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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 24, 2015 20:56:57 GMT -6
REVIEW: 3.10 "Toxic"So, here we are. All in one episode we get: Poison Ivy, a Barbara and Chloe team up, al Ghul family probz, and a death. *wipes away sweat* This was definitely a game changing episode, not just because of Perry's death, but because it added a lot of layers to this complex story. It was interesting to see Ivy and Hush act as two separate threats in this episode, and their different motives and how they interacted with the characters they were set up with. With Ivy, we saw Chloe's ambiguous motives start to come to light, and I really appreciated Barbra, someone who could arguably be a mini-Chloe, taking a stand and telling Chloe how much she's changed. This was definitely a game-changing episode. When it came to introducing Ivy for this episode, I felt like she wouldn't be just this puppet for Hush to use and that she's a hell of a lot stronger than that. So it didn't make sense not giving her some motive, and not tempting her with the opportunity to break out of that hold Hush has on her. I think it was nice to have an episode where Hush can serve as the main threat for the episode and because his presence is a lot larger in the back half of the season it was nice to have a little taste of what kind of power he's packing (at this point in time of course). Chris really went for it in his writing of the Batman / Hush confrontation and it really helped in solidifying him as a threat. As for Ivy, it was nice to have her back in this continuity, and I'll talk more about the twist later in this response to the review. But she was definitely a conduit for showing us how much Chloe has changed, as well as bringing Barbara into the A Story, who is - as you said - arguably a "mini-Chloe" before all the scars of doing this job for this amount of time have taken their toll on her. The unmasking of Batman is definitely going to play a huge role in one of the earlier episodes of the back half. I think as the Hush story unfolds more and more it's going to become quite evident why it had to be done and the significance of it. When it came to Ivy's turn on Hush, it wasn't as "abrupt" of a change in her mind. I think because she's set up as being attached to this character, and associated with Hush, that it's kind of like... like Chloe was thinking: "I can exploit her, she's working with him," etc. Instead, we learn she's kind of desperate to take him out and get out from under his hold. Barbara suggested her father was the key to stopping him and Barbara was both genuine in her suggestion / belief and so was Ivy's belief in her. I'm glad you liked the ending with Ivy. I basically had the idea hit me when I felt like Hush was too powerful a force to just let Ivy out of his grasp, or that he would be unbeknownst of some alliance she would form to stop him. Effectively, she did allow one of his plans to come into motion, and so ridding of her once uncovering her betrayal (if you can call it that) felt like the only option. So we've unfortunately seen how Poison Ivy's story ends -- at the hands of Hush -- but she is far from dead in the present. It saddens me Perry isn't as appreciated on the show *cries* But I'm always glad when he's mentioned in reviews and there's praise behind his storylines. I don't think he's a polarizing character or anything so much as there isn't as much a connection for that character. Introducing Alice Spencer was one of the things on my bucket lists to do for Perry before all is said and done. I thought it was important to scratch the surface of why he came to Gotham, what happened in the downfall of his marriage, and certain things along those lines that really fill out this character's back-story. The abortion was a storyline idea I had when it came to the idea of Perry always being this father figure, especially towards Chloe in the earlier seasons, and later Vicki. He's expressed how having children was something he's always wanted and regrets not having, and now we learn that he had that opportunity and chose his career over it (which kind of adds to the tragedy of it all). That was something I really wanted to do and I'm glad there was an opportunity to tell it. As this series has progressed, I feel like the Chloe and Perry dynamic reached the point where he didn't have much else to teach her, and so in introducing Vicki, I felt like Perry had a lot to offer that character. Exploring that even more this season -- after testing the waters in the final few episodes of the previous one -- was one of my favourite things to do in Season Three. They've kind of developed into the 2.0 of the OG. *drop that beat* Hahaha. But no, I felt while Perry had played a much larger role in Chloe's life, it had to be Vicki who discovered him. I'm glad the emotion of it really worked. In regards to Kahn, I have to commend Chris on the writing for her. A lot of that scene where she justifies her decision in going against her promise with Vicki was all Mister Chris Davis himself. I remember him telling me, "Kahn is so badass," and I read the scene during the editing process of this episode and I was figured out his reasons for drawing that conclusion. It was all in his writing. Kahn has fast become a favourite of mine to write, too, and I think you'll like the direction of her in the next few episodes. Next week's episode -- in the mid season finale -- she gets a little bit in on the action  I've noticed your disconnect from her in these episodes, which is a downer, but just like with Perry, and anything else... it goes without having to explain. It's a connection, or a lack thereof, and it's felt by the reader. I would like to know if she was a favourite of yours last season, or if there was an investment in her development versus other characters purely because this