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Post by Aimee Nicole on May 5, 2012 0:47:09 GMT -6
Hey, Brady! It was a huge surprise to find a review from you, but an awesome surprise it was. So let me just thank you for it before I get into the response. ^^ This was a crazy episode, in a GOOD way! This, like, kept me hooked the whole way through. And I really like that! The build up until, you know, events I shall not spoil for future readers, was excellent! I loved this episode in every shape and form imaginable. The Teaser, uh, holy freaking crap, guys, that was like AMAZING. Super freaking loved it, as everyone SHOULD. All the characters were introduced, in this episode, nicely. I really enjoyed the dialogue and the action taking place. The teaser was actually all Maddie's doing. At least, the scene between Haylee and Harry so I'll let her say some things on that if she wants to, but I'm glad you liked it! So, let's talk about the one, and only, FABULOUS JEAN GREY. She was amazing, by far. When is she not? I loved her and Kristen in this. The scene at the end with them was something I really enjoyed! Oh, and when Kristen walked into Jean's bedroom....uh, awkward. xD The scene with them at the end was really important, at least to Kristen's character, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was one of my favorites because I finally got to show a side of Kristen that no one has seen before. In fact, I think this entire episode was shoving Kristen out of her comfort zone -- which I love to do. Maddie and I are both really happy that you love Jean so much. I'm really glad that Maddie took to the role of writing for Jean so well -- she's amazing at it and her Jean is a perfect fit for what I've always pictured the Outcasts' Jean Grey to be. I also really like Jonnie in this episode. I remember her not being one of my favorites in an episode she was in, but I rather enjoyed her here. So good job on that! Thanks! I think a lot of people warmed up to Jonnie in this episode, which I'm glad for. Jonnie is one of my favorite characters to write for. So, all in all, this episode was beyond amazing. It kept me hooked, but the ending was just...I don't know...forced maybe? I don't know. Which part are you talking about? The scene with Jean/Kristen or Kristen/MJ? Reading through them, I don't really see the forced-ness of it. Both scenes were relatively important in that it was the end of Kristen and MJ's relationship and thus the end of any connection to Kristen's life prior to the X-Men. And of course, the very end was Kristen finally saying goodbye to said part in her life, along with showing how Jean has a certain way with her, a sort of way to keep her calm basically, even when she's on the defensive. But anyways, I loved it from head to toe, and I'm going to give "Honor Thy Father"10/10 Cannot wait to read more! *Sorry this review is so short. Hopefully future reviews will be longer! Thanks so much for the review, Brady! It was nice hearing your thoughts on the episode and I hope we get to see more of them in the coming episodes. |
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Post by Brady Brown on May 6, 2012 8:44:23 GMT -6
Hey, Aimee! Finally got caught up with The Outcasts, and here on my thoughts on “Operation: Repo”. And I’m going to try and read and review at the same time, so If I miss anything, I’m sorry.
Review: 1.10 Operation: Repo
I really loved the opening scene with Harry and Haylee. I enjoy the dialogue they put out, and the descriptions just helped it even more. And, “Arachnid Bitch”? ouch. xD And oh, Nick Fury. I love him being such a bad-ass.
HAHAHA. Oh lord, Euphoria. “Keep her clothes ON!” That line literally made me burst out laughing. And here comes another oh lord, Euphie being all sneaky and cunning. –shakes head-
Well, Flash is a major douche-bag. Like, MAJOR. And I enjoyed the noted Melanie received from Gwen. That was really nice. And when the girl stares at her, and Melanie goes, “What?!” Loved it.
And, Jean Grey! JEAN GREY! I really don’t think I need to say anything else. And I’m really loving Nick Fury here as well. I really enjoy his personality and dialogue. And Jean reading Kristen’s mind, and Kristen being oblivious. Shame on you, Euphoria.
JEAN!! Yea, what Nick did, -eyes- not cool, Outcast crew. Not cool.
I really enjoyed Felicia in this episode, to be honest. I loved her dealing with her father, Jonnie and having a little time with Haylee as well. And I really enjoyed reading her in this episode.
Now, let’s get down to it: The Brotherhood and the X-Men. Guys, Mystique AND Euphoria. No more words need to be spoken, because that was just awesome. And I do think that the “distraction” went on for a tad bit too long. But that’s just me.
Okay, let’s talk about the ending. Uh…wow. The ending was… I don’t want to say “scary”, but it was around that area. The tone of the whole episode, for me anyways, kind of just “switched” to that on the few last pages. But that’s what I noticed.
