Monday, November 30, 2015

Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire #3


Giant monsters attacking the world makes for strange bedfellows. Atomic Robo and his team accept an alliance with China's "Most Perfect Science Division" to help fight Task Force Ultra and Majestic and stop the Biomega attacks around the world. Giving them access to state-of-the-art technology this allows the team to quickly construct Robo with a new body (although the slimmed down version lacks some of the appeal of the original, in my opinion).

Doctor Who - Face the Raven / Heaven Sent


It had been 33 years since the death of an ongoing companion (not counting Peri's death which was retconned out of the series almost immediately). That streak is over. "Face the Raven" says a final goodbye to the Impossible Girl (well, except for a dreamlike cameo in "Heaven Sent"). Like it or not, Clara Oswald's (Jenna Coleman) time of traveling through space and time have come to an end. I'll give writer Sarah Dollard credit for making Clara's exit mean something and propelling the season in an unexpected direction. I'll also take a moment to mourn the show's loss of Clara who leaves big shoes to fill for whomever steps in as the next companion. You will be missed Jenna Coleman.

Darth Vader #12


Wrapping up the series' second arc, Darth Vader is able to turn events to his advantage and convince Imperial Inspector Thanoth to ignore some thief who stole a few credits from the Empire and focus the fleet's attention on the threat of the rebel group operating on the Outer Rim known as the Plasma Devils. Once again the Dark Lord of the Sith narrowly avoids Aphra's apprehension along with any possibility of her actions being tied back to him.

Elementary - All My Exes Live in Essex


Returned to their positions within the NYPD, Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu) investigate an odd case involving the murder of a doctor in her lab whose body was destroyed while her skeleton was left on display as a laboratory specimen. That the woman was losing a battle to cancer and would have died within the year, a fact the leading suspects in the case knew, only makes finding the true (and unusual) motive for the murder that much harder to uncover. There's plenty of twist and turns in this one before the detectives finally nab their man.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Star Wars Rebels - Stealth Strike


When Commander Sato's (Keone Young) ship is pulled out of hyperspace by a new Imperial weapon, it falls on Kanan (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and Rex (Dee Bradley Baker) to rescue the Rebels taken prisoner whose number includes Ezra (Taylor Gray). Putting aside their personal issues, the pair infiltrate the Imperial vessel under the command of Admiral Brom Titus (Derek Partridge) in a stolen Imperial shuttle as a pair of Stormtroopers. While Ezra doesn't need help getting out to the detention area (he even mistakenly blasts his friends at one point while taking down all opposition) the entire group will have to work together to get every member out safely.

Sicario


How far are you willing to go to achieve justice? At want point do you draw a line you will never cross? And what happens when you are forced over that line by forces beyond you control? These questions are all at the heart of Sicario, a drama from director Denis Villeneuve and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan that stars Emily Blunt as idealistic FBI Agent Kate Macer stationed in Arizona. Kate volunteers for a joint DEA task force after the discovery of dozens of corpses in Chandler, Arizona, all tied to a Mexican drug cartel in a house rigged with explosives that takes the lives of two fellow officers.

Longmire - Help Wanted


There are two major storylines at play in "Help Wanted." The first concerns Walt (Robert Taylor) whittling down a pool of applicants to find a permanent replacement for Branch (Bailey Chase). Walt's unusual tactics include having the applicants show off their skills on the shooting range, do a little light work in the field, and attend a book club meeting for Of Mice and Men. How they relate to the end of the Steinbeck's novel turns out to be as important to the town's sheriff as any other aspect of their tryout. Although the process doesn't make the sheriff any new fans, by the end Walt finds the right man for the job.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #21


The U.S. Army wants Buffy!? Armageddon makes for strange bedfellows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten kicks off with a new arc featuring the return of some fan-favorite characters when Satsu comes to town dropping names like Riley Finn to recruit Buffy to help stop the number of demons being brought into our world to wreak havoc. The first job the Army has for our vampire slayer and her blondey bear boyfriend? To help recruit vampires to their cause. Did I mention that the vampires include Harmony and Vicki?

