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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 29, 2018 7:31:29 GMT -6
Exclusive: Jeri Ryan Returns As Vicki's Aunt Veronica Vale for a Multi-Episode Arc on 'Watchtower!'
There's no Gotham City without a Vale involved! VSGuide has learned exclusively that Jeri Ryan ('Star Trek: Voyager') is set to reprise her role as Veronica Vale in the upcoming fifth and final season of 'Watchtower.' The character, last seen and introduced in the Season 4 finale, is said to be part of a major multi-episode arc spanning at least the first half of the season.
In her debut episode, viewers learned that Veronica was the identical twin sister of Vicki's (Yvonne Strahovski) mother, Vanessa. She had come to Gotham to give Bruce (Christian Bale) a collection of old tapes and belongings of Vicki from her childhood, in which she revealed that outside of losing her sister and her niece, she also lost her husband to cancer. And while her presence in Gotham seemed temporary, and extremely circumstantial, it seems the last remaining Vale was here to stay.
"It was important to me that the final season continued to honour the character of Vicki Vale, and that both her presence and her loss was still felt despite the story picking up ten years into the future, and twelve years after the fact," series creator, Jack Malone told VSGuide, "Veronica Vale is an extension of that, and she's a really fascinating character that's going to hopefully hook people into a really great storyline for [Season 5]." In terms of what fans can expect, the showrunner didn't want to give too much away, telling VSGuide that, "The thing about this time jump is that we're returning to a period where we don't really know much about anyone anymore and figuring those things out as we step back into this world, and as Chloe steps back into this world, is part of the fun." I guess we'll just have to wait.
One question that we posed was whether or not a family member of Vicki's will elicit any flashbacks of the fallen hero this season, to which the 'Watchtower' creator told us: "It's possible. I mean, you'll definitely see the whole 'Watchtower' cast involved this season, and that obviously includes Yvonne [Strahovski]. It's on the bucket list."
Ryan is expected to appear in the season opener, titled 'Home' and will recur throughout the season.
So, what kind of role do you see Veronica playing in Season 5? What storyline do you expect to see her involved in? And do you hope to see some flashbacks of Vicki this season? Let us know!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 29, 2018 6:44:44 GMT -6
Some minor spoilers, and an episode title revealed for the second episode of the season. Episode #5-02: "Compromised"Written by: Jack Malone Produced by: The VPN UPDATED 29/01/2018 — Episode title revealed as 'Compromised.' — This episode marks the first appearance of Lucius Fox (Charles Michael Davis), who did not appear in the season premiere. — Chloe (Allison Mack) learns about the serious threats Gotham is facing. — Producers told VSGuide that "a lot has happened in ten years, and returning to these characters after that much time puts a question mark on everyone's head. While we get a taste of where everyone's at in the season opener, it's in [episode two] where we'll learn who we can still trust."
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 24, 2018 4:06:35 GMT -6
REVIEW: "Super Wave"
I just want to start this off by saying I'm so freakin' happy with Season 2 so far. These past few episodes have been laser focused on Clark, Janice and Sara, and showing them at High School, and dealing with the strange happenings of Upsville whilst being teenagers, and that's exactly what I've been wanting to see for a while. This episode was another damn perfect one, maybe even knocking 'Super Heat' out of the park. Not only was the antagonist another strong addition to the Rogue's Gallery, and tied back into the looming threat of Chosen, but her mere existence and presence as a threat leaned into a main character's fear, which added so much more weight to the episode. I loved it.
So, as always, I'm starting this one off with Ellie - the episode's main antagonist - who is, of course, another suss newbie showing up at the High School that's clearly there to f*ck sh*t up. I thought it was funny that this time it was Sara who was like "uh-huh" and totally not convinced about her story, which was a direct contrast to her with Holt. Speaking of which, the reveal that she was Holt's brother was another nice little twist. These superhumans having certain connections with others makes me think that there's an army coming up for Season 3 or something, and it's going to be all of the greats from the first two seasons. I swear. But anyway, back to Ellie, she had great powers of her own, and I loved that it tied directly into Sara's fear. It really enhanced all their interactions, and I think Ellie, in a way, has solidified herself as an arch nemesis to Sara, because of her powers being a manifestation of her biggest fear. The entire sequence where she was drowning Sara was done so well, and there was something about all of Ellie's scenes that I could really vividly picture playing out on screen. I'm glad her story didn't end here with Alexander blowing her brains out -- I was certainly worried that would be the outcome since she technically failed him.
Paired up with this story, that's got water all over it, was a whole introductory plot with Clark wanting to go to the swimming try-outs. I thought that was a great set-up, and it links me back to my whole thing about their experiences at high school and seeing more of that. It was nice to get out of the classroom or the hallway for all their High School scenes, and see a bit more, and this was the perfect way to bring Ellie into the story. The confrontation with Clark and Ellie in the locker room was insane. I laughed at the "I'm not into boys" because it's like even though there were those vibes, she just made it ten times creepier by being like "I'm all over you, but I'm not into you." She went from is this flirting to is she trying to kill him, and I thought that was hilarious. It was also a nice way to establish Ellie, obviously.
Even though I absolutely loved that story, especially for its focus on Sara, I do have to say that I enjoyed the development with SANO so much more just because I'm absolutely hooked to this mystery and I want to see how it unfolds. This episode was wild on that front — Lucy and Fred find a video that identifies a woman, Maggie, they go to visit her only for Katrina to kill her, and then they're kidnapped, only to be saved by the WOMAN IN GREEN LEATHER, who is a total badass, and just as they agree to keep looking into this case, they get a message from their green-outfit-wearing-superhero-woman to tell them to "stop looking." I mean... that was a journey, yall. An intense damn journey. And I loved every damn second of it. Now I want to know who the hell this woman is, and what kind of danger she's in now that Katrina's reported back on her existence to Alexander at Chosen. I'm hooked.
Elsewhere in the episode, there was some more going on with Debbie and Shela at Chosen. This felt a little more detached, but it's always nice to catch up with Debbie, regardless. And you just had to go and make it difficult with them being crowned the top two agents, and pitting them against each other. I never really figured that Alexander would be able to listen in to all their conversations, and now I want to go back and see what he's heard from them, oh my god. Maybe something happened earlier and I'd just forgotten it, but I still found that pretty shocking. And even though it was detached, I feel like identifying them as the two best targets means they'll be doing something together for Chosen pretty damn soon and that makes me hella nervous, but ALSO IT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO ESCAPE?!?!?! And if you think I'm going to be okay with getting Debbie back at the cost of losing Shela, then you are sorely mistaken, Brady. Imma need both these flawless queens to be walking out of this unscathed, okay?!
