Discuss and Rate the Last Thing You Watched (non-movies)
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Who can still, y'know, fly. Point stands.Addendum_Forthcoming said:
Okay, but again, different magic, different ponies. There's nothing wrong with having a specialized school that focuses exclusively on certain subjects. We've never seen any earth ponies or pegasi doing the things that unicorns have with their horns (not that I recall at least).
I'm sure those subjects are still studied.
Except where else have we seen segregation? Cherilee's class seems pretty diverse.
Maybe, but again, wasn't part of the school destroyed?
Naysay is an arse, and I doubt we're meant to see him as anything other than being an arse, but he at least has an understandable, if not sympathetic mindset, given Equestria's history of being invaded. This being in the presence of one species that's invaded at least twice (changelings), one that's implied to have done its fair share of looting and plundering (dragons), and the griffons, while not antagonistic, I think were depicted as being an insular state prior to Pinkie and Rainbow visiting.
Yeah, but when was Naysay put in the position to run his mouth?
I've applied for various jobs over the years (still am, though I've at least got employment), and a common question is "demonstrate your understanding EEO principles." So, I can wax lyrical about how one shouldn't discrimiante based on gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc., but that doesn't mean I necessarily believe it (which I do, don't worry). In theory, I could easily lie on the application, but not believe in the stuff I'm writing. Naysay being an arse doesn't preclude him getting a position of power.
Being a play, I'm guessing that the character traits are exagerated. Remember Richard III? Shakespeare's depiction of him is...let's say, "creative," compared to what's actually known about Dick III.
Though if it's shown as being otherwise in EU material, I can't comment.
Yeah, and then there's Gilda. And when Pinkie and Rainbow visit, the griffons aren't shown as being particuarly nice. Gabby is an exception to the rule. The "rule" may have changed since then though.
Rarity has changed in elements of her character, but she's still fundamentally the same character. Rarity may still be less prissy, but she's still really into fashion, and still a drama queen, albeit to a lesser extent. Same applies to Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow. Their core personalities remain, all that's changed is elements of them. If you want an example of really dramatic character change in a children's cartoon, look at Avatar: The Last Airbender. Going for the big guns, characters like Aang and Zuko are drastically different characters by the end of the series than they were at the start.
I don't begrudge MLP for this - it's an open-running series with no set end, so it's hard to plan for character development down the line. Plus, as it's marketed primarily towards children, you'd probably want the characters' personalities to remain stable. And after all, looking at something like Simpsons or South Park, is anyone changing for Homer to get off his arse, or Cartman to not be a repugnant human being? I'm not. There's something to be said for characters remaining stable in a non-serialized show. But again, if we're talking about character development in the series, I'd say that Sunset and Starlight have probably had the most - compared to their old selves, they've pretty much done a 180.
How? The original point was that non-ponies were still being taught by ponies as established in the first season.Hawki said:
I never said anything about the validity of that flight school... but I would remark as to this aspect of the discussion that it totally makes sense for such a school to look at both mechanical and non-pegasi flight assuming they wanted to teach both adults and juveniles.
There's nothing wrong with it... but it's the only school of magic we know of in Equestria. If a country had only one school for studying visual arts, you'd hope it would be a pretty fantastic and comprehensive university.
Schools branch out into niches, correct... but not at the cost of a curriculum and academic pursuit.
Celestia's school seems more a glorified library rather than a place of study.
Are they? After all... Starlight didn't need it to basically destroy Equestria.
Absolutely. As I was saying before, Cheerilee is best teacher and science mare. But never seen her teach magic.
Yeah... I think I kind of addressed this point in the first post I wrotr about the episode about my time working in the Department of Education. How I think the show sends the wrong message... because I wouldn't be very impressed. But then again, the difference is I'd be angry how truant students unreported by teachers went on to destroy part of the school... and it wouldn't matter about their race.
Well frankly I cam't see it as sympathetic. It might be because I've worked as an official, but we're paid to do a job. Not abuse our power or to commit bias crime. It should be seen as a transgression of public good will. As I was saying, you can't let this shit slide. And for whatever meandering excuses for it, quite clearly are irrelevant to Equestria's current state. They wouldn't be excusable even if they were.
For an episode about bureaucracy being bad... the thing is those protocols are a two way street in making sure the system isn't rife with bigoted people with too much power. There are a multitude of countries on Earth... that have been invaded, that face geopolitical competitors, and yet would sack said official.
It kind of does when said bias crime is laid to bare. No one is saying bigoted arseholes do not achieve positions of power... but that doesn't distance the necessity to act when you do see it.
Which is precisely my point. Platinum is different in different materials, and is rubbished actively by ponies regardless of seeming differences. And they're intentionally rubbished for a reason. It turns oit Puddinghead turned into a really good administrator for Earth ponies wiyh a bit of dutiful prodding and semi-guidance. Leading to questions whether they were mad or secretly brilliant and mad.
And quite clearly you don't see ponies treating Gabby worse solely because they once met a Gilda. In the same way I doubt Earth ponies in Ponyville that suffered at the hands of Trixie don't roll their eyes st Starlight moving into their village and aaying; "Great... there goes the neighbourhood."
And Earth ponies in Ponyville, at least prior Sparklr getting a crown, were the dominant tribe in Ponyville.
They had the wealthiest aspects of village commerce, the mayor runs unopposed, Cheerilee heads up the local school, Apple family (while fairly poor) are still the largest land owners in the region. So Earth ponies had cornered all aspects of the means of production and the politicsl power to maintain its perpetuity of industrial-social mechanics.
Yet, as Maud adequately demonstrates Earth ponies aren't necessarily perturbed by other tribes... or even all that judgmental...
Clearly the moral metrics are on how a pony acts. And I doubt Maud would have knowingly assisted Starlight if she explicitly said she was going to steal the magic of an entire village. If anything it lives up to those old creator notes about how Earth ponies are supposed to be fair minded, and more resilient to temptations to do harm. And this shapes their world view of others and they just assume other creatures will act decently if given opportunity.
Which is problematic for the idea that they hold grudges when they seem to be the largest of the three tribes.
I haven't seen Avatar so I can't comment... and it seems like a lot of adjoined material I need to get through to understand the point. But just to talk about Starlight and Sunset... it's kind of hard to have former villains not do a 180. I think I made a comment before how if Queen Chrysalis is no longer a villain, at least give her spikes where perhaps not like Discord, at least while not antagonistic just in general not exactly unbegrudging.
Regardless ... it's a bit hard to compare former villains to the Mane 6 to begin with.... in the same way the Doctor's companions in Doctor Who undergo more growth because individually they are expected to trundle off, often less than a total season after their introduction.
ReBoot.The.Guardian.Code.S01E01 - 1/10:
It's SHIT. I mean, holy shit it's shit.
NOTHING to do with ReBoot.
Shitty, teenager, acting.
Shitty, generic, CGI.
Shitty, Dollar Store, Power Rangers.
Just...yikes. I think The Last Airbender movie was better than this shitty shit shidwich.
It's SHIT. I mean, holy shit it's shit.
NOTHING to do with ReBoot.
Shitty, teenager, acting.
Shitty, generic, CGI.
Shitty, Dollar Store, Power Rangers.
Just...yikes. I think The Last Airbender movie was better than this shitty shit shidwich.
Where's Equestria actually demonstrated any mechanical flight though? I don't think we've seen anything more advanced than zepplins.Addendum_Forthcoming said:
Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.
1) As you've already pointed out, Starlight has a high level of raw magical ability. She can afford to skip a few lessons.