Jessica Jones - AKA Crush Syndrome


Realizing that Kilgrave (David Tennant) is both alive and responsible for Hope (Erin Moriarty) murdering her loving parents, Jessica (Krysten Ritter) works to find the mind-controlling madman by going back to the events of the night she escaped from his control by following breadcrumbs on just how he was able to survive. There's relatively little actual detective work over the course of the show's First Season considering that our protagonist is a private investigator. "AKA Crush Syndrome" is probably the best example of Jessica using her skills as a detective in an attempt to uncover the truth. Although she doesn't find the season's villain, she does get discover how he was able to cannibalize a victim in order to stay alive, and a short discussion with the doctor involved in saving the villain's life gives Jessica a weapon to use against Kilgrave when she finds him.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Captain America: Civil War trailer


We now have our first trailer for Captain America: Civil War. Based on the more than six-month comic series that pitted hero against hero over a proposed Super-Hero Registration Act, the film brings back all the familiar faces from Captain America: The Winter Soldier including Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), and the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) along with a few more of the Avengers in Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), War Machine (Don Cheadle), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). The trailer also gives us our first real look at the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). Captain America: Civil War opens in theaters on May 6th.

Thanksgiving with Cosplayers


Here are a few cosplayers I'm thankful for this year...

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Brooklyn

Based on Colm Tóibín's novel, Brooklyn is an old fashioned immigrant story following the wide-eyed Ellis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) from her small Irish town to New York where her life slowly begins to change. When the pull of home beckons, however, she will be forced to make hard decisions regarding her future, the man she loves, and which side of the Atlantic Ocean she truly wants to call home.

The film quickly becomes more romance-driven than historical drama and features a ponderously-paced first half-hour. That said, once Ellis' life in Brooklyn truly begins the film opens up a bit, is able to breathe, and Ronan is allowed to shine. The film's star is without doubt the movie's biggest strength smoothing over the film's rougher edges when it drifts dangerously close to melodrama.

The supporting cast is solid throughout highlighted by Jim Broadbent as the preacher and family friend who helps Ellis in America, Fiona Glascott as Ellis' sister Rose, and Emory Cohen as Ellis' suitor. Arrow fans will also take note of Emily Bett Rickards as one of the women from the Brooklyn boarding house.

Creed


Nine years after Rocky Balboa allowed Philadelphia's favorite son to step into the ring one last time comes an unexpected sequel in Creed. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), the new film hearkens back to the themes of the original Rocky while putting a fresh take on the tale of an underdog boxer overcoming the odds to earn his big chance. Creed is as close to a reboot as you could get without recasting the Italian Stallion as a young man and not only pays tribute to the original series but sets the stage or any number of possible sequels. It may not be as good as the original, but it stands up well in comparison to any of the Rocky sequels.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Agent X - The Devil & John Case


A lead about the group attempting to overthrow the government sends John (Jeff Hephner) to a Mexican town in search of the journal of a dead agent killed by a local thug known as El Diablo (Arturo del Puerto). With the local populace scared to death of El Diablo the only friend John makes on his trip is a local police officer (Angélica Celaya) willing to risk anything to get justice for her slain friend and bring real change to the town.

Trainwreck

Amy Schumer, who also wrote the script, stars as a relationship-averse mess of a woman whose world view is changed after interviewing a doctor (Bill Hader) for a local magazine. Trainwreck is a pretty straightforward romcom focusing on Amy's struggles with love and her dysfunctional relationships with her father (Colin Quinn), sister (Brie Larson), and former boyfriend (John Cena). Like many scripts written by stand-up comedians, Trainwreck is a bit uneven. At times the film is quite funny even if all of its jokes don't quite hit home.

Directed by Judd Apatow, the film boasts an odd collection of unlikely supporting characters. Along with Cena we also get LeBron James (playing himself) as Hader's client and friend, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tilda Swinton as Amy's demanding boss, and Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei as the stars of a movie within the movie about a dogwalker and his client in a running gag that never pays off.

The Librarians and the Hollow Men


Flynn (Noah Wyle) and Moriarty (David S. Lee) both return in the latest episode as Flynn is kidnapped by a confused stranger (Drew Powell) while working to recover items which have disappeared from The Library. While Eve (Rebecca Romijn) teams-up with the fictional villain to find the missing Librarian, the rest of the group returns to an increasingly erratic Library which Jenkins (John Larroquette) believes is slowly dying.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Velvet #12


Misdirection is the name of the game in Velvet #12 as Velvet Templeton keeps the traitor in her midst at arms length while creating an elaborate ruse to keep the spy agency hunting her off her back, all while trying to unravel the mystery of who is actually responsible for the crimes she has been framed for.

