel every bump in the road so keeping both hands on the wheel is a must.
Cellphone usage is forbidden by law while driving, but you can take pictures while stopped. Phones and small items are stored in a pouch that is kept by the steering wheel. Riders can use rent a GoPro or use their own to record the trip as well. Just be sure to pack an additional battery as you’re likely going to need to change it at some point.
I only came away with a few minor grievances from the tour. Coming off Segway tours in Rome and Zurich, I felt there was a lack of history about the areas we were driving through. The noisiness of the karts was a bit off-putting at first. Japan is a very quiet country and the go-karts felt a bit out of place with their loud engines. That said, we generally were met with a lot of positive attention from locals and tourists.
If you find yourself planning a trip to Japan, I’d recommend booking a tour with Maricar. Grab yourself a night tour and soak in the lights and nightlife as you race through the famous Shibuya crossing, drive up to Tokyo Tower, and blaze across the Rainbow Bridge. It’s a truly memorable experience that you won’t easily forget!
The Following is a review of the series Disenchantment, created by Matt Groening. Now available streaming on Netflix. Warning, there will be spoilers but with forward notice before reading.
As a screenwriter, one of the things that bothers me about pilots is how much needs to be established. The opening scene needs to convey who this protagonist is. And by the end of it, where is this person going. Though it can often feel inauthentic, it does tell the audience: “Hey, this is me!” As we tag along the ride of our main character.
Atop that, you must account for cinematography – the opening pilot, setting the bar for how technical or ridiculous the series can be. Often, pilots go over budget because we’re not sure if the series will move further than the first episode. For better or worse, your pilot needs to sell. It needs to hook the audience with the promise of more.
But it also must establish the ground rules of the universe. Is the flying machine science or magic? Is the war between Giants and Faeries drama or comedy? Do we laugh or cry or cringe at someone’s misfortune? This all needs establishing while still telling a mini story. So TV pilots are rather frustrating. But I say with confidence, that this show does a pretty decent job with the pilot – though it’s not perfect.
Animation is tricky because there are fewer restrictions. So there is a lot in this show that I need to cover. My coverage of episode one will be more of a recap, as I need to discuss elements of the pilot that set up the series. For the other episodes, I’ll write a spoiler-free review, with a segment titled spoilers that may contain callbacks or bits of dicey information.
Episode 1: A Princess, a Demon and an Elf Walk into a Bar:
We open on a high tower in the castle. In the princess’ room we expect to find her in bed, but instead, meet a guard –tied up and regretting his assigned duty to look out for her.
This is somewhat of a common occurrence it seems.
We meet the actual princess in a bar. She’s drinking and gambling away for the hell of it. Shortly after, she gets into a fight over poker winnings – in which she holds her own. Some clever antics and maneuvering, she escapes the bar fiasco with a, “See you guys tomorrow!” line.
We the audience now know this is a common occurrence.
She is asked to return home by Odval, the Prime Minister of dreamland, as she’s then to be wed the following day. She goes willingly.
Now, within the first three minutes of the pilot we establish some major things:
Who princess Beanie is: a troublemaker who can hold her own that’s being forced to wed.
We get a panoramic of the Kingdom of Dreamland as she’s escorted out – the layout and design in detail: the castle, the statue of the formerly heroic king Zog, the princess’ tower – whose design is a lot more complicated than the series leads on initially (spoilers later). We also see a grand waterfall tipping over the edge of a cliff – where a castle with this basin serving as a sort of witty execution device (in homage to the Eeyrie in Game of Thrones) but also
This is all sort of critical to the story we’re looking to tell here. And a lot of what we see will be used later on – if not now, then definitely by season 2.
We get a LOT of visual gags. This sets up the expected comedy of this universe, like Futurama before it, you have to look for the Easter eggs. We also meet the sorts of people we’ll be dealing with on the streets of Dreamland.
And that’s just the first three minutes of the pilot. Which seems simple but is quite technical. This is the kind of thing I praise about the series. Unlike traditionally animated comedies, where it’s all about simple consumption and one-off gags, this show is very layered – but you have to look for it.
Princess Tiabeanie is told by order of King Zog (her father) that she’s to be wed to Prince Guysbert, a handsome prince and wealthy son of the incestuous king and queen of the Bentwood (a sort of parody of the Lannister twins from Game of Thrones).
With the wedding underway for a political alliance, Beanie gets taken aback by her fate. Wandering around her eventual reception hall, she finds in her wedding gifts: Luci, a personalized demon assigned to her, specifically. Luci is more than he seems to be. More mischievous than menacing, and though definitely a voice of bad judgment, is not always ill-intending. He’s a demon with a heart.
On the other side of the kingdom, hidden away in the Elven lands, is Elfo – an elf, dissatisfied with living the happy-go-lucky lifestyle of the elven kingdom. He leaves to go on a quest to find meaning and misery, with the intention to experience life to its fullest – away from the brainwashed nature of his fellow elves of being so overtly happy.
He goes on a quest to find himself, learns about war and interrupts Bean’s wedding just in time. As for Guysbert… let’s just say it’s a solid Game of Thrones parody. Here’s a hint: a throne made of swords can be awfully impractical. King Zog demands the wedding continue just as Beanie and the gang decide to run away. Escaping from their old lives, they gain insight along their travels from each other and by happenstance, from a fairy prostitute who suggests they go visit the wish master. A magical man who can hopefully solve their woes.
And that’s the pilot. In terms of story, it’s a bit everywhere in direction and so the lukewarm reception is duly noted. Though it does end on quite the literal cliffhanger. There is enough in the episode to gleam at the promise of finding more both in story and in the animation.
So here are a few hints of things you may have missed out on…
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE ONE
From the beginning, we see Easter Eggs almost everywhere. The show has so many visual gags to pick up on with every re-watch and I’ll try noting the ones I can in the spoilers.
There are many Game of Thrones references such as the Iron Throne, Bentwood family incest (Lannisters), or the fact that Beanie looks an awful lot like Daenerys with freckles and an overbite. It’s also fitting that just as Daenerys’ story begins with a wedding for a political alliance, so does Beanie’s.
The plague patrol (Corpse Shovelers who pick up dead bodies killed by what we think is the plague) is a direct reference to the dead collector in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
King Zog’s crown has an antenna. An obvious nod to Bender (Both played by John DiMaggio).
Elfo’s elven race is an homage to The Smurfs. The characteristic names Shocko, Speako, or Weirdo are a nod to The Smurfs style of naming such as Papa Smurf or Brainy Smurf.
The elves are also designed after the Keebler Elves. An elven race who also make sugary treat while hidden inside of a magical forest.
Groening has also revealed in an interview with Seth Myers, that the Elven forest world was very much inspired by the Fleischer Brothers style of artwork. Meant to elicit a dated and overly positive look.
During Luci’s introduction Beanie tries to summon help. Luci then silences beanie jumping into her mouth. This mechanic is used again later in episode 3 during an exorcism scene. It’s all sort of introducing to us, the audience, the subtle mechanics behind Demons in disenchantment.
