Flash: “Into the Speed Force”

Jim’s Thoughts

“Into the Speed Force” gave us a glorified clip show and a lot more contrived nonsense. There’s probably a nicer way to put that, but I’m disinclined to grasp for it.

I can only imagine the producers thought we’d enjoy Barry’s encounter with the speed force ghosts of Christmases past. Maybe some fans enjoyed seeing those actors again, but I was bored because their conversations were full of a lot of things we’ve heard before.

Jay coming back to save Barry was explained by an off-screen move by Cisco, but I just didn’t care. It came off as a Deus Ex Machina, and him needing to stay to take Wally’s place in the speed force made no sense to me. They may have explained at some point why that was, but it seemed to me like manufactured drama.

Speaking of manufactured drama, there was plenty more of that. HR made a stupid comment that offended Jesse and gave them an excuse to eat up more screen time. Barry broke up with Iris for reasons that don’t make any sense. How he thinks he’s going to protect her and have “space” from her, I’ll never know, but I’m so far gone from rooting for that relationship I don’t care. To me, the logic of the show reads something like this: I can’t wear green because it’s Tuesday and dogs can’t do long division.

Speaking of terrible relationships, Wally and Jesse love each other now. They said so, and I’m pretty sure they mean it because they’ve known each other a couple weeks now, and they’re about to update Facebook relationship status, like, any minute, guys.

Oh, yeah, and apparently the key to stopping Savitar is striking at the gaps in his armor. Let’s hope he doesn’t find a caulking gun or we may resort to saying his name backward to see if that works.

On the bright side, next week is a musical episode. Wait, that’s not really a bright side. Okay, on the bright side, the Milky Way is on a collision course with the Andromeda galaxy, so in a few hundred billion years, all evidence of this episode’s existence will be lost to oblivion.

Kyle’s Take

Rativas. Nope, didn’t work. How about saying it three times? Rativas-Rativas-Rativas! No. Flash is still circling the drain.

How many times must Cisco fix things off-screen? Why must Flash do the speedster shuffle among its many Earths? Why must Barry save Iris? Why would the Speed Force give a crap whether Iris is saved or who does the deed?

Cisco has had several good character moments over the past year but this week didn’t include one and he’s lost what made him fun. HR doesn’t just replace Earth-2 Harrison Wells, he’s the only one cracking jokes. Remember when Cisco and Barry used to do that? It differentiated Flash from Arrow. Caitlin joined in every once and a while too. The only levity this season comes from HR and he doesn’t have any social graces so we end up with moments like the one where HR offends Jessie. That’s not the fun that made Flash enjoyable. Cisco’s still upset about his brother’s death, and his brother died because of Flashpoint. Flash needs to remove that stick up his and everyone else’s ass by undoing Flashpoint.

Flash does its best panhandler impression by moving one speedster into the Speed Force so another can leave and moving another to Earth-3 to cover the absence of the missing speedster. That’s a lot of maneuvering so Barry’s the only capable speedster to take out Savitar. All “Into the Speed Force” needed was carnival music to a guy mixing up Flash playing cards on a street corner. Hint: Barry’s card is marked.

Haven’t Wally and Jessie proclaimed their love before this week? No. They just moved in with each other, committed to spending the rest of their lives together. Isn’t that the same as saying you love each other, if not a step beyond saying it? No. Well, maybe I should leave the house my wife and I share but I tell her I love her as I leave. I’m sure that’d further our relationship. Flash making a big deal out of them saying they love each other illustrates how much the CW doesn’t understand the working of relationships.

Speaking of not knowing how relationships work, enough with Baris (Barry and Iris). They’re step brother and sister. I don’t need to know Flash’s writers room porn site history.

This season might be worth it if I knew Flash would eventually do justice for Flashpoint. Like Arrow and gun control a few weeks ago, Flash wants credit for using the Flashpoint buzz word but it’s only lip service. Flash has taken the life from its characters for nothing. It’s subjected us to the New Coke of speedster villains Savitar for nothing. And that’s before next week’s musical episode. Thanks for nothing, Flash.

Thank you for reading.

Bob’s Burgers: “Like Gene for Chocolate”

Season’s Thoughts

This is the first time in a while that Bob’s Burgers has had two consecutive episodes. I hope that it maintains this routine.

“Like Gene for Chocolate” shows some great character development in Gene. He wants to have his favorite candy (which the formula was changed) back to its original formula. Watching him present his opinion to the board of directors was fun. His speech shows how passionate he is about that candy and his willingness to see his idea through to the end.

