Solo: A Star Wars Story will make you want to drive faster on your ride home from the movie theater.
Yes, it’s one of those movies. And yes, that’s a good thing! For a rip-roaring two hours and some change Ron Howard delivers unto the world a Star Wars movie full of speed, grit, and charming smiles. From the opening seconds we are treated to everyone’s favorite scoundrel making an engine purr and as the film plays out we as the audience don’t want him to let up.
It’s not a secret that Solo has had a rough journey to theaters. The film’s original directors were fired and Ron Howard was brought in to essentially reshoot a vast majority of the movie. Rumors abounded that the film’s star, Alden Ehrenreich, wasn’t up to snuff. And many fans really started to worry when Disney failed release any teasers until late-in-the-game February of this year. There was indeed reason to believe that Solo was destined to be a major flop creatively, but low and behold they somehow pulled it off in the end. Sure, some of my goodwill might be stemming from the benefit of lowered expectations but however you slice it, Solo works.
For the first time in the franchise’s history the fate of the galaxy is not in the balance. Instead we are treated to the early years of Han Solo’s life as a rouge as he escapes the confines of a life of servitude by signing up to be a pilot for the Empire, which quickly transitions to a life of smuggling. The plot essentially hops from caper to caper with each successive job upping the danger quotient to see if this cocky young pilot ever breaks a sweat.
Along the way we get to see how Han meets his lifelong friend Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and joins up with a gang populated by the likes of Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, and Jon Favreau as a lovable pilot with four arms. Together this motley crew accepts a dangerous mission for Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) who happens to be one of the galaxy’s most dangerous – and temperamental – gangsters.
What complicates matters is the fact that Vos sends along a lieutenant (Emilia Clarke) to supervise the mission and it just so happens that she used to be a childhood sweetheart of Han’s. He very much still has a thing for her but she is…reluctant to light that flame again, which leads to much questioning about her true allegiance. But as Han soon learns, he should be questioning EVERYONE’S allegiances. It’s basically Casino Royale in space.
But there’s one other major element here to talk about and that of course is Lando freaking Calrissian played to perfection by Donald Glover. Lando gets thrown into the mix when Han’s gang needs to procure a fast ship which leads them to him and the legendary Millennium Falcon. At this point in Star Wars history the Falcon is a lot like Lando – sleek and perfectly groomed – until of course Han gets his hands on it.
There are moments when Glover sounds so much like Billy Dee Williams that I couldn’t contain my nerdy giggles, but what makes his performance so special is his dedicated relationship to his droid, L3-37 (voiced amazingly by Phoebe Waller-Bridge). L3 is a particularly woke kind of droid who cares deeply about equal rights for the robotic kind. Their relationship is a deep one (and possibly romantic?!) and adds a wonderful element of true friendship that can only be matched by the bond we get to witness growing between Han and Chewie over the course of the film.
And while things like Han and Chewie becoming bros and seeing Han explore the Falcon for the first time are enough to make your geeky blood vessels burst, the film is surprisingly restrained when it comes to nudge, nudge, wink, wink moments. Yes, there is a moment when Han clearly shoots first and a few minor bounty hunter characters get name-dropped, but I was pleasantry surprised to find the screenplay by Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan focused completely on the here and now of the story at hand rather than constantly hinting at things we already know are ahead for Han.
The film isn’t perfect though. There is a lot of clunky dialogue (it wouldn’t be a Star Wars movie if there wasn’t!) and most of the “twists” can be seen coming from a parsec away. There are moments when the filmmakers were clearly hoping you’d either gasp or cheer, but instead you may greet them with a shrug. There is one truly surprising character appearance that I won’t spoil here but you definitely won’t see it coming. In fact, many moviegoers may leave scratching their heads about it and need to do some post-movie research into storylines that exist in mediums other than film. Hint hint.
Qualms aside, Solo is a fast-paced and charming sci-fi action adventure that looks great and features some truly thrilling action sequences thanks to Howard’s direction. I’m not sure this will ever be anyone’s absolute favorite Star Wars movie, but its a fun romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously and should win back some goodwill from fanboys who didn’t enjoy The Last Jedi.
The world may not have absolutely needed a Han Solo origin story but if we have to have one, this will certainly do the trick.
Trigger Warning: the following review is not your friendly neighborhood Deadpool, is absolutely NSFW, but is also spoiler-free.
Deadpool: Origins
Back in the good old days of 2016, when the environment was still a thing, the internet was run like Sweden (In that it remained neutral), and America wasn’t being fucked by a shriveled narcissistic carrot-in-chief, 20th Century Fox was in a conundrum over their own loud-mouthed little narcissist: Deadpool.
After years of developmental hell (Including X-Men Origins: Wolverine. A special sort of hell in itself), fan hype, and bickering over nerdy internet message boards – 20th Century Fox caved into making the Deadpool movie. Delivering on a promise made to Ryan Reynolds on a role he’d signed onto over ten years ago.
But there was a problem…
You see, R-rated superhero movies such as Watchmen or Kick-ass were notorious for less favorable financial returns. Hollywood, believing that R-rated films translated into fewer ticket sales (Because like drugs, you shouldn’t deal to the whole family) and difficult, adult-centered marketing costs (Because like guns, you generally target away from children). Enter, Deadpool.
A beloved comic anti-hero. Since its 90’s origins, Deadpool represented a comedic take on the genre. Less serious, self-parodying and sort a meta-commentary of an industry defined by cliché of the sorts. Deadpool dropped during an era of high saturation of unproven comics through direct market comic book shops; coincidentally, coinciding with the essential end of censorship by the comics code (indirectly contributing to the comic crash of the 90’s).
In layman’s terms, too many comics (bad comics, particularly) were being made and no one was regulating their distribution, nor censoring them. So Deadpool made itself stand out by going over the line again-and-again. No one was safe, and everyone was the butt of the joke.
Befitting, that the Deadpool movie provided a similar function for comic book movie adaptations. Once again, coming as a relief to an industry frustrated with the grind.
But back to the major problem: Deadpool’s style didn’t work as PG-13 movie. Marvel already had a wise-cracking friendly neighborhood Spider-man, and the same fans that kept the hype train going for Deadpool, weren’t really thrilled with the prospect of a kid-friendly version. So when it came down to the wire, the ‘Deadpool’ movie would deliver on the fan’s coveted R-rating, thus keeping true to the spirit of the comics through ultraviolence, adolescent sex jokes, and meta-pop comedy!
This was sort of a big deal. To put that in perspective, Blade II, a movie produced 14 years prior, had the same production costs (technically less if you account for marketing) as ‘Deadpool’. Likewise, Green Lantern, Reynold’s other superhero franchise movie, was produced on a budget four times that amount.
In many ways, this was 20th Century fox shoving the finger up Deadpool’s asshole. Stimulating, but also sort of its own Fuck You. Suffice to say, this led to problems in production costs…
Yet, if you’ve seen the original ‘Deadpool’, you can see how they got away with it. Its shortcomings were more-or-less covered using witty characterization for an origin story, a whole-lot-of-sex driven romance that cost little to make, and a broad range of comedic timing, including a convenient lack of X-men and a not so coincidental forgetful moment with guns, saving costs for a large-scale shootout.
Ever notice how Deadpool seemed an awful lot like a Romantic Comedy in ways? Hollywood cost-cutting, folks. Though to be fair, it also helps to have years developing a script. Plus, a steamy hot pile of Ryan Reynolds and Morena Baccarin serves as delectable eye-candy. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of these two:
Surprisingly, Deadpool was an epic overnight success. Becoming Fox’s most profitable X-men film. This opened the door for the R-rated superhero genre. Which, as noticed by the recent Logan movie, is a venture 20th Century Fox would like to continue to capitalize on. Movies made for adult comic fans.
‘Deadpool 2’ really ups the ante, going all-in and balls-deep, both in-budget and in-style. A definitive movie true to its origins in that it gives no fucks and never really takes itself too seriously.
The action sequences are dicey.
The comedy is degenerate.
But all-in-all it’s okay because this one is about family!
Yep, Deadpool 2 steers away from the highly sexualized steamy rom-com and goes into full-on R-rated unadulterated family picture. DP2’s script was penned by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and the Merc with a Mouth himself, Ryan Reynolds. Essentially, the same team from last time except now, Deadpool gave himself a writing credit.
After years of being a mercenary killing “Bad guys”, girlfriend Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) speaks with Wade (Ryan Reynolds) about the possibility of making sexy avocado faced babies. Which gets us into the theme of family early on.
To guide him on this journey, Wade reluctantly joins the X-Men (because, family!) under tutelage from Colossus (Stefan Kapicic), essentially flipping the movie into a fantastical version of “How to train your Deadpool.” We also get to say hi to Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and girlfriend, Yukio (Shiori Kutsuna) along the way.
During his first X-men mission, Deadpool encounters a pudgy young boy named Russell Collins (Julian Dennison), a mutant going by the name Firefist. Russell is going through a hard time in his foster care, and so Wade reluctantly mentors him, teaching him… actually, I’m not 100% sure Wade really teaches him anything worth noting (maybe it’s, uh, family?).
Along the journey, we find that Russell is being hunted by Cable (Josh Brolin), a time traveler from the future with a big gun. He is one-part terminator in one fist, and one-part amnesia victim in the other, coincidentally forgetting how he just fisted the whole of the universe with an infinity gauntlet.
Cable is hunting Firefist. We don’t know why, but my original theory was it probably involved more fisting.
And that’s about it.
Deadpool 2 changes its direction and purpose early and often. The movie swerves into its own twisted version of ‘Logan’ in its premise (For those who unfamiliar, it’s basically Wolverine protecting/mentoring his own mutant girl), but sort of goes off on a rampage into every direction. It sets up various gags, including an eventual X-force assembly parody, but the purpose is more about making fun of the superhero genre – sprinkling sweet bullets of pop-culture parody along the way.
Storywise, I didn’t feel the heart in this one as much as the first – but the laughs were good and plenty. Visually, it was hard to keep up with gags at times. But there’s more than enough where at least some jokes will land, regardless of your preferred style of comedy. Definite re-watch value.
Likewise, Deadpool 2 tries hard in dramatizing Wade’s personal journey. Though it often backfires and feels more like justification supporting his comedic antics and outbursts. Some reviewers have praised this stating it shows growth in tone, yet, I’m not sure if even this was meant to be taken seriously (Get to the end of the movie, you’ll see what I mean).
Due to the poor timing aligning with ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, the drama of the Deadpool 2 just doesn’t feel as weighted by comparison. It’s hard not to sense this given the Josh Brolin Bromance shared between both franchises. Suffice to say, Brolin performed admirably in both.
Similarly, the cameos and supporting characters are more rounded this time around. With Domino (Zazie Beetz), stealing the show. It would be a disservice not to mention her in this review, as her scenes utilizing the amazing superpower of luck, were some of the most entertaining action sequences in a Marvel film to date. I speak for much of the audience in saying that we want to see more of her and Negasonic Teenage Warhead for future series.
Overall, Deadpool 2 is a journey of adolescent comedy and perversion that we get the privy of playing voyeur to. It’s a lot of fan service again, though this time, with some gaping bullet holes in its plot. But that’s okay, as DP2 was always more about entertainment than virtue.
The narrative is slightly reflective of America: slightly racist and a bit obsessed with the story of an egotistical white narcissist failing upwards. But at least this one has a heart of gold… or perhaps lead, from all the bullets pumped inside of him by the end of this movie.
I know that there has been a lot of drama and back and forth surrounding the Charmed reboot, but before we get into that I want to tell you a little story. Once upon a time, there was a young girl who happened upon a Charmed marathon on TNT one Superbowl Sunday. Immediately she was enthralled by this tale of the sister witches and was gutted when her father made her change the channel to watch the game. It was on this day that this young girl, let’s call her Alyssa, made it her mission to see every episode of Charmed. This is the origin story of a TV addict.
Young Alyssa discovered Charmed at a time when TNT was airing the show during a two hour morning block and a two-hour afternoon block. She loved the show so much that she wanted to be able to rewatch her favorite episodes at her leisure, but this was before the show was released on DVD and streaming on Netflix was still a few years away. So, looking to her older sister for guidance, she decided to record the episodes that aired chronologically on TNT on a machine called a VCR so she could always have Charmed by her side. (If you wondering, the answer is yes, I have S1-S4 in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, on VHS tapes at my parent’s house. I will get photographic evidence for this at my next visit!)
I loved Charmed so much. I would sit and daydream about what it would be like to be a charmed one living in that gorgeous San Fransisco house. I wanted Piper and Prue to be my older sisters SO BAD. But this desire was complicated by my desire to make out with Phoebe because I thought that is what good friends did, but I knew sisters did not. So how could I be sisters with two Halliwell’s but not the other! It was too much for my in-the-closet self to compute. I sobbed my eyes out when Prue died, and then again when Phoebe had to kill Cole (the second time out of a billion). The show was campy, ridiculous and insane, but it was MY campy, ridiculous and insane show!
Fast-forward to 2018, twelve years after the original series ended, and the CW has released the first trailer for the new Charmed reboot with the creator’s of Jane the Virgin at the helm. I had been apprehensive about how to approach this new reboot. The cast and crew of the original have been outspoken regarding how they were neither consulted nor informed about the reboot before the news was released. The initial promotion of the reboot was admittedly problematic with the press release reading:
“This fierce, funny, feminist reboot of the original series centers on three sisters in a college town who discover they are witches. Between vanquishing supernatural demons, tearing down the patriarchy, and maintaining familial bonds, a witch’s work is never done.”
Are they implying the original wasn’t feminist, because it most definitely was. The hurt and disappointment from the original cast, many of whom became producers in later seasons, is understandable, but I would like to think that it had more to do with The CW’s press strategy than the actual show. After watching the first trailer for the Charmed reboot, I stand more firmly on that assumption.
The 3 minute and 56-second promo for The CW’s Charmedmakes it clear that while this reboot will be telling a different story than the original, the underlying themes and building blocks of the show stay the same. The Vera sisters’ magic abilities are unbound after their mother Marisol dies in a horrific accident, and a long-lost sister shows up at their door. This pulls a bit from the original series by using themes from both the pilot and the introduction of Paige in Season 4. Two-thirds of the girls’ powers are the same as well. Like Prue, Macy the oldest sister has telekinetic powers, Mel, the middle sister, can freeze time. It is the youngest Vera girl whose powers are different from the original series: where Phoebe saw premonitions into the future, Maggie can read people’s minds. This is a smart decision to give Maggie a more active power and I am interested to see how she is able to control and subdue these voices in her head. Other similarities include Whitelighter Harry Greenwood, who I assume won’t have an epic love story with Mel as it has been rumored she will be a lesbian.
The major difference between the original Charmed and the reboot lays in the central plot of the initial season. The original series first season focused mainly on the Halliwell sisters coming to terms with being witches, and coming to terms with the power of three. There was no plot, no central storyline or goal that was being pursued, but instead, it was about three sisters fighting the demon of the week. The CW’s Charmed reboot comes packaged with central mystery, “How did their mother die?” And I guess we will have to tune into the CW every Sunday at 9:00 to find out.
About two years ago, when I started to get into comic books, my coworker suggested that I pick up Deadly Class. At the time, my reading list consisted primarily of Marvel comics, such as Young Avengers, Ms. Marvel, and Runaways. Deadly Class, created by Rick Remender and Wes Craig, was a style of comic that I had not delved into yet: the drawings had harsher lines and both the stories and the coloring were of the comic was darker. But, upon her insistence, I dove into Deadly Class and was introduced to darker and grittier side of comic book storytelling. So, when I found out that the Joe and Anthony Russo would be adapting the graphic novel for Syfy, I couldn’t have been more excited.
Taking place in San Fransisco’s late 80s counterculture, Deadly Class follows Marcus Lopez (Benjamin Wadsworth) a homeless teenager who has just been recruited to Kings Dominion, an elite private school for upcoming assassins. Kings Dominion is where the world’s top crime families send their offspring to master the deadly arts. Similar to Katy in Mean Girls Marcus has to maneuver his way through the school’s rigid social cliques, except for Marcus, his fellow classmates are assassins in training.
Whether you are a fan of the original Deadly Class comics, or just simply a fan of a good coming of age story about assassins in training, Deadly Class is a show that you won’t want to miss.
Hi guys! I am here to present you with the latest episode of Supertrash on last week’s episode of Supergirl: “Trinity.”
Before getting into the episode of Supergirl, we wanted to address a few things. First, Jen followed up on the discussion from last week about our Mechad Brook’s Instagram post. Before discussing the post, we were unaware of the vicious and racist hate that directed at the actor. This is not okay, and we in no way condone treating anyone in such a manner. Second, Alyssa brought up her feelings around live-tweeting episodes.
And after that 20-minute discussion, we finally get into the episode where we talk about our frustration at Kara’s treatment toward Lena, how fucking badass Alex looks in her new suit, and Jen and some theories about who may have created the Legions spaceship!
ALSO: We have some exciting news, our Patreon page is now live. If you love us (or even like us) be sure to check it out at the link below!
It’s finally Upfronts week and the TV networks are set to reveal their primetime lineups for the Fall.
First up at bat will be FOX.
Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen and CEOs, Fox Television Group, today will unveil the FOX primetime slate for the 2018-2019 television season to the national advertising community during its annual Programming Presentation at the Beacon Theatre.
“This year, we launched four of the Top 10 new shows on broadcast, which led to a very strong roster of young series returning for their sophomore seasons. That gives us tremendous momentum heading into the fall,” said Newman and Walden. “With our increased investment in football, we’re going to use the powerful platform of the NFL to launch our new comedies. We’ll then take some big swings with dramas at midseason, which is a proven strategy for FOX.”
The new comedies joining the lineup this fall are Rel and The Cool Kids. Also this fall, Last Man Standing will join the FOX lineup. The six season show over at ABC, stars Tim Allen as a married father of three girls, who tries to maintain his manliness, despite being surrounded by women. Last Man Standing and The Cool Kids will anchor a brand-new Friday night comedy block.
FOX’s hit new series, 9-1-1, will return on a new night and time on Mondays at 9 PM. The Orville will be slated to return during midseason for its second season.
