Bleach Review: The Princess Dissection

"Need to stitch my face back together for all the fan girls" 

Urahara shows off the power of his Bankai to a surprised Askin and gets help from an unlikely ally.

Sorry that I wasn't able to review last weeks but besides from being busy I haven't been feeling 100% lately (might be coming down with something) but I am here for this epic chapter! Finally we Bleach fans get to see one of the most anticipated Bankai and so far it hasn't disappointed. First off I really like the design of Kannon Biraki Benihime Aratame because I much prefer it when Kubo creates giant Bankai like Mayuri's and Komamura's because there is just so much more detail in them. I guessed ages ago his Bankai might be female looking because his Zanpakuto is one of the only few confirmed with a female spirit and it does look rather creepy looking with it's doll - like appearance. Secondly it also has a rather useful ability that can spilt open and stich back together anything Urahara wishes such has his damaged eye and his arm so he can deliver and powerful blow against Askin. Now I really don't think that this is it for his Bankai's abilities because since Zanpakuto are supposed to mirror the personalites of their owners I'm guessing Benihime also has a darker side like Urahara.

Bet your surprised Askin

As for the fight it got really good with Urahara coming back strong thanks to his Banaki ability and actually has Askin on the ropes. I do like Askin saying that he doesn't really like close combat but he did carry a really interesting looking spear or trident in one of the panels. However the fight suddenly ends with the arrival of Grimmjow who mercilessly rips out Askin's heart and crushes it. I read that a lot of fans where disappointed that Grimmjoe hasn't done much since his return but I think this brutal move really makes up for it. Now I seriously doubt that Askin is dead because Kubo seems to really like him based on how much development he hasn't given the character so I'm 95% sure Askin will transform into something else. I also am saying this because the next chapter is 666 and there are a lot of fan speculation that Kubo is saving something really big or shocking for this.

DAMN! Now that's pretty brutal!

Overall a really entertaining chapter for a Bankai that did not disappoint.

SCORE: 10/10       

TV Show Reviews 01/03/2016 - 03/03/2016

Because of work I have decided to review TV shows all together in these one uploads a week. They will be similar to my quick reviews in that I will list what I liked and disliked in bullet points and you can find out what shows I review by looking at the labels attached to this upload.

The Flash Season Two: Potential Energy

 

Run Flash Run!!

While Joe and Iris try to get closer to the newly arrived Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale) Barry has to deal with a Meta Human who is his worst kind of opponent; Russell Glosson AKA The Turtle (Aaron Douglas) who has the power to slow down time.

 

Highlights

• The Turtle was such an awesome villain in this episode because not only was he a really threat to the Flash he was really cam sold me on being this psychopathic killer. The effects of him slowing down everything was great and I loved the reveal that Cisco has been tracking down Meta Humans where not even aware of yet.
• The interactions between Joe and Wally where a really highpoint and created some really tense drama moments between the two. I liked that that there is a rocky road ahead of them; we get to see them build their relationship rather than be instant father and son. Plus they did address Joe's faults in not being there for his son because he did throw sick wife out and faked her death; the things Wally said where harsh but overall there where not untrue and I am glad he brought them up.
• The backstory on Zoom was so needed because Zoom has been lacking in development lately because he just hasn't been the focus that much but we finally learned more about him. Liked that Tom Cavanagh was the one to say the story because being such a great actor he made it so horrifying to hear, really enforcing Zoom as this unstoppable nightmare.
• Finally the Reverse Flash is back baby!!! As a massive fan of comics I just knew he couldn't be gone for two long and I can't wait until next episode which will be all about me fav DC villain. Also while Tom Cavanagh was perfect as Eobard Thawne I can't wait to see Matt Letscher shine as him because he was also good in the short time we saw him in Season One.

Let Downs

• Wells killing the Turtle because while there was this really cool and dark speech explaining his motivations why did they have to kill off such a great villain?

 Other

• This is stuff from the episode that isn't a big highlight or let down but I want to point them out anyway and first is the reveal the Jay is suffering from a fatal illness. I wish they explained a little bit more about this but they are probably saving it for future episodes to give him more to do; I really like Jay in this but the writers have bee ignoring him quite a bit. Also while I was unsure about him and Caitlin I guess its been handled really well so far.
• I'm not really sure what to make of Patty leaving Central City, I doubt she's gone for good but this means we won't see her that much anymore. I did like there screen time in this like Barry struggling to reveal his secret while also terrified of what Zoom will do but I just hope Barry does just tell her and make her stay rather than just wasting off this relationship.   

Overall a great midseason return with a great villain for the Flash but also some great character moments for the West family.

 

SCORE: 9/10

 

Arrow Season Four: Blood Debts

 

"Party time"

Oliver goes on a rampage when Damien's last attack leaves Felicity paralyzed in the hospital while also having to have to deal with the return of Anarky.

 

Highlights

• The return of Anarky because so far I think he has been an awesome villain in Season Four! I really like is insane and sadistic personality (helped by that creepy clear mask), it was cool how we saw his symbol drawn in blood and just like last time we got some awesome fight scenes from him. Seriously his fight with Oliver and Thea with his staff weapon was so great to see and a fine example of how good the fight scenes are I Arrow.
• This part is actually a continuation of the first one but I also really liked the connection Thea and Anarky seem to have. I know I have bashed Thea a bit this season but during the break I re watched the first half of Season Four and she is better than I initially thought. She has been doing way better than Laurel (will get to her in the let downs) because at least the writers are making more of an effort with her e.g. relationship with Malcolm, bloodlust and its effect on Damien and now her connection with Anarky. I hope Anarky continues his obsession with Thea and becomes like her nemesis.
• Oliver was really great in this episode because it is almost like his return to his more darker ways in Season One such as killing the Ghosts and freeing Anarky. Good job from Stephen Amell for going back to this darker side and struggling with Felicity's condition.

Let Downs

• Laurel was a real drag in this episode because from the beginning of the Season until now (with the exception of her small team up with Malcolm) all she seems to do is get in the way and make all the wrong decisions. I really liked her in Season Three because I enjoyed seeing her transition into becoming a vigilante but it seems there is nothing relevant for her to do now. I would like it if the writers gave her a recurring nemesis to concentrate on like Thea has Anarchy; Count Vertigo could have been hers but they have yet to bring him back.
• I also didn't care much for Diggle's moments with his brother because I don't know just have one beating Andy decides to give up some info. I mean what is the deal with Andy? Is he under Damien's control or did he join of his own free will?
• Finally after Damien's brutal attack on Oliver last episode he was barely featured in this episode. Sure they needed room for the return of Anarky which I really enjoyed but I just think he could have done more. Plus his fight scene with Oliver could have been better, there was an obvious blur for his stunt double and his excuse to let Oliver go was kind of weak to me.

Other

• The Flashbacks did get interesting with the reveal that Oliver's tattoo has interested the Baron and we also got to see what the prison looked like before. However once again these Flashbacks could be way better because they need to pick up the plot a bit; the best Flashback this season was the one with Constantine because there was just so much going on.
• As for the funeral scene it was obvious it was never going to be Felicity and it is now confirmed however I really hope it doesn't turn out to be Quentin or Diggle because I think the show would really suffer for that. Who I hope it is, is either Roy because his actor wants to focus more on film or Donna because those two I think are two characters would cry and be that angry for.

Overall not as strong as the Flash return but Anarky really stole the show for me.