Anyway, onto another fave -- Ashlock had such a nice focus in this one. I mean, it wasn't a huge focus, but every scene really furthered a story for her and I really liked that. I think she's been caught up in everyone else's little world in the past two episodes, so it was nice to see her pushing her own journey in this one. Seeing her at Rivers grave was a very powerful moment. There's something about the way those scenes are written, too, that just kind of makes everything stop for me. Whenever a character's at a cemetery, in front of a grave, at a funeral, I'm just glued to the screen/page. And you did that with that scene. I didn't expect Ryan to show up and RECORD THE DAMN THING?! Dude, he is totally sketchy. And I don't know if I should be gearing up for a reveal that he's a bad guy, or a reveal that it's all just a misunderstanding and he's sketchy when you don't know the truth. I mean, he has a prior arrest of breaking and entering and harassment. But that could also be viewed as him investigating a story and going a bit too far, you know? Also... how does he know Rivers? And does that mean we could get some Rivers flashbacks later on to fill that story in?
Man, this episode was just something else. I really loved it. I think it's another to slot in for the top 5 or so episodes of the series for me. Anyway, I wanted to be all caught up and post so many reviews for your birthday, but so much happened this week that I only got through these three. I'm going to read and review some more tomorrow after my job interview, and I can't wait to see how all of this unfolds. I want to at least get to that mid-season finale!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 24, 2018 3:28:18 GMT -6
REVIEW: "Super Assassin"
This episode was action packed. I guess it was obvious in the title — clearly pointing to an assassin coming in for the episode — but I don't think I expected it to be as insane as it was, and as life-threatening as it was, and not just for Clark, Janice and Sara, but for everyone.
First up, I wanted to talk about the character of Michelle, who served as the antagonist for this episode. She was absolutely brutal, and I think your characterisation of her being so tough, and someone that did everything with conviction, never wavered due to plot, which I think is something so difficult to capture when you have an assassin that has a history of not only surviving, but taking down their targets. It would have been so easy to have her sort of change her mind, or be persuaded because they were children, but you never went down that route, and it kind of maintained this level of crazy for her that only seemed to amplify, and I was genuinely shocked when it reached a point in the story where she shot Sara. In fact, you had take a character (Clark) to a different level in order to take her down, and I just thought was a really impressive way to resolve the conflict, especially when certain other resolutions may have been contradictory or tarnished your main antagonist.
With all that being said, I was a little confused about Chosen's employment of Michelle when the previous episode had Alexander say that it wasn't time to kill the Knox's yet. I guess it's a whole new episode, but I don't think anything has really changed for him to go from pulling Holt away from the triplets and telling him to stand down, to now when he tells Michelle to kill them. It's not really a huge deal. Part of me likes to think it was more about Alexander and Michelle than him really being ready to kill Clark, Janice and/or Sara, and the way the episode ended definitely reinforced that -- with him killing her and all. I was quite shocked, but at the same time, I'm not sure how big a place "assassins" have in TST world, at least as a main conflict for Clark, Janice and Sara. It's just a lot more mature, and it would feel weird to see a whole team of assassins trying to kill teenagers. I'd much rather see them target Debbie or Elise or even Ashlock, if assassins were to become a huge thing for the show, so I wasn't super bummed about her death, other than the fact that she was SO DAMN BRUTAL and you crafted a pretty great one-off antagonist. And I could totally picture Tatiana Maslany as the character, which just made it even better, haha!
Also, while I'm still on the topic of assassins, I did like the little background we got about Chosen. I can't remember if I read it in this episode, or in a previous one, where they mentioned Chosen being active in taking down foreign leaders, and doing things internationally, and being more than what we've come to know them as, and so this little piece of information about the assassins, and how Michelle was the last one standing, just really amplified the whole organisation for me. I've really been liking the way you've been linking everything back to Chosen, from superhumans, to threading assassins into it now, and it's all contributed to Alexander, and his position as the big-bad.
Outside of that, there was an interesting subplot with Katrina that kind of threaded throughout most of the episode, and it came from a rather strange place of jealousy. It felt quite humanising, actually, to have her be jealous of Michelle, and start asking all these questions. I wasn't quite sure if she was starting to worry about her place in all of this, if it was purely romantic jealousy, or if it's a whole thing about knowledge being power and how she's being kept out of the loop. Certain streams seemed to overlap, but I really liked that we got this perspective because I truly believe it's important to flesh out your villains just as much as it is to develop your heroes, and this done a lot for me, in regards to her character. I especially liked her moment with Agatha in this episode.
The SANO Pharmaceuticals storyline continued in this one, and this is the mystery that I'm excited to see unfold. Fred and Lucy aren't just involved because they stumbled across Landy, and were interested in following the case, but Joshua and Chosen know they interacted, and are threatening to hurt them if they don't reveal what they know. It's all getting super intense, and I'm loving it. My favourite point in this little storyline, though, was Lucy grabbing the vase and smashing it over Joshua's head. I don't think I've articulated just how freaking happy and excited I am to see Fred and Lucy have such a spotlight this season, and be as involved in the plot as they are.
Onto "The Super Teens" (as Sara name-dropped in this episode), there were two really emotional but powerful moments in this episode with them that I just loved. I've talked in the past about how I get the same vibe from Charmed and those sisters as I do with Clark, Janice and Sara -- in that I'm invested in their sibling dynamic, and it's the heart of the show, and it just elevates all the storylines whenever it's the main focus, or is splintered, or is tested, threatened, or just the point of an episode. And this one in particular had Sara get shot, which was completely shocking, but you managed to write it in a way where the emotion could be sustained despite knowing she could probably heal herself and survive the whole thing -- which is a testament to you as a writer. The way they rallied around her, and the way it kind of shook them to their core was just really powerful. And the other big moment was with Clark, who shot Michelle -- a move that is pretty extreme when you think about it. But instead of leading to a sort of eruption of "we're better than that," it ended up being a really compelling conversation about how their lives aren't normal, and how they miss their Mum, and just all of the stuff that has clearly been bubbling to the surface since they got their powers. It was just so nice to see, especially when you paired it with Sara's experience of almost dying in this episode, and how that shifts her own perspective, too. I think it was my favourite moment of the whole episode, to be honest.
Elsewhere in the episode, it's actually nice to see Jane Doe step up and fill the "mother" role for Clark, Janice and Sara -- even if it is more like a big sister vibe than anything else. Debbie's disappearance has actually benefited Jane in that she has a bit more of a purpose in this particular storyline, and it's actually kind of nice to see an adult in the house with the triplets who is devoted to looking after them and trying to keep them safe. As you know, I've been waving that "Do something with Jane" flag for a while now, and I just wanted to say that this feels like a good step in the right direction, at least for now with Debbie still "missing."
Another solid episode of TST. I'm glad a "deadly assassin" doesn't seem to be joining the forever expanding Rogue's Gallery. Loved all the development for Katrina, and some of the back story for Chosen. Alexander continues to be an off the chains big-bad. Some great character moments, especially for Clark, Janice and Sara. What more is there to say? Nothing, onto the next one!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 24, 2018 2:41:05 GMT -6
REVIEW: "Super Heat"
This episode was probably one of my favourites so far in the series, and that came down to, in large part, the fact that it took place at the school, it featured Clark, Janice and Sara in a really big way, and kind of took us back to the initial concept of the show which is what sold me on 'The Super Teens.' As much as I love the peripheral and supporting characters on the show, I really do love your main three, and whenever the show positions itself to focus on them and what's impacting them, I tend to really enjoy it.
