Season 1 Discussion Thread

[Jack Malone]

REVIEW: "Super Escape"

This episode felt like a mid/season finale in it's own right — it was so big, it tackled so many plot points set up in previous episodes, it brought all the characters together in a way we hadn't seen before, and it was so damn action packed. I absolutely loved how big this episode felt, and how balanced it was in keeping everyone involved. There was a point when the main conflict appeared to have wrapped up, only for it to recharge, and another threat to thread back in and cause some chaos, which made this a total page-turner from start to finish. 

First up, I want to talk about Elise. There was some nice follow up for her in this episode, and the drama that exploded at the end of last week's the last episode. I actually like that you isolated her from those that knew what had gone down, and instead paired her up with Debbie. We got to see a perspective from her that was more authentic because it wasn't something portrayed in the eyes of those she'd "wronged." Instead, it was with someone that didn't know her past yet, and didn't know what she had done, and so we could get a greater sense of how much this hurts her outside of just seeing those she hurt, you know? Plus, it allowed everyone to be in on it by episode's end, which progressed her storyline in the best way. 

Speaking of which, I'm really happy that Clark and Janice had a conversation about whether or not they were right to blow up at Elise the way they did. I thought that was really mature, and was a perspective I was hoping would play out because in a world where they have to keep secrets, it can be hypocritical to see secret-keepers be mad that someone isn't being completely honest with them. I think that's something that has always bugged me with superhero shows (namely Smallville) and so to avoid that trope was a really good move. I also like that this added a new light to that scene in the previous episode. At the time, as much as I loved the drama of it, I did wonder if it felt a little forced in how they all blew up at Elise, but this made any doubts I had go away because it showed that they had this knee jerk reaction, with all the emotions fused in with it all, and that they were able to talk through it and reach a clearer understanding that best reflected them and the situation. 

Reading through the episode, I did have a similar vibe to last week where The Super Teens (Clark, Janice and Sara) felt quite detached from everything else at the start of the episode, but it was improved as the episode went on and did what I think "Super Past" didn't do and that was bring them back into the main conflict to rectify any disconnect. I just wanted to make note of that because I think this episode is a great example of how you can balance focus on other characters and storylines, but still not lose sight of your main protagonists. 

The only point in the episode that didn't feel like it roped back around was the introduction of Heather. But I'm wondering if this is set-up for something down the line. It was just hard to get super invested in her scenes when so many great things were happening outside of Janice not wanting to talk to her brother. But, as always, I'm happy to see that focus and attention on the siblings and their dynamics, and the thing I love about the drama on this show is that despite the science fiction elements, it's grounded in family, and very real things that give the show a lot of heart. So I still appreciated it. 

A stand out character in the episode for me was — again — Debbie. I just think she's such a wonderful character on the show. And that line about her power being love (even though it was spoken by a bad guy to her) was just so powerful and rang so true. I think my favourite trait of hers is how she always perseveres and never gives up, even in situations where everything is screaming at her to stop and comply, she still fights. That was displayed so many times throughout this episode. She is persistent, man. She gives me Laurel Lance vibes of perseverance. I just love her. 

As for the "big bads" of the episode, I absolutely live for episodes where certain pieces of the puzzle (season) are brought back in and play a larger role later on. To have Mr Hardly and Jonathan Stewart back in such a significant way was so great. This episode was rich with action, and the antagonists you chose to deliver that were perfect. Mr Hardly shooting at Debbie when she was kidnapped was one of my favourite moments because the suspense of it all, and the reactions from Debbie, were just written so well. And for Jonathan, I really liked his showdown with Sara. It was also great when Hardly was talking about killing Sara (odd sentence, I know) because he talked about the idea of seeing one of them go. It literally gave me chills and I think to have that kind of an impact just eight episodes into a series is a testament to your writing. It made me think of when Piper and Phoebe lost Prue, and I was all kinds of "nope nope nope nope nope," hahaha! 

And lastly, there was a nice little subplot with Ashlock and Rivers. I really like their dynamic, although if memory serves me right, Rivers is a little shady, no? I think he's the one characters that's been on the peripheral for me the entire season, so I may have missed something. But it was nice to see them in the building, and interacting with the rest of the cast. Also, when Ashlock figured out "Jonathan Stewart" and had that whole look of horrific revelation... it just amped everything up for me. That's when I was like "shit is going to go down in this one!" I felt pretty devastated for her when she thought she killed Jonathan, a teenager. I'm glad that's not what ended up happening — not just for her sake, but because I like the idea of keeping these threats out there like a Rogues Gallery, and Jonathan talking about recruiting an army made me seriously excited for the future of the show (and his powers are awesome).  

This review is way too much to leave you with, and a little all over the place, but I just really loved this episode. I think it's my favourite since the mid-season finale. Everything feels elevated. The characters are more fleshed out, which makes the conflict more exciting and the stakes a whole lot higher. If this is how I feel eight episodes in, I don't know what the hell the season finale is going to do to me, damn. 

EDIT: I forgot to mention how much I loved Clark throwing Janice through the window. That was epic. 

[Jack Malone]

REVIEW: "Super Ice"

So I got one more episode in tonight. This episode reminded me so much of the earlier episodes of the season, where the main story put Clark, Janice and Sara at the forefront, focused on them as teenagers, and had some humour / lighthearted vibes threaded throughout. Things have gotten so intense since the mid-season finale that it was really refreshing to come into this one and see that lighter tone. Although, based on how it ended, and where things have been headed, I'm seriously amped up for these last three episodes and I'm totally here for all the action, and shocking twists and turns that are bound to come. 

First up, I wanted to talk about Chill. I thought she was such a nice addition to this world, and I like when the show takes time to build this world up (which was something the Christmas Special did too). She had a really interesting back story, and I loved that she was this celebrity from another city who left a calling card everywhere. Her wanting to relate to someone like her was a nice touch too, and I think the twist that she was good this entire time was handled really well. Outside of it playing against the tropes of superhero shows where powers turn people evil, it just offered something new and I think one of my favourite things about your writing that I've talked about many times in the past is that you have a way of not being 100% predictable even if you're playing in the sandbox of familiarity, and this was just another example of it. I'd be very happy to see Chill come back and play with the Super Teens in the future! 

Unfortunately for everyone in Upsville, there was still a killer on the loose and it was revealed to be Cloranda. I definitely expected her to be back, but the way you brought her back into the story was still surprising. I love that you paired her return with a story that pointed towards a different suspect. It had the moment we saw her pack the kind of power you want to have when the big bad reemerges. As I said, I'm so amped up for these last three episodes and I have a feeling she's even stronger than she was when she last crossed paths with The Super Teens. 

Heather arriving at the school, and being caught up in Clark's charm was a pretty sweet subplot. I'm still not all that sold on the character yet, but she has some pretty great interactions with these characters and that's enough for now. I was a little confused at how the first half of the episode focused so much on her, and this crush on Clark, only for it to fizzle out and be swept aside like 20 pages in with no follow up. I think I'd have liked to have seen one more moment at the end, or later on, where Clark tries to explain himself or to at least a moment to see if she was cool with the delayed plans — a sort of "so that was weird, huh?" interaction. It just felt like a storyline that was abandoned after the first act. 

On top of that story, or at least the point of it, was the continuing impact of Clark, Janice and Sara having to lie to those they love, and this is one that I've been thoroughly enjoying throughout. The way this show tackles keeping secrets is a lot more mature than I've seen on TV. This episode was definitely playing into the drama of it all with Fred and Lucy kind of erupting and storming out — and while Heather's involvement stopped there too — I'm glad that bled into the larger story for the episode which was about Chill. It was nice to get their perspective on how alone one can feel with secrets, especially one as big as theirs, and how even though they're super close with their Mum, even she can't fully understand. I think you set that up really nicely, and it allowed Chill's reveal that she was good this entire time to actually work because it still played into an underlying story that kicked off in the first act. I hope things get easier somehow. Maybe Chill just needs to come pop in from time to time. But I do love the part Lucy and Fred play on the show, and I hope these friendships can be sustained despite them picking up on the shady behaviour and last minute cancellations. 

Outside of that, I loved Debbie's little subplot, too. I was surprised a new Chief was brought in so quickly, but I love seeing Debbie at her work and doing her job. It broadens everything a little. Storylines like these always frustrate me though because it feels like there's no way out, and there's no way to fix things — Debbie has to take these emergencies because her kids have super powers and people keep trying to kill her every week, haha! But it adds some exciting drama around her that isn't tied to being kidnapped, or tested, or stalked or shot at, so I'm all here for that. I also loved that she recapped all the terrible things she'd been roped into this season so far.  