Bob and Teddy sneaking onto a golf course at night to scour a water hazard for golf balls was funny. They probably didn’t make a lot of money off of the balls they found since most of them flew out of the buckets during their escape. This isn’t the first time that Teddy’s had a crazy idea but his seriousness about getting the golf balls made this side story.

The last highlight of “Like Gene for Chocolate” has to be Linda. Watching her go to the candy factory every day for a week to get candy made her seem like a kid. It was cute.

I like the switch up from Louise last week to Gene this week. I’m ready for a Tina episode.

Kyle’s Take

This season of Bob’s Burgers has had plenty of Tina episodes, but Tina episodes are pretty good. I’ve enjoyed watching the show explore other characters. I’ve never seen Gene so focused on a goal. The ending made sense. I won’t spoil it here, but “Like Gene for Chocolate” ended in a satisfying way.

I like Teddy. He’s the Homer Simpson type on Bob’s Burgers. Homer can be too much of a good thing, so Bob’s Burgers rationing out servings of a dimwit with half-baked plans is nice. Teddy’s also not as abrasive as Homer and that shows in this episode. Bob and Teddy delivered a lot of laughs, but I caught a sense of Homer and Bart stealing grease from fast food joints this week.

Normally, I can’t stand Linda but she also showed up just enough to pull off her kid in a candy factory punchline. At her best Linda’s child attributes shine.

I can’t wait to see who Bob’s Burgers leans on next for a few laughs. This continues to be a solid season.

Thanks for reading.

Legion: “Chapter 5”

Kyle’s Thoughts

I could echo Legion’s positives from weeks past. It’s visually stunning, handles this issue of mental illness with class, and the character’s journey is an interesting one. “Chapter 5” dropped a couple bomb shells. We’re entering spoiler territory, so consider this your spoiler warning. David’s multiple personalities are confirmed and he was adopted.

Neither of these developments would be surprises if you’ve read the comics or past reviews on JK Geekly. What is surprising is that Legion pulled the trigger on these two things by “Chapter 5.” I expected the show to take its time committing to these story threads, but I’m glad it didn’t. As you could probably guess from his origin, David and the other personalities inhabiting his mind are his own worst enemy. “Chapter 5” makes that clear.

David is one of those X-Men characters Jim doesn’t like: he’s too powerful. Having David struggle with himself makes him relatable and powers him down a bit. Legion has shown David on the astral plane during a couple of episodes. It’s a defense mechanism. It’s a similar tact Melinda’s husband Oliver Bird used. I’m sure viewers haven’t seen the last of Oliver and that’s a good thing. You could even see a switch turn for Melinda after she discovered David could escape the astral plane, where her husband has been trapped for decades. That was a wonderful character moment.

District 3 may or may not be a threat anymore. The Eye is still on the loose but overpowered David killed the rest of their garrison. Legion hinted that there were more members of the government agency out there but do they pose much of a threat to David? I have a similar issue with District 3 that I have with Supergirl and Cadmus. David wiped out an entire garrison by the fifth episode. Is there enough ground left to cover in terms of external conflict? Legion was always going to focus on David’s internal struggles, but a good external threat can ground viewers in the real world. I’m staying cautiously optimistic that Legion can maintain that balance.

“Chapter 5” is another great episode for a show that’s become appointment television. Anything can happen. My biggest worry, besides balance, is that Legion only has three episodes left this season and then I have to wait a year for new episodes.

Season’s Take

I say this every week but I love Legion. The story gets more interesting with each chapter and “Chapter 5” was no exception.

I like David showing trust in Syd. He dropped hints as to his whereabouts when he communicated to her telepathically. That can be both a good and a bad thing. If David were to lose control and hurt (or kill) Syd, he’d probably let his emotions get the better of him and go on a rampage. He’d be unstoppable.

David has learned to somewhat control his powers in “Chapter 5” when he goes to District 3 to save his sister Amy. His cockiness as he destroys everyone in District 3 shows that he thinks he’s capable of anything and that he can get away with taking lives because he’s all-powerful. He saw infiltrating District 3 as a game. If he continues to use his power to demolish his enemies, I can’t see him having a long-lasting external conflict.

Once again, Marvel Studios has outdone themselves with Legion “Chapter 5.” I hope they continue to do so in future episodes.

Thanks for reading.

