Bleach Review: The Theatre Suicide Scene 3

Been ages since we have seen someone else Zanpakuto spirit

Lille tries to resist the power of Shunsui's Bankai however Shunsui then unleashes the Final Dan and gets a visit from his Zanpakuto spirit.

You know Bleach used to put a lot of emphasis on the Zanpakuto and the spirits they possess but after the Soul Society Arc they take a back seat, we even only have ever seen two in the manga and that is Ichigo's and Renji's. So I am glad that Kubo hasn't forgotten about them when we get the appearance of Shunsui's Zanpakuto spirit Sakuranosuke. I am so glad she turned up for that reason and I am also glad she looks the same from the anime filler arc because her design in that was really great already; I guess she is also the shadowy figure when Shunsui first released his Bankai. I liked the scenes and the banter between her and Shunsui since you can just tell that these two have been together for ages because Shunsui is the most experienced Captain now. Like how Shunsui keeps calling her "My Flower" and how he did act silly with her at the end, it was all nicely done. Sakuranosuke herself also drops hints to the background of Shunsui's kimono and I have read some fan theories thinking that it used to belong to a former lover of Shunsui so I hope we get a flashback soon. The Final Dan of Shunsui's Bankai was also very cool in they way a trail of light followed his fingers, the poem he recited to it then slashing Lille's throat. As for Lille himself I knew he wasn't going down for the count just yet which I am glad because I want this fight to last longer, plus the final page which showed his face reforming out of energy looked really menacing. I have enjoyed Shunsui's Bankai and it's ability to bring stories to life is cool but I am still feeling a bit underwhelmed by it. I am not going to mark this chapter down for it in case there are more stages to it next chapter because the fight is still going but if it doesn't then I will be disappointed.

"You better not come back after this Lille"

Overall a really good chapter nothing really wrong with it but it doesn't feel perfect to me, I mean it was kind of short in all.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Sakuranosuke
                   Shunsui's Final Dan
                   Lille's return

Let - Downs: Felt short 

Supergirl Season One: Pilot

 

Kara Zor - El (Melissa Benoist) has been living a normal life in Earth ever since her arrival as a young girl from Krypton however she decides to embrace her powers when alien convicts from the Phantom Zone decide to reveal themselves and cause havoc.

 

You know this pilot was a lot better than I thought because unlike the Arrow and Flash this show has to build on the existing mythos of another superhero; Superman. Well first off I shall tell you what I think of the cast starting with Melissa Benoist who really did nail it as Supergirl. It is entertaining seeing her juggle her two personalities of Kara and Supergirl; as Kara she is this likeable, funny, almost goofy newsroom assistant and then instantly become the powerful Supergirl with it feeling forced, she becomes more serious but still retains a light - hearted feel to the character by bringing humour even in a bad situation e.g. when she was lifting the plane. The rest of the cast did an awesome job as well like Mechad Brooks as James Olsen who has this interesting personnel connection with Superman that you want to know more of, her boss Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) who I actually found to be quite funny and I loved the newsroom scenes with her and her sister Alex (Chlyer Leigh) her sister who is her anchor to a normal life; they all did her job great. I know there are more but one I hope gets developed a lot is Hank Henshaw (David Harewood) because those who have read the comics knows he is Cyborg Superman and I am really interesting in knowing if that is who he becomes. The other standout besides the cast is the awesome action scenes that this show has and I was really impressed with how they where done. We has Supergirl flying all over the place, punching aliens and being punched through walls etc. the effects are really good! Her fights with Vartox (Owain Yeoman) where so cool to watch, they didn't feel at all one sided and it was good and believable how see defeating him in the end. 

 

This was an awesome moment!

As for everything else the whole story of the first episode was done really well (the opening with Kryton was really great) and I liked Kara's transition from normal girl to Supergirl. However I feel that already the show is following an already familiar formula that has already been established on Flash and Arrow. I mean only half way through and already she has this hacker friend, Winslow Schott (Jeremy Jordon), who finds the crimes for her on computer and has a crush on her. Already too many people know her identity like the secret military organization which her sister just happens to be apart of. Plus they have already established that this will mainly be a villain of the week structure and while there is nothing wrong with that they haven't exactly given us any big, overarching story yet. Finally you see I like strong female characters being the lead, which this show is giving the audience, however it is 2015 and it throws the whole feminist issue right in your face. It isn't subtle with it at all like some of the lines the characters say which I expect from a show like Star Trek Next Generation or Stargate SG1 which where both in the 1980s - 1990's. I personally believe men and women are both equal and have been for ages and ages now so it is annoying when a show tries to act like Marvel Agent Carter but that was set all way back in the 1940s so it had a proper reason to use the whole non - equal issue. You know I am not alone in mentioning the issue because I have read a lot of comments like this even when the trailers where just coming out and I really agreed with Cat's reasoning for using the name Supergirl.

 

"Good think I can fly because I don't know how to drive"

Overall a great start to the series which does a great job of establishing the world of Supergirl and the characters.

 

SCORE: 7/10

 

Highlights: The cast of characters especially Melissa Benoist

                   Awesome action scenes

                   The story from Kara at Krypton to who she is now was done very well

 

Let - Downs: Already following a very familiar formula found in Arrow and Flash

                      The feminist issue is not subtle at all                  

Arrow Season Four: Restoration

"I always knew gambling could be dangerous but damn!"

Laurel and Thea visit Malcolm at Nanda Parbat to try and convince him to bring back Sara with the Lazarus Pit meanwhile in Star City Oliver and Diggle team up to take on Meta - Human Jeremy Tell AKA Double Down (JR Bourne) who is working for HIVE.

