Flash - 1x02 Fastest Man Alive - Review

Positive Energy is the best fuel

Shortly after embracing himself as "The Flash," Barry soon discovers that his powers may come with a setback. While this is going on, Detective Joe West questions whether or not having Barry act as a vigilante is a good thing for the city. That thought couldn't have been settled sooner as a new metahuman makes his presence known to Central City.

The main thrust of this episode focuses on the relationship between Barry and Joe, his surrogate father. While I'm not surprised that the "you're not my father," story was going to happen, I did not expect it to be this soon. But given the situation, it makes sense. Joe has continually tried to influence Barry to be a positive role model, while at the same time keeping his actions within the restraints of the law. The thing is, since Barry has gained his powers he feels he can help people. And since he knows how the law works, he doesn't feel he is breaking the law. It really does boil down to an interesting dynamic of who is right and who is wrong. Both of them give good arguments, with Joe's being the strongest in that just because Barry is fast doesn't mean he can stay fast. 

As this episode was so generous to point out, Barry's powers are not infinite. Caitlin and Dr. Wells make it clear to Barry that all of his energy to run fast has to come from somewhere. Which is where science comes in. Now it should be no surprise that he requires a ridiculous amount of food in order to keep running, which is why he has the tendency of crashing in this episode. It was good that the showrunners and writers point out immediately that he is not invincible, because it would pretty much take the drama out of him being in tight situations. This allows for some extra character interactions with the S.T.A.R. labs team, particularly Caitlin and Dr. Wells. Caitlin is extremely against Barry doing extracurricular activities out of fear that something can go wrong, whereas Dr. Wells seems to be more about allowing him to do what he does as long as he knows his limits. Cisco on the other hand just loves the idea of Barry being a Superhero. And the city definitely needs one.

Enter Multiplex, a metahuman who has the ability to make exact copies of himself. This way he is able to rob people in an extremely efficient manner. He proves to be a formidable opponent, especially one who is capable of taking on The Flash. While his backstory is definitely a sympathetic one, he really serves as the first test to Barry's limits, as well as the limits of the police force. Because only with him are Barry and Detective Joe able to come to terms with needing each other, not just as family but as protectors of the law. If anything it helps point out the weakness of both these characters. Barry may possess a lot of optimism, but if people begin to doubt him, that doubt may cause him to lose grasp of that optimism. Joe on the other hand is over protective of Barry and is afraid of letting him get hurt, especially now that he has these powers that could bring Barry into more danger. In the end, it is the mutual trust that they have with each other that keeps Barry going. And that is really the only power source he needs. Well, that and the modified protein bars that Cisco made for Barry.

Despite all these trappings of the usual testing the limits and questioning of family, it is still a solid episode that continues to be a blast of fun. It really is akin to the feeling of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films. And that is not a bad thing. Though it would be nice if we get a little bit more of the mystery surrounding Dr. Wells. That is, if he is really Dr. Wells. Hopefully more answers will come soon. But till then, at least we'll be entertained along the way.

SCORE: 8.5/10 - An entertaining romp that takes care of establishing Barry's weakness

STATUS: Continue to Watch - Probably the most entertaining superhero show ever

Review of Previous Episode - CLICK HERE

Gotham - 1x04 Arkham - Review

And the war continues to escalate

As members of Falcone's and Maroni's political branches are being taken down by an assassin, Cobblepot makes his return known to Jim Gordon. Elsewhere, Fish Mooney has a talent search for a new, "weapon."

This episode once again revolves around another staple of Gotham City: the Arkham District. There is a political struggle over what to do about the district and the asylum that will one day become an important part to the myth that is Gotham. And that struggle is between reigning kingpin Carmine Falcone and his rival to the throne, Salvatore Maroni. I'm not quite sure about the details for The Arkham Plan or the major politics behind it. Probably because I didn't really care. Which is really starting to become a major recurring theme coming with the case of the week stories. But there is someone who does care about what is happening to Arkham and how it effects the oncoming war between the two bosses: Oswald Cobblepot.

Robin Lord Taylor is definitely the standout of this series. As much as I enjoy watching Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue as Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock, I can't help but feel a lot more excited when Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot is onscreen. It speaks volumes if the most interesting character in the series and probably the most interesting overarching plot of the series revolves around a minor character and a minor sub plot. That is how good this guy is and I can only hope that this series goes to continue to show off his talents and grow his character. It is strange that out of all the Batman villains this show has hinted or shown, he is the one who is the most fascinating. It is probably because we are intrigued by how this character eventually becomes The Penguin. In here we see his character grow in ways that we know will lead him to become the notorious Batman villain he will be. At the beginning of the episode he is just a lowly worker at Maroni's restaurant, but by the end of the episode he becomes the restaurant's manager through a brilliant display of manipulation he planned. If anything, he is the primary reason to keep watching the series. Which is saying something considering I'm talking about him first rather than the main plot of the episode.

And that main plot involves the two people who are suppose to be our heroes: Gordon and Bullock. I keep wondering why is it that as of lately I'm not really that invested in what's going on with them? I remember in the Pilot they were these two extremely fascinating characters who are forced to work together. That was great television! But then for some reason it just seem a little bit repetitive with them fighting over the same thing. And while it seems unfair to complain about repetitiveness in a procedural show when Sleepy Hollow has an almost repetitive nature between their two leads, at least Sleepy Hollow benefits by having a really off the wall character like Ichabod against a really sassy yet grounded character like Abbie. In here you have the makings of a great relationship between good cop and crooked cop. THERE IS A LOT THAT CAN BE DONE WITH THAT! Yet for some reason they both seem to be stuck in this repetitive nature that really started to show itself in the previous episode. At least in episode 2 there was some sign of character development, and it was very little. Yet that very little shows that having a some type of character development can hide the repetitive nature that is all the episodes.