So the introduction of Holt was another great addition to the show's expanding 'Rogue's Gallery.' I think any character that has fire super powers is bound to be a pretty big threat (or a great ally, should Holt have been someone that wasn't evil). And sometimes it's just in establishing the antagonist's power that makes them a compelling threat, regardless of dialogue, or story. It's an immediate "how the hell are they supposed to stop them?" And he was one of those. I mean, his encounter with Fred was terrifying, and that entire scene when he killed Mr. Roth was just some next-level sh*t. Also, quick note -- I've really been loving the descriptions/action lines lately because they've been doing a lot more to create that sort of image whilst being more refined and so I think you're nailing that part, especially in this episode with an antagonist with these types of abilities.
In particular, what I loved was the subplot Holt created with Sara by simply grazing her arm and creating that "sizzle." Creating that chemistry, and having Sara succumb to it, added another strong emotional drama, and family drama that I love so much. I think whenever there are splints in that family dynamic -- it manages to produce a really phenomenal arc or episode, and it's nice to see you playing around with what could tap into that, especially as the series goes on. And I like that Sara didn't become completely unbearable from it. It showed us a new side to her, even if it was manipulated. She's kind of been characterised as the stronger one in the family, and the one that never seems to break, and so to have her be the one that's compromised was refreshing, and it did just as much for her as it did to see Janice and Clark be the ones to step up and take control of things.
Lucy and Fred have really surprised me, in all the best ways. I remember just thinking in the first season that they were kind of just around to be "the friends" of the triplets, and to sort of build up their life at the high school -- so when they go there, they have other people to interact with, and other dynamics to be invested in. But now they're like just as crucial to the plot as anyone else. It's also nice to look back at where things started from then to now where they are so actively involved. I love that they're investigating things on the side, and that they're doing their part to "save the day." And I like that we follow that and you can deliver exposition in new ways. It frees up your main characters to not have to be the ones latching onto new information every scene, which in a way allows more breathing space for them.
The SANO Pharmaceuticals plot is ridiculously intriguing to me, and I can't wait to see it unravel and figure out who the woman in the green leather pants is. It also moved from just being a case that Ashlock was investigating, and with Landy running into Lucy, it now involves her and Fred. So I'm interested to see how that develops. And obviously, I think you've done a really good job setting up a nice mystery to follow for the season — both in peeling back layers of what SANO is, and in figuring out the identity of this woman. Mysteries and shows with super powers and super heroes -- they really go hand in hand, and I live for that kind of stuff so I can't wait.
Lastly, there was the Chosen initiation with Debbie. I thought you balanced this story quite well against the main plot of the episode. And there was something about the hallucinations that were actually comforting, at first, and it was because I realised we hadn't seen Debbie with her kids this season until this episode. I'm aching for that eventual reunion. I hope it's coming soon.
Speaking of Chosen, I really liked the plot twist at the end in revealing that Holt was "Agent Flame" and one of his men. Not that I really saw it as a problem, but this kind of method and "reveal" really allows for Chosen to remain relevant even when they're not involved in any face-to-face type of capacity, and allows them, as a threat, to still linger. I'd be excited to see if future antagonists over the season will be tied to Chosen.
Some quick things I wanted to mention:
-- I loved the opening of this episode. I don't remember an episode opening quite like this one before, and I always appreciate whenever you thread some comedy into your scripts. -- Fred's little moment about having Clark's powers and saving as many lives as he could, definitely follows up on a few plot points of episodes past, and I liked that there's some follow up on Fred and Lucy having powers from the previous episode. The only thing that bugs me about it is the fact that it makes Fred seem a little careless or oblivious because they're literally dealing with the fact their mother is missing, and Fred is like "okay but why aren't you off saving everyone?" I feel like it was still a great plot point to bring up, but at this point in time, it makes Fred seem a little obtuse and I didn't really like him in that moment, despite understanding him. -- I loved when Ashlock was like "listen to what you just said" when Clark was trying to easily explain something away. I love little moments like that because often times the audience is thinking the same thing, haha!
All in all, probably one of my favourite Super Teens episodes in a while. I really liked that the majority of it took place at the school, and that both stories overlapped in a really clever, and interesting way. I'm looking forward to more Clark/Janice/Sara centric episodes. And I can't wait to see what's next for Fred and Lucy as they get more involved in the strange happenings of Upsville.
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 20, 2018 23:16:18 GMT -6
REVIEW: "The Beginning In The End"
This show has a lot of really great potential, and I think this first episode was a huge indicator of just how much potential it really has going forward. You gave us a taste of the world, of these characters, of certain dynamics (both in how they are now, and how things might progress), and bundled it all up in a pretty exciting murder-mystery twist at episode's end that makes me excited to tune in and follow along each week.
First up, I wanted to talk about your main protagonist, Jake Farrell. He carried this sort of mysterious past to him when he was first introduced, with the Principal talking about him not doing what he did at his last school, and the whole nature of him relocating in the first place, and it was eventually revealed that he lost his father and that, like his father, he's prone to throwing himself into fights to defend the "smaller guys" that are being picked on. I thought this all defined him really well — especially his encounter with Pete Jensen, and his protection of Charlie Matthews. It was that scene that really offered us a great character moment that I was sort of craving to see from him.
With all of that said, I was mostly disappointed in how the character was handled and came out of the premiere thinking he was the weakest link. He didn't really have a strong perspective, or even a strong presence — more times than not, he was sinking into the background and sort of observing the story as though he wasn't an active participant in it. The "suspension" on his first day felt a little unrealistic, and immediately threw him out of the High School, which diminished the High School as a setting for the show. And even though the premiere set up the idea that he was a "super star reporter," I kind of wish he had to earn that position on the Tribune at episode's end in order to enhance his story, because then we might have been able to latch onto his perspective, and maybe even root for him a little. Ultimately, I think he just suffered from the show having really great supporting characters that are probably more fun and interesting for you guys to write, and from a plot that A) Dismissed him from the show's setting pretty early on, and B) Didn't really involve him. It was almost like you could pluck Jake out of the whole show, and nothing significant would really change, and that's a shame.
I kind of wish this was pitched and went through those regular stages of a pick-up (even though I understand why it didn't happen that way), purely because it was the only real big issue I had with the premiere and I think it'd have been so easy to fix if it had been pointed out. And I'm not really sure how to offer a constructive response to it because it does look like with Jake acquiring the position at the Tribune -- he'll now be involved with the plot, have a perspective to offer, and can thrive with the rest of the show. I'm hoping that's the case, and that's where things are headed.
