Tag: review

Lanterns “The Weenie” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another reaction/review of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “The Weenie.” If you’d like to see our thoughts on last week’s episode “OutKast,” check it out here. This post will only cover “The Weenie.” “The Weenie” goes back to the 2016 timeline, and while the episode is entertaining (Lanterns is a bingeable show), “The Weenie” illustrates why stories shouldn’t feature too many flashbacks: knowing the future (to some extent) can lessen a story’s tension.

I’ll get right to it. Spoiler warning is in effect. Again, I don’t know why someone who hasn’t seen Lanterns at all would want to read a reaction/review of the show’s fourth episode, but hey, you do you. And you’ve been warned about spoilers.

Lanterns‘ pilot ends in 2026 with Hal Jordan dead, and John Stewart checking Hal’s hand for the power ring. Much of “The Weenie’s” main tension exists between Hal and John. Sinestro insists Hal call John by what John really is: Hal’s replacement. The guardian we met last week (during John’s flashback episode) returns this week (in 2016) and tasks John with taking the power ring from Hal. But we (the audience) already know that John didn’t recite the oath and take the ring away from Hal. Why would John check Hal’s hand for a power ring in 2026 (Hal’s death) if he took the ring from Hal in 2016? I wanted the tension to build a lot more than it did. That’s the danger of too many flashbacks or a flashback within a flashback.

I’m done picking at that nit. Despite the reduced tension (from what I would’ve liked), “The Weenie” manages to recapture Lanterns‘ momentum. Losing momentum can also occur with more flashbacks. “The Weenie” onboards viewers into the action. Continuing Hal’s conversation with Sinestro (from episode two, “Trust Fall”) helped. It served as a brief recap. We gain context for John missing his payphone call from his parents; the call was really from the Guardians. And I love Lanterns‘ ability to contrast Hal and John’s personalities. During this episode, John said that everyone, including him, was lying. Lanterns accomplishes this with great dialogue. Most characters give half-truths or at least obfuscate their true intentions.

That last element adds to Lanterns‘ intrigue. The identity of the Manhunter (the killing machine the Guardians created before forming the Green Lantern Corps.) was revealed. I had an inkling as to the Manhunter’s identity. “The Weenie” removed all doubt. I liked how Lanterns executed the reveal. The show let the characters’ nature do the work. Centering one’s narrative with its main characters is always a great choice. Kudos!

And I have to hand it to Lanterns. While the show continues to dodge Green Lantern’s costume, it showed the biggest Lantern construct to date (John’s digging device). Sure, Hal wears the costume during his brief scene with Sinestro, but for the most part, Lanterns doesn’t like to show the character in costume. Getting back to John’s digging device, its inclusion makes me excited for more Lantern constructs in future episodes. Lanterns kept its special effects budget low during the first half of its first season, but the second half of the season should splurge a little.

The town of Rushville continues to be a great setting, almost its own character. “The Weenie” reveals that the Manhunter prevents people in Rushville from getting sick or dying. That explains the hospital’s unpacked equipment and the fact that Hal was the only patient to sign the log. This will cause some future tension between the city of Rushville and the aliens who want to hunt down the Manhunter. The aliens plan to blow up Rushville if Hal and John don’t deliver the Manhunter to them, but the Manhunter means a lot to the town of Rushville. It’s a lose-lose situation, and we do see some demolished buildings in Rushville during John Stewart’s return to the town (in 2026). Something explodes, but what? How? Unlike John’s refusal to take the ring from Hal, we know less about Rushville’s fate.

We didn’t see much of Rushville in 2026. The sheriff talks to John as if life continued for the town of Rushville…in some capacity. I like that Lanterns is using Manhunters as its chief villain for its first season. Teasing Sinestro is a great touch. Something tells me we’ll see the Sinestro Corps. before the season finale. I’m still waiting for Guy Gardner to make an appearance. Lanterns continues to use Fillion’s Gardner as its thumbnail. The big teasers. Does this mean Gardner got the ring before Stewart? Was he the one who took the ring from Hal? Who knows? Lanterns has done a great job setting up these mysteries. Time will tell if the show sticks the landing.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “The Weenie.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

SpiderManBrandNewDayReview

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with the first of two reviews/reactions today. Our writers watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day last weekend, and we have some thoughts to share. I’ll kick things off with my thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Kyra’s Take

I enjoyed Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The trailers promised a character-driven Spider-Man story, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day delivers on this promise. Peter’s story continues where Spider-Man: No Way Home concluded. He has yet to reach out to his friends, Ned and MJ, and his journey toward self-acceptance mirrors the storyline of Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s “villain.” Before we go any further, I must give a spoiler warning to anyone who hasn’t seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Consider yourself warned.

Jean Grey–yes, The X-Men’s Jean Grey–is Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s villain, sort of. Her mutant powers have awakened, and she’s on the look for her sister, Sarah. Jean’s mother abandoned her and her sister because of who they were; a stark contrast to Spider-Man’s Aunt May embracing her nephew/son after he gained his powers. This is relevant to the story. Trust me. After all, Jean’s a telepath.

During Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Spider-Man’s powers are growing and “mutating.” Again, Jean Grey’s powers awakening and amplifying echo Spider-Man’s changes. Narratively, this is a great choice. Peter Parker followed Tony Stark/Iron Man’s lead. At one point of his career, Peter submitted himself to government monitoring and regulation; this was the whole point of Captain America: Civil War and the Sokovia Accords. Peter continues to work with the government. Jean Grey fights against government regulation and monitoring as most X-Men would do. If the MCU were to include or introduce the X-Men in a Spider-Man film, the way Spider-Man: Brand New Day does it is near flawless. But I’m not a huge fan of a Spider-Man film introducing the X-Men.

There has never been a Spider-Man MCU film where Spider-Man was the only superhero in the film. Repeat: No Spider-Man MCU film has been a solo Spider-Man movie. Spider-Man: Homecoming had Iron Man as Spidey’s father figure (one extra superhero). Spider-Man: Far From Home featured an Iron Man cameo and Nick Fury working behind the scenes (two extra superheroes). Spider-Man: No Way Home had two other versions of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange (three extra superheroes). Spider-Man: Brand New Day has appearances from Jean Grey, The Punisher, The Hulk, and Black Widow (four extra superheroes). What’s next for Spider-Man 5? Five extra superheroes. It may as well be an Avengers film. Kind of like Captain America: Civil War.

