Arrow Season 2

Minor Spoilers ahead!

I made it! It was dang close, but I actually finished Season 2 before Season 3 started! Yes!

A lot of folks I know love Arrow, and every single one of them said the same thing when I finished watching Season 1: “Just wait. Season 2 is better.” I must have smart friends, because they were absolutely right.

I really enjoyed Season 1 of Arrow, but there were still a few things that bothered me. The casual way the vigilante took lives. The lack of a mask on most of the characters made the show seem afraid of its comic-book roots. The deliberate “Dark Knighting” of most powers to make them fit in to the real world rather than a fantastic one. And a big one: I can’t stand that they call him “the vigilante” or the “the hood.” I can happily tell you that each and every one of these concerns is directly addressed in Season 2.

One absolutely huge factor in my increased enjoyment in S2 is the introduction of (Black) Canary. Katie Cassidy improves a LOT in Season 2, I found myself much more invested in the Laurel Lance’s journey as a character as she dealt with the adversity in her life. But the introduction of Sara Lance, Laurel’s sister, really gives the show some momentum. Caity Lotz is small, but still sells all of her stunts and fighting extremely well. I guess she’s a former stuntwoman, which would explain why they actually show her doing the salmon ladder that so dominates most viewers’ thoughts while they watch this show. Canary’s costume looks almost exactly like the one from the comics, with only the fishnet lacking. My biggest concern for Season 3 is that I get more of Lotz as the Canary; I find her chemistry with most of the other principal characters to be very moving and her action scenes are thrilling.  

I can’t overstate how well Stephen Amell has improved between seasons. He is actually acting now, not reciting lines. Amell is so comfortable in the role; he is eminently believable as both Oliver Queen and as a costumed hero. He switches voices constantly, even using one voice while dressed like another. I love that he refers to himself in the third person. Amell doesn’t get most of the funny lines, but his tough guy talk and the physicality he brings to the role is tremendous. He moves his arms when he talks, even! I think Amell’s greatest acting is actually during the flashbacks on the island, where he has to be even more gradual and nuanced as he shows the maturation and toughening up of Ollie Queen into the hard man we met in the pilot.

Team Arrow? What can I say, but I love them. I’ve stated how much I love Canary, and believe it or not, I actually found Roy Harper tolerable by the end of the season. Harper has a bit of a “skill” jump towards the finale, but I’ll just assume he leveled up and put all his points in archery. Emily Bett Rickards’ Felicity is still the nerd boy’s dream, and her awkward attraction to Oliver gets some great development. Her jealously over Canary’s scars is certainly a character trait I didn’t expect. And that scene in the finale? An emotional killer, man. I think I actually voiced an “oh man” as I watched the scene play out! (Although I think it is essential to keep the will they/won’t they alive for as long as possible.)

I’m not going to spoil the fantastic developments with David Ramsey’s Diggle and his ex-wife Lyla (played by one of my favorites from The Unit; Audrey Marie Anderson). I’ll just say that people who enjoy teams with questionable morals and short life expectancies? You might want to check this out. Ramsey continues to share the best lines with Paul Blackthorne’s Officer Lance, and they trade off having the best lines in each episode.

Now for my favorite thing in the season. The villains. Deathstroke the Terminator/Slade Wilson is wonderful when brought to life by a scenery-chewing Manu Bennett. This guy LOVES being a villain, and it shows. He is awful, cruel, and dangerous. His meticulous plan is actually worse than the undertaking in Season 1. I hate to say that the reason for his revenge quest is a bit weak, but Bennett actually makes it not matter; that’s how super-charged his performance is. Bennett actually wears his Deathstroke gear, too!

I’m avoiding some huge spoilers involving other characters, but suffice to say I found myself genuinely moved by some of the plot choices and developments for Ollie Queen. This is a show that is reveling in its comic book roots. The guest-stars are allowed to stretch their wings and swing for the fences as both heroes and villains. The rapidly expanding DCU-TV is a delight for comic fans and I recommend it highly for anyone who likes action, buddy shows, or teen dramas. This GOOD show scratches all three boxes.

