Showing posts with label VILLAINS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VILLAINS. Show all posts

Friday, 4 March 2016

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;





Monday, 5 October 2015

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;
 
 



Tuesday, 29 September 2015

Top 10 Arrow Season Three Episodes


And now before the new season here is top ten of Arrow Season Three. SPOILERS

10. The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak


Felicity may have been a real let down in the latter half of Season Three but I am glad that in the first half we got the origin episode for her that we needed. This episode gave us a great look into her past and it was interesting seeing how different she is now. I liked all of the Flashbacks and her mom was just so funny, the only gripe about it is that the villain (Felicity's old boy friend) wasn't that great of one and his plan was unimaginative. Also I am glad they introduced us to Brother Eye because in the comics it is a dangerous and sentient AI so maybe we'll see it again.

9. Draw Back Your Bow




Introduced us to another new villain and one of the craziest so far; Cupid. She did a good job of being really obsessed with Arrow (like her creepy shrine) and quite the match for him in a fight. Plus this is the episode where we catch a glimpse of Ray working on his super cool ATOM suit. Shame that Cupid had to join the Suicide Squad after this because my complaint about them on Arrow is that they go on plain and boring missions when they should go at least fight Meta Humans, its the reason why there are no Suicide Squad episode on my top ten lists.

8. The Calm




A real strong start to the new season and what I liked the most was how it started off with more hope for Starling than season two did. It also was the debut of Roy as Arsenal for real, Ray Palmer and a new Count Vertigo; while I liked the old one I really like this one too because of his new drug and the fact that he can hold his own in a fight with his darts. This also gave us a really big WTF moment where Sara was killed off and that influenced the whole rest of the season.

7. Guilty




Glad we got an episode that focused on a side character more than the main ones; Ted Grant AKA Wildcat. Grant was really great in this season and I liked the fact that there was a vigilante before Arrow in Starling so it is a shame his actor is busy with other stuff that he can't play a larger role. I just didn't like that Roy was revealed not to have killed Sara so quickly because I think it would have been more dramatic if it was him or anyone else than Malcolm in the end. Also BOXING GLOVE ARROW!

6. The Climb




This episode had one of the best fights in Arrow and that was Oliver vs. Ra's Al Ghul on top of a mountain, it was so epic and Oliver actually died (kind of) at the end; Matt Nable was a perfect choice for Ra's and did not disappoint. However what I didn't like was the reveal that Malcolm was the one who tricked Thea into killing Sara because I just think it would have been better if it was someone else and the fact that the reason Oliver had to fight was because Nyssa just keeps going on and on about Sara.

5. Broken Arrow


The first Meta Human villain on Arrow and I think it did so good that there should definitely be more in Season Four. Deathbolt was so awesome and I liked that this episode was also more of a focus on Ray in his ATOM suit because he is one of my favourite characters. I also liked the stuff Roy had to deal with in prison however like episode before this one Quentin continues to act like a complete prick e.g. when he was in the Verdant.

4. Midnight City




You know I really hope that Vinnie Jones returns as Brick in the future because he was so damn awesome in Arrow and the main reason the three episode arc without Oliver is one of my favourite moments in the Arrow series. Not only Brick but Laurel was also great as well and this episode turned her into a great character and Black Canary; her costume was cool and I liked how they showed she wasn't perfect yet as a vigilante, like how she lost against Brick. Great episode but I hate the way how Oliver came back, it should have been by the Lazarus Pit!

3. Canaries




This episode was a perfect one for Laurel in the aftermath of the Brick arc and she decides to continue as the Black Canary. I am also glad that Count Vertigo returned because he is a great villain and was a quite the match for Laurel with his drug which gave us an awesome Canary vs. Canary fight. The best Laurel focused episode on the Arrow series but let down slightly by Oliver who keeps saying she should quit (hate it when he does that to other vigilantes like Ray) and with the Thea subplot which I didn't care for.

