This posts includes televised animation. This post will continue to be updated as I remember stuff.
Gravity Falls
Most of the second (and sadly, final) season aired in the past year. Always retaining a great mixture of mystery, humor, and characterization, the Pines twins' summer reaches a turning point when Grunkle Stan(ley) opens a portal to another dimension to save his twin brother (Stan)Ford, the six-fingered author of the journals that kicked off the start of the series. They were once inseparable, like Dipper and Mabel, but Stan's accidental sabotage of Ford's science project blew his chance at a scholarship, causing Stan to get kicked out of the house by their parents' house and having to fend for himself as a con artist. Ford continued investigating the paranormal, working with "Old Man" Fiddleford McGuckett and becoming an unwitting pawn of Bill Cipher. Upon discovering Bill's plans, he stopped his research and called Stan to get rid of one of his journals. Stan would have destroyed it, but Ford tried to stop him. The two had a fight and accidentally turned on the portal, sucking Ford in, where he remained for at least 30 years. Since then, Stan faked his death, assumed Ford's identity, and turned his house into a tourist trap as the Murder Hut (later renamed the Mystery Shack) in order to pay bills and continuing to try to get his brother home. Ford was not happy about his rescue, since it put Bill one step closer to Weirdmageddon. The portal left a dimensional rift behind that Ford has tried to contain. At the same time, Dipper and Mabel have been growing further apart, whether it's by their own decisions, or just growing up. Mabel doesn't take this well, especially once Dipper agrees to stay in Gravity Falls as Ford's apprentice. She runs off, inadvertently taking Dipper's backpack with her, and encounters time traveler Blendin Blandon, who offers her a way to make summer last forever using the rift. She hands it over, and Bill reveals himself to be possessing Blandon. He breaks the rift out of its container, tearing open the sky and letting his demon friends in. This kicks off the Weirdmageddon; which takes up the following two episodes, and will finish up in the one-hour finale. I haven't watched any of these episodes yet, but will cover the whole thing when the final episode airs. Suffice it to say, I'm really sad to see this show end. I always assumed the plan was to make 3 seasons. Nonetheless, it received a solid 40-episode run over the span of 3 to 4 years. Pretty good shelf life, all things considered.
Rick & Morty
A mad scientist and his grandson have crazy adventures all over the multiverse, while Morty's family also deals with their own domestic dysfunctions. The show is incredibly good at mood whiplash, fluctuating between laugh out loud comedy, tense character moments, and horrifying traumatic incidents all over the course of a half hour, and often at the same time. Something I liked about this second season is that Morty's sister summer starts getting more involved in the pair's weekly adventures. It became less Rick dragging Morty along on dangerous interdimensional exploits, and more about him spending time with his grandchildren, but there's always plenty of danger. At the end of the season, one of Rick's oldest friends, Birdperson, is getting married to one of Summer's best friends (they hooked up at a wild party at the end of the first season), but she turns out to be a spy with the Galactic Federation, bent on bringing Rick and his fugitive friends to justice. Things go to squanch from there, but Rick and Morty manage to escape with their family to a miniature Earth-like planet. They seem to survive there for a little while, but Rick ultimately turns himself in (making it sound like his son-in-law Jerry sold him out) so everyone else can return to Earth safely, which is now part of the Galactic Federation. I have no idea where the show is headed next.
Kill La Kill
This one of the strangest anime I've ever seen. The main character, Ryuko Matoi, is searching for answers about the person who killed her father, and her search leads her to Honouji Academy, a high school with a totalitarian student government headed by student council president Satsuki Kiriyuin. The school's uniforms contain life fibers which, when worn by humans, and can sometimes give unique abilities as well. Ryuko comes across one such uniform, a kamui (100% life fibers) which she names Senketsu that transforms into a very revealing outfit but also grants her a great amount of power. Armed with a scissor blade that can cut life fibers, she fights her way through the school's heirarchy and runs into a large resistance movement and tons of wacky characters along the way. This is one show that has to be seen to be believed, hence the lack of spoilers. Suffice it to say, despite its obvious fanservice appeal, it actually is a very well-written and incredibly animated show. It embraces its ridiculous premise and can take itself seriously and be absolutely ridiculous depending on the episode. By the end, it's completely awesome.
Gurren Lagann
This may be the greatest anime I've ever seen. It begins with a boy named Simon finding a robot head buried deep underground, where most humans have spent generations living. His hot-blooded best friend, Kamina, dreams of life above the surface and knows they can get there one day. Then, a monster breaks through from above ground, while a girl named Yoko was fighting it. Using his core drill necklace, Simon activates the robot head, which Kamina has dubbed Lagann, and the trio embarks on an adventure in the surface world, meeting more humans and creating a resistance along the way. Kamina eventually gets his own robot which he names Gurren. The two can combine into Gurren Lagann, and together they fight against the Beastmen and their leader Lord Genome who have kept humanity underground for so long. The early episodes are pretty light-hearted action-adventures, then the eighth episode happens and the series changes forever. After that, there's a slightly more serious tone and a heavy focus on Simon's character development. The series changes again after Lord Genome is defeated, which probably would have been considered an endpoint if not for what happens next. The rest of the series takes place some time in the future, where humanity has flourished above the ground and Simon is more or less in charge of humanity. It turns out Lord Genome had a reason for keeping humanity underground and there's an even bigger threat to the Earth coming for them. This is another show that has to be seen to be believed, but it keeps getting bigger and bigger until it takes up the entire universe. It seems to pay homage at the entire giant robot anime genre spanning all the way back to the 70s, and working its way up to the modern era. And it is awesome.
Akame Ga Kill
Still watching this series as it airs on Toonami, but I like what I've seen. A young man arrives at his country's capitol to join the royal guard and seek his fortune, and is instantly exposed to the Empire's rampant corruption. He is rescued by Night Raid, a team of assassins working as part of the resistance movement, and quickly joins their ranks. The team is an eclectic group, each wielding a special weapon called an Imperial Arms. The weapons are said to be so powerful, that a duel between two of them is said to guarantee that at least one fighter will die. For example, the titular Akame wields a sword that guarantees a one-hit kill thanks to being laced with a deadly poison. Tatsumi eventually gets a sword and suit of armor that can turn invisible. The series fluctuates between comedic moments and very serious drama, but it's very well paced so neither element truly overpowers the other. Unfortunately, characters do die. Within the first eight episodes, Night Raid already loses two of its own. Another interesting aspect is that most of the Jaegers, the Empire's foil to Night Raid, aren't necessarily evil (except for the sadistic General Esdeath). Either they're blind to the corruption of the Empire and see themselves as lawful good, or are simply following orders and just trying to provide for their family The series excels at shades of gray, and I like that. There's also plenty of great action scenes and fun fleshed out characters, even though some of them might not make it to the end.
Parasyte ~The Maxim~
John Carpenter's The Thing meets Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. A seemingly alien race of worms is embedding itself into the heads of humans (and at least one dog) and are now living among them and eating them too. One parasite fails in its attempt to assimilate into Shinichi Izumi's head, and instead merges itself into his right hand. Shinichi and his hand Migi develop a more symbiotic relationship as they try to keep themselves alive while fighting against the other creatures. Over time, Shinichi becomes stronger and less emotional, the young man and others around him wonder just how much of himself is still there. The plot and premise is intriguing, as the parasites actually see humanity as a curiosity as well as a food source. The human characters are wonderfully designed and the monstrous transformations are nothing short of frightening. If you enjoyed Akira, or one of the classic movies mentioned above, this is a series you'll enjoy. Still watching it as it airs on Toonami.