The Blacklist - Kings of the Highway


The first-half of The Blacklist's Third Season comes to a close as Reddington (James Spader) is abducted by a local gang just as his plans to clear Lizzie's (Megan Boone) name are reaching completion. Dropping everything, Lizzie begins searching for her missing friend even going so far as to reach out to Navabi (Mozhan Marnò) for help which is a decision which will ultimately bite both women in the ass and put the FBI on their trail and getting Navabi fired from the task force.

Star Wars Rebels - Blood Sisters


While on the planet Garel to meet with a droid courier Sabine (Tiya Sircar) and Ezra (Taylor Gray) run into Sabine's old partner bounty hunter Ketsu Onyo (Gina Torres) who also has plans on taking the droid. "Blood Sisters" offers audiences a small glimpse into Sabine's past by showing us Ketsu as a version of the Ghost's artistic bounty hunter who is far more ruthless than the one we know and love.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton is pretty straightforward as far as music biopics go. Produced by members of the band, who at this point have long put aside the differences that produce much of the conflict over the movie's 147-minute running time, Straight Outta Compton does deliver on an inside look at the rise and implosion of N.W.A. and the individual careers the breakthrough group launched. However, it also takes a bit too much care to make sure no one (with the exception of California law enforcement) comes off too poorly once all is said and done. I get the feeling had the film been made when emotions were at their peak the movie might more resemble the group's music and be more emotionally raw offering audiences a starker look at life behind-the-scenes.

One of the biggest strengths of director F. Gary Gray's film is the cast (O'Shea Jackson, Jr. as Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Aldis Hodge as MC Ren, Neil Brown, Jr. as DJ Yella, R. Marcos Taylor as Suge Knight, and Paul Giamatti as Jerry Heller) most of whom bare a striking resemblance to their real-world counterparts and sell us on the complicated relationships of the group and their musical ability.

Marvel's Jessica Jones - AKA Ladies Night


The opening episode of Marvel's Jessica Jones not only introduces us to our troubled heroine, the former super-hero turned hard-drinking private eye with a troubled past, but "AKA Ladies Night" also delivers Jessica's (Krysten Ritter) first encounter with Luke Cage (Mike Colter) while delving into tragic events both past and present that tease the complicated motives of the series' main villain (David Tennant) whose power to influence others and bend their will to his own makes him nearly unstoppable.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Mockingjay Part 2


The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 concludes the adventures of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a dead-eyed girl from District 12 whose only heroic action over the course of the series took place near the beginning of the first film. I don't know if the original books on which the movies were based are any good, but the films themselves are one (small) step above torture porn with the least-interesting love triangle ever conceived thrown in for good measure. Do we care who Katniss ends up with? Not really. And because the movies have shown her to be largely unimportant as anything more than a symbol it's hard to invest any emotion in her journey or its outcome.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

The Flash - Gorilla Warfare


As Barry (Grant Gustin) licks his wounds and struggles to recover both physically and emotionally from his encounter with Zoom, and hide out from a concerned Patty Spivot (Shantel VanSanten), a series of incidents around the city alert S.T.A.R. Labs that Grodd has returned. Controlling the minds of scientist to steal brain drugs, Grodd kidnaps Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) with hopes that the scientist who was kindest to him as a lab animal can recreate the conditions and turn other gorillas into telepathic super-apes.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Supergirl - Livewire


"Livewire" introduces one of my favorite characters created for Superman: The Animated Series as a new enemy for Supergirl (Melissa Benoist). Staying pretty true to the character's original origin story, shock jock Leslie Morgan (Brit Morgan) is hit by a bolt of lighting traveling through Supergirl (rather than Superman as in the original animated episode) transforming the selfish prima donna into living electricity out to take revenge on those she feels have wronged her. Morgan is well-cast in the role, even if the show struggles to find a way to bring Livewire's unique animated look to live-action.

Once Upon a Time - The Bear King


As the show moves closer to its fall finale, Once Upon a Time takes a break from the Dark Swan storyline to travel to DunBroch and catch up with the adventures of young Queen Merida (Amy Manson) who faces new challenges when the Witch (Lily Knight) threatens to curse the entire kingdom if the enchanted helm she gave to the late King Fergus (Glenn Keogh) isn't returned. Adding to the trouble is the fact that Zelena (Rebecca Mader) and Arthur (Liam Garrigan) have arrived in town looking for the same artifact looking for the power to stand up to Merlin and Emma Swan.