That doesn't mean there is no character development in the show. It just comes off as almost annoying or not needed right now. And that character development for Jim falls into the hands of his soon to be wife, Barbara. In this episode she starts questioning Jim about Oswald, to which Jim quickly puts the pieces together that Montoya has been planting seeds of doubt into Barbara. At that moment, Barbara lets it out of the bag that the was a lesbian before she met Jim and that Montoya was her girlfriend. This was a revelation that the audience knew could not stay hidden for long, but at the same time it felt like something that should've been addressed in the last episode. It really is about the question of trust in their relationship. The fact that it is falling apart so soon when the audience have yet to see any good from it, really makes this fallout to be as powerful as it should be. You will feel sorry for both of them, but it is the way that friends would feel sorry for one another when something bad happens just because friendship obligates them to feel sorry. It could've made for a great development moment for these two, especially for Erin Richards' Barbara. But in the end it really seems to not matter in the grand scheme of things.

There is a minor subplot that has been speckled throughout the episode involving Fish Mooney. She's been having girls audition to be singers for her night club, but she seems to be looking for someone who can be more than just a singer. Mooney asks both singers to try and seduce her if they want the job. One who is obviously the more talented singer does not seem to possess the powers of seduction, while the other is not a fairly talented singer yet has the right stuff. While the answer as to who Mooney should hire is pretty obvious, she does the most Gotham thing to do when it comes to making big decisions. Have the two girls fight each other until one is left standing. And in the end the one that is left standing, is the one the audience knew was going to be her pick no matter what. Was this just a ploy to see if Mooney's pick is really willing to go the distance? Or is it because this is Gotham City, every decision made has to be done in the most cruel way possible. The subplot doesn't really reveal why is it so important for Mooney to have this girl in the war between Falcone and Maroni, but I can only assume it has something to do with her using the girl as a honey trap. If you don't know what that means, it involves sex and murder. 

This is another by the numbers episode with a fantastic story in the form of the Cobblepot plot. I really hope that this show regains the awesomeness of its two leads that was shown in the first episode, because if the writers can accomplish that, then this show will be incredible. But for now it seems to be Cobblepot is running Gotham, the show, while trying to run Gotham, the city.

SCORE: 7/10 - That 7 belongs to the Cobblepot plot and the brutal American Idol bit

STATUS: May continue to watch - I went over my 3 episode hump, but it seems this show may lose me eventually

Review of Previous Episode - Click here

Doctor Who - 8x08 Mummy on the Orient Express - Review

Classic

That is the best way to describe this episode of Doctor Who. The Doctor and... Clara... embark on their final adventure together. But while The Doctor and Clara hoped that this final rendezvous would just be a quiet one to end their run on a whimper, it instead winds up being a lot more than they bargained for. A mysterious force is killing passengers on board space train, and another even more mysterious force wants to control it.

The best way to describe this episode's opening minutes with the Doctor is "shocking." Mainly because once he stepped out of the T.A.R.D.I.S. he was immediately followed by someone fans were not expecting: Clara. Given the way things ended in the previous episode, it was believed by many fans that Clara was going to be gone for a while. No one actually believed her to be gone for good for this series, but no one expected her to be back this soon. So, in short, this is suppose to be the "break up" adventure. It was brilliant marketing to keep Clara out of the promos in order to make fans believe that she's gone. However it does seem weird that her return is so abrupt given how things ended last time. And this episode does not help her case of wanting to leave him.

This time around, instead of deciding whether to kill a gigantic baby to save the world, it is how many people you have to kill in order to discover the truth? That is because on board the train, people are seeing a creature called The Foretold, which is essentially the Mummy from classic horror cinema. The creature has a specific method of killing in which it appears in the vicinity of its next victim then takes 66 seconds to kill the victim. It is all very methodical and very specific. And by chance, on this train ride there just happens to be several individuals who seem perfectly fit for studying the creature. And that is when the real game begins, as it is revealed that the A.I. that supports the train has been taken over by someone called, Gus. This Gus has gathered these individuals onto the train specifically for the purpose of studying the creature and figuring out a way to capture it. Even if it means every single one of them has to die.

This puts The Doctor in an impossible choice once again. The only way to study the creature is from the individuals who see it and only have 66 seconds to explain everything they can. And since it has a pattern of targeting the weak first then working its way up to the strong, The Doctor is literally the last on The Foretold's hit list as he knows if he were to see the creature within that 66 second time limit he would know how to handle it. What this situation does is that it reenforces the concept of The Dark Doctor that many were introduced to in Capaldi's run. He shows no concern for individuals who are literally about to die because to him they are dead already and can't be saved. Instead of comforting these individuals he prods them for information, with the only thing close to comfort coming from the Doctor is him saying that whatever information is given can possibly save the next victim. Because as I stated before, he has already declared the victims dead before their time is up. It is a ruthless methodology that Clara is once again angry with because of how callous the Doctor has been acting.

