Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a solid start last week with its hot season four premiere which introduced the new player Robbie Reyes a.k.a. Ghost Rider who encountered Daisy Johnson a.k.a. Quake where she discovered that Robbie isn’t your average vigilante. This week’s episode focused heavily on fleshing out their new relationship as Quake and Ghost Rider came to understand and learn more about one another, which got us to the ending that we got, but more on that later.
May however isn’t having an easy day at all as she starts to get sick and sees everyone around herself as ghosts, which eventually breaks May. The main focus of “Meet The New Boss” couldn’t have been clearer as we finally get introduced to Jason O’Mara’s mysterious character who is the new S.H.I.E.L.D. director that we learn quite a lot about throughout the hour. Fitz and Mack are also on their own adventurous mission as they run into not just Daisy, but her hot new friend too.
The pacing in this week’s episode was changed a lot more than I was prepared for which is both a good and bad thing. But with so much happening, let’s break it all down instead so hit the NEXT button below and let’s go through some of tonight’s biggest highlights and important moments in “Meet The New Boss”!
Gotham continues its third year with the rise of the monstrous evil of Gotham City, after a solid premiere last week where we saw Fish Mooney leading her army, with James Gordon targeting them as a bounty hunter. We also saw the temporary fall of Ivy Pepper as she got struck by a youth-sucking man, but as revealed in this week’s episode, didn’t kill her. This week’s episode picks up right where we left off from last week with Bruce being kidnapped by the Court of Owls who he finally interacts with and we also see Ivy, now older, emerge.
Fish continues her hunt for Hugo Strange as she is getting weaker due to her usage of her powers and thanks to a brainwashed Bullock, she finally comes face to face with Hugo. While that hunt is going on, Valerie and Gordon grow closer, despite butting heads throughout the episode. Although it does end up with quite the scene towards the end of the episode and with Leslie’s return to the city, things are most likely going to get complicated.
A lot went down in this week’s episode that we want to discuss so hit the NEXT button below and let’s go through the top 5 highlights and important moments of the Gotham Season 3 episode, “Burn The Witch”!
Last week on The Strain, the bad guys fought back. Not only did we get the return of the real villain, Setrakian, but he enacted his revenge on the good guys to a major loss. With the suicide bombings of Strigoi at a few police command centers, they were able to lower morale and they even almost turned Councilwoman Justine Feraldo into one of them. Thanks to Eph and Quinlan stealing the Occido Lumen, the good guys aren’t trusting each other and are fractured themselves. Towards the end of last week, we confirmed that The Master did survive and as a result, the good guys are back to square one.
The first thing they did this episode was give us a global perspective of the apocalypse. Since the show has begun, this has been a New York-centric show. Everything that’s been happening has only been focused on the Big Apple. There have been brief mentions of other pockets in the United States, but for the most part, we’ve only focused on NYC. Setrakian’s monologue lets you know that it’s now a global pandemic. What started in a small plane has now hit every corner of the globe. Even if they find a way to stop the Strigoi, will there even be a world left?
We didn’t get to see who the “new” Master is this week. Instead, the episode focused mostly on the core group of good guys. They were all split up on their own adventures, but they all had something to do. Eph and Dutch worked on scientific ways to stop the Strigoi. Fet did some searching underground and made a discovery of his own. Finally, Setrakian and Quinlan did more research about the Occido Lumen and discovered a potential way to stop The Master.
Last week Dutch and Eph started bonding over their shared misery and their love of alcohol. This week, the two worked as partners in crime as they not only drank together, but they also hunted, captured, and experimented on Strigoi together. They waited in the part of a few to attack them and after dispatching the strong ones, captured a weak one where they would then take it back to their lab for more experimentations on. We got to see them discover more about their telepathic network that not only allowed them to coordinate and problem solve together, but also they shared their pain. The two made another discovery related to the fact that their communications seem to be through microwaves, and they can be distorted. Unfortunately, their scientific experiment ends towards the end of the episode, it gives them a little insight as to how the enemy works.