Don’t get me wrong, most–if not all–of these guest-staring superheroes had a purpose in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Jean Grey begins as the antagonist, only to be vindicated as a scared young woman makes for a good volta (turn) with Damage Control becoming the “real villain.” This is great. It shatters Peter’s worldview that he’s held since he was introduced into the MCU (ten years ago). The Punisher works as comic relief and at the end, he reminds Peter that extreme measures aren’t always needed. The Punisher is also the man Peter fears he’ll become if he keeps himself closed. Great stuff. The Hulk shows a path Peter’s mutation could take; Peter even calls his continued mutation a “monster” like The Hulk. The Hulk is the monster Spider-Man doesn’t want to become. Bruce gives Peter the idea of inhibiting his mutation and this gives Peter the means to subdue Jean. And Black Widow is just fun. She doesn’t steal a lot of screen time. But that’s four extra superheroes. Four!

We’ll probably never get a Spider-Man solo film in the MCU. That isn’t the worst thing in the world. The MCU is an interconnected universe. Fortunately, viewers didn’t need to do any “homework” before Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sure, you could watch the recent Punisher Special on Disney+, but it isn’t “required” viewing to understand this movie’s plot. As long as you vaguely know who Yelena (Black Widow) and Bruce (The Hulk) Banner are, you don’t need to watch or rewatch any of their previous movies or shows. All of this is great. The MCU has learned to eliminate–or at least reduce–audience “homework,” and the confluence of superheroes Spider-Man: Brand New Day used worked for the movie’s character-driven story. But I miss the days of the MCU’s solo superhero movies or even the Spider-Man films with fewer guest superheroes.

Off-topic, but I’ve heard some people describe Jean Grey’s actions in this film as “evil.” I don’t believe that is the case, but I may be too quick to forgive Jean’s actions. She does kill people for her family. At least two Damage Control goons passed away during Jean’s assault on the organization’s headquarters. She may have been responsible for more. In the comics, Jean Grey is a more morally gray–or grey–character than most might think. Sink’s performance is great for a young Jean Grey with a mean streak. But I can see why people would call Jean’s actions in Spider-Man: Brand New Day evil. I view her actions as destructive. I also served in the military during three wars. I have a much larger body count than Jean when it comes to killing for my family. So, I’m biased.

My final thought is on Damage Control itself, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s use of Bill Metzger. In the comics, William Metzger was an anti-mutant leader. His was an organization similar to the mutant hate-group Friends of Humanity. As soon as I heard the name Metzger, I knew he was a villain, and it all but confirmed Jean Grey, instead of any number of Spider-Man villains with mind control or possession (as Black Widow put it) powers as this film’s antagonist. Going into this film, I thought Mister Negative or Carrion would’ve been better served as the movie’s villain. Heck, Carrion’s abilities closely match what Jean does during the film (a pseudo-possession), and Mister Negative was the main villain in the comic story titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day. So, I guess I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t see another great Spidey villain take centerstage. Spider-Man has one of the greatest rogues galleries in comics.

Heck. Spider-Man has the second best rogues galleries in comics, second only to Batman. So, Spider-Man: Brand New Day plays like a Batman movie with none of Batman’s rogues present. Odd. It worked, but I don’t want this as a steady diet with Spider-Man movies.

Ultimately, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was a great popcorn flick. I’ll probably watch it once or twice after it lands on Disney+. If the MCU had to introduce the X-Men in a Spider-Man film, this is almost perfect. I just wished the MCU didn’t choose to introduce the X-Men in this film. Despite the X-Men’s inclusion, Spider-Man: Brand New Day kept its trailers’ promise of a Spider-Man character-driven film. It’s a fun movie. Those are my thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Take

I was a bit surprised to see Jean Grey as an anti-hero in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sadie Sink did an amazing job as Jean Grey. The character was very believable. The plot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day was well-written and can work as a stand alone movie. There were enough flashbacks to the previous Spider-Man movies that the audience could understand what happened without having to watch the other installments. The flashbacks were a bit too overdone; they could have cut down the runtime without some of them.

Before I watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day, I didn’t know who William Metzger was. What made me suspicious of him initially was how he spoke to the Hand. He spoke Japanese (without subtitles), and didn’t use an ounce of polite speech while introducing Spider-Man as an ally of the Hand. He referred to the Hand as “omae (oh-ma-eh)” or “you all.” “Omae” is either a familiar way of speaking to someone, but is considered to be very rude. He also referred to himself as “ore (oh-ray)” or “I.” This is normally an arrogant way to refer to oneself. He also didn’t use “desu” or “masu” at the end of his sentences, which is also either rude or familiar. I’m not sure how many Japanese speakers watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but this instance stood out to me.

I wish we could have seen some underused members of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, so I was a bit disappointed when that didn’t happen. It looks like we’ll be seeing Venom in the future fifth Spider-Man movie. Here’s hoping it’ll blow Spider-Man 3 out of the water.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. I left the Metzger Japanese speech to Season; She spent a year and a half in Japan. I remember looking at Season when the scene occurred. I don’t speak Japanese, but I could tell something was off with Metzger’s speech. Anyway, thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “Strange Land, Savage Heart” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here and today we’re reviewing this week’s episode of X-Men ’97, “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” If you want to read our review of last week’s X-Men ’97 episode, here’s a link. This week’s episode saw the return of one popular X-Man, the introduction of another great villain (who had not be on screen prior to this episode), and a focus on Nightcrawler. Let’s talk about it.

Kyra’s Take

I left out Graydon Creed in that intro. He’s one of those X-Men villains you love to hate. As you can tell, “Strange Land, Savage Heart” packs a lot into a thirty-minute X-Men ’97 episode. The second season of X-Men ’97 has had a focus on family. It began with Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Cable (the Summers family) and even managed to throw in Havok (Cyclops’s brother) into the mix. Magneto and Polaris were explored last episode. This episode reintroduced Colossus and his sister Magik, while adding in the craziness that is the Nightcrawler, Rogue, Mystique, Sabretooth, and Graydon Creed family tree. Yikes!