arc was sort of meant to tie up the loose ends. I think the biggest reason that could form a disconnect is the same problem I had at writing the season premiere and it's the jump in time. Dinah is literally on the outside of everything, and it's kind of an effect I just ran with for this arc because it's very much her emotional state and how she is feeling. Anytime she makes the slightest connection with someone on the show -- in looking at Bruce in the previous episode -- she pulls away. She's not tied to this city anymore, and having Sherwood Florist (of Gotham City) come to an end in this episode was sort of the final push for her to go and embrace her destiny as Black Canary in Star City. With that said, she will be in next week's episode -- as will Mia Dearden -- but their roles aren't sort of exclusively for the development of their characters. There are character beats and things to touch on that cap things off and possibly set things up, but they're very much there for the realistic involvement of taking on something as big as Doomsday. So that's going to be a lot of fun. *hopefully* Nyssa is a lot of fun to write. I felt it only fair to have her pop up at the end of this one to cap off the episode, and Chris did a superb job of making that cliffhanger work and not feel forced. Talia is another character who's rather on the outside of things, and it's fun when she does get dragged back into the A Story. It may feel like her role has wrapped up after the events of "Control", but I promise that it's just one of those slow burning things. Nyssa coming into the story is going to be a big turning point in her arc and I can't wait to see what you think after the mid-season finale. Yay! I'm glad you mentioned Barbara. This is purely just a taste of what's to come for her  As for Poison Ivy, her being 27 in the present, and 35 (with a huge scar on her face) in the larger portion of this episode does suggest time travel, and is the beginning of a storyline that will see at least two other major things happen in the back half of the season that I can't spoil just yet so it means that Ivy can be as present in the rest of "Watchtower" as ever. I'd like to bring the character back, and I think Chris does an awesome job with her, and not taking the opportunity to flesh her out more would be a little upsetting so I'll definitely look into it. As for this season, I think when it comes to explaining the Hush back story in the complete, full form... it'll call for Ivy's return. |
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Post by Brady Brown on Feb 25, 2015 10:54:03 GMT -6
I've noticed your disconnect from her in these episodes, which is a downer, but just like with Perry, and anything else... it goes without having to explain. It's a connection, or a lack thereof, and it's felt by the reader. I would like to know if she was a favourite of yours last season, or if there was an investment in her development versus other characters purely because this arc was sort of meant to tie up the loose ends. I think the biggest reason that could form a disconnect is the same problem I had at writing the season premiere and it's the jump in time. Dinah is literally on the outside of everything, and it's kind of an effect I just ran with for this arc because it's very much her emotional state and how she is feeling. Anytime she makes the slightest connection with someone on the show -- in looking at Bruce in the previous episode -- she pulls away. She's not tied to this city anymore, and having Sherwood Florist (of Gotham City) come to an end in this episode was sort of the final push for her to go and embrace her destiny as Black Canary in Star City. With that said, she will be in next week's episode -- as will Mia Dearden -- but their roles aren't sort of exclusively for the development of their characters. There are character beats and things to touch on that cap things off and possibly set things up, but they're very much there for the realistic involvement of taking on something as big as Doomsday. So that's going to be a lot of fun. *hopefully* For me, with these past few episodes, Dinah hasn't necessarily been needed to move the plot forward. That's obviously just my opinion, but her involvement has seemed somewhat forced, excluding "Hope". It's not that I don't like Dinah as a character, because I do, but she's been overshadowed by everything that's been going on around her, and, in retrospect, it's been hard to focus on her and her arc. Hope that clarified what I meant! |
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Post by Jack Malone on Feb 25, 2015 15:56:22 GMT -6
Yeah, no I understand. I don't think "Control" or "Toxic" would have been as good and/or worked as well without the role Dinah's played within both episodes. I know you're a greater fan of the underlying Hush storyline and Dinah definitely doesn't have a role within that so she's not moving the larger picture forward, but episode-to-episode she's been a significant character. On the other side of things, though, I definitely wanted to have that sense of no longer fitting in with the team, with the world, and be sort of out of place of that to allow for this realisation that it's time to move on with her life. Episodes 8 through 11 felt like the right time to tell that story for Dinah before all hell breaks loose in the back half |
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Post by Alex Matthews on Mar 2, 2015 7:32:20 GMT -6
"Sacrifice" - Never a truer title! Wowzers! What an amazing episode! I might come back a deliver a more substantial review at some point, but for the moment, that will suffice  |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 6, 2015 12:51:43 GMT -6
So I finally got around to reading "Sacrifice".......my feels are all over the place
An in depth review for this and the other episodes will be coming soon!!
