Coulson's Death Sentence Is "The Real Deal"

The Good: Good acting, Moments of character, Engaging plot progression
The Bad: Suspension of disbelief issues, Light on thematic statements, Blase revelation of Deke's lineage.
The Basics: "The Real Deal" delivers episode one hundred of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. with generally positive results!


Every now and then in a long-running television show, there comes a loose end that - when it is addressed - is so unmemorable that the viewer is more surprised by the resolution than anticipating it. On Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., the fact that Agent Coulson made a deal with Ghost Rider at the climax of the fourth season is one such loose end. That deal is addressed in "The Real Deal" and when it comes up to explain Coulson's ticking clock for him impending death, it is something of an "oh yeah . . . I vaguely remember that" type moment.

"The Real Deal" picks up right after "All The Comforts Of Home" (reviewed here!) and it is virtually impossible to discuss the new episode without some references to that one. After all, "All The Comforts Of Home" saw the introduction of the powerful new villain, Ruby, who was working for General Hale. Ruby mutilated Yo-Yo Rodriguez and given that the special effects budget for Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. could not accommodate Coulson missing a hand, one has to figure that Rodriguez is about to get a set of bionic arms or time will be reset to a point before the attack in the season's resolution. And Deke ended up in the past with the Agents as well.

A drone explores the area in which the Kree beacon exploded and finds a dimensional rip there. Fitz theorizes that the end of the world may have already begun in the basement of the Lighthouse. In the medical bay, Simmons treats Rodriguez - who is experiencing phantom pain in her severed limbs - when Mack visits. Rodriguez encourages Mack to stay and fight with her. Daisy Johnson and Deke explore the stockpile in the basement of the Lighthouse, when a Kree warrior attacks them. When Johnson shoots the Kree, he disappears. Fitz theorizes that the destruction of the three monoliths (by the beacon exploding) has created an opening to a fear dimension and that everyone's fears are manifesting in the basement of the Lighthouse.

Fitz believes that the tear can be fixed with gravitonium from Deke's belt buckle, but he believes that the person who carries the device into the basement might get lost within another dimension. Amid protestations, Coulson volunteers, but then collapses. Coulson's collapse provides an opportunity for Simmons to scan him and she finds that his injuries from being killed by Loki are now entirely necrotic and the dead tissue is spreading. After making peace with Johnson, May and Fitz, Coulson takes the device Fitz created and heads toward the rift to attempt to seal it. On the way down, Coulson encounters his nagging fear of his own existence.

"The Real Deal" sets up an interesting potential future for Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.. The series was easily-accepted by fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe because of the leadership of Agent Phil Coulson, resurrected for the show with surprisingly little initial fanfare. Phil Colson has been the character who has spent the most time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The idea that Phil Coulson might actually die in a permanent way and have to turn leadership of his fledgling S.H.I.E.L.D. cell over to someone else is an intriguing possibility. "The Real Deal" sets the S.H.I.E.L.D. cell up to follow Johnson, instead of May, which is an odd choice given how erratic Johnson's tenure with S.H.I.E.L.D. has been and how May has been more consistently loyal to Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D.

Coulson has had a number of heroic moments in Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and "The Real Deal" is set up to make viewers believe that this is Coulson's blaze of glory. As Coulson descends toward the rift and encounters his fears - manifested in the form of Mike Peterson - he has to confront his own mortality. The Fear Peterson makes an argument about the lack of reality of Coulson's life is impossible to even consider given the sheer number of scenes in Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. that run entirely independently of Coulson. Moreover, for viewers to accept even for a second that Fear Peterson's argument is real, they have to deny entirely that the S.H.I.E.L.D. team participated in events tangential to the blockbusters that a dying Coulson could never have known.

That said, Clark Gregg gives a good performance in "The Real Deal." As Coulson accepts various aspects of his life and considers the fears he has, Gregg gives a wonderful performance with great facial expressions for some of the more subtle moments of the episode.

J. August Richards returns for a delightful pair of sequences as both the Fear-embodiment of Mike Peterson for Coulson and as Deathlok for that character's timely return. Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge have their usual wonderful on-screen chemistry for the episode's climactic scene.

Technical issues aside - seriously, suspension of disbelief for the Fear Peterson's dialog is stretched far too thin given the volume of pieces of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. that have nothing to do with Coulson - "The Real Deal" does a decent job of creating a compelling problem, tying up a loose end and making for a smart resolution to that problem. In the process, though, the episode dumbs down explaining exactly who Deke is. Deke makes a comment that subtly tells viewers exactly who he is, but then, like Mystique's eyes flashing in the Senator's eyes at the climax of X-Men, "The Real Deal" makes the insinuation stupidly literal with a scene featuring Hale and one of her staff.

That said, the one hundredth episode of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a solid series of cameos from the disparate eras of the show and climaxes with an event that could have come about a hundred episodes sooner and still thrilled fans!

7/10

For other elements of the MCU, please check out my Marvel Cinematic Universe Review Index Page for a comprehensive listing!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

More Dull Than Actually Bad, "Something Inhuman This Way Comes. . . " Meanders Toward Boredom.

The Good: Decent direction, A couple of good performances
The Bad: Forced character development, Meandering and listless plot, Very few good performances/performers used well
The Basics: "Something Inhuman This Way Comes..." takes a long time to do anything for the Inhumans the viewer might actually care about.


One of the unfortunate issues with having so very many options for television and movies for comic book fans is that there is only so much time in the day and only so much brainpower even fans can devote to the subject. That thought was at the forefront of my mind when I sat down for the latest episode of Inhumans. When I sat down to review the new episode, "Something Inhuman This Way Comes . . .," I realized that the last time I thought about Inhumans at all was when I reviewed the prior episode. In other words, an entire week went by and I did not even muse or think about Inhumans. That is not a good sign for the show.

"Something Inhuman This Way Comes. . . " was preceded by "Make Way For . . . Medusa" (reviewed here!) and it was another episode that kept most of the Attilan Royal Family separated. The big reveal in the prior episode - which resonates into "Something Inhuman This Way Comes . . ." was that Dr. Evan Declan is working in concert with Maximus. Beyond that, Medusa and Louise are off doing a buddy team-up comedy escape plot and Karnak is just kind of hanging out with illegal farmers.

On Oahu, Karnak wakes up with Jen and the pair is hunted by her jealous coworker. Karnak's power's resurface, which allows him to deflect a bullet with his hand, but he inadvertently sends it into Jen. Medusa and Black Bolt, reunited after their fight with Mordis, are driven by Louise toward safety. When Locus makes noise, they release her from Louise's trunk and while they move in the direction of Karnak, they get a call from Maximus. After Lockjaw proves he is healthy enough for teleporting - by taking Dave and Crystal away from the vet - Dr. Declan discovers how Sakas's power appears to have worked by performing an autopsy on him.