2. Uprising




The great conclusion to the Brick arc with the return of Oliver and ending in a massive fight which also saw the return on Sin and Wildcat. The rest of the action in the Glades was epic as well but a real highlight of this episode was the Flashbacks showing the origins of Malcolm losing his wife and how it tied to Brick, made me wish there where more and more Flashbacks. However a bit of a let down was Felicity who ruined Oliver's homecoming which is why Left Behind isn't on this list because she ruined that quite a bit by storming out on the rest of Team Arrow, breaking down because Oliver is gone when I thought she was stronger than that.

1. The Brave and the Bold




I just had to put this episode in first place because of it's perfect portrayal of Captain Boomerang, my favourite member of the Suicide Squad in the comics. He was just so epic in this and a real threat to both Arrow and the Flash and like Brick I hope he is in future episodes. Plus Team Arrow and Team Flash working together made for some real comedic moments because of how different they operate. The best episode of the season because I enjoyed every second of and I actually liked this crossover episode better than the one on Flash before it.

Worst episode

Corto Maltese

I don't like this episode because all the characters did was spend all of it trying to convince Thea to come home, failing, but then Thea decided to do come back all on her own. I didn't care much for Diggle's ARGUS mission either and there should have been way more Flashbacks with Malcolm training Thea. However Thea was a major disappointment because her leaving at the end of Season Two was this major thing but she comes back just too soon so there was no point to it. Plus while she did all this training she doesn't do anything with it all season, instead she goes back to managing a bar like she was last season.

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



Monday, 28 September 2015

Top 10 Arrow Season Two Episodes


Now for Arrow Season Two! SPOILERS
 
10. Tremors





Starting off is an episode that had Ben Turner AKA Bronze Tiger as the main villain which I really liked because he is one of my favourite villains in the Arrow TV series, it is such a shame his character has been possibly killed off because he has been in the comics. We also had some good moments with Oliver training Roy and revealing his identity to him and it was the start of a good subplot where Moira runs for mayor.

9. League of Assassins





The episode that introduced the League when they where only hinted at in Season One and they did a very good job. We had some awesome fight scenes between the League, Oliver and Sara but I really liked the emotional moments between Sara and Quentin such as when she first approached him and when Sara had to leave in the end. Plus this is probably one of my favourite episodes with Quentin because of the moments I just mentioned and when he teamed up with Oliver and Sara to fight the League, even doing really good against trained assassins.

8. The Promise




The episode of the season when the majority of it focuses on Flashbacks and we got a really entertaining one where Slade, Oliver and Sara take over the boat. Slade was really awesome in this when he wore his old Deathstroke mask and slaughtered everyone in his path also we got some tense moments in the present with Team Arrow trying to secretly take out Slade. What does bother my a bit about this episode is that is that Slade turns against Oliver because of Shado and I always found that reason to be kind of forced .

7. Streets of Fire




The penultimate episode of the season and a really good one where Slade unleashes his army upon Starling City. This episode had a lot of good moments such as Quentin regaining his trust with the police, Malcolm returning as the Dark Archer and a real standout is when Sebastian Blood decides to betray Slade because he truly did love the city. However while I also enjoyed the parts with Sara and Laurel I have just never liked that Sara keeps thinking she is so irredeemable because that was the flimsy excuse she used to leave last time and I never believed it.  

6. Broken Dolls





The introduction of one of my favourite DC villains which is the Dollmaker and he was really good here in live action. Another great episode with Quentin (see he is much better in Season Two than in One and Three) because of his past history with the Dollmaker and that he teamed up with Team Arrow. This was also one of the darkest Arrow episodes because of the method of the Dollmaker's killings, like the part when he tried to make Laurel into his new doll. This was also a strong introduction to the Canary (not just two minutes intro last episode) but I just wish she didn't have to kill the Dollmaker.

5. Unthinkable




Now I know the finale is a bit further down the list than even I would have thought but that is because Season Two has so many great episodes not just the finale. We have here an awesome final fight between Oliver and Slade which was made so much cooler with the use of Flashbacks during it and we have the massive battle between Oliver teaming up with the League (with debut of Arsenal) against Slade's army. However I just didn't like Thea's subplot of leaving Starling because as I have mentioned in my reviews the pay off in Season Three is lacklustre after so much hype.
 
