The Flash: “Shade”

Jim’s Thoughts

“Shade” felt like a run-on sentence to me. I look at where it started and where it ended, and I know there was a much shorter path to that point. It’s not necessarily that anything was bad, it’s just that it seemed to drag its feet to fill the time and not drop its payload before the midseason finale.

As much as I like Joe as a character, I don’t care any more about his love life than those of Barry and Iris. At least Joe didn’t end his first date telling the woman he loved her. That would be in keeping with the pace of most romance arcs on The CW. I’m hoping there will be some sort of payoff to the main story, because West family drama dragged last season down enough.

Speaking of West family drama, I don’t think Wally’s story is doing what it hopes to. I understand the parallel stories between him and Caitlyn, but Wally is still a newer character. He’s not developed and I just can’t invest as much in what happens to him.

Cisco and Caitlyn has some nice scenes together, and I’m certainly interested to see what happens there. Of course, since we’ve already seen Killer Frost in Earth 2, it doesn’t carry quite the shock value it might otherwise have.

The real problem here is that the episode hinted at exactly what Kyle and I have been saying. Barry pondering the fact that going back in time was a mistake, and telegraphing his move to go back again and undo most of the season.

It wasn’t bad, but I’ve been saying that for a while now. It just wasn’t great, and I’ve been saying that too.

Kyle’s Take

“Shade” is a perfect example of what’s not working with Flash this season; this season’s story arc is a run-on sentence. As soon as we saw Caitlin with Killer Frost powers, we knew that ridding her of those powers would be the thing that would send Barry back in time and the rest of the season has been marking time—for two and a half months—until that happens. All this week’s Flash did was squash any lingering doubt Barry wouldn’t do the time warp.

I agree with Jim that Wally’s story falls flat and that Killer Frost doesn’t carry the shock value Flash wanted. Both problems could’ve been fixed if Flash had flipped the two characters’ arcs. We don’t care about Wally because he’s new and we don’t know him that well. We could’ve gained a better sense of who he is if he were granted powers at the beginning of this season and we saw him struggle with them or use his powers for different means than Barry. Also, we don’t worry about Wally turning into Kid Flash because, with the information we were given at the time, the only downside to Barry failing to stop Alchemy would be gaining another speedster sidekick. That’s not a true risk. If Team Flash was giving up Caitlin and the Flash villain Killer Frost, that would’ve built a tower of tension.

The only reason I can gather why Flash wanted Wally to be bait (instead of Caitlin) is that it introduces Savitar. This new villain can give speed and take it away (per the comics). We catch a glimpse of his powers for ten seconds, Flash gives us a money shot of the big baddie, and he says, “I am Savitar, God of Speed.” Ten seconds sums up this season’s character development.

I couldn’t invest in Wally’s “nightmares” because we weren’t shown the once and future metahumans struggle with Alchemy’s nightmares before “Shade.” Sure, Magenta told us she had nightmares before she gained her powers, but she’s an abused child. Those nightmares could’ve been from her foster dad’s beatings and when we were introduced to her, I attributed abuse as her nightmares’ origin.

I agree with Jim that Caitlin and Cisco had some great moments, and Detective West’s love story doesn’t do anything for me. The titular villain-of-the-week Shade was forgettable; he was nothing more than a decoy. I’d almost want to get hair plugs so I could pull out my hair when Flash does this little with its weekly villain.

I’ll echo Jim; “Shade” wasn’t a bad episode. As far as episodes this season, it’s better than most. Flash should continue to pick up as it heads closer to Killer Frost and Barry’s inevitable time and earth hopping.

Thanks for reading.

Supergirl: “Changing”

Kyle’s Thoughts

“Changing” introduced a classic Superman foe Parasite as its villain-of-the-week. Parasite is handled well. There were several nods to his classic look and even though he’s a weekly villain, there were some story threads that tied into Supergirl’s ongoing Cadmus arc, and that’s always a good thing.

For most of the episode Mon-El didn’t interest me. Supergirl shoved how much he’s Kara’s opposite down our throats. He’s more believable after his inevitable change of heart. Mon-El’s character arc would’ve had more of an impact if I didn’t know he’d turn “good” before the end of this episode. It’s also by-the-numbers to have Mon-El captured by the season’s big bad Cadmus. Didn’t Arrow do this with Wild Dog a couple weeks ago?