The schedule and details of the new shows can be found below:
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PMTHE RESIDENT
9:00-10:00 PM9-1-1
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PMTHE GIFTED
9:00-10:00 PM LETHAL WEAPON
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PMEMPIRE
9:00-10:00 PMSTAR
THURSDAY
7:30-8:00 PM ET/ THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PREGAME SHOW
4:30-5:00 PM PT
8:00 PM-CC ET/ NFL FOOTBALL
5:00 PM-CC PT
FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PMLAST MAN STANDING (all-new episodes)
8:30-9:00 PM THE COOL KIDS (new series)
9:00-10:00 PMHELL’S KITCHEN
SATURDAY
7:00-10:30 PMFOX SPORTS SATURDAY: FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL
SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PMNFL ON FOX
7:30-8:00 PMTHE OT / FOX ENCORES
8:00-8:30 PMTHE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM BOB’S BURGERS
9:00-9:30 PMFAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PMREL (new series)
The following comedies will debut this fall on FOX:
THE COOL KIDS
From executive producer Charlie Day (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) and starring Tony Award nominee David Alan Grier (“The Carmichael Show,” “In Living Color”), Emmy Award nominee Martin Mull (“Veep”, “Roseanne”), Emmy Award winner Leslie Jordan (“Will and Grace,” “American Horror Story”) and Emmy Award winner Vicki Lawrence (“Mama’s Family,” “The Carol Burnett Show”), THE COOL KIDS is a multi-camera comedy about a rag-tag group of friends living in a retirement community who are willing to break every rule in order to have fun – because, at their age, what do they really have to lose. HANK (Grier) is the leader of this motley crew, a gruff, opinionated, 21st century Archie Bunker who will go to any lengths to have a good time. His loyal, but less than helpful, friends include CHARLIE (Mull), a bumbling storyteller who constantly goes off on tangents about some bizarre, barely believable episode from his life; and SID (Jordan), a naysaying, pill-popping hypochondriac who shoots down every scheme, but still gets roped in. Complicating matters is MARGARET (Lawrence), a brash, confident woman who forces her way into their group and refuses to leave because she’s not going to take crap from anyone – especially not these three. But what unites them all is their shared belief that they’re not done yet – not by a long shot. Growing old with dignity is for chumps. Our self-proclaimed “cool kids” are determined to make the third act of the lives the craziest one yet.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television, FX Productions
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Charlie Day, Kevin Abbott (pilot only)
Nick Frenkel, Don Scardino (pilot only)
WRITERS: Charlie Day, Paul Fruchbom
DIRECTOR: Don Scardino
CAST: David Alan Grier as Hank, Martin Mull as Charlie, Leslie Jordan as Sid, and Vicki Lawrence as Margaret
LAST MAN STANDING
Multi-cam comedy LAST MAN STANDING, starring Tim Allen, comes to FOX. A fan-favorite for six seasons, LAST MAN STANDING stars Allen as MIKE BAXTER, a married father of three girls, who tries to maintain his manliness in a world increasingly dominated by women. Produced by 20th Century Fox Television, the series also stars Nancy Travis, Jonathan Adams, Amanda Fuller, Christoph Sanders and Jordan Masterson. “Last Man Standing” averaged 8.3 million viewers in Live + 7 ratings for the 2016-2017 season on ABC. It was the network’s second most-watched comedy, after “Modern Family.” Among the key Adults 18-49 demographic, the series averaged a 1.7/7. The series ranked as the No. 1 new program across all syndication when it debuted off-net during the 2016-2017 season.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television
CAST: Tim Allen as Mike Baxter, Nancy Travis as Vanessa Baxter, Jonathan Adams as Chuck Larabee, Amanda Fuller as Kristin Baxter, Christoph Sanders as Kyle Anderson, Jordan Masterson as Ryan Vogelson
REL
Based on the life of Lil Rel Howery (“Get Out,” “Insecure,” “The Carmichael Show”), REL is a multi-camera comedy starring Howery as a loving husband and father living on the West Side of Chicago, who finds out his wife is having an affair. And not just any affair. An affair with Rel’s own barber. Quite easily the worst person for your wife to sleep with, because as hard it is to find a good spouse, it’s even harder to find a reliable barber. Plus, with the barbershop being one of the epicenters of neighborhood gossip, Rel finds his embarrassing business is known by everyone, including the Pastor (also played by Howery), before Rel can even process the emotions himself. Offering Rel support – that is, when they themselves aren’t butting heads – are Rel’s tough-talking, no-B.S. best friend, BRITTANY (Jess “Hilarious” Moore, “Wild ’N Out”), and his recently out-of-jail younger brother, NAT (Jordan L. Jones, “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Wisdom of the Crowd”), as well as Rel’s prideful DAD (Sinbad, “A Different World,” “The Sinbad Show,” “Jingle All The Way”), who perhaps has taken the barber news even harder than Rel. After his beloved kids move to Cleveland with their mom, Rel must begin the difficult task of rebuilding his life as a long-distance dad. He also jumps back into the dating pool – and often finds himself the victim of his own well-intentioned hubris. But, ever the optimist, he continues his search for love, respect…and a new barber.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jerrod Carmichael, Mike Scully, Lil Rel Howery, Josh Rabinowitz, Kevin Barnett
WRITERS: Lil Rel Howery, Kevin Barnett, Josh Rabinowitz
DIRECTOR: Gerry Cohen
CAST: Lil Rel Howery as Lil Rel Howery, Sinbad as Dad, Jess “Hilarious” Moore as Brittany, Jordan L. Jones as Nat
The following new dramas will debut in midseason on FOX:
THE PASSAGE
Based on author Justin Cronin’s best-selling trilogy of the same name, THE PASSAGE is an epic, character-driven thriller written by Liz Heldens (“Friday Night Lights”). Executive-produced by Emmy Award winner and Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Ridley Scott (“The Martian,” “Gladiator”) and writer/director Matt Reeves (“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Cloverfield”), THE PASSAGE focuses on Project Noah, a secret medical facility where scientists are experimenting with a dangerous virus that could lead to the cure for all disease, but also carries the potential to wipe out the human race. When a young girl, AMY BELLAFONTE (Saniyya Sidney, “Fences,” “Hidden Figures”) is chosen to be a test subject, Federal Agent BRAD WOLGAST (Mark-Paul Gosselaar, “Pitch”) is the man who is tasked with bringing her to Project Noah. Ultimately, however, Wolgast becomes her surrogate father, as he tries to protect her at any cost. Brad and Amy’s journey will force them to confront Project Noah’s lead scientist, MAJOR NICHOLE SYKES (Caroline Chikezie, “The Shannara Chronicles”), and the hardened ex-CIA operative in charge of operations, CLARK RICHARDS (Vincent Piazza, “Boardwalk Empire,” “Rescue Me”), whom Brad trained. It likewise brings them face-to-face with a dangerous new race of beings confined within the walls of Project Noah, including former scientist TIM FANNING (Jamie McShane, “Bosch,” “Bloodline,” “Sons of Anarchy”) and death-row inmate SHAUNA BABCOCK (Brianne Howey, “The Exorcist”). In seeking out any allies he can find, Brad also turns to his former wife, DR. LILA KYLE (Emmanuelle Chriqui, “Entourage,” “Murder in the First”), for help. But as Project Noah’s scientists hone in on a cure that could save humanity, these new beings begin to test their own powers, inching one step closer to an escape that could lead to an unimaginable apocalypse.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Matt Reeves, Adam Kassan, Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Liz Heldens, Marcos Siega, Jason Ensler
WRITER: Liz Heldens
DIRECTOR: Jason Ensler, Marcos Siega
CAST: Saniyya Sidney as Amy Bellafonte, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Brad Wolgast, Brianne Howey as Shauna Babcock, Vincent Piazza as Clark Richards, Jamie McShane as Tim Fanning, Caroline Chikezie as Major Nichole Sykes, Emmanuelle Chriqui as Dr. Lila Kyle
PROVEN INNOCENT
Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Danny Strong (EMPIRE) partners with David Elliot (“Four Brothers”) to tell the emotional story of one woman’s fight for the innocence of others, as well as her own. PROVEN INNOCENT follows an underdog criminal defense firm led by MADELINE SCOTT (Rachelle Lefevre, “Under the Dome,” “A Gifted Man”), a fierce and uncompromising lawyer with a hunger for justice. There is no one who understands the power of setting an innocent person free more than Madeline. At age 18, she was wrongfully convicted, along with her brother, LEVI (Riley Smith, “Frequency”), in a sensational murder case that made her an infamous media obsession, a household name and a national cause célèbre. Madeline runs the firm with her partner, EASY BOUDREAU (Russell Hornsby, “Seven Seconds,” “Grimm”), the very lawyer who helped set her free after seven years in prison. Their team also includes investigator BODIE QUICK (Vincent Kartheiser, “Mad Men”) and communications director VIOLET BELL (Tony Award winner Nikki M. James, “BrainDead,” “The Good Wife,” “The Book of Mormon”), who runs a true-crime podcast that follows each investigation. While a hero and a victim to some, Madeline’s bold and bullish tactics earn her a number of enemies – especially GORE BELLOWS (Brian d’Arcy James, “13 Reasons Why,” “Spotlight”), the prosecutor who initially put her away and still believes in her guilt. Despite Bellows’ ceaseless quest to see her behind bars again, Madeline will continue to defend others, even as she fights to maintain her innocence and searches for the real killer in her own case.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Danny Strong Productions, 20th Century Fox Television
WRITER: David Elliot
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David Elliot, Danny Strong, Stacy Greenberg
CAST: Rachelle Lefevre as Madeline Scott, Russell Hornsby as Easy Boudreau, Vincent Kartheiser as Bodie Quick, Riley Smith as Levi Scott, Brian d’Arcy James as Gore Bellows, Nikki M. James as Violet Bell, Clare O’Connor as Young Madeline
The following new live musical production will debut in January 2019 on FOX:
RENT
The live musical production of the groundbreaking, Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical RENT comes to FOX on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 (7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed). A re-imagining of Puccini’s “La Bohème,” and set in New York City’s gritty East Village, “Rent” tells the unforgettable story of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams during a time of great social and political turmoil. Winner of four Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize, writer/composer Jonathan Larson’s tour de force continues to offer an inspiring message of hope and friendship. Acclaimed film, television and theater producer Marc Platt (“Grease: Live,” “La La Land,” “Wicked”), along with the estate of writer/composer Jonathan Larson, will executive-produce the event. Additional details and auspices to be announced. “Rent” originally was produced in New York by New York Theatre Workshop and on Broadway by Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Allan S. Gordon and New York Theatre Workshop.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Marc Platt, Adam Siegel, Julie Larson, Al Larson, Vince Totino, Scott Hemming, Marla Levine
CASTING DIRECTORS: Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield
The following new limited series will debut in Spring 2019 on FOX:
COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS
Airing as a global event on FOX and National Geographic, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning COSMOS will return for its third season in Spring 2019. It will once again be executive-produced, written and directed by Ann Druyan (NASA’s Voyager Record, “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage,” “Contact”) and executive-produced by Seth MacFarlane (FAMILY GUY, THE ORVILLE, COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY), Brannon Braga (THE ORVILLE, COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY), who also is co-writer and director of the series, and Jason Clark (THE ORVILLE, COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY). Neil deGrasse Tyson, the famed pop-culture icon, astrophysicist and host of the Emmy Award-nominated “StarTalk,” will return as host. Co-created by the legendary astronomer Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan in 1980, COSMOS has transported a global audience to the farthest reaches and most deeply hidden recesses of the universe. In the course of those journeys, the series has examined the real stories of the forgotten searchers who helped us understand our place in the universe. Following the wildly successful second season, COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY, seen by more than 135 million people worldwide on National Geographic and FOX, and the most-watched series ever on National Geographic Channels internationally, the new season, COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS, will premiere in the U.S. on both FOX and National Geographic and globally on National Geographic in 180 countries and 43 languages. Continuing the legacy of its predecessors, COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS will translate the revelations of science into a lavishly transporting experience, taking audiences on a series of spiritual voyages of exploration. We are living in the golden age of discovery of new worlds to explore and possibly inhabit. In the vastness of time and the immensity of space, their number and the stories they contain are virtually infinite. The new season will reveal previously uncharted realms, including lost worlds and worlds to come, and those that we may one day inhabit in a thrilling future we can still have. In conjunction with the launch of the new season, National Geographic Books also will publish a companion book, COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS, by Ann Druyan, the long-awaited follow-up to Carl Sagan’s historic international bestseller, COSMOS: A Personal Voyage.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Cosmos Studios, Fuzzy Door Productions
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ann Druyan, Seth MacFarlane, Brannon Braga, Jason Clark
SHADOWHUNTERS - "A Heart of Darkness" - Magnus, Alec and Isabelle try to reach Jace inside The Owl, but even as powerful as Magnus is, can he help the Lightwoods retrieve their brother from his demon prison? Maia and Jordan join Simon on the hunt for Lilith, while Luke tries to find a way to get to Clary. This episode of "Shadowhunters" airs Tuesday, May 8 (8:00 Ð 9:01 p.m. EDT) on Freeform. (Freeform/John Medland)
ISAIAH MUSTAFA, ALBERTO ROSENDE, EMERAUDE TOUBIA
On this week’s episode of Shadowhunters, family plays an important theme as major characters attempt to save someone they considered to be a part of their family.
The Lightwood Siblings and the Quest to Save Jace
Still trapped inside the Malachi Configuration, possessed Jace is cruelly trying to taunt everyone into a fight with him. Perhaps his mindset is that he could trick someone into disabling the cage to take a swing at him. Magnus though comes up with a risky plan that would use the strength of Alec and Jace’s parabatai bond. He suggests that the Lightwood siblings journey into their adoptive brother’s mind together in order to find the real Jace and bring him back. While their first attempt failed because the prisoner was trying to fight back, Izzy has the idea of shackling him in the same chains that Valentine used to keep Ithuriel imprisoned. With the Owl secured, Magnus is able to send the Lightwoods into Jace’s mind.
Izzy and Alec then find themselves within the Institute where they see their younger selves training on a night when Robert and Maryse were both out. All three young Shadowhunters were adorable of course and we can already see the strength of their bonds. Their team agrees that for every mission they go on, three come in and three come out. They will never leave a man behind and this is true even now. The scene changes where younger Alec and Izzy become ash and vanish leaving a frightened young Jace. We’ve got to remember that at this age he had just lost his father and had come to the New York Institute as an orphan. Soon though brother and sister find themselves split up. Izzy finds the younger Jace playing the piano. As she approaches he doesn’t seem to recognize her and to earn his trust she sings a song that Maryse had sung to them. Young Jace sings the English verses back and tells Izzy to come with him. Meanwhile Alec stumbles on Jace in his present age in a room with dozens of dead Clarys. The other Shadowhunter had killed all of them as a part of Lilith’s torment. Alec is able to convince the other man that he is real and that he and Izzy are here to take him home. Young Jace then appears with Isabelle and the three are reunited. However, their happy feelings are short lived because Jace doesn’t want to go back. He begs them to end his life because if Lilith found him again she would make him do worse things. Your heart breaks for Jace because he is in so much pain from all the things the Owl has done. But on top of that for him to beg the Lightwoods is just crushing my heart into tiny pieces. Izzy reminds Jace that three go in and three go out. He makes them promise not to let Lilith get him again and they head back to the real world.
Lilith is Just a Mom Who Wants Her Son Back
Meanwhile Lilith is pissed that her Owl hasn’t returned with Valentine’s flesh that she desperately needs to continue her necromantic revival of Jonathan/Sebastian. First she transports her evil penthouse abode to another building just as Simon and Luke are taking the elevator up. She realizes that the daylighter vampire has the Mark of Cain, making him indestructible. Lilith knows exactly who is responsible for this and goes to the Seelie Court to have a little chat with the queen. In Fairy, the greater demon kills multiple fae until she comes upon their monarch. It’s quite fascinating to see the two ancient beings interact because there’s obviously a lot of history and bad blood there. In fact, before coming to the court, Lilith tells a possessed Ollie that this is the place where all her trouble began. Now what could that mean? The fairy queen is very aware of the power that the demonic being possesses and Lola Flannery does a fantastic job in portraying her character as scared yet defiant. It’s so unnerving to see her be clearly afraid. Still as Lilith is about to bring on the pain, the fairy queen has one more trick up her sleeve and claims that if she dies then the location of the Owl dies with her.
Just as Alec, Izzy, and Jace are about to return, Lilith appears at the loft, thrusts Magnus against a wall and then magically chokes him with her demonic energy. He asks her to kill him but spare the others. While she finds that incredibly tempting, she doesn’t wish to start a war with his father Asmodeous. FYI, the two co-rule the realm of Edom. She releases the warlock and takes Jace back as Alec and Izzy regain consciousness.
Luke Needs To Rescue Clary From Alicante
Clary in the meantime has been subjected to the Soul Sword, which was retrieved from Lake Lyn after her battle with Valentine. Consul Jia Penhallow asks the right questions and Ms. Fairchild is forced to reveal that Jace has been compromised because his death and revival (through Raziel granting her wish) had left him vulnerable to the great demon Lilith. Clary argues with the consul that the wish was too great of a power to have and that she was glad it was gone. The elder woman disagrees though and tells her that Shadowhunter lives are about sacrifice, something that she didn’t understand having grown up in the mundane world. But now maybe she would because she is sentenced to death for her crimes.
Back in New York, Luke finds out that Clary is being held at the Gard and is trying to desperately find a way to negotiate her release. He seeks Maryse out to see if she knew anyone inside Alicante who might be willing to help. The ex-Circle member says that there is one person, the woman who Robert was having an affair with, Anna Marie Highsmith. Maryse says that the other female is actually a decent person and is well connected. The two reconnect later on and the former Shadowhunter tells the head of the New York pack that Clary is under trial with the Soul Sword. Luke decides that he needs to go to Alicante to break her out. He’s going to seek aid from a wolf pack inside Brocelind Forest because he’s already lost Jocelyn and he’s refuses to lose Clary too. Before leaving he tells Simon over the phone that the best way he can help is to keep trying to track Lilith down and to let him handle the rest.
Final Thoughts
This week’s episode also featured the super awkward love triangle of Simon, Maia, and Jordan who came along trying to discover what Lilith is up too. Obviously Jordan still has feelings for his ex and Maia herself has some unresolved issues. The female werewolf ends up leaving town for a bit just to work through her own feelings, leaving the demon hunting to the daylighter and the praetor. Gotta applaud Maia for doing what she needs to do for herself first and foremost.
With Jace back in Lilith’s clutches I suspect things are going to get worse for him before it gets better. After all she still needs Valentine’s flesh to resurrect Jonathan and so the Owl’s job isn’t done yet. It’s extra cruel for the mother of demons to allow the real Jace to be aware of the horrific things his body’s been made to do. However, when the Lightwoods encounter Jace within his mind he is panicked and horrified that he’s “killed” so many Clarys. This goes to show that even though Lilith gave him that potion, it couldn’t fully eradicate his love for her. In addition, the parabatai bond between Alec and Jace is still there and cannot be broken, only temporarily suppressed by demonic magic since Magnus was able to use that to create a mind bridge for them. Here’s hoping that Simon finds Lilith soon because only he can banish her back to Edom with the Mark of Cain.
With the special two-hour midseason finale next week we’ll find out if Clary survives her death sentence, if Jace can be saved, and if Lilith succeeds in bringing Jonathan back.
Shadowhunters airs on Freeform Tuesdays at 8 PM Central.
In this week’s episode of Shadowhunterswe return to Alicante and meet the new Consul, Jia Penhallow.
Clary, Alec, and Isabelle have come to the capital of Idris to speak to Inquisitor Imogen Herondale about her grandson. Before that though Ms. Fairchild finally comes clean with the Lightwood siblings, Magnus and Simon that Jace had died (Valentine killed him) and she brought him back by asking Raziel for a wish and now he was being controlled by Lilith as the Owl. Alec hugs her and says that he would have done the same thing. This makes total sense because their parabatai bond would trump his loyalty to the Clave. At another team meeting later on, Izzy remembers that there was a piece of cutting edge Clave technology that might help them save Jace called the Malachai Configuration (it was the former Consul who was developing it to trap greater demons). If they could use that to contain Jace, Magnus may be able to figure out a way to remove the mother of demon’s influence on him. The only problem was that the device was in Alicante.
They are forced to tell Imogen Jace’s current condition, hoping that she helps them to save the only family she has left. Thankfully she agrees to aid them, but as they are on their way to the armory they are stopped by the current Consul. Since Malachai Dieudonné’s death, Jia Penhallow had succeeded him in the position. Flanked by two other Shadowhunters, she asks what brings the crown jewels of the New York Institute into town and Clary answers that the Inquisitor was just giving them a tour with Izzy adding that she wanted to see the armory so that she could improve operations back in New York. Jia says that’s a wonderful idea and asks to join them. Without missing a beat Alec asks if he could have a private word with her. As the other three women depart, she asks if this is about Maryse. He answers no, however he was actually having second thoughts about declining the delegate position she had offered him. The elder Shadowhunter is glad that he’s reconsidering it, but unfortunate the spot had already been filled. Well that’s a relief because he didn’t really want it!