4. State vs. Queen




This episode is a standout in Season Two and I enjoyed watching every minute of it! First off this episode had the return of the first Count Vertigo and while there was some who found him too over the top I've always like him. He had a really cool plan of poisoning the city with Vertigo, he is one of the few to work out the Arrow's identity and he had a great final confrontation with him in the Queen Consolidated building. Besides that the trial was entertaining to watch with many twists and this episode had a big WTF moment with the reveal that Malcolm is still alive and the father of Thea.

3. The Scientist




Yep I just had to put in the two episode arc where we get the debut of both Mirakuru and Barry Allen. First off I complained in my reviews of Season One that the show was too grounded but this two episodes where the start of Arrow being more like a comic book, like with a serum that can make super - soldiers which is a great start. Then of course is including Barry Allen who went on to become the Flash and have a successful TV show of his own and would introduce Meta Humans to both shows. Plus Grant Gustin proved that he was just the perfect casting for the speedster!

2. Three Ghosts




The second episode of the arc to feature Barry Allen and a great follow up it was too. Arrow's fight against Cyrus (like in the last episode) is so awesome but the real standout is the visions Oliver throughout that drives him into despair except for Tommy (always great to see him) that gives him hope once again. This also had an awesome ending where Barry struck by lightning and I was so happy when I saw that because I knew then they where really going to give us fans the Flash and not just Barry Allen as a scientist.
 
1. The Man Under the Hood




My favourite episode of the season and I think it has earned it! Slade was so great as Deathstroke in this with a big WTF moment when he appeared out of nowhere in Team Arrow's hideout and then attacked the STAR labs. This also introduced us to Cisco and Caitlin so this was kind of like the first crossover even before the Flash show and the moments with Team Arrow rescuing Roy where great. Finally this is one only Season Two of episodes where I really liked Laurel because of her investigation confirming Oliver is Arrow, her scene with an injured Quentin and blackmailing her boss which I give her props for.  

Worst episode

Heir to the Demon

While I do like Nyssa as a character this episode reveals she had a past relationship with Sara which I just never liked because it always felt forced to me. Also while Laurel has just been terrible the entire season this episode was the worst for her with her fit of rage against Sara in the end or the kind of person she was in Flashbacks. I'm just really glad she became a way better character in Season Three then she was now.


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



Saturday, 26 September 2015

Top 10 Arrow Season One Episodes


Now I am onto Arrow Season One, enjoy! SPOILERS

10. The Huntress Returns



I may not really like Arrow's version of the Huntress (her story and actress where both wrong) however this episode was good because the fight scene between Huntress and Arrow was really cool and I give Helena props for the arrow catching, I mentioned in my review that was awesome for her to do. However the best part of the episode was Dinah and Quentin trying to find proof that Sara is still alive, you see before this I didn't much care for the Lance family because Quentin was acting like an ass and I wasn't too bothered about Laurel. This episode though made for some really emotional scenes for the Lance family and created a lot of sympathy for them that I enjoyed watching and it was sad when Dinah's theory was proven wrong.

9. Legacies



This episode marked the first time Oliver decided he would do more to help the city than just cross off names in his father's notebook and it was thanks to the Royal Flush Gang. They weren't too big in the comics but I really like how they where portrayed in live action. I also liked how the gang was a result of the actions of Oliver's father and that Oliver tired to first talk the head of the gang out of the criminal life.

8. Pilot



The very first Arrow episode just had to be in this list because it is the one that started the DC TV universe. This proved that TV shows based on comics can work and this first episode did a good job of establishing the world of Arrow. It had great action, fight scenes and character development but the reason this isn't a bit higher on my list is because I didn't like some characters like Thea, Laurel and Quentin.

7. Lone Gunman



I know China White was in the previous episode but Lone Gunman was the first one to introduce a DC villain that more people would actually know about. Deadshot is really awesome in the Arrow TV series and this was a great debut for him; he was a match for Oliver, he had his cool gadgets (like his wrist mounted guns) and we get fooled into thinking he is dead. Also this episode showed us how great Oliver's detective skills are and Diggle finds out he is the Hood in the end; I'm glad they didn't wait too long.