The Alex-Maggie love story ended abruptly, but it was a satisfying end that could have long-lasting results. Each time Supergirl showed Alex kiss Maggie it looked as if she was trying too hard, so it made sense that Alex had fallen for Maggie, while Maggie would view Alex as a friend. I like Supergirl’s choice to make them friends—for now because I’m sure we’ll cross another Alex loves Maggie bridge—until they build their relationship and Alex explores who she is. I’ve been on record as not being a huge fan of alter egos, but Supergirl drawing parallels between Kara hiding her Supergirl identity and Alex discovering her sexuality worked.

Jimmy Olsen’s turn as The Guardian still doesn’t work. Not every superhero show has to be a superhero team show, and Olsen moonlighting as a hero detracts from the Catco drama. I’d hate to see Kara’s struggles to be a legitimate reporter take a backseat to Jimmy playing hero. We’ve seen the struggling hero trope; we don’t get enough of a hero struggles for something more than beating up a weekly villain. In fact, Kara’s desire to be a good reporter gives her the impetus to maintain her alter ego.

I’m not sure how to take the Miss Martian-Martian Manhunter story thread. It appears that Miss Martian has feelings for J’onn J’onnz. Supergirl will have to explain how a white Martian that hunts green Martians with extreme prejudice would fall in love with a green Martian, but I can suspend disbelief until the show gives me a reason not to.

Overall “Changing” was a solid episode and a step up from last week’s faceless villain. While I like the huge web Cadmus is casting, I’d like to see that web take shape. I’m sure Supergirl will gain clarity by the midseason finale. Until then I’ll enjoy the strongest of the CW superhero shows this season.

Thanks for reading.

Arrow: “So It Begins”

Jim’s Thoughts

“So It Begins” finally gave us what I’ve been calling for. We returned to the Prometheus story. The result of that was probably the best episode of Arrow we’ve seen this season.

The callback to the first season with Ollie and his list drudged up more contrived feelings of guilt, and some forced animosity with the team. Having them call Ollie a “serial killer” sounds absurd considering these were people who supposedly had a hand in “the undertaking,” which killed a bunch of people in the glades (if I’m remembering correctly).

Quentin’s alcoholism battle just feels like a fill-in-the-blank storyline to keep him doing something on screen. There isn’t an emotional impact to it. That might be due to the lack of focus on it, but we’ve already seen this story, and it doesn’t do anything for the character. At this point, Lance is well past the show’s 20-minute-grief-limit. I mean, Ragman had his whole town nuked, and he’s doing okay for himself.

Guess what? I still hate Felicity, and I still resent every single moment devoted to her character. At this point, I’m worried her new human body pillow of a boyfriend will end up being Prometheus just because that’d be an infuriating way to give her more screen time. My only hope is that it’d be way too obvious. My money is actually on the DA.

The show had all the usual knocks against it, but the focus on Prometheus is good. That’s what will make the show interesting. My only hope at this point is that Flash going back in time will undo everything, but we’ll scream at that bridge when it’s time.

Kyle’s Take

I get that we haven’t reached the bridge that is Flashpoint yet, but it’s a Golden Gate Bridge of a plot device. Flashpoint is the most recognizable landmark and dominates the first half of this season.

Yes, we got more Prometheus, and that’s a good thing. Yes, we had a callout to Arrow’s first season, and that was fun, except that it’s a few seasons too late and convenient to have “The List” as the thing that would tear this new team apart. But Jim skipped over Arrow’s big dun-dun-dun moment at the end of “So It Begins,” and that could be because of rehashed storylines or the fact that nothing matters until after Flashpoint changes everything in a month or two.

Just in case you haven’t seen “So It Begins,” a spoiler alert is in order.

*Commence Spoilers*

Quentin Lance has the same wound Artemis gave Prometheus. The implication is that Lance gets blackout drunk and dons the Prometheus outfit after late night binges. That can’t be Arrow’s end game this season, so it’s either a clumsy Red Herring (I think the real Prometheus is the DA, too) and he’s being framed, or Lance is Prometheus until after the events of Flashpoint, and then we’ll get a new Prometheus (this could also be the DA). Regardless, Quentin’s alcoholism and Prometheus are linked until Arrow shows us otherwise.

*End Spoilers*

Arrow even suggesting that it’ll tie one of its reheated French Fries of a plotline to the main villain doesn’t make me happy. It’s been done, Arrow should move on from the plotline, but we’re stuck with it until it resolves. And, for those of you who didn’t read the spoiler section, that’s two major plot devices that are holding Arrow hostage.