All in all, I really enjoyed this episode. I thought the characters were awesome, and the action was great. Only thing is I wished the “distraction” wouldn’t have been as long, and the tone shift kind of felt…weird to me anyways. So, I’m going to give “Operation: Repo” --
9/10
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Post by maddiefack on May 6, 2012 16:02:46 GMT -6
I don't normally answer because Aimee takes it very nicely but I've noticed everyone mentioning the ending of Operation Repo and the reason it switched so suddenly was because of HAYLEE. Haylee is a grade-A psychopath and as such she has the ability to fake real human emotions and act like just a normal person but the dark twist was actually to give insight into the darkness that is Haylee as well as start a twist into the darker moments Outcasts will turn to.
Comics have always had moments of light-heartedness as well as dark moments that cringes your very soul. Aimee and I want to keep that but at the same time we want Outcasts to be more adult and well the world is full of sex, violence, language, drugs, but it's also full of laughter and happiness and while the X-Men and Spidey are the embodiment of everything GOOD Haylee is definitely everything they are against and as such moments with Haylee are GOING to be darker she's crazy and she's not like her dad. You mess up you are out and she's going to do it yourself.
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Post by Jack Malone on May 8, 2012 3:53:52 GMT -6
Review: "A Southern Touch"
"A Southern Touch" introduced a new mutant character to the universe, known as 'Rogue', who has the ability to drain another mutant's powers into his own to use temporarily. While not being the focal aspect of the episode, the character proved to be an important one, with how the season's big bad, Haylee (aka Demogoblin) views him. The main points of this episode seemed to center around a sense of 'calm before the storm', in that we got a chance to see relationships solidified between Jean and Kristen, as well as Gwen and Melanie, and on top of that, we had nice little moments of happiness with the X-Men enjoying themselves at the pool, for instance.
The opener for the episode was one of my favourites from the season. You creatively found a way to delve deeper into Haylee's backstory, and show several significant moments of her life without it being a major distraction. The only downfall was that the dialogue felt forced, mainly when Haylee mentions the 'tracking device' - this is partly understandable because you're having this character speak without anyone to bounce dialogue off of. I just felt there could have been a better way to introduce the 'tracking device' - which did prove to be important during the climax of the episode. Just a little pet peeve is all.
The relationship between Jean and Kristen really hit its stride - you combined light-hearted moments, as well as some heavy drama, all of which flowed perfectly throughout the course of the episode. I loved the scene between Jean and Bobby as Bobby really helped open Jean's eyes to the truth, and gave her that little nudge from fate to go and ask Kristen out. Then, before Kristen can answer, they are interrupted, which brings me to my next point (of what I found to be the best part of this episode)-
There was so much suspense. With Kristen unable to respond to Jean's question, and with the intense moments where Jean's powers began to grow and expand into - well, what I can only assume will bring about her inevitable downfall and breed life to The Phoenix - I spent the majority of the last two acts scared that Kristen and Jean would never receive the chance to actually admit how they felt, and return those feelings. It was so hard to keep reading - I honestly thought that Jean would NOT survive this episode, and you had me scared the entire time. I even began to question the purpose of some of these scenes with Jean, thinking 'is this episode her swan song?' Really great work, Aimee - the way you kept that suspense building, it made this episode quite the page turner!
Moving on to the famous "triangle" of the series - you really flipped the tables on this one, and instead of having Gwen look on with envious eyes, wishing Melanie's affection was for her and her only, you did that with Mary-Jane, which felt quite painful too. But, if I'm being honest, I was still on a "high" from the beautiful Gwen/Melanie moments you gave us for this episode. It kind of reminds me of the Smallville Chloe/Clark/Lana triangle in the first season -- Clark spent the majority of the season wanting Lana, with Chloe wanting Clark, only to remain as the best friend. Then, as the season approached its final few episodes, Clark realised he had feelings for Chloe as well, and with Lana spoken for, he asked Chloe to the prom - which thus resulted in Lana playing Chloe's role, and wanting Clark's affections. Very nostalgic reading this, because of that similarity (which is funny because you don't watch Smallville, but I wanted to bring it up to tell you how great I found it!) Anyway, I'm glad that we got to see these moments between Melanie and Gwen, and I think you've done a wonderful job with this triangle - I really don't know who is going to end up with who.