Honestly, I prefer the Nightcrawler-Rogue family drama more than the Summers family saga. I appreciate last season’s episodes that showed the Cable/Madeline Pryor backstory. That has never been portrayed onscreen before. The Summers family is important, but they see a lot of play in X-Men shows and movies. The Nightcrawler-Rogue-Mystique connection doesn’t get nearly as much airtime. While the Summers family has some messed up revelations (with some more to come, I’m sure), The Nightcrawler-Rogue-Mystique family has some brutal trauma. Mystique abandons Nightcrawler because he can’t pass as a normal human. I love any X-Men episode/movie that pays Nightcrawler respect. And “Strange Land, Savage Heart” centers its story on Nightcrawler. The audience sees the events unfold through Nightcrawler’s eyes.

This was the best choice for point of view character. “Strange Land, Savage Heart” features Magneto’s acolytes. Again, this is another first appearance for a mutant group in an X-Men property. With Magneto gone, his acolytes, lead by Exodus, carry on his legacy. They construct a safe haven in the Savage Land, something Magneto had once done in the original X-Men: Animated Series. Exodus is the perfect foil for Nightcrawler. “Strange Land, Savage Heart” hint at Exodus’s past. After encountering Apocalypse in the 12th century, Exodus was given immortality. Exodus’s costume echoes his past as a crusader. Exodus calls his mission his “crusade.” Nightcrawler calls Exodus a “Templar.” Nightcrawler is willing to give people second, third, and fifteenth chances. Exodus has little patience. Graydon Creed needed to be punished.

And watching Nightcrawler defend his hateful brother while Exodus lays out every reason Nightcrawler should lose hope in his brother was fantastic. Colossus as the judge showed his alignment (friend of both sides), and it was great to see Colossus reintroduced. He’s a fan favorite, and I hope Colossus continues to make appearances in this series. X-Men ’97 does give us hope of that. Polaris’s character was developed quickly in last week’s episode. I like that X-Men ’97 didn’t drop her. I also like her blooming romance with Bishop. X-Men ’97 features villains and characters the original X-Men: Animated Series didn’t portray or in Nightcrawler and Colossus’s case, got put on the backburner.

Exodus can’t be dead. Graydon Creed shoots Exodus near the end of this episode, but as I said, Exodus is immortal. He’s too good of a foil for Nightcrawler to be a one and done villain. Nightcrawler chastising Graydon at the end was perfect. “You may not be a mutant,” Nightcrawler said, “but you are very much your parents’ son.” Ouch! That’s so good. This is why you’ve gotta love Nightcrawler. Thank goodness he’s a main cast member in X-Men ’97.

And we get to “Strange Land, Savage Heart’s” final moments, the pre-credits scene that sets up the following episode, and it’s a doozy. X-Force–that’d be the one with Cable, Jubilee, and Psylocke–discover an Apocalypse drained of his lifeforce and burnt playing card. I’ve been predicting that X-Men ’97 is building up to Apocalypse and the Age of Apocalypse storyline by the end of this season, but it could be developing something far more interesting. Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see Age of Apocalypse adapted to the screen, but we’ve seen Magneto, Apocalypse, and Mr. Sinister on this show. What if the show went in a different direction?

X-Men ’97 could be building up to the Huntsman (Weapon XII). This villain seems more in line for next season’s big bad. X-Men ’97 introduced X-Corp last episode. The X-Men’s new outfits (pictured in the image above) reflect this change. The Huntsman represents a threat the X-Men have never faced on any screen. It consumes its host’s identity. Weapon XII is an alien being with a hive mind. Think the Borg from Star Trek. I hope X-Men ’97 goes in this direction. A Huntsman story would also push X-Men stories into the 2000s. This also makes sense for X-Men ’97’s third season. We’re headed to a new millennium.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Thoughts

As a Nightcrawler fangirl, I loved seeing Kurt as the main protagonist of “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” The dynamic between Nightcrawler and Graydon Creed was so tense I’m surprised Graydon’s neck didn’t snap from tension alone. Nightcrawler’s defense of Graydon was almost believable. Almost. I understood where he was coming from, but I’m siding with Colossus on this one.

I liked the pacing for “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Each character got enough screen time for what was necessary, despite “Strange Land, Savage Heart” being one of the shorter episodes of X-Men ’97. I’ve never seen Weapon XII before, so I’m hoping they get some screen time. I was not expecting a withered Apocalypse at the end of “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Also, will there be a Bishop and Polaris romance on the horizon? Yes, please.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are our thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Strange Land, Savage Heart.” Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

XMen 97 Season Two Review 03

X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! This post is our fourth post of the day. Fourth! That’s coconuts. We’ve watched the first four episodes of X-Men ’97 season 2 and have shared our thoughts on each episode. This post will only cover “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” If you’re interested in reading what we had to say about the previous episode, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1,” check out that post here. Let’s get into the climax of Apocalypse’s story: “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.”

X-Men ’97 is officially the best X-Men adaptation. I don’t think it’s up for debate. Sure. One may like any number of the Fox X-Men movies. Logan may still be the greatest Wolverine story told on camera. The original X-Men: Animated Series also did a great job of bringing Marvel’s mutants to the small screen. But “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” is the moment X-Men ’97 leaves no doubt that it is the definitive X-Men adaptation, like the entire X-Men team. I held off saying this for a few episodes, but this entire season (and the one before it) does a great job of articulating each mutant’s desire and viewpoint of life. And that’s the crux of X-Men. Numerous mutants have similar goals, but they pursue those goals in different ways, causing friction.

By this point, Magneto has joined Xavier’s non-violent vision wholesale, but he remembers a time when he tried to solve conflicts with violence and can empathize with En Sabah Nur. Rogue, who has some amazing scenes in this episode, envisions a world where the Genosha attack (from Season 1) didn’t occur, and Remi (Gambit) won’t die, so her end goal of turning En Sabah Nur peaceful aligns with Magneto’s. And this is just one strand of the web X-Men ’97 weaves. Most characters have similar goals but different means or similar means but different goals. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” is a master class in character development.

But wait, there’s more. Yes. I deliberately wanted to sound like a salesperson there. We’re entering spoiler territory here. You’ve been warned. X-Men ’97 also managed to throw in some fan service. The mid-credit scene shows Wolverine reuniting with Captain America and Black Widow, reimagining the classic Uncanny X-Men #268 cover. Wait! Comic books only cost a $1 in 1990. Ah! I wish that were still the case. Weapon X intrigue is sure to ensue. I can’t wait. Before then, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” reveals who Rama-Tut really is. Kang. Yes! I knew this twist would come, and I’m glad X-Men ’97 stayed true to the source material. We haven’t seen much in the way of Marvel Animated Universe (MAU) shows crossing over, but there’s a chance Kang could return in a different MAU series. The Marvel Cinematic Universe failed to deliver on Kang’s promise. Fingers crossed that Kang will get a better adaptation. And there’s Candra.

