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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Children of the Comet (2022)
Reject PIC. Embrace SNW.
Wow, this is an improvement over the Pilot. Again, an interesting plotline, and the pacing's better. Although, it was meh in the first 20 minutes. Nothing interesting was going on. So yes, the Enterprise discovers a lone comet that is already going to hit an inhabited planet where its lifeforms are not aware of the incoming doom. At least, they kept the accuracy of how we name comets. I do like the mystery behind the Comet. Once you see ancient relics on their surface, many questions start to surround your mind. Or that's just me, lol. I do love a good mystery. I have to give some gratitude to there being themes of music in this episode, which ST barely explores anymore.
The makeup and CGI of the people in that desert village are top-notch. It's always lovely to see the exploration of "strange new" stuff out there. I was never fascinated with the way that DIS did it by overusing CGI. Especially when it came to the "Klingons", they aren't bald all of the time. God damn it. But anyway.
INTERRUPTION: I've made some of this review back in May 2022; life happened to me, and I had to take a months-long break from reviewing in and out.
I will say that the first twenty minutes aren't THANKFULLY Starfleet members being the complete opposite.
Spock acting like a mentor figure to Uhara was great, and the decision for her, if she belongs on the Enterprise, was interesting. This is actual character development, NEW TREK. The threat of the comet hitting the planet with a potential species was well-executed. The tension between Enterprise and the other species was played right.
This was a strong episode, has a solid plot, and engaging character interaction. The pacing is right and showcased how the Enterprise functioned accurately. Teamwork is the key. No BS arguments that last throughout the episode. However, the tragic backstory of Uhara was pretty unnecessary.
9/10.
Star Trek: Picard: Disengage (2023)
The Raffi scenes made this episode very painful to watch.
Again, Riker couldn't save the episode. Sigh. AGAIN, the dark style remained. I'm not a fan of space terrorism, intergalactic gangsters, drug addicts, and freedom fighters BS. I wasn't engaged. Raffi just HAD TO be in this episode, and dear god, she's worse than she was in the last two seasons.
I'm not a fan of this Vadic gal. She has that "over-the-top & edgy grim-dark" energy and has to be the second weirdest TV character in the 2020s right behind that god-forsaken insufferable majordomo character in The Book of Boba Fett. I'll say that her ship design is badass, but does it need to be that OP? Jeez. Speaking of... I did not know that the actor behind Vadic was the daughter of Christopher Plummer's General Chang! That explains a lot about her screen presence, but please do not rip-off off other better characters. There's a thing called "originality".
The scenes with the old gang on the Titan were okay, but not that interesting. Jack Crusher is a better improvement than Wesley, lol. Looks like someone has a brother! Although I'm not intrigued with Jack's character - he's one of those boring new ST characters. The worst part is that he gets more screen time than the others. I'm not surprised that Jack is Picard's son. We all saw that coming. Just great, that pointless romantic arc back in TNG between Picard & Beverly continues in some way...
So far, I'm not a fan of this storyline. As someone said: "Star Trek was about exploration and bettering ourselves. It was never about personal vendettas, vengeance, and getting from Earth to the end of Federation space overnight at Ultra-Warp I-don't-know-what..." This episode wasn't exciting.
I was somewhat optimistic about how the writers were gonna do with Seven since she's a part of Starfleet again, but she doesn't add anything. Blah, I didn't even care about Shaw. Quite weird that the attack last episode wasn't mentioned in this one...
However, I did enjoy the music at the start of that flashback, Patrick Stewart's performance, but that alone couldn't save the episode and the part where the Titan was fired on. I love explosions in space!
I was bored as hell with the scene between Raffi and Sneed until the best part happened: WORF FINALLY ARRIVES stealing the goddamn show and being a complete badass with great action, but I feel like the slaughtering wasn't needed. He could have interrogated them. I would love that DS9-like entertainment between Worf and Quark. Whatever, it's still badass! Well-handled introduction.
Again, eh episode, but worse than the first one.
4-5/10.
Star Trek: Picard: The Next Generation (2023)
The credits and the TNG-like music were more entertaining than the whole episode.
Dear, oh dear: Season 3, but thank goodness it's the final season, BUT there needs to be a satisfying sendoff for Picard and his old crew which I am genuinely worried about.
What did I think of this episode?
It's not great or terrible. It's on the "eh" side, I get that it's setting up things that will relate to the general plot of Season 3, but man, this was slower than it needed to be. Once again, I feel opinionated by the general reception. There was the sensation of darkness that seriously bothered me, Starfleet being dreadful, and the swearing was fine, but it just feels like the whole "oh no, the federation is being threatened!" stuff again.
I will agree that it was a great presence with Riker being back, but he couldn't save the episode for me like the whole episode is Picard and Riker beginning their long trip. There weren't any character moments, and their "good old days" lookback didn't count. It feels like the whole nostalgia-baiting crap back in S2, but that discussion of the last time Picard and Riker saw Beverly piqued my interest. I feel like I should be more clear, there are at times in this episode is the trope of "nostalgia done right".
I wasn't expecting Raffi nor Laris to be in S3. I thought the whole crew of S3 was the old gang, not this. I'm already tired of her. I wasn't entertained by the USS Titan Act. Indeed, Seven felt true to her VOY character, but I wasn't entertained by her presence because of her difficulty trying to be involved in Starfleet again. However, I did like the short scene with LaForge's daughter with finally some actual character interaction with no hopelessness and especially better humor in addition to the bed-bunk scene and the "Shut up, Will." one. That was the only scene I had blast with. The whole episode was more action drama than what made ST episodes fun - actual character interaction.
With the whole showing off of the Spacedock and ships. I wasn't impressed because I'm not a big fan of the low-light CGI structural design, and it didn't mix well with the ST feel. I like it better when it's all bright. Hot take, but I'm not a fan of Beverly. I'm more of a "Bones" guy. Speaking of Beverly, the action didn't pique my interest. It's the same goddamn thing when Seven used to be combative. Blah, I won't be surprised if Beverly's son is Picard's son, too. For certain, this was better than S2E1.
Of course, I said that I was bothered by the whole "oh no, the federation is being threatened!" stuff again, but I feel like I should make myself more clear on this: That trope is tiring, but you must admit the experimental quantum tunneling attack was awesome, BUT the fact that this trope will continue to be a thing for ten episodes will be a pain.
Thoughtful fanservice, yes. Picard's conversation about his legacy was interesting. I won't be surprised if that becomes a theme later on. The humor was good. The attack on the Starfleet Recruitment facility was pretty memorable. Riker's presence, hell yeah. Nostalgia done right several times, yes.
Poor nostalgia bait, yikes. Picard and Riker's plan to take over the Titan was poorly written, yikes. The usual darkness and Starfleet being dreadful, yikes. The heavy action drama, yikes. Low-light CGI structural design showoff was a blow, yikes. Clumsy action, yikes. The episode was all about Picard and Riker starting their mission without the tropes that make an ST episode good has to be the biggest flaw in addition to slow pacing.
You mix that together,
4-5/10.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: The Solitary Clone (2023)
This episode made me cry.
As if the finale of Clone Wars wasn't dark, mature, and depressing enough. It genuinely hurts my soul to see Commander Cody seem so out of place in the new era of the Galactic. Instead of the Bad Batch being underdeveloped, seeing two clone veterans with actual solid characters feels refreshing as they worked together, aren't always complaining, and especially the dialogue is more engaging. I wish I could go more in-depth within this episode, but my appetite for well-detailed reviews has decreased.