Flash: “The Wrath of Savitar”

Jim’s Thoughts

“The Wrath of Savitar” gave us something I’ve been calling for a while. We got some focus on Savitar. I wish the tension with Savitar wasn’t focused so thoroughly through his threat to Iris, but that’s unfortunately what we’ve got.

What’s also unfortunate was that the scenes we got with Savitar speaking through Julian were clearly meant to be creepier than they were. They seem to want to channel the buildup they had with Zoom and Thawne, and Savitar even makes reference to them, but at this point, we’ve seen nothing to indicate he’s earned that place on the show. In effect, it’s a lot of telling, but no showing. Savitar makes grandiose speeches about how big and bad he is, but talk is cheap. It takes money to buy whiskey.

We got some indication of Savitar’s identity this week. He dropped some hints, said he’s been there all along and all that, but the writers need to give us more than that. They’re milking tension they haven’t earned. Stop being coy, Flash writers, and just come out with it.

My biggest complaint with this show is the laziness of secrecy being milked for conflict. The show has always done it. Barry kept his secret from Iris well after it made no sense to do so. Cisco hid his powers from the group. Wells of Earth 2 hid his motivation regarding his daughter. Caitlin hid her powers from the group. This episode did all of that at once. Barry had an ulterior motive for proposing to Iris, which resulted in a “Don’t treat me like a helpless maiden” speech that seems hypocritical from a show that’s done exactly that all along. Wally hid the fact that he was having “visions” of Savitar from the group. Caitlin hid the fact that she kept a piece of the philosopher’s stone. It reminds me of that friend we’ve all had at some point, the one who only hangs out at seedy dive-bars and complains they can’t meet anyone decent to date, or the one who rarely leaves the couch, never eats a vegetable and complains about their cholesterol. We can feel empathy for them. We can care because we’re their friend, but at some point, you can’t help but be frustrated because they’re creating their own problems. That’s the essence of Flash for me right now.

This was a reasonably watchable episode, but my long-term concerns for the well-being of the show are only growing.

Kyle’s Take

Hey. I’ve been drinking V-8 and read a study that stated men who spend more time on the couch have higher libidos. You’ve got to rest up between nights spent at seedy dive-bars.

Speaking of which, I didn’t have to take a shower after watching “The Wrath of Savitar.” That’s something. I could finish the episode without taking a lengthy break, or multiple breaks, but I’ve lost interest in these characters. Flash has hit a wall it can’t phase through. Maybe it’s Savitar saying he’s Flash’s greatest enemy, even though he wouldn’t be in my top 10 Flash villains. Perhaps it’s Savitar saying someone on Flash’s team will betray him. Everyone’s hidden something from Barry and Barry’s withheld information from them, so anyone wanting to backstab Barry could be justified in doing so. It’s lazy. I don’t want to hear you say it. The only thing Savitar has shown is he’s the ugly step-child of Megatron and Starscream.

Iris as the helpless maiden is trite. Let’s face it, she is a damsel in distress. Please, Flash, shine a light on how little agency Iris has as a character. In fact, why don’t you do that for most of the female characters on the show? At least you didn’t air this episode on International Women’s Day. That’s another small mercy.

“The Wrath of Savitar” gave the Flash some focus heading into the season finale. I guess that had to happen at some point. But the aspects Flash focuses on I couldn’t care less about. Iris and Barry drama: Baris? I’ll pass on the Baris enema. A half-baked Jessie-Wally: Jelly? I like Jelly on toast and that story was toast as soon as it started. Savitar saying his speed force is much bigger than Barry, Zoom, and Thawne’s? There are ways to show that but Flash has chosen to have all four of them climb Central City’s highest building and drop trou. No arch-villain cares where they rank in a hero’s rogues’ gallery. Savitar is just sad.

My only hope is that Flash can lose the nonsense and keep its focus. I’m not sure that’ll happen.

Thanks for reading and happy International Women’s Day.

Supergirl: “Exodus”

Kyle’s Thoughts

“Exodus” was a mixed bag. I liked that Supergirl stayed with Daddy Danvers, even though the pacing continues to be too brisk. Romance didn’t dominate the episode, but it did steal pivotal moments and Winn and his alien girlfriend’s relationship is moving faster than Supergirl would like to admit. Winn voiced he didn’t want the relationship to go too fast. Sorry, Winn. It is. And there was a moment when I got excited, thinking Supergirl would shake things up, and the show took an easy route. Still, “Exodus” held my interest. It was entertaining.