2) Starlight destroying Equestria was more due to the knock-on effect of her preventing the Mane 6 from forming - Nightmare Moon, Sombra, etc. did the actual destroying in the alternate timelines.
Probably because it's a specialized field that only unicorns can really use actively?
Think of it this way - Cherilee's school is your general public school. Celestia's is more like the eqivalent of a STEM school (or art school, or any other school that has a specific focus).
Yeah, but Ponyville was founded by earth ponies, so makes sense they got into positions of power.
As for Maud, I don't think her attitude can be considered typical of earth ponies (or any type of pony for that matter).
Y'know, upon reflection, how many companions in Doctor Who actually undergo a character arc? The Doctor certainly changes between incarnations, but as for companions...sorry, I can't think of any. It struck me as less the companions undergoing an arc per se, and more just becoming the best version of themselves, if that makes sense.
Watched the first 2 episodes of the new season of Jessica Jones. It feels like a perfectly organic continuation. Krysten Ritter is still impeccable as the burnt out, bitchy, unstable alcoholic, and everything I liked about the first season is still there. It's pretty interesting how they make her decision at the end of season 1, which was widely criticized, a central part of her character now. I didn't watch the Defenders because Luke Cage bored me and Iron Fist was apparently bad, and the reception of Defenders wasn't extatic either to my understanding.
Diplomacy (4/5)
So, thanks to this thread, I can finally discuss stage plays. So, now I get to discuss Diplomacy by Cyril Gely, depicting the discussions between Raoul Nordling and Dietrich von Choltitz, specifically the attempts by the former to get the latter to not follow Hitler's order to level Paris in response to advancing Allied forces. So, admittedly right there that's part of why I can't say I love this play, because I know ahead of time that Paris isn't going to be blown up.
So, alright then, surely the dialogue carries the play then, and we get a nice discussion about the morality and legality of certain actions in wartime? Well, we do...except that a lot of the time it feels like we're getting the same discussion over and over again. The play goes for 90 minutes without an interval, and even then it feels like a lot of the run time (if that's the word) is being stretched to accomodate that. Also feels rushed in some areas, in that the penultimate scene is von Choltitz fearing that Nordling's betrayed him as Allied tanks go rumbling down the street, then cut to black, then monologues from the cast revealing that everything worked out. I get that in a play you have a far more limited scale to work with, but...yeah.
Still, play's good. Not "great," but "good." As someone who still remembers 'The King's Choice' from last year, which had a similar principle of Norweigen and German diplomats trying to get Norway to accept the inevitable, this is a far better experience.
So, thanks to this thread, I can finally discuss stage plays. So, now I get to discuss Diplomacy by Cyril Gely, depicting the discussions between Raoul Nordling and Dietrich von Choltitz, specifically the attempts by the former to get the latter to not follow Hitler's order to level Paris in response to advancing Allied forces. So, admittedly right there that's part of why I can't say I love this play, because I know ahead of time that Paris isn't going to be blown up.
So, alright then, surely the dialogue carries the play then, and we get a nice discussion about the morality and legality of certain actions in wartime? Well, we do...except that a lot of the time it feels like we're getting the same discussion over and over again. The play goes for 90 minutes without an interval, and even then it feels like a lot of the run time (if that's the word) is being stretched to accomodate that. Also feels rushed in some areas, in that the penultimate scene is von Choltitz fearing that Nordling's betrayed him as Allied tanks go rumbling down the street, then cut to black, then monologues from the cast revealing that everything worked out. I get that in a play you have a far more limited scale to work with, but...yeah.
Still, play's good. Not "great," but "good." As someone who still remembers 'The King's Choice' from last year, which had a similar principle of Norweigen and German diplomats trying to get Norway to accept the inevitable, this is a far better experience.
Star Trek: Discovery - 1/5
I'm still trying to put my thoughts on the series in a concise manner currently but as it stands I see Discovery as one of the weaker starts of the Trek series but without any of the interesting aspects that I can get out of even Season 1 of TNG. Even as an action series I find it lacking in it's execution.
A reliance on contrived drama, an ill-thought out and rushed main plot that prioritises twists and shock moments regardless of how much sense they make, using none of the advantages a serialised plot should have. The main character's backstory and persona are a contradiction with itself let alone Trek as a whole. In lieu of any point to the main story outside of explosions and deaths it's been the most jingoistic the franchise has gotten with it's portrayal of the Klingons, and the character reveals leave the story borderline incoherent.
There are some okay character moments with the supporting cast here and there, but it's not enough to carry it to the finish line for me.
I'm still trying to put my thoughts on the series in a concise manner currently but as it stands I see Discovery as one of the weaker starts of the Trek series but without any of the interesting aspects that I can get out of even Season 1 of TNG. Even as an action series I find it lacking in it's execution.
A reliance on contrived drama, an ill-thought out and rushed main plot that prioritises twists and shock moments regardless of how much sense they make, using none of the advantages a serialised plot should have. The main character's backstory and persona are a contradiction with itself let alone Trek as a whole. In lieu of any point to the main story outside of explosions and deaths it's been the most jingoistic the franchise has gotten with it's portrayal of the Klingons, and the character reveals leave the story borderline incoherent.
There are some okay character moments with the supporting cast here and there, but it's not enough to carry it to the finish line for me.
Arrow: Season 5 (3/5)
Sigh...
Okay, confession time - I really liked Arrow Season 4. I did. I can accept that I'm in a minority there, but I just don't agree/get/accept many of the criticisms levelled at it. I bring this up because Season 5 feels a lot like a "back to basics" season, and I'd argue that's the root of its problems.
So, we have the new Team Arrow, because we need some new blood. How do I feel about them? They're...okay, I guess, but they feel like pale imitations of what's come before. I have to question some choices though - Ragman's rags can apparently stop a nuke from exploding by covering it, so why the heck should I fear any potential harm that comes his way? Yes, it removes the rags' powers, and he goes off, never to be seen again, so, um, see ya. Then we have Evelynn/Artemis, who could potentially be set up as a twisted inversion of Thea given her affiliation with Chase, but again, underutilized. Rene/Wild Dog is...okay, Curtis is...okay, but feels shoehorned in as someone who started out as a normal tech geek. Oh, and then there's Dinah Drake. The "real" Black Canary because her scream ability is a metahuman ability, because god damn it, we need to appease the comic book purists. I'll admit that Laurel was never my favorite character, but I still liked her, but Dinah's personality is...actually, what is her personality? FFS, Black Siren is in the season and is more interesting because she actually has a character, and has the whole inversion thing going on due to her being the doppleganger of Earth-1 Laurel. But no, I'm meant to like Dinah Drake, because her scream is a superpower, and that's what apparently matters. I'll also point out that it feels really out of place in a team where the characters' abilities are down to personal and/or mental skill, not superpowers (Ragman also has this problem to an extent).
Then we have Adrian "Prometheus" Chase. Someone who's apparently a bigshot in the comics, but here, feels like a poor man's version of Merlyn (Season 1) and Slade (Season 2). As in, combining Merlyn's fighting style with the whole vendetta thing that Slade carried in Season 2. Unfortunately, he falls short in both areas. His 'fighting strategy' is mostly to let Oliver pummel him, only to be forced to be let go as his overall plan is revealed. And the vendetta thing feels shoehorned in - I cared about Slade because he goes from being a good, decent, kickass character in season 1, to a figure in season 2 that's both tragic, but also reprehensible. Season 2 works excellently because we see both versions of Slade play out. Here, Chase's vendetta basically boils down to "daddy issues." Yes, there's some introspection on Oliver's more murderous past, but it comes off as hollow given how quickly Oliver gets over being 'interrogated' and whatnot. And it gets to the point where him always being ahead, knowing exactly how people will act ahead of time, gets tiresome.