Friendship Is Magic
The fifth season was all about change, as well as the hanging plot thread of cutie mark magic. After the season began, we saw Twilight Sparkle adapt to no longer living in Ponyville's Golden Oak Library while the others go out of their way to make her new castle feel like a home. It was actually really nice to see this addressed and not simply shrugged off. On a similar note, she had the chance to return to Canterlot and patch things up with her old school friends, who she hasn't seen or talked to since the series began. One particular friend, Moondancer, had taken her departure incredibly personal and shut herself off from everypony else. It's another issue I'm glad was brought up, and Moondancer aside, it was sweet to see that Twilight's other friends had already forgiven her. Rainbow Dash dealt with the five stages of grief and accepted that Tank, her pet tortoise, had to go into hibernation for the winter. She also patched things up with her old griffon friend Gilda. Princess Luna let go of her guilt for past actions as Nightmare Moon. Rarity got her own boutique in Canterlot. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are having a baby. But the biggest change of all involves the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo have been trying to earn their cutie marks for five seasons, and this year...it finally happened. And in doing so, they also reformed Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the two fillies who have bullied them for having blank flanks the whole time. This season cemented the idea that earning your cutie mark isn't the destiny defining event we all thought it would be. Sure, it's important to your development and it does say something about you, but it can still be a conundrum or be misinterpreted to the pony who gets it. The episode in which this is foreshadowed isn't one of the best in the seasons, but it does present the idea. As for the finale, The Cutie ReMark, we got the return of Starlight Glimmer, who was ready to get revenge on Twilight for bringing down her communist society at the beginning of the season. Starlight uses a time travel spell, takes herself and Twilight back in time to Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom and then stops it from happening. Twilight tries to use the same spell to set everything right, but always ends up taking Starlight back with her, so she fails each time. Every time Twilight returns to the present, it's an alternate doomsday scenario based on the various two-part adventures we've had over the years. First, we see what would happen if King Sombra returned to power, waging an all-out war with Equestria. Then we see a world where Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings rule, Zecora leading everypony in the refuge of the Everfree Forest. After that, a world where Nightmare Moon was never vanquished. The other timelines aren't given as much focus, but we see one where Discord is in charge and another where the Flim Flam Brothers own Ponyville. How does Twilight stop Starlight and set everything right again? She shows her the future she created and straight up talks her out of it. By the end of the episode, she's reformed, and the mane six are helping to integrate her into a friendly member of society, and even get forgiveness from her old village. What does this mean for her in the future? I hope she hasn't become a member of the mane cast, and has just become a recurring character, somepony we can revisit when the need arises.
Dragons: Race To The Edge
While there has been a time skip between this series and the first two (Riders/Defenders Of Berk), it's a shame that it still takes place before the second movie. It doesn't make the show less enjoyable, but I was hoping to see the characters having adventures after those events rather than before. The season kicks off when Dagur the Deranged escapes from prison, amasses a new army of Outcasts/Berzerkers), and has been feuding with Hiccup and the Dragon Riders who are all after a strange artifact: the Dragon Eye. It resembles a flashlight or kaleidoscope, and when its lenses are illuminated by dragon fire, it reveals maps of outlying islands and information about new dragons. Alvin the Treacherous, the past series (reformed) villain, is nowhere to be seen, but we still get other recurring characters like Gustav and Trader Johan, and we learn how Stoick got his new dragon. Heather also returns with a heavily armored dragon of her own, and is revealed to be Dagur's sister. The animation is a step up from the previous seasons, which aired on Cartoon Network rather than Netflix. The character designs are an interesting halfway between the two movies. Some look physically older while retaining most of their more familiar outfits, while others are dressed more closely to their older selves from the second film. The first season of Race To The Edge is 13 episodes, and the finale of which is unfortunately filler. Snotlout's dragon Hookfang meeting a female dragon of its own species, and decides to protect her and her eggs from an even larger male dragon trying to assert its dominance. It's an improvement over the past seasons for sure, but still has a few hiccups (no pun intended) to work out.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Movies I Saw In 2015
Another omnibus post regarding the past year. I'll be talking about animation after this one.
Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens
I waited until Christmas day to see this one with my whole family. Suffice it to say, the Force is strong with this one. Everything looks fantastic, from the opening crawl to Luke Skywalker's reveal. Harrison Ford seems far more into his performance here than he did in Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, and it's almost a shame we won't see Han Solo in any of the following films. As for the new guard, it's a great batch of characters. Rey, is a strong character who has learned to survive on her own. Po Dameron is an ace pilot who seems likable, but will hopefully get more development in sequels. And then there's Finn, a Stormtrooper who realized that the First Order was wrong and just wanted to get out, but eventually found his courage when Rey needed his help. The special effects are a wonderful mix of practical and CGI, the latter not overstaying its welcome like it may have in the prequels. I loved seeing the familiar characters interact with the new ones. Han Solo acting as a reluctant sort-of mentor to Rey and Finn, BB-8's brief meetings with R2-D2 and C-3PO, and just seeing Leia and Chewbacca again. Kylo Ren is, admittedly, a fairly laughable villain, but I think that makes him a great character. He's young, immature, and inexperienced, despite being incredibly powerful. I like that he's undeniably flawed and still a real threat. The Force Awakens is undeniably a great start to the new Trilogy.
The DUFF
Mae Whitman plays a teenage girl who is suddenly faced with the realization that she is the least attractive member of her friend trio, and seeks to reinvent herself and talk to the guy she likes, with a little help from her old childhood friend (Robbie Amell). It's a fun romantic comedy that pokes a little bit of fun at the high school cliches without completely abandoning them.
Paddington
This is a character I used to watch as a kid, without knowing all that much about him. I just knew he was a Peruvian bear who lived in London and liked Marmalade sandwiches. The movie enlightened me as to why he was in England and how he knew to get there. His aunt and uncle were discovered in Darkest Peru and befriended by an explorer, and when the uncle dies, the aunt sends him to England to be cared for. He's taken in by the Brown family, and has to elude explorer's daughter (Nicole Kidman) who wants to turn him into taxidermy. Worth nothing is Peter Capaldi (the 12th Doctor) portraying Mr. Curry, the Brown's grumpy neighbor who does not like having a bear in the neighborhood. It's amusing that he first meets Kidman's character while standing outside a telephone box. Not sure if it was a reference.
Ted 2
Seth MacFarlane's sequel is still as funny as the first. The teddy bear that Johnny (Mark Wahlberg) wished to life when he was a kid has gotten married and hopes to adopt a baby. Unfortunately for him, he's not considered a person, due to being a stuffed bear, so he has to sue the state for personhood. It's really unfortunate Mila Kunis sat this one out, but Amanda Seyfried is still a welcome addition to the cast. She plays Ted's lawyer and Johnny's new love interest. She's smart, hot, and just as much of a stoner as our two leads. Her only real character flaw is that she's pop culture illiterate. Any sort of TV or movie references made in the film go completely over her head. At the same time, the creepy guy from the first movie wants to make sure Ted loses the case, so that he can safely abduct Ted and give him to Hasbro, in hopes of dissecting and replicating him. Patrick Stewart returns as the narrator, and Patrick Warburton is back as Johnny's gay co-worker who now has a boyfriend played by Michael Dorn. The best scene in the film is when the couple show up at Comic-Con dressed as The Tick and Lieutenant Worf (characters they respectively portrayed) and spend every scene beating up nerds. It's a good, funny movie and worth at least one watch.
SPECTRE
We finally get a couple things that I've been wanting to see in Daniel Craig's run: a gunbarrel at the beginning of the movie and the return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. I really have to give props to the pre-title sequence: a single continuous shot through the Day of the Dead festival, until it settles on Bond in a skull mask. We follow him and a woman up to a hotel room, then he steps out the window, and walks along the buildings until he reaches his targets. The transitions are seamless, almost like playing a video game. It seems that Blofeld and SPECTRE has orchestrated the events behind all of the preceding films, a connection Bond has been investigating on the posthumous orders of Judi Dench's M, while Ralph Fiennes' M has to deal with a hostile takeover from CNS (Center of National Security?). This movie is for Bond and Britain what The Winter Soldier was for America and the Marvel Cinematic Universe: a fantastic action movie and a social commentary about the dangers of government surveillance. In this case, SPECTRE has been using CNS' surveillance systems to their own advantage and C (the head of that organization) is working for them. But the best thing about this film is that everybody gets a piece of the action: M, Moneypenny, and even Q gets a moment to shine. While I'm hoping Daniel Craig has another movie or two in him, this would be a nice cap to his run. I also appreciate that each movie had the Bond theme playing at the start of the credits.
Scout's Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse
This movie is all over the place. There is a lot of great humor throughout, but there's also a couple scenes of undead nudity, which I have a hard time getting past. Most zombie stories have some kind of rules that the undead follow, but this movie doesn't really seem to have them. They can be smart or stupid. They can be shambling or they can be fast. This is, however, a rare case where animals and humans can both be infected. The main characters are a trio: one scout who wants to leave now that they're almost upperclassmen, another who enjoys it but was going to leave anyway because of how he might look, and a third who has been all in since they were kids and his dad died. Being an Eagle Scout myself, it was nice to see that the skills they learned through scouting were vital in their survival. Even Dave Koechner's scoutmaster, who was portrayed as somewhat ineffectual and dies early on, still manages to get one good kill in. Probably not a movie for everyone, but should be enjoyable if you know what you're in for.