This episode is ultimately a companion piece to the previous episode, Kill the Moon. Both episodes are about making hard decisions when there doesn't seem to be any good choices. Kill the Moon was more or less The Doctor giving the hard choice to Clara so that she can see what type of hard choices he has to make on a near daily basis. In here, Clara is once again exposed to his hard choice, but this time she sees how The Doctor deals with it. And in the end, it is this revelation of how they both view the problem and the best way to solve are not so different from one another after all. In a sense it is really meant as a way to get Clara to understand that The Doctor is a dick, but it's not because he wants to be, it's because the situation requires him to be one.

While it is abrupt to have Clara return after the events of the previous episode, this was a good way of resolving what happened. And it was done in Classic Doctor Who fashion. Having seen some of Tom Baker's seasons on Netflix as the Fourth Doctor, this episode pretty much was a big love letter to Baker's Doctor. From dealing with a monstrous mummy and all the way down to the sour candy reference. It is an incredible episode as it compliments what came before. However I don't know if as a standalone that level would be the same. Still, this is definitely showing that Capaldi is The Dark Doctor, but not by choice because the universe forces him to be. And Clara hopefully understands that now.

SCORE: 9.5/10 - This gets bonus points for being a love letter to the Fourth Doctor
STATUS: Continue to Watch - Things just seem to keep getting better and better

Review of Previous Episode - CLICK HERE

The Flash - 1x01 Pilot - Review

"Run, Barry, RUN!"

I can't believe that was an actual line in this show.

After a freak accident in Central City's S.T.A.R. Labs causes unknown elements to explode onto the Earth, Barry Allen gets struck by lightning generated by these mysterious elements. And in the process, discovers that he has been changed in ways that he could never possibly imagine. But he is not the only one. In fact, someone from his past may also have been created by this power. But this is just the first step in his journey in becoming The Scarlet Speedster: THE FLASH!

Having been a huge fan of Arrow, I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of this new show. When Grant Gustin makes his first appearance in Arrow, for some reason I had a really huge smile on my face. He's an honest guy, and has a lot of trouble getting to places on time. While that does seem like hitting the point that he's too slow a little bit too much, there is something charming about how Gustin plays it. He probably knows it is cliche, but he sells it with this lovable charm. Which is exactly what The Flash needs.

The episode starts off by showing us a little about Barry's past with the murder of his mother and his father being accused of her murder. As comic book fans know, this is a defining moment in Barry's life as it is what made him want to join the police force. But unlike Batman who becomes a menacing and disturbed person, Barry grows up to be the complete opposite. Which is what makes him a fascinating character as he pretty much had a really traumatic moment in his life that indirectly leads him to become a superhero, but it didn't turn him to the dark side like Bruce Wayne. In fact, he can almost be viewed as a more optimistic Batman, but with superpowers. The comparison really comes from the fact that he's actually a pretty good detective stuck as a Forensics Scientist. His way of deducing things is akin to the way Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes does in the show, Sherlock. While it is an obvious rip off from that show, it is used well here in order to sell the point that he is really smart, if only he was a little more focused.

What is also established at the beginning is his relationship with the West family. Detective Joe West played by Jesse L. Martin acts as Barry's surrogate father as well as his boss at the prescient. Their relationship is pretty much one you would expect. He's the caring father figure who can be stern at times, especially since he is doubling as Barry's boss. It is a nice cliche relationship that will hopefully develop more in the future. But then of course there is Joe's daughter, Iris West played by Candice Patton. So far all that is known about her character is that she's been best friends with Barry since they were children, with their relationship being almost brother and sister like after Barry moved in with them. But as comic fans all know, Barry wants to be more than just a friend with Iris. It is made painfully obvious here, and as always in these shows and comic based properties,  she just wants to stay friends.

Now that all of that backstory is established in the first few minutes, we get the big moment when a freak accident at S.T.A.R. labs goes horribly wrong, resulting into Barry getting struck by lightning. Luckily for us, when Barry wakes up, he's already out of his coma. And from here we are properly introduced to characters that fans of Arrow have seen before and a character who was briefly introduced at the start of the show. They are Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh), Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) and Cisco Roman (Carlos Valdes). The trio of scientists are pretty much all that remains of the Central City S.T.A.R. Labs research team.  Dr. Wells is now confined to wheelchair after surviving the accident. As far we know, he has no powers...yet. Comic book fans will recognize the names Snow and Cisco as character who will get superpowers eventually. When that will happen, I hope not in this season. Given how the writers of Arrow have been good about making characters their comic book counterparts at the right moment, I have faith that we will see some good development for these characters before they get any powers. But till then, they have to help Barry learn the limits of his powers, as well as provide him with a really cool suit that won't burn off when he runs.

But given that this is the first episode of a superhero show, there has to be a villain. And the one that this show gets to show off is the Weather Wizard. Having this character as your big opener and a character like the Flash as your star, this Pilot was designed for the sole purpose of showing off what can be done on TV. And it is amazing. While it is obviously not as refined as the effects you'd see in feature length films, this is some incredible work. When Weather Wizard unleashes his tornado and thunder powers against The Flash, it really is an amazing feat on TV. It is amazing that we are now living in an age that TV can compete with movies, especially in the effects department. This really was a great way of showing off, despite the fact that Weather Wizard was just the villain of the week without any character development at all. He is just an excuse to see The Flash in action very early on, and it is perfectly acceptable for The Pilot.