This episode also did a great job of building us up to what is bound to be a spectacular finale. We learned that Rogue is the "key" to Haylee's scheming, evil plan; we learned that Jean's powers are progressing towards the Phoenix, and if you ask me, she's at the top of the list of "characters who will die in the finale", which is going to be heartbreaking; and last of all, I revert back to the triangle - you've shown us that it will be reaching some form of conclusion that I can't wait to see unfold.
Also: That cliffhanger inspires me to buy a plane ticket, find where you live, fly over to your house, and steal all your notes on the finale to figure out what is going to happen next. Or train myself to become the ultimate hacker, and just... snatch them. Both of which are time and money consuming, so I guess I'll just have to wait.
I do have to say, though, that I felt really bad for how Rogue was treated by the X-Men. I understand that it would have been hard for both of them to trust either one, but knowing that Rogue wasn't really in the bad, and then seeing that huge battle come out of it, it was so tragic. I kind of wish there was less of the brawl between him and the X-Men, but it didn't really affect my views on the episode THAT much.
Favourite moment of this episode is probably the Bobby/Jean stuff. I also loved Gwen's little slipup where she almost told Melanie how much she loved her. But the best thing about this episode was that you created so much suspense that it was like one of those "I don't want to find out what happens in case its bad, but I have to keep reading!" So good.
The only complaint was surrounding the forced dialogue from Haylee's part in the opener, mainly around the 'tracking device', and as I was reading through, there were certain parts that felt like they lingered too long (the Jean/Kristen pool scene being one of them). But, I cancelled that complaint out MAINLY because of how it really emphasised the "calm before the storm" part. These happy moments could quite possibly be the LAST time we get to see them enjoying themselves. I really do get the feeling that an all out war is going to be unleashed in the finale, and that we'd be lucky to have any light-hearted scenes in there (at least, ones that aren't surrounding impending doom). Looking forward to the finale!
Oh, and I loved that Kristen and Jean snuck in a kiss. I probably would have complained about that, actually, if they didn't. LMAO. But really, a great penultimate episode. 10/10.
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Ms. Kerry
VPN Community Member
Fight the good fight, Tony, I hate nap time too.
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Post by Ms. Kerry on May 8, 2012 9:15:40 GMT -6
Alright Ladies, I am going to now read "A Southern Touch" and do this whole commentary/review ( whatever it is it will be random and probably bad XD) thing because I have been sooooo looking forward to Rogue. I don't need to go on and on about how wonderfully you guys write because you all know I think you rock, s this is going to be about the story.
Teaser: I think I laughed here mainly because of how catchy Ke$ha is despite the fact I hate her. Haylee was awesome here and I have to wonder if she is living out like a billion fan girl's fantasies by having Jensen Ackles captive. I loved seeing her past in the bit with Rogue, it gives a nice window into her insanity and all.
Act One: The opening here with the pool is so cute. I always love seeing them in their happy and fun moments just as much as their awesomeness as X-men. Way to go Kristen on tricking the telepath by the way. I am also amused by Jean comparing Cheesecake and sex...we all know its true. The other part I enjoyed was Melanie in the lab. I always enjoy seeing her being nerdy. There wasn't really any action in this part , but who needs action when you get to see these great characters interact with each other?
Act Two: Can I say poor Mel in the opener here? She is not a piece of meat Felicia and Gwen stop fighting over her like one XD. Oh my goodness there is so much tension in this tangled web of love. And then Spidey has to go ruining the good romantic moment for Kristen and Jean by not letting her answer that question. I liked this part because of Jean's uncertainty. I like the fact she doesn't really understand the whole social protocol around this because she was in the crazy house.
Nice Watchtower reference too.
Still not really any action in this Act either and I am very much in agreement with Jack. It does have a sort of calm before the storm feel because we know crap is going to go down with Haylee being all schemey and the season/series is winding down.
Act Three: Now we get to see Rogue again and I absolutely love it. He isn't a bad guy and I feel bad about the whole fact they get manipulated into chasing him...but I must admit I like getting to see the fight that occurs.
What I also like is the Carol Danvers cameo. Hooray!
Man you guys really did pack good stuff into this Act the fighting is so well written! I know I said I wasn't going to go on about that, but it needed to be said.
Act Four: Wow...I loved every second of this. I couldn't tear myself away from it to write as I read. All of this was suspenseful and well done. Though I did have to wonder why Storm needed Karin to BAMF her when she can glide around on the wind...unless she doesn't have that ability here. I'm not certain, but it doesn't matter this part was AWESOME.
