Reviews

(1,541-word review) Based on the ending, one of the theories I floated around in my review of the premiere could turn into a reality. My "original" theory regarding this potential plot angle was that O'Donnell would be revealed as an enemy by the end, having pretended to be on Reacher's side. There was a subtle aura of suspicion around his first appearance: the backdrop is Neagley's ransacked hotel room, he's the main character of this metaphorical narrative, and he has the benefit of the doubt to convincingly shift blame, you know? But I still gave him the benefit of the doubt, and whether or not the writers intended for you to come to the assumption of his further involvement, which is now looking to be a red herring, is anyone's guess.

More importantly, I also floated the possibility that a different member of Reacher's unit could fit the bill. Picard was a traitor (or rather a wolf in sheep's clothing) in the first season, and that kind of element feels like something you'd see used all the time in similar stories; it feels so common. I wouldn't be surprised if Lee Child repeated it or did a similar enough plot point throughout multiple novels - to varying degrees, at the very least. And the writers are toying with that part of my overall theory, though this implication of Swan's involvement might be yet another red herring, or the first red herring if they didn't intend for the audience to be wary of O'Donnell's allegiance.

They might even hoodwink me (and hoodwinked others who were in either of those two boats, or both) a third time by going the full mile of making a member of the Special Investigators an antagonist after revealing that it isn't Swan. The only remaining member, in the event of that scenario, would be Dixon. I'm vaguely aware that Reacher never has a long-lasting, in the sense of an over-the-course-of-multiple-novels, or even permanent love interest in the source material. I may have seen an announcement, stating Shaun Sipos' (O'Donnell) return for the third season a couple of months ago - nothing about Serinda Swan (Dixon).

Those things contribute to various things that may end up happening concerning her character. If she's an antagonist, she'll likely die by the end, probably at the hand of Reacher. If she's one of the good ones, death could still await her. Or everything turns out fine, as it did with Roscoe, and her fling with Reacher will end on the same note - off to the next season where a different love interest awaits.

Concerning the implication with Swan, he possibly wasn't aware of whatever was going on, found out, went along with it, then changed his mind once the other three guys got wind of it, specifically when they started getting taken out; he got killed, went on the run and got killed, or he's still on the run. Another course of events is that the first two happened, only he had a problem with it, starting poking around, which led to him getting Franz involved, who then got Sanchez and Orozco in on the investigation. If that's the case, Robert Patrick's character likely doesn't know, given he mentioned getting "a bead on" Franz's "buddies in Atlantic City" and Franz's defiant silence during torture, suggesting Swan's part in the whole thing remained close-lipped. Variations of that avenue of theory include him being the reason Franz, hence Sanchez and Orozco, got discovered, or somehow getting found out himself, subsequently being taken out.

The narrative is seemingly heading toward making him involved in a "You're going to get torn in half by Reacher" sort of way. That can explain why his apartment was the one place that wasn't ransacked, which the writers made a point out of by having Dixon bring it up as a thing that must mean something in the previous episode. There's also the continual mention of Swan by the characters. That makes sense narratively, but it makes me feel like there's a deeper reveal coming than him being dead. But I'm probably looking too deeply into it.

Moving away from the topic at hand, of theories and theorizing, for a moment, mainly because there's more where that came from after this, I want to switch the topic to Russo's character. He seems characterized as that by-the-books character, a role Finlay's character revolved around in the first season, who's always going on about it - breathing down the necks of the characters who want to take matters into their own hands, which writers almost always make sure to include in various shows and films, and I have no idea why. I'm not sure if it's to prop up the characters who dare to go against that type of character and those moralistic, stickler-coded values in a "Stick it to the Man" manner; conversely, I'm not sure if it stems from a borderline authoritarian-fueled obligation forced upon writers to adhere. The reasoning possibly comes down to a simple thing: creating the sort of clashing dynamic you'd usually see between such characters and the conflicting ones, often the main character. That trope is inherently annoying and unneeded.

Interestingly enough, I happened to see a photo or two of Russo when this season was airing - and, oddly, I automatically assumed that he must be from Reacher's unit. That would've been so much better than his actual characterization. The stickler-cop routine is cheap and diminishing. I don't know if most TV show/film characters like this are often New Yorkers as well, but that aspect did feel like an addition to distract you from how weak his overall characterization is - a good ol' sleight of hand "Look at this stereotypical, foul-mouthed (simply in the sense of almost swearing every other word: not necessarily a negative thing, at least in real life, but TV shows and films can be a different story) New Yorker instead of seeing a trope-laden, empty cardboard cutout" routine to get you to mistakenly believe he's an interesting or even entertaining character because of the stereotypical, direct (with some spice) shtick.

Now, it's time to circle back to the topic of theories. One of my loose, tossed-out-there theoretical thoughts that I included in my review of the previous episode concerning Robert Patrick's character, whose name we now know is Langston, was on the money. We haven't had this explicitly stated yet, but it does appear that he has a leadership role at New Age Technologies - most likely the top guy, CEO-style. I seemingly predicted that part correctly.

So far, it appears that Langston is selling "products" (weapons or otherwise) to the overall military, given he's presumably the CEO himself of an aerospace company, while the military-official-seeming guy who, in the previous episode, executed a transaction with Adrian, is the guy in charge of doing the official transactions for the military, only he's in on it: sporadically giving information about shipments here and there to Adrian - he uses that information to steal the shipments, then sells the weapons to the highest bidder. I'm mostly spit-balling without much basis regarding the "military" guy's role in the entire process. It's anyone's guess.

I've considered the possibility that he isn't a second-party, military-associated cog in the machine but rather an extended arm of Langston. The chain of command (in the sense of Point A to Point B to Point C within the order of events) may go Langston/"military guy" > Adrian > highest bidders. But I feel like he's an additional party besides the other two guys. The way I figure that revolves around his need for reassurance from Adrian in the previous episode that "the weapons" will "all be used overseas" and that the truck driver of the shipment won't be harmed. He may turn out to be a piece of the puzzle that contributes to the downfall of everyone and everything else involved in whatever Franz, Sanchez, and Orozco were investigating.

This episode also had more humor and comedic undertones than there was in the previous two; it felt that way, at least. It feels like a balance has been found between subtle moments like that, other subtle elements, and everything else - leading this season closer to the first season's synergy.

Additionally, the action is heating up, already exceeding what we got from that component back then. The two action sequences, at least the first one, as the second one was less of an "action sequence" - Reacher & Crew's raid on Trevor Saropian's "house," which was epic, and their easy-peasy, in-and-out infiltration on New Age Technologies at the end, despite being clean with no resistance (no gunfights/action sequences/fight sequences), was equally as epic - were better than any of the action in the first season. It's starting to look as if the odd inkling I got from the premiere that this season will be more action-oriented/action-y, comparable to the atmospherical commonality of action films, is relatively close to the mark. I suspect there are more excitingly enjoyable, even better action sequences throughout the remaining episodes.

In short, you DO NOT mess with the Special Investigators! Everyone, their dog, and Swan's dead dog do, but we might as well keep saying the catchphrase; the characters most certainly will.

(1,498-word review) I can't remember how the pacing of the first season was; it may very well have been the same or similar enough, which is beside the point. My point is that, because I can't remember, I can't compare it to the pacing here - no reason for wanting to do that beyond comparison's sake; I like and desire to be as thorough as possible. By itself, and I know this is only the second episode, the pacing felt slow. And part of me thinks that, for many people, it can be relatively easy to forget something like that in the heat of the moment, at least in scenarios like this where you're only two episodes in or at the start with more ahead.

The result can be having an unintentionally disingenuous opinion and outlook toward what you just watched after the fact: "This was too slow," "I can't believe how boring this was," "Where is the action?" - so on and so forth. Latching onto those kinds of opinions and mindsets, while lacking a crucial and essential, little thing by the name of 'introspection,' can happen even easier (possibly more often, as some people may have similar opinions of a piece of media regardless of possessing contextual knowledge at any point) than forgetting that sentiments or questions of such a nature aren't relevant because you've only just watched the second episode of a show/season or you're at the beginning.

In this context, the somewhat slow pacing is completely understandable. And, looking at it from a broader perspective, that's better in multiple ways than moving things along too quickly. I would rather various (and preferably all) facets at play here, not just plot-related, to be allowed the necessity, albeit privileged, of cooking and progressing at a slower but steady enough pace, even though a small part of me usually wants the exciting "meat" right away.

Ultimately, it's a matter of pacing YOURSELF - keeping YOURSELF and your hasty, impulsive thoughts in check, and realizing the most desirable sections of the "meat" will eventually be served to you. It comes down to patience and how much you're willing to muster.

I had no issue with it. This was considerably better than the premiere. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A significant reason for that boils down to the slower pacing, in a manner of speaking, due to what we got in return: individual and collective character development of these characters alongside Reacher, which was mostly done and showcased through the scene in the suite with them. That scene was great. I liked that specific instance of them having time together and their overall time together in this episode. Alan Ritchson, Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos, and Maria Sten have excellent chemistry with each other.

My attention was intently grabbed by Dixon and Reacher's deeply personal moments during the whole crew's conversation scene, including their talk while walking, and their preceding interaction of flirtation before the "sex scene"/makeout session to imply what's about to happen (spoiler alert: he got beaten for the first time in his life), which, in and of itself, was exciting to see - for two reasons: 1.) they've, at last, done what they wanted to do in the past, and (2.) the less-than-tiny sneak peek we saw, despite the "tameness" of what the full nature of the act itself entails, somehow had a detectable level of eroticism and sensuality to it beyond what tamer scenes like that in shows and films usually seem to possess. The lighting, camera angles, and the song played into it. They seem to have a spark - an extra-sizzling effect, significantly and noticeably a level further than the spark between him and Roscoe, which I'm 110% here for.

By the way, Alan Ritchson, when shirtless, before they got to it, looked to be twice as huge and chiseled as he was in the first season, where he was already pretty huge and chiseled. It's almost to the point of having an immediate worry for his health. I'm sure he's surrounded by exceptional-in-their-field people who are ensuring his health, on all fronts, is top-notch and in good condition.

The humor amongst these characters feels natural and as charming as the humor was in the first season. Everyone seems to mesh well together, and so soon. That's both a testament to good writing but especially the great jobs done by every actor; assumably, they hardly knew each other during this point of filming, yet all of them were able to achieve this level of camaraderie in the arena of acting/pretend. O'Donnell is by far the primary source of that, and he's on the fast track toward becoming a favorite of mine - unless he's made it there by now. I'm going to say something outrageous but subjective: Neagley, O'Donnell, and Dixon have already reached, possibly exceeded, the esteemed status of Finlay and Roscoe. For me - though I have a feeling many others felt the same way. I want O'Donnell and Dixon to return in the third season (and any after that), but I doubt that will happen. Dixon, at least, probably won't return. O'Donnell, however, could return. There's a possibility I could've seen an article within the last few months that announced Shaun Sipos' return for the third season.

I also liked how most (if not all) the visuals and overall cinematography looked. Most of the locations had an alluring appeal, further highlighted and complimented by the lighting at times. Everything about the visuals possessed a strong, aesthetically pleasing essence that radiated through the screen. Nothing concerning those elements stood out that much in the premiere, besides that one shot of the ATM with the reflection of the woman with Reacher behind her. This episode had a change of pace, for the better, with its look.

Additionally, I can't ignore the main fight sequence close to the end - "main," as there was the immediate handling of Russo at the beginning (though it barely crossed the threshold of being a fight sequence) and the bar fight, which scratched the at-least-one-fight-sequence-per-episode itch until the proper one came along. Reacher and Dixon vs. Those three guys easily scratched the itch with more poised professionalism. There was a subtle, barely existent feeling that it was a little unnecessary in the sense of the way it played out, but I can't complain about getting action/action sequences, particularly when they include Reacher taking out the trash figuratively, as one would do so in the literal sense of the phrase.

I imagine a few others had more concerns with a different aspect of it: the duration and the slight depiction of "weakness" from Reacher, contrary to their possible belief that he should've blitzed right through them and anyone - but perhaps more so regarding future fight sequences rather than this one, based on a thing or two I vaguely recall seeing mentioned by some people. Either way, I believe such sentiments are highly irrelevant, and the reason is simple: we know Reacher will always come out on top, so we should get on board with slightly "prolonged" fights for the mere entertainment benefit they have if nothing else.

Now, let's talk about the biggest piece of information we've received thus far: New Age Technologies, an aerospace company. My developing theory, stemming from that, in addition to other information so far, specifically the scene with Adrian and the other guy in Colorado, is that it could be unofficially selling stuff to non-American, non-military/governmental entities to use overseas.

Or they ARE selling plenty to the American government, but someone involved on their end, somewhere amongst the chain of command of those possible transactions, is siphoning little amounts here and there for personal profit: aka that guy in the scene with Adrian, who gave off government official vibes, and he's the one "selling" or rather helping Adrian steal shipments, followed by him selling it to the specific individuals, entities, or highest bidder; Adrian could be the final person at the end of the transaction process - everyone gets paid handsomely, including Robert Patrick's character who is almost certainly in on it somehow. But his involvement (and Franz, Sanchez, Orozco, and probably Swan) is harder to construct a theory for due to the understandably limited information we've been given so far. He could potentially be at the helm of the company, have some form of leadership there, or he's on the military side of things.

I might as well end this review by adding a layer to my developing theory with a shot-in-the-dark addition. What if the flashback with Reacher and Dixon holds important significance beyond purposes related to their dynamic and budding relationship in the present time? The case she brought to him caught my attention. Someone was using the appearance of excess aviation fuel as a means to transport something secret and likely illicit. What are the odds of that case being related to the present-day case?

That's where my mind is currently frolicking while awaiting something more concrete.