I love it when they bring Meta Humans on Arrow and this time Oliver actually got to fight one because it was Ray who fought Deathbolt. This episode was a really strong OTA (Original Team Arrow) episode which is good because I do miss when it was just the first three and it was thanks to Double Down who while being a straightforward villain was an awesome one. Double Down had such an cool power and his fight scenes showcasing it where so great like his first one with Oliver to a tie, his raid on Palmer Technologies and his final one with Oliver and Diggle; I really hope he appears in future episodes of Arrow or the Flash. It was also thanks to Double Down that Oliver and Diggle where finally able to mend their relationship which I am glad for because I want them to be civil with each other again like Diggle trusting Oliver with his two year mission or Oliver taking a playing card for Diggle. Plus I am glad we got to touch on Diggle's mission for vengeance against HIVE again since I expect to see quite a lot of it because to me this is supposed to be Diggle's season to really stand out and let the main storyline be about him. Felicity also had a strong subplot this episode, holding her own against Double Down though I admit a lot less gracefully lol. I like the team work between her and Curtis and I love we got to see the T - Spheres which makes me hopefully we will see Mr Terrific soon. Finally Damien really, and I mean really, stood out in this subplot and continues to impress me everything has the main villain. The way he used Double Down's own playing card to kill Fayad was so damn brutal and I agree with Double Down that Damien is terrifying and I do not want to get on the wrong side of him!

Really great line but Curtis here lol

As for everything else it is always good to see Malcolm again because he is just my favourite Arrow character and while I like Sara being back I didn't like the subplot overall. For starters I didn't like Laurel's attitude in this whole episode; when the Malcolm and Nyssa both agree not to bring Sara back then you should take that to heart! I also agree with Nyssa in that Laurel is doing this for the wrong reasons, it feels more selfish than anything else and I think it would have been better if Sara was brought back for better reasons than just Laurel wanting to. Thea also didn't fare too well because I have so far had mixed reactions about her condition and this episode didn't do a better job of making it better, she is kind of like a vampire now lol. As for Nyssa she just continues to annoy me in everything she does like destroying the Lazarus Pit, going on a rant about Sara, threatening to kill Malcolm; I just feel like she spoils everything in the end. I hope in the future Laurel or Malcolm kills her because I am just hating her now and I tell you this if Nyssa does kill Malcolm (like she threatens to) I will never forgive the show for that. Since Malcolm is a villain I know he could end up dead in a future season and I just think he defiantly deserves a better death than by Nyssa who has never had a good storyline and constantly whines all of the time. Finally the Flashbacks are decent and I want to know more of the Baron's plans but they are nothing to exciting so far, just have to give it more time.

You know in the LOT trailer Sara was naked coming out of the Pit, I feel cheated now

Overall the plot with Double Down was way better than the one in Nanda Parbat though I am glad Sara is back now.

SCORE 7/10

Highlights: Double Down
                   Strong Oliver, Diggle and Felicity storylines
                   Damien continues to be awesome
                   Return of Malcolm

Let - Downs: Laurel and Thea continue to be the weak links this season
                      Nyssa just spoils everything in the end   

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





http://screencapped.net/      

The Flash Season Two: Family of Rogues

"You think your family is messed up Barry?"

Barry forms and uneasy alliance with Lisa when her brother Captain Cold is kidnapped by their father Lewis Snart (Michael Ironside) meanwhile Joe struggles with a hard decision.

Now this episode was completely owned by Whentworth Miller, I mean he has always been great as Captain Cold but he really stood out in this. First off we actually got a break from the Zoom storyline and instead it focuses on the Cold Family which I was glad for because I wanted to know more about them and this defiantly adds a lot more depth to Cold and Lisa. It is good to see Cold still staying to his Code in the fact that he is a criminal but there are lines he won't cross and there are things he cares about like Lisa which their dad took full advantage of. Always great to see Ironside because he is a great actor and he did a really good job of being this criminal even Cold thinks is evil like planting a bomb in his own daughter's neck. His scenes where he exploded the bomb in his henchmen's head and then shot Barry where really menacing and he had quite the brutal death at the hand of this own son. Lisa really stole the scenes she was in as well; she really humanizes herself and Cold, we got to see more vulnerable sides to them. Plus I am really liking the chemistry between her and Cisco; it is hard to tell if Lisa is being genuine but it is fun to see Cisco just can't help himself in caring for her, this is a relationship in Flash I don't mind seeing developed even more. Barry was also a great addition to the Cold plot because I just really liked him helping out in a heist and I like how Cold and Barry have this mutual respect for one another e.g. Barry having hope Cold can be a better person. Thought I's just say that I know Cold does help the heroes in the comics when it suits him and he will in live action soon because of Legends of Tomorrow but I do hope he stays as a villain overall because I do really like him more as one of the Flash's biggest nemesis.

If his face turned into a skull then he would have been Deathstorm

As for everything else it is great that Jay has decided to stay and remain a member of the main cast because despite losing his speed he is still a great addition (though I would really like him to regain it soon). However while I do like the interactions between him and Caitlin I really hope that that they don't try to build a romantic subplot with them because it just doesn't feel right to me and you know not everyone has to get together in this show! But one that does defiantly seem to work is between Barry and Patty because first off they are together sometimes in the comics (like New 52) so I am more used to this but also like Cisco and Lisa I just love the scenes these two are in together, they just seem to compliment each other really well. Then there is the Joe and Francine subplot and while this was good and quite the shock that Joe lied it just feels too similar to a Lance Family drama from Arrow. Maybe if more screen time was somehow given over to it or if the payoff was better it could have worked more e.g. Iris just seems to get over the shock so quickly and Joe mentions she has met her mother off screen. Finally at the end we see that Stein's condition is getting worse because of the blue flames which leads me to two possibilities; first off Deathstorm could be coming but that seems unlikely this early in the series or more likely Stein needs a second to control to Firestorm Matrix now that Ronnie is gone.

Get in there Cisco!