6. The Undertaking



This episode didn't have any Flashbacks on the island but made up for it with Flashbacks showing the origins of the Undertaking. You know what makes Malcolm a great villain is the fact that he believes what he is doing is right and for the greater good and this episode shows how convincing his argument is. We also get the reveal of how the Queen's Gambit went down and a great plot involving Oliver and Felicity working together to free Walter.

5. The Odyssey



This episode was the one where Felicity became a member of Team Arrow completing our beloved trio! But the real highlight was that it was mainly focused on the Flashbacks which of course was great because who didn't love the Flashbacks in Season One? We had some awesome scenes with Slade and Oliver sneaking into the airfield to find a way home and then an explosive action packed finale where we had Slade vs. Wintergreen, Deathstroke vs. Deathstroke.

4. Dead to Rights



An awesome return for Deadshot and team up with China White who hired him to assassinate Malcolm. All of the scenes involving their attack on Malcolm was great and it's funny how Oliver is protecting is greatest enemy and this is also the episode where Tommy learns of Oliver's secret. Plus I liked how Malcolm was almost forced to reveal his identity as the Dark Archer to Tommy. Thought I'd let you know now these last episodes are all going to have a focus on Malcolm because he is my favourite character and in my opinion the best archer in the Arrow TV Series.

3. Darkness on the Edge of Town



This episode made for a really entertaining heist style one where Team Arrow infiltrate Malcolm's company for information. We also get the an cool fight scene between Malcolm and Oliver (with Oliver being WTF over the arrow catching lol) with it ending in Malcolm's victory and learning Oliver's secret. We also get an intense Flashback with Fyers killing Yao Fei but what I didn't like about this episode was Oliver and Laurel going behind Tommy's back because I never liked the possibility of them two together in these early seasons and it was a bad move for Oliver to convince Tommy to make up with Laurel then take her for himself.

2. Year's End



This episode was the first one to introduce us to more archers in the present day and a great one as the Dark Archer who is revealed to be Malcolm. I liked that this was Oliver's first real loss to a villain because it does affect him for ages afterwards and it had a great twist of Walter being kidnapped because of his investigation. I liked the introduction of the Dark Archer and everything else in the episode that it overshadows Thea's stupid spoilt  - brat subplot that thankfully was a small part.

1. Sacrifice



I just had to but the finale here because this is one of my favourite finales in any TV series. What I liked about it was that even though Oliver won he also lost because of the death of Tommy (such a sad scene done so well) and the destruction of the Glades. The finale showdown between Oliver and Malcolm was brilliant and the scenes/effects showing the destruction was so damn convincing and just perfect.

Worst episode

Betrayal

This episode did have a good subplot with Diggle following Moira to find out if she is part of the Undertaking but that is it. What is a real let - down is the villain Vanch who was just generic and uninteresting, I don't need every villain of the week to be some kind of super or over the top villain but Vanch was just boring for a regular one. Plus it's not like the rescue attempt of Laurel was that unique because all Arrow and Quentin did was break into the villain's house and take out his guards, that's it.

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



Tuesday, 8 September 2015

Arrow Season Four Trailer Breakdown


I know I am late with this but better late than never lol. Here are just a few things in the trailer that really stood out for me.

Oliver and Felicity living happily ever after: You know I didn't actually expect them to be so "settled down" I guess is the phrase; having a proper home in a nice neighbourhood. It also showed them as really happy so something really BIG must convince Oliver to fight crime again.

Star City: We see a billboard welcoming people to Star City so we now get the proper name for the place out of the comics however it says it was for the memory of Ray Palmer. Everyone knows he is in Legends of Tomorrow so I am guessing he either faked his death so he can focus on being a vigilante or he is stuck as really small and it's up to Felicity to help him.

Diggle's new costume: I have heard a lot of bad comments about Diggle's new look (like how he is a Black Magneto) and I a sick of it! I for one think it is a cool costume that really suits Diggle; something simple and practical that can be used to fight.

The invasion of HIVE: We see Team Arrow (Diggle, Laurel and Thea) seem to struggle against some heavily armed commando looking troops which I guess must be HIVE and the reason they decide to bring back Oliver. We also see a whole bunch of cool looking action scenes with Team Arrow fighting against the HIVE forces.

