Snow Gives Way
I didn't mean to watch the whole episode. I thought I would just give it a try. I didn't love it but I also didn't hate it. I would have to say that I liked it.
Danny Rand returns to NYC. He has been missing, presumed dead, for 15 years. Now he walks around barefoot and lives on the street. He tries approaching some people he knew when he was last in New York, the Meachum siblings: Wade and Joy. They don't believe he is Danny. They sick security on him, He tries approaching them individually away from their high-rise office building in Manhattan but isn't any more successful.
Danny meets a martial arts instructor named Colleen Wing when he is hanging out in a park. He tries talking her into letting him teach a class at her school. She brushes him off but later witnesses how he deals with Meachum's security.
He tries approaching Joy one more time toward the end of the episode. This time she agrees to talk to him. He starts to tell her about what happened to him but he doesn't get very far before he realizes that the tea she gave him was drugged. He collapses and wakes up in a mental institution just in time to get injected with another sedative. The way this part is done and placed just at the end of the episode makes it seem as if all that came before was might have just been a dream. I don't think it was but the thought did occur to me.
This feels like a slow burn. There aren't a lot of fights in this episode. I can see how people who like to shotgun episodes of shows like these wouldn't be too excited after watching the first episode. It is quieter and feels more sedate than the other Marvel Netflix shows. I'm not confident that it will be in the same class as the other Marvel Netflix shows but I want to continue watching.
I'm not coming at this show with any preconceived notions of what came before it. I have read very little of the Iron Fist or Power Man and Iron Fist comic books. I haven't heard anyone praising the virtues of this show. I have heard a lot of grumbling from people who either haven't started watching it or only watched a few episodes. At the moment on Netflix the consensus rating is 1.5 out of 5.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Thursday, March 30, 2017
NewsRadio 2.15
Houses of the Holy
Beth dates Theo (played by David Cross), Mr. James nephew. It is a bit of a wild ride.
Joe fills in for Catherine when she is out sick. It is Phil's idea, initially, but then when he sees how good Joe is at reading the news and talking on the air extemporaneously he changes his mind very quickly.
Good one. Not great but solidly good.
Beth dates Theo (played by David Cross), Mr. James nephew. It is a bit of a wild ride.
Joe fills in for Catherine when she is out sick. It is Phil's idea, initially, but then when he sees how good Joe is at reading the news and talking on the air extemporaneously he changes his mind very quickly.
Good one. Not great but solidly good.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Flash 1.14
Fallout
This is part two of the story that began in the previous episode, even though it is not labeled as such. This two-part story does not feature the first appearances of Dr. Martin Stein, Ronnie Raymond, and Firestorm but they are definitely the focus of it.
Barry gets himself and Dr. Snow clear of the blast that occurred when Firestorm "exploded" at the end of the previous episode. Once they realize that there is no danger of radioactive contamination they go back to investigate the blast site and find the two men separated once again. They take them back to S.T.A.R. Labs to run some tests on them. For the most part everything seems normal. The two men try to return to their previous lives only to discover that a couple things have changed.
The first thing they find is that they now share a symbiotic relationship in that when one feels pain the other one does too. I have to wonder why is it just pain that they share? Why not pleasurable sensations too? This symbiotic nature of their existence warns Dr. Stein when Ronnie is in danger even though they are miles apart. He calls Barry and tells him so he can come to Ronnie's rescue. This brings in the second thing which was seen at the very end of the previous episode, the return of General Wade Eiling.
General Eiling wants to capture Firestorm and figure out how to reverse engineer him. He wants super-soldiers with Firestorm's powers under his command. He first tries to capture Ronnie but Flash interferes with that plan. Even though the general isn't successful he came prepared for Flash with a weapon that causes him some serious harm, temporarily. This is a set back for Eiling but he isn't ready to give up just yet. His next move is to convince Dr. Wells to do his dirty work for him. It is unclear why Dr. Wells helps the general but he knocks out Dr. Stein with a glass of scotch that presumably was laced with some sort of drug. Eiling comes in and takes the unconscious doctor away.
