Gotham Season One: Everyone Has A Cobblepot

"Taste my boom stick!"

Bruce deals with the aftermath of the attack on Alfred meanwhile Gordon investigates Commissioner Loeb and Fish meets Dr Dulmacher AKA The Dollmaker (Colm Feore).

Once again Gordon has to deal with the corruption in the GCPD and I really like it every time he does because there is always something different to deal with. I liked most of the plot where Gordon has to find a cache of blackmail because it reminded me of the plot to the game Watch Dogs and I really enjoyed that story. However I was disappointed with how it ended because I would have preferred files of blackmail to Loeb's crazy daughter; I don't know to me the whole reveal was kind of lacklustre. Fortunately is only a small disappointment because throughout this plot Gordon got to have some awesome team ups starting with Dent who it is great to see again. Then there was Bullock and in my opinion he has to most depth to him because of his dark past; sure he betrayed Gordon at first but he broke under the weight of all the corruption years ago. It was in interesting to learn he and Gordon are just one of many cops to be forced to murder a gangster so they will always have a black mark in their past. Finally there was Penguin and he was back to his old sly and sadistic self this episode whether it was forcing a favour from Gordon or getting the to old people to kill each other. Him running a night club is alright but this manipulative and dangerous Penguin is who I want to see more. As for Gordon himself though he is always going to be a beacon of justice it was different to see him being a bit shadier because whatever the blackmail was he was fully prepared to blackmail Loeb and gain from it.

Use your coin Dent!

As for everything else I defiantly liked Colm Feore as the Dollmaker because firstly he is one of my favourite actors, my favourite role for him is when he was Randall in Revolution, and he had this dark humour presence whenever he was on screen as Dulmacher. What he did to his manager was pretty damn gruesome and we get an explanation to why he is collecting body parts. I really hope we get to see more of him as an antagonist because the Dollmaker in the comics is a dark character however I hope in season two he gets a storyline without Fish because again I just don't care about her plight and they just keep finding excuses not to kill her. Nygma had some small scenes with Kringle but it wasn't really that significant which was kind of the same for Bruce's scenes as well. I do like his moments with Alfred and I want him to team up with Selina but I was hoping he would already be making a start into investigating Reginald but now we have to wait until next episode. However I won't mark it down for the Nygma and Bruce scenes because we only got a few of them; they weren't what I want but they weren't bad.

Wonder if we'll see the Dollmaker slice off any faces? Those who read the comics know what I'm talking about

Overall I really enjoyed the main plot with Gordon this episode and the debut of The Dollmaker.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Gordon team up with Dent and Bullock

                   Penguin's last scene at the club

                   The Dollmaker

Let - Down: The big reveal of Loeb's blackmail

                     Fish's subplot

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/

The Flash Season One: Who is Harrions Wells?

Which is the real one?

Joe and Cisco head to Starling City to continue their investigation on Wells and enlist the help of Quentin and Laurel while there. Meanwhile back in Central City Barry tries to stop Meta Human Hannibal Bates AKA Everyman (Martin Novotny) who has the power to transform into anyone he touches.

I just love these crossover episodes, don't you? I mean we should all know at this point but I find it still great to have these little reminders that the Arrow and Flash show is still connected when characters from each of them crossover; all in all I enjoyed the guest appearances of Quentin and Laurel. Firstly Quentin was a lot better in this than when he was on Arrow lately because he wasn't acting like a completely jerk and I liked how he got along with Joe; them talking about their jobs and their daughters, I really hope this affects Quentin and he realizes that he has went too far these past few episodes. Then of course there was Cisco's interaction with Laurel and that photograph of the two of them was just so funny that I laughed out loud and it was so like Cisco. Also this was the debut of the choker that would give Laurel the ability of the Canary Cry from the comics and I am looking forward to seeing this in action. In the comics the Canary Cry is Black Canary's power but having it in the form of technology in the show is the next best thing. What was the most important thing to take from the Starling scenes was that Team Flash has found the body of the real Wells and that is a real game changer because Eobard Thawne cannot hide now, so I'm expecting some big showdowns the next few episodes. This also led Barry, Cisco and Caitlin into the Gideon room in the final scene of the episode (such a cliff hanger to leave off!) and since they have access to the Gideon computer and the newspaper I wonder if they read up on information about the future? but from what other time travel fiction has taught me reading about your future is supposed to be a bad thing.

I want one!

As for the other plot in this episode the Meta Human Everyman was a really enjoyable villain and handled well. First off I thought I'd say that shape shifting powers has also been a favourite of mine (X Men for example) so since the early episode of Flash I have been waiting for a Meta Human with those powers. It was really entertaining seeing Barry and Eddie trying to track down Everyman and quite funny when Everyman assumed the role of Barry and when they fought each other at the airport. This subplot also gave Eddie some great material too and without Joe he was more involved this time and for a second I really thought he would go to jail! I am also just glad the argument with Iris is finally resolved even if he hasn't told her the complete truth. You know I have read a lot of comments and they are saying that Eddie will probably become a villain or the new Reverse Flash (because he is a Thawne after all) but it is really going to take something big to make him one because right now he is such a close friend of Barry. Besides Eddie, Caitlin had some great moments of dealing with Wells and heck who could blame her because Eobard is such a great actor as a good guy! Plus I really liked the scene where Everyman transformed into a kidnapped girl in Caitlin's and Iris's car; such a good plan lol. Not much else to say expect that I really liked the nod to Green Lantern with Barry running through Coast City, will we see the Green Lantern in the future?

Everything is about to change now

Overall I really didn't have any problems with this episode because it was great I guess the only nit picking thing I can point out is that like the Bug Eyed Bandit the Everyman subplot was just there to drag out the investigation on Wells but again it is still entertaining filler that I really don't mind. However with the ending it looks like the investigation is truly over and things are going to be really different on the show now.