Supergirl stays true to its characters. I don’t question Alex, Kara, and Maggie’s decisions regarding their want/need to protect their loved ones and how they choose to do so. I question the whiplash caused by how fast it took. Daddy Danvers was presumed innocent of Cadmus entanglements, caught red-handed as a Cadmus mole, explained what he did for Cadmus he did for his children and the greater good, and Alex accepting her father for who he is now. If that sounds like a lot for an hour and a half (with other stories sprinkled in for good measure), it is. Supergirl didn’t give Alex or Kara enough time to process Daddy Danvers’s return.

Then there was the ubiquitous military melodrama: Alex’s removal from her father’s case. This development makes sense. The DEO would want someone with more objectivity in charge of locating Daddy Danvers. But Supergirl doesn’t follow its own internal logic. How does Alex get outed as a potential double agent (J’onn pretended to be her father) after a day or two, when Daddy Danvers is gone for more than fifteen years and the DEO hands him security access to the entire headquarters? The CW needs to stay consistent.

I’m still digging Sanvers (Alex and Maggie’s relationship). Maggie supports Alex when no one else would. That’s a good girlfriend. Mon-El and Kara had a quick moment. After dominating the show for about a month, it’s odd Supergirl would douse the relationship with cold water. Winn and his ladylove don’t do much for me. She’s one of many aliens who are obviously alien. She’s also a little too knowledgeable of Earthly customs for someone new to the planet. “Exodus” had a moment when Jimmy Olsen wondered why she was so comfortable on Earth. Winn’s side story could have legs if his alien girlfriend turns out to be something she’s not. She doesn’t have to be a villain; something off-center could be fun.

These last two points enter spoiler territory so consider this your warning. During “Exodus’s” closing, Kara struggled to save Alex and the aliens stuck in an intergalactic shuttle to the middle of space. It worked because Kara could’ve failed. In fact, Kara should’ve failed. Alex Danvers lost in space could’ve taken Supergirl in an interesting direction. I understand why the show didn’t go this route but the potential got me excited.

I wasn’t excited about more Daximites at the show’s end. Sure, Teri Hatcher (Lois & Clark) and Kevin Sorbo (Hercules) as alien royalty has geek cred, but Supergirl has no a shortage of Kryptonians/Daximites. Supergirl hasn’t reached Arrow (archers) and Flash’s (speedsters) level but it doesn’t bode well that Daximites will hijack the second half of the season. I’d like more Cadmus.

But Cadmus is problematic. Kara has thwarted the organization several times in a single season. At what point does Cadmus cease to be a threat? Perhaps a break from Cadmus is a good thing, they can use the hiatus to get stronger, or maybe Supergirl doesn’t have a worthy nemesis. Cadmus was behind Alex and aliens getting launched into space. I didn’t want Alex gone from the series for a large chunk of time but Cadmus could’ve tallied a displaced Alex as a win.

Supergirl continues to be the best CW superhero show. That’s not saying much this season but it’s enough to keep me interested.

Thanks for reading.

Bob’s Burgers: “A Few ‘Gurt Men”

Season’s Thoughts

This week’s episode of Bob’s Burgers was interesting. I haven’t watched it in a while but “A Few ‘Gurt Men” was a nice comeback for the show.

I’ll start with the mock trial at the kids’ school. I like watching Louise protect Mr. Frond as his defense attorney after he was accused of stealing Mr. Ambrose’s yogurt. Her standing up for someone instead of using them is normally out of character for her. It was fun watching her crack down on the evidence and prove Mr. Frond’s innocence. This shows how much she’s grown over the past several seasons.

The subplot of Bob and Jimmy Pesto, Sr. hunting down a guy who got free meals out of them was odd. It was a little hard to believe Bob figuring out that the same guy who visited his restaurant and returned his burger due to a hair being in it ripped off Jimmy Pesto, Sr. just because he happened to see him walking out of Pesto’s the next day. How could he have known that Pesto was getting ripped off in the first place?

Tina was more of a distraction this episode. There were several brief shots of her talking to Jimmy Pesto, Jr. while on the jury because it was against the rules. This doesn’t surprise me but, at the same time, was annoying.

“A Few ‘Gurt Men” was a fun episode that built on Louise’s character. I look forward to next week’s Bob’s Burgers.