The good guys use the symbiotic relationship between Dr. Stein and Ronnie to locate the former and free him. The two men, for the first time, merge into Firestorm willingly. Together with the Flash they defeat General Eiling and his men. Their part of this story ends with them flying off to Pittsburgh in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the general.
Most of the action revolves around Firestorm but there are a couple other plot threads that get some screen time in this episode.
Iris gets talked into investigating S.T.A.R Labs by Mason Bridge, her colleague. As she begins to investigate she starts to notice some inconsistencies in the facts she gets from Caitlin. I am sure this will be pursued further.
Joe reveals to Barry what he and Cisco discovered in the last episode: that he will time travel back to the night his mother was murdered and attempt to stop the other speedster from killing her. It bothers Barry that he knows he won't be successful. It is just a minor setback. He quickly decides that what he needs to do is learn from the evidence they have found so that he can change the past. I think, based on what little I have heard about the end of this season, that this is what is going to happen.
There are a number of things that get cleared up very quickly without explanation. The prime example in my mind is the effects of the weapon that General Eiling uses on the Flash when he comes to Ronnie Raymond's rescue. It looks pretty serious. He has hundreds of little needles sticking out of his skin. Without explanation, after a scene shift the needles have all been removed. The story flows along nicely so there was plenty of other things to keep my attention but still, how did they fix him up so quickly?
A couple other thoughts. First, I'm wondering if Caitlin Snow's exposure to the blast at the beginning of this episode will be the catalyst that will give her super powers. In the comic books Caitlin Frost is the civilian name of the villain known as Killer Frost. I don't recall what her origin was there or if she was a scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs before acquiring superpowers and becoming a villain.
Second, in the final scene Dr. Wells is shown wearing the Reverse Flash costume, I think for the first time. He pays a visit to General Eiling, whisks him away, and delivers him to Gorilla Grodd. Is General Eiling dead? I hope not but if not I'm not sure what comes next for him. When is Grodd going to get his own episode. This marks the third time he has appeared. What about Solivar? Gorilla City?
Overall I enjoyed this two-part story very much.
This is part two of the story that began in the previous episode, even though it is not labeled as such. This two-part story does not feature the first appearances of Dr. Martin Stein, Ronnie Raymond, and Firestorm but they are definitely the focus of it.
Barry gets himself and Dr. Snow clear of the blast that occurred when Firestorm "exploded" at the end of the previous episode. Once they realize that there is no danger of radioactive contamination they go back to investigate the blast site and find the two men separated once again. They take them back to S.T.A.R. Labs to run some tests on them. For the most part everything seems normal. The two men try to return to their previous lives only to discover that a couple things have changed.
The first thing they find is that they now share a symbiotic relationship in that when one feels pain the other one does too. I have to wonder why is it just pain that they share? Why not pleasurable sensations too? This symbiotic nature of their existence warns Dr. Stein when Ronnie is in danger even though they are miles apart. He calls Barry and tells him so he can come to Ronnie's rescue. This brings in the second thing which was seen at the very end of the previous episode, the return of General Wade Eiling.
General Eiling wants to capture Firestorm and figure out how to reverse engineer him. He wants super-soldiers with Firestorm's powers under his command. He first tries to capture Ronnie but Flash interferes with that plan. Even though the general isn't successful he came prepared for Flash with a weapon that causes him some serious harm, temporarily. This is a set back for Eiling but he isn't ready to give up just yet. His next move is to convince Dr. Wells to do his dirty work for him. It is unclear why Dr. Wells helps the general but he knocks out Dr. Stein with a glass of scotch that presumably was laced with some sort of drug. Eiling comes in and takes the unconscious doctor away.
The good guys use the symbiotic relationship between Dr. Stein and Ronnie to locate the former and free him. The two men, for the first time, merge into Firestorm willingly. Together with the Flash they defeat General Eiling and his men. Their part of this story ends with them flying off to Pittsburgh in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the general.