Act Five: Same thing happened this episode I didn't pull away to write. This was a nice way to TO LEAVE EVERYONE HANGING!!! Yay for Kristen and Jean but boo for poor MJ. That is right Gwen Stacey fans! I'm Team MJ. Oh man I look foward to the finale.
I hope you got some sort of enjoyment and ...something out of this. I loved the episode is was seriously one of the best you guys. I feel kinda sad about the re-boot because I am loving this, but I am certain it will be epic.
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Cyclopscars
VPN Community Member
"If I have as much power as you think I do... do you really want to test it?"
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Post by Cyclopscars on May 8, 2012 16:24:47 GMT -6
"review of a Souther Touch"
It was was awesome introducing rogue and making Demogoblin seen more epic. Kristen and Jean created sparks and i loved Tandy. I can't wait for the reboot and I have to say this show is epic, nostalgic, funny, dramatic, romantic and actioned packed as heck. You and Maddie are doing a great job and I can't wait to see the characters' next journey.
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Post by Aimee Nicole on May 10, 2012 3:40:30 GMT -6
"A Southern Touch" introduced a new mutant character to the universe, known as 'Rogue', who has the ability to drain another mutant's powers into his own to use temporarily. While not being the focal aspect of the episode, the character proved to be an important one, with how the season's big bad, Haylee (aka Demogoblin) views him. The main points of this episode seemed to center around a sense of 'calm before the storm', in that we got a chance to see relationships solidified between Jean and Kristen, as well as Gwen and Melanie, and on top of that, we had nice little moments of happiness with the X-Men enjoying themselves at the pool, for instance. This episode was definitely meant to be the "calm before the storm". Or, rather, "shitstorm" would be more appropriate, but I digress XD It was a way to start bringing everything together and setting up what had to be established for the finale to flow as well as I intend it to. It was nice getting to do these scenes, but at the same time, there is the lingering thought that this is all happening because their lives are about to be torn apart. The opener for the episode was one of my favourites from the season. You creatively found a way to delve deeper into Haylee's backstory, and show several significant moments of her life without it being a major distraction. The only downfall was that the dialogue felt forced, mainly when Haylee mentions the 'tracking device' - this is partly understandable because you're having this character speak without anyone to bounce dialogue off of. I just felt there could have been a better way to introduce the 'tracking device' - which did prove to be important during the climax of the episode. Just a little pet peeve is all. Maddie pointed out to be that that piece of dialogue could have been fixed with one word, and it's my bad that it turned out all wonky like that. Had I used a parathetical to explain how it was said, it probably would have come off differently. I didn't catch it because of how I was hearing it in my head, so that was my bad. XD The relationship between Jean and Kristen really hit its stride - you combined light-hearted moments, as well as some heavy drama, all of which flowed perfectly throughout the course of the episode. I loved the scene between Jean and Bobby as Bobby really helped open Jean's eyes to the truth, and gave her that little nudge from fate to go and ask Kristen out. Then, before Kristen can answer, they are interrupted, which brings me to my next point (of what I found to be the best part of this episode)- The scene between Jean and Bobby was one of my favorites I think, as well. I've been kind of waiting for the chance to show that Bobby is more than an immature little teenage boy. He's so much more than that, and I think this was one way to show it -- by opening Jean's eyes to something she didn't see. Kristen and Jean were probably my favorites to write in this episode. I love playing with their dynamic and the way they bounce off each other and the differences between their characters yet it still works. We get to see that one last time in the finale before everything goes down hill. There was so much suspense. With Kristen unable to respond to Jean's question, and with the intense moments where Jean's powers began to grow and expand into - well, what I can only assume will bring about her inevitable downfall and breed life to The Phoenix - I spent the majority of the last two acts scared that Kristen and Jean would never receive the chance to actually admit how they felt, and return those feelings. It was so hard to keep reading - I honestly thought that Jean would NOT survive this episode, and you had me scared the entire time. I even began to question the purpose of some of these scenes with Jean, thinking 'is this episode her swan song?' Really great work, Aimee - the way you kept that suspense building, it made this episode quite the page turner! This episode was definitely a big one for everyone, but most of all Jean. The sparks of the Phoenix play a huge part in the finale, so establishing that it's there was a big goal for this episode. The suspense in this episode, I have to say, is probably the best thing I've ever done in my eyes. It's something I'm generally not good at, but it seems like it pulled through for me and I'm really glad for that. While I originally hated this episode, the more I look at it and the more I see what you guys have to say about it, it might very well be the best episode I've written so far. Moving on to the famous "triangle" of the series - you really flipped the tables on this one, and instead of having Gwen look on with envious eyes, wishing Melanie's affection was for her and her only, you did that with Mary-Jane, which felt quite painful too. But, if I'm being honest, I was still on a "high" from the beautiful Gwen/Melanie moments you gave us for this episode. It kind of reminds me of the Smallville Chloe/Clark/Lana triangle in the first season -- Clark spent the majority of the season wanting Lana, with Chloe wanting