We are not given a clue as to who is watching Luci’s actions throughout the series. All we know is that they’re evil and encourage bad deeds. Seemingly wanting to make Beanie a bad person.
In a moment of sadness before her wedding, Beanie and Luci drink together. With sadden Beanie stating, “I’m supposed to be surrounded by people I like. I don’t even have my real mother.” Just as she looks at her mother’s statue memorial… Which, as we’ll talk about later, is a major giveaway/plot point the series delves into. But more on that later…
During her escape, we see Beanie and friends tumble repeatedly down a hill. An obvious nod to The Princess Bride.
The Fairy Hooker in episode one is designed like an aged Tinkerbell.
During the opening scene, we see Beanie escape from an unyielding poker opponent that threatens her at knifepoint leading to an ensuing bar brawl. She escapes by throwing her winnings into the air. Towards the end of the episode, we see that same player stating how he “Finally got his winnings back,” only for him and his wealth to be knocked over yet again by none other than, Beanie – his money lost in a rowdy crowd for the second time.
Finally, one of the most recurring elements of the story: Luci. In almost every episode he convinces Bean to do something bad. So I’ll save these snippets for last in Luci’s Evil Deed. I can’t confirm yet, but I think they’re probably important plot points to the story.
Luci’s Evil Deed: Convincing Bean to vandalize her own wedding cake. Later on convincing Beanie to drink with her before her wedding.
Episode 2: For Whom the Pig Oinks
After an untimely escape and ‘rescue’ Bean, Elfo and Luci are returned to Dreamland. Elfo is immediately taken in by Sorcerio. His blood being drawn to use for experiments in creation of the elixir of life. Meanwhile, Bean tries to find a way to help her friend, get out of her marriage and figure herself out in the process. With some unruly suggestions by none other than Luci, she arrives at a plan in handling prince Merkimer involving ‘mermaids’.
That’s pretty much the episode minus the spoilers. Overall, there are some funny bits I’ll discuss below. Though at this point, most of the episode is spent wrapping up some of the pilot’s plot points while developing some key elements of the story.
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE TWO
In the return to the kingdom, we see many visual gags such as “Barnes for Nobles” and 1-Hour tooth removal. Again, Easter Eggs.
Upon arrival, we hear king Zog call Luci a talking cat. This is oddly important for the series, as many misconstrue Luci as a harmless pet. Just as Elfo, is this adorably harmless elf. This sort of understatement allows the main three to stay together in most troublesome situations.
“I don’t think I could ever marry that pig, Merkimer” a line Beanie literally says towards the beginning of the episode. By the end of the episode, Merkimer becomes a literal pig.
Lord Lingonberry, an elder noble, is selected to be used as the first experiment with Elfo’s blood. Sorcerio and the King start by trying to regrow his hair. In black comedy fashion, he dies. His corpse is released via trap door to be fed to a swine of pigs. Moments later, we see the very same pigs feasting on his remains, with a very particular pig sharing a lady and the tramp moment using Lord Lingonberry’s intestines.
The party boat for Merkimer’s bachelor’s party is aptly called the El De Barge. This is a reference to the 1980’s pop singer, who created hits such as Rhythm of the Night.
The Weight of the Ear Wax chest is exactly: One Gross. Which heavily implies it’s rather disgusting and probably made of actual human ear wax.
The joke about Walrus Island and Mermaid Island is that throughout history, it was believed that many Mermaid sightings were in fact, actually sightings of Walruses. As a joke, Merkimer can’t tell the difference and has sex with them anyway. Which oddly serves as a fine conflict solution moments later with the attack by the ‘Borcs’.
The borcs are obviously an orc reference from Lord of The Rings.
The reveal that the Borcs were the Bozaks is funny yet also confusing – as if they were allies coming to celebrate the wedding, wouldn’t they recognize the prince and princess? Then again, the El De Barge technically shot first.
Towards the end of the episode, Elfo convinces Merkimer to use the blood vials he knows is mixed with his blood and pigs blood – knowing there’ll be a twisted outcome. This is a critical moment. Whereas we’ve seen Elfo as nothing but this naively good-natured voice of consciousness, we get a glimpse that he’s very much capable of evil himself. This is important. It gives us clues, beyond the obvious physical ones, that Elfo may not be what he seems…
Luci’s Evil Deed: Convincing Beanie to kill Merkimer. Which she doesn’t, but not for lack of trying.
Episode 3: The Princess of Darkness
Bean, Elfo and Luci do drugs and get into trouble. Bean joins a gang of woke bandits – who are very cognizant of gender inequality. Wondering why Beanie has become so evil as of late, Odval convinces King Zog to hire the exorcist, Big Jo to return Bean to her good-natured self (which is obviously a grand misjudge in character, showcasing some serious neglect of her parental figures). This leads to several showdowns and a race to save a dear friend.
This is a big step forward in the series and is one of the few episodes many critics generally agreed that they enjoyed. Though several complaints had been made about the seemingly forced romantic interest between Elfo and Beanie. Luci’s surprisingly layered characterization was captivating. His demon history and a mysterious antagonist in Big Jo, adding potential depths to the story.
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE THREE
One of the weaker bits yet still an Easter Egg is “The Herald”. He opens the episode by announcing the news on the streets, to which most people tell him to shut up. Later on, he’s a background character who ad-libs some “I’m angry!” lines for King Zog, indirectly calling the king fat, when the king reprimands Beanie for grave robbing.
Lady Lingonberry, whom we now know is a widow as her husband was killed and eaten by pigs in episode 2 (though it’s uncertain if she knows), is the victim of Beanie’s binge-induced carriage robbing. Though it’s mentioned that someone was trying to steal her carriage before Beanie took it, we reveal that she’s still inside of it… as it sinks… and she’s drowning. The series, potentially murdering off the family Lingonberry by pure happenstance.
The police donkey chase scene – too hilarious not to mention. The donkeys natural call generates the noise while the police use candles with red and white filters for sirens.
The background castle in the above chase scene was also very gorgeous. Again, it’s these weird subtle moments that showcase just how much effort is made into producing this series. Whereas Futurama explored vast worlds, this series is designed a bit more like modern Simpsons, with geography, typography and architectural designs all taken into account – just like Springfield.
Early in the episode, Beanie and friends eat a well-preserved Lemon from the Lemon Crusades. Simpsons fans may remember “The Lemon of Troy” episode – in which the kids of Springfield go on a crusade to Shelbyville to get their lemon tree back.
Moments later, one of Beanie’s new ‘woke’ gang friends, actually mentions they’ve been stealing potatoes ever since their dad never came from the Lemon Crusades.
We get a mention of Dagmar, Bean’s mom, in detail by King Zog for the first time. This is sort of an important arc in the story. Later on, we soon establish just how unbelievably in love he was with Dagmar – which then becomes arguably the most important plot point in the series.