Overall: 9/10

Highlights: Barry and Eddie team up against Everyman
                   Joe and Cisco's moments with Quentin and Laurel
                   Caitlin on whether is could trust Wells or not
                   That ending!!

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/

Arrow Season Three: The Fallen

Al Sah - Him lives

With Thea's life hanging in the balance Oliver now has no choice but to accept his role as the new Head of the Demon so he can gain access to the Lazarus Pit however the rest of Team Arrow are not going to stand by and do nothing.

It took several episodes but it looks like Ra's has finally got his way and Oliver is now a member of the League of Assassins and soon to be the new Head. Now I'm sure that Oliver and Team Arrow are going to find a way out of this but I admit I didn't expect Oliver to actually accept so it is going to be cool these next few episode seeing what he will do next. Now Oliver's reason to join the League where right ones because he wanted to save Thea and I really liked the whole ritual but her revival was so underwhelming! She only suffered a bit of memory loss and by the end of the episode she was back to normal (back to her bitchy self of insulting Malcolm), I thought Malcolm said it would change her soul? There was also that mysterious woman who performed the ritual; I don't think it is Talia but I have read some people's comments saying it is Ra's wife or Lady Shiva, however for all we know she is a one time character so we will have to wait and see. Speaking Ra's it is good to get some backstory on him, again confirm that he is hundreds of years old and him explaining the true meaning of assassin. What really bothered my however was Felicity because she is just constantly getting on my nerves now on Arrow, on The Flash she was alright. Firstly she broke up with Ray which was the only pairing that I liked, then she just wouldn't shut up about losing Oliver and then she drugged him. It is just annoying that she has to keep going on that she doesn't agree and expects everyone to side with her; she has been doing this ever since the three episode Brick Arc and has been a downer ever since. Finally the Flashbacks are getting more entertaining now with the biohazard threat and Maseo was really great as we saw him struggling with his old self and his new loyalties. At least we finally know the fate of his son but I think it was obvious he was dead but I wonder if there is more to the reason Ra's spared Maseo's life? Still at least we also go some great action scenes in the Flashbacks and Malcolm being epic with a sword in the present.

Thea better proves that she deserves this

Overall this was a good episode but it felt really, really short with the lack of any other subplots however who else thought that Oliver's League costume was really badass!! 

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: The Lazarus Pit ritual
                   Ra's backstory
                   Maseo and the Flashbacks

Let - Downs: The revived Thea was underwhelming
                       Felicity is getting on my nerves
                  
The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/

Gotham Season One: Red Hood

"Bang!"

When several banks are robbed by the Red Hood Gang Gordon and Bullock investigate meanwhile Fish does something drastic and Alfred reunites with an old friend.

Finally get two origins I have been wanting to see for ages; Alfred and the Red Hood Gang and I didn't expect the latter until season two, I'll start with them first and I got to say that the Red Hood Gang is one of my favourite origins so far. I always enjoyed seeing them in the comic and that they are connected to the Joker however I liked that in this the red hood itself became sort of a symbol of power. It was interesting that the gang members fought and killed over it and the way it saved one of their lives, made them famous and gave other confidence made me sort of believe that it could be a kind of cursed object. I do hope the red hood surfaces again and maybe the Joker could be part of the gang in the future; I still believe he was in the last episode and not the kid at the end. As for the gang themselves I did really like them, their different personalities and goals, the cool shootout with the GCPD and that the citizens started to cheer them on as vigilantes; all in all the Red Hood Gang was pretty damn great in this episode. As for Alfred it was of course obvious for a while he had some dark military past but it was great that we got some light she'd on it. He had some great scenes with Reginald like how good friends he is with him but didn't approve of his less honourable method of fight Reginald was teaching Bruce. I think for the next few episodes it might focus on Bruce tracking down Reginald but the reveal of the Wayne board behind Alfred's stabbing was a pleasant surprise and I just wonder how Bruce will deal with them.

Avenge him Bruce!!

As for the rest of the episode Fish's eye stabbing was gruesome and cool and it is great we may see the Dollmaker soon but it felt over the top. I mean is being leader of a group of nobodies in a basement important enough to mess with the Dollmaker or stab her own eye out? However I was more interested in her former comrade Butch whose brainwashing is not what I thought it would be like. He still seems to act like himself but the scars and shaky hands is a reminder that he is different now and very helpful to Penguin by securing some booze for him. I had read some criticism that Penguin doesn't seem to know anything at all but they need to remember that he is young and new at this and I like that the brainwashed Butch is teaching him a few things. Finally the Barbara moment with Ivy and Selina would have been nice if she still wasn't drinking heavily; why do writers (Gotham and Arrow) feel the need to put their female characters through substance abuse? It gets no sympathy from me, especially with Barbara when it is ALL HER FAULT things ended with Gordon, and I just think these characters can go through different crucibles to change. Also props to Selina for wounding Barbara like that; honestly what the hell was Barbara going on about with that whole beauty weapon stuff?

Got to admit that, that is really cool

Overall despite just two minor flaws this was a really solid episode with a great origin story to the Red Hood Gang.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Origins on Alfred and the Red Hood Gang
                   Penguin and Butch team up
                   Fish stabbing her eye out but........

Let - Downs: ...........Might have been too much just to be leader of a basement?
                      Barbara as always

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/

The Flash Season One: All Star Team Up

"I'll be bigger on this than I ever was on The Walking Dead!"

Felicity arrives in town with Ray to get help to improve his ATOM suit however they end up helping Team Flash when robotic specialist and computer genius Brie Larvan (Emily Kinney) AKA Bug Eyed Bandit unleashes hundreds of robotic bees to kill her former co - workers.
 