Now I've gotten all that out of the way, I absolutely love Tracy Vargas and Maya Raymond. I think they were the most fleshed out characters in the premiere, and gave us a lot of personality, and energy in their scenes. With Tracy, I liked her subplot of trying to figure out who Jake was, and it was such a great scene when she reached that conclusion that he was a good kid, and that they should bring him on board. And I like that we saw her embark on that little investigation. I definitely came out of the episode thinking she was a perfect female lead for the show, and she's who I'm most excited about seeing as the story progresses. As for Maya, she definitely carried the most scars from Shane's disappearance, and it was nice to see her fight for him, and for his position on the Tribune. She made that whole conflict really land the way that it needed to, and her back and forth interactions with Tracy were a highlight of the premiere for me.
Charlie Matthews was another favourite in this episode, for me. It was heartbreaking to see that he not only gets beat up and bullied at school, but that he has to go home and experience that from his father, as well. And I think there are so many layers to that too -- that his father is just like the kids at school that see him as a loser, that he's trapped in two environments that just belittle and berate and strip away at everything that he is, and to juxtapose those two things with him catching up with Jake, and having this lighthearted moment was really powerful. It sort of positioned their potential friendship as a source of light for Charlie, and along with Tracy and Maya, he's a character I really want to see more of as the show progresses.
Another thing I thought was handled really well was the whole storyline involving Shane Wise's disappearance. I was really impressed at how you carved this particular plot point out because it wasn't just about launching this murder-mystery for the show, but it served as a compelling conflict, and an interesting way to introduce us to Jake, who would essentially be filling the hole left by Shane in the world of Tracy and Maya. That, paired with hints of who knew him, who was looking for him, who cared, who didn't -- you've already built a platform for this mystery to really climb. And I think if you didn't nail the starting point on this mystery then the show/season would have greatly suffered, so I'm really happy to see how well it was handled.
As for the brief conflict with Pete Jensen, I found it to be a little forced. Something I've come to really despise in High School dramas is the often dramatised, and forced character beats / plot points that stem from stereotypes/tropes, and Pete kind of embodied so many of them. He was pummelling a kid, which went a bit too far when it went from throwing someone against a locker to strangling the life out of them. He talked about getting other people to do his homework, and offered this sort of "stick with me and we won't have a problem" type shtick that also just felt very on-the-nose to me. And then to progress that into him throwing a punch at Jake -- it just came off as very forced, and lead to that very strange mismatch of punishments with Jake getting suspended, but Pete getting a detention. As I said, I liked Jake stepping in and defending Charlie, and that was all well and good, but I hope as the series progresses, you find a line between something naturally progressing, and forcing it to happen because the plot you crafted needed to suspend Jake.
Some other really quick things:
-- I really liked the portrayal of the Principal. His dialogue was really captivating, and written really well. I'm sure he might cross paths with the students in an antagonistic way (in the sense that he's an authority figure) but I welcome any and all of it because he was a great addition to the cast, and someone I look forward to checking in with in the future. -- It was a little weird that Annie was described as someone who wants to be her kid's best friend, but she spent most of the episode sort of angry at Jake, and grounded him, and was quite short with him, haha. I just thought how she was in the beginning of the episode better suited that description, and then she sort of switched with the plot. But regardless of that, I liked her dynamic with Jake and hope we see more of the softer/calmer/nicer side in the future. . -- The scene between Jake and Conrad was a really great touch. I'm excited to learn more about Jake's father, and as its positioned, I'm sure the more we'll learn about the father, we'll get even more of an idea of who Jake is, too. -- I really liked the Tracy/Jake dynamic that was sort of forming in this episode. Excited to see where that goes! -- Jake pocketing the phone was an interesting twist, and I wonder what he's going to find on it! -- There were a handful of SPAG mistakes throughout the episode that could be spotted with just one more careful read through before you post. I don't like to comment on SPAG stuff, because I tend to just carry on reading despite it and it happens to all of us, but I thought I'd point it out in this first review because there was quite a lot of it and it could be something to focus on before airing new episodes.
All in all, I'm pretty excited to follow this series. As I said, it has a lot of great potential and even though there were a few things I was mixed about, or had issues with, I don't think it's anything damning that can't be fixed as the series develops and figures itself out along the way. Congratulations on the show launching, and I wish you both the best of luck and hope you deliver a great first season of 'Winchester!'
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 15, 2018 18:39:19 GMT -6
REVIEW: "Super Friends" Something I absolutely love about shows within this specific type of genre, is when characters that are deemed "normal" get to dip their toes into the world most of the characters are familiar with, but one that they're not. So right away, I was pretty much sold on this episode. Outside of that, there was also a nice balance of story and focus on characters like Debbie, and Ashlock, that progressed the story even though it wasn't necessarily the main focus — which is something I think you've gotten a lot better at throughout the series. You said this would be a big one for Fred and Lucy, and it definitely was — and not just because they had powers for an episode. Something that's been developing over the course of the series so far has been this disconnect between Fred and Lucy, and their friendship with Clark, Janice and Sara. At first, it was through secrets, and now it's this understanding that they have these powers, and a burden to carry that Fred and Lucy feel unequipped to share. You really built on top of that in this particular episode, and in different waves, which is something that feels like a natural progression of their conflict from last season, but also a progression of their friendship now that they are aware of the "secret." I liked that Clark, Janice and Sara just expected them to give up the powers and find a way to remove them, and Fred and Lucy weren't really looking to do that because of their insecurities. I think that was a really solid, and much needed story beat, especially because Fred and Lucy don't understand how much of a burden it really is to carry these powers, but also, Clark, Janice and Sara don't understand what it's like to be the normal friends of the group that can't help out. So I'm glad that was the first thing you tackled in this storyline. Also, something I know we both kind of detest in superhero shows, is when friends turn against each other and start yelling and screaming about how they're not fit to do this, and wail in on them. I'm glad you didn't have Clark, Janice and/or Sara turn around and start belittling them into defeat, and that Fred and Lucy's story to "prove" themselves, wasn't triggered by a "you can't do these things" type conflict. Speaking of proving themselves, it was definitely a lot of fun to follow Fred and Lucy on their mission to take down George. There was a nice shift in that moment when Fred obtained the blood results, and convinced Lucy to take on the superhuman-of-the-week. It was a little heartbreaking to hear Fred refer to himself and Lucy as "dead weight" but that desperation to be more than that was certainly felt, all the way through to their confrontation with George, which really elevated the whole episode for me. It was a shame to see them lose the powers, because I absolutely loved them. I was so excited thinking about future episodes, and how Fred and Lucy could jump in to help out, and how "Super Teens" would now broadly represent more than just Clark, Janice and Sara, so there was an element of being bummed out at how George snatched them back by episode's end. But what I loved was how everything roped back to the whole point of the story, and that was truly about these insecurities they had around their "super friends." That scene where Clark said Fred was great with computers, and Lucy was the smartest person he knew -- it pointed to their strengths, their powers, just