John Constantine: Ever since the announcement of Constantine being in Arrow I have been looking forward to Season Four so much more. I haven't watched the Constantine show but from what I heard from fans and from Stephen Amell, Matt Ryan was a really awesome Constantine. He is going to bring a new level of powers to the Arrow and Flash universe!

Quentin still being a jerk: I liked Quentin in Season Two and first half of Season Three but when he started to hate the Arrow again I just really started to hate him. Even when he is not a cop the way treats other characters you just want to punch him in the face and it seems I will feel that way again by the shots of him knocking out Diggle and talking to Oliver. He is going to have an anti - vigilante taskforce again from what I read and as long as he doesn't go overboard like in Season Three I can get behind it but if he is just angry all the time again then I hope he gets killed off.

Malcolm and Nyssa back again: We see them have a stare down and a few shots of some fighting which makes me think they still want to kill each other. Looking forward to seeing Malcolm again but I hope Nyssa doesn't hate on Malcolm all throughout another season; I like her but it is always Sara, Sara, Sara, hating Malcolm, Sara, Sara all the time with her. They need to give her a new storyline for once and I really hope they don't have her kill Malcolm and become to new Ra's because I'll just really hate that. Besides I always think of Malcolm as the best fighter and archer in the whole series so I don't want him to lose to Nyssa.

Curtis Holt/Mr Terrific: Another character who I am looking forward to because he is a tech based vigilante who uses devices called T spheres to help him and it looks like we'll see them. Looks like a good character from what I have seen in the trailer and has some awesome and funny scenes with Felicity but I hope they don't wait too long to turn him into Mr Terrific.

Damien Darhk: Really liked the casting for this character and from what I've seen he will be an awesome villain! Unlike Malcolm, Deathstroke and Ra's, Damien looks like he isn't going to just be hiding in the shadows. For example we see him straight up announce to the cops he is the bad guy and we also see his forces attack the police station with Quentin looking to be in trouble.

Lonnie Machin/Anarky: We see a few shots of Anarky who is going to be a major villain this season and while we don't see much we see Damien talking to him which makes me think Anarky will work for him or Damien inspired him to be a villain.

Oliver was a vigilante before present day: We see some Flashbacks of Oliver and it looks like he was The Hood in Coast City before he was in Starling. I like this because it means he practised before being The Hood for real however can't say I like Amanda Waller being there because I never liked her casting.

Thea going crazy: Never saw an bad side affects of the Lazarus Pit affect Thea last season but it seems it will now with Oliver shouting and hitting at her. I wonder how long these effects will last but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Sara Lance is back: Like with Ray it was obvious because we see her in the Legends of Tomorrow trailer and while I did say once her staying dead was important (so not all characters can just come back when they want) I admit I am looking forward to seeing her. This is how Constantine gets involved because the Lazarus Pit really isn't supposed to work on someone who has been dead as long as Sara. I just hope her coming back will change Quentin for the better (unless the they keep it a secret from him) and gives Nyssa something better to do.

Felicity and Curtis fighting Double Down: Besides from being a really funny scene in the trailer what I like most is that Double Down is confirmed to be a Meta Human! I know a bit about him from the comics but in Arrow I read he can use his playing card tattoos as deadly weapons. As I said before I want more Meta Humans in Arrow because I would really like to see Oliver going up against one.

There you have it, this trailer is really making me looks forward to Season Four and I don't think I missed anything in this breakdown. 

Tuesday, 25 August 2015

The Arkham Knight Character: My Thoughts (SPOILERS)

Thought I'd do something different and that is giving my thoughts and opinions on the infamous Arkham Knight character that was the in latest Batman game of the same name. This might seems that it is coming a bit but I was late getting the game any way because I went on holiday not long after it's release and I decided to get The Witcher 3 first before I went anyway. Plus the good thing about this is that by now everyone has played the game and probably don't care about spoilers much.