As for Slade's quasi redemption at the end of season 5...mixed on that.
Oh, and the season 5 flashbacks. Enough of them. I'm tired of them. The flashbacks haven't been interesting since season 2. If anything, I'd argue they undermine Oliver's "time in hell" considering how little time he apparently did spend on Lian Yu.
Now, you can tell from the rating that I don't hate this season. There is stuff I like in it. Problem is, I'd argue that only the last quarter of the season's run is really interesting, but it soon plateaus. While it's better than Season 3, it's a pale imitation of the show's first two seasons, and comes short when compared to season 4. As I said, I feel this is an attempt at getting "back to basics," but it doesn't do enough new with its premise to make a "back to basics" approach interesting. In a way, the best new character is arguably Talia al'Ghul...because Lexa Doig tends to be awesome in whatever she's in, and "evil sexy British accent" Talia is a fun Talia to interact with, however briefly. Come to think of it, why isn't SHE the antagonist? At least we actually saw Oliver kill Ra's, whereas Chase's daddy has to be retroactively introduced. Heck, even Evelynn would be a more interesting core antagonist. But no, we have Adrian "Prometheus always ahead of you" Chase.
Anyway, rant over. I'll be posting my thoughts on Season 1 of The 100 soon, and unless the season finale take a U-turn, I'll have far more positive things to say about that. So, um, yay.
Sigh...
Okay, confession time - I really liked Arrow Season 4. I did. I can accept that I'm in a minority there, but I just don't agree/get/accept many of the criticisms levelled at it. I bring this up because Season 5 feels a lot like a "back to basics" season, and I'd argue that's the root of its problems.
So, we have the new Team Arrow, because we need some new blood. How do I feel about them? They're...okay, I guess, but they feel like pale imitations of what's come before. I have to question some choices though - Ragman's rags can apparently stop a nuke from exploding by covering it, so why the heck should I fear any potential harm that comes his way? Yes, it removes the rags' powers, and he goes off, never to be seen again, so, um, see ya. Then we have Evelynn/Artemis, who could potentially be set up as a twisted inversion of Thea given her affiliation with Chase, but again, underutilized. Rene/Wild Dog is...okay, Curtis is...okay, but feels shoehorned in as someone who started out as a normal tech geek. Oh, and then there's Dinah Drake. The "real" Black Canary because her scream ability is a metahuman ability, because god damn it, we need to appease the comic book purists. I'll admit that Laurel was never my favorite character, but I still liked her, but Dinah's personality is...actually, what is her personality? FFS, Black Siren is in the season and is more interesting because she actually has a character, and has the whole inversion thing going on due to her being the doppleganger of Earth-1 Laurel. But no, I'm meant to like Dinah Drake, because her scream is a superpower, and that's what apparently matters. I'll also point out that it feels really out of place in a team where the characters' abilities are down to personal and/or mental skill, not superpowers (Ragman also has this problem to an extent).
Then we have Adrian "Prometheus" Chase. Someone who's apparently a bigshot in the comics, but here, feels like a poor man's version of Merlyn (Season 1) and Slade (Season 2). As in, combining Merlyn's fighting style with the whole vendetta thing that Slade carried in Season 2. Unfortunately, he falls short in both areas. His 'fighting strategy' is mostly to let Oliver pummel him, only to be forced to be let go as his overall plan is revealed. And the vendetta thing feels shoehorned in - I cared about Slade because he goes from being a good, decent, kickass character in season 1, to a figure in season 2 that's both tragic, but also reprehensible. Season 2 works excellently because we see both versions of Slade play out. Here, Chase's vendetta basically boils down to "daddy issues." Yes, there's some introspection on Oliver's more murderous past, but it comes off as hollow given how quickly Oliver gets over being 'interrogated' and whatnot. And it gets to the point where him always being ahead, knowing exactly how people will act ahead of time, gets tiresome.
As for Slade's quasi redemption at the end of season 5...mixed on that.
Oh, and the season 5 flashbacks. Enough of them. I'm tired of them. The flashbacks haven't been interesting since season 2. If anything, I'd argue they undermine Oliver's "time in hell" considering how little time he apparently did spend on Lian Yu.
Now, you can tell from the rating that I don't hate this season. There is stuff I like in it. Problem is, I'd argue that only the last quarter of the season's run is really interesting, but it soon plateaus. While it's better than Season 3, it's a pale imitation of the show's first two seasons, and comes short when compared to season 4. As I said, I feel this is an attempt at getting "back to basics," but it doesn't do enough new with its premise to make a "back to basics" approach interesting. In a way, the best new character is arguably Talia al'Ghul...because Lexa Doig tends to be awesome in whatever she's in, and "evil sexy British accent" Talia is a fun Talia to interact with, however briefly. Come to think of it, why isn't SHE the antagonist? At least we actually saw Oliver kill Ra's, whereas Chase's daddy has to be retroactively introduced. Heck, even Evelynn would be a more interesting core antagonist. But no, we have Adrian "Prometheus always ahead of you" Chase.
Anyway, rant over. I'll be posting my thoughts on Season 1 of The 100 soon, and unless the season finale take a U-turn, I'll have far more positive things to say about that. So, um, yay.
The 100: Season 1 (4/5)
Alright, funny story. When The 100 was about to come out, I remember people hating it. As in, not only was this a show primarily dealing with under 18s, but said under 18s looked quite well dressed for being sent to an Earth where a nuclear war destroyed civilization 97 years ago. When the show was actually released, it turned out that being well dressed only lasted for about 1-2 episodes, and it turned out to be quite good...or at least that's what people said, I never got to find out myself until recently. Years after the first season debuted, and years after I learnt through library work that this was actually based on a YA novel series. So, having actually watched the first season, is this show good?
Yeah, pretty much.
That's not to say it's perfect mind you. These are still teenagers on a CW show, which means that the teenagers are going to do teenage things, usually at the end of an episode, and usually with soft music playing in the background. There's also the character of Octavia, who shacks up with three guys over the course of the first season, including a Grounder that has the hots for her, if not so much her people. So, are her actions do to her repressed upbringing, being forced to hide on a spaceship that has a 1 child policy, cut off from outside contact? Or is it because sex sells?
Good question. The answer is yes.
That said, this doesn't happen too often, and while there is a love triangle of sorts with Clarke-Finn-Raven, it never feels too obtrusive to the story, which despite the dramas, is still primarily based around survival on a world that despite expectations, does have human populations who survived the apocalypse, who want to kill the 100 in various, nasty ways. Which means that considering that the 100 landed with 100 (technically 101) prisoners, that's plenty of cannon fodder to be killed off in various ways.