SCORE: 7/10          

 

 

Legends Of Tomorrow: Pilot Part 1

 

In the year 2166 Vandal Savage has conquered the world so time traveller Rip Hunter returns to 2016 to form a team that can combat Savage across multiple time periods. This team includes the Atom, White Canary, Firestorm, Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

 

Highlights

• The whole dystopian future, the Time Masters and time traveling was handled really well and fits in the overall DC TV universe. Praise especially goes to Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter because he worked alongside the cast perfectly and has the real charisma for the leader.
• It was great seeing characters from Arrow and the Flash again and seeing them work and interact together such as Ray and Stein geek out over time travel. As I have said before Ray is one of my favourite characters and I liked his conversation with Oliver about how he believed he never made a difference before he "died", a nice sympathetic moment for The Atom. The fun surprise came with Sara forming a friendship with Leonard and Mick which gave us some really funny scenes and I hope these three stick together a lot now.
• Loved the moments with Kendra and Carter because like I said on their appearance in Arrow and Flash, besides a few differences from the comics, their story arc with Savage has been perfect. I really love watching their story arc and some of the strongest scenes came from them such as them fighting to decide to go or not or meeting their son and watching him die.
• Finally glad to see Cronus who is a Atom villain in the comics; he looks so badass and I look forward to seeing more of him. Plus quite the twist he works for the Time Masters, I thought he worked for Savage when watching the trailers.

Let Downs        

•  Waaaaaaaay too much exposition from Rip Hunter and other characters and I wished they spent less time on it or better yet tell it through some Flashbacks like on Arrow.
• Jackson was a weak link in this because I really don't get where all this doubt and reluctance to fight came from?

 

Other

• Reverse Flash says he is from a 150 years in the future so why did he never mentioned that Savage has taken it over? Could it be possible that Malcolm changed the timeline somehow when he took Savage's ashes?
• Wish there was more of Savage because he was a great villain but since this is part 1 I hope he is in part 2 more.

Overall an awesome start to the series and I can see this going for ages and being an epic TV show!

 

SCORE: 8/10

 

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/

Bleach Review: God Of Thunder 4

"Finally time for my Vollstandig"

In her new form Yoruichi starts to over power Askin and his Deathdealing power however the tables are turned once again when Askin unleashes his Vollstanding.

I forgot to mention in my last review but Yoruichi's new form looks pretty damn cool and I'm glad we get to see it in action straight away. It's name is Shunko: Raiju Senkei: Shunryu Kokubyo Senkei, which means Flash war Cry: Thunder Beast Battle Form: Flash Black Cat Warrior Princess. A really cool name (and quite the mouthful) and I like that most of it looks like it's made out of lightning plus there is the reveal that not only does Yoruichi look like a cat she acts like one too. This might explain why she didn't want to go into this form in the first place but it also might reinforce the fact that this form was somehow made by Urahara. It seems like Yoruichi only like Urahara in this form when we see some really funny shots of her licking him a and cuddling up against him at the end. Back to the fight we get some awesome shots of Yoruichi overpowering Askin and this is explained with Urahara saying that because Yoruichi's mood is constantly changing so is her Reiatsu and Askin's immunity cannot keep up. Honestly I just don't like this explanation because just like with the other Elite Sternritter the perfect way to counter there abilities is not through actual fighting or the Soul Reaper's talents but by secret abilities that have never even made been mentioned until now. Just look at the Pernida and Lille fights; they where defeated by the perfect counter measure to their powers by something that we never saw in Bleach before. I just wish that Kubo ended these fights through the hard work of the Soul Reapers and not by a new ability he just thought of on the spot.

It would be great to have her as my pet cat :)

However what I love about this chapter is that we get the reveal of Askin's Vollstandig: Hassein, which means God's Poison Taster (I very appropriate name). I like this form because first off it's not some massive change of form like Lille's was, instead it's like some of the earlier ones where it's is mostly just the wings and some minor form changes. But Askin's does look different because it has more of a futuristic look like the DNA helixes wings or the visor he wears. So far the only power we see is a massive Gift Ball that affects Urahara straight away but like Lille's I'm expecting a lot more from it. I also hope that we finally get to see Urahara go Bankai because that is one the fans have been wanting for ages now. However my biggest gripe with this chapter is that it is following the typical Bleach formula because I think we all expected Askin to survive and reveal a new form because we have seen it before in fights.

WTF!

Overall I am still looking forward to the rest of this fight and I hope Urahara gets more involved in the rest of it now.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Yoruichi's new form
                   Funny Urahara and Yoruichi moments
                   Askin's Vollstandig     

Let - Downs: The counter to Askin's immunity is so convenient
                       The flow of the chapter is following the predicable Bleach formula

Bleach Review: God Of Thunder 3

Now who wouldn't like a pet like Yoruichi

Yoruichi continues to struggle against Askin and his Deathdealing power however Urahara arrives to help.

You know I didn't expect it to go back to one of the fights outside of the palace, I thought we'd get a few panels of Ichigo or Uryu but I'm not complaining since Askin is back in the spotlight. It starts off with Askin contemplating his ability with a defeated Yoruichi and two interesting points are brought up. Firstly from the way he is talking about it, it almost seems that Askin doesn't even like his ability because of how close it brings him to death; this was even talked about before. Next is how Askin is supposed to be fighting the Soul Reapers but keeps showing no desire to finish off his opponents something even Yoruichi points out. I just thought I'd point these two snippets out because Askin's the one of the most interesting and well developed Sternritter in this entire arc and these things really add more to his character than being a simple throwaway Sternritter several have been. He also continues to show how powerful he really is because I don't think much time has passed when we last saw these two but Yoruichi was taken out by one of Askin's "Gift Balls" which seems that no one can fight against e.g. Ichigo and Grimmjow. However we finally get to see the return of Urahara who disappeared when the Soul Reapers we getting sniped by Lille earlier.

"Best seat in the house"

Because of their shared past I have always liked seeing Yoruichi and Urahara team up because they are so fun and comedic together and that still continues with a lot of sexual innuendos thrown in. I mean Urahara arrives staring at Yoruichi's ass and seems to cure her of the Gift Ball by injecting something in it lol. Then the most interesting thing of the chapter happens and that is the mention of the special war potentials that haven't been touched on in ages. We learn that Ichigo, Kenpachi, Ichibee, Aizen and Urahara where all chosen because they each have a unique skill to watch out for and they all fit each character. I just want to mention that I really hope this mention of Aizen means  he will be back soon because I just really, really want to see him fight again. As for Urahara it seems he was chosen for his vast intelligence and thinking out a way out of any situation which of course it is true because it was him who made the Kido to stop Aizen, the sword to restore Ichigo's powers and did several things to help the Soul Reapers in this arc. Obviously Urahara is going to think of some crazy plan to stop Askin and his over powered ability and I hope we get back to the special war powers soon because maybe, like Aizen hopefully, Kenpachi and Ichibee still play an important role in this arc. Finally the chapter ends with some more funny banter between Yoruichi and Urahara and then a really hilarious shot of Urahara forcing Yoruichi into a Cat - Girl form made of lightning which I am sure has some special power to combat Askin.