Seeing the B-1 Battle Droids, droidekas, and commando droids again was cool. The first and second acts felt like your typical '08 CW episode that hit me with a massive wave of nostalgia. This is so far my all-time favorite Bad Batch episode. Of course, there's Rex, but that two-parter was a thriller.
Now if this show could STOP IT WITH THE CID MISSIONS THRILLER EPISODES. "Take on daring mercenary missions in the aftermath of the Clone Wars." Give us something more interesting rather than the same stuff every week.
IMDB, pls don't decline this review again.
9/10.
Moon Knight: Asylum (2022)
The Tragedy of Moon Knight
Okay, Episode 5 wasn't bad. Thank Goodness. I am speechless. This is heartbreaking and such a phenomenal episode. It's a hell of a trip. Although, I'm not that crying type of guy. I'll admit that my eyes were watery when the flashbacks were shown. Oscar Isaac's performance is always great. I do appreciate the flashbacks making the ending make sense of the last episode like the Tomb Raider VHS. I think this is more heartbreaking than WandaVision if I am being honest. But, we're not there yet.
No, we're not in a mindscape world. It's an afterlife of the Egypt underworld as the Duat. I was afraid that the Hippo known as Taweret was going to be portrayed as comedic relief. I had the feeling that Marvel would overdo it again, but nope. Thank god, she's finely sweet. Also, we have good explanations of what's going on with the afterlife. It's an astral dimension.
"The struggling mind will often build places to seek shelter for different aspects of the self from our most traumatic memories. It's called just an organizing principle, okay? Some people, they see a castle, right? Somebody else will see a maze, or a library."
"Or a... psych ward."
Okay, so. We have three perspectives on the episode. The therapy, Steven & Grant with Taweret, and the flashbacks. The traumatic flashbacks start with Marc having a normal happy life until one day, he and his brother went exploring being told to not stay when it rains. When it comes to gut-wrenching material looking at this, Steven has a child-like joy discovering that he had a brother, but he had no idea. Marc ignores this, going to a cave. I do also like how Steven is concerned while experiencing the memories. As soon Steven was shouting not aware of what was going to happen, it devastated me. Of course, it wasn't Marc's fault since he was a little kid. But Jesus Christ, the brother being trapped, drowning, and calling for his mother? Meanwhile, his brother couldn't save him. Also, the claustrophobia feels to it... That is one of the WORST ways to go.
After some time, Marc attends his brother's funeral until his mother sees him yelling and blaming him for apparently killing his brother. M8, he was a little jealous of having a brother in the first place, but that doesn't mean that he wanted to kill him planning it out. He got used to it. On his 10th Birthday, he wonders why isn't his mom attending? His dad "answers" that she was not well, but promised that he would be better. Man, dude.
On his 12th Birthday, Wendy continues to taunt Marc claiming that he had always hated his brother and that she should know that he would kill him in the end. Then he left the table, ran up to his room, and locked his bedroom door, but his mom follows him and started banging on the door, demanding him to open it. And this is how Steven became a thing. Eventually, his mother busts the door open saying he should be punished, and grabs out a belt, Steven reverts to Marc since Steven is a stress ball to escape their mother's abuse. Since Marc protected Steven, this convinced him that their mother was loving rather than that, and we know what happens next. Jesus Christ. Not a good birthday, you're mom not attending it.
As Marc grew into a teenager, he one day took the chance and left home. As he is walking out, his father begged him to stay, stating that his mother would get help and that he could not lose another son. From my perspective, we haven't seen anything that Dad did wrong. Of course, he didn't defend his son, but I assume he was too afraid to argue with his wife. He didn't taunt Marc, but that line and his emotions. "I cannot lose another son. Please. Please..." It's so heartbreaking. Marc then unleashed his anger that he should have helped her years ago, then leaves. The dad seemed to be a happy human being who took care of his family all of the time for around 12 years, then around 4 years of suffering witnessing the downfall of his family after his younger son died.
After a long period, Marc decided to join the Maine Corps, but complications came to lead him to be discharged. Later, he becomes a mercenary working under someone on a mission at a dig site in Egypt. One day, his leader executed all the archaeologists with them. Marc tried to save them, but it was too late, and he got shot. I got to say, man. The gore in this scene is extraordinary. Wishing his plan to end, Marc prepared to shoot himself. However, he was stopped by Khonshu. Speaking to Marc, he said that it would be a waste to throw his life away like that and offered him to be his avatar, to punish those who had done evil. Marc agreed to those terms and was granted the powers and abilities to transform into a suit, becoming MOON KNIGHT. Gotta love that soundtrack.
Years later, Marc gets contacted by his father receiving the news that their mother/wife had passed away, asking him to come to attend. He does so but stood outside the house. His father saw him, gesturing for him to come in, but shook his head and then walks away breaking down on the streets. Jesus man, this is too sad which made me shed tears. This is arguably Oscar Isaac's BEST performance. That sudden change where Steven takes control is god damn out-of-this-world, but sad in context within the episode. "My mum is dead." ;( I do like the moment where Marc confronts Steven that it wasn't his fault that their young brother died, they were just young resulting in a hug.
Back to the ship, Grant immediately realizes that the ship had stopped, and the two ran back to Taweret. She informs them that the Scales of Justice have not balanced, and now the lost souls would be coming to claim their souls. She tells them that she was rooting for them, but there was nothing she could do now. You know, what I like about her is that she isn't one of those "greedy Gods".
The lost souls start to climb up the ship as Spector and Grant watched. Spector pulls off a decent fight against the lost souls meanwhile Marc is boarding the ship for a bit until he fights back. Spector is then attacked by another soul hanging off the ship. Grant attempts to help Spector by rushing the soul, but he was eventually dragged off along with the soul. As the ship moves away from him, Grant tries his best to keep up,.but ultimately turned into sand for seemingly an eternity...
The Scales are finally balanced making Spector worthy to enter the Field of Reeds.
Thoughts?
What. A. Way to end a penultimate episode. I remember being devastated and shocked, SPEECHLESS, and I couldn't bear to wait for a week to see what would happen next. What makes this hit harder is that they suffered even more after witnessing their traumatic memories that haunted Spector for life.
This, so far - is the best penultimate episode. "It" isn't afraid to be grim-dark, overwhelmingly heartbreaking backstory and ending. It's sad that the D+ MCU shows after this don't showcase their characters' backstories in a compelling way.
Oscar Isaac is the MAN for his stellar performance. The visuals are fantastic, and the cinematography at the end is ON POINT. It reminds me of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The writing is top-notch which explains why it took the writer one year to finish completing it. Rushing isn't worth it, but will majorly affect your story.
Sigh... too bad the finale was majorly disappointing. There isn't much for me to say. The review for the finale will probably take a long bass time, patience.
10/10.
Star Trek: Picard: Farewell (2022)
oh my god...
Ah yes, the finale. What I said in my last statement of my previous review still counts in this review. Near the time I was going to watch the finale, I was genuinely worried about how is the finale going to wrap MANY things up. The Borg, Agnes - Queen, Soong and his "daughter", the Europa Mission, how they're gonna return to 2401, Q's last trial, Rios' relationship with Teresa and her son, etc. Well? It kinda did. The pacing was definitely better than in the previous episodes which I am glad of. What bothered me the most as a space enthusiast is the inaccuracies of the Europa Mission. The rocket we saw wasn't anything like the SpaceX Falcon 9 "containing" the Crew Dragon. It's a "manned" rocket, but it has a casing? That's pretty unrealistic. A casing is supposed to deploy payloads. Second, the astronauts are not in the rocket one hour before launch although they are supposed to in which the people behind the launch check if the launch will go as it takes hours. Also, the launch site is in California?! That is extremely unusual for the conditions of a rocket launch when it comes to temperatures close to and above 100 degrees F.