Comikaze 2015 Cosplay


Joanie Brosas, Riddle, LeeAnna Vamp, Vampy, and Alicia Cosplay are the highlights of this look at some of the best cosplay at Comikaze

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Agent X - Back in Your Arms


A call from an old girlfriend (Carolyn Stotesbery) puts John (Jeff Hephner) in the middle of the murder of a Washington power broker and the attempt coup d'etat of a small group within the government who plan to blackmail their way to power. Offering audiences a short glimpse at the life John may have had if he hadn't accepted his role as a secret agent, "Back in Your Arms" also allows the spy to make up for the manner in which he ended their relationship by at least keeping the woman he loved alive.

Astro City #28


The latest issue gives us a look into the life and career of the smallest super-hero in Astro City - Wolfspider. Along with explaining the minature hero's condition and unique tools, gizmos, and vehicles, Astro City #28 also features Wolfspider meeting the fictitious heroes who inspired him to become a hero whose appearance in the real world throws everyone for a loop.

The Librarians and the Cost of Education


Unusual events send the Librarians to Wexler College where the college mascot is the latest member to disappear from campus without warning. Built by an eccentric occultist decades before, the Librarians discover plenty of odd aspects about the college whose layout and unique properties allow for a temporal rift on which sits a tentacled monster reaching out to pull others across dimensions. The episode makes the best of the show's limited special effects budget in creating the creature and rifts (although life in the other dimension is a bit underwhelming).

Monday, November 16, 2015

Doctor Who - Sleep No More


Over the years Doctor Who's forays from sci-fi into horror have led to mixed results. While creating my favorite episode of the current run in "Blink" which introduced audiences to the Weeping Angels, other attempts have been far less successful. Sadly, "Sleep No More" falls into the later category as the audience is thrown into a found-footage style horror tale about monsters from your sleep made up of dream dust who devour people because... um, not sure about that part. There's an intriguing idea at the center of the episode about the need for sleep and the repercussions of bypassing the natural order for greed, but the story itself delivers rather lackluster creatures and fails to make the scientist (Reece Shearsmith) responsible for creating them interesting in the slightest.

Usagi Yojimbo #149


In "The Distant Mountain" the wandering rabbit ronin comes across a samurai named Yoshi whose fellow warriors are all killed by bandits willing to kill and be killed over head-scratching prize. Even though it is obvious that Yoshi's lord is vain, ridiculous, and not worthy of such loyalty, Usagi chooses to accompany Yoshi to make sure the samurai's mission is completed... even if Yoshi won't live to see its end.

Once Upon a Time - Birth


The early birth of Zelena's (Rebecca Mader) child not only begins a series of revelations about the final steps Emma (Jennifer Morrison) took to fully embrace the darkness and become the Dark One but also the reasoning behind those choices and the secret she's been keeping from the man she loves. Not interested in the baby itself, Emma's concerns involve the witch who she sees as a possible escape from the darkness inside her. And, thanks to the final revelation, we know now why it was so important for Emma to hide the events of Camelot from all of her loved ones, particularly Hook (Colin O’Donoghue).

Elementary - Evidence of Things Not Seen


While mulling over his father's (John Noble) offer to step-in and fix their broken relationship with the NYPD, Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu) take on a consultant job for the FBI investigating a triple homicide in a top secret research lab. Finding the rules of the new partnership constraining, Holmes begins give serious thought to his father's offer despite knowing that there will no doubt be some cost to be paid down the line.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

iZombie - Max Wager


While Liv (Rose McIver) and Major (Robert Buckley) attempt to give their romance a second chance, the undead forensics assistant begins to exhibit the obessive gambling habits of the victim (Ray Galletti) in Babineaux's (Malcolm Goodwin) latest case. Over the course of the episode both Liv and Peyton (Aly Michalka) will cross paths with the infamous Mr. Boss (Eddie Jemison) as the zombie gets lost in gambling and the Assistant District Attorney meets the man in charge of the criminal empire she is attempting to bring down.