Speaking of villains, there is one character introduced in the show who may or may not be one of the legendary villains from The Flash lore. That character is Detective Eddie Thawne played by Rick Cosnett. So far in the show he is referred to as "Detective Pretty Boy" and became Iris's boyfriend while Barry was in a coma. As of right now there seems to be hints of slight antagonism between him and Barry, but it really isn't flushed out a lot here. What is interesting to Flash comic book fans is that the name Eddie Thawne is obviously a reference to Eobard Thawne who is better known as Professor Zoom, the Flash's archnemesis. However, Zoom, or otherwise referred to as Reverse Flash, is a being from the future while the show's Eddie Thawne is definitely a man of the present.... or is he? Given the nature of how the producers made a few twists to the lore in Arrow, I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of twists are in store for comic fans expectations of Thawne. It is always good to keep the fans guessing and not make them think they have the answer to everything.

To wrap up my thoughts on all of this craziness and constant grinning I had while watching, I'll have to say it is a good yet cliche start. This pilot is filled with not just the standard CW drama or superhero cliches, but also with cliches that are always found in pilots. Everything is set up, and with no character development, but rather introduction. There is some character development, but that is usually just for the main character and not everyone else. And while I did enjoy all of these cliches as they are handled really well, the one thing that really sold me is the moment I have pictured here. It is a conversation between Barry and his father Henry Allen played by none other than the original Flash himself, John Wesley Shipp. It was a nice moment and great way to have an emotional close for Barry's arc. It is moments like these that will keep people coming back for more and hopefully not just for the rad effects.

There's a lot of promise here, but unlike Gotham (which is pretty entertaining) I have full faith that this show will fully deliver sooner than later.

SCORE: 8.7/10 - A highly entertaining positive superhero show, despite the cliches
STATUS: Continue to Watch - Yup, I'm already hoping for a good first season!

Review of Next Episode - Click Here

Gotham - 1x03 The Balloonman - Review

The vigilante rises

Or rather the vigilante's victims rise. When the corrupt of Gotham City are tied to weather balloons and doomed to float in the air till they eventually fall back to Earth, Gordon and Bullock are put on the case. And while the city continues to change in the coming war, Oswald Cobblepot continues to work his way up the food chain.

Already? This series is going to be dealing with vigilante justice already? Um. Okay. It is a strange form of vigilante justice. The villain of this week is a vigilante dubbed, The Balloonman. From the synopsis, it should be pretty easy why he's given that name. What is interesting is how he's pretty much the big reference of this episode. By reference I mean he dresses up like two characters from superhero lore. One of them being the most obvious for Batman fans, a Prof. Pyg reference. The Balloonman's first appearance was as the insane pig masked villain, which was meant to throw fans off as to who he is. His second appearance however was a direct reference to The Shadow, aka one of the inspirations for Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the creators of Batman. This one signals that he is definitely a vigilante and may actually be fighting on the right side. This visual character development was both simple and was used to put references in a show that seems to be full of references from the first two episodes. It was definitely a more subtle reference rather than the in your face ones for the casual Batman fans.

But this episode also solidifies to Gordon that the police know what their priorities are: if bad things happen to scum, don't act; if bad things happen to police officers, unleash hell. That was a mentality that has been hinted at in the previous two episodes, but in here it is shown in full force. Gordon is starting to realize that if anything is going to get done at the speed it is suppose to, it means that a cop has to die. That is the sad truth. And while it may be the truth, we do get some more of that awesome Gordon and Bullock buddy scenes. We get some insight on how exactly Bullock goes about getting his information. Which mainly involves beating the crap out of guys and hitting on hookers. Which in Gotham, it does seem like the only effective way of doing things. However, it is starting to seem a little bit formulaic. Don't get me wrong, procedural cop dramas are always formulaic yet still compelling. But given that this show is trying to be an overarching narrative while being a procedural at the same time, it has to find a way to hide its procedural nature. Arrow, Sleepy Hollow, and Hannibal have mastered this, but this episode seems to be the first crack of that illusion of not being procedural. And it is a shame that it has to be when Gordon and Bullock are doing their thing. They really are great to watch, but looking back it almost seems predictable. They'll fight about philosophy, they'll do things one way, they'll get attacked, they'll find the one clue that matters. I hope that's not what happens.

But what seems to be hiding the cracks of being the procedural is the subplot that actually seems to have a continuous narrative in each episode. And that is the evolution of Robin Lord Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot. He is fast becoming the star of the show. I can almost imagine the only reason why some casual fans are still watching the show are because they're actually fascinated to see how this young man will become the Penguin. Taylor is definitely going to go down as the standout actor of this series once the season finale comes. Mostly because he is the only one who seems to be forwarding his own plot. The show is obviously trying to make the murder of the Waynes the overarching story arc of season one, but given how the only mention of the murder was a small bit involving Gordon and Selina Kyle, it seems the writers haven't quite mastered making it really matter. But that is mainly because Gordon and Bullock are locked into going through the procedural plot, while Cobblepot is free to do his plot without the restraint of the procedural. His actions in this episode actually puts him closer to power because he's working at the favored restaurant of Salvatore Maroni. Batman fans will know that Maroni is Gotham Kingpin Carmine Falcone's nemesis and only rival. Cobblepot makes it clear to Maroni that he is smart enough to know what is going on, and Maroni admires that. It'll be interesting how this all plays out.

