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Douluo Dalu (2018)
uh...about ep 155...
It took 154+ (?!) eps to get to this fight. Was it worth the slog?... HELLA YES!!!!!!! This is what I envisioned for all those DC animated movies and never actually get. And the fight builds on previous plot lines so it's organic and not shoehorned/ridiculous. And yet was still a surprise and all the more A. M. A. Z. E. B. A. L. L. S! And that soundtrack was perfect! *chef's kiss*
Thank all that's good in the world this is on Tencent and not on rotten kiwi's platform.
Dou Luo Da Lu: Episode #1.24 (2021)
This ep is the best of the season so far and the best tv(?) I've seen since...
...Beebo v. Mallus:
1. It utilizes the groundwork laid out in previous eps, so no deus ex machina to ruin the result. Yet the lead up was thrilling and the turnaround was still a ZOMG!!!!!!!!!
2. The blocking was the perfect example of show-don't-tell storytelling.
3. Everyone had a part to play and no one felt shoehorned.
4. Brutal and scary baddies aka worthy opponents aka heroes really really really had to earn it. NRR & OSK majorly repping Support Branch: I-don't-wanna-be-a-soul-master OSK showing why Landers was right about him all along, and NRR showing what a princess of QBAT is really made of. Both are all the more impressive because they are Support Branches. DMB and ZZQ really took it to the next level in terms of the hits they took, that's a power couple I can root for and respect.
6. More secrets revealed, kiddie table and adult table (HAH HAAAAAAA!), hello there, sets from LYB!
So much awesomeness in this ep!!! I need M!O!A!R! N!O!W!!!!!!
The Flash: Blocked (2018)
Iris filler ep with way too much Cecile subplot
Iris is the mover this ep, doing all the investigating and figuring out because everyone else is busy with personal stuff. Too bad there's no way to hide the fact that everyone had to be sidelined for her to be relevant. Nothing she did in this ep couldn't have been done someone else. But shoehorn gotta shoehorn. Also, she's upset that Nora is ignoring her but is fine with the supposed love of her life, her soulmate staying disappeared. But then Iris' motto has always been everything-is-about-ME-or-it-doesn't-matter.
I was surprised Barry and Nora told everyone the truth. Maybe the writers learned their lesson. Also, this is the most screen time Singh got in 4+ seasons. Hope they keep this up.
No interest in Cecile or her subplot. But I can see that it's to sideline Joe to make way for Cecile, and Iris as well.
Joe's dad talk makes me miss his and Barry's S1 interactions so much. He's still the best dad in DCCWverse. Also, I hope Jesse Martin is ok, he's sitting in every one of his scenes. I need him back on CCPD and team Flash. Oh wait, Iris won't allow that...
Only good thing about Cisco's heartbreak was we get to see real team Flash as friends helping each other, another S1 echo that I've missed. But S1 did it better because it was little moments here and there rather than a subplot devoted to it.
Nora, so far, is me. Not here for Iris or her WA nonsense, especially as Barry hasn't changed his last name, so every time she brings that up, she's really pumping up herself (and Nora surprise surprise). But I'm sure all too soon the writers will have it so that Nora is all over Iris and hates Barry.
That first encounter between team flash and Cicada was typical Flash. Slow. Boring. Ridiculous. Everyone just staying in place and getting depowered and taken down because.
Score: 6.5
The Flash: Nora (2018)
West-Allen Family Motto: Endangering Everything and Everyone for Personal Reasons.
Put. The. Chin. Piece. Back. NOW. S1-2 suit looks so good compared to this monstrosity and last season's homage to the Michelin Man.
Good to see Singh and CCPD. But OF COURSE, team flash is out investigating instead of the actual CCPD guy on the team.
Nora is a selfish, immature child who thinks all things Flash are automatically hers and making messes everywhere. She's definitely her parents' child.
Is Joe a run-away dad now? Not that I blame him if Cecile has no respect for other people's privacy.
Wally still gets no love: Barry thanks Nora in front of Wally but he doesn't thank Wally. WTH?!
Barry seems to be a tad smarter this ep. Probably won't last though.
Drunk Cisco!
Oh look, slow burn KF plot still slow burning.
Ralph did have a point about his interpretation of "Harry is from Earth 2"...
Lack of Harry and sidelining Joe shrank team flash and made them (ie Cisco, Caitlin & Ralph) more relevant and fun. Hope this season's Harry is off screen for a couple of more eps, and if Joe isn't going to be a cop, then he can continue to stay on the bench aka The Lounge.