"It's a shame your not a special war potential"

Overall I liked this chapter way better than the previous one but I have to fault it for being really dialogue heavy when it would have been cool to see some team up of Yoruichi and Urahara but then again Kubo never does that and just sticks to 1 vs. 1. Also while I also hop Yoruichi kicks some ass now I kind of hope she gets defeated so Urahara will have to step in a use Bankai.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Askin getting the spotlight again
                   The funny moments between Urahara and Yoruichi
                   The special war potentials brought up again

Let - Downs: Was a tad too dialogue heavy     

Bleach Review: My Last Words

"Now I'm finally going to have the spotlight"

Uryu's true intentions are revealed as he confronts Haschwalth meanwhile Ichigo and the rest try to make it to Yhwach while he is in his weakened state.

With Arrow, Flash and Supergirl not returning to the UK for a while I thought why not review Bleach for a while again and see where it goes. I have still been keeping up to date with Bleach lately and this chapter was just another setup chapter that we have been reading for a while; Askin vs. Yoruichi, Gerard vs. the Soul Reapers and now Uryu vs. Haschwalth, we haven't had any proper fights and the plot hasn't moved forward that much either. We get a few new revelations like Haschwalth destroying the Sun Gate connected to the world of the living because he saw Uryu's betrayal but also the reveal that his seeing powers isn't so perfect after all. Is this because the Almighty ability is not as good when it transfers to Haschwalth? Now as for Uryu's betrayal everyone saw that he was still a good guy for months and months now and Kubo hasn't done anything with this subplot. I mean Uryu hasn't fought or been featured that much throughout this whole arc and his whole plan doesn't sound as elaborate as he thinks because I seriously think there was no need to keep Ichigo and the others in the dark about it. It's a shame this subplot didn't go anywhere because we never even got to see a good fight between Uryu and Ichigo which I think a lot of fans (myself included) was hoping for. However I am looking forward to seeing Uryu vs. Haschwalth and it is helped with some awesome artwork of the two of them facing off against one another.

As for everything else Chad actually got a chance to shine by staying behind to deal with the statues that have come to life which I admit I didn't see coming. And while I like his dialogue and willingness to fight I don't think we'll see much of him now since he is just fighting cannon fodder. That has been the major problem with this arc is that there have been too many characters that have been wasted and have barely done anything. Like the Vizards, Shinji in particular who hasn't fought for long, won a fight and just seems to be defeated by one move all the time now, I don't know what the hell Ginjo and the other Fullbringers are doing and where is Uryu's father been in an arc that has been about Quinces? I think the major problem with this arc is that there have been too many good guys and Kubo has been too afraid to kill them off. For example I really admired Kubo when I thought he killed off a popular character like Toshiro but no he brought him back and he is taking over the Gerard fight when it could have been the Vizards time to shine. If you want to go back even further why couldn't Kubo let BG9 win against Soi Fon? He could have fought another day then against another Soul Reaper, Vizard or even a Fullbringer but no he was killed off along with Cang Du when the two could have done way more. Finally many Sternritter where defeated off screen by Byakuya and then killed by the Auswahlen; these included NaNaNa, Robert, Candice and Meninas, four Sternritter who haven't had a proper fight this whole arc and never will now. Sorry for the rant but it is just something that has really been annoying me throughout this whole arc.

Those statues do have an interesting design

Overall not much happened because it is mainly setup for fights and what is happening next but I am also interested in seeing if Ichigo will make it to Yhwach before he wakes up.       

SCORE: 5/10

Highlights: Great shots of Haschwalth and Uryu
                   Chad getting some of the spotlight

Let - Downs: Uryu's infiltration of the Sternritter wasn't all it could be
                      Doubt Chad will play a large role in the arc now along with many other characters
                      Don't really care about Ganju now at this point

Top 5 Falling Skies Season Two Episodes

Haven't uploaded since before Christmas but I will try to more often now, I was hoping to review more Arrow, Flash and Supergirl but I think they are not coming back to the UK until March. I have been looking forward to doing this Top 5 list because it is a shame I couldn't review this season of Falling Skies because I think it probably is my favourite because of it's darker tone. Though Season Three might be a close tie because I like the intro of the Volm in it and that the humans are more like a big superpower against the aliens, which they completely got rid of in Season Four. Anyway here is my top five for Season Two, SPOILERS.

5. Young Bloods

You know some of my favourite episodes of Falling Skies is when the focus is on Weaver because he is one be of best characters in my opinion. I liked this episode because Weaver had a really touching moment being reunited with his daughter who he thought was dead and it was nice to see some good come to Weaver. I also think this was Matt's first really good episode because he was starting to grow up rather than acting like a kid and he made a compelling argument against his father for wanting to fight. Plus the scene at the end with the Jeanne and her friends almost being harnessed was great and made for a good rescue mission to watch.

4. A More Perfect Union

You know this episode might have been higher but the let down that kept it here was that the take over of Charleston that was built up with a cliffhanger the last episode didn't really amount to anything. I wouldn't have minded seeing some fighting between the people of Charleston and the 2nd Mass plus I don't really like Bressler and he was an ass in this. However they are minor things because it was a satisfying conclusion of the Second Season with the raid on the Overlord at the end which included some great action and torture scenes which lead to the death of Dia and Red Eye. Plus the cliffhanger was really good with the introduction of the Volm (unnamed at this point) and kept me wondering until the Third Season whether they where enemies or not.

3. Love And Other Acts Of Courage

See when Ben isn't completely obsessed with one of Hal's girlfriends his episodes are some of the most entertaining. This episode gave us the introduction to the Skitter Rebellion with Red Eye and the return of Rick from the previous season. I think it was handled really well because Red Eye's backstory of the rebellion was compelling but the scepticism of the other characters kept me constantly second guessing everything. Like I said Ben was great in this because I liked how he kept sticking up for Red Eye and this was the start of his own mission separate of his family and the 2nd Mass.

2. The Price Of Greatness

Quite a different episode here because 2nd Mass has to deal with integrating with another society of humans and of course it didn't go so well. It was interesting seeing some of the members of 2nd Mass accepting this (like Weaver and Tector) while other had a harder time like Pope and the Mason Family. It gave us a break from the alien war to watch these opposing views and the most compelling of them was the ones between Tom and his former history professor Arthur Manchester. I enjoyed seeing Tom trying and convince Manchester and the rest of Charleston the importance of fighting rather than hiding. All in all while there was no action it had some really strong character moments and dialogue that I really enjoyed.  

1. Molon Labe

The best episode of the entire season and one of the best in the series overall, I just loved this episode. It really tries to be scary with the reveal of thus Trojan Horse bugs that burst out of that member of 2nd Mass and started chasing the characters throughout the dark hospital. It also created a really hopeless situation with 2nd Mass trapped in the hospital but thanks to Tom really doing something unexpected by shooting an Overlord in the neck. All in all there was a lot of tension and dark moments in this episode that made it unforgettable, plus Pope was back with the main cast again.

And because I have too the worst episode of the season in my opinion was;

Homecoming

I got to tell you I just really dislike Karen in the series because I never really bought her as this enemy leader in Season Three but before that she had a really underwhelming return in this episode. You know I didn't need Pope to tell me she was actually a spy because it was just so obvious from the beginning, I never understood why anyone in the 2nd Mass bothered listening to her. In my Falling Skies reviews of the later seasons you know I hate the subplots that involve the love lives of Hal and Ben, well this episode was the very first one; they are both fighting for Karen like they do for Maggie in later seasons. I just do not like the rivalry that Falling Skies constantly creates between Hal and Ben because all of the time Hal just acts like a prick and Ben comes off as kind of pathetic when he could be the most interesting character because of the problems he faces being harnessed.