For those who don't know the Arkham Knight was the secondary antagonist in the latest Batman Arkham game; he wore a his own version of the Batman suit, was equal to him in skill and controlled the military that took over Gotham for Scarecrow. His identity was one of the biggest attraction of the game for many Batman fans (including myself) because of his unique design and that Rocksteady promising it was a original character for the game series. So imagine my disappointment when the man behind the mask turned out to be Jason Todd, the second Robin who wanted revenge on Batman.

Now for those who don't know who Jason Todd is he was the second Robin to work for Batman but was really violent, insolent and disagreed with Batman's views many times. He was kidnapped by the Joker and beaten almost to death with a crowbar before being blown up along with his mother. However he was indirectly resurrected by Superboy Prime and taken in for a while by the League of Assassins and even bathed in the Lazarus Pit. He then became the violent vigilante known as the Red Hood who returned to Gotham to get his revenge on Batman.

You know I thought the Arkham Knight was so freaking awesome when I got the game and I still do don't get me wrong; he was badass, his suit was such a great design and he was a match for Batman. I had so many theories to his identity (will list them) before the game's release and while I was playing it and to find out it was Jason Todd was so lacklustre and kind of lazy. It is almost the same story line as in Under the Hood where Jason, thought to be dead, comes back as a new persona in Gotham except that instead of becoming the Red Hood he becomes the Arkham Knight. What is annoying however is that Jason still becomes the Red Hood anyway at the end when part of the Arkham Knight suit is ripped off and it looks like the same Red Hood mask. What was also pretty annoying was that it wasn't even much of a surprise because halfway through the game Batman hallucinates seeing Jason tortured by the Joker and I thought after seeing something like that Jason just had to be the Arkham Knight. Why else would they have shown those flashbacks because if they wanted the Arkham Knight to be someone else then by that point in the game they would have gave hints of that someone but no they flat out tell you it's Jason. In the end Rocksteady decided to play it safe and just repeat a storyline used in the comics when the true identity of the Arkham Knight could have been lots of other Batman characters.

Here is a list of characters I think would have been better for the Arkham Knight, most of these where my theories before the game's release:

Damien Wayne: The son of Bruce with Talia, Damien could have become the Arkham Knight as revenge against Bruce and to prove he is a worth successor to Batman, which is why his suit is similar.

Thomas Wayne Junior/Owlman: Since this character s so well known in the comics and not featured as much as other villains I thought they could have change as much as the want about him without spoiling the character.

Thomas Wayne Senior: Was featured a lot in the commercials so I thought it could be possible he was still alive in the games. It could have been similar to Flashpoint where he was Batman but had no problem killing criminals.

James Gordon Junior: Because Gordon and Barbara where heavily involved in the plot like tricking Batman into thinking Barbara committed suicide and Gordon turning against you I thought it might have been someone close to them. James Gordon Junior his a psychopathic killer who does torment his family in the comics and while he has never been portrayed as a fighter who can stand up to Batman they could have changed it a bit for the game.

Hush: A side quest in Arkham reveals that Hush performs surgery on his face to make him look exactly like Bruce Wayne so he can ruin him so why not be his own version of the Batman while he is at it? But no they just gave him a silly five minute side quest in the game which was a shame.

Clayface: We never did get to find out if Clayface survived his fall into the Lazarus Pit or if it changed him in the end. He could have become the Arkham Knight to get revenge on Batman for his defeat in the last game.

Jean - Paul Valley/Azrael: This character actually was Batman at some point in the comics but was a lot more violent than Bruce. Like Hush I thought Azrael would be featured in the main storyline of the game instead of just being a side mission.

There you have it just a little rant about the Arkham Knight character.

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Suicide Squad Trailer Breakdown


Back with another trailer breakdown for the upcoming Suicide Squad film however with this one it is really hard to guess what the story is going to be about so this will really be my thoughts on several of the scenes.

Jared Leto's Joker: Was absolutely damn creepy; his voice, the close up and the line he delivered was so awesome. I really think Leto has nailed it as the Joker and I wish people would stop going on about his tattoos. This is just a different look for him in the new DC franchise I am sure he will still act as the Joker we all know and love from the comics.

