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.

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.

Flash: “Attack on Central City”

Jim’s Thoughts

I acknowledge that swiftly-cobbled-together relationships are part of The CW. I don’t like them, and they’ve been a constant negative for me ever since I started watching these shows, but I don’t really want to harp on it every single week. “Attack on Central City” offered a heavy helping of that, but the problem is it didn’t offer much of anything else.

Last week’s setup did a good job of building toward a satisfying finish, but the momentum here was squandered. Seeing Jessie and Wally put together their relationship, which will apparently start off with them living together, didn’t do much but take screen time. The same can (and should) be said for Cisco chasing down Gypsy.

The only action in early acts was based on Grodd using an Air Force general to try to launch nukes. In the interest of fairness, I may still be rinsing the taste of last season’s Arrow nonsense out of my mouth, but I feel like threats of nuclear missiles should be nixed in movies and TV shows in general. There’s no way to do it that isn’t a cliché at this point. It feels lazy. All of that without taking into consideration that no one military officer has the power/ability to launch a nuke. That’s reality, but even in the shared universe of the show, you’d think they’d be careful after Felicity’s nuke incident on Arrow last year, so I’m calling double shenanigans on that.

The big confrontation in the end was a letdown. Barry’s “other way” was pretty straightforward and disappointingly anticlimactic. I guess I remember hearing Solovar wasn’t killed before, so maybe it isn’t a cheat, but I feel it’s safe to say we were expecting a big Gorilla battle and we got a shoving match on the playground.

If nothing else, it looks like we may be getting back to the main story next week. I’m ready for that to happen, but I can’t say I’m feeling confident in how the show will execute things.

Kyle’s Take

Execution is key. Sure, diarrhea romance isn’t new to CW shows, but Grodd’s story, like the episode of Supergirl earlier this week, was rushed. Flash didn’t have any time to do more than have a shoving match on the silverback playground. If “Attack on Central City” omitted a large helping of romance, there might’ve been time for some tuft pulling or yo momma’s so wide jokes.

Last week’s setup was rushed. These two episodes were used to silence fans like me who wanted to see more Grodd. It was eye-candy. This entire season of Flash has been equal parts pandering and insulting. During the summer, Flash creators/show-runners told fans Dr. Alchemy would be one of two main villains in the upcoming season. Fans were excited. Alchemy would be the first non-speedster main villain. Well, he was gutted at mid-season for another speedster villain. That was the first of several Comic-Con sweet nothings.

Flash had also announced Mirror Master would be another villain and they winked at fans when asked if he’d be the other main antagonist. He was nothing but a villain-of-the-week. Then, Flash said Grodd would play a major role. I guess a two-episode arc is a major role, but when you consider Grodd was teased as another potential big-bad during the off-season, a two-episode arc is enough to make a true, Flash fan go ape-Grodd crazy.

Flash fans deserve more than another speedster villain as the show’s main antagonist, but I’ll try to focus on this week’s episode. “Attack on Central City” as a single episode worked okay—convenient with its necessary-to-conserve-time Solovar cheat, but okay.

Romance didn’t dominate airtime so much as take up prime real estate. In fact, the diarrhea romances in question only graced the screen 7-9 minutes. But romance bookended the episode. It’s the same problem Supergirl had with backloading romance every episode for three weeks. Don’t do that, CW. Vary your episodes’ openings and conclusions.

The CW should probably keep military issues off-limits for a while, too. Arrow, Supergirl, and Flash have had too many laughable discrepancies this season. Either avoid the topic or hire a military consultant.

Okay. “Attack on Central City” wasn’t all bad. I liked how the two Wells played off each other. There were some moments involving Harry (Earth-2 Wells) and how he reacted to Jessie staying on Earth-Prime that could have repercussions and/or reminded us of his brand of manipulative bastard. And this was the second time in three or four episodes where Joe West (Jessie Martin) rescued a scene with great comedic timing. Martin may not be in too many scenes but the ones he’s in, he steals.

It looks like Flash will get back to its main story next week, but I can’t get too excited for Savitar. Flash’s rogues’ gallery isn’t a collection of speedsters, just like Batman’s isn’t a parade of killer clowns in various shades of makeup. If I were to rattle off the top 10 Flash comic book villains of all time, there would most likely be two villains who share Barry’s power: Reverse-Flash and Zoom. They’ve been done. Flash deserves more variety.

I guess I can mark time until next year. Hopefully, the show vibes in a different direction.

Thanks for reading.

Oh. It looks like I may have to buy Jim an Earth-19 Friends Day Card. In case I forget, happy Friends Day, Jim.

Supergirl: “Homecoming”

Kyle’s Thoughts

There were plenty of things wrong with “Homecoming,” and I’ll get to those in a bit, but the episode managed to focus Supergirl’s attention on its main antagonist and added a new twist for Cadmus. If nothing else, this week’s “Homecoming” has done something the other CW superhero shows have been incapable of doing: keeping its story focused. Since praise is out of the way, let’s talk about the major problems with “Homecoming,” notably its pacing.