Most of the action revolves around Firestorm but there are a couple other plot threads that get some screen time in this episode.
Iris gets talked into investigating S.T.A.R Labs by Mason Bridge, her colleague. As she begins to investigate she starts to notice some inconsistencies in the facts she gets from Caitlin. I am sure this will be pursued further.
Joe reveals to Barry what he and Cisco discovered in the last episode: that he will time travel back to the night his mother was murdered and attempt to stop the other speedster from killing her. It bothers Barry that he knows he won't be successful. It is just a minor setback. He quickly decides that what he needs to do is learn from the evidence they have found so that he can change the past. I think, based on what little I have heard about the end of this season, that this is what is going to happen.
There are a number of things that get cleared up very quickly without explanation. The prime example in my mind is the effects of the weapon that General Eiling uses on the Flash when he comes to Ronnie Raymond's rescue. It looks pretty serious. He has hundreds of little needles sticking out of his skin. Without explanation, after a scene shift the needles have all been removed. The story flows along nicely so there was plenty of other things to keep my attention but still, how did they fix him up so quickly?
A couple other thoughts. First, I'm wondering if Caitlin Snow's exposure to the blast at the beginning of this episode will be the catalyst that will give her super powers. In the comic books Caitlin Frost is the civilian name of the villain known as Killer Frost. I don't recall what her origin was there or if she was a scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs before acquiring superpowers and becoming a villain.
Second, in the final scene Dr. Wells is shown wearing the Reverse Flash costume, I think for the first time. He pays a visit to General Eiling, whisks him away, and delivers him to Gorilla Grodd. Is General Eiling dead? I hope not but if not I'm not sure what comes next for him. When is Grodd going to get his own episode. This marks the third time he has appeared. What about Solivar? Gorilla City?
Overall I enjoyed this two-part story very much.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Maron 4.06
Sobriety Bush
Marc has to find a place to live after returning to Los Angeles. He attends an AA meeting and gets a sponsor who helps him find a place to live. He starts taking steps towards getting back to work; he goes on stage at the Ice House, and bombs.
This was not an extremely upbeat episode but there were a few good laughs.
Shirley, the woman who owns the place where Marc stays, is played by Sally Struthers. Gerry, Marc's sponsor, is played by Don Stark who was part of the cast of That 70s Show, which I watched when it first aired.
Marc has to find a place to live after returning to Los Angeles. He attends an AA meeting and gets a sponsor who helps him find a place to live. He starts taking steps towards getting back to work; he goes on stage at the Ice House, and bombs.
This was not an extremely upbeat episode but there were a few good laughs.
Shirley, the woman who owns the place where Marc stays, is played by Sally Struthers. Gerry, Marc's sponsor, is played by Don Stark who was part of the cast of That 70s Show, which I watched when it first aired.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Orange Is the New Black 1.11
Tall Men with Feelings
Piper does it again. Her big mouth and greater than thou sense of entitlement causes trouble for her.
Dayanara and Bennett try to figure out how to deal with the fact that he got her pregnant. His idea doesn't pan out so she goes with a plan suggested by Red. Dayanara gets Mendez to have sex with her. The plan is that afterwards she will scream rape and he will get arrested. The plan doesn't work out because Mendez insists on using a condom, so there isn't any physical evidence. Red tells Dayanara she will have to do it again and make sure to get evidence next time. Dayanara wasn't too keen on Red's plan originally and if anything she feels worse about continuing to pursue this approach. Presumably if she does Bennett will find out about it and there will be fireworks.
Doggett is sent to psych. It wasn't easy to watch those scenes. It was disturbing. She's kind of nutty. She doesn't say anything to make me like her but it still was chilling stuff to watch. In the end she gets out because Chapman goes to Caputo and tells him that it's her fault and that Doggett isn't crazy. Chapman gets some extra duty and Doggett is released. Who knows what the fallout from that will be.