Candra is the Egyptian woman Rama-Tut speaks to as he makes his escape to the future he’s molding in his image. Candra has ties to Gambit. When Rama-Tut says, “Fear not, your destiny starts today, for his power can only be challenged by a force that is external.” Ah. John de Lancie is a treasure. He’s going to make a great MAU Kang. Anyway, Candra is an External, an immortal subset of mutants. She becomes the God of Thieves, so a clear tie with Gambit. X-Men ’97 is pitch perfect.

The show continues in the footsteps of the original X-Men: Animated Series by not being afraid to sideline or kill fan-favorite characters. Alright, the next bit is a huge spoiler. If you haven’t yet watched “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2,” you should skip to the next paragraph. Apocalypse atomizes Magneto. X-Men ’97 shows as much as it can, mostly through the horrified look on Charles’s face and the reflection in his eyes. Brilliant!

X-Men ’97 hasn’t spared viewers of classic and potentially gory details of the X-Men’s past. Last season, viewers were treated to Magneto stripping the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton. This show goes as far as it can with its visuals, while remaining true to the original X-Men: Animated Series. I can’t wait to see where the show goes next. I mentioned season two building up toward the Age of Apocalypse storyline. I had my doubts if X-Men ’97 would do the storyline justice. I no longer have those doubts. X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man serve as excellent cornerstones of the Marvel Animated Universe. The MAU is on a roll.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” Let’s hear Season’s thoughts.

Season’s Take

Wow. Just wow. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” is an emotionally mixed cliffhanger to leave on until next week. I loved “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” En Sabah Nur becoming Apocalypse was inevitable. I know. I’m stating the obvious. I loved the way X-Men ’97 handled Apocalypse’s origin story. Brilliant.

I won’t rehash the details, but the pacing in “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2” was amazing. It did a great job of picking up where “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” left off. If this is the definitive storyline of the MAU, that’s cool with me. I haven’t read the comic Rise of Apocalypse, but I’m unsure what kind of outcome I’m hoping for this storyline. I really want to see Kang again. He is pure evil personified.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are our thoughts on X-Men ’97: Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” What are your thoughts on “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2?” Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here again with a third post. We’re back for a third installment of X-Men ’97. This post will cover the third episode of X-Men ’97’s second season, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” If you’d like to see Geekly’s thoughts on X-Men ’97 season two’s previous episodes, you can find them here: “Days of Past Future” and “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” I’ll kick off this post with my thoughts on X-Men ’97 season two, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.”

Kyra’s Take

Oh my! I can see why X-Men ’97 released three episodes during its opening event. Each episode showed what our three sets of intrepid mutants are up to since the end of season one. “Days of Past Future” took us to the future, where Cyclops and Jean Grey reunite with their son, Nathan (Cable). “A Force to Be Reckoned With” brought us back to the present day (the Nineties) and what’s occurred since the X-Men disappeared. But the third episode (“Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1”) delivers on season one’s cliffhanger. And it also ends with yet another cliffhanger, but we’ll get to that in a minute. When I saw X-Men ’97’s release schedule, I originally thought Marvel wanted to drop as many episodes before Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s release date. Spider-Man’s next cinematic installment could’ve played a factor, but X-Men ’97 made the right decision to release the first three episodes of season two. Anything less would’ve felt incomplete.

I’m sure some viewers waited for X-Men ’97 to show the goods, revealing Apocalypse’s origin, and X-Men ’97 sure does deliver. “Rise of Apocalypse” gets its story from the comic book mini-series of the same name. We’re going to Ancient Egypt. I like how Magneto tries to rewrite mutant history by guiding En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse’s original name) toward a path of peace. This continues the dynamic between Magneto and Charles Xavier from the previous season. The two have a tenuous truce. They may both want the same thing (peace between humans and mutants), but they have very different means to accomplish this goal. Classic.

X-Men ’97’s showrunners know their characters. I had my doubts when the show was first announced several years ago, but X-Men ’97 has exceeded my most optimistic expectations. The new series maintains everything the original X-Men: Animated Series built, while working toward something new and exciting. The show has built up characters like Cable and Jubilee. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” does the same for Apocalypse. He was already one of the X-Men’s most impressive foes. X-Men ’97 season two looks to humanize him. And watching Magneto try and teach Apocalypse a path to non-violence showed how much he’s grown. His actions end the way one might think they would (he fails), but I love how Magneto tries to reach Apocalypse. He notices they aren’t that different.

I don’t want to get into too many spoilers with these posts. Needless to say, the X-Men attempt multiple times to find their way to their timeline and fail. Tensions rise. And we’re left with another cliffhanger. Since “Part 1” is included in the episode’s title, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” sets up the following episode, which we’ll cover later today. I’ve been writing these reviews/reactions as soon as I finish one episode. I haven’t yet watched “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2,” but X-Men ’97 has my full confidence. I love the direction the Marvel Animated Universe has taken. I’ve been more excited about X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s second seasons than most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s offerings this year. I can’t wait to watch the next episode.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Take

As soon as En Sabah Nur said, “He was not fit to live,” I shouted, “You are not worthy.” I really hope En Sabah Nur says that in “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” He has to finish the quote. It’s a requirement. Side note: Apocalypse looks good with long, wavy hair. He should bring that back.

I appreciated the tender moments between Magnus and Charles in “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” Magnus wanting to try things Charles’ way was endearing. Something tells me it won’t last when they inevitably part ways, but I hope we get to see more of these moments in X-Men ’97. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” was very human.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those were our thoughts on X-Men ’97: “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 Season 2 “A Force to Be Reckoned With” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! This is our second of four planned posts today. Four posts in one day? Yikes! X-Men ’97 graced us with three episodes last week–we’re still catching up on those episodes–and a fourth episode dropped this week. If you want to read our review of the previous episode, “Days of Past Future,” you can check that out here. In this post, we’ll only discuss the events of “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” I’ll kick things off with my thoughts.

Kyra’s Take

“A Force to Be Reckoned With” may have done the near impossible. It made Jubilee cool. Seriously. Her breakout scene, near the end of the episode, catapulted her into one of X-Men ’97 season two’s better characters. And that’s saying something. But I’m getting ahead of myself. X-Men ’97: A Force to Be Reckoned With” didn’t need as much setup as the previous episode. The episode’s title originates from X-Force, which is famously Cable’s team from the Nineties, and how they fight for mutant freedom against X-Factor, a government-sanctioned team of mutants. The power struggle between these two teams is comic book accurate and excellent.