This bears repeating: Put. The. Chin. Piece. Back. NOW.
Score: 7.9
Legends of Tomorrow: Necromancing the Stone (2018)
Constantine, Ava, Gary, and battle of totem bearers, oh my!
Necromancing the Stone has a great build-up that gave several characters much needed highlight such as Wally's inexperience and enthusiasm, and his long overdue farewell to Jessie, Zari's strength comes from the loss of her brother rather than the power of her totem, Amaya's experience as a totem bearer and losing it coming to the fore as she lifts up Nate and Mick. While they all fall to Sara, they didn't go down easy. All of which paves the way to how do you stop Sara the death totem bearer?
It made sense that Mick is the one who stops Sara. While Amaya and Zari have gone through a lot, they don't have the raw strength that can only come from going to and coming back from the darkside. Unlike the rest of the team, he won't hold back against Sara, he even said he won't. It was an amazing resolution that was in-character and yet still surprising, because, come on: Mick stronger than deathSara?! Legends doing what it does best.
Misc:
+ Wow, full disclosure from Sara, no hiding, no embarrassment about Constantine. This is way too mature for CW, and I mean maturity, not x-ratedness.
+ We find out Zari has a phobia, and it's not just rats that Mick has a soft spot for.
Other than Zari, Nate was the only one who still had his super power, yet he was sweaty scared. That was a little jarring.
By his surprised and smitten look, was that Gary's first kiss?!
+ Speaking of, I was shockingly happy that Gary got some fleshing out. Making him the butt of everyone jokes got old several eps ago. As with Nora, this was a much needed improvement that didn't take anything away from the ep or other characters.
+ The poetic symmetry of Amaya's and Mick's beat down by Sara and ending with them beating her. Also, Amaya was the match that lit up Mick, as it were.
+ Constantine joins Gary's D&D! Perhaps a foreshadowing for next season??? And what was he going to do to that chicken with his axe???
+ A love interest who can stand on her own merits rather than coattail on her lover's: Ava.
Amazing ep that had a lot of character moments and expanded on several that needed it which resulted in another fantastic ep. Score: 9
Legends of Tomorrow: Amazing Grace (2018)
Hodge podge ep saved by Mick and Axl
This was definitely the weakest ep of the season. People reacted/things happened for no reason other than "because". Imagine each plot point written on a stick, then all the sticks were thrown together to form a pile, and then superglued into place as-is. That's Amazing Grace. Still it was obvious this was supposed to beef up Nate's background/character, move Nate/Amaya further along (and therefore twisting the knife when their end comes?), and introduce the death totem. The ep was vaguely successful in that.
But thank goodness, Mick is still Mick. He and Axl were the best and possibly only interesting parts: Axl's name change, Mick's on-going kleptomacy, the funeral (although if Ray had been truly sincere, he would have worn black but props to him for his kind remembrance of his first meeting with the deceased), Mick/Axl's scenes (last one had me misty-eyed...), and the in memoriam (I could have done without that super close up of the dearly departed though).
Score: would have been 5 if it weren't for Mick and Axl: 7.5
Legends of Tomorrow: No Country for Old Dads (2018)
The Darhks have arrived
No Country for Old Dads is similar to Legion of Doom in that this ep establish the Darhks as interesting complex villains that you want to root for as well want defeated. This dichotomy is what made the Legion and s2 so amazing, so it's a good sign for the Darhks and this season. It absolutely helps to see Nora as more than the hissing henchwoman or the heartbreaking victim of her father's machinations. Likewise Damien seemingly truly cares about his daughter, although this is Damien Darhk so remains to be seen if he's just having fun playing her because Vogal's storyline feels very foreshadowy. How this all ends for Nora is turning into the most interesting storyline because she can't possibly have a happy ending given all she's done, yet she is a victim, too.
Other highlights:
+ Mick in a tie-dye!
+ the answer to what's Grodd up to these days
+ Wally's intro to the team and learning that this isn't the good ship lollipop
+ interesting version of baby-tossing while fending off your bad self
+ Damien in yet another terrible wig
+ Poor Zari with another exposure to a teamate's canoodling
+ the totems' purpose
+ If anyone can turn evil good, it'd be Ray
Score: 9
Legends of Tomorrow: The Curse of the Earth Totem (2018)
Legends takes a crack at being Pirates of the Caribbean
Amaya got a big boost this ep. The realization that she's awesome without her totem, thanks to Mick shepherding her along but not to the point of being a helicopter parent, was muuuuuuch needed, as was her scenery chewing enjoyment as a dreaded pirate queen.