I thought Chapman was nuts for going to Caputo like that. She still thinks that she is better than everyone else or at the very least sees things differently than her fellow inmates. I wonder if that changes over the course of the next few seasons. The show has run for four seasons so far and has been renewed for a few more after that. Her original sentence was for 15 months. I'm thinking that Chapman is going to do something that will get her prison sentence lengthened.
There is a small informal memorial service for Miller. Chapman tried to organize one but no one showed up to help her. Instead a bunch of the other inmates organized their own.
The episode ends with Larry appearing on NPR. He talks about his relationship with Piper but mostly he tells stories that she told him. Everyone in the prison is listening. They all learn what she thinks of them or at least what she told Larry about them. The last scene is of her on the phone with Larry. She admits to what she did, cheating on him with Alex. He tells her that he lied to her before and that Alex is the one who betrayed her. I didn't side with or feel empathy toward either Piper or Larry. They've both done reprehensible things.
This sets things up nicely for the last two episodes of the season. At one point in this episode it seemed like Chapman was finally starting to fit in and accept her place but now things are looking more down than up.
This one really kept my attention. The focus bounced around from thread to thread but my interest never waned.
Piper does it again. Her big mouth and greater than thou sense of entitlement causes trouble for her.
Dayanara and Bennett try to figure out how to deal with the fact that he got her pregnant. His idea doesn't pan out so she goes with a plan suggested by Red. Dayanara gets Mendez to have sex with her. The plan is that afterwards she will scream rape and he will get arrested. The plan doesn't work out because Mendez insists on using a condom, so there isn't any physical evidence. Red tells Dayanara she will have to do it again and make sure to get evidence next time. Dayanara wasn't too keen on Red's plan originally and if anything she feels worse about continuing to pursue this approach. Presumably if she does Bennett will find out about it and there will be fireworks.
Doggett is sent to psych. It wasn't easy to watch those scenes. It was disturbing. She's kind of nutty. She doesn't say anything to make me like her but it still was chilling stuff to watch. In the end she gets out because Chapman goes to Caputo and tells him that it's her fault and that Doggett isn't crazy. Chapman gets some extra duty and Doggett is released. Who knows what the fallout from that will be.
I thought Chapman was nuts for going to Caputo like that. She still thinks that she is better than everyone else or at the very least sees things differently than her fellow inmates. I wonder if that changes over the course of the next few seasons. The show has run for four seasons so far and has been renewed for a few more after that. Her original sentence was for 15 months. I'm thinking that Chapman is going to do something that will get her prison sentence lengthened.
There is a small informal memorial service for Miller. Chapman tried to organize one but no one showed up to help her. Instead a bunch of the other inmates organized their own.
The episode ends with Larry appearing on NPR. He talks about his relationship with Piper but mostly he tells stories that she told him. Everyone in the prison is listening. They all learn what she thinks of them or at least what she told Larry about them. The last scene is of her on the phone with Larry. She admits to what she did, cheating on him with Alex. He tells her that he lied to her before and that Alex is the one who betrayed her. I didn't side with or feel empathy toward either Piper or Larry. They've both done reprehensible things.
This sets things up nicely for the last two episodes of the season. At one point in this episode it seemed like Chapman was finally starting to fit in and accept her place but now things are looking more down than up.
This one really kept my attention. The focus bounced around from thread to thread but my interest never waned.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Kids on the Slope 1.02
Kaoru practices playing the opening of Moanin' and fantasizes about how impressed Ritsouko and Sentarou will be when he plays it for them. He gets attacked by some bullies after school, possibly the same ones that Sentarou fought in the last episode. He is rescued by Sentarou and Ritsouko. After he regains his bearings and realizes how pathetic he must look he takes off his glasses and attempts to help Sentarou deal with the bullies.
The trio finds someone waiting for them back at Mukae Records, another musician. His name is Junichi and he is a university student in Tokyo. He used to live just down the street. Kauru and Sentarou jam with Junichi and Ritsouko's father. This, along with the scenes of Kaoru practiving at home are my favorite parts of the episode.