SPOILERS for those who still need to be sold on watching:

Some of the DCU developments: The Count, Bronze Tiger, Ra’s Al Ghul, Nissa Al Ghul, ARGUS, Amanda Waller, Shrapnel, Harley Quinn, Professor Ivo, Amazo, KGBeast, Clock King, the Flash, and the hinted-above SUICIDE SQUAD! And more! 

Gotham Episode 1: "Pilot"

So one episode in, and I’m already finding stuff to like and dislike in Fox’s cop series Gotham.

Let’s start off with my big concern. For a show that is supposed to be a police procedural, I’m concerned that there is going to be too much “spot the Batman villain” going on. After singing the praises of the references in Arrow earlier this week, how can I have this as a weakness in Gotham? For one thing, the references in Gotham are WAY more obvious. Catgirl/Selina Kyle is literally crawling through multiple scenes. Scenes where she really doesn’t seem to add much value other than “look, it’s Catwoman!”

This show is absolutely filled with future Bat-villains. Penguin, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and possibly the Joker. I’m hoping that the show can throttle back that excitement a bit. I don’t mind the foundation work for Batman’s mythos, but I want to see the show focus on what it does well.

So that brings me to the good stuff. The actual cop procedural portion of the program is pretty strong. Ben McKenzie is playing a young Detective James Gordon. What I love about McKenzie’s performance is that he’s already playing Gordon like an old man. Listen to his voice, his dialogue. Watch the way McKenzie has him interact. This is a young old man, a junior cop burdened with responsibility beyond his years. I think it is going to be fun seeing Gordon butt up against corruption and jerks in the Gotham PD.

Donal Logue is a longtime favorite of mine, so I was thrilled to see him as Detective Harvey Bullock. Make no mistake; Bullock is corrupt on this series. Gordon is clearly unwelcome, dragging him away from his comfort zone. What I like is that there is already a bit of light in Logue’s Bullock. He does the right thing a few times in this episode, giving me hope that Gordon is going to make this dirty cop just a bit cleaner. That is going to be neat to see.

I loved Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney. She’s a delight as the friendly but deadly mob boss with professional ties to both the mob and personal ties to the GCPD. Smith seems effortlessly comfortable in the role. Watching her switch her focus between a phone call, young Oswald Cobblepot, and our first “maybe Joker” is possibly the high point of the first episode.

Robin Lord Taylor’s Oswald Cobblepot is quite possibly the worst villain so far. He’s a sadist, he’s disloyal, and he is pretty clearly a monster. Gordon has a tough choice concerning Cobblepot, and it sure seems like Gordon made the wrong call, judging by the closing scene of “Pilot.”

The rest of the supporting cast shows potential too. There is a sense of ridiculousness already with the use of the gimp-butcher who nearly puts an end to our heroes. I’m not at all sold on Renee Montoya and her interactions with Gordon’s fiancée Barbara. Montoya comes off as superior and a bit of a bully, which is a direction I hope they avoid for such a cool character in the comics.

As for Alfred and Batman? It already seems too forced. Frankly, I think the show would be stronger with less of the future Batman and more cops and robbers.

So there is GOOD potential here. The main two cops are a good team. The antagonists are either likable or I already love to hate them. I’ll definitely be back for episode 2. (And I might try to start writing reviews of this and Arrow as the seasons get into full swing.)

Arrow Season 1

(MILD SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1 BELOW)

(I HAVE NOT SEEN SEASON 2, SO NO SPOILERS FOR ME, PLEASE!)

Many of my friends have been pressuring me to watch this show for months. I was avoiding it for a couple reasons. First of all, it is on the CW, and I don’t think I’ve ever watched a show on that network. Second of all, regular readers know I’m not too pleased with DC Comics these days. My interest in their monthly periodicals is at an all-time low, so I couldn’t see getting interested in a show featuring Green Arrow. Even worse, while I like Oliver Queen just fine, Connor Hawke has always been my preferred GA, so I didn’t think I’d be interested in the show at all.