Krampus
There's something that appeals to me about Christmas horror films. It could be the contrasting atmospheres, terrible things happening during a time of year where everything is supposed to be jolly and fun. The character of the Krampus is also one that interests me, a counterpart to Santa Claus who punishes the bad children while Santa rewards the good ones. So by the time I heard about this movie, I was more than a little excited. Sharing a director with the Halloween anthology Trick 'r Treat, the movie does a good job of showing the dark side of Christmas, showing what it's become and reminding us of what it should be. When a boy's dysfunctional family causes him to lose his Christmas spirit, the yuletide demon comes to town and shows no mercy. Aside from the gingerbread minions, Krampus and all of his helpers are rendered with practical puppetry and special effects, and it looks great. There's also a beautifully animated sequence, in which the boy's grandma explains her first encounter with the Krampus. The best thing is, it's not a gory film. It relies purely on its monsters and its atmostphere to scare you. You're not going to like some of the characters at first, but as their survival becomes less and less likely, they band together to stay alive and you begin to sympathize with them. I don't think I'd ever cried watching a horror movie before. The ending of the movie is quite ambiguous that will leave you very uneasy, and I can definitely recommend it.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay
I'm going to talk about both movies here, even though only part 2 came out this year. After the events of Catching Fire, District 12 has been destroyed and anyone who made it out alive is bunkered in the long lost District 13. It was thought to be destroyed in its first act of defiance, but they have endured underground. Katniss Everdeen has reluctantly become the face of defiance against the tyrannical Capitol of Panem, but Peeta Mellark is still being held captive so she goes along with it in exchange for his safe return and being able to kill President Snow herself. She spends a few scenes in other districts to spread the word that she's alive and the uprising isn't over. Eventually Peeta's rescued, but he's been hijacked (brainwashed via Tracker Jacker venom) and now only sees Katniss as a threat. The first part ends right after he attempts to kill her, and the second part picks up almost immediately after it. The bulk of the movie involves Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Finnick Odair and others attempting to infiltrate the Capitol, which has been covered with booby traps just like the Hunger Games arenas. The movies in many ways are better than the books because you get to step outside the first-person perspective. You see other people react to Katniss' actions. You get scenes fleshing out the other Districts and character that couldn't have worked in the book. The scene in which the team is being chased by the fiendish Mutts in the sewers is incredibly intense. I hadn't read the books in a while, so the tension wasn't spoiled. The last half hour or so is rife with subversion, bittersweet moments, but finishes off on a positive note. The filmmakers also did a respectful job compensating for the death of one of their cast members, keeping his role intact but not showing him directly. I did think that Katniss' interaction with Peeta should have had more passion, especially in their final scene before the epilogue. Instead it's much more subtle, although it does still get the point across.
Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens
I waited until Christmas day to see this one with my whole family. Suffice it to say, the Force is strong with this one. Everything looks fantastic, from the opening crawl to Luke Skywalker's reveal. Harrison Ford seems far more into his performance here than he did in Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, and it's almost a shame we won't see Han Solo in any of the following films. As for the new guard, it's a great batch of characters. Rey, is a strong character who has learned to survive on her own. Po Dameron is an ace pilot who seems likable, but will hopefully get more development in sequels. And then there's Finn, a Stormtrooper who realized that the First Order was wrong and just wanted to get out, but eventually found his courage when Rey needed his help. The special effects are a wonderful mix of practical and CGI, the latter not overstaying its welcome like it may have in the prequels. I loved seeing the familiar characters interact with the new ones. Han Solo acting as a reluctant sort-of mentor to Rey and Finn, BB-8's brief meetings with R2-D2 and C-3PO, and just seeing Leia and Chewbacca again. Kylo Ren is, admittedly, a fairly laughable villain, but I think that makes him a great character. He's young, immature, and inexperienced, despite being incredibly powerful. I like that he's undeniably flawed and still a real threat. The Force Awakens is undeniably a great start to the new Trilogy.
The DUFF
Mae Whitman plays a teenage girl who is suddenly faced with the realization that she is the least attractive member of her friend trio, and seeks to reinvent herself and talk to the guy she likes, with a little help from her old childhood friend (Robbie Amell). It's a fun romantic comedy that pokes a little bit of fun at the high school cliches without completely abandoning them.
Paddington
This is a character I used to watch as a kid, without knowing all that much about him. I just knew he was a Peruvian bear who lived in London and liked Marmalade sandwiches. The movie enlightened me as to why he was in England and how he knew to get there. His aunt and uncle were discovered in Darkest Peru and befriended by an explorer, and when the uncle dies, the aunt sends him to England to be cared for. He's taken in by the Brown family, and has to elude explorer's daughter (Nicole Kidman) who wants to turn him into taxidermy. Worth nothing is Peter Capaldi (the 12th Doctor) portraying Mr. Curry, the Brown's grumpy neighbor who does not like having a bear in the neighborhood. It's amusing that he first meets Kidman's character while standing outside a telephone box. Not sure if it was a reference.
Ted 2
Seth MacFarlane's sequel is still as funny as the first. The teddy bear that Johnny (Mark Wahlberg) wished to life when he was a kid has gotten married and hopes to adopt a baby. Unfortunately for him, he's not considered a person, due to being a stuffed bear, so he has to sue the state for personhood. It's really unfortunate Mila Kunis sat this one out, but Amanda Seyfried is still a welcome addition to the cast. She plays Ted's lawyer and Johnny's new love interest. She's smart, hot, and just as much of a stoner as our two leads. Her only real character flaw is that she's pop culture illiterate. Any sort of TV or movie references made in the film go completely over her head. At the same time, the creepy guy from the first movie wants to make sure Ted loses the case, so that he can safely abduct Ted and give him to Hasbro, in hopes of dissecting and replicating him. Patrick Stewart returns as the narrator, and Patrick Warburton is back as Johnny's gay co-worker who now has a boyfriend played by Michael Dorn. The best scene in the film is when the couple show up at Comic-Con dressed as The Tick and Lieutenant Worf (characters they respectively portrayed) and spend every scene beating up nerds. It's a good, funny movie and worth at least one watch.
SPECTRE
We finally get a couple things that I've been wanting to see in Daniel Craig's run: a gunbarrel at the beginning of the movie and the return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. I really have to give props to the pre-title sequence: a single continuous shot through the Day of the Dead festival, until it settles on Bond in a skull mask. We follow him and a woman up to a hotel room, then he steps out the window, and walks along the buildings until he reaches his targets. The transitions are seamless, almost like playing a video game. It seems that Blofeld and SPECTRE has orchestrated the events behind all of the preceding films, a connection Bond has been investigating on the posthumous orders of Judi Dench's M, while Ralph Fiennes' M has to deal with a hostile takeover from CNS (Center of National Security?). This movie is for Bond and Britain what The Winter Soldier was for America and the Marvel Cinematic Universe: a fantastic action movie and a social commentary about the dangers of government surveillance. In this case, SPECTRE has been using CNS' surveillance systems to their own advantage and C (the head of that organization) is working for them. But the best thing about this film is that everybody gets a piece of the action: M, Moneypenny, and even Q gets a moment to shine. While I'm hoping Daniel Craig has another movie or two in him, this would be a nice cap to his run. I also appreciate that each movie had the Bond theme playing at the start of the credits.
Scout's Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse
This movie is all over the place. There is a lot of great humor throughout, but there's also a couple scenes of undead nudity, which I have a hard time getting past. Most zombie stories have some kind of rules that the undead follow, but this movie doesn't really seem to have them. They can be smart or stupid. They can be shambling or they can be fast. This is, however, a rare case where animals and humans can both be infected. The main characters are a trio: one scout who wants to leave now that they're almost upperclassmen, another who enjoys it but was going to leave anyway because of how he might look, and a third who has been all in since they were kids and his dad died. Being an Eagle Scout myself, it was nice to see that the skills they learned through scouting were vital in their survival. Even Dave Koechner's scoutmaster, who was portrayed as somewhat ineffectual and dies early on, still manages to get one good kill in. Probably not a movie for everyone, but should be enjoyable if you know what you're in for.