The Flash "Running To Stand Still" Arrow "Dark Waters" Supergirl "Hostile Takeover" Quick Reviews

I have just been so busy at work lately because of Star Wars (I work at a cinema) that I have no time to review these episodes individually. So here are some quick reviews and if I find that work keeps me too busy even after Star Wars it may have to always be like this.

The Flash Season Two: Running To Stand Still

The Weather Wizard returns to Central City and frees Captain Cold and the original Trickster from Iron Heights for a team up against the Flash meanwhile Joe and Iris get a surprise when Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale) arrives at their home.

Highlights

• Return of Weather Wizard and the Trickster and their villain team up! These two where great villains last season and it was good to see them again, especially Mark FREAKING Hamill! Whenever he is on screen he is always the centre of attention with his over - the - top performance which is handled really well; he does it in a way that it doesn't feel annoying or out of place. Loved the fights scene between Weather Wizard and the Flash, the Weather Wizard's flying ability was awesome to see.
• Joe's subplot in handling the reveal that Wally West is his son because it was probably his best character arc and performance all season. We got some really heart - wrenching scenes with Joe and I'm glad we got a glimpse of Wally, who fans of the comics know plays a large role.
• The opening with Zoom attacking Wells came out of no where and it is going to be a nice twist with Wells being forced to help Zoom now. I bet all the characters are going to turn on him when they find out which will be a shame because he isn't evil he just hasn't got a choice.

Let - Downs

• Captain Cold was completely wasted probably because they want to save him for LOT, this was annoying because I really would have liked him to have been a part of the conflict. I'll say again I really hope that they don't play Cold as too much of a hero because I want him to eventually be the leader of the Rouges.
• Patty's subplot with Weather Wizard was predictable and boring because I knew how it was going to play out from the beginning. Didn't like how far she was going to go for her revenge (like trapping the Flash), I felt her conflict with Weather Wizard was just forced in the plot and I bet it will never come up or play any importance again.

Overall an awesome Christmas themed episode in which Weather Wizard and the Trickster completely stole the show

SCORE: 8/10

Arrow Season Four: Dark Waters

Things turn even more brutal when Damien steps up his attacks on the city and even targets Oliver at his mayoral party.

Highlights

• Damien stole it because he was the centre of attention this episode; we got to see him interact with other HIVE members, we saw a glimpse of his family and he lost his cool and suffered his first defeat. The guy just grabs your attention every time he is on screen like when he attacked the Christmas party or showed Oliver his gas chamber. His fight with Malcolm was a standout (glad it was him to beat Damien first) and we saw more of his power like his force choke and possibly a resurrection spell?
• The Malcolm and Laurel team up was really good because with their shared past over Sara's death these two characters have a nice chemistry going on. They kicked ass with their assault on HIVE and it was cool to see more Canary Cry and Malcolm dressed as the Green Arrow. Also Quentin's reaction and interactions with Malcolm where great as well and I do like his pairing with Donna.
• Diggle's interactions with his brother where good because this defiantly gives his character more to work with and a unique arc that is more his own.
• The ending left us on such a cliff hanger that I really want to see what happens next. Could Felicity be dead? It would be a nice twist if she did (don't like her pairing with Oliver) but I guess she won't because the people behind the show probably don't have the balls to anger the OliverxFelicity fans.

Let - Downs

• The Flashbacks where a disappointment because they teased a shark yet we didn't get to see it fight Oliver. Plus it didn't feel like anything really major happened and it looks like Oliver's time as a spy in the Baron's camp is over so soon. 

Overall a really dark mid season finale with a major cliff hanger for year also thought I'd say this is more of an annoyance than a let down but I hated Felicity trying to title every "Holiday" instead of Christmas. It is freaking Christmas time, I have always hated people who don't call it such and I have no idea why she playing the Jewish thing so much, it annoyed me that she was pushing it on everything.

SCORE: 8/10

Supergirl Season One: Hostile Takeover

Astra returns to challenge Supergirl and her beliefs about her mother meanwhile Cat may be removed as CEO of CatCo when a hacker exposes her private emails.

Highlights

• The fights scenes this episode where something really amazing and such a great way to end the mid season. The flying fight between Supergirl and Astra was done so well with them flying through buildings and causing so much havoc. Then there was the attack on Lord Industries and it was awesome seeing so much Krytonians fighting at once and they brought two others aliens as well. Maxwell and Henshaw really shined as well with Maxwell trying to take them on with his special gun and Henshaw displaying some of his powers.
• Henshaw's line " My telepathy doesn't work on Krytonians, which Superman finds hilarious" is probably the best line I've heard all season lol.
• Cat had such great development this episode with her warming up more to Kara, her willingness to sacrifice herself for the greater good and her past about a son she gave up when she was younger. Then of course there was her working out Supergirl's identity which really showed her intelligence and shrewdness.
• I like that we got to know more about Astra, her attempts to discredit Alura, the Flashbacks and the reveal that she has a husband however......

Let - Downs

•  ........Astra herself just isn't that much of a compelling villain. She doesn't really stand out to much in opinion and I didn't like her cliché wanting to be caught plot. This isn't too much of a let - down because I feel that she can be a really good character in the future.
• While I liked Kara, James and Winn working together to bring down Dirk I didn't like James and Winn butting heads over Kara and the typical becoming friends at the end.

Overall my favourite episode of the season so far with some great character development and action scenes.

SCORE: 8/10 


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/

Supergirl Season One: Episodes Six And Seven (Quick Reviews)

I have been so busy with work lately that I just had to make these two episodes of Supergirl quick reviews.

Episode Six "Red Faced"

Highlights

• The Red Tornado android was so freaking awesome and looked a lot better than it did in the preview screenshots. I read lots of comments before the episodes that the design looked silly but no when you actually watched it in action it worked. The fight scenes it had with Supergirl where really cool and I though it was destroyed I hope it returns in some form in the future because it gained sentience.
• Kara dealing with her anger issues because while you think it is actually just about her crush on James there is more to it than that since she is still trying to find her place in the world.
• Glenn Morshower as Sam Lane; I feel like I see this guy in everything (Transfomers, Revolution etc.) and while his character is an ass for the way he treats James and Supergirl he plays it well because he is supposed to kind of be the human antagonist for Supergirl.
• Kara and Cat bonding over drinks because I like how these two are growing closer with each new experience and again we find out more about why Cat is the way she is. Plus Cat always seems to be the one to give Kara the right information at the end of the day, more so than Alex and James.
• Winn uncovering the information on Alex's father because now we have a lot more mystery surrounding his disappearance (I don't think he is dead) and I am curious as to what alien he and Henshaw where tracking down.

Let - Downs

• The scenes with Maxwell and Alex are just painful to watch now because I don't want these characters together and I just think they are forcing chemistry between them.
• Winn really needs to have a strong character arc soon because while I think he is a good character and a funny one too, he just seems to be there for the sake of it most of the time.
• I really didn't like the workout scene with Kara and James, I mean honestly just a few punches and Kara suddenly had this massive realization. I just felt that it was lazy scene thrown into the episode to move the plot forward.

Overall an improvement over last week's episode because it had a villain for Supergirl to fight this time.