As Karnak and Jen try to flee the drug lords who have come for their latest crop, Maximus searches for a member of the lower caste to send down to Earth to take on the royal family. When Auran resurrects, much to Declan's surprise, she is ordered by Maximus to keep the scientist alive.

"Something Inhuman This Way Comes. . . " continues the Inhumans trend of being an ensemble piece that is so spread out that it is virtually impossible to emotionally invest in the story. While something like Game Of Thrones has a vast cast and several different plotlines, Inhumans is meandering far more toward a sense of an inevitable showdown as opposed to feeling like it is building something. So, for example, in "Something Inhuman This Way Comes. . . " Gorgon has a flashback to a time when he stole the U.S. flag off the moon and Karnak had to convince him to return it. Gorgon's story, however, continues to meander and it seems like he's just a guy with hooves running around Hawaii.

Inhumans is hampered as well by the fact that Maximus continues to justify his actions by a comparatively noble goal; to free the lower caste and free all the people of Attilan. In "Something Inhuman This Way Comes. . . ," Maximus starts to show that he is willing to do anything to survive, but it is hard not to feel somewhat empathetic for him and his plight. After being threatened by Black Bolt (through Medusa) from Earth, Maximus opens up to using one of his citizens for an assassination mission. Maximus's coup was comparatively bloodless and he stood up for oppressed people. Maintaining that after the royal family fled is realistically difficult in "Something Inhuman This Way Comes. . . ," but Maximus asking for a sacrifice from his subjects still plays more as self-preservation than oppression. Even in the final moments of the episode that feature Maximus, his coming unhinges seems much more about self-preservation and a sense of a desire to change Attilan for the better than megalomaniacal tendencies.

Anson Mount continues to be impressive as Black Bolt in exhibiting a pretty extensive range without ever speaking. Karnak is given a fairly decent role in "Something Inhuman This Way Comes. . . ," as he begins to learn from Jen. Karnak's flashbacks appear to illustrate that he has not learned much of anything in his life on the moon, though he works hard with Jen to suddenly embrace . . . essentially what Gorgon told him for years in their time in Attilan. Ken Leung does fine with the material he is given, but Karnak is a pretty cold character and it's tough to buy into the idea that Jen and a head injury that appears to be mostly resolved have managed to turn him around on his whole life philosophy.

Kevin Tancharoen directs "Something Inhuman This Way Comes. . . " well, but the script is one that is so fractured that the content of the episode is often uninspired. Crystal's subplot with Dave rings especially hollow given that Crystal is essentially alone and her whole purpose is to find Medusa and Blackbolt and help them restore the monarchy on the moon. The result is a slow chase episode with a pretty obvious ultimate purpose that meanders into getting there.

For other works with Iwan Rheon, please check out my reviews of:
Game Of Thrones - Season 6
Game Of Thrones - Season 5
Game Of Thrones - Season 4
Game Of Thrones - Season 3

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Marvel's Inhumans - The Complete First Season, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the premiere season of Inhumans here!
Thanks!]

3/10

For other Marvel Cinematic Universe reviews, please visit my MCU Review Index Page for a relativistic listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

"Freakshow" Is Fresh Legends Of Tomorrow!

The Good: Good character development, Fun casting
The Bad: Very lame tiger effects, Very basic plot and villains
The Basics: Legends Of Tomorrow returns to fun while actually making its characters deeper in "Freakshow."


Legends Of Tomorrow comes with a surprisingly strong flexibility to it. As an ensemble piece with a cast that can be changed out and pull both established characters from the Berlanti-DC Television Universe or adapting characters to it, Legends Of Tomorrow can be pretty much anything it wants to be. So, when the show makes an attempt to do something smart or deep, it is well within the show's range to do so. "Freakshow" has the show's familiar use of humor that it blends with a decent level of adult conflict and serious moments.

Following on the events of "Aruba-Con" (reviewed here!), which saw most of the Waverider crew coming back together in the wake of Rip Hunter forming the Time Bureau to fix the damage the crew did to time itself, "Freakshow" puts the focus on Dr. Nate Heywood and an anomaly of the week. The anomaly is a sabretooth tiger, which affords Legends Of Tomorrow the chance to insert P.T. Barnum into the narrative.

Six months ago in Central City, Amaya Jiwe and Dr. Heywood are living together. While Heywood runs out for doughnuts, Jiwe sees a television report on Vixen and she freaks out and abandons the doctor. In the present, Dr. Palmer perfects his shrink ray and the Waverider crew attempts to evaluate the anachronism files from Rip Hunter's Temporal Bureau. The Waverider crew heads to Wisconsin, 1870, to P.T. Barnum's circus. There, they discover the anachronism is a sabretooth tiger and they unwittingly make it large and it gets loose. Sara Lance heads back to 1942 to enlist Jiwe in the mission. When Jiwe joins the Waverider crew on the mission, the distance between her and Heywood leads Heywood to go out drinking.

In the process, Palmer and Jackson are captured by P.T. Barnum, who adds them to his freakshow. While looking for the pair, Lance notices her crew is being surveilled by a member of Rip's Time Bureau. Lance captures Gary and in the process draws the attention of Agent Sharpe, who boards the Waverider. Dr. Stein and Rory manage to rescue their teammates and when the crisis abates, Jiwe confesses to her friends what has been going on with her since she left the team.

"Freakshow" has a very familiar plot to several other episodes of Legends Of Tomorrow and the novelty of P.T. Barnum being played by Billy Zane does not wear thin over the course of the episode. The impressive aspect of "Freakshow" is that the relationship between Heywood and Jiwe is adequately explored in a compelling and adult way. Abandonment is a huge issue for adults in romantic relationships and Heywood's sense of loss is realistically portrayed in "Freakshow." Beyond that, Nick Zano and Maisie Richardson-Sellers manage to portray their characters with an exceptional sense of on-screen chemistry, making the depth of Heywood's loss seem plausible.

The plot of "Freakshow" is yet another simple "rescue the crew from a historic problem" episode, but most of the episode feels fresh. Sure, Billy Zane plays another villain and Brandon Routh plays Palmer as more dippy and humorous than smart and professional, but Caity Lotz finds the right balance of kicking ass and humor in "Freakshow." And Victor Garber comes through with his usual coolness. Dominic Purcell has yet another moment where he is given a joke that is seriously telegraphed, but he pulls off.