When Wesley appeared, I immediately got up from my couch saying: "Oh my god." It's funny that the actor still looks like his 80s self but with a beard and wrinkles. Although, I do question what the hell was the point of this scene? Don't tell me there's going to be a wacky spin-off that will be the weirdest ST spin-off. Heh, at least Wesley finally matured. He is still my least favorite TNG character ever, not in the whole of ST. That would be the crew of ENT, but Charles was half-decent. There, the Soong subplot ended with an unsatisfying conclusion.
For Q, oh man. We finally get a real answer on why Q kept bothering Picard. "Even Gods have favorites, Jean-Luc, and you've always been one of mine." which struck me because that was a great reason. The whole Q departure was beautifully sad with meaningful dialogue. It's just two old fellows having a conversation together without any interruptions that would ruin it, followed by a nice soundtrack in a well-decorated room. Such strong performances between the two and the chemistry as well.
Following this convo, I love how Q interacted with the 2D characters here. And of course, Rios wanted to stay with the woman she loves LMFAO. Man's has come to be one of the worst Starfleet captains in Federation History. So, a 3/10 for him. There are some good parts of his humor, hologram shenanigans, and his chemistry with Teresa (( not the romantic parts )) and her son. I liked the moment when he said: "Time is a funny thing." and Q immediately reacted with his finger pointing: "Yes, it is." lol. As soon Q said: "Farewell, mon Capitaine. It's time for me to go." My eyes started to get watery. Then Picard hugged him. Q snapped letting them return to 2401 which was a well-handled way to go back.
Oh, poor Agnes. I couldn't take it seriously with the scene of the last time we see the Jurati-Queen. The special effects of her face showing are ugh. The Borg joins the Federation...? That is 100% against their motion at ALL COSTS. This is the EXACT problem with the Borg. "My general opinion on the Borg is that they got boring the more they were used". Oh hey, who remembers that continuity error that Renee found an organism living on Io? Isn't it supposed to be a Europa Mission? MISSION TO EUROPA, ONE ASTRONOMICAL OBJECT. NOT TO IO. Io has very poor conditions to sustain life as extremophiles. Still sad Seven is still stumbling around, god knows what she will do in S3. Yes, she is confirmed to return which Jeri Ryan has stated.
Back to Q. I will admit that I have three problems with the farewell scene and something else. First, I found it extremely frustrating that Seven didn't have any dialogue to say about Q since the events of Q2. Like what the hell? Second, how do you explain the farewell with Q slapping Picard and giving him a bloody nose? Third, he was HORRIDLY underused in the season.
Oh, Q. He is one of the best characters to exist in Star Trek. He can steal the whole show whenever he appears like he was the best part of that horrid Pilot "Encounter at Farpoint". Hell, if Q had an episode in ENT or DIS. I would be having a good time with his shenanigans. John de Lancie is a criminally underrated actor who didn't get any Oscar at all! He gives so much depth to the character, was BRILLIANTLY written, and was one of the BEST-casted people to play a certain TNG character. It never gets old with Q at all.
For Agnes, I will miss her. I won't explain how great of a character she is since I stated it countless times in my previous reviews, an 8/10.
This season was cursed from the start. All those attempts of nostalgia, but it feels like it's doing too much with bringing back old characters. It's as if The Voyage Home and First Contact mixed together. It's a god damn mess. We still have many questions like what is the actual cause of Q dying? Again, what was even the point of Wesley coming back? I get that Modern Trek uses advanced tech since the episodes would look ridiculous with the 60s to 2000s sets when it comes to 2022. Soong's tech is way too advanced for 2024. There is a good video on "Star Trek Enterprise and Discovery are set in a NEW timeline created by Time Travel and Temporal War" which has blown my mind and I would love to believe that, but I'm not one of those crazy "OMG THIS IS NOT CANON!!! 1111" people.
The finale was between an okay and alright finale of wrapping up stuff, but like I said there are many things wrong. MULTIPLE of plot threads going nowhere. You can't feel any threats, especially when it comes to the lack of tension of the drones. Soong and Kore could have character development, you know. They had the time for FIVE episodes. It's embarrassing that one individual known as FBI Agent Wells has more character development than any of the main crew. The fact that Q dies in this finale makes the title sadder which is well done. Bravo. What can I say about the ending? Not well done since the journey has been all over the place. We spent a long time in 2024 which was painful. The whole thing is extremely complicated followed by not good storytelling and awful pacing. It hurts my mind looking back at PIC S2. I would rather watch TNG S1. Barely anything was interesting in the last few episodes. What does Q's plan have to do with the Europa Mission? Just, ugh. This is already confusing as it is.
With the crew of TNG coming back in S3, God will know what will happen. I don't want to imagine. Although, it's nice to see them return, still. My expectations for S3 are extremely low. See you all until Early 2023.
All Good Things... > PIC S2.
Ten - Hide and Seek = 1-2/10.
Nine - Monsters = 2-3/10.
Eight - Two of One = 3-4/10.
Seven - Mercy = 4-5/10.
Six - Watcher = 5/10.
Five - The Star Gazer = 5/10.
Four - TO BE REVEALED.
Three - Assimilation = 8/10.
Two - Fly Me to the Moon = 8/10.
One - Penance = 9/10.
For this finale, 5-6/10.
EDIT: After watching the S3 Sneak Peek. My expectations are still low as ever. AT LEAST, THEY KEPT THE CLASSIC LOOK FOR. WORF and he looks more badass as ever. I have to thank god that it will be the final season.
Although since Seven is now.an commander of The Titan. Please... please change her S2 character.
Strange New Worlds S2 will WITH no doubt will be better than Picard S3.
See you all until February 2023, if my "problem" doesn't continue because I would really hate being behind from writing reviews when it comes to Star Trek with all of its intellectual "stuff" that is worth remembering. Only time will tell.
Star Trek: Picard: Hide and Seek (2022)
writing 101
Sigh. This is one of three reasons why I avoided watching Picard. First is that my life has been more awfully busy than ever. Two, most of the episodes are tremendously horridly written. Three, SNW has caught my attention.
There are SO MANY things wrong here. I didn't care about what was going on. It's mostly a base under siege story. Like I said, the writing is "tremendously horridly written". And yet, I never thought the Borg could never go down below their overusement in VOY. Of course, Annie Wersching's performance as the Borg Queen is brilliant, but it does not mix well with a dumb script. Although, I did enjoy Rios' chemistry (( not romance )) with Teresa and her son. I have to thank god the writers scrapped away the stuff with them being on the ship. She's not on the same tier as Gillian Taylor, no way near lol. Nuh-uh.
And who can't forget, Modern Trek loves to make overdramatic sad stories behind the characters' backstory, but this time with Picard? Wow. Really? How can the Nexus not tempt him to save her? It doesn't excuse the fact this made Picard so traumatized and forgetful. Of course, Generations was released decades before PIC. But, there is a possibility or I forgot that Picard had more of being affected by the Nexus. One credit I have to give is THANK GOD PICARD'S MOTHER ISN'T THE BORG QUEEN. That would have made absolutely no sense since she was dead. I don't think you can somehow acclimate a dead body. Well, I realized that we haven't seen a Borg reviving a corpse. They're not deemed worthy of assimilation.