Mick really is coming into his own as the sergeant Sara's captain. He's nudging each member towards what they need. And it definitely helps that he's also enjoying their stumbling around while they're at it. Heh.
Wally and Rip's excellent adventure was just that what with getting drunk, pantsing Gary, his and Rip's pretty good Careless Whisper duet, just to name some of their shenanigans. (Wally acknowledging Cisco, Caitlin, Barry and Wells' as team flash due to their expertise is some shade at how he was kicked off because of Iris and how unbelievable her place on the team is. Another reason why Legends is better than Flash. )
Ray (and Zari)'s time with young Nora bore fruit this ep, and while Ray's action falls into the hero being an idiot, it was still very much in-character. Hopefully, the writers don't muck up and fix this hole he's in.
Legends is giving me the Sara-is-party-pooping-den-mom-vibe. Her date with Ava suffered dateus Legenditus interruptus, of course, and for a bit there, I was horrified thinking they were lurching into Iris'-you-left-me!-land. But thankfully pirates boarding the Waverider knocked both ladies back to their usual kickass mode which also put them back in their right minds. *phew!*
Poor Zari gets sidelined again, but I agree with her: not feeling her new 'do.
As Pirates of the Caribbean was an ok movie series at best, this homage naturally isn't as great as the others, but it was still fun and there were a lot of in-character moments. Score: 8
Legends of Tomorrow: Here I Go Again (2018)
Disco costumes + Hedgehog Day + Pervy AI = Run Romp
The secrets revealed confirmed things already suspected such some of the Legends' romantic shenanigans or showed things unexpected such as Mick's book. The Groundhog Day repetition of Ray's diagnosis for Zari, Mick's boobie traps, getting Nick's help, Zari's cue cards, were just some of the delightful takes on the movie.
Also, I want to see the mentioned but unseen Bonaparte in 1975 mission with the botched disco musical number in all its glory on the dvd set.
Zari really has been flying under the radar since she joined the team and this was a much needed ep to bring her into the foreground. While some might find her big moment a little forced, I think everything she went through repeatedly help sell that moment between her and the team.
The twist did feel a bit unnecessary and took away some of the oomph from Zari, but it was to squeeze in a lot of exposition re her place on the team, and we get to see Gideon who was right about Gary.
The cherry on top, though, has to be CWLegends' bts instagram of the homage to the Bee Gee's Staying Alive. That's an absolute must-see, and should have been how the ep ends rather than the actual end scene. Unlike We Are The FlashIris,This is Legends of Tomorrow which doesn't need a hook to get viewers to watch each week.
Score: 9.1
Legends of Tomorrow: Daddy Darhkest (2018)
Thank Beebo Legends is back!
Great ep picked up right where it left off, setting up the rest of the season in re to Sara/Amaya/Kuasa/Nora Darhk, sending off Leo but leaving the door open for his return, the nods to Firestorm and Mick as back up captain, just the right amount of humor that provides a breather without derailing the story, and of course Constantine. If he can't get his show back, he really should get an arc each season he fitted that well with team.
Score: 9
The Flash: True Colors (2018)
True Colors = old gum
Watched this live and it was meh. Even the couple things I liked felt like afterthought crumbs. Barry using his brains just reminds me how much I despise Iris' and the team's purpose now. KF's pep talk was fun. That was about it. Leader Iris still just giving orders, expecting the team to deliver without her actually leading them. Cecile's and Ralph's new powers are just to move the plot along, aka writers pulling poop out of their behinds. Ralph better be slated for Legends given the amount of screen time he has, otherwise, he's reaching his expiration date, and I like him. The resolution to the imprisoned metas, Warden Wolfe, freeing Barry, and Devoe's repetitive next step were all perfunctorily dealt with, almost as if the writers couldn't bother to write anymore, which makes me wonder why I bothered to watch.
The blocking for the show has been very interesting for awhile but never more so than now with Barry out of the picture. The 1st Star Labs scene in this ep sums up everything wrong with the show: the Wests and Cecile at the main console with Iris in the main chair while Cisco and Caitlin are by a smaller console on the other side in the corner. The delineation is clearly marked, with only Ralph in the middle connecting the two, and this is reflected in the rest of the ep. This is fricking Star Labs, not Joe's house. Yet, that's what this season has been. It does confirm that even if Wally were to take over as Flash, it'd still be The Iris.