"Freakshow" manages to continue developing Sara Lance as a true hero and reasonable timeship captain. Lance wants to know what is in store for the Waverider crew the moment Agent Sharpe slips up. Lance is starting to see the big picture on the Waverider's mandate and it is refreshing to see her developing as a leader. Lance starts to trust her crew and use their talents by the end of "Freakshow" and that is real development for both the character and Legends Of Tomorrow.

Ultimately, "Freakshow" manages to take the familiar plot of Legends Of Tomorrow and infuse it with enough character development to make it feel fresh again.

For other works with Paul Lazenby, please visit my reviews of:
Star Trek: Beyond
Deadpool
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

6/10

For other television season and episode reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Awkward Thanksgiving, Awesome Supergirl Villain: "Livewire" Is A First-Season Hit!

The Good: Good realism for the family relationship, Special effects, Good villain, Character development
The Bad: Somewhat predictable plot, Chemistry between two of the leads
The Basics: Supergirl introduces its first big villain of the week as "Livewire" makes her debut in a spectacular episode.


In its first season, Supergirl got off to a rough start and the first few episodes were tough to get through. Before it hit its stride, Supergirl was an aimless super hero show that paid lip service to its female characters by pointing out time and again that they were women. The reason Supergirl survived its first season and managed to grow a fan base was because - for as erratic as the show is - it had some truly amazing episodes that transcended the somewhat stale superhero genre. The first knock-out episode of the series was "Livewire."

"Livewire" is the Supergirl Thanksgiving episode and it is the rare episode in the superhero drama that completely nails the realism of an uncomfortable interpersonal relationship. "Livewire," on its surface, is a Super-Villain Of The Week episode of Supergirl, but has a strong b-plot focused on the troubling way that Eliza Danvers treated her daughter Alex while growing up and the effects that she had on developing Alex. "Livewire" is preoccupied by illustrating the effects of both neglect of a child and giving a minor an adult level of responsibility. Fortunately for those who have experienced or witnessed those types of abuse, "Livewire" manages to not let Eliza Danvers off the mat; instead, Alex has the moral high ground and she keeps it for the episode without simply resolving her rightful anger and disappointment within the hour episode.

Supergirl is at the DEO when an alien prisoner gets loose. She has to subdue the alien while Alex waits for Kara to return home, where Alex frets about the impending arrival of their mother. National City's shock jock Leslie Willis begins criticizing Supergirl and, because she holds Willis's contract, an offended Cat Grant is able to transfer her to reporting on traffic from the CatCo traffic helicopter. Alex, in the meantime, is convinced that Eliza is quietly furious at her for allowing Kara to become Supergirl. When the traffic helicopter is caught in terrible weather, Supergirl attempts to rescue Willis, but she is struck by lightning during the rescue, transforming Willis.

Leaving the hospital, Willis is accosted by a jerk and when she inadvertently electrocutes him, she begins to explore her abilities. Transforming herself into pure electricity, Willis disappears into the power lines. At Kara's apartment, Eliza, Winn Schott, and Alex have a painfully awkward Thanksgiving, which includes Kara leaving the table to take a phone call from James Olsen. Somewhat drunk, Alex comes out to her mother about being a DEO agent. Kara is called into the CatCo offices to help with a technical issue when Willis manifests as Livewire. With the help of DEO technology, Supergirl and Cat Grant team up to thwart the villain.

Supergirl continues the trend of characters in various comic book franchises of having troubling relationships with their parents. Alex knows her mother well-enough to recognize that Eliza does not approve of Kara being in the public eye. Alex is held responsible for Kara's actions and seeing Eliza critical of her is tough to watch, but incredibly accurate for anyone who has an uncomfortable relationship with an emotionally aloof parent.

"Livewire" features a flashback scene that fleshes out the relationship of the young Kara and Alex and Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers. Eliza and Jeremiah have a troublingly cold relationship. Helen Slater and Dean Cain have no on-screen chemistry to make their relationship believable. Ironically, Malina Weissman and Jordan Mazarati have far better on-screen chemistry as the young Kara and Alex to play a realistic pair of young sisters. The flashback scenes also reveal how Hank Henshaw met the Danvers's and the episode fleshes out the backstories well.

While the villain of the "Livewire" is not initially incredible, Brit Morgan does well with the material she is given. The episode instead fleshes out the characters of Alex Danvers, Eliza Danvers, and Cat Grant remarkably well. In fact, none of the characters have bad arcs in "Livewire" - it is in this episode that Jeremiah Danvers is shown making the noble sacrifice for his family and Winn Schott tells Kara that his father is in prison. All of the characters are given something to do in "Livewire."

Alex Danvers, however, is the big winner of "Livewire." Alex Danvers, up until now in the season, has been a loyal operative of the Department Of Extranormal Operations (National City's anti-extraterrestrial government organization) and that was essentially a big twist for her character early on. She has been working behind-the-scenes to keep Kara safe and off the radar of those who hunt aliens and when Kara comes out as Supergirl, she brings Kara into the fold, allowing her to remain autonomous on Earth. Alex Danvers, however, is a far more interesting character than that by the fact that she has structured her entire life around keeping Kara safe. While that might seem like an honorable goal, in "Livewire" the origins of that characterization are revealed with much more destructive implications. Alex Danvers was charged with a parental level of responsibility when she was just a little girl and that, appropriately, messed her up. She has spent her adult life working on honoring her mother's edict without any positive reinforcement or affection from her mother. Alex Danvers is realistically screwed up, even if she has hid that fairly well up until this point. Chyler Leigh plays the revelations of how Alex was groomed quite well. Leigh plays the part with realism and while the sense of reversal is profound, Leigh plays the character with a consistency that never makes the revelations feel abrupt or unreal.

Cat Grant finally moves beyond being a monolithically "bitchy boss" character in "Livewire." In "Livewire," Cat Grant starts to see some of the consequences of her actions - like with Leigh's performance, Calista Flockhart manages to sell the transitions without feeling like they betray the core character. Grant fostered Willis's career to benefit her company without considering the larger ramifications of Willis's destructive nature of her broadcasts. Cat Grant's understanding of the consequences of her actions are balanced by Grant having no clue who Winn Schott is and her having no real understanding of Kara's backstory. The result is a character arc within the episode that feels very organic and not at all forced.

Helen Slater and Melissa Benoist are good in "Livewire." The two play their relationship as that of a protective mother and a daughter who is tired of watching her sister get treated poorly. Slater plays Eliza with a sense of (apparently) benign overprotectiveness. Eliza is not overtly abusive and in the course of the episode, her daughters standing up to her becomes a wake-up call for her to be honest with them. Benoist plays Kara with a realistic sense of concern. In "Livewire," Kara transitions from thinking Alex is being somewhat paranoid about how Eliza treats her to coming around and having the strength of character to stand up for her sister.