SCORE: 8/10


Episode Seven "Human For A Day"

Highlights

• The whole earthquake disaster because I think it was just really portrayed well, everything from the damage effects and how the characters are dealing with it. Maxwell was really great because he turned the disaster to his advantage by playing the good guy and trying to turn everyone against Supergirl with some pretty convincing speeches lol.
• I liked seeing Kara dealing with the loss of her powers for the first time and then realizing at the end that she is a hero with or without them; the robbery scene was really well done. Then of course there was James and Cat who really helped her through it each in their own way.
• All the scenes with the DEO because I really liked the villain Jemm and his powers and I liked how they where creating this Alien atmosphere when trying to capture him.
• Hank is Martian FREAKING Manhunter!! Fans have been asking for a live action portrayal of this character for ages and now we have got it and he looked so damn awesome. I liked the build up to his reveal with Hank's backstory because it makes sense for the character; right out of the comics he is a good guy who is the last son of Mars. Now I admit I am slightly disappointed Hank isn't Cyborg Superman however hopefully we will still get him in the future, maybe the real Hank could have been revived as Cyborg Superman?

Let - Downs

• Again Winn just needs something better to work with than just being a Sueprgirl fanboy with a crush on Kara. Then of course there was the awkward moment he got angry with Kara for hugging James; I like his character but come on don't turn him into a jerk. 

Overall defiantly a highlight of the season which makes me look forward to seeing more of Martian Manhunter and leaves us with a cliff hanger ending.

SCORE: 9/10

Top 5 Falling Skies Season One Episodes

Now I will move on to Falling Skies for my favourite episodes list (about time I got round to it too) but since each season only has 10 episodes I will do a top five. SPOILERS

5. Eight Hours

We start with the finale and I guess I should start off by saying why it is in fifth place and that is because I am slightly disappointed that the battle with Weaver's group against the Skitters was not shown. I accepted that Falling Skies doesn't have a big budget for massive battles and it's more subtle approach does work for it for however the battle was pretty hyped and we saw none of it. But on to what I did like and that is the battle between those who stayed behind at the school against the Mechs because we had a great gunfight and tense moment when Ben tried to stop them with the frequency and I also liked Weaver's speech when asking for volunteers and seeing who was willing to go. I liked that because while we saw none of the battle the build up for it was really good like also during the trip when Weaver decides to push on despite hearing of the other Masses being destroyed. Finally it ended the season on such a big twist and cliff hanger where Tom goes aboard the Overlord ship that made me impatient for the new season so I can see what happened lol.

4. The Armory

I just had to include the episode that introduced my favourite fictional character; John Pope! I mean this episode showed straight away just how much of a badass he is, from his attitude, finger necklace and how he tired to take the 2nd Mass's supplies. I also like the episode because it also addresses the importance of Military vs. the Civilians and I liked Tom and Weaver's opposing views on the subject and Tom's talk about it with Anne. The only thing I didn't like was Maggie because overall I just don't like her and her whole reason for going along with Pope's gang until now and then just suddenly switching sides.

3. Live and Learn

The first episode was a great start to Falling Skies; it may start six months after the alien invasion but does a great job of introducing us to the characters and the state of the world. It establishes Tom as the main character and I've always really liked Tom because he has always been just a really likable character (despite his change in Season Five), he is not military but I history professor just doing what he can do against the alien menace. I liked all of the other characters as well and the whole situation of 2nd Mass; just a group of survivors each with their own differences and views working together. This also showed that the show can have some great action scenes when it wants to and I liked that they didn't give us that much info on the Skitters, leaving some questions for later episodes.

2. Grace

A great action packed and interesting episode early on in the season which had Tom, Hal, Pope, Dai and Antony trying to find gasoline. I liked the dilemma the group was in, whether or not to kill the sleeping Skitters but Pope escapes just to do it anyway lol and also when the harnessed group attacked them with guns. They definitely should have done that more often because it put the group in a desperate situation when they where almost forced to shoot kids to escape. Anne also got a good subplot with her experiments with the captured Skitter which was interesting to watch and Ricky getting the harness ripped off him was cringe worthy.

1. What Hides Beneath

This episode had two big twists in it and a compelling story that makes it worthy of the number one spot, with the first twist being that the Skitter are commanded by the Overlords. This was great because we finally got to see some form of leadership structure within the alien invaders and changed the whole game for the humans because they thought it was just the Skitters. There is also the reveal Anne makes that the Skitters used to be harnessed children because now we know the real reason for the harness and that Ben wasn't out of danger yet. The great story that was with Weaver going back to his family house and almost giving up on the war. We also found out that he accidently killed his youngest daughter by removing her harnesses and has been separated from the rest of his family ever since; not only was this a more bleak and dark turn for Falling Skies but creates a lot of sympathy for Weaver's character. Finally I also liked the subplot of Pope being kind of like the inventor for 2nd Mass by building the bombs and making the anti - mech bullets.

You know I don't really dislike any episodes in the first season because I think it kept a steady pace throughout but if I had to pick a worst episode it would be;

Sanctuary (Part 2)

I actually really liked part one but the second part didn't have much of a payoff as I thought it would have because while it had some decent gun fights I was disappointed there was no massive shootout between 2nd Mass and 7th Mass. I just think that the 7th Mass where wasted potential as villains when they waste a lot of time trying to make us sympathise with some of it's members.

Arrow Season Four: Legends Of Yesterday

"We should really get together more often"

Team Arrow and Team Flash try to protect Hawkman and Hawkgirl from Vandal Savage while the rest of their comrades try to come up with a way to defeat the immortal.

You know I bet when Arrow Season One started with a simple overall plot of one man trying to destroy the city I bet it didn't think it would have elements like immortality and reincarnation in the future lol. The Hawkgirl/Hawkman subplot continues and this time we get Flashbacks to ancient Egypt where their troubles began and it was handled so well like the amazing set and costumes. Again while their are a few changes (like Savage being in Egypt when he got his immortally from the meteorite as a caveman) I praise how closely they are sticking to the comic book origins of Hawkgirl/Hawkman. I liked how nicely they tied Savage's origins to them such as his need to kill them to sustain his powers rather than through his blood sacrifices in the comics, they made it make sense. Again all three characters are so good such as Carter having all of the past lives knowledge so he is more of a rash trainer because he already knows how it goes, Kendra going through the motions of such a burden but finding her courage in the end and Savage's impressive and menacing presence to the heroes. Loved the two fights between Savage and the heroes because again they used such great special effects like when Savage killed all of the heroes and destroyed the whole city! I also liked the final scene with Malcolm retrieving Savage's ashes probably to restore his body because first I knew even as ashes it wouldn't be the end of Savage and secondly it was such a Malcolm thing for him to do, double - crossing the heroes for his own ends.

This is how it all started

As for everything else time travel was brought back which was a surprise I never saw coming! Like the first time it was shown it was used in such a way that it didn't feel too convenient for Barry to exploit it. This is because when we saw the ghost even Barry didn't know what it meant which increases are sense of danger for them confronting Savage and when Barry does go back in time he changes just the right things. These are just Kendra finding her confidence, fixing the gloves and Oliver bringing everyone to the battle; it didn't feel too OP it felt like they did enough just for a fighting chance. Now since this is still an Arrow episode Oliver got more spotlight this time and that involved the subplot with his son and unlike the Well's subplot last episode this one fit in the overall plot a more nicely. Amell really was great in these scenes because it gave Oliver some really intense and emotionally confusing moments to deal with and he handled it brilliantly. I am looking forward to Oliver having more interactions with his son and how it effects him I future Arrow episodes, though I am slightly disappointed his son isn't named Connor Hawk like he is in the comics (maybe it's his middle name?). As for the let downs I found Felicity to be so annoying in Oliver's subplot, I mean couldn't she just keep her nose out of it because this was something emotional big for Oliver and I just hated her when she confronted him about it in the old timeline. Sorry I don't know about anyone else but since Oliver only really just found out he was a father I just really wished he told Felicity to shut up and mind her own business. Finally the pacing this episode was a lot more slower than the last one, especially during the scenes at the farmhouse which reminded me so much of Avengers 2.