Again, here we are still suffering from the underuse of Q. I probably won't be surprised if the Soong / daughter subplot is ignored in the finale. The dumbest thing here is apparently the Borg "never won in every universe". Man, that gave me flashbacks to that Crazy Riker episode. "We won't go back! You don't know what it's like in our universe! The Federation's gone! The Borg is everywhere! We're one of the last ships left. Please, you have to help us!" & "NO, WE WON'T GO BACK!" In my opinion, that has to be the best performance given by Jonathan Frakes. It's bone-chilling, the look on his horrified face. Back to Picard's mom for a bit, but what the hell happened to mental illness being cured in ST? Sigh. Yes, she was untreated, but a CURE. Not like getting treatments. Speaking about the Borg, I thought I would never see the Borg Queen say the bull word. Another sigh. About the rating, I wouldn't say this is offensively bad, but there is one scene that I liked which is where Picard's mother was remarking about the stars. That was nice.
"Did you know that space is so vast, so infinite, it takes billions of years for that tiny pinprick of light to make that lonely journey from its star to our eyes? The brilliance you see in the night sky, Jean-Luc, that exquisite light, it's just an echo, really, of a star that has long since faded. Like me."
The scene of Picard imagining his mother is better than the entirety of PIC S1 & 2. It's a well-written dialogued emotional scene with a delightful soundtrack followed by strong performances. Oh, how the soundtrack in S1 was excellent, but it degraded as the seasons pass by. And now, the context is horrendously changed. A user on the Internet said: "general trauma seems to be kurtzman's only strategy for giving characters 'depth'." It's so damn tiring and ruins the character depth like it felt so forced. I'll give credit to Brent Spiner's excellent performance, but his character went way down becoming that usual type of villain forgetting all of his depth. The whole reasoning convo between Agnes and the Borg Queen was dumb, way out of their reach. At the time of completing this review, I have seen the finale, and writing the review. I will only say in this review it's partially mixed to being almost okay or alright.
1-2/10.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Strange New Worlds (2022)
"Why is it always an alley?"
NOW, THIS. IS. STAR TREK. I have been waiting for Modern Trek to do something like this. That Trek feel. I had enough with the "dark future" BS, Star Trek is supposed to be utopian, about exploration, and follow the vision of Gene Roddenberry. The intro is better than ENT, and man. The look of the Enterprise is at its best. Of course, this takes place after the Pilot Episode of TOS and intersects with DIS as we had a reference. I will be honest, but I haven't watched TOS for a long time. I recently re-watched the iconic Tribbles episode which I had a blast with.
Although, for me. I had a few problems with this one. It was slow and kinda dull throughout the first and second acts. I'm pretty sure that some of us have a problem with 50-minute episodes, but it's not always a problem. The other problem I have is that the never-seen crew wasn't introduced, that's what ST always does. Although, I haven't seen Short Trips nor Prodigy. I have no intentions of doing so. It's probably harsh I know. But, for me. I know it can be silly to judge an animated show "negatively" because of the animation, but the animation is nowhere interesting. For Prodigy, I'm not giving any attention to Nickelodeon. It surprises me it's still going. It's dry nowadays.
The episode has an interesting plotline of an alien race that hasn't reached warp technology but created a warp bomb. But, that's not the problem there. There is a conflict between the two on the planet on the verge of self-annihilation, and the representation is well done. The episode has great humor throughout the episode. I laughed the most when Pike "teleports" in a press conference and awkwardly says: "Hi..."
The episode hit the spotlight when he shows the press conference what would happen if their conflict continues, and it got me some Star Trek vibes. The time of 1965 - to 2002 Star Trek is where world peace became a thing in humanity. (( Sorry, not a big fan of ENT. )) The overall message of the representation is that we are heading in the wrong direction to great devastation, and it won't be pretty. It's sad. Well-expressed. Also about time. This is the first in ST that we actually got to see WWIII. The ending, it's simply beautiful. What a way to end a Pilot.
The characters we all know and love have great standouts with Anson Mount's Pike killing it! After all, it's a good start but has many flaws. This is way better than that ENT Episode - "Strange New World".
7-8/10.
Star Trek: Picard: Mercy (2022)
So much great ideas, but depressingly executed.
We got a partially mixed one and a slight improvement over the last dull episodes. I do appreciate the writers have toned down the weirdness of the Borg Queen and Agnes. Alison Pill's performance as the Borg Queen is killing it. Speaking of performances, I must admit Jay Karnes as the interrogator's performance was great, too.
Surprisingly, the interrogator has more character development than anybody in S2. He's obsessed with extraterrestrial life. That scene of him recounting his flashbacks was the most entertaining moment for me. Just a well-written interaction. Also, about time we have more screentime with Q, but with more questions like what is causing him to die? Same thing for his snap not working. As interesting as Seven was in the second episode, there goes her character downgrading more.
There we go with Rios destroying the damn timeline with the woman she loves, and the child on the ship. As much as I am intrigued with the Soong subplot, I don't think Korg going outside is a good idea? She has been in her father's house for almost two decades and has no experience of the outside world. Overall, this episode is a jumbled mess, but it does have some good moments. It ain't looking good. As I catch up to the penultimate episode, I would not be surprised if Picard's mom is somehow the Borg.
4-5/10.
Moon Knight: The Tomb (2022)
"It's a-maze-ing."
At this point, I have noticed that each Episode 4 of every D+ MCU Show is the spotlight like in WandaVision we get informed on what's going on with Wanda. Yes, there is the comeback of Evan Peters, but that was "ruined". Scratch off the response that Phase 4 was introducing the Multiverse. More like, it was exploring MORE of the Multiverse. The Multiverse was confirmed to exist in Ant-Man. Quantum Realm shenanigans. Doctor Strange, dimensions. More and more. TFatWS, the last few minutes were KILLING IT and was a shock throughout the Marvel Fandom. Loki, Mobius gets pruned, and LOKI'S! What If...?, I don't need to explain, but best episode. (( The finale used to be my favorite, but looking back? It's like a child wrote a fanfiction with characters that had unimaginable plot armor. "Guardians of the Multiverse"? Give me a break, lol. )) Hawkeye, Clint abandoning Kate & the comeback of Yelena. Yes, there is the shocking picture showing Kingpin with Kate's mother, but he gets ruined in the finale.
For Episode 4, this is where the fun begins. I like how this episode is adventurous having that Indiana Jones feel to it, full of suspenseful horror (( I love me some Marvel horror. )) like hell. Or you can call it tension building. Who knows. Spooky. Speaking of spooky, I have grown more appreciation for the Moon Knight theme. I don't know why I didn't like it in the first place, but I love it. It's the best theme I've heard so far from the D+ MCU shows. We learn more from the background of Marc's and Layla's relationship and establish more character in Layla too. I'm beginning to like her character from now on. She's heroic like she fricking used flares to kill. At this point where the demon catches Layla and we hear tearing sounds, I was 100% sure she was dead. I was like: "Aw man, I started to like this character." What a way to subvert your expectations, and the moment when she fell off the cliff after sticking that flare in that demon's eye throwing him off.
The dialogue is good, and the humor is great. (( "What are you gonna do? Try and drown us now?", "I'll throw us off a cliff!", and where Marc punches "himself" Steven lol. )) I liked the scene where Layla confronts Marc about his role in his father's death and man. I will keep saying this. Oscar Isaac's performance is top-notch. He manages to make the scene a tear-jerker moment. Did I forget to mention that the sets are impressive?