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Post by Jack Malone on Mar 9, 2015 19:49:02 GMT -6
So I finally got around to reading "Sacrifice".......my feels are all over the place An in depth review for this and the other episodes will be coming soon!! Thanks, man! I'm glad you enjoyed the episode. I hope the big mystery behind Kyle, and Kyle/Chloe paid off |
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Post by Brady Brown on Mar 14, 2015 19:04:02 GMT -6
REVIEW: 3.11 "Sacrifice" So, I was finally able to get a chance to read "Sacrifice". What a jam-packed episode! Watchtower season 3 has definitely had some fast paced and eventful episodes, but this one definitely has set a bar for the rest of the season, which I'm almost positive will be exceeded very shortly. I was really shocked at how soon Doomsday, the form, was actually stopped; however, it obviously made sense and didn't disrupt the flow of the episode at all, so I have to commend you on making the back half of the episode just as interesting as the first half despite there being a lack of bone-protruding beasts, most notably Talia's involvement in the final act. Speaking of Talia, for not being in the episode very much, she sure left her mark. Her dynamic with Nyssa was really nice to have, and it was great to have Talia at the forefront of some action that didn't connect the A plot of the episode. Though, I will say that Nyssa's death, to me, felt a bit rushed. I felt like we could've had some more between the sisters before Talia turned on her. Also, nice little twist having Talia apparently murdered her own father. It sets up a really good character arc for her, especially with the League tryna kill her and errything. And having Hush pop up at the end was obviously awesome, which leaves me curious as to why he spared her. Hmmm. We also had some good Chloe/Kyle dynamics in this episode. That was a really well done twist that called back to Chloe's Smallville origins, and I really appreciate anytime that is done in this show, and adding one of your own original characters and having it tie to the Smallville-verse was great as well. I'm not even going to proofread that sentence because I know how bad it is. Kyle's really integrated himself into this show, and his story is something I'm actually invested in, so that's props to you for being able to flesh his character out in less than 11 episodes. I'm interested to what actually happened to Kyle at the end of this episode (did he just pass out from exhaustion?) and it's going to be nice to see how it's cleared up in this episode. Also, giving him an official codename was a really good tidbit that added a really sentimental touch. With Chloe, she was really all over the place in this episode, and rightfully so. She seemed to be on a wild goose chase there never had an end, and she got some great interactions with each of the characters along the way. The rest of the heroes pretty much played their role appropriately - tryna stop this hella boney beast that was ripping their city apart. It was nice to have Zatanna and Speedy show back up, even if the later didn't really have that much to work with. Imaging all of these heroes clad in their leather costumes and standing in formations was pretty epic. And as always, Helena had some great one liners, which I will always appreciate. Perry also had some good beats in this episode, wanting to use his final hours to do some good in this city. It showed that the heroes on this show don't necessarily wear a mask or sit behind a computer and it was just a really great moment in the episode. Also, Barbara continuing to evolve into her comic book counterpart is really awesome to read. She's very sneaky and her contribution to this episode by warning everyone with Eyes Only showed why she can eventually become a true hero in this city. Nice touch, as always! Well, this episode definitely left me begging for more! It had a really nice pacing and, aside from how I felt about Nyssa's death, it was a really strong and powerful midseason finale. i can't wait to see where Talia's story goes, as well as how the rest of these characters are going to continue to grow in the back half of this season. Doomsday is out of the way, and it's going to be absolutely thrilling to see how Hush tops him. Good work, as always!