Lastly, I wanted to talk about Ashlock because she feels much more important to the story at this point in the season. I haven't really had a problem with her, but she's always kind of been floating around and it wasn't until the past few episodes (and this one) where she seemed more rooted into the fabric of the show. Seeing her try to interrogate Mr. Hardly, and Jonathan, and how her scenes/interactions progressed the plot, was just a reminder that she fits really well into everything now and I wanted to make note of that. I got really excited in the previous episode when I thought she was about to figure out the truth about The Super Teens, and I think it was that spark that made me realise how much I really like this character so I'm eager to see what lies ahead for her, and if she ever will crack the case!

All in all, another really great episode. I appreciated the lighter tone, and the slow-build of the bigger picture. Chill was a perfect addition to the show's mythology of characters and I hope to see her come back. Three episodes to go!! 
   

[Jack Malone]

REVIEW: "Super Time"

This episode was so damn intense, which it obviously needed to be when the storyline involves a bomb. But it very much came down to the pace, the brilliant plot twist that came in towards the end, and the guidance from Cloranda who was orchestrating the whole thing — all of that together, and you delivered another intense episode of 'The Super Teens.' 

First, I want to talk about Cloranda. I've actually missed her, haha! I know she's the villain and I should probably hate her guts, but she's such a fascinating character. Whenever it comes to her scenes, I feel like I slow down my reading pace and just get sucked into the moment. I was so happy we got to see the flashback between her and Mr. Hardly (from the previous episode), because it added quite a nice touch to how his story came to a close, but it was just another moment that had me glued to the page. Another dynamic that pulls me in with her is whenever she shares a scene with Dr. Rivers. Everything stopped in that moment when she was magically strangling him, and it was a very quick reminder that she's not someone to test. She's powerful, and I think after quite a few episodes of delivering so many powerful and interesting threats, it was a nice reminder that she's the ultimate big bad here. 

So the plot of the episode focused around this "bomb" that was planted, and these riddles that Cloranda was feeding Clark, Janice and Sara to guide them to it (under a time limit and a threat that it would blow up the whole city). I certainly really enjoyed the riddles, but I was slowly becoming a little disappointed at how quickly they were able to solve them. So when the plot twist happened, I literally stopped to be like "of course that was coming!" I always talk about your stuff being unpredictable, and yet you still seem to get me. I should have expected these seemingly easily deciphered riddles to be something larger. I will say though, that the second riddle immediately made me think of Clark throwing Janice, and I just swept it aside because they appeared to be solving them by going to certain locations. But anyway, I just wanted to note my process of this storyline playing out because that plot twist was a brilliant curve ball that I didn't see coming and absolutely loved. 

With that twist, it was revealed that Clark, Janice and Sara were the bombs. And I really liked that because it brought the whole episode and it's subplots (which I'll talk about in a second) back in, in a really interesting way. But more than anything, I just loved their resolve, and the emotion that came out of it. Sara's reaction hit me pretty hard, and I think those devastating phone calls made to Debbie, and their friends, were really touching. I've said it before, but the thing I love about this show so much is that it never loses sight of its humanity and it's those themes of family, and friendship, and love that ground it. So whenever it leans back into those themes, it brings the whole thing home for me. 

So, speaking of friendship, I've loved the way you've progressed this subplot of Lucy and Fred being quite upset about all the lies from The Super Teens. I appreciate the slow build of it all, because it's quite easy to want to hit that dramatic beat with a story in every episode, but I like that you seem to have things mapped out and try to hit them at the right time. This felt like a climactic part of the "secret-keeping" storyline, not just from Fred and Lucy, but with Ashlock involved, too. And so to have it all kind of culminate in this particular episode — with Ashlock one step closer, and Clark, Janice and Sara seemingly about to tell their friends the truth about everything — was a really compelling way to further the story, but also set up what I'm sure is going to be a great two-part season finale. I feel like the season could genuinely end with Lucy, Fred and Detective Ashlock knowing the secret, and that's exciting. 

Speaking of Ashlock, I absolutely love and want more scenes of her and Debbie. Their confrontation in this episode was fire. Excuse me for not being more constructive, and leaving it with "fire" but that's what it was. It was so damn good. I think the way Ashlock holds her ground paired with Debbie's determination to protect what she loves -- it makes for one of the most compelling and satisfying dynamics on the show. I'm so here for any future interactions, and hope there's at least one more before the season is out. 

I wanted to mention Heather because she's been a character I've said hasn't clicked for me just yet, but in this episode her role became a little clearer, and so did her purpose (for now). Knowing that the story was building to a divide between Fred/Lucy and Clark/Janice/Sara, you definitely needed a character like Heather in there to sort of mediate and bounce back between the two groups. And again, it's just made me impressed with how planned out it all seems. I mean, I don't know. You could have gone episode by episode to set things up, and if so, that's even more impressive, but I just appreciate things feeling cohesive, and things having that pay off. Heather seems to be a nice addition to the cast now, and I'm glad I feel that way, especially heading into the last two episodes. 

All in all, this was another great episode. It had a very penultimate vibe to it, even though there's still two episodes left. The twists were great, the emotional drama surrounding Clark, Janice and Sara during all the action was well balanced, and I'm pretty damn excited to see how it all comes to an end. I'm so mad at past!Jack for sleeping on this for so long. 

[Brady Brown]

Jan 3, 2018 22:23:13 GMT -6 Jack Malone said:

REVIEW: "Super Escape"

This episode felt like a mid/season finale in it's own right — it was so big, it tackled so many plot points set up in previous episodes, it brought all the characters together in a way we hadn't seen before, and it was so damn action packed. I absolutely loved how big this episode felt, and how balanced it was in keeping everyone involved. There was a point when the main conflict appeared to have wrapped up, only for it to recharge, and another threat to thread back in and cause some chaos, which made this a total page-turner from start to finish. 

I think there's a real thrill involved when you have an episode that's not a finale in any sort of way but still manages to up the stakes as if it is one, so thats' definitely what I was trying to do here, and I'm glad it came across that way. I'm really happy you loved this episode as much as you did

First up, I want to talk about Elise. There was some nice follow up for her in this episode, and the drama that exploded at the end of last week's the last episode. I actually like that you isolated her from those that knew what had gone down, and instead paired her up with Debbie. We got to see a perspective from her that was more authentic because it wasn't something portrayed in the eyes of those she'd "wronged." Instead, it was with someone that didn't know her past yet, and didn't know what she had done, and so we could get a greater sense of how much this hurts her outside of just seeing those she hurt, you know? Plus, it allowed everyone to be in on it by episode's end, which progressed her storyline in the best way. 

I think it was really important for Elise to be isolated for this episode, and the come into contact with Debbie. Debbie is the only one who even has a slight feeling of what Elise has been through, so I wanted to put them together and slowly unravel the secrets and see how it affected both characters. I think Debbie is someone who will always try to understand and find good in the people she cares about. I'm really happy you liked this part of the episode so much.

Speaking of which, I'm really happy that Clark and Janice had a conversation about whether or not they were right to blow up at Elise the way they did. I thought that was really mature, and was a perspective I was hoping would play out because in a world where they have to keep secrets, it can be hypocritical to see secret-keepers be mad that someone isn't being completely honest with them. I think that's something that has always bugged me with superhero shows (namely Smallville) and so to avoid that trope was a really good move. I also like that this added a new light to that scene in the previous episode. At the time, as much as I loved the drama of it, I did wonder if it felt a little forced in how they all blew up at Elise, but this made any doubts I had go away because it showed that they had this knee jerk reaction, with all the emotions fused in with it all, and that they were able to talk through it and reach a clearer understanding that best reflected them and the situation. 

Sometimes it gets really hard for me to remember that the triplets are teenagers and will occasionally act very sudden and brash, but I always want to keep a mature aspect about them, something they've gained ever since Bright Day. Secrets are a very big part of this first season, and I wanted to get all sides of it, because there's never one right person and one wrong person. I think it's important to showcase that.

Reading through the episode, I did have a similar vibe to last week where The Super Teens (Clark, Janice and Sara) felt quite detached from everything else at the start of the episode, but it was improved as the episode went on and did what I think "Super Past" didn't do and that was bring them back into the main conflict to rectify any disconnect. I just wanted to make note of that because I think this episode is a great example of how you can balance focus on other characters and storylines, but still not lose sight of your main protagonists. 

Like I said in the last reply, that's a fair point. I think these two episodes were really focused on establishing Chosen and the after effects of it, and it didn't really involve the triplets. The episodes for the rest of the season definitely have a larger focus on the Knox's.

The only point in the episode that didn't feel like it roped back around was the introduction of Heather. But I'm wondering if this is set-up for something down the line. It was just hard to get super invested in her scenes when so many great things were happening outside of Janice not wanting to talk to her brother. But, as always, I'm happy to see that focus and attention on the siblings and their dynamics, and the thing I love about the drama on this show is that despite the science fiction elements, it's grounded in family, and very real things that give the show a lot of heart. So I still appreciated it. 