Overall, True Colors' flailing and wailing over Amunet's plan were merely to hide the fact the ep just recycled old plot lines, twists and developments. The result is a stale, bland nothing burger. Score: 5
The Flash: The Elongated Knight Rises (2018)
Lack of Devoes = lighter, fresher ep.
+ The environmentally health conscious hostage-taker was surprising and fun. He reminds me of Eobard Thawne saving the polar bears and solving global warming.
+ Ralph took a bomb blast and saved everyone.
- I can't remember the last time Barry saved someone...
- Barry: I'm tired of feeling useless.
+ Ralph volunteering Caitlin for sidekick and wallet duty.
I literally laughed out loud at Barry doing weights. I don't think that was the show's intent though.
+ Beeboo! And what a better homage to the viking god of war than to be destroyed by acid and weaponized only to be destroyed by KF.
+ The sheer cheese that was Trickster and Prank, and Ralph v. Trickster.
+ Props to Sawyer for being able to wear the longjohns and still hold his head high. Very happy Ralph finally got a proper (though standard DCCW) outfit.
- Iris: I thought I was going to die last year. But I didn't let that stop me.
Ralph finally getting a proper outfit, Barry pep talk (weird that I liked it), Cisco/Caitlin/HR/Ralph doing their thing, Joe doing his job, Barry standing on his own without Iris or the team (ok, he had Big Sir as backup): score 8
Legends of Tomorrow: Beebo the God of War (2017)
Beebo the God of War is how you do a mid-season finale
I don't know what's going on with the Legends writers, but whatever it is, keep it up.
After Martin's sacrifice in the crossover, the hilarious start of young Martin outwitting desperate fellow holiday shoppers was absolutely unexpected yet it worked and, in hindsight, it was much needed. That was followed by the crazy premise of rough/tough vikings worshiping a blue, fuzzy, cuddly animatronic children's toy whose shockingly early demise after a round of tossing between Legends was replaced by Darhk in a bad viking wig (ok, to be fair, Nate and Ray looked equally dorky in their hairy get-ups) which was resolved after the team goes through a groundhog-day-style planning session (which included shrinked Ray animating Beebo) and once again saves the day.
But wait, that's not all! In the middle of all that, throw in Leo attempting to help the Legends through their grief with the help of puppet-Martin, trying to get Mick to dry out only to realize that he was working through his own loss of his Mick. I like this Cold/Heatwave pairing because it puts them on equal terms, so Mick isn't overshadowed by Cold. Not that I dislike the original pairing but this works better if they're going to be Legends and not Rogues.
Then there's Jax desperately wanting to warn young Martin who steadfastly relied on his certainty that he would have lived a good life and that was enough for him. Once again the writing didn't fail: young Martin already figured out that he's dead in the Legends' time. Graham McComb was amazing as young Martin, he was Grey when he explained why he didn't read Jax's letter. That was such an incredible and heartbreaking scene, such a beautiful reminder of the man who had so much to live for yet sacrificed himself so others will live. Powerful, powerful stuff. Given what it takes for Firestorm to exist, I was still surprised at Jax's decision. I hope this isn't the last we see of him, though.
Beebo the God of War is a perfect reflection of Legends. It provided laughs, tears and twists that don't feel contrived or recycled, and left viewers wanting more. Score: 9.5
(Dear Legends marketing: I would like to buy a Beebo complete with viking wreath. Get on it.)
(Dear Flash: THIS is how you balance humor, drama and twists. You should be ashamed of yourself.)
ETA: Happy Beebo Day! Every day!
Legends of Tomorrow: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4 (2017)
Martin and Jax, Mick and Leo, Leo and Ray v. Olicity, WA, DA/OG
Hats off to Victor Garber and Franz Drameh for Martin's heartwrenching final scene with Jax. The last time I fugly cried like this was Nora and Barry in the S1 finale. The two death scenes are what DCCWverse is capable of at their best: pulling honest emotions from the viewer. Still. Why the heck can't Martin be allowed to retire and spend his remaining years with Clarissa, Lily and little Ronnie?!