Artemis (alter ego: Evelyn Sharp) is the newbie who took the most offense to Ollie as a “serial killer.” I’m not sure that she’s from the Undertaking. I thought she was the one who was a H.I.V.E. test subject, wore a blonde wig, and pretended to be a third Black Canary after Laurel died. It doesn’t matter. Artemis fell out of the sky and into the Arrowcave.

With Artemis filling the sidekick archer role, I’m not sure if Speedy will ever rejoin Team Arrow. But who knows? The rise of Artemis, Mon-El (in Supergirl) who is akin to Superboy (Kon-El in the comics), and Kid Flash could lead to a Young Justice live action series. I’d be down with Young Justice—it’s an ongoing comic and a solid animated series, which is available on Netflix—but if you’re going to include Robin, you’re going to have to admit that there’s a Batman.

Anyway. Let’s get back to Arrow. Even with all its issues, I enjoyed “So It Begins.” It feels like Arrow is picking a direction. I’m not sure if I agree with the direction, but it’s a start. I have hope for this season. I’d have even more hope if the show holds my interest after it crosses its Golden Gate Bridge.

Thanks for reading.

Supergirl: “Crossfire”

Kyle’s Thoughts

“Crossfire” offers some new love connections and a serviceable weekly villain. The biggest issue I had with this week’s Supergirl is its focus on budding romances. There’s a whopping three of them and while I understand romance can be a great element in a show, building three romances was a little overkill.

The villain-of-the-week was forgettable. They were thugs with alien weapons, but tying them to the season’s big bad Cadmus was a great touch. Sure, they’re weekly villains with little character development but they fleshed out the lengths Cadmus will go to discredit or defeat Supergirl. Alliances are taking shape that could provide some interesting twists and turns. We’re headed into spoiler territory if I say anything more. I’ll stop short and say that I’m digging Lena Luthor and Supergirl’s partnership. Those two could get into some trouble in the not so distant future.

A discussion of “Crossfire” isn’t complete without addressing its three growing romances. To be fair nothing too concrete has happened with these couplings, but it’s clear Supergirl plans to explore relationships between these characters. Full disclosure: I may be jaded when it comes to the CW and romance. I’ve seen this network tear down characters with all-consuming relationships. Likeable characters have turned to unwatchable jerks with the touch of one bad romance. Supergirl’s first season avoided romance for the most part, and I was grateful for that, but I knew the show would dip its toe in those waters, and the love connections Supergirl introduced could be interesting.

Kara and Mon-El are destined to be together—Winn and James (Jimmy) Olsen believe so and aren’t afraid to share their thoughts—but Supergirl has made them obvious polar opposites. Opposites attract, I get it, but the idea that these two are destined to be together makes me not want to root for them. I like both characters, so I’ll give them a chance.

Alex (Kara’s adopted sister) and Maggie’s growing relationship might have the most promise. Because Supergirl’s intended audience is younger than Arrow and Flash’s, I trust the show will handle this relationship with grace. It also helps that Alex is discovering who she is. We should see a nice character arc. The only issue I can foresee is that Supergirl could go the route of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and kill off a lesbian lovebird after a season. While Maggie’s death—Supergirl won’t kill off Alex—could fuel some interesting storylines, it’s a Hollywood cliché to kill one half of a happy, gay couple.

Winn and Lena Luthor are the third, surprising coupling. Okay, they aren’t a real couple; they were caught under a platform, saving the day, and other characters think something else was happening. I’m okay if this moment was a one off and Supergirl doesn’t make them a couple, but if the show chose to make Winn and Lena an item, they could be fun.

I know, that’s a lot of discussion about potential romances, but love was in the air in “Crossfire.” I’d be remiss to not mention one last point. This week’s Supergirl introduced the idea of James Olsen wanting to be a superhero. He needs to stop it. I like the fact that Supergirl has one main superhero and two superheroes (Superman and Martian Manhunter) who could chip in. Arrow and Flash suffer from bloated superhero ranks and I like Supergirl’s focus on Supergirl. It makes sense Jimmy wants to be a superhero—he was one for a time in the comics—but one of the few things the Arrowverse needs is more superheroes.

While not one of the season’s best outings, “Crossfire” is a solid episode. We’ll have to see how things shake out in the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading.

Bob’s Burgers: “They Serve Horses, Don’t They”

Kyle’s Thoughts

“They Serve Horses, Don’t They” is a more character-driven version of the Bob’s Burgers pilot “Human Flesh.” It offers a cohesive story built on years of the show and a lot of laughs. It’s difficult for me to discuss “They Serve Horses, Don’t They” without revealing some of the plot—although you can guess what the show’s about based on the episode’s title—and comparing it to “Human Flesh,” so you’ve been forewarned.