Meanwhile, Fet is also doing some research on his own. After tagging a few Strigoi, he follows them to discover that they are burrowing deep past the established safe zones and have created a master tunnel network that makes Central Park the new Ground Zero for them. After discovering the massive nest under Central Park, he immediately tells Councilwoman Feraldo about the next. It looks like next week will be an all-out assault on the nest.
While our heroes are out on their own adventure, Palmer is still somewhat playing both sides. He previously had made an offer to Setrakian for help in exchange for “The White” formula that maintains Setrakian’s youth. Setrakian has refused his offer. As a result Palmer still remains at Eichorst’s service, if only to hopefully stay alive. Palmer is also not doing well as the previous dose of The White that The Master gave him is wearing off and he’s back to his old sickly self. Eichorst has a new “number two” as we meet a new mystery benefactor as they want Parmer to ensure a shipment from Egypt can get through customs. Eichorst does say “It’s been a pleasure” to Palmer. It looks like Palmer’s outlived his usefulness.
Finally, Setrakian and Quinlan spend much of the episode studying the Occido Lumen. While it might seem as “boring” it does move the plot forward a little bit. Not only do we learn the key to stopping The Master, but we also learn that one of the other ancient Strigoi was defeated in Egypt. Now that they know how to defeat The Master, they need to find him. Setrakian doesn’t know who the “new” Master is, but Palmer might now. Setrakian meets with Palmer and although he doesn’t promise him the formula, he promises him one dose. With that, the two are now partners to take down The Master together.
Before we can get to that next week, here are a few of the top moments of the episode.
We’re finally back Oncers! Before we start unpacking this season premiere, lets revisit where we last left our heroes at the end of Season 5.
The biggest question facing our heroes as we head into Season 6 is can they achieve a happy ending and what does that actually look like? Is it domestic bliss for Captain Swan? A united Charming/Swan/Mills clan? During the OUAT special: Evil Reigns Once More, EP’s Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz commented that “we need to start to question what is a happy ending. We think of it as a definitive moment and then we pull back and we say ‘the end.’ But perhaps, a happy ending is something you have to live every day.”
Regina will have to come to terms with the worst parts of herself and determine if she can truly separate out the darkness. The Evil Queen wants to punish Snow and Emma. This Evil Queen makes the Other Evil Queen look like Jiminy Cricket, according to Kitsis.
We got a glimpse of The Land Of Untold Stories at the end of Season 5, a mash up of different worlds, featuring stories like Aladdin, The Three Musketeers and Paul Bunyon. OUAT has spent the last several seasons in different lands -Oz, Camelot, The Underworld, etc. – and it is now time to bring the story back home to where it all started: Storybrooke.
This season we look to return happiness to the character’s that have lost hope. Let’s dive in!
Check out our review of the season premiere by clicking NEXT below.
The Magnificent Seven remake by director Antoine Fuqua isn’t so much a remake as it is a retelling under the same name. There are some similarities to the original, but not enough for me to consider it a remake. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great movie. It’s filled with action from beginning to end, and likable performances by some of Hollywood’s best. However, this western/action film could have easily been carried an original title and the audience would have been none the wiser. The movie stars Denzel Washington and Christ Pratt for goodness sakes and that’s really all that is needed to put butts in theater seats.
Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) and his men are terrorizing the town of Red Rock. He kills mercilessly and without remorse. Little does he know that a run in with Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) would be his demise. To save the town from Bartholomew’s reign of terror, Emma gathers the town valuables in order to hire US Marshall, Sam Chisom. He’s an altruistic lawman and who genuinely wants help the townspeople but he knows he can’t do it alone. Chisom enlists the help of a few good men from all over California including Josh Faraday (Chris Pratt); the Irish drunk, Jack Horne (Vincent D’nofrio); the frontiersman, Billy Rocks (Byun Hyun Lee); the killer, Goodnight Robeceaux (Ethan Hawke); the soldier, Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier); the native, and Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo); the outlaw. Once the group is formed, they spend their time planning how to defeat Bartholomew Bogue at his own game.