Mick's humor was sorely needed after part 3, and he didn't fail. He and Leo hit it off perfectly. They might be from different Earths, but Cold and Heatwave still got it. Is it me or is Leo staying to get Mick to become a law-abiding citizen? Hoping that while Capt. Cold is gone, Citizen Cold might be appearing again.
Leo and Ray was a surprise: they weren't written as the typical CW pairing full of juvenile navel-contemplation, so that makes them light years better than Olicity, WA and even DA/OG.
Then there's the rest of the ep.
I hope this is the last time we see Tom Cavanagh's RF, because that well has run dried. RF came across as one-note; there's no depth to him. He wasn't even villainous, he was just another bad guy. His role could have been played by a no-name Earth-X scientist and it would have been the same. And Barry letting him go?! WHY?! Since we're not sure where in the timeline he's from, we have no clue if it's because Barry has to let Thawne play out his role in the timeline or if Barry is just that stupid. I'm going with the latter.
Another sign there wasn't enough plot for a 4-show crossover: the amount of relationship fillers which were boring, bringing the crossover to a screeching halt every time they're on screen. They made Sara's pragmatic outlook a breath of fresh air, likewise Leo and Ray sensible relationship. They're mature adults while the others are whiny, overgrown teenagers. And that double wedding just felt vapid after Martin's funeral.
Diggle: I can't believe he was completely sidelined until he was needed to marry the 4 nimrods. He didn't even get an invite but Barry and Iris want him to marry them now. Riiiiight.
Kara: is it me or was she sideline a lot for this crossover? That whole back and forth captured, escaped, surrendered, rescued got boring fast.
Big rescue and fight were a big meh, except for the Legends during the rescue and KF/Amaya/Zari boarding evil Waverider.
This crossover was better than the Invasion which was a low bar. It started with a bang and while it didn't end with a whimper, it could have been better. It did open up a couple of interesting possibilities, and there will be repercussions as opposed to everyone back to normal like previous crossovers.
Score: 7.5
The Flash: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 3 (2017)
Middle ep is middling.
43 minutes and not 1 second of Mick to be had. There were a few fun bits:
+ interactions of the captured heroes locked up in StarLabs
+ everything with Leo
+ Flash and The Ray stopping Red Tornado, though I don't think we should be happy that they succeeded? Hope it was just a temporary set back for Earth-X good guys.
+ Martin's heroic sacrifice
And that was it.
This and the Arrow's ep exposed the problem of a 4 hour crossover: there's not enough plot to warrant 4 hours and not everyone is needed. So it ends up with a lot of fillers. And unlike part 1, these were just a rehash of those fillers.
Score: 7
Arrow: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2 (2017)
Too much Olicity, Iris and lame fights
Martin/Jax convo about Firestorm and Alex and Kara's were heartbreaking. Unfortunately, it was part of a string of relationships convos between Oliver and Felicity, Alex and Sara, and Felicity and Iris, that's too much packed in at once. Luckily Mick was there to break up the maudlin atmosphere. I like they're sorta kinda make the HeatWave/KF pairing for the lolz.
SuperArrow-X was interesting, as was their RF who turns out to be E1-Thawne. So where in the timeline did this Thawne come from?!
+ That moment where SG and Flash arrives at the scene first and they have to wait awkwardly for Arrow to show up a moment later is why I really really really want a true crossover of these 3 and not this mishmash of everyone from all 4 shows. You know, a true superhero crossover.
- The whole dragged out fight at the warehouse as a cover-up for the attack on StarLabs was just that: dragged out and boring. And if Wally is busy protecting Joe and Cecile, why wasn't Iris with them? All she did was the same thing she does every week: she's just there. Only this time with the added Felicity convos which were the boring fillers they always are.
+ Again, Mick was there to save us from Felicity and Iris with his mustard, and it was Caitlin who made the effort to fine it for him. I won't mind a running theme of Heatwave/KF/Caitlin in future crossovers.
- Too bad it wasn't Matt Letscher as RF. He would have made a better RF after his fantastic run on LoT. This RF was meh, they need to stop dipping to the Tom Cavanagh well so much because it's dry by now.
--- Even I know what a crock Felicity not wanting marry Oliver is and that it's nothing more than cheap melodrama. Olicity remains the screen-wasting filler it always is.
Rickhard's efforts to suppress a possible lisp and Amell's efforts to suppress his naturally high-pitched voice really makes them hard to understand most of the time. Their scenes might improve if they had subtitles.