Luci’s Evil Deed: Luci really goes out of his evil way in this one. He convinces Bean to go on a joy ride. Eat a lemon. And participate in one of her more notable benders. He then convinces her to defile the grave of her ancestors by robbing it. He also, indirectly, is the cause of a swarm of evil getting released into the world.
Episode 4: Castle Party Massacre
Bean can’t seem to get intimately close with anyone due to everyone fearing her dad. Frustrated, she finds an opportunity to meet some boys once King Zog accidentally poisons himself and leaves with Queen Oona to get treated at a Spa. Bean holds a massive party at the castle while the king and queen are away. Meanwhile, Odval and Sorcerio host a massive ritualistic orgy behind closed doors.
This episode is meant to be a fun break. An attempt at a ‘parents are away so the kingdom comes out to play’ sort of episode.
Now, when it comes to characterization there are various approaches that can be utilized in TV scripts. One is occupation. Who these people are at work and what they do to get by. Another is conflict, what decisions are made when there are stakes on the line thus giving us a sense of a person’s moral compass. In comedies, usually we’re prone to at some point, see characters at play. It’s an easy way of seeing what zany people do to have fun and sets limits as to how far a joke can be taken.
This episode executes just that with pretty mixed results. Especially because the only main plot furthered is the romantic storyline between Elfo and Bean. Yet several critics, including myself, feel that their romance doesn’t feel organic to the series. And sadly, once you remove that element, this episode doesn’t really add much of anything else. Though it has its fun moments.
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE FOUR
We introduce the messenger Turkey, a parody of messenger ravens from ‘Game of Thrones’
“Aw look at Elfo! He looks like the mayor of babyville” a foreshadowing line from Beanie as in Episode 6, Elfo’s entire B-story is that he becomes in fact, someone’s baby.
This is the introduction of Chaz, a character I and many others found hilariously disturbing. For some reason, he seems to be a recurring character. In this episode, he’s a semi-massage therapist/possible psychopath that tortures the king into good health. He serves as a joke about medieval curing methods of the time, but he could also serve a major plot device later on. We’re not sure as Futurama never shied away from using characters that serve ends. So why should this show?
The Scribe plays a big role in this episode – First in the opening gag ruining Bean’s potential romance. Then as a chronicler helping her make lists for the party. And Finally, as a narrator commenting on Bean and Elfo’s will they/won’t they trope.
The big sex orgy scene with the King’s counsel? An obvious nod to the movie “Eyes Wide Shut”.
We see “The Herald” again in this episode. He declares near the end of the episode, “The return of King Zog is imminent. Please do not shoot the messenger… anymore”. As he turns notice several arrows lodged in his back.
Luci’s Evil Deed: This one’s a lot tamer than the last episode. Luci tempts Beanie and Elfo to throw the party. That’s pretty much it.
Episode 5: Faster, Princess! Kill! Kill!
Sent to a nunnery to repent for her longstanding list of bad deeds as of late, Beanie returns home shortly after and none-the-better. Uncertain about what to do about his unruly daughter, Zog banishes Beanie from the castle, forcing her to find a job and be responsible on her own. As always Luci and Elfo join her. While crashing at Bunty the maid’s place, Elfo finds himself in the role of Bunty the maid’s baby, which in typical TV trope fashion, they both end up taking too far.
This is a weird episode. Its main plot doesn’t really do much for the series, though this time around, it’s supporting characters introduced play a major role later. It also highlights some newer depths to the world. Mostly, that fairy tales such as Hansel and Gretel can coexist in this universe, that magic is critical and definitely interrelated in ways we should pay attention to, and most importantly, that the show is capable of a high level of dark comedy.
Now, The Simpsons has gone to dark depths before with ‘Treehouse of Horror’. Though Groening has always gotten away with that by reasoning that the Halloween episodes are divorced from the cannon. In this show, that defense doesn’t stand. So when you see gratuitous violence and bloody murder, it can have a long-lasting effect – which I’ll mention more of in episode 6.
The name of the orphanage in kingdom is called ‘Little Orphan Annex’. A play on words of Little Orphan Annie.
Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh guest stars as Stan the Executioner.
This episode has one of the funniest montages of the series about Beanie looking for a job. Atop that, it also has some of the strongest jokes of the series. With the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale being a strong fan favorite in terms of how demented this show could go.
The cackling Witch introduced in the story serves as a major plot device later on in the series. Because in this world, magic is somewhat limited – the witch being one of its few actual practitioners. She’s also portrayed by the same voice actress as The Crazy Cat Lady in The Simpsons.
Elfo defends his diaper like trousers to a beautiful lady of the lake, calling them his ‘War pants’. This is a reference to the Pilot, as Elfo learned all about war upon his arrival to the kingdom, witnessing a battle between gnomes and ogres.
Luci’s Evil Deed: Murder. Luci gets Bean to kill – albeit in self-defense.
Episode 6: Swamp and Circumstance
Zog appoints Bean as ambassador during a family trip to Darkmire, the homeland of queen Oona. We learn about the history of the Darkmirians and Dreamlanders, with Bean doing a surprisingly good job as ambassador – at least until she’s asked to give a speech for the evening. Meanwhile, Elfo and Luci begin to fight over their naturally contradictory natures – particularly with matters in regard to Beanie.
This episode is very progressive. It both gives depth to the entire family and expands the universe of the world itself. Overall, just a solid episode.
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE SIX
The history of Darkmire and Dreamland seems to be surprisingly detailed – with a canal being forcibly built by swamp people, and a war between the Dankmirians and humans that lasted for a century.
Queen Oona is finally given some depth. Her marriage to Zog was the result of a needed peace between both species. Also, she’s apparently the former class clown.
The audience sees Beanie finally address how she really feels about her father’s second marriage. Something that was years overdue. In fact, the entire episode expands on Beanie and Zog’s relationship. Her wanting his approval in some way and him expressing his concern that she doesn’t grow to be a drunkard nobody, or even worse, end up hating him as the farmers do.
Unlike previous episodes, Beanie very much does a great job in her responsibilities as ambassador, and in actuality, does the right thing. It isn’t until her drink’s involuntarily spiked by Luci, where things go ary.
The one for the road drink Beanie takes is in fact, an entire keg of ale.
The group’s waiter at Mudruckers (parody of Fuddruckers) is none other than Chaz, the person who had crazily treated the king for stomach troubles back in episode 4. His ominous “I’ll bring you what you deserve,” line this episode along with the “Don’t rattle the clamps, it enrages me” line in episode 4 contributes to a popular theory that Chaz may in fact, be psychotic.
Being almost roasted alive this episode seems to have a longstanding psychological effect on prince Derek. He now has recurring nightmares, as mentioned in later episodes of the season. This could hold some serious significance, given that this is the kingdom of ‘Dreamland’ and he is the land’s future king.
In case it wasn’t obvious, the burning man wicker was in the shape of Zog as the people of the farm lands absolutely hate him. Which is why, he refused to let Bean go to their festival every year.
Luci’s Evil Deed: War. Luci spikes Bean’s drink leading her to offend the Dankmire leaders. Thus ending peace and reigniting a longstanding war between both peoples, though its never really mentioned again in season one.