like "love" was identified as Debbie's, and heading into the conclusion of the episode, it paved a way for Fred and Lucy to captivate on their strengths and find a way to utilise them and help their friends in the future. I'm getting serious vigilante vibes here, but I don't know if that's necessarily where things are heading. But man, it would be so cool if it was. "Computers and fighting" screams HACKING and VIGILANTE to me, haha! The superhuman-of-the-week was another fascinating addition to the Rogue's Gallery. But more than that, George has probably been the first episodic threat that's complimented so many different stories. He provided Fred and Lucy with powers, advancing their arc. He was kidnapping people who had "secrets" which further brought a question mark over Ryan Cass' head. And his presence alone obviously gave Ashlock, and the Super Teens something to chase for the episode. The only thing is (and I'm a little hazy today so if I missed it just lemme know) that I'm a little confused as to what his motivations were, and what this obsession about secrets had sprouted from, but maybe having that a little open-ended allows for him to thread back in later and tell that story. On the topic of Ashlock, I wanted to make a note of how much she (and the show) has benefited from her being in the know. I think there were a lot of pieces of the puzzle floating around in that first season, and now that it's stitched together, she's able to breathe and have a stronger presence and perspective than she had last season. I mean, this episode's story (and its antagonist) was kind of introduced through her, and her job as a detective, and that's a perfect way to introduce some of these stories and offer that ACT ONE build up because we're learning things the same time that she is. I just felt like it clicked for me in this episode, especially when she rocked up at the Uucsio's, and came and went with such ease. Also, her scenes with Ryan were a highlight of the episode for me, both in the moment when they were attacked, and their discussion of "secrets" at episode's end. That dude is sketchy. Elsewhere in the episode, it was nice to catch up with Debbie — although, I was totally right in saying that any follow up with her would be painful and/or sad. Alexander dropped another big bomb in this episode when he said that all the recruits that weren't affected by Bright Day and obtained some power were to be killed. For some reason I thought Debbie still had her "shield" powers, and was more scared about her not having an ability that was so visible. But the episode reminded us that her power was taken, and I'm glad that was there to really amp up her conflict for the episode. Thankfully, she wasn't tested and was able to continue through without them finding out. But instead of this plot just being one of false alarms, we found out that Shela has the power of teleportation and I'm sure that's going to come in handy sooner or later! Lastly, I really appreciated the focus on Elise and Geoffrey's relationship in this episode. There was a part of me that was a little hesitant to this particular story beat, because Geoffrey's working on something that's going to bring Debbie back which impacts at least three lives, and so Elise being upset about him being so focused on work painted in her in a not-so-great-light. But as it played out, it made a lot more narrative sense, and was a nice addition to the episode, especially with that resolution of Geoffrey basically saying "not now" to Fred and Lucy's request because he has some time on his hands and he wants to spend it with Elise. I particularly liked the scene where Jane served as a sound board for Elise to get her thoughts and feelings out about these issues, because the topic of being selfish is an interesting discussion to be had in these types of shows, and I always appreciate the perspectives that come out of it. It turned away any of the doubts I had about how this would make Elise look. As for Jane, I'm still waiting for a story that defines her outside of the supportive role she plays to everyone else on the show. Even though I liked how the episode ended, with Clark, Janice and Sara welcoming her into their home and having her sort of stand-in for Debbie so they're less lonely and it's less quiet, it kind of made me wish there was some build up to it because at least then there'd be a story for her that was hers. I know that might sound a little hypocritical because I've talked about wanting more focus on Clark, Janice and Sara, but I think those can coexist. I'm hoping this development leads to learning more about Jane, and seeing some more of her this season, even if it doesn't necessarily come in the form of a Jane-centered episode, you know? But this isn't really a criticism it's more of a hope-to-see for the future I said lastly when it wasn't lastly, but I just remembered -- I really loved the use of Janice's premonitions in this episode. I wanted to make a note of that because it was different to the last ones. It was a lot clearer, and instead of offering a mystery for the audience to see play out completely, it was something that they instead tried to thwart (and did). So that was a nice switch-up, especially because I was kind of just expecting it to play out verbatim, and was pleasantly surprised. I legit thought that Fred and Lucy would be thrown out of the windows, but that Fred's newfound power would save them. And, of course, there's a "flashforward" (premonition) of Janice burning??? I THINK NOT FAM. All in all, another really great episode of 'The Super Teens.' This season is really shaping up to be a great one, and I'm loving all the individual plot threads that are pointing to a great season ahead. I'm forever nervous that this story with Debbie is going to be a through-line that bubbles up and explodes later on down the line (when I'm so desperate to see her come home and reunite with her kids). Ryan Cass has a huge question mark over his head. Fred and Lucy have an opportunity to become badass vigilantes that help Clark, Janice and Sara. Everything just looks great. I can't wait to catch up!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 15, 2018 11:08:43 GMT -6
- While the Phoebe and Clark romance will be the big start to this series, Brian promises that while it will be a driving factor, the show is about a town caught in the middle of a supernatural war. This is an interesting tidbit. I take it the first few episodes will lean heavily into Phoebe/Clark, and then open us up to the whole "supernatural war" aspect of the show. Can't wait! I'm excited to see more of Evelyn. She was definitely up to no good in the pilot. I wonder what the bigger bad is that's lurking in the shadows? Is that something that creeps up and takes over this season, or is it just something Evelyn is serving? *nervous* I wish it wasn't happening so quickly, but I remember Elena and Stefan happening quite quickly on The Vampire Diaries, and it was part of what triggered the whole, overall journey/story for the series. So I'm going to wait and see how it plays out. I think I'm most excited for Clark's story/journey. He intrigues me the most so far! WHO HURT HER? WHO IS SHE OUT TO GET? ERMERGERD. I think this was to bound to happen with a ten-episode season, but considering he's a main player, I'm sure the story you do have planned for him, and the purpose behind him existing in the first place, is going to be something awesome. Loved all the new spoilers, Brian. Can't wait for this to premiere!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 13, 2018 19:44:34 GMT -6
REVIEW: "Super Ball" This episode was a really refreshing one because it's been a while since the main plot of an episode has really narrowed in on one clear, and central thing that ropes most of the characters in, and I think it was in direct contrast to the premiere which had to set a lot of things up. So it was nice to see that, and to see all the characters grouped into the same setting and facing the same stakes. Obviously, there was a follow up to the cliffhanger with Ashlock, but that played really well into the main story as it involves Chosen. So it all felt really balanced. So, the plot of the episode surrounded this idea of a ball, and Clark, Janice and Sara (along with the people they're closest to) receive invitations to attend, under the threat of Chosen, of course. I thought the invitations were a really clever way to get the ball rolling on the episode — and no, that wasn't a pun. Having this map, realising the missing pieces, meeting up with Elise and Geoffrey and Jane, and later Lucy and Fred, to join the invitations to form the map... it was just a really great progression for the first ACT. Once at the ball, the conflict kicked off in a really terrifying way. When Alexander basically told Fred/Lucy, and Jane/Elise/Geoffrey that they had two minutes to hide, and that they'd be hunted and killed... you literally turned Alexander into a formidable opponent to follow up from the villain that was Cloranda last season, and made him a terrifying one at that. Obviously, he's had his moments before, but this was just a new