Too much action that went on way too long, needed more Mick, heroes all defeated too easily (come on!), suffered from middle-part syndrome. Score: 7
Supergirl: Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1 (2017)
Other than Supergirl's supporting characters not named Sara getting the shaft
this was a good start.
That opening scene was like the consequences of the 11/8/16 election on Earth-X.
+ King Shark!!!
+ Oliver/Barry scene! They still got that bromance going. Too bad they don't get to do this much outside of crossovers.
+ Cisco and HR should get a room or put a ring on it already.
+ Clarissa!!! Holy cow, they finally let her on screen!!! That was a beautiful moment with Jax and all the Steins together.
+ Joe's speech was typical Papa Joe, ie it made you tear up. You just have to ignore the incesty reminder.
+ Various members of Legends and Supergirl sleeping over at Chez Wests and Steins. Looks like Martin will have to burn that robe Mick borrowed, heh.
+ Cool: the Greatest American Hero marrying Barry and Iris.
- Not cool: effing Nazis killing the Greatest American Hero turned padre. That's a big fat thumb way way way down.
+++ DAT attack!!! The sweet sweet moves by everyone, especially Wally, Overgirl and Kara's laser-eyes off which could kill the first one who blinks, the Killer Frost/Heatwave and Sara/Alex tandems.
+ Good thing they had a handy dandy memory wiper courtesy of the Legends, because the guests got more than an eyeful of exposed secret IDs.
--- Why wasn't Ralph invited?!
Alternating between fun, heartwarming and action-packed, this was a great part 1. Score: 9
Legends of Tomorrow: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Mick, MickDaddy, Grodd and Martin v. Grodd?!
Hats way way off to Dominic Purcell and Evans Jones, they nailed the father-son similarities/dynamics which provided the comedy AND the drama. The unspoken trauma of Rory's past is made palpable by Purcell's nuanced acting, telling so much yet still maintaining the character's trademark don't-give-a-crap toughness. By the end of the ep, you want nothing more than a better history for both men. Also, love the parallel between Mick, Dick and Grodd: circumstances beyond their control made them into monsters. But if Mick can turn himself around, then so can Dick. Remains to be seen if stopping Dick from killing the villagers will change Mick's history.
Somehow, the writers did the impossible: de-power everyone so there's money for all the Grodd scenes but still make everyone interesting and all their story lines coherently meshing together. That's a lot of balls they were juggling what with Amaya dealing with the Kuasa dilemma/Grodd-inspired lightbulb (I like this reminder of Grodd's origin and that he's not just an angry super gorilla), comatose Sara most of the ep until Grodd took control which was settled by Newton (yeah, that Newton) who was there along with Galileo and Curie so Martin can confab with them for a Firestorm solution, Jax re-learning to stand on his own sans Firestorm/saving the prez, Nate babysitting the situation with Mick/Dick/Grodd's followers, and Zari and the villager who just wanted peace for her people.
Eye candy of the ep: the juxtaposition from Grodd claiming he wants to help humanity followed by that diabolical expression. VFX team did an amazing job there.
Will be interesting to see if the team-up of Darkh and Grodd will be as compelling as last year's Legion of Doom.
This was a really different ep for LoT but it worked. Score: 8.9
Legends of Tomorrow: Helen Hunt (2017)
Real history, strong women NOT at the expense of the men, body swap
Helen Hunt was never advertised as a showcase for the women, yet it was. And it did so without painting the men in a totally negative light nor sidelined them. Sara, Amaya and Zari have always been kickass, so this focus on them is just an extension rather than shoehorned. They were strong and awesome just by being themselves and doing their thing. Meanwhile, the guys waited as backup, and when it was time, they showed up and did their part. Look at that, both sexes working solo and together. Don't know what's more empowering than that.
Also, Amaya didn't get angry at Ray for keeping a secret from her!!!! That alone shows how superior the writing is compared to that speedster show.
Big kudos for shining a light on the much ignored contribution of Hedy Lamar. If anyone think it's all fake, just google her name. It makes for an amazing read.
Drameh was great as an OTT Martin, and we got to see Martin in the Firestorm suit to fend off a double-Darhk attack! YES! I hope they'll have a bts on the DVD from Garber about wearing that suit.
Amaya's relation to Kuasa was a surprise, just please don't make her history more complicated than Flash's timeline.