Kyle’s Take

Yeah, Bob figuring out he and Jimmy were ripped off by the same guy was hard to believe. Bob’s Burgers is a comedy so I’m want to give it a pass whenever it’s nonsensical. But Bob hates Jimmy Senior. I could see him wanting to get revenge on the guy who ripped him off but why would he want to aid Jimmy Pesto in any way? Again, Bob’s Burgers is a comedy and it’s possible the two could form a makeshift alliance. That’s a lot of suspension of disbelief

As the episode’s name implies, “A Few ‘Gurt Men” is a parody of A Few Good Men. This is the first time any Fox cartoon comedy has taken on the classic film (to my knowledge) and Bob’s Burgers is known for riffing older films. The monologues were hilarious.

Louise and Gene (the prosecutor) played off each other well and the fact that Louise pleaded her innocence to Mr. Frond—he’s the one who catches her red handed—was a nice touch. It’s the self-serving bend you’d expect from her character. The fairy tale trial was another good moment. Louise defended the Evil Queen from Snow White and voiced her frustrations with having to defend someone whose first name is Evil. Priceless.

Bob’s Burgers is still one of the stronger comedies on TV. I only hope it doesn’t take another long hiatus.

Thanks for reading.

Logan

Jim’s Thoughts

It’s difficult to talk about Logan without getting into spoilers, so I won’t worry too much about that. Consider this a SPOILER WARNING.

This shouldn’t be too much of a spoiler if you’re followed the press surrounding the movie. Hugh Jackman has said he’s moving on from the role, and Logan very much has the ring of closing out this portrayal of the character. As a farewell to Jackman, and Patrick Stewart as Professor X (Stewart has also said he’s retiring from the franchise), the movie hits all the bittersweet notes, and it accomplishes exactly what it aims to do.

Logan does shine a few lights on some grievances I have with the X-Men as a whole, and that’s largely that so many members of its roster are dramatically overpowered. Beyond that, the only complaint I can imagine someone having with Logan is that it lacks much of what we’ve come to expect from a “Superhero Movie.” In truth, the movie works much more like a mixture of Dystopia and a Western, but it does both fairly well. It’s just not your typical “X-Men Movie” fare, and that might put off some viewers.

Jackman and Stewart have some incredible scenes together, and Stewart in particular astounds with his portrayal of Professor X suffering from dementia. It’s sobering and good note for DC to take if they’re going to insist on making grim films.

There’s a lot of darkness in Logan, but it works. I think that’s because there is also levity, a handful of moments that are genuinely fun, and that stops it from becoming the joyless sort of mess that DC/WB has been giving us with Batman v Superman and Man of Steel.

If you’ve read the Old Man Logan comics, you’ll have a good idea of what to expect from the movie. If you haven’t, you might be taken a little by surprise, but Logan is a good movie, and it’s accessible to audiences regardless of their familiarity with the franchise.

Kyle’s Take

Logan showcased stellar acting. Jackman, Stewart, and newcomer Dafne Keen as X-23 (Laura) had some amazing moments. Stewart did a great job portraying a Professor X suffering from dementia, but the interaction among these characters shines.

Call it a Dystopian, Western, or superhero film, at its heart Logan is about a man saying goodbye to the family he lost, or is losing in the case of Xavier, and accepting his role in a new family. Logan doesn’t know how to be a father. No one does when they first become one. Heck, I’m stilling learning how to be one and my kids are teenagers.

Many of the film’s best moments and moments of levity come from the various roles one assumes within a family. Logan tends to Charles (his ersatz father) and struggles to parent X-23. Charles wants to impart wisdom to Logan and X-23, making sure there’s hope for mutants and also that his friend and child are taken care of after he’s gone. X-23 wants to find her place in this world and keeps others at bay because of the abuse she’s endured, but she still acts, at times, like a young girl going on a road trip with her father and pappy. These moments are fun and explore the human condition.

Stewart’s brilliant, Jackman holds his own, making several memorable moments, and Keen’s captivating. Her character has a wonderful arc. SPOILER WARNING. Laura doesn’t speak (a defense mechanism) until an hour and fifteen minutes into the movie. When she does, she speaks Spanish, a language she knows Logan can’t understand, her defenses coming down but still raised. When Logan shows he cares for Laura, she reveals to him she can speak perfect English. She tears down her last wall. It’s one of the better character arcs in a comic book movie.

I agree with Jim’s overpowered characters assessment in regards to the X-Men franchise as a whole—there are mutants who can warp reality—but I only agree with him to a point when considering Logan. The young mutants in Logan have abilities so staggering, I didn’t believe they were in real danger. X-23 is more like Wolverine than Logan. She should’ve been taking care of him. And she does toward the end of the film. Like her father, Laura must learn how to be a daughter. I’m giving Logan a pass in the powers department. The young mutants were chased by the ones who oppressed them all their lives. It’s possible they would be frightened and didn’t know, or believe in, their own strength. I can suspend disbelief, citing the young ones needed to grow into their powers.