Jia was appointed Consul after the Malachai was killed last season by Jace for secretly working with Valentine. She is currently married to fellow Shadowhunter Patrick Penhallow and is the mother of Aline as well as the aunt of deceased Sebastian Verlac (through her marriage). Jia is also an important character in the Shadow world, as Consul she leads the Nephilim and the Council in keeping the world safe and maintaining the accords. She is played by Canadian actress Francoise Yip.
WARNING!! SPOILERS FROM THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS AND THE DARK ARTIFICES AHEAD
Jia and Patrick had met and eventually ran the Beijing Institute, though they moved to Alicante at some point in time. They have only one child, Aline who lived with them at the Shadowhunter capital. When Jia became Consul, she petitioned to keep looking for a missing Jace but was overturned with a priority to fix the wards on Wrangel Island instead. During the Dark War, her family housed Emma Carstairs and the orphaned Blackthorn siblings because of Aline’s relationship to Helen Blackthorn (the two were engaged to be married then). While her husband was saddened with the end of his side of the Penhallow line, Jia was more concerned that her daughter’s heart would be broken by the half-fairy Helen.
As all Shadowhunters were recalled to Alicante during this time in City of Heavenly Fire, a Clave meeting was called to inform them that the Downworld representatives had gone missing. At this event, she was accosted by Matthias Gonzales who had become one of Sebastian’s Endarkened warriors. Thankfully her life is saved through the quick actions of Alec Lightwood who shot an arrow at the ex-Shadowhunter with his bow.
Jia tries to be a fair and empathetic leader with more tolerance towards Downworlders than other Shadowhunters. She takes Simon’s input as a vampire seriously after they discover that Sebastian had kidnapped the Downworld representatives. She also listened when werewolf Maia Roberts sent a message through warlock Catarina Loss that the Endarkened would attack Alicante. Young Ty Blackthorn later discovers a message (cleverly hidden in an acorn) from his other half-fairy sibling Mark that the fairies had betrayed the Nephilim and Jia is told about this through Julian Blackthorn and Emma. She promises the pair that they will try to get Mark back from the Wild Hunt. The Consul also knew of Brother Zachariah’s true identity as Jem Carstairs. She offers to send him to the Spiral Labyrinth so that he can be with warlock Tessa Gray. She comments that he had served the Clave long enough and that they could ask no more of him.
In The Dark Artifices series which follows TMI, she is still serving as Consul when Emma, the Blackthorns, Magnus, and Annabel head to Alicante for the resurrected Shadowhunter’s grave testimony. While a new political power, the Cohort, had arisen after the events of the Dark War, Jia is not fond of their extremist views towards Downworld. She is present while Annabel is brought to the Clave to tell them about the Unseelie King’s plan for the destruction of all Nephilm. Jia, along with the rest of the Clave witnesses the horror of Annabel’s PTSD after she is pushed too far resulting in the deaths of Livy Blackthorn and Robert Lightwood.
Throughout Cassandra Clare’s novels, Jia had always tried her best to be a tolerant, fair, and just leader. Though she still had to adhere to the decisions of the Clave, she did fight for what she believed was right. It will be interesting to see how her character is portrayed on the show given that Clary had just been caught at the graveyard after sending the Lightwoods and Jace away through a portal. Jia will have to help determine what to do with Valentine’s daughter.
Shadowhunters airs on Freeform Tuesdays at 8 PM Central.
Debuting as the first book in what will be Rachel Hawkins’ newest series, Royals was a quick, entertaining read. The book follows Daisy Winters, an offbeat Florida high schooler whose older sister is engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. When the paparazzi and tabloids turn their attention on Daisy, she’s forced to abandon her summer plans and spend a few months in Scotland with her sister. This is where the story really kicks off.
Royals has everything you might want in a book of its type; average girl transplanted to a beautiful foreign country filled with gorgeous guys, unfamiliar traditions, scandal, and a classic hate-to-love relationship. While many books I’ve read that follow a similar storyline focus on how exciting it is to be a part of royal life, Royals does a good job of showing the other side of that shiny coin. Daisy isn’t interested in living in the spotlight, she’s perfectly happy with her “boring” life in Florida and resents that her sister’s engagement means she has to change.
I love Daisy as a narrator. She’s smart, witty, and not interested in comparing herself to her “perfect” sister. Daisy is comfortable with who she is, and doesn’t want to change that for anyone. Not even the Queen of Scotland. While romance is an important plotline, the story focuses more on Daisy’s relationship with her sister Ellie, and I think the story is better for it.
If you’re willing to overlook the fact that this book rewrites the way the British monarchy works, I’d definitely recommend Royals as a fun summer read.
In the culmination of ten years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Infinity war may be its crowning jewel and boy does it shine brightly in your face. It’s hard to come up with the appropriate words that adequately describes it as adjectives like intense, emotional, beautiful, tragic, and glorious don’t seem to do it justice.
Infinity War is the third motion picture in the Avengers series and it picks up with Earth’s mightiest heroes disbanded with Captain America, Black Widow, Falcon, and the Scarlet Witch hiding as fugitives, while the others like Iron Man, War Machine, and the Vision still on the side of world governments who want to put powered folks on a registry. Without going into too much storyline spoilers, Thanos is the big game changer as the intergalactic being of enormous strength and power arrives searching for the Infinity Stones. We’ve only seen bits of the purple titan so far in the MCU, but its arguable that this film is more about him than his foes.
Infinity War shows audiences that Thanos isn’t simply a massive evil villain. While he certainly does horrific things, we discover what drives and motivates this character in a way that is surprising and even understandable in moments. Upon seeing the trailer for the first time I actually had an issue with the CGI, yet at some point while watching the movie I completely forgot about that and was just focused on Josh Brolin’s portrayal of the colossus individual. Not only did we learn about Thanos’s agenda, but also his backstory and his complicated relationship with his adopted daughter Gamora. Their relationship is one of the most significant aspects of the film. The dynamic between the two was riveting and Zoe Saldana did such a fantastic job in showing her character’s struggle as Gamora both hated and loved Thanos.
While there are definitely a lot of things happening on screen, nearly each part served a purpose and gave each character a pivotal moment to shine. Tony finds himself meeting Stephen Strange and Wong for the first time but is also reunited with Bruce and Peter. Thor is rescued by the Guardians of the Galaxy and embarks on a side quest with Rocket and teenage Groot. Wanda and the Vision are initially together stealing a few moments of intimacy, but soon find themselves reunited with Steve, Natasha, and Sam. Throughout the film different groups from across the MCU come together and surprisingly it works without feeling forced or pointless. There was cohesion as each subplot eventually tied to the larger narrative and at the end we are left with a huge what happens next cliffhanger.
A central theme of the throughout the plot is sacrifice for the greater good and there are so many difficult and painful moments to watch as we’ve been with so many of these heroes since Iron Man was first released in 2008 (and even longer for devout comic book fans). All of these characters have experienced loss and as many faced competing egos, their differences needed to be put aside in the fight against Thanos to save the universe. Infinity War is heartbreaking at times, but it’s what makes it so good because there is real loss and consequences. These imperfect heroes are truly struggling with the stakes being so high and we don’t know how it’s going to end. The film is akin to TheEmpire Strikes Back in that way and the impossible situation makes audiences root even harder for the good guys.
There are those who may be tired of superhero movies and feel that the film industry is too saturated with them. As a fan of the genre, I am tired of bad superhero movies, but this is not one of them. As phase three is ending and phase four soon to begin, Infinity War is a perfect transition to enter a bold new chapter in the MCU. The world building from the last ten years and eighteen films have made this a satisfying and gratifying movie viewing experience.
Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on April 27, 2018 with Avengers 4 arriving next May 13, 2019.
On this week’s episode of Shadowhunters, Magnus seeks help from an old friend who has access to demon information in an attempt to identify the Owl’s master.
When Clary goes to the warlock’s loft after encountering a strangely behaving Jace at the Institute, she shows Magnus a drawing of the winged beast that attacked her. He says that demons will leave a trace amount of magical energy on their victims and if he was able to access that perhaps they could figure out who this creature is. He realizes after casting a spell on Clary that whoever killed the angel and attacked the Shadowhunter is the same one who messed with the ley lines under Lorenzo’s home. He takes her drawing and magically inscribes a note then sends it off to a friend whom he says has resources that could help them. A response arrives a few moments later with Magnus telling Clary that Brother Zachariah (Jonathan Ho) is willing to help and that he’ll meet with them tonight.
They rendezvous at a small park where Clary is surprised that Magnus’s buddy is a Silent Brother. However, he’s not an ordinary Silent Brother as Zachariah does not have his eyes and mouth sewn shut, seemingly still appearing as the Shadowhunter he had once been many years ago (though he does communicates mentally). He hands over a book and a scroll that contains information on long forgotten demon forms to the warlock and cautions that the brotherhood cannot know that he helped them on this. Magnus assures him of complete discretion and gives his thanks. Brother Zachariah genuinely expresses that any friend of Will Herondale is a friend of his. The name Herondale of course resonates with Clary and the warlock explains that he and the Silent Brother had both been close to one of Jace’s ancestors. She them implores Brother Zachariah to tell her how Jace’s treatment went at the Silent City because he’s seemed off since he got back. That’s when she learns that her boyfriend never came for said treatment. Uh oh!
SPOILERS FROM THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS, THE INFERNAL DEVICES, THE DARK ARTIFICES AHEAD
Readers of The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, and The Dark Artificesseries know the importance of Brother Zachariah. He was born James “Jem” Carstairs at the Shanghai Institute in 1861 to a British father (Jonah Carstairs) and a Chinese mother (Ke Wen Yu). His parents ran the Institute and unfortunately were killed by the greater demon Yanluo as retribution for the Carstairs destroying its nest. Jem was tortured and injected with yin fen. Though he survived, the young boy would forever be dependent on the drug to function despite it slowly killing him. Soon after he was sent to the London Institute and taken in by Charlotte Fairchild Branwell. It was also in his new home where he met Will Herondale, the young Shadowhunter who would become his parabatai.
Will had his own demons to wrestle with as he believed he was cursed. But a year after arriving, he had asked Jem to be his parabatai and eventually the other Shadowhunter accepted. Later when Jem was 17, both he and Will met Tessa Gray, a young warlock who would change both their lives forever. Tessa was the daughter of a Shadowhunter and an Eidolon demon, which gave her unique shapeshifting abilities. Both men loved her and for a time she was engaged to Jem (she would later marry Will).
However, during the events in The Infernal Devices series, Jem was growing weaker and he decided to become a Silent Brother in an attempt to continue living. While it wasn’t certain that he would survive the process because of his poor health, Jem did and became known as Brother Zachariah. He would be in service to the Clave for a very long time. Eventually though the cure for the yin fen in his blood would come through Will’s descendant Jace Herondale.
During the Dark War, Jace had the heavenly fire in him and when Brother Zachariah tried to aid the young Shadowhunters, the fire miraculously burned away all the demon blood in his system. The Silent Brother became a regular nephilim again and after the war with Sebastian/Jonathan Morgenstern he reunited with Tessa. The two eventually married and travelled to California in search of the lost Herondale line. In The Dark Artifices series we learned that the last member of this lost branch of Jace’s family was Kit Rook, or Christopher Herondale.
Kit’s dad Johnny Rook was an information trader who had a booth in the Los Angeles Shadow Market. He was killed by Mantid demons after the death of warlock Malcolm Fade who had placed protective wards on his home in exchange for Rook’s services. While they were being attacked, Kit had called Emma Carstairs for help and she came with Jem and Tessa. After that, the young newly discovered nephilim was forced to reside at the Los Angeles Institute.
Jem had also revealed his identity to Emma, as they both were now the last of the Carstairs family. While he couldn’t stay with her in LA due to other business, he did try his best to stay in touch with her especially through his cat Church. Church is an immortal cat that Jem rescued from the demon Mrs. Dark after she had performed a necromantic ritual on the poor animal. Ever since then the feline had lived in three Institutes – London, New York, and Los Angeles. Church was able to give Emma small gifts from Jem through his collar.
The former Silent Brother had watched over many Shadowhunters throughout the years, especially those descended from the families he had known and was close to when he was one of them. Jem had even participated in the protection ritual on Clary when she was young with Tessa standing in as an Iron Sister.
It’s such a wonderful treat to see Jem on the screen! It’s also incredibly appreciated that the show casted an Asian actor for the role given that Brother Zachariah is half-Chinese. Also the detail in adding in the silver in his hair as a tell of the yin fen in his blood is a great touch. He is a character that’s appeared multiple Cassandra Clare novels and is a vital link tying multiple generations together. Sincerely hoping that we see him again on the show, perhaps even with Tessa. Now that would be an even bigger boon to fans everywhere!
UPDATE:
Showrunner Todd Slavkin has confirmed that the actor who plays Brother Zachariah/Jem Carstairs is Jonathan Ho and that we indeed will see him again!
Hi Guys! Welcome back to Supertrash: A SUPERGIRL podcast!
That is right, Jen and Alyssa have put back on their Supergirl hats to discuss the show’s return episode “Schott Through the Heart.” If you were expecting this episode to follow-up on anything they left off on two months ago, you are out of luck. We had a lot of thoughts and feelings about this Supergirl return.
SHADOWHUNTERS - "Stronger Than Heaven" - Someone is out to get Simon and Jace is on the hunt to find out who it is, meanwhile Clary turns to Luke to find a way to help Jace. Alec worries about the future of his relationship after learning more about MagnusÕ romantic past. This episode of "Shadowhunters" airs Tuesday, April (8:00 - 9:00 p.m. EDT) on Freeform. (Freeform/John Medland)
DOMINIC SHERWOOD
In this week’s episode of Shadowhunters, Lilith gets her hands dirty, Clary summons an angel, Alec snoops through Magnus’s stuff, Izzy goes on a date, and Simon learns the truth about his new roomie.
Lilith Hires Magnus
Posing as a fellow warlock, Lilith arrives at Magnus’s loft seeking his aid. She pretends that Ragnor Fell (who died in season 1) recommended him to her and that she wasn’t from around here. She explains that she needs something that can make an individual fall out of love as there is a soldier who is madly in love with her, but unable to focus on his duties (which worries her). Magnus recommends that dealing with heartbreak is always preferable to the alternative, although in this case it seems that she is doing the other person a kindness. He enchants a potion and instructs her to put in a sliver of her soul into the liquid an hour before she gives it to the intended recipient. Lilith looks surprised but quickly smiles, saying that she does know how to do an extraction.
Back at her place, she summons a tracker demon and tells the creature to find Clarissa Fairchild and to get a small portion of the Shadowhunter’s soul.
Isabelle Goes on a Date
Taking a night off, the new weapons master of the New York Institute finally goes out on a date with Dr. Charlie Cooper (whom she met at the hospital in the first episode of the season). They had ran into each other again at a party where Jace, Clary and herself were watching over Morgan (the human the Owl intended to abduct next). Izzy gave the persistent doctor her number just to get him off her back and it appears he’s been asking to hang out. Clary convinces the other Shadowhunter to take a few hours to enjoy herself.
On the date, Izzy is indeed having a great time. She leads him to believe that she makes jewelry for a living after Charlie compliments the bracelet she said she made. Unfortunately though, once they are outside the jewel pulses (it might be the same stone from her necklace that had been a Lightwood family heirloom) and it warns her that a demon is nearby. She makes a really lame excuse that has a big order to work on tonight and takes off. Isabelle goes into a dark alley nearby and transforms her snake bracelet into a staff. The tracker demon then appears because she had borrowed Clary’s dress and the creature thinks she’s the other woman. They battle and Izzy is able to defeat the demonic beast. Charlie then sees her in the alley and she’s not able to use her stele in time to put an iratze. He tells her that she needs to go to the hospital with him to get stitched up. She thanks him for patching her up and asks why he came after her even when she ditched him. The physician replies that he was just so worried after all the recent attacks that he had to make sure she was safe. Izzy kisses him on the cheek before departing.
Simon Learns His Roomie’s True Identity
In this week’s episode, Simon gets super pissed because someone posing as his manager called the Hunter’s Moon to cancel his gig. He has no idea who could have possibly did it and runs into Jace day drinking at the bar. The Shadowhunter decides to help Simon out after the vampire explains some of his recent troubles (aka the Mark of Cain). Jace needs a distraction anyways as he’s been contemplating going to the Silent City to get help from the Silent Brothers.
He goes to the Jade Wolf and interviews members of Luke’s pack to see if they could be the one who called the Hunter’s Moon. However, the wolves don’t seem to be responsible for Simon’s cancelled performance and so he goes to the vampire’s new apartment. There he meets Kyle for the first time and gets a weird vibe from the get go. Simon’s roommate makes an excuse that he needs to head to buy some stuff at a bodega and leaves. Jace then asks Mr. Lewis how he and Kyle met and expresses that it’s a weird coincidence that he found this place so fast. He even breaks into the other man’s room and notices a specific plant that confirms his suspicions. Bad timing as Kyle returns and gets pissed that they are in his room. But the Shadowhunter pulls out his seraph blade forcing Kyle to reveal that he is a werewolf with the Praetor Lupus and that he’s been tasked to watch over Simon. Jace instantly backs off and shrugs that the guy is just doing his job. The vampire then angrily asks if it was Kyle who was pretending to be his manager. The werewolf admits to this saying that there will be other wolves there and if the Mark of Cain gets activated many could get hurt. We find out that the Praetor set up the apartment to Simon’s tastes so that they could more easily monitor him. Royally pissed, the young vamp says he’s moving out.
Simon ends up camping out in his van again where Jace finds him sometime later. The Shadowhunter convinces him to give Kyle another chance and that the situation is not that bad. Eventually Simon relents and goes back to Queens to get his keyboard. He tells a surprised Kyle that he’s going to play his gig and that he isn’t going to stop living his life. The vampire says he can come and watch over him there but it was his choice.
Clary Sees Cleophas, Summons an Angel
Earlier Jace tells Clary that he is considering going to the Silent City to seek treatment for his mental health issues. He tells her that his mother had also had a history and had suffered alone. Clary isn’t sure this is the right move however because if the Silent Brothers deem him unfit to serve then he’ll be de-runed. Jace understands the risks but would rather know that he’s tried everything at least to get help. She begs him to not do it yet and to let her try something else. Clary believes that the angel Ithuriel might be able to aid them since they both have his angelic blood in their veins.
She goes to Luke asking to see Cleophas. As a former Iron Sister, she would know how to summon an angel. He takes Clary to his farm upstate where Cleo has been hiding out. The elder female Shadowhunter tells the both of them that sadly the angels haven’t been responding to her, likely because she killed a fellow Iron Sister and is no longer worthy. Clary however is and she’ll tell her how to do the summoning.
The three head out to the woods where Cleo sprinkles a substance onto the ground that contains adamis into a circle and then bids Clary to step inside. Once in, she tells the younger Shadowhunter to activate her angelic rune and repeat after her. Ms. Fairchild recites the words and the ring around her suddenly turns bright yellow. Cleo explains that the angel has heard her call and that she Luke need to leave her because he is a Downworlder and she had killed one of their own. It’s interesting that only those deemed pure still are able to communicate with the angelic beings. Soon after the two siblings depart, a much younger looking Ithuriel descends from Heaven and greets Clary. He knows why she’s called for him and says that its not because she brought Jace back to life that he’s been having problems. He explains that the resurrection has left him vulnerable but that they face a much greater threat. A great evil has arrived on Earth and Clary thinks it’s the Owl. Ithuriel says that the Owl has a master but before he can reveal the name his chest bursts. Lilith in her winged demon form has ripped the angel’s heart out and he dies in an explosion of bright energy. The mistress of Edom then proceeds to extract a sliver of Clary’s soul and the young Shadowhunter passes out. Geez Ithuriel has had a really bad experience on the mortal realm. First he gets kidnapped and tortured by Valentine for years. Jace and Clary finally free him, but now Lilith kills him after being summoned by Clary.