Heather is a character I really struggled with. I had a plan to introduce her for a while, and it was honestly just trying to find a good place to do it. Her purpose (as you've already seen) becomes clearer in the next couple of episodes, but she was definitely someone I struggled placing into this world.

A stand out character in the episode for me was — again — Debbie. I just think she's such a wonderful character on the show. And that line about her power being love (even though it was spoken by a bad guy to her) was just so powerful and rang so true. I think my favourite trait of hers is how she always perseveres and never gives up, even in situations where everything is screaming at her to stop and comply, she still fights. That was displayed so many times throughout this episode. She is persistent, man. She gives me Laurel Lance vibes of perseverance. I just love her. 

I love writing Debbie. The fact that you compared her to Laurel is honestly the biggest compliment, thank you

As for the "big bads" of the episode, I absolutely live for episodes where certain pieces of the puzzle (season) are brought back in and play a larger role later on. To have Mr Hardly and Jonathan Stewart back in such a significant way was so great. This episode was rich with action, and the antagonists you chose to deliver that were perfect. Mr Hardly shooting at Debbie when she was kidnapped was one of my favourite moments because the suspense of it all, and the reactions from Debbie, were just written so well. And for Jonathan, I really liked his showdown with Sara. It was also great when Hardly was talking about killing Sara (odd sentence, I know) because he talked about the idea of seeing one of them go. It literally gave me chills and I think to have that kind of an impact just eight episodes into a series is a testament to your writing. It made me think of when Piper and Phoebe lost Prue, and I was all kinds of "nope nope nope nope nope," hahaha! 

I remember it being so hard for me to connect all of these plots and make them all somehow end up to the Uucsio office, haha! I really appreciate your compliments on the action. It's something I find myself getting very anxious about with each episode, so all of these comments have really helped me. I'm glad you really liked those aspects you pointed out, too; maybe it's some foreshadowing? dun dun DUN.

And lastly, there was a nice little subplot with Ashlock and Rivers. I really like their dynamic, although if memory serves me right, Rivers is a little shady, no? I think he's the one characters that's been on the peripheral for me the entire season, so I may have missed something. But it was nice to see them in the building, and interacting with the rest of the cast. Also, when Ashlock figured out "Jonathan Stewart" and had that whole look of horrific revelation... it just amped everything up for me. That's when I was like "shit is going to go down in this one!" I felt pretty devastated for her when she thought she killed Jonathan, a teenager. I'm glad that's not what ended up happening — not just for her sake, but because I like the idea of keeping these threats out there like a Rogues Gallery, and Jonathan talking about recruiting an army made me seriously excited for the future of the show (and his powers are awesome).  

Yes, Rivers is shady. He's a really interesting character, because he's not inherently evil, just caught up with someone who was bad, so writing his struggle with that and being friends with Ashlock was really fun. I love coming up with new villains, because I'm definitely trying to make a little Rogues Gallery of my own, so if you come across a villain you like, they'll more than likely pop up again somewhere down the line!

This review is way too much to leave you with, and a little all over the place, but I just really loved this episode. I think it's my favourite since the mid-season finale. Everything feels elevated. The characters are more fleshed out, which makes the conflict more exciting and the stakes a whole lot higher. If this is how I feel eight episodes in, I don't know what the hell the season finale is going to do to me, damn. 

Thanks so much for the review, Jack! I'm so happy you're loving this show so much! Makes me so happy!

EDIT: I forgot to mention how much I loved Clark throwing Janice through the window. That was epic. 

LOVED writing this

[Brady Brown]

Jan 4, 2018 4:54:01 GMT -6 Jack Malone said:

REVIEW: "Super Ice"

So I got one more episode in tonight. This episode reminded me so much of the earlier episodes of the season, where the main story put Clark, Janice and Sara at the forefront, focused on them as teenagers, and had some humour / lighthearted vibes threaded throughout. Things have gotten so intense since the mid-season finale that it was really refreshing to come into this one and see that lighter tone. Although, based on how it ended, and where things have been headed, I'm seriously amped up for these last three episodes and I'm totally here for all the action, and shocking twists and turns that are bound to come. 

I definitely wanted to get back to the lightness of the earlier episodes with this, especially since the past two were very dark. I love incorporating humor into this, because I really enjoy mixing genres and making everything more and more realistic.

First up, I wanted to talk about Chill. I thought she was such a nice addition to this world, and I like when the show takes time to build this world up (which was something the Christmas Special did too). She had a really interesting back story, and I loved that she was this celebrity from another city who left a calling card everywhere. Her wanting to relate to someone like her was a nice touch too, and I think the twist that she was good this entire time was handled really well. Outside of it playing against the tropes of superhero shows where powers turn people evil, it just offered something new and I think one of my favourite things about your writing that I've talked about many times in the past is that you have a way of not being 100% predictable even if you're playing in the sandbox of familiarity, and this was just another example of it. I'd be very happy to see Chill come back and play with the Super Teens in the future! 

I loved writing Chill. She's really the first character to come in with an outside influence from Bright Day, and also the first one who isn't evil. I think she had a lot to figure out on her own when she got powers, and didn't have that support system like the triplets did, so I was very eager to bring a character in like that. She's also just a ton of fun to write. You'll definitely see her pop up again very soon

Unfortunately for everyone in Upsville, there was still a killer on the loose and it was revealed to be Cloranda. I definitely expected her to be back, but the way you brought her back into the story was still surprising. I love that you paired her return with a story that pointed towards a different suspect. It had the moment we saw her pack the kind of power you want to have when the big bad reemerges. As I said, I'm so amped up for these last three episodes and I have a feeling she's even stronger than she was when she last crossed paths with The Super Teens. 

Cloranda wasn't about to go down that easy! She's got a ton of more fight left in her

Heather arriving at the school, and being caught up in Clark's charm was a pretty sweet subplot. I'm still not all that sold on the character yet, but she has some pretty great interactions with these characters and that's enough for now. I was a little confused at how the first half of the episode focused so much on her, and this crush on Clark, only for it to fizzle out and be swept aside like 20 pages in with no follow up. I think I'd have liked to have seen one more moment at the end, or later on, where Clark tries to explain himself or to at least a moment to see if she was cool with the delayed plans — a sort of "so that was weird, huh?" interaction. It just felt like a storyline that was abandoned after the first act. 

I honestly don't really remember this, so I can't properly explain my reasoning for it. Like I said previously, I struggled to incorporate Heather into the show organically, so that's probably were this problem stemmed from. Hopefully she feels a lot more established and cohesive in the rest of the season.

On top of that story, or at least the point of it, was the continuing impact of Clark, Janice and Sara having to lie to those they love, and this is one that I've been thoroughly enjoying throughout. The way this show tackles keeping secrets is a lot more mature than I've seen on TV. This episode was definitely playing into the drama of it all with Fred and Lucy kind of erupting and storming out — and while Heather's involvement stopped there too — I'm glad that bled into the larger story for the episode which was about Chill. It was nice to get their perspective on how alone one can feel with secrets, especially one as big as theirs, and how even though they're super close with their Mum, even she can't fully understand. I think you set that up really nicely, and it allowed Chill's reveal that she was good this entire time to actually work because it still played into an underlying story that kicked off in the first act. I hope things get easier somehow. Maybe Chill just needs to come pop in from time to time. But I do love the part Lucy and Fred play on the show, and I hope these friendships can be sustained despite them picking up on the shady behaviour and last minute cancellations. 

This is something I really wanted to get out of the way. For example, in Smallville, the way we were forced to wait seasons until a character started questioning why Clark was so secretive was very frustrating to me, so I wanted to get all of this drama brought up as soon as I could, because I think it's more realistic that way. This is something that's going to continue for the next few episodes, so I hope you like what the outcome is

Outside of that, I loved Debbie's little subplot, too. I was surprised a new Chief was brought in so quickly, but I love seeing Debbie at her work and doing her job. It broadens everything a little. Storylines like these always frustrate me though because it feels like there's no way out, and there's no way to fix things — Debbie has to take these emergencies because her kids have super powers and people keep trying to kill her every week, haha! But it adds some exciting drama around her that isn't tied to being kidnapped, or tested, or stalked or shot at, so I'm all here for that. I also loved that she recapped all the terrible things she'd been roped into this season so far.  

I often times forget that Debbie has a literal job that she must go to haha, so I try to bring that back up anyway I can. I always want to try and keep this show fresh with character's having storylines that branch outside of the triplets. I'm glad you really liked that focus!