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Post by Jack Malone on Mar 14, 2015 22:42:47 GMT -6
REVIEW: 3.11 "Sacrifice" So, I was finally able to get a chance to read "Sacrifice". What a jam-packed episode! Watchtower season 3 has definitely had some fast paced and eventful episodes, but this one definitely has set a bar for the rest of the season, which I'm almost positive will be exceeded very shortly. I was really shocked at how soon Doomsday, the form, was actually stopped; however, it obviously made sense and didn't disrupt the flow of the episode at all, so I have to commend you on making the back half of the episode just as interesting as the first half despite there being a lack of bone-protruding beasts, most notably Talia's involvement in the final act. This was a very nice surprise. Thank you so much for reviewing, man. I just got back from a weekend away and it was nice to come home and find this. I definitely hope you enjoy the back half just as much as this first one When it came to the introduction of Nyssa, it was so much more about Ra's Al Ghul and this building Talia/Ra's storyline that I never really saw it as "sister" moments or rushing things too much because of the fact that there was going to be a reveal that Ra's had escaped death once more and now inhabited his own daughter's body. It's kind of the main reason why I scrapped the plan to have her play a bigger role in the previous episode -- "Toxic" -- because it wasn't her. I mean, hopefully there's an organic way to explore Nyssa/Talia in the future, but at the moment there aren't any plans. It was nice to bring her in though because as much as I'm fleshing out Kyle and integrating him into the story and the cast of characters, the same is being done to Talia and her world and now we have a complete image of the extremely dysfunctional family. This next arc for Talia is all about the consequences to her actions and going back to that main theme of identity. She's killed her father, she's lost faith in the prophecy, she's chosen a mortal over an immortal, and she's being targeted by an army she would have lead had she not made such a foolish decision. In these next few episodes, we're going to see her on the run from the League, and being this target and maybe a restoration of the faith she's lost. Along with that there's a big moment coming in her story where we'll be able to explore her decision to choose Bruce over her own blood, and tap into any feelings that might be there but it's definitely important to note that Hush would rather keep Talia alive than to see her die. Sitting on this twist since the beginning of the season has been so difficult to keep in. I was so relieved when it came to writing this episode because I could finally answer some of the bigger questions surrounding Kyle. I think the mystery surrounding him is over now and there's nothing left to really answer which is nice. I feel like -- and hopefully you all feel the same -- Kyle has really been integrated into the cast of characters and is one of them now. The addition of a codename just felt like putting the stamp on it and in the first episode back after hiatus he'll even have his own costume which is nice. In regards to the actual twist, I wanted the healing-powers of Smallville S7 to actually have some level of importance that was lacking on the show. I felt like Chloe and her powers were sort of palmed off and while I never liked the idea of her having powers in the first place, it was so weird to see how important they were in one season and how quickly they just dissolved them with no further explanation as to why they brought them on for her in the first place and why they got rid of them so quickly after one and a half seasons. With this it's kind of tying the missing pieces together. Without Chloe having those powers, Perry White would be dead and he would not have been able to go on to become the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet. All subsequent people that Kyle save and sacrifice himself for are also enhancing the importance of these powers and the significance of them being introduced in the first place. So it's two birds, one stone. Just like you, I love continuity and I like taking advantage of the fact that this is a spin-off of a ten-season television series. So I'm happy that the call-back and the joining of these two shows worked and you liked it The fun part about this episode in regards to Chloe was that she had a child of her own to think about and we got to see how it changes her perspective. She really is all over the place because everything was new to her. Prior to Hope, she would have probably ran off from the team without letting them know what she was going to do, lure Doomsday into the Geothermal Facility, and sacrifice herself to bury him below the Earth. I'm glad that the difference was noticed Aw, thanks man. I have to be honest -- I think I've said this many times before -- whenever it comes to having all the leather-clad costumed superheroes in one scene together, it's hard to make them all feel important and present. I think it's because there's so many characters and if they're not all doing something or don't all have a line to contribute, then I'm in constant fear that someone is going to come out of the scene thinking: "well, Zatanna didn't really need to be there" or "Why the hell was Speedy in this episode?" So that's a huge compliment. The thing that stopped me from cutting some characters out was that I knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to have some sort of solidification of a team and have a group of people that Chloe could call