While “Human Flesh” presented a ridiculous premise of Bob serving human meat instead of beef (a lie Louise started to make her family’s business more interesting in show-and-tell), “They Serve Horses, Don’t They” has Bob serve actual horse meat to his customers. Unlike “Human Flesh,” “They Serve Horses, Don’t They” grounds its situation in the show’s characters.

Tina loves horses and freaks out when she discovers that the restaurant’s butcher is giving them horse. Bob orders from a shady butcher because he wants to make money and compete with Jimmy Pesto. Jimmy goads Bob into using a backdoor butcher. Throw in a Teddy who grows accustomed to the horse meat and Hugo who wants to make a name for himself as a food inspector, and you get one satisfying episode.

The situation gets out of control, but “They Serve Horses, Don’t They” earns its laughs. I’m glad Bob’s Burgers has given us an episode that doesn’t focus on one character. While I like the show’s single character episodes, we need to see shows that engage multiple characters.

Thanks for reading.

Black Mirror Season 3

Kyle’s Thoughts

Charlie Brooker’s thought-provoking series Black Mirror is now a Netflix original series, and the show didn’t miss a beat with its transition from the BBC. Black Mirror, similar to Sherlock, runs in hour to an hour and half episodes—or mini-movies. Each episode presents a possible near future that, in turn, provides social commentary.

Okay, the term near future might be a misnomer. The landscape of each episode can vary from five minutes from now to a century into the future. Regardless of how far into the future an episode places us, Black Mirror will show us a world that’s just a bit off from our own and involves advanced technology of some kind. Taking its cues from the technology in question, these self-contained worlds within each episode will take varied shapes and forms, and the characters who inhabit these worlds and interact within the world’s rules will pose a question or questions about the human condition.

How much will social media control our lives in the next few years? What happens when the virtual world is indistinguishable from the real one? It doesn’t matter which question an episode asks, you can expect a twist and a potential debate.

You don’t have to watch each episode in order—these are disparate worlds—but I’ll cover the third season in episode number order. With that said, the first three episodes build off each other in an interesting way, so you may want to watch them in episode number order.

Before we get to my quick thoughts on each episode, a spoiler alert may be in order.

Nosedive

Bryce Dallas Howard delivers a brilliant performance in “Nosedive”; she plays a woman living in a future that grades every social interaction. Anyone can view anyone else’s wall (similar to Facebook but changed due to copyright infringement) by using an ocular interface that’s always connected. “Nosedive” isn’t as grim a future as Super Sad True Love Stories, but it’s not as chipper as Community’s MeowMeowBeenz app episode. It serves as a warning of social media run amok and of a community that forces everyone to have “happy thoughts” all the time. Yeah, the happy thoughts angle gives “Nosedive” a Twilight Zone “It’s a Good Life” touch.

All the dread “Nosedive” builds is undercut by Howard’s freedom from the internet and euphoric—and obscenity-filled—outburst at the end, but that’s a great thing. This ending provides release which is something viewers won’t get from Black Mirror’s next two entries.

Playtest

“Playtest,” directed by 10 Cloverfield Lane’s Dan Trachtenberg, unfolds like a pure horror flick. We get just enough of the main character (Wyatt Russell) to know why he’s running away from his past, but we aren’t given too many details. Russell becomes a VR video game tester, but the virtual reality’s artificial intelligence learns from its subject, the player. The game feeds off Russell’s fears and personal baggage and we’re treated to a Matryoshka Doll (Russian nesting doll) of an ending.

You won’t be disappointed when the final doll is revealed. I don’t want to spoil it, but let’s say it’s a gut punch.

Shut Up and Dance

Forget the near future, “Shut Up and Dance” could happen now and that feeds into the blood-thumping pace of the episode. Some unknown internet terrorist hacks into the personal, on-line lives of various people and blackmails them into progressively reprehensible things. We see this unfurl through the eyes of a teenage boy protagonist who was caught masturbating with his own webcam.

If “Shut Up and Dance’s” premise doesn’t leave you shaken, the episode’s ending will. Again, I don’t want to spoil it.

San Junipero

“San Junipero” could be viewed as a simple love story, but it asks existential questions. If you haven’t seen the episode yet and don’t want a huge spoiler, skip the next paragraph because it’s going to be hard to discuss “San Junipero” without getting into the weeds.