Most of what ills “Homecoming” originates from the story needing to be a two-episode arc instead of one. Daddy Danvers (Dean Cain) returns, the group welcomes him with open arms, and he starts to act funny and reveals himself as a Cadmus mole. Mistrust within the group wasn’t given a chance to grow. Each character reacted how one would imagine they would. Alex would never believe her father could betray her. Mon-El was skeptical from the start and convinced Winn, and later Kara, to question Daddy Danvers’s loyalty. J’onn J’onnz doesn’t realize until five minutes before the episode ends that he can’t read Daddy Danvers’s mind. All of that would’ve been fine if the events took place over two episodes. It was rushed.

“Homecoming” could’ve been a lot better had Supergirl not treat its viewers like they have ADD. Kara wouldn’t have done a 180 (in regards to how she viewed her Earth daddy) in ten minutes, Daddy Danvers could’ve been better at infiltrating, Winn could’ve been caught between Kara and Mon-El for thirty minutes, building tension, and J’onn J’onnz wouldn’t have looked like a damn fool. All those problems would’ve been fixed with two episodes.

Something that wouldn’t have been fixed would’ve been Supergirl going full CW and having romance/romantic entanglements trump everything else. The DEO is willing to forget logic and government protocol by giving Daddy Danvers security clearance after getting abducted and brainwashed by a terrorist organization for more than 15 years (note: security clearances lapse after 7 and you must reapply for one), but Mommy Danvers can’t go back to how things were because too much time had passed. It makes no sense.

The rest of the romances progressed as normal. Sanvers (Alex and Maggie) are still the show’s strength, Kara continues to keep Mon-El at bay (Mon-El questioning Kara’s Earth daddy didn’t help), and I’m still not used to Winn having a girlfriend. Supergirl must expand Winn’s ladylove beyond token, alien sex symbol.

That’s a lot of errors from this week’s Supergirl, and I haven’t even mentioned the dialogue, which is never a highlight of a CW show. I could mention it, but I just can’t. If you can look beyond all those shortcomings, “Homecoming” kept Supergirl focused and that’s something. It’s nice to see the show develop Cadmus as a big player and to have a CW show take a longer view with its main villains. That’s probably why I’m upset about “Homecoming’s” pacing. How can Supergirl be the CW show with the most focus and rush this story?

So long as next week’s episode isn’t filler, I can let these errors go but if the show fast forward Daddy Danvers’s return for a filler episode, I’m going to be upset. We’ll have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading.

Legion: “Chapter 3”

Kyle’s Thoughts

Sorry about the late write-up; I’ve been dealing with an illness. Legion continues to be the cure for the common superhero show. It’s a prestige TV drama with the backdrop of Marvel’s X-Men. And it’s one of the best shows at exploring its main character.

Ptonomy Wallace (Jeremie Harris) can travel with others into David’s memories, but he and the folks he brings with him could get trapped. If the David Haller in the comics is any indication, someone probably will get lost, it’s only a matter of time. A large portion of Chapter 3, the climatic ending specifically, played out like a hybrid psychological thriller and slasher. It’s an unsettling blend.

One half of David’s memory work, that’s what Wallace calls his and his clients’ delving into dreams to search for what happened in the past, dealt with the monster he was. David’s forced to relive his drug addiction from the outside, looking in. He’s forced to see the damage he caused his ex-girlfriend, sister, and anyone else who got close to him. It’s a flashback, but it’s a clever flashback, a flashback that’s part of the current timeline because folks in the present are actively dealing with the past. I worry this could become a crutch for the show, but for now, it’s excellent.

The second half of David’s memory work disassociates David from the monster who terrorized the ones he loved. The angriest boy in the world stalks David and anyone foolish enough to travel his memories. At the episode’s end, Syd, Wallace, and Dr. Bird aren’t sure if what they saw was a memory or something else. I like this direction. I especially like how the episode disassociated David from this monster. It’s true to the comics and the character. And the stalker boy is unnerving.

I still love the positive language Legion uses for mental illness. David isn’t sick; his affliction is part of who he is. Going into this week we knew we’d see more of David’s past and it’s a crooked and perilous landscape. This isn’t just a show about mental illness but about how others treat them and how they treat themselves. The first three episodes have battled the stigma of mental illness. Kudos.

I do have one small gripe. Chapter 3 offered a little information about District 3. I would’ve liked less from dialogue and more from Legion showing us who these people are. It was a data dump, but it’s a start, and the main journey is through David’s past.

Legion is taking an exciting trip with its main character. So many superhero TV shows dive into the action and who’s on which side of an issue that they forget they’re leads are supposed to be real people. I hope it continues to treat the subject matter of mental illness with respect. Let’s hope the journey has more perils.

Thanks for reading.