Episode 7: Loves Tender Rampage
The trio have a near death experience. Believing they’re moments from dying, Elfo shares his love for Bean. She stays off his advances. They survive and things get awkward. So naturally, they decide to do drugs together because debauchery is how Beanie deals with her problems. Elfo, ashamed about expressing his feelings, claims in his defense that he actually already has a girlfriend (which he does back in Elf land, so this episode is somewhat confusing). One who is tall, has red hair and one eye.
So Beanie, coming off a drug induced trip, sends the royal guard to help find Elfo’s girlfriend. They bring back a Giantess named Tess that matches the description.
Elfo, now caught in an obvious lie, has to continually keep up the charade.
For those who read my reviews, I talk a lot about this in terms of story structure. How many television series, such as Better Call Saul or Madmen, create dramatic tension by necessitating the big lie – the episode(s) revolving around keeping a hidden secret. It definitely works for dramatic tension and was rather thoroughly well done for the episode – the climax of course, being the payoff reveal.
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE SEVEN
Apparently, Luci has super strength – as he saves the group by lifting a whole lot of dead bodies.
There’s a bit in the throne room poking fun that Zog is essentially “watching tv” with his family. First, Oona complains and asks if there could be one dinner where they’re not watching Jester, putting him on mute by pulling the lever to a trap door leading to the Ocean. Then, Zog summons ‘The Herald’ in a bit which is basically supposed to be ‘The News’.
We see the return of Prince Merkimer in this episode, though now, he has spent quite some time as a pig. It’s uncertain what happened to his family. Though it seems he is lonely.
We see everyone’s favorite Chazz at the Blue Lion Café! He tries selling roses to Beanie and Elfo, before being scared off by Tess’ appearance.
Tess’ reveal about her being an educated, well-spoken graduate student in a surprisingly body positive and seemingly progressive culture – was definitely one of strongest bits of the series.
Tess is named Tess because she’s a giant, Tess/Giantess.
Elfo’s stealing of the crystal ball for his own selfishness of keeping Tess around is again, uncharacteristic of an elf. Yet again suggesting, that he’s not necessarily a morally pure person and again, hinting that there’s more to him than it seems.
When Tess uses the crystal ball as an eye, it accidentally activates, allowing her to see the truth of things. Including, that there’s a major secret about Elfo the audience doesn’t know about.
The episode does a better job developing the Bean and Elfo romance in this episode, with the two sharing a first kiss. Though again, it comes down to preference – as many fans feel divided.
Luci’s Evil Deed: Using Merkimer’s pathetic sadness to pick up ladies for himself.
Episode 8: The Limits of Immortality
Elfo gets kidnapped during a parade. Bean and Luci are assigned by King Zog, to find him. Sorcerio finally finds a lead on the elixir of life: a book that describes a Pendant with magical properties somehow related to the Elixer. Sorcerio joins Bean and Luci, and with the Knights of the Zog, go on a quest to rescue Elfo and hopefully find the answers we’ve been searching for. Though the mystery begins with Gwen, the cackling witch from the Hansel and Gretel story, in episode 5.
One of the reasons people had mixed feelings of the story is that technically, nothing really was on the line up until this point. It’s from episode 8 onwards, that the real story behind Disenchantment’s main characters finally begins. With this episode, being very adventure heavy and quest laden. There’s a lot of backstory thrown in that ties together with the finale.
This is a good thing as the episode moves quickly, leading to a crescendo by the end the series. A solid episode, though the information to pick up on seems trivial at first until viewed in hindsight.
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE EIGHT
In a rare moment of vulnerability, Zog opens up about how much he misses his wife, Dagmar. So far we’ve seen hints about how much he misses her, but now we can see beneath that loud and angry exterior is a soft and loving person who just misses his wife.
For the second time, Elfo encounters the Scottish man with a kilt and ends up just below him. For a second time, he gets balls in his face but we don’t actually explicitly see it happen.
The Jester gets ejected from the castle yet again, this time with a spring trap. It’s a recurring joke in the series and he usually exits with his typical catchphrase “Oh, no!” I didn’t mention it previously as I didn’t find the joke at all that strong. However, it’s happened so many times, that I feel like I have to mention it by now.
There’s a sort of sad but also deeply hidden story behind the Witch Gwen and Malfus’ failed romance. The two so in love, that they created the immortality curse that contains the Elixer of Life. Though much of their story is quickly brushed over. It wouldn’t surprise me if the two became returning characters – as their stories greatly influenced Magic in this universe.
“No Mr. Elfo, I expect you to fry” is a one liner reference in allusion to James Bond. It’s spoken by Big Jo to Elfo while combing through the desert.
The Lost city of Cremorrah is a reference to the city of Gomorrah. In the myth, Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt. In Cremorrah, the inhabitants of the city itself turned to stone.
Though Big Jo is seemingly a villain of the series, we’re not entirely certain which side he’s on. There are hints of this all throughout the series if you pay attention. For one, Luci has technically done nothing but lead Beanie astray. On paper, Luci is technically evil – though we relate to him so much the audience neglects this. Big Jo’s job is technically to capture and stop demons just like Luci – essentially stopping evil.
If you pay attention to the episode, the hidden knight who seemingly saves our characters claims that he’s an assassin working for the King of Maru. This is a problem. First of all, he’s an assassin – which is a shadier sort of occupation. Second, the people of Maru are not good people…
The most important part of the story, and one so very easily overlooked, is the history between Maru and Cremmorah. Maru’s jealousy over Cremmorah’s economy is incredibly important. As Maru began delving into dark magic to overthrow their stronger economic rivals – petrifying the entire city’s denizens into stone. This is very important. Though more on that later…
Luci’s Evil Deed: Accidentally knocking over the denizens of Cremmorah in a domino effect. Possibly killing most of them.
Episode 9: To Thine Own Elf be True
The group returns from their adventure but discover the pendant still doesn’t work. Something is wrong in regards to Elfo’s backstory. Disappointed, King Zog kicks Elfo out of dreamland. Elfo returns to Elfwood to discover the secret of his heritage. Odval allows Bean and Luci to follow him, secretly tailing them with the kingdom’s knights. Secrets are revealed. As conflicting forces converge on the group’s location…
This is a heavy episode. Where myth building was the focus of episode 8, episode 9 reveals a lot of character arcs converging, with conflicting intentions. If you’re looking for character development, this is that episode.
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE NINE
“The Herald” mentions Lady Kravitz peeking out the window at just the right moment. This joke is a reference to the nosy neighbor in the TV series, Bewitched.
Bean accidentally bumps into one of the Elven guards, cleaning the blood off his nose using a handkerchief. This same drop of blood is used for the Elixir of Life.
Elfo’s death in the series is important. Luci is taken aback by losing his friend, showing a surprising level of compassion. As for Bean, Elfo’s death weighs upon her and she blames her heartless father – who we have slowly been warming up to in the past few episodes. It’s revealed that Zog was not pursuing immortality, but looking for a way to revive Queen Dagmar. It’s then revealed Bean was responsible for her death – he kept it a secret to spare her feelings. Again, surprisingly heavy drama.