The last couple of minutes were CRAZY. Like man, we have Marc slashing the ever-living crap outta Harrow's cult. Jesus Christ. Harrow pulls out his gun firing at Marc, and then another fire "apparently" killing him. Gotta feel bad for Layla. Then Marc wakes up in some asylum where he and Layla are patients, while Harrow is the main therapist for them.
Harrow claims that he is trying to help him until he remembers that he got shot by him. He collapses on the floor trying to get his way out until he gets restained by two men but manages to escape running to a hallway, going to a room to trick the men running at him since he went sideways blocking the men's view of him, finds a sarcophagus in the room, "it" opens by "itself" revealing to be Steven! So yes, their personalities are split. They immediately hug. Aw, after all, they've been through. They were happy to see each other.
The two walks out of the room sneaking into the hallway looking for a way to escape until they approach a CGI giant humanoid hippo gladly saying: "Hi!" followed by Marc and Steven screaming, lol. As soon she appeared, I burst out laughing because of her look. It's not bad or anything. I randomly find the faces of hippos funny for some reason. Then I laughed harder when the two screamed, even Marc! Confusing the last couple of minutes were, but I was entertained.
Who knows what actually happened to the two. Mindscape world that Marc was having in his apparent last moments? "Marc, we don't live in a material world, we live in a psychic world." Because there can't be any way that this is in the real world. You can't split somebody's personalities into their own separate body. But who knows? As we're approaching the last two episodes. I am feeling dread that Disney might ruin it, but time will tell. This show is a-maze-ing.
10/10.
Star Trek: Picard: Monsters (2022)
Oh man, oh dear.
Pretty much barely anything managed to make me engaged with the episode. The only thing that managed to make me engaged with the dynamic between Rios and that kid. Well damn, the FBI are now aware of time travellers. We get more answers on why Picard has been thinking about his traumatic past, and that is because Q is doing stuff to him.
And yet, what frustrated me the most about this one is that damn Rios breaks the rules by BEAMING A WOMAN HE HARDLY KNOWS and her child. Oh my god. (( not referring to the next statement. )) We have Seven freaking out of the Borg, and it is revealed that the Borg Queen will soon take full control of Agnes' body and convert humanity into Borg in an age where they can't defend theirselves. Now, this sounds interesting! But, too bad the episode was yikes.
2-3/10.
Moon Knight: The Friendly Type (2022)
Khonshu...
Episode 3. It has nice dialogue. I did notice that Arthur Harrow has more screentime than any villain in D+ MCU shows which I really like. Oh, Marvel. Why don't you do this often? This can maybe explain why some of them were weak. Even Oscar Isaac can perform well as Khonshu! The well-directed action sequence was awesome where Moon Knight / Mr. Knight fights against an Arabic Gang. Moon Knight jumping out of the sky was cool which reminded me of Batman as the cape was you know. Stealth takedown, and even bulletproof? Hell yeah! Double hell yeah that Layla can kick ass, too. The pacing and the writing are good.
ALSO MR. KNIGHT / MOON KNIGHT CAN TAKE BEING IMPALED WITH MULTIPLE POLES? Damn. This does remind me of Deadpool, lol. Brutal badassery all around. Mr. Knight and Khonshu reverting back to the night sky was one of the most stunning visual effects sequences I've ever seen. The soundtrack fitted so well in it, too. But, Khonshu loses his powers in the process. Man, I did like Khonshu. There was something about him. Was it his voice? His outfit? Both? I don't know. Hell.
10/10.
Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils (2022)
Worst Special Ever.
Yeah no, I wasn't invested in the plot. It was a bit messy. You know it could have been better. Like the concepts were interesting, but the executions were downright depressing or you can call it a shame. You can say that it got overshadowed by the trailer which looked promising, and about time after that Flux mess. It was instantly rushed. I just didn't even give a damn. It was surprisingly worse than the Flux finale. Dan, I bloody loved watching him throughout the episode outmatching Yaz in any way possible. "I always thought that I'd learn the constellations, but then I just downloaded an app on me phone. But I haven't got me phone with me." LMFAO. Although, I have to give a point to Yaz having a sword fight with the Sea Devils. Speaking about them, they were decent. They did not have the "same level" of their iconism back in the 70s. Yes, the action scenes were cool which were my favorite scene in this Special.
Oh man, oh, man. The Thasmin subplot continues - I am not sure if 13 technically 100% said no. I don't know. It's confusing. I did like the convo that 13 and Yaz were having. 13 knew better and she did. I didn't care for the other characters. They were uninteresting. Some of the CGI looked fake as heck, lol. 13 is still suffering from poor characterization like always, and yet. We are nearing her regeneration and still overuse the sonic screwdriver.
"I just didn't even give a damn." This can sum up why this review is short, I just don't. I would rather watch Dreamland. I have a MASSIVE worry for the regeneration special. From what we see from the teasers and leaks, it's filled with a brick ton of many things going on. Like 13 is nearing her regeneration, the Master is back, the return of Ace, Tegan, Vinder, Ashad, and Kate, Yaz & Dan departing, probably going to be the same length as Spyfall, Daleks, Cyber-Warriors, etc.
I am not a fan of Ace being a CEO Girlboss. That's a boring direction to go with a beloved character. I bet this special is going to be a bigger mess than TEoT. Also, since Chibnall will be writing for it. I'm gonna cry myself to sleep when he ruins the character of Ace and Tegan.
3/10.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
"If you will not tell me, I will hurt people!"
Now, this has to be the second WORST 80s Movie I have ever watched. (( F13 - P8: Jason Takes Manhattan. )) Like the script is a god damn mess. Seriously, I am truly in disbelief that two full-grown adults wrote this horrendous crap-hole. Now, I am fully aware that there are deleted scenes that make this movie make more sense for the viewer. 45-minutes in which the test-audience people scored the film extremely low that the people behind the movie had to do major editing changes leaving out loose ends and plot holes. Even though, if you combined the movie and the deleted scenes, it would still suck.
Christopher Reeves and the supporting strong actors were absolutely wasted, and they did the best they can. I feel so bad for Christopher Reeve's regret being involved in the film.
"Superman 4 was a catastrophe from start to finish. That failure was a huge blow to my career." and was absolutely certain he wouldn't return.
Once again, Lex Luthor has to be the villain for the damn fourth time. BUT HIS COUSIN IS HELPING HIM WHO HAS A SUFFERABLE PERSONALITY? Look, I get that Lex Luthor is supposed to be the main villain of Superman, but there's a thing as overuse. Nuclear Man had so much potential, but Nah. Make him forgettable and not menacing, an absolute joke, be a slave for Lex. "and not menacing" This pretty much can explain the poor performance. His outfit is completely ridiculous, and the super long fingernails are way TOO MUCH. Hell, he would be the only villain I wouldn't mind meeting down a dark alley.
As the first two Superman movies were absolutely stellar at doing romance, the subplot of Clark Kent and Lacy Warfield is a god damn nightmarish mess. Speaking of romance, CLARK ACCIDENTALLY MADE LOIS FORGET ERASING ALL OF HER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT DEVOLVING TO AN ANNOYING CHARACTER. WHAT THE HELL MAN. WHAT. THE. HELL. I can't stand the unbearable dialogue, the cheese, the cartoon feel, and the fast pacing.