The the return of the ultimate duo - Ray and Cisco! Had to get that out of the way first because those two are so funny like when they where working on the suit or coming up with the villain name, they have got to work together more often. It was great seeing Felicity on Flash again because she was awesome the last two times and gave us some of her light hearted comedy (it was like she was back to her old self) and her showdown with Bug Eyed Bandit was epic and bringing Ray was a plus because these two really fit in the Flash show. We got to see Ray shine again in the ATOM suit but Felicity finally got herself a nemesis too with Bug Eyed Bandit who was a really great villain; I like that she is a computer match for Felicity and I liked her robot bees however I feel we barely got to know the character, heck her bees got more screen time than her. I hope she appears again to challenge Felicity in the Flash and Arrow because it is possible she is connected to HIVE with her whole bee theme. Plus I actually really liked Emily Kinney in this, she was better in this one Flash episode than she ever was in the Walking Dead, and I don't mind that they gender swapped the real Bug Eyed Bandit from the comics because he was never really a major villain anyway and I really liked the robotic bees because I always like seeing advanced technology in the Flash or the Arrow.




It's a bird, it's a plane, it's.......the ATOM!!

As for everything else I did really like how Barry found it hard to trust anyone because he does have a right but it was good seeing him struggling with it throughout the episode. In the end (with help from Felicity) he decided to trust Cisco and Caitlin and his theory is even being confirmed by Cisco who remembers the alternate timeline. I don't know how he can but maybe it has something to do with the fact he was the only one killed in it, maybe? Finally it was good having a part of the episode with Eddie dealing with his problem because he usually takes a back seat and him having these problems with Iris and blaming Barry and Joe for it might turn him into a villain...maybe. However I really didn't like that Iris had to be a bitch the whole episode; I do want her to finally be told Barry's secret but I found her attitude towards Eddie to be annoying and she made that dinner scene just plain awkward when it could have been a pleasant and funny moment. I do like her character but they just make her damn unlikable and they don't focus on her investigating The Flash or S.T.A.R labs nearly enough when it's really is in the end the only good storyline she has had so far.

I'm not that fond of bees myself so you have my sympathies Flash 

Overall a very decent episode that was obviously filler but is such good filler! Thought I'd say I am going to be really busy the next couple of weeks so my uploads may be late.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Two computer experts face off
                      Felicity and Ray worked so well in this episode
                      Eddie and Barry subplots

Let - Downs: Not enough Bug Eyed Bandit
                      Didn't like Iris that much in this and she was a bit unfair to Eddie 

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/

Arrow Season Three: Broken Arrow

"I can't wait to form my own super team"

Oliver is forced to keep a low profile with Quentin and the SCPD still suspicious of him even after Roy takes the fall however this changes when Meta Human Jake Simmons AKA Deathbolt (Doug Jones) arrives in town and Oliver is forced to ask Ray for help.

A lot of crazy stuff went on in this episode and I guess I shall talk about the most important one and that is the departure of Roy. Those who have read my previous reviews know that I am a big fan of the Roy character and of his alter ego Arsenal however I felt (and many on the internet agree) that he has taken a back seat for most of this season despite it being the debut of him as Arsenal completely. The only other episode that when he shined was the Wildcat apprentice one where he thought he killed Sara so it was good that he got to play a larger role now. He had some great scenes like when he expressed his gratitude to Oliver, his conversation with Thea and his fights with the prisoners and it is a shame that after all that he now leaves the show. I am sure this isn't the last we see of him but he will probably be in the show now only one or two episodes per season and I am going to miss him because he was a very underused character this season after being developed so well in the previous two. The other main character in the Roy subplot was Quentin and I have to say he is really getting on my nerves now; it was good for one episode but this constant hate from him is damn annoying. It seems his character has gone full circle of hating Arrow, siding with him and now hating him again (and I liked him way better when he was for Arrow) and it is because of this that I think he may be killed off soon. A major character death has been teased and Roy was mostly used as a decoy for it and I think Quentin as a character has run it's course. As for Oliver I did like how frustrated he was with the situation but also learning that his friends can sort it all out by themselves and the Flashbacks where at least good for at least addressing that issue in the past.

As for everything else it was so awesome having a Meta Human on Arrow and we defiantly need more and Deathbolt was just great. Doug Jones has always been a good actor so great casting and I really liked Deathbolt's powers of absorption and releasing that energy in beams and fighting (probably a reference to Superman because of Brandon Roth). What also made this subplot great was that it gave Ray/ATOM the spotlight which is great because he is one of my favourite characters and his suit is so freaking epic! He had a really cool fight with Deathbolt and I liked how it was also a test for him to start being a hero and learning how to fight with his instincts and not just technology. I was disappointed that Arrow didn't fight along side him but that interface system was cool and the reveal that Deathbolt didn't get his powers from the particle accelerator (really funny moment with Cisco then lol) opens a lot of possibilities; was he born with his powers or is there another source? Finally there is the death of Thea by Ra's but I don't believe for a second that she is going to stay dead because since the Lazarus Pit exists I am positive that Oliver will have to accept being the new Head of the Demon to inherit the pit and revive Thea. While all this is some really great material it has reminded me how bad Thea has been throughout this entire show. They have used so much time to develop her character and even after her training she is still the annoy, whinny brat she has always been who does absolutely nothing but talk. It is a shame because they can't kill her off after spending so much effort on her character and that means the important Lazarus revive has to be wasted on her.

Overall a great episode because it's main focus was on Roy and ATOM but Quentin was a real annoyance. Sorry for lack of images but they where yet to be uploaded on Screencapped and I didn't want to wait so I used a image of ATOM from Suicidal Tendencies, luckily he was one of the main focuses of this episode.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Roy focused episode
                   ATOM vs. Deathbolt

Let - Downs: Quentin either needs to change or get killed off
                      Obvious that Thea is going to get revived

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/                        

Gotham Season One: The Blind Fortune Teller

Why so serious?