A fun ep that kept the ball rolling while still giving the spotlight to the characters, and gave a nifty ending for Helen. Score: 9.2
The Flash: When Harry Met Harry... (2017)
Little S1 call-backs, not so boring multi-Wells, dyno fight
Ralph continues to be a great fit for Flash. His lewd, crude personality + the team's annoyingly good2shoeness made the ep go by in a flash. His interactions with Barry were fun, not to mention it's good to see Barry interact with someone other than Iris. Also, props to Hartley Sawyer. It takes a real man to wear that suit. In public. And recorded for posterity.
Consistent and relevant is the theme of this ep with Barry's S1 mugger making a painfully funny reprisal and the therapist returns for a round of Ralph hypno-info.
Little touches of established relationship instead of the anvil to the head: Caitlin/Cisco's making faces at each other, and Joe/Barry at the crime scene.
Given how Wells 2.0 lost his eye, HR got off lightly with Jessie only kicking him off her team. Speaking of, the Council of Wells wasn't as boring or self-indulgent as I feared.
Clever way of working in a product placement.
This is the best ep of the season. It's light, fun, has little touches of S1 (in a good way), while progressing Ralph's heroic development. The villain was interesting as was her power. That dino sequence was pretty amazing. Score: 8.2
Inhumans: ...And Finally: Black Bolt (2017)
Goodbye indeed
There was more Lockjaw which is always good. Triton as Black Bolt's personal henchman makes sense, he's really good at stealth and kicking @ss.
As much as I hate what they did to Gorgon and the Karnak/Gorgon dynamic, I did appreciate their relationship is what pulled Gorgon from choosing to die with the city. So even though the series ends with this hanging thread, it's reasonable to imagine Karnak will find a way to make Gorgon whole again.
Unfortunately, Gorgon wasn't the only one to get a crappy ending. Yes, Eldrac is a very minor character, more plot device than anything else. But he has a name and a voice, and we know teleporting causes him pain. I hope what he said about himself and the city is true, otherwise he's stuck alone on the moon for eternity. Either way, it's a sh!tty end for someone who saved his people from death. Of course, if there is going to be a 2nd season, I'm sure he's how Maximus gets to Earth. But he'll still be struck alone on the moon.
That speech from Black Bolt/Medusa was so bad. But if the people of Attilan accepted the caste system and Maximus as their savior from Black Bolt, then Black Bolt claiming to save them from Maximus is just another day in Attilan.
That Medusa/Maximus scene was to give her the spotlight and that's how it felt. Because for sure, she wasn't going to get him to change his mind and what was she distracting him from? 4 of her family standing around in the control room.
Auran has become a gray character, so if there's a 2nd season, she'll be the wildcard. She definitely became more interesting once she realized Maximus wanted to be Inhuman.
As a series ender, this kind of did a good job of wrapping things up. Score: 6.9
Legends of Tomorrow: Return of the Mack (2017)
Props to Mick for reading Dracula - the prose isn't easy on modern brains
Mick and his Dracula (the book) focus was vintage Mick, bringing the laugh but never distracting. The same goes for Jax and Ray stumbling to find a way to separate Firestorm which also served to move the plot along for Martin's eventual exit.
Darhk and his watch, and fighting to R&B music were good signs that he'll be more like LoT Darhk and not Arrow Darhk.
Sir Richard Stein was a clever way of getting screen time for Garber without it feeling shoehorned.
Rip stopping time with his doohickey was cool!
Not feeling revisiting Sara/Darhk. Ditto with Rip repeating the same mistakes.
For those who care about this kind of thing, the Amaya/Zari scenes passed the Bechtel test. (This is how it's done, Flash.)
This was a fun, scary ep that moved the various story lines along. Score: 9
The Flash: Girls Night Out (2017)
For a better portrayal of strong women, skip this ep and watch LoT's Helent Hunt instead*
First, the good parts. Ralph saved the guys from a bachelor party more appropriate for the geriatric set. I admit, I was siding with Ralph on this. The virgins-in-the-guardroom expressions on their faces as they enter the Golden Booty was perfect. The hand sanitizer was another fun nod to Cisco/HR. Of course, there's drunk/sad (but in a funny way) Barry proclaiming his secret (ha!) ID to everyone. Only on Flash would jail be an odd but fitting place for a Joe/Barry convo about parenthood, which ends with Harry casually walking in to spring the guys out, including Ralph although kind of begrudgingly.