And then of course we got two more subplots that are kind of interesting but seem out of place. The first one involving Renee Montoya and Cripus Allen of Major Crimes Unit. What makes their subplot interesting is that like Cobblepot, they are not restrained to the procedural nature of the show. But what they are restrained to is the disappearance of Cobblepot. And unfortunately, that is becoming predictable as well. Allen and Montoya will find clues that connects Gordon to Cobblepot disappearance which will then lead to Montoya trying to have a lesbian moment with Barbara Keane, Gordon's fiancé. While it is predictable, it can't be denied that the interaction between Montoya and Barbara is definitely interesting and well done. I just hope there is more to it than them being former lesbian lovers. 

The final subplot of this episode is probably one that is not really needed. The Bruce and Alfred subplot. Unlike the other subplots, they don't seem to be involved with the main plot or the main narrative of the show. The story in Wayne Manor appears to be existing in this realm of. "he's going to be Batman." Which was not obvious in the pilot, and was more forward in the second. But this one seems to be really pushing it by showing Bruce's fascination with the Balloonman and pictures of his parents' murder. It suffers from a different kind of restraint. We've seen Bruce Wayne become Batman. So really, the plot of young boy Bruce Wayne does not seem to be compelling. But what I do commend is that Gordon does not give Bruce a pep talk in this episode. Smart move.

All in all, this is still an interesting and entertaining episode. But at the same time it seems to be very procedural. However it is definitely a lot better than what is going on in The Strain but seems to fail doing what Sleepy Hollow excels at. Embracing the craziness. And while this show seems to walk a thine line between gritty and comic booky, they have to decide which one should it fully embrace.

SCORE: 7.9/10 - Cobblepot's story is the reason to keep watching

STATUS: Continue to Watch - It has me hooked enough to see the next one

Review of Previous Episode - Click Here 
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The Strain - 1x13 The Master - Review

The final showdown!....or not

The moment has come...again. Eph, Abraham, Nora, Fet, Dutch and Zach arm themselves for the final battle that will determine the fate of New York city and possibly the whole world. But lurking in the shadows is another strain of vampire, and it has Gust in their clutches. What does this all mean?

It all means that I don't care anymore. I really don't. Let me just break things down.

While this is one of the better episode of The Strain, it is not the best way to end a first season. This is not the way one should end the finale. Especially from the way the show ended. Don't get me wrong, there are some things that I do enjoy about this episode. But that all happens in the third act. The first two acts mainly consist of Eph and Fet locating where the Master is hiding now. And with sheer intuition, or as I like to call it smart writing that appears lazy because it is the last episode, they find out where the Master is hiding. And so they go off to fight The Master and his legion of vampires. Yes, even Eph's son, Zach, gets in on the action. There was a nice scene of Abraham giving Zach a Roman sword and explaining that it a time honored tradition of sons hunting with their fathers. Vampire hunting does not really seem like the best thing to do with your son, but okay. The battle is actually a lot more interesting than the episode before the previous one. However, Dutch being a skilled shot and Nora being a badass with a sword kind of seemed a little off. You know, given that they had no prior training. Everyone was just being cool in this final battle. No, isn't Martrix or Blade action. But everyone just seems to be really proficient.

Then while this is going on, Gus is being held hostage by someone the fans refer to as Mr. Quinlan. Who is Mr. Quinlan? He is that vampire who hunts vampires. He's the guy in charge of the operation to kill his own kind. Why? Because apparently there are three elder vampires who feel betrayed by another elder vampire who we know is The Master. And so Mr. Quinlan tells Gus that he has been chosen to be the vampires' human weapon against the rogue vampires. Why? Gus is not sure. And oh Gus. But as I've stated that the series has given him more character development than all the other characters in this show, the last episode and this episode devolves his character to a common thug again. He decides to work for Mr. Quinlan and his vampire lords only under the condition that they pay him a crap ton of money to do so. Not under the fact that he initially wants revenge for the death of his family and friends. It really isn't a good way to end his arc. And it really isn't a good way of finally explaining the Vampires who kill other vampires. It was just poor.

This was a poor way to end the first season. It really just isn't. This feels more like another episode rather than the big bang finale that this show needs. And given the structure of this show and what has happened, this show could've been condensed into a movie. Yeah, this show would've worked better as a movie. Because that way we could skip all the bull shit and get straight to the point. This show doesn't know how to properly pace out its horror and drama. And the problem is, the drama is not even that interesting. It becomes clear that the only thing that kept me watching this show was the promise of vampire horror and action. The characters? I don't care. I just don't care. I thought I cared about Gus and maybe Nora because she's played by the alluring Mia Maestro. But I don't care anymore. I really wish this show was good. But overall, it is not. Even if you average out all the scores for the episodes of this series, it may seem above average, but in reality when you look back it is not good.

SCORE: 5/10 - Would've been 8/10 if it wasn't the season finale

STATUS: DROPPED - Not going to bother with season 2

Review of Previous Episode - Click Here

Doctor Who - 8x07 Kill the Moon - Review

Human nature

In this outing of Doctor Who, The Doctor is told by Clara to apologize to her student, Courtney Woods, for telling her that she's nothing special. Instead of directly apologizing though, he takes both of them on a trip to the Moon. A trip that takes them to the year 2049, where they learn that an astronaut team was sent to the satellite with one mission: DESTROY THE MOON!