The two main protagonists are elderly women on their death beds. The titular San Junipero is an online community where people can upload their consciousness to the cloud and live forever in a digital heaven. We begin with the viewpoint of Mackenzie Davis’ character as we discover San Junipero’s secret, but it’s the shift to Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s character’s point of view that poses ethical questions. She shared her real-life with her husband (49 years), they raised a child together who died before them (her husband chose not to be uploaded because their daughter wouldn’t be there), and Mbatha-Raw must choose between an afterlife that’s unknown or one steeped in 80s nostalgia, never getting old, and parties every night.

Honestly, I’m conflicted with “San Junipero.” I understand why the characters would make their choices but I could see why they’d choose a different path. I’m left hopeful with a twinge of sadness; this episode of Black Mirror does the best job (in the series) of questioning human existence. Simply put, it’s beautiful.

Men Against Fire

“San Junipero” is a tough act to follow. Unfortunately, “Men Against Fire” is perhaps the weakest episode in Black Mirror’s third season. It tackles too much at once. The story is at its best when it focused on soldiers who were implanted with battle-enhancement mind/sight technology that made them literally dehumanize their enemy—they viewed them as monsters (or roaches)—and the personal trauma associated with this type of brainwashing. It lost me when it added that global DNA screenings could have dire consequences—the invention of a “master race”—and a Michael Kelly (of House of Cards fame) guest appearance that was an obvious ploy to mask a weaker episode.

Even though “Men Against Fire” pales in comparison to the other episodes of Black Mirror this season, it still has plenty of merit, and it ends in a satisfying way.

Hated in the Nation

“Hated in the Nation” is a sci-fi thriller and has little in common with the rest of the Black Mirror crop this season, except that it tackles social media like “Nosedive.” Kelly MacDonald (No Country for Old Men and Trainspotting) and Fay Marsay (Game of Thrones) are detectives investigating the mysterious deaths of people who died after being targeted by internet hate messages and a trending hashtag “#DeathTo.” This one’s a by-the-numbers sci-fi/detective show and it suffers from one of the same things in which “Men Against Fire” struggled: the scope is too big.

When “Hated in the Nation” dug down into its characters, it delivered strong moments. I also like how this episode expands Black Mirror’s range. “Hated in the Nation” flexes the show’s larger budget and it could be a sign of more divergent episodes. I just hope the show doesn’t lose its focus on characters and asking difficult questions.

Overall, Black Mirror’s third season is must see TV, and fortunately, the previous two seasons are also available on Netflix. You’re bound to find something to get your blood boiling and your mind moving.

Thanks for reading.

Arrow: “Human Target”

Jim’s Thoughts

“Human Target” wrapped up the Tobias Church story arc. It would have been much more satisfying if the focus hadn’t been scattered, but I came away feeling like this season may finally be taking shape.

Church was never really built up as a character. It’s not the actor’s fault. His portrayal was sound, but the writers didn’t give him much to work with beyond establishing him as a drug lord with ambition. All the wasted screentime this season could have gone to flesh out his story, and if it had, Church’s fall would have had much more of a payoff.

Wild Dog’s story with Diggle was poorly handled. Having him suddenly recall a key fact is lazy writing, and does nothing to develop his character.

Elsewhere with the team, we really need to see some sort of weakness in Ragman. Right now, he appears to be invincible, and his presence in the field makes everyone else superfluous.

I’m tired of griping about Felicity. It’s the same every week with her, and so this week, I’ll mix it up a little. The only way for Felicity to become a compelling character again is for her to somehow transform into a villain. That sounds ridiculous, I’m sure, but I stand by it. All of her lectures to Oliver about honesty and secrets, and she looked her new beau in eyes and lied about a fairly significant thing, something that affected him personally and professionally, since he’s working with Oliver as the mayor. It wasn’t for his safety, or to protect a mission. She lied because she thought it was easier. Now, on top of every other thing that makes her insufferable, she’s also a hypocrite. I could take her screen time if I wasn’t expected by the show to root for her in any way.

I liked the nod to Chance, and the possibility of using The Question, but this show doesn’t need more characters to juggle. That makes it hard to get too excited for him. While I’m harping on Felicity, let me also add that Oliver sneaking out after faking his own death to talk to Felicity about her new hump-buddy was pure cringeworthy nonsense. He couldn’t even let his sister know he wasn’t really dead, but he can’t wait to talk to Felicity about her love life?

I know it sounds like I hated this episode. Kyle and I write these up right after we watch the episodes, so there’s a lot of raw reaction in these comments, and Felicity draws my ire, but all things considered, this may have been the best episode of the season. I like that we’re getting back to Prometheus, that Diggle isn’t just isolated from events in his own storyline, and that they’re building for a larger conflict.