"Ok birds lets get this over with"

Overall maybe not as good as part one but this nevertheless was still a strong Hawkgirl, Hawkman and Savage episode and a good set up for Legends Of Tomorrow.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Hawkgirl, Hawkman and Savage plot/Flashbacks
                   Good use of time travel
                   Oliver subplot

Let - Downs: Felicity really annoyed me
                      Slower pace  

               
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: Legends Of Today

Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) and Hawkman (Falk Hentschel) both set their sights on Kendra for their own purposes so Team Flash asks Team Arrow for help meanwhile Wells develops a serum that could improve Barry's speed.

I have been so looking forward to these crossover episodes, especially since we have had a week break from Arrow and Flash and so far it did not disappoint. You know what is the best part of a crossover? watching the interactions between Team Flash and Team Arrow when they have to work together. Like the rivalry between Felicity and Cisco, the reactions of Diggle has he tries to wrap his head around the Meta Humans in Central City and easily Barry and Oliver rely on each other which makes you think their shows have always been combined. It is nice to see that the cast of both of these shows feels so comfortable around each other that these crossovers don't feel forced at all. Now on to the events and we have got three new additions to the cast; Kendra (who is now properly Hawkgirl) Hawkman and Vandal Savage and this was a awesome episode for the debut of all three. First off Casper Crump as Savage was just really, really good; he brought a lot of threatening charisma to the character and I enjoyed watching his attacks on Team Flash and Arrow. Again they are doing a really good job of introducing magic now, first with Damien and now with Savage who now brings immortally which is a real step up. I also liked that his story tied in so closely with Hawkgirl and Hawkman's plot and that there is another praise; I was really impressed with the Hawkgirl/Hawkman subplot because it felt like it was ripped right out of the comics, they just followed it so closely! Hawkgirl was the bigger standout because we got to see her realising her true self and gaining her wings and we really got to see struggling with that in every scene. Hawkman kind of felt shoved in out of no where for the plot but I am not going to mark that down because he still made a really impressive debut, Falk Hentschel did an awesome job and as I already said his plot with Hawkgirl was a standout.

As for everything else the fight scenes in this episode where truly damn awesome!! Everyone one of them where just so great like Green Arrow and Flash vs. Hawkman (them two fighting a flying enemy was great) and their fight against Savage for the staff of Horus, loved that fight because the effects where just so cool! A let down however was the fact that Malcolm was in this episode (his first crossover one!) and we didn't get to see him fight at all which was a real shame. Since this was an immortal being they where facing I thought this would be defiantly be more up the League's street but they weren't as involved as they should have been. Another let down was the plot involving Well's serum for Barry; it was nice to see they haven't forgotten about Zoom even in the crossover and it was good seeing Jay again but it really was just a distraction from the main plot. I just got annoyed because again if Patty wasn't just kept in the dark about everything her shooting Wells could have been avoided and Joe didn't even bother to tell her with this perfect opportunity again. Finally this isn't a let down I just wanted to say I enjoyed that Damien got a little role at the beginning with his HIVE forces vs. Team Arrow, and useful new trick arrow too.

Overall a great part one for the crossover over which perfectly brought the Hawkgirl/Hawkman plot from the comics to live action.

SCORE: 8/10

Highlights: Team Flash and Team Arrow working together
                   Awesome fight scenes
                   debut of Savage and Hawkgirl/Hawkman plot

Let - Downs: Malcolm and the League should have played a bigger part
                      Didn't car much for the serum subplot

Again sorry that there is no images for this episode but screencapped is undergoing maintenance.        

Game Review: Watch Dogs

Thought I'd do some more game reviews and I also thought for a practice I'll do the first game I got for the PS4;Watchdogs. I have recently been playing it again so I thought why not review it, also like with some of my reviews I'm not going in depth I' m just going to go over the good points and bad points to save time and then give my final thoughts on it.


Good

Open world/side missions: Glad that it decided the take the free roam route like GTA and The Witcher for example because there was plenty of place to explore and plenty of side missions that the first time I played it, it took me a while to finish everything.

Hacking: They really glamourize hacking in this that it makes me wish I knew how to do it IRL lol. As for gameplay it is great that you can hacking a lot of electronics to turn combat to your advantage.

Gun fights/variety of weapons: I did find the gun fights to be really enjoyable and intense, it is cool when you have one in the street and everything explodes around you. Then of course there are plenty of weapons for you to chose from.

Story: I have finished the game four times now can that is because I just really like the whole story and the characters you interact with.

Car chases: These can be really fun especially when you are running away from the police ad how much damage you can cause to other cars and yourself.

The racing multiplayer: I am not really a fan of the other multiplayer modes but the races I enjoyed because they have a mix of cars and bikes and you can hack everything around you to win.


Bad

Should have had more hacking: I know this is the first game (hopefully there will be a sequel) and I know I said I enjoyed it but still there should have been way, way more stuff to do with it. For example the mission where you have to get into DEFAULT's club and you can distract the guard; it should have been more like Hitman where there are several more ways you can get in. I just feel that hacking doesn't play an important role as it should have in missions where most of the time you can just use your gun.

Enemy A.I/Not too difficult: I have finished the game four times now (like I said above I really like the story) but the last three times I have set it on it's highest difficultly with no auto aim assist. It's not like it's very easy but it really isn't much of a challenge for me now.

No shooting out of car window: This one is so annoying because I just hated only bashing cars to stop them, I know you can hack obstacles but  the A.I can shoot out of windows so why not us?

Not much to do when you finish: After the story and side missions there really isn't any permanent things to do besides poker and repeating side missions. Sure there is a lot of side missions but they it is just a repeat of the same type of missions over and over again.

Notoriety meter didn't have much of an impact: On two of my play throughs I decided to get my meter red but I swear I barely noticed any difference. I think only a few civilians noticed me and called the police but that was the only thing that changed, even when the meter is blue they don't really do anything else. For example when you do keep doing good things maybe the civilians will protest against the police or cheer you on and maybe if you do bad things the civilians will attack you or A.I. bounty hunters will keep coming after you. 

The multiplayer should have been more expansive: Besides the racing I really didn't enjoy much of the other game modes. They should have picked classics like TDM or CTF but instead they tired these unique hacking ones that I wasn't a fan of, plus the teams could have been way bigger.

Overall Watchdogs has come really great moments and had some great potential in some of it's areas but because that potential isn't fully realized I feel this game was just a test for it's hacking style gameplay. That if this test proved popular they would (hopefully) improve the hacking and some of it's gameplay in a sequel. I would recommend this game if you are a fan of ones similar to this like GTA however only for the story mode since their is a lack of content in comparison to other open world games, for example the multiplayer in this does not even compare to GTA's.

Supergirl Season One: How Does She Do It?

Supergirl begins to suspect a Maxwell Lord employee behind a series of bombings in an effort to expose her identity meanwhile as Kara she must babysit Cat's son Carter (Levi Miller).