on for the rest of the season. If everyone is busy, she can call on Mia, or call on Dinah, or Dick, or anyone else in this episode. I also wanted to bring Zatanna back to tie up her storyline and almost redeem her in an unspoken way. When Chloe needed her, she was there. So the big team up in this episode had a multitude of reasons and I'm happy that it didn't feel like a crowded house of unnecessary baloney. *cries* I'm loving the Perry mentions in these reviews. In being quite retrospective of the season, I think going into this season with the idea to write it as Perry's last kind of allowed me to focus on an actual storyline for him and it's made him leave more of a mark. In the past two seasons, Perry's storylines had been more about testing his relationships and he was almost the Alfred of Batman to Chloe for a while there. Now, he's had this ongoing storyline and it was nice to sort of wrap it up here. The next arc for him will really be about exploring two different paths: being the successful Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet in Metropolis, or staying in Gotham to help fight the good fight until his dying breath. I've said since the start of the season that it's been about identity and so that's the big question plaguing him and motivating his actions. I mean, there has to be a choice made. He can't have his cake and eat it too and so there's going to be quite the heartbreaking conclusion to his arc coming up in I-will-keep-the-episode-number-a-surprise. Barbara has been refreshing this season. I've adapted pretty quickly to her arc and integrating it into the season, and it definitely wasn't planned out to be this present and be happening this early until we done episode ten. She's breathed new life into Chloe's arc, and the theme of "identity" for her and I like that everyone else seems to be keen for Barbara to step into the role of Oracle and embrace that sooner rather than later. The "Eyes Only" moment was a favourite to write in this episode. Thanks, man! Your reviews are incredibly inspiring man. It makes me want to buckle down and get the rest of the season written in a day if that was possible. I'm glad you're looking forward to more Talia, and more Hush, and I promise to deliver in the back eleven episodes of the season. Thanks for a good first half of reviews! |
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Post by Brady Brown on May 15, 2015 20:42:17 GMT -6
REVIEW: 3.12 "Thief"It was really great to have Selina back in this episode. I love that, even though it's obvious what she's been through, that she still has that same charisma to her that's made her so lovable and a joy to read. Despite only really seeing her interact with Bruce and Kitty, her scenes were probably the main highlight of the episode for me, probably because she brings another mystery element to the show that feeds off of the one Hush is providing. The parallels between Chloe and Barbara were really good too. Chloe blaming herself and then Barbara doing something that Chloe would do to save her files was just so nostalgic for me because Barbara reminds me of Chloe on the early seasons of Smallville. You can really see Chloe starting to trust Barbara, and the latter's evolution to her comic book persona seems to be a lot more evident now, which I'm really excited about. Speaking of Chloe, see took quite a dark turn that I was not expecting when she was on the phone with Kyle. It shows the dire need for Kyle in this new war, and how he's pretty much the only one that can save everyone in Gotham. I wonder how Chloe is going to act when Kyle gets much worse, something I assume is going to happen. She was worried about him at the beginning of the episode, but by the end she seems to be doing whatever she can to keep him on the Echo track. The Riddler was also a fun addition, even if he didn't play that big of a role. The Helena/Dick stuff continued to solidify the trust and friendship they share with one another. I'm interested to se how Selina and Lisa are going to work together - I'm assuming Lisa is her person on the inside? I might be totally wrong. On another note. the reveal of Hush and the Identity Thief being the same person was really well done, because if it was going to be Cameron then I was going to be disappointed. Speaking of Cameron, his kiss with Vicki was my only real nitpick with this episode. It really just came out of nowhere and didn't really have the emotional effect on Vicki that I think was trying to get across. It just read very sudden and abrupt because we've never seen Cameron before (I don't think?). I got the whole speech from Vicki at the end, but it still didn't resinate with me the way I think you intended it for. All in all, this was a very solid, well balanced episode of Watchtower. The ending only begs for chaos to happen next episode, and I can't wait to see how it all turns out!
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Post by Jack Malone on May 15, 2015 23:42:23 GMT -6