(1,448-word review) This season has an uphill battle ahead, given that it's the second one: a follow-up to the first, which seemed to have luck on its side. It seemingly had perfect construction, writing, and structuring - a lightning-in-a-bottle, stars-aligned scenario in every sense of both phrases. And I wholeheartedly believe the characters of Oscar Finlay and Roscoe Conklin played a massive part in the first season's picture-perfect landing. But it's no secret that those two characters have made their entrances, already followed by their leave - though there could be a surprise cameo appearance by one of them by the end - and I'm skeptical about Neagley and the other recurring characters this time around (David O'Donnell, Karia Dixon, and maybe the bald guy who's keeping an eye on Neagley: Russo, as I know from his name being mentioned in the titles of clips on YouTube showing up in my recommendations when this season was airing) being able to fill in that gap and adequately filling in their shoes.

Depending on how that aspect turns out, other areas may have to step up to the plate and do some heavy lifting to make up for a potentially unsatisfactory or not up-to-par recurring cast of characters, at least compared to the excellent execution and successful incorporation of Finlay and Roscoe. In fairness, however, that only concerns the people besides Reacher. The overall plot of the adapted material here, Bad Luck and Trouble, already shows the potential of being more compelling and enjoyable with more investment attached to it than the plot of the previous season, adapted from Killing Floor.

But I suppose, on the flip side, some people, who could've felt slightly underwhelmed with the previous one, may've climbed on board immediately with this one due to more checked boxes already of the type of things they automatically gravitate towards - things that may not have been present previously.

On a personal note, I do believe this season has big shoes to fill if it's to rival or exceed the first season, with or without the specific elements from this show's beginning that seemed to do most of the carrying and subsequently propelling it beyond where it would've reached without everything synergizing to the extent they did.

Yet, even then, I do have to admit that it was still "only" mildly entertaining: one of those shows/seasons that does the basic job of being entertaining and enjoyable but nothing deeper/beyond that. That is a 'me' thing, though, and I am NOT using that sentiment as a subtle way of saying it was bad. This show is "good enough," and if this second premiere is anything to go off of concerning this continuation of the show, it'll likely continue down that route, which is beyond acceptable for me; don't get me mistaken.

I'm looking forward to continuing moving throughout this new season, from beginning to end. I know I'm a bit late, but better late than never.

I'm ending my ramblings here. It's time to talk about the premiere itself. It did its primary job of diving us right on in, subsequently presenting us with and introducing some new characters we'll be seeing more of throughout the season, the basic components of the plot we're getting with this one, and some plot-point crumbs to theorize about.

Firstly, the obvious one: Franz's death (what/who he was looking into, why he was looking into it/what exactly it entails compared to the counterfeiting operation in the first season, the possibility of his death having another cause besides merely investigating the "wrong" thing or person - also, Franz's actor sounded similar, talked similarly, and even looks somewhat similar to Ralph Macchio; Luke Bilyk would be an excellent casting choice for a family member of Daniel LaRusso in the sixth, final season of Cobra Kai, though it's probably too late to introduce someone like that at this point).

Secondly, the lingering question of why the deaths don't seem to end with Franz (suggesting there's something deeper going on if the other members of Reacher's "Special Investigators" unit are also being targeted) to this Adrian character (who he is, why Franz was looking into him/his aliases, who he works for - whether it's Robert Patrick's character or not - etc.) and Robert Patrick's character (the meta Sarah Connor joke, particularly his response to that name-drop, was good - spoiler alert, I've never even seen any of the Terminator films yet), who is presumably the primary antagonist - giving just enough to spark a sufficient level of interest and intrigue for you to want to see more, wanting to see it all unfold and be revealed to us.

Additionally, for some odd reason, I got this feeling that we may get a more action-y season compared to the further pinpointed, concentrated focus on the element of solving a case and the mystery surrounding it of the first season. I do think we'll receive some of that here to a degree, only it'll be distinctively less than before, with the added element of increased action/action-y moments. And that's not necessarily a negative thing. While the potent and palpable sense of mystery and overall tone of mysteriousness and intrigue was at the forefront of the various positives within the first season, a slight change of pace and toned-down intensity of that can be good.

I particularly liked the depiction of Neagley and Reacher's relationship/dynamic, and by extension, Alan Ritchson and Maria Sten's platonic chemistry here. There was barely any of that previously, on account of her character having little screen time. There were a few "breathable" moments with them beforehand, sure, but it seems like there will be way more opportune moments now for them to have interactions that showcase and add to the presentation and depiction of the dynamic and relationship of theirs we should be able to see and understand fully. Their conversation in the hotel room did exactly that. It was good. Moments like that accomplish a lot in terms of enhancing the overall enjoyment of an entire episode of a show.

I know some people have certain reservations regarding her character now, whether it's the fact that she wasn't in the novel being adapted or the sentiment that she's dull, maybe even poorly acted by Maria Sten. But, at the very least, most of the scenes with her and Reacher are good, in addition to keeping her character afloat, though Finlay and Roscoe landed from the get-go while Neagley does require some marinating and development to reach their level. That could very well happen throughout the season as it progresses.

The last thing I want to touch on is O'Donnell. I want to make my position clear, even though anyone who may read this likely knows the truth of this assumption of mine from already watching every episode: I've considered the possibility that he could be one of the "baddies." That henchman of Robert Patrick's character referred to Reacher by the nickname of "The Big One," and O'Donnell conceived "The Big Guy" nickname, which is similar enough; in all honesty, those two things likely aren't correlated in that sense. However, he conveniently showed up at Neagley's hotel room, and though he said it was ransacked when he got there, he could've done it himself and used his relationship with her and Reacher to play it off as if somebody else did it. Or he's an intentional red herring by the writers for the audience to expect that while another member of the unit is involved. But nothing of the sort may be the case, and nobody in the unit is involved.

I'm not 100% committed to any of those theories yet. I could very well be leaning toward him genuinely being on Reacher's side. That's because I've possibly had a glance at a Deadline or Variety article recently about (new) cast additions for S3, with one of the headshot photos potentially being Shaun Sipos, suggesting a return. Unless that vague recollection isn't quite like that, I think there's a decent chance O'Donnell is recurring in the Reacher novels like Neagley. All that's left is for me to watch the next seven episodes.

Overall, this was a decent start, and I'm interested to see what's in store. I'm just as interested to see the logically questionable, suspending-your-disbelief-required moments that supposedly start happening around the midway point to the end. I've seen a few comments bring up occurrences like that on r/JackReacher when these episodes were airing. I expect them to not detract much from the overall enjoyment and experience of each episode. There's one way of finding out which way that specific component leans - on to the next one.

(998-word review) The whole "divine pairing" thing, from the get-go when it was first presented, was so-so, further exacerbated by the cliché "one will live, and one will die" component within that cycle - such a prediction is based on how that's a common denominator with every prior pairing. Whether it was to add tension, although the cliché aspect should've been enough for there to be an immediate understanding that attempting to add tension would've failed and that it would've been useless - and it did fail, as it's evident neither of the two main characters would die, or even if its purpose was merely to serve as a parallel, it was unnecessary.

Another reason, a subtle and super minor one, could've been the detail of the "mark" possessed by and on the upper arm of the one who dies by sacrificing their life to save everyone else; Tyrone received a noticeable cut around that same area, and the intention behind it, revealed later on, seemed to be for Evita to feel it and ascertain that he's the person out of him and Tandy "chosen by fate." He'll die for the sake of others, and there is a 110% certainty that there's a zero percent chance he'll survive; it's not as if he's a fictional character within a TV show and at the helm or anything like that - plot armor and all; it's simply not possible. While that has slightly more substance than adding tension - put a considerable amount of emphasis on "slightly more" - it doesn't offer any "redemption" to the existence of that total aspect.

Those flashbacks to the previous pairings, especially Chantelle's narration, were the weakest part of this finale. I mentioned in my review of the sixth episode that there's something about Chantelle's character that doesn't land or negatively impacts her character, making her a bore to watch and a waste of screen time, and that element was noticeably apparent here. That even extended to Evita's involvement in that side of things, who was decent enough before when her characterization revolved around being Tyrone's classmate, supporter/cheerleader, both in basketball and in general, and having a crush on him that evolved into a relationship. As each episode has gone by and her role changed to sharing scenes with Chantelle, particularly her part to play by informing our duo about their destiny, her character felt less than decent, with less of an engaging factor.

On the plus side, that addition of divine pairings had one positive connotation, which was being an assisting layer to shipping Tyrone and Tandy together and desiring to see them romantically involved with each other; shippers will still ship them without that, and ship any fictional characters as long as there's "something." Their scenes/interactions, topped with the palpable chemistry between Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt, are that; in this context, it's also additional because of the extra layer. But even if that wasn't the case, Tyrone and Tandy's scenes, propelled further by Aubrey and Olivia's chemistry, accomplish plenty by themselves regarding the depiction and conveyance of the potential and intended-to-be-noticed romance angle there.

This was a satisfactory finale, albeit with a dash of feeling anti-climatic despite the successful on-paper culmination of the overarching but underlying story arcs. While they had their climactic moment of collision and intertwinement, with the advancement of both becoming a together thing - that's been a lingering expectation that has gradually progressed its way to fruition - the on-screen execution of what was likely, on paper, different in a potentially more positive fashion, didn't come across as hard-hitting and impactfully conclusive as you'd expect from finales; most of them, throughout numerous TV shows, are usually like that to an extent, while others lean into that enough for total submersion in the depths of constructing and writing finales to deeply embody that air of particular and discernible identity, allowing it to pulsate throughout it and encompass it - it's essentially a staple that the majority of finales possess.

This one bore a resemblance to any other episode concerning its overall scriptwriting, tone, and the general manner of how it was conveyed - how it felt and seemed. That's not always a negative, and I'm not implying that it is in this instance - but merely observational. Each arc was wrapped up efficiently, and the last half, beginning with Tyrone's sincere and thoughtful, ultimately sacrificial decision to go alone into the core, was particularly excellent. The final scene was also an effective closer to this season; it stood out the most out of everything, landed perfectly, and succeeded at garnering an immediate investing interest and desire for a second season, primarily due to caring about Tyrone and Tandy's characters, their dynamic/relationship/interactions, and the phenomenal chemistry between them because of the closeness and compatibility between Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt.

Minus the minor hiccup of what I mentioned at the beginning of the review, this was a fantastic conclusion to the season. There is even the after-credits (or before-credits but after-the-title-card credits) scene at the end, serving as a bit of a cliffhanger, setting up the next one. I still remember that from my prior viewing of the show, including bits and pieces of certain things that happened on that front. It's interesting how that was virtually the only set-up for the next season unless I missed something.

Tyrone's new ability (or usual ability that's been applied to the show at last, as I'm moderately confident it's one he uses frequently in the comics) that he used on Connors could count as set-up to a small degree, only because I'm aware and remember one of the plotlines relates to his darkness dimension within him; additionally, there was some exploration inside of it, which, interestingly enough, involved O'Reilly - those two set-up instances intersected. Diving into the second season again should be an enjoyable experience. Most of all, I'm looking forward to and expecting more exceptional songs/song choices from the music supervisor.

(1,106-word review) A prominent theme here was that of introspection, which was conveyed/reiterated - or iterated in the sense of also "telling" and informing us of it, in addition to it being there to notice and connect the dots if you pay attention enough to dig a little deep into your imagination and come up with various observations - by Father Delgado's class lecture about heroes, the arcs they follow, and the negative pivotal moment towards its end that knocks them down - an event of loss: losing everything, then regressing to "Step 1," a place at the beginning of their journey, or even further back, and ending up worse for wear and worse off than at the start of their arc. The lesson is the potential of the hero rising back up against all odds and overcoming the constrictions within one's self, now armed with more pronounced strength of will and character, immense and powerful, than they managed to achieve in the "first round," following the personal battle against the enemy of obstacles, trails, and tribulations.

As usual for this show, there was more seasoning of a symbolic and parallelistic nature to an element of the storytelling. I noticed first Father Delgado's lecture in connection with that; it was easily distinguishable. Most notably, however, Tyrone's shot-in-the-dark assumption about him, boiling down to asserting that he has no one and that he became a man of God within the sacred confines of what that entails, all from a desired place of avoidance - wanting to avoid and prevent feeling anything, highlighted a possible parallel due to cutting to a different scene - one that happened to be Tandy and Liam in the church.

That assertion, and its plausible, perfect correlation with her mindset, has two evident purposes/interpretations - (1.) for us to add an extra layer to our understanding and assessment of her character, and (2.) that Tyrone made it with her in mind and not directed solely at Delgado. The second interpretation could indicate that he cares so much about her to the point where her struggles and the things she's dealing with are contributing to his side of internal conflict, further perpetuated by the supernatural connection with her through their respective powers, even though he adamantly brought up his aversion to being inside her head: involved in her problems - as if he's trying to convince himself of the opposite and convince himself that he doesn't care to that level, refusing to acknowledge that it concerns him in both meanings of the word.

The main focus was showcasing the fallout of the "conclusions" of each story arc towards the end of the previous episode, the emotional/mental turmoil circling inside Tyrone and Tandy, and the ways they are coping - the "regression" of our two "heroes" through attempting to make that a reality, only there's no such thing. Human change and evolution are unceasing, for better or worse; it's permanent and flowing. You can't go back to prior versions of yourself or turn back time itself to cheat the system of life and change. You can try to accomplish that, though it'll be through the means of concocting and self-inflicting the illusion that reliving who you were in the past and doing the same things will somehow undo all the events and experiences that contributed to who you are currently and shaped the person you are in reality. It's a self-made trap, and the way out - the way to move forward instead of doing anything in your power to remain stuck is through the realization of that truth, the subsequent acceptance of it, and turning your experiences into something positive and uplifting, especially concerning "lifting" yourself back up.

It was rough seeing Tyrone in this angry-at-the-world - but general possession of anger - state of mind. However, Tandy's side of that stood out slightly more, as it was, for the most part, incredibly frustrating - seeing her in that state of mind, particularly her method of attempting to move forward. It was most frustrating. Her actions, given their relation to what she has and her capabilities for a way to cope, are understandable - if she never got powers, she would've gone about it the same way she's familiar with going about life; she also did that in this instance of displaying the type of person she's been hiding behind and masquerading as to a degree most of her life.