Viewers may expect Logan to be the cinematic Wolverine they’ve known for seventeen years. He’s not that. This is an old man Logan film and it’s a good one.

2016 was a down year for comic book movies. If Logan is any indication, 2017’s looking a lot better. And if Marvel/Fox wants to make an X-23/Runaways movie or two, they’ve sold me after Logan.

Thanks for reading.

Arrow: “Fighting Fire with Fire”

Jim’s Thoughts

This week’s episode of Arrow finally did what I’ve been calling for these last few weeks. It got back to Prometheus, and though I can’t say the results were particularly overwhelming, I have to at least give them credit for finding a shred of focus.

Since there’s no way to really talk about this episode without giving things away, consider this your SPOILER WARNING. The big reveal that Chase is Prometheus felt cheap. He was always the obvious answer, and if anything, you might have dismissed him because he was so obvious. I’d say I’m disappointed, but you had to know it would be a character currently involved in the show, and the list of candidates was slim. Now that it’s over, and he’s revealed (to the audience, at least), there is potential for the show to gain a little steam.

The impeachment story didn’t do a lot for me. It was intriguing enough, but the show made a colossal leap in broken logic assuming Oliver “throwing the Green Arrow under the bus” would achieve anything. Oliver said it would be a fix, and it turned out that way, but I can’t be alone in wondering where the reasoning is. Why would that have been more effective than going to the press conference and telling the truth? It’s okay for the mayor to lie to hide the fact that Green Arrow has “gone rogue,” but the public wouldn’t accept he lied because Green Arrow was duped into killing the officer?

It was nice seeing Curtis be competent this week, and double points for the T-Spheres making an appearance. This is going back to the comics, and that’s when Arrow is best.

Felicity’s backstory is boring me because I’ve completely turned on the character. Personally, I’d like to see her fall in with Helix and either leave the main cast of the show, or become a villain, but I doubt either will be allowed to happen.

“Fighting Fire with Fire” was probably one of the more watchable episodes of Arrow this season, but that’s not saying as much I would have hoped.

Kyle’s Take

The world’s worst-kept secret, Chase is Prometheus, was revealed this week. We’ve never accused the CW of having subtlety. The only reason I had any doubt Chase was Prometheus during the first episode was that it was too obvious, but Felton’s character as Alchemy (Flash) was obvious too, and that’s the route the CW took with these shows. Like Jim said, “Fighting Fire with Fire” focused the story, but the CW should listen to The Pointer Sisters’ “Slow Hand.” Find that easy touch.

Do we know who Vigilante was? Does it matter? Did Arrow show us he was still alive and kicking before this episode? Vigilante almost played out like a reverse Solovar drop on Flash this week. These shows are blending together and they’ve cross-pollinated so many plot devices and loopholes, I’ve lost track.

The impeachment story didn’t do much for me either but I wasn’t invested in Oliver as mayor. The show forgot he was mayor. Arrow also forgot that Ollie’s a staunch liberal in the comics. He’s the most politically charged character in the DCU and none of that comes through in the show because Arrow’s gutless. Even during the PSA about gun control, Ollie stayed Switzerland. That’s outrageous. That’s why I don’t care he’s the mayor. The CW has done nothing with Ollie as mayor; it’s nothing more than a plot device.

Could Mr. Terrific be at least mediocre? I’ve dinged Arrow for making its token gay character/Olympic athlete an incompetent and poor athlete, but Arrow at least showed Curtis using his T-Spheres. It’s something straight from the comics, so Curtis might be getting a little fan service. Of course, Arrow made plenty of ball jokes at the expense of Curtis’s spheres.

I’m with Jim in terms of Felicity. I had hoped she’d use her magic flash drive for evil, because there was no way Arrow would kill her. I don’t know if I’ve ever gone from enjoying a character to loathing them in such a small timespan. And it wasn’t a heel turn. Go WWE with it, Arrow. I wouldn’t mind seeing Felicity pick up a folding chair and lay the smack down. Oh, yeah!

You tell ‘em, Macho Man Randy Savage.

I enjoyed “Fighting Fire with Fire” more than most other episodes of Arrow this season. But it’s not enough to get me excited for the finale. My eyes would be glued if Felicity went full Undertaker.

Thanks for reading.