It turns out; I do still like the DCU. A lot. From the obvious stuff; like Helena Bertinelli’s transformation into the Huntress. Or the near-constant comic book references (Ted Kord fundraisers, The Winick Building, etc.), this is a show made by folks who really know the comic book universe. There is still a little bit of comic book shame, of course. When presented with the name “Green Arrow,” Oliver Queen pronounces it “lame.” Instead, the series refers to him as The Hood. Count Vertigo and the Royal Flush gang are here, but in a made for TV way. Can’t get too silly now!

Show runner Marc Guggenheim has written some good comics, and boy, he’s making sure that this show proves that he knows his stuff. I could sit here and list characters, concepts, and settings from the comics, but honestly? For those of you who haven’t seen the show, I want you to see it yourselves.

Don’t get me wrong; this is still a CW show. Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen seems to have one contractually obligated shirtless scene per episode. I’m not even kidding. The guy works out, gets chained up, and gets all sweaty at least once a week, often on an insane piece of workout equipment called a salmon ladder. I didn’t even know such a thing existed, but man, Amell does. Most of the workout scenes and many of the fights are clearly Amell himself, not a stuntman. Props where it is due, that guy is as dedicated to staying in shape as a real vigilante. Even better, by the end of season 1 he seems to be pretty comfortable in the Hood’s shoes.

I watch shows for the action, but I am a sucker for good romantic triangles and relationships. While Katie Cassidy isn’t great as Laurel Lance, she gets better as the season goes on. Interestingly, Lance’s character is at its strongest once she’s not spending every week being grumpy with Oliver Queen. By the time Colin Donnell’s Tommy Merlyn makes the situation a true romantic triangle, I found myself interested in the outcome.

One fascinating thing about the show is the split of characters and worlds. The Hood is doing the vigilante thing with the help of some supporting characters (no spoilers). Meanwhile, Laurel, her Dad Detective Lance, and Tommy, along with the Queen family (sister Thea, father Walter, and mother Moira) are making Ollie Queen’s life complicated in a more CW kind of way. (Did I mention that Thea’s nickname is “Speedy?” Worth noting?) Almost the entire cast starts the season a bit wooden, with the show really feeling cheap and teen-soapy. That changes as the season goes on. As the characters really dig into their roles, things get a lot stronger (in both plot and acting).

In particular, David Ramsey as Oliver Queen’s bodyguard Diggle (get the reference?) is a delight as he gets to know Oliver as the season wears on. Ramsey has a great rapport with Amell. Their interaction lends a great buddy-movie quality to the proceedings as Diggle becomes a near-Alfred type buddy for Green Arrow. He’s the rare television invention that I would love to see in the comics.

The special effects vary wildly from episode to episode. If there is a motorcycle or car chase, you can guarantee that people are wearing helmets or keeping their faces out of the frame. Sometimes the explosions look a bit too CGI. At other times, the explosions and gunfire look very realistic. From episode 1 on, the effects of the Hood’s bow are top notch. The bowstring snaps like a gunshot and the darting arrows zip through the air in convincing fashion.

This is not fine television. This isn’t The Wire or even LOST. But it is a fun, pulpy super-hero show that remembers its roots while serving a modern TV audience. This show is GOOD!

SPOILERS BELOW:

I haven’t gone into detail, but man, I am very, very excited to see more Manu Bennett as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke the Terminator. I’m confident I’ll see Deathstroke in Season 2! 

Walking Dead #107 and Walking Dead on AMC

The Comic:

I love it. Once again, Kirkman plays with our expectations and has Negan actually act like a sane guy, for once. I also wonder if he’s starting to realize just who he’s messing with in Rick. I mean, Rick surely gets some good licks in during their couple-page fight. Negan comes out on top, but he better realize that Rick is one angry man who usually gets his revenge.

This is a good issue because we’re starting to see the cracks in Negan’s armor. He has fewer men than he’s let on, he’s got basically no weapons, and he actually has to be reasonable or else he’d face a revolt from those under his thumb. Combining that with the Community’s new discovery, I think Rick’s guys might have a chance. Gunpowder and bullets go a long way…

I really like that so many of the other folks in the Community are getting some panel time. The problem is, I seem to be incapable of remembering anyone’s name. I’m always like “Abraham’s girlfriend” or Abraham’s ex-girlfriend” or “weird scientist guy.” I’m not sure if this even needs to be fixed; the book is plenty dramatic and fascinating even with a lack of truly defined second-tier characters. I still care if they live or die, but man; I need them to call each other by name when they first appear in an issue!