I should point out that I had some weird flashbacks of Bryan Fuller's failed pilot that was retrofitted into a TV movie for SyFy called High Moon. While both of them do deal with discovering life on the Moon and wearing cool space suits, that is the only comparison that I can really bring up. But to that point, there is something on the Moon. And apparently the Mexican Space Station was the first to discover it. Or would've had the bragging rights to discover it if they weren't killed by that new form of life. And yay for Mexico for having a space station on the moon in the future. But the discovery of life on the Moon is actually why Captain Lundvik (guest star, Hermione Norris) is sent to destroy the Moon. That and other things.

Apparently the Moon has gained weight, and that is probably because of the new signs of life. It is this change of mass and gravity change that is effecting the entire planet. It has gotten so bad that Capt. Lundvik even states that her mission is intended to be the final mission to the Moon, because they have to blow it up in order to stop all the calamities from happening on Earth. But the Doctor discovers something else about the planet. The new life forms that they discovered are actually bacteria. Gigantic bacteria. The kind you would see covering an eggshell. The big revelation? The Moon is an Egg! And it is about to hatch!

Now comes the great problem that The Doctor, Clara, Courtney, and Lundvik are confronted with: kill the creature before it is born or let it hatch and possibly wreak havoc on Earth? That is a tough call. This is probably a very touchy subject that sounds like an abortion brought to an extremely epic scale. So this is really a powerful subject to have in the series as sort of an indirect way of bringing up the subject of abortions. The Moon is an egg about to hatch, with the embryo fully developed. And now here comes astronaut Captain Lundvik and her space shuttle filled with enough nuclear bombs to blow up the Moon. This is definitely an abortion brought to large scale. While the show really doesn't delve too much on the subject, because the subject is more directed towards the human need to survive.

The Doctor does something unthinkable and puts the decision in the hands of Clara, Lundvik and Courtney on whether or not they should kill the hatching Moon, while he goes off doing... what the Doctor does. So now the trio is left alone. Lundvik gives her points that the lives of millions of people are more important than the life of a single creature, who can possibly destroy the world or its hatching may cause more cataclysms. Clara brings up the point that there is always an alternative and that we don't know if the creature's birth will destroy the world while also bringing up that it is the last of its kind. While Courtney gives the most simplest argument and probably the one with the most meaning: She doesn't want to kill a baby. It is interesting how Clara seems to have the same view as Courtney but because she's an adult, she has to rationalize and make sense of things. Whereas with Courtney being a young girl, her view is simplified, but it is also the most profound argument of why not to kill the Moon.

I will not give the outcome here, but it should be known that the Doctor knew what the outcome was going to be all along. But instead of telling the trio the right answer, he forces them into a difficult decision in hopes that they would come up with the right answer themselves. It is this thinking that causes Clara to have a fallout with the Doctor. She couldn't believe that the Doctor would put her in that situation, a situation that could determine the very fate of the entire planet. Her anger is justified as The Doctor does know the outcome but the debate that Clara, Lundvik and Courtney had to go through put all of them through hell. It is fascinating how it took this moment to really show Clara how cold and calculating The Doctor is. Capaldi hasn't been acting as The Dark Doctor we've seen from the first three episodes of his run, but his decision to leave a life or death decision to three people is more darker than anything he's done in his run. So it is no surprise that Clara leaves The Doctor because of this. Yeah... she leaves him. And I have to say, Jenna Louise Coleman's portrayal of Clara during that final confrontation is the best acting I've seen from her in a run that has show just how much range she has. I just hope that her leave isn't permanent. If it is... well, the Doctor always moves on. And so must we.

SCORE: 9/10 - A powerful end to a strong friendship

STATUS: Continue to Watch - Time for some Solo Capaldi Episodes!

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Gotham - 1x02 Selina Kyle - Review

Her name is "Cat"

When homeless children are being abducted by a pair of eccentric kidnappers, Gordon and Bullock are put on the case.

That is pretty much the basis of this episode. Then what does this have to do with Selina Kyle aka the girl who will become Catwoman? Well, she is one of those homeless children who is being abducted. But unlike the other homeless street kids, she's smart enough to know that when two really cartoonish eccentric people walk up to you and offer you food, they're not to be trusted. Also given her cat like reflexes and extremely efficient parkour skills, she's able to get away. Other than being considered a witness to these crimes, she's not really as important as the story makes it out to be.

This is mainly because of the efficiency of Gordon and Bullock as detectives. The chemistry between Ben MacKenzie and Donal Logue is definitely the anchor of this show. It continues to show their growing partnership as well as their clash of ideologies. This is evident when Gordon is against Bullock beating up a child to get information, but would later allow Bullock to beat up a suspect (with a phone book) repeatedly after discovering the horrifying truth about what happens to the kids. It is really obvious that while they won't get one to fully "see the light" to their point of view, they can't work well without each other. Which again, shows how efficient they are by solving where the two eccentric cartoon villains were getting their drugs from.

But let's talk about those two eccentric cartoon villains for a moment. Doug and Patti played by guest stars Frank Whaley and Lili Taylor are the really cartoonish cohorts of the mysterious Dollmaker. Yup, another Batman reference. At least in this one he's only mentioned in name only and we never see him. But again, back to these two cartoon characters. The reason why I say cartoon is because for some reason they were directed to really ham it up. Their performances were definitely eccentric and delightful... the kind of performance you'd see in a Joel Schumacher Batman movie. Which is strange, because the pilot establishes the show's tone and look as a strange hybrid between the Tim Burton films and the Chris Nolan films. Now, a Schumacher reference is fine as after all it was the Burton films that led to the Schumacher ones, but for some reason their cartoonish villainy seemed a little too far. To give a comparison level of what seems fine about being a cartoon villain in this show is looking at two of the main players.