REVIEW: 3.12 "Thief"It was really great to have Selina back in this episode. I love that, even though it's obvious what she's been through, that she still has that same charisma to her that's made her so lovable and a joy to read. Despite only really seeing her interact with Bruce and Kitty, her scenes were probably the main highlight of the episode for me, probably because she brings another mystery element to the show that feeds off of the one Hush is providing. Aw, that's great to hear. My biggest worry was that there wouldn't be enough of her, but it really is just her first episode back in the fold and the following two feature a lot of Selina Kyle. But yeah, I promise she'll get to interact with everyone on the show before all is said and done. It just felt right to start it off with a Selina and Bruce reunion. Dude, this has made me so happy. Thank you. I definitely enjoy writing this dynamic and it was another one of those things that wasn't really planned to happen (this season) but felt right during the process of breaking story. Definitely a lot more movement towards Barbara in her role as "Oracle" and a lot more to happen between her and Chloe as the season progresses This is a storyline that really comes to a head in 314. Introducing some conflict between these two were inevitable. Since having a daughter, Chloe has grown into a more selfish hero. She wants to save the city, but her daughter comes first in that equation. So the fact that there's this cure out there that she knows about -- possibly even has herself -- and a cure that she refuses to tell Kyle about who is really struggling of late... it's going to cause some complications. But I like writing these darker turns for Chloe because they really are evidently glued to a purpose of good: she truly believes that Kyle is the only one capable of stopping Hush, and without him, herself and her family, along with the rest of the city, will perish. So there'll be more of this storyline coming up in the next two episodes Definitely didn't want to hype this up as a "Riddler" episode. I was afraid his small contribution would be blown out of proportion so I really did introduce it as a minor thing. I'm glad that translated come time to air. That scene was very reflective of his introduction in the Hush comic book storyline. While he won't be playing as big a role, and may only be in this one episode, it was a lot of fun to bring him into this world. I'm glad he was taken for what he was in this particular episode The Helena/Dick relationship is a lot of fun to write because even though there is a sense of a love triangle (which I loathe), it's more tied into Helena's growth and development and S3 arc than whether she loves this person, or this person. I like that they're growing closer together. I've had little hints that maybe things have progressed a little between them in the time between the mid-season finale and now, but left it entirely up for the audience to dissect and make up for themselves. There's a big scene between them in 313 that will really address where they're headed, and what their future could be, should there be one. But in terms of friendship, that's always going to be there. I think seeing Huntress and Nightwing kick ass together just makes me happy so I can't scrap that one. Lisa plays a role in these last two episodes of the mid-season arc. You may be onto something  The Identity Thief storyline was fun. It was nice to do that classic "oh my god it's THIS person" only to have the rug swept out from underneath and the true reveal happen. I kind of did that twice. Basically, with Kahn, I needed a stronger purpose for the "date" to take place because it would have been too left field to have all this chaos and then a date in the middle of it. So, I needed her to be on the list of suspects. And with Cameron, well you know the twist with him. There's more to be explained where he comes into it. But I'll bring that up in the next paragraph (I'm a f*cking dork, sorry). There is a lot of Cameron coming up in the next episode. He's definitely a new character, and there's not meant to be any sort of connection with him involved from the audience stand-point. He's kind of that character who shows up at the beginning of a Law and Order episode, and then at the end where you realise he's the baddie. Definitely wasn't expecting any Vicki/Cameron shippers, or anyone to feel something from the kiss -- whether it be betrayal, or disgust, or what have you -- it was purely to set Vicki's S3B arc in motion, which will revolve around grieving Mitchell, moving on from him, and opening her heart up again. As long as you understood the speech at the end, then I'm a happy man. The next episode really delves into this arc for Vicki, and she'll meet someone who will grow to be very special to her sooner than you think. There's a reveal with Cameron as well that I can already tell you'll be like: "Oh no, why?" But then 314 will kind of help develop that "oh no" into an "oh okay this is kinda cool." *fingers crossed* If not by 314, somewhere in between 315-322. LMAO. I'm making no sense at all but I promise there's something cool coming Thanks, man! I appreciate the feedback. You always pull apart an episode that allows me to talk about everything that went down in the episode, and that's so much fun for me. So thank you so much |
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Post by Jack Malone on May 18, 2015 15:21:13 GMT -6
Bit of a delay for today/tonight's episode. Time zones are weird. Didn't realise how much this episode needed a previously on and so I'm trying to piece together one now. Hopefully it'll be up within the next hour or two. |
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Post by The Doctor on May 18, 2015 15:57:01 GMT -6
Bit of a delay for today/tonight's episode. Time zones are weird. Didn't realise how much this episode needed a previously on and so I'm trying to piece together one now. Hopefully it'll be up within the next hour or two. We understand . That cliffhanger is well worth the wait |
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Post by Alex Matthews on May 18, 2015 17:24:15 GMT -6
3x13: DNA
OH
MY
FRACKING
GOD!!!
I'm now OFFICALLY beyond CONFUSED!!
That is all... please excuse me while my brain IMPLODES!