Krampus
There's something that appeals to me about Christmas horror films. It could be the contrasting atmospheres, terrible things happening during a time of year where everything is supposed to be jolly and fun. The character of the Krampus is also one that interests me, a counterpart to Santa Claus who punishes the bad children while Santa rewards the good ones. So by the time I heard about this movie, I was more than a little excited. Sharing a director with the Halloween anthology Trick 'r Treat, the movie does a good job of showing the dark side of Christmas, showing what it's become and reminding us of what it should be. When a boy's dysfunctional family causes him to lose his Christmas spirit, the yuletide demon comes to town and shows no mercy. Aside from the gingerbread minions, Krampus and all of his helpers are rendered with practical puppetry and special effects, and it looks great. There's also a beautifully animated sequence, in which the boy's grandma explains her first encounter with the Krampus. The best thing is, it's not a gory film. It relies purely on its monsters and its atmostphere to scare you. You're not going to like some of the characters at first, but as their survival becomes less and less likely, they band together to stay alive and you begin to sympathize with them. I don't think I'd ever cried watching a horror movie before. The ending of the movie is quite ambiguous that will leave you very uneasy, and I can definitely recommend it.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay
I'm going to talk about both movies here, even though only part 2 came out this year. After the events of Catching Fire, District 12 has been destroyed and anyone who made it out alive is bunkered in the long lost District 13. It was thought to be destroyed in its first act of defiance, but they have endured underground. Katniss Everdeen has reluctantly become the face of defiance against the tyrannical Capitol of Panem, but Peeta Mellark is still being held captive so she goes along with it in exchange for his safe return and being able to kill President Snow herself. She spends a few scenes in other districts to spread the word that she's alive and the uprising isn't over. Eventually Peeta's rescued, but he's been hijacked (brainwashed via Tracker Jacker venom) and now only sees Katniss as a threat. The first part ends right after he attempts to kill her, and the second part picks up almost immediately after it. The bulk of the movie involves Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Finnick Odair and others attempting to infiltrate the Capitol, which has been covered with booby traps just like the Hunger Games arenas. The movies in many ways are better than the books because you get to step outside the first-person perspective. You see other people react to Katniss' actions. You get scenes fleshing out the other Districts and character that couldn't have worked in the book. The scene in which the team is being chased by the fiendish Mutts in the sewers is incredibly intense. I hadn't read the books in a while, so the tension wasn't spoiled. The last half hour or so is rife with subversion, bittersweet moments, but finishes off on a positive note. The filmmakers also did a respectful job compensating for the death of one of their cast members, keeping his role intact but not showing him directly. I did think that Katniss' interaction with Peeta should have had more passion, especially in their final scene before the epilogue. Instead it's much more subtle, although it does still get the point across.
The Ridiculous 6
The story itself itself is fairly solid. Back in the Old West, a white man raised by Indians (Adam Sandler) has to steal money from bad people in order to keep a group of bandits from killing his long-lost father. Along the way, he meets his father's other sons: a Mexican (Rob Schneider), a simple-minded farmhand (Taylor Lautner), a mountain man who can't talk right (Jorge Garcia), the guy who inadvertently got President Lincoln killed (Luke Wilson), and black pianist (Terry Crews). Together form a gang and bond over time as they all hope to meet their dad. Sandler plays his role surprisingly straight, leaving most of the humor to his brothers.
I could have done without the messily flatulent donkey, and the baseball scene runs a little long. There are a few good historical gags, and that cast's chemistry is solid. The biggest problem with it, as with a lot of movies like this, is the gross-out gags. Even if these moments are few and far between, if you don't like this type of humor it will still take you out of the story. The bit early on where a guy removes his own eye to join a gang of outlaws has a great payoff near the end, tho. I don't really feel that this is that good of a movie, but it at least manages to be funny.
I could have done without the messily flatulent donkey, and the baseball scene runs a little long. There are a few good historical gags, and that cast's chemistry is solid. The biggest problem with it, as with a lot of movies like this, is the gross-out gags. Even if these moments are few and far between, if you don't like this type of humor it will still take you out of the story. The bit early on where a guy removes his own eye to join a gang of outlaws has a great payoff near the end, tho. I don't really feel that this is that good of a movie, but it at least manages to be funny.
Monday, January 11, 2016
TV I Watched In 2015
For the next few posts, I'm going to take a look at everything I viewed in the last year that might not have been covered in a typical review. For starters, I'm going to look at the last couple of seasons of live-action television. This will be followed up by posts about movies and animation. Time to get started.
The Walking Dead
After dealing with Terminus and a hospital run by corrupt cops, the group met a man named Aaron, who brought them to Alexandria. The city is heavily walled to keep out the zombies, but Deanna seems to put more emphasis on keeping the interior safe and comfortable rather than preparing her people for the world outside. Some characters find it easier to adapt inside than others. Carol wisely manages to blend in, hiding her more hardened aspects and acting like a normal housewife. Sasha has a nervous breakdown. Eugene grows a backbone in order to save Tara when he had to. Carl might just get himself a girlfriend. Rick nearly becomes Shane. Over the course of this year, (second half of season 5, first half of season 6), we lost Tyreese, Noah, and several others. The group is now facing off against a tribe of feral humans called the Wolves, led by a man named Negan, who has yet to be revealed. Every episode of the sixth season so far has taken place during the same 24-hour period. After discovering a huge horde of zombies in a rock quarry, Rick leads an attempt to corral them away from Alexandria, but the Wolves anticipated this and brought down a huge section of the wall. Glenn goes missing, and was presumed dead for a long time. He manages to signal his survival just as the walls come crashing down. Alexandria could still be salvaged, but for now it's time to evacuate using the old method of camouflaging yourselves in zombie guts. It's a tense moment as Rick leads his group out and a scared Sam has to ask his mom a question. Meanwhile, a dying Deanna makes a defiant stand against the horde to try and buy them time. We also saw the return of Morgan, who has regained his sanity with some help from a cheese maker and has a strict policy against killing the living. I'm looking forward to what happens this year.
Fear The Walking Dead
Taking place at the early stages of the outbreak and on the other side of the country, this series is a pretty mixed bag. It's interesting seeing characters learn what they're dealing with and how to survive. The group is an eclectic broken family; a man and his kids, the woman he's dating and her kids, as well as some illegal immigrants who were kind enough to help them when they needed it. One of the main characters is a drug addict, and is the first one made aware of the zombies. At first, he doesn't know if what he's seeing is real or a drug-induced hallucination, but that doesn't last long. We see the government intervene and occupy the area, but also collecting people who they believe might turn and becoming an adversary. The audience is well aware of what is about to happen, but the characters are not. As such, we see some people acting pragmatically and others acting stupid. The most egregious example of this was in the third (?) episode when the family breaks into a neighbor's house to get a weapon to protect themselves with. While everyone stands by to keep lookout, they leave the door to their own house wide open, allowing a zombified neighbor to walk right in and kill their dog. Even if you don't understand there are undead killers walking around, you do realize there's a crisis. Still, I kept watching. I like the new surroundings of the show and a few of the characters. I'm not as emotionally invested in them as I am in Rick's group, but it's still early in the show. Time will tell if this sticks.
The Flash
The second season kicked off where the first season ended, a giant time hole over Central City and the Flash trying to close it. Unfortunately, he couldn't do it without Firestorm's help, who split himself up to get it closed. Professor Stein was saved, but Ronny hasn't been seen since. A new Firestorm was later brought in to keep Stein stable. A recorded confession from Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne secured Barry's father's release from prison, who promptly went along his way. The singularity left several wormholes open throughout the city allowing for visitors from a parallel Earth, including Atom Smasher, Dr. Light, Jay Garrick (an alternate Flash), and their own Harrison "Harry" Wells. But the most dangerous of all is Zoom, a speedster clad in black who can run even faster than Barry, and brought him down with ease during their first encounter. Harry wants to help Barry bring down Zoom, but has to tread carefully because Zoom is holding his daughter Jessie (Quick?) hostage. The year ended with a team-up between the Trickster and Weather Wizard, and the introduction of Iris's brother, Wally West (the eventual Kid Flash). Barry also got himself a new girlfriend, a police officer on the metahuman task force with a personal score to settle with Weather Wizard. It's been a strong season so far, and I hope it continues this way.
Arrow
Damien Dahrk and his HIVE are terrorizing Star City and Team Arrow has been running ragged trying to stop them, so Oliver is called back to help them as the Green Arrow. Thea, now Speedy, is having some rage problems thanks to being resurrected by the Lazarus Pit. As such, she has to kill from time to time to stay in control. She and Laurel take a trip to Nanda Parbat, which results in the resurrection of her sister Sarah. Unfortunately, Sarah's been dead too long so her soul is completely absent from her body. Once Team Arrow tracks her down, Oliver calls in a favor from an old friend: John Constantine. I decided to marathon through the cancelled series in preparation for this episode. And while it helped, and made it that much cooler to see the character on the show, it wasn't necessarily needed to enjoy the character. The best thing was that they worked him into the flashbacks, rather than just showing up in present day. In the current flashback arc, Waller has enlisted Oliver to infiltrate a drug cartel on a different island. He runs into Constantine while there, who uncovers a mystical artifact that both he and the drug boss may have been looking for. Ollie saves his life when they set off a trap, and so he owed him one. In the present, once he arrives in Star City, they perform a ritual to unite Sarah's soul with her body, successfully reviving her (she eventually goes to visit her mother and deal with her own bloodlust). The episode ends with Constantine warning Oliver about Dahrk, which was a nice touch. Ray Palmer was presumed dead for most of the season, but was eventually discovered shrunk, and imprisoned by Dahrk, but alive. He's rescued, but opts to keep his survival a secret until the time is right, keeping Felicity in charge of Palmer Technologies. In the meantime, Oliver's been running for mayor, Captain Lance has been a reluctant associate of Dahrk's (eventually acting as a mole for Team Arrow), and Diggle's brother is discovered as one of Dahrk's henchmen. Diggle's brother shows no signs of remorse for any crimes committed, but whether or not he's brainwashed is uncertain. The year ended with an ending straight out of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. After an awesome battle against Dahrk, Oliver makes a very public proposal to Felicity, and she accepts. In the limo drive afterward, they're gunned down by Dahrk's men. Oliver manages to get to the wheel and drive to safety, but Felicity is unconscious, and could potentially die. The first episode of the season ended with Oliver and Barry standing over a grave, which made me incredibly uneasy. Felicity is my favorite character and if she dies, I'm not sure how much I'll stick around for. It's still a great series, and I'm hoping she pulls through.