It should come as no surprise, that petrification was a signature type of poisoning notorious from the people of Maru, as we’d learned in episode 8.
Bean choosing to use the pendant on Dagmar over Elfo is a serious moment. As both choices involve Beanie taking responsibility for her actions. Either the death of her mother, or the death of her good friend. It’s cathartic yet also comes with a burden of guilt. As Bean, who up until this episode was reckless and carefree, has to make a permanent choice. Although, picking her mother was sort of obvious, Dagmar being a character both Beanie and Zog severely missed. And, whose lack of presence led to both Bean and Zog’s relatively dysfunctional lives.
Luci’s Evil Deed: Again, none. As the plot moves forward, the decisions become more weighted – with Bean taking more control over her own destiny.
Episode 10: Dreamland Falls
A beloved character returns. The Kingdom holds a funeral. Zog reveals his backstory. Nothing is as it seems. I can’t really say much else. It’s the climax of the story. Overall, I think it was well executed but sort of very heavy in these final three episodes. It’s hard to catch everything without multiple watches – including this surprising Futurama cameo (look above the chair).
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE TEN
In one last Game of Thrones bit, we reveal that King Zog’s story is very similar to Robert Baratheon’s from Game of Thrones. A legendary warrior turned into a reluctant king.
Sorcerio makes a tongue in cheek joke – surprised that the elixir of life actually worked, but also, that it took “All season” for it to happen.
The Maruvians used a magical potion to turn Cremorrah’s denizens into stone. This ‘Infernal Amplifier’ potion, is the same exact one used by Dagmar to petrify Dreamland. She’s been working with Maru in planning Dreamland’s fall for some time.
Luci was assigned to Beanie by the emperor of Maru. Yet he’s completely oblivious to Dagmar and Maru’s plans to destroy Dreamland. So where does Luci fit in the grand scheme?
If Big Jo was technically working against Maru this whole time, does this make him the good guy? Could he have been the one that bottled Luci in the finale, as the sound effect sounds as if that happened?
Dagmar references a centuries-long conflict and Beanie’s destiny. She’s also aversive to the labels of good and evil. Whatever this conflict it is, its significantly old.
Back in Pilot, Bean had mentioned she had only two wishes: “To be in charge of her own destiny,” and “To have her mom back, definitely.” In a weird twist of fate, she gets what she wishes for. The kingdom of Dreamland, now gone, she is technically free of her past.
Final Note:
As mentioned, Disenchantment is much more complicated than it leads on to be. Which is why I stick by my conclusion that this show is Matt Groening’s most technical piece of work to date. It’s definitely worth a shot, though again, pay attention. There’s just a whole lot there.
‘The Purge’ is a very successful horror franchise. Spanning three sequels and a TV series, James DeMonaco’s horror franchise about a yearly government shutdown period, where 12-hours of legal anarchy is encouraged – has spawned a large cult following.
Despite negative reviews, ‘The Purge’ continues to be one of the most profitable movie franchises to date. Utilizing a low cost production budget at about 8 million per movie, each movie rakes in on average, about 100 million in financial returns. They’ve also become a half-hearted political statement about the unfair distribution of wealth and a comment on racial inequality. Becoming pop culturally relevant and even parodied on TV shows like Rick and Morty.
Now, I never watched the purge movies. The concept seemed silly and anarchy could never be self-regulated, as by definition that’s not anarchy. It’s just a controlled uprising. From what I’ve gathered, many reviewers felt the same way. There’s just so much about this series that makes little logical sense.
So when I’d discovered they were doing a show about it – I cringed. And when I’d discovered that the show’s premise is focusing more on the other 364 days in the year? I really couldn’t understand.
Why would anyone watch this show if it’s not even about ‘The Purge’ itself, but rather the events surrounding it?
But I gave the pilot a chance…
And it’s actually not bad. Here’s my review:
The Purge (Episode One): ‘What is America’
Episode one is called ‘What is America’. It’s a not so subtle tongue-in-cheek commentary on political overzealousness and elitist white nationalism, conveyed mostly through ‘Purge’ type narratives.
Getting back to the root of what the ‘Purge’ is the episode follows multiple point of views – exploring the backstories of the people trying to survive the purge, use it to their advantage or are its unfortunate victims.
For those unaware of the lore, in ‘Purge’ World, The New Founding Fathers of America reign supreme. They are similar in backstory to the government of ‘Handmaid’s Tale,’ being an organization that had taken over during a time of social unruliness and financial collapse.
Though in this world, nothing seems too out of the ordinary. It all seems very much like our universe. The reason for its success being that the ‘Purge’ holds this patchwork government together.
As we learn early on, ‘purge’ day is great for the economy – as people really spend out of their way to protect themselves or kill other people. Likewise, it also keeps the social unruly at bay – keeping homeless vagrants off the streets and having the less desirable and murderous psychopaths kill each other. All while the rich elites stay protected at home.
The pilot approaches these subjects but also takes it time in exploring these themes. As a series running on USA, a network much more censored than the traditional R-rated horror the series is accustomed to, the show really dials down the violence. Though it does try and get more personal.
An ex-Marine named Miguel, searches for his sister Penelope. He pushes through the mayhem of the purge and digs down into the evil underbelly – doing whatever it takes to find her. Meanwhile, Penelope has seemingly joined a cult – one with thematic undertones akin to a Scientology but who also seem eerily obsessed with community and self-sacrifice – two virtues that do not uphold well in this world.
An anti-purge couple go a party hosted by The New Founding Fathers. Rick and Jenna, the two fish out of water activists, attend only for promise of attaining some money for their cause. Though also in attendance, is a woman the two seemed to have shared an intimate experience with.
Last is Jane, a tired workaholic locked in her building to work all Purge night. She seemingly hires a sketchy person on purge evening, though to what end – none of us know.
There were some transitional devices I found derivative. The constant black backdrop over white lettering counting down moments until the Purge began, I found irritating – sort of a ticking time clock meant to build hype that’s overused in works in movies. Atop of this, even though we get a glimpse of these individual’s lives – none of it feels well-detailed and a lot of the directing can appear sloppy.
The business jargon behind Jane’s job sounds so ambiguous it’s almost laughable. Rick and Jenna’s flashback can be viewed as scandalous or just outright laugh out loud parody, with little revealed except some awkwardly intimate body close-ups. And though he’s an ex-marine, Miguel seems to travel at night with a pair of night vision googles that stay on? Even though the street lights are still activated in well lit locations? It’s all inconsistent.
Even the climax of the pilot seemed rather… anti-climactic. Where a moment of purging felt a tad… underwhelming. Understandable, again due to censorship, though I am uncertain how the series continues to escalate once we inevitably wrap-up the day of the purge. For a ten-episode series, twelve hours of purging may not be enough.