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Post by Jack Malone on May 18, 2015 18:02:54 GMT -6
3x13: DNA OH MY FRACKING GOD!!! I'm now OFFICALLY beyond CONFUSED!! That is all... please excuse me while my brain IMPLODES! Hahaha. Answers coming in 314 |
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Post by The Doctor on May 19, 2015 0:20:48 GMT -6
3x13: DNA OH MY FRACKING GOD!!! I'm now OFFICALLY beyond CONFUSED!! That is all... please excuse me while my brain IMPLODES! Hahaha. Answers coming in 314 This episode.......well played Mr. Malone. Im kind of sure that I have it understood. I have to wait till next Monday to see if my theory on how this all makes sense plays out. |
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Post by Brady Brown on May 19, 2015 14:58:13 GMT -6
REVIEW: 3.13 "DNA"Whoooooooa. What an episode, literally. I don't remember the last time I read a Watchtower episode so fast and with so much intent on needing to know what was happening. Now, that is in no way saying that the episodes leading up to this have been bad or worse than this one, but the writing was really quickly paced and the character beats were really strong here. It had a nice balance of description while also keeping up with the fast beats during the actions moments. First off, having Barbara be in a wheelchair for a majority of the episode was such a fun and unique way of integrating her into the season storyline while also weaving in aspects of her comic book counterpart. I really enjoy catching up on hints and nods like that in any adapted works, especially this show. Her teaming up with Chloe and adding another layer of snark and wit to the series has definitely been one of my highlights. Also the reference of "The Bat and the Cat" also had me grinning from ear to ear every time someone would bring them up. Everyone's story was really well done; however, I will say that I felt detached to Vicki and her involvement in the episode. It might have been the craziness that was happening in all of the other scenes, but she felt oddly placed at the moments she popped up. I'm sure it's setting up for future episodes, but I found myself getting distracted with her. Also, I have mixed feelings with Helena turning Lisa into the police. I definitely understand the extremities she went to to try and stop Lisa from hunting down Hush, but it came across as Helena just easily trying to rid Lisa of this lifestyle and not trying to compromise with her. I mean, Lisa said it herself - they could put her away for life. That's not really something I think Helena should have gambled with. Same with her hospital scene with Dick and how he brought up if Helena still loved her. It just felt very out of place. The Clayface reveal was a nice surprise. I was expecting it to be Bruce, because I forgot about Cameron, so having it be him was fun. I'm really interested to see how that's going to play out, as well as just exactly how Bruce and Selina will get out of this. My guess is that Talia will use her Lazarus Serum on Bruce so that answers with him can be revealed and that Selina will ultimately perish. So, so sad. *muffled sobs* Yin and Bennett also made their introductions this episode. It was nice seeing a contrast between them on their stance for vigilantes as opposed to how Gordon views them. I really enjoy aspects like that in superhero fiction so I'm interested to see what's going to change Yin's mind, if anything does at all. Also, suspending Gordon opens up some real possibilities to get him away from staying at GCPD during most of his episodes, so I'm intrigued to see how he's going to be incorporated now that he's away from his domain. Again, this was a fantastic episode. Great pacing with some awesome character beats made this episode of "Watchtower" not only a game changer, but an episode to remember. A lot of shocking questions have been raised, and I can't wait to see how they're going to pick up in the next episode, especially seeing how you haven't even released the description for it! *curses you, but also hugs you so you don't kill my faves* PS/ Where dem screentimes at tho?
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Post by Jack Malone on May 19, 2015 17:12:06 GMT -6
REVIEW: 3.13 "DNA"Whoooooooa. What an episode, literally. I don't remember the last time I read a Watchtower episode so fast and with so much intent on needing to know what was happening. Now, that is in no way saying that the episodes leading up to this have been bad or worse than this one, but the writing was really quickly paced and the character beats were really strong here. It had a nice balance of description while also keeping up with the fast beats during the actions moments. Definitely understand what you're saying. I wanted that kind of fast beat after beat pace for Selina's arc because she carries a lot of personal beef with Hush that I think not seeing her get done would be a disservice. That said, next week isn't the finale -- as crazy as that seems knowing what goes down in 314 -- but all the questions raised in this episode do get answered, and there's some huge reveals about "Hush" coming that hopefully goes down well for Selina's final episode of the season. Duuuude, writing Barbara for this episode was so much fun. It was nice to see her in a place familiar to the comic books without having to actually commit to paralyzing the poor girl. I think she's the only character on the show whose injuries from a previous episode remain intact, LMAO. But no, these episode are taking place hours, to a day or two after the previous so it made sense to put her in a wheelchair for those purposes. I loved writing the moments where she'd figure out people's identities because I got to hint at the Birds of Prey with her learning about Dinah and Helena, specifically. But overall, I'm just glad she's been welcomed with open arms, and her interactions with Chloe have been met with praise too. Thanks man I think there's so many characters on this show that not connecting with one isn't too much of a problem for me, going along with the "can't please everyone" motto. I definitely go back and look into it and I think the main issue was that Vicki herself was detached from the main story and