Legends Of Tomorrow
While the series proper won't begin until this year, the annual crossover between The Flash and Arrow laid the groundwork, so I'll cover it here. Cisco began dating the beautiful Kendra Saunders, who turned out to be the latest reincarnation of Hawkgirl. When Vandal Savage came after her, it seemed Barry would not be able to take him on alone, so they took a trip to Star City to seek help from Team Arrow. They later run into Hawkman and their backstories are revealed, but Vandal Savage comes after them again. Cisco helps Kendra find her wings, and the teams eventually go back to Central City. At which point Oliver runs into an old flame, and meets his son, who she told him she had miscarried (at his mother's bribe). Barry's running back in time from last season occurs again, so we see events play out in two different ways. At first, Felicity discovers the DNA results between Oliver and his son, gets mad that she was left out of the loop, seemingly dumping him and messing with his focus during the battle. Cisco's device to stop Vandal Savage doesn't work, and Kendra can't unleash her power when it was needed, and the city explodes. Barry outruns the explosion, ends up back at the beginning of the day, and confides in Oliver what happens. And so, things play out differently. Oliver takes Barry's word for it, so no DNA test occurs. He still promises to keep his son a secret, at the mother's behest. This could still be a problem later, but it's better than blowing up in his face. Cisco's device works this time, and he also provides Kendra the encouragement she needs to unleash her power. As a result, Savage goes down, disintegrating into a pile of ash. After all is said and done, Kendra decides to go off with Hawkman and discover who she's supposed to be. There's a twist at the end, though, as Malcolm Merlyn is seen at the end collecting Vandal's ashes, which will likely take part in some ritual later. These episodes are much more inclusive than last year's crossover, both settings and casts play a role in both parts, and we get some important character development for everyone involved.
The second season was all about the emer
Agent Carter
This was a fun series, and a great opportunity to see Peggy shine as a leading lady, fighting not only enemy agents and maintaining her own secret mission, but also dealing with the stigmas and prejudices of the era and proving herself an asset by overcoming those difficulties. I also enjoyed the setting of the late 1940s, and some of the music. The season seems to end with the implication of starting the HYDRA splinter cell within the SSR (later SHIELD). It'll be great to see where this show goes.
Agents Of SHIELD
The second season dealed mostly with the emergence of Inhumans, the reveal of Skye's past and identity (Daisy Johnson AKA Quake), and Ward coming into his own as an enemy. The show managed to tie into Age Of Ultron by revealing the new Helicarrier and sending intel to the Avengers that would set off the movie. While still not recognized by the US government, it's at least cemented that SHIELD is active again in the MCU and training new superhumans. By the end of the second season, Coulson has lost a hand, Simmons is sucked through a portal to an alien planet, and terrigen crystals have been dispersed into the world's water supply (mostly contaminating fish). The third season kicks off as people who have taken fish oil tablets have been turned into Inhumans. SHIELD has been trying to round them up and recruit them, as well as keep them safe from anyone else. However, another Inhuman called Lash has been killing them before they can get to them. Turns out this is Melinda May's ex-husband, who was once a good man, but has given in almost completely to Lash's instincts. Simmons is rescued, but is driven by a need to rescue the astronaut who was stranded there too and helped her survive. HYDRA sends a team through the portal and Coulson follows suit. Ward is killed on the planet, and the astronaut is revealed to be dead, having been possessed by an entity on the planet, which later takes possession of Ward. We also get some more development for Agents Hunter and Morse (Mockingbird). Supposedly, they're getting their own show soon. I had initially heard that ABC opted not to do it, but perhaps they changed their mind.
Gotham
Some say that villains are being introduced to the show too early. I would be inclined to agree, but I still find myself watching every week. The bigger problem in the show is probably James Gordon. He's supposed to be the good cop on a corrupt police force, but we've seen Gordon make some controversial decisions toward the end of the first season and throughout the second. At the very beginning of this season, he makes a deal with Penguin (the big crime boss in the city now) to get his badge back. His precinct gets a new no nonsense Captain played by Michael Chiklis. His zero tolerance stance on corruption is exactly what Gordon and the GCPD need, but if he would have fired Gordon in a heartbeat if he knew about it. The Joker we saw last season turned out to be a red herring who gets killed early on this season, implying that his theatrics and laugh inspire whoever will become the real Joker. Edward Nygma goes down a dark path, dealing with schizophrenia and falling completely off the deep end after inadvertently killing the woman he loved. It's a real shame to see this happen so soon, because I liked the character and the actor. He's still great in the role, I just wished they'd slowed his progression. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne continues his investigation into is parents' murder, while an evil man named Theo Galavan works his way into both arcs. He was a villain with good publicity, running for mayor one moment, and orchestrating villainy in another. He uses his niece, Silver St. Cloud, to try and get close to Bruce and acquire his family's company. There are several complicated threads involving other villains, Barbara Keane going insane, Gordon's relationshp with Dr. Thompkins, and the Penguin. By the end of the year, it looks like it may be difficult for Gordon to come back to Gotham, but he may have to, now that we've caught a glimpse of Mr. Freeze.
Supergirl
DC absolutely hit this one out of the park. By the time the series began, Superman has already established himself as a superhero. His cousin Kara was sent to Earth when he was a baby to protect him as Krypton exploded, but her ship arrived later. And since she was in stasis, she's younger than he is too. For a long time, she was content just living a normal life, but felt a need to use her powers for something greater. So when her adoptive sister's jet is going down, she reveals herself to the world, and now she's working closely with a government organization to take down alien threats and prove herself worthy of her cousin's emblem. Melissa Benoist's performance is wonderful. She's adorable, unsure of herself yet confident at the same time. We've also seen her overbearing boss Cat Grant soften up over time, and her sister's boss Hank Henshaw reveal himself as the Martian Manhunter. I cant wait to see what else happens.
The Big Bang Theory
For the most part, it's been a lot of fun. We've seen Penny and Leonard get married. Sheldon and Amy broke up, got back together, and lost their virginity. The break-up did hurt, though. Not much else to say about it.
Bones
The previous season was supposedly the final one, and while it went out on a high note, something irked me about Booth's gambling addiction subplot. For me, it seemed to come out of nowhere. Perhaps had I seen the series more regularly when it started, I would have picked up on it, but it still seemed out of left field for me. When it returned in the fall, Booth returned to the FBI, Brennan went back to the Jeffersonian, and the only real thing to change was Saroyan's relationship ending. There was a crossover with Sleepy Hollow. I don't watch that series, but I checked out their episode. It was actually pretty well handled. Any supernatural elements were either kept away from the Bones characters, keeping their realistic fiction world intact. Even so, I get the feeling that while the Bones episode is canon to both shows, the Sleepy Hollow episode might not be canon to Bones. That's just my own assumption, so I can't really say for certain. Still, it was neat to see these two casts interact a little.
Castle
The story of the mystery writer turned private investigator and his police detective wife took an unpleasant turn when the current season began. Beckett has been promoted to captain, and stumbles into another link in the chain regarding Senator Bracken and her mother's murder. Bracken himself is killed in prison, and while Beckett continues investigating this on the down low, she decided to leave Castle. Stubborn as always, he takes every opportunity to get in on police investigations and help solve cases, trying to win her back, or at least stay in her life. I'm a little behind, though, so if they're still together by the end of the year I have no idea. This has been a trying year for television relationships, and I'm tired of seeing characters I like get dumped.
Galavant
This unevenly fun musical parody series follows a knight who tried to save his beloved from marrying the evil King Richard, only for her to reject him and go through with the marriage. Some time later, Galavant is recruited by a princess to save her parents and take back her kingdom, only to learn that she's working for Richard much later. The time slot is an hour long, but each episode is only half an hour, so we got two episodes every week for a few weeks. The series is normally pretty funny, but a few bits do get annoying sometimes. The songs are catchy, and the actors have enough charisma to keep your attention. Richard, despite his ruthless reputation, is pretty ineffectual and actually wants to be a better, more beloved ruler to his people. Queen Madalena, on the other hand, quickly becomes a ruthless baroness, who manages to overthrow her husband by the end of the season. Surprisingly enough, it was given a second season that began earlier this month. It's still a fun musical romp throughout its run.