Though despite all these flaws… it’s still not as bad as I thought it would be. The stories themselves seem compelling and the actors are doing their best with what’s given. Overall, I’d watch it out of curiosity or fandom, but wouldn’t expect much in generating a new audience.
The following is a Two Part Piece on Disenchantment and The History of Matt Groening’s career. If you’d like to read about only Disenchantment, skip to that section ahead.
On the corner of Sunset Boulevard in the 1970’s, at the licorice pizza record store where he worked for minimum wage, was a fresh to scene comic book artist distributing copies of his self-published zine for pennies.
The zine itself was about an angry wake-up call of sorts. About working class conditions. About how adult expectations and unwarranted responsibilities were beset upon the baby boomer generation. How unfair it was to be the first children after the world’s biggest war with no guidelines in how to rebuild. The byproducts of the ‘Greatest Generation’, these ‘baby boomers’, didn’t have a cause to fight for. This led to waves in the era – ripples in rebellion throughout cultural Woodstock and punk movements. And why not? The world was left for them to fix; the expectations of labor and this laden destiny to become the greatest working class of the modern era – all their burden to bear.
Though this didn’t come as naturally for everyone. For some, the 1980s were a rough time of adjusting adulthood and the question of, “What was the point of life” loomed on the bastard children of a generation. And so this zine, rightfully titled ‘Life in Hell’ was all about that. A voice for the rebellious boomers dissatisfied with the status quo, what they were supposed to do, and why? It was an antsy, rebellious, and irritated rant for those coming of age in the late 70’s-mid 80’s. Perfect for the outrage of the college campus scene and at a critical point where things like The Lampoon and Mad Magazine lay dying.
Initially, nobody was reading it – but over time it gained steam. Its creator would go on to revolutionize TV animation and comedy history.
Obviously from the title of this article, you’ve guessed that this was indeed, Matt Groening.
His story begins on a sweltering Friday evening in the middle of August. He came to California like many other dreamers before him, looking to break into the industry. Minutes getting into Los Angeles however, his car had broken down in the fast lane of a busy Hollywood Freeway. To top it off, the DJ on the radio was drunk and ranting about having just been fired, proceeding to prepare his plans to kill himself on air. Alright, maybe not kill himself, but you must admit it makes for a bitter story.
None of this was a good sign. But Matt persevered, working odd jobs while distributing ‘Life in Hell’ to whomever was willing to read it. Eventually, it was picked up by a few publishers including the underground – a comic publisher known for underground comics. Going around Hollywood by old school word of mouth, a copy eventually caught the attention of Hollywood producer James L. Brooks, director of ‘Terms of Endearment’ and creator of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore’ show.
Brooks is also remembered by many as the first and last name on almost every Simpsons ending credits sequence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gjky8Htubo
He found a copy of ‘Life in Hell’ and loved it. He asked Matt if they could adapt it for a TV series he was making called ‘The Tracy Ulman Show’ and the rest was history…
Actually, no, it wasn’t.
You see Matt Groening, still the young idiot that he was, actually said: No. Matt had spent his lifetime self-producing ‘Life in Hell’. Every line, joke, and character had bits of himself infused within. So he refused to let his baby project go through anyone else’s production save his own.
Instead, he pitched a throwaway story. Shorts about a nuclear family and a father, whose namesake was based on his own dad, aptly named Homer.
That is how ‘The Simpsons’ was made. And it went on to revolutionize TV history, bridging the gaps between adult and child-like cartoons. It pushed boundaries in TV censorship – questioning the acumen and lack-of-wit of those in moral authority. The Simpsons paved the way for future animated landscapes. It made cartoons okay for adults again. Shows like South Park, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers now had foundations to grow. It also helped established Fox as one of the major networks. Then went on to becoming both the longest running animated series and the longest running comedy in history.
The Simpsons became a cultural staple. With Groening, becoming an overnight legend. So naturally Fox, the network The Simpsons ran on, was interested in more. Though thanks to a new influx of money and new corporate sponsorship – things were a bit different this time around.
It was about the mid 1990’s and Fox had been asking Matt Groening for another series. Matt had been waning off working on ‘The Simpsons’ after its first three seasons, as drama between him and Brooks led to a falling out, and over the years the show would change showrunners several times. With Matt playing more of a supervisory role as the years went on (which he still does).
He was ready to do something new. Fox of course was interested. Hundreds of pages of research and deliberation over a couple years, Matt got an idea. He wanted to make something in the realm of science fiction. Loving the works of H.G. Wells, the animation of Jetsons and the old time styles about a futuristic ‘World of Tomorrow’ often seen in World’s Fairs. What came together, while working with Simpsons writer (and Mathematician himself) David X. Cohen, was a futuristic sci-fi animated comedy called Futurama.
Futurama would go on to be a cult classic. Airing on Fox, then later Adult Swim, and even later, reordered issues on Comedy Central – the show broke grounds in terms of comedy and parody – showing for the first time that it was okay to make intelligible jokes featuring science and science fiction.
Simply put, Futurama helped made it cool to be smart. Right around the popularization of the internet. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that some of my friends and I had to look up references to get some of the jokes. Futurama made me learn web browse things. It made comedy witty and opened up a plethora of ideas about science and technology – all while having fun with it. Given the unbelievable achievements of the decade from 2000-2010, it was a much needed staple in the cultural landscape.
Futurama was nominated for many awards throughout its run and without trying to sound too pretentious – was a work of genius. Literally, as the show had some of the smartest minds (Steven Hawking) guest star and even created its own Mathematical Theorem for kids. Though it came at a cost.
Despite having the same creative support teams, plus having already established a legacy of a proven track record with the Simpsons – Matt Groening had a very difficult time pitching the show. Fox didn’t like how much creative freedom Matt was given back when he first joined the network – claiming that under their new era, they sought to bring in the reigns and censor certain topics.
Matt Groening was displeased. Going so far as to say that it was the most jarring experience of his adult life. With Fox saying no to many of Matt and David’s ideas.
So Matt put his standing with Fox, and by proxy his career, on the line to make the show Futurama wanted. If it succeeded, Fox won in having not one, but two animated gems – going forever in history as one of the greatest networks for animated comedies (which it currently is). If it failed, the only thing that they would lose, was Matt Groening – of whom, they had already divorced from in many ways through ‘The Simpsons’.
Futurama was a little of both. A cultural and critical success yet also, a ratings bomb. It would go from network to network, with a long period of cancellation in between. For the most part, Groening kept quiet afterwards – focusing on ‘Life in Hell’ which was still running and still his property, while David X. Cohen took most of the control over the roller coaster that was Futurama’s career. And while Futuramawas successful in many ways, it was also always turbulent over the years.
Groening’s career is sort of proof that just because you’ve made something, doesn’t mean people will respect you. That Hollywood is a rough industry where you have to constantly prove your worth. Even if you’re Matt Groening. Though to be fair, his royalties from ‘The Simpsons’ would go on to earn him more than most of our families combined will make in several lifetimes.