Star Wars Rebels - Wings of the Master


The struggles of the Rebels continue when Phoenix Squadron is turned back by an Imperial blockade while attempting to deliver food and supplies to the planet of Ibaar. Needing a game-changer, Hera (Vanessa Marshall) heads to the desolate planet of Shantipole with Zeb (Steve Blum) and Sabine (Tiya Sircar) in hopes of convincing the reclusive shipbuilder Quarrie (Corey Burton) to give the Rebels his new blockage buster: a prototype ship known as the B-Wing.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Saturday with Shay

Arrow - Lost Souls


After spending the previous couple of weeks bringing Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) back from the dead, Arrow turns its attention to the return of another supporting character with Felicity's (Emily Bett Rickards) discover that Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) is alive an in need of help. While the B-story deals with the temporary friction between Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Felicity, not out of jealousy but born of Felicity blaming herself for not discovering the truth sooner, "Lost Souls" also spends a good bit of time focusing on Sara's struggles to readjust to life even after getting her soul back.

Results

Writer/director Andrew Bujalski's Results about a recently-wealthy client's (Kevin Corrigan) impact on the lives of two personal trainers (Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders) in Austin, Texas boasts a strong cast and an unique indie feel but suffers from not being funny enough to be a true comedy, dark enough to be dark comedy, or dramatic enough to be taken seriously. Results intermittently entertains while teasing the audience with a cast (that also includes Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, and Constance Zimmer) that is far better than its source material.

Pearce is all-in as Trevor, the odd-duck owner of a local fitness center whose life is complicated by the employee he loves (Smulders) and the untethered client whose infatuation with the woman throws all their lives into chaos. Anthony Michael Hall has a small humorous role as the guru whose philosophy Trevor has based his entire business on. Trevor's eventual encounter with his idol needs to be either funnier or more soul-crushing but, like the entire movie, the script flounders when hard choices must be made.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Friday with Dianna

Southpaw

Director Antoine Fuqua's Southpaw is a relatively straightforward story of an athlete getting up off the mat after being knocked down by life. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as an undefeated boxing champion nearing the end of his career whose life is struck by a series of tragic events which cause him to reevaluate his priorities, attempt to become a better father to his daughter (Oona Laurence), and reclaim a life, both in and out of the ring, which he once took for granted.

The movie is highlighted by performances by Gyllenhaal, Laurence, and Rachel McAdams as the boxer's wife. Both Forest Whitaker add 50 Cent a little life to the party as well, but neither is asked to color outside the lines of very basic characters.

Boxing fans are likely to get more out of the movie than others, although I think the first-person perspective used in spots during the climactic in-ring battle is a little disorienting.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Chaos Theory


"Chaos Theory" offers the not too terribly exciting backstory of how Andrew (Blair Underwood) became an Inhuman as Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) confronts her ex-husband about what she learned from Werner von Strucker (Spencer Treat Clark). Based on their own tip from Lincoln (Luke Mitchell), Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his team, working with Rosalind Price (Constance Zimmer), also make the connection between Lash and Andrew and work to capture the threat. The team-up between the two shadowy govermnent agencies also allows for a debate between Daisy (Chloe Bennet) and Price over how the ATCU deals with Inhumans they have captured. Surprisingly Daisy is rather inept and arguing against turning innocent people, who may or may not actually turn out to be dangerous, into Popsicles without any kind of due process.

Uncanny X-Men #600


Brian Michael Bendis' run on Uncanny X-Men comes to an end with the return of the original volume's numbering structure (in yet another example of Marvel's bizarre system where 600 immediately follows 35). The oversized issue brings a close various plot threads explored in his run, finds a way to bring Cyclops (at least partially) back into the larger X-Men family, the Beast being called on his (many) questionable decisions, and makes a couple of statements concerning the love lives of some of the time-displaced X-Men that other writers will have to sort out.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

The Flash - Enter Zoom


The aptly titled "Enter Zoom" brings Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) face-to-face with the season's big bad Zoom for the first time. In an episode that showcases Barry's impatience with waiting for the villain to strike out again, Barry enlists the help of Linda Park (Malese Jow) to play the role of her evil doppelganger in an attempt to lure Zoom into a trap. Lets just say things don't go exactly as planned.

Castle - Cool Boys


In an episode that doesn't feature Beckett (Stana Katic), Castle (Nathan Fillion) is approached by his "old friend" Detective Slaughter (Adam Baldwin) to look into the heist of a prototype microchip. When Slaughter's informant turns up dead Ryan (Seamus Dever) and Esposito (Jon Huertas) turn their attention to Slaughter as the number one suspect, but Castle chooses instead to believe the detective's innocence even going so far as to steal Ryan and Esposito's car to prevent them from taking Slaughter in for questioning.