Charlie Adlard continues to deliver brutally effective artwork. The fast-moving fight is fascinating for the wild feeling that fills it. Negan is totally surprised, and the constantly switching momentum really drives that home. My favorite panel, though, is a silly one. When Carl steps out with his hat off, there is a ridiculous looking guy with a gold chain that just cracks me up. He looks so smug. Let’s kill that guy too, Rick!

Good

The Show (Minor Spoilers)

Ugh! Tyreese has done nothing since he got there! Are you kidding me? He is everyone’s favorite character in the comic, and eagerly anticipated on the show. So now he just sits there until he’s dismissed by crazy Rick? What the heck?

And Rick. Oh man. The show has extrapolated crazy phone talk to an amazing degree. Honestly, I don’t think Rick would ever be able to take over as group leader again. He is fully insane, and has endangered the group while wandering around after his friend. Ridiculous.

I can’t get a read on the Governor, either. The guy’s dialogue is written totally differently than his actions. That would be one thing, but you can’t be too subtle on TV, you know? It is like the actor doesn’t know how to play the guy. Is he actually somewhat apologetic? Is he simply hiding his insane side? It’s too hard to tell, and I’m afraid it is weakening a fantastic villain.

Basically, I’m worried the show is changing the comic too much. I’m not sure if the rumored split between Robert Kirkman and the show runner Glen Mazzara are over content or what, but I can understand why Kirkman might be interested in re-focusing the show a bit closer to the comic.

That said, Sunday’s episode did deliver some decent action after the snoozefest on Feb 9^th.

Fair

Walking Dead Season 2 & Walking Dead #95

It’s going to be hard to talk about the newest issue of Walking Dead with the TV series going so well.

Robert Kirkman doesn’t exactly rush the plot along, the first few pages of this issue must have had Jesus as Rick to trust him three or four times. But it makes sense, eventually, Rick can’t be in control of the situation. And it doesn’t really last anyways. The Hilltop community has got its own problems, and when violence breaks out at the Hilltop, who do you think is at the center? That’s right, a very nonplussed Rick Grimes. I honestly don’t think he cares that he just unleashed some ultra violence on someone he doesn’t know, it’s just another day at the office. I think Rick may have killed himself into a higher job. Another strong effort from Kirkman.

Now on to the show. I had been complaining about the lack of plot movement and general lack of momentum that made this the most frustrating show on television. Herschel’s farm has been a storytelling morass that led to the characters wandering around and accomplishing nothing.

With the second half of S2, those problems have been addressed. Every single episode has included action moments and rational dialogue. Even Lori has made coherent arguments an actual human might make. Shane’s gorilla-school of acting led to the natural pay-off, and while some folks are still making horrible choices (T-Dog’s lack of a 3-point turn). I loved the Randall debate, and I’ve been enjoying discussing that moral quandary with my friends.

Rick is finally the compelling, deciding character he is in the comics. By externalizing his moral dilemmas with Shane, Rick was reduced to a sad lump. Rather than commanding and motivating the group, it seems all he could do was worry about Carl. Now Rick is making decisions and laying down the law; a great development for Season 2.

Andrea is another character greatly benefiting from the change in writing staff. She had been pretty hard to like with her poor decision-making and moping. Now she’s thinking and rational, plus killing off a horde almost single-handedly!

Comic – Good
TV Show – Excellent

LOST Series Finale

Hopefully you all will forgive me for a quick TV rant on a comics blog!

I own a Dharma Initiative hat. I wear it often. I say that to establish my bonafides as a true LOST fan. I've tried and succeeded to get a bunch of friends and family hooked on the show. Yet here I am the day after the finale with so many questions and with so much confusion, that I can't say that I'm going to keep recommending that folks check out this series.

Spoilers ahead.