The action isn't on the same level as Superman II. It's too long, painfully slow, doesn't get you excited nor raise your heartbeat. It's laughably embarrassing with Superman lifting buildings in NYC that had god-awful special effects and the part where he manages to capture all missiles in some "space net" and throw it to the Sun. Talking about realism to stop the threat of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. The Moon Fight. Oh, my bloody god, I get that there's no gravity. But the fight is slow-mo instead of the duration of moving in the Moon's gravity. It's on the same level as the Kirk & Gorn fight from the OG ST series, LMFAO. AND HOW THE HELL CAN MAYFIELD BREATHE IN DEEP SPACE? Of course, the first Superman movie didn't have realism in it. But, somehow her condition is fine when she's on the Moon? SUPERMAN REBUILDING THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA WITH HIS EYES? I know that it was an unfinished scene, but still.
The last two movies are so horrid to the point where people rarely talk about them and praise the first two movies. If you didn't know, there was supposed to be a fifth film that would feature Brainiac. Any big Superman fan like me would love the idea of Superman and Brainiac fighting and wished it had happened. But, I'm not so sure how the fivequel could recover from the fourth installment. Of course, Superman IV flopped at the box office and was panned by critics, audiences and fans, the rest of the cast all refused to work on another Superman film after working on this. Warner Bros. Didn't want to get into another budget dispute with Cannon Pictures which followed a string of other failures. Their company was losing money and went out of business in 1994. If you wish to have more info, I highly recommend you watch Supervoid Cinema's video on it.
I don't plan on re-watching this any time soon but probably will do when I watch all of the Superman films whenever there is a new one that we won't see for a very long time. This has to be the worst Superman film, too. Absolute disgrace is how I would put it.
1/10.
Star Trek: Picard: Two of One (2022)
"Look up."
Oh man, a big mix. For almost 38 minutes, we're still inside of that damn celebration with nothing interesting going on. It's your usual dialogue-heavy. I don't know how to word my thoughts on Agnes being more controlled by the Borg Queen. For me, the episode got more interesting when Picard had a "pep-talk" about fear with his alternate ancestor which is my favorite scene in this episode.
About time we get to know what rocket will be responsible for the Europa Mission - the SpaceX Crew Dragon. It will still be used in 2024 for many crewed missions to the ISS. I do appreciate the writers giving the astronaut some character rather than a boring one.
You can say that majority of the episode is a filler. The twist of Kore being a cloned artificial lifeform was excellent. Man, I feel more bad for Kore. Although, you have to admit "Agnes" walking through the city was a cool shot.
4/10.
The Batman (2022)
"I'm vengeance."
If you have been following me, I do sincerely apologize for the lack of reviews. Life has been damn busier than ever, and I have been months/weeks behind shows that I love. One day, I'll get back. Yes, I will get back to reviewing them. Until then, there must be no worrying, no skepticism, no anxieties. Just go forward in all beliefs and I will prove to you that I am not mistaken in mine.
Hands down, I like this more than TDK, and easily can top off any MCU film. Such an original way of handling a new Batman over 56 years. I dig the batsuit which reminds me a lot of the Arkham Knight armor, but sweet damn, this is the darkest and edgiest live-action Batman film yet, although it doesn't contain much blood in Batman Returns, a lot of tragic aspects within the film, even Joker is darker than this one for many reasons. IT BARELY HAS ANY HUMOR. As people don't like the aspect of grim and dark Batman Content, I do understand. I've enjoyed the '66 Movie, The Brave and the Bold, and the '17 LEGO Movie, too. But for me, Batman is better explored in that grimdark aspect rather than camp. (( Example: '92 TAS & '93 Mask of the Phantasm + Arkham Series )) Honestly, I have no issue with Batman killing. I know the people behind the Comic Industry were still trying to figure out his character. He used to kill in his original comics and used guns. It's still a part of Batman history whatsoever.
Man, I do remember the days when it was announced that Robert Pattinson was going to both portray Bruce Wayne & Batman. I was one of the people who thought this was an absolute joke. HAH! Are you kidding me? That guy from Twilight? And that young? But as soon as the trailer dropped, my mind suddenly changed, and started taking it seriously.
But, holy motherf- sssshhhh. Phenomenal performances here. Although we didn't get to see the Bruce Wayne side of the new Batman, this is supposed to focus mainly on Batman's detective skills rather than mostly combat. I bloody love the smokey eyes and the messy hair. Not bad for the Bat-Voice. It's on point!
Catwoman is still the usual, but I prefer the TaS & TDKR, and Arkham Catwoman. But, I am not stating that I dislike this Catwoman She's excellent, but the romance bit is already tiring me out, but (again) she has a very interesting relationship with Batman. If you're wondering why I didn't include Catwoman from Batman Returns. I get that her mind is messed up, but her overall behavior gets on my nerves.
The Riddler. Oh, MAN. It was about time we get a Riddler executed well in live-action on theatres. I did not dig Forever Riddler. What a mess. Hands down, one of the BEST villain performances in Theatre History. When we saw the tease of the Riddler, I was iffy about what he was wearing, but I dig it after watching the movie. I had literal chills flowing through my body of terror. I wouldn't mess with the man myself. Has to be the scariest Batman villain I've seen. Penguin was decent. There's barely anything to discuss about him.
The cinematography itself is unbelievably stunning. I love how Gotham looks, like seriously. The action sequences are on a whole another level. I was never bothered by the pacing nor how long the movie was. I seriously love long movies to death.
TDK has the best introduction of the villain. Meanwhile, The Batman has the best introduction of the hero. I love how it shows how fear can strike the criminals down. Batman beating the ever-living crap out of the criminals
Man, the soundtrack. God damn, man! I don't know how to describe The Batman theme. It's worth 6 minutes listening to. I dare say it is better than the Batman theme from the DK trilogy. Over time, you become OBSESSED with it. The Batmobile isn't that bad. Be aware this is set on Batman's early years. He doesn't have the technology to make it badass.
EDIT: I forgot Gotham existed. My all-time favorite Catwoman is in there where she isn't sexualized and actually has character with development. FINALLY!
10/10.
Moon Knight: Summon the Suit (2022)
"Yeah, the ceremonial armor from Khonshu's temple, not psycho Colonel Sanders."
Man, Oscar Isaac's performance is killing it! Great character drama between Steven & Marc. I haven't said this yet since my review on the Pilot hasn't come in. Since Moon Knight is less known in the superhero genre, I decided to not watch any more trailers than the first one because I wanted to know what this mysterious hero was like. I love to experience new things.
The mythology here is way more interesting than Eternals (( Well, either they could have done a better job without being slow and introducing it in another way. )) I have a fondness for Ancient Egypt-type stuff. It's so mysterious, you know. The Great Pyramids of Giza, how it was constructed, what's inside of it, etc. Getting off-track here, but dang. Arthur Harrow gets more interesting as the minutes pass. He feels so fleshed out- I can't even describe it.
Since we see more of the costume, it looks SICK and looks great at night-time. The humor isn't as bad as in the previous shows. It's not lame nor forced. I thought Steven taunting the Jackel was funny. You have to admit the potential drip of the suit is outstanding. I don't know how to feel about the new character - Layla, but we'll see as the episodes go on. Good action here.
10/10.
Star Trek: Picard: Fly Me to the Moon (2022)
"I am the evolution of stardust. I'm the gentle flutter of a butterfly. I am Death, destroyer of worlds." + "We're all hostages to what we love."
Okay. Definitely an improvement over the previous episode. Things were more interesting. Tensions are bigger. Improvement of writing. More tight pacing.