While "Livewire" has moments where it falls into the usual super hero conceits - taking down the titular character is painfully easy in the episode thanks to a macguffin from the DEO - the character-driven aspects of the episode are the dominant and most successful portions of the episode. The result is the first hit episode of Supergirl!

For other works with Brit Morgan, please visit my reviews of:
"We Can Be Heroes" - Supergirl
True Blood - Season 4
True Blood - Season 3

8.5/10

For other television season and episode reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

"The Return" Brings The Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Back To The Real World!

The Good: Awesome character moments, Good performances, Good humor, Character-driven plot
The Bad: Disconnected penultimate scene
The Basics: In a series high for Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., "The Return" deals with all of the major characters reeling from their time in the Framework and the new threats represented by Ophelia and the Russian!


Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a habit of making interesting twists, though the savvy audience of the show is seldom as surprised as the writers might expect or hope them to be. That said, "Farewell, Cruel World!" (reviewed here!) did a surprisingly good job of making a pretty great twist out of an otherwise predictable moment. As "The Return" begins, fans have to be wondering about Ophelia's new powers in the real world. All appearances from the climax of "Farewell, Cruel World!" were that Ophelia had Gordon's Inhuman powers when she teleported her and Fitz out of the submarine bunker.

"The Return" is the penultimate episode of the fourth season of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the episode bears the burden of setting up the season finale and bringing some sense of resolution to a remarkably fractured season. The fourth season of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been split into three very separate sections - the Ghost Rider plot, the LMD threat (which contained an anti-Inhuman subplot) and then the Framework. "The Return" has to lay the groundwork for tying together the disparate elements and plotlines in a way that A.I.D.A.'s presence in the various portions did not satisfyingly link them. In that way, "The Return" does a good job of catching the characters - May and Rogriguez - up on all they missed during Simmons and Johnsons' trip into the Framework.

Opening deep beneath the oil rig where the Sovereign has been waiting, he witnesses Ophelia disappear. May and Coulson confront the Sovereign only to discover that there are several more LMD versions of the Russian ready to attack them. While Daisy, Yo-Yo and Simmons struggle with keeping the plane in the air while the Watchdog planes try to shoot them down. On a distant beach, Ophelia tries to convince Fitz that she was a hapless victim of Radcliffe within the Framework and that she actually loves Fitz. May and Coulson try to figure out how to survive against the Russian's LMDs.

Aboard the Zephyr, Piper and the team inform Daisy and Simmons that S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters has been completely destroyed and Brigadier General Talbot has taken control of the situation there. As the Russian floods his base, Ophelia teleports to the Russian's side and attempts to reason with him. Fitz and Ophelia are able to rescue Mack's body and the entire team is reunited. The Zephyr returns to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters where the team struggles with the destruction wrought by LMD May on her way out. While Simmons wrestles with her feelings concerning Fitz, Ophelia tries to counsel Fitz. Rejected by Fitz, Ophelia goes on a murderous rampage which necessitates a desperate exodus from the base.

"The Return" gets most of the action in the episode out of the way fast to devote much more time to developing a strong Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. character study. Fitz is absolutely tormented in "The Return" and he goes through all sorts of levels of emotion associated with his transition back to the real world. Fitz struggles with who he was in the Framework and the moment when he has the epiphany that within the Framework, he became Grant Ward is an impressive character moment. Iain De Caestecker rocks that moment and the struggle he has to portray throughout "The Return" gives him a chance to show off his exceptional range.

De Caestecker's acting prowess is mirrored by the performances delivered by Elizabeth Henstridge and Mallory Jansen. Henstridge does a tremendous job of first exhibiting concern when Jemma worries about Fitz waking up outside the Framework without her. As the episode progresses and Simmons is terrified that her relationship with Fitz is irrevocably broken, Henstridge gives an impressive portrayal of grief, with an intense physical performance for the moment. Mallory Jansen continues to surprise with her acting abilities as Ophelia. In "The Return," Jansen plays loving, confused, proud, shocked, indignant, conniving and murderous and Jansen makes the transitions seem effortless and flawless while still feeling like she is playing the same character throughout. Jansen gives a masterful performance of Ophelia in "The Return!"

Viewers of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. are rewarded with wonderful banter between Coulson and May and the proper return of Melinda May to the narrative is handled in a way that few shows with similar situations ever bother to; Coulson takes time to fill May in on key points of what she missed after she was replaced with an LMD. "The Return" recaps how S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters was destroyed (which, given the months since that episode aired is quite helpful, but is presented credibly within the narrative by Daisy telling May) and is reasonably complicated by the return of Talbot (which makes a lot of sense given that Mace has been killed and his body found).

What knocks "The Return" out of hitting a perfect episode are little details with May and Coulson and an unfortunate contrivance in the penultimate scene. For an episode where the characters - even recurring Inhuman Yo-Yo Rodriguez - struggle with big, serious emotions based upon the effects of the events of the prior episodes, skirting the issues with Coulson and May feels like a cop-out. While it is delightful to see Coulson and May banter and May flirt with and chide Coulson, Coulson's unwillingness to be honest with May about his feelings for her is disappointing. In a similar fashion, in the penultimate scene, Talbot descends into the bowels of the ruined S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters. Having rewatched the fourth season right before "The Return," I literally sat up and started repeating "Oh no! Oh no!" as Talbot walked around the ruins and something moved. After all, basic storytelling logic would have Talbot encountering one of the many LMD Daisys that were on the base when it was blown up. But no, the scene ends with someone very different appearing and while it has the potential to tie together the fourth season, it was far less linear of a moment for the story told in "The Return."

Ultimately, "The Return" illustrates well exactly what the Marvel Cinematic Universe can do in the television medium. The big character moments in "The Return" would be hard to effectively pull off for so many characters in a blockbuster film. But "The Return" shows that fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can handle something more serious, character-driven and that explores adults dealing with complicated adult emotions. And if "The Return" is the best Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. ever gets, it is a satisfying peak to reach.

For other penultimate episodes of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., please visit my reviews of:
"Ragtag"
"Scars"
"Absolution"

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the fourth season here!
Thanks!]

9.5/10

For other television or movie reviews, please check out my Film Review Index Page for a comprehensive listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

"The Blessing Of Many Fractures" Destroys The Suspension Of Disbelief For Iron Fist!