Fish Mooney played by Jada Pinkett Smith is both a very serious threat while at the same time an obvious cartoon villain. Yet there is something slightly more subdued about her that makes it slightly tolerable while at the same time still reminding you this is a comic book villain. Then of course there is Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot aka the man who will be Penguin. He is definitely a cartoon villain, but again it is subdued. This is a testament to what a scene stealer Robin Lord Taylor is as he is slowly going crazy while at the same time growing more calculating as a criminal mastermind. A glimpse of his mother in this episode also kind of explains where the crazy comes from, which is also a little cartoony, but again not played as cartoony as our guest star villains. When a level of how far cartoon villainy should be taken is already established, all guest villains should adhere to that feeling. We'll see how this goes with other villains that are sure to be on the show, right now it doesn't seem good.

What else is there to talk about? Oh yeah, Bruce Wayne and Alfred. Sean Pertwee portrays an Alfred who seems to have not broken out of his military roots and into the more loving father figure we all know and love. This is shown from how incapable he is at handling Bruce's tendencies to self inflict pain. Alfred seems to be at a lost of how to deal with his new position as a father figure, which means once again Gordon has to step in to be the surrogate father until Alfred can grow to become the surrogate. This might get annoying as the show is better focused on Gordon, Bullock and Cobblepot rather than Bruce and Alfred. But still, as this show is still young there is room to grow.

But what about the title character? Selina Kyle? I did state that she's not that important. Well, she's not important to the plot of this episode, but she does make herself important to the overarching plot of this season which is the murder of the Waynes. Camren Bicondova shows herself as a competent actress as she excels with playing someone who will definitely turn into the seductive cat burglar fans love. Particularly a key scene in which she deals with one of the kidnappers that shows just how vicious she really is. It is a shame that she doesn't really become important till the end of the episode, but with what she has shown, she is definitely worthy of being called Selina Kyle. It's just unfortunate that for an episode bearing the character's name, didn't seem to serve her to her full potential. We shall see how this all plays out.

SCORE: 7.5/10 - It is not a bad episode, still entertaining, just poorly constructed
STATUS: Continue to Watch - There is still a lot of potential

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The Strain - 1x12 Last Rites - Review

They do know they have one more episode after this, right?

In a rather unclimactic turn of events given what happened in the previous episode, this episode focuses on getting the word out to the general public. Also Gus gets to do something. And then there's flashbacks pertaining to the death of Setrakian's wife in the 60s.

If you read that synopsis with a flair of sarcasm, it is mainly because it should have been read with sarcasm. That does not mean this is a bad episode... well in some cases it can be seen as one. Eph, Nora, Fet, and Abraham return from their failed attempt at slaying the Master. It is clear that Abraham is emotionally disturbed and needs some time to calm down. So in order to do that he talks to his wife's still beating heart in a jar. Which leads us to unnecessary flashbacks of his hunt for The Master in the 60s. I say unnecessary because these flashbacks would've been better served in earlier episodes than the second to last one. Although it does tie in thematically with a decision that he makes at the end of the episode, it ultimately feels more like it is trying to kill time than progress the story. The audience already knows how it ends. He's going to fail killing The Master, but winds up having to kill his wife and rip her heart out. We know. The actor who plays the younger Abraham is definitely good at bridging the midpoint between his youthful days in the Holocaust to the stubborn man he is now. So there is that. But really it just felt like killing time when it should be about progressing the plan to kill The Master.

While that's going on, Eph, Nora, and Fet are trying to come up with a new plan while at the same time question Abraham's sanity. However that gets cut short when Dutch, aka that hacker chick, returns to rejoin the group. In a movie, this would be one of those moments when one of the group leaves but comes back with a heroic intro. But this isn't a movie and you're left wondering why did Dutch leave in the first place? Apparently it was to get a computer and tinker with a few things to come up with an elaborate plan to get Eph on the air to broadcast a message about the vampires. Now, if you look back on the previous episodes of the show. That was something Eph wanted to do for a long time. But he was never able to. So it seems a little bit convenient that Dutch would have a change of heart (again). Anyway, she's able to highjack the broadcast system for 30 seconds. Which isn't enough time to tell the world that vampires are real and the proper way of disposing of them. That is pretty much their story for this episode for the most part.

Then of course there is Gus, who while showing a lot of promise in the previous episodes as well as showing more legitimate character development than all the other cast members, fall flat in this episode. His story is to extort one of his fellow criminals into giving him more weapons in order to survive the apocalypse. The thing is when he discovers that his fellow criminal has been earning a ridiculous amount of money to move shipping containers, he thinks he may have struck gold on something valuable. That something valuable turned out to be vampires. Lots and lots of vampires. But Gus winds up getting out of the situation okay because he gets saved by an efficient and highly trained team of vampire hunters...who also happen to be vampires. So really the only thing interesting that happens to Gus in this episode is that he gets captured by this vampire hunting team of vampires. His character doesn't grow. In fact it seems to devolve in this one episode. Which is sad because he's the only one who really developed in this show. It's still interesting to see when he will join Team Vampire Hunter, but for now he's with Team Vampire that Hunts Vampires.