level. It was chilling. And I think bringing Katrina — someone who's more feisty and not as deep, dark and scary — was a nice contrast. You know I've said it before that I love how this show brings familiar faces back and is building it's own Rogue Gallery, so obviously I loved her return. Speaking of Katrina, I liked the suspense involved with her trying to find Fred and Lucy. That was another of those Super Teens moments where everything kind of stops for a bit and I'm reading a little slower. I imagine it translates to the "edge of your seat" moments of watching TV/Film. And it was a nice surprise, too, when you thought they were in the clear, and then you pull the whole "clone" reveal. And she's Co-Head of Chosen, and sleeping with Alexander? Both really interesting developments. I think she makes for a great opponent, and a solid right-hand-man, on par with what Jonathan was like for Cloranda in Season 1. The two larger aspects of this story came down to Sara and Janice. With Janice, there was this premonition that Alexander triggered, and it was nice to see that power come back into play after she acquired it last season. It definitely had that same "Raven" vibe where the truth of the situation seen wasn't exactly clear, and then when it plays out, there's a bit of a twist. And I still love that. I wonder if Janice is able to fine-tune these visions the more she has them, and can read things a little clearer as the series goes on (because she stresses me out). With Sara, I truly feel like she's stepping into her own, outside of her siblings and the team. She seems to have more of a distinct voice this season, and feels a little more of a wildcard in how she approaches things — she seems super done with threats, has some wits about her, and is quick to defy what's going up against her. I was a little shocked when she pulled the trigger, and she was willing to let Alexander die (even though I hate him), because the move alone is a big one for a teenager to make, but it lead to a really great plot point, and with her healing ability, you were able to resolve that pretty shocking twist quickly. It also helped establish that Alexander needs to stick around as long as Debbie is missing because they need him just as much as he might need them. The only issue I had with this episode was that the purpose of bringing everyone there felt a little off. It's this big elaborate thing, and it was all about making them squirm? I'd understand him messing with them on their turf, and popping in from time to time back in Upsville to achieve that, but to bring them all to an island with that intent alone was just a bit underwhelming — no matter how great it was to see those events all play out. On the plus side, though, I did love how big the episode felt in scope and in its stakes. It's exciting to be two episodes in and to have such a strong confrontation between the protagonists and the big bad of the season. Outside of their story, there was a nice follow up with Ashlock — which coincided with the introduction of Ryan Cass, who wanted to interview her about her accident. It was funny to me how he talked to Macauley about there not really being a story here, and then his first question was "did you think you saw James Rivers?" He took like the strangest perspective for something he thought was a simple car crash scoop. But I loved that, and it made for a great talking point in the episode when their interview continued (and I like that his justification made a lot of sense and wasn't just spooky nonsense). So through this, you really established Ryan as a character I'm interested in. But you also took time to lay some more groundwork for Ashlock and her partner, Eric, and I'm excited to see how their dynamic progresses throughout the season. Also, I really love Joshua and Agatha as peripheral antagonists. I forgot to mention them in the premiere, but I'm happy you're focusing on agents of Chosen outside of just the big bad, and ones that we can follow and check in with from time to time, rather than introduce us to newbies every week. The subplot of Agatha forgetting the other vials, and needing Joshua to go back, and how it played both into Ashlock's story, but also establishing Alexander as a terrifying boss, was handled really well. I really do think this is one of the most balanced episodes of the series so far and very cleverly structured and planned out. So I wanted to give props for that! Boo @ no Debbie, but I'm sure anything involving her right now would be depressing and painful so we're good. Lastly, I really liked the resolution of this episode. I don't remember the last time an episode hasn't ended on a huge cliffhanger, or on something awful happening to the characters we love, and so to see Fred and Lucy rock up and want to watch a movie with their friends... it was really sweet. It also felt like a resolution to the season long drama that was their friendship for the past season. It gave a really optimistic vibe, and I appreciated that. I also think Clark, Janice and Sara need that with all that they're going through, and it was a nice reminder that, at the end of the day, Fred and Lucy are their best friends and can still be there for them even when all this stuff is going down (and villains try to make it seem like they're selfish for still being friends with non-superpowered people). And oh my god, on that topic for two seconds — I'm excited for Fred and Lucy going forward, especially with their own personal resolution of needing to find a way to protect themselves and not feel like liabilities anymore. This opens the door for so much, creatively, especially in a world that gives me such comic book vibes. I went straight to "vigilantes" but whatever goes down... I'm just happy to see their perspective, and to see a follow up to all the stuff they've endured too. Overall, another great installment. This season is shaping up to be a really fascinating one — great stuff for the heroes, a compelling new big bad, really high stakes, and a steady progression of story. Can't wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 12, 2018 16:32:21 GMT -6
REVIEW: 4.06 "Sirens"This episode really felt like a comic book come to life. I don't say that with the meaning that all other episodes this season didn't feel like that, but "Sirens" was a really fun, fast paced episode that saw the resurfacing of a lot of Gotham baddies. While this episode definitely had its fair share of dramatic and emotional beats, I really appreciated the overall quickness and breathing room that this episode had to offer, because it seems like the next one is going to be one of the most intense yet. That is such a huge compliment. Hopefully not Batman and Robin type level of "comic book come to life" though, haha! I'm really happy that this season is starting off so well for you. I'm least confident about the first halves of seasons, and feel a lot better about where things progress in the back half. So it's taken a lot of pressure off knowing you've enjoyed these first six episodes so far, for the most part Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are the two Batman villains that are such a challenge for me to write, to be honest. With Harley, I was so invested in her for writing Season 2 and had a blast, but every time I've brought her back since then, I feel like I've lost her voice. So I was stressing over her dialogue. And with Ivy, I wrote like all the scene outlines and certain dialogue fragments for Chris when he penned that Season 3 episode of her, and he did such a good job with her in that one and on 'Trinity', so I feel a lot of pressure with her. I wanted to preface my response with that because it means a lot to hear that you enjoyed their dynamic and think I nailed it. I tried to lean in with what I knew from BTAS, and I'm glad that paid off! I definitely see where you're coming from in regards to the stakes not being as high with them and with Red Hood. One of the things I have to work on, especially now that I have a taste for bringing in heaps of characters and trying to expand that world a little, is to balance it all. Hopefully that gets better as the season goes on, but it's still something I'm trying to be cautious of going into Season 5 now, too. I'm glad you liked her arc. I really wanted to follow up on her role in Season 3, especially when that season evolved to offer Selina a happy ending with Holly, and kind of left Kitty in the wind. You might see her pop up again in a future episode Thanks! I had a lot of fun in pairing Chloe up with a new character for the majority of the episode. The next episode will explore their dynamic a little more, but you'll also see certain reactions to him joining the team so quickly. Hopefully your impressions of him, whether good or bad, get stronger as the season progresses! One thing I was committed to this season was to honour every dynamic/relationship on the show, so whether romance is involved or not, I hope there's something to latch onto and enjoy from whatever is planned for certain dynamics. And that rings true for Chloe/Jason, too. I hope, regardless of the direction, there's something you'll