The Good: Joy and Ward Meachum's plotline, Pelphrey and Stroup's performances
The Bad: Horrible dialogue, Awful character development/direction, Dull a-plot, Groanworthy fight sequences, Unsophisticated philosophical debating, Flat performances by Finn Jones and Jessica Henwick
The Basics: Iron Fist has passionless deliveries of melodramatic lines during one of the most stale plots yet with "The Blessing Of Many Fractures."


By the time "The Blessing Of Many Fractures" comes up in the first season of Iron Fist, the show has fallen seriously out of balance. Iron Fist seems unsure of how to balance a street-level super hero story with a corporate espionage drama. Iron Fist awkwardly juggles Danny Rand's attempt to be a part of his father's company, Rand Enterprises, with his duties as the Iron Fist sworn enemy of The Hand following his return to the United States after being presumed dead for fifteen years. Iron Fist redirects in a more overt action-adventure storyline for "The Blessing Of Many Fractures." Despite moments of intrigue in the Meachum-centered Rand Enterprises business b-plot, much of "The Blessing Of Many Fractures" is obsessed with an a-plot that includes pointless moralizing, the continued forced romance between Rand and Wing and one of the most ridiculous fight sequences yet.

"The Blessing Of Many Fractures" continues the odd sense of narrative time in the first season of Iron Fist as it picks up the same night that ended "Felling Tree With Roots" (reviewed here!), yet Ward Meachum suddenly has quite a bit more stubble and Danny has, apparently, made pretty extensive travel plans in virtually no time.

Colleen Wing rescues Claire Temple from an attack while Danny Rand looks in on Harold and discovers the blood in Meachum's penthouse. Ward arrives and pushes Rand away. Rand returns to Temple and Wing with a half-assed plan to go to China to apprehend Madame Gao. The next day, Joy and Ward meet at Rand Enterprises to meet with Lawrence Wilkins, who presents the pair with the terms of their severance from Rand. On the trip to China, Temple asks Rand what his plans are for Gao and ends up debating the merits of life with Wing. Rand has a panic attack when the little plane hits turbulence around the same place his plane experienced turbulence as a child.

When Ward attempts to appeal to Wilkins to divest himself of his sister for the severance package, he learns that Joy has already rejected the Board's offer. In China, Rand and his team find Gao's heroin operation and they attack it to apprehend Gao . . . even as Danny tries to figure out if he is willing to kill Gao for her place in his father's death.

In all poorly-written works, there comes a time when the person taking in the art (be it television series, movie, play or novel) begins to feel like the characters have no one to blame but themselves for their misery. If that point was not reached before "The Blessing Of Many Fractures" for the first season of Iron Fist, the show is certainly there now. When Ward Meachum is presented as the best, smartest and most reasonable character in Iron Fist, the show has certainly gotten off-course. And yet, in "The Blessing Of Many Fractures," Ward is the voice of reason amid a cast of characters who are altogether idiotic and lack sensible consistency. "The Blessing Of Many Fractures" is troubling in that Iron Fist sacrifices the intelligence of the characters in favor of pending plot reversals.

First and foremost is Danny Rand. In "The Blessing Of Many Fractures," Danny Rand is generally moronic in his impulsive chase. Claire Temple reasonably confronts Danny Rand about his intent toward hunting Gao all the way to China. Rand's moralizing feels very forced in "The Blessing Of Many Fractures" and his lack of ability to make a coherent argument for killing Gao is driven home by the fact that Temple and Wing debate the merits of killing Gao with only minimal input from the protagonist.

Colleen Wing is undermined almost entirely by the strength of Claire Temple's place in "The Blessing Of Many Fractures." As Danny Rand has a panic attack, Claire Temple centers him, not Wing. Wing is a martial arts expert and it seems like it would be her place to have some zen mastery to help the man she loves. Wing ends up in a fight with one of Gao's guards and the results of that fight are incredibly unsatisfying if one considers who Wing actually is. (Without real spoilers) If Colleen Wing truly believes that Madame Gao is the leader of The Hand and that she is in a real fight against Gao's Hand, there is no credible reason for Wing to show mercy to Gao's lackeys. In other words, Gao's guards willingly follow her version of the Evil Hand, which Wing is in conflict with. In a similar vein, there is no reason when Wing is on her own to not use her weapon in a way that is appropriate to the true nature of her character.

Claire Temple is not protected from the horrible writing in "The Blessing Of Many Fractures." While it would have made sense for Temple to introduce Matt Murdock to Danny Rand well before this point, it is ludicrous that she does not suggest a meeting in "The Blessing Of Many Fractures." Temple wants to know what Rand intends to do with Gao and she wants Rand to not kill the villain. Matt Murdock would not only be a philosophical ally in her fight, but could offer Danny Rand the legal advice he needs to make a decision that could end Gao. Barring that, Matt Murdock is a much more reliable force to bring to bear against The Hand than Wing or Rand. There is no sensible reason within "The Blessing Of Many Fractures" for Temple to not reach out to Murdock to try to help Danny Rand before he either goes off to kill or illegally extradite Gao. If nothing else, Murdock could add his voice to hers on how difficult it might be to actually end Gao.

Madame Gao also seems ridiculous by "The Blessing Of Many Fractures" for anyone who has seen where Iron Fist goes in subsequent episodes. As a tactic, especially if she honestly believes that the Iron Fist could be a threat to her life, she has no reason not to expose the true nature of Colleen Wing. Gao would never have a better opportunity to shake Rand to his core than when she has the home field advantage as she does in "The Blessing Of Many Fractures" when she is in China. After hours of vacillating on whether or not to kill Gao, Gao could have knocked Rand off his game at the critical moment he threatened her simply by exposing Colleen Wing's truth.

"The Blessing Of Many Fractures" utilizes one of the most brutally stupid conceits in super hero works and it does so poorly. In China, Danny Rand encounters Zhou Cheng, a master of drunken combat (it's actually a style of martial arts, if some old video games are to be trusted). Cheng is one adversary with pretty limited skills, at least compared to the martial arts masters that Rand fought in "Immortal Emerges From Cave" (reviewed here!). Yet, Danny Rand takes longer to knock Cheng out than he did to stop his final adversary in Gao's crucible . . . and that fight was after he had already fought three people and was poisoned multiple times. Rand comes into his fight with Cheng healthy and comparatively well-rested, so the fact that he is unable to defeat Cheng speedily is ridiculous.

On the Ward and Joy front, Tom Pelphrey and Jessica Stroup do a fine job with what they are given. It says a lot about how bad the episode is when the high points are Claire Temple's references to Luke Cage and Joy Meachum's oblique reference to Jessica Jones. Ward Meachum starts the episode in an interesting emotional place . . . before he is railed into a full-on MacBeth role. At least he does not shout "Out, damn spot! Out . . ." (which, I know, is Lady MacBeth), but Ward feels very Lady MacBeth in "The Blessing Of Many Fractures." Joy illustrates just how resourceful she is in "The Blessing Of Many Fractures" and in the process, it makes it hard to suspend one's disbelief that she would have allowed her position in Rand Enterprises to fall so far before she and Ward were ever ousted by the board.