Jessica Jones
I only caught the first two episodes before the new year began. Like Daredevil, we get to see the seedy underbelly of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The titular character is a former superhero turned private investigator. A mind controlling man named Killgrave (known in comics as the Purple Man), once had her under his thumb, as he has done with many people, and it seems he's resurfaced and is actively making her life miserable. We also meet Luke Cage, another superpowered individual, who kind of wants to be left alone. Krysten Ritter plays Jessica, and seems to roll with the punches over time. It's interesting that she doesn't publicize her abilities, but doesn't exactly hide them either. Still watching, so will have to follow this up eventually.
Power Rangers Dino Charge
This first half has been a pretty nice improvement over Megaforce, balancing out a healthy amount of stock footage with genuine story arcs and character growth. Some of the best episodes this season have been the Ranger introductions. Rise Of A Ranger saw Prince Phillip get ahold of the Graphite Energem, and after several failed attempts to bond with it, finally becomes a Ranger after saving Chase's little sister. World Famous (In New Zealand) gave us a one-shot Purple Ranger. Albert Smith was a fraudulent Bigfoot hunter, who nonetheless had a taste for adventure and a desire to do good for his country. He finds the Energem after saving a little girl stranded on a mountainside and it bonds with him. One the other Rangers find him, he's been using his powers and a police scanner to stop street crime. They recruit him into the team, but he freezes up when fighting aliens. Tyler does help him find his courage by the end of the episode, but he can't bring himself to leave New Zealand. So Keeper unbonds him from the Energem, leaving it up to the others to find a new Purple Ranger. But after Sledge recruits a humanoid captive named Heckyl, the Purple Energem is eventually taken by Fury, leading to the "season" finale One More Energem. Kendall builds a robot that will locate the stolen Energem, but first they have to get it into one of Sledge's transport pods. Unfortunately, Sledge also manages to take the Red Energem from Tyler and capture Keeper, so Kendall goes up to Sledge's ship in the same transport pod. Tyler and Shelby eventually go up after her. Eventually Kendall gets the Energem, rescues Keeper, and becomes the Purple Ranger. Shelby escapes with them, and Tyler confronts Sledge himself, all while the remaining Rangers fight off a monster in their Megazords. Thanks to Kendall's robot, Tyler gets back his Energem before Sledge can use it as a weapon, and brings the ship down. He's saved just in the nick of time by the others as Sledge's ship crashes. The Rangers go their separate ways temporarily, ready for when they're needed again and the other Energems are discovered. Meanwhile, something sinister pokes its head out of Heckyl's holding cell. I look forward to what happens next. Saban and Nickelodeon have finally regained that balance that keeps the show entertaining.
The Muppets
I wish I'd watched this a little more often, but the DVR never seemed to sync up with it. However, it's the Muppets, so you're bound to enjoy it in some capacity. It's The Muppet Show meets The Office. The characters are once again putting on a show (a late-night talk show hosted by Miss Piggy) and all sorts of things can go wrong. The real focus, however, is on the characters' lives behind the scenes. Kermit and Piggy broke up at some point before the show began, and the fact that he's the producer and she's the star makes some things awkward. Fozzie's dating a human, and her parents don't really approve. Supposedly the ratings haven't been strong, though, so the format might change up a little when more episodes are made.
Henry Danger
While I didn't watch the show on a regular basis, I did see an episode once in a while, and it's almost a guilty pleasure. As the intro explains, Henry Hart is looking for an after-school job and finds one as the sidekick for the local superhero Captain Man. Probably more suited for kids in their pre-teens or early teens, but it's not particularly bad. I also like that Captain Man has invulnerability, but he still feels pain, and that Henry himself is a loyal friend and sidekick.
Doctor Who
We had a pretty solid season this time around, consisting mostly of two-part stories and at last a return to Gallifrey. The first two episodes were great. We got Missy the Master, the Daleks, and Davros. Evil as he may be, I can't help but think that Davros had a genuine reaction when he heard that Gallifrey was still out there. He was truly happy for the Doctor, and it made me wonder if he had the chance to revive the Kaleds and the Thals if he would. A new sort-of adversary was introduced. A Norse woman named Ashildr, who the Doctor gave an alien chip to in order to save her life, allowing her to live forever. She eventually cast of her name, and simply calls herself Me, having lived through several lifetimes and identities. She creates a sanctuary city for aliens living on Earth, sets a mystery trap for the Doctor, and Clara Oswald's cleverness backfires in a huge (but kinda stupid) way, leading to her death. The episode after that had the Doctor completely alone, something the series has never done before, which ended with his arrival on Gallifrey. He then attempts to save Clara's life, but it's a fixed point. Alive she may be, but her heart won't beat.Meeting with Ashildr at the end of time, he decides to erase Clara's memory and sending her back like he did with Donna, but instead he ends up with his memory erased, while she and Ashildr, go off in a new TARDIS that looks like a diner. There is one element I wasn't particularly fond of. In the finale, we see a Time Lord regenerate into a Time Lady as if it was nothing. While I've accepted the idea that regenderation is possible, I don't accept it as normal. She even states that she had been a woman up until her previous life, so the theory that a catalyst or additional variable might be required could still be possible, but it only works for that one incarnation. By the following life, you'll regenderate again. Stephen Moffat only has one season left, which he's unfortunately waiting a whole year for. I'm really hoping he's not setting up for a female Doctor. The season truly ended with the Christmas special, The Husbands Of River Song. It's really great to see Capaldi's Doctor interact with her, especially since she spends most of the episode not knowing who he is. It's a bittersweet ending as it seems he's able to spend the next 24 years with her (one night on that particular planet), but they'll never see each other again. (She'll meet him one last time when he was David Tennant, but all his encounters are now in the past.) Still, a good way to finish out the year.
The Walking Dead
After dealing with Terminus and a hospital run by corrupt cops, the group met a man named Aaron, who brought them to Alexandria. The city is heavily walled to keep out the zombies, but Deanna seems to put more emphasis on keeping the interior safe and comfortable rather than preparing her people for the world outside. Some characters find it easier to adapt inside than others. Carol wisely manages to blend in, hiding her more hardened aspects and acting like a normal housewife. Sasha has a nervous breakdown. Eugene grows a backbone in order to save Tara when he had to. Carl might just get himself a girlfriend. Rick nearly becomes Shane. Over the course of this year, (second half of season 5, first half of season 6), we lost Tyreese, Noah, and several others. The group is now facing off against a tribe of feral humans called the Wolves, led by a man named Negan, who has yet to be revealed. Every episode of the sixth season so far has taken place during the same 24-hour period. After discovering a huge horde of zombies in a rock quarry, Rick leads an attempt to corral them away from Alexandria, but the Wolves anticipated this and brought down a huge section of the wall. Glenn goes missing, and was presumed dead for a long time. He manages to signal his survival just as the walls come crashing down. Alexandria could still be salvaged, but for now it's time to evacuate using the old method of camouflaging yourselves in zombie guts. It's a tense moment as Rick leads his group out and a scared Sam has to ask his mom a question. Meanwhile, a dying Deanna makes a defiant stand against the horde to try and buy them time. We also saw the return of Morgan, who has regained his sanity with some help from a cheese maker and has a strict policy against killing the living. I'm looking forward to what happens this year.
Fear The Walking Dead
Taking place at the early stages of the outbreak and on the other side of the country, this series is a pretty mixed bag. It's interesting seeing characters learn what they're dealing with and how to survive. The group is an eclectic broken family; a man and his kids, the woman he's dating and her kids, as well as some illegal immigrants who were kind enough to help them when they needed it. One of the main characters is a drug addict, and is the first one made aware of the zombies. At first, he doesn't know if what he's seeing is real or a drug-induced hallucination, but that doesn't last long. We see the government intervene and occupy the area, but also collecting people who they believe might turn and becoming an adversary. The audience is well aware of what is about to happen, but the characters are not. As such, we see some people acting pragmatically and others acting stupid. The most egregious example of this was in the third (?) episode when the family breaks into a neighbor's house to get a weapon to protect themselves with. While everyone stands by to keep lookout, they leave the door to their own house wide open, allowing a zombified neighbor to walk right in and kill their dog. Even if you don't understand there are undead killers walking around, you do realize there's a crisis. Still, I kept watching. I like the new surroundings of the show and a few of the characters. I'm not as emotionally invested in them as I am in Rick's group, but it's still early in the show. Time will tell if this sticks.