Caitlin/Killer Frost spill some truths about her and Iris and had some fun lines. She sounded vaguely disappointed that she didn't kill anyone during her stint as Amunet's muscle. Remains to be seen if Amunet's comment about coming out of the closet means anything.
Now the bad parts: Iris, Felicity and Cecile as replacement Barry, HR, Cisco and Joe, with Caitlin's story used as a prop to showcase how awesome these 3 are. Unfortunately, the only message from this is: what's the point of them if they're just female versions of the guys. Everything about the girls' part is hokey and forced. Let the countdown begin for Cecile's wrath when she finds out about Joanie. The whole Iris-sees-the good-in-Caitlin and Caitlin having no one to turn to is a pile of bull because Iris never gave much thought for Caitlin, and Caitlin conveniently forgets her long time friend Cisco. The scene of Iris and Felicity just standing right next to each other in the warehouse was so artificial, it's like the show just gave up on them. Too bad the show realized only at the end how ridiculous their arc was. And then there's pregnant Cecile manning tech she obviously didn't understand but evidently all she needed to do was push some buttons. Last but not least is that convo between her and Joe. That and the rest of ep with the girls can be summed up as dragged out/unnecessary/forced.
Brain farts:
Felicity's line re eyeball guy was pretty funny. And the VFX for him was creeeepy. Armen Kervokian keeps hitting it out of the park.
Sackhoff reminds me of Minnie Driver's character's accent on Will & Grace and Cruella Deville.
Wouldn't it have been simpler and easier to just stick a cut onion under Weeper's nose? Also, he really needs to be rescued asap.
Basically Ralph and the boys' antics saved this from being yet another boring Iris ep. Score: 5
* 11/14/17 ETA: LoT's Helen Hunt shows what complete B.S. this ep was. The writers must really hate women to pass this tripe as strong female representation. Score: 1
Inhumans: Havoc in the Hidden Land (2017)
Character swap and odd motivations and Inzombie, oh why?
Black Bolt: has secret plan and hideout. Never thought he'd be that smart.
Medusa: pulled a we-Iris. Just because she married the king doesn't mean she's co-ruler. And the only thing that makes sense re her stance on Maximus is because she's also a human like him.
Triton: glad he's alive and was pretty kick-ass, but Gorgon died for nothing.
Crystal: she/her storyline are extremely dangerous to the eyes, because mine almost rolled out of the sockets when she enacted her Shakespearean tragedy over surfer dude. She is enough to make Inhumans deserving of cancellation.
Auran: she flipped pretty quick. Too quick. Or are we supposed to believe that her supposed disappointment with Maximus was enough to break her away from him?
Karnak/Gorgon: I guess sex and marijuana fixed Karnak's brain damage. I was wondering why they're dragging Gorgon around like that. On one hand, the show actually did a semi-OK job of showing how Karnak got to the point that he would do that to Gorgon. On the other hand, if that's actually how they end Gorgon's storyline, then Disney/Marvel an eff themselves.
Medusa's and Auran's OOC motivations, swapping out Gorgon for Triton, woe-is-me Crystal and Gorgon's change made this ep the most unpleasant to watch.
Score: 6
Legends of Tomorrow: Phone Home (2017)
Little Ray, big Ray and baby Gumball made this ep.
Routh and Fisher (the kid who played little Ray) were an amazing tandem, bringing the vulnerability of a lonely childhood, the strength to keep believing in the good of others, and the undeniable sadness of losing your first friend. They and Gumball brought the teary eyes. As a homage to ET, I don't think Spielberg would have any complaints.
Not sure if those 4 nameless agents were from the Time Bureau or not, but their end scene was yet another LoT original: doing the Good Morning number from Singing in the Rain all the while looking slightly bewildered. I sure wasn't expecting it. And it worked!
Martin, Jax and Mick's plot B was just as endearing. Though how Martin could think that Jax or any one else would stand in his way?! Good thing Mick was in on this, because no way Jax and Martin would think of leaving in the middle of a mission.
Everyone got their moments and none of it felt like a list being checked off. Mick approving of little Ray's theft, Nate almost knocking boots with mom-inator, Amaya's and Sara' homages to Aliens, Martin becoming a granddaddy (and saying Clarissa's name! Seriously, I thought she got erased she's been such a non-appearance), all worked as individual moments and as part of the overall story.
Score: 9.2
But I call b.s. on the ship having only O.N.E. bathroom. Seriously!?