her story wasn't as fast-paced and action-packed as the rest of the episode, but I appreciate the honesty. She does play a huge role in the next episode, almost as big as Selina in her send-off, and so it'll be interesting to see what you take from there with her being a huge player in the A Storyline. As well as that, things will progress for her in a way that locks her in the middle of the action for the season finale, so there's a lot coming for her that I hope will be more rewarding than her role in this episode I'm good with mixed feelings about Helena/Lisa. Hopefully the end result won't be as mixed when the season comes to a close. Lisa will be back for 314, but I plan to have better closure for her by the end of the season. I think the crazy thing about this move is that it somehow is a lot safer for her than to be hunting for Hush and in the city when Hush eventually strikes with his army. As for Helena/Dick, I think there needs to be balance in an episode. It can't be all chaos and mayhem. Things need to slow down to speed back up again and that's the approach I took with that moment. I never considered this to be a "love triangle" of the conventional kind. There were feelings involved on all sides of it, but it wasn't a "make a choice" or anything like that so much as these two characters -- Lisa and Dick -- played into Helena's arc of the season and her turning her back on both of them puts her in a very "back to business" place for the remainder of the season. With that said, she only has one scene in next week's episode and it'll be a little bookend to the Helena/Lisa dynamic (with a little reveal about something that has not been brought up yet of Helena's missing year between seasons two and three). I love all these theories *cries tears of joy* Clayface plays a huge role in these final S3 episodes. There's so much I want to scream about and tell you but I can't without spoiling so damn much, but we are yet to see his real face. Cameron is a disguise as much as him impersonating Selina at the end of the episode was and so exploring his origin, as well as how he got roped up with Hush, is something that we'll scratch the surface of in 314 (but definitely but all out there in the open by 322). If this was The Dark Knight, "Hush" is The Joker, and "Clayface" is Harvey Dent. The Dark Knight Rises, it's Hush as Bane, and Clayface as Talia Al Ghul. That sounds crazy cause those characters exist in this show too but I just mean that you've got the A villain, and the B villain and Clayface's story has just begun Yay, Yin/Bennett getting some attention. I think they were in my top three favourite writing parts of the episode. I enjoyed writing that scene in the GCPD hallway where they interrupt Gordon. I also wanted to play on the fact that there are consequences for things that happen -- even minor details -- and so their introductions being tied to Gordon's actions in 311 felt like a good route to go down. I never actually noticed that we haven't really seen Gordon outside of the GCPD that much and looking at 314 he is in other locations so hopefully that'll be a nice satisfying change to his role. Thanks so much man. I hope 314 is a satisfying reveal of those answers, and is as enjoyable as this episode. I think these next few episodes for the season will raise questions that the following episode will answer, right up until the finale. So *latches onto you* you can never leave prematurely. Hahaha. But seriously, thank you so much. These reviews mean so much to me, man Honestly hasn't crossed my mind. I have been doing them, so I should be able to post today Thanks again, man! |
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Post by Brady Brown on May 26, 2015 18:21:42 GMT -6
REVIEW: 3.14 "Condemned" This is probably going to be a complete jumbled mess, because I'm functioning on very little sleep at the moment. So, if this winds up being two very large, cluttered paragraphs, forgive me. Please and thank you. I really liked the focus on Selina in this episode. It's great to have an old character with a recurring arc this season that ties into the much larger, overarching storyline. It reminded me a lot of "Escape," having Selina and Chloe work together to resolve the conflict. I also really enjoyed Kyle's small role in this episode. His now strained relationship with Chloe is something I'm looking forward to seeing, because I think he's justified in his anger towards her. Another thing I liked was Vicki's involvement. I found her quite distance and unable to connect with in the past two episodes, so seeing her have a part in one of the main stories was really nice. Finally, the Hush fight scene, that cultivated in revealing he has blonde hair, was really well done. The slow build of the mystery throughout the entire season has been a highlight for me, and I can't wait to see how it continues. I did have some problems with this episode - mainly, a lot of things I found to be quite confusing. The scene with 'Selina' in custody I found to be very odd, especially when she just up and placed a gun on the table in the interrogation room. Some explanation on how "she" was able to sneak that through the police was needed, in my opinion. Also, was there a specific reason Chloe and Selina were so shocked to discover Bruce was alive the second time? If I remember, that's what Chloe discovered when she watched the recovered video file and told Selina about, but then when Selina calls Chloe and tells her they both seem very surprised. And Bruce's escape I found myself having to go and read back, just because I feel like I was missing a scene that really explained what was going on. Finally, Selina's "death". I have mixed feelings about it. During her fight with Talia, especially in the beginning, it seemed that there were a lot of places she could blurt out "Bruce is alive!" I understand why that couldn't happen, but it felt like it wasn't handled as well as it could have been. But yeah, I still really enjoyed this episode. Just some confusing moments took me out of the experience, but I'm sure you'll be able to clear them up for me. Great work, as always, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
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