Kyle’s Take

When asked by The People’s Choice Awards this past summer if Flashpoint will have a huge impact on Arrow Stephen Amell answered, “You bet.”

Pair this answer with Prometheus outclassing Green Arrow (and his band of merry men and women) on an ability level and you have Arrow having to ask Flash and perhaps Supergirl for help at the obligatory, mid-season, crossover episode, and we’ll have a convergence of pratfalls I’ve been warning folks about for weeks. Both Arrow and Flash will reboot their shows.

The mid-season break can’t come soon enough, because I can’t take anything Arrow or Flash does seriously until after Barry works his time warp magic. I can’t trust Church’s fall. I can’t trust that Prometheus is this season’s main villain. I can’t trust that Arrow won’t merge the cast from the past several seasons with this new cast to form a cast the size of which has never been seen. I can’t trust anything.

I agree with Jim that “Human Target” is, in many ways, a step in the right direction. I also agree that Felicity is a hypocrite, Ollie’s priorities have always been skewed toward his genitals, even when he’s playing the role of a hero, and Diggle needed to return to the Arrowcave. Sprinkle in some characters I still don’t care a lick about, and you still get an unfocused mess, even after wrapping up Church’s story arc.

Don’t gripe, Kyle. Turn off your brain and enjoy the pretty colors. No. I won’t. “Human Target” might’ve been more enjoyable if I knew that it righted the show for the full season, instead of giving the show a speck of focus for three or four episodes before Flashpoint renders most of what we’ve seen on Arrow this season meaningless.

I want to like Arrow more than I have and I hope that once the real season five begins, the show will gain momentum. Until then, I’ll try to sit back and enjoy the final few episodes before we get Costco-sized, wholesale changes. Thanks for reading.

The Flash: “Monster”

Jim’s Thoughts

“Monster” benefited from a little tighter focus, and that being on the core characters. We know Snow, we care about her at this point, so while her relationship with her mom isn’t interesting, at least we see some direction being taken with her development of powers.

The romance angle was also mercifully kept in the background this week. Yes, Iris was there, and another lunch date with Barry was cut short, but it wasn’t the point of the episode. That also helped.

Outside the core characters we’ve known and loved, Julian has actually been a substantive addition. Tom Felton’s performance has been solid, and while his character progress was rushed, to say the least, it didn’t put me to sleep. Glossing over him trying to shoot a 15-year-old was tough to see. It stretches the tolerances of disbelief, both in the sense that it would happen, and that the department wouldn’t fire and/or arrest him over it. That being said, I can let it go if for no other reason than that it isn’t the same thing we’ve seen week in and week out.

This week also stretched the villain of the week formula to its limit. We didn’t actually get a real villain at all this time, and that was an anticlimax.

The duplicitous Harrison Wells angle is also exhausted. What’s worse is that it felt like they dragged the conclusion that this Wells is fraud to the point of absurdity.

Once again, we get nothing from Alchemy. By the time he reappears, they’re going to need to remind us of who he’s supposed to be, and the fact that he’s not even being talked about makes it hard to believe anyone really sees him as a threat.

This episode was more entertaining than the last few have been, but as we’ve said, the threat of Barry going back and undoing Flashpoint looms over everything. It hasn’t been a bad season, but if everything we’ve seen is undone one more time, it’ll be hard to keep caring about the show.

Kyle’s Take

Flash should return to Alchemy soon—next week’s episode features Wally West and visions of Kid Flash dancing in his head—but I agree with Jim that we’ll need a refresher for who Alchemy is and why we should care. Doctor Alchemy is supposed to be working behind the scenes, but why hasn’t Flash shown him awakening metahumans? Why haven’t we seen more metahuman husks? Why haven’t we seen Alchemy working behind the scenes?

By dumping Julian Albert’s backstory and his desire to do good in a ten-minute monologue, “Monster” doused ice water on my idea of Albert (Tom Felton) as Alchemy. But did it really? We don’t know what drives Alchemy to do what he’s doing. Sure, Alchemy gave the Rival his powers, but he also killed the Rival. Did Alchemy kill the Rival because he failed to stop The Flash or did Alchemy kill the Rival because he used his abilities for selfish ends? Does Doctor Alchemy view himself as a hero and the Flash as the villain because the Flash ended Flashpoint or does he have this world view—or a similar one—for some other reason? I’m not sure. Neither Flash nor Arrow have left us this far in the dark with regards to a main villain’s motivation.