So it turns out that the Island stuff we've seen has been "real" while all the Sideways Universe stuff of the last season was all the main characters in Purgatory. From what I understand, they had to go to Purgatory to learn a little more about themselves and each other, then they'd be ready to move on to the next world. It seems the Purgatory selves are creations of what the characters "wanted to be like." So Keamy dreamed of cooking eggs. Libby always imagined she could live in a mental hospital. Dogen dreamed of taking his kid from Japan to LA. Anna Lucia gets to take bribes to learn a bit about herself. Jack and Juliet had always longed that they could be ex-husband and ex-wife. I could go on, but I wont. I'm sorry, it doesn't work.

We've wasted a huge amount of time on a dreamworld that makes no sense. This has been a waste of time and a false payoff for all the promises the writers have been putting out there for a few seasons. Juliet's prophetic "we'll go dutch" was talking about coffee for dead people? Faraday's big idea to fix everything was to die and hook up again after everyone's 6 feet under. Heck, Faraday didn't even make it to the meetup!

I will say setting Purgatory in LA does answer a few problems, like how Claire got a doctor so quickly or how Kate happened to find Claire so easily. They don't have to make sense, they're in a dream world. But I'm enraged about the whole "You don't have a son, Jack" idea. Am I supposed to believe that Jack and Juliet needed to have a fake marriage and a fake son to work through their issues? And then the poor kid disappears, never to be seen again when Kate runs by him to check on Claire's delivery? Really??? I had been so hoping that the kid would be Smokey or something, but he's so much less. He's just there, then forgotten when he's no longer needed.

After the wholesale slaughter of the cast over the past few seasons, I can't say how silly it is to give all those dead folks the consolation prize of meeting up in Purgatory. Heck, I even feel bad for the folks who lived, Kate and Sawyer clearly never made stronger connections than they did on the island. How can Jin and Sun cry tears of joy at seeing their fetus when they'll never know her? There were no kids in the church, how can that be? It is not an acceptable consolation prize or reward to just see all the rotting folks show up in each others' shared dream. A whole lot of these people died for nothing more than Jacob being a big jerk.

At least Walt, Miles, Richard, and others weren't in this tour group heading off to the next stage. They did something with their lives and we can assume they'll head off with another crew.

After all that anger, I do have to say that I loved most of the finale. Bringing back Lapidus and Richard assuaged a lot of annoyance from the last few episodes, and the final confrontation with Smokey was tremendous. Jack went to commercial with a super-punch, how can I complain about that? I'm even ok with the weird plug and the golden/red pool. I can write that off as some sort of weird, other-dimensional electromagnetism that has powered the Island's weirdness for 6 years now. We have to accept some of this stuff, right? And the parallel from the beginning Season 1 was very nicely done. When Vincent came to sit by Jack, then we saw Jack's eye close, it couldn't be clearer our journey together was over. Well played.

And emotionally, there was a lot to love too. I was grinning myself when Charlie opened the door for Hurley. When Claire said "Chaaalie" I almost choked up. I waited with baited breath for Juliet to say "We can go Dutch." And who wasn't touched by the great Hurley and Sayid interactions in the Hummer. And the two driving forces of the show, Jack and Locke, had some wonderful, powerful interactions in the Sideways universe. Seeing Jack's anger at Smokey's use of Locke's form was awesome "You disrespect his memory by wearing his face." Great stuff. And Ben finally, finally becoming a heroic character, how in the world did the writers make us care for this guy after all the horrible things he's done? I can't fault the characters at all, I was and will be invested in them for a long time.

But there are still so many questions. I don't think this show will hold up well in future viewings. Why did the Others need to "take the boy" back in Season 1? What was Richard looking for when he visited Locke as a kid, was he intervening for Jacob? Who built the statue? Why did the Man in Black become Smokey after he drifted down the stream, but Jack came out just as hurt as he went in? Who made up Ben and Widmore's rules, and what were they? What did all the awesome stuff on the hatch door mean? Did the numbers really just happen because "Jacob had a thing for numbers"?