The feud between Gotham's circus families ends in murder while Gordon takes Leslie there for a date and Bruce schedules a meeting with the Wayne Enterprises board.

Woah! Have we just caught a glimpse of a young Joker? Though it isn't actually said my gut says yes and lots of others on the internet believe so too. Jerome's crazy rant at the end just felt like the Joker which makes me want him to be the Joker even more because the guy was really, really good. When he had that crazy grin he just looked insane and that smile felt worthy of the Joker and him not too sure of his past is also a link to the Joker. I hope we see more of him soon and it is confirmed because I think he did a really great job. Besides Joker we also got to see the parents of the first Robin which was cool, gave us some backstory on them and this whole circus feud gave us a really different kind of episode and I liked it. What was really great about it was that it gave us more time with Gordon and Leslie and I am just really liking the chemistry between them, the scenes they have and it was cool them investigating a case together. For example when Leslie wanted to go to the bridge the reaction of Gordon was so funny and I like the dialogue when they argue about her being involved in the investigation. Leslie is right she is a strong woman and better for Gordon than Barbara who was so weak she walked away from Gordon when she couldn't handle it anymore.

You tell em Bruce!!

As for everything else Barbara being in this episode was something I didn't care for because I never wanted to see her again and it doesn't help that she acted like some drunken idiot at first. I just hate that she has to continue to be on the show because she is just going to be annoying and jealous just to be in the way of Gordon and Leslie and as I said before I bet she will think she is all in the right. Then there is Fish and her little side story is just so boring; I don't like her speeches or her actions with the prisoners, I just don't freaking care because it is just too detached from the goings on in Gotham. As for Penguin I usually always like it when we see what he is up to but the whole subplot with the club was uninteresting and was probably there just to fill up some screen time. Finally the only other good subplot in this episode was Bruce and I liked his whole confrontation with the Wayne board; it was funny to see them not expecting what Bruce was accusing them of, I only wish there was more of it instead of some of the other subplots we got.

"Hell no, we aren't going out to look for clues this time of night"

Overall the possible reveal of the Joker was so awesome but in the end I only really liked just half of the episode because too much time was wasted on Fish, Barbara and unfortunately the bad Penguin subplot.

SCORE: 6/10

Highlights: The feud between the circus families (introducing the Graysons)

                   Possible Joker reveal!!!

                   Gordon and Leslie continue to be a good couple

Let - Downs: Barbara as always

                      Don't care about Fish's subplot

                      Penguin's subplot with the club wasn't that great

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;





http://screencapped.net/  

Anime Review: Baka and Test

Been ages but I have finally got round to writing another anime review and I thought I would review some of the anime I have on DVD. Now I know I might get some new anime and I'll just do a review on them straight away if I have already went past it's letter. One last thing I won't be review Bleach or Naruto (which I also have on DVD) because those anime are so long.

The story centres around the main protagonist Akihisa Yoshii for attends class F at Fumizuki Academy in Japan. At this academy there is a divide among the students where they are put in to classes based on their test scores; A reserved for the best and F for the those with the lowest scores. What is also different about this academy is that the students are allowed to fight each other by summon avatars; mini versions of themselves whose strength is determined by their latest test scores. So we follow Yoshii and his friends as they try to prove to the rest of the academy that being in class F doesn't mean your a failure.

Baka and Test is a comedy anime and it is beyond a doubt really funny, probably one of the funniest anime I have ever seen. It is just the complete silliness of the whole situation and how class F deals with various challenges that usually ends in hilarious results. The setting is a typical for most comedy anime in that it is based in a high school however what sets this one apart is the characters can summon avatars of themselves to battle each other which kind of gives the series an RPG feel to it, especially in the way that they battle. The times in which the student's avatars are mostly used is during the Summoner Test Wars where one class can challenge another one to battle and it is really funny with the tactics involved. Unfortunately they don't use a STW as much as they really should have as it takes a back seat for most of the series which is a shame after seeing it for only the first episode. If there is one thing bad to say about the humour is that it is full of cliques; not that there is anything bad about that but you can basically find every character type in this anime. As for the episodes themselves maybe because it is a typical slice of life humour anime but the they are very inconsistent with each other; there is a main plot overall with the STW but it is hardly addressed when most single episodes are focused on other things like a bathing suit episode or (my least favourite episode) ep 7 when two main characters have to go through a wedding experience.

The main characters are all in class F and surprisingly they aren't as stupid as they appear to be and yet they have typical characteristics found in a lot of anime; there is the lead Yoshii, the good natured yet constantly portrayed as an idiot and then the two lead female characters the flat chested tsundere Minami and the well - endowed sweet Mizuki who both have feelings for Yoshii but of course like most main anime characters Yoshii is oblivious to it. Then of course there is Yuji who makes up the comedic duo with Yoshii, Hideoyoshi the feminine - looking character who even the boys find attractive and who a lot of humour focuses on and finally there is Kota who is the perverted photographer. I do really like these characters however there is not much that makes them stand out from typical anime characters in other comedies. My two favourites would have to be Yoshii because of his hyper and optimistic attitude and Hideoyoshi because of some of the jokes that questions his gender e.g. special bathing room was made for him because the other characters are confused if he is a boy or a girl. However the jokes surrounding these character get overused all the time like, as I mentioned above, Kota is the pervert one and that is it for him and when it comes to Hideoyoshi's gender. Maybe because of these characteristics being overused but it leaves no real time for any character development or backstory for them and the only one who really gets any is Yoshii. Finally the animation really does look nice and is one of it's strongest points; it uses a lot of bright colours and funny facial expression and body movement when it comes to it's comedy.