Legion: “Chapter 4”

Kyle’s Thoughts

I may have mentioned this before but I love David’s journey. “Chapter 4” did a good job of continuing that path and just when it looked as if Legion would spend the rest of its first season in David’s head, he pops out in the real world and joins his friends’ road trip. This week’s Legion was trippy as an octogenarian’s balls.

“Chapter 4” did a better job of incorporating the rest of Legion’s cast. Syd, Ptonomy, and Kerry embark on a road trip to unearth what the monster in David’s head is hiding. Syd and Ptonomy are well-developed, this episode added a little more depth to their characters, but Kerry and the man who shares her body Cary were explored and the result was as weird as that last statement made it sound. There’s no shortage of odd powers on Legion. What else would you expect from The New Mutants, turned X-Force, which led to X-Statix that included a mutant named Doop, who’s a green, floating spheroid creature, resembling something one might drop in a toilet and rhymes with Doop? In this dark corner of the X-Men universe, nothing’s off-limits.

District 3 made more than a passing appearance. That’s a good development as well. Legion hasn’t delved into why they want David, beyond the fact that he’s powerful, but I’m not sure we need much more than that at this point. “Chapter 4’s” conclusion suggests that District 3 will get more concrete. I’m not a fan of nebulous government agencies. They’ve been done to death.

There was also a heavy dose of David as well. His powers run deeper than Melinda Bird first thought, so there may be no end to the number of personalities. And the Lenny—or is he/she Benny?—character is definitely one of the personalities inhabiting David’s mind and he/she is not benevolent. I liking how this is taking shape. Viewers get enough information so they’re not completely lost but there’s so much going on that it’s like stumbling around your house at night with the lights off.

But it’s not all rosy. Oliver Bird, Melinda Bird’s husband, was introduced at a convenient time. David slipped into the astral plane and that just happens to be where Oliver resides. I like Oliver, and his scotch swilling, jazz-loving, beat poet flamboyance, but his insertion into Legion’s storyline is manipulative. Still, I hope to see more of him. Man, he’s fun.

David could also become too powerful. I know. I know. He is that powerful in the comics, but Legion could explain away any plot device by giving Legion too many powers. The show hasn’t slipped too far into deus ex machina territory, but giving David too many powers is the writing equivalent of making a figure-eight on ice as thick as a Kleenex. Cracks could easily form and Legion could fall. David just warped across hundreds, if not thousands, of miles by traveling in his dream-like astral plane. What? This could get silly.

Then again, aren’t absurd powers the point of Legion? He’s ridiculously overpowered but he can’t trust himself. Legion has scratched the surface of this deep character. Despite any perceived or impending flaws, it’s one of the most, if not the most, evocative series on TV. Keep shining a light on one of Marvel’s darker corners.

Season’s Take

Legion continues to amaze me and this week is no exception. “Chapter 4” gave more screen time to the side characters while maintaining its central focus on David Haller. This week’s Legion was as intriguing as it was riveting.

The appearance of Oliver Bird made the story a little lighter with his fun-loving, easygoing attitude. At the beginning of “Chapter 4” he tells two stories, one about a cute rabbit who gets into a conflict but gets a happy-ending and one about a boy who is told not to jump into the ocean by his mother because he’ll get washed away. These stories teach empathy and fear. This sounds a lot like the children’s story from David’s memory, “The Angriest Boy in the World,” and how David has empathy but he’s afraid.

Speaking of “The Angriest Boy in the World,” Syd can see him throughout the episode after her journey through David’s mind in “Chapter 3.” David could also see Syd when she was in The Eye’s body. This could be due to her switching bodies with him in “Chapter 1.” They share a unique connection.

Marvel’s Legion is taking some interesting turns. I’m excited to see how David’s story unfolds.

Thanks for reading.

Spyfall

Kyle’s Thoughts

Can a group of friends determine who the spy within their midst is before time runs out? Spyfall fires up players’ deductive and bluffing skills in one of the most popular social deduction games to come out in recent years.

We’ve got plenty of stealthy shenanigans to go over but first, let’s cover some technical information.

The Fiddly Bits

Players: 3-8 (Best with 5 or 6)
Play time: 10 minutes
Intended audience: 12+ (better at 16+)

Publisher: Crypotzoic Entertainment
Designer: Alexandr Ushan
Year Published: 2014

Mechanisms:
Acting
Bluffing
Deduction
Real Time
Role Playing
Voting

Quick rundown of gameplay

Each player is given a card. Most players are dealt identical location cards. The one player who isn’t dealt a location card is given the spy card.