She wakes up inside the farmhouse after Luke and Cleo find her unconscious.
Alec Snoops Through Magnus’s Stuff
Jealousy rears its ugly head in casa de love when Alec opens a box belonging to Magnus after proposing that he move into to the loft and is gently rebuffed (since they had only started dating two months ago). There would be plenty of time for that in the future. The New York Institute head finds a number of mementos and hones in on an old picture showing the warlock and a soldier. There’s a tender note scribbled behind from a former lover named George. Later on, Alec apologizes to Magnus that he invaded the other’s privacy by looking inside the box. The ex-High Warlock of Brooklyn knew that he had of course and is glad that the Shadowhunter came clean. But when Alec asks if George was still present in the warlock’s heart, Magnus emotionally explains that box contained a keepsake from all the people he had loved and outlived. It’s the first time that Alec seems to fully grasp that the other man is immortal. Magnus further says that he keeps these tokens to remember those he had once cherished. Alec gets upset that one day maybe if he’s lucky one of his arrowheads will be inside that box too. The warlock explodes and says that he can’t change the way he is and neither can Alec. They need to just live in the here and now. The Shadowhunter calms down and agrees.
Clace Is In Trouble
On his own, Jace decides to tell Alec that he’s going to seek treatment in the Silent City. His parabatai is supportive naturally and says that he’ll go with him but Jace knows he needs to do this on his own. After convincing Simon to give his news roommate another shot, he heads to the Hunter’s Moon to catch the vampire’s performance. There, Lilith shows up and spikes his drink with Magnus’s special love erasing potion. When she asks him how he feels, Jace answers he’s like a new man. Now theoretically nothing will break her spell over him and he can resume his work as her Owl to gather more disciples so that Jonathan can get resurrected.
Final Thoughts
Where has Maia been this whole time? I wonder if Kyle is super uncomfortable at the Hunter’s Moon not because of the potential havoc that the Mark of Cain could reek but that he could bump into his ex-girlfriend at any moment.
Now that Lilith made Jace fall completely out of love with Clary will anything else be able to snap him out of her control? What about that parabatai bond? I think that relationship is just as strong.
Why didn’t Lilith just kill Clary when she had the chance? Does she had something else planned for her?
Will Charlie get a second date? Odds are 50/50.
Did Raphael leave town? For his sake I hope he did, just to let things cool down a bit.
Shadowhunters airs on Freeform Tuesdays at 8 PM Central.
Hi Guys, and welcome to a very special Minisode episode of Supertrash!
For this episode, we invited Brittany Daily (@B_Dailey13) on to discuss a very special experience she had VISITING THE SET OF ‘LEGENDS OF TOMORROW.” Yes, you read that correctly.
Brittany was invited to visit set while shooting “Necromancing the Stone” by the episode’s director April Mullen. We tried very hard to hold our jealousy back as Brittany recanted her experience watching scenes be filmed, the ample amount of food on set, and having casual conversations with Jes Macallan.
Mallus’s demon realm set
Thank you so much to Brittany for sharing your experience with us! Enjoy!
SHADOWHUNTERS - "Thy Soul Instructed" - JaceÕs concerns grow about his mental state and turns to Luke for information on his familyÕs past. Clary and Izzy go after a rogue vampire and Simon hunts for a new apartment. This episode of "Shadowhunters" airs Tuesday, April 10 (8:00 - 9:00 p.m. EDT) on Freeform. (Freeform/John Medland)
CHAI HANSEN, ALBERTO ROSENDE
On this week’s episode of Shadowhunters, we meet Jordan Kyle, an enigmatic new character who becomes Simon’s roommate.
We first meet Jordan (Chai Hansen) as Simon is walking while talking to Clary on the phone. He tells his best friend how he’s looking for a new place to live and she says maybe she can talk Alec to let him live in the Institute. But Simon knows that’s not an option and says that he still has some Bar Mitzvah money that he can use. As he looks at apartment ads on a newspaper, a bike messenger tells him to look out and the dude crashes into boxes and garbage cans. Simon rushes over to see if the guy is ok and offers to give him a ride to wherever he needs to go. The other man introduces himself as Kyle and says that he just needs to make a delivery in Midtown and then back to his apartment in Queens.
The vampire carries Kyle’s damaged bike up to the apartment and once inside discovers that it’s an awesome space. Not only is it super spacious with a pinball machine, but Simon spots a vintage electric guitar. Basically Mr. Lewis is in man cave heaven. Kyle says that it was a gift from his uncle after his family moved to the States from Brisbane when he was 11 (Hansen is Australian and they kept his accent on the show). He then starts chatting about how he’s in a bit of a bind because his roommate reccently left without a word and the rent was due. Well what a coincidence because a certain Downworlder needs a place to live! The bike messenger says no pressure though and to look around and see if he likes the place. Simon initially declines, believing that he needs a place of his own so that he doesn’t have to explain why he never eats and has a mini-fridge full of blood. Kyle adds that his place is rent controlled and that it seems like all three of them (including the guitar) would get along. Simon, from one New York resident to another you know how hard it is to get into a rent controlled building.
However, he is eventually convinced by Maia to take the place because it’s a great find. Simon then moves in his stuff, mini-fridge included. When Kyle points out that the apartment already has a bigger version of that appliance, the vampire explains that he just likes having his own and that he’s just very particular about his food. His new roommate says no worries and that it’s cool. Kyle does broach the subject one house rule that if Simon ever brings a date home to let him know ahead of time so he won’t be around because the walls are very thin. Simon has no problem with that. He then notices that the other man’s limp from the bike collision the other day is gone already. Interesting.
The next day, the two new roomies are playing video games when Kyle gets a phone call supposedly from his neighbor who has locked himself out of the building. Once he goes outside though, he answers by saying thanks for calling it in but that the caller should keep his distance. And who exactly is on the line? It’s Luke! He wants to come stop by tomorrow and just see how Simon is doing but is rebuffed by Kyle. The dude tells the alpha of the New York pack to let him do his job and that Simon Lewis belongs to the Praetor now. Cue ominous music!
SPOILERS FROM THE MORTAL INSTRUMENT SERIES AHEAD
Tonight’s episodes gave us little clues about Jordan Kyle and who he might actually be, but book readers will know that he has significant ties to Downworld.
Kyle or Jordan, was the werewolf who attacked Maia (whom she had told Simon about last season). In the novels, they had been dating when he got into a fight with someone who turned out to be a werewolf and bit him. The change began to take affect and he became controlling, jealous, and filled with rage. He unfortunately took it out on his girlfriend. Maia wanted to end their relationship an eventually kissed another man in front of Jordan to end things. But it was bad timing as it was a full moon that night and he transformed into a wolf for the first time, biting her in his uncontrolled state. On the show, she tells Simon that she was scratched while walking home from a date with her new boyfriend.
The Praetor Lupus
After realizing what he had done, Jordan tried to apologize to Maia, but was stopped by the Praetor Lupus guardian who was assigned to him. The Praetor Lupus is a Downworld self-policing order of werewolves created in the 1800s by Woolsey Scott. The group’s purpose is to find young Downworlders and train them to manage their abilities. They then connect them to packs, clans, or a warlock mentor to guide them further into their new lives in the Shadow world.
Jordan joined their ranks and learned to control the change. Understandably, he wasn’t allowed to check up on Maia himself but was assured that someone was watching over her. After graduating he chose Simon to be his first assignment, seeing his ex-girlfriend’s name in his records. He figured he’d be able to learn about what happened to Maia through the young vampire.
With this in mind it makes sense why Kyle on the show asked Simon to tell him if he was planning on bringing a date home so he wouldn’t be there. Certainly he doesn’t want Maia to spill the beans and let Simon know who he really is. However probably she doesn’t know at this point that he is with the Praetor. He also wouldn’t want Simon to move out because protecting him would be harder, but also then he wouldn’t know how Maia was doing. In addition, do the Praetor Lupus have other plans for Simon now that he belongs to them?
Jordan may be waiting for the right time to reveal himself in order to apologize for what he’s done. Regardless of what happens on the show, things are looking mighty complicated for Simon and Maia this season.
Shadowhunters airs on Freeform Tuesdays at 8 PM Central.
Look away, look away! Season two of A Series of Unfortunate Events has returned, continuing the grim tale of the Baudelaire children. Overall, season two is exceptional and continues to sustain the unique blend of dark comedy and colorful tragedy that the first season was known for.
The second season of A Series of Unfortunate Events covers five books of the Lemony Snicket series: The Austere Academy, The Ersatz Elevator, The Vile Village, The Hostile Hospital and The Carnivorous Carnival. Just as last season, each book is covered within two episodes a piece – for a season of ten episodes in total.
The season begins with a familiar structure akin to season one. The children find themselves in someone else’s custody, be it a school or guardian or even a collective village. Armed with nothing but wit and gumption (and perhaps a brilliant baby with super-biting ability), they then must solve the mysteries of their latest two-episode chapter. All the while, foiling Count Olaf’s plans and by happenstance, amassing clues as to what truly happened in their parent’s mansion fire.
With this comes the usual hurdles to surmount with assistance. Overcoming the incompetence of their surrounding adults – especially that of their assigned guardians of the moment, by making friends along the way who are, as foretold by our narrator, Lemony Snicket, more-or-less are often doomed to a grisly and unfortunate fate.
Though by mid-season, things change for the better. The characters grow along with the storytelling. The format shifts and becomes more consequential. Less the formula the series was known for, and more of a never-ending race to avoid a miserable fate. Evil closing in just as the answers sought are at the children’s grasp.
With previous episodes’ actions dictating the escapes routes our heroes frequently must make. Season two very much focuses on growth by using the element of choice. The noble decisions made, but also, the wrong ones. How good people can make bad choices and at what costs.
Which as we know in this series, usually means death.
The season also brings more to light on the mysterious VFD. An organization with strange ties to the Baudelaire family, who ‘secretly’ tries to help from behind the scenes. We see the organization operate parallel to the children’s narrative. Though we’re also left just outside of its intentive loop until the end.
Of course, all of this is happening while the Baudelaire’s try and evade the dastardly Count Olaf. Who is still trying to pursue the orphans’ fortune – albeit as to no discernable reason why, as the series gets muddled with motivation midway.
By the middle of Season Two, I didn’t understand why Olaf wanted the kids anymore. If he was out for revenge or if it was just blind stubbornness. Especially with the introduction of the brilliantly placed, Esme Squalor.
The series tends to generate more questions than answers. With some of the longstanding ones, like what the VFD is, what happened during the fire, and what the deal is with this sugar bowl this season – all left semi-unanswered. By the end of season two, I didn’t fully know what was going on. But none of it seems to matter for a story bound by absurdity. It’s compelling to watch just for sheer entertainment.
Visually, the show remains sharp. Utilizing a palate mixed of steampunk, gothic, Art Deco, and Victorian aesthetics this season. Featuring elaborate costumes designs, especially for count Olaf and troupe, and set-pieces that colorfully encapsulates the strange world it depicts. Especially, its contrarian nature.
“Who can’t be beat?” “A Dead Horse!”
Cafe Salmonella. A fancy Salmon…everything.
Likewise, the show remains consistency in its stylish tone. The focus on the importance of vocabulary and literature is still excellent. The series, always taking a step back to thank books, words, and most especially, librarians. Likewise, the deadpan delivery of Lemony Snicket delivers a hilarious interlude between scenes. He always reassures the audience, that despite resolve, gloom will always be the wholehearted nature of the series. Also, the mechanical steampunk era contraptions are still there. Providing absurd context as to when this story takes place, and also, comedy. With hilarious bits involving a state-of-the-art computer and a tumbling exchange between an airship and a harpoon, showcased later.
More than ever, Neil Patrick Harris steals the show. His Count Olaf, equally menacing as he is unpredictable. Just as last season, Olaf forays into playing a melody of ill-conceived characters. None-of-which are culturally consistent nor sensitive. Showing Neil Patrick Harris’ range of acting talent – or intentionally lack-there-of, for the comedy in the series.
In fact, there are lot of disguises outside of Count Olaf this season. None of them well-conceived for the audience, yet for some odd reason, are impeccably deceptive in this show’s world. Again, following this rule of absurdity: that adults can’t see what’s blindly in front of them compared to children.
The reason I mention this was several critics have questioned the tastefulness of the series’ sensitivity toward culture with some of these disguises. Personally, I found the series consistently knowledgeable of its intended ignorance. With no particular gibe aimed at one group over another. The series emphasizing the lack of wit of its villains. Though it is still important to mention for sake of discourse. Especially after the accusations against the series author, Daniel Handler. Though it should be noted, Handler has nothing to do with the Netflix series, outside of his material being adapted.
On a lighter note, this season’s musical numbers really stood out. With excellent performances such as Count Olaf’s “Keep Chasing your Schemes” and “Welcome to the House of Freaks” these were some of the best numbers of the series. With Neil Patrick Harris showcasing his best singing and acting talent.
Likewise, the acting has truly stepped up a notch. Lucy Punch, as Esme Squalor was a perfect addition to the cast. Her range is equally compelling to Neil Patrick Harris’, and above all else, is upliftingly nefarious in the worst of ways. Her screen time charisma is surpassed only by her elegance, with many comparisons to a Cruella DeVille of the sorts. Above all, Lucy Punch’s role provides such a standalone counterpart to the villains of the series – a wonderful addition.
The Baudelaires remain consistent. A wholesome presence amongst the dire nature of the series. They continue to operate with reason and pontificate with precision. Louis Hynes and Malina Weissman, the actors who play Klaus and Violet Baudelaire, remain always on point and in character. They seem better settled into their established roles in season two. Baby Sunny Boudelaire, played by Presley Smith, now a toddler, is likewise, still as refreshingly adorable as ever. She provides comedic relief and occasional hero of the day.
There are also many new faces to the cast. In the beginnings of season two, the family shares screen time with the Quagmire family, played by newcomers Dylan Kingwell and Avi Lake. The Quagmires seem similar to the Baudelaires. Their backstory is tragic but also, each member specializes in a particular skill. Isadora (Avi), with poetry, and Duncan (Dylan), with journalism.
The Baudelaires (left) and the Quagmires (right)
Likewise, season two also focuses on two very special characters. Jacques Snicket, played by Nathan Fillion, is brother to Narrator Lemony Snicket, and the primary rival to Count Olaf. His story is very much that of the hero and his screen time with Neil Patrick Harris, feels very reminiscent of the duo’s performance in the cult classic,Dr. Horrible’s-Sing-Along Blog.
Olivia Caliban, played by Sara Rue, is a librarian of Prufrock Preparatory School whose good nature, aptitude and curiosity, lead her on a perilous journey parallel to the Baudelaire’s misfortunate one. She becomes a much needed ally and a useful perspective of interest into the inner workings of the series mysterious origins.
Overall, season two holding strong characters through and through.
The Takeaway
The show is a black comedy based on a children’s book series. It’s intentionally absurd in the ways all things are to the eyes of a child. That said, it’s nefarious but in a light way. Enjoyable and encourages learning – especially, reading.
Watch season two if you enjoyed the first season. Expect more of the same but with a bit extra. With only one season remaining, A Series of Unfortunate Events will bow out in a way that’s hopefully faithful to the books. I’d definitely recommend it to a friend. Preferably, one into campy, evil misfortune.
On the season three finale of The Magicians, the questers finally make their way to the castle at the end of the world to bring magic back. But they find out that there’s a good reason why this place is so hard to find and that what’s locked within can never ever get out.
Here are the unforgettable moments from the epic thirteenth episode of season three.
Julia Becomes a Full-Fledged Goddess
After Our Lady Underground placed her son Reynard’s magical spark in Julia, the hedge witch has been slowly leveling up this season by helping those in need. At the beginning of this episode, she is hearing voices as the questers talk about the last chapter in the Tale of The Seven Keys. She gets up trying to discern the sounds when suddenly the room grows quiet and she is greeted by Iris, a Greek messenger goddess. Everyone else has vanished and Jules asks the other woman who “Our Lady of the Trees” is. Iris explains that’s her and that likely she was named that for bringing the forest back in Fillory. The goddess further says that Julia fulfilled the task OLU gave her and now instead of the spark she is the flame. Unfortunately not everything is peachy as she now needs to leave her friends to do work as a full on goddess. Before that though she bids Quentin adieu and as a parting gift she gives him a hit of magic to use when needed on the quest.
On a different world, Julia is adjusting to life as a goddess with Iris explains what they do. This locale is the messenger goddess’s lab where she goes to think, create new worlds, answers texts and other magical things. She tells Jules that the work they do here is much more vital to the big picture, but they find that healing a kid or two a few times a week is good for morale. The former hedge witch asks why she can still feel her friends and Iris answers that it takes some time for the connection to fade. The other goddess adds that she needs to expend her energy on the big stuff like creating a world where fairies won’t be harmed instead of just saving a handful.
Finding the Architect
Josh figures out that the witch in the Tale of The Seven Keys is actually an architect. Taking things one step further, Q then realizes that she’s the architect that Reynard was talking about who built the castle that housed the gods’ mistake projects. The remaining questers then collectively start jotting all the gods of architecture down to try and figure out who it is. Alice says that they forgot to add Calypso and Margo adds that she was the witch who imprisoned Odysseus. The Greek hero was trapped on the island of Ogygia and it dawns on Josh that it is the company behind his favorite game app Candy Collider. Margo, Q, and Josh head to the game company’s headquarters and somehow manage to get a meeting with their CEO. Calypso says that she’ll talk to them because she promised Prometheus she would. For the record though, the nymph thinks they are a part of the reason why her beloved is dead. She begrudgingly explains that the prison was the highlight of her career and when she said that she needed the best jailers, Prometheus offered to help by creating a quest. The truth was that the knight offered himself freely as bait for his daughter to come and save him. The daughter in the meantime also stayed in the prison of her own free will and that she could leave any time she wished, but stayed to perform a sacred task to keep the world safe. Prometheus had channeled every ounce of his power into the keys (essentially horcruxing himself) because he saw a time to come when humans would save them if they had magic. Well that’s not ominous at all. In a weakened state, the god was attacked by his enemies and died soon after. Calypso then shows them a drawing and it turns out to be how Fillory originally looked. When Ember and Umber arrived they turned the world upside down and built on the other side. There was a theory that the dwarves who built Whitespire based it on another castle that was perfectly designed – Blackspire. The structure is still there, just underneath Fillory as they know it. The nymph gives them one final warning that what’s locked in the castle can never ever be allowed to escape. Well if Q 23’s vision comes true, it does.
Fen is Acting High King of Fillory
Back in Fillory, Fen is acting ruler as both Margo and Eliot are on the quest. The fairy queen comes to her asking for aid because someone is hunting her people. Six fairies have vanished and she had found a part of a magical device that helps humans see in the dark. The two women arrange a trap for the hunters with Fen donning a fairy robe and walking alone at night. The culprits turn out to be Irene and Gavin (the douche traveler librarian). Fillory’s acting high king entices them with a deal back at Whitespire. This turns out to be the fairy queen offering her life to save her people. Within her body resides the magic of fifty fairies and in exchange for a new agreement that her people cannot be hunted by any non-fairy creatures ever. In tears Fen protests that there must be another way, but the magical monarch says this new arrangement will finally ensure the safety of her people. She then kisses the blademaker’s daughter goodbye. Irene and Gavin agree to the bargain and Ms. MacAllister kills the queen. My heart is a melted sad puddle of emotions. I hope Irene gets a wicked horrible rash that lasts forever.