Overall this is a solid comedy anime that's only real focus is bring laughs to everyone who watches it.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Summon Test Wars/Avatars
                   Animation
                   Humour

Let - Downs: Not enough STW
                      Lack of character development

Thought I'd mention I plan to review Sword Art Online again next since the last one was felt a bit rushed in my opinion (it was early days in my blog when I wrote it) and I may have been too harsh on it. When I reviewed it before I only watched it once and I didn't even have it on DVD at the time but now I have all the episodes and I have had the time now to really appreciate it, heck I cosplayed as Kirito at the last Comic Con I went to.

Arrow Season Three: Public Enemy

Run Team Arrow RUN!

When Ray is injured during an attack on the Mayor's office Felicity's mom Donna visits Starling City again. Meanwhile Team Arrow tries to find Maeso however things take a turn for the worse when Quentin is kidnapped by Ra's al Ghul.

 

This is almost like Season One when Arrow was hunted by the SCPD but the notable difference was Quentin is now almost completely blinded by hatred. Now I say almost because he kind of isn't in the wrong about what he is doing because that speech at the end with Oliver in the police van (standout performance by Blackthorne, he did a great job of being completely overcome by anger this episode) did make a lot of sense in that despite Arrow doing good at the end of the day it is Quentin's job to arrest him and how he actually hates himself for not doing so and even becoming his accomplice. I didn't actually expect him to meet with Ra's al Ghul at all but it was nice that these two characters got a chance to but it was a shame Ra's never used this as an opportunity to reveal more of Sara's time in the League; it is still really vague how she got there and what she did. As for Oliver it really seems hopeless for him now; Slade made him feel that why but who to thought it would be the police this season, just shows you how much Oliver needed them on his side. I guess it's kind of understandable that he turned himself in, in the end because he had no other options but it seems Roy has got his back which is good because he has been on the side lines too much this season. Now I'm not sure how Oliver and Roy are going to get out of this but I really hope it doesn't end in Roy's death (because a character death has been teased for the next episode) since I really like him as Arsenal and he still needs his robotic arm. As for Quentin I like to think he may come to regret his actions, maybe if Roy does die that will trigger it, but I don't know how he is going to redeem himself to Team Arrow and Laurel. Finally this storyline gave us some kickass fight scenes between Team Arrow and the League and some great police chases.

"I forgot how good it felt to chase masks"

As for everything else I enjoyed seeing Felicity's mom again because she brings a breath of light hearted fresh air and again raises questions about who Felicity's dad was with her comments. However while Ray's nanotechnology was interesting I didn't like that he was put on the sidelines this episode when we saw him in action in the last one; I just felt he could have played a larger role and all in all this small subplot felt out of place compared to everything else that went on. Also I'll say again I'm not bothered about the relationships in the show (it sometimes focuses too much on them) however I can't believe they have opened to possibility of Felicity being with Oliver again because I just do not like that. I think her conflicted feelings for Oliver has just been such a downer for her character (when she has been so cheery in the previous seasons) and I just want it to end already. As for the Flashbacks I did like them because it was a nice way to bring Shado and her father in it again even if it was just for closure for Shado's twin.

How is Roy going to get out of this one?

Overall it is a desperate time now for Team Arrow and I don't know how they are going to make things right which is why I can't wait for the next episode.

 

SCORE: 8/10

 

Highlights: A Quentin focused episode

                   All seems hopeless for Team Arrow

                   Great action and chase scenes

 

Let - Downs: Ray's subplot felt out of place

   Felicity still can't decide who she wants to be with which I'm sure will just waste future screentime

 

  

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/ 

Bleach Review: Against The Judgment

"With us you Soul Reapers can finally leave"

Aizen prepares to bring down the entire Soul Palace despite the protests of the Soul Reapers however the surviving Sternritters in the Wandenreich intervene led by Sternritter U, NaNaNa Najahkoop.

Been a while since I have reviewed Bleach but as I have said before when I am really busy during the week I make Gotham, Arrow and The Flash my priority over this plus despite Aizen I have been so disappointed in Bleach's constant standstill in terms of plot development lately. Anyway this chapter is really good because it brings back the Sternritter who survived Yhwach's Auswahlen but what is weird is that they seem to have their powers back, I thought Auswahlen drained them of their powers? Still we get to see NaNaNa in action and find out that his Underbelly power allows him to analyse Reiatsu over time and damage his opponent. It was really cool and while he didn't complete stop Aizen he certainly didn't mind taking him on which is why I didn't like Bazz - B stopping NaNaNa. NaNaNa has always been one of my favourite Sternritter, I really like his design and personality, and it would be a shame if he dies now without ever having a proper fight especially when  he was hyped to face Renji for a time (more evidence that I think Kubo has just been neglecting him). However even if he wasn't I would have preferred a fight between the surviving Sternritter and the Soul Reapers in place of a team up; it is understandable that Bazz - B is against Yhwach now because he almost died by Auswahlen but still in my opinion one last fight against the Soul Reapers would have been better (plus it looks like Shunsui was finally going to fight too). Not much else to say about this chapter other than the dialogue between Mayuri and Aizen was funny because I wanted these two great minds to have a argument for a while now and I wasn't disappointed; each trying to prove who is better was typical of them.

If this is the end of NaNaNa than I am going to be really ticked off

Overall a good chapter but it is a shame that NaNaNa may have been taken out but hopefully the story might actually move now and we get some proper fights.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: NaNaNa showing off his power and trying to stop Aizen
                   The banter between Mayuri and Aizen

Let - Downs: NaNaNa taken out?
                      Not sure I like the Sternritter and Soul Reaper team up that much 

The Flash Season One: Tricksters

"I've fought a Flash before, you think I can't deal with you?"

When a killer known as the Trickster (Devon Graye) causes chaos in Central City Barry and Joe must turn to the original Trickster (Mark Hamill) for help who has been imprisoned for 20 years. Meanwhile Iris asks for Eddie's help with her research and in Flashbacks we see how Wells came up with the idea of the particle accelerator.