Neither team embodies the X-Men. X-Factor is a government lapdog; they’re an extension of the mutant registration program. And Cable assembled X-Force to take down Apocalypse by any means necessary. He doesn’t care as much about human-mutant relations and mutant freedom, and this gets me back to Jubilee. She joins Cable’s side of the aisle because it’s closer to the X-Men’s ideals.

When she has a chance, Jubilee frees mutant children held captive by X-Factor. I want to take a moment and take note of the volume of various lesser-known mutants held captive in X-Factor’s helicarrier and/or shown during “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” Here are a few: M, Mark, Kid Omega, Chamber, Penance, and the Stepford Cuckoos. The Stepford Cuckoos may be the best example of how callous X-Factor treats these mutants. Each one of the Stepford Cuckoos has a power dampener around their necks, and X-Factor still placed one of the triplet sisters in a different cell. Sure. The Stepford Cuckoos use their powers as a trio, but they have power dampeners. Separating them was cruel.

Through her act of freeing the captive mutants, Jubilee did the most to live up to Charles Xavier’s example. She reminded the rest of X-Force what they’re fighting for. Cable’s mission to take down Apocalypse is a noble one, but he often gets blinded by this goal. Again, all of this is mostly comic book accurate. The original X-Men: Animated Series made sure to stay as close to the source material as possible, and X-Men ’97 continues that tradition.

There’s little else to discuss with “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” This episode feels tighter than “Days of Past Future,” not that the previous episode meandered too much. I just wanted to note “A Force to Be Reckoned With’s” great pacing. Maybe that’s the trick with making Jubilee cool. Leave the audience wanting more. The original X-Men: Animated Series used Jubilee as a surrogate, so Jubes showed up in most scenes. We physically see less of Jubilee during “A Force to Be Reckoned With,” but the episode does a lot to show her true character. And shout out to Polaris and Havok. I love Jubilee’s snide remark of Havok being “Knock-Off Cyclops.” LOL

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” Let’s see what Season has to say.

Season’s Take

I can’t believe I was actually rooting for Jubilee. Outside of being cool and sticking to her guns, her cheeky moments were cute, too. The scene of her jumping off the roof was iconic.

I appreciated the lack of exposition in “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” “Days of Past Future” was good and had a lot of emotionally charged moments, but there was a lot of repetition with Jean Grey’s and Cyclops’ dialogue. Their feelings about leaving Nathan behind were sad, but they lost some impact each time they expressed themselves. The emotional moments in “A Force to Be Reckoned With” combine punchy dialogue with action. It feels like each moment doesn’t linger.

Also, kudos to the alternate intro. X-Force ’97 has a nice ring.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. Those are our thoughts on X-Men ’97: “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

XMen 97 Season Two Review 01

X-Men ’97 “Days of Past Future” Review

Published on by Kyra2 Comments

Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. X-Men ’97 returned with the first few episodes of season two last week. We didn’t cover the animated series when it first launched because we were in the middle of writing our Supergirl review. We’ve had time to watch each of these episodes. I may be joined by Season in this post. Woo hoo! I can’t wait to talk about X-Men ’97 Season Two’s first few episodes. We’ll be releasing separate posts for each of the released episodes (four in total), so let’s begin with “Days of Past Future.”

Kyra’s Take

Geekly hadn’t returned when X-Men ’97’s first season originally aired, so I may take a quick moment to discuss the series as a whole. X-Men ’97 is a joy. I love how they brought back most of the cast and the creative team behind the scenes of the original Nineties X-Men Animated Series. This show mainlines Nineties nostalgia. With the exception of a few modifications, like a new voice actor for Rogue, who took some getting used to, X-Men ’97 captured the original’s charm. X-Men’s animation hadn’t aged the best, and while X-Men ’97 updated the animation style, it kept most of the visuals intact. Fantastic.

I also liked how X-Men ’97’s first season picked up right where the original X-Men Animated Series ended. This makes X-Men ’97 a continuation of the original. This is not a reboot. Sort of. And I liked how the showrunners decided to incorporate characters who were introduced (in the comics) during the original show’s run. Mild spoiler ahead. The first season’s main villain, Bastion, wouldn’t have been in the original X-Men Animated Series run because he was too new a character. Still, he fits into the animated series because the X-Men comic book was wildly popular in the early to mid-Nineties. Say what you will about X-Men #1’s role in the comic book collection market’s collapse, but X-Men had the it factor. Including characters and story arcs from the Nineties run of X-Men is a great choice.

Okay. Now, let’s talk about “Days of Past Future.” X-Men ’97 picks up immediately where the first season concludes. Apocalypse returns. Yay! X-Men ’97 continues to include characters from that Nineties run of X-Men comics. Brilliant! We’re going to go into more minor spoilers for “Days of Past Future.” You’ve been warned. Mother Askani (1993-1994) has a deceptive name. She’s actually Rachel Summers, Jean Grey and Cyclops’s daughter, from a different timeline. In fact, she is able to manipulate the timestream, so X-Men ’97’s reveal that Mother Askani was the one who sent the two X-Men teams into the past and future to stop Apocalypse makes sense with the original comic book. The show takes liberties. This isn’t a one-to-one, but I like Mother Askani’s inclusion.

Mother Askani harkens to a 1994 mini-series (The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix), where Jean and Cyclops bond with a young Nathan Summers (Cable). Even better, the tail end of X-Men ’97 season one foreshadowed that Jean and Cyclops’s relationship with their son would be explored. X-Men ’97 kept its promise in “Days of Past Future.” I can’t say enough great things about this series. I squeed. I did, and we get another season of episodes after this one airs. Yay!

Most of “Days of Past Future” focuses on the X-Men team sent into the future. I’m reviewing these episodes as I watch them, so there may be a few things I don’t notice in one episode that will become more important in the next. I love the direction X-Men ’97 is taking Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Cable (Nathan). X-Men ’97 has done a lot with fleshing out Cable’s backstory. The original X-Men Animated Series showed Cable as a random guy trying to save his future. Heck, Deadpool 2 portrayed Nathan Summers in a similar light. I liked both depictions of Cable. But X-Men ’97 has given Cable depth.