The Joker torturing someone: My guess is that it is either Harley Quinn or Jason Todd because the film is going to have flashbacks for several or all of the characters. The reason it could be Harley is because I have seen set photos where she is still Harleen so this could be the Joker transforming her into Harley but it could be Jason because Batman is going to appear in the film's flashbacks as well.

Origins: Like I mentioned above it looks like we will get flashbacks on several villains and while that is good I do hope it lasts no longer than a few minutes because I don't want the whole film to be one massive origin story.

The Squad: It was awesome seeing the whole squad together, I don't have anything bad to say about them because their costumes are just so perfect. Well if I had to say one thing is that I wish there was more Captain Boomerang because he is my favourite Squad member.

How Killer Croc gets captured: In the trailer it shows someone wearing a hardhat with a light attached to it in a very dark place. Now this is just my guess but I think it is going to be someone who gets attacked by Killer Croc in the sewer and we see how he gets captured.

Katana commits seppukku: I don't know about anyone else but to me it looks like she is trying to impale herself on her sword in the trailer. I'm not too worried about this because her sword does have special powers to either make her survive it or bring her back.

The costumed robbers: I actually have no idea how these will fit into the film because it is not like the squad is tasked with stopping normal robbers however the one wearing the Batman costume was funny.

That is it really, unlike the Batman vs. Superman trailer it is hard to guess what is going on because it hasn't really revealed anything about the plot.

Saturday, 11 July 2015

Gotham Season One: Best and Worst

Just like with Arrow and The Flash here is a list of the highlights for Gotham.

Best

Gordon and Bullock: These two made one great team and I really like seeing them together solving the recent crime of the week. I like their banter, arguments, their different points of view on everything and I liked how they grow to trust one another over the course of the season.

Villain and Hero origins: It is great seeing a live action and different take on the origins of some of Batman's heroes and villains. Every week I eagerly await this show because I just want to see which villain or hero is next to be seen.

Alfred: Sean Pertwee has always been such a great actor and the perfect choice to play the younger, no nonsense Alfred who kicks some serious ass!
 
Penguin: The best young version of a Batman villain in Gotham; a highlight in every episode and a scene stealer!

Bruce and Selina: Another great team in Gotham, these two are just so great together. I like how they learn from one another because they are from different social classes and I enjoy the episodes when they partner up.

The Red Hood episode: One my favourite episodes of the season; the Red Hood Gang was really funny, I liked the Alfred subplot and I found it interesting that they treated the Red Hood itself as some kind of cursed item.

Great action moments: The fighting and shootouts have all been entertaining to watch, I'm glad they don't hold back on the violence too much.

The corrupt GCPD: It was always good throughout this season seeing Gordon stand up to the other cops, especially against Loeb towards the end of the season.

The original Ogre villain: The Ogre really worked as a villain; he had a great backstory, methods of killing (we didn't see any real bondage lol) and he was developed really well. Shame he was killed off at the end.

The Goat episode/Bullock Flashback: Bullock is one of my favourite characters and I liked that the episode focused on him. I also really liked the Flashback at the beginning because you can really see the difference between him then and now.

Gordon and Leslie: This relationship was a 1000 times better than when Gordon was with Barbara because there was no chemistry there. With these two however it worked so well and they come off as a far more convincing couple than Barbara ever did. You know I wouldn't be surprised if this was only supposed to be temporary but got so popular they kept them together because I have read many opinions on this and they want Barbara out of here!

Nygma's decent into madness: I know for the beginning of the season he was a side character who was also comic relief but near the end when he killed you can really see him taking the first step to a villain. I hope he actually becomes the Riddler during season two and maybe Kringle will join him as a Harley Quinn kind of companion.


Worst

Fish: Everyone knows I hate Fish because she was an original character that just did not work in Gotham. Jada Pinkett Smith is just a terrible actress, Fish herself is really stupid in the things she did and I hated that the series had to try and fit her into every plot. The few episodes near the end that didn't feature her proved that the show did not need her at all, I am glad she was killed off and I hope she never comes back.