There are just too many unresolved questions. The things that really tickled my fancy on this show were the sci-fi elements. And while we got a fair amount of Dharma answers, I think the creators unfairly veered away from those reveals. I never wanted to see Purgatory. I wanted a sci-fi adventure show that had great twists, great characters, and great revelations. Overall, LOST gave me the first two, but failed on the third. I believe the creators fell in love with the idea of setting up awesome (and I don't want to understate, AWESOME) reveals and mysteries. This show had some of the best commercial breaks and episode cliffhangers I've ever seen. Hell, I'll say they were the BEST I've ever seen. But they couldn't pay off on what they'd promised. Over the years, my heart soared when it was supposed to (Locke walking, Jack & Kate kissing, etc.) but this was a mystery show first. You can't start claiming otherwise in interviews starting in Season 5.

So were the last 6 years a waste? Yes and no. I was more into this show than any other. I kept up with all the blogs, games, interviews, and trivia. (Sure wish the Valenzetti Equation would have turned up!) I theorized and stayed up late thinking about it. The Dharma videos and stations in particular captured my attention like nothing else. But in the end, the show couldn't answer the very questions it asked. So my time wasn't wasted, but as a whole, I think the experience is tainted by the lack of answers and resolution. I'm going to think long and hard about whether I'll recommend this show to new viewers.

Season 1 - Excellent

Season 2 - Excellent

Season 3 - Good

Season 4 - Good

Season 5 - Good

Season 6 - Average

Lost Season 5 Finale

I'm going to step out of just comic reviews for a moment and talk LOST (because everyone else is). Ramblings and spoilers ahead so be warned!

So after a full day of thinking, I'm back to trusting the LOST writers. Last night's season finale could be an A or an F depending on where they go from here, but for now it is a B.

I loved the reveals about Jacob and his opposite (who everyone is calling Esau, Jacob's Biblical twin brother). What fascinates me the most is wondering just who has been leaving notes and bossing around Richard and Ben for the entire length of the show. Has Esau been in the cabin impersonating Jacob? Who is good and who is bad here? The easy answer is to put the guy in the white shirt as the good guy, but I've got to figure things are never that simple on LOST. Jacob showed up in the Losties' lives at times that kept them on some destructive paths (Kate and Sawyer especially, Sayid possibly). I'm not sure I can totally label him as good at this point. The next Jacob question is just what was that Egyptian statue? I'm going with Sobek, Egyptian god of creation and fertility. As comic nerds, we are all justifiably concerned at just how hungry Sobek is. Things could get ugly!

Locke's transformation makes a lot more sense to me now than it did before. I had really not liked him ever since his "death" and it was actually making me like the show a bit less. Without his whole "Man of Faith" thing going, Locke just wasn't as interesting. Hell, how can he need faith when he knows that he's right? It turns out we were all swerved. What is fantastic about this is it keeps Terry O'Quinn on the show and gives us what could be a fantastic new villain. Having a loyal Ben as his follower is neat too. It's not actually a change though, since Ben first showed up as a right-hand man to the Big Bad. Just who are Alana and her crew working for though? Obviously Jacob, but does that mean she's got Widmore's backing too? Who does Widmore back in the Esau/Jacob fight? I think Widmore is backing Esau, since he played up the whole "you're so important" thing to the real John Locke. Poor Locke, all this time he wanted to be important and he was just being manipulated into being killed off and replaced by Esau. Smokey clearly has been working for Esau all this time, making many of its actions more questionable too...

I totally dug the main Losties' story in 1977. I've been frustrated for weeks by the split nature of the cast. Everyone is running around with their head cut off. But finally, finally, everyone was on the same page last night. Jack is my favorite, so while I doubt his decisions sometimes, I can't doubt his motivation. He just wants to get the girl people, we can't blame him for that! Plus he turned into a hell of a gunfighter, didn't he? He must have shot 6 or 7 dudes last night, plus he had Sawyer beat until James started cheating!

I'm going to go on record that neither Juliette or Sayid are dead. I'm hoping the white light is merely popping our Losties back to the present, not to the plane or LAX. I trust the writers aren't going to reboot the entire show and render the last 5 years a waste of time. So I'm geared up for a final season choosing sides and facing off. It's time for the Losties to decide if they're with Jacob or with Esau, and which of their philosophies they buy into. I'm also pulling for my wife's theory that Lapidus is meant to be a "candidate" to lead the Others!

As for me, I'm always siding with the Man of Science who wants to make things better. Go Jack (and get the girl too)!

Good