The Flash
The second season kicked off where the first season ended, a giant time hole over Central City and the Flash trying to close it. Unfortunately, he couldn't do it without Firestorm's help, who split himself up to get it closed. Professor Stein was saved, but Ronny hasn't been seen since. A new Firestorm was later brought in to keep Stein stable. A recorded confession from Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne secured Barry's father's release from prison, who promptly went along his way. The singularity left several wormholes open throughout the city allowing for visitors from a parallel Earth, including Atom Smasher, Dr. Light, Jay Garrick (an alternate Flash), and their own Harrison "Harry" Wells. But the most dangerous of all is Zoom, a speedster clad in black who can run even faster than Barry, and brought him down with ease during their first encounter. Harry wants to help Barry bring down Zoom, but has to tread carefully because Zoom is holding his daughter Jessie (Quick?) hostage. The year ended with a team-up between the Trickster and Weather Wizard, and the introduction of Iris's brother, Wally West (the eventual Kid Flash). Barry also got himself a new girlfriend, a police officer on the metahuman task force with a personal score to settle with Weather Wizard. It's been a strong season so far, and I hope it continues this way.
Arrow
Damien Dahrk and his HIVE are terrorizing Star City and Team Arrow has been running ragged trying to stop them, so Oliver is called back to help them as the Green Arrow. Thea, now Speedy, is having some rage problems thanks to being resurrected by the Lazarus Pit. As such, she has to kill from time to time to stay in control. She and Laurel take a trip to Nanda Parbat, which results in the resurrection of her sister Sarah. Unfortunately, Sarah's been dead too long so her soul is completely absent from her body. Once Team Arrow tracks her down, Oliver calls in a favor from an old friend: John Constantine. I decided to marathon through the cancelled series in preparation for this episode. And while it helped, and made it that much cooler to see the character on the show, it wasn't necessarily needed to enjoy the character. The best thing was that they worked him into the flashbacks, rather than just showing up in present day. In the current flashback arc, Waller has enlisted Oliver to infiltrate a drug cartel on a different island. He runs into Constantine while there, who uncovers a mystical artifact that both he and the drug boss may have been looking for. Ollie saves his life when they set off a trap, and so he owed him one. In the present, once he arrives in Star City, they perform a ritual to unite Sarah's soul with her body, successfully reviving her (she eventually goes to visit her mother and deal with her own bloodlust). The episode ends with Constantine warning Oliver about Dahrk, which was a nice touch. Ray Palmer was presumed dead for most of the season, but was eventually discovered shrunk, and imprisoned by Dahrk, but alive. He's rescued, but opts to keep his survival a secret until the time is right, keeping Felicity in charge of Palmer Technologies. In the meantime, Oliver's been running for mayor, Captain Lance has been a reluctant associate of Dahrk's (eventually acting as a mole for Team Arrow), and Diggle's brother is discovered as one of Dahrk's henchmen. Diggle's brother shows no signs of remorse for any crimes committed, but whether or not he's brainwashed is uncertain. The year ended with an ending straight out of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. After an awesome battle against Dahrk, Oliver makes a very public proposal to Felicity, and she accepts. In the limo drive afterward, they're gunned down by Dahrk's men. Oliver manages to get to the wheel and drive to safety, but Felicity is unconscious, and could potentially die. The first episode of the season ended with Oliver and Barry standing over a grave, which made me incredibly uneasy. Felicity is my favorite character and if she dies, I'm not sure how much I'll stick around for. It's still a great series, and I'm hoping she pulls through.
Legends Of Tomorrow
While the series proper won't begin until this year, the annual crossover between The Flash and Arrow laid the groundwork, so I'll cover it here. Cisco began dating the beautiful Kendra Saunders, who turned out to be the latest reincarnation of Hawkgirl. When Vandal Savage came after her, it seemed Barry would not be able to take him on alone, so they took a trip to Star City to seek help from Team Arrow. They later run into Hawkman and their backstories are revealed, but Vandal Savage comes after them again. Cisco helps Kendra find her wings, and the teams eventually go back to Central City. At which point Oliver runs into an old flame, and meets his son, who she told him she had miscarried (at his mother's bribe). Barry's running back in time from last season occurs again, so we see events play out in two different ways. At first, Felicity discovers the DNA results between Oliver and his son, gets mad that she was left out of the loop, seemingly dumping him and messing with his focus during the battle. Cisco's device to stop Vandal Savage doesn't work, and Kendra can't unleash her power when it was needed, and the city explodes. Barry outruns the explosion, ends up back at the beginning of the day, and confides in Oliver what happens. And so, things play out differently. Oliver takes Barry's word for it, so no DNA test occurs. He still promises to keep his son a secret, at the mother's behest. This could still be a problem later, but it's better than blowing up in his face. Cisco's device works this time, and he also provides Kendra the encouragement she needs to unleash her power. As a result, Savage goes down, disintegrating into a pile of ash. After all is said and done, Kendra decides to go off with Hawkman and discover who she's supposed to be. There's a twist at the end, though, as Malcolm Merlyn is seen at the end collecting Vandal's ashes, which will likely take part in some ritual later. These episodes are much more inclusive than last year's crossover, both settings and casts play a role in both parts, and we get some important character development for everyone involved.
The second season was all about the emer
Agent Carter
This was a fun series, and a great opportunity to see Peggy shine as a leading lady, fighting not only enemy agents and maintaining her own secret mission, but also dealing with the stigmas and prejudices of the era and proving herself an asset by overcoming those difficulties. I also enjoyed the setting of the late 1940s, and some of the music. The season seems to end with the implication of starting the HYDRA splinter cell within the SSR (later SHIELD). It'll be great to see where this show goes.
Agents Of SHIELD
The second season dealed mostly with the emergence of Inhumans, the reveal of Skye's past and identity (Daisy Johnson AKA Quake), and Ward coming into his own as an enemy. The show managed to tie into Age Of Ultron by revealing the new Helicarrier and sending intel to the Avengers that would set off the movie. While still not recognized by the US government, it's at least cemented that SHIELD is active again in the MCU and training new superhumans. By the end of the second season, Coulson has lost a hand, Simmons is sucked through a portal to an alien planet, and terrigen crystals have been dispersed into the world's water supply (mostly contaminating fish). The third season kicks off as people who have taken fish oil tablets have been turned into Inhumans. SHIELD has been trying to round them up and recruit them, as well as keep them safe from anyone else. However, another Inhuman called Lash has been killing them before they can get to them. Turns out this is Melinda May's ex-husband, who was once a good man, but has given in almost completely to Lash's instincts. Simmons is rescued, but is driven by a need to rescue the astronaut who was stranded there too and helped her survive. HYDRA sends a team through the portal and Coulson follows suit. Ward is killed on the planet, and the astronaut is revealed to be dead, having been possessed by an entity on the planet, which later takes possession of Ward. We also get some more development for Agents Hunter and Morse (Mockingbird). Supposedly, they're getting their own show soon. I had initially heard that ABC opted not to do it, but perhaps they changed their mind.
Gotham
Some say that villains are being introduced to the show too early. I would be inclined to agree, but I still find myself watching every week. The bigger problem in the show is probably James Gordon. He's supposed to be the good cop on a corrupt police force, but we've seen Gordon make some controversial decisions toward the end of the first season and throughout the second. At the very beginning of this season, he makes a deal with Penguin (the big crime boss in the city now) to get his badge back. His precinct gets a new no nonsense Captain played by Michael Chiklis. His zero tolerance stance on corruption is exactly what Gordon and the GCPD need, but if he would have fired Gordon in a heartbeat if he knew about it. The Joker we saw last season turned out to be a red herring who gets killed early on this season, implying that his theatrics and laugh inspire whoever will become the real Joker. Edward Nygma goes down a dark path, dealing with schizophrenia and falling completely off the deep end after inadvertently killing the woman he loved. It's a real shame to see this happen so soon, because I liked the character and the actor. He's still great in the role, I just wished they'd slowed his progression. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne continues his investigation into is parents' murder, while an evil man named Theo Galavan works his way into both arcs. He was a villain with good publicity, running for mayor one moment, and orchestrating villainy in another. He uses his niece, Silver St. Cloud, to try and get close to Bruce and acquire his family's company. There are several complicated threads involving other villains, Barbara Keane going insane, Gordon's relationshp with Dr. Thompkins, and the Penguin. By the end of the year, it looks like it may be difficult for Gordon to come back to Gotham, but he may have to, now that we've caught a glimpse of Mr. Freeze.