Quentin Inceptions the Knight
Stepping up to the plate, Q decides to use the power that Julia gave him to dream communicate with the knight inside Blackspire. He explains their quest and that they are looking for a back way into the castle to get to the fountain/back door to magic. Aura, the knight, says that she can’t help unfortunately and that all the other prisoners are gone except for one. She explains that her charge killed all the other inmates and that’s why she can’t aid him because it’s too risky. After their dream conversation, Q goes back to the group and fills them in on his plan. Aura is going to open a secret door so they can go to the fountain, turn magic back on and then get the hell out. In the meantime, he’s offered to take the knight’s place as jailer because she’s been in there for centuries. Margo, Eliot and Alice protest, suggesting that they shoot the creature with the god-killing bullet instead. Quentin however believes they need to do this the hard way. Alice died for them, Eliot volunteered to stay in Fillory forever and now it was his turn to take one for the team.
Alice Asks Dean Fogg For a Favor
After learning what Q intends to do at Blackspire, Alice goes to Dean Fogg asking for an experimental potion that wipes a person’s memory and creates a new personality. She shows him the vial of fairy powder that Zelda had given her and she doesn’t want to use it (but she has too). Then ex-niffin further says that when magic returns, she’ll always be tempted and it seems that she’s scared of it dominating her life again. Given her feelings on how too much power corrupts, it’s understandable that she wants to rewire herself. Alice states that the path she’s on is a bad one and she wants to step off. The dean gives her the potion and says that after she’s snorted the fairy powder, she should drink the mixture and then give it about a day for everything to get rebooted. After Alice departs, he goes to the school’s library where Zelda is waiting for him. Dean Fogg tells the librarian that they need to talk about their arrangement. Well this can’t be good at all.
As the team heads to Fillory on the Muntjac, Alice tells Q privately that she plans on using Fogg’s potion after they finish the quest. As she tells him that she still loves him, he says that he’ll remember their love for the both of them. This moment is perhaps the closest we’ve gotten to seeing Alice’s old personality. The question is whether she’s being genuine or is this just another ploy? Despite giving Q the siphon and thereby going against her deal with the Library, Alice seems very much a wildcard still. Her motivations and agenda remain very much her own.
Enter Castle Blackspire
The questers see the bottom half of Fillory, a land full of volcanos and ash, befitting the location of the universe’s most secure prison. After letting them inside through a hidden entrance, Aura takes them to the throne room where the fountain is located. From this point on, multiple crazy things happen and of course everything goes wrong. The knight takes Q to meet her charge, the ridiculously powerful mistake of the gods that killed all other beings trapped within Blackspire. She tells him that she’s still alive because she fulfills the creature’s need to be served, loved, and coddled like a child. Meanwhile Margo and Eliot have their own side plan going on where El is to follow Quentin and use the god-killing bullet.
Aura explains to Q that this being was created to want and if it is unleashed with its appetite uncontrolled then even the gods cannot stop it. Hidden nearby but separately are Eliot and Alice. The ex-niffin snorts the fairy powder because she and the former high king might both be thinking of saving Quentin for a life of servitude. Except that El gets to it first and shoots the powerful creature to Q’s horror. But the dude isn’t dead and jumps into Aura’s body instead.
The two then return to the throne room with Alice close behind. She then uses fairy magic to take the keys and begins to drain them of their power. When Quentin asks why, she said that he talked her out of working for the Library and she realized there is no good side. Magic just makes people different shades of bad, selfish, irresponsible, and that they can’t handle it. Once the keys are just keys, she runs off and is found by Aura possessed by the creature. However, Margo and Eliot are hot on her heels and drag her back to the group. Then suddenly Julia appears despite Iris telling her to let go of her friends. The goddess tells Alice that she knows the other woman thought that she was doing the right thing, but she’s wrong. Jules then kneels by her best friend and explains that it was his bravery that made her realize what she needed to do. One by one, she takes the keys and infuses it with her godly energy to once again give the objects fuel. Once finished, Our Lady of the Trees tells the questers to hurry and then use the them to power the fountain. Whether or not Julia still has any power left remains to be seen.
However, as magic is turned back on, Irene appears with Gavin and Dean Fogg by her side. Seems that they used the fairy queen’s mojo to power the siphon and it sucks up all the magic from the fountain. She then magically chokes the questers when the dean intercedes saying that they had a deal, unless she wants to take it up with the Library. Reluctantly Irene releases them and the Brakebills head uses his potion of forgetting on the group.
The Library Controls Magic, A Lot of It Anyways
In the aftermath, magic has returned but the Library controls who gets to have it and how much. Dean Fogg goes to Zelda after negotiating to get some from a school in Calgary that wasn’t using all of their allotment. He then asks if he could see Alice who is currently being held as a prisoner because of her broken deal. We find Alice is in a state of panic as she asks Fogg where the others are. He calmly answers that per his deal with The Order, the questers are all safe and the MacAllisters can’t find them. If they tried, the Library would enact retribution against them. But Alice isn’t talking about Irene, she’s more concerned about the creature because she knows it can jump bodies and that if the others don’t know who they are and don’t have magic they can’t protect themselves. Fogg asks hypothetically what if it did get out, why would it go after them? Alice answers that it knows magic is back and it knows them. She angrily tells Fogg that this is his fault as much as it is hers. He needs to get her out and help her stop this powerful being.
Indeed, we see that Margo (who know goes by Janet, her character’s original name in the books), Josh, Julia, Kady, Penny, and Q are all living ignorant and magic-free lives as ordinary humans with new names and identities. Josh is some kind of Uber or Lyft driver, Margo is an executive of sorts, Julia is working on a new art center in Tribeca, Penny is a DJ, and Kady is a drug dealer. We see Quentin coming of a bookstore (his name is now Brian), when he is stopped by Eliot who says that he’s finally found him. Well oh crap balls because El’s possessed now by the creature. He follows “Brian” and says not to be afraid and that he’s so excited since there’s so much for them to do against all those who deserve their wrath. After all, everything is so much more fun when you do it with a friend.
Final Thoughts
Quentin 23’s vision from the seventh key indeed came true as Julia was partially responsible for letting the creature out of Blackspire. As likely the main adversary for season 4, this powerful being isn’t your typical bad guy. It seems to be quite childlike and driven by the instinct to want. Why did the gods even create this dude? So, it must have jumped into Eliot’s body at some point and hitched a ride when he and the others were returned to Earth. Cleary though Fogg’s potion had no effect on it whatsoever. We also know it’s been searching for Quentin ever since. Prometheus must have seen this as well because he had told Calypso that he saw a time when the magicians would save the gods if they had magic. It could be from this creature. However, was it inevitable that it would be freed from its prison? In this timeline it was just done by the very group that got the gods to turn magic off in the first place. The gods concoct this super deadly entity eons ago that even they themselves are afraid off, lock it up, get pissed that Q kills Ember, shut off magic, Q and the others go turn it back on and unfortunately let out the creature, it causes chaos, and now Q and the squad now must somehow save everyone (but wait they have mostly forgotten they are magicians in the first place).
Julia – Is her godly magic completely gone now? Or maybe they are just dormant after expending so much energy powering up the keys? I’m hoping it’s just the later and eventually she’ll be back to goddess mode again. Did she see all the things that would happen after she re-powered the keys? Since she told Alice that she would understand one day that bringing magic back was the right thing to do, I’m hoping that Jules also saw that eventually everything would work out.
Alice – after the disastrous events at Blackspire, has she had a change of heart regarding the necessity of magic? She also now seems to care a lot about what happens to the rest of the team after spending most of this season being self-absorbed. Why does she now give a crap when she’s safe inside the Library, albeit as a prisoner. Is it guilt that she’s largely responsible for screwing with the keys and forcing Julia to give up huge amounts of magic when the goddess could have easily stopped Fogg, Irene, and Gavin when they showed up? I think Alice may be coming to terms that what she did was selfish and now she must deal with the deadly consequences of her actions.
Margo – from a mean girl to a high king, Margo’s character has gone through such a transformation from season 1 to 3. She’s still the same feisty, smart, and quick-witted woman, but she’s also responsible, loyal, and resourceful. Come next season, I bet the fairy eye that the fairy queen gifted her will become incredibly useful. It might even show her that magic exists even if she’s forgotten about it.
The Great Blank Spot – so now that we’re in the territory of “The Great Blank Spot” was using the siphon and controlling magic for everyone just a total overreaction of The Order/Library? Or did they see an opportunity in the midst of all this chaos? Zelda herself seems to harbor some disdain towards the gods and so what if her group actually intended for the creature to come out to potentially attack the greater magical beings? Just a thought. If her side controlled the output of magic and then gods were out of the picture, who would be able to stop them from accomplishing whatever it is they want to?
The long wait for season four now begins and I can’t imagine how this all turns out. Needless to say though it’s been one hell of a ride and then some! The Magicians continues to push creative boundaries on television and is one of the most innovative shows to hit screens in a long time. Let the hellatus begin.
Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One is action packed and loaded with Easter Eggs just in time for the Easter Season. With visual references galore in homage to geek culture and fandoms of the 1980’s – it’s nothing short of eye candy; visually stunning through and through.
Ready Player One is a science-fiction adventure film set in the year 2045. Humanity is suffering, and so to escape from it, many dive deep into the virtual reality world known as the Oasis. In the Oasis anything is possible. There’s a world for every game, pleasure, and indulgence the brain can feasibly process. You can do anything in the Oasis VR.
The creator, an oddball known as James Halliday, has recently died. In his will, he has decided to run a contest similar in style to Willy Wonka’s golden ticket. Those that can find his Easter Egg in the Oasis will gain full control of the Oasis itself and his company – including Halliday’s vast fortune. Many have decided to take on the task of finding it including Wade Watts, aka Parzival, the story’s hero. In the way of Wade and friends is an evil corporation run by Nolan Sorrento, who wants to absorb the Oasis into their company be the one true ruler of the digital world!
The premise is more-or-less the same in the movie as it is in the novel. The problem arises in what gets lost in translation.
The original is focused on obsession and geek culture. Written with hardcore fandom in mind. It was meant to represent a specific audience. The kinds of people that check for set-piece accuracies of Star Wars movies, or debate for hours on a subreddit about what the true meaning of Lost was.
Parzival represented the geekiest of nerds. A man whose obsession over trivialities and pop-culture would one day lead to the grand prize. This was a love story about those obsessed with the little things that didn’t matter and it felt good to be represented (speaking for myself, included).
Ready Player One the movie is just not that. It tries in ways but falls short in capturing that story. I understand how as a film, cuts needed to be made. Studios had to get approval for copyrights and that movie making is ugly business in that it never turns out as expected. But as the evident divide between book and movie fans show – the hardcore fans were not happy about losing their story.
That said, it’s still a decent movie and I’ll cover what it does well toward the end.
I just think it could have been much more.
*The following contains spoilers to Ready Player One – though none if you read the novel*
How the Book and Movie Differ
Ready Player One was an entertaining joy ride that followed many beats of the original story: the virtual reality where anything was possible, the Willy Wonka type promise of the chocolate factory (In this case, control of the Oasis), the hunt for Halliday’s Easter Egg (the quest), and the race against the clock versus IOI, aka the corporate villains – are all present and somewhat faithful to the novel.
This makes sense as Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One, teamed up with renown superhero movie writer, Zac Penn in writing the adaptation. Penn is most known for his X2 and Avengers screenplay fame.
Although Cline wrote the initial draft, he found difficulty in keeping the original story intact due to various titles of licensed property usage and shifting into a more fast-paced movie format. What results is a story that moves forward quicker, yet the stakes are nowhere nearly as high. The movie is less dramatic than the novel, with elements of the world being completely removed such as the school setting and all the D&D references (a popular game for the 1980’s, which is part of that 80’s lore).
Much of how the Oasis effects everyday living is also explained mostly through exposition, conveniently placed conversations, and the settings, such as The Stacks, being shown on screen.
There’s a general rule in filmmaking 101: Show, don’t tell. Ready Player one does a good job of showing without explaining significance. Saturating the screen with pop culture references but not providing context to its relevance.
Surprising, given that Steven Spielberg has made a career out of book adaptations.
Likewise, the movie tries hard in being all-inclusive and child friendly. This forces many changes. You’ll notice immediately that the entire first act/key quest was changed into a something more visually compelling for the sake of shortening the narrative. While the race is faster and introduces us to all the active players much easier, it comes at a huge cost to character development. The movie losing a chunk of its heart right from the opening act. This was the first of many sins I thought about the movie regarding characterization.
Characters You Can Count On?
The High Five from left to right: Shoto, Aech, Parzival, Art3mis, and Daito.
There’s a lot wrong here in the characterization. Though I will admit, movies, because they’re very succinct, are more about style and visuals. A lot needs to happen in a short run-time. TV, with a lot more room to work with, is usually better for character development because there is more time to fill with side plots and story objectives – moments of understanding that can layer characters.
Unfortunately, the movie does a very rushed job that cuts so much from the original story.
Here are a few big ones:
We don’t get to intricately see Aech and Parzival hanging out and being best bros. We see moments, but nothing that shows their bickering, trolling each other, or bro-like competition with one another. In fact, the entire reveal of Aech’s backstory seemed more like an afterthought. Between casting reveals and a very poor choice in using voice modulation, they really didn’t try making it as big of a hook as it was in the books. Aech’s reveal is supposed to be mind-blowing. It really made me rethink gender roles and the nature of my own friendships. In the movie, it was given away early, very much at their first interactions.
We also don’t see the subtle development of Parzival and Art3mis’ partnership overtime. Instead, we’re force fed a romance from the beginning. Following this unrealistic Hollywood trend of Boy meets Girl and wins girl by finishing a quest. For a movie trying so hard to attract a young audience, it’s still not breaking the conventional Hollywood stereotypes.
In the books we see Parzival and Art3mis being Gunters, using their heads to follow clues and have slightly flirtatious yet compelling exchanges over time. It’s in this slow reveal that they acknowledge their similarities in personality. Which then leads to more, including their budding romance.
However, I will admit that the movie does a much better job of giving Art3mis a fully rounded personality and her own objectives to accomplish. More on that later.
Though the biggest sin in my opinion, was the mystery behind Daito and Shoto (Two big fan favorites). In the books, the pair are more of the mysterious ninja types; embracing honor, representing their cultural heritage, and above all else, being amazing kickass Gunters despite little to nothing being known about them. Likewise, the reveals of their identities in the book are equally as compelling as Aech’s yet meant such little significance in the movie.
Then, there is Daito’s last stand. A fan favorite scene and I’ll argue one of the most beautiful moments of the story. During it, Daito transforms into the legendary Japanese Tokusatsu, Ultraman to hold off a large sixer gunship army and give Shoto a surviving chance to escape on the Bebop (from the anime Cowboy Bebop) with the Jade Key. Everything was going well until IOI, in real life, took the incredibly troublesome Daito and threw him off a balcony – killing both him and his taking heavy fire avatar in the process.
The moment was a fan service done for Anime and Asian culture but mostly was significant because it represented the moment where the stakes became all too real. The players, had to grow up and realize just how serious this task was.
This scene was completely cut from the movie.
Why? Because let’s be honest… an evil corporation murdering a child doesn’t really sit well in selling a PG-13 movie.
Though the oddest cuts from the movie were the Halliday and Ogden Morrow storyline. Very little of it is left in the film and we don’t get anywhere near the sense of mentorship that is in the books.
In fact, if I hadn’t read the book, I’d think the founders were creepy. Morrow, played by the wonderful yet underused Simon Pegg, is barely in the movie. When you put it into full context, he’s also been sort of stalking the teenagers a large chunk of the time. Similarly, Halliday’s awkwardness is so overblown that it seems like he can’t engage in the most basic of interactions. With all the intricate moments removed in the movie between Parzival and Anorak, his God-like D&D and Oasis avatar, there’s just so much less to sympathize with in Halliday’s story. Which makes little sense given that the world is build around this man’s personality and larger-than-life dream.
Oh, and on a final note, T.J. Miller as i-R0k is completely unnecessary. Given the removal of the school in the story – it made little sense why this character was in the movie. It’s obvious they put him in as a daunting comedic villain. With Miller saying in interviews, he was supposed to be IOI’s personal Boba Fett. To me, he seemed more like their Jar-Jar Binks. Trying too hard for the lowest bits of comedy.
What Could Have Been Better.
Anorak, and by proxy Halliday’s interactions, feel too belittled in the movie.
Two major elements were cut from the book that would’ve helped. The first, is Anorak’s Almanac, Halliday’s personal detailed life journal. The movie tries to go around this by utilizing a library archive of all Oasis knowledge yet in doing so, belittles the importance of the Almanac in the first place.
Halliday is a man who had a difficult time with friends. His journals, his quest, was in many ways a form of connecting with people in a way that he couldn’t in life. Taking the Almanac out ruins a large point of the story: The idea of idolatry and nerdish obsession. It’s still in the movie but it’s nowhere near as detailed or as prevalent and it almost defeats the purpose of the world building.
The second cut, was the explanation for the need of 1980’s pop-culture obsession. This is explained through the roles of Gunters: participants in Halliday’s Easter Egg challenge. Their mission is to find the three keys using their knowledge of Halliday and the 1980s. Originally, the high five are all Gunters.
Again, these all tie together with the book’s themes of nerdish obsession, idolatry, and the of course, the story’s biggest lesson: how to let that go and start living in the real world.
Unfortunately, in the book this is symbolized by Wade finally pursing a relationship with Samantha, aka Art3mis. In this case, winning the girl meant the embodiment of becoming a ‘real’ person and essentially, growing up – the lady, being the reward.
Thankfully, the movie knew that this theme didn’t really sit well in modern pop-culture. Women are much more active players in contemporary storytelling, and so they gave Ar3mis a lot more to do. In this case, giving her Wade’s entire infiltration story arc.
And it worked.
What The Movie Does Right
While the 1980’s tropes are still there, it’s used more as background noise accentuating the conflict. In the books, it’s more for world building and puzzle solving. I understand. Nobody wants to watch Wade play a dozen levels of Pac-Man or recite lines from John Hughes movies by memory. In fact, some critics praised cuts to the overemphasized 80’s nostalgia saying it helped speed the plot along. Which is true.
But speaking for the book nerds – I really loved this story for its obsessions. I missed the moments of contemplation and 1980’s references. Though I understand, that’s not this movie.
Instead, in the film you get the high five from the get-go, you get the quest, and you embark on the journey. Pedal to the metal style. Literally, as we get things going with a racing scene of Mario Kart meets Twisted Metal, proportion for quest one.
In the same token, although cuts were made to almost all the high five’s storylines, Art3mis is a much more developed character. She infiltrates IOI in a much more believable and entertaining way than Wade does in the books. She also has a deeper personality as a key influencer in the rebellion.
At least Art3mis/Sam cared and wasn’t just a trophy for Wade/Parzival to obtain.
The movie also makes the conflict more visible. Explaining a LOT about why IOI is bad: by making them your prototypical bad-guy corporation. By conveniently emphasizing indentured servitude and adding a rebellion story to REALLY draw the lines of good versus evil. Though it lacks subtly, it gets the point across quickly.
It just lacks the depth of its villainy. The complexities of corporations. How dependent society has become on a system created by one man.
Whose only dream was a free internet… er… I mean, Oasis.
Really missed the social commentary here Ready Player One.
Anyway, instead of a story about nerd lingo, geeky nerd debates, and D&D campaigning you get a bombastic Steven Spielberg action movie featuring kids in a violent videogame.