See this was the episode I wanted for Maxwell Lord because is involvement in the Reactron storyline wasn't as impactful as I wanted it to be. Besides Kara's aunt I think Lord as proven himself to be a true threat to Supergirl than any other villain in his own way while he is still human. I mean he completely outsmarted both Supergirl and the DEO with his elaborate plans to analyse Supergirl's abilities with nothing being connected to him. I also really liked the confrontation between him and Supergirl at the end because it really showed how sinister Lord can be and how un - intimidated he was with Supergirl. All in all this was a great way to establish Lord as a real villain now in the series and I also liked that we got some backstory on his character but I could have done without the romantic tension they where kind of trying to make between Lord and Alex but hopefully that was just a one time thing. Now another subplot that I really enjoyed seeing was the one between James and Lucy mostly because their past was a lot more fleshed out, heck I kind of wished we could have had some Flashbacks to when they where dating in the past but James had to run off to help Superman. Sure we got a typical love triangle between James, Lucy and Kara here and yes I think we all knew Lucy and James where going to get back together but it is turning into a decent romantic subplot that I don't mind seeing. I really hope that Lucy becomes I relevant character to the show however than just as a disposable girlfriend for James in the end, maybe an old Metropolis villain could come after her in a future episode?

As for everything else the subplot with Kara babysitting Carter wasn't as bad as I thought; we got some light hearted moments, Carter's fanboy for Supergirl was funny to see and we got another reference to Winn being Toyman. However the theme of this episode where Kara is juggling too much has already been done before, Cat even gave Kara another speech about it once again; I just think that Cat should have moved on from this and should have been tackling another problem. Speaking of Cat it was a shame she wasn't in it that much but it was cool that she was accepting a reward that she won over Lois Lane, lol. Finally we got to see a little more of Henshaw's glowing red eyes and him taking apart a bomb with his bare hands which hopefully means we get to see exactly what he is soon. I am still hoping for Cyborg Superman but I have heard some rumours saying that he could be Martian Manhunter. Now I liked Martian Manhunter but I hope this isn't the case because first off his name is HANK HENSHAW which is the name of Cyborg Superman and it would just be cool to have another villain from the comics that more to do with Superman make an appearance like Reactron. Thought I'd say that while I did enjoy watching this episode and the plots with Lord, James and Lucy where good I feel that this episode is just average overall because nothing (especially the moments with Kara/Supegirl) really stood out too much compared to the previous episodes.

Overall an enjoyable episode that really did a good job of trying something different than using the Phantom Zone inmates once again and while the plots where good nothing really stood out too much.

SCORE: 6/10

Highlights: A really good Maxwell Lord episode
                   The relationship between James and Lucy was handled better

Let - Downs: Kara/Supergirl tackling the same personal problems yet again
                      I didn't feel like there was anything too special about this episode in all  

Arrow Season Four: Brotherhood

As Team Arrow continues to battle HIVE Diggle makes a shocking discovery and Thea's bloodlust returns.

Wow just wow! After the episode last week that I considered to be the worst of Season Four they now gave us one that is probably the best of the season. You already know of course that this was Diggle focused ep but what I liked about it from the start is that this showed he has completely gotten over what Oliver did in Season Three and he has got this new character arc for him. Even with the events of last season Diggle has always been the rock of the team but this one showed his real vulnerable side probably for the first time in the show as he deals with the return of his brother as a HIVE Ghost. I mean Diggle had some truly emotional moments where he was fighting back tears with what his brother has become and deciding in the end to choose his new family of Team Arrow rather than Andy who did some horrible things e.g. the cool moment where he saved his "green brother". Since Andy is captured this will probably be something Diggle has to deal with for a while but I wonder what they are going to do with him now? Continuing on with this subplot we also learn more about HIVE and the fact that the Ghost are all under the influence of a drug which makes them follow orders and breaks down their DNA. It might be the drug in the Flashbacks so I'll guess we'll wait for that conformation but I wonder if Team Arrow will focus their effects on destroying the supply after the crossover episodes? As for Damien he had some really awesome and threatening scenes such as the one his one with Quentin about Laurel and when he met Oliver during his campaign speech. Then of course there was the ending where Oliver chose to confront Damien in the light rather than infiltrate HIVE like he did with the League in Season Three and while I commend Oliver for this I wonder if it is a good idea. The look on Damien's face during the speech makes me think he really suspects Oliver is the Green Arrow now and he could either target his family or run for mayor himself, now that could be interesting to see.

As for everything else finally, finally Thea's bloodlust subplot is getting interesting because before her confrontation with Damien I didn't care but afterwards it got good. Her making Damien's powers backfire on him (probably because of the Pit) was a development I have been waiting for; finally a relevant twist to the bloodlust that doesn't feel like a waste of time. Now Thea can be useful and I am looking forward to seeing what she and Malcolm are going to come up with to exploit it. Then there was Ray's subplot which was really good where he had to struggle with finding his place in the world and that's not running his company. Of course this is all set up for LOT but it gave him a small little character arc and then there was him suiting up as ATOM to kick some ass at the end which is what I wanted to see! Finally the Flashbacks look like they good be getting more interesting because Oliver now has a real mission and I liked the mysterious twig magic Reiter did; makes me think we can see more magic out of him like Damien and Constantine. Before I finish I got to say that the fights scenes in this episode where some of the best ever! I heard they got the stunt coordinator James Bamford to direct and he did an awesome job, the fight scenes weren't just a butch of quick cuts they stayed on the action. For example they really showed Black Canary kicking ass in the beginning after her scream and then there was Thea's super, damn, awesome fight with Andy in the elevator, that was edge of you seat stuff.

Overall this was just a perfect episode in my opinion, maybe Oliver as Green Arrow took a backseat but it didn't suffer for it because it was supposed to be more about Diggle anyway.

SCORE: 10/10

Highlights: A strong Diggle episode
                   Great subplots for Thea and Ray
                   Damien and more info on HIVE
                   They truly epic fight scenes


Screencapped is undergoing maintenance right now.

The Flash Season Two: Gorilla Warfare

As Barry deals with the aftermath of fighting Zoom, Gorilla Grodd returns to Central City with a dangerous plan in mind.

 

Kneel before Grodd!! I really enjoyed having Grodd back on the Flash, especially since he has returned so early this season. Like back in Season One the guys behind the effects just deserve a lot of praise for how real they made Grodd on a TV show, he doesn't look fake at all. Overall Grodd may have served as just a distraction from Zoom but I still loved his return and his storyline this episode. It was awesome seeing him use his mind control powers once again, his voice fits him so well and I liked that he was shown with more sympathy this time. This is because unlike the comics this Grodd is still young and really is just alone in the world and wants to be with more like him; so the idea to send him to a gorilla colony on Earth 2 (after a cool fight) was the next best thing. However I think this wasn't such a smart idea for Team Flash because in the comics Grodd is the leader of a whole country of apes that war with humans so I'm guessing this Grodd will take it over and wreck havoc again soon. Two other characters stood out in this storyline and the first being Caitlin because I just really like her connection with Grodd and that she wanted to help him more than anything else. I also liked the way she risked herself in the end to get Grodd into the transport circle because I think I have said before that while Caitlin is a good character for Season One she is mostly felt she is mostly there for the sake of it. The other standout was Wells and again so much praise goes to Tom Cavanagh because the guy is the best actor on the Flash because of how in this episode he had to act like his Earth 1 counterpart even though he isn't him, get it? I mean the way he posed as the Reverse Flash with Grodd he was so good that I think Caitlin and Cisco thought he double crossed them by the look on their faces. Also it was great to see the Reverse Flash costume once again and hear the vibrating music that usually accompanies it and it was cool at the end that Barry wants to duplicate the ring technology so hopefully soon he'll get his own like in the comics.    