We do have a good idea of when Flash will hit the reset button, should it hit reset: Killer Frost. Sure, we know Caitlin and care about her. It’s suspicious that Flash will have two episodes until its mid-season break after she comes out of the metahuman closet (two weeks from this week). That’ll give the Flash enough time to realize that his only option to save her is to go back in time. I’m still hoping the consequences from this (probable) upcoming time travel, set up in the first episode this season by Jay Garrick, will force Barry to stop hitting the same, easy button.

I’m also hoping that Flash will cease to hit the same plot device buttons: a duplicitous Harrison Wells, and a child in trouble as a pseudo villain-of-the-week. Jim covered Wells. I kind of liked this Wells’ backstory—also dumped on us through an expositional monologue—and its tip of the hat to Booster Gold. But this Wells’ story makes less sense than Booster’s. Wells is from an alternate earth, not the future. As for the child in trouble, we’ve already seen this with Magenta a few weeks ago, and it was just as rushed then. Yawn.

This hasn’t been a bad season for the Flash. I’ve enjoyed Felton as Albert and agree with Jim that his story ventures from the norm–if nothing else. This season just lacks focus and covers lot of familiar ground. The one time Flash has given us focus this season is for the plot device that will most likely lead to Barry hitting rewind. I’m still waiting for this season to get started.

Thanks for reading.

Supergirl: “Survivors”

Kyle’s Thoughts

“Survivors” may have ventured from the season’s big bad Cadmus, but this week’s Supergirl delivered a solid villain-of-the-week episode because of its auxiliary character development.

Agent Danvers’ new partner Maggie Sawyer and their intergalactic buddy cop routine could have legs and keeps Kara’s adopted sis relevant. Winn going out with Mon-El could be a welcome dynamic, although I fear that win leaving the CatCo News Group has made his character little more than a Cisco-Felicity type rather than a fully fleshed out character. Snapper Carr continues to shine as the tough as nails editor. He pours water on Kara’s ideas and forces her to do her job correctly. It’s refreshing to see CatCo function like a legitimate news outlet. Arrow has merged the jobs of mayor and vigilante, and Flash has—for the most part—forgotten that Barry’s a crime scene investigator, but Supergirl shows Kara’s struggles to be a competent reporter.

Love mists Supergirl’s air but doesn’t dominate the storylines and episodes, and “Survivors” is no exception. I like how Supergirl doesn’t saturate its episodes in relationship drama like the other Arrowverse shows. “Survivors” pumped in a few potential love interests and they were handled with a gentle hand. Even so, I could do with a little less near miss romances. Every one of the crushes has an obstacle, most real, some imagined. It’s not a big issue now, but could become one should Supergirl enter a rut of unrequited love.

The villain-of-the-week was less of a fully formed character and more of a vehicle with which to drive recurring characters’ relationships with the main cast. Roulette didn’t have much time or space to be more than a fight club coordinator, but her story thread complicated Miss Martial and Martian Manhunter’s relationship, Lena Luthor got to weigh in on her feelings about aliens and aliens’ rights, and the intergalactic buddy cops had a case to crack. Roulette was a by-the-numbers weekly villain, except that she was freed after capture. She may have a future with Cadmus or could already have ties with them. Even if Roulette is nothing more than a weekly villain, she served a purpose beyond filling the villain role for one week and that’s a step in the right direction.

“Survivors” is a step in the right direction for Supergirl—not that it fell too far last week—and the show continues to outshine Flash and Arrow so far this season. I could see Cadmus bringing characters back to life as another issue further down the line, but until it becomes an issue, I trust that the consequences presented in Supergirl to carry more weight.

I’ve avoided spoilers—for the most part—so I’ll end with a spoiler. If you haven’t seen “Survivors,” avert your eyes. You’ve been warned.

Miss Martian is a white Martian in disguise as a green Martian. I’m not sure if I buy that a white Martian would take a delicate approach to hunting a green Martian, but this big reveal could have as long and interesting complications as Lynda Carter’s big reveal last week: the president isn’t all she appears. This thread also affords J’onn J’onzz a meaty story, and that’s a good thing.

I remain pleasantly surprised with Supergirl. I never followed the character as much as Flash but the show is holding my interest. Thanks for reading.