Stealing hopes, especially Mina's and the half-successful attempt to steal Liam's hopes, no matter the "logic" behind it, is a step into dangerous waters because it's one of those things where a character crosses a certain threshold into potentially being seen and digested differently by a significant portion of the viewers, possibly even permanently: not necessarily to the extent of irredeemable but certainly a stretched out period of intimately disliking the character in question, not to mention it's a somewhat irritating thing to watch. There's no justification. At least she's self-aware, expressing it about 30 minutes in, followed by the eventual semi-redemption moment with her decision to go and apologize to Liam - at least that aspect wasn't drawn out.

As the penultimate episode, it didn't have as much plot progression as you'd expect; the content was still engaging and exciting. But there was the scene at the beginning of Chantelle finding her way to the Roxxon pipe, the scene with Mina witnessing the ancient energy bursting out of the other pipe, infecting those two guys - the same thing that happened on the oil rig, and I vaguely remember that spreads from person to person throughout New Orleans in the finale, post-apocalyptic-esque - topped with the challenging situations Tyrone and Tandy found themselves in during the last few minutes. Those situations, notably his situation, and that ending set up quite the season finale of a cascade of events and progression; a lot of effort here went into laying the groundwork for it.

From another perspective, there didn't necessarily need to be, even though the next one is the finale. This show has felt primarily focused on the characters - being character-driven rather than story-driven, not to mention the story arcs seem "straightforward." They're not intricately written and deeply layered to where it's necessary to put them front-and-center for 99.9% of the season with most of the screen time to avoid having no choice but rushing to the finish line. There has been a slight feeling of a sudden awareness on the part of the writers that the end of the season is right around the corner regarding the previous two or so, particularly this one; they've felt "different," but not in a negative, "Oh, this is detrimentally rushed" way.

(1,234-word review) The first half, or mostly everything up to the revelation about Nathan Bowen, while imbued with a mild feeling of "decent enough but could be better," similar to the second and fifth episodes concerning less story progression and more character development/time with the characters, was still worthy of an 8 out of 10 - even then, not to mention the 7s I gave those two episodes weren't even low ratings, though an eight has more discernible weight and power behind it, hence the relevance of mentioning that this one was worthy of such a rating regardless of the shared similarities with those two one-rating-lower instances; it gets the point across that it was slightly more effective and impactful - that it was better by a tiny amount than its fellow successful equivalents.

Hell, in addition to the ineffectiveness of that initial feeling, it was also temporary, and the extra detail is that it was merely surface level anyway. That's because each story arc - Tandy's fight against the Roxxon Corporation in and for her father's name/Tyrone's fight to bring down Connors - was given prominent progression. She obtained additional information/evidence of their negligence, incompetence, and stake in the eventual explosion of the oil rig that claimed lives, which goes against the lies they fed the public and the families of everyone who died, particularly the expedience nature of it all through painting her father as the scapegoat; Tyrone "successfully" accomplished his objective and took down Connors.

However, the most important thing has yet to come. That designation belongs to the final half. Tandy and Tyrone's arcs, through the progress and unfolding of them, laid the groundwork for it. Both of them had supposed conclusions that were undoubtedly the opposite. From that point onward, the pacing kept picking up, and the "conclusions" were flipped on their head, resulting in them crumbling, accompanied by twists and turns.

The tone of the episode shifted in a flash with the reveal that Nathan Bowen was abusive to Melissa Bowen - imagine the effect that has on Tandy from multiple angles: learning that her father, who she propped up in her mind, was abusive/not as much of an incredible man as she believed and perceived him to be, followed by the realizations that everything she AND her mother have been doing concerning the Roxxon Corporation to clear his name was based on a false belief. She could even feel worse about Greg's death because of that but also because of the first angle regarding the abuse and how Greg was a decent guy from what we were shown; she probably has extra regrets about how she initially treated him now and that he was killed over attempting to clear the name of such a man. That's likely the most wrenching aspect of all this for her: the fact that her mother has been spending the last eight years trying to "get justice" for Nathan despite having suffered abuse - the long-term mental and psychological side effects worst of all.

That revelation solidified this episode's already-existing, festering merit for the remainder. Tyrone's side of the tone shift, the conclusion of his story arc, and the subsequent crumbling of it happened next, with the ending, and I have a few things to say about it. It was somewhat of a shock in two ways - that itself was a shock because I've seen this entire show once before now; I forgot about such a pivotal thing.

The first way was Fuchs' now-revealed red herring characterization; he had perceptible importance but through a subtle, ambiguously questionable lens. The second way relates to something I remember happening to O'Reilly, either at the end of the next episode or in the finale, which I thought involved him for a split moment; I also remember it leads to something else, something that was a bit of a twist and crossed over to the next season with a prominent focus on it concerning that element of her character.

Anyway, everything lined up; everything made sense, pointing to the assumption that he was the type of character his presentation suggested, only he wasn't, hence the slight shock factor for me this time. But I vaguely recalled that reveal/twist right when the scene began.

"Ending" by Isak Danielson - a fitting name in this instance, given its corresponding placement - the song that began after the front-row experience within Melissa's head up to the final scene was top-notch, and the quick, easy-to-miss visual storytelling in the middle of that montage was equally so. I am referring to how Tyrone showed emotional, though overall support but in a non-forceful way to Tandy without being intrusive by following her at a distance and hinting to her that he's supporting her - that he's there, in addition to being close enough to become further involved in that showing of support in a more intimate, face-to-face way whenever or if she needs it. That presented a different outlook/consideration to Tandy in the form of Tyrone, who contradicts and counteracts her mother's words about how everyone only has themselves.

The other songs, "Dark Side" by Bishop Briggs during the back-and-forth montage of Tyrone and Tandy's respective preparations for taking the crucial step in advancing both story arcs of theirs and "to the grave" by Bea Miller afterward as each advancement is unfolding, were comparably excellent. Bishop's song didn't sound familiar, but I immediately recognized Bea's because it's one of the many songs I have downloaded; the origin of that was likely due to hearing it in this episode in the past, except the memory of it escapes me now.

Amid everything aforementioned, we got some potential foreshadowing from Chantelle Fusilier's (Evita's aunt) story about the 4,000 deaths in New Orleans caused by the Spanish Flu, particularly the part about Jack Rogers giving up his life through the selfless act of giving all of his blood to save a dozen patients, plus his lover. Besides the possible relation of what she said about ghosts - ("Only spirits looking to settle a score would harm a person. Ghosts aren't about abject fear. They're about justice. They're here to right a wrong.") - to Tyrone's masquerading-as-Billy ploy against Connors, with the slight variation of being about "abject fear," the story could be foreshadowing the imminent disaster she spoke of to Evita in the sixth episode that she believed was coming, relating to the divine pairing; Jack Rogers and Bobo Smith were likely one of those pairings.

The energy that the Roxxon Corporation is digging up is probably the present-day equivalent of the Spanish Flu; Tyrone is Jack, and he'll absorb all of it, and out of everyone who gets infected, and possibly out of Tandy, the equivalent of Jack's lover. He'll be saving people, only it'll be too much for him to handle, and the deviation from the past instance of the divine pairing will be that she ends up returning the favor of him helping her open the door inside Ivan's mind, as he did tell her that she owes him for doing that, and that'll be through the act of saving his life afterward: breaking the "one will live, and one will die" cycle. Concerning the "returning favors" aspect, that would essentially do as much for his assistance with Ivan but not being saved by her; however, saving someone's life is a significant enough deed to apply to both instances.

(1,012-word review) There is absolutely no doubt that this is the highest point the season has achieved so far. My recollection of feeling the same way the first time I watched it is vivid. The only difference between the past and the present is that my evaluation of it in the past was, more or less, ever so slightly higher than now, and that says plenty. That goes to show how splendid this episode is. It was perfect from every angle - from start to finish. A 9 out of 10 rating was necessary to fully express that sentiment, as an 8 has been the highest I've gone until now. There was an instantaneous moment of contemplation between an 8 and 9, but the choice was an easy one to make.

Additionally, it was somber in tone and direction, with no score cues or songs playing for most of it. There were two songs, though the first one is less relevant given that it was at the beginning up to the title card, at the end, and during the credits. The second song, amid the main chunk of the plot, didn't detract from that different-than-usual feel - the usual being the teen drama feel, accompanied by multiple songs and consistent score cues. I still like that primary identity of the show, but this different, one-off approach was an excellent one, especially considering what a big deal it is due to the show being one that greatly prides the use of music. The few score cues were composed wonderfully for their purpose and enhancing/complimenting the tone. The overall subdued background noise, besides the necessary sounds within almost every scene, was the icing on top, as it propped up the effectiveness of everything happening on screen - or extra icing atop what was already there from the only-two-songs usage and the tone-complementary score.

Tim Kang gave a terrific performance. He had a particular and distinctive way of acting that landed well, specifically in a comedic undertone way. That's likely a signature of his, having applied as much to other roles or stemming from a typecast situation. I know for sure that subtle comedic delivery was prominent with his role, playing Kimball Cho, in The Mentalist; it may've been presented to a way lesser extent through Gordon Katsumoto in the Magnum P. I. reboot, which I saw - the first two seasons and an appropriate amount of time has passed since then for me to be uncertain about the level of that signature characteristic he displayed in that role - acting-wise, Olivia Holt also gave a splendid performance. She and Tim were leading on that front, though Aubrey Joseph was a close or tied second.

As far as the specifics of this episode are concerned, I particularly liked Tyrone's attitude of bewilderment at Tandy and her exploits - a complete ball of bewilderment and astoundment towards the pure audacity she, at times, exhibits, coupled with a hovering effect of feeling done being involved with her and whatever she's doing the very second he gets the total picture and fully processes it, not only at the hospital but also in a general sense in previous episodes. He's at his wits' end, courtesy of her absolute tomfoolery; that state of his immediately goes on high alert whenever they share the screen - ready to spike to a proper activation.

Moreover, as far as they're concerned - them together - I also liked the emotion-filled, voices-raised back-and-forth between them after he went back into Ivan's head. It was an impactful scene from each angle: the emotional weight behind Tandy's side of the situation and Tyrone's desperation and desire to make her snap out of it, showcasing a worthwhile payoff and superb execution of all the build-up/establishment and slower, methodically characterized development, separately but specifically together, of these/their characters up to this point, through his present, cultivated care for her - and vice versa in a more subtle way, though their conversation over the phone at the end changed her side of that, rising it to the surface in a conspicuously expressive way.

Speaking of the ending, the parallel of her telling him in their back-and-forth that nobody called her and nobody cared with how he called her at the end, solidifying that he cares - well, solidifying it further, as that had already been shown and illustrated; it was for her sake most of all, not only something for us to observe and connect - was lovely. He's her friend. He's her platonic - but tinged with romantic/s**ual-coded colors - partner.

That ending was incredible, by the way. It was even topped with some potential flirtation on her part, which he may've discerned and receptively accepted, depending on your interpretation. After all, these characters are shipped together heavily by many, not to mention their original counterparts in the comics were/are a couple. You could see their shared moments and the ending in a different light or also in this light - one that depicts a slow burn between them beyond mere individual and collective character development. Considering this show was on Freeform, which primarily deals in teen drama-y shows, meaning romance and shipping by most of the audience/viewers is prominent, it's an appropriate move to glean romantic vibes between them, especially the clear-as-day chemistry that Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph have with each other, as any scene could have that intended connotation.

What else is there to say besides what's already been said? Season 1 hit its peak with this one, rivaling the premiere - so much so that there's a plausible chance that, even from my perspective in the past of a non-review, thought-lacking, void-of-feelings-and-opinions mindset beyond the basic, limiting choices of "I liked it" or "I disliked it" due to my brain's "capacity" and "sentience level" being inefficient concerning what to write about the television episodes and films I watched, any of the final three of this season may not have surpassed this one for me. That's certainly where my thought process is right now - what I'm predicting will be the case this time. The finale could come close.

(1,017-word review) I couldn't help but notice the pacing, narrative structure, and the division and assignment of screen time for every scene in this episode - in an incredibly positive way to preemptively clear up any potential misconstruing. All of the scenes felt perfectly paced and focused on, while the places chosen with each one to switch to another, in addition to their order and arrangement from those switches, were even better. As such, I also couldn't help but realize that those aspects in the previous episode were slightly "cluttered" and felt hectic - not in the sense that the overall episode wasn't that good, as it was pretty decent: the fact that I didn't even notice it until now. However, that may've stemmed more from the content rather than a latching lackluster nature to those individual components.

The central, most prominent themes seemed that of collision and intertwinement - different plot threads within the two story arcs of our darkness-and-light duo at the helm of this show, bleeding into each other; well, not necessarily the plot threads themselves but rather the characters, who are now getting involved in others besides theirs. At the forefront, there was the guaranteed involvement of Tyrone in Tandy's extensive search for answers underneath the facade of lies regarding the oil rig, her father, and any relevant information concerning the Roxxon Corporation through the character of Ivan Hess. His state of mind is tattered and damaged beyond medical and technological capabilities, as the deeper innards of his psyche are being guarded and blocked by convenient but understandable darkness if you consider the possibility that the current condition of his mental self was caused by the oil rig explosion, which gave Tandy and Tyrone their powers - specifically Tyrone, given the specifics of his.

All the pieces add up to and connect in the form of his control over darkness, which he will use to absorb the darkness inside Ivan's mind or make it dissipate, allowing Tandy to venture further into his head. There's a probable chance he'll go along with her due to how Tyrone's going to have to link with Tandy's hope-seeing ability to arrive at that same place/door instead of his personalized, fear-seeing version unless those two "worlds" within Ivan are meshed together, resulting in him arriving at the same place even if he only put his hand on Ivan instead of on Tandy, whose hand is on Ivan - or maybe that whole journey will be initiated by her hands on both of them.