Supposition time: X-Men ’97 season two will build toward the classic X-Men Event, Age of Apocalypse. Sure, X-Men ’97 season two is borrowing elements from Age of Apocalypse, but I believe the animated series will fully embrace Age of Apocalypse with its following season. The post-apocalyptic world where Mother Askani exists paved the way for Age of Apocalypse. Fans and the writers enjoyed a world in the distant future without the X-Men and controlled by Apocalypse, so they wanted a world with the X-Men and controlled by Apocalypse (Age of Apocalypse). We’re only getting a taste of Age of Apocalypse this season. We’ll have to wait until the tail end of season two or next season to meet Sugar Man.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Days of Past Future.” Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Take

I’m also watching these episodes one at a time before reviewing them, so we’ll see what I pick up on in future episodes. I’m a sucker for familial relationships being explored, and “Days of Past Future” did that more than I thought it would. A lot of characters were featured in “Days of Past Future,” but they each got adequate screen time. Actually, it’s more like each character was given plenty of depth despite the episode only being thirty-three minutes. I’ve never read Age of Apocalypse, so I’m unfamiliar with the plot. I know. I need to up my comic book game.

I’m excited to see where X-Men ’97 takes us next. I’m a huge fan of Rogue, so any chance I get to see her in action is amazing. I’m not the biggest fan of her voice in X-Men ’97, though. Girl, cough. Or, like, clear your throat.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. Those are our thoughts on X-Men ’97: Days of Past Future.” Feel free to share yours in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Supergirl Movie Review

Supergirl Movie Review

Published on by Kyra2 Comments

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. A couple of our writers watched the DCU’s second movie entry, Supergirl, this past week. Sure. We’ve only watched the movie once, so this may be more of a reaction than a review. Typically, I like to watch a movie at least twice before dubbing my thoughts a “review.” But I do have some thoughts, and I may be joined by another of our writers for Geekly’s Review/Reaction of Supergirl.

Kyra’s Thoughts

Supergirl is a good movie. I don’t know where all the hate for the movie originates. I’d even say Supergirl is on par with last year’s Superman, with one significant flaw holding it back: “the brides.” The brides represent an even larger issue of Supergirl attempting to cater to a wider audience. We’ll return to the brides and the rest in a minute, but back to Supergirl as a whole. The acting is on point. Eve Ridley gives a great performance as Ruthye. Milly Alcock is perfect as a Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (the movie’s source material) version of Supergirl. And Jason Momoa was more believable as Lobo in three seconds than he was as Aquaman through three DCEU films.

However, Lobo is also the reason why Supergirl isn’t as good as it could be–Lobo was a ploy to get other demographics interested in the movie, but we’ll talk more about that later, too. Again, I love Momoa in the role, but the character disrupted this movie. Other critics claim that Supergirl’s plot is scattered. Lobo is the main reason the movie’s plot goes off course. The writers shoehorned a character who didn’t exist in the source material: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. While a scattered plot may be a fair criticism of Supergirl, last year’s Superman had a far more scattered narrative. I didn’t look at some of these critics’ reviews for Superman, but I venture to guess they didn’t dock Superman nearly as much as Supergirl for the same flaw. And Superman was worse in that regard.

My biggest gripe with Supergirl also stems from Lobo’s presence: the brides. I told you we would return to this topic. In the source material, the main villain, Krem, is a mercenary who really loves killing people. Lobo is also a mercenary who really loves killing people. How do we differentiate between them? Make Krem a sex trafficker. No. Just no. The brides (girls around 13) gave me the ick while I was watching Supergirl. It took me a minute to figure out why the brides made me cringe. I can see why this could be a dealbreaker for some. Supergirl could’ve omitted Momoa’s Lobo (or given him a cameo, seriously, three seconds was all Momoa needed to show he embodied the character) and replaced his scenes with a hopeful scene or two from the source material. This could’ve brightened the movie. Possibly even allowed for more comedic moments, which brings me to my next point.

Supergirl’s darker tone could also be a dealbreaker for others. Supergirl is a very different character from Superman. And that’s a fantastic thing. Corenswet’s Superman never knew Krypton. Alcock’s Supergirl watched her family, her home, and her people die. I love how Supergirl showed the difference between these two characters when they shared screentime. If anything, Supergirl upstaged the DCEU’s Superman. Cavill’s Superman had PTSD for unspecified reasons. Alcock’s Supergirl has PTSD for a very concrete reason: she watched the last of Krypton die. This is the equivalent of Cavill’s Superman as a CIS man trying a menstrual cramp simulator and screaming at the first setting. Alcock’s Supergirl would claim that setting tickles.

I could even see some people disliking Supergirl’s use of trauma to propel the narrative. Sometimes, you just want a dumb, fun movie. Heck, 2025’s Superman could be categorized as a dumb, fun movie, so the DCU conditioned audiences (through one movie) that the new DCU will be bright and fun. Despite its tonal differences, Supergirl fits within the DCU. And I’d argue that Kara overcomes her trauma, and that should be lauded. Supergirl’s trauma makes her interesting. Kara possesses numerous conflicting emotions. At one point, Supergirl was a red (rage) lantern in DC Comics. The fact that she chooses hope makes her a hero. While Supergirl is dark for a PG-13 movie, it’s nowhere near as dark as 2008’s The Dark Knight. So those critics need to stop clutching their pearls or throw that same vitriol at The Dark Knight.

The final negative I’ve seen from most Supergirl critics is the movie’s sepia-toned world. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow features vibrant colors. The Supergirl movie doesn’t. And this is where I’m bringing back the idea that Supergirl included certain things in the hopes of appeasing different demographics. Supergirl’s sepia-toned worlds resemble the Snyderverse films. News flash, DCU. Snyderverse fans only want the DCEU to return. Nothing you can do can change that, so why not go with more vibrant colors? And we return to Lobo. Yes. Lobo was that problematic of an addition to this story. At first, I thought the DCU wanted another marketable character in the Supergirl cast (sell some toys or a variant popcorn bucket), but the more I thought about it, Lobo’s presence was meant to appeal to testosteroni males. After all, Lobo is the Main Man.

Supergirl works as a worthy follow-up to 2025’s Superman. I’d like to see where the DCU takes the Superman family. Yes, there are more members of the Superman family the DCU could explore. Supergirl suffers from appealing to a lot of different demographics that it had no hope of winning over. Synderverse fans are a lost cause. And despite Lobo’s inclusion, many of the testosteroni boys whom Lobo was meant to win over still dubbed Supergirl “woke” because it’s a movie about a super-powered woman. Supergirl has the bones of a fantastic movie. The performances are phenomenal. Too bad the DCU tried to cater to certain demographics.