Lastly, I wanted to talk about Ashlock because she feels much more important to the story at this point in the season. I haven't really had a problem with her, but she's always kind of been floating around and it wasn't until the past few episodes (and this one) where she seemed more rooted into the fabric of the show. Seeing her try to interrogate Mr. Hardly, and Jonathan, and how her scenes/interactions progressed the plot, was just a reminder that she fits really well into everything now and I wanted to make note of that. I got really excited in the previous episode when I thought she was about to figure out the truth about The Super Teens, and I think it was that spark that made me realise how much I really like this character so I'm eager to see what lies ahead for her, and if she ever will crack the case!

Ashlock was always meant to be the dark horse of the season. I wanted to slowly incorporate her more to mirror her getting closer and closer to the Knox family secret. It's going to be something she desperately is trying to uncover in the next few eps, and is something that's going to bring some drama between her and other characters, as usual.
All in all, another really great episode. I appreciated the lighter tone, and the slow-build of the bigger picture. Chill was a perfect addition to the show's mythology of characters and I hope to see her come back. Three episodes to go!! 
   [/quote]
Thanks again for the review, Jack! I'm loving them!

[Brady Brown]

Jan 5, 2018 7:29:04 GMT -6 Jack Malone said:

REVIEW: "Super Time"

This episode was so damn intense, which it obviously needed to be when the storyline involves a bomb. But it very much came down to the pace, the brilliant plot twist that came in towards the end, and the guidance from Cloranda who was orchestrating the whole thing — all of that together, and you delivered another intense episode of 'The Super Teens.' 

We're gearing up for the two part season finale!

First, I want to talk about Cloranda. I've actually missed her, haha! I know she's the villain and I should probably hate her guts, but she's such a fascinating character. Whenever it comes to her scenes, I feel like I slow down my reading pace and just get sucked into the moment. I was so happy we got to see the flashback between her and Mr. Hardly (from the previous episode), because it added quite a nice touch to how his story came to a close, but it was just another moment that had me glued to the page. Another dynamic that pulls me in with her is whenever she shares a scene with Dr. Rivers. Everything stopped in that moment when she was magically strangling him, and it was a very quick reminder that she's not someone to test. She's powerful, and I think after quite a few episodes of delivering so many powerful and interesting threats, it was a nice reminder that she's the ultimate big bad here. 

Cloranda is definitely back with a vengeance and new game plan. She's done messing around. I'm so happy you like her though. I think it'd be worse if you didn't want more of the villain haha. Her relationship with Dr. Rivers is something that's going to be quite strained in the finale, and you'll actually get to see how the two met, and where they go once she reveals her final plan.

So the plot of the episode focused around this "bomb" that was planted, and these riddles that Cloranda was feeding Clark, Janice and Sara to guide them to it (under a time limit and a threat that it would blow up the whole city). I certainly really enjoyed the riddles, but I was slowly becoming a little disappointed at how quickly they were able to solve them. So when the plot twist happened, I literally stopped to be like "of course that was coming!" I always talk about your stuff being unpredictable, and yet you still seem to get me. I should have expected these seemingly easily deciphered riddles to be something larger. I will say though, that the second riddle immediately made me think of Clark throwing Janice, and I just swept it aside because they appeared to be solving them by going to certain locations. But anyway, I just wanted to note my process of this storyline playing out because that plot twist was a brilliant curve ball that I didn't see coming and absolutely loved. 

The riddles were soooooooooo hard to come up with haha. I'm glad you liked the twist so much. I always knew I wanted to make the triplets the bomb, but coming up with the clues that lead Janice to that revelation was really challenging. I'm glad that, despite you almost guessing it with the second riddle, you were still shocked once the plot twist was revealed at the end. It makes me happy it was so unpredictable to you. Hopefully future twists on the show will be able to hold that level of unpredictability.

With that twist, it was revealed that Clark, Janice and Sara were the bombs. And I really liked that because it brought the whole episode and it's subplots (which I'll talk about in a second) back in, in a really interesting way. But more than anything, I just loved their resolve, and the emotion that came out of it. Sara's reaction hit me pretty hard, and I think those devastating phone calls made to Debbie, and their friends, were really touching. I've said it before, but the thing I love about this show so much is that it never loses sight of its humanity and it's those themes of family, and friendship, and love that ground it. So whenever it leans back into those themes, it brings the whole thing home for me. 

Haha "I'm a 16 year old girl..." lol but no I think the triplets were forced into this world of superheroes at such a young age, that I really wanted to highlight what it would be like for them to believe they were about to die and not be able to save the people they cared about. I'm really glad this show can still hold you with the emotional beats, and they haven't seemed forced so far.

So, speaking of friendship, I've loved the way you've progressed this subplot of Lucy and Fred being quite upset about all the lies from The Super Teens. I appreciate the slow build of it all, because it's quite easy to want to hit that dramatic beat with a story in every episode, but I like that you seem to have things mapped out and try to hit them at the right time. This felt like a climactic part of the "secret-keeping" storyline, not just from Fred and Lucy, but with Ashlock involved, too. And so to have it all kind of culminate in this particular episode — with Ashlock one step closer, and Clark, Janice and Sara seemingly about to tell their friends the truth about everything — was a really compelling way to further the story, but also set up what I'm sure is going to be a great two-part season finale. I feel like the season could genuinely end with Lucy, Fred and Detective Ashlock knowing the secret, and that's exciting. 

I'm happy you're still enjoying this. It really comes to a head in the finale, for both Lucy/Fred and Ashlock. Hopefully you like where both of these storylines go

Speaking of Ashlock, I absolutely love and want more scenes of her and Debbie. Their confrontation in this episode was fire. Excuse me for not being more constructive, and leaving it with "fire" but that's what it was. It was so damn good. I think the way Ashlock holds her ground paired with Debbie's determination to protect what she loves -- it makes for one of the most compelling and satisfying dynamics on the show. I'm so here for any future interactions, and hope there's at least one more before the season is out. 

Yay! This scene was so much fun. Both women want something so bad and they're going to do whatever they can to get it. That's the drama I find most compelling, and this scene definitely was a symbol of that.

I wanted to mention Heather because she's been a character I've said hasn't clicked for me just yet, but in this episode her role became a little clearer, and so did her purpose (for now). Knowing that the story was building to a divide between Fred/Lucy and Clark/Janice/Sara, you definitely needed a character like Heather in there to sort of mediate and bounce back between the two groups. And again, it's just made me impressed with how planned out it all seems. I mean, I don't know. You could have gone episode by episode to set things up, and if so, that's even more impressive, but I just appreciate things feeling cohesive, and things having that pay off. Heather seems to be a nice addition to the cast now, and I'm glad I feel that way, especially heading into the last two episodes. 

Yay! I'm glad Heather has warmed up to you. I'm glad she finally was able to be incorporated clearly, and her objectives and purpose were a lot more fleshed out. I wanted a middle party between the two that had no prior interactions and biases towards either group, and that's where Heather came in. Hopefully you enjoy her in the finale.

All in all, this was another great episode. It had a very penultimate vibe to it, even though there's still two episodes left. The twists were great, the emotional drama surrounding Clark, Janice and Sara during all the action was well balanced, and I'm pretty damn excited to see how it all comes to an end. I'm so mad at past!Jack for sleeping on this for so long. 

Thanks again, Jack! Hope you love the finale as much as you've loved the season! It's pretty wild!

[Jack Malone]

REVIEW: "Super Battle" (Part One)

Duuuuuude. So. Much. Just. Happened. I always struggle to start reviews off because I feel like I need an introduction to say whether or not I liked the episode (which I loved it by the way) but this is different because there's so much to talk about and so much sh*t just went down. I honestly thought this was going to be a little calm before the storm, and we definitely got a little of that, but then it delivered some the finale-worthy action and twists that I wasn't prepared for, and I'm just -- I need a minute to take it all in and leave this review before I go on to read the season finale.

First up, I wanted to talk about one of the main storylines which involved Clark, Janice and Sara realising that they should train and be ready for when Cloranda strikes. I thought this was handled really well, for two main reasons: 1) It wasn't just one sequence and suddenly everyone is capable, it was threaded throughout the episode and didn't result in an ending of "from rookie to jedi", and 2) It linked back into Elise Uucsio being an agent of Chosen and gave her a role that reflected her journey and what we learned of her this season that felt like it wasn't just pay-off to that arc/episode, but it puts her in an interesting place going forward. And outside of that, I appreciate it even being a plot point for our heroes, because one could argue with them having super powers that they've got this kind of covered, but expanding what they can do in the field when it comes time for that is a really interesting story and something I'd love to see developed, too. 