So, there's that. What isn't discussed as often is the story that's going on in the Ark, as the people there have to deal with the space colony giving out, and intercine strife breaking out as well. In a way, I kind of find the Ark narrative more interesting, but both complement each other quite well. What also complements each other is the character arcs of Bellamy and Kane - both are set up on the ground/in space as characters you're meant to hate, with Bellamy taking the 100 down a Lord of the Flies route (no rules, do whatever we want, etc.), and Kane being a stickler for the rules who's quite happy to float people who break them. By the end of the season, Bellamy's been driven by need (the Grounders) to actually rise up to be a good leader, one who's willing to do whatever it takes to keep the 100 safe (bearing in mind that he's the oldest, and these are teenagers who are fighting for their lives) and Kane...well, Kane might be my favorite character on the show (or at least, he's my favorite on the Ark). He goes from basically a heartless drone to someone who does have heartbreaking moments and layers to him. He's set up from the start as someone who you're meant to hate, and by the end, someone who you can't help but root for and sympathize with. Not every character gets the same level of character development (really feel like Wells get's shafted - doesn't help that Clarke seems to forget about him immediately after he dies, despite them being childhood friends, and Diana Sydney should have been introduced much earlier IMO), and I have to question why being on Earth doesn't kill the 100 immediately (they've lived on a spaceship all their lives, pathogens should kill them pretty quickly), but well, can't get everything right. I already have to accept that the apocalypse created giant snakes, two-headed deer, and blue glowing butterflies, so hey, go figure.
So, all in all, very solid first season.
Alright, funny story. When The 100 was about to come out, I remember people hating it. As in, not only was this a show primarily dealing with under 18s, but said under 18s looked quite well dressed for being sent to an Earth where a nuclear war destroyed civilization 97 years ago. When the show was actually released, it turned out that being well dressed only lasted for about 1-2 episodes, and it turned out to be quite good...or at least that's what people said, I never got to find out myself until recently. Years after the first season debuted, and years after I learnt through library work that this was actually based on a YA novel series. So, having actually watched the first season, is this show good?
Yeah, pretty much.
That's not to say it's perfect mind you. These are still teenagers on a CW show, which means that the teenagers are going to do teenage things, usually at the end of an episode, and usually with soft music playing in the background. There's also the character of Octavia, who shacks up with three guys over the course of the first season, including a Grounder that has the hots for her, if not so much her people. So, are her actions do to her repressed upbringing, being forced to hide on a spaceship that has a 1 child policy, cut off from outside contact? Or is it because sex sells?
Good question. The answer is yes.
That said, this doesn't happen too often, and while there is a love triangle of sorts with Clarke-Finn-Raven, it never feels too obtrusive to the story, which despite the dramas, is still primarily based around survival on a world that despite expectations, does have human populations who survived the apocalypse, who want to kill the 100 in various, nasty ways. Which means that considering that the 100 landed with 100 (technically 101) prisoners, that's plenty of cannon fodder to be killed off in various ways.
So, there's that. What isn't discussed as often is the story that's going on in the Ark, as the people there have to deal with the space colony giving out, and intercine strife breaking out as well. In a way, I kind of find the Ark narrative more interesting, but both complement each other quite well. What also complements each other is the character arcs of Bellamy and Kane - both are set up on the ground/in space as characters you're meant to hate, with Bellamy taking the 100 down a Lord of the Flies route (no rules, do whatever we want, etc.), and Kane being a stickler for the rules who's quite happy to float people who break them. By the end of the season, Bellamy's been driven by need (the Grounders) to actually rise up to be a good leader, one who's willing to do whatever it takes to keep the 100 safe (bearing in mind that he's the oldest, and these are teenagers who are fighting for their lives) and Kane...well, Kane might be my favorite character on the show (or at least, he's my favorite on the Ark). He goes from basically a heartless drone to someone who does have heartbreaking moments and layers to him. He's set up from the start as someone who you're meant to hate, and by the end, someone who you can't help but root for and sympathize with. Not every character gets the same level of character development (really feel like Wells get's shafted - doesn't help that Clarke seems to forget about him immediately after he dies, despite them being childhood friends, and Diana Sydney should have been introduced much earlier IMO), and I have to question why being on Earth doesn't kill the 100 immediately (they've lived on a spaceship all their lives, pathogens should kill them pretty quickly), but well, can't get everything right. I already have to accept that the apocalypse created giant snakes, two-headed deer, and blue glowing butterflies, so hey, go figure.
So, all in all, very solid first season.
Finally finished season 4 of Gintama. Unlike the other anime I've completed over the past few weeks, I won't be writing a review for it because I had this season on hold for a long time, before jumping back in in the middle of the Shogun arc, so my memory of half the season is fuzzy, and therefore, I won't be able to write a very accurate review.
I'll say this though: when I put it on hold back then, I had initially thought that it's just the usual hijinks as per usual, even when I started watching the Shogun arc. But of course, I was wrong. Things do feel like they are coming to an end with Gintama. Lots of significant plot-development can be found here in the final two story arcs, and boy, are they amazing. Gintama remains as the prime example of shounen anime done right. It embodies everything awesome about shounen anime and that hot-blooded spirit in keeping your chivalry alive.
Definitely can't wait to get started on the next season.
9/10
I'll say this though: when I put it on hold back then, I had initially thought that it's just the usual hijinks as per usual, even when I started watching the Shogun arc. But of course, I was wrong. Things do feel like they are coming to an end with Gintama. Lots of significant plot-development can be found here in the final two story arcs, and boy, are they amazing. Gintama remains as the prime example of shounen anime done right. It embodies everything awesome about shounen anime and that hot-blooded spirit in keeping your chivalry alive.
Definitely can't wait to get started on the next season.
9/10
Binged most of Jessica Jones season 2 today, all the way to the end, because damn those cliffhangers.
I have to say this season took some very unexpected and strange turns. In a good way. But even talking about what makes this season special requires spoiling vital plot points, so in non-spoiler summation: It's really good. Not as good as the first season since David Tennant is no longer present, but the acting, characters and story remain great. Hogarth's plotline feels a bit out of place and crowbarred in, like the writers were desperate to give her something to do. Also, JJ should rename her firm to Alienation investigations, because that's what she spends most of the season doing. The season also feels a bit stretched with 13 episodes. 10 would have been perfectly enough, with 13 the material feels a bit stretched, and a couple of subplots seem thrown in just to pad the runtime.
I have to say this season took some very unexpected and strange turns. In a good way. But even talking about what makes this season special requires spoiling vital plot points, so in non-spoiler summation: It's really good. Not as good as the first season since David Tennant is no longer present, but the acting, characters and story remain great. Hogarth's plotline feels a bit out of place and crowbarred in, like the writers were desperate to give her something to do. Also, JJ should rename her firm to Alienation investigations, because that's what she spends most of the season doing. The season also feels a bit stretched with 13 episodes. 10 would have been perfectly enough, with 13 the material feels a bit stretched, and a couple of subplots seem thrown in just to pad the runtime.
The thing I appreciate most about this season, especially considering its ties to the MCU, was the decision to not have a villain. What initially seems like a rather typical "taking down the sinister corporation" type thing turns into an incredibly twisted family drama and later a manhunt story. The story was really well written in how you see and understand everyone's perspective, and really can't pick a side. Just like how there's no villain, neither is there a good guy: many of the characters move through multiple shades of grey during the season, whether with Karl's well-intended but catastrophically botched experiments, Hogarth's altruism getting rewarded with betrayal, and her repaying with utterly ruthless manipulation, or Jessica's inability to keep even her small life together pushing her to harder and harder choices. There are a couple of dumb plot points, like Cheng trying to outright kill Alisa instead of reporting her to the authorities when he finds out where she is, or the warden being just a dick (I was sure the reveal would be that he was a friend of Cheng's, like the one Alisa kills, and Cheng uses this for his revenge).
The dynamic of Jessica having to choose between her two families was well written and believable. This is greatly helped by Alisa's writing, since she's genuinely smart, charming, caring; a person you'd like to hang out with. But she's also a superpowered, unstable, psychotic killing machine. I really felt for Jessica when she was unable to make a decision on the matter.