Everyone has joined this fight for different reasons. Some feel this is their destiny. Others are participating get out of going to jail. Some are doing this for fun, and others are seeking revenge. The situation is especially personally for Emma and Sam. The problem is this group got along too well. It’s odd to see people with very different personalities be so willing to risk their lives. In the post-civil war era, this doesn’t seem realistic. They don’t have to be at odds all the time but everyone being so courteous to one another is strange. Also, everyone has backstories that aren’t explored. By the time important aspects about each member are revealed, it’s too late to care. So much so that you wonder why that was thrown in there at all? This left the plot feeling thin and superficial.
With that said, the film is really action packed. There is a good amount of action that keeps the fast pace of the film flowing. However, the film is a little long. It’s over 2-hours and 12 minutes and what they were trying to accomplish could have been done in a shorter amount of time. The cast is great as well. Pratt delivers his one-liners with charisma as always. Denzel does what he does best. Each character was shaped based on the personality of the actor, but I wish we got more time with them, as there were times it didn’t feel like an ensemble film, as the director really wants you to notice Denzel, and how good he is. Antione Fuqua’s obsession with Denzel made the film feel uneven.
This isn’t your dad’s Magnificent Seven. The original had drama, action, and suspense. It’s my entire fault for expecting to see the same exact thing in this modern retelling. They’ve upped the body count, the bullets, and the explosions as many modern action films do. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad film, it’s quite enjoyable and has some extremely hilarious moments. Go into this with no expectations, just sit back, and have fun with what you’re given. You will definitely like what you see.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had quite the dark year in Season 3 with the war against Hive and the big Inhumans focus as a whole. Tonight the show finally returned for its fourth season to pick up where the show left off after the Season 3 finale, with Daisy Johnson, a.k.a. Quake, now having departed the organization and is on her own. But Daisy’s new status quo isn’t the only new aspect that we explore in “The Ghost” as we finally meet Gabriel Luna’s Robbie Reyes, better known as Marvel’s Ghost Rider, one of the new mysteries of Season 4.
This season premiere, very similarly to last year’s premiere, gives us a good tour with our main characters and where they are at since we last saw them several months ago. While the premiere is very heavy on Ghost Rider (not that we are complaining); we do get a good sense of each of the characters’ position in the present. It was without doubt one of the show’s most packed hours ever, especially when you are dealing with an ensemble show like this with so many characters. Hit the NEXT button below and let’s go through some of the season premiere’s highlights and more!
Reviews are flooding the internet of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. vengeance-filled return, and it seems the show has got off to a hot start! Below you can find excerpts of reviews, and a link to the full piece if you’re looking for a more in-depth opinion on the Season 4 premiere.
“S.H.I.E.L.D. is definitely getting darker in season four. Luckily, at least for now, it doesn’t seem like the show is setting up a beginning for the end. This is a show with more story to tell, and it’s going to tell it the only way it knows how. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a really fun show with really fun characters. The addition of Ghost Rider could be the thing that finally makes the world at large realize that.”
– Merrill Barr, Forbes
“This opener is a breath of fresh air for the series, even if it is a little more cluttered and trigger happy with its new ideas. Ghost Rider is obviously the most prominent of these ideas, and for good reason. His inclusion represents a lot of potential for what fans of the show have been wanting since the pilot, which is more attention paid to mainstay Marvel characters. Robbie Reyes is no Johnny Blaze, of course, but Agents seems intent on turning that weakness into a strength by crafting its own compelling character with all of the familiar flair of what makes Ghost Rider a fan favorite.”
– Jon Negroni, We Got This Covered
“With the exception of a couple lines of dialogue, there’s not much to complain about in “The Ghost.” The Season 4 premiere is a dense hour of television that does a lot of heavy lifting in setting up a new series status quo and drawing new lines of conflict within the cast. While the SHIELD-centric storyline is merely solid, the Ghost Rider storyline absolutely sizzles. Buckle up, because it looks like Agents of SHIELD Season 4 is going to be a hell of a ride.”