The Flash continues to be one of the greatest TV shows of all time and that is because it keeps giving us some really awesome episodes like this! Of course the main focus of this episode was Mark Hamill who reprised his role as the Trickster from the original 90s Flash TV show. What is great about this is that they done it as a way that Hamill's time as the Trickster did count it just didn't have the Flash and that was shown with still photos, his old costume, lair and that he kidnapped Barry's dad who used to be the Flash in the 90s. I have also always been a fan of Hamill and he was just great in this; he was like a cross between his old Trickster, Hannibal Lector and he used his Joker voice in there as well which was cool. He proved to be quite the opponent for the police and the Flash with his master breakout plan, his poison one and wrist bomb; his performance and these things really gave the episode a more comic book feel. It also helps that this story with the two Tricksters is really similar to a comic story line however in the comic the original Trickster isn't the father of Axel and continues to hate him as a copycat but these where cool changes for the TV show. As for the young Trickster he was mainly used as a means to an end for Hamill to be involved but he was really cool and did the part well plus his costume was awesome, it was homage to the original yet with a modern take on it. All in all Hamill is defiantly my favourite guest character in the Arrow/Flash universe so far, his really psychotic, creepy and smart performance was great and you can just tell he is having the time of his life being the Trickster again.

Awesome slow motion fight

Now the other big thing about this was the reveal that Eobard Thawne used some futuristic plastic surgery technology to kill the real Wells and take his face. This was just such a WTF moment because it means that there actually used to be a Wells, he wasn't just some fake identity made up by Thawne. I got to say that this Thawne, who stalked and chose the right person to imitate, who has been waiting for 15 years and been a very convincing good guy is quite change from the psychotic Thawne I know from the comics. This also proves that this timeline has actually already been changed since Thawne created the particle accelerator to create the Flash a lot sooner than intended in his effort to get home. We also got to see him and the Flash fight in Barry's house 15 years ago (which was freaking awesome) however we still don't know how Thawne lost his connection to the Speed Force or what happened to the older Flash but I'm sure that will be revealed soon. Finally since the original Thawne has blond hair and blue eyes I wonder if that is a nod to the comics where that is the look for Barry and Thawne copies his likeness in that as well. As for everything else Barry had some great and emotional moments dealing with is anger at Wells and we also got to see him phase through objects which is another power of the Flash from the comics. Have to say that Thawne really gave himself away in that speech about phasing but I'm guessing since he is so close to his goal he is slipping a bit, so many suspect him now. As for what I didn't like even though Barry revealed his identity to Eddie to get more help against Wells I just think it came completely out of the blue and I don't know if they should have done it now. Then there is Iris and while I don't like her meetings with the Flash I actually feel sorry for her now because still her dad, Barry and now Eddie are keeping the truth from her and just find their excuse wearing thin now, annoying and kind of pointless.

Now that was pretty damn gruesome!

Overall one of the best episodes in the entire Arrow/Flash universe in my opinion with the best guest character.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: The Trickster storyline/Hamill back in the role
                   More history of Thawne and Wells
                   Barry dealing with his anger/phase through objects

Let - Down: Eddie learning Barry's secret just came out of nowhere
                     Still keeping Iris in the dark

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/ 

Gotham Season One: The Scarecrow

Really cool!

Gordon and Bullock attempt to stop Gerald Crane from murdering more victims meanwhile Fish tries to gain more power and Penguin officially re-joins Falcone.

 

Its the second part of the Scarecrow origins and I got to say that even though everything about Scarecrow was just as good as last week's this episode was let down by other events in this episode. First off it's awesome seeing the first fear toxin and that's it's real purpose was to suppress fear, which actually could have been a good thing for mankind if not for the questionable way of making it. I really liked Gerald's story and how he had a twisted way of dealing with his wife's death so it is a shame he is dead now when it would have been interesting seeing him without fear in future episodes. Jonathan of course is the opposite now since he is consumed by fear and will grow up to instil fear in Gotham, still this origin story does place Scarecrow in a more sympathetic light and I hope this isn't the last we'll see of him. Also those CGI scarecrows where so cool and really done well!

"We're going to be super villains one day"

As for everything else it is always good seeing Penguin's dilemma in the mafia and since Falcone gave him the club and saved him makes me think Penguin is really valuable to him. However the best scene was the interaction he had with Nygma because it was so funny; loved Penguin's expression when being asked a riddle and how Nygma wasn't scared to tease a Mafia guy with riddles. It is also good to see the issue with Gordon wondering whether or not to get aid from Penguin addressed again however briefly but it was kind of annoying to see him making things unnecessarily awkward with Leslie about professionalism in the workplace, I know its a small thing but it was annoying him going on and on about it. Then there are the scenes with Alfred and Bruce and it was really great emotional moment for Bruce dealing with the hikes he went on with his dad and it is always great seeing Alfred fill the role as best as he can and help Bruce in his own way. Finally while I said I was interested to see where Fish was taken now that she is there I actually don't feel bothered at all because I don't really care about Fish trying to get her power back or anything that takes place outside of Gotham.

Ironic that the famous fear toxin could have helped people

Overall it wasn't as good as the first part of the Scarecrow origins but it was still a good watch.  

 

Score: 7/10

 

Highlights: Fear toxin/Scarecrow origin
                   Bruce and Alfred moments
                   Penguin and Nygma confrontation

 

Let - Downs: Fish's subplot
                      Gordon workplace attitude

 

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/ 

The Strain Season One Review

"Want to see what's under my hood?"