Clark, only to remain as the best friend. Then, as the season approached its final few episodes, Clark realised he had feelings for Chloe as well, and with Lana spoken for, he asked Chloe to the prom - which thus resulted in Lana playing Chloe's role, and wanting Clark's affections. Very nostalgic reading this, because of that similarity (which is funny because you don't watch Smallville, but I wanted to bring it up to tell you how great I found it!) Anyway, I'm glad that we got to see these moments between Melanie and Gwen, and I think you've done a wonderful job with this triangle - I really don't know who is going to end up with who. I really hope to carry over these elements you guys seem to love into the reboot. Of course, with some twists and turns, but I really want to bring this back because it didn't get to play out how I wanted it to by us cutting this season short. I want to play it out how I originally saw it, and still keep you guys in suspense on who it's going to be. Which is funny, because in the beginning when I first brought Gwen in, I hated the idea of Gwen Stacy and the triangle. I wanted nothing to do with it, and planned to get rid of Gwen Stacy (-coughkillhercough-) after her episode arc was over. But as I wrote her in that first episode she appeared in, and the more I planned for her, I grew attached and I have you to thank for that. I know I mess with you and rage at you about it, but you know I'm totally kidding and I'm actually glad you've opened my eyes to this character. I love Gwen Stacy just as much as I love the other characters and I've enjoyed giving her my own spin and giving her a MUCH bigger part in the VPN's Marvel Universe. If only you knew the impact she'll eventually have XD But, back to the episode and the finale -- you'll get this version's answer to the triangle in the finale, I can promise you that. This episode also did a great job of building us up to what is bound to be a spectacular finale. We learned that Rogue is the "key" to Haylee's scheming, evil plan; we learned that Jean's powers are progressing towards the Phoenix, and if you ask me, she's at the top of the list of "characters who will die in the finale", which is going to be heartbreaking; and last of all, I revert back to the triangle - you've shown us that it will be reaching some form of conclusion that I can't wait to see unfold. Also: That cliffhanger inspires me to buy a plane ticket, find where you live, fly over to your house, and steal all your notes on the finale to figure out what is going to happen next. Or train myself to become the ultimate hacker, and just... snatch them. Both of which are time and money consuming, so I guess I'll just have to wait. If you knew what was going to happen in the finale, I'm sure you'd kill me and cancel the Outcasts before I had the chance to ruin everyone's hopes and dreams. No, but really, I hope not to disappoint with the finale. I really want it to be as great as you guys are thinking of it. You're definitely a huge inspiration, motivation, and encouragement for me in writing the Outcasts and you've been a supporter from the beginning and it really means a lot. That said, I really hope I don't fall flat for you guys on this one. I do have to say, though, that I felt really bad for how Rogue was treated by the X-Men. I understand that it would have been hard for both of them to trust either one, but knowing that Rogue wasn't really in the bad, and then seeing that huge battle come out of it, it was so tragic. I kind of wish there was less of the brawl between him and the X-Men, but it didn't really affect my views on the episode THAT much. That entire fiasco really has a definite impact on the finale in that, if it never happened...well, the finale wouldn't be happening. I'm not going to say much about it, but you'll see what I mean next week, when the finale goes to air. Favourite moment of this episode is probably the Bobby/Jean stuff. I also loved Gwen's little slipup where she almost told Melanie how much she loved her. But the best thing about this episode was that you created so much suspense that it was like one of those "I don't want to find out what happens in case its bad, but I have to keep reading!" So good. The only complaint was surrounding the forced dialogue from Haylee's part in the opener, mainly around the 'tracking device', and as I was reading through, there were certain parts that felt like they lingered too long (the Jean/Kristen pool scene being one of them). But, I cancelled that complaint out MAINLY because of how it really emphasised the "calm before the storm" part. These happy moments could quite possibly be the LAST time we get to see them enjoying themselves. I really do get the feeling that an all out war is going to be unleashed in the finale, and that we'd be lucky to have any light-hearted scenes in there (at least, ones that aren't surrounding impending doom). Looking forward to the finale! Regarding the "calm before the storm", we'll get to see a few more of those moments in the finale, but it isn't the same. I think, once you read through it and you reach the end, you'll know what I mean. But regardless, we get to see them in their natural, day-to-day environment one last time. Oh, and I loved that Kristen and Jean snuck in a kiss. I probably would have complained about that, actually, if they didn't. LMAO. But really, a great penultimate episode. 10/10. I truly wasn't expecting a rating that high, but damn if it's not an ego-boost and a total motivator to make sure that the finale is as epic as you guys think of it. The kiss between Kristen and Jean was something Maddie and I felt was important, especially considering what's in store for the finale, so I would not have blamed if you for complaining if we hadn't put that in there, lmfao! But really, I'm totally excited that you loved it so much. This review has definitely made my like, entire week. Thanks so much, Jack! |
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Post by maddiefack on May 16, 2012 3:52:02 GMT -6
Hey guys, while Aimee is throwing herself at this mock finale she is far too busy to be up in this thread XD so she asked me to tell ya'll that the last episode of the first "Season" of Outcasts is going to be a few days late.