Wander Over Yonder - The Matchmaker


In an episode that pits Wander (Jack McBrayer) against Sylvia (April Winchell), Sylvia tries her best to distract Wander from his plans to bring Lord Hater (Keith Ferguson) and Lord Dominator (Noël Wells) together. After discovering a love note Hater wrote but was too embarrassed to send, Wander takes it on himself to make sure Dominator gets the message. "The Matchmaker" sets a record for both the number of title cards (several featuring the episode's actual title, several for Sylvia's various distractions, and a collection of other based on various alternative versions of the characters after the pair go through the Interdimensional Door) and references to previous episodes in a single episode. And, of course, it wouldn't be an episode without a late gag and lesson for Sylvia where she learns to trust her best friend despite not believing in his plan to help the two villains fall in love. All-in-all, very entertaining.

Supergirl - Fight or Flight


"Fight or Flight" is a hit-or-miss third episode to the series as Kara (Melissa Benoist) struggles both with her boss' mean-spirited expose of the city's new heroine and the arrival of one of Superman's enemies Reactron (Chris Browning) who hopes to take down the Girl of Steel in order to teach Superman a lesson. The conceit of Supergirl is that Kara lives in a world where she's just as good (but not really) as a more experienced and more seasoned hero with the exact same power set who she can't interact with or learn from on-screen. As with the "Pilot" episode, a blurred version of Superman does make an appearance to help Supergirl out of a jam but lets his younger cousin fend for herself against a rather lame villain who seems far less unstoppable than we're meant to believe.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The Librarians and What Lies Beneath the Stones


The discovery of caves beneath an oil drilling site followed by unusual behavior in the town sends Jake (Christian Kane) home along with Cassandra (Lindy Booth) and Ezekiel (John Harlan Kim) to investigate the cause. Getting wrapped up in old family drama with his estranged father (Jeff Fahey), Jake at first misses the evidence of what was released from the caves and is now causing havoc around the small town.

Once Upon a Time - Nimue


"Nimue" gives us further insight not only to events in Camelot but also Merlin's (Elliot Knight) past involving the young man's discovery of the Holy Grail, the creation of Excalibur, the great love of his life, and the birth of the world's first Dark One who gives the episode its title. Although Emma (Jennifer Morrison) proves strong enough to fight the darkness and not succumb to the temptations of her predecessor things don't turn out quite so well for the rest of the group once Arthur (Liam Garrigan) gains control of his wizard.

Agent X - Pilot


If you ever wondered what spies would be like in the National Treasure universe Agent X attempts to answer that question with a goofy premise about a super-secret spy organization written into the Constitution by the founding fathers and controlled by the Vice President of the United States. The "Pilot" begins by introducing the newly-elected Vice President Natalie Maccabee (Sharon Stone) to her unexpected responsibility and Jeff Hephner as Super Agent John Case who the VP can call into action whenever the FBI and CIA can't get the job done.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Doctor Who - The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion


Following the recent pattern of the show's Ninth Season, Doctor Who delivers another two-part episode with "The Zygon Invasion" and "The Zygon Inversion" which pick up a plot thread of from "The Day of The Doctor" involving one of The Doctor's (Peter Capaldi) older enemies who were allowed to stay on Earth. The fragile ceasefire between humans and Zygons is broken with a splinter group of the aliens decides they are tired of hiding in human form around the world and would prefer all-out war to the surrender of their natural state.

Star Wars Rebels - Brothers of the Broken Horn


Another familiar face from Star Wars: The Clone Wars makes on an appearance on Star Wars Rebels when Ezra (Taylor Gray) responds to a distress call from Vizago (Keith Szarabajka) only to find Vizago's ship and battle droids disabled and Hondo Ohnaka (Jim Cummings) in command with Imperial forces closing in. Choosing to go by the name Lando Calrissian, Ezra and his new friend get into a few more misadventures before all is said and done thanks to the arrival of Azmorigan (James Hong), Ezra releasing Vizago from the ship's hold, and a last-minute double-cross by Hondo.

Elementary - The Past Is Parent


Elementary opens its Fourth Season with the future of Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) in doubt following both his vicious attack on Oscar (Michael Weston) and drug relapse in last season's finale. Facing possible criminal prosecution from the District Attorney's office, Holmes also must deal with the news that regardless of the DA's decision both Holmes and Watson (Lucy Liu) days as official consultants for the NYPD have come to an end. While this is likely just a temporary bump in the road for the detectives it does introduce a new wrinkle to the series with Holmes and Watson likely taking non-department cases for the foreseeable future.