Here is a show I so wanted to do episode reviews but never got round to it, a Vampire/Horror TV series based on the novel by Guillermo del Toro. I immensely enjoyed Season One and the biggest pull for me was how it portrayed vampires; dark and disturbing, none of that Twilight s**t. I am a massive fan of vampire fiction in film and I find Twilight to be the biggest insult to it, in my opinion the best vampires are Bela Lugsoi, Gary Oldman and Christopher Lee - they did a good job of portraying Dracula has a tragic, mysterious figure yet still scary and powerful. Examples of really great modern telling's of vampires are Stakeland (one of my favourite films), John Carpenter's Vampires, Underworld and Blade to name a few. I am glad that The Strain decided to take the Blade route because I enjoyed Blade's version that Vampires are like a disease yet they are intelligent and have their own secret society. SPOILERS BELOW!

I just wanted to make this quick so to save time I will just list some of the good points and bad points of Season One and give an overall score at the end. I admit I am probably going to miss a lot of stuff that I want to mention, especially for the good points.

Good

The Characters: I honestly don't think there is a single character or casting that I dislike in this entire series, everyone from Eph to Nora, Eichhorst to Gus; they have just been  freaking awesome. A real standout goes to David Bradley as Abraham; the guy is the oldest character but he is such a badass with his silver sword and everyone turns to him for wisdom.

Doesn't hold back on the violence and gore: Either when it's fight the vampires or slicing them open we enjoy a gore fest! Anything lower than what they shown and I would have been disappointed.  

Character Deaths: Maybe not on the same level as Game of Thrones but this series isn't afraid to kill off some of it's characters even though most of them I admit aren't the main cast but are well developed secondary characters.

"The Creatures of the Night" episode: Probably the best episode of the season, it was when most of the main cast where trapped in a gas station surrounded by vampires. We got some great action and tension but what made this episode stand out was that it only focused on this setting and characters and didn't change to any other subplot. It is refreshing when a TV show does this, for example Game of Thrones ninth episode of a season does it because it gives it a chance to focus on one particular event.

The pacing/settings: I liked how we got to see NY slowly descend into chaos because of the outbreak and lack of phones/internet. It was portrayed really well and I liked how messed up the city got shown by the homeless, broken down streets, looting etc.   

Bad

Some characters where underdeveloped while others weren't compelling enough: I feel that some of the characters deserved a lot more screen time and backstory; for example the Ancients and their commandos where awesome but only served as a teaser for Season two. Then there is Palmer and his head of security Cross, I wanted to know more of the relationship between those two and maybe more of Palmer's history of how here turned to vampires to save his life. Then there where some characters who had too much screen time to develop their stories but they weren't that interesting like Nora and her mother or Eph's wife and the problems with they had and with her boyfriend, I still liked them though.

Some storylines didn't go anywhere or could have been expanded: I think the four survivor's on the plane where going to turn into Masters but instead they just turned into regular vampires. It was great seeing four from different walks of life deal with their symptoms but three of them just die shortly after. For example the wife of one of the survivors killed someone to feed her husband and I thought she would continue to do that for a awhile until she had to be stopped by the group but then she killed herself next episode.

There you have it, just a quick review of the first season because it's Easter Sunday and I'm mostly just relaxing. Only two for the bad list but that is because The Strain is a great TV series and I am looking forward to Season Two. I would have really liked to review each episode of Season One but with everything else I have to review now I just can't fit it in, luckily I think Season Two is airing when Arrow and Flash are on break so plenty of time for that. 

SCORE: 8/10 

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/ 

Arrow Season Three: Suicidal Tendencies

"Let Team Arrow and Team ATOM join forces"

Diggle and Lyla finally get married however their celebration is cut short when Deadshot shows up with a new mission from Waller so they both re - join the Suicide Squad and meet it's newest member: Cupid. Meanwhile Arrow finds out about Ray's ATOM suit so the two have a heated stand off with Felicity in the middle of it.

We finally get to see ATOM in action and it was freaking awesome! I say this first; I wish the fight between Arrow and ATOM lasted longer but I was satisfied with what I got. That suit is just so cool besides from looking great it has an arc blast, energy beam and a really useful HUD display which was a good and believable way for Ray to learn the Arrow's identity. I really like the character arc that Ray went through this episode because we just need more of Ray since he is such a great character. He is similar to Oliver with his sense of justice and strong desire to help people but he is still new so it was good to see him learn his first lesson after his fight with Arrow. He also had some good moments with Felicity which I like because even though Arrow spends more time addressing relationships than I would like, FelicityxRay is a way better pairing than what they have done so far. The episode also ended on a cliff hanger and with Ray present and now his supporting Arrow I am looking forward to a team up from the two because those who read my previous reviews know I like a good team up between heroes or between villains. Plus all in all the special effects where perfect; I thought The Flash has been better but that is because they have Meta Humans but Arrow proves to be just as good with it's ATOM suit.

I know I keep saying this about ATOM but I'm saying it again; freaking awesome!!

The other story arc focused on the Suicide Squad and it is great to see them again because it has been too long and we get the debut of Cupid. I liked Cupid when she first appeared in the show and I still like her now because she does play crazy really good and she had some funny scenes with Deadshot. Deadshot of course was another highlight with Flashbacks focusing on him and we learned more about his past (which I am thankful for because it gave us a break from the Hong Kong flashbacks). My only gripe with them is that I wished there could have been longer because I honestly thought we would have gotten another Flashback of Deadshot killing Diggle's brother and maybe Diggle could have been there too. Another thing that annoyed me was the apparent death of Deadshot however I am not going to mark it down for this because I don't think he is dead but it is still possible which would suck because of his history with Diggle and the fact that he is a major comic villain. As for the rest of this arc despite the action being good I found the whole senator mission to be predictable and underwhelming and I just wish they would introduce more members of the Suicide Squad; they don't have to be introduced before on Arrow just introduce on the mission! Finally Diggle had some nice scenes such as his wedding and great material to work with like near the near the end when he contemplated leaving Team Arrow (glad he was talked out of it!).

The Suicide Squad together again

Overall a good episode and a needed break from all of the League stuff that has been the main focus lately but the Suicide Squad mission could have been more unique, maybe facing a Meta Human?