– Jamie Lovett, ComicBook.com
“The new season presents two more intriguing threads for the show to follow and make good on. The first is the most obvious in Ghost Rider, a flame-chain wielding “serial killer” who is out to kill those who most deserve it while also channeling some literal inner demons himself. With Doctor Strange being the next Marvel film slated for November, it’s no surprise that Agents wants to start delving into the supernatural, and this is one of the most suitable characters for them to start with, complete with a surprise villain that will fit comfortably within the show’s wheelhouse. Season 4 wastes no time exploring how interesting it will be to see Inhumans matching up against demon possessed humans and other branches of the supernormal.”
– Parker, Celebrities Report
Check out the Season 4 premiere of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for yourself tonight at 10/9c on ABC.
The third year of FOX’s Batman prequel drama, Gotham, kicked off with a solid bang as we continue to follow the journey of some of the Dark Knight’s most famous villains and a new chapter for James Gordon as he has now taken on the role of a bounty hunter who is going after the monsters of Gotham City. “Better To Reign In Hell…” does a nice job with touching upon all the new arcs of the third season, from the rise of the monsters, with Fish Mooney as their, to the mysterious Court of Owls that are targeting Bruce Wayne.
After the craziness that took place in the Season 2 finale, we get a good tour through what this Gotham City has become since the finale. It definitely feels scarier than what we have seen before as you could at any point run into youth-suckers, men with wings, which does raise the stakes quite a lot. But just because it has gotten darker, doesn’t mean that the humor has gone away as there were several light-hearted moments too. Since Season 2, Gotham has improved on its comic book feeling as it feels less like a cop show and more of a comic book drama.
A lot happened in “Better To Reign In Hell” that we want to discuss so hit the NEXT button below and let’s go through the top 5 highlights of the Gotham Season 3 premiere!
It has been close to a year since Ash V.S Evil Dead premiered on Starz and signified the return of the cult favorite franchise in a big way. The series has been an excellent continuation of the films bringing humor, horror, and copious amounts of blood to the small screen including the return of Bruce Campbell to the role of Ashley J. Williams. The heroic and dimwitted character is iconic in the horror genre and Campbell brings the same energy for the show as he did the movie. With that being said Season 1 was a smash success and the with second season set to premiere on October 2nd I was given the opportunity to get to see the first 2 episodes of the new season and if you are a fan of the show you will like what you see.
“Home” – Episode 1
The season premiere picks up where the first season leaves off. Ruby is now in danger from her own demonic children so she breaks their truce and summons Ash to help her. From there the show dives into the main thrust of the story with Ash having a rude awakening from some Deadites in Jacksonville. This episode doesn’t waste any time in getting right back into the action with it’s signature copious amounts of blood and gore which is used in this show for comedic effect. This episode is not the best episode of the series nor does it compare to the very first episode of season 1, but still this is a very strong episode that catches us up to where we left off and continues on the fun journey that will be season 2.
Bruce Campbell still feels like he never left the role of Ash in personifying the chauvinistic and idiotic hero. Lucy Lawless returns to Ruby and still gives a good performance as a character that makes the audience like the characters in that you don’t know whether or not she is trustworthy. The rest of the cast return including Ray Santiago as Pablo and Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly. We are also introduced to some new characters including Ash’s Dad Brock played hilariously by the 6 Million Dollar Man himself, Lee Majors. Overall it is a decent start to what promises to be a great Season 2.
“The Morgue” – Episode 2
The second episode continues to follow what the first episode set out for the season with Ruby seen as a potential ally. I can’t get too much into the episode without spoiling the story, but this episode was a stronger episode than the premiere. Not only does it advance the plot, but it also has potentially the most disgusting gore sequence so far in the series. It’s so over the top that I couldn’t stop myself from laughing out loud at how ridiculous it gets. It fits perfectly with the tone of the show and their insistence on relying on practical effects, which makes scene like that look so much better than relying on CG. The episode ends on a cliffhanger that makes me excited to see what else this season has in store.
This new season promises to deliver the scares, gore, and the fun that the first season brought to us in spades. If these two episodes are any indication for the rest of the season I can foresee that season 2 will be a wonderful continuation of not only the show, but of this series. Check it out if you are a fan and if you aren’t I recommend going back to season 1, which I still believe is one of the most underrated shows on television.