The movie’s style very much his modus operandi. Spielberg began his career trying to attract younger audiences to his movies. Ready Player One, panders towards youth – with videogames and pop-culture references aplenty. Spielberg had also secured rights for many trademarked characters – mostly because it was his big name attached to the project. If it wasn’t for him, Ready Player One would’ve been a nightmare to approve licensing for.
That said, the movie is loaded with Easter Eggs filled with (pre-approved) pop-culture references, 138 of them in fact. All engaging and fun to look out for to say the least.
So the movie, for all intents and purposes, is at least a fun joyride.
Final Thoughts
My issue with Spielberg’s direction is that you can tell it’s his movie. The book’s trademark style is missing on the big screen. That is to say, for a story about nerdish obsession over the 1980s and arcade style videogames, none of this seems organically present.
At best, these moments act more like a check mark to showcase that the movie did its research and forced in the scene. There’s just too many awkward moments with the pacing. With Halliday’s story, Wade’s rushed exposition, and the Sam and Wade romance story.
This is in my opinion was a big problem with Ready Player One. For the novel fanatics such as myself, I really wanted to see the D&D references, Obsessions of the Gunters’ with Anorak’s Almanac, and see some epic arcade style duels of Pac-man and Joust. None of that is in the movie much to my, and many fanboys like myself, dismay.
What results, is a lot of shortcutting for sake of runtime convenience at the cost of characterization and world development. But hey, we get a whole lot of nerdy eye candy.
On Shadowhunters this week, Simon is dealing with the effects of the mysterious mark that the Seelie queen had branded onto his forehead.
In the season three premiere, Simon was still at the fairy court singing to the queen, Meliorn, and others when he is soon ready to go home. The monarch however isn’t ready to let him depart quite yet and he’s taken to the Wander Woods and tied to a tree. Meliorn then takes the end of a staff with a specific emblem on it and marks Simon’s forehead as if he were branding livestock. The imprint glows brightly on his skin before vanishing. The Seelie queen then allows him to leave her realm with a parting warning that though he walks in the daylight, darkness will follow. Ominous much?
We first see the potent power of the mark in action in episode two when one of Luke’s pack members tries attacking Simon outside the Jade Wolf. Before the guy is even able to land a blow he is forcefully thrown back by an invisible force. Maia sees her boyfriend’s forehead glowing in the aftermath. In tonight’s episode the vampire confesses to his girlfriend that the Seelie queen had put this symbol on him and he doesn’t know why. All he’s learned is that only a daylighter could apparently survive the process.
Maia and Simon head to the Institute to ask for Clary’s help in figuring out what this mark is. Unfortunately though, it’s not in the Shadowhunters’ Gray Book, which contains all the runes that the nephilim use (well except for the new ones that Clary creates thanks to the angel Raziel’s blood). Ms. Fairchild suggests that they ask Raphael in case this is more of vampire related lore. Simon is reluctant though but eventually sees no other option. Sadly it’s bad timing as the head of the New York vampire clan is grieving, having just lost his sister Rosa. The young daylighter doesn’t take no for an answer and continues to ask Raphael who then snaps and attacks. The mark activates and the elder creature is violently and powerfully thrown against the wall. He tells Simon to stay the hell away from him.
One other thing we know is that somehow anyone being rebuffed by this magic isn’t healing the way they normally do. The werewolf that first attacked Simon was still at the hospital with some serious injuries. Likely poor Raphael will experience the same.
Readers of The Mortal Instruments series know that Simon has been given the Mark of Cain. In the books, it was actually an angelic mark that protected the receiver from harm. Clary had given it to Simon in City of Glass during the time when Raphael and his vampire clan were hunting him down. At one point he was attacked under the orders of the Lilith, but a heavenly force struck the assaulter instead and reduced him to a mound of salt.
In City of Lost Souls, Simon raises the angel Raziel who reluctantly gives him the powerful sword Glorious as a means to sever the connection between Jace and Jonathan/Sebastian. In exchange however, the angel removes the Mark of Cain from the vampire.
While the television series has deviated from the books, there are still significant story arcs and elements that have crossed over. It’ll be interesting to find out if the mark on the show turns out to be an angelic rune or if this is Seelie magic. Speaking of which, to what purpose did the Seelie queen brand Simon for? She can’t just be concerned for his safety because the monarch seems quite strategic in her decisions. There’s bigger game happening that she’s undoubtedly planned for and it’s going to be such fun finding out what her true agenda is.
Till then Simon just needs to be careful and not piss off too many people.
Shadowhunters airs on Freeform Tuesdays at 8 PM Central.
Hi Guys! Welcome back to Supertrash: Legends to discuss Legends of Tomorrow episode 3.16 “I, Ava”.
Darhk was back this week, so you know we had at least one thing out our “things we disliked list.” We also discuss how disappointed we were with Amaya’s treatment of Kuasa, the bad granddaughter. But there was also so much to love this episode, especially the story surrounding Zari and her faith. Last but certainly not least, we discuss the Ava Clone Palooza of Vancouver 2231.
A brief look at the works of Duncan Jones, ending with a review of Mute, and how it was an accidental opus…
Mute is not Duncan Jones’ magnum opus. Not in the conventional sense, anyway. If anything, in his illustrious yet short career, I’d say Moon is his greatest piece of work.
But, let’s start by explaining that for those who don’t know, that Duncan Jones is a director. Mostly of science fiction. He also just happens to be the son of Ziggy Stardust, aka the great David Bowie, who has very much influenced much of his body of work.
When people hear the words magnum opus, they think of an artist’s most renowned piece. A timeless classic that will be forever remembered. In terms of movies that qualify as a magnum opus, I would include films such as Citizen Kane, The Godfather, and The Shawshank Redemption.
However, more often enough, the success of one of these pieces is dictated less by creators and more so by a mixture of luck and sheer resonance with the audience. That something about these works held their finger on the pulse of the era – timeless masterpieces captured onscreen. What’s more surprising, is that in many of these cases, an artist’s greatest achievement is unintentional.
That’s the conventional way of seeing the magnum opus.
But as a storyteller and cinephile, I look at it differently. Not so much as the piece that took the audience’s breath away, but rather the piece the creators held their breath in hopes to create. The work that is valued most dearly to their heart. The dreams they’d never given up on and refused to lose control over.
For instance, when approached by the Tracy Ulman Show to adapt his original series, cartoonist Matt Groening did not give up the rights on his comic Life in Hell because he believed that it would be his legacy. Instead, he pitched a throwaway story about the American nuclear family called The Simpsons.
James Cameron, for many reasons, directed the movie Titanic as a means to pursue his hobby of underwater exploration. The movie that he’d actually spent a decade of his life trying to make (and will most likely spend another decade making sequels to) was 2009’s technological 3D epic: Avatar.
Even Christopher Nolan, known for his psychological thriller movies and the Batman franchise, spent most of his life both acquiring the skills needed to make a big-budget picture; patenting down his technique and his script until he was finally ready to direct his high concept heist movie Inception. In fact, Nolan’s first movie, entitled Following, is a story about a man obsessed with a burglar named Cobb who through various forms of psychological manipulation, gets away with a crime. Inception is the story about a burglar named Cobb who enters people’s minds and manipulates their dreamscapes to commit the crime of corporate espionage.
Though, I cannot say Following was officially a precursor to Inception. However, I can say that the similarities are more than a few and that it’s oddly coincidental Nolan spent years developing his skills before trying to make Inception the way he wanted to.
Mute is director Jones’ version of that as he took over a decade to produce the film since the first initial script he had written sixteen years ago. Jones had various struggles in making his dream project, between finding the right cast, getting the needed funds, and consistently adapting the script to stay relevant as both technology and storytelling changed over time.
I won’t pull punches – Mute was universally panned by both audiences and critics alike. But in the mess that is Jones’ dream project came a lot of heart. And in many ways, Mute became a strange yet heartfelt homage to his father, the great David Bowie, and to his mother figure/nanny, Marion Skene, both of whom the movie is dedicated to.
MOON
I’d say Moon is Jones’ best piece of work. In many ways an homage to science fiction films of the 1970s, Moon has that brilliant mix of subtly and sci-fi. Most of the film’s low-budget effects and production were kept in studio, utilizing a whole lot of miniatures and designs. Still the movie felt well-executed with Jones’ direction and vision staying on point. Moon was able to hook the viewer, hit emotional beats, and keep the correct pacing up until the end.
Even more compelling is that it isn’t incredibly farfetched of a story as Moon blurs the line between science and science fiction. The first act gives us a familiar sense of isolationism used in paranoid space thrillers, followed by two acts of high concept sci-fi and a bit of black comedy. Like many others, I had no idea what this movie was about going in. I thought we were expecting something akin to 2001: A Space Odyssey due to the initial setup. Instead, the viewer gets something intimate and interpersonal. Although the revealed truth feels odd at first, its believable thanks to some excellent characterization in act one. With actor Sam Rockwell exceedingly selling it as burnt out astronaut Sam Bell (the movie was made to showcase Sam Rockwell’s talents in mind); then Kevin Spacey pulling off quite the voiceover as compassionate yet stoic AI computer GERTY – a computer who in many ways, excels its HAL 9000 predecessor both as a character and because it comes with dual emoji settings: Happy face. Sad face.
Above all else, it’s the self-actualization throughout the movie that hits hardest as the movie comes to terms with themes of identity and purpose. Though it only skims the surface, as the movie meant to be a light and floating through space kind of experience. However it comes with disturbing undertones because it’s a cautionary tale about something scientifically feasible and even possible today.
SOURCE CODE
Probably the most financially successful of Jones’ films, Source Code was also his only movie where he had no input on the story. Befitting because the story in source code is lacking. It uses more than a handful of used Hollywood tropes such as the forced romance despite little development even fewer female lines, the ticking time bomb that forces the plot to move forward with a constant state of tension, and best of all, over-expository technobabble explaining complex quantum mechanics to an average person who will never truly understand the concept.
The confusing thing is that those are the best parts of the movie. In an obvious nod to Quantum Leap (even Scott Bakula makes a cameo), much of Source Code involves Jake Gyllenhaal’s character(s) Captain Stevens/Sean Fentress, living the same 8 minutes on a train prior to its explosion. Basically the plot to Groundhog Day. In this case however, Stevens is living the account on the train again and again through a compatible person’s body in an alternate timeline. His goal is to discover the terrorist who setup the bomb so that they can stop him before he does it again in the present.
The plot is convoluted. It works only if you adhere to the rules that science fiction is beyond reason and just expect the ride to a happy ending. The action and thrills are on point though, which surprised people because this was the same Duncan Jones that directed Moon. Even more surprising is that despite being a thriller, the movie had more of a romantic-comedy’s type of characterization. Where a less-than willing hero is spending less time solving the issue at hand and more time trying to get with/save the victim, in this case, Michelle Monaghan’s Christina Warren.
Unlike Moon where the science subtly questioned ethical and existential themes in technology and business, the science used in Source Code operates more like Arthur C. Clarke’s third law in that it is almost magical and remains a mystery in its function.
They also never give a reason why Stevens was chosen or why this moment needed to be saved as compared to the countless other atrocities. Or for that matter, who is sanctioning this technology in the first place. The story just runs with the plot and hopes that the audience sympathizes with Stevens enough that you ignore these gaping holes.
This is a recurring problem I see with Duncan Jones. He makes stories in these very intricate and established worlds that more than often feel underutilized. Focusing more on intimate character narratives. In Moon, the space station served more as a vehicle for Sam’s isolationism and self-reflection. The alternate timelines in Source Code, served as a purgatory for our hero to overcome and gain everything missing in his life. In both worlds, the science was the afterthought and the hero was the journey.
WARCRAFT
Duncan Jones’ biggest budgeted film, this movie will probably forever haunt the director as his most difficult to make. Shortly after taking over production from Sam Raimi, Jones’ wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. By the end of production, his father died of cancer. Suffice to say, this was arguably the most stressful time in the director’s life.
Atop of all that came surmounting pressure from a revolving door of studio executives at Legendary Entertainment. Jones had difficulty at all phases of production. First, with rewrites of the original script written by Charles Leavitt – of which the primary concern was that the story was too similar to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
At times, the series looking like straight up piracy.
Wanting to keep faithful to the video games he enjoyed playing, Jones strived to depict the conflicting races of Azeroth equally. Making the Horde as relatable to the audience as the Alliance. Working very hard with Chris Metzen (the creator of the Warcraft universe), the two did a good job of adapting the original source material for the screen given the restrictions set upon them by the studios.
Expectations were high from both Legendary and Blizzard. Legendary was undergoing restructuring (more on that later) and Blizzard still very much depended on its billion-dollar Warcraft franchise. There are so many storylines over such a long timeline, it was surprising that they picked the original Warcraft to adapt into the movie, a storyline that hasn’t aged well over time.
In Warcraft, the orc clans of the dying world of Draenor unite under Warchief Blackhand (played by acclaimed voice actor, Clancy Brown) into a single unstoppable force known as the Horde. Using a magical portal opened by the orc warlock Gul’Dan (played by the multi-talented Daniel Wu), they send an invading party into the world of Azeroth in attempts of escaping their dying homeworld and claiming this new one as their own. Powered by Gul’dan’s Fel magic, the orcs seem unstoppable yet are also corrupted. The Fel being the same power that secretly destroyed their homeworld.
Not everyone in the Horde agrees with Gul’dan. Durotan of the Frostwolf Clan and his best friend Ogrim Doomhammer see the warlock as the manipulative conniver that he is. With them is Garona Halforcen (played by the lovely Paula Patton), the half-orc/half-human who plays a critical role on both sides of the adventure. The three quest to join the Alliance in trying to stop Gul’dan from achieving his goals of bringing all the orcs of Draenor to Azeroth and corrupting them.
On the opposite side is the alliance of humans, elves, and dwarves. The group is losing the war. Lord Anduin Lothar (Played by Vikings’ star Travis Fimmel), the hero of the story, confides with apprentice mage Khadgar, the Last Guardian Medivh (played by Ben Foster), and Stormwind’s King Llane Wrynn (played by the talented Dominic Cooper of AMC’s Preacher, whose real-life wife and frequent acting partner, Ruth Negga, also plays his Queen) to find a way to stop the Horde. They take in Garona and attempt to team up with Durotan, but like any good fantasy story, there’s a bigger badder evil pulling the strings.
Without a doubt, it’s a plot that needed condensing. Unless you’re a huge fan of the game like myself, Warcraft was a difficult story to follow that jumped between characters far too quickly for us to feel emotionally engaged.
Ironically, Warcraft whimpered domestically but crushed it internationally. Visually, the movie is stunning but the process was plagued with rewrites and poorly made executive calls during a tumultuous time for Legendary Pictures. Overall, marking the end of an era for the production company.
A Brief Note on Legendary Entertainment:
Legendary was a major player in comic book movie adaptations including most of the DC hits since the mid-2000s (yes, including Batman). Its CEO Thomas Tull, was a comic book fanatic and self-professed fanboy. In 2012, Legendary had a co-financed, seven-year, forty picture deal with Warner Brothers expire. Shortly after, Legendary signed on with Universal for a multi-picture deal as a new partnership instead. In a massive buyout, the film studio was bought for 3.5 billion dollars by the Wanda Group, a Chinese mega-conglomerate. Wanda’s focuses were in property development but had been moving into the entertainment industry within the past decade.
It was during this chaos that the Warcraft movie underwent a hellish 3-year production. Staff and executives each had a different vision and say, changing so often that the movie became muddled in its direction. By the end, Jones’ claimed his original story felt utterly compromised in the final product. Unsurprisingly despite commercial domestic failures for Legendary, 2016 was a string of hits for in the Chinese film market – with Warcraft, The Great Wall, and Kong: Skull Island. A sign that U.S. domestic box offices may not matter as much as they had used to.
Today, internal struggles still plague Legendary. Long-term CEO Thomas Tull had officially left in 2017. He was replaced by Wanda’s Senior VP of Cultural Industry Group, Jack Gao. Ten months later, Jack Gao left his position as well and Legendary was without a CEO until only recently.
Many of these issues came to light as Wanda was forced to focus their investments on the domestic side. Much of this, is because the Chinese government started imposing stricter regulations. With Wanda Group losing its access to utilize domestic assets as collateral for international business investments. Wanda is under investigation for some of its business practices as well and so Legendary Entertainment is trying their best to distance their image from its parent company. However, whether they focus on the American box office or continue to shift focus toward the Chinese box office is unknown.
MUTE
It took the experiences of failing at Warcraft for Jones to get his act together and make Mute. Originally written during his time as a film student, Mute is Duncan Jones’ magnum opus. The project he spent his lifetime trying to get made. After sixteen years of passes from Hollywood, and even a failed graphic novel adaption attempt, it was finally Netflix that green lit Jones’ project. The director never lost sight his dream in all of that time:
“The more time that past, the more I’d felt like nothing else was coming out that was like it. That kind of just reinforced the idea that there was something special about this, “ Jones during an interview on the ID10T podcast.
Mute is a character-driven story set in a technological world. It’s a sci-fi noir about a man named Leo (played by Alexander Skarsgard, of True Blood and Legend of Tarzan fame), a large Amish bartender maimed mute as a child. Leo is the ultimate fish out of water. He cannot adapt to a world littered with communication and information technology; partially, because he injured his vocal chords as a child, but mostly because it goes against his Amish heritage. He can though, draw, write, and whittle extremely well. None of which are useful talents on this amateur detective journey. For the sake of conflict, Leo’s Amish background works more as a hindrance to overcome in the story. It runs along this ever-present theme of traditionalism versus futurism all throughout the movie.
To get by, Leo bartends at a nightclub (again, Amish?!). Although many find him odd, he is in a very loving yet strange relationship with a server at the club named, Naadirah. She is everything to Leo, though she is barely in the movie, and why she loves him is beyond reason (honestly, she’s a manic pixie dream girl for the sake of plot). Our journey begins when one day Naadirah goes missing and Leo goes on a quest to find his missing girlfriend.
On a parallel journey, is the story of two surgeons: the hot-headed Cactus Bill (played by the delightful Paul Rudd) who wants to get himself and his daughter out of Berlin, and the creepily perverse Duck (played by Justin Theroux in an Owen Wilson wig – literally – that’s what Jones asked for).
Casted together as a best friend doctor duo in the style of Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland from M.A.S.H. (even the wardrobe choices are an homage to Trapper and Hawkeye), the story of Bill and Duck tries very hard in vilifying two oddly likable antagonists. Paul Rudd feels too likable and funny to be a menacing psychopath Cactus and Justin Theroux’s Duck lacks subtly. The character often felt too much like a pedophilic stereotype.
While the cast is extremely talented, all three leading men ostensibly try to portray roles contrary to what they’re typically casted. It’s genuinely hit-or-miss at times but ambitious and refreshing to see something different, particularly in Paul Rudd’s case. It also works against the film in that I can’t tell when Cactus Bill is trying to be menacing or when he’s trying to be funny. I believe Jones was going for both, yet tonally, it’s offsetting. Especially for a father whose daughter feels like both an afterthought and bizarre plot payoff in the film.
Though the most offsetting cameo by far goes to Dominick Monaghan (Merry from LOTR; Charlie from LOST) in Geisha makeup making sweet, sweet love to a pair of piston action dildo robots. This is why it’s difficult for me to classify this movie as either dark or silly, maybe it’s both.
Above all else, Mute is an incredibly well fleshed out world inspired by Jones’ feelings for Berlin. The director having spent time living there when his father, David Bowie, created his infamous Berlin trilogy albums.