Yet, the Soong family trend continues... The comeback of BRENT SPINER, but as an ancestor of Noonian Soong. I was worried about seeing the rating as TV-MA / Language. I was like: "oh no, are we going to have unnecessary swearing and women shouting the F Word up Picard's face?" But, thank god that didn't happen.
Besides, it was investing seeing the background of this Adam Soong who is a geneticist who has been struggling with a cure to stop her daughter's genetic disorder in which whenever she's exposed to sunlight. Bad, bad sensitivity happens to result in death. I can't imagine how terrifying that could be. Especially if you're an active individual.
Rios finally manages to escape with the help of Seven and Raffi getting back to the ship. Finally, some good action. I was wondering where did it go. The Borg Queen subplot is magnificent. Since the two interacted in each mind, the Borg Queen has gained full knowledge. It's intriguing seeing her manipulating the hell out of Agnes. Just a really interesting relationship is one way to say it.
Like, the crew still needs her, but... the Borg Queen implanted one final trick is decloak the ship, lure a Police Officer, hold him hostage, got Agnes' attention to taunt her resulting in her (( Queen )) being shot to death. To be honest, I wouldn't blame Agnes. One way to stop a hostage crisis is to do the usual. Still shocked by the fact that the Borg Queen managed to inject her. I do hope to god Agnes survives this.
We still have John De Lancie stealing the show. My favorite scene of this episode has to go with the conversation between him and Soong. God-tier dialogue. It was hilarious hearing Brent Spiner using the F Word. Damn, Q still is ruthless in manipulating Soong into thinking the cure that Q had given him was actually 100% curable. I wonder how Soong will cope with the aftermath besides accepting to help Q. Excellent performances between the two.
The Europa Mission stuff continues to be more involved within the plot. I was entertained seeing the crew "infiltrating" into Renee's gala. Of course, it didn't go as well. But damn, I wanted to see more. Hopefully, the next episode is good. Since Renee suffers from anxiety and depression, it'll be interesting what happens to her during the mission. Looks like Q's plan with Renee didn't work. (( She still has to go with the crew despite this. )) The episode isn't as bad as everyone stated, but that's just me.
8/10.
Star Trek: Picard: Watcher (2022)
Meh.
So, in the Confederation timeline. Space exploration isn't a thing anymore. Surely, this Europa mission has to be involved in future episodes. But anyway, this was such a huge downgrade from the last two episodes. It's like I'm watching an episode from Season 1! However, I did like the callback of the Boombox punk.
Of course, in this timeline, he didn't encounter Spock back in '84. I did enjoy the dynamic between Seven and Raffi. I pretty much don't care for what happened in the episode. Although, Q is losing his powers... Short review, not that type of guy who can type long reviews at night.
5/10.
Moon Knight: The Goldfish Problem (2022)
EVERYDAY, I WAKE UP.
Either April 2023 or 2024. A mostly desolate loner who is known as Steven Grant suffers from dissociative identity disorder / multiple personality disorder, works at a Gift Shop in a National Art Gallery as a clerk, but any ordinary day of his life won't ever be the same when he grants the powers of an Egyptian moon god, Moon Knight.
This is definitely the strongest opener to any D+ Marvel TV Show. Don't give me any references, forced humor, same MCU tone, any usual formula. Instead, we have something that feels so fresh and brand new. (( Hopefully, a new formula will do well this time. LOOKING AT YOU, ETERNALS. )) Solid performances all around. I have to thank god that Oscar Isaac's career wasn't completely ruined after that hell-stain Episode 9 atrocity.
This episode is a hell of a wide. Fantastic choice of music. I have a strong like for the 60s/70s music. The pacing is not bad. Brilliantly written. Great direction. The people behind the show aren't afraid to show gore. Interesting mystery. The villain seems interesting, too.
Although, it's sad that the main character has to go through tough times like making sure to not sleepwalk, not being aware of the time, etc. But, it's somewhat of a fun ride of chaos like when he blacks out. Then boom, he has blood in his hands, and it's a whole crime scene.
My favorite scene has to go where Grant apparently goes on a "rampage" in Austra.
10/10.
Star Trek: Picard: Assimilation (2022)
Computer, dictate the file logged "sht I stole from the Borg Queen."
Well. The story had good story-telling. It was cool watching the Solar Slingshot Maneuver, never gets old. I am very surprised the episode continued to be good with Q barely appearing. Of course, certainly had interesting character drama between Picard & Agnes which was top-notch. God, I love Agnes. Wonderful performances all around. As I have a particular dislike of overusing the Borg, but about damn time we get some great portrayal of the Borg Queen.
I was iffy on the "time travel" plot as it's always a failure when it comes to Modern Trek doing it, but this time? The setting is interesting! But, I do not dig the potential romance between Rios & Dr. Ramirez. Just isn't my thing. As much I don't give a crap about Rios, I quite like how he interacts in the Hospital and especially the sweet interaction between him and the young boy. Yet, the cycle of "Doctor Friend" still continues.
Indeed had a lot of TVH vibes with some of the crew blending in. I like scenes like Raffi kicking a Mugger's azz, deserved it. & Seven and Raffi deceiving the Guard. Oh yes, about Seven. She seems to be more relaxed (( obviously, her borg implants aren't there anymore )) which I like. "You and 2024 should get a room."
Also, yes, we are in 2024. The year of the chaotic riots. Quite eerie we are approaching 2024 anytime soon. As a space enthusiast, quite crazy humans in the altered timeline have the technology to travel to Europa. When it comes to real technology, we might reach there by either the 2030s or 2040s.
I pretty much don't care for Elnor and his death. He wasn't an interesting character for me. I wouldn't be surprised if he's brought back to life after the corrupted timeline eventually gets fixed. At this point, I have noticed the tone isn't as dark as it was last season. As much I am desensitized to offensive language, it was darn unsettling and very unnecessary at times in S1. Glad those days are over. I can't wait to see more to come. So many questions about these Watchers.
My favorite scene would totally be Agnes playing her tricks on the Borg Queen. Hell, I was impressed too.
8/10.
Star Trek: Picard: Penance (2022)
Potential?
In preparation for Episode 2, I decided to watch TNG S7 finale which I can clarify is still a masterpiece. It was fun spotting the differences between "2395" and 2399/pre-Q 2401, but let's not get too carried. This was a big improvement over the last episode, although it didn't have that "Trek feel". Q bothering Picard never gets old. This scene is just John DeLancie carrying a show that does need to exist on his shoulders. It was cool seeing the skulls of different species and the lovely references. Although, Q did have a little change where he slaps Picard, raising his voice, and using insults rather than - you know. With Picard mentioning that Q doesn't seem right. Hopefully, we get an explanation soon.
The exploration of the new 2401 is fascinatingly well-done. I was never interested in the Burn in the first place. Picard is a General of a bizarre "totalitarian nightmare" with a fresh new take of his apparent personality and the intention to wipe out any non-humans in the Galaxy. Seven is the President of the Confederation, married, and her remaining Borg implants are gone. As much I don't like Seven in Picard, her characterization improved rather than being some intense combative with her entire character arc being forgotten, but in this one, I can't explain her being more engaging. Barely any changes within Dr. Agnes, but has a digital artificial lifeform pet who is an animated talking cat. I bloody love it. For the side characters, I don't have the interest within their character.
The pacing wasn't that slow. I did like how the characters try to play their roles in this new timeline. Agnes does finally get the time to shine. Although I am a bit disappointed with no presence of Sisko, whatever. The alliance with the Borg Queen is also going to be an interesting dynamic to watch. The intensity is real, the story is clearer, finally some action, the character interactions are nice, and another great cliffhanger. I will admit that I was not invested throughout the early stages of the episode, but it got better over time and I clearly understand what the episode was going for. Perhaps, there is a bright future for Picard.