The Blair Witch Projectjumpstarted the found footage cinematic craze, sodirector Adam Wingard jumped on board to bringhorrorfans a modernBlair Witchsequel, essentiallyignoringBlair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. Initially called, The Woods, it wasrevealed at San Diego Comic-Con that the realname of the filmisBlair Witch. This was a marketingploy to cover up the fact that this is a sequel no oneasked for. Blair Witch 2016 is neither scary or innovative like the original. In fact, the onlything that differentiates this version from the original is the introduction of digital DSLR cameras, smartphones, and drones.
A brainless group of college-aged studentsdecides to go into the woods to investigate the disappearance of the original Blair Witch crew, Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard.
Heather‘s youngerbrother, James Donahue, leads a group of tag-alongs including Lisa the videographer, and his friends Peter and Ashley. The crewis eager to get to the bottom of the disappearance of Heather Donahue, but as thingsbecomeincreasinglyweird, the groupfinallyagrees to leave their campgrounds. However, by the time they make this decision, it’s already toolate. They aretrapped in the Blair Witch’s clutches and have to fight for survival.
The direction and editingfit with the sporadic style of a found footage films. Adam Wingard wanted the audience to see the horror from variousvantagepoints which add to the chaos of it all. He wants you to know that no matter how prepared you think you are, you’re neverprepared to go against the Blair Witch. Unfortunately, I wasn’tprepared for the 4K cam-so-shaky, you’ll feel like you’ve beencaught up in a category four tornado. It’s shocking that for a modernized update, the transitionsare extremely sloppy.
Now, this isnot a film where anyone should care about how good the acting is. The audience is there for one thing, and that’s to bescared s**tless, which the movie does a decent job to keep of keeping the audience in suspense. As the grouptries to escape, they arepulledfurther down the rabbithole to the point of no return. As they getcloser to the Blair Witch, the premise of the film is givenaway in such a lazy fashion it causes the moviegoing downhill fast. This is frustrating because the movie doesn’t give the audience a chance to think for themselves. Then every foolish horrortrope you can think of is crammed in dumbing down the experience. Peoplesplitting up, people tripping and hurting themselves for no reason, gulliblepeoplefalling for whatever, and goingplaces where they know they shouldn’t. In the end, the movie turns out to be everything the firstBlair Witch film managed to circumvent.
The Blair Witch Projectrevolutionized the way we sawcinema. There was a level of mystery that wassowellhidden that many viewers wereconvinced the footage wasreallong after the movierelease. Blair Witch 2016 triedsohard to be like the original, that the audience might forget this is a sequel. The charactersaretoovapid to bebelievable, and the filmcommits the ultimate sin of showing the audience ******Spoiler****** which was entirely unnecessary. The conclusiondoesn’t satisfy and will surely leave the audience frustrated and unfulfilled.
Blindspot kicks off its new season with an efficient opener. But is it enough to keep us hooked?
This review contains mildspoilers. Scroll down to see the verdict and grade.
Overall, Blindspot is a difficult show to peg, though easy enough to recommend. Its standard remix of the case/tattoo-of-the-week formula gives breezy viewers the breezy entertainment they want, while also supplying enough intrigue and action-core to satisfy just about everyone else. For all of its uneven storytelling and brazen hand-holding, Blindspot remains one of NBC’s most entertaining shows.
Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger with Jane Doe getting arrested by Kurt Weller for being a double agent (and not being Taylor Shaw). We catch up with her three months later at a CIA black site getting tortured for information. That is, until she manages to escape (courtesy of one of the episode’s best fight sequences) only to get tracked down by the FBI and NSA, who’ve temporarily teamed up to take down Sandstorm, the shady terror organization from the first season that took Jane’s memory away.
This is where the efficient storytelling comes in. It doesn’t take long for Team Tattoo to reunite, even if it’s under strenuous circumstances. No one trusts Jane in the slightest, including herself, and the episode wisely puts aside a tattoo-of-the-week in order to properly set up the rest of the season’s status quo. That status quo consists of a more interesting mystery external to Jane Doe’s identity, though it’s too bizarre to make sense of this early in the season. For whatever reason, Blindspot seems to be interested in black holes and rockets moving forward, which is a nice relief from obsessing the audience over trite things like Jane Doe’s parentage (for now).