After the jam session, Kaoru suggests to Ritsouko that they should study together. She says yes but when he shows up to meet her he finds that she has brought Sentarou along with her. They don't study together. They go to the beach, rent a boat, and go swimming. Kaoru doesn't get the alone time he desired with Ritsouko but sparks fly between Sentarou and Yurika, a girl he saves from some bullies.
I'm still enjoying the show but this episode seemed tilted a little less toward the music than the last one. If anything the focus of this one seemed to be more about Kaoru crushing on Ritsuoko. If she had seemed more three dimensional, like Kaoru does, then I probably would have enjoyed this episode more than I did.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Flash 1.13
The Nuclear Man
Dr. Stein returns. He is in the body of Ronnie Raymond. The only sighting of Dr. Stein in his own body is in a flashback to a memory Barry has of meeting him about a year ago, before he gained his speed powers.
Cisco and Detective West investigate the murder of Barry's mother. They visit the home that Barry lived in when he was a kid. Using some high tech gadget Cisco is able to pick up some readings which leads them to peel back the wallpaper. Behind the wallpaper are bloodstains. Cisco has the bloodstains tested. There is blood from two different people. One is Barry, adult Barry.
Barry goes on a date with Linda. All is going well until he gets a call from STAR Labs just as things are getting hot and heavy. Linda isn't happy but the next day she forgives him until he gets another call (just as they are making plans for another date) and runs off again. Linda has a chat with Iris about Barry which leaves Linda thinking that Barry had feelings for Iris that were not reciprocated. Barry calls again and Linda tells him what she learned. He pulls a crazy stunt, eating a hot pepper, and Linda agrees to give him another chance.
With some help from Dr. Stein's wife the STAR Labs team tracks down Dr. Stein/Ronnie Raymond. They bring him back to the lab, clean him up and give him some medication that help him to control his emotional state. They want to separate Stein and Raymond but they soon learn that his body is about to go nuclear. Stein/Raymond wanders off. Flash and Caitlin go after him with a device created by Dr. Wells and Cisco, a quantum splicer. They get the device to Stein/Raymond but then he goes nuclear which is noticed by General Eiling.
Pretty good but not great. I did enjoy the dating drama and emotional turmoil experienced by Barry, Linda, and Iris. For the first time it seems like Iris is jealous because Barry is seeing someone. I guess she is worried she will lose him to Linda.
Dr. Stein returns. He is in the body of Ronnie Raymond. The only sighting of Dr. Stein in his own body is in a flashback to a memory Barry has of meeting him about a year ago, before he gained his speed powers.
Cisco and Detective West investigate the murder of Barry's mother. They visit the home that Barry lived in when he was a kid. Using some high tech gadget Cisco is able to pick up some readings which leads them to peel back the wallpaper. Behind the wallpaper are bloodstains. Cisco has the bloodstains tested. There is blood from two different people. One is Barry, adult Barry.
Barry goes on a date with Linda. All is going well until he gets a call from STAR Labs just as things are getting hot and heavy. Linda isn't happy but the next day she forgives him until he gets another call (just as they are making plans for another date) and runs off again. Linda has a chat with Iris about Barry which leaves Linda thinking that Barry had feelings for Iris that were not reciprocated. Barry calls again and Linda tells him what she learned. He pulls a crazy stunt, eating a hot pepper, and Linda agrees to give him another chance.
With some help from Dr. Stein's wife the STAR Labs team tracks down Dr. Stein/Ronnie Raymond. They bring him back to the lab, clean him up and give him some medication that help him to control his emotional state. They want to separate Stein and Raymond but they soon learn that his body is about to go nuclear. Stein/Raymond wanders off. Flash and Caitlin go after him with a device created by Dr. Wells and Cisco, a quantum splicer. They get the device to Stein/Raymond but then he goes nuclear which is noticed by General Eiling.
Pretty good but not great. I did enjoy the dating drama and emotional turmoil experienced by Barry, Linda, and Iris. For the first time it seems like Iris is jealous because Barry is seeing someone. I guess she is worried she will lose him to Linda.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)