like about it, haha! This makes me so happy. I've said this before, but I feel like the Chloe/Oliver stuff in terms of other responses and reviews for the season, wasn't touched upon. But I'm not really mad about it because I get a whole slew of opinions. I'm just so happy to read and follow your thoughts on them because I put a lot of work into their dynamic for Season 4, and really love their story and their conflict, and it's nice to see someone who refers to themselves as "Chlollie trash" -- its nice to see you be excited about them. One thing I'll say about them is that the story for this season isn't really about whether Chloe can tell him the truth about their relationship, or whether Oliver can be filled in on everything. That's obviously something that needs to be explored in these first few episodes, but their story this season expands to focus on something very specific and I can't wait for you to reach that point in the season! *screaming* I was hoping when you got to this episode that it might squash some of those doubts you had about Helena's storyline. I will say, though, that this particular moment was more about Helena than setting up a Lana/Helena friendship, but that's only because Lana's own personal storyline kind of erupts from the next episode onwards. But there are some great Lana/Helena things to look forward to, regardless. I'm so glad you like this. I hope you continue to like it until the end of time, and that I can do justice to a character you really love. As for the Helena/Katherine relationship, I really liked writing their little interactions. I wanted to find a lighthearted way to have their identities be revealed to one another, rather than drag it out and/or do a Batman/Catwoman thing from Batman Returns, haha. I'm excited to hear your thoughts on them as the season progresses I love Sarah Essen so much. She has two really big episodes coming up in this first half in regards to what you're hoping to see, so I look forward to hearing your thoughts on those episodes in the future! Thank you so much Brady!!! I always love hearing your thoughts, and it means a lot to have you reading and reviewing this little VS for as long as you have. I appreciate all the feedback, and I hope you like where the season goes from here!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 12, 2018 15:22:04 GMT -6
OMG! OMG! OMG!! I think I've just had an epiphany about who one of the characters in the first promo poster is since Talia also seems to be in it (I think??) as well as a certain name/bombshell that was dropped in the S4 finale... oh, please let me be right!! If I am, it could definitely be an excellent parallel to what you've already said the season will be looking in too... [yes, I'm trying to be vague here, in case no-one else has thought/realizes this, so not to give anything away!] There's a lot of significant peripheral characters this season that I'm excited about and I wanted to showcase some of them on the poster with the main cast. The character you're talking about is definitely one of them. I just don't want to make too many announcements one after the other after the other, so it'll happen more gradually over time, but luckily there's a speculation thread in the meantime, haha
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 10, 2018 15:10:46 GMT -6
A second poster promoting the upcoming fifth season of 'Watchtower.'
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 10, 2018 14:09:57 GMT -6
I'm so behind (but will be catching up this year) but I just wanted to pop in and say that I love the idea behind episode eight, based on the spoilers. I loved "Warrior" (Season 9), which had a comic-con, and I loved "Action" (Season 7) that centered on protecting an actress working in Smallville. So I reckon I'd love this episode Also "Zenya: Warrior Princess." I see you, I see you, haha!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 10, 2018 13:49:10 GMT -6
REVIEW: "Super Gone"
Finally here at the Season 2 premiere, and there were quite a few streams of story to follow, especially picking up from the cliffhangers of last season's finale — Debbie is has been missing for two weeks, Fred and Lucy and Heather all know the secret, Ashlock is struggling with the fact she was forced to take down Rivers, and Chosen has made a surprise (but very welcome) return to the show.
The first thing I want to talk about is the conflict that came from the introduction of Holly, who was revealed to be Jonathan's sister. I thought she made a great premiere villain because she's a new character for a new season that brings something from the past into the present, and that's a certain vibe that I really enjoy about season openers in general. She was also a formidable opponent with a great power, and as I've talked about before, I love that this show builds up a Rogue's gallery of really interesting antagonists. Smallville had a similar premise of citizens getting powers and becoming "meteor freaks" and we'd meet one each episode (freak of the week) and that'd be it. I like your approach a lot better because things feel more significant and ever since Jonathan mentioned an army, I've been fantasising about the Super Teens going up against a rogue gallery of all their biggest threats from the series, haha. So Holly was a great addition.
Holly's plan to kidnap Heather, Fred and Lucy felt reminiscent of the finale, with the chains and everything. I was kind of hoping that the reason it was a repetitive move was to launch a new story for the season which would involve Fred, Lucy and Heather potentially weighing up the risk involved with being their friends, being associated with them, or something along those lines of giving a new conflict to these friendships, but it kind of ended on the same note as the last time. It wasn't really a huge problem for me, but I think because a similar incident occurred in the episode released before this one (despite being a season apart), it was just something that I noticed. With that said, this could absolutely lead to something later on with this still being the beginning of it, so I'll wait and see what's planned for Fred and Lucy going forward.
One thing I really loved about Holly's conflict was that her grief of losing someone she loved directly paralleled Clark, Janice and Sara who were currently experiencing the potentially permanent loss of their mother. It added so much to their eventual confrontation, especially in regards to Clark who was forced to admit how painful it was to face this potential loss, and open up about how he was feeling. If you don't know by now, I think you're a really talented writer, and this was just another example of how great you are at pairing the emotional and dramatic undertones of a storyline with the action and the conflict that keeps the story moving. Hitting that particular story beat at very height of the episode's climax was just genius, and it was probably my favourite part of the whole episode.
The only real issue I had with this episode, and in loving that particular scene so much, was that I felt the perspectives of Clark, Janice and Sara were neglected in order to balance the other storylines. I think we needed some scenes of Clark not opening up about his feelings, and being detached from everyone, especially knowing now that it lead to such a raw moment of opening up and being honest about how awful he feels. And with Janice, there was that subplot of her telling Clark and Sara about the truth of what happened to Frank, and while there was a genuine build up of those images threading throughout the episode, I think that needed some display of detachment too before she dropped that particular nugget of truth. I almost wish the episode started in a place of showing us their new norm with these particular struggles, and focused more on them initially, before we got to the whole Chosen/Debbie plot. But in terms of what we did get with them, I really enjoyed. I think in terms of offering any constructive criticism — because I'm hooked to this show now so you gotta give me a Season 3 — I would just say that as someone who really loves your three main characters, I hope their perspectives are front and center and elaborated on when certain storylines are affecting them, even when you have to juggle all these other really great storylines within it.
Speaking of the other storylines, I find Chosen so fascinating. Of the two or three seasons I've seen of Nikita, it kind of reminds me of Division (I think it's called), mixed in with all the great things I love about organisations like Checkmate or ARGUS from DC. It's just something that fits the show so well, and their motives seem in line with these super powers, and with the Bright Day victims' blood. And I think organisations are perfect for these type of shows because it feels like a realistic element, even if you are training agents, or creating super assassins, or anything to that degree, because this is how I think a government would respond. So any development on Chosen is just fascinating to me, and I'm excited to see that it appears as though Chosen is a huge player this season, if not, the big bad.