Though Mute is a noir thriller taking place in futuristic, Berlin, much of the world building was inspired by recent events happening in Germany, particularly Angela Merkel’s invite to let one million immigrants into the country and the backlash that followed. In Mute’s Berlin, a hard shift back to the right-wing politics made it so that anyone of pure Germanic ancestry was allowed a free pass to return into the country. With some segments of communities, including Amish, coming back into Germany.
It is a world layered in conflict with a contrast in style, befitting from the son of Bowie. The protagonist Leo is old-fashioned yet surrounded in a world that’s technologically new. Sexuality is openly expressed and even commoditized, however still often secretly gets abused. The neon highlights and color palate flash in the background; a promise of a Berlin dream that never really happens as our story takes place within its dark underbelly. The bouncer has nerdy glasses. If you pay attention to the movie, you’ll see so many visually instances of a movie being loud in expression yet quiet in presentation.
Netflix is releasing 80 original films In 2018 to compete with the large movie studios. Netflix’s Bright and Mute being some of the firsts of the year. Many of these movies are original ideas passed on by Hollywood – mostly out of fear as big studios dislike the risk of adapting an unproven concept.
Enter Netflix and Jones’ partnership. A director turned off by his recent experiences with Legendary and big budget studio, and an organization with a low risk showcase platform, willing to take on the risks Hollywood was not. Indeed, Jones’ experience making a movie for Netflix was quite opposite from his time making Warcraft with Netflix giving Jones creative agency and supplying everything needed without the strenuous executive calls or market research driven supervision.
As such, Mute was made the way Jones had always envisioned it. The problem, was that his vision didn’t adapt well over time. The world had changed and cultural landscapes turned. In this case becoming much more sensitive and cognizant of its inclusivity. Mute suffers in its own grit because without context violence, especially depicted towards women, it is unjustifiable in fiction without representation. The world of Mute is filled with misogyny and abuse. What’s worse is that there just aren’t many strong female voices in the movie, a problem of which Hollywood is under scrutiny.
Even more difficult to digest is that one of the main characters of the story is a pedophile. Though these sins layer the dark complexities of this world and these characters, the story lacks the necessary discourse. It just doesn’t do enough to justify it being there.
This brings us back to one of Jones’ recurring flaws as a storyteller. While the world is incredibly well thought, it is utterly disconnected from the conflicts happening between characters. In many ways, Jones’ problem is that his worlds lack purpose in his movies. He treats character and world as separate entities the way Michael Bay divorces storytelling and robot fight sequences.
It’s odd, because Jones does a great job of creating universes that are compelling and often quite metaphorical. But if you look at all the movies we’ve talked about so far you could very much see that you can take the characters outside of their settings and it still works as a story.
You take Sam Bell away from the moon and put him in an underwater research facility and it still works as a narrative focused on isolation. If you placed Source Code into a romantic comedy, you get the movie Groundhog Day. You take Warcraft… well no, there actually isn’t much of anything outside the world of Warcraft.
Now had Mute come out in the mid-2000s it would have been groundbreaking. But right now, the timing was incredibly off. As noted in it’s abysmal 13% score on Rotten Tomatoes and 5.4 IMDB score. This movie’s underrepresentation of women does it no favor and the noir genre, a style noted for its victimization of women, does fit well in the wakes of the Hollywood gender pay gap and #MeToo movement.
Visually, although Jones re-teamed with cinematographer, Gary Shaw, of whom he’d worked with previously on Moon, many compared the neon futuristic aesthetic to the Blade Runner franchise. Critics claimed it to be derivative and highly saturated. Although the movie’s world was a compelling exploration of technological anomie, augmented reality, xenophobic isolationism, kink, and pansexuality, modern science fiction has done all of this before, but better. With Black Mirror and Westworld as two immediate examples off the top of my head that I believe address these issues much more tastefully. Even more befuddling is that the dark complexities of this world has little to do with the actual story.
So why after all of this do I still call it Duncan Jones’ magnum opus?
Well like all dream projects it has a lot of heart, like anything well-intended that takes a lifetime to get made. Mute is Duncan Jones’ baby. A baby that took years of film school, directed commercials, and box office mishaps to finally get there, all the while, living in the shadows of the success of his father.
There’s something beautiful about Jones’ struggle in making this film, and I think this movie is symbolic of his career. Not because of the accolades or lack-there-of, but because of the effort to make something special.
Atop that, I don’t think the movie is as bad as others have made it out to be. For all its flaws, it very much tried to be different and I respect that. Especially for an industry where virtually everything seems like a knock off about one thing. To make an entirely semi-original and sort-of new thing (for any screenwriters like myself you’ve heard this pitch a million times).
Mute is a movie set in a messed up world with some very contradictory characters, none of whom feel like they belong. It’s engaging, albeit emotionally vexing. More than anything else, it’s a movie about parenthood with three men dealing with parental issues of their own. Whether it’s a lifetime hindered by Amish childhood practices, a father who’d like to take his daughter away, or a man who should in no way, shape, or form be anywhere near children, the characters of this film deal with some severe daddy issues.
Which I’d like to think, may be symbolic of Jones’ journey of fatherhood. From moving on from the legacy of his parents, becoming a father himself, and playing careful guardian to his creations, his movies included.
After coming off a strong pilot, Krypton‘s second episode, “House of El,” fails to deliver an entertaining story that failed to capture my attention. This week’s episode of is all about proving that Brainiac is coming and stop Seg from doing anything rash.
Spoilers Ahead
We start off with Adam Strange trying to convince Seg to continue Val-El’s work and stop Brainiac. Adam wants Seg to infiltrate the science guild and find proof of Brainiacs existence. Seg is consumed with hatred though and would much rather murder Daron-Vex instead. Seg is then captured and brought before the Vex’s where they plan to officially brand him as a Vex.
Cut to the military guild. The Sagittaire are prepping a massive offensive into the rankless to hunt down Black Zero. Lyta disapproves and tries to stop them from further expanding the divide between the rankless and the ranked. She brings this up to her mother but it falls on death ears. Lyta has neither the rank or the command to do anything and returns back to her quarters.
Seg calls Lyta wanting to speak with her. Seg knows that Lyta has nothing to do with his parents death but is unable to forgive Lyta’s mother for murdering them. He’s lost and does not know what to do now. Lyta tells Seg to be more true to himself.
Seg and Daron confront each other yet again. Seg wishes to have a proper burial for his parents, but Daron says that this would not be possible. Due to Seg becoming a Vex soon, Daron imparts some of the history between House Vex and House El. During this story, it becomes evident to Seg that Adam may not be lying after all. He acknowledges this fact and joins the science guild. He regroups with Adam and Kem but gives Adam an ultimatum that if the other man can not prove that Brainiac exists, he will murder Daron.
Back at the military guild, Lyta challenges Commander Quex to a tandoorian duel to become the commander of the group. Both Jayna and Dev fear for Lyta’s safety and wishes for her to not go through with this challenge.
In the bar, Seg, Adam, and Kem are unable to find any evidence that Brainiac exists. Fed up with all this waiting, Seg storms off to go and kill Daron. Kem is worried for his friend and questions Adam if what he is saying is really true. Adam confirms this and Kem devises a plan to try and find evidence. As Seg storms off, he buys a knife and conceals it in his cloak. Once he arrives at the ranked area, he bumps into Nyssa. Nyssa hands Seg his parent’s ashes. She says that everyone should have a chance to say goodbye. Overwhelmed with emotion, Seg is deeply touched and thanks Nyssa. He returns back to his home in the slums only to reflect and mourn, eventually returning back to the fortress of solitude.
Adam and Kem continue to frantically search for any proof that Brainiac exists. They find a meteor shower reported in the outlands three days ago. They need to bribe a salvage crew in order to get access to the site. In a bit of jest and comedy, Kem tells Adam that he may need to give up his Detroit baseball cap in order to get access.
In the military guild, the tandoorian duel is about to begin. Prior to the start, Dev supports Lyta. The duel to the death is on and Lyta struggles. She is pummeled and brought to her knees multiple times. However, she is able to rally and comeback, thus winning the match and becoming commander.
In the fortress, Seg discovers how to access the main computer. A projection of Val-El appears and guides Seg through his journey. He is now convinced that of Brainiac’s existence and needs to deal with Vex. Upon confronting the man, he refuses to become a Vex.
Final Thoughts:
The main plot has been a bit too linear for my taste. Due to the fact that we know that that the main villain is Brainiac, it seems unbelievable that Seg would do anything other than to progress this plot line. While Seg tries to get us to believe that he will not trust Adam Strange, the performance is not very believable. This is what fans of good television want though. We want to be along for a roller coaster that has ups and downs, twists and turns, and on occasion, flip us upside down without us expecting it. While filler episodes are needed in the season, fill them with plot lines that are believable.
The secondary narrative regarding the three-way relationship between Seg, Lyta, and Nyssa is confusing at best. Seg rejected Lyta in episode one due to the death of his mother and father, but meets with her again to explain that he understands that it was not her that killed them. However, he can not forgive his mother. I am not sure why this statement needed to be reiterated in this episode. One can argue that this was to further emphasize Lyta’s desire to assist Seg by becoming a commander.
The highlight of this episode though was Nyssa. Her story has been absolutely amazing with twists and turns. She goes from supportive and caring of Seg to deceit and malice in a blink of an eye. Wallis Day does an amazing job not giving anything away and making you believe what she is saying. I bought the scene with Seg’s parent’s ashes hook-line-and-sinker. It will be interesting to see who’s side she is really on in the end, Seg’s or Daron’s.
The other highlight would be the comedic relief that Adam and Kem have brought to this show. Their witty, goofy banter is welcome to me and I think it provides some nice relief.
For fans of the DC universe, there are other references to the comic book roots that will definitely bring some enjoyment.
With the story progressed, here’s to an episode three where there will be much more excitement and introduction of Braniac.
SHADOWHUNTERS - "The Powers That Be" - The Warlocks’ magic is becoming corrupted by a demonic presence, while Izzy and Luke try to track down more information on the recent series of possessions. This episode of "Shadowhunters" airs Tuesday, March 27 (8:00 - 9:00 p.m. EDT) on Freeform. (Freeform/Ian Watson)
JAVIER MUÑOZ
As a new character created for the show, Lorenzo is Magnus Bane’s adversary in Downworld as the individual who essentially usurped his position as representative of the warlocks in Brooklyn. We first meet him at a lavish party is being thrown inside his home in honor of his new position. Magnus is invited as its customary for the outgoing High Warlock to pass the baton on to his successor. He brings Shadowhunter boyfriend Alec Lightwood along as his date. The two are soon greeted by Lorenzo.
The Spanish warlock tells Alec that he’s sure they’ll see plenty of each other at the Downworld cabinet meetings. Things get a bit dicey as Magnus states that he’s quite content in his new position and that he’s sure since the other man is young and civic-minded he won’t have an issue with the long hours and little pay. The other warlock responds that he may only be 484-years-old, but he’d spent a lot of time working for the High Warlock of Madrid and so he’s very prepared. Lorenzo then hopes they enjoy the party and moves on to chat with his other guests. The couple are soon joined by Catarina and Madzie when suddenly an earthquake seems to strike. But it’s no ordinary quake, Catarina’s skin begins to turn blue and she says that she can’t control her magic. Lorenzo in the meantime looks at his own hands where we see golden scales rippling. One of the other warlocks then creates a portal to get out of there but his hand ends up getting disintegrated in the process. As the unstable gateway heads towards Alec and Madzie, Magnus jumps in and is able to undo it, though his own cat eyes appear. Lorenzo then gives his predecessor a suspicious look.
We next see the warlock at Magnus’s loft where he accuses the half-demon/half-human male of intentionally corrupting the ley line underneath his home the other night just to make him look bad. Magnus counters back saying that he couldn’t control his own glamour, but Lorenzo believes that proves nothing and that he recognizes Asmodeus’s handy work. This name clearly rattles the other warlock and he insists that he hasn’t seen the greater demon in centuries. Lorenzo won’t let it go however and retorts back that Magnus knows him more than any other being in his dimension. Furthermore, he expresses that in order to protect his people he has no qualms exiling warlocks to the depths of the Spiral Labyrinth and that he was going to expose our favorite glitter-loving individual for being behind all this.
Once they are alone again, Alec asks Magnus why the other man would accuse him of working with Asmodeus and we learn that the demon is the warlock’s father. The Shadowhunter doesn’t hold it against the other man though and says that they need to stop the demon. In order to do that, however, Magnus would need to cast a locator spell and he can only do that if he is able to examine the ley lines back inside Lorenzo’s mansion. So Alec suggests that they do things the non-magic way and he ends up showing at the High Warlock’s front door to take an official statement.
“Señor Lightwood I assume you’re here to defend Magnus Bane?” Lorenzo is understandably suspicious of the Shadowhunter’s arrival. Alec responds unexpectedly and claims that on the contrary, he’s here to keep the High Warlock safe. Mr. Rey asks what if he’s able to prove Magnus’s involvement that would seem that the head of the New York Institute would have a conflict of interest. Alec answers back that he’s only interested in bringing to justice whoever corrupted the ley line and that he’d like to take an official statement. Lorenzo acquiesces and allows him inside. Once in, he explains that he knows Magnus is the only warlock capable of this type of demonic magic. Alec declares that if Magnus was responsible then he’d bring him to the Clave himself. He then suggests that they toast to their new partnership.
As Lorenzo is preparing an Old Fashioned for them both, Alec is moving over to the window to unlatch it and let his boyfriend into the house for some good old-fashioned snooping. With his back turned, the High Warlock talks about how he has been using this cocktail recipe for two hundred years and that while he could conjure it he finds mixing it by hand is the only way to achieve perfection. Alec then nonchalantly moves his position in the guise of looking around the other man’s home. With Lorenzo’s back now against the window, Magnus is able to slip in. To stall for more time, the Shadowhunter then asks about Lorenzo’s antique pot, which turns out to be a sixteenth-century Ming vase that the warlock procured from a Castilian trader when it was still new. Alec then asks if it wouldn’t be too bold of him to ask for a house tour. Lorenzo is unable to resist and jumps at the chance to show off his Fabergé egg that was a gift from the tsar in the late nineteenth century. He begins to tell the story of how he was in the Romanov Easter party talking to Tsar Nicholas II.
Upstairs Lorenzo shows Alec a painting and asks if the baby in it looks familiar. The other man correctly answers yes and it turns out to be the warlock when he was an infant. El Greco was a friend of his mother’s and he used baby Lorenzo as his inspiration. Clearly the dude is very fond of himself. We do learn however that he grew up in Toledo during the “Siglo de Oro” or the Spanish golden age. This was a period when art and literature flourished in Spain so it makes sense why Lorenzo was an avid collector of world-renowned works.
Meanwhile, Magnus was doing his thing and trying to investigate the ley line when his magic seemed to have backfired against him. He gets thrown against a wall and the sound reaches Lorenzo’s ears upstairs. By the time the two men head back down however, the ex-High Warlock had been able to repair the damage and slip outside the window. Alec gives an uncomfortable-looking smile after Mr. Rey says that’s odd when nothing seems amiss. The Shadowhunter departs soon after.
Upon meeting the new warlock representative, we see a very ambitious, calculating, and competitive man. We’ve learned that he is a lover of art, dresses quite well, makes a mean cocktail, devoted to his kind, and unsurprisingly doesn’t trust Shadowhunters. He clearly thinks Alec is biased because he is currently dating Magnus and that Magnus himself is putting his relationship above their people’s interest. This is likely how he at least partially convinced the other warlocks to elect him as their new leader. It will be interesting however to see how powerful he is in comparison to Magnus, whose father is a greater demon from Edom and one of the Princes of Hell.
Still, he is a crafty adversary to be reckoned with and will likely be causing a lot of challenges for both Magnus and Alec alike. It’s going to be great fun to see what sort of intrigues Lorenzo will be up to this season.
Shadowhunters airs on Freeform Tuesdays at 8 PM Central.
At New York Comic Con 2017, Freeform brought out the cast and crew of their newest series, Siren.
Centered around the quiet coastal town of Bristol Cove the series follows Ryn (Eline Powell), a mermaid who finds herself lost in the quiet town. Marine biologists Ben (Alex Roe) and Maddie (Fola Evans-Akingbola) have taken it upon themselves to solve the mystery of what drove her out of her home.
I sat down with Showrunner Emily Whitesell and Executive Producer Eric Wald during a roundtable discussion at NYCC 2017 to talk about their inspiration behind the series and how they managed to craft the world of Bristol Cove.
What was the inspiration behind Siren?
Eric Wald – An early influence for me in the pilot was Jaws. It’s funny because everyone thinks of Jaws as this great monster movie, which it is, but it is also a great portrait of this small town. The characters are so alive and there is humor. It was written by a comedy writer. It’s just so alive in that way so we really embraced that.
You always have a version in your head of how you think it will look. Sometimes it’s different, better and more interesting than you imagine it. I think the casting of Eline [Powell] was critical for us. The show doesn’t work if the mermaid doesn’t work. What she brought to it was so fascinating. She has three words in the pilot and you can’t take your eyes off of her.
Will you explore the mermaid community? Is there a whole underground city of mermaids or is it like pods of whales?
Wald – We really wanted to base it as much as possible on science and marine biology. Sometimes I feel like a lot of shows get in trouble when they start to expand their mythology too much and all of a sudden “This vampire has this new power that I didn’t know about.” I feel like that’s when a show can start losing its course a little bit. We want to keep our mythology really simple and grounded. Keep it based as much as possible in science for a supernatural idea. There probably won’t be an Atlantis down there, but we want to play with life underwater. What is the social structure? What is their language like? How do they communicate? Recently data came out that dolphins are having conversations with one another.
Emily Whitesell – The core important part for us is to view the human world from an outside view as well. We really want to shed a light on what’s going on on the planet in many ways. Taking a look human relationships with totally fresh eyes. In that way, we can bring that culture to us. It’s not so much as what’s going on down there… We’re interested in that, but also seeing our own cultures.
Did you encounter any hardships planning and shooting underwater?
Wald – In general, we try to write the coolest scene we want to see and the line producer will scream and yell and we say “get it done.”But no, we try to be aware of the production constraints. We learned a lot in the pilot of what works and doesn’t work.
Whitesell – We tried a sort of conception of how are we going to make the mermaids look cool and real and not mermaids that look like they’re in costumes. We tried a lot of different things in the pilot unsuccessfully. We made tails for them, put them on, and it did not work. The word of visual effects right now is so great, cool, and brilliant. We completely shifted gears to go to VFX.
Wald – The digital tail allows us to make it look like its absolutely not a person in a prosthetic tail. We were able to do a silhouette that couldn’t be human. We wanted to avoid the knee bend that you get a lot of times. We wanted them to move more like dolphins would move. It should look like its own unique creature that couldn’t just be a person in a costume.
What was the process behind creating the mermaid?
Wald – One of my favorite movies is Jaws and I love the town there. It was Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides and they sort of had a new spin on the mythology. It was marrying those ideas. It just felt so interesting to take this classic mythology that has at times been a light-hearted mythology and give that a darker spin. The original Little Mermaid is a dark story. A lot of the mermaid myths from the cultures around the world, there is a darkness to it.
Whitesell – We’ve been studying those, hoping to use all the stories of the culture all over the world, what they think, and sneak it into the story as we move forward. For the people that do know about it and understand it will see the story in there and for the others that don’t, it’ll just be a great story.
Siren premieres on March 29th on Freeform at 8 PM.
At New York Comic Con 2017, Freeform brought out the cast and crew of their newest series, Siren
Centered around the quiet coastal town of Bristol Cove the series follows Ryn (Eline Powell), a mermaid who finds herself lost in the quiet town. Marine biologists Ben (Alex Roe) and Maddie (Fola Evans-Akingbola) have taken it upon themselves to solve the mystery of what drove her out of her home.