Those are my thoughts on Supergirl. Let’s see what Season thinks about the film.

Season’s Thoughts

I also think Supergirl got too much hate from critics. If you isolate Supergirl from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, it’s an enjoyable movie. It’s fun to watch regardless, but I couldn’t help myself from comparing it to the source material. I’ll get to the source material later.

Supergirl showed Kara overcoming adversity, but that got overshadowed by Lobo and the sex trafficking of young girls. The reason the movie gave for the sex trafficking of young girls was because the Brigands were an all-male race. Okay. I suppose you can argue that reason, but the sex trafficking was so unnecessary and ham-fisted into the plot. It was plain gross for the sake of being gross. Krem also killed one of the girls for sport. If the Brigands really needed these girls to continue their race, why kill one of them instead of capturing them?

Speaking of Krem, an interesting design choice was made for him in Supergirl that doesn’t match with Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. My guess is it goes back to Lobo’s inclusion. Lobo is already an interesting looking character with extreme expressions and mannerisms. In Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Krem looks like a red-headed barbarian with crazy eyes. Supergirl made Krem out crazy-fie Lobo with several piercings across his face, leather clothes, and a rat tail turned into a braid. They also gave him red eyes. You know, to match Lobo. Since Krem was the more evil between himself and Lobo in Supergirl, he had to have a more extreme appearance. I see you, Craig Gillespie.

I’m sorry to all the Lobo fans out there, but he was a distraction. Spoiler alert: Lobo stole Comet’s scene in Supergirl. In Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Comet is the one who saves Supergirl from the onslaught of Brigands, losing his life in the process. This is a very dark and emotional moment in the source material. I cried when I read it. In Supergirl, Lobo rescues Supergirl from the Brigands and turns it into a slapstick comedy moment. Supergirl explained Lobo’s reason for being present was that he was after the bounty of one of the Brigands. That makes sense for Lobo’s character, but Supergirl is only one-hundred and seven minutes. All of Lobo’s screentime is distracting from the main story.

On to the positives. Supergirl was fun to watch. Milly Alcock did an amazing job of capturing Supergirl as a character. Eve Ridley also did a good job of portraying Ruthye. Ruthye’s internal monologue wasn’t included in Supergirl, but I didn’t mind. The movie could have easily been lengthened to over two hours if Ruthye narrated the movie.

I didn’t think Supergirl would include the green sun. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was it included, but it cut out the extra exposition in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which was much appreciated. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow dragged a bit on the extent of Supergirl’s affliction to the green sun. In Supergirl, Ruthye’s strength was portrayed through her restraint and perseverance. We didn’t need to watch her slay monsters.

That’s my take on Supergirl. Geekly Gang.

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang. Kyra Kyle here again. Did you agree with our takes? What do you think of Supergirl? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

The Punisher One Last Kill Review

The Punisher: One Last Kill Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Happy Friday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with a review/reaction to The Punisher: One Last Kill Special Presentation. This special has an uneven distribution of action and character exploration/backstory, but this imbalance works for The Punisher: One Last Kill. In short, it’s a bloody good time.

I really liked how Jon Bernthal loses himself as Frank Castle. He pulls off a tortured marine well. His ex-platoon members haunt him. The cinematography drives home the claustrophobic nature of these ghosts. Frank can’t escape his former partners or the family he failed to protect. The Punisher has a clear goal (end the crime family that destroyed his family), and at the beginning of The Punisher: One Last Kill, he’s accomplished that goal. No wonder he’s ready to say his final goodbyes while visiting his daughter’s grave. But Frank Castle hasn’t completed his goal. One member of the Gnucci remains. Ma Gnucci.

I love Judith Light’s portrayal of Ma Gnucci. The character makes sense for The Punisher: One Last Kill, and one of Ma Gnucci’s chief storylines echoes a storyline from Daredevil: Born Again. Ma Gnucci creates an Anti-Vigilante Task Force. The Punisher: One Last Kill reworks this into a bunch of goons trying to kill The Punisher on Ma Gnucci’s behalf. That’s a good interpretation. I also like how succinctly The Punisher: One Last Kill introduces Ma Gnucci. Kudos all around.

And getting back to Frank Castle, I liked how disorienting his portrayal of post-traumatic stress was and how he couldn’t tell who was real. He’s not okay. He’ll live with the ghosts of his past. The Punisher: One Last Kill managed to address PTSD well, while still remaining true to the MCU. Not an easy task. It took an appearance by Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) to slap a little sense into the protagonist. Because of Castle’s mental state, I’m still unsure if we actually saw the real Karen Page. Actually, I’m almost eighty-five percent sure Karen’s appearance was in Frank’s head. He could be recalling a previous exchange with Karen, and The Punisher: One Last Kill found the perfect time to pivot toward action.

At first, I thought about taking The Punisher: One Last Kill to task for presenting an uneven story. All psychological drama upfront; a lot of gory action on the backend. But like I said, it works. In the beginning, Frank’s interior sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Just as it enters the realm of too much self-loathing, The Punisher: One Last Kill introduces Ma Gnucci, and we get reprieve from Frank’s inner thoughts. Again, great job setting up Ma Gnucci. Shortly after Gnucci threatens Frank, Karen Page appears, attempting to get through to Frank, and that’s when Ma Gnucci’s goons attack everyone in the neighborhood. Good pacing.

What comes next are a mixed bag of action sequences. There are some hokey visual effects (Castle falling on an air conditioning unit), but the majority of the action is well done and represents some of the better actions sequences in recent MCU history. I especially liked The Punisher taking down a heavily tattooed muscle man with a ballpoint pen. Nice!

The Punisher: One Last Kill offers up as much blood and gore as any Deadpool movie or Logan, and this is in the span of twenty minutes. Wow! Just wow! While several may view this as “overkill”–get it?–these action sequences serve as Frank Castle working through his demons. They feature plenty of character moments, not the least of which is when Frank watches Ma Gnucci make her escape. Frank has the option to hunt her and claim his “last kill” of the Gnucci family, but he doesn’t. Those same goons Gnucci hired to attack Frank Castle cause havoc in The Punisher’s home streets.