In staying on the triplets for a second, the secret-keeping story continued to unfold in this one. I had a little bit of an issue with it this time around, purely because I feel like enough has been built into it for a result to take effect already (whether it's the dissolution of their friendship, accepting a friendship with secrets, or telling the secret), so there didn't need to be another "my Mum is sick" lie. But what I did love about it is that this entire episode really took everything from the season — what's been building and threading into every episode — and set everything up for a big finish. This lie really mirrored everything else that was going on, especially with it blowing up when Fred, Lucy and Heather found out towards the end of the episode that Debbie was never sick and it was just another lie. So it's one of those things that I completely understand why it was happening in the episode, but I just thought that it wasn't 100% needed in order to land this particular story (which I'm excited to see land in the finale). 

One thing this episode truly did was cast a shadow of doubt over every character's fate in this episode, and I'm someone who loves when shows do that because it's not necessarily always a death or a shocking moment that you crave, but the feeling that (as Ellie Goulding sings in the episode) anything could happen. And you nailed that, especially in regards to Debbie, Ashlock and Rivers. All three of these characters have me worried for the finale, and I'mma break it down in these next paragraphs, haha. 

Debbie had such a remarkable role in this episode, and it was very much elevated by the fact that there were undertones of a heartbreaking departure built into it. We learned quite early on that Cloranda wanted Debbie's blood, which was an interesting twist in and of itself, and that of course lead to the best reveal ever — Debbie Knox has powers of her own and was affected by Bright Day, just like her children. And her power is cool. I love that she's got a tougher exterior (referred to as a 'shield') and I think it's the perfect power because previous episodes have established "love" and "bravery" as her super power, and so giving her something crazy like flight or invisibility would undermine that a little, whereas this plays perfectly into the character, her role and her traits. And it doesn't make her indestructible either, as we know she can still get a little banged up. I also like that it called back to previous moments this season, like when she was hit by a car and hurt her arm. It was just a nice reveal. I was secretly hoping she had some kind of power, and I'm just so happy with this whole reveal. And I'm choosing to believe that with this particular story beat, and what it promises for the future, there's no way she's down and out. 

As for Ashlock, she also had this question mark over her head. I really like this storyline for her. I love when shows have a "if they get too close, do something about it" type arc because it makes you WANT them to still find out the truth and get to the bottom of things, but adds a heightened suspense to every step forward they take because of the looming threat. And this one just amped it up. Her scenes with Rivers have been a favourite for me this season, and their dynamic is so great to read because of those conflicts of interest — Ashlock, wanting to uncover the truth, and Rivers, being instructed to keep the truth from her. One of the best scenes was when Rivers stopped being as vague about it and confronted her, telling her to stop and that she might get hurt. It was a pretty big moment, considering he's danced around it more, and really highlighted the fact that things have turned serious, and this is her death we could be talking about here as a consequence for finding out the truth. So the stakes have really been risen going into the finale. 

Speaking of Rivers, this episode really made me sit back and realise that I really like this character. There was a flashback sequence that worked as both a way to explain how Rivers got caught up with Cloranda, and why he's been a little shady this whole time, while also offering us a look into how Cloranda gets her hands on those she recruits (so manipulative, I love her). But his back story was pretty shocking. I loved the "you didn't have to kill him" part. It kind of demonstrated how caught up in all of this he is, and I think it offered a clearer insight into who he is and that we can trust him. He was in a bad situation, and someone offered him a hand to get out of it. Of course he'd take it. Now there are consequences, and I just hope he can escape them alive. 

Finally onto Cloranda. She's really catching no L's since she's been back, I mean damn. First off, I kind of like that she's been present but distant in her appearances. She has this big plan, and she pops in when she needs to do something towards it, but otherwise is pulling strings from the background. We see that again with her interactions with Rivers (getting him to deal with Ashlock) and Jonathan (sticking him on the Knox's). And then when she does surface, it's in one of the most intense scenes the show has delivered — a confrontation between Cloranda and Debbie. The writing of that scene where Debbie stumbles in and sees Cloranda, and how it portrays like the bubbling up of fear, and really how the whole episode was building to this moment, was just done so well. And as exciting as the reveal was that Debbie had this power, it quickly shifted into a realisation that with her power, Cloranda would be even more unstoppable. So the finale is going to be PEAK Cloranda, and this chick was already powerful. I'm so nervous, man. As excited as I am, I'm so damn nervous for how it all goes down in the next episode. 

As I said at the beginning of this long ass review (I'm so sorry), so much happened. There are so many moments I want to talk about real quickly: 

- I loved that this episode began with what feels like a premonition from Janice. It really set the tone for what to expect this episode, which, as I said, was putting this cloud of suspicion on every character and their fate. But I love "nightmare/dream" sequences like that, even if they don't foretell specifically what's going to happen, it does its job in setting the perfect tone. 
- There was another really great Ashlock/Debbie scene. This one was particularly fun to read because Debbie just WENT OFF on Ashlock, and dragged her to kingdom come. I think it was a nice follow up to their last interaction. And I loved the end of the scene where it suggested Ashlock was either feeling guilty or satisfied, and we couldn't really tell. I need more!!
- I'm choosing to believe Debbie makes it out alive, but that whole cliffhanger was painful. I hope she's okay. Story wise, we're so used to seeing Debbie overcome everything, and so to end on this image of her in pain, and bleeding, and the life fading from her -- it was rough. I think Sara finding her was just another wave of heartbreak. 
- Still talking about Debbie, but I just loved the whole scene where Janice, Clark and Sara told her how brave she was. It was just another one of those great "family" moments that reminds me of why, outside of all the great action and superhero stuff, I love this show. 
- I cannot believe you threw Clark and Uucsio out of the building?!?!
- Speaking of Uucsio, I love the set-up of him being able to activate/enhance the Super Teens' powers. That was just another really interesting development that the episode explored and I wonder if he'll be successful in the next episode (if he doesn't fall to his death). 

Anyway, of course this was another great episode that I loved. And the pace of it was really nice, too. As I said, it had a "calm before the storm" vibe in the beginning, but actually progressed nicely to offer some of that storm. I'm sure it's only going to amp up even more in the finale which I'll be reading very soon. And I'm excited to see how some of these storylines find closure.  

[Brady Brown]

Jan 8, 2018 16:28:17 GMT -6 Jack Malone said:

REVIEW: "Super Battle" (Part One)

Duuuuuude. So. Much. Just. Happened. I always struggle to start reviews off because I feel like I need an introduction to say whether or not I liked the episode (which I loved it by the way) but this is different because there's so much to talk about and so much sh*t just went down. I honestly thought this was going to be a little calm before the storm, and we definitely got a little of that, but then it delivered some the finale-worthy action and twists that I wasn't prepared for, and I'm just -- I need a minute to take it all in and leave this review before I go on to read the season finale.

I remember originally planning this as one episode, and I realized that I just had so many things I wanted to do, so I split it into a two parter. I'm glad it didn't fall into the trap of this first part being nothing but slow build into the second one. I'm so happy you enjoyed this crazy episode a lot

First up, I wanted to talk about one of the main storylines which involved Clark, Janice and Sara realising that they should train and be ready for when Cloranda strikes. I thought this was handled really well, for two main reasons: 1) It wasn't just one sequence and suddenly everyone is capable, it was threaded throughout the episode and didn't result in an ending of "from rookie to jedi", and 2) It linked back into Elise Uucsio being an agent of Chosen and gave her a role that reflected her journey and what we learned of her this season that felt like it wasn't just pay-off to that arc/episode, but it puts her in an interesting place going forward. And outside of that, I appreciate it even being a plot point for our heroes, because one could argue with them having super powers that they've got this kind of covered, but expanding what they can do in the field when it comes time for that is a really interesting story and something I'd love to see developed, too. 

The triplets are definitely going to do whatever they can to try and defeat Cloranda. I thought it was a natural sort of thread to connect to their trainer being Elise, who has had so much experience in the field of battle and combat. I didn't want it to be a one and done thing, because as I've mentioned before, I try to make this show as realistic as I can, so I'm really happy you enjoyed that aspect. This season has been about Janice, Clark, and Sara learning to develop their own powers, so now it was time for them to be able to combine them with fighting skills.

In staying on the triplets for a second, the secret-keeping story continued to unfold in this one. I had a little bit of an issue with it this time around, purely because I feel like enough has been built into it for a result to take effect already (whether it's the dissolution of their friendship, accepting a friendship with secrets, or telling the secret), so there didn't need to be another "my Mum is sick" lie. But what I did love about it is that this entire episode really took everything from the season — what's been building and threading into every episode — and set everything up for a big finish. This lie really mirrored everything else that was going on, especially with it blowing up when Fred, Lucy and Heather found out towards the end of the episode that Debbie was never sick and it was just another lie. So it's one of those things that I completely understand why it was happening in the episode, but I just thought that it wasn't 100% needed in order to land this particular story (which I'm excited to see land in the finale). 