Next in the line in the order of occurrence within the intertwinement aspect of things was between the minor Tyrone-Duane subplot and O'Reilly's subplot with Connors - both coming into contact with each other, colliding with each other. And the collision was a hard-hitting, impactful one. One of the things mentioned in my review of the previous episode was my fragmented remembrance of Tyrone's confrontation with Duane, specifically the death. My initial interpretation of the fragments indicated that my feelings leaned towards having thought that it was an intense scene. But having seen it a second time, it was more sternly mellow than anything, which was a surprise. It's possible that I was recollecting a feeling from Duane's demise - the actual section of that whole event with somewhat of an imbuing intense vibe - and mistakenly assigned it to the incorrect part.

Most importantly, Tandy will now be involved with Tyrone's story arc further than giving him advice about constructing a narrative to "get to a cop" two episodes ago and now, in this episode, to make an opening and fill it in by using Kev's fear(s) against him - by being there for Tyrone through his emotional disarray after what went down in that situation with those characters. The fact that she couldn't physically comfort him because of the supernatural barrier between them was sad and heart-wrenching; however, that current inability serves as an effectively influential enhancer to the inevitably successful execution of inability to ability. I also liked the parallels in the beginning with the two of them - how she and he did the same thing by playing a character to get close to Mina and Duane, their respective "marks."

As far as the Evita-Aunt Chantelle narrative is concerned, particularly compared to everything else, it was the weakest part, 100%. Its overall point boiled down to divine pairings and the revelation that Tyrone and Tandy are another pair, signifying that there is an impending danger heading to New Orleans or that something within the city is bubbling up and ready to burst - whatever the Roxxon Corporation was/is looking to acquire by digging deep into its inner, underbelly layers is the predictable and obvious guess -, which are both interesting enough. But the most essential point was the cliché proclamation that one will live, one will die, as that was probably the "cycle" with the previous pairings; however, (!) wait a minute (!): Tyrone and Tandy are different and unique - they'll be the first pairing to break the cycle! I don't know. That whole thing wasn't super engaging or as engaging as the accompanying events in this episode. At least the 3D figurine (or whatever those things are called) of Tyrone, created/introduced in the third episode, is on the way to receiving significant progression and explanation.

The main "elephant in the room" in that section of this episode was the aunt. There's a mildly festering "something or other" rising to the surface with her character, casting a spell of sorts, one of negative connotation, on all of those scenes. I can't pinpoint it - whether it's the acting, the directing, the dialogue, the line delivery, or simply a subjective, mismatched viewer-character scenario. I'm unsure if I was one of these people during my first viewing; I'm vaguely positive some disliked her character - no particular, explainable reason for it, only pure dislike/irking irritation whenever she's on screen.

Everything else was top-notch - and so, this came the closest to the premiere, in my opinion, making it this season's second-best episode thus far.

(1,065-word review) This was akin to the second episode - a vehicle for focusing on the characters/their character development and the less significant meat in the middle of the more succulent, long-term meat of each central character's story arcs, while the latter isn't as much of a focus. This can certainly be done well and made incredibly captivating, but it wasn't the case then, nor the case now.

But that isn't necessarily a negative thing. Multiple things can "make up" for such instances when episodes centered primarily on building up the developing component of the characters don't quite go the distance in and of itself; for starters, those characters themselves and your level of investment in them, not whatever the plot entwinement of developmental purposes with them entails - and this show's duo at the helm are worthwhile and effective enough to fill in the gap.

Furthermore, both ongoing story arcs did receive some progression. Significant development concerning the Roxxon Corporation played out, with Tandy's section holding 99.9% of the engagement. Her mission to learn important information about them, particularly the identity of who's in charge, was noticeably given attention. The introduction of Mina Hess, Peter Scarborough, the reference to Ivan Hess, Mina's father, within Peter's hopes, in addition to "S. E. Fluid Dynamics" being on his hard hat and his name being on the blueprint of the (or a) oil rig alongside Tandy's father, sets the stage for considerable additional development, likely accompanied by an extensive info-dump - while Tyrone's basketball championship game seemed to be highlighted the strongest, coupled with a second-place focus on his and Evita's developing relationship, giving beneficial screen time and exposure to that aspect for enhancing their character dynamic.

It's sweet enough thus far, managing to be sufficiently engaging, though the chemistry difference between Aubrey Joseph and Noëlle Renée Bercy compared to him and Olivia Holt is night and day. Aubrey and Noëlle have chemistry, but it doesn't come close to him and Olivia. That, and the knowledge of the fact that Tyrone and Tandy are together in the comics, somewhat lessen the scenes with him and Evita - no offense to them, Evita, Noëlle, the chemistry between her and Aubrey, or the writer(s) behind those scenes.

The writers undoubtedly realized as such - realized the massive division differentiation between the two narrative sections, hence the implementation of something worthwhile within his story arc: the gratifying value attached to the expression of his compassion and humanity by letting the other team win, assisted by his powers giving him insight into the team members, only he changed his initial intentions instead of taking advantage of that, unlike with Tandy, through the excellent contrasting touch between those characteristics of his and how she's becoming a little too familiar and intoxicated with the power and control over people she now wields.

That added further depth to his character, increasing his likableness as well. Both of which contributed to my investment in him increasing. His characterization is distinctly more successful in executing the art of engaging with your audience/the viewer/me than Tandy's currently; she'll get there - she needs time for the necessary development. The contrasting differences between the type of person she is compared to him should even enhance that pivotal moment when she develops into a better version of herself, closer in line with him on a compassionate/humanity level, and, by extension, not intentionally abusing her powers from a place of enjoying having control over others.

But there was also the extra layer added unto the plot thread of his vendetta against Connors, with Duane's character, one of Billy's friends, who he also was semi-close to; how he is a d**g dealer and in cahoots with Connors, which possibly played an indirect, by-association part in Billy's death - maybe not, and the only thing to glean is that he's working with Billy's killer, suggesting that he didn't care about him as much as he'll insist, or that his morals are flimsy, specifically when the prospect of a substantial pay-day is on the table. That new revealing info will probably catalyze a heated exchange - most likely in the next episode, which will also presumably contain the further, detail-oriented, exposition-heavy development and progression of the Roxxon Corporation-related story arc.

Additionally, during the first few seconds of that first scene of Tyrone teleporting to his workplace, vague memories began emerging. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, I've already seen this show - once: both seasons, as they were airing, or at least the second one because I was two months late when I began the first season, and that scene was the kickstarter of the stream of remembrance, and it was among those memories. More importantly, the most significant memory was the imminent confrontation between them and a specific thing that happened. My recollection of it is a bit hazy, but from what I recall, it's an intense and impactful scene.

Besides Tyrone's part in that ongoing storyline as far as the personal and solo progression side of taking Connors down is concerned, broadly and through the plot thread with Duane/the conversation he overheard, its process has expanded beyond the low-key and cat-and-mouse, not-legally-official (regarding being brought to justice rather than taken OUT) game between the two of them - mostly initiated and done by Tyrone. The face of that expansion is Det. O'Reilly, who has made her return, and now, thanks to him, has her eyes set on Connors as an assisting reckoning force to hammer down upon him the comeuppance heading his way: a more central role/plot thread for her character, with the benefit of making an actual, not illusory, dent in the drug-dealing enterprise within New Orleans, following the meaningful - but void of proper justice - unraveling of the truthful events behind the stabbing of Rick, who got what he deserved from his attempt to r**e Tandy.

Lastly, the soundtrack was great once more. Jonathan Christiansen, this show's music supervisor, did an excellent job choosing the songs. The previous two episodes "only" had three songs that stood out to me, the second one had four, the premiere was soundtrack-excellence galore with EIGHT, while this one went up to five. That suggests there's been a slight dry spell until now, as far as I'm concerned, but three songs are still exceptional. Either way, I particularly liked the ones he chose for this episode.

(1,369-word review) The most prominent theme here seemed to boil down to the act of building: Tandy began to warm up to Greg and had genuine interactions with him (= building a relationship), and Tyrone's father received slight development beyond being a necessary but background character, which manifested through their father-son dynamic (= building further layers to a relationship) while all of the scenes with Tandy and Tyrone of their meaningful, impactful conversation - in more ways than one - was split up and inserted amid everything that was happening in present time (= building a firmer connection through emotional, personal and power-related relatability, on top of the mutual vulnerability of being honest, open, and outspoken), and the ending signified the built-up confidence on his part to ask for Det. O'Reilly in the police station compared to getting cold feet the first time with his initial course of action, in addition to the build-up of her will to live, her hope, and the additional strengthening and solidification of the reconstruction and rebuilding she only began undergoing earlier in the episode regarding facing her fears instead of running away/setting her sights on the Roxxon Corporation, topped with the control building of her powers.

Speaking of which - and this can't be ignored, let alone understated - that first proper interaction/conversation between Tandy and Tyrone was fantastic; it was unquestionably one of the top highlights. They're able to talk openly and honestly with each other about their respective experiences concerning their powers - which their actual first interaction activated in the premiere, though it, and the ones since that one barely had any substance and depth; certainly not to this degree - and the things weighing on them that they've kept internalized and buried. Both of them needed someone like that, as they didn't consider anyone in their lives, from Tyrone's parents and Tandy's mother to Evita and Liam, as appropriate people to share such intimate and personal information with.

Furthermore, the structural placement of those scenes into the episode, mixed in with everything else/every other scene within present-day events, was great, especially how there is a semi-puzzle for us due to the apparent non-linear storytelling. For us to follow along properly, we must determine the chronological order of what's happening in real-time as it all progresses and more pieces are presented; however, you still have to assign them to their rightful place in your head - getting all that straight while having enough brain power left also to be paying attention enough for the total absorption of the story. The non-chronological structure seems to be another favorite storytelling technique of those behind that facet of this show besides their other favorite - visual storytelling.

The climax with that blow-up of emotions and the demolishment of the initial, persistent amicable mood and tone between the two characters was also fantastic but super unfortunate because it sucks seeing them hurl such harsh words at one another - being at odds and pushing each other away like that, especially after seeing how wonderful they are together in all of those previous scenes beforehand, showcased so well, and delivered extra effectively due to Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph's chemistry; acting-wise, she gave a superb performance, particularly at the end, and he did a pretty good job himself. You're already on board with that relationship, whether platonically or romantically, and you want them on good terms ASAP.

On top of that, it was well-written enough to make you torn on who to root for the most; more importantly, the writing delivers and showcases both perspectives/realities naturally, not to mention the hasty (as this can be achieved but with a calmer and more empathetic mindset) lack of understanding the other's genuine struggles due to who they are.

Tyrone, a black man in a country filled with one-too-many people who aren't fond of that, sometimes to a violent degree, mainly in a subtle, condescending, and disrespectful manner, particularly in the south; Tandy, a woman in a world that, while it has improved quite a bit since the semi-far past concerning women and the general view on women, it's almost like it hasn't improved because of the ridiculous, prevalent, and persisting s**ism (especially in the healthcare apparatus - how, even now, there are frequent instances of doctors and people in other fields within the healthcare world (mostly men but even other women) who don't take a woman's concerns seriously), being seen as lesser or not as human beings, the belittlement and temporary but permanently desired extermination of their rights/seeing their rights as a joke and something to use as a means to control women, the terrible pandemic of s**ual harassment directed at them throughout their lives, and sometimes daily, in addition to the s**ual a**ault many have experienced and endured, topped with the pathetic scarcity of proper, long-term justice - then there is the patronizing/trivializing/minimizing/dismissing/vilifying, and so on.

It goes on as far as the list of things is concerned but also the occurrence of those things themselves. My point is that they both have broader battles in the grand scheme of things and the grand scheme of life - instead of being on one person's side, both sides are valid, minus the extreme things said. But hopefully, their separation and the current inharmonious state of their relationship will subside and dissipate quickly.

Unlike how, in the second episode, Tyrone's story arc was more engaging and compelling than Tandy's story arc, it was the opposite here. I wasn't as engaged in whatever that whole thing with Otis and the other guys was about, besides being a vehicle for conveying the lesson about control - an additional theme, only to a lesser extent, aiding the most prominent one that I mentioned in the beginning - through the, in all honesty, intriguing but most certainly terribly tedious and maybe even slowly dying art/craft and concept of beadwork/its creation process. A semi-apparent correlation would be its potential relation to the culture of New Orleans, but that wouldn't hold/instill a deeper meaning and connection for me because of my lack of understanding and knowledge of its real-life history. It was alright, though I'm uncertain how to feel about it right now, especially if it's not over and continues further.

An equally significant takeaway was the cloak reveal, which I liked - specifically, it was the sentimental value and significance attached to it, and there may have been more than in the comics. I never read them; therefore, I could be wrong, but there may not have been any substantial layers like that, both the origin and the sentimental value, or at least anything similar to how the show's writers went about those aspects. My sole critique is its look. While a bit of an eye-catching nature seems to envelop it, necessary components seem to be lacking. It should look more imposing and be a primary precipitant that produces a powerfully commanding presence unto Tyrone. But his darkness itself probably accomplishes that.

But the most significant, front-and-center takeaway was Greg's death. It was as tragic and saddening as it was when I watched this roughly two months after it aired in June 2018. I vaguely remember it being my only takeaway; more specifically, I remember it being super effective, possibly to a greater degree now due to me being older and adequately understanding its complete effect - from him and Melissa and how their final interaction was, to her changing her mind and realizing her mistake right afterward, with the maximum tragic thing being that it was too late and his last memory of them before dying was likely the break-up; he died with that on his mind, and it wasn't even 100% literal. It was all so tragic - though, in the midst of that, I especially liked the perfect symbolism and symmetry of Tandy witnessing his death, then switching the scene back to her and Tyrone's conversation at a point where a few seconds into it, he mentions survivor's guilt, followed by the final line of that section of their conversation/those scenes said by her - wishing she was the one who died. And that's when they chose to switch back to present-day Tandy, who's undoubtedly feeling that all over again.