Overall the best episode of the season so far because we got more insight into the Cold Family and I am glad the Wells from Earth 2 has arrived now!

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Cold Family episode

                   Interactions between Lisa and Cisco

                   Barry was really great in this episode

Let - Downs: I hope they aren't trying to get Caitlin together with Jay

                      The Joe/Francine subplot could have been better

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





http://screencapped.net/

The Strain Season Two: The Battle For Red Hook

After failing to capture Zach, Kelly and Eichorst launch an attack on the safe zone of Red Hook which is protected by Councilwoman Feraldo's forces.

Talk about having one heck of a great showdown where we finally get to see a massive group of Strigoi take on a massive group of Humans and in my opinion it did not disappoint. Before getting into the episode I first got to say that the new opening is so damn cool! It looked like pages right out of the comic book and gave us something really different than just the bloody five second opening we have had so far, props to whoever thought this one up. On to the episode the team up between Kelly and Eichorst continues to be really great and I enjoy their scenes together; like the first one where Kelly opens up to Eichorst about her failure and feelings and Eichorst consoling her (plus fuelling her anger towards Nora), it's almost like she is his protégé. Then there was their plan on bringing an army of Strigoi into Red Hook which gave us one of the best action moments in The Strain so far but I will go into this more in a bit. I want to talk first about Fet, Zach and Nora going to the power station to turn back on the power and it made for a really creepy atmosphere with the darkness and the bodies lying around. Kelly showing up was great as well because she had a great fight with Fet such as the part where she took his gun and then trying to infect him with worms from her wounds. As for Eichorst I admit his showdown with Abraham wasn't as epic as the build up for it was implying but it still made for a good team up between him and Eph.

As for the battle of Red Hook it was just so damn impressive and really created the feeling of hopelessness with the lack of personnel to the power outage. This really was Feraldo's episode to shine because she really took charge and brought all of Red Hook together in this massive clash. I mean she had to deal with a lot form the mayor who only wants her to save the rich who then abandons her and dealing with a quick lack of confidence when seeing the numbers they have to battle. Her Captain of her forces (Frank I think his name was and has been in a few previous eps) was great in this as well like the moral talk he gave her and defending the gates. Feraldo then got the citizens of Red Hook together and we saw some great fighting scenes between them and the Strigoi. I also liked the ending as well at daybreak when the main characters got back together, I have read some people's comments saying it was cheesy but I liked it and gave a sense of hope with all the doom and gloom there have been lately. Finally the only thing I didn't like was the Dutch and Nikki subplot because I just don't freaking care about it! I don't care about their damn arguments and I don't care what Nikki has been up to; I hate her character and she has just been making everything awkward since she reappeared. Plus I was right in thinking this subplot was similar to Barbara's on Gotham because Dutch is now all like "I like Fet but I used to be a lesbian so I'll sleep with my ex". I mean are we supposed to care these two are back together? Well I sure don't it just makes me hate Dutch's character now.

Overall a near perfect episode I just wish that instead of a stupid subplot with Dutch and Nikki we could have had one with Gus or Palmer.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: The battle of Red Hook
                   I great episode for Feraldo
                   Kelly and Eichorst
                   The new intro

Let - Downs: The Dutch and Nikki subplot

Bleach Review: The Theatre Suicide Scene 2

"Bet you weren't expecting this?"

Ichigo runs into Askin but as the two begin to fight they feel the chill of Shunsui's reiatsu as he activates his Bankai.

The chapter we have all been waiting for but before I get into that I want to first talk about the unexpected appearance of Askin and Ichigo. You know Askin continues to be one of my favourite characters just based on his personality alone; the funny reveal that he hasn't even fought Grimmjow and just ran away from him, even admitting that he is the type to run than fight even though he is supposed to be an Elite Sternritter lol. Now I don't think for a second that Grimmjow has been defeated and we won't see him again because he has been hyped up for so long and it would be a waste of his character who has been underused so far. Since Gerard is taking on multiple opponents at once I guess Askin can probably do the same against Ichigo and Grimmjow which would make for an awesome team up. We also get some shots of Chad, Ganju and Orihime but I don't really care at this point because they have just been completely useless this entire arc and I don't know who they can fight since there is not enough Sternritter to go round. However the fight between Askin and Ichigo was cut short went they both felt a very dark and chilling reiatsu coming from Shunsui's Bankai.



Askin continues to be such a great character

This was a great introduction to his Bankai and really mirrors his dark personally quite well; everything from the change of atmosphere to the moves themselves. It kind of remind me of Yamamoto's Banaki which moves was divided into North, West, South, East but Shunsui's is First Dan, Second and Third. The moves are pretty twisted such as the first one where each opponent suffer from the same wounds, the poisoning of Lille and then trapping them both in a cube of water until one of them dies. Plus I was right in thinking that these moves are like a play because off the story Shunsui is saying while Lille feels the effects. It was all very great however I feel like we went through them all really fast and it left me wanting more because the first thing I thought after the chapter despite really liking the Bankai was; "Is this it?". However I am not too worried because I am sure Lille is not down for the count just yet which will force Shunsui to use more moves, maybe something involving that shadow figure?

 

So Lille does have legs in this form

Overall a really decent Bankai reveal chapter and I liked how we got to see a bit of Askin and Ichigo just like we got to see a bit of Gerard and the other Soul Reapers last chapter. 

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Shunshui's Bankai
                   The opening with Askin and Ichigo

Let - Downs: The moments with Shunsui's Bankai felt rushed
                      The rest of Ichigo's group is still very useless

Arrow Season Four: The Candidate

"Your methods are too sick even for me Anarky"

An old friend of the Queen Family, Jessica Danforth (Jeri Ryan), announces she is running for mayor which worries Oliver and Thea especially with new villain Lonnie Machin AKA Anarky on the loose meanwhile Felicity gets help from employee Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum).