This storyline is something that comes to a head in the next episode. I honestly can't really say why I included another lie for the triplets to get caught up with another lie other than I wanted to try to amplify the stakes of this friendship possibly ending. Hopefully you enjoy the conclusion of this storyline.

One thing this episode truly did was cast a shadow of doubt over every character's fate in this episode, and I'm someone who loves when shows do that because it's not necessarily always a death or a shocking moment that you crave, but the feeling that (as Ellie Goulding sings in the episode) anything could happen. And you nailed that, especially in regards to Debbie, Ashlock and Rivers. All three of these characters have me worried for the finale, and I'mma break it down in these next paragraphs, haha. 

Yay! I think this is a huge compliment. I'm really glad this was something that the episode managed to build up and maintain.

Debbie had such a remarkable role in this episode, and it was very much elevated by the fact that there were undertones of a heartbreaking departure built into it. We learned quite early on that Cloranda wanted Debbie's blood, which was an interesting twist in and of itself, and that of course lead to the best reveal ever — Debbie Knox has powers of her own and was affected by Bright Day, just like her children. And her power is cool. I love that she's got a tougher exterior (referred to as a 'shield') and I think it's the perfect power because previous episodes have established "love" and "bravery" as her super power, and so giving her something crazy like flight or invisibility would undermine that a little, whereas this plays perfectly into the character, her role and her traits. And it doesn't make her indestructible either, as we know she can still get a little banged up. I also like that it called back to previous moments this season, like when she was hit by a car and hurt her arm. It was just a nice reveal. I was secretly hoping she had some kind of power, and I'm just so happy with this whole reveal. And I'm choosing to believe that with this particular story beat, and what it promises for the future, there's no way she's down and out. 

This was a very Debbie-centric episode. All season she's been trying to protect her family, and her love for her children has been the driving force behind that, and I just think it was a natural twist for her to have powers the entire time. Debbie has been through a ton of shit throughout the second half of the season, so I think her body being an enhanced shield is something that mirrors how strong her bond is with her family. Hopefully you enjoy how the scene at the end of the episode concludes, because I think it brings up some nice, interesting, and dynamic moments for a lot of characters.

As for Ashlock, she also had this question mark over her head. I really like this storyline for her. I love when shows have a "if they get too close, do something about it" type arc because it makes you WANT them to still find out the truth and get to the bottom of things, but adds a heightened suspense to every step forward they take because of the looming threat. And this one just amped it up. Her scenes with Rivers have been a favourite for me this season, and their dynamic is so great to read because of those conflicts of interest — Ashlock, wanting to uncover the truth, and Rivers, being instructed to keep the truth from her. One of the best scenes was when Rivers stopped being as vague about it and confronted her, telling her to stop and that she might get hurt. It was a pretty big moment, considering he's danced around it more, and really highlighted the fact that things have turned serious, and this is her death we could be talking about here as a consequence for finding out the truth. So the stakes have really been risen going into the finale. 

I think it's so easy to step back and see Ashlock as an antagonistic crazy person for being so obsessed with three teenagers, but she's been someone who's life has been surrounded by uncovering the truth for a better part of her life. Not being able to figure out what the Knox family is doing has been killing her. She has such a strong drive to bring about justice that it's slowly consuming her with each episode, and her scene with Debbie was something that allowed her to see that part of her, and she'll have to deal with it in the next episode.

Speaking of Rivers, this episode really made me sit back and realise that I really like this character. There was a flashback sequence that worked as both a way to explain how Rivers got caught up with Cloranda, and why he's been a little shady this whole time, while also offering us a look into how Cloranda gets her hands on those she recruits (so manipulative, I love her). But his back story was pretty shocking. I loved the "you didn't have to kill him" part. It kind of demonstrated how caught up in all of this he is, and I think it offered a clearer insight into who he is and that we can trust him. He was in a bad situation, and someone offered him a hand to get out of it. Of course he'd take it. Now there are consequences, and I just hope he can escape them alive. 

I really wanted to wait to dive into Rivers's past until the finale. I think he's been a real secretive, background character compared to everything else going on, but I wanted him to shine in this two part finale. I love his relationship with Ashlock and how it's counterbalanced with his forced one with Cloranda, and I thought it would be great to explore that in this 2 part finale.

Finally onto Cloranda. She's really catching no L's since she's been back, I mean damn. First off, I kind of like that she's been present but distant in her appearances. She has this big plan, and she pops in when she needs to do something towards it, but otherwise is pulling strings from the background. We see that again with her interactions with Rivers (getting him to deal with Ashlock) and Jonathan (sticking him on the Knox's). And then when she does surface, it's in one of the most intense scenes the show has delivered — a confrontation between Cloranda and Debbie. The writing of that scene where Debbie stumbles in and sees Cloranda, and how it portrays like the bubbling up of fear, and really how the whole episode was building to this moment, was just done so well. And as exciting as the reveal was that Debbie had this power, it quickly shifted into a realisation that with her power, Cloranda would be even more unstoppable. So the finale is going to be PEAK Cloranda, and this chick was already powerful. I'm so nervous, man. As excited as I am, I'm so damn nervous for how it all goes down in the next episode. 

I love how much you love her! All I'm gonna say is that she's out for blood in the next episode, and she's going to do whatever she can to get her powers back

As I said at the beginning of this long ass review (I'm so sorry), so much happened. There are so many moments I want to talk about real quickly: 

- I loved that this episode began with what feels like a premonition from Janice. It really set the tone for what to expect this episode, which, as I said, was putting this cloud of suspicion on every character and their fate. But I love "nightmare/dream" sequences like that, even if they don't foretell specifically what's going to happen, it does its job in setting the perfect tone. 

You've already read the finale so you know where this goes!

- There was another really great Ashlock/Debbie scene. This one was particularly fun to read because Debbie just WENT OFF on Ashlock, and dragged her to kingdom come. I think it was a nice follow up to their last interaction. And I loved the end of the scene where it suggested Ashlock was either feeling guilty or satisfied, and we couldn't really tell. I need more!!

I loved writing this tense relationship. It was so much fun. I'm glad you liked reading it as much as I did writing it. They have such a conflict of objectives that it was nice to have them continuously butting heads.

- I'm choosing to believe Debbie makes it out alive, but that whole cliffhanger was painful. I hope she's okay. Story wise, we're so used to seeing Debbie overcome everything, and so to end on this image of her in pain, and bleeding, and the life fading from her -- it was rough. I think Sara finding her was just another wave of heartbreak. 

You know where this goes

- Still talking about Debbie, but I just loved the whole scene where Janice, Clark and Sara told her how brave she was. It was just another one of those great "family" moments that reminds me of why, outside of all the great action and superhero stuff, I love this show. 

- The family dynamics are one of my favorite things to write on this show, so I try to let it shine whenever I can. I'm so happy you enjoy this relationship so much

- I cannot believe you threw Clark and Uucsio out of the building?!?!

*screams*

- Speaking of Uucsio, I love the set-up of him being able to activate/enhance the Super Teens' powers. That was just another really interesting development that the episode explored and I wonder if he'll be successful in the next episode (if he doesn't fall to his death). 

*screams louder*

Anyway, of course this was another great episode that I loved. And the pace of it was really nice, too. As I said, it had a "calm before the storm" vibe in the beginning, but actually progressed nicely to offer some of that storm. I'm sure it's only going to amp up even more in the finale which I'll be reading very soon. And I'm excited to see how some of these storylines find closure.  

Thank you SO MUCH Jack! Can't wait to see what you think of the finale!

[Jack Malone]

REVIEW: "Super Battle" (Part Two)

This season finale was insane; it managed to not only deliver some great, new and exciting twists, but offer resolution on a lot of the storylines that threaded throughout the season, which is exactly what I wanted from the finale. 

The finale picked up right where things left off, and moved quickly to resolve the cliffhangers — Clark was able to fly him and Dr. Uucsio to safety, and Sara was able to heal Debbie and save her life. The best thing about how you worked to solve these cliffhangers was that it directly tied into the story of the episode, and the overall, underlying solution to Clark, Janice and Sara's conflict with Cloranda. And you continued to build twists around it. Ultimately, I really liked the fact that when all their powers were drained, and these characters had seemingly died, it was their second power that saved them and they were able to defeat Cloranda. It was just a really clever way to tackle the conflict in a new way, and to resolve a series of cliffhangers without undermining their impact. 

Speaking of the second powers for a hot minute, I was little devastated that it was whole new abilities and not extensions of their powers thus far, but with the explanation that came (which I'll talk about in a bit), it made more sense and I think it opened the show up to move in a direction that's even more exciting. I mean, the powers Clark, Janice and Sara have are all awesome, but now with their "upgrades," there are more scenarios in which can be crafted from their new abilities, rather than Clark just having to be a bit stronger, or a sonic cry being able to reach a little further and do more damage. I'm excited for Janice's premonitions the most, as tackling anything involving the future makes me immediately sign the dotted line for more. But I also love Clark's ability to create wind as it gives him kind of a long-range ability in combat, and Sara's ability to heal will certainly come in handy as they embrace a future of fighting crime, for sure. 