Ultimately, the few moments of Ward and Joy that are well-executed, compelling character moments are vastly overwhelmed by the cheesy, predictable martial arts moments and lame moments intended to disguise the true nature or resourcefulness of the other characters in Iron Fist.

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Iron Fist - The Complete First Season, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the debut season here!
Thanks!]

For other works with Lewis Tan, please visit my reviews of:
10,000 Days
The Hangover, Part III
Olympus Has Fallen
Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End

1/10

For other Marvel movie, television season and episode reviews, please check out my Marvel Cinematic Universe Review Index Page for a listing of those reviews!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Mace Is Fleshed Out As "The Patriot" For A Banal Reversal!

The Good: Performances are fine, Good direction
The Bad: Boring reversals, Very straightforward plot
The Basics: "The Patriot" finally delves into Director Mace's story . . . only to undermine the character.


When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is hard not to argue that Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. bears the unfortunate brunt of the decisions made about the Universe at higher levels. While the "street level hero" shows occasionally allude to the blockbuster films, they occur within comparatively insular worlds (so far, just within different boroughs of New York City!) and, as a result, do not have to try to incorporate the sweeping changes films like Doctor Strange (reviewed here!) make to the universe. Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., on the other hand, has to adapt to the changing universe and that pushes the show in ways that are not always inorganic. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe going into supernatural territory with Doctor Strange, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. is being forced to blend "magic" with the Inhumans with the very spy-based Life Model Decoys that are now preoccupying the fourth season of the show. Unfortunately, the Life Model Decoy plotline is pushing Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. into an unfortunately repetitive place . . . especially considering that the last time a core character was replaced with a doppelganger, it was Agent May.

"The Patriot" picks up right after "Broken Promises" (reviewed here!) and it is impossible to discuss without some spoilers as to where Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been. Immediately before "The Patriot," Director Mace's political adversary was revealed to be fully in bed with the Watchdogs, to the extent that she was willing to kill her own now-Inhuman brother, and Dr. Radcliffe was revealed to be using Aida to try to get his hands on the Dark Hold himself. Radcliffe has Agent May in captivity, while the Life Model Duplicate May works within the S.H.I.E.L.D. base as his agent. "The Patriot" is immediately burdened with continuing the charade of LMD May in a credible way, while dealing with the fallout from Aida, the return of General Talbot, and finally explore Director Mace's backstory.

Jeffrey Mace does a p.r. event with Daisy to legitimize her place in S.H.I.E.L.D., claiming that her fugitive status was part of an undercover operation. During the event, Coulson and Mack witness General Talbot conspicuously transferring a case to an aid. When a sniper attacks, Daisy leaps into action while Director Mace is evacuated. Back at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Simmons is unnerved by agents attempting to study Aida's head. Fitz visits Dr. Radcliffe and advises him to stay away from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters for a while. On the way back to h.q., the quinjet suffers a catastrophic failure and Mack, Mace and Coulson are the only survivors of the crashed vehicle. Before he will let Coulson head for hire ground to activate the satellite phone, Mace insists on trying to find his assistant (who was blown out of the plane).

In his attempt to find the Dark Hold, Radcliffe and Aida disagree about the methods Aida and LMD May might use. Mace is quickly revealed to be looking for the case attached to his aid's wrist. May wakes up and frees herself from Radcliffe's machines before Aida stops her escape. The survivors of the crash find that the Watchdogs are in the area, already searching for the case when they come upon it. While Talbot desperately tries to get answers out of the sniper, Simmons learns the truth about Mace and the mysterious briefcase. At the crash site, Mack and Coulson create a distraction while Mace recovers the case and opens it . . . exposing Mace's secret in the process! While the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents struggle to rescue Mack, Mace and Coulson, the downed trio fights to stay alive while the Watchdog/HYDRA agents hunt them!

"The Patriot" is another packed episode of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and it is hard for viewers not to miss more intimate stories where a character is truly explored. So far, Director Mace seems to only have super strength as an Inhuman quality and at the outset of "The Patriot," that is his big apparent power. "The Patriot" creates a mystery around the briefcase that Mace is desperate to recover, which allows Project Patriot to be introduced to the narrative. The revelation of Mace's secret is surprisingly dull and given that there had been no significant manifestations of his powers outside basic super strength (Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Luke Cage all have that plus something more!), the idea behind Project Patriot is not nearly as surprising as it should have been.

John Hannah is good in "The Patriot." Far too often when a character is revealed to have villainous intentions, they start playing as evil whenever they are not interacting with the primary characters. Hannah plays Radcliffe as cool in the scenes with Fitz and he manages to suppress anything remotely villainous from his bearing in the way he plays the scientist. Instead, Radcliffe has a pretty solid character and Hannah plays him with consistency instead of making him suddenly into an obvious, generic adversary (as happened with Grant Ward, for example, when he was outed as HYDRA). Fortunately, in "The Patriot," Radcliffe steps back from being the Big Bad by admonishing Aida for using lethal force against S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

Simmons continues to show glimmers of character development in "The Patriot." There is something inherently frustrating about watching Simmons in the episode as she goes toe to toe with Talbot and gets the General to acknowledge that she has operational control over S.H.I.E.L.D. . . . but then she cedes that control to Talbot instead of pursuing her own agenda. Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. does not seem to know quite what to do with the character as she was jealous of Aida, no longer seems to have a strong emotional connection with Fitz and has begun to rise within the intelligence portion of S.H.I.E.L.D. (as opposed to the scientific division of the spy organization). But the writers seem unwilling to commit to giving her real power and pushing her character in a new direction as she keeps getting "put in her place" by Mace and now Talbot. That is disappointing to watch.

Mallory Jansen is good in the role of Aida in "The Patriot." Jansen is able to credibly play robotic with her deliveries and that makes her character feel fairly organic. Ironically, the big picture of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. finally becomes obvious in "The Patriot;" Lincoln Campbell and Hive had to be eliminated from the narrative before introducing LMDs because they were the two characters who could credibly expose every LMD ever! Come to think of it, Lash had to be taken from the narrative in order for Mace to credibly be used as the Director for the past several months in the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. narrative.