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Arrow vs. ATOM
                   Return of the Suicide Squad
                   strong character arcs for Ray, Deadshot and Diggle

Let - Downs: Needed more backstory for Deadshot
                      Suicide Squad mission was underwhelming

         

The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;

 

 





http://screencapped.net/ 

My Thoughts On The Walking Dead Season 5 And More

I don't review The Walking Dead as a whole series anymore and I chose not to review individual episodes however I thought I'd give my thoughts on season 5 by listing the good and bad points of it. SPOILERS.

Good

The Hunters: Now these where portrayed well in the TV series and their backstory was even improved upon and they lasted a whole lot longer than in the comics. The individual hunters where fleshed out a lot more, we had an awesome season premiere of Rick's group escaping their camp and we got some really gruesome cannibalism scenes from them later.

Father Gabriel: A character who like the Hunters was portrayed really well in the TV series because they barely changed his character and backstory. In my opinion when you want to change a character from source material to live action it only works with minor characters for example giving them more of a backstory. It worked with the Hunters and even the group Daryl was with for a bit in season 4 but it doesn't work with main characters; Andrea and the Governor for example. Andrea I just hated and found annoying (plus she was completely miscast) and while I really liked the Governor and David Morrissey they took away a lot of the sick and violent stuff he did in the comics.

Abraham's group/Flashback episode: Another example of characters portrayed well in live action and probably the best ones as well because they really look like their characters. One of my favourite episodes this season was when it focused on Abraham's group and his flashback. I am grateful to this episode too because it gave us a break from that so boring police arc.

The Alexandria Safe Zone: A part from a few changes that annoy me (the biggest one mentioned below) the safe zone really looks great. We also have quite a few major characters introduced from the comics who live in the safe zone like Aaron, Jessie and Pete. It seems to be sticking close to the source material and even when it hasn't it has still been entertaining such as when Glenn, Eugene and the others went to find parts for the solar grid.

Bad

The episodes with the Beth and the police: This just had to be in the bad list because it was just so damn boring! Probably the worst episodes of all in the whole series and it just wasted so much time. For starters I have never liked Beth's character; I never got why they downside Hershel's family and then replace Billy from the comics with another daughter. Next that woman who was in charge of the police (can't be bothered to remember her name) was just such a bad character, I mean they don't even make it clear if she is good or a villain. All the cops hate her, she lets them do all they want with patients, she imprisons Beth and Noah yet wastes so much time explaining her side of everything. To make matters worse they didn't even have a big shoot out between the two group; the policewoman and Beth just both did something stupid and got themselves killed.

Killing off Bob, Tyresse and Noah: What started off as a joke on the internet has become true in my opinion; the always seem to kill off the black guy. They built Bob up to be such a good character that it was such a shame that they used him to replace Dale's death in the series. I know Tyresse dies at the prison in the comics so they had to kill him sooner or later but I feel like they could have done a lot more with him and let him reach the safe zone. Then there was Noah who I felt they didn't even need to kill off despite it being a really cool and gruesome death scene. I just can't get why these great characters had to die when such an annoying bitch like Sasha is still around and I'll get to her now.

Sasha: Now this is one annoying bitch who I wish they wold just kill off already! I know she is a bit of a replacement for Andrea and is even taking over some of Micchone's comic scenes in the Alexandria Safe Zone but I think it hasn't worked. She just whines and complains about everything and I just find her rages when she attacks zombies to just be so bloody stupid. I just don't get the point of her character at this point because she just seems to hate everyone and everything and she outcasts herself too bloody much.

Replacing Paul Monroe with Deanna: Now this is something that really bothers me; in the comics the leader of the safe zone is an ex- politician named Paul Monroe. He is a really good character in my opinion and brings a great backstory about the safe zone where he was forced to exile it's founder and friend Davidson. However we don't get that in the TV series instead he is replaced for no apparent reason at all by Deanna who is just such a poor substitute. Her recording all her meetings is just pointless and I just find her to be really unlikeable, weak and incredibly stupid; she just doesn't feel like she could be a leader of a community.

No weather changes: This is actually for all seasons but I am really annoyed that it is always summer in the Walking Dead when they have to battle all seasons, like the winter, in the comics.

The Finale: The parts with Morgan, Daryl and Aaron where good as well as the ending with Pete but besides that it was such a disappointment for a feature length episode. I just hate everything Sasha does such as lying with those walkers to her confrontation with Gabriel; are they trying to make us feel sorry for her because it is not working, they have just created an incredibly annoying character. What I also hated was that they didn't kill Deanna off and now we have to suffer with her in season 6 now; why did they have to make her husband be the one killed by Pete? I just don't get why they had to replace Paul with her! It just didn't feel like a finale to me because it didn't feel like anything major happened, plus we didn't even get a major character death or even that Nicholas who so deserves it.

There you have it just a few good and bad moments that really stood out for me this season. I really do like The Walking Dead but my biggest problem is that it changes too much from the comics and when it creates it's own original material it is usually boring. Here is a few examples from each season after one (that season only had six episodes anyway):

Season Two: The entire season set in Hershel's farm, spending ages discussing whether or not to kill their captive, Andrea and that zombie in the well.

Season Three: Andrea being with the Governor because she basically does nothing and this replaces the awesome arc in the comics when Rick is captured by the Governor, introducing Tyresse now when it should have been in last season and cutting out a lot of the violent things the Governor does.

Season Four: The sickness lasts a bit too long, baby Judith surviving the Governor's attack when in the comics her death haunts Rick and Carl for ages, the group splitting up was dragged on for too long and felt like filler.

Despite these examples I still really like The Walking Dead TV series but there are a lot of characters and events I want to see from the comics, Negan and Jesus for example (no spoilers but those who have read the comics will know what I am talking about!)