9/10.
Star Trek: Picard: The Star Gazer (2022)
"The trial never ends."
I feel so disconnected from the general reception of the new episode. Honestly, I'm just not a fan of Modern Trek. Although looking back at Picard S1. I think the whole Data's legacy stuff was keeping me entertained as much he's my second favorite character of Star Trek. Without Data in S2, I just feel- I don't know, it's hard to explain. It was interesting as the episodes explored Picard's guilt over Data. And now for Season 2, we're bringing back the Borg. My general opinion on the Borg is that they got boring the more they were used, and I didn't feel excited to see the Borg back.
I am wary of the upcoming plot where the Crew travels back in time to stop an "authoritarian nightmare". I am honestly sick of more tImE tRaVeL! I don't get the reception of this episode. It's hard to explain, but it had poor pacing, all talky-talky with barely any action + doesn't have that Star Trek feel, you know? Speaking of action, I did like the fight scene of Seven of Nine. I don't know how to feel for her character post-DS9. She feels like a different person after her long character development arc-like of course everybody changes over time, but- it's hard to explain. At least, tell us in detail about her life after DS9. There are some side characters whom I somewhat liked and still do like Agnes and Soji.
However, I did like the episode exploring more of Picard's loss of romance, the reunion between Picard & Guinan which put a big smile on my face ("Top shelf or hooch?"), and the moment we have been waiting for - Q's return. Hands down, the ending is my favorite scene of S2 so far. Picard totally had enough of his BS for 37 years over 9 encounters, lol. Damn, it's like he never left the role and still has it! His personality never gets old. Literal perfection.
Yeah, I had a lot of mixed feelings. But we'll see the future of Picard.
5/10.
Superman & Lois: The Thing in the Mines (2022)
!gnidnuotsA
Superman senses something in the mines, he flies out o the location but experiences another episode which causes him to go flying impacting a grassy landscape. Clark expresses this to Lois and Iron in the barn. Iron orders for Clark to call Sam. Jordan discusses his worries about Sarah to Jonathan with being interrupted by Nat joining in the conversation. Kyle and Lana are having some big plans for the future of Smallville with Kyle leaving. Lois gets a call from her dad asking him about the mines. Jordan expresses telling Sarah that his dad is Superman, stuff like wanting to marry her, but Clark refuses to let out a demonic scream. Lois decides to drop them off for School. Dang. Later, the two have a brief discussion about him.
In school, Sarah stumbles upon Jordan for a bit explaining that "the kiss" isn't some big deal, but Jordan shuts himself up before telling her about the truth walking away. Lana calls for a gathering in the diner. Clark and Lois meet up with General Lane and Iron about the mines with Clark leaving. Lois shows her dad a podcast that is spreading misinformation which can spread harmful lies, but the two argue. Lois makes it up that she'll do this alone. Another round of Football occurs. Jonathan pushes a fellow punching him because of some stuff about drugs. Hell. Clark gets punched by Jonathan, Clark immediately brings him to a building lashing out at him.
The two arrive at the Kent Farm with the two walking in. Lois orders the boys to go upstairs, confronting Clark. Clark explains that something Krypontstion is affecting him. Kyle and Lana arrive back home from the gathering that was ruined by a fellow pushing Lana's buttons. Lois tells Clark that he should apologize to the boys. Clark expresses his concerns about all of this. Lois tells Clark that he won't be leaving out of the house until Henry comes back. Speaking about Henry, he is roaming around the mines with a woman discovering blood on X-K, but is betrayed by the woman.
Clark apologizes to the boys, orders Jonathan to go, and discuss with Jordan. The woman sets off detonation devices. In the RV, General Lane discusses with Lois Lucy and Ally. Sarah expresses her worries about Jordan that she kissed a girl at camp to Lana. Sarah brings Lana in which she has an idea. Lois has another brief talk with Clark in which Clark is having another episode telling her it's breaking out. A mysterious figure stands in the mines with soldiers surrounding and firing at it, but it's bulletproof.
It lifts a car throwing it until Superman arrives! John is informed that it escaped the mine ordering his battle armor to join in the fight. Yeah, that's not Doomsday. Bizzaro? It escapes in the air. The team relocated to the Kent House. So, it might be a doppelgänger, but not the Superman that is from John's World. Nat expresses her concern to her dad. Lois farewells Clark to meet up with her sister.
Sarah records a video of Lana in her kitchen being asked questions and answering them. Jordan walks in with Kyle's permission to see Sarah showing her a case that contains his grandmother's jewelry to apologize which in fact, works. Jonathan meets up with Candice. Lois meets with Not-Lucy. The mysterious figure arrives at the Fortress of Solitude revealing itself to be BIZZARO. Jesus Christ, I never thought I would ever see Bizzaro in live-action again.
Thoughts?
Finally, some action! Tons of character development like General Lane isn't what he was in Season 1, but has grown softer rather than having that serious harsh tone, Lois getting it all together, and the stuff with Jordan. I will always keep on saying this and never stop - the characters feel so real with having problems and more exploration within their character.
More interesting story set-up, brilliant dialogue + writing, better pacing than the last episode, great performances all around, good subverting of expectations about the villain reveal like I thought we were going to see Doomsday since we got hints that references him in some manner, plus the cinematography is killing it! John and Nat are still adapting to their new life which is still interesting. Nat is getting along with the boys well. The pep talk with Clark between his sons was well done, shocking moments where Clark lashes out at his sons and you just wonder what is exactly causing this?
I do have four problems with this episode is that the first 20 minutes were eh, but it manages to be better than that later on + the subplot with Lana being the Mayor was uninteresting and barely has to do anything with the main storyline. But it was charming having a mother & daughter moment, and what a way seeing the problem between Jordan and Sarah concluded.
What I mean is, they still love each other, BUT the cheating context is yikes like the choice of whether you should forgive someone that was cheating on you. Still, it's a horrible thing to do. I am not an expert about all of this romantic relationship stuff- yeah, I don't even know. It's icky. The final thing is the subplot of Jonathan doesn't grab my attention.
"You got to be freakin' kidding me. Freakin' joke. Look at this. Ryan just, uh... posted another freshmen thirst trap."
8-9/10.
Peacemaker: It's Cow or Never (2022)
James Gunn is the GOAT!
Hands down, my all-time favorite scene is the squad releasing an ambush against the Butterflies. James Gunn does know how to pull off an action scene. Ironic they use the song as the intro for this one, and it fits! So badass, full of gore, and brutal hits. Peacemaker with a shield? Hell yeah! This is better than Cap's Shield. This is one of the best finales I've ever seen filled with exciting action-packed scenes, large tensions, massive character development, tightly-paced, great performances all around, carefully explains the plot details rather than being "one of those finales", solid humor, every character has their own time to shine, just a satisfying payoff to an absolutely bombastic series. I was a bit weary of the series in the first place, but I should never underestimate James Gunn. 8 weeks is worth watching such an experience.
About that Justice League cameo, it's quite nice to see them one more time before the Snyderverse gets rebooted due to Flashpoint. Sorry for those #RestoreTheSnyderVerse fellows. It's too late as The Flash is in post-production. Hell, I would love to see more, but we can look back and be glad it once existed.
"I'm so fricking sick of that rumor."
"It's not a rumor."
"Frick you, Barry."
10/10 for this episode, and another 10/10 for this season.