 

As for everything else a real let down was Barry's subplot because after the shocking "I can't feel my legs" reveal last episode they decided to completely skip that! I know he has super healing but that was a real disappointment because I didn't like Barry's doubts holding him back dilemma that much after that. I know Barry suffered a big defeat from Zoom but I just didn't buy that he couldn't run because of it since in end I knew all he had to do was have faith in himself again; it was a typical outcome for it but trying to regain his legs again because they couldn't heal for some reason, now that would have been more different and interesting. However the good thing about this subplot was the return on Henry because it is nice to know they aren't just going to leave him out of the show now that he is free from jail. What was really good about it was the speech that Henry gave to Barry when comparing Barry's predicament to his arrest; now that was a really great emotional scene, really nicely done. Now as for the other let down of the episode I am just getting really annoyed now that Patty is being left in the dark from Barry and Joe. I am just not enjoying their excuses now and I feel that the episodes just waste time with the effort they are making to keeping the truth from her. I know she kind of have to earn the right to be on Team Flash but I thought the people behind Arrow and Flash said they don't care that all the main cast from both shows know the identities of the heroes anymore so why is it taking so long for Patty? Finally while I still am not bothered by the relationship between Cisco and Kendra, because Hawkman is coming soon, it was a least some light hearted moments for Cisco and it was cool seeing flashes of Kendra as Hawkgirl.     

 

Overall a great return for Grodd, though not as good as last episode it was still a nice one to have just before the big crossover ones between the Arrow and Flash.

 

SCORE: 7/10

 

Highlights: GRODD!

                   Caitlin and Wells where the biggest standouts

                   Henry was really great in this as well

 

Let - Downs: Barry's subplot was a disappointment

                      Getting annoyed now with Patty constantly in the dark 

 

Sorry for lack of screenshots but Screencapped has yet to upload this episode.

Supergirl Season One: Livewire

Kara gets a surprise when she foster mother arrives in town for Thanksgiving meanwhile an accident transforms CatCo employee Leslie Willis (Brit Morgan) into the villain Livewire.

Supergirl has been a lot better with it's villains in the last episode and now this one because it shows us that it doesn't have to rely on the 300 escapees from the Phantom Zone but can create it's own villains. That is what we get with Livewire we see her origins, the beginning of this villain, as a radical radio host who got her powers by a lightning strike through Supergirl. I really liked Livewire herself because first off her powers are really cool; from her electrical attacks to her teleporting, the effects where pretty damn cool. Plus it was helped by Brit Morgan who was great in the role and brought a lot of enthusiasm, glad she didn't die at the end and I hope she appears again. However the best part that really helped the Livewire plot was the involvement of Cat and the fact that she is tied so closely to the villain. She herself played a part in creating Livewire because of how she treated Leslie who used to be her protégée of sorts and we also got to see a softer side of her with how she is opening up more with Kara and trusting Supergirl. Cat still steals a lot of the scenes she is in (she's like the best character after Kara) and I just laughed at some of her one liners, like her "YouTube commenter one" lol.

As for everything else the subplot with Kara and Alex's mother Dr Danvers (Helen Slater) wasn't nearly as good because the whole "disapproving mother" thing is nothing new. I honestly found her character to be annoying, her scenes boring and her ones with Alex (like at the Thanksgiving table) just plain awkward to watch. I've already said I don't like Alex (you got to admit she is the least interesting character on the show) but this whole subplot didn't help her because she just whined a lot throughout it and I couldn't stand her during that dinner where she just drank throughout it. The only interesting thing about this subplot was the Flashbacks and the reveal that their father (Dean Cain) worked and died under the DEO and Hank Henshaw. Wish their father was still alive because he seemed like a more interesting character with his work on Superman but this also makes me think that Henshaw and the DEO will be villains in a future season. Finally Winn is now getting to be a really good character because him caught in the middle of that awkward dinner was pretty humorous and I liked the mention of his criminal father. Now I knew he shared the name of DC villain Toyman but I didn't see his character becoming him but it is likely his father is Toyman so I can't wait to see how this plays out.

Overall a we got to see the origins of a great villain and I liked how heavily involved Cat was in this as well. It's too bad that not more screen time was devoted to this because half of it had to spend time with the disappointing subplot of Alex and her mother.

SCORE: 7/10

Highlights: Livewire and how Cat tied with the character
                   Flashbacks
                   Winn and the reveal about his father

Let - Downs: Alex and her mother
                      More screen time should have been given to Livewire

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/           

Arrow Season Four: Lost Souls

"I wish I was big"

Team Arrow work to try and free the trapped Ray from Damien meanwhile Felicity's mom visits again and Sara goes back out into the field.

 

You know I was really looking forward to the return of Ray AKA The Atom because he was my favourite character in Season Three but this episode was kind of a disappointment overall. To start off with what I did like I loved seeing Donna back because it is so fun to see how awkward she makes Felicity. I did like the heart to heart they shared because we got to learn a bit more about their past, I liked how much contact Oliver with her and how that surprised Felicity but the biggest surprise was the moment Donna had with Quentin at the end! If a romantic subplot does develop between these two characters then I say go ahead because it will be something completely new for Quentin and we might get some nice funny moments if the other characters find out lol. I also really enjoyed the two break - ins Team Arrow did because I liked how they where both heist style raids and it was cool that they brought Curtis to the last one. They fight scene between Team Arrow and HIVE was really awesome to watch and of course its also great to see more of Damien's powers; the way he quickly overpowered Green Arrow makes me wonder how they are going to beat him? We also got a look at some weird table thing that Damien wants to power up using the data they got from the ATOM suit but I still have no idea what his plan is yet so this really just fuels my curiosity.

 

Get in there Quentin!

Now on to what I didn't like and the first one being that Ray and Sara where completely underused in this episode. I wanted there to be more scenes with Ray and maybe the Flashbacks this episode could have been used to show what he has been up to the past six months because they weren't that interesting this episode. Plus he didn't even get to have one little fight after they rescued him; they might be saving some action with him for next episode but I wanted a little teaser now! As for Sara I feel like the writers have no idea what to do with her until Legends of Tomorrow because they again just skimmed over her return from the dead. I mean she let her mother know she was alive over the freaking phone, I really would have preferred if she came back and then Sara just left at the end; just like with Henry Allen in The Flash I think this was poorly handled and their excuses just not good enough. Another reason she didn't do that good is because of the stupid bloodlust subplot that she shares with Thea and I just really, really have lost all interest in it at this point; they haven't done enough to make me really care anymore and it just feels shoved in every episode as a reminder. Finally while the conflict between Oliver and Felicity was understandable, made some good points and the dialogue was alright I just felt like it dragged on and on until it dominated most of the episode.  

"Hey how about we form our own group with just us three?"

Overall the weakest episode of Arrow so far in my opinion mainly because of how underused Ray and Sara where and I really only liked half of what was going on. 

 

SCORE: 5/10

 

Highlights: Return on Donna/Possible her and Quentin romance?

                   The two heist style raids

                   Badass Damien

 

Let - Downs: Ray and Sara where underused

                      Don't care about the Sara/Thea bloodlust issue anymore

                      Flashbacks

                      The Oliver and Felicity conflict just took over the whole episode

 

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/