But here's the thing about "The Patriot;" it is not long into the episode before the viewer sits and wonders "what the hell is Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. now?!" S.H.I.E.L.D. is touted as a spy organization, but there is no adversary that Coulson and Mace's team is actually infiltrating or fighting - there is no coherent villain at their level within the Marvel Cinematic Universe at this point. So, they are spies in name only. At this point, Ghost Rider is gone, but the Dark Hold remains, so S.H.I.E.L.D. is an organization that is more or less the caretakers of supernatural artifacts in the world? And Fitz has a thing for Aida and the Inhumans are mostly gone, so it is hard to define just what the show is trying to do at this point.

"The Patriot" feels that aimless; it has a lot of elements thrown in and none truly pop or develop in a satisfying way.

For other television works with doppelgangers, please visit my reviews of:
"I Will Face My Enemy" - Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"The Zygon Inversion" - Doctor Who
"The Adversary" - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the fourth season here!
Thanks!]

4/10

For other reviews of elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, please check out my Marvel Cinematic Universe Review Index Page for a listing of all those reviews!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Ghost Rider Resolved? "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" Tries To Sell That Idea!

The Good: Decent performances, Character development, Special effects
The Bad: Plot is basic and repeats the format of prior seasons.
The Basics: Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to close off the Ghost Rider plotline with "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics!"


As some television shows go into their winter hiatus, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. is managing to ramp up. While I have not been a huge fan of the introduction of Ghost Rider to the series and the way it has altered the narrative of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., even I have to admit that the show went into "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" riding high upon the momentum the show gained in "Deals With Our Devils." "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" picks up with a lot of plot threads going on and fundamental character changes - especially with Aida being outed and Mack making the unlikely turn to ally himself with Ghost Rider following being possessed by him.

"Deals With Our Devils" (reviewed here!) leads right into "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" and it is tough to discuss the new episode without some references as to where the prior episode went. "Deals With Our Devils" introduced a new proto-Inhuman (probably as a lead-up to the forthcoming limited series The Inhumans) and put more tension between the classic Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. cast and the new Director, Jeffrey Mace. "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" picks up with Eli Morrow menacing Los Angeles.

Eli Morrow is having trouble keeping his Chinese gang under his thumb, so makes a demonstration out of transmuting one of his thug's lungs into diamonds. Morrow has built an oversized interdimensional box and S.H.I.E.L.D. is under siege from the media during the active incident. While Coulson advocates bringing in the full S.H.I.E.L.D. team - including Yo-Yo and Reyes - Mace is shocked to learn Aida is an android, but he puts her in play anyway. When Yo-Yo attempts to infiltrate Morrow's facility, she sets off an explosive that wounds her, which necessitates Reyes entering the facility. Mace grills Radcliffe about Aida and the Dark Hold, with limited results.

Inside Morrow's lab, Reyes finds the massive interdimensional battery and Morrow is able to stop the Ghost Rider from manifesting. Fitz recognizes Morrow's device as containing a Demon Core, which has the potential to destroy all of Los Angeles. Mace comes into the field to defuse the plutonium core Morrow has as Aida and the transdimensional arch are put on the Zephyr. Coulson confronts Morrow, after Fitz determines how Morrow has cheated the laws of physics from an alternate dimension. With tremors menacing Los Angeles and the full S.H.I.E.L.D. team set to confront Eli Morrow, S.H.I.E.L.D. must step up to stop Morrow definitively.

"The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" continues to develop Morrow as a villain and Mace as a secondary antagonist to the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. Mace is characterized as a suspicious character in "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" and it is hard to believe that he can possibly be trusted at this point in the fourth season of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Mace has been outed as an Inhuman and in "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" he continues to advance the interests of the Inhumans in the public eye. Mace is given a cool new outfit and seeing him interact with the full team is good.

Morrow and Reyes finally come face to face in a way that allows them to be honest with one another in "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics." After the big explosions and action sequences, Morrow and Reyes square off for a pretty straightforward conversation. It is somewhat hilarious that the Marvel Cinematic Universe allows for the longest direct conversation between two characters only when one is impaled and immobilized! Morrow's anger at the world is finally explained in "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" and his progression into a godlike character is handled remarkably well. Indeed, by the halfway point of "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics," it seems improbable that any of the characters from Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. could credibly defeat Morrow! As such, it is somewhat refreshing to see the protagonists of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. have to think their way out of the problem that Morrow represents.

Ever since Henry Simmons appeared on Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., fans have been waiting to see him used effectively and well. In "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" fans get that wish fulfilled. Simmons plays Mackenzie with real force and charisma. Mackenzie is presented as both authoritative and willing to speak truth to power in "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics." Beyond that, Simmons smartly softens Mack for a decent scene that has him actually acting to protect Elena. The on-screen chemistry between Simmons and Natalia Cordova-Buckley is palpable and presented with subtlety and realism that can only truly be built by repeated scenes. "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" pays off the performances between the pair and the actors seem quite adept at developing the realistic romantic tension between the two.

Jose Zuniga plays Eli Morrow with an earnest quality that sells his progression well. Morrow could easily slip into being an over-the-top Marvel Cinematic Universe villain who is either all talk, no action or arrives at his destructive climax through somewhat ridiculous means. But Zuniga manages to land the expository backstory lines that characterize him as a guy who has been pushed down for years and who wants very much to take control of his life.

"The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" moves along the plot that has been built throughout the fourth season of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and it is tough to guess where the season will go next. But despite the way "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" goes, the episode actually continues the formula that the prior seasons have established; the first adversary for the season is more or less out by the end of the episode and the next antagonist is introduced to keep the season going. Whether or not Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. can compellingly sell the new villain and plot remains to be seen, but "The Laws Of Inferno Dynamics" is a smart end to the shaky beginning of the fourth season!

For other Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. episodes written by Paul Zbyszewski, please be sure to check out my reviews of:
"Parting Shot"
"Devils You Know"
"Frenemy Of My Enemy"
"Ye Who Enter Here"
"Heavy Is The Head"
"Nothing Personal"
"End Of The Beginning"
"The Magical Place"
"FZZT"

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the fourth season here!
Thanks!]

7/10

For other reviews of elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, please check out my Marvel Cinematic Universe Review Index Page for a listing of all those reviews!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

More Fun Than It Is Derivative, "Shogun" Progresses The Legends Of Tomorrow Well!

The Good: Excellent use of humor, Decent character moments, Cool special effects
The Bad: Entirely derivative plot, Adequate performances without any truly great moments, Some critical missing details
The Basics: "Shogun" remakes a first season episode of Legends Of Tomorrow with its new cast mix and a new setting, resulting in another good episode!