On the topic of the premonition, though, I did love that it came to fruition and that it was kind of confirmation of her power in the moment that it happened. I thought that was done really well. And it was clever, too. Don't mind the comparison here, but it's kind of like That's So Raven when she sees the tiniest glimpse of the future but what she sees isn't really what's going down. So Janice sees herself being killed in the future, and learning that her siblings are already dead, but she doesn't see that they found a way to survive Cloranda's attack. I just really love stuff like that because it keeps us, the audience, on our toes, and I'm excited for how you tackle premonitions in the future and what kind of role they'll play going forward. It's just a really cool power and I think it'll make a great storytelling device, too. 

I've gotten all that talk out the way, now I have to talk about Cloranda. Oh, man. What a way to go. I absolutely loved what we got of her in this episode, and I loved seeing her plan come to fruition. With everything linking back to her when it came to the creation of Bright Day, and Frank, and all these powers... you really solidified her as the ultimate nemesis for the show. The show exists because of her. And I think that makes for a really powerful antagonist, and allows her significance to remain even if she doesn't, you know? But it was just great to finally see it all stitch together, and controlling the city was something I didn't really see coming. It was a nice twist, and turning them all into her army and watching them mindlessly attack our heroes -- it elevated the conflict in an exciting way and gave everyone something to do during the finale. I think you nailed the balance of her truly being in the present and trying to fulfil these plans, whilst also delivering that exposition that gave us everything I know I really wanted to know about her. I'm just so impressed, though. She's your first season antagonist and she was so captivating the entire time. I'm glad she got such a big finish, and went out in such a badass way. She damn near killed everyone. 

Speaking of death, I was a little shocked to see Rivers get taken out. It also sucks because it took me until literally the episode before this one to finally really like the character and feel like I could understand him, only to see him get taken out in the middle of the episode. Truthfully, I am a little underwhelmed with the fact he died. I'm just not sure a death — certainly not his — was absolutely necessary. But in terms of how it was written, I love those scenes where a gun goes off and you don't know who's been shot. I panicked for a second because it did feel like things were building towards a death for Ashlock (which would have destroyed me so I'm glad that didn't happen), and the reversal was a really clever way to do it. I think it might be the fact that Ashlock was the one to deliver the big season-ending death that was underwhelming, and the fact that he was being controlled. I think for Rivers, I was preparing myself to see him die protecting Ashlock or something along the lines where he's more in control of the outcome. It seemed like he was on a trajectory of defiance against Cloranda when it came to Ashlock, and so I think that's why this particular loss didn't land as well with me. But I'm glad we got his funeral, and we got to hear Ashlock honour him, and I do wonder if his death by Ashlock's hands is set-up for a storyline in the future about how it's affected her, and where she goes from here. 

I want to start every paragraph with "speaking of," but continuing on with Ashlock, I'm so happy she found out the secret. I think to see her and Debbie mend a bridge at season's end was wonderful, and the whole "you can trust me" moment was a nice added touch to it all, too. It was just such a satisfying part of the episode, as was Ashlock arriving at the Uucsio office and protecting Jane Doe and Debbie. I think one of the things I'm most looking forward to when I pick up and read Season 2 is to see Ashlock's role and how it evolves now that she's in on the secret. 

As for secrets, Fred, Lucy and Heather finally found out, too — in like, the most terrifying way ever. I had a suspicion that in order for their story to ultimately land in the climax of the finale, as it had still been progressing in the penultimate episode, they had to get caught up in the Cloranda of it all. And I'm glad it did, especially because I get a kick out of certain storylines all coming to a head together and nothing reveals the secret more than this big bad dangling them out like bait to the Super Teens, and needing them to come in, use their powers, and save them. What's interesting is that I was expecting some closure, but instead, this revelation was done in a way that asks some questions for Season 2. I like that you ended it with them all sort of looking at Clark, Janice and Sara like they don't really know them anymore. It adds a relevancy to those characters and their perspectives heading into the next season — not that they aren't relevant, but it adds a "I wonder what's going to happen with them" question to those characters looking towards Season 2, whereas if you had made them all gather and be like "we good fam" then there wouldn't be that open-ended vibe to it all. I'm bloody rambling. 

Something I really loved in this episode was that you brought back Chill and the Diminishers. I think what you've done so well in this first season alone is to create a world that feels as big as a comic book universe, and so seeing them pop up was like The Flash popping up on Arrow to help save them all from being imprisoned by Ra's in Season 3. It just carries that same weight to me, and I think that's super impressive. But you've done it with characters like Jonathan, too. And now Alexander. You're building a world, and to have Chill and the Diminishers show up to help Clark, Janice and Sara -- it was seeing a nice result of that, you know? Also, I'm glad I didn't skip the Christmas special, hahaha! 

Debbie took a back seat in this one, but it was actually a logical decision given what she'd been through, and given the fact that she can't really be of help during an apocalypse. But I like that her perspective wasn't one that was lost. It was nice to see her viewing footage from the sidelines, and her reaction to seeing Sara "die" was such a powerful moment. I do think the whole "we need to see if you can actually heal" scene should have been cut because it was a little strange to see her cut herself after just surviving the whole being stabbed thing, and we got an explanation later on about Sara's ability, but that didn't really impact the episode for me. 

One character I would love to see more of is Jane Doe. I feel like she's the only one on the show that isn't really completely fleshed out yet or has something going for her that makes her stand out just yet. She needs an Elise episode, you know? Haha. 
 
And finally, speaking of Chosen, the end-of-season twist definitely delivered with Alexander being back to kidnap Debbie. That was something set up in this half of the season that I wanted to see more of, and it seems like Season 2 is going to offer me that story. I can't wait. I just hope Debbie can catch a break, my god! They better not turn her into a killing machine!!!

I feel like there's something I've missed. But I don't know what else to say. I really loved the finale. I think the action was done so well. I loved the whole evil genius mastermind plot that Cloranda has been cooking up all season long, and that you cut between her confrontation with the Super Teens, to the whole city and these peripheral characters. And I'm really excited for Season 2. I can't wait to see more of these powers. And I love that we ended on a note of Clark, Janice and Sara kind of embracing themselves now. It felt like the perfect end to their journey. It's time for them to be the heroes we know they can be. This was a great season, Brady. I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to read it, but I promise to catch up on Season 2 and never be behind again. I'm bloody hooked, haha. 

[Brady Brown]

Jan 8, 2018 22:07:01 GMT -6 Jack Malone said:

REVIEW: "Super Battle" (Part Two)

This season finale was insane; it managed to not only deliver some great, new and exciting twists, but offer resolution on a lot of the storylines that threaded throughout the season, which is exactly what I wanted from the finale. 

*screams with excitement*

The finale picked up right where things left off, and moved quickly to resolve the cliffhangers — Clark was able to fly him and Dr. Uucsio to safety, and Sara was able to heal Debbie and save her life. The best thing about how you worked to solve these cliffhangers was that it directly tied into the story of the episode, and the overall, underlying solution to Clark, Janice and Sara's conflict with Cloranda. And you continued to build twists around it. Ultimately, I really liked the fact that when all their powers were drained, and these characters had seemingly died, it was their second power that saved them and they were able to defeat Cloranda. It was just a really clever way to tackle the conflict in a new way, and to resolve a series of cliffhangers without undermining their impact. 

Thank you! I decided pretty early on how I wanted to pick up this episode and integrate back into a multi-episode problem that Janice, Clark, and Sara have been dealing with surrounding their powers, so I'm glad you ended up liking how this episode was tied into where the last one left off.

Speaking of the second powers for a hot minute, I was little devastated that it was whole new abilities and not extensions of their powers thus far, but with the explanation that came (which I'll talk about in a bit), it made more sense and I think it opened the show up to move in a direction that's even more exciting. I mean, the powers Clark, Janice and Sara have are all awesome, but now with their "upgrades," there are more scenarios in which can be crafted from their new abilities, rather than Clark just having to be a bit stronger, or a sonic cry being able to reach a little further and do more damage. I'm excited for Janice's premonitions the most, as tackling anything involving the future makes me immediately sign the dotted line for more. But I also love Clark's ability to create wind as it gives him kind of a long-range ability in combat, and Sara's ability to heal will certainly come in handy as they embrace a future of fighting crime, for sure. 

I thought it would be more interesting and would tie into the end of the episode where they stopped Cloranda if they were new powers instead of extensions (like you mentioned). I just found it to be a better storytelling choice. I'm glad you ended up liking the decision to give them new powers, and I hope you enjoy what new stories this opens up and cool new moments that I came up with in season two!