This new season of Arrow continues to stay really strong and still has a better start than the Flash in my opinion. I shall start off with the debut of a major DC villain and that is Anarky and I got to say that I was really, really impressed with him. I liked that Lonnie isn't Anarky yet, he is just a smart yet extremely sadistic person, but this is his origins of how he becomes Anarky. He had such a great screen presence like when he broke the finger of that girl (kind of cringe worthy that was lol) and he had a truly awesome fight against Green Arrow; him swinging his electric baton and deflecting arrows had me on the edge of my seat. His escape at the end was really dark (painting his symbol in blood) and I hope he continues to develop strongly as a new villain. Another great part of the Anarky subplot was Jessica Danforth and she did a really great job in the role and was woven in so nicely with the Queen Family that I really believe she has been an old friend of the family. It is a shame however that she is withdrawing from being mayor because I this means Oliver is going to run for it and while I know that is a major plot line in the comics I didn't want to see it in the TV series. I mean how is he supposed to be Green Arrow when he is always in the spotlight? However his Flashbacks where a lot more interesting this episode and I am curious to see what Baron Reiter (Jimmy Akingbola) plans are and how far Oliver has to go in his army.

They finally decided to get rid of the wig in the Flashbacks

As for everything else this was also a great introduction for Curtis, who comic fans know as the hero Mr Terrific, and he worked really well with Felicity. You know I have read comments of people hating that he is gay because he isn't in the comics but all I have to say is who cares that he is? At least there won't be any weird romantic subplot between him and Felicity. As for Felcitiy this subplot with her being head of Palmer technologies definitely gives her more to work with than just being the computer support of Team Arrow. Quentin continues to be a stronger character because again he is against Team Arrow but basically leaves them alone and he is at least civil with Oliver in public. Then there was his meeting with Damien which was really intense with the threats from Damien; again praise to his actor for being so great as the villain and for his scenes with Quentin and Anarky. Finally Thea's subplot was handled a lot better this episode where we finally get to see some proper side affects of the Lazarus Pit and I completely forgot that she, Laurel and the rest of Team Arrow where never really told about the Pit. Laurel digging up Sara at the end was quite the shock but mostly for that they did it so soon, I knew she was coming back because of Legends of Tomorrow.

Now that is one way to grab everyone's attention!

Overall a really great episode and origin for a really great DC villain and the introduction of Curtis Holt.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Debut of Anarky and Jessica
                   Curtis and Felicity team up
                   Better Thea subplot and Flashbacks
                   Damien and Quentin where still great

 Let - Downs: Oliver running for mayor

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/

The Flash Season Two: Flash Of Two Worlds

Straight out of the comic

Team Flash decides whether or not they can trust Jay Garrick who calms he is the Flash in an alternate reality called Earth 2 and is after an evil speedster called Zoom (Voiced by Tony Todd). Meanwhile Meta - Human Eddie Slick AKA Sand Demon (Kett Turton) appears and new police officer Patty Spivot (Shantel VanSanten) asks Joe if she can join the Meta - Human Task Force.

 

On to the second episode now which I have been looking forward to because of Jay and this was a great introduction for him. First off the actor did a really good job of portraying this more experienced Flash despite being way younger than his comic book counterpart and he is just really likable and got on well with the rest of the cast. I also really liked the whole explanation of Earth 2 and seeing Zoom was so damn awesome! He had such a great voice (as expected from Tony Todd) and to me he looked like a kind of menacing ghost, hope to see more of him and that small fight we got to see of him and Jay was so cool. Back to Jay Garrick I got to say that what I am disappointed in seeing is him without his powers because I was hoping to see a Flash team up where they have both their speed, plus this is similar to Eobard Thawne from Season One. However I loved the new move of throwing lightning he taught to Barry which really cements his job as the new mentor. The other introduction is Patty and I was really impressed with her as well because she brought a lot of energy in to the role, she fit in instantly with the cast and I liked the chemistry between her and Barry because they do have a relationship in the comics (most recently the New 52) and I think it could do well in live action.

 

"I'm back"

As for everything else Sand Demon was an awesome villain and it was interesting seeing Team Flash struggle with there being two Eddie's because of the multiverse. The final showdown at the end was done so well with Jay going in first to distract Sand Demon (despite lack of powers that was a good team up) and Barry finishing him off with lightning. But of course who could forget the iconic shot of the two Flashes running towards Patty which was an excellent copy of the famous comic cover. Another highlight was the interactions between Cisco and Stein and them working together which was good because they haven't had much before now; Stein did really good explaining the multiverse to those who haven't read the comics. As for Cisco we see him tapping more and more into his new powers but it is quite the twist that he seems to be rejecting them despite his fascination with Meta - Humans. Of course this is explained that he doesn't want them because of Eobard, its menacing to see that he is still causing grief from beyond the grave. Again I think Barry was one of the weakest links in this episodes because while his reluctance to trust anyone is understandable it was just a bit annoying in the beginning and I wanted him to just get over it, especially since it was Jay Garrick. Finally we get the unexpected arrival of Joe's wife and while I'm not sure why she has returned I think it could be something to do with Wally West who is confirmed to appear this season.

 

This version of Zoom is so cool!

Overall Jay, Patty and Zoom really helped make this episode better than the previous one and I am looking forward to seeing a new Harrison Wells in the series.

 

SCORE: 8/10

 

Highlights: Jay, Patty and Zoom debut

                   The two Flashes vs. Sand Demon

                   Cisco and Stein subplot

                   The multiverse was explained really well

 

Let - Downs: Jay with no powers

                      Barry's attitude in the beginning

 

 

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/

The Strain Season Two: Intruders

Kelly now takes more of the intuitive to get closer to Zach meanwhile Gus gets a visit from Quinlan and Abraham, Palmer and Eichhorst all try to get after the Occido Lumen.

Over the last few episode Eichhorst really haven't has a big role besides from when he was disappointed at not being chosen as the Master's new vessel but this one sees him in the spotlight once again. I really liked the scene at the beginning where he is helping Kelly with her face (more on her later) and I liked the chemistry between those two; Eichhorst using his experience to help the new vampire Kelly. Then of course there is the tense moments between Eichhorst and Palmer and I got to say good one for Palmer who, despite still being humans, has no problem standing up to Eichhorst who rage when he was leaving was noticeable even though he was silent. Then Eichhorst decided to surprise everyone by trying to get the Occido Lumen first and having a good battle with Abraham and Fet; so all in all a good episode for Eichhorst. Kelly was another standout with her looking more like her human self and taking more of an active approach to capture Zach rather than just stalking in the shadows. The showdown in the hideout was really intense because I didn't know if someone was going to get infected or not but it looks like Kelly survived to try another day. You know I have really been liking Kelly's character even since she became a vampire; from mindless drone to leader of the blind kids and now at the same level of Eichhorst, it is some really great development.

As for everything else we also got a subplot with Eph and Zach performing surgery on a gunshot victim while trying to buy a sniper rifle. I liked this because it really improved the father/son relationship between them and while a lot of Zach's moments have been hit and miss this was a good one. He still denied his mother was lost at first but hopefully the ending proved that he is now completely on Eph's side. I was glad we got to see Gus back this week and I liked that he is getting closer to the Gupta family because after what he has lost he found people to care about again. It also did a really good job of reminding us how far NY has fallen with the supply run failing and Gus convincing the Gupta's to leave (plus glad to see him and Angel getting along). However we get a cool confrontation between him and Quinlan which makes me look forward to them teaming up against the Master! Finally the only thing that didn't work for me was Coco storming out on Palmer because while this created some sympathy for him I just don't know what to make of her still this late in the season; what are her thoughts and motivations or is she what she seems to be?

Overall an awesome episode where Eichhorst got to stand out once again and I was glad not to see Dutch or Nikki this episode.

SCORE: 9/10

Highlights: Eichhorst/Kelly plot
                   Eph and Zach;s subplot
                   Gus being approached by Quinlan

Let - Downs: Coco's character still frustrates me  

Bleach Review: The Theatre Suicide

The moment we have all been waiting for!

Gerard Valkyrie finds Shinji's group and prepares to take them on all at once meanwhile Shunsui, having trouble dealing with Lille's Vollstandig, activates his Bankai, Katen Kyokotsu: Kuromatsu Shinju.

Finally we have! The confirmation that Shunsui will be using his Bankai because he activates it at the end of the chapter. I knows lots of fans have been waiting for this since the nature of his Bankai was hinted at during the FK arc where Ukitake says "it shouldn't be used where others can see it". Shunsui eludes to this before activating it by hoping Nano is far enough away and to forgive him if not. This makes me thing that his Bankai is something so massive those caught in a specific area are in danger and based on the title of the chapter and the namesake of the Bankai (The Love Suicides at Sonezaki) my guess is that it takes the form of some sort of play. We don't see much of it other than the fact that shadows appear in the ground in the form of a tree and a shadowy figure appears next to Shunsui so shadows are probably involved in it. Other than that we also get to see Shunsui evaded Lille's attacks and preforming a Kido, Hado #74 Zangerin, that takes the form of a blade, which I really liked because Kido hasn't been used as often as it should in this arc. However I got to say that I am a bit disappointed that after Lille's Vollstandig was released last chapter we don't get more info on it; all Lille did was chase Shunsui around (and teleport) and we don't even know how Shunsui freed himself from the paralysis.

About time we see more Kido

Apart from the fight between those two I was surprised to see Gerard finding the rest of the Soul Reapers and challenging them to a fight. That was great because I want to see Gerard in action and to see what his Miracle power is because he does come across as someone who will be tough to beat. Well he has to be because he is insisting that all of the Soul Reapers fight him at once rather than one on one which I was so pleased to see because I don't want another one on one fight. You know I get the feeling that Lille's and Gerard's fights won't be as long as Pernida's because well Lille activated his Vollstandig after only a few chapters and Shunsui is now using Bankai. I think Kubo doesn't want to spend many months on these fight, it's a shame but I also think Askin's will be pretty long because he has been teased at being stronger than he looks for ages no.

"Your going no where" 

Overall I am excited to see Shunsui's Bankai and how the Soul Reapers will fare against Gerard but I feel that we didn't see enough Lille and he has been neglected after just releasing his Vollstandig,

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Shunsui activating his Bankai
                   Shunsui using that cool Kido move
                   Gerard finding the rest of the Soul Reapers

Let - Downs: Lille should have played a larger part in this chapter 

The Arrow Season Four: Green Arrow

New season, new threads

Oliver and Felicity have been living a quiet life after leaving Starling City however Laurel and Thea arrive to ask for Oliver's help when a former League member Damien Darhk (Neal Mcdonough) shows up with his own HIVE forces.

 

I said that in my Flash review that while it's first episode of the new season was great it didn't have much of an impact however Arrow.......just WOW, it nailed it completely! I wondered how Oliver and Felicity where going to go back to the vigilante lifestyle after we spend the first five minutes with them in suburban paradise and I was surprised that it was mainly due to Felicity who has been secretly helping Team Arrow because she was bored. I liked that they didn't waste too much time bringing them back it was just like; "The city is worse than we thought and we miss the thrill, so lets get back into it.". It was enjoyable to see them come back where we see more of Felicity back to her old positive self and Oliver himself seems a lot more open and light - hearted which is a great change from the depressive tone of Season Three so good job to Amell. As for the rest of Team Arrow Diggle was a definite standout because after three seasons of being Oliver right hand man he is the most reluctant to accept him back because of how Oliver betrayed him; the bromance isn't completely back yet but we still see them working together (plus I like his costume and I don't care what anyone else says). The weak point with Team Arrow however was with Laurel and Thea and while I do really love seeing Laurel as Black Canary and Thea impressed me with her kicking ass during the truck chase they didn't leave much of an impression and felt like they where just there. We get only a one minute snippet of Thea losing control because of the Lazarus Pit but honestly I would have preferred for them to save it until it is the focus of a whole episode and not have been shoved into this one. I'm sure these two will be better when they both get an episode dedicated more to them but there just wasn't much for them in this premiere.

 



The Force is strong with this one

As for everything else the biggest standout was the introduction of Damien Darhk who was just perfectly, and I mean perfectly, cast. He had such a creepy and intimidating presence when he was on screen like his first scene where he comes out and says he is the bad guy and he wants Star City to die. Quickly want to mention Star City and they did an awesome job of making it seem worse than ever like the abandoned buildings, empty streets, the murders of leaders and the fact people just want to leave. This is of course helped by Damien and his HIVE forces who seem unstoppable and even the grunts put up a hell of a fight; they are like a high tech version of the League. Back to Damien his fight scene on the train was so damn cool and when he used his powers to catch arrows and kill with a touch it was just WTF! This is kind of explained with Damien performing a ritual near the end and I really don't know what it means yet but this is what I wanted in Arrow; more powers either through Meta Humans or the supernatural and I can't wait for more. Finally I will talk about the two biggest twists of the episode with the first one being Quentin working with Damien which is something I did not see coming. I liked Quentin in this even before that reveal because while he still doesn't support vigilantes he doesn't go overboard, its like he's "I'll do my thing, you'll do yours" but I think I am going to really like him working for Damien because this will give his character something completely new to work with than just being the cop (though I don't think he is evil or anything). Then there is the reveal that someone will die in six months which is more than a compelling reason to keep on watching. As for who it could be Felicity might seem too obvious and since Thea already died I think it could either be Quentin, Diggle or maybe even Felicity's mom? I know I haven't mentioned the Flashbacks yet but they didn't seem worth mentioning; His back on the island but we get no information as to why, I still don't like Waller and I hated she had to come back so soon and I would have preferred seeing a few episodes where the Flashbacks focus on Oliver being a rookie vigilante chasing criminals in Coast City like we saw for a bit.

 

"It's Team Diggle now, anyone have a problem with that?"

Overall Arrow was a far more impressive first episode than Flash for the new season by delivering lots of action, character development, introducing it's impressive new villain already and giving us two big twists that just hooks us into this new season straight away.            

 

 

SCORE: 9/10

 

Highlights: Oliver and Felicity's return to Team Arrow/Diggle and Oliver conflict

                   Neal Mcdonough as Damien and his mysterious powers

                   Two really big twists/Quentin was really good in this

 

Let - Downs: Laurel and Thea where the weak points in Team Arrow

                      The Flashbacks

 

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/

The Flash Season Two: The Man Who Saved Central City

Strength vs. Speed

It has been six months since Barry closed the wormhole above Central City and has been hailed as a hero however new Meta Human Atom Smasher (Edge) arrives to wreck havoc.

You don't know how much I have been looking forward to the new season of Flash and how hard it was to avoid spoilers on the internet because the Americans get it a week before us! Anyway about the episode it really drew me in straight away with the cameos of Captain Cold and Heatwave; it was almost like a page out of a comic of the Flash battling those two foes but then it turned out to be a dream - like sequence. What surprised me was that the show jumped six months later and we don't see the aftermath of the damage the wormhole did (except in small Flashbacks). I actually really liked this decision because it skipped over a lot of unnecessary stuff like Iris and Caitlin moaning over Eddie and Ronnie; I mean they are of course still grieving but at least we don't have to go through some sort of depression that can just be a drag. As for the characters themselves this episode I liked that Barry was trying to do everything solo after being in a team all last season; it was almost like a dark tone they would have on Arrow of Barry blaming himself for the death of his friends but managing to overcome it. However if I am honest to me Barry took a backseat to episode compared to the good development we got from the secondary characters. Like Iris who actually was really helpful and supportive of Barry, trying to snap him out of his depression, than just the character whose about the relationships. Then there is the really great duo of Joe and Cisco who had a funny team up near the end of last season (uncovering Wells identity) and seem to be continuing that with Cisco helping the police. Then there is Stein who seems to have taken over the role Wells left behind as the kind of mentor/genius character and I loved the scene where he thought of the name Atom Smasher. Finally there is Caitlin and I liked how she is in a similar state kind of like Barry where she tried to distant herself from everyone then overcame it but I seriously doubt Ronnie is dead and probably ended up in Earth 2.

Can't wait to see these two return to fight the Flash

As for everything else the video message from Eobard was a surprise as well as the fact that he confessed to the murder of Nora. Now from what I know of Eobard from the comics he isn't doing this because he cared, no I my opinion he is like "I'm dead anyway so.....f**k it" lol. However the release of Henry was just handled so poorly because maybe they did this because the actor has other commitments and can't hang around for much put his excuse for leaving was so stupid, especially after everything Barry went through to free him. Then there is the debut of Atom Smasher and I always like seeing new Meta Humans on Flash and I think Edge did a really good job, I loved the action scenes and he had a kickass costume! Even the effects of him growing where really good for a TV show. However I just wish the character himself was developed a bit more because it felt like he was a one off villain; he is there just to fight the Flash because Zoom told him, that's all we know of him. Plus I really hope he isn't dead because I like Atom Smasher from the comics and his family plays a big role as well with the Justice Society of America. Finally the ending with Jay Garrick (Teddy Sears) was awesome (and funny with them talking about security lol) and I am so looking forward to him working with Team Flash. In the comics he acts as a sort of mentor to Barry Allen because he has been the Flash for way longer and while he is younger in the show I can still see that happening, plus I can't wait for him to reveal more of his backstory and what Earth 2 is like.

"What where you saying Cisco about better security?"

Overall a highly enjoyable episode though probably not as mind-blowing as I thought a first episode of a season should be I think that is because there probably saving it for when Zoom gets properly introduced and like I said in my opinion it is also because the secondary characters got way more spotlight than Barry. Also thought I'd say that I will go over my thoughts on who Zoom is when we get an episode where he gets a lot of screen time, like when I did it for Reverse Flash when he fought Barry for the first time.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Strong performances from the returning cast especially from the secondary characters
                   Debut of Atom Smasher
                   The six month time skip was handled really well
                   Jay Garrick at the end

Let - Downs: Atom Smasher could have been developed better
                      Henry's departure was not done well

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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/

The Strain Season Two: The Born

More backstory is revealed for Quinlan as he makes contact with Abraham meanwhile Eph still deals with the aftermath in Washington and Fet and Dutch are in for a surprise.

 

I got to say that with this episode Quinlan is turning into one of my favourite characters because he is such a damn badass! I mean we have got to give The Strain credit for it's really impressive intro with Quinlan as a Roman gladiator; the fighting, the costumes and the awesome setting. We also get some to see his enhanced strength and speed as well as the fact that he can survive in daylight which is because he is a half breed. I didn't expect that but it got me thinking that if he is a half - breed what did that make the commando vampires? He said he trained them but how did they retain their minds in the first place? Moving on we also get to see a second Flashback where it is revealed he has been after the Master for quite some time and gets an awesome confrontation with him alongside Abraham. Sure there was no fighting but the way they where staring each other down and mocking one another was cool but the comment about Quinlan's mother makes me think that his mother was human but is the Master his father? Besides that we also get a cool action sequence where he makes short work of the blind vampire children which was also really gory with the one that was sliced in half!

Unfortunately the other subplots wasn't as good starting with Eph who has seemingly teleported back to NY; I have got to mark it down for that because after all he went through to leave how the hell did he get back so easily? Luckily the rest of his subplot was good because he had a nice reunion with Zach and his determination to kill Palmer should give him a new darker storyline because he had never wanted to kill a human before. Speaking of Palmer he got a lot of screen time and I admit I am warming up to his relationship with Coco; maybe it's because of he said he has been distant from people all his life but now he is finally letting people in. If this subplot does redeem Palmer then fine by me now plus he is one sly dog for managing to romance Coco at the end lol. As for Coco I still think she needs more development because I just want it confirmed is she really who she seems to be or his there more to her? Finally the real let down was the Fet, Dutch and Nikki subplot because I just kept shaking my head; here we go I thought, just like Gotham we have to throw in a lesbian twist the show could have done without. After so much building Fet and Duth's relationship, which I think was done well, they had to throw Nikki into the mix which is just making all the scenes with them awkward to watch. Also Nikki just isn't a likeable character and probably is going to be a useless person I bet, and this is really going to annoy me, she is just going to be arguing with Fet over Dutch and justify their relationship with Dutch herself  trying to get Fet to sympathise with Nikki like she had already because of what she's been through, like abandoning everyone.        

Overall Quinlan was defiantly the biggest highlight of the episode but I am disappointed that they have to bring Nikki back who is just going to be an annoyance and a let down in every episode.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Quinlan!/intro and Flashbacks
                   Palmer's relationship with Coco
                   Eph's new determination to kill Palmer

Let - Downs: We don't see Eph journey back into NY and it seemed too easy
                       Bringing Nikki back  

Bleach Review: The Second Eye

Which one is the real one?

Shunsui manages to catch Lille off guard with his shadows however that doesn't last when Lille reveals the true power of his X - Axis ability.

Now this chapter defiantly picks up the pace a lot more than the last one despite it wasting a bit of time in the beginning. To elaborate it's basically Shinji confirming that Shunsui is the type of person who fights alone and especially now that he is Captain Commander however despite that I would have preferred more Captains fighting Lille. Throughout all of Bleach the fights have mostly been one on one, even the Espada in FK fights that started off multiple Captains against them eventually became one on one so I wouldn't have minded if there was a bit of a change here. Moving on Lille confirms that his rifle is made out of Reishi and simply restores when it is sliced in half, though this was going to be obvious because he is a Qunicy. We also get some cool moves from the both of them as they try to land a blow on each other and then Shunsui getting the upper hand by creating shadow copies of himself which made for an awesome shot!



It's been too long since we've seen a Vollstandig

However just when things look bad for Lille he reveals that when he opens his left eye swords can just pass right through him just like how his bullets can pass through anything. Then we get some great backstory on Lille and that he was the last Quincy granted power by Yhwach and is the most powerful one because his god - like ability makes him closer to Yhwach. I don't know if this is actually true because while his ability is overpowered maybe Lille just has a bit of an ego lol. Finally the chapter ends on a really awesome few pages when Lille activates his Vollstandig Jilliel which, besides from looking freaking cool!, immobilizes Shunsui and then fires several shots into him. Now Lille's Vollstandig is one of the most unique I have seen and makes me look forward to the remaining Sternritter Vollstandig, Pernida didn't use one but then again it was a left arm. It's power to stop Shunsui along with the X - Axis ability makes me think that Shunsui will have to go Bankai to win, plus Lille looks like his in some sort of a cocoon so maybe we will see more forms?

"Ha! You missed my vital spots"

Overall a way better chapter than last time, besides from the beginning the fight is really looking like it can be just as good as the Pernida one. However unlike the Pernida one this one seems like it could be a lot more face paced since Lille is already in his Vollstandig

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Shunsui vs. Lille
                   More background on Lille and his power
                   Lille's cool Vollstandig

Let - Downs: The beginning with Shinji and the others was kind of irrelevant

Top 10 Flash Season One Episodes

I have done Arrow, now it's time for The Flash! SPOILERS

10. The Sound and the Fury




The first episode on my list introduces us Hartley Rathaway AKA Piped Piper and with the use of Flashbacks this character was woven perfectly into the storyline. I like villains with cool tech and the Piped Piper's sound based weapons was an interesting match for the Flash. It was also great how he tricked everyone by allowing himself to be caught however a let down is that his defeat was anti - climatic and felt rushed.

9. All Star Team Up




Ray Palmer is one of my favourite characters in the Arrow series so I really liked how he crossed over in to the Flash show. It is always great to see him in action in his ATOM suit and he and Felicity worked great with Team Flash, especially the funny scenes Ray has with Cisco. I also liked Emily Kinney who was great as the villain (liked her better in this than all her time in the Walking Dead) but just like Piped Piper I think her defeat could have been more dramatic. Plus this was also the episode where everyone agrees that Wells is the Reverse Flash which made the focus of the episodes afterwards trying to capture him.

8. Revenge of the Rogues




Captain Cold is one of my favourite Flash villains so it's always great to see more of him in the series and that this is the episode where he starts to build his Rouge Gallery. We also get the debut of Heatwave and it's entertaining see him work with Cold and we also get an epic showdown at the end with the two of them vs. the Flash.

7. Out of Time




I really liked this episode because it was a continuation of the Weather Wizard plot from the first episode; I knew this episode was coming (because from the comics I knew it was Mark not Clyde who was the real Weather Wizard) and it didn't disappoint! Mark was quite the match for the speedster and because of him we got to experience time travel for the first time. Of course the highlight of this episode was the biggest WTF moment for me in TV that year; Wells revealing himself to be Eobard Thawne AKA the Reverse Flash who is my favourite DC villain.

6. Rogue Air

Who doesn't like a whole bunch of Meta Humans fight the Flash at the same time? This episode was the perfect one for bringing back some Meta Humans we haven't seen in a while like The Mist who was captured early in the season. It was also good to see Cold get the drop on the Flash but I really didn't like that he had to kill Deathbolt; he was an awesome villain, Doug Jones was great as him and I really hope another version of him from Earth 2 arrives next season. Also if that wasn't enough the end of this episode had an awesome showdown between the Reserve Flash vs. the Flash, Arrow and Firestorm!

5. The Man in the Yellow Suit




I remember when I first watched this I enjoyed it so much I watched it again on catch up only a few hours later. This was the first episode that introduced us to the Reverse Flash in the present (not as a blur in Flashbacks) and he had two awesome fights with Barry. I mean the Reverse Flash was so cool with his deep voice and vibrating so we can't see him properly, the confrontation he had with Joe and the police was intense and the reveal of him being Wells was such a twist.

4. Fast Enough

Such a great finale for an epic season and one that focused more on the emotional scenes than action yet worked so well. Since they had the epic fight last episode this one focused more on Barry's decision to change the past and watching him struggling with the choice and then deciding to not save his mother so his present life won't be changed was such a great watch. Then if that much sad scenes wasn't enough they gave us Eddie sacrificing himself so Eobard will be erased from existence! Now I am positive either Tom Cavanagh or Matt Letscher's version of Eobard will reappear sometime in the futues because it's freaking Eobard Thawne, the Flash's greatest enemy who has done a lot of crazy stuff with the time stream in the comics. The only let down of this finale was that Caitlin and Ronnie's wedding just felt forced in and should have been saved for Season Two.

3. Flash vs. Arrow




The first crossover episode was such a huge success thanks to the great interactions between the cast of Team Flash and Team Arrow. The just looked so comfortable working with each other it didn't surprise me that they are going to make a crossover every year now. They also thought of such a smart way for Arrow and Flash to fight one another and it was a great fight. Only two things annoyed me and that was Cisco saying the fight was a draw when clearly Oliver won and Rainbow Raider was defeated off screen.

2. Grodd Lives

You know Grodd could have easily, and I mean easily, been a major disaster in the series. First off there is the fact of having the Flash fight a gorilla with the limited budget TV series have and then there was trying to make him (a gorilla) a serious threat. Well they nailed both of these targets because Grodd looked so awesome on screen and it was so damn creepy in those sewers when they where hunting Grodd. They went with a successful Jaws approach where you don't see much of the creature but the atmosphere they created made up for it. Then when Grodd did appear he was so intimidating like when Joe started to lose it or when he caught the Flash's punch and in the end the Flash didn't even win, he just got lucky.

1. Tricksters




So many episodes of the season deserve to have the number one spot but I just had to give it to this one because of Mark Hamill, Mark FREAKING Hamill!! It was so smart to have his portrayal as the Trickster in the 1990 Flash series still kind of counted in this series and we have lots of Easter Eggs showing us it e.g. his old costume and photographs. Loved Mark Hamill's performance on the episode because you can just tell he was having the time of his life and that besides from being a challenge for the Flash to defeat his character ties into the Axel Walker Trickster so we hopefully might see them again. Not only did we have that great plot but awesome Flashbacks showing how Eobard got stuck in the past and how he took Well's identity.

Picking a worst one was hard because I don't think there is a bad episode in the whole season but if I had no choice but to pick one I guess it would be.

Crazy for You

I guess I picked this one because while I liked Peek - A - Boo I think the way The Flash caught her in the end was lacklustre. I mean the rest of the episode was good with Cisco and Piped Piper and the ending with the sewer workers killed by Grodd but I guess Peek - A - Boo's plot wasn't too entertaining overall.


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

 

 





http://screencapped.net/