With the new television season firmly underway, I can now honestly say that the show I look forward to most each week is Legends Of Tomorrow! I cannot think of a television series of late that has turned around their momentum to make itself into a decent show like Legends Of Tomorrow has. I came too late to the party to get into Arrow, Supergirl continues to be thematically heavyhanded and unfortunately derivative and the third season of The Flash started firmly in Sucksville. By contrast, the first two episodes of the new season of Legends Of Tomorrow have been surprisingly good, especially when compared to the first season's overall arc. Enter "Shogun." "Shogun" puts the Legends Of Tomorrow in feudal Japan and it became the first real test of the second season's magic new chemistry. Would "Shogun" simply be a cheap retread of "The Magnificent Eight" (reviewed here!) from last season, just in a different setting? Or would Legends Of Tomorrow continue to dazzle with something that felt truly original and different?

Sadly, "Shogun" does retread where the previous season's Western episode went. On the plus side, the episode manages to flesh out the two new Legends Of Tomorrow characters well, which makes it feel less derivative than it actually is.

"Shogun" is tough to discuss (and watch) without having seen "The Justice Society Of America" (reviewed here!) as Vixen and the Justice Society Of America were introduced. As well, "The Justice Society Of America" seemed to cement the concept for the second season of Legends Of Tomorrow as featuring the Reverse-Flash as the season's primary antagonist, with the Legends not knowing he is the one manipulating events throughout time against them. Sadly, "The Justice Society Of America" also saw the Reverse-Flash killing one of the members of the JSA in his attempt to prevent his own demise. Dr. Nate Heywood was revealed to be a hemophiliac and he was injected with a Palmer-modified version of Eobard Thawne's super-serum.

Vixen is on the Waverider, knocking out the members of the crew, when she is stopped by Heywood, who now has the ability to turn himself into steel. Sara Lance interrogates Amaya and learns that Rex Tyler was killed by a time traveler and she commits to finding the time traveler. While practicing with Tyler's new abilities, Palmer and Heywood get knocked out of the Waverider (and time) and they crash land, separately, in feudal Japan. Palmer ends up in custody of a violent Shogun, while Nick Heywood finds himself with Masako Yamashiro, a young woman who is being forced to marry the Shogun.

While Heywood and Palmer attempt to survive feudal Japan, Jax and Dr. Stein discover that there is a hidden compartment aboard the Waverider. Heywood stands up to the Shogun's men and gets stabbed for his efforts. When Lance, Vixen, and Mick Rory arrive to rescue Ray Palmer, they discover that the Shogun has figured out how to use Palmer's Atom suit and they barely escape him with their lives. Heywood, subsequently rescued, refuses to leave Japan because he knows the Shogun will kill Masako (he has a history of killing his wives). So, the Legends stick around in to protect the village and stop the Shogun.

"Shogun" has a fun set-up, though it is truly hard to buy that Amaya managed to stowaway on the Waverider. In the prior episode, the Legends boarded the Waverider and left before the Reverse-Flash killed Rex and Amaya found him. It is similarly hard - without a scene on the Waverider to confirm it in advance - to accept that Heywood is no longer a hemophiliac. After falling out of the sky, Heywood falls down and if he is still a hemophiliac, his injuries would have been pretty severe just from that fall. It is late in the episode that Heywood learns that is a side-effect of his transformation, but given that his powers are not working when he attempts to trigger them it seems weird that he would have one power, but not the other.

There is something similarly wonky in the narration about the episode's timeline. Somehow, the Waverider not only gets back on course, but it arrives in feudal Japan . . . before Jax fixes the time engines. Dr. Stein continues to pressure Jax to find the hidden compartment with him, while Jefferson insists he just wants to repair the time engines. While the implication is that Lance, Rory and Jiwe use the drop ship to make the trip back to feudal Japan, it is not made explicit, nor is it at all clear how Lance figured out where in time the two ended up. Similarly, how Dr. Stein and Jax deduced the combination to Rip Hunter's secret compartment is a bit of a mystery.

Sara Lance continues her heroic development as the new commander of the Waverider. In "Shogun," Lance kicks serious ass using her League Of Assassin training, but she also acts like a leader in the way she vouches for Mick. While the end of "Shogun" is a bit predictable and has an anticlimax that features Firestorm lying to the new Captain, Lance is very cool in the episode and she bears the mantle of command well. While Lance smartly explains to Amaya why they cannot simply go back in time and stop the murderous time traveler from killing Rex, she shows a lack of imagination (which either of the two geniuses or even Mick Rory, given that he was Chronos) by not suggesting that they go back in time and plant a surveillance device at the JSA Headquarters and/or put a tracking device on the item they know he will steal. Sadly, Legends Of Tomorrow starts to slip into the "simple problem, simple solution" plot problem that plagued the first season.

The DC Television Universe - at least The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow - have been strongly based in science. Indeed, the big supernatural element of the first season of Legends Of Tomorrow involved Vandal Savage, Kendra and Carter reincarnating and while it took until the end of the season, was finally explained as alien technology that arrived in the meteorites from Thanagar. So, viewers have to take on faith that Vixen's totem necklace will somehow be explained technologically, but in "Shogun," it is played as a supernatural type artifact and that is somewhat unsatisfying.

The performances in "Shogun" are adequate, but none are truly exceptional. Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Nick Zano - Amaya and Nate, respectively - continue to develop their performances to define their characters, but they do not have a chance to illustrate a lot of range yet. As a result, much of the emotional power of the episode comes from Dr. Palmer's struggle as he faces losing his Atom suit and his superpowers. Palmer has to sacrifice all that makes him special to the Waverider crew and it is treated in a surprisingly blase fashion. Brandon Routh is not given a chance to explore or develop Palmer's concerns as he faces losing his abilities. The closest we get is Routh expressing real frustration while training Heywood.

The season-long mystery for Legends Of Tomorrow is very subtly progressed by the contents of the secret room, which is fairly interesting. What is future Barry Allen's message to Rip Hunter? It's not clear, but if it has to do with Eobard Thawne, one would expect Dr. Stein to be much more alarmed upon hearing it. And fans of The Flash are likely to be disappointed by the idea that "Shogun" very subtly undermines the obvious, planned series finale of The Flash (wherein Barry Allen sacrifices himself in 2024 during the Crisis!) by allowing that end to be spoiled by the idea that Barry Allen survives his act of sacrifice and comes back about thirty years later.

All that said, "Shogun" does a decent job of tying together the three plotlines to make another episode of Legends Of Tomorrow that is well worth watching.

For other works with Stephen Oyung, please visit my reviews of:
Sicario
Red Dawn
The Last Airbender
Legion

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Legends Of Tomorrow - The Complete Second Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the sophomore season of the time traveling hero team here!
Thanks!]

6/10

For other television season and episode reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |