Joining me this week are:
Let's get to it!
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Series: This Week’s TV MVPs -- Week 52
Joining me this week are:
Let's get to it!
Arrow 5x12 Review: "Bratva" (What Happens in Russia...) [Contributor: Jenn]
"Bratva"
Original Airdate: February 8, 2017
There's a line in the musical, Wicked, that asks the question: "Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" It's an interesting inquiry, because it begs us to answer the question of whether or not our circumstances force us to become people we didn't necessarily intend to be. In Wicked, for instance, we learn that the character we assumed to be all evil from watching The Wizard of Oz actually isn't as much of a clear-cut villain as we assumed. In Arrow, characters question their morality and decisions nearly every few minutes. If there was a drinking game, we would be passed out by the time the show's second act concluded. But what I actually appreciated about "Bratva" was that, while it was a return to the darkness that I'm so used to associating with Oliver Queen, other characters got sucked into the dark spiral, with Oliver rescuing them for a change. As we've seen in recent episodes, Diggle and Felicity have been teetering on the edge of darkness and this episode was where they finally got pulled down into it. Meanwhile, back in Star(ling) City (because did I mention this episode takes place in Russia?), Rene helps a fresh-out-of-rehab Quentin Lance prep for an interview with Annoying Reporter Chick.
HELLO DARKNESS, MY OLD FRIEND
I wish I had a running tally of exactly how many episodes of Arrow focus on Oliver's darkness and guilt for living the way he did. Luckily for us, this episode wasn't so much an exploration of Oliver Queen's man pain as it was an examination of what happens when the people who are supposed to represent morality fall under the spell of darkness. Specifically, Diggle and Felicity. These two aren't exactly in the best places, emotionally, lately. Diggle managed to evade being killed by Evil General Dude (you can tell I really pay attention to their names here, but I'm pretty sure his name is General Walker), and is still filled with rage because of how the general is getting away with treason and doing whatever the heck he wants. Diggle's default darkness is "rage." And we see that really clearly in the episode. When the team storms a place they believe Walker to be hiding, the general evades but Oliver and Diggle manage to capture one of Walker's men. Oliver plays interrogator and tries, slowly, to get information out of him.
Diggle isn't having it.
He goes full-on crazy and beats the crap out of the man in order to get the information he wants. Now, as a soldier, Diggle knows this is futile. There's a part of his brain that recognizes the fact that people will say anything under torture or duress. But he doesn't care. He's willing to take matters into his own hands (literally) in order to get what he wants. This is especially discomforting to Oliver and to the audience. Diggle is supposed to be the one who steers Oliver out of the darkness — he's supposed to be Oliver's Yoda (I'm pretty sure Jen refers to him as that quite often). But what happens when the person who you rely on for moral direction throws all of THEIR morality out of the window? Well, in the case of Oliver, he begins to sink into darkness himself. Without his better halves to guide him, Oliver begins to believe the truth that all he is — all he can be — is who he was.
This belief isn't necessarily helped by the darkness swallowing up Felicity in the episode. As you might remember from last week, Felicity exonerated Diggle, but that came at a price — a piece of her soul, essentially. With Felicity holding onto the massive blackmail device in the thumb drive, she's holding onto massive power. And she knows it. I think what I really loved about "Bratva" as an episode was the fact that Diggle and Felicity's darkness look different. Diggle's darkness is one that is totally unhinged and uninhibited. He returns to instincts of rage and anger.
But that's never been Felicity. She's never been the kind of person who would go full-on assassin mode on someone. Felicity is highly intelligent and so her darkness will always be a subtle slide down the hill. In "Bratva," we see that. Felicity uses the thumb drive that Helix gave her in order to blackmail a man into doing what she wants. With Curtis and Rory accompanying her, we — and they — saw the fact that Felicity was willing to cross a few lines and use the information Helix gave her to terrify someone into doing what she wants. The thing is, Felicity tries to justify her actions: they needed information, and she was able to get it. It's not really bad... right?
The thing is, Felicity's darkness involves subtle justification and an addiction to power. Let's be honest: recently, Felicity has felt powerless. She was forced to do something by Darhk that resulted in the loss of innocent lives. She just recently lost her boyfriend. She feels like she needs control back in her life — she wants to control SOMETHING and seek to right wrongs in the world. Because if you'll recall, Oliver is all about getting justice for Billy... in his own way and time. But what happens if Felicity doesn't agree? What happens if she takes justice into her own hacking hands? Is it really so wrong to use the knowledge that freed Diggle in order to put away bad guys or blackmail a few people? After all, this is the business of vigilantism — moral ambiguity for the greater good.
When Rory tattle-tales on Felicity to Oliver (which was hilarious), Oliver becomes so thrown by the idea that something is going on with Felicity and Diggle's descent into darkness that he does something dark of his own — he rejoins Bratva, briefly.
Diggle isn't having it.
He goes full-on crazy and beats the crap out of the man in order to get the information he wants. Now, as a soldier, Diggle knows this is futile. There's a part of his brain that recognizes the fact that people will say anything under torture or duress. But he doesn't care. He's willing to take matters into his own hands (literally) in order to get what he wants. This is especially discomforting to Oliver and to the audience. Diggle is supposed to be the one who steers Oliver out of the darkness — he's supposed to be Oliver's Yoda (I'm pretty sure Jen refers to him as that quite often). But what happens when the person who you rely on for moral direction throws all of THEIR morality out of the window? Well, in the case of Oliver, he begins to sink into darkness himself. Without his better halves to guide him, Oliver begins to believe the truth that all he is — all he can be — is who he was.
This belief isn't necessarily helped by the darkness swallowing up Felicity in the episode. As you might remember from last week, Felicity exonerated Diggle, but that came at a price — a piece of her soul, essentially. With Felicity holding onto the massive blackmail device in the thumb drive, she's holding onto massive power. And she knows it. I think what I really loved about "Bratva" as an episode was the fact that Diggle and Felicity's darkness look different. Diggle's darkness is one that is totally unhinged and uninhibited. He returns to instincts of rage and anger.
But that's never been Felicity. She's never been the kind of person who would go full-on assassin mode on someone. Felicity is highly intelligent and so her darkness will always be a subtle slide down the hill. In "Bratva," we see that. Felicity uses the thumb drive that Helix gave her in order to blackmail a man into doing what she wants. With Curtis and Rory accompanying her, we — and they — saw the fact that Felicity was willing to cross a few lines and use the information Helix gave her to terrify someone into doing what she wants. The thing is, Felicity tries to justify her actions: they needed information, and she was able to get it. It's not really bad... right?
The thing is, Felicity's darkness involves subtle justification and an addiction to power. Let's be honest: recently, Felicity has felt powerless. She was forced to do something by Darhk that resulted in the loss of innocent lives. She just recently lost her boyfriend. She feels like she needs control back in her life — she wants to control SOMETHING and seek to right wrongs in the world. Because if you'll recall, Oliver is all about getting justice for Billy... in his own way and time. But what happens if Felicity doesn't agree? What happens if she takes justice into her own hacking hands? Is it really so wrong to use the knowledge that freed Diggle in order to put away bad guys or blackmail a few people? After all, this is the business of vigilantism — moral ambiguity for the greater good.
When Rory tattle-tales on Felicity to Oliver (which was hilarious), Oliver becomes so thrown by the idea that something is going on with Felicity and Diggle's descent into darkness that he does something dark of his own — he rejoins Bratva, briefly.
A NEW CANARY'S TRUTH TALK
When Oliver does something for Anatoly to ensure that the Bratva will do something for him in return, our favorite Green Arrow begins to sink into his familiar hole of "woe is me, I thought this part of my life was behind me." Tina (no, I will not call her Dinah, thank you very much show) was warned about this and tells Oliver as much. Diggle and Felicity said that whenever he gets broody, everyone else should just stay out of his way and let him do his thing. But Tina doesn't agree, and I think it's actually really good. As much as I love the OTA, I think that it's easy for Diggle and Felicity to get into old habits and patterns with Oliver. Tina is the important piece of the team because she's new — she can see what the others cannot because she's still on the outside looking in. Instead of placating Oliver with silence, she tells him how annoying she finds the whole moody, broody hero thing.
What's really important, however, is what Tina tells Oliver about his past: it's a part of him. That's something he'll never escape and never be able to. But that's not what should define him. Oliver is so used to remembering all the terrible things he did as The Hood and as a member of Bratva, that Tina points out he's missing remembering all of the good he did too. While most people look through the past with rose-colored glasses, Oliver tends to look at them through dark lenses. It's not bad to remember your mistakes and prevent making them in the future; it is bad to define yourself by the way you messed up. Tina tells Oliver that he's missing all of the good things and by only remembering himself as a guy who did terrible things, he's missing the whole truth. You can't change who you were, but you can remember the good parts of who you used to be and use those to fuel your future.
Oliver takes this advice and brings it to the forefront of his conversation with Diggle and Felicity. We haven't really gotten many OTA scenes lately, but I really liked this one. In spite of his talk with Tina, Oliver still sees Felicity and Diggle as inherently better people than he is (and you know, he's not really wrong). That's why they work so well as a team — they function as his beacons when he gets lost. They're always there to guide him back home, and if they slip into the darkness, the team is doomed. He needs them to be better people than he is. And it's a bit of a wake-up call for Diggle and Felicity in some ways. Oliver believes in them and when he looks at them, he sees all they've done and all they can do if they cling to the light.
But darkness is tempting because it hides the parts of us we dislike. And I think that's why Diggle and Felicity, especially, will continue to be drawn to it. Nevertheless, the team decides to work together (and with Bratva) to take down General Walker and bring him to justice. When Diggle has the chance to kill Walker, he takes the high road and decides that he'll stand trial instead. Felicity, however, decides that she's just getting started with Helix. Which should definitely be interesting to watch unfold in the coming weeks. I like Felicity slipping into darkness because it's believable — she doesn't suddenly shift to become a cold-hearted assassin. She's still the Felicity that we know and love. ... Just with less of a grasp on ethical and moral truths.
Overall, "Bratva" was a pretty good episode of Arrow. It wasn't my favorite, but I think the emphasis on Diggle and Felicity's darkness made it a unique episode, thematically. Plus, any episode in which the team gets to take a trip to Russia is generally a good one in my book. I'm interested to see what "Bratva" means for characters moving forward. Especially now that we know Annoying Reporter Chick has figured out that Oliver is Green Arrow.
DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN.
And now, bonus points:
- There was a side-story involving Rene helping Quentin prep for an interview with Annoying Reporter Chick (nope, I'll never actually write out "Susan Williams" in these reviews so enjoy, folks). Apart from Rene giving tough love to Quentin and their final conversation minorly setting up a Rene-focused episode next week, nothing else in the story was of much consequence.
- (Although, I find it REALLY hard to believe that Rene was a kid when Quentin was a cop and meant something to him. That's just too convenient, even by Arrow's standards. I kind of hope that Rene made that story up so Annoying Reporter Chick could go easy on Quentin during the interview.)
- "What's it hurt to have a little help?" "Just my waking sanity."
- I love that Talia is in the flashbacks, and this week she helped Oliver cross off a name on Robert Queen's infamous list. Also, I miss hearing people call it "Starling City."
- "But to be honest, brooding kind of gets on my nerves." I want to keep Tina forever.
- "... Your strange friend's pronunciation is horrible." Who else missed Anatoly? No? Just me?
- It's clear that DCTV shows only have one airplane hangar because it's the same one they use for literally ANY scene involving an airplane. It's the one the team was holed up in during the "Invasion!" crossover event. Is there only one airplane hangar in Vancouver?
- "Now you're my favorite American." I'm petitioning DCTV for a new show starring Anatoly and Tina. Who else is in?
- Oh, yeah, I guess that "letting go of his past" meant Oliver and Annoying Reporter Chick slept together. Blegh. The actress is also currently playing an annoying character on Suits, so I've started to consider that maybe I have a problem with her and not the character. ... Nope, scratch that. It's probably both.
What did you all think of "Bratva"? Sound off in the comments below!
Friday, February 10, 2017
Timeless 1x14 Review: "The Lost Generation" (Change Your Fate) [Contributor: Jenn]
"The Lost Generation"
Original Airdate: February 6, 2017
If you've been around a Christian church for any length of time or know anything remotely about Christianity, you'll know there are two camps that people generally fall into — predestination or free will. Predestination is the idea that we each have some purpose or fate that we were born into and no matter what we try to do to change that, it's immovable. Free will is exactly the way it sounds: the idea that we might have been born into a circumstance or encounter obstacles in life but that not everything is a fixed point. We have the free will to change our destinies.
And no genre of television tackles these similar subjects quite like time travel shows do. It's because these are shows in which retrospect is crucial: in which we recognize the fact that little mishaps and mistakes make or break who we turn out to be. But as Wyatt learned last week, sometimes when you try and change the past, fate still happens — time still wants to take certain people, and does. In "The Lost Generation," we explore the idea of whether or not you can escape your legacy. Lucy, in particular, struggles with the fact that her fate is seemingly being written and sealed for her. And her attempts to change Charles Lindbergh's legacy go awry, too, which doesn't add to the discomfort she feels about literally being a part of Rittenhouse by blood. Eesh.
RITTEN(HOUSE) IN THE STARS
(I couldn't resist that pun, so apologies.)
As we know from last week's episode, Lucy's dad is a part of Rittenhouse. And that means that Lucy has literally been born into a psychotic organization bent on controlling and manipulating other people. She tries to wrap her head around this while resisting it. But her father, Benjamin Cahill, tries to convince Lucy that Rittenhouse isn't made up of entirely terrible people. It's not as bad as Lucy insists it is, but our young heroine won't have it — and she certainly doesn't want any relationship with her evil, scary dad. She has more pressing matters at hand: like the fact that Flynn keeps time-hopping and the team is now down to her and Rufus.
That's right: after Wyatt's stunt last week in stealing the Lifeboat, he's been locked up and hauled off to a blacksite (impressively he figures out exactly where he is) where he's being questioned by Agent Christopher. But back at home base, Rufus and Lucy are trying to figure out exactly how to proceed with the knowledge that a) they're Wyatt-less, and b) Lucy's dad is the creepy dude who has been threatening the lives of Rufus' friends and family. Team Timeless doesn't have much time to dwell on their issues — not yet, at least — because they're tasked with jumping to 1927, since Flynn has just arrived.
The team deduces that Flynn wants something to do with renowned pilot, Charles Lindbergh, and Team Timeless soon realizes that Lindbergh was actually a part of Rittenhouse. And, much like Lucy, he was born into the creepy, power-hungry regime ("pureblood," is how the pilot addresses Lucy which was creepy and reminded me of Harry Potter). There's a sharp contrast between Lucy and Lindbergh in this episode that really struck me. Both are essentially in similar places in their lives. When the pilot is held hostage by Flynn, Lucy makes a deal with our series villain: Lindbergh gets to live if she can manage to convince him to walk away from his family's power, prestige, and fame and abandon Rittenhouse.
Flynn agrees and Lucy and Lindbergh have a heart-to-heart. She does manage to convince him to walk away from Rittenhouse and his family, and seemingly prevents him from turning into the Nazi sympathizer that he would eventually become. (After all, Lindbergh cites his father as wanting him to fly around the world and say terrible things about people.) It's win in Lucy's book! She's managed to change fate and if she can get Lindbergh out of Rittenhouse, then she can get herself out of its clutches too. Lucy's trying to avoid predestination by reminding herself that she as free will and doesn't have to be sucked into the madness that Flynn presents to her in her future journal.
... But Lucy's victory is short-lived, because when she returns to the present, she learns that while Lindbergh left Rittenhouse, he still became the awful Nazi sympathizer that history remembered him for previously. It's Lucy's version of the moment Wyatt had last week — realizing that, perhaps, fate has plans that even time travel shenanigans can't stop. And then, near the end of this week's episode, Lucy's mother gives her a present in order to help Lucy process all that she's feeling and experiencing.
A journal.
Lucy is horrified but tries to hide it. Because yes, friends, you guessed it. That's the journal that Flynn has been referencing all season. For as much as Lucy has tried to fix her future and reject Flynn's notion that she'll become what he says she'll be, Lucy keeps finding her own unwanted future catching up to her at every turn. But there's one thing that Lucy has in her back pocket that no one else does: a team to support her. And that might very well make all the difference.
Flynn agrees and Lucy and Lindbergh have a heart-to-heart. She does manage to convince him to walk away from Rittenhouse and his family, and seemingly prevents him from turning into the Nazi sympathizer that he would eventually become. (After all, Lindbergh cites his father as wanting him to fly around the world and say terrible things about people.) It's win in Lucy's book! She's managed to change fate and if she can get Lindbergh out of Rittenhouse, then she can get herself out of its clutches too. Lucy's trying to avoid predestination by reminding herself that she as free will and doesn't have to be sucked into the madness that Flynn presents to her in her future journal.
... But Lucy's victory is short-lived, because when she returns to the present, she learns that while Lindbergh left Rittenhouse, he still became the awful Nazi sympathizer that history remembered him for previously. It's Lucy's version of the moment Wyatt had last week — realizing that, perhaps, fate has plans that even time travel shenanigans can't stop. And then, near the end of this week's episode, Lucy's mother gives her a present in order to help Lucy process all that she's feeling and experiencing.
A journal.
Lucy is horrified but tries to hide it. Because yes, friends, you guessed it. That's the journal that Flynn has been referencing all season. For as much as Lucy has tried to fix her future and reject Flynn's notion that she'll become what he says she'll be, Lucy keeps finding her own unwanted future catching up to her at every turn. But there's one thing that Lucy has in her back pocket that no one else does: a team to support her. And that might very well make all the difference.
TEAM TIMELESS LOSES A MEMBER, GAINS A MEMBER, LOSES A MEMBER, AND GAINS A MEMBER
With Agent Christopher now kicked out from running the time-travel missions, she finds another way to participate — by covertly joining Team Timeless and helping Wyatt escape his blacksite interrogation. I love the fact that Agent Christopher is working directly with the team now, intent on helping them out. Because the truth is that it just doesn't work if it's not Wyatt, Lucy, and Rufus together and our favorite agent is an integral part of KEEPING them all together.
But "The Lost Generation" also introduced us to a new character named David. He took Wyatt's place on Team Timeless for approximately five minutes in the episode... and then he got shot and killed in 1927. Yup. That's it. That's all he was good for. Alas, poor David. We knew him barely.
But "The Lost Generation" also introduced us to a new character named David. He took Wyatt's place on Team Timeless for approximately five minutes in the episode... and then he got shot and killed in 1927. Yup. That's it. That's all he was good for. Alas, poor David. We knew him barely.
"I'M BECOMING ERNEST HEMINGWAY, YA IDIOTS."
What I really loved about this episode was that we got to see Ernest Hemingway! (Someone tweeted me during the episode and asked who that was, and after I picked my jaw up off the floor I realized that unless you were an English major, you might not have read very much Hemingway. I had to read a few different books by him in my college studies — A Farewell to Arms and The Sun Also Rises, in addition to his excellent short story, "Hills Like White Elephants"). But one thing you should know about Hemingway (and that Timeless definitely did justice) was that he was a drunk. He was brilliant when he wrote, but most of his stories involve people being drunk. Or him being drunk while writing them.
Rufus got the chance to spend some quality time with our drunk writer in this episode, and actually became a better and bolder person for it. Hemingway's motto was essentially the equivalent of the modern #YOLO — do all you can because others, who are dead, cannot. After Lucy gets kidnapped because Hemingway is too busy puking to pay attention to her, Rufus and Hemingway then have a conversation about life, death, and purpose. For all of his faults, and they are numerous, Ernest Hemingway seems to have really struck a chord in Rufus. He gets him to be braver and bolder and louder, and occasionally Rufus needs someone like that to push him out of the shadows. (Plus, the monologue that Rufus delivers whilst yelling at Hemingway is great).
But it gets even better than that! This episode also features an appearance by Josephine Baker, whose heart-to-heart with Lucy (about guilt and confusion over whether or not she can actually change who she's supposed to be) was beautiful, as was her explanation of what Hemingway meant by using the phrase, "the lost generation." Best of all, Josephine Baker was a strong woman who used her resources and contacts in order to rise up and resist injustice around her. To quote a now-famous rallying cry of feminists everywhere: "Nevertheless, she persisted."
This week's Timeless ends with Team Timeless (plus the newly-integrated Agent Christopher!) together again. Regardless of all the crazy stuff that has happened with them recently — and it's been crazy — Wyatt is certain of one thing. He tells the team that he knows that fate or God or whomever brought them together so he could protect them. THAT is his mission in all of this and he promises them that he'll fulfill it. And in spite of the fact that Lucy and Wyatt now have to pretend they're okay with their missions being controlled by Rittenhouse (yeah, they take over everything at the end of the episode), they're ready to fight. They know now what they believe in. In spite of how crazy time travel is and what her future holds, Lucy is ready to fight Rittenhouse. She'll go down swinging if she has to, but she and the team know that what they're doing is wrong. They must stop Flynn.
"The Lost Generation" was a fun and poignant episode, and it'll be really interesting to see all of the obstacles this team faces in the coming episodes and how they'll wrap the season up!
Timey-wimey bits:
Rufus got the chance to spend some quality time with our drunk writer in this episode, and actually became a better and bolder person for it. Hemingway's motto was essentially the equivalent of the modern #YOLO — do all you can because others, who are dead, cannot. After Lucy gets kidnapped because Hemingway is too busy puking to pay attention to her, Rufus and Hemingway then have a conversation about life, death, and purpose. For all of his faults, and they are numerous, Ernest Hemingway seems to have really struck a chord in Rufus. He gets him to be braver and bolder and louder, and occasionally Rufus needs someone like that to push him out of the shadows. (Plus, the monologue that Rufus delivers whilst yelling at Hemingway is great).
But it gets even better than that! This episode also features an appearance by Josephine Baker, whose heart-to-heart with Lucy (about guilt and confusion over whether or not she can actually change who she's supposed to be) was beautiful, as was her explanation of what Hemingway meant by using the phrase, "the lost generation." Best of all, Josephine Baker was a strong woman who used her resources and contacts in order to rise up and resist injustice around her. To quote a now-famous rallying cry of feminists everywhere: "Nevertheless, she persisted."
This week's Timeless ends with Team Timeless (plus the newly-integrated Agent Christopher!) together again. Regardless of all the crazy stuff that has happened with them recently — and it's been crazy — Wyatt is certain of one thing. He tells the team that he knows that fate or God or whomever brought them together so he could protect them. THAT is his mission in all of this and he promises them that he'll fulfill it. And in spite of the fact that Lucy and Wyatt now have to pretend they're okay with their missions being controlled by Rittenhouse (yeah, they take over everything at the end of the episode), they're ready to fight. They know now what they believe in. In spite of how crazy time travel is and what her future holds, Lucy is ready to fight Rittenhouse. She'll go down swinging if she has to, but she and the team know that what they're doing is wrong. They must stop Flynn.
"The Lost Generation" was a fun and poignant episode, and it'll be really interesting to see all of the obstacles this team faces in the coming episodes and how they'll wrap the season up!
Timey-wimey bits:
- "WOAH. SCARY RITTENHOUSE DUDE IS YOUR FATHER?!"
- "Ma'am?" "Lucy's fine." I really love that Lucy wouldn't let David say "ma'am," because that was her and Wyatt's thing.
- "Not even teacup-at-Disneyland-type queasy?"
- Fun fact was that The Sun Also Rises, apparently, was Hemingway's only written book at this point. Thank you, Timeless writers' Twitter account for that little tidbit!
- "This is the part where Wyatt would say something annoying but he'd be right."
- "You are a world-class jerk, Hemingway."
- Agent Christopher gave Wyatt a PAPER CLIP to escape. That was so great.
- We got an adorable Wyatt/Lucy hug in this episode again. I'm a fan.
- "You realize you sound like a crazy person, right?" "I sound like you." "Exactly."
What did you all think of this week's episode? Sound off in the comments below!
Blindspot 2x13 Review: "Name Not One Man" (Not Enough Answers) [Contributor: Jen]
"Name Not One Man"
Original Airdate: February 8, 2017
Blindspot returns after a two-week hiatus with "Name Not One Man," a ho-hum episode that illuminates some backstory on Weller's connection to Shepherd, but provides very little concrete answers.
CASE OF THE WEEK
The case of the week was a bit of a bore. Patterson tracks down Jane's Genesis 3:25 tattoo to a farmer named Jared Wisnewski. He's using his farm as a domestic training center and building an ANFO bomb. The team thinks they have a handle on the case when Wisnewski shows up at FBI headquarters. Turns out, he's an informant with the FBI. The idea for the bombs and the attack came from the agent running the case — Boyd. Naturally, Weller is royally ticked off because entrapment doesn't generally lead to convictions.
The Boyd angle felt like Blindspot's attempt to comment on the political atmosphere, but unfortunately it just felt heavy-handed and sloppy. Weller is essentially forced to carry out the op in order to find out the target (Bureau of Land Development), but Wisnewski's cover is blown and he's killed.
Just as Tess — Wisnewski's partner in crime — is about to drive the truck into the building, Kurt steps into the street and shoots the tires out. Blindspot did their very best to dramatize this moment with Kurt yelling, "stop!" and then cutting to commercial break so it looks like he is going to get run over. Of course, if you were anything like me, you simply asked during commercial, "Why doesn't Kurt just shoot the tires out?" Then Kurt shot the tires out.
So uh... yeah. So much for that crisis.
Tess holds the detonator, threatening to blow everyone and everything sky high. Kurt and Jane give her their standard, "we understand your pain and rage. The government can be the worst, but please do the right thing" pep talk, and she hands over detonator. Works every time.
Quite frankly, I was confused. Tess had her finger on a red button. When she handed the detonator to Kurt, she took her finger off the button, but... nobody blew up. Why did they believe shooting her would set off the bomb? What was the trigger? How did that bomb explode exactly? I have so many questions.
Honestly, the case just felt like busy work — something for Team Blindspot to focus on while they peeled back Kurt's back story at a painfully slow pace.
TEAM BLINDSPOT
The really interesting aspect of the case is the battle between Kurt and Patterson. After finding out about Boyd's off-the-books op, Weller decides to dig into other "off-the-book" areas. He asks Patterson how she decoded Jane's Genesis 3:25 tattoo, and she tells Kurt that she used illegal wire taps from the Omaha data cash Nas gave her.
Seriously, do Nas and Kurt not talk anymore? I know they are broken up, but I feel like this would be something she'd give him a heads up on. Meh. Whatever.
Kurt doesn't want Patterson to use Omaha because it's illegal. He wants to stop Sandstorm, but not if the cost is Patterson's integrity or the team's. Patterson believes Kurt is asking her to stop Sandstorm with one hand tied behind her back. So, now we're getting into some interesting moral ambiguity that feels far more natural than farmers building ANFO bombs.
Both Patterson and Kurt are right and wrong. It may be impossible to get ahead of Sandstorm without using NSA intelligence like Omaha. However, one cannot pursue justice if they are breaking the law to do it. My bet is that Patterson is so angry over Borden, she will defy Kurt's orders and continue using Omaha. If tonight was a preview, it should lead to some epic moral debates between the two characters.
That is... if Patterson is conscious enough to have the arguments. What is up with the collapsing? We just got Patterson back! Can I go one episode without having to worry that her life is in danger, Gero? Is that so much to ask? Hopefully it's just low blood sugar.
In other news, Reade is snorting cocaine now. So... there's that. I know Zappata said to be happy, but I'm pretty sure she was talking a more natural, less chemically-induced way. While this is quite the swerve for the straight and narrow Reade, this isn't uncommon behavior in sexual abuse victims. Often, their trauma leads to drug abuse. Reade isn't really dealing with his trauma; he's looking for ways to distract himself from it. Unfortunately, nothing is working, which means continued escalation.
KURT AND JANE
"Name Not One Man" served primarily as a backdrop for digging into Weller's connection to Shepherd. It means flashback to baby Weller! Yeah! Well, more like Cadet Weller, but he's a cutie pie no less. Kurt is desperate to be kicked out of military schools so he can return home and protect his sister against their monster of a father. To be fair, the kid has a point.
"To really protect people, you need power" is the sage advice Shepherd bestows on Kurt while visiting him at the military academy. True, but that doesn't really help his sister. She's still up a creek. I don't quite follow the logic that this would convince Kurt to stay in school, but I'll let it go. Kurt's father does go to jail, but I can't remember when that happens. (Sorry, off-topic.)
Shepherd's arrival at the academy is oddly placed and sticks out like a sore thumb, but Blindspot needed some kind of face-to-face meeting between Shepherd and Cadet Kurt, so present-day Kurt could remember who she is. This all leads back to the military academy where Kurt discovers his scholarship wasn't state funded. Instead, a woman named Ellen Riggs paid his tuition. Ellen Riggs is Shepherd. It's a little shocking that the head of the military academy just flat-out told Kurt who paid his tuition, but it never ceases to amaze what a badge can do. It certainly supports Shepherd's sage advice.
While Kurt visits with the commandant, Jane speaks with his secretary. Given Kurt's penchant for being a troublemaker, she's surprised he works for the FBI. Jane is completely adorable, grinning ear to ear as she brags about Kurt being the Assistant Director of the FBI. This woman is stupid for him. Can we please stop pretending otherwise, Blindspot? I'm getting tired.
Kurt's tuition isn't the only area in which Ellen Riggs intervened with in his life. They discover a connection to a man named Sean Clarke. Clarke was a training officer at Ford Meade, where Shepherd was stationed. They worked together for years. In fact, Ellen Riggs paying his medical bills, much like she paid for Kurt's tuition. When Kurt visits Clarke, his mind is gone. All he can talk about is baseball. He tells Kurt he's a Met but he was supposed to be a National. Patterson discovers through the Omaha wire taps that Mayfair put Kurt up for a promotion in Washington, D.C. (the Washington Nationals), but Clarke blocked it and insisted he stay in the New York field office (New York Mets).
Once Kurt is able to connect the dots, he's desperate to talk to Clarke again. Clarke mentions the "Truman Protocol" just before Shepherd shows up at the nursing home and kidnaps both men. Honestly, the scene between Weller and Shepherd is a lot of posturing, with Shepherd offering very little information. Then, she kills Clarke in front of Weller to keep "the plan" a secret.
Unfortunately, we still don't know what "the plan" is, nor are we really any closer to knowing Kurt's connection to Shepherd. This is a source of frustration with Blindspot. They tend to drag out reveals at a painfully slow pace. Then, a single episode will contain a massive information dump when it would have been better spread to spread it out over multiple episodes. My personal preference would be for Blindspot to start answering some of these questions sooner rather than later.
Stray Thoughts:
- Somehow Roman's remark about Jane always doing what the FBI tells her to do equated to, in her mind, going on a date with Water Boy. Umm... okay. Fine. Play your ski ball Jane, but we just finished with Nas and Weller. I'm not really up for more Jeller stall tactics in the form of other love interests.
- Deputy Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency sounded like a fake title to me. I was informed it is not. Leave it to the government to come up with a title like that.
- Zappata is 100% in love with Reade.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
The Flash 3x12 Review: "Untouchable" (Another One Bites the Dust) [Contributor: Deborah MacArthur]
"Untouchable"
Original Airdate: February 7, 2017
Well, kids, Iris is in trouble again! Still? Still and again, I guess. The Savitar threat is still looming while a Meta of the Week wreaks havoc, Joe West finally learns about the danger his daughter is in, Barry is trying to train Wally in the Ways of the Speedster (or “Zippy Zen,” as I’ve decided to call it), and Caitlin is still maybe a little bit evil. But it’s fine because there’s a hint of a romance between her and Julian, and he’s a little bit evil, too. They can both be a little bit evil together.
“Untouchable” is a well-balanced episode, keeping the plot evenly spread out between the weekly dose of metahuman villainy and the Save Iris half-season arc. It also manages to balance action and character: its flashy speedster sequences for Barry and Wally don’t overshadow the great acting of Jesse L. Martin or a couple nice and too-infrequent character moments between Caitlin and Iris. Overall, while not my favorite episode of the season, I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed what the trailers depicted as yet another episode in which Iris plays damsel in distress.
FLASHPOINT: A CONSTANT REMINDER OF BARRY’S STUPIDITY
It’s been a few episodes since Flashpoint reared its ugly head again on a lesser scale. The season started out implying that these Alchemy-caused metahumans were going to be a big problem for Team Flash, but that got pushed aside for actual big problems like Savitar and the possible death of Iris West. So “Untouchable” brings the team back to basics with a metahuman villain who is using his Alchemy-granted powers to get back at the people in this reality who mocked him in the Flashpoint reality as members of the Central City Police Department. That seems like a bit of an overreaction to me, but I don’t know. I’m not a revenge-fueled metahuman with the ability to turn people (and things) into dust, so maybe my scale is a bit different from ol’ Clive Yorkin’s.
Clive Yorkin, by the way, might just be the first metahuman of the week without an alias since the show started. I have to believe that Cisco was just so overwhelmed by the dust- and ash-related puns he could use in a moniker that he gave up before even starting. Spoiled for choice, and all that. I mean, what would he go for? “The Sweeper”? “Dustman”? Or maybe something a bit more abstract, like “Captain Kansas” — since everything is dust in the wind.
Pushing aside my problems with the villain’s motivation and backstory (quick summary: it makes no sense for Yorkin to kill people who hurt him in an alternate timeline; he should be using his powers to rob banks, like any self-respecting throwaway villain would), the elements of the plot that deal with the dynamics and people on Team Flash are wonderful this episode. Iris, Caitlin, Julian, and Joe all get their moments, but “Untouchable” is really Wally’s time to shine.
Barry is doubling down on his training so that Wally can be the one to save Iris from Savitar in the future. (Points to Barry for not trying to take that responsibility on himself and inevitably screwing it up because he fails at being a lone hero, by the way.) During a race to test how Kid Flash compares to Original Flavor Flash, Wally proves what I’ve been saying ever since he got his powers: he might be fast, but he seriously lacks the strategic mind and dedicated training it takes to be in the same league as Barry. Barry has to teach Wally what he knows, but Barry’s struggling with being a teacher instead of a student.
Wally learning from Barry becomes the throughline of the episode and provides simple but very good character development for both Wally and Barry. And The Flash manages to do it while keeping the two speedsters amiable and brotherly, which I find delightful — sometimes shows have trouble depicting non-physical struggles without diving for the easy realm of lost tempers and shouting.
When Yorkin makes his way through the Flashpoint-CCPD ranks and ends up with Joe as his next target, Wally and Barry are able to stop him during his initial attack, but his powers mean he’s — title drop! — untouchable, and he gets away. I guess Yorkin read “The Hack’s Guide to Supervillainy” between his scenes, because after his first failure he decides that the best way to hurt Joe is to hurt Iris. Wally manages to stop Iris from getting a full hit of Yorkin’s dust-to-dust powers, but he’s not fast enough to save her completely. Symbolism! Or is it foreshadowing? Whatever, it’s important for reasons.
Here’s where the plot and the character stuff really starts to intertwine. The decay caused when Yorkin touched Iris’s arm needs to be halted long enough for the team to find a cure. It’s not something that Barry can use his powers to help with, but it’s something that his team can help with — namely, Caitlin, who can use her Killer Frost abilities to freeze the progress of Yorkin’s poison touch. But Caitlin has to be able to focus completely, for a long period of time, and avoid turning evil, which is something she isn’t sure she can do. This leads to some small-but-mighty moments in which Iris and Caitlin interact and Iris proves that, despite us not seeing the evidence of their friendship much on screen, she has complete faith in Caitlin’s ability to be good. The moments between them are so natural (probably a credit to the actresses more than anything) that I find myself questioning why the writers don’t put these two together more often. Their friendship seems like it would be absolutely effortless to depict.
Caitlin also gets some pep talks from Julian, who is awkward but seemingly well-meaning and relates to Caitlin’s inner evil, since it was his Alchemy alter-ego that set Yorkin loose on the city. I start to like Julian a little bit more and secretly hope neither he nor Caitlin turn evil, so they can go on dates and be not-evil together and maybe, just maybe, Caitlin can have a boyfriend who doesn’t die or turn into a villain. Like, jeez.
Eventually, a cure is found — speedster blood! I guess Barry did help, after all. Iris gets a dose and she’ll be fine, although she will have to deal with Joe now knowing that she might be killed by Savitar in the future. (Side note: Jesse L. Martin is the absolute MVP of this episode; his scene when he finds out about Barry’s flash-forward was some amazing acting.)
But they still have to stop Yorkin. It’s up to Wally to stop the villain this week, and it’s up to Barry to overcome the issues he was having with teaching him in order to help him do it. Barry manages to get through to Wally by channelling his inner Harrison Wells and Wally phases his blood into Yorkin, neutralizing his dusty, dusty powers. Barry even gets to do a “Run, Wally. Run,” since H.R. is too goofy to deliver that line these days. Let’s hope Barry doesn’t adapt any of Evil Harrison Wells’s other personality traits, though.
And speaking of Harrison Wells: Jesse shows up at the end of the episode to say that her dad’s been kidnapped by Grodd. We get to go to Gorilla City next week!
Other Things:
- I love how easily Wally and Barry have settled into some good-natured sibling rivalry. They’re terrific together.
- The show is dropping hints about who might be dying (is it Joe? Is it Iris? Is it Wally? Caitlin? BARRY?) left and right and I can’t keep track of them anymore. And it reminded us this episode that there are other parts of Savitar’s prophecy we have to look out for, too. My head is spinning.
- "There is protocol to follow... surely?" Oh, Julian. The protocol is a myth.
- Jesse L. Martin was good at the comedy in this episode, too. Just, A+ episode for him, all around.
- I didn’t get to talk about Iris as much as I hoped, but just suffice to say that Candice Patton also acted the heck out of this episode and Iris is amazing.
- "I actually went to that class." "You better be going to all your classes." Joe is in Dad Mode, even during a crisis.
- I forgot to mention the P.I. who was also targeted by Yorkin, but eh.
- “No more lies, even well-intentioned ones.” Oh, buddy. Let’s see how long that lasts.
- "That was so nice!" I don't know if that was Barry or Grant saying that line, but it was adorable.
Scorpion 3x15 Review: “Sharknerdo” (A Group of Sharks is Called a Frenzy. Who Gives a Crap!) [Guest Contributor: Yasmine]
“Sharknerdo”
Original Airdate: February 6, 2017
The episode starts with Walter losing the team a big payday job because he couldn’t put aside that someone would say, incorrectly, one hundred and nine thousand instead of one hundred nine. Instead of a safe government job, they end up in the middle of the Pacific seeking a sunken pirate treasure in a private job paying on commission.
The level of excitement regarding their new job is varied among the team. From Cabe's neutral demeanor — although I'm not sure why, as a Homeland Security agent, he's working with them on the private job — to Happy and Sly's excitement (but only toward the new tech they've developed). Paige is naturally furious at Walter costing them another job because he couldn't just act like a normal person and not anger their client. Toby, on the other hand, is overly excited — with his pirate hat ready, he's a little boy on a treasure hunt.
With Sly and Happy back in the garage and Cabe and Toby on the boat with their client, Walter and Paige leave on a smaller boat to help locate the sunken ship. And because this is Scorpion, nothing can be so simple. Walter and Paige — the two who have developed an estranged and strenuous relationship — find themselves shipwrecked and seeking refuge on a Danish buoy. And to make things worse, they are being circled by a frenzy of sharks.
They do manage to get in contact with the team, and rescue does arrive eventually — but not before Walter risks his life, diving into the shark-infested waters to save Paige. And yes, another day goes by with Team Scorpion escaping death and disaster.
While the case this week was slightly less complicated than usual, the weight of this episode was on highlighting character development for everyone.
... Starting with Cabe. This episode confirmed that he has indeed begun a relationship with Allie, Sly's election opponent's campaign manager. And despite the conflict of interest there, Allie does prove to be a good person in this scenario by arranging an interview for Sly with the West Altadenia Shopper to help him get their endorsement for his campaign.
Speaking of Sly and his campaign, the wizard ad his opponent ran really did some damage to him, and while the interview with the Shopper didn’t seem to go too well because Sly kicked the reporter out of the garage, it all worked out well in the end. By being himself and by focusing on rescuing his friends, Sly leaves a good impression on the reporter and manages to get their endorsement. Once again, being himself pays off for Sylvester. And, as unorthodox as his method may have been, he just might have a chance to win this.
On the other hand, Toby starts the day like a kid in a candy store in anticipation of his big adventure out to sea, searching for sunken treasure. When the job turns out to be way less exciting and swashbuckling than he had anticipated, his mood immediately changes and he sulks for most of the episode. Until it is time to rescue Walter and Paige, that is, and he ends the day swinging from the ship on a rope to pull Walter out of the water. But his antics and behavior raise a lot of worries for Happy, and she doesn’t shy away from confronting him about them. Happy is worried that as a gambler, as a treasure seeker, Toby is only excited about the chase, the thrill of it all, and that the chase is why he wants to be with her. She is worried that once they are married, he will be bored because the chase would be over and he wouldn’t want to be with her anymore. That is huge for Happy to admit that, to voice her concerns and to expose so much vulnerability. And Toby, like the model fiancé/psychiatrist that he is, knows just how to ease her worries, and to say the right things to assure her that he is not going anywhere.
And finally we come to Walter and Paige... and Walter/Paige. If there was ever an episode that allowed those two to completely lay it out there in the open and be honest and candid in their conversations, it’s this one. While they are still miles away from becoming a couple, this episode has at least put them back on the right path, because the path to getting together should start with honesty. The two, conveniently stranded alone in the middle of the Pacific, had plenty of time to open up about everything: from Walter’s role in Tim’s departure, to Paige “abandoning” Walter and leaving him to fend for himself with people, to Walter’s regression, and everything in between. With all this out in the open, nothing is left unsaid, feelings are expressed and those two find themselves at a whole new place in their relationship.
It also helps that Walter shows his true growth when he sacrifices himself for Paige. Logic would state that she is the more expendable one (or so the old Walter would have said). But this Walter chooses to jump into the ocean to save Paige.
And at the end of the day, with this new understanding between them, this reestablished bond of friendship and honesty, Paige takes a leap into the next stage. She postpones a Skype call with Tim in order to spend the evening with Walter — albeit to call people he has offended and apologize to them. But the message is clear: Walter’s journey and his growth is the most important thing to Paige right now.
I know it is hard for Scorpion to have an episode with no action whatsoever and focus mostly on the characters, so this was, in my opinion, a perfect balance of that. They gave us just enough action to keep the identity of the show going but managed to provide so much in terms of focus on character to push the story forward for all the characters and relationships.
The Bachelor 21x06 Roundtable: Life's A Beach [Contributors: Alisa, Rebecca, Chelsea]
It seems like everyone was having a meltdown this episode. Whose meltdown was the worst?
Alisa: Jasmine’s self-destruct sequence throughout the group date was fascinating to watch. Too much alcohol combined with sand and Corinne created one of the most fantastic meltdowns I’ve ever seen. I don’t know that any previous contestant has tried choking the bachelor, but let this be a lesson to all future contestants — don’t.
Rebecca: Jasmine’s was the worst, i.e., the best. Everyone being drunk and having drama with each other (*coughCorinnecough*) led to tension, and watching Jasmine unravel was a long time coming. She has seemed to be taking the process pretty hard throughout the entire competition, so it all came up to the surface and exploded this week. I feel a little bad for saying this, but it was waaaaaay entertaining.
Chelsea: I feel like we’ve seen the red flags for Jasmine for WEEKS now. She isn’t wrong in that she should’ve had more time with Nick at this point, but the girl broke and let out the crazy. Thank you alcohol, Corinne, and some very smart producers. I didn’t know what to make of it all, but I really enjoyed Raven’s commentary over the whole crazy episode. She kept it light enough so we could enjoy it all.
Do you agree with who Nick sent home this week?
Alisa: I was surprised he sent Danielle L. home. She seemed genuinely sweet. Obviously Whitney was headed home, as it took until this week before I realized she and Vanessa were not, in fact, the same person. Now we’re finally getting down to a small enough group that there’s hope I — and Nick — will remember their names. I think all of the women he has left (except Corinne) are truly fantastic and I’m impressed he’s kept so many intelligent, thoughtful women in the mix.
Rebecca: The women he sent home were all ones I didn’t expect to make it too much further anyway. I always forgot about Josephine and Jaimi, and didn’t even know that Whitney existed until last week. And as much as I loved Alexis, I never thought she would win (I’m surprised she made it this far!). Jasmine clearly didn’t have good chemistry with Nick and her attitude was starting to annoy me anyway. I was surprised about Danielle L. as he seemed really into her throughout the whole show. The women who are left are all ones that I would marry — sweet, thoughtful, intelligent, and selfless... minus Corinne, of course. So yes, I agree with who Nick sent home this week, except that Corinne should have gone along with them.
Chelsea: This week was a freaking bloodbath. Literally HALF the contestants went home. I would have liked to have seen Jaimi get more screentime, but I’m not shocked she left. She was sadly there for the bisexual shock value and not much more. I knew Danielle L. was more of an attraction thing than anything, so I’m not shocked she left, just shocked at how she left. I’m a big fan of all the remaining contestants sans Corinne and Nick does not deserve any of the five lovely ladies.
Real talk though, I’m so upset Alexis the Dolphin/Shark is gone. She was the best comic relief, and I cannot wait for her Paradise debut and eventual Happily Ever After spinoff. Her end of show bumpers with Nick were always the best parts of the show, and she kept everything fun. Girl was totally there to make friends and have a good time, and I have all the respect for her. #TeamDolphinShark
What did you think of the one-on-one with Kristina?
Alisa: So, I picked Kristina early on as one of my top four and I’m glad I did. She is so amazing and way, way too good for Nick. I want her and Christian from JoJo’s season to meet and get married and have beautiful babies together. They are both good eggs who have faced unimaginable tragedy and come out of it as truly outstanding human beings. So, yes, how do we introduce Kristina to Christian?
Rebecca: I LOVE Kristina. I didn’t have much of an opinion of her before this week, but she quickly rose to one of my favorites. Her strength and optimism are so admirable, but she’s definitely not a good fit for Nick — and that’s a compliment.
Chelsea: Kristina is too good for Nick. Like, way better than he deserves. She needs a Christian or Luke or Derek to sweep her off her feet. I loved her earlier this season when she was talking with Corinne and got the group date rose, but it was so nice seeing her open up about her past. I know Rachel is my favorite for Bachelorette next season but Kristina is now my runner-up. I want all the nice things for her.
Bonus question: Will Nick and Corinne sleep together next week?
Alisa: Uh, YES. Nick has no self-control, I hear Corinne’s nethers are like diamond-encrusted or something and so yes, obviously they’re going to sleep together. Come on. And also, they deserve each other. I say go for it. Just release the other girls to find guys who are truly deserving of them.
Rebecca: Agreed with Alisa. Corinne is manipulative and gets whatever she wants, and Nick doesn’t know how to say no.
Chelsea: I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did sleep with her but watch this either be a fakeout or a moment for Nick to be a “gentleman” and turn her down, since most of Bachelor Nation is not pleased with him. He’s been doing talk shows this week trying to clean up his image because he knows he looks bad in this most recent episode.
And, as we do every week, here are our Fantasy Bachelor League standings:
- Chelsea (460 points)
- Patti (410 points)
- Rae (339 points)
- Alisa (330 points)
- Rebecca (320 points)
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