The dynamic of Jessica having to choose between her two families was well written and believable. This is greatly helped by Alisa's writing, since she's genuinely smart, charming, caring; a person you'd like to hang out with. But she's also a superpowered, unstable, psychotic killing machine. I really felt for Jessica when she was unable to make a decision on the matter.
Cobra Kai - 8/10
I've never really been all that big on Karate Kid (though far be it from me to dispute its status as an 80's classic) and I'm usually very suspicious of long-after-the-fact sequels... but hot damn, this was an awesome show. As self-aware as it is unapologetically nostalgic, as nuanced in its characterizations and plot as it shamelessly engages in some good old 1980's formulaic cheese, this is a love letter to the original... and it shows.
I've never really been all that big on Karate Kid (though far be it from me to dispute its status as an 80's classic) and I'm usually very suspicious of long-after-the-fact sequels... but hot damn, this was an awesome show. As self-aware as it is unapologetically nostalgic, as nuanced in its characterizations and plot as it shamelessly engages in some good old 1980's formulaic cheese, this is a love letter to the original... and it shows.
Shirley Valentine (5/5)
I debated whether this should be a 4/5 or a 5/5 - you could say it's a 4.5, but I don't go for decimals in these reviews, so, after some thought, 5/5 it is.
Not to say it's perfect mind you. The play is divided into three acts, with the first two happening before intermission, and the third occurring after. The third is easily the weakest, which is something I've noticed with a lot of plays I've seen, that later acts are rarely superior than earlier ones. Whether that's down to writing or actor fatigue, I can't say, but the third act doesn't have the same 'punch' as its predecessors. Granted, this is a one-woman show, so by this stage, the style of delivery is established, as well as the themes, so act 3 is really the codifier.
Still, these are nitpicks. The play is exceptionally solid. It being solid is ultimately going to rely on its actress (the sole character really), who has to mimic numerous other characters, but in this case, she does it expertly, conveying emotions ranging from humour, to melancholia, to everything in-between. So, on that note, excellent job.
I debated whether this should be a 4/5 or a 5/5 - you could say it's a 4.5, but I don't go for decimals in these reviews, so, after some thought, 5/5 it is.
Not to say it's perfect mind you. The play is divided into three acts, with the first two happening before intermission, and the third occurring after. The third is easily the weakest, which is something I've noticed with a lot of plays I've seen, that later acts are rarely superior than earlier ones. Whether that's down to writing or actor fatigue, I can't say, but the third act doesn't have the same 'punch' as its predecessors. Granted, this is a one-woman show, so by this stage, the style of delivery is established, as well as the themes, so act 3 is really the codifier.
Still, these are nitpicks. The play is exceptionally solid. It being solid is ultimately going to rely on its actress (the sole character really), who has to mimic numerous other characters, but in this case, she does it expertly, conveying emotions ranging from humour, to melancholia, to everything in-between. So, on that note, excellent job.
The Flash: Season 3 (3/5)
Ask Arrowverse/Flash fans to rank the seasons of the Flash, and the consensus seems to be 1>2>3. Speaking personally, it's 2>1>3. But that aside, while 2 and 1 are almost interchangeable in terms of quality for me, season 3 is the weak link in the series. It's not the worst Arrowverse season out there (hello, Arrow: Season 3), but it's probably the second worst. And while I don't agree with some of the criticisms labeled against this season (Barry being sad...gee, I wonder why? It's almost as if the season focuses on the question as to whether Iris's death can be averted, and for most of the time, there doesn't seem to be any way to change said future), there are issues I have with it, namely:
-The Flaspoint timeline doesn't last nearly long enough, and raises a heap of questions (Thawne apparently still has his speed after the incident, so shouldn't that invalidate him ever giving Barry powers in the first place?)
-Minor point, but it seems The Flash is going the same way as Dragonball Z did, with Wally and Jesse equaling Barry's speed in a fraction of the time it took for him to get as fast as he is. This doesn't bother me as much as Z, but it's still noticeable.
-So, the premise of this season...I kinda like it. Mostly. While we've got yet another evil speedster as our series antagonist, I at least like the angle it initially goes for - Savitar will kill Iris in 3 months time, cue questions as to whether the future is set or not. To avert the future, the team takes note of news headlines in the future, and seek to alter events. So, fair enough, you've got me. That's an angle the series hasn't gone for before, even if it has dealt with time travel before, including pre-destination paradox/casual loops. So, what's the issue?
-Part of the issue is that this idea barely carries enough momentum to justify a season. The 'future aversion' idea starts off strong, but then falls into the background. There's a sub-plot of Barry training Wally to save Iris instead of him, but this is basically abandoned. Jesse Quick shows up, then goes, then comes, then goes, then...okay, she doesn't really add anything to this season. And Savitar kind of fluctuates between being OP early on, and not OP later. And I bring them up because in seasons 1 and 2, Reverse-Flash and Zoom were shown to be faster than Barry initially, and you can chart his progress in coming to match their speed. Here, there's no sense of buildup. Paradoxically, Savitar seems less powerful after being released from the Speed Force.
-Speaking of the Speed Force, that stuff where Barry goes into it to rescue Wally...no. Just no. It worked in season 2, it doesn't work here. While I get what the writers were going for, it feels like a hollow imitation of what Season 2 did. Plus, the re-use of sets - apparently the Speed Force just likes mimicking CCPD, because even the time-space continuum has a budget.
-Speaking of the time-space continuum, this is the season where any consistency in the rules of time travel is gone - heck, this is even kind of addressed, where it's said "the more you [Barry] travel through time, the less the laws [of time travel] apply to you." And, yeah, that kinda covers it. Eddie's sacrifice in season 1 is well and truly pointless by now, but the season seems to want to have it both ways. Sometimes changing history creates an alternate timeline, sometimes it doesn't. Savitar owes his existence to a temporal loop, but that loop can be broken fairly easily apparently through H.R.'s sacrifice. When Barry travels into the future, but changes his present, does that future still exist as an alternate timeline, or is it negated, because if so, when he meets his future self, it kind of renders the arc of that episode moot. Normally I wouldn't complain too much, but the season is focusing so much on the time travel element, it's impossible to ignore.
There's other pros and cons, but if I had to describe this season in one word, it would be "floundering." It toys with numerous ideas, of fate vs. determination, but it never really delivers on any of them.
Ask Arrowverse/Flash fans to rank the seasons of the Flash, and the consensus seems to be 1>2>3. Speaking personally, it's 2>1>3. But that aside, while 2 and 1 are almost interchangeable in terms of quality for me, season 3 is the weak link in the series. It's not the worst Arrowverse season out there (hello, Arrow: Season 3), but it's probably the second worst. And while I don't agree with some of the criticisms labeled against this season (Barry being sad...gee, I wonder why? It's almost as if the season focuses on the question as to whether Iris's death can be averted, and for most of the time, there doesn't seem to be any way to change said future), there are issues I have with it, namely:
-The Flaspoint timeline doesn't last nearly long enough, and raises a heap of questions (Thawne apparently still has his speed after the incident, so shouldn't that invalidate him ever giving Barry powers in the first place?)
-Minor point, but it seems The Flash is going the same way as Dragonball Z did, with Wally and Jesse equaling Barry's speed in a fraction of the time it took for him to get as fast as he is. This doesn't bother me as much as Z, but it's still noticeable.