Caught up in all of that is my bae, Debbie Knox. You know you're doing a great job as a writer when you have a character that's endured so much, and yet these new situations still have me terrified for the outcome of what might happen. Her experience so far at Chosen was so jarring — seeing Shela get beaten up like that, and the threat of cutting her tongue out if she keeps giving flak, and all this talk of never seeing her family again... it immediately threw us into her situation and gave us that same question the character must be asking: how the hell does she get out of this? And despite all the suspense and the action and the mystery, the best thing about her arc in this particular episode was that dynamic between her and Shela and how they connected on a real human level of wanting to see their families again. I kind of got a Star Wars / Leia Organa vibe from Debbie, as though Chosen is the First Order, and she's the "spark that lights the fire that burns the First Order [Chosen] to the ground." The episode literally ended with her bringing hope to this entire organisation by saying that they are going to escape, and I just loved that whole resolution. Debbie continues to be such a light, and such a force of strength and bravery, and I think this storyline is going to demonstrate that in a way we haven't seen before and I'm super excited to see that play out.
With Debbie missing, there was obviously going to be a story about trying to find her. And I really enjoyed how that story was manifested, specifically in regards to finding a bracelet. The whole sequence you wrote where it follows a "simulation" was genius. I love when shows do that, and play out the trajectory of the events to explain how the evidence got to where it was found. At first, I was like "how is the bracelet going to tell them anything other than she was there?" But you followed that up on that with the whole DNA aspect. And now I'm like "FORM A PROTECTIVE BUBBLE AROUND THAT DAMN BRACELET."
One of the reasons I don't like to highlight anything that I had a problem with is because you have a way of addressing it in a later episode anyway, and so the remarks feel kind of redundant, haha. It's like "wow jack, if you just waited like one more episode then you'll see where things were headed." That's why I'm not classing the repetitiveness of Fred/Lucy's capture as a major problem because I know you'll focus in on their perspective and what they get caught up in later down the line. And it's happened in this episode. I made a comment about Rivers death in the Season 1 finale feeling a little unnecessary, and I still stand by the certain execution of his death and how it played out (being mind controlled and shot) but the doubts I had about it were squashed in Ashlock's role for this episode. So before I get into a whole thing about Ashlock, I just wanted to say that I do have faith in your writing that if I'm not necessarily vibing with something initially, I know it'll somehow be addressed later on.
And that's a long-winded way of prefacing my love for Ashlock's storyline. Receiving a partner right off the bat definitely triggered a knee-jerk "hell no" reaction, and I loved that brief little moment between her and her Captain on whether it's the best thing to do right now. But ultimately, that was set-up for something new for this season. The part of her arc I enjoyed the most was the fact that there are real consequences to her involvement in Rivers' death. She went to shoot, and couldn't. And I love that. It's a real, human response to what she's been through, and I think it puts a question mark over her and whether or not she'll be a liability in the field for a while. And with a new partner looming over her, I wonder how much of her struggle will be noticed, and picked apart by the department and the Captain if they found out she's struggling to shoot now. There's just so much room for this to go, and overall, my point is that I like that the death of Rivers is going to actually have and sustain an impact going forward, because for some reason the finale gave me a feeling that it was just going to be swept under the rug and forgotten about.
Also featured in this episode was a rather surprising swan song for Heather that, again, was grounded in realism. I mean, the amount of shows we watch where supernatural or science fiction-y, or even just criminal things keep happening, and no one wants to skip town and get away from it all? It was a refreshing story beat in an otherwise crazy, chaotic episode. However, it seems like her story's not exactly finished? Her last scene seemed to indicate that something was about to happen if we could have stayed in the scene just a second longer. So I'm positive she'll be back. I'm just scared for her because if she's been kidnapped or even worse, no one's going to know about it because she had this farewell moment and they just think she willingly left. But that's another story I'm excited for this season.
And then of course the episode has to end on a big cliffhanger. I'm at such a loss if that bracelet gets taken. It's like all hope is lost. Either Debbie is going to have to break out of Chosen on her own, and we're going to get a whole uprising from within, or someone like Elise is the key to breaking in and getting her out. Either way I'm all here for it. I should know that nothing ever comes easy, haha.
Overall, a really great premiere that addressed the cliffhangers from last season's finale, and set-up some great new stories for Season 2. While I would have loved more focus on Clark, Janice and Sara's perspectives in the episode, I still enjoyed what we did get of them, and I can forgive it for the sheer fact that every other character and their stories were so rich and exciting to follow. I can't wait to see where things go from here, and hope all my faves survive another season of The Super Teens!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 8, 2018 22:07:01 GMT -6
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.
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 8, 2018 16:28:17 GMT -6
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.
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 8, 2018 13:50:00 GMT -6
Now that my shock factor is over. Time for some questions: 1. Will Hope actually get some mention from Chloe? Since she knows she exists? There will be follow up to what happened to Hope in the Season 4 finale. She was significantly older when she showed up again, so Season 5 is going to offer an explanation as to how she functions in her role as Doctor Fate. Chloe hasn't seen Bruce for twelve years. Their relationship broke down from the whole situation with Vicki in Season 4 It's finally the space station ( as set up in the Season 4 finale). As it's known in the comics/animated series is how it's known in-universe now. Mia (Elise Gatien) is on the Season 5 poster in front of Archer. That's her little, hard-to-see face there so... It's funny because the decision of who Chloe should be with in that "flash forward" at the end of Season 4 was decided during that episode, haha. I had no set idea of who she should end up with, or that it should stitch back around to Chloe/Oliver. But when it came time to that decision, it felt like a nice surprise — a bit of a "WTF" moment even if you predicted it. In the present, we ended on Dinah and Oliver riding off together to start their lives, only to jump forward two years to see Chloe and Oliver are somehow back together (and married). It asks a lot of questions, and gives a lot of material for the next season. And now that I'm living with that as a reality for Season 5, it's really nice to feel like things are full circle. This started as a "Chloe and Oliver" type show in the first season, and we're back to those vibes at the beginning of the final season. As for Dinah, she was a series regular in Season 2, and has been a significant perspective on the show from the beginning, so with my goal to bring everyone back in some capacity, you'll definitely see her again. And Dinah Lance / Black Canary is my favourite comic book character of all time. If you're worried she was killed in order to push Chloe and Oliver into a reunion, then I can assure you that's not the case
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Post by Jack Malone on Jan 8, 2018 13:28:01 GMT -6
Loving the inclusion of Renee, wondering if that means the Helena/Katherine relationship might have some issues... Time will tell, time will tell, haha. I'll have to make an "introducing Renee" post but I haven't written the episode that introduces her yet and like to wait until I have so there's more to talk about for her. Thank you! A lot of casting announcements to be made with those characters on the poster. It's inclusive of the whole season, so that's why you're not familiar with a lot of the faces on it, but all in good time! As for Anarky, that's definitely his symbol. There are some owls flying around too
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