Supergirl
DC absolutely hit this one out of the park. By the time the series began, Superman has already established himself as a superhero. His cousin Kara was sent to Earth when he was a baby to protect him as Krypton exploded, but her ship arrived later. And since she was in stasis, she's younger than he is too. For a long time, she was content just living a normal life, but felt a need to use her powers for something greater. So when her adoptive sister's jet is going down, she reveals herself to the world, and now she's working closely with a government organization to take down alien threats and prove herself worthy of her cousin's emblem. Melissa Benoist's performance is wonderful. She's adorable, unsure of herself yet confident at the same time. We've also seen her overbearing boss Cat Grant soften up over time, and her sister's boss Hank Henshaw reveal himself as the Martian Manhunter. I cant wait to see what else happens.
The Big Bang Theory
For the most part, it's been a lot of fun. We've seen Penny and Leonard get married. Sheldon and Amy broke up, got back together, and lost their virginity. The break-up did hurt, though. Not much else to say about it.
Bones
The previous season was supposedly the final one, and while it went out on a high note, something irked me about Booth's gambling addiction subplot. For me, it seemed to come out of nowhere. Perhaps had I seen the series more regularly when it started, I would have picked up on it, but it still seemed out of left field for me. When it returned in the fall, Booth returned to the FBI, Brennan went back to the Jeffersonian, and the only real thing to change was Saroyan's relationship ending. There was a crossover with Sleepy Hollow. I don't watch that series, but I checked out their episode. It was actually pretty well handled. Any supernatural elements were either kept away from the Bones characters, keeping their realistic fiction world intact. Even so, I get the feeling that while the Bones episode is canon to both shows, the Sleepy Hollow episode might not be canon to Bones. That's just my own assumption, so I can't really say for certain. Still, it was neat to see these two casts interact a little.
Castle
The story of the mystery writer turned private investigator and his police detective wife took an unpleasant turn when the current season began. Beckett has been promoted to captain, and stumbles into another link in the chain regarding Senator Bracken and her mother's murder. Bracken himself is killed in prison, and while Beckett continues investigating this on the down low, she decided to leave Castle. Stubborn as always, he takes every opportunity to get in on police investigations and help solve cases, trying to win her back, or at least stay in her life. I'm a little behind, though, so if they're still together by the end of the year I have no idea. This has been a trying year for television relationships, and I'm tired of seeing characters I like get dumped.
Galavant
This unevenly fun musical parody series follows a knight who tried to save his beloved from marrying the evil King Richard, only for her to reject him and go through with the marriage. Some time later, Galavant is recruited by a princess to save her parents and take back her kingdom, only to learn that she's working for Richard much later. The time slot is an hour long, but each episode is only half an hour, so we got two episodes every week for a few weeks. The series is normally pretty funny, but a few bits do get annoying sometimes. The songs are catchy, and the actors have enough charisma to keep your attention. Richard, despite his ruthless reputation, is pretty ineffectual and actually wants to be a better, more beloved ruler to his people. Queen Madalena, on the other hand, quickly becomes a ruthless baroness, who manages to overthrow her husband by the end of the season. Surprisingly enough, it was given a second season that began earlier this month. It's still a fun musical romp throughout its run.
Jessica Jones
I only caught the first two episodes before the new year began. Like Daredevil, we get to see the seedy underbelly of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The titular character is a former superhero turned private investigator. A mind controlling man named Killgrave (known in comics as the Purple Man), once had her under his thumb, as he has done with many people, and it seems he's resurfaced and is actively making her life miserable. We also meet Luke Cage, another superpowered individual, who kind of wants to be left alone. Krysten Ritter plays Jessica, and seems to roll with the punches over time. It's interesting that she doesn't publicize her abilities, but doesn't exactly hide them either. Still watching, so will have to follow this up eventually.
Power Rangers Dino Charge
This first half has been a pretty nice improvement over Megaforce, balancing out a healthy amount of stock footage with genuine story arcs and character growth. Some of the best episodes this season have been the Ranger introductions. Rise Of A Ranger saw Prince Phillip get ahold of the Graphite Energem, and after several failed attempts to bond with it, finally becomes a Ranger after saving Chase's little sister. World Famous (In New Zealand) gave us a one-shot Purple Ranger. Albert Smith was a fraudulent Bigfoot hunter, who nonetheless had a taste for adventure and a desire to do good for his country. He finds the Energem after saving a little girl stranded on a mountainside and it bonds with him. One the other Rangers find him, he's been using his powers and a police scanner to stop street crime. They recruit him into the team, but he freezes up when fighting aliens. Tyler does help him find his courage by the end of the episode, but he can't bring himself to leave New Zealand. So Keeper unbonds him from the Energem, leaving it up to the others to find a new Purple Ranger. But after Sledge recruits a humanoid captive named Heckyl, the Purple Energem is eventually taken by Fury, leading to the "season" finale One More Energem. Kendall builds a robot that will locate the stolen Energem, but first they have to get it into one of Sledge's transport pods. Unfortunately, Sledge also manages to take the Red Energem from Tyler and capture Keeper, so Kendall goes up to Sledge's ship in the same transport pod. Tyler and Shelby eventually go up after her. Eventually Kendall gets the Energem, rescues Keeper, and becomes the Purple Ranger. Shelby escapes with them, and Tyler confronts Sledge himself, all while the remaining Rangers fight off a monster in their Megazords. Thanks to Kendall's robot, Tyler gets back his Energem before Sledge can use it as a weapon, and brings the ship down. He's saved just in the nick of time by the others as Sledge's ship crashes. The Rangers go their separate ways temporarily, ready for when they're needed again and the other Energems are discovered. Meanwhile, something sinister pokes its head out of Heckyl's holding cell. I look forward to what happens next. Saban and Nickelodeon have finally regained that balance that keeps the show entertaining.
The Muppets
I wish I'd watched this a little more often, but the DVR never seemed to sync up with it. However, it's the Muppets, so you're bound to enjoy it in some capacity. It's The Muppet Show meets The Office. The characters are once again putting on a show (a late-night talk show hosted by Miss Piggy) and all sorts of things can go wrong. The real focus, however, is on the characters' lives behind the scenes. Kermit and Piggy broke up at some point before the show began, and the fact that he's the producer and she's the star makes some things awkward. Fozzie's dating a human, and her parents don't really approve. Supposedly the ratings haven't been strong, though, so the format might change up a little when more episodes are made.
Henry Danger
While I didn't watch the show on a regular basis, I did see an episode once in a while, and it's almost a guilty pleasure. As the intro explains, Henry Hart is looking for an after-school job and finds one as the sidekick for the local superhero Captain Man. Probably more suited for kids in their pre-teens or early teens, but it's not particularly bad. I also like that Captain Man has invulnerability, but he still feels pain, and that Henry himself is a loyal friend and sidekick.
Doctor Who
We had a pretty solid season this time around, consisting mostly of two-part stories and at last a return to Gallifrey. The first two episodes were great. We got Missy the Master, the Daleks, and Davros. Evil as he may be, I can't help but think that Davros had a genuine reaction when he heard that Gallifrey was still out there. He was truly happy for the Doctor, and it made me wonder if he had the chance to revive the Kaleds and the Thals if he would. A new sort-of adversary was introduced. A Norse woman named Ashildr, who the Doctor gave an alien chip to in order to save her life, allowing her to live forever. She eventually cast of her name, and simply calls herself Me, having lived through several lifetimes and identities. She creates a sanctuary city for aliens living on Earth, sets a mystery trap for the Doctor, and Clara Oswald's cleverness backfires in a huge (but kinda stupid) way, leading to her death. The episode after that had the Doctor completely alone, something the series has never done before, which ended with his arrival on Gallifrey. He then attempts to save Clara's life, but it's a fixed point. Alive she may be, but her heart won't beat.Meeting with Ashildr at the end of time, he decides to erase Clara's memory and sending her back like he did with Donna, but instead he ends up with his memory erased, while she and Ashildr, go off in a new TARDIS that looks like a diner. There is one element I wasn't particularly fond of. In the finale, we see a Time Lord regenerate into a Time Lady as if it was nothing. While I've accepted the idea that regenderation is possible, I don't accept it as normal. She even states that she had been a woman up until her previous life, so the theory that a catalyst or additional variable might be required could still be possible, but it only works for that one incarnation. By the following life, you'll regenderate again. Stephen Moffat only has one season left, which he's unfortunately waiting a whole year for. I'm really hoping he's not setting up for a female Doctor. The season truly ended with the Christmas special, The Husbands Of River Song. It's really great to see Capaldi's Doctor interact with her, especially since she spends most of the episode not knowing who he is. It's a bittersweet ending as it seems he's able to spend the next 24 years with her (one night on that particular planet), but they'll never see each other again. (She'll meet him one last time when he was David Tennant, but all his encounters are now in the past.) Still, a good way to finish out the year.
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