The episode reaches its end when Eph gets his message broadcasted only to have their main base invaded by Eichorst and his band of evil vampires. We even see the return of that Gothic Rock Vampire we were suppose to care about from earlier episodes. He comes back! And what does he do? Infect Nora's mother. Which forces Nora to have to kill her mother. It was bound to happen eventually. Mia Maestro does deliver a really powerful performance as Nora screams as she beheads her own mother. The problem is her powerful performance is only barely felt emotionally, mostly because it was predictable that her mother had to die. But with that act, it does inform Abraham that he has to let go of his past. Therefore while they are all escaping through the tunnels and away from becoming a vampire buffet, Abraham leaves his wife's heart behind. That was the main point of this episode: letting go of your loved ones. Which really shouldn't be the second to last episode. It really shouldn't.

SCORE: 7/10 - Not terrible, but should not be the build before the season finale
STATUS: Might Drop - If the season finale doesn't deliver, I won't watch Season 2

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Outlander - 1x08 Both Side Now - Review

So close...yet still...so far

After getting married to Jamie Fraser, Claire has grown accustomed to her newfound life in 16th century Scotland. Unfortunately her comfort turns to discomfort as a startling event reminds her of the life that she once had. The life that she used to dedicate herself to want to go back to. Meanwhile in the 1940s, Frank is being convinced by everyone around him that his wife probably left him for another man. But only one woman holds the answer to Claire's disappearance. And if he heeds her words, he may be reunited with his wife again.

Claire is in a place of comfort. A lot more comfort now than she had been from the beginning of her time travel. She is married to Jamie, someone who has been there for her since this whole thing started. Two lost souls finding each other. And it is a love for one another that started as friends, but after their marriage it has become so much more. It is so believable that any memory of her previous marriage seems to have disappeared all together. It would just be acceptable to see this as a love story finally reaching its climax with them living happily together. But as this series goes. Nothing lasts forever. When Jamie learns that there is possibly a witness who can clear his name, he takes his chance of meeting this witness. Claire and the usual MacKenzie bunch join him to ensure that things go down smoothly.

Things don't go down smoothly. When Claire and Jamie try to have some alone time away from the MacKenzie Bunch, they are attacked by two Red Coat deserters. As Jamie is forced to watch as one of the Red Coats rapes Claire, she takes the initiative of using a concealed weapon to kill her rapist. Jamie then takes the opportunity to kill the Red Coat who has him held at gunpoint. While Jamie is feeling a strong amount of guilt for not being able to stop this from happening before it got to the point that it did, Claire is feeling anger. And surprisingly not anger towards her getting raped. Because at that moment while being raped she remembers the one who matters to her the most. Her husband, Frank. While she does still feel the emotional shock and trauma of what happened to her, she is clearly more disturbed by the fact that she might die in this time period knowing that her husband will never know what happened to her. This is the moment that she remembers what her mission was in the first place: to return to Craigh na Dun, the stone circle that flung her through time. She didn't care about Jamie at the moment. She was thinking of Frank.

And indeed, what is going on with Frank? In this episode we finally get to see him dealing with Claire's disappearance. It is interesting that the show has not spent any time showing his present predicament, as all of Frank's appearances in previous episodes except the Pilot have been flashbacks. And of course, we do see Frank in the past in the form of his ancestor, Captain Black Jack Randall, but that guy is a completely different animal than Frank. And this is where I praise Frank and Black Jack's actor, Tobias Menzies. This guy really is a scene stealer as Captain Black Jack, but what is heartbreaking is his portrayal of Frank who is in the midst of despair. It is a huge contrast of what the show has displayed with Frank because again most of Frank's scenes are flashbacks. And in those flashbacks he has always been portrayed as subdued yet loving with small sparks of spontaneity. But now we really see that he is going through hard times. It is a testament to Menzies great ability of switching back and forth between these two completely different characters that make him one of the most compelling cast members of this show.

Everyone has pretty much reached the conclusion that Claire has left him for another man, a highlander Frank claims to have seen watching her during a stormy night. That highlander just happens to look like Jamie Fraser. Or at least the sketch does. But back to the point. Frank has been thinking of every possibility and comes down to the conclusion that everyone else has. Except for one. The palm reader from the Pilot reveals that she is aware of the legend involving Craigh Na Dun's notoriety for sending people back in time. Of course for Frank, this sounds crazy, but because of the desperation we see his thought is, "why not?" And by some act of fate or pure coincidence, as Frank approaches Craigh na Dun, Claire is not too far away in her time period. It is the most heart wrenching scene in the entire series so far and while it is cliche, because of the nature of the show, you want to believe that the two of them will be reunited. But again, because of the nature of the show, we know that there is no way they'll be together at the midpoint of the series.

And so it ends with Claire being captured by none other than Captain Black Jack. And her predicament escalates from pure depression to pure terror. A very bitter way to end the episode. Especially since the season returns in April.

This was definitely a way to end things by bringing the audience back to a place where we remember that Claire and Frank are still married but she has genuinely accepted that she's in love with Jamie. This is probably the most weakest we've seen Claire from the series so far, but she has grown as a character. And this was the moment when she had to be weak, because we've reached the point of despair. We'll have to wait till April to see how she gets out of Captain Jack's grasp, but till then, this is definitely one of the best new shows of the season.

SCORE: 8.9/10 - Claire was a victim in this episode a little too much, but necessary for story

STATUS: Continue to Watch - Let's hope the mid season premier can live up to the first half

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