On the topic of the premonition, though, I did love that it came to fruition and that it was kind of confirmation of her power in the moment that it happened. I thought that was done really well. And it was clever, too. Don't mind the comparison here, but it's kind of like That's So Raven when she sees the tiniest glimpse of the future but what she sees isn't really what's going down. So Janice sees herself being killed in the future, and learning that her siblings are already dead, but she doesn't see that they found a way to survive Cloranda's attack. I just really love stuff like that because it keeps us, the audience, on our toes, and I'm excited for how you tackle premonitions in the future and what kind of role they'll play going forward. It's just a really cool power and I think it'll make a great storytelling device, too. 

I agree! I think it's much more terrifying for Janice that all of her premonitions have actually come true in some way, shape, or form.

I've gotten all that talk out the way, now I have to talk about Cloranda. Oh, man. What a way to go. I absolutely loved what we got of her in this episode, and I loved seeing her plan come to fruition. With everything linking back to her when it came to the creation of Bright Day, and Frank, and all these powers... you really solidified her as the ultimate nemesis for the show. The show exists because of her. And I think that makes for a really powerful antagonist, and allows her significance to remain even if she doesn't, you know? But it was just great to finally see it all stitch together, and controlling the city was something I didn't really see coming. It was a nice twist, and turning them all into her army and watching them mindlessly attack our heroes -- it elevated the conflict in an exciting way and gave everyone something to do during the finale. I think you nailed the balance of her truly being in the present and trying to fulfil these plans, whilst also delivering that exposition that gave us everything I know I really wanted to know about her. I'm just so impressed, though. She's your first season antagonist and she was so captivating the entire time. I'm glad she got such a big finish, and went out in such a badass way. She damn near killed everyone. 

I'm so happy you loved Cloranda as much as you did. I can only hope the season 2 big bad garners just as much praise and attention from you. I wanted all of the major questions to be wrapped up from the pilot in this finale. She was such a great force for me to write, and I'm glad you picked up on her being the reason this show even exists, and it's something that I definitely want to take another stab at down the line. I would love to find a way to bring her back, not as another season's big bad, but sort of as a foil for the triplets to learn more about themselves. But it's all about what comes naturally. Anyway, back to the finale - I wanted Cloranda to be this ultimate powerful supernatural being where the triplets proved they could overpower her, but next season is a real exploration of how they go against an entire organization, and I'm excited to see what you think.

Speaking of death, I was a little shocked to see Rivers get taken out. It also sucks because it took me until literally the episode before this one to finally really like the character and feel like I could understand him, only to see him get taken out in the middle of the episode. Truthfully, I am a little underwhelmed with the fact he died. I'm just not sure a death — certainly not his — was absolutely necessary. But in terms of how it was written, I love those scenes where a gun goes off and you don't know who's been shot. I panicked for a second because it did feel like things were building towards a death for Ashlock (which would have destroyed me so I'm glad that didn't happen), and the reversal was a really clever way to do it. I think it might be the fact that Ashlock was the one to deliver the big season-ending death that was underwhelming, and the fact that he was being controlled. I think for Rivers, I was preparing myself to see him die protecting Ashlock or something along the lines where he's more in control of the outcome. It seemed like he was on a trajectory of defiance against Cloranda when it came to Ashlock, and so I think that's why this particular loss didn't land as well with me. But I'm glad we got his funeral, and we got to hear Ashlock honour him, and I do wonder if his death by Ashlock's hands is set-up for a storyline in the future about how it's affected her, and where she goes from here. 

I think Rivers's story was finished. He was directly tied to Cloranda and everything that she was doing, and I was approaching it from a standpoint of what stories could be told from his death - ie, Det. Ashlock. I think it was much more impactful for her to be the one to actually kill him, and to see how she deals with it in season 2 was just a more exciting arc that I wanted to tell. It really opens her up to a whole world of new things now that her partner is dead. So, that's my explanation for Rivers's death. I went about it the way I thought was more emotional and significant moving forward for the character of Det. Ashlock, so I hope you enjoy what's in store for her.

I want to start every paragraph with "speaking of," but continuing on with Ashlock, I'm so happy she found out the secret. I think to see her and Debbie mend a bridge at season's end was wonderful, and the whole "you can trust me" moment was a nice added touch to it all, too. It was just such a satisfying part of the episode, as was Ashlock arriving at the Uucsio office and protecting Jane Doe and Debbie. I think one of the things I'm most looking forward to when I pick up and read Season 2 is to see Ashlock's role and how it evolves now that she's in on the secret. 

This is another thing she's going to be dealing with in season 2! She's spent so long trying to figure out this secret, so what does she do with it? It's definitely going to be about her proving herself to the team, and creating relationships with everyone. I'm excited for you to read her stuff in s2!

As for secrets, Fred, Lucy and Heather finally found out, too — in like, the most terrifying way ever. I had a suspicion that in order for their story to ultimately land in the climax of the finale, as it had still been progressing in the penultimate episode, they had to get caught up in the Cloranda of it all. And I'm glad it did, especially because I get a kick out of certain storylines all coming to a head together and nothing reveals the secret more than this big bad dangling them out like bait to the Super Teens, and needing them to come in, use their powers, and save them. What's interesting is that I was expecting some closure, but instead, this revelation was done in a way that asks some questions for Season 2. I like that you ended it with them all sort of looking at Clark, Janice and Sara like they don't really know them anymore. It adds a relevancy to those characters and their perspectives heading into the next season — not that they aren't relevant, but it adds a "I wonder what's going to happen with them" question to those characters looking towards Season 2, whereas if you had made them all gather and be like "we good fam" then there wouldn't be that open-ended vibe to it all. I'm bloody rambling. 

This was definitely a kickoff to what Fred, Lucy, and Heather will be dealing with in season 2, specifically the premiere. They've been opened up to a world of terrifying things, and they have to deal with this information in the safest way possible. Hope you enjoy what you haven't read for them in s2!

Something I really loved in this episode was that you brought back Chill and the Diminishers. I think what you've done so well in this first season alone is to create a world that feels as big as a comic book universe, and so seeing them pop up was like The Flash popping up on Arrow to help save them all from being imprisoned by Ra's in Season 3. It just carries that same weight to me, and I think that's super impressive. But you've done it with characters like Jonathan, too. And now Alexander. You're building a world, and to have Chill and the Diminishers show up to help Clark, Janice and Sara -- it was seeing a nice result of that, you know? Also, I'm glad I didn't skip the Christmas special, hahaha! 

I love bringing back old characters, so expect some familiar faces to pop up throughout season 2

Debbie took a back seat in this one, but it was actually a logical decision given what she'd been through, and given the fact that she can't really be of help during an apocalypse. But I like that her perspective wasn't one that was lost. It was nice to see her viewing footage from the sidelines, and her reaction to seeing Sara "die" was such a powerful moment. I do think the whole "we need to see if you can actually heal" scene should have been cut because it was a little strange to see her cut herself after just surviving the whole being stabbed thing, and we got an explanation later on about Sara's ability, but that didn't really impact the episode for me. 

I love writing Debbie. She's such a powerhouse of a character, and, like you said, this episode was more about her reactions to certain things like her children's "death" and also how she ends the episode.

One character I would love to see more of is Jane Doe. I feel like she's the only one on the show that isn't really completely fleshed out yet or has something going for her that makes her stand out just yet. She needs an Elise episode, you know? Haha. 

I've always struggled with Jane Doe. I've got some cool stuff I wanna do for her, but it's just about finding a way to incorporate it into the season. She has some really nice mini arcs in season 2 tho, so I hope you enjoy those

And finally, speaking of Chosen, the end-of-season twist definitely delivered with Alexander being back to kidnap Debbie. That was something set up in this half of the season that I wanted to see more of, and it seems like Season 2 is going to offer me that story. I can't wait. I just hope Debbie can catch a break, my god! They better not turn her into a killing machine!!!

*doesn't want to give anything away so is silent!!!!*

I feel like there's something I've missed. But I don't know what else to say. I really loved the finale. I think the action was done so well. I loved the whole evil genius mastermind plot that Cloranda has been cooking up all season long, and that you cut between her confrontation with the Super Teens, to the whole city and these peripheral characters. And I'm really excited for Season 2. I can't wait to see more of these powers. And I love that we ended on a note of Clark, Janice and Sara kind of embracing themselves now. It felt like the perfect end to their journey. It's time for them to be the heroes we know they can be. This was a great season, Brady. I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to read it, but I promise to catch up on Season 2 and never be behind again. I'm bloody hooked, haha. 

Thank you SO MUCH Jack! I'm so happy you loved this season as much as you did, and I can't wait for you to catch up on season 2