Sorry for the loooong wait but hopefully it won't be much longer ^-^
Maddie *deuces*
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David
VPN Community Member
Working on New Projects
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Post by David on Jun 24, 2012 15:13:36 GMT -6
i like how you're changing things in this and I like how you include spidergirl. Was she in X-Men?
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Post by Aimee Nicole on Jun 24, 2012 19:16:32 GMT -6
i like how you're changing things in this and I like how you include spidergirl. Was she in X-Men? The "comic canon" Spider-Girl is in the next-gen continuation Marvel Universe (MC2), where the next generation of heroes were. The comic canon Spider-Girl was the daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Parker. The Spider-Girl in "The Outcasts" is a female alternate to Peter Parker, since this is an alternate universe to the comics. |
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David
VPN Community Member
Working on New Projects
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Post by David on Jul 23, 2012 15:16:17 GMT -6
can't wait til tomorrow for the mock finale
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Post by Jack Malone on Jul 25, 2012 2:57:31 GMT -6
Review: "Heroes Never Die" Coming out of this finale, I have to say, I've got quite a barrel of mixed feelings rolling around inside, and I'm not exactly sure how to intelligently put those thoughts down to share with you. You know, I've really enjoyed the journey of this series, and I've loved the wit of these characters, and all the twists and turns that you've thrown our way. And this is the first time that I've come out of an episode feeling really unsure, and not quite as satisfied. I guess, with any series finale there's always that "you're either going to love it, or hate it, there's rarely an inbetween", but I'm not sure I can go as far to say I loved it or hated it. Like I said, my feelings are very, very mixed. First of all, I want to touch on the romantic triangle between Gwen/Melanie/MJ. The finale felt like, in a lot of ways, it dropped that completely and was entirely focused on just Mary-Jane and Melanie's relationship, while Gwen was pushed to the background. While I understand that, from the comics-standpoint, Melanie and Mary-Jane are 'destined' to be together, I didn't get the closure I was hoping for when it came to Melanie/Gwen, and while there were some great moments between MJ/Melanie in this episode that had the fan in me (of them) all giddy, on the other side (the part of me who likes Gwen/Melanie more), I felt kind of robbed. In terms of her character, she was very much pushed to the background, almost as a way to establish this relationship with her father in order to make his death more impactful. In some ways, it worked, but there was this constant dread hanging over that because of my unsatisfaction on the Gwen/Melanie storyline.
Speaking of which, following Captain Stacy's death - which, I applaud you for that twist of giving him the iconic death, and almost completely giving these two related characters a role reversal - Gwen was overcome with grief and ultimately shot Spider-Girl to death. What shocked me most was even with the scene blacking out at that moment, I didn't expect Spider-Girl to be shot. When we came back to that, and she was dying... again, so many mixed feelings. On one hand, it almost felt out of character because of this faith Gwen held in her hero - but then again, Spider-Girl was partly responsible for his death, and there's this element of betrayal. I just don't know what to think. Ultimately, I thought Gwen would be a little more in control of her actions, and less "everything is what it appears to be." I just never pictured her reacting in the way that she did, and while yes, it surprised me, in terms of her character, her part in the triangle, and that relationship established between her and Melanie - I felt really, really robbed. I think out of the whole episode, this was what didn't sit right with me the most. I would have liked more closure that made sense to what was built up and developped on the show.