After subsequent viewings, I love The Punisher: One Last Kill’s symmetry. In the opening moments, we see the city as its own character, performing its daily routine. Frank seldom interacts with his neighbors. Toward the end, Frank engages. He aids a family not too unlike the one he lost. During the special’s closing moments, he helps a former Marine fight back against a bully. Frank Castle has found a connection with humanity. He’s found purpose. Is it a little spelled out for the viewer? Sure. But it’s effective. The Punisher: One Last Kill offers plenty of blood. It unleashes The Punisher with rated R action. But it also gives Frank Castle his humanity. It gives him hope. It gives The Punisher a reason to live. And that’s beautiful. Bombastic, gory, beauty.

I always thought Jon Bernthal was a good choice as The Punisher, but his moments to shine in the role were spotty at best. The Punisher: One Last Kill showcases what Bernthal can do in the role. Those are my thoughts on The Punisher: One Last Kill. What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Daredevil Born Again Season Two Review 02

Daredevil: Born Again Season Two “The Southern Cross” Review

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Happy Friday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction to this week’s episode of Daredevil: Born Again, “The Southern Cross.” Simply put, I liked Daredevil: Born Again Season Two’s finale. It works if Daredevil: Born Again wants to continue with a third season–we already know that Daredevil: Born Again has been picked up for at least a third season–or if the show wants to end with this season. That’s the mark of a good ending. I also love the symmetry between this season’s opening episode title (“The Northern Star”) and its closing episode title (“The Southern Cross”). In the comics, Daredevil has always leaned into religious undertones. “The Southern Cross” works.

Yes. I have some gripes, and they’re ones you’ve heard before in previous episode reviews/reactions, so I’ll continue with what I liked about “The Southern Cross,” for now. Matt Murdock and Kingpin’s showdown in court was inevitable. What occurs in court pays off many of Daredevil: Born Again Season Two’s story threads. Great! Honestly, I don’t think the original Netflix Daredevil spent much time in the courthouse beyond its first season. The fact that Daredevil: Born Again Season Two’s final fight occurs at that same courthouse fits. It’s a little hokey, but I like it. Treating this episode as an extended bottle episode was a good idea. Sure, we see the courthouse’s exterior, and a few shots occur around the courthouse, but “The Southern Cross” is the closest a show like Daredevil: Born Again would ever get to a bottle episode.

Narrowing the final episode to predominantly one location allowed Daredevil: Born Again to focus on its characters. You don’t need to establish another locale if the location of the shot seldom changes. Love. Love. Love. Daredevil: Born Again made the right call. The acting was on point. What else would you expect from Charlie Cox (Daredevil) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Kingpin)? I’ve mentioned it before, but Daredevil: Born Again is a passion project for Cox and D’Onofrio, and it shows. Like I said, “The Southern Cross” manages to tie up several loose ends. Daredevil and Kingpin receive satisfying/interesting conclusions to this season. BB working at the same newspaper as her father made me smile. Heather Glenn’s descent into the new Muse could be terrifying, and I’m here for it. I don’t want to spoil it here, but Glenn’s closing scene legitimately gave me chills.

Other storylines were touched on. I got a better sense of McDuffie. White Tiger got a decent close to her story. It was rushed (more on that in a minute), but functionally, it worked. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage’s moment near the end was equal parts fan service and earned. I questioned bringing in Jessica Jones more than halfway through the season, but for the most part, she worked. Sure, I enjoyed Netflix’s Jessica Jones series, and that may have blinded me to her character being rushed into the season’s story. But Kristen Ritter knows this character. Jessica Jones may have aged since we last saw her, but she still takes a swig of Scotch before punching faces. And Jones felt less of a distraction than The Punisher last season. She didn’t hijack the narrative in any way. Conversely, The Punisher became the symbol the AVTF (Anti-Vigilante Task Force) wears.

Jones (and by extension, Luke Cage) justifies Matthew Lillard’s character’s existence. Funny how Bullseye takes Luke Cage’s place at the end of “The Southern Cross.” That served as another great development. But I hope Lillard’s Mr. Charles and Bullseye don’t serve a sole purpose of linking Daredevil: Born Again to the larger MCU. Yes. I know Daredevil: Born Again belongs to the greater MCU, but I like that it’s mostly its own thing. And I don’t want a heap of crossovers in Season Three.

I’m sure I mentioned last year that the Born Again title is one of several where Matt Murdock’s secret identity of Daredevil gets discovered. It should come as no surprise that Murdock’s secret identity was revealed, but in classic MCU fashion, Daredevil: Born Again takes liberties. In the comics, Karen Page sells out Daredevil for drugs. That wasn’t going to fly on a Disney+ show. And I liked that Daredevil: Born Again gave Matt Murdock agency over his identity. Daredevil has been incarcerated in the comics before, which is where we leave him at the end of “The Southern Cross.” This should lead to more nods to the comics, which are always appreciated.

I’ve staved off my critiques, but it’s time to discuss them. Daredevil: Born Again rushes its story. This stems from a combination of a few too many characters and a shorter episode tally than the original Netflix Daredevil. Again, I don’t think Daredevil: Born Again seasons need to run 13 episodes, but a couple more would help establish some of these characters. While I liked Heather Glenn’s transformation, her arc was rushed. We hadn’t seen White Tiger in a couple of episodes (rightfully so, as the show developed other characters, but again, too many characters), and suddenly, White Tiger appears. Okay. I’m unsure of Buck’s fate. I think he lived. And many of Kingpin’s cabinet members and aides got lost in the shuffle. And that gets us back to Kingpin.

Wilson Fisk’s ending was jarring, and I don’t understand how it took place. And I watched this sequence multiple times. The attorney general offers Mayor Fisk a deal to exile himself in return for not pressing charges against him. Okay. I don’t think that’s a thing, but perhaps. We’ll go with it. But before Fisk takes the deal, he goes on a rampage in the courthouse. The offer should’ve been for giving Fisk immunity for the crimes he committed as Mayor before he rejected the attorney general’s offer. How can Fisk escape any punishment after killing at least a few New York citizens and hospitalizing a dozen more? Wouldn’t the deal be voided? That’s a nitpick. We got to see Kingpin fight, and that was cool.

Daredevil: Born Again Season Two was miles better than the first season. I enjoyed this season of the show and eagerly await the next season. Daredevil: Born Again is Marvel’s flagship Disney+ series and for good reason. Clearly, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio love playing these characters, and I love watching them. Those are my thoughts. What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.