-So, the premise of this season...I kinda like it. Mostly. While we've got yet another evil speedster as our series antagonist, I at least like the angle it initially goes for - Savitar will kill Iris in 3 months time, cue questions as to whether the future is set or not. To avert the future, the team takes note of news headlines in the future, and seek to alter events. So, fair enough, you've got me. That's an angle the series hasn't gone for before, even if it has dealt with time travel before, including pre-destination paradox/casual loops. So, what's the issue?
-Part of the issue is that this idea barely carries enough momentum to justify a season. The 'future aversion' idea starts off strong, but then falls into the background. There's a sub-plot of Barry training Wally to save Iris instead of him, but this is basically abandoned. Jesse Quick shows up, then goes, then comes, then goes, then...okay, she doesn't really add anything to this season. And Savitar kind of fluctuates between being OP early on, and not OP later. And I bring them up because in seasons 1 and 2, Reverse-Flash and Zoom were shown to be faster than Barry initially, and you can chart his progress in coming to match their speed. Here, there's no sense of buildup. Paradoxically, Savitar seems less powerful after being released from the Speed Force.
-Speaking of the Speed Force, that stuff where Barry goes into it to rescue Wally...no. Just no. It worked in season 2, it doesn't work here. While I get what the writers were going for, it feels like a hollow imitation of what Season 2 did. Plus, the re-use of sets - apparently the Speed Force just likes mimicking CCPD, because even the time-space continuum has a budget.
-Speaking of the time-space continuum, this is the season where any consistency in the rules of time travel is gone - heck, this is even kind of addressed, where it's said "the more you [Barry] travel through time, the less the laws [of time travel] apply to you." And, yeah, that kinda covers it. Eddie's sacrifice in season 1 is well and truly pointless by now, but the season seems to want to have it both ways. Sometimes changing history creates an alternate timeline, sometimes it doesn't. Savitar owes his existence to a temporal loop, but that loop can be broken fairly easily apparently through H.R.'s sacrifice. When Barry travels into the future, but changes his present, does that future still exist as an alternate timeline, or is it negated, because if so, when he meets his future self, it kind of renders the arc of that episode moot. Normally I wouldn't complain too much, but the season is focusing so much on the time travel element, it's impossible to ignore.
There's other pros and cons, but if I had to describe this season in one word, it would be "floundering." It toys with numerous ideas, of fate vs. determination, but it never really delivers on any of them.
Netflix's The Punisher. I'm not sure I liked it, not really.
The Netflix Marvel shows started off so great. Daredevil was revelatory, doing something totally new to the MCU, and was executed very well. Jessica Jones was just terrific, and Luke Cage, once it got going, was also great (until the somewhat disappointing ending). But DD season 2 had major problems, Iron Fist was a dud, and The Defenders ended up feeling like a huge waste of time. And into this slump comes The Punisher.
Now, while DD season 2 was a very mixed bag, by far the best out of that bag was Frank Castle. The first 4 episodes of the season were some of the best in the Netflix canon, when Punisher is running amok and clashing with Daredevil, both physically and idealogically. And really, I love John Bernthal. I really liked him on The Walking Dead, I was sad he left the show so soon. And he was cast perfectly to play Frank Castle, he's the right combination of imposing physical presence and sympathetic humanity, and he's a brilliant actor. I loved his story in Daredevil. But I'm more iffy on his arc in his own show.
He's less a tortured anti-(very anti)hero and more a kill-crazy asshole. He's more of a dick just to be a dick, to be edgy I guess. I'm not sure why, but the sympathy I had for him in Daredevil as a man so damaged by war and grief that he took the most violent path to exorcise his demons is mostly gone, and now he feels more like a guy who, yes, has lost everything important to him and wants vengeance, but is also very blas? about ending lives. Before, he killed in a fury of agonized passion, but now he's cold and methodical about it. It's just less sympathetic and offers less catharsis to see the bad guys die, and is more worrisome and needlessly gruesome. It may be a small difference, but makes a big impact on how I viewed the show.
Also, how much freaking punishment can he take? I know he's a comic book character, and he's supposed to be a total beast of a man, but my god, he was taking beatings that would cripple an ordinary person and getting right up the next day and going at it again. Immunity to pain is one thing, but by the end his internal organs should have been one big blob of jello.
There's also a major character and plot thread that serves no actual purpose that I can see. Maybe it was about adding a layer to the show's themes, but if it had been removed entirely the plot would hardly be affected. Overall, I am rather disappointed. It's not a bad show, better than Iron Fist and Daredevil season 2, there is a lot I like about it. But after all that promise in DD, the Punisher's first solo outing is less than I expected.
The Netflix Marvel shows started off so great. Daredevil was revelatory, doing something totally new to the MCU, and was executed very well. Jessica Jones was just terrific, and Luke Cage, once it got going, was also great (until the somewhat disappointing ending). But DD season 2 had major problems, Iron Fist was a dud, and The Defenders ended up feeling like a huge waste of time. And into this slump comes The Punisher.
Now, while DD season 2 was a very mixed bag, by far the best out of that bag was Frank Castle. The first 4 episodes of the season were some of the best in the Netflix canon, when Punisher is running amok and clashing with Daredevil, both physically and idealogically. And really, I love John Bernthal. I really liked him on The Walking Dead, I was sad he left the show so soon. And he was cast perfectly to play Frank Castle, he's the right combination of imposing physical presence and sympathetic humanity, and he's a brilliant actor. I loved his story in Daredevil. But I'm more iffy on his arc in his own show.
He's less a tortured anti-(very anti)hero and more a kill-crazy asshole. He's more of a dick just to be a dick, to be edgy I guess. I'm not sure why, but the sympathy I had for him in Daredevil as a man so damaged by war and grief that he took the most violent path to exorcise his demons is mostly gone, and now he feels more like a guy who, yes, has lost everything important to him and wants vengeance, but is also very blas? about ending lives. Before, he killed in a fury of agonized passion, but now he's cold and methodical about it. It's just less sympathetic and offers less catharsis to see the bad guys die, and is more worrisome and needlessly gruesome. It may be a small difference, but makes a big impact on how I viewed the show.
Also, how much freaking punishment can he take? I know he's a comic book character, and he's supposed to be a total beast of a man, but my god, he was taking beatings that would cripple an ordinary person and getting right up the next day and going at it again. Immunity to pain is one thing, but by the end his internal organs should have been one big blob of jello.
There's also a major character and plot thread that serves no actual purpose that I can see. Maybe it was about adding a layer to the show's themes, but if it had been removed entirely the plot would hardly be affected. Overall, I am rather disappointed. It's not a bad show, better than Iron Fist and Daredevil season 2, there is a lot I like about it. But after all that promise in DD, the Punisher's first solo outing is less than I expected.
Parks and Recreation: Season 3 (4/5)
So, haven't discussed this before (I think), but I quite like P&R. The how's and why's are something I'll skip, and I'll focus on this season in particular. So, first question is, "is it good?" And, well, yeah. It is. Granted, I think Season 1 is good as well (I know that's not a popular opinion), but it's Season 2 when the show came into its own for me. Season 3 is effectively more of the same, even if it does dump the whole "we need to build a park" plot point. TBH, there isn't really any core narrative thread in this season, it's more character focused...kind of. As in, there isn't one core character trajectory (except maybe the LesliexBen thing), but the characters generally go places, either in strides or in steps.