(1,151-word review) As if on cue, right after the previous episode, which slowed things down a bit to focus primarily on adding more substance to Tandy and Tyrone's characters/their story arcs, giving us a front-row seat to the progression and development of that, this one was waiting with confidence: knowing its value and worth. This rivaled the premiere - possibly surpassing it ever so slightly.

The soundtrack remains superb, contrary to how it's the type that can get on the nerves of some people, who'd dislike it immediately because of its addition to the already-present teen drama feel. My outlook towards that aspect of this show is noticeably different.

We also got a smidgen of social commentary with that one particular section with Tyrone in Tandy's IMAX dream experience, propelled even further by the specific song that the music supervisor(s) chose for that scene, lots of visual storytelling, ripe with symbolisms and likely various probable interpretations to glean from them - a clear favorite of the directors and writers - especially if you're already knowledgeable about mythology, history, and such - understanding, for example, the two framed photos in the Johnson family house after Tyrone got out of the bathtub and Evita's Damballah Voodoo Tour - and the structure and editing of the episode, with the lead-up of Tandy's story arc, after the beginning, to her entry into the dream sequence, then rewinding time to the start, only giving us Tyrone's perspective this time and the lead-up of his story arc to his entry, most notably with both of their respective experiences within each dream sequence was well done.

The entirety of those sequences was excellent, with much to unpack. He protected her from being electrocuted, which goes hand-in-hand with how she could potentially see him as an angel or angelic figure, indicated by her looking at the angel on the church window at the end of the premiere - and even in a different way with how Evita said he should be the one on the stained glass in their texting conversation in the previous episode; while she comparatively "kept him in check" and helped him see a better way to go about his compulsive/impulsive tendencies regarding Connors - presenting that herself; it could also possess the potential of extending to a general second-voice/second-opinion, positive influence in his ear.

They're compatible and ideal for each other - and for the betterment of the other - on a human level, on top of the symbiotic nature of their powers that bind them together and their similar pasts/experiences of a family member dying (in front of them), adding a more robust connection through relatability and emotional association; they complete each other.

Additionally, he played that role with her in a similar but potentially negatively-resulted way by helping her not only to stop running and face things head-on but also either go the stabbing/killing route, get revenge on the Roxxon Corporation, or something to do with the hope-imbued side of her powers, like taking away the hopes of those who played a part in her father's death - something she's already familiar with to a lesser extent, as shown by those who came to her for hope, except they receive a poisonous death instead, symbolizing that she slowly poisons the people around her and their continual contact could end in death or avoidable life-changing events; Liam, in particular, took the symbolic pill voluntarily, symbolizing his blind faith and the ongoing (because of his arrest and Tandy's subsequent abandonment) but likely impending further consequences of his naive devotion to her.

The prospect of taking away hopes could even come from a place (and be symbolic) of feeling like they took him away from her by how he was barely involved in her life, neglecting her because of his work, and in turn, hindering her relationship with him, on top of driving a wedge between them and amidst their family - possibly a contributing factor in her mother's pill addiction in the first place while he was alive; another layer of fault and blame on them/additional reason for her to vehemently detest them - and now the fact that they're her mother's obsession in present time, who strongly desires to take them down, in addition to how they disregarded her father's concerns, leading to him being preoccupied enough to have not been paying attention to the road while driving, further caused by the explosion, resulting in his death; she sees the Roxxon Corporation as responsible. And that course of action would be worse/more negative than killing them once you think about it; they'd essentially be shells of themselves - giving them a taste of what she went through and endured; what she felt, only their mental state would be about 99.9% more permanent.

Circling back to the initial topic of this episode's central focus with both characters, there was an additional super subtle layer, one that likely went over many heads; most people probably noted this but had no idea of its meaning/intention, though it could be an incorrect assumption on my part - and that's the piece of paper/possible check Billy gave Kid Tyrone in the basketball scene, the two (bloody/blood money) checks Tyrone was holding after shooting Connors, and all the checks at Kid Tyrone's feet in the final part of Tandy's dream sequence; more specifically, the extra guilt on his shoulders stemming from Billy's death, as the implication is that those two guys weren't stiffed by the rich guy, whose car they put the stereo, but rather the money was paid, only to Billy, who supposedly lied to them about being stiffed, stole it himself, and gave the money to Tyrone, hence the checks throughout the episode.

As a minor extension of that, Tyrone's heartfelt, one-way talk with Billy in Father Delgado's office was great. That was a powerful scene. It was already quite powerful alone, but that increases once that knowledge is applied - that extra layer. Once that's done, its powerful impact increases again because the weight and value of the scene are doubled by Aubrey Joseph's acting in it.

To conclude this review, there was one final observation I made: Tyrone's wish. It's unknown to us for now. And while I don't definitively remember whether it's revealed, chances are its reveal will happen, maybe in the next episode. Its contents, no doubt, feature Connors - probably something about taking him down, particularly the way to proceed. And, as it so happens, that was the principal theme and focus of the multiple-choice scene within Tandy's side of the intensely personal enlightenment journey. She presented a third option. He may not have gotten his wish, but now he knows she is the first step to discovering the answers he yearns for and recontextualizing his very being, how he views himself, how he views the world - the survivor's guilt, the emotional and mental turmoil, and everything that's weighing on him.

(1,078-word review) This episode, coupled with the premiere, supposedly aired as a two-parter, which is apparent to a degree - not in a negative way; these first two episodes complement each other. The first part went strong concerning its presentation and straightforwardness as if to make an impression - understandably, given it was the introduction to the show. It went straight to the point, throwing you in with the characters. At the same time, this one was more subdued, giving you some downtime and breathing room to absorb everything that happened previously, in addition to everything happening here, allowing you to spend time with Tandy and Tyrone as they and their respective stories are further fleshed out.

From one perspective, that means this episode didn't have as much excitement, on top of not necessarily surpassing the premiere, which undoubtedly occurs often in TV shows where, after an excitement-filled, possibly minorly action-y one, its follow-up/follow-ups are less so with a more prominent emphasis and focus on things of greater importance than being exciting to watch, though that could potentially be avoidable and it's likely been accomplished a few or many times; conversely, that doesn't mean it's automatically mediocre. Less exciting does not equal terrible; it's not a negative thing to momentarily tone that down slightly.

Besides the necessity, relevance, and importance attached to episodes like this - giving a more encompassing focus on the development of the characters, slipping some appreciative and needed depth in there, continually fleshing them and their storylines out is extremely paramount - this, in its fullness, wasn't successful at devaluing the on-paper, logical purpose and intention; it didn't manage to be boring or ineffective, as was (and is likely) the case with similar ones in other shows.

Tyrone's story arc was the most engaging for me. The concept of revenge and the attempt to commit it, with the intermissions of the meaningful conversation with Father Delgado and causing his ongoing clash with his teammates from punching the player on the other team in the premiere to come to a head because of being preoccupied with that attempt - though way more blame is on them -, to the conversations with each parent, especially the one with his mother at the end, in addition to seeing her fear, is, without a doubt, more interesting than attending a wedding to steal the remaining money you need to get out of town.

And there's absolutely significance behind the shot of the bullet and the ballet slipper - speaking of shots, that earlier transition from the shot of Tandy's hand to Tyrone's hand with a bullet on his palm was sublime - specifically, the fact that he chose the bullet, at least beyond the crystal-clear course of action - getting rid of the bullet that's in your room; hopefully, he also got rid of the trash basket. I assume it was meant to represent the choice of revenge over whatever the slipper symbolizes: undeniably something less extreme, like possibly "the light" - to look for the light, and we all know what that is, right? WHO, that is? Only together can both characters grow, take control, and overcome their demons.

But I'm not additionally indirectly implying that Tandy's story arc was the complete opposite - because that's far from the truth. It was decent. I particularly liked how Liam's a caring and sweet enough boyfriend - who's also ride-or-die - instead of being the opposite, which is probably somewhat cliché and stereotypical. My biggest takeaway was Tandy's reaction to seeing his hope of marrying her and spending the rest of his life with her, followed later on by what she said to Delia about it, especially HOW she said it, and her harsh closing words to him at the end to push him away because she's familiar with that, with running away from situations and avoiding them but probably also because of not loving him as much as he loves her.

Those three things are foreshadowing that they'll grow further apart or at least go separate ways, paving the way on her side for cozying up to Tyrone, whose counterpart of romantic relationships is Evita, both of whom are likely heading to romantic waters: only for a short while, as I assume that they, too, will eventually separate, following in the footsteps of Tandy and Liam, resulting in the availability there on both sides regarding her and Tyrone.

Diving into that further, I liked the texting scene between him and Evita. His initial impression and evaluation of Tandy regarding who she is as a person/what kind of person she is was spot-on; he read her perfectly, like a book. He's already on the same page as her, and he's only had two interactions with her thus far: their encounter at the party and the one afterward when he caught up to her - technically three, should you include their first-ever contact with each other when they were children. That's about to change permanently from this point onward due to the ending.

As pleasant as Liam is (for now), and how he knows she squats in the abandoned church and when she's lying, having a bit of an insightful glimpse into her, I can't help but feel his insight into her isn't quite at the level Tyrone has managed to achieve before him, beating him to the chase by a long shot, given the massive gap in the time each of them has known her, which is unfortunate for him, but things are what they are. He and Evita can get together to wrap up the loose ends.

This episode also introduced three new characters, all of whom I remember having recurring roles: Det. O'Reilly, Father Delgado, and Greg. I don't recall much about them, except a specific thing that occurs with O'Reilly's character, either at the end of this season or at the beginning of the second season somewhere; a memorable thing with Greg's character that happens a few episodes from now due to its nature, while I barely remember any specifics concerning Father Delgado. Tandy and Tyrone's characters are the draw - the source of investment in any of the characters: the ones to care about, though his parents, specifically the mother, are two others. But the priest seems likely to reach that point relatively quickly, and the detective, from what I remember, ends up being brought to a similar place over time, at least in the next season.

(1,539-word review) It was high time to rewatch this show, particularly this season, which I started watching a month after its premiere. It came to my mind recently in an intensely nostalgic fashion, much to my surprise; I immediately decided to dive into this show a second time if only to re-evaluate it from an older, more mature perspective, giving it, the episodes, and seasons actual reviews instead of how I "reviewed" back then: one sentence that's either a question or void of saying whether I liked/disliked "it." Ironically, that seems popular and common now, like on Letterboxd; unfortunately, I wasn't aware enough to do it in that meme-esque, sometimes funny (but especially likely to get under the skin of many) way. You could effortlessly tell my brain wasn't at a suitable capacity; I was along for the ride regarding what I watched, enjoying it, yet had no idea what to write about it or what I thought about it beyond that.

I vividly remember liking the first season immensely, and that's corroborated by the ratings I gave each episode back then: mostly 10s, two 9s, and two 8s, though that was when I handed out high ratings to pretty much everything. But now that I've rewatched this series premiere at this time, years later and as a completely different person, generally and concerning how I view TV shows and films, in addition to writing semi-proper reviews now, I can say, assisted by utmost certainty, that it's up-to-par with that initial high rating - a little less so; my new one isn't a 10 out of 10, but an 8 out of 10 is close enough.

This introduction to these characters, specifically the introductory section up to the title card, was fantastic, particularly with how both Tandy and Tyrone's lives were coincidingly presented and edited together, further complimented by the gradual lead-up to their literal coming-together, on top of the similarities and tether of personal relatability and an emotional connection there, with and between their characters, beyond him saving her: the two of them doing the same with each other as their powers go hand-in-hand - from having a family member die in front of them to how Tandy's parents were negligent in raising her and barely involved in her life, leading to her growing up like that, in addition to life after her father's death, plus witnessing it, then with a single mother who already seemed to be the "worst" parent when both were alive: how it shaped her into the person she is currently, while Tyrone's brother died in front of him to then being lied to and gaslit about his death, subsequently growing up and living life without him, topped with his relationship with his parents being a little rocky; both characters, lost in life in present time, with the weight of their pasts on their shoulders while dealing with current struggles.

Additionally, their characters are perceivably being slowly but surely led to facing and confronting their pasts: fighting their respective battles. She will likely go against the Roxxon Corporation - not necessarily the entire company, but most certainly the head honcho or someone close to Nathan; that person may even fit within both categories. On the other side of the duo, he has already come in contact with Connors, the one responsible for Billy's death, which will, without a doubt, further develop into a proper confrontation.

Furthermore, her characterization, in particular (though that doesn't mean his characterization isn't), is off to a great start with subtle layers and visual, show, don't tell storytelling. I liked the shots of the female group of friends, completed with the shots of her afterward, how she saw her mother swallow a pill when the cronies from the Roxxon Corporation took everything, presumably to calm her down some and to help with the extreme emotional stress: to "stay strong," now doing the same thing herself, though not through swallowing them, only to then, at the end of the episode, look at the pills but chose Tyrone's jacket for comfort instead, and her reaction, coupled with rubbing her hand, after seeing her seat at the ballet show being in the middle of other attendees, probably because she would feel "trapped," symbolizing a fear from the car crash - telling us plenty with so little. That may have been somewhat simple (and perhaps other people thought that more strongly and only that: not worthy of praise), but I thought otherwise; it was effective and well done.

Overall, I'm pretty sure the Cloak & Dagger-centric comics were (and potentially are; I don't know if there are any ongoing comics with them) focused on grim themes, or those themes were at least moderately prominent, revolving deeply around s** or c***d trafficking, and maybe a tinge of d**g trafficking. I'm already knowledgeable, through mild remembrance, of this: that the show does honor that and leans heavily into that, adding a lot more to it than the mere, overarching teen drama-esque theme and that sort of thing, which many undoubtedly see this as, even those who've seen it, and while that is somewhat present, you shouldn't devalue the more serious themes that are also present.