The players who were dealt the location card (let’s call them hunters) know their location and are trying to find the spy. The spy doesn’t know where they are and they’re trying to hide or glean their location. Both sides are given an eight-minute time limit. If the hunters discover who the spy is, they win. If time runs out, the hunters pick the wrong player as the spy, or the spy guesses correctly where they are, the spy wins.

Players take turns asking each other questions to determine the spy’s identity. These questions are supposed to be specific enough, so other hunters will know another player isn’t the spy but not so specific that the spy can easily figure out where their location.

At any time, a player can accuse another player of being the spy. The timer is stopped, the players discuss their suspicions, and the group must vote unanimously that the accused is the spy (the accused doesn’t get a vote). If the vote is unanimous, the accused flips over their card. If the accused is the spy, the hunters win. If the accused isn’t the spy, the spy wins. If the vote isn’t unanimous, the player doesn’t flip over their card and play continues until the next accusation or time runs out.

Also at any time, the spy can flip over their card and guess the location. If they’re right, the spy wins. If they’re wrong, the hunters win.

Review

The tabletop market is oversaturated with social deduction games, but Spyfall is one of the best. Because of their ubiquity and certain issues (I’ll discuss them later), I’m not a huge fan of social deduction games but I like Spyfall. I’d even say it’s one of my favorite spy games, let alone social deduction. It’s a simple concept executed well. It also doesn’t hurt that the artwork is fun and engaging.

Spyfall with the right number of players (five or six) can be a blast but it doesn’t scale the best for a social deduction/party game. The one thing social deduction games do is find ways to make the game work at multiple player counts. Spyfall is not such a game.

Too few players and the spy doesn’t have enough places to hide. More questions get flung at them and there isn’t enough suspicion to go around, so the spy typically loses. Too many players and the spy has too many places to hide. I played in a full player-count, eight-person game and the spy was asked one question the entire eight minutes. The question came late in the round so they had a good idea of the location. The spy almost always wins with higher player counts. Spyfall works best with five or six. So much so that I’m reluctant to play with 3, 4, 7, and 8 players. The game is too skewed one direction or the other.

All social deduction games have some level of metagame but Spyfall may have the most metagame of any social deduction game. Metagames are what happen from one game session to the next. So-and-so was the spy last week and said something goofy. They said the same goofy thing, so they’re the spy this time. The metagame leads to in-joke questions/answers. In-jokes aren’t a bad thing if you’re playing with the same group. They’re terrible if you’re playing with a mixed bag of players. People in the loop can clear each other as spies, while the rest of the table is scratching their heads. It leads to an us versus them mentality but it still isn’t that bad. Clicks happen with a lot of social deduction games, but it can backfire. Most in-joke questions have only one answer. What happens if a hunter asks the spy an in-joke? The spy gets erroneously cleared.

Social deduction games also require players to bluff and Spyfall adds to bluffing with its locations. Younger players won’t fare well, even if they’re over the age of 12. A 12-year-old may be able to grasp the rules but not the underlining strategy.

That’s a lot of negative. I like Spyfall so let’s get back to some positives. I love the timer. So many social deduction games drag on for hours because there isn’t a time-limit. Without a timer, social deduction games innately ramp up the tension closer to the game’s conclusion. With a timer, Spyfall turns frenetic.

It’s also easier to play multiple games of Spyfall and if you’re stuck with a less-than-desirable group of players, you’re only beholden to them for eight minutes. But if you have a lot of strangers at the table playing Spyfall, it’s a great way to break the ice. Other social deduction games can get mean. Spyfall can too at times, but it’s less likely.

I also like the theme. Spy games are plentiful just like social deduction, but Spyfall’s a silly game. The spy is at the same location as the other players. The only way they don’t know the location is if they don’t have use of their senses. The game is nonsensical on multiple levels. With the right group, Spyfall is a lot of fun.

Spyfall 2

Spyfall has warranted a sequel. Nothing much changed so I’m not giving Spyfall 2 its own review. Both games can be combined for more zaniness and the only change Spyfall 2 made was have decks where there’s nothing but location cards and a deck with nothing but spy cards. If the players can figure out what’s going on, everyone wins. If they can’t, everyone loses.

The changes in Spyfall 2 are in keeping with the original’s wackiness. Both games provide plenty of belly laughs.

Well, times up for this review. I’ll be hitting the gaming table, so until we meet again, thanks for reading.