Barbara: Now on to Barbara who is as stupid as Fish and I hated everything she did; from her forced lesbian subplot, drinking, drugs and I always got the feeling she blamed Gordon for everything even though it is all her fault. I know her faults is her crucible to move past but I said this about Arrow's Thea and Laurel and I am saying it now; I have no sympathy or care much for a character who goes through drinking and drugs as a crucible. It is a waste of time and the character (mostly women for some reason) act like complete bitches. Then of course Barbara killed her parents and tired to kill Leslie and I honestly don't know if they can bring her back from this so I hope she is gone forever like Fish.  

Montoya: The character who started Barbara on the path of ruin; she was incredibly annoying whenever she was on screen and I just hated that she kept going after Gordon in the beginning. I am just really glad that she was barely in the season so I hope the writers decided to drop her character.

The death of Maroni and the departure of Falcone: Two awesome characters and mob bosses whose exit from the show left something to be desired. First off I really liked Maroni because like Penguin he was a bit of a scene stealer whenever he was on screen but no he freaking had to be killed off by Fish at the end just because he said a few wrong words to her. Then there is Falcone that I think the show portrayed him as weaker as he should be; he is supposed to be the big boss of Gotham yet characters (like Fish) seem to one up him and then he just leaves at the end.

Butch and Dent were underused: Two great characters who should have had more screen time because Dent is one of my favourite Batman characters and Butch was way more interesting than Fish.

Selina in the finale: She is one of my favourite characters but the way she was in the finale was just plain annoying and it was thanks to bloody Fish! The gave her a stupid look and made her act too differently and it was probably all so they can portray Fish as this great leader.

Fish ruined the Dollmaker subplot: Colm Feore is one of my favourite actors and I was glad when he was cast as the Dollmaker, buy why oh why did his plot have to be a part of Fish's! He was really built up in the second episode but most of the time Fish hogged all the screen time doing her stupid mutiny with the prisoners which was just so boring.

There you have it a list of the best and worst of Gotham season one in my opinion. I probably missed a lot buy these are the ones that just really stood out as I was writing this list.

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





Monday, 8 June 2015

The Flash Season Two: What I Want To See

Now here is a list of what I would like to see in Season Two. SPOILERS!!

More Hero Speedsters: They already said that they will have more Speedsters but thought I'd just mention it. The Speedsters who I want to see the most fighting along side Barry are; Wally West, Impulse, Jay Garrick and Max Mercury.

More Villain Speedsters: Just like with the heroes there are Speedsters who are evil and those I want to see are Hunter Zolomon/Reverse Flash, Cobalt Blue, Inertia and Savitar. I would say Black Flash but I think it is a bit too early for him, maybe season three or four.

The Return of Eobard Thawne: More than any other of the Reverse Flashes Eobard will always be Barry's main nemesis so he has just got to come back in some form or another.

The Multiverse: I would really like to see alternate universes where characters from the Flash and Arrow are completely different, like in the Flashpoint comic. 

A Jay Garrick Plot: I don't mind if they bring in Jay either with time travel or the multiverse, I want him and Barry to meet up because I think Jay could be a great mentor to Barry. Plus maybe they can fight Rival together who is like Jay Garrick's Reverse Flash.

More Villains: The biggest highlight of The Flash is it's awesome villains and those I want to see the most are; Abra Kadabra, Doctor Alchemy, Magenta, Mirror Master, Rag Doll and Top.

Return of old Villains: Don't forget any of the ones from this season because I defiantly want to see more Piped Piper, Weather Wizard and The Tricksters.

More Gorilla Grodd: They nailed it with "Grodd Lives" so don't stop now!

The Rogues Gallery: I want to see Captain Cold recruit more and more members to the Rogues; a mix of both normal humans with tech and Meta Humans.

Cisco becomes Vibe and Caitlin becomes Killer Frost: The finale has already teased that these two will eventually be Vibe and Killer Frost so I am looking forward to it. It would be cool to see Cisco fight some enemies and maybe becoming a villain will give Caitlin something to do.

General Eiling's Meta Humans: I think I mentioned in one of my reviews that I think it would be cool if Eiling has his own team of Meta Humans; those who agree to work for the army unlike Plastquie.

There you go what I want to see in Season Two though this is just a quick list and I am sure there is plenty more I can think of.