For this first season, however, I'm reasonably confident that the focus is on their individual stories, each character's character development, and the coming-to-terms and knowledge improvement of their newfound abilities, intertwined with their collective character progression and development; the second season is when the overarching story leans into the harsh and cruel reality of human trafficking.

On top of that, I know their powers. But perhaps not comprehensively. Tandy can see the hopes of people, while Tyrone sees their fears; she can also summon light daggers (she may have the ability to bring forth other weapons or things and maybe even use those powers differently, not only conjuring knives/weapons), and he can teleport. They can also take away hopes and fears, not to mention amplify them, or at least Tyrone can do that from what I remember, including dragging people into his darkness, which has a dimension in and of itself; relating to that, his powers are scarier and possibly more automatic, shown by how Connors became weakened (perhaps beyond the current on-the-surface simplicity of that, like a portion of his life was sucked out of him; I may remember that a person's body becomes colder and colder as they're being affected by it) after merely coming in contact with that darkness and Tyrone's fear-seeing ability activated.

Besides the apparent lack of effort that went into (or didn't) the casting choice for the younger version of Tyrone, who did not resemble Aubrey Joseph whatsoever - and I'm joking about the possible implication of finding that inconsequential blunder to be immersion-breaking and a huge deal - it was a terrific series premiere.

The music/songs/song choices were excellent; the music supervisor(s) did a fantastic job. I'm aware that element, contributing to the teen drama feel, isn't everyone's cup of tea; some people probably didn't like it as much as I did, possibly even disliking or hating it - at the very least, doubtlessly annoyed by it, especially those who readily find things to dislike or allow to get under their skin unrealistically in shows and films. The score, too, stood out, especially during the scene with Billy and Tyrone before they ran and when they were running away as Nathan was on the phone and driving recklessly.

Not to mention, Olivia Holt's acting was phenomenal and did most of the carrying concerning that side of things, closely assisted by Gloria Reuben's acting. Aubrey Joseph did an equally efficient job, particularly in that "confrontation" scene; he and Gloria did wonderfully and played splendidly off each other.

Olivia and Aubrey had palpable chemistry from the get-go. The relationship between their characters isn't even a relationship yet, let alone platonic or romantic; as it develops, it'll likely go from the former to the latter. Or platonically undertoned with subtle crumbs of romance and s**ual tension as a slow burn. Tyrone seemed taken aback by Tandy's "well, you should wear it more often - hangs nicely off your shoulders" comment, and that had a greater sense of genuine affection and sincerity than what was present in his interactions with Evita: free and himself - untethered from putting up a bit of a front. Those two are undoubtedly the endgame ship, most notably in the minds of the majority, even if it remains in slow-burn, excruciating edging territory for the show's entirety.

But the writers are seemingly going for a classic love triangle, throwing Evita's character into the mix, given her obvious crush on him. He seems reciprocal enough - not to her level; he's noticeably distant and not fully present with her - for a potential relationship to occur: a brief one, no doubt. Hopefully, that dynamic isn't abused too much, especially regarding the inevitable increased distant behavior, now directly affecting and interfering instead of being something that happened to be in the air whenever they're together, all because of further exposure to Tandy and having a deeper connection and relationship with her, which she'll predictably notice. Handling that situation skillfully is vital, despite similar situations in TV shows and the like usually being an afterthought.

(490-word review) I only read up to 185 chapters in the manga a few years ago, and that was done casually, while I've been reading the recent ones as they're being released for months now or maybe closer to a year: still done casually. Either way, even if the opposite was true and I have read all of it, in addition to reading it week-by-week, I'm not in the position to have an appropriately concrete opinion on whether or not this show is a faithful and well-done adaptation because of the casual, skimming-through nature of reading it.

I can, however, from viewing it as itself, say it's great on every front. As long as you're not hastily judgemental about the initial appearance of the opposite, at least on a surface level, you can tell they put money into this show, minus the spectacle and spectacularity with its presentation you could potentially be accustomed to and likely expected from this show - the world they've built/the worldbuilding that's been done already is noticeable and remarkable, most notably through the sets and set design, and the practicality of constructing/building the ships; more importantly, you can see the effort that went into this, and you can feel the palpable genuity of care and passion that those involved with its creation (and bringing-to-life of everything) possess.

The script/pacing was straight to the point but plentiful with a good amount of stuff happening at all times, nicely compacted and efficient; most of the characters and their characterizations, especially all of the Straw Hat crew, were great, further complimented by the performances of those particular characters, though some of the other performances were weaker; the cinematography was consistently excellent, while the various instances of VFX and CGI looked flawless enough at first glance (the bounty posters - which were a fantastic addition and I hope that continues - the stretchiness of Luffy's powers, and the sea beast, stood out the most) was the same way. And, of course, the score was outstanding.

If this level of quality is maintained with the next season and, hopefully, seasons more concerning these angles and aspects, topped with the return, and hopefully lasting involvement, of Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli, as their score was phenomenal and contributed significantly to every scene (their departure from The Witcher was crazy; there's no way they made that decision themselves - whatever happened behind the scenes, especially if they were replaced with intention/fired - only someone like Lauren Schmidt Hissrich would do that with composers of their skill - better not happen here), that's about the best sign possible of the continued up-and-coming success story of this show. Netflix could have something special on its hands for the ages, a flagship series, provided they take a leap of faith with it - the ball is in their court. It's now a matter of playing their cards right: making beneficial and correct decisions.

Here's to the second season and beyond!

(712-word review) This was an excellent finale to the season! I'm already in dire need of another one; I need it now! WE need it now. This is why the concept of time machines exists: to give hope in one's existence to watch the second season and every other one afterward right away. I know bits and pieces of what will likely be covered - bits and pieces of sand, even; lots of sand in two ways, not just concerning the location - but not so much the overall story and moments within that story arc, though I know certain characters who'll be introduced; two characters specifically. A woman and a man, Mrs. Hat and Mr. Hook; however, it won't mean anything out-of-context for those new to One Piece. If you're familiar with the manga or anime, you'll immediately know who I'm talking about. And, of course, the character who was teased at the end.

The second season will likely be incredible for many reasons. For starters, this one was the introductory phase; the story arcs were "tame" compared to everything that comes next, in addition to how one of the main focuses was the working towards and establishment of the Straw Hats with each character introduction, bringing them together; therefore, that's been done here, leaving plenty of room for them as a crew (but also individually) that we undoubtedly desire and will enjoy immensely moving forward. Not only that, there should be that budget increase you can usually accurately expect with subsequent seasons of a show, on top of the experience gleaned by everyone involved with this first one, from the actors to all the departments/crew, that will assist tremendously; hopefully, most of them are brought back if not all.

Everything (at face value, as anyone can look hard enough and find things to dislike or manufacture those things) landed - for me, at least. Everything was perfectly executed. Other than Zoro and Sanji's fight sequence having noticeable VFX blood at certain parts with some instances of the choreography looking like they should've had more impact, which was still easy to look past, and their banter was great, Luffy vs. Arlong was fantastic, especially Luffy's final two moves and the last move in particular - a lot of money, time, and caring effort must've gone into that - the moment when Luffy came out of the rubble and everyone's reaction, complimented by the musical motif from Nami's theme song playing, was equally fantastic.

Circling back to Zoro and Sanji's fight sequence, specifically against Kuroobi, that dive into the water and rapid movement through it and subsequent out-of-water tackle on Sanji by him was super great. My only complaint would be the lack of stuff like that: the lack of water utilization and Fish-Man Karate by the Fishmen. That somewhat diminished it, making it a bit generic; in all fairness, that had more involvement in making it stand out, not the VFX blood and low-impact-looking choreography. It would've been nice if the fight choreographer(s) devised an efficient way to incorporate more of those things with the cannon fodder Fishmen.

But the final scene before the teaser, from Luffy's gift (or the crew's gift) to Nami, then her/their gift to Luffy of the actual Jolly Roger (which I'm assuming was done by her; I don't remember that part from the manga - or Usopp may have done it), to even further heights with everyone declaring their dream and the splicing-together of their past selves, topped with Zoro's hilarious taken aback reaction (it's my headcanon that it wasn't scripted and that was merely Mackenyu's reaction) to all of them wooing/whooping, was so much better, and everything else was already good; what a phenomenal scene. And all the reactions to Luffy's bounty, from Makino to Kaya to Zeff to Buffy to Garp to Shanks, were an appreciatable addition and very anime-like.

This conclusion was satisfying; every plot thread was wrapped up nicely, and the way it ended was silky smooth, even more than Zohan's hair-dressing, allowing that same smoothness to be present with the transition into the next season. And hell, I'll bump up my rating for this finale to a nine out of ten; an eight got the point across, but nine was right there - ripe for the taking.

(835-word review) Nami was the final crew member whose backstory had yet to be revealed and was saved for last, and here it is. It wasn't entirely unknown, as with other things from the manga mentioned in my previous reviews. Objectively speaking, it was undoubtedly the most tragic of the backstories - right now. And THAT scene at the end of the episode was nicely done; let's ignore Luffy's shouting-at-the-sky declaration, for it was too much, regardless of source material accuracy.

Even before that, the scene in which her lifelong plan falls apart was superb and perhaps better. Emily Rudd's performance in each of them was outstanding. Her line delivery has occasionally felt forced in prior episodes, but her overall acting has been adequate. That seems contradictory - doesn't it? This episode set the stage for her to cook, thanks to the scriptwriting/manga counterpart, and she went all in.

I've been speculating how her theme song track (featuring AURORA's melancholy but soulful and heavenly vocals) will be applied and woven into the show since hearing it. Given the feeling it evokes, I expected it to accompany a scene/moment with a central theatrically epic nature. And that wasn't necessarily the case, though there is some leeway in making that association.

Prior assumptions aside, the incorporation, not of the song but of an instrumental version, fit its context; it intensified the emotion spilling forth of the severity behind the crumbling away of everything worked towards for so long. It may even be in the finale, and if so, its insertion (which will most likely be the actual song with the lyrics) could be during a more epic/montage-y moment, with the crew sailing off. I particularly enjoyed the musical motifs (?) that appeared throughout the episode; I heard two instances, but there could have been more. That was a nice touch.

But I don't have a firm view on the backstory's overall success, and the occasionally awkward acting by Lily Fisher, notably by Genna Galloway in the scene where Nami mentioned hating being poor, didn't help. Neither did the dialogue about "I thought I was going to die; when I saw you, I knew I had to live," which appears manga/anime-like and may even be accurate; yet, the ridiculousness underlying such dialogue remains. On the plus side, Lily's performance was good preceding Bell-mère's death.

The more obvious impediment was how much it depends on Arlong's character; he's the linchpin. The seriousness of his cruelty is critical for adequately portraying Nami's past and effectively establishing the type of person he is, in addition to McKinley Belcher III's acting complimenting that. But his characterization and some areas of the portrayal dragged those elements down a notch. You can tell he's supposed to be this terrifying, terrible villain, while, in actuality, he's a palpable misfire and the weakest one; Kuro has been the best villain of this season, which sucks because Arlong's supposed to be a super intimidating and formidable opponent for Luffy, the toughest so far, indicating the increased effect the Grand Line antagonists/opponents will have on him and even us, the viewers.

The choices to cast a black actor to play him and to write the Fishman-human dynamic complexities in the slightly heavy-handed way they have to blend those two elements further, in addition to that hip-hop centric theme song score cue and the undertones of excessive/on-the-nose modernity, lessened the ruthlessness aspects of his character that should've been a slam-dunk: making him come across as goofy. And, of course, considering his part in Nami's backstory, it also lessened the effectiveness of that.

He's essentially an expanded/reworked iteration of Alvida - and portrayed as unconvincingly. While this was among the worst offenders, the two instances of him vibing to the music were somewhat funny - and his complete laugh, accompanied by pissing himself from the sound of it (that was served to us two times (?), beginning with him at Baratie in the previous episode after threatening to start eating the other people there, and when he laughed here in the map prison room with Nami) was the same way.

To avoid a misunderstanding, he's rightfully dislikable/hateable. For me, however, the subtle things that contributed to his, no doubt unintended, goofiness did most of the work in making him easy to dislike and want to be beaten by Luffy as immediately as possible - and I doubt the writers wrote him that way, topped with the additions of modern times, through the theme song in particular (though it's a catchy beat) among other details, revolving his character around them, with that in mind. But I'll take anything that makes his looming defeat more satisfying.

In other news, that Jinbe name-drop/foreshadowing by him was something else. I have no idea whether he was mentioned this early in the manga or if it was later on, which, in all fairness, would still constitute "early," given the number of chapters. When I heard that, I immediately became the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme. I liked it.

(700-word review) Sanji's backstory, specifically the twist at the end, and the much more surprising twist and subsequent betrayal by a particular character - though it was made less of a surprise here because bits and pieces were leading up to it, whereas it was sudden and shocking in the manga - likely landed well with many of the viewers who haven't read the manga or watched the anime. Some fans of the source material may have enjoyed this episode even more because they got to see each of them (especially the backstory) in live-action. I assume it was one of the season's best for many people.

I was previously familiar with the backstory details, most notably the ultimate twist, alongside the surprising discovery of Nami's allegiance and her pivotal decision that leads to a highly memorable scene, which bodes well for the remaining two episodes. But, contrary to the likelihood that having prior knowledge did not have the same effect on other people, I believe that "lessened" the expected impact of those two things. More controversially, Sanji's backstory was the weaker one, and the whole thing with Nami landed better, with the subtle piercing effect of it on Luffy (on top of his reaction), not to mention it sets up her backstory. More importantly, it adds to the effective dynamic of the crew and how much Luffy values her, leading to that iconic moment, which will undoubtedly land for me if only due to the reunion.

Another perspective to consider is how good the previous episode was, going above and beyond and establishing, with ease, the standard to live up to and (hopefully) surpass, either with the final two, possibly both, but more generally, encompassing the entire show. It cooked up a massive fire and left it sizzling, while this one had difficulties keeping that sizzle going, let alone reviving it back to a fire.