I sat down with Sirenstars Eline Powell and Fola Evans-Akingbola during a roundtable discussion at NYCC 2017 to talk about the audition process, the process of becoming a mermaid, and what viewers could expect from the relationship between Ryn and Maddie.
How was the audition process?
Powell – We both taped in London actually and it went from there.
Evans-Akingbola – I did a take in London and flew to LA to sort of work with Alex [Roe], who plays Ben, because we’re a couple in the show so we had to see our chemistry. We flew out to Vancouver once we got it. It was a fun process, but quite quick. It all happened quite speedily last year.
How was the process of training to be a mermaid?
Powell – It was heaven. It was wonderful. I’m so grateful. I will admit this freely. I’ve always been very fanatic about the water in France when I was little. I was never a competitive swimmer, but I’ve been very comfortable. When we did the free-diving courses and the mono-swimming it kind of felt very natural and really fun. We also got our scuba diving licenses on top of that.
Oh and on her exams [pointing to Evans-Akingbola]…
Evans-Akingbola – During my exam, I got to 30 foot deep into the ocean and this baby and mom seal came right up to me. I was looking at the instructor and he went like this [pointing with two figures] and I turned around cause I thought it was something scary. It was just a cute baby seal, it was amazing.
What can viewers expect from the relationship between Ryn and Maddie?
Powell – It’s definitely a journey that we go on with Ben and Maddie because they’re marine biologists and inevitably that will cause an intrigue. There is definitely a journey with ups and downs.
Evans-Akingbola – I think for us, as it would be if you were with a great white shark, you have to respect something with such power. And she’s not a great white shark, she’s a woman on land and a mermaid but, you know, she’s all sorts. There’s the respect there and also the intrigue.
Hi Guys! Welcome back to Supertrash: Legends to discuss Legends of Tomorrow episode 3.15 “Necromancing the Stone.”
There was very little to dislike in this episode so Jen and Alyssa dive right into the belly of the beast. While we do discuss the events of the episode (Mick becoming a totem barer, our hearts breaking for Zari, and the Avalance heartache) things get super weird super quick! Alyssa brings up her extreme dislike of feet and her attraction to nice handwriting, and Jen tries to discuss the consenting rights of computers.
Krypton, developed by David S. Goyer and Damian Kindler, takes viewers approximately 200 years before the birth of Kal-El, or as most know him – Superman. Paving new ground, Krypton provides a glimpse of the history behind the beloved Man of Steel. If you are new to the whole DC universe, like me, don’t fret. Krypton‘s story is enjoyable and there are plenty of characters to bond and grow with.
*Spoilers ahead*
Krypton throws viewers right into the action as the series opens on a court deliberation on the titular planet. Val-El finds himself being persecuted for speaking out that there is other life outside of planet. Not willing to give up on his belief, Val-El is convicted of treason. Due to his actions, the House of El is stripped of all rights, privileges, and rank and Val-El is sentenced to death. In his final moments, Val-El turns to his grandson, Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe), and conveys his final message of continuing to believe in a better tomorrow.
With this short backstory covered, cue the 14-year time skip. Seg is now grown up and appears to be up to no good. He’s your typical ruffian swindling and fighting alongside his friend Kem (Rasmus Hardiker). The interplay between Seg and Kem is lighthearted, providing some comic relief after such an intense start. They appear to be good friends that will help each other without a second thought. In the background, a strange character lurks around.
During an errand to deliver medicine to his father, Seg stops a terrorist from bombing the council. From this act of heroism, Daron-Vex awards Seg with re-instatement of rank by “binding” with his daughter, Nyssa Vex (Wallis Day). Binding on Krypton is the new way of generating offspring, minus all the sexiness. The child’s future is then foreseen for them. This proves to be a dilemma as Seg is already involved in a relationship with Lyta Zod (Georgina Campbell). The relationship is further strained when Alura Zod (Ann Ogbomo) kills both of Seg’s parents.
The strange character shown earlier turns out to be Adam Strange. He has travelled through time and space to ensure that the Seg survives so Superman, Kal-El, will be born. He hands Seg a sandstone that is the key to getting into the Fortress of Solitude. By the end of the episode, he appears again to reveal that Seg only has a limited amount of time to stop the impending doom of Braniac.
With a love triangle, impending destruction of the planet, as well as the secrets that lie in the Fortress of Solitude, Krypton’s pilot has more than done its job to set the stage for an action-packed season. Even a Marvel fan like myself is excited to see what the rest of the season will bring.
THE MAGICIANS -- "Twenty-Three" Episode 311 -- Pictured: (l-r) Stella Maeve as Julia Wicker, Olivia Taylor Dudley as Alice -- (Photo by: Eric Milner/Syfy)
We go fully into timeline 23 and breakdown more about the keys
So wait a second, it turns out that last week on The Magicians, the key Q, Alice, and Josh were looking for at the throne room in Whitespire is the same key that is in the fairy realm. He was able to see it because the magical party favor allowed him to see into another dimension the same way he was able to see Margo before when she was with the fairies.
Well that makes total sense now.
In this week’s episode we turn our attention to the real seventh key since the sixth key is currently out of reach with the fairies. On the Muntjac, we find out that Tick has put up wanted posters for Eliot, Margo, Alice, and Quentin after the latter two trespassed into Whitespire. Julia has also sent a bunny explaining what happened at Brakebills and how she and the fairy queen teamed up. So they need to talk to Julia in person because obviously they need the magical monarch for the sixth key. Since Tick has stepped up the patrol at the portal tree, Josh is sent back to Earth since he wasn’t a fugitive.
Back at school, Julia is filling in Dean Fogg on what’s happened with the MacAllisters. She’s also set up all the wards and protections surrounding Brakebills so Irene won’t be able to find them so easily. Looks like she has leveled up again thanks to her helping the end fairy slavery. Josh arrives moments later and she tells him how the fairy queen can’t give them the sixth key because it’s what powers her realm. Suddenly the lights go out and the two find themselves inside a Tesla Flexion. As they wait to find out who cast it, a cooler looking Josh enters and says thank god it worked. Turns out other Josh is from timeline 23 says that The Beast is killing magicians and needs their help because magic disappeared for but not for him. Julia is confused because even The Beast should be impacted and Josh 23 says he doesn’t know but it might have to do with the key around his neck. Rumor is that it gives the dude visions of the future. He also goes to say how Julia was the best student Brakebills ever had until she was horribly murdered and with her help they stand a chance against Mothra (his nickname for The Beast). With the two minutes almost up he tells the duo to please help because they are their only hope.
The two then head back to the Physical Kids’ cabin and discuss this sudden unexpected turn of events. Josh says that they can trust alternate timeline him because he would know if he was lying. She explains how the book has given them a new chapter leading them to the next key and that this has been Q’s thing. The hedge witch thinks they should get this info back to Quentin and the others and let them decide. With that plan they step into the grandfather clock portal (currently being powered by the time key) but instead of arriving in Fillory they are sent to the lab.
“This doesn’t make sense the key was supposed to take us to Fillory. It just decided to send us back here? What even are the rules?”
We feel the same way Julia. This is bananas because there probably are no rules.
Could the magic of the keys be controlled by the gods? Are they the ones dictating where the questers go?
Now that they are in timeline 23, things are about to get weird, well even weirder. Aside from Josh 23 in walks in Marina 23. The hedge witch asks Julia how she knows her and she explains that in her timeline she never went to Brakebills so they became friends. Jules of course is feeling really awkward because the last time she saw Marina was when she briefly resurrected her after being killed by Reynard the Fox. They take the conversation to the super rundown Physical Kids cabin where Marina 23 and Josh 23 explain that they don’t know what made magic disappear in their timeline but it was the beginning of the end for them. The Beast started killing magicians at Brakebills and then hedge witches so they joined forces to survive.
Josh is about the spill the beans that Julia still has magic when she gives him a shut up look. She then asks the other two about their Beast having some sort of key. Marina 23 says that if they help them kill their Beast then they can have the key. Jules agrees and they all drink to it. But that’s where things take an ugly turn because the timeline 23 folks drug our people. So their plan had been to stop The Beast by giving him Julia because apparently he had been asking for her when he came to Brakebills in the first massacre. The currently shackled hedge witch is confused though because she thought she was dead here. Marina 23 confirms that and it agrees it’s confusing but it did give her an idea to give the monster Julia from an alternate timeline in exchange for leaving them alone.
Julia calmly states that they have another option because they killed their Beast with a the Rhinemann Ultra spell. The other hedge witch though knows about that but they would need someone with god level magic to perform it. Jules closes her eyes and undoes the shackles binding her and Josh. She then steps to Marina 23 and heals the woman’s scars, migraines, and smoking addiction, proving that she does have the juice. The two women then head to the dean (who knows where to find the spell) while the Joshes stay behind. In another moment of weirdness, we discover that Marina 23 slept with Dean Fogg 23, however the man still has his eyesight here!
Once inside his office, the dean is shocked to hear that Julia is from timeline 40 and that he has to live through 17 more of these time loops. He apparently only remembers what happens in the other timelines he’s already lived through. Wow, the man’s got it rough. To make matters more complicated, Bigby 23 was already dead (she had the spell). However, he sent two students to find it and they both died. But since their deaths were so horrific they became ghosts and still haunted the library to this day.
The two students turn out to be Eliot and Margo who were practicing to kill The Beast, except that they messed up and died in the process. As they go through their haunting loop, Julia is able to take a picture of the spell and the two women get out of there as quickly as possible before the ghosts can do them harm. As they head out of the library, Marina 23 notices that someone is following them. Julia tells the hedge witch that when she gives the signal to get out of there. The signal is her yelling, “Now!” As the other woman darts away, the person creeping up on them turns out to be Penny 23! He then kisses Julia and explains that she’s his soul mate. She interrupts though as he tries to lay another smooch to tell him that she’s not his Julia because she’s from a different timeline. Marina 23 is itching to leave but the traveler wants to join them as he wants The Beast dead just as much as they do. Jules has him come along because his skills could come in handy.
As she practices the spell back at the Physical Kids’ cabin, The Beast suddenly appears. Josh 23 is soon killed saving the other Josh because one of them has to live to tell their story. Julia hurls the Rhinemann Ultra with no effect revealing that their foe is Quentin 23. Q 23 comments that the key didn’t lie after all. Just as he peers over the overturned table which was their hiding spot, the group vanishes thanks to Jules powering Penny 23’s traveler tattoos.
They go to the Neitherlands where the planet is also breaking apart just like in timeline 40. Josh is wigging out because how the hell did Quentin become The Beast? Marina 23 doesn’t quite remember who Q is, but Penny 23 explains that that the dude convinced his Julia to go to Fillory where she died. Jules says that this doesn’t make sense because Alice 23 told them that The Beast tore out Quentin 23’s shade and killed him. Their next plan of action is to find Ms. Quinn 23 who ends up being onboard the Muntjac. She’s been working for a group of rabbit smugglers stacking radish boxes for them. Alice 23 tells the group how she made a deal with a Fillorian creature in the northern marsh to bring her Q back and in exchange her soul would be his when she died. But things went horribly wrong because with his shade gone, Q 23 had no humanity in him. He ended up killing Martin Chatwin to take Fillory for himself. However, it wasn’t enough and so he found a way to kill Ember and steal his powers. As a result the old gods took magic away in this timeline. He was afraid of magic and any magician that would bring it back and oppose him. Apparently though only Martin 23 had been the only other one to appreciate Fillory like he did. Alice 23 also reveals that she’s been trying to find something that can kill her former love and shows them the Leo Blade. This time around she doesn’t have the god juice to be able to use it, but Julia does.
They all travel to Whitespire where the castle looks like it should be featured in an episode of Hoarders. The current Beast was collecting artifacts from all over Fillory including a fairy outfit which makes me wonder if Q 23 was able to enter the fairy realm in this timeline. Looks like Julia and Penny 23 were supposed to teleport into the throne room but wards are up so that way is blocked. Alice 23 then volunteers to go in since The Beast already smells her. As she stands before him she asks why he didn’t kill her and he answers that she was doing such a great job of torturing herself. But as he knows this is all a ploy to by her friends time, he goes ahead and slashes her to get things moving along. Julia then appears behind him and instead of attacking, she transfers her shade over to him. Immediately Quentin 23 is remorseful and horrified that he’s killed his lady love. Julia asks him where he got the key and he explains that he had heard it could bring magic back and so he just got it. She says that she knows why he was looking for her and that the key showed him visions of the future where she kills him but she’s not going to do that. Q 23 states that the vision showed her opening a lock at the end of the world trying to let magic in but a monster gets through instead (one even worse than him). He tells her to take her shade back then he stabs himself with the Leo Blade and dies.
In the aftermath, Penny 23 tells Julia that he’s going with them back to timeline 40 because there’s nothing left for him there and at least there he’s got a shot with her. But what about Kady?!?!?! Josh finally gets the vision key to create a portal and Marina 23 also runs in. I am not complaining because the world needs a Marina. As the three head back to timeline 40 there’s going to be a lot of explaining to do.
Final Thoughts
Holy love squares! I am so excited for Kady, Penny, Penny 23, and Julia.
Since Penny 23 is in timeline 40, does this give regular Penny a body to jump back into when he’s back from the Underworld? How will Penny 23 take it?
If Penny manages to hijack Penny 23’s body, could this be a loophole in getting out of his contract with the Library because the timeline him technically didn’t sign?
Oh yes Marina is BACK! It’s really true, people don’t always stay dead on The Magicians and thank goodness for that.
Leaving the time key out in the open inside the Physical Kids cabin seems like inviting people to steal it. Did all the other grad students except Todd and the questers leave Brakebills after the school got sold?
The actors continue to amaze me on this show to play so many different versions of their characters.
Keys Keys Keys
Illusion Key – summons whatever you fear the most
Truth Key – shows all things that are hidden and reveals the truth
Time Key – manipulates time and space
Darkness Key(or Depression Key) – takes the darkest parts of a person and brings it to life
Unity Key – mentally links a group of people across different dimensions and spaces
We first meet Lilith (Anna Hopkins) at the end of Shadowhunters season two after Sebastian (Will Tudor) created a portal connecting New York to the demon realm of Edom and she came through. She’s on the mortal plane to save her son and this is where we pick up at the beginning of season three.
Lilith has chosen a spot where ley lines dictate that the energy is plentiful as her base of operations. It’s an abandoned hotel where tables are still decorated with cutlery and musical instruments litter the stage. Makes me wonder why this place wasn’t cleaned up? Who would just leave all this stuff there? It’s like a party started then people all just left calmly. Sebastian is on the stage and Lilith cradles him in her arms, telling her son that soon he will return her embrace. So right away we know that this antagonist’s goal this season is to bring the demonic Shadowhunter back to life.
Next we see her at a hospital looking into the nursery where infants lay sleeping. Lilith is no longer in her blackened form but is now dressed in very stylish clothes appearing human. She seems lost in her thoughts when an attendant comes by saying that visiting hours are over. Lilith asks him if she can hold one of the babies and he then questions if she is his mother. Sadly the greater demon says no and reveals that she is barren. The fault is apparently her ex-husband’s Adam who took everything that was rightfully hers and cursed her. The attendee sympathizes and tells her that is awful. He then offers to walk her downstairs and Lilith says that he (Tim) is so kind.
But poor Tim, on his way home in the rain he is stalked, assaulted, and then forced to have his mouth open so that a demon could possess his body. After that, he murders his wife and then returns to Lilith where she welcomes him to the Church of Talto. She then slices his neck open and the blood is poured out on an altar where it will likely be a part of a spell used to revive Sebastian. Demon Tim is then spotted by Ollie (Alexandra Ordolis) who follows the possessed medical professional to closed food court. Luke (Isaiah Mustafa) and Clary (Katherine McNamara) follow and eventually Ms. Fairchild is able to vanquish the creature using her rune powers. Once it disintegrates Lilith screams in anguish back at the Church of Talto.
At the end of the episode, Lilith is seen talking to another demon she calls her “boy.” She tells him that they may have lost their first but there are 33 others waiting for him. Lilith then commands him to go and bring her virtuous disciples.
SPOILERS FROM THE NOVELS AHEAD, STOP NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOKS
What do we really know about Lilith so far? She’s been a major antagonist in The Mortal Instruments series and has also appeared in The Infernal Devices. Lilith is a greater demon and was Adam’s first wife. But because she disobeyed him and God, she was cast out of the Garden of Eden and replaced by Eve.
According to The Shadowhunters Codex, Lilith became the consort of the greater demon Sammael. She is known by many names including Satrina, Abito, Amizo, Izorpo, Kokos, Odam, Ita, Podo, Eilo, Patrota, Abeko, Kea, Kali, Batna, Talto, and Partrash. While she is able to get pregnant, the infants die upon childbirth.
The greater demon had been involved with Shadowhunters for quite a long while. During the Victorian era she was in a physical relationship with Benedict Lightwood and had been the reason why he had gotten demon pox. Then in the 1990s she allowed Valentine Morgenstern to take her blood for his experiments. He then fed it to his unborn son growing within Jocelyn’s womb. The effects of her blood made Jonathan/Sebastian a Shadowhunter with demonic powers. We can see why she considers him her child after being denied motherhood for so long.
In City of Fallen Angels, Lilith began the Church of Talto in order to create more beings like Sebastian. The group performed experiments and injected pregnant women with both Nephilim and demon blood. However, they were unsuccessful as the children were born with deformities and died shortly after. Eventually Clary and the others discover them and Lilith was banished thanks to Simon’s Mark of Cain. Still, she achieved part of her goal, which was to revive Sebastian. This was accomplished through a rune she placed on Jace tying him to her son in a demonic form of the parabatai bond.
She is summoned by Sebastian and her blood is used to make the Infernal Cup, a device that made Shadowhunters into Endarkened ones that served him fully and obeyed his will without question. Lilith also allowed Sebastian to take refuge in Edom where she shares dominion with Asmodeous.
So Lilith is the first human to become a demon and a greater one at that. She is incredibly beautiful, deadly, and fiercely protects those she values. Anna Hopkins has done a terrific job in portraying the strong female character and while she may be the antagonist, she’s doing what she needs to do to bring her son back to life. Lilith is certainly proving to be a worthy adversary for Clary and the team as she continues to wreak havoc in New York.
Shadowhunters airs on Freeform Tuesdays at 8 PM Central.
Get an official first look at Syfy’s Nightflyers. The ten-part series is based on George R.R. Martin’s novella of the same name. The Game of Thrones author describes it as Psycho in space and is a welcomed addition to the network’s scripted offerings.
From the trailer, we’re sure to get some intense scares as we follow the crew of The Nightflyer as they attempt to make contact with alien lifeforms. The series is set to premiere later this fall.
Official Synopsis:
NIGHTFLYERS follows eight maverick scientists and a powerful telepath who embark on an expedition to the edge of our solar system aboard The Nightflyer – a ship with a small tight knit crew and a reclusive captain – in the hope of making contact with alien life. But when terrifying and violent events begin to take place they start to question each other – and surviving the journey proves harder than anyone thought.
Eoin Macken (“The Night Shift”) is set to star as Karl D’Branin alongside Sam Strike (“EastEnders”) as Thale, Maya Eshet (“Teen Wolf”) as Lommie, Angus Sampson (“Fargo”) as Rowan, Jodie Turner-Smith (“The Last Ship”) as Melantha Jhirl, Gretchen Mol (“Boardwalk Empire”) as Agatha, David Ajala (“Fast & Furious 6”) as Roy Eris, and Brían F. O’Byrne (“Million Dollar Baby”) as Auggie.
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