So it’s not like Matt Groening needed to find work anyway.
Which brings us to today…
Disenchantment
‘Disenchantment’ is the latest series created by The Simpsons and Futurama creator. Set in the fantasy kingdom of ‘Dreamland’, the show follows the misadventures of Princess Tiabeanie Mariabeanie De La Rochambeaux Drunkowitz, or “Beanie” for short. Though she’s not your damsel in distress sort of princess. She’s a tough fighter, rebellious to fault, and prone to getting in trouble – usually as a result of her frequent bouts with alcoholism.
With her, are her faithful companions: Elfo, an elf on the lam who left home seeking adventure, and Luci, Beanie’s personal demon gifted to her from a mysterious group from a faraway land. Whereas Elfo stands as a voice of innocence and good will, Luci delights in being the voice of evil and reckonings – though not always of malicious intent.
Reception to the series has been mixed. With some criticizing the show as being a Futurama rip-off set in a fantasy setting, or even more so, simply one big ‘Game of Thrones’ parody.
‘Disenchantment’ is in fact, not Futurama. Nor is it a lazy Game of Thrones parody. It’s a lot of intricate things that make for quite a beautiful show that is both well-illustrated and incredibly thought out. I’ll even go so far as to say…
“Disenchantment is Matt Groening’s most intricately produced series to date – and that’s an amazing feature.”
Now to be fair, most reviewers only received the first seven episodes of the series. Which is unfortunate, because some of the best developed episodes were in its later three. The show is definitely a slow build in terms of story. Which is sort of groundbreaking for TV animation – a genre better known for its faster pacing (Think Steven Universe) or even cutaway gags (Think Family Guy).
But if you pay full enough attention, you’ll be astonished at the show’s level of connected plots and details. And while Futurama has used Easter Eggs before to showcase longer connective story narratives, Groening himself has hinted that ‘Disenchantment’s layers of storytelling is much deeper than anything he has ever produced:
“One, you got to tell a big story. And within that story you gotta tell a lot of little stories. And, if it’s good fantasy, things are not what they seem to be…”
“I will give this challenge… The very first thing you see that’s staring you in the face will give you a clue about the entire nature of what you’re watching.”
Now, deeply layered story arcs are untraditional of Groening’s other works. Half-hour shows structured for prime time, with shortened runtimes and commercial breaks, have never allowed much room for layering. The Simpsons focused on family drama before giving way to pop-culture comedy and Homer’s adventure of the week sort of storylines. Futurama, was mostly high concept sci-fi drama – with tidbits of backstory sprinkled in that were later explored in future episodes.
But thanks to Netflix, this show is allowed the freedom of non-constrictive runtime to produce an overarching narrative. I’m not saying this is a Game of Thrones level epic. But the writing of the series was structured as a drama first, with jokes sprinkled on second. What’s even more impressive, is that the story is character centered.
We learn a little about each person just as we do the world with each passing episode. The tie-ins and reveals and moments that slap you in the face because you subtly didn’t catch over time, are plenty. In fact, I find so much more I missed out by re-watching the series a second, or even, a third time around. It’s that well detailed but you really have to pay attention.
This is not a series you watch while doing something else – like play on your cellphone.
Suffice to say, there is an underlying and deeply connected story present here. My episode by episode Reviews in Part 2 will, spoiler alert, contain hints here and there layered in the story.
The Grand Art Design
‘Disenchantment’ is ridiculous with its architectural and world design. Every panel and detail is nothing shy of beautiful, with so much detail into the world design – I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it in animated TV. The show takes months to animate, even longer than The Simpsons, though with good reason – it’s all thought out and meant to layer the story.
Every signpost and centerpiece, every world building character, aqueduct and waterfall – everything about the art is intricately designed in the details, yet so far, has gotten little praise.
Atop that, every opening credits sequence is customized art per episode – with each segmented story boarding what’s essentially going to befall on our characters.
But you know, it’s not the opening to The Simpsons or Futurama. So people complain.
The Characters
Like Groening’s older works, you’ll notice the traditional overbite and beady eyes with all the character designs. You’ll also notice many of his all-star voice acting cast from other series returning. From Futurama, you have the voice actors of Fry (Billy West), Bender (John DiMaggio) and Calculon (Maurice LaMarche). From The Simpsons, you have the voice actress who plays Agnes Skinner and the Crazy Cat Lady (Tress MacNeille). Though with this abundance of talent come some new voices actors portraying the main cast.
“Isn’t there a point in everyone’s life where they need to go and figure out who they are?”
Beanie: The buck teethed princess and Heroine of the story, is wonderfully portrayed by Abbi Jacobson, of Broad City acclaim. Her character is a reckless tough young girl that can hold her own in a fight as well as she can her own liquor. Jacobson does a fantastic job. Though visually, I see how she sort of looks like a Daenerys Targaryen but with Freckles.
“I’d rather die a big death than live a small life.”
Elfo: What many people call (including myself) Bart Simpson as a goblin. Though Elfo is actually an elf in the show. And he couldn’t be any more different from Bart, in that he’s unbelievably sweet and often the voice of moral goodness and reason. He is portrayed by academy award winner Nat Faxon.
“Know that little voice in your head that tells you to do the right thing? I’m the guy yelling over it.”
Luci: A Demon bequeathed to Beanie by a mysterious organization. He’s often the voice of evil, acting as the literal devil on Beanie’s shoulder. Despite this, we see signs of compassion for his friends despite his constant encouraging of bad decisions. He is portrayed by Eric Andre, of the Eric Andre show on Adult Swim and Man Seeking Woman on FXX.
Technical Difficulties
Though for what I’ve praised, I’ll also mention the show is not without flaw. First and foremost, that the audio mixing is incredibly off. The compositions are very much sound like they’re in the distal background – which eerily silences some of the tenser moments of the series, and the muffled sound effects can be hit or miss.
Sometimes they’re loud. Other times they are soft. And often, they’re inconsistent.
The music on the series is hit or miss. While it’s not composed by Danny Elfman, the music does feature compositions by Mark Mothersbaugh. The famous front man of the band, Devo.
Known for Their 80’s Hit: Whip It.
Coincidence? Maybe.
There are times the sound works but other times where it’s oddly silent. Again, attributable to either mixing or perhaps, just an oddly soft stylistic choice.
Overall Take
https://youtu.be/Gp_RnJcb8Ig
Despite all the mixed love and hate, I personally recommend watching Disenchantment. Especially if you’re a Groening fan or just a fan of animation. Though the show is doing very well in the 29 year old demographic ,I wonder how much of a newer audience it can generate. Still, if you like animated fantasy comedy, give it a go.
Amazon’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is set to premiere on August 31 with John Krasinski (The Quiet Place, The Office) set to star as the series’ titular character.
Spanning eight one-hour episodes, the series follows an up-and-coming CIA analyst thrust into a dangerous field assignment for the first time. The series follows Ryan as he uncovers a pattern in terrorist communication that launches him into the center of a dangerous gambit with a new breed of terrorism that threatens destruction on a global scale.