Most of the time I like that. Ben might be my favorite character right now, by virtue of being the "straight man" character - the 'normal' character in the sea of insanity. I think the show kind of tried that with Mark in the first two seasons, but Ben is the concept done much better, if only because he does have a character trajectory, and plenty of baggage to go with it. Anne feels better integrated into the plot now, whereas previous seasons kind of went in a "yeah, she's a nurse, but she's at Town Hall a lot of the time because...reasons." Also, while not exactly character growth, I think this season is great for Ron, in as much how his character gets explored. Course, Ron "Fucking" Swanson is awesome regardless, but it makes his paradox work - he's a hardline libertarian that dislikes government, but we see quite a few times that he's still very erudite, and understands how to get the most out of people that work under him. Not that previous seasons didn't do this (even season 1 to an extent), but it feels the most pronounced here. He works for me where April doesn't because...okay, I really dislike April at this point. The whole "I hate/don't care about anything/everything" schtick is really getting old now. Andy at least had some character growth up to this point, but at this point it feels like he's getting dragged down with her. I think April bugs me because she hits close to home - I know what it's like to work with people like her. Ron is apathetic about government, but there's at least an in-universe reason for him to be there. With April, there isn't. Even Tom is still likable to some extent. And Jerry...am I the only one who feels uncomfortable about how everyone picks on him? I mean, part of it is funny, and I do smirk, but I can't help but be reminded that this is actual office bullying. Mark, in a rare moment of character depth, did point this out in season 2, but it's still going on here.
So that's season 3. More character focused than season 2, but doesn't really have a core plot. Being character focused, it has higher highs than season 2, but also lower lows. So, can't say right now if it's better than season 2, but it's still a solid net positive nonetheless. Pawnee's still crazy, but is endearingly crazy.
So, haven't discussed this before (I think), but I quite like P&R. The how's and why's are something I'll skip, and I'll focus on this season in particular. So, first question is, "is it good?" And, well, yeah. It is. Granted, I think Season 1 is good as well (I know that's not a popular opinion), but it's Season 2 when the show came into its own for me. Season 3 is effectively more of the same, even if it does dump the whole "we need to build a park" plot point. TBH, there isn't really any core narrative thread in this season, it's more character focused...kind of. As in, there isn't one core character trajectory (except maybe the LesliexBen thing), but the characters generally go places, either in strides or in steps.
Most of the time I like that. Ben might be my favorite character right now, by virtue of being the "straight man" character - the 'normal' character in the sea of insanity. I think the show kind of tried that with Mark in the first two seasons, but Ben is the concept done much better, if only because he does have a character trajectory, and plenty of baggage to go with it. Anne feels better integrated into the plot now, whereas previous seasons kind of went in a "yeah, she's a nurse, but she's at Town Hall a lot of the time because...reasons." Also, while not exactly character growth, I think this season is great for Ron, in as much how his character gets explored. Course, Ron "Fucking" Swanson is awesome regardless, but it makes his paradox work - he's a hardline libertarian that dislikes government, but we see quite a few times that he's still very erudite, and understands how to get the most out of people that work under him. Not that previous seasons didn't do this (even season 1 to an extent), but it feels the most pronounced here. He works for me where April doesn't because...okay, I really dislike April at this point. The whole "I hate/don't care about anything/everything" schtick is really getting old now. Andy at least had some character growth up to this point, but at this point it feels like he's getting dragged down with her. I think April bugs me because she hits close to home - I know what it's like to work with people like her. Ron is apathetic about government, but there's at least an in-universe reason for him to be there. With April, there isn't. Even Tom is still likable to some extent. And Jerry...am I the only one who feels uncomfortable about how everyone picks on him? I mean, part of it is funny, and I do smirk, but I can't help but be reminded that this is actual office bullying. Mark, in a rare moment of character depth, did point this out in season 2, but it's still going on here.
So that's season 3. More character focused than season 2, but doesn't really have a core plot. Being character focused, it has higher highs than season 2, but also lower lows. So, can't say right now if it's better than season 2, but it's still a solid net positive nonetheless. Pawnee's still crazy, but is endearingly crazy.
Supergirl: Season 2 (3/5)
This season is weird to talk about.
Not so much weird in terms of content (well, no more weird than you'd usually expect from a Superman mythos series), but that its strengths mostly come from lack of superhero stuff, while its weaknesses come at least in part from the superhero stuff.
So, let's start where this season falls flat, and let's start with politics. Now, before you say anything, I don't support the idea that art should be free of politics. If that was true, works like 1984, Brave New World, or heck, even Lord of the Flies, would never exist. The idea that's creeped up in recent times that socio-political issues shouldn't be in fiction of any kind is rediculous, to the point where people are identifying political stances where they're not even there. But make no mistake, Supergirl Season 2 is trying to be political. Problem is, it doesn't do a very good job with it.
First up on the politics agenda is immigration, or more accurately, refugees. Supergirl Season 2 (hence referred to as SS2) wants to draw parallels between aliens coming to Earth (who all speak perfect English, and most of whom are phenotypically identical to humans) and refugees in the real world. Okay, fair enough, sounds interesting. Problem is, it doesn't go beyond the stance of "aliens are fleeing war-torn planets, they should come here." That's...really it. It doesn't really examine this in any form. It doesn't go beyond "let them in." It's not exactly preaching, but if you're going to tackle a subject like refugees or illegal immigration, I'd like to see a bit more finesse to it. A bit more 'meat. Heck, even SS1 addressed it better, with Kara pointing out that yes, she is technically a refugee, and had to spend most of her life fitting into human society at the cost of her own nature as a walking solar powered alien (don't ask, the mechanics of kryptonians in this series make little sense - at least MoS gave a reason why kryptonians wouldn't just move to a yellow sun because "hey, superpowers!"). Thing is, the daxomites (which invade at the end of the season) are technically refugees as well, but the series can't (or won't) address this paradox. Not everyone who flees to the West is going to cause trouble, but some are. Either extreme is counter-productive, but the show can't/won't address this. Which would be fine, if it didn't try to bring it up in the first place.
The issue of politics extended to its post-Trump era. The president (who's also an alien refugee) is very much a stand-in for Hilary Clinton, or at least, a stand-in for "not Trump." And while I'm not going to bemoan a series for not liking Trump, the series doesn't do much to engender me to this president. Who's an alien refugee who signs a law giving citizenship to every other alien refugee (not bad in of itself, but no-one mentions the potential conflict of interest). Also, when the daxamites invade, her plan is to fly in Air Force One TOWARDS the invading aliens, leaving Kara to exclaim "I'm so glad I voted for her!" Kara, this isn't brave, this is stupid, and considering that Air Force One and its two escort fighters are destroyed, and the president survives only because she's an alien, and Cat Grant (who's still awesome) is saved by Supergirl...yeah. Leader of the free world everybody. That said, there is a good example of post-Trump material working, where, paraprhased, Rhea refers to "restoring Daxom to greatness," with Mon-El (near the end of his character arc at this point) commenting darkly "Daxom was never great," an assertion that, given what we know of Daxom at this point, is probably true, least as far as morality goes. If you want to see this as a reference to Trump, you can, but the line and its context works without the analogy.
Oh, and remember that daxamite invasion? Well, apparently they're hyper-sensitive to lead, so they're defeated by seeding the atmosphere with lead that will make the daxomites leave, but not do any harm to human life. Um, okay...if daxamites are so sensitive to lead, wouldn't just being on Earth be an issue due to background lead? And considering how deadly lead can be to humans (and animals) as well, I'm skeptical that seeding the atmosphere with lead is going to have no reprecussions. I mean, this is a setting where any actual science is pretty much non-existent, but this kind of goes above and beyond. Also, if daxamites are also powered by a yellow sun, shouldn't the armoured daxamites in the street just take off their armour and start kicking arse and taking names?