However, on the plus side, Arlong's arrival at the Baratie propelled a slightly overarching weakness to considerable improvement. That fight sequence was good, and Buggy's reappearance was fantastic. He was the best part of this episode. There was also something that may have gone under the radar, and it relates to certain shots in previous episodes that weren't particularly liked; well, the revelation that he's been eavesdropping with his "eyes and ears everywhere" explains those shots, though I was already a fan of them before this recontextualization and deeper meaning. But at least there's an actual reason, beyond being a directing choice, for the people who were turned off.

I also liked the scene with Zoro and Luffy after the former woke up, featuring Usopp. The emotional connection present on Luffy's part, complimented further by Zoro's vow and the weight behind it, was noticeably well-executed, and the comedic relief moments of the hug and the arm yank were not only funny but they increased the sincerity of the scene; the way Zeff's mustache was flopping as he was prodding Sanji to go after his dream, the final goodbyes between them at the end was surprisingly impactful, largely thanks to Taz Skylar's acting, Zoro's reaction to Buggy, which was enhanced by that circus-y score cue kicking in, and Nami's outfits - the costume department needs massive applause for their excellent job here.

But that final shot of Koby after Garp's speech was hilarious. I've always been indifferent concerning that subplot. I've seen some complaints about it, coming down to frustration about the amount of screen time it's receiving: how Usopp's story deserved a chunk, and now Sanji's story - both of which were practically on the back-burner within THEIR stories. While I'm still indifferent towards those sentiments and observations, that subplot/the scenes with Koby and Garp are becoming tedious now. They seem to lack variation; it's the same conversations over and over, seasoned with the continual bug-eyed, jittery acting by Koby's actor - that never bothered me much until now, as it's growing old, despite the potential trueness and faithfulness to his character in the manga. And what was up with Garp's speech? What was different about that declaration compared to his initial avenue of action? I must've missed something subtle that indicated a significant change in the course of action.

(945-word review) Despite only reaching CH.185 of the manga years ago, meaning mostly everything in all those chapters is a blur (and I mean EVERYTHING), I still remembered the Zoro vs. Mihawk decimation. It's iconic and easily memorable; plus, Mihawk has such a distinctive aesthetic and air about him, even in manga form, almost to the point of seeming cocky and smug but managing to walk a thin line between that and simply being HIM; he's an absolute menace, and he pulls it off exquisitely. He also accomplishes fraudulent status. That's when you know he's a god-tier character - Fraudhawk, the GOAT.

But, in terms of the show, I already knew that this was THAT episode, the one with that fight, so naturally, I had high expectations going in, which further stemmed from knowing that reaction videos to this episode on YouTube are receiving an increased influx of views than previous and subsequent ones. I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed, and the fight sequence itself was well done and efficiently depicted the beyond-vast gap between Zoro and him, stretching that dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman to even higher, unimaginable heights, which followed the manga's lead. It's not even close: this is the finest one of the season so far.

Everything that mattered most was perfect, from Mihawk's introduction/Steven John Ward's flawless performance to all of the scenes at The Baratie, especially the one with Zoro and Nami: both of whom, specifically him, let down their walls a bit, connecting to an extent and giving us some character development, resulting in them feeling more like proper characters. He displayed genuine emotion for once during that brief interaction with Nami and after challenging Mihawk. That other interaction with her concerning the approaching battle, including his declaration at the end of this episode after its conclusion, were both brimming with more emotion than he's revealed up to this point, except for when he was younger in the backstory flashback.

Furthermore, I liked the parallel there, between his emotional showing in the past and during his fight; he was acting the same way he did against Kuina, with aggression, in addition to the other parallel between Luffy and Sanji regarding their parental figures - how Luffy's been in a similar enough scenario with Garp, only he has already stood up for himself and his dream, going against Garp's wishes, while telling Sanji to do the same, who hasn't done that. There are complexities involved, for sure. But, as I said earlier, about 99% of everything up to the point where I unintentionally began a hiatus that turned indefinite while reading the manga is a blur. I don't remember what's up with Zeff (otherwise known as Ghost - but also Gaz and Wallcroft; Craig Fairbrass has a distinctive voice) and the dynamic there with Sanji, though it's still noticeable that Zeff cares about him, as does Garp care about Luffy.

Another thing I liked a lot was Garp's reaction to Luffy's cannonball deflection, which was an assortment of emotions: a concoction of anger, frustration, his fighting spirit/yearning for battle rising to the surface, and being proud of him. That show of those things reminded me of Walter White's reaction in the car after his interaction/deal with Tuco in Breaking Bad: a palpable surge of life, excitement, and LOVING it.

And, of course, there was Sanji's introduction to the show. Besides the fact that he's already likable in such little screen time, in addition to being wonderfully portrayed, and wanting to see more of him right away, particularly as a member of the crew and his interactions with everyone else, most notably Zoro, I immediately fixated on Taz Skylar's accent, which is discernably British but often sounded way different; it even had Jamaican similarities or something along those lines at the end of his first dialogs to the two guys who were arguing and how he pronounced the name of the restaurant: "Now, now, gentlemen. You know the rules here. We don't waste food, and there is no fighting at Baratie." That's the Canary Islands side of it, and it's an unusual mixture - in a good and oddly well-resulted way. I've never heard anything like it. His deep-ish voice/accent also sounded black to me in his first scene, like those in England who say "bruv," wherever in England that is; maybe that's where he grew up. Taz is HIM; he's Sanji, 100%.

An unexpected and effectively hilarious moment that deserves attention and a mention was when Zoro was struggling to sit down with the swords. While it was one of those things that usually brings immediate second-hand embarrassment for me, it quickly faded and turned into something funny. I like the moments like that and similar subtle instances the writers are doing with his character, like the drinking habit and the one-liners relating to it; "That fish better have a bar" was another great one-liner.

Lastly, the score cue during the surgical cutting-down-to-size operation on Zoro, "Wounds On The Back Are A Swordsman's Greatest Shame," was good; however, the one during the credits was absolute bananas. The guy on the guitar was going ham; those strings must've been on fire. That track, "Zoro vs Mihawk," featuring the godly fingers of Marcin, is easily up there in the Top 5 score cues of this season's soundtrack. "Smells Like Butter, Soy Sauce And Meat" was another enjoyable track, especially the last section as The Baratie came into sight.

My initial rating for this episode was an eight out of ten, but a nine was more appropriate. It was top-tier: a popular opinion from the appearance of things, and rightfully so.

(853-word review) As the climax of the previous episode, this one was bound to surpass it, which it easily achieved, to no one's surprise, especially myself. It was understandably better and more exciting. Alexander Maniatis stepped up his acting even more, giving Kuro a fiercer presence and deeper depth, albeit in the category of capricious and extravagant villains, and there were two fight sequences/action, making up for the prior lack of that element.

Luffy vs. Kuro was undoubtedly the best because (one.) we get to see Kuro receive his comeuppance at (two.) the hands (and head) of Luffy, and (three.) a glimpse of a serious attitude, more than when he nearly lost his hat two episodes ago, which unsurprisingly stemmed from his crew/friends being in danger; that grin while pulling Kuro's arms away from each other was peak cinema - Luffy's a complete menace.

Zoro vs. Sham (whose actress is undeniably hot, especially as the character; her actual (pirate) outfit also looked great) and Buchi was a little weaker but still decent; it was even more riveting in some ways, thanks to the execution of the choreography, which was good, with Mackenyu being the highlight, as he's trained, in addition to that fight sequence serving as a moment for Zoro to shine. But, under the surface, some parts of it revolving around Sham and Buchi, relating to their characterizations, were silly, and the choreography itself would've benefited immensely from a tiny amount of improvement: their characters knocked it down a notch.

However, from what I've seen, those who disliked the first installment of this two-parter also felt similarly regarding this episode. I can't quite put myself in their shoes to comprehend where they're coming from, at least concerning its entirety. But there were two points that I agreed with, which were mentioned by some and likely felt by the majority of individuals who weren't fans of these two episodes.

Here are those points: Sham and Buchi were extremely underwhelming (but perhaps it's the same in the manga: there wasn't much that could be done to elevate their characters in live-action), and their quirky, argumentative dynamic was dull and awkward, whether the cause was the performances by Bianca Oosthuizen and Albert Pretorius or that those types of characterizations usually don't turn out well, particularly in live-action media, while Audrey Cymone's (Shimotsuki Kuina) acting was noticeably weak, following that same reality with Colton Osorio (Young Luffy) and Kevin Saula (Young Usopp), specifically the latter; however, Maximilian Lee Piazza's acting as the younger version of Zoro was better, not to mention there's still the young versions of Nami and Sanji to judge, who could end up being the best ones out of those actors.

Besides that, I'm going against the grain concerning how it seems the other way around for many people: this episode was better than the previous one. The final 10-12 minutes, or so, in particular, once the Syrup Village Arc concluded, were fantastic. But overall, there were many things to like, starting with the score cues; Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli popped off.

These were the most notable ones: the one during Zoro and Kuina's fight, especially the energetic end of it as their battle concluded, the one when Zoro found out about her death/took her sword/as he was climbing up the well - the flute was excellent or whatever instrument that was; I've heard it before, and I know it's used frequently in Japanese or maybe Chinese music, and that score cue felt both reminiscent of their work on the first season of The Witcher and reminiscent of the music in Naruto/Naruto Shippuden (the climax, while Zoro made it up, was particularly fantastic); the one when the crew gets the ship (that middle part of the "I'm Gonna Be King Of The Pirates / We Are!" track is phenomenal), and the one when they sailed off, including the montage of everyone and how they're settling in, which could be that same track but a different part, and it sounded even more like the score in S1 of The Witcher.

The remaining things were specific scenes: Luffy throwing up on Helmeppo and his reaction, Helmeppo's look of resignation at Zoro's appearance, knowing he's about to get bullied again, then getting knocked out - his character, who's more so the butt of the joke (but lowkey HIM) has been a treat and portrayed fabulously by Aidan Scott; Zoro's backstory was excellent, not to mention the primary highlight of the episode; Luffy smiling at Nami after he won the bet of getting a ship; the scene at the end of the crew where Nami laughed, then Zoro followed was great - "This is what it's all about" is the truth! Thank you for saying it, Luffy! And we love it!

Honorable mentions: Celeste Loots (Kaya) gave a stand-out acting performance, going even further than initially, following in the footsteps of Alexander Maniatis. She was an unexpected highlight of these two episodes in that department. And the cinematography, most notably the lighting/sunlight and beauty of the ocean, looked incredible. Real locations and natural lighting win every time.

(576-word review) I can already imagine many viewers disliking this episode, both those who have read the manga (or watched the anime) and those who are new to this universe. Some may even go so far as to call it terrible, complaining about specific aspects, such as the camera angles (which I consider a knee-jerk reaction) because the fact that camerawork can be done in different ways and not the usual way must be so shocking, immediately chalking it up to poor directing/cinematography ('different' is good, even if you aren't always onboard with it; that's fine - but don't get overly exasperated about it), and so on. The camera work of the scene with Luffy and Zoro near the wanted posters was most certainly the worst offender; interestingly enough, that stood out to me in the opposite fashion - I thought it was great.

While this was the weakest episode, that is not to suggest it wasn't good or a noticeable drop compared to the first two episodes, as some have expressed. If your main complaint, or one of them, was that it was boring, it's because it was the first episode of a two-parter. And, 90% of the time, the first half in these scenarios is the weakest. That said, an adequate job was done in making it enjoyable, even though this section in the manga has been stated to be poor overall.

99% of the help with that was probably given through the character moments - that appeared to be the most dominant focus here, and it was a success. All of the interactions involving the "Not a crew" crew were fantastic, as they should be, from the dinner scene (Iñaki Godoy was Luffy to the fullest there, outdoing himself) to Nami and Kaya's conversation/the kitchen scene with Usopp (in addition to his involvement in others), particularly the smaller snippets between Luffy, Zoro, and Nami.

Buggy's interaction with Arlong was also beneficial and the best part of this episode. That was an important scene for two reasons: (one.) it changed the playing field established previously, where Buggy is seemingly a top-dog figure, only for the subtlety of that to crumble down so quickly due to Arlong's introduction, and (two.) through that alone, rearranged the board or interfered with the process of its establishment as the season is merely three episodes in, effectively updating the stage and getting the point across that he's a threat, plus the score cue was good, as were the score cues during the ship reveal and after Kuro killed Merry.

Additionally, Jacob Gibson has already embodied the character of Usopp, who, despite not being as charismatic as Luffy, whether true to the characters or not, you can tell Jacob must be in real life, not to mention charming, since that subtle impression also adds to the portrayal/performance. The only issue I have is the ineffectiveness of the end of the backstory/flashback plot thread, mainly because the kid-version actor wasn't good, and Usopp's mother died too abruptly, adding a comedic tone.

Also, Alexander Maniatis played Kuro superbly, with the appropriate blend of properness but with that ominous undertone beneath the mask of politeness bleeding through the sheer appearance of his complete decorum, as if he were transferred straight from the manga. Everyone else who partook in bringing him to life and the work they put in, from costume design to hair styling, did an excellent job, and Celeste Loots played her character well.

(480-word review) This was an excellent follow-up to the series premiere. The past (with Luffy and Shanks) and present (with the Straw Hat Crew), as well as the little less prominent focus on the Marines/Garp/Koby, were equally engaging and enjoyable. Both episodes worked well together; the pacing and structure are consistent and complementary, synergizing perfectly.

I was more interested and invested in everything with Luffy, Zoro, and Nami in the premiere, while the stuff in the past was less so - so it's a good sign here that it's reached the benchmark that our three main characters have set individually, partially together, and collectively. And, unexpectedly, as I would have thought the opposite, that portion with Luffy and Shanks was the most enjoyable for me, particularly their final scene; that score cue was phenomenal - Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli are superb and masters of their craft.