The Workprint had a chance to sit down with Jack Ryan Showrunner Carlton Cuse, Abbie Cornish who plays Cathy Mueller, and Executive Producer Graham Roland to talk about the series reboot, the characters and world of the Jack Ryan, and what to expect from the series’ first season.
How do you reboot a series with such high expectations without the original lead actors?
Cuse – I think the cool think about Jack Ryan is that a lot of different characters have portrayed the character. You had Alec Baldwin do it once, then Harrison Ford twice, then Ben Affleck, Chris Pine and now John Krasinski. I think it’s really the actor’s challenge to kind of make the role their own. I think John has definitely done that. John, for instance, is a funny guy. There a little more humor and charm to his performance, but I also think it is fun for the audience to see another side of John Krasinski. He’s a guy who we associate with Jim on The Office, but he’s very physically capable in this. It’s really an interesting journey for that character to go from being a very believable analyst who is sitting in the TFAD, which is the Terrorist, Finance and Arms Division, of the CIA writing reports of his first experiences out on the field, which is what we cover across the first book in the Jack Ryan series that we hope to do.
How is it like shooting with Amazon?
Cuse – It’s much like a film. That’s the great thing about going with Amazon. The resources that we have, we shot this in cities all across the world. We were on three continents. We spent three months in Morocco. We shot in Paris, Washington D.C., and Montreal. It is much more like an eight-hour movie than an eight-hour television show. The scope, scale, and ambition of it all were very much more of a film. We had the money and the resources to not have the constraints you normally see with television.
What can you tell us about Cathy Mueller?
Cornish – I think it’s exciting in the first series because her profession comes into play due to the nature of the situation. There is a threat that arises where Cathy’s intellect and expertise in that field come into play. Obviously, we see Cathy and Jack meet and they start dating. She doesn’t know for a while that he’s in the CIA because he can’t reveal that to her.
Is Jack Ryan still relevant three decades after Tom Clancy first created him?
Roland – I think there is a relatability to Jack Ryan that you don’t find with Jack Bauer, James Bond or Jason Bourne. They are these professional spies who feel very well equipped for every situation they come up against. There is something about Jack that is a little bit more of an everyman who gets himself over his head and finds his way out of it through his intellect rather than his physical prowess. I think that’s a bit appeal of the character.
Carlton, did you find the twisty nature of Lost to help in writing a spy-espionage?
Cuse – The sort of meta answer is, I hope everything builds on the past. I was recently doing a thing with Aaron Sorkin who said, “I have to believe my best script is one I haven’t written yet. I would never want to believe that I have already written my best script.” I hope everything I do is a progression of what I’ve done before. I’m really proud of the writing on this show. It was really fantastic to collaborate with Graham. We’ve worked on three shows together now. We worked on Lost, The Returned, and now this. I think we told a really good story. I think it is a movie for a streaming service.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan airs on Amazon Prime Video starting August 31, 2018.
The ‘Happy Time Murders’ is a movie that abuses our childhood sensibilities – playing off memories about puppets and nostalgia. Created by the minds behind the Jim Henson company – the movie features profuse profanity, puppet noir, perverse sexuality and line after line of “powdered sugar” use. It’s intentionally offensive, and just like Avenue Q or Team America World Police – it uses quite technical puppeteering techniques to execute very adult themed jokes.
Unfortunately, this sort of degenerate comedy is the best the film has going on for it. The film’s funniest setups were mostly featured in the trailers. Too often had the gags felt passive and forced in – serving little purpose beyond showcasing excessive violence and viscera, mostly in stuffing form.
I found this joke most repetitive: that it’s puppets instead of humans and so the pain is laughable. Though I found some of the bits that worked hilarious, the plot and story building in and of itself is rather lackluster. Worst off is that the message, or lack thereof, is shy of compelling.
The movie feels shallow. For instance, its universe is heavily grounded in an us (humans) versus them (puppets) social class struggle. Whereas puppets were former playthings for human’s amusement, they are now seen as independent beings struggling in a world of inequal rights.
Despite this, the film never takes off or seems to address this issue. Whereas in a movie like Zootopia, where class issues were grounded in elements building the story conflict, this movie forgoes any prominent messages of class or racial issues. Instead, it follows more of a Buddy cop format about ex-partners, one of whom is a puppet, reluctantly needing to team up again to solve a crime.
I wanted to like this movie. But it was boring between the gags. It doesn’t try to break out of its film noir mold – which hurts the story as its very predictable. In comparison, ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ used a similar technique of walls breaking noir with animated characters, but it also drew on jokes about pop culture, innuendo and jokes poking fun of cartoon customs. ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ was a good movie because it tried to be technically different while embracing the strengths of its genres. ‘Happy Time Murders’ tries not to reference its origins and is more about watching puppets head’s get blown up and turned into cotton spew.
The Story
The ‘Happy Time Murders’ is hands down one of the most offensive movies of the Summer. Directed by Brian Henson, the son of Jim Henson, and written by Todd Berger.
It’s a story about former LA detective turned private investigator, Phil Philips (Played by Bill Barretta of Muppet Fame). Phil was the first puppet detective, who lost his job for himself and all future want to be police, puppets – when he accidentally shot an innocent puppet/father while trying to save his partner in a holdup. He is called to investigate a case regarding murders of “The Happytime Gang,” a once popular puppet show from the 1980’. Out of convenience’s sake for conflict building, one of the members of the cast is his brother, and yet another, his ex-girlfriend.
On the police end of things, is Phil’s ex-partner, Connie Edwards (Melissa McCarthy) who out of necessity to solve the case, needs to work with Phil to solve the crime. This fleshes out the majority of the buddy-cop movie format, as Phil and Conny relearn to work together to stop the murders from happening. All while investigating the criminal puppet underworld along the way.
In typical L.A. noir fashion, there’s also a dame in distress, drugs (sugar in this movie) and ultra violence (cotton mostly), the necessary police chase and excessive cigarette smoking. Though I won’t go too into details, as even that little amount would spoil this very shallow movie.
So while the technical set-ups and staging (Stay for the credits as they go into the extensive work behind the film), the movie’s script is just… awful. As a screenwriter, I can say that the movie seems like it melded too many iterations and the result, is sort of a patchwork story with holes filled by clichés and gags to distract from the lack of substance.
However, the acting and puppeteering is fantastic. Phil Phillips puppet does a good job – it’s smoking is a fun marvel to watch, and its actor, Bill Baretta, executes his role as detective well as if straight from a pulp L.A. noir. Melissa McCarthy likewise, tries her best performance with her cast and if you enjoy her works you’ll find this role, adequately executed. Hits the mark but nothing special. Likewise, damme in distress, Dorien Davis from ‘Word Party’ on Netflix, plays an excellent Sandra – a woman in need and something much more…
Which of course leads to this scene from the trailer.
The Take
The ‘Happy Times Murders’ is technically sound yet awful in story. It probably works better as a series of digital shorts than a full fledged movie.