Arrow: “Penance”

Jim’s Thoughts

It was more of the same from Arrow this week. I don’t want to go through and pick out all the same things I’ve harped on the last few weeks, so instead I’ll try to take a broader angle on why I think the show is spinning its wheels in mediocrity

The new recruits are weighing the show down. I was most optimistic in the season debut when it brought us back to just Ollie patrolling the streets. Now we’re dealing with a bunch of new faces that we’re supposed to care about, and I just don’t. Ragman wouldn’t be a bad character, but funneling his tension through Felicity is a tiresome way to keep her character relevant. Artemis disappears on screen. She’s trying to serve as the good angel on Wild Dog’s shoulder, telling him to play by the rules and listen to Oliver, and it’s reduced her to an annoying Jiminy Cricket type. Wild Dog himself is annoying because he’s constantly running ahead of everyone and mucking things up. We get it. He’s too much like Oliver, too stubborn for his own good. That’s not new, and it’s not interesting because we’ve heard that argument for weeks now. When they try to show progress, like the message is sinking in with him, he runs off and gets himself captured this week. That’ll lead to more lectures about teamwork, and angry stares between Oliver and him. I understand. Message received. If Wild Dog were any more of a Maverick, they’d be ripping off conversations from Top Gun. Can we move on now?

Tobias Church is back. Okay, I guess so. Where’s Prometheus again? I’m sure he’ll show up right around the time Church starts gaining momentum as a villain again. How can the tension ever build with all this stuttering between the sources of it?

Another hammer we’ve been bludgeoned with is Oliver’s decision to kill. That’s been going on for a while now. First he was a killer, then he was a vigilante with a no-kill code, like Batman. Now, I guess they’ve settled on him killing sometimes, sorta? Okay, too hard, too soft, just right. They’re being Goldie Locks about it. I can live with that, but here’s the thing that’s cropped up for me. In the flashback sequences, Oliver has been killing pretty gratuitously. I realize it’s nothing the show hasn’t established before, but as the body count goes up in Oliver’s past flashbacks, it makes him a different character in the present. It’s one thing to know he’s killed before, and will again if he needs to, but seeing him snap some guys neck in a holding cell in Russia seems particularly icy. It makes it hard to believe killing would ever be a moral difficulty for him again.

There’s plenty more to talk about, but I’ll leave it at that. Again, this isn’t a terrible show. It’s much better than last season so far, but it isn’t the course correction I wanted.

Kyle’s Take

Arrow this season has suffered from the same major issue as Flash: taking several steps back and slow development.

We’ve seen Arrow use the plot devices of training new recruits, flashbacks that show Ollie’s sordid past and mirror what’s happening now, and breaking a falsely accused person out of prison (but the prisoner in question has guilt about a crime they did commit). “Penance” is lather, rinse, repeat.

Before I get into detail with Arrow’s déjà vu, I’ll take a moment with Felicity. How did she know how Diggle reacted to Lyla’s escape plan without Ollie telling her? How did Diggle know Felicity would’ve had a problem with Ollie breaking him out of jail without the knowledge that Ollie even told her? These two moments were so rushed that they didn’t make sense and they were two more examples of injecting Felicity into a story thread she had no reason being a part of. I get that she’s a fan favorite (for some), but the writers’ insistence of shoehorning Felicity into everything Arrow makes me want to rip out my hair and with little hair on the top of my head, I’ve had to start pulling from other areas. It hurts. Stop it.

The flashbacks have been undercutting what’s happening now for the reason Jim mentioned, but the ones in “Penance” undercut the present for a different reason; dialogue and scenarios were copy and pasted from the flashbacks. The new DA spouted the same lines as Ollie. At one point, I shut my eyes and didn’t need to see a scene to know what would happen and how the characters would behave. It’s as if “Penance” wasn’t long enough, so Arrow padded the episode.

Speaking of the new DA, his character serves as a stand-in for a young Captain Lance. Remember when Lance viewed the Hood as a menace? Yeah. That’s this new DA. Both Flash and Arrow are covering too much familiar ground.

I’d also be okay if Ollied patrolled the streets on his own. It’d be a great throwback if Arrow could do that, but I’m sure we’re too far along with the concept of Team Arrow that Ollie will always have a bevy of sidekicks. Enter the ubiquitous new recruits. Ollie has taken a new vigilante under his wing every season and this year he’s got four. These new characters don’t hold my interest.

This season doesn’t hold my interest as much as I would like. The reason Arrow hasn’t settled on an arch villain may be that it’s planning on shaking up everything after the midseason break; Flashpoint could have a huge ripple effect. Everything Arrow has done to this point feels like it’s probationary. Whatever sticks, sticks and they’ll scrap items they don’t like on a whim. The fifth season of Arrow has been a lot better than last season, but that’s not saying much. Let’s see what happens at the break.

Thanks for reading.