Jeff Ward's performance was an anticipated highlight and episode-stealer - well, let's be honest, show-stealer, since he'll surely be up there, potentially at the very top, by the end of the season: easily remembered when looking back on it in the far future. While Steven John Ward may upstage or rival him, his position at the top is unquestionably secure.

Furthermore, Peter Gadiot fashioned himself into the role of Shanks in this episode: something in limbo previously. But he's already made an impression on me, requiring only a slight amount more screen time to perform his magic, reinforcing the now-confirmed but uncommon notion that he's excellent in this role, despite the early, initial doubts and skepticism concerning that.

Another plus was the VFX and CGI. The depiction of Buggy's powers looked well done: not too outlandish in uncanny territory, while the more prominent usage of Luffy's stretchy powers, compared to what we saw in the premiere, was the same way, and the CGI of the sea monster looked even better - both the design itself and its appearance, which didn't look fake in the sense of looking poorly-done. I was particularly taken with the visual effects of the splashing water as it descended. That stood out for some reason. And the last shot of the ocean and sunset during that was stunning.

My only criticisms were Zoro's quick loyalty and belief in Luffy (there was little lead-up, though you can attribute it to the possibility that he was drawn in and enticed by Luffy's carefree attitude and relentless confidence) and some instances of Emily Rudd's acting/line delivery that seemed forced; it was as if she wasn't uttering the words all the way/following through with the utterance. If it was a deliberate choice, I've only considered one explanation, and it pertains to Nami's ulterior motivations, which means she's also putting on a front: being "fake," hence the forcefulness of the line delivery at times. It could be a case of inexperience with the character portrayal currently.

(840-word review) This appears to be a commonly held opinion, and I shared it: the first half, or everything with Luffy, Koby, and Alvida, was a difficult start, even to "get through." It primarily concerned the acting of all three characters by Iñaki Godoy, Morgan Davies, and Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, with Iñaki's acting requiring some immediate adjustment, same with Morgan's acting (particularly the voice/accent, including the line delivery) to an extent - while Luffy and Koby's interactions had a bit of a whiplash, partially stemming from that, in addition to the characters themselves and their characterizations - and most notably, Ilia's acting, which was the most effective at throwing you for a loop; her and Morgan were the most distracting as far as that's concerned. You can ascertain what I'm insinuating. While Iñaki only required the continual exposure of the entire episode.

Fortunately, as the episode continued past that point, it became better and better, steadily improving. It spiked once Zoro appeared, who effortlessly stole the show for a variety of reasons, including Mackenyu's dominating presence, the fight choreography and his execution of it, and the subtle comedic tones at moments when Zoro was on-screen. Then Nami appeared - fantastic stuff; I liked the progression of her, Luffy, Zoro, and their arrival at the same place and the lead-up to them being together: a Luffy-proclaimed crew. But they're "not a crew/not together." Mackenyu and Emily Rudd, especially him, were the most distinctive highlights; all three characters, when together, stole the show collectively, aided by a palpable and genuine dynamic filled with chemistry that Luffy and Koby lacked.

Other aspects, such as the world-building and production value, were, understandably, prominently featured, as this world is vast, detailed, and particular; it was well-depicted, but I'm looking forward to the rest of the season for more of that aspect to see its overall scope, not because it wasn't good in this episode (it was), but because it can be better, and I'm sure it improves throughout. That's one reason to want another season: a larger budget and a better understanding of how to improve on many components through trial and error in this one by everyone involved with all facets of this show's development, utilizing the experience and knowledge gained here.

Going deeper into that, the set design stood out, namely the spaciousness, which I appreciated, probably more than I should have because I have no idea why. It may be summed up by saying it looks appealing; additionally, it may represent the magnitude of the entire world itself to an extent. Their environment-related details were notable, such as Helmeppo's self-portrait, the statue, paintings, the square sections of the ceiling, and the thing on the wall showing several axes in Axe-Hand Morgan's office. That gave the environments life, giving them identities and the impression that they were actual characters. You can see that a lot of thought and care went into it.

Specific things that were effective for me and great: (1.) the direction/editing regarding the close-up shots on faces - primarily the close-up shots on eyes (e.g., Mr. 7 and Zoro's at the beginning of their fight sequence), the telescope shot of Nami, the split-screen one, akin to Western-genre films and also manga panels, before the fight sequence against Axe-Hand Morgan kicked off (all that was missing was the starting pistol shot signaling to begin), and the rocky (hand-held...?) camerawork in the scene of Garp and Bogard - (2.) the score, which was unsurprisingly a hit, especially the one when the crew set sail, aside from the "Wealth Fame Power" track.

Followed by various funny moments: "I even have to paint her toenails," Luffy slapping Koby (for "You being dumb"), "A bottle for me, and one for my friend: he's had a rough day," "You stupid, stupid girl," - Helmeppo's laugh, the scene of him naked, enjoying his reflection in the mirror while swinging Zoro's sword, then the majestic arrival of Zoro, and his final appearance, especially Luffy and Zoro laughing at his new haircut, courtesy of Zoro; his entire character and Aidan Scott's performance was phenomenal, forming the desire to want more of him - "Get lost. I am...lost," and finally, Jeff Ward's performance, which is already somewhat stealing the show with so little screen time; Buggy will surely be a highlight of this season.

Zoro (Mackenyu), Helmeppo (Aidan Scott), Nami (Emily Rudd), and Buggy (Jeff Ward), along with the scenes of the crew together, where the fun began, were the ultimate show-stealers. I suspect Iñaki Godoy, who was decent despite the outstanding competition, will achieve that level during the season as he settles into the part and grows accustomed to it, making the character his and as effective as possible. There's undeniable heart at work - already in the series premiere, and that's paving the way for a larger-scale, likely successful execution of that, on top of the feeling of pure, genuine fun that took over the screen once our three central characters teamed up; little do they know what awaits them.

(568-word review) This season was low for me, appeal-wise. It's generally been lackluster, not to mention that too much was going on, which has resulted in clutter. But this was an excellent finale, and it was, without a doubt, the best episode of the season. While one of the reasons (ONE, as I know the main reason was Ah Sahm never telling Young Jun that Mai Ling is his sister) leading up to the most significant story element here of Ah Sahm vs. Young Jun and Hong/the Hop Wei, as in him and Yan Mi, was ridiculous, that's in the past; plus, the conclusion brought some actual excitement to this season.

Leaving aside Ah Toy's vengeance on Strickland, Leary's return to the driver's seat of short-term gain (getting immediate jobs for Irishmen, contrary to Strickland's teachings), with slightly more political intelligence and confidence from those teachings, the set-up for Officer Lee's re-emergence - and Li Yong's rise to some form of leadership (now having EX-Long Zii members move on from the tong and choosing to follow him), plus Ah Sahm and Mai Ling's reunion at the end/and likely subsequent on-the-same-side allyship, as those conclusions/developments aren't as compelling, my other takeaway was what occurred with Chao and another character at the end. That was more impactful than the climax of the internal conflict within the Hop Wei. If a fourth season happens, there's a good chance that Chao's predicament is permanent, and that would suck; we can all agree on that.

However, at the risk of inciting hope, I've considered two possible routes, diverging from that outcome: Yan Mi could somehow (and predictably) get off the train and get back to the railway platform quick enough to, again, SOMEHOW save him or (b.) Lee followed her there, preceded/potentially set up by his scene with Agent Mosley at the police station - his belief that the tongs could tie up that loose end, meaning he's nearby, saw what went down, and will come swooping in, saving Chao a second time.

Minor observations: (one.) Bill's appearance right behind Leary at Strickland's place was a classic case of teleportation; (two.) the "pay-off" of the Buckley-Catherine subplot, with her intention being Mayor Blake's estate, as Buckley is its custodian (which was mentioned in the second episode), wasn't worthwhile, though Stewart Gumm's (his assistant) involvement, especially his relationship with Catherine, was unexpected, in the style of typical 40s/50s-films' storylines; (three.) the one-inch punch by Ah Sahm was goofy, despite the Bruce Lee homage, and winning that easily (I'm not saying he should've been losing) against Hong and Young Jun was extreme.

This counts as both a season finale and a series finale. Everything felt conclusive and had a resolution, though some plot threads, particularly Zing's reappearance and Chao's status, were ambiguously open-ended. Another season would walk the balance between unnecessary/too much and successful, given how the story and plot lines are stretched thin, especially now. Most viewers still want at least one more; should that happen, I think it should end there - if only to give the show a more concrete ending on all fronts. However, if this is the final episode, it is adequate.

Now it's time, fingers crossed, for greener pastures, TV show-wise, with Netflix's One Piece premiering tomorrow. I already want today to be Thursday; I want it to deliver and stick the landing. THE ONE PIECE IS REAL!

(432-word review) My interest/engagement in this season has dwindled by this point, not that it was incredibly high to begin with, but the beginning was more enjoyable. Now, it's just a case of standing on the sidelines and watching it fizzle away; practically nothing is compelling anymore.

I never cared about Hong and Marcel's relationship/that plot line, which ended with this episode (and Hong's physical confrontation with Graham (the cop) was contrived: conflict for the sake of conflict) - but there could be another scene or two in the finale. Its insignificant irrelevance, apparent from the get-go, was unsurprisingly solidified at the end. Who'd have guessed? Whatever glimmer of hope for a worthwhile pay-off that may have existed has been squandered. It was so dull and reeked of desire to give Hong something other than being the quirky, comedic relief character. LGBTQIA+ (or LGBTQ+ - whichever term is most acceptable) representation isn't a miraculous stand-in for an ineffectual plotline. Marcel's song was good, though; Telly Leung is a talented singer with a great voice.

I also never cared about Lai's character, which is required for her death to land. The scenes leading up to it from the previous two episodes, particularly the questionable logic (or lack thereof) surrounding them, reinforce the lack of effect, as stated in my reviews of those episodes. But, at the very least, Father Jun's death at the intentional but understandably reluctant hand of Young Jun went a little beyond, as far as the intended landing/success is concerned.

And the whole Yan Mi and Ah Sahm thing is ludicrous. He's going against Young Jun and the tong for her so rapidly, partially under the guise of never belonging in the Hop Wei - and now "coming to his senses," led by her ostensibly flawlessly perfect existence being the catalyst. It's ridiculous. This would've possessed the necessary believability (though still dubious) if the love interest in this context was Penelope Blake, leading me to wonder if the possibility of this story element, or something similar, was brought to consciousness before this season, followed by Joanna Vanderham having scheduling conflicts, resulting in the creation of Yan Mi's character.

Despite the lower investment, this episode was enjoyable and was one of the better ones of the season's second half. Leary was the "savior," blowing up the bridge (by the way, that explosion looked great; it must've been practical to some extent), and most importantly, the final fight sequence; the last kill was gnarly - it may also be the goriest depiction of that type of imagery in the entire show: it's undeniably up there.

(641-word review) Judging from the general reaction, I was "supposed" to think this was incredibly intense or yet another phenomenal episode, or that was likely - if you put shows on a pedestal and convince yourself it's so great, as many people unmistakably do with this show, denying that it's serviceable entertainment at best, 99% of the time. Reality had different plans. This was worse than the previous episode. It seems like this season is gradually fizzling out, on top of being rushed now because of too many plotlines/plot threads and too much focus on the wrong ones.

We have Kong Pak, whose purpose was whispering in Li Yong's ear 24/7, whose death allows Li Yong to enter his depressed 'What do I do now?' phase, wrapped in some weak attempt of characterization of being close to him, which happens to be vital components of what happens in this episode - by the way, their fight sequence's choreography, and or the way it was filmed/edited, was a little underwhelming - so naturally, it must be impactful and layered: a proper lead-up to it and development of their supposed closeness, right? Wrong.

While having him in the show since the beginning would've helped immensely, accomplishing the desired effect through there being layers to his character and Li Yong's, especially together, in merely one season, could've still been done.

Instead, we get under-development to the point where it's shocking and unbelievable that the conclusion and encompassing nature were presented to be this significant, with some friendly sparring matches expected to fill in the gaps, followed by a repeat of the same conversations but in different forms; however, even if the writers were more imaginative, there would still be the issue I've continuously brought up: there's too much ambition going on here, much like with Mai Ling, ironically - trying to bite off more than can/should be chewed. Speaking of her, while her actions relate to Li Yong's current mental and emotional state, let's not pretend that Kong Pak's death has nothing to do with it; it's possibly the main reason.

And, despite many viewers rooting for Bill against Atwood - probably because (1.) Atwood is a new character and a hard-head, easy to dislike, and (2.) Bill has been on the show since the beginning; most people are accustomed to him, possibly attached, and it stands to reason that the writers were counting on that, wanting you to be on Bill's side - I wasn't. Atwood was in the right, not to mention the way Neels Clasen plays the character and delivers his lines is entertaining and slightly charismatic; he has a magnetic presence.

In other news, it's Part Two of Lai's Contrived Adventures, adding to the dubious logic of Lai and how she knew where Strickland lived (or where he'd be and subsequently followed him). What occurred this time, you wonder? She has infiltrated his cleaning crew. Isn't this amazing stuff? Whatever reasoning one may come up with, whether it's the claim that Strickland regards the Asian people working for him as appearing the same, generally speaking, as I'm referring to this entire plot thread, or something else, this isn't entirely logical. What about the rest of the servants, who must not be as alert and aware of everyone and everything in the building as you'd expect, especially regarding themselves, given Lai's successful infiltration, as one of them, which is questionable?

Last but not least, some of Harrison's (Nicholas Pauling) lines: "A lot less if I let those boys go," "Sorry, Bill," and "I can't." - sounded like Shay Cormac from Assassin's Creed Rogue. His accent has been inconsistent, though not as awful as that of Killy Donahue (Morné Visser). Because Shay's voice actor isn't Irish, and his accent was widely panned, the takeaway from the similar-sounding accents must be along the same lines.