Despite my obvious Gwen/Melanie stance, the relationship between Mary-Jane and Melanie had some nice callbacks, and some great moments in the episode that sort of felt like, despite all the other "distractions" and thigns that got in between them, they were really meant to end up together, in that, you had this mapped out from the start. The way it all connected - how she figured out the secret, how Mary-Jane decided it was her time to save Melanie, rather than it being the other way around - it just worked perfectly. I especially loved the "Go get 'em, Tigress" part, and when the wall collapses, and Mary-Jane refuses to leave Melanie's side. Like I said, this relationship was done really well, especially in this finale. I do think they got it a bit easy, in terms of the 'triangle'. Like I said above, its like that element was completely dropped to service the MJ/Melanie fans (its a good thing you've made me fall in love with both ships).
I know I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here, but it ties into the ending of these three characters' stories: I didn't like the V.O summary at the end by Bobby. If only because it seemed to wrap things up too easily when all these problems had surfaced - primarily, Gwen being the one responsible for Spider-Girl's death. I don't see how she could be brought into the family that Melanie grew up with. I don't see how Mary-Jane could ever forgive her for taking the woman she loved out of her life. It just further fueled my distaste for this aspect of the episode - it was like you needed Gwen to follow through with this act, but you didn't want to destroy the character in the process (when really, her character was destroyed anyway).
Moving on: The Dark Phoenix storyline was EPIC. Okay, now, I have to admit, it took me a while to get attached to Jean and Kristen as characters, and even longer to appreciate the sparks between them. The previous episode had me on the edge of my seat, scared for Jean's character, and the opening pages of this finale had me even more worried (although there were obvious hints in that scene that made me pretty certain Kristen would be biting the dust too - so, doubly worried). While I can't say I got much pleasure out of certain "relationshipy" moments between them - as I felt in some places they just dragged out too much (especially when the previous episode felt like it addressed the 'calm before the storm'), I did, however, enjoy their teamwork, and their final moments together. It was probably one of the best emotional elements of this finale - you managed to not only have us, the fans, struggling to hold on to a character that we love, but Jean was desperately trying to hold on to a dying Kristen, who faded into nothing but a memory. By the way, that was probably one of the best written death scenes I've ever read (props!) Then, following her death, you have Jean go batshit crazy and EXPLODE into the Phoenix? Maaaaan. This is what I'd call a tragic love story - both were doomed.
Speaking of the Phoenix, I love that ending imagery you used, and it made me understand the title of this episode, which, after seeing two brilliant characters dying I was like "Bullsh!t, Heroes Never Die!" Hahaha. That ending can be interpreted in so many ways, and I love that. I love that you can look at it as a mere 'tribute' to those characters, or that they're watching over the institute, or that its to say the reboot is coming and these characters will be there, or that, in this version, somewhere down the track these characters could resurface, or whatever. It was a brilliant way to wrap the finale with THAT image.
Back tracking: I did have another problem with the episode. Basically, it sits with the introduction of The Avengers and The Fantastic Five. I didn't like their inclusion at all. I've tried to spin it in a good way: that, even with these heroes falling, there will always be others who will step in to take up their mantle. But even with that, I'm not sure I'm a fan. It brings up questions like: Why didn't they interfere sooner? What was the purpose of them showing up? It felt like their presence should have had more of a "this is much bigger than I thought it could get" sort of feeling, but they came in at the end, and while Iron Man had a significant purpose in his appearance, the others didn't. I especially didn't understand the fuss about Captain America comforting Gwen (someone who literally just killed a person).
On top of that, there felt like an overdose of cursing in this episode (I know, you don't want me to mention that in a negative light, so I won't say too much). You did have some instances where it didn't sit right, like the curse word felt like a way to make a villain seem more... villainous, but it didn't really - it just didn't work. And I'm not too keen on a villain named 'Mindfuck.' But I digress. Its not really worth mentioning in terms of the episode as a whole, but it felt disjointed to the rest of the episodes of the season in terms of the capacity in which swear words were used.
To end this review on some better notes: I really loved Haylee in this one. I felt like she upped her game, and she proved to be quite the 'big bad' worthy of the chaos she brought in her reign. Your writing was superb, as always, and the script was easy to follow. You nailed some great emotional elements, and the final showdown played out brilliantly. I love that it was literally war, and that jumped right off the page.