Oh, and there's the feminist angle..sort of. I mean, season 1 had a woman exclaim "finally, a hero my girls can look up to" (lady, you have Superman in this world, are you saying they can't look up to him because he's male), and there's nothing as bad as that here. Usually the show doesn't really draw attention to the 'gender thing,' but when it does, it feels cringeworthy. Not enough to sink it, but it's noticable.
So, alright then. Sounds like the season is pretty bad then. Except it isn't. Because the weird thing about this season is that it's good in ways that aren't inherent to its genre. I mean, there are examples - I think they did a great job with Superman for instance, both in personality and in his beatdown with Supergirl - but what this season is really good at is character relationships. KaraxMon-El, J'onn x Megan, WinnxLyra, MaggiexAlex. The Arrowverse is usually reasonably good with its character relationships, but here, every one of them manages to work. Work, as in, feel natural, to the point that when things go right or wrong, I'm invested. I think part of the reason why this works is that the show has a far more relaxed approach to continuity. Every other Arrowverse season I've seen has always had a central villain. That's not to say those seasons lack other villains, but without exception, you could always identify the "big bad." SS1 had this with Astra and Non. SS2 doesn't really have this. There's two main villains (Cadmus and Rhea), but neither of them really takes centre stage. Cadmus waxes and wanes in its presence, Rhea doesn't appear on-screen until the last quarter of the season. However, this isn't a bad thing. SS2 is able to go at its own pace and do its own thing because of the lack of any overarching thread. That's not to say its episodes lack continuity, but weirdly enough, I feel the lack of a central plot...actually kinda helps.
It also helps that the show feels more confident, if that makes sense. it makes the mistake of adding in more superheroes (James Olson becoming Guardian is "whyyy?!" material), but, it works. It works, by virtue of being normal. Its flaws are present, but its strengths lie in doing its own thing, at its own pace, and doing it well. So, um, yeah. Well done, SS2. You make mistakes, but most of you is solid.
This season is weird to talk about.
Not so much weird in terms of content (well, no more weird than you'd usually expect from a Superman mythos series), but that its strengths mostly come from lack of superhero stuff, while its weaknesses come at least in part from the superhero stuff.
So, let's start where this season falls flat, and let's start with politics. Now, before you say anything, I don't support the idea that art should be free of politics. If that was true, works like 1984, Brave New World, or heck, even Lord of the Flies, would never exist. The idea that's creeped up in recent times that socio-political issues shouldn't be in fiction of any kind is rediculous, to the point where people are identifying political stances where they're not even there. But make no mistake, Supergirl Season 2 is trying to be political. Problem is, it doesn't do a very good job with it.
First up on the politics agenda is immigration, or more accurately, refugees. Supergirl Season 2 (hence referred to as SS2) wants to draw parallels between aliens coming to Earth (who all speak perfect English, and most of whom are phenotypically identical to humans) and refugees in the real world. Okay, fair enough, sounds interesting. Problem is, it doesn't go beyond the stance of "aliens are fleeing war-torn planets, they should come here." That's...really it. It doesn't really examine this in any form. It doesn't go beyond "let them in." It's not exactly preaching, but if you're going to tackle a subject like refugees or illegal immigration, I'd like to see a bit more finesse to it. A bit more 'meat. Heck, even SS1 addressed it better, with Kara pointing out that yes, she is technically a refugee, and had to spend most of her life fitting into human society at the cost of her own nature as a walking solar powered alien (don't ask, the mechanics of kryptonians in this series make little sense - at least MoS gave a reason why kryptonians wouldn't just move to a yellow sun because "hey, superpowers!"). Thing is, the daxomites (which invade at the end of the season) are technically refugees as well, but the series can't (or won't) address this paradox. Not everyone who flees to the West is going to cause trouble, but some are. Either extreme is counter-productive, but the show can't/won't address this. Which would be fine, if it didn't try to bring it up in the first place.
The issue of politics extended to its post-Trump era. The president (who's also an alien refugee) is very much a stand-in for Hilary Clinton, or at least, a stand-in for "not Trump." And while I'm not going to bemoan a series for not liking Trump, the series doesn't do much to engender me to this president. Who's an alien refugee who signs a law giving citizenship to every other alien refugee (not bad in of itself, but no-one mentions the potential conflict of interest). Also, when the daxamites invade, her plan is to fly in Air Force One TOWARDS the invading aliens, leaving Kara to exclaim "I'm so glad I voted for her!" Kara, this isn't brave, this is stupid, and considering that Air Force One and its two escort fighters are destroyed, and the president survives only because she's an alien, and Cat Grant (who's still awesome) is saved by Supergirl...yeah. Leader of the free world everybody. That said, there is a good example of post-Trump material working, where, paraprhased, Rhea refers to "restoring Daxom to greatness," with Mon-El (near the end of his character arc at this point) commenting darkly "Daxom was never great," an assertion that, given what we know of Daxom at this point, is probably true, least as far as morality goes. If you want to see this as a reference to Trump, you can, but the line and its context works without the analogy.
Oh, and remember that daxamite invasion? Well, apparently they're hyper-sensitive to lead, so they're defeated by seeding the atmosphere with lead that will make the daxomites leave, but not do any harm to human life. Um, okay...if daxamites are so sensitive to lead, wouldn't just being on Earth be an issue due to background lead? And considering how deadly lead can be to humans (and animals) as well, I'm skeptical that seeding the atmosphere with lead is going to have no reprecussions. I mean, this is a setting where any actual science is pretty much non-existent, but this kind of goes above and beyond. Also, if daxamites are also powered by a yellow sun, shouldn't the armoured daxamites in the street just take off their armour and start kicking arse and taking names?
Oh, and there's the feminist angle..sort of. I mean, season 1 had a woman exclaim "finally, a hero my girls can look up to" (lady, you have Superman in this world, are you saying they can't look up to him because he's male), and there's nothing as bad as that here. Usually the show doesn't really draw attention to the 'gender thing,' but when it does, it feels cringeworthy. Not enough to sink it, but it's noticable.
So, alright then. Sounds like the season is pretty bad then. Except it isn't. Because the weird thing about this season is that it's good in ways that aren't inherent to its genre. I mean, there are examples - I think they did a great job with Superman for instance, both in personality and in his beatdown with Supergirl - but what this season is really good at is character relationships. KaraxMon-El, J'onn x Megan, WinnxLyra, MaggiexAlex. The Arrowverse is usually reasonably good with its character relationships, but here, every one of them manages to work. Work, as in, feel natural, to the point that when things go right or wrong, I'm invested. I think part of the reason why this works is that the show has a far more relaxed approach to continuity. Every other Arrowverse season I've seen has always had a central villain. That's not to say those seasons lack other villains, but without exception, you could always identify the "big bad." SS1 had this with Astra and Non. SS2 doesn't really have this. There's two main villains (Cadmus and Rhea), but neither of them really takes centre stage. Cadmus waxes and wanes in its presence, Rhea doesn't appear on-screen until the last quarter of the season. However, this isn't a bad thing. SS2 is able to go at its own pace and do its own thing because of the lack of any overarching thread. That's not to say its episodes lack continuity, but weirdly enough, I feel the lack of a central plot...actually kinda helps.
It also helps that the show feels more confident, if that makes sense. it makes the mistake of adding in more superheroes (James Olson becoming Guardian is "whyyy?!" material), but, it works. It works, by virtue of being normal. Its flaws are present, but its strengths lie in doing its own thing, at its own pace, and doing it well. So, um, yeah. Well done, SS2. You make mistakes, but most of you is solid.