To be honest, this was probably my least favourite episode of The Outcasts. It doesn't reflect so much your writing, as it does the lack of closure on my favourite characters, relationships, and such. I think I would have appreciated the storyline with Gwen if her actions had some sort of greater consequence - I just... what happened with her is what really drags the episode down for me because I just can't wrap my head around it. Despite the problems I had, the action was insane, and the showdown was worth the slow build up. I'm not going to give this episode a rating, mainly because I do have a lot of mixed feelings, and I will probably give this another read later on when I'm less wrapped up in everything that has happened, but overall: I'm reeeeally looking forward to the reboot!!
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Post by Brady Brown on Jul 25, 2012 9:17:44 GMT -6
Aimee, I don't have time to write a full-fledged review at the moment, but I just wanted to say I read the mock-finale, and really enjoyed it. I'm giving it an --
8.5/10 -- mainly because I felt that some characters were pushed to the side, to focus on the main love stories that were going on, and a little more closure on some thins would've been nice as well. But, seriously, I really enjoyed the episode! ;D
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Ms. Kerry
VPN Community Member
Fight the good fight, Tony, I hate nap time too.
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Post by Ms. Kerry on Jul 25, 2012 12:34:20 GMT -6
I also read the finale Aimee and I am not going to leave a review either XD sorry! I will say it is bitter sweet seeing this series come to an end to be re-booted. Sweet because you will get to have you original vision without anyone butting in and messing with it. However, it is also extremely bitter because I will miss what is going to be cut from the re-boot. There are characters I have a connection to and love for that I will dearly miss seeing. I hope they return in some way so people can see a little bit of what might have happened with them, but I also can't wait to see what you do with the characters who will be new to the re-booted show.
Good Luck, Aims! You know I will be supporting you in the new version of the show! And if you need anything as always I am here.
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Post by Aimee Nicole on Jul 25, 2012 14:18:31 GMT -6
Oh man, lmao. I have a lot to respond to. I'm glad that you guys seemed to enjoy in (or, certain aspects of it). For me, this episode was pretty bittersweet too. It's kind of disappointing that I was so fed up with the episode by the time I got around to actually working on the finalized version that I couldn't enjoy writing it and I think that showed in some places. Which was a reason for certain characters getting pushed to the side and all of that, so I apologize. It was basically a "push through it and just finish it already" or drop the entire thing and leave you guys one, big masterpost of what was GOING to happen, and leave it at that. Like, the idea of the finale was amazing at first but as I started WRITING IT, omg. It was a nightmare. For Jack: First of all, I'm super glad that you liked the MJ/Melanie aspect and were able to get invested in the Kristen/Jean storyline that ultimately ended with the Dark Phoenix emerging. It was important for Kristen to die in order to completely bring about the Phoenix, who was the key in ending the conflict. I was surprised that you loved Kristen's death scene so much -- I was afraid that was the worst one, rofl. And the imagery at the end, with Cyclops and Spidey in the Phoenix's wings seemed like the perfect way to end that finale, to me anyway. So I'm glad you really liked that too!
The MJ/Melanie storyline did overshadow the Gwen/Melanie storyline, and I admit that I could have done better with Gwen on certain things. But the whole thing with her shooting Spider-Girl -- it was a heat of the moment kind of thing. If she'd been able to step back and really think about it, she probably wouldn't have shot Spidey. But because she's just a teeanger who saw her father supposedly die at the hands of Spider-Girl, she's so afraid and angry and confused that she panics.
As for Gwen being taken in to Melanie's family, I see how that seems a little strange because we didn't indicate anything of what we were actually thinking for that part. Which again, leads back to my feelings for this episode and pushing through it. But what were thinking there is that Mary-Jane was furious with Gwen for shooting her, but once Mary-Jane calms down, a part of her understands that Gwen was afraid and she panicked. She understands Gwen lost her father just like MJ lost Melanie. And Mary-Jane might not even tell May that Gwen was the one that shot Melanie, and May wouldn't really know otherwise. So to May, the wall would have killed Melanie, not the bullets.
And for the Avengers and the Fantastic Five -- there would have been several reasons they might not have shown up until then. They could have been out of the country, on another planet, anything. But it was important to bring them in, if only to emphasis the point of heroes always being there. And for Captain America/Gwen, he wouldn't have known that'd she'd killed someone at that point. To him, he sees a scared teenage girl. Iron Man, though, WAS the most important to that aspect in rescuing Mary-Jane and pulling Spider-Girl's body from the mess. But now that it's over and done, it's time to go onward to the reboot! |
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This was a crazy episode, in a GOOD way! This, like, kept me hooked the whole way through. And I really like that! The build up until, you know, events I shall not spoil for future readers, was excellent! I loved this episode in every shape and form imaginable.