There are some noticeable misfires in the episode, courtesy of the network’s insistence to insert half-earned tension, even when inappropriate. One sequence in particular puts Patterson up against an “impossible coding job” that is never explained aside from being so difficult she does it miraculously in the last second. Mayfair’s death gets a hand-waved speech from Kurt (A.K.A. Master Macho) in order to wrap up that character arc and move everyone forward. And just like in the pilot, we get way more answers than expected and all at once.
But you can forgive Blindspot for having other things on its mind. For one thing, it adds a few new recurring characters that feel like essential additions, not just welcome ones. There seems to be more to Naz, the NSA head, than a no-nonsense attitude and determination to take down the bad guys by any means necessary. She actually has a potent sense of warmth and humanity behind her cold exposition regarding Sandstorm and Orion. Personally, I’m still rooting for Shepherd and Roman more than I am the actual protagonists, if only because they seem too fun to see removed from the show in favor of the good guys.
As mentioned earlier, the action of Blindspot is its true strength, showing off some of the more impressive and creative stunt shots seen on primetime, even this later time-slot. Jane and Kurt’s impressive fist fight in a New Jersey motel is a true standout, as it allowed both characters to go all out with both their perceived and existing strengths: Jane’s speed versus Master Macho’s brute forearms was as exciting as this show has gotten in some time, and I sincerely hope we haven’t seen the last of these two trying to hit each other. The episode slows down tremendously once the pieces get into place with Jane becoming a triple agent and gaining answers from Shepherd, but the formula will probably realign by episode 2.
Verdict
Despite its weighted dialogue and some unappealing circumstances, Blindspot still delivers its best moments through Jaimie Alexander’s Jane Doe, the best reason to keep watching into season 2. And it’s assuring to see that the show runners have realized that the central mysteries behind Blindspot have room to explore new territory, and we’re beginning to see the fruits of that likely adjustment.
The following article does contain spoilers for The Walking Dead season six.
When it comes to The Walking Dead characters, Carol (Melissa McBride) has had one of the most complex transformations from season one to now. Carol has gone from a scared wife and mother to an independent one woman killing machine.
McBride opened up to Comicbook.com and discussed what fans can expect from Carol going into season seven and if her character is ready to love again. Is there still hope for a Carol Daryl (Norman Reedus) relationship?
“This is a different season. She’s definitely got some healing to do in her mind and where she wants to be on this earth, or she wants to stick around or what.
As the world is expanding, it’s still closing in at the same time in a very weird way, but who knows. I think she’s just got to get her mind right before she can even entertain any sort of relationship. I think it’s just difficult for her to have a relationship of any kind. Where we left off, if you care for somebody, you’re going to have to kill for them, and again, she’s just not sure she’s in that place.”
Fans last saw Carol and Morgan (Lennie James) together at the end of season six, away from the showdown with Negan. From the previews for season seven, it’s indicated that Carol will be meeting Ezekiel (Khary Payton) who is the leader of a new community called the Kingdom. Fans of the graphic novels know Ezekiel for his larger than life personality and his pet tiger Shiva.
The Walking Dead will return on October 23rd, and the reveal of who Negan killed will come with it. Are you looking forward to season seven of The Walking Dead? Comment below and let’s talk all things Dead.
Last week on The Strain, Quinlan and Eph put in motion a plan for rescue and revenge. Eph had received an ultimatum, give the ancient book, “The Occido Lumen” to The Master in exchange for his son’s life. Eph wrestled with the dilemma of giving The Master the one thing that might actually hurt him, the one thing he’s afraid of in exchange for the safety of his son or let humanity fall. Ultimately, the love of a parent prevailed as The Master hoped it would, and he was ready to sell his soul in order to get his son back. Quinlan knew this would happen and in fact, helped Eph steal the book with the hope of finally getting revenge on The Master. So did their plan work?
The episode spent much of its time focused on the two of them as they put their plan in motion. Eph and Quinlan got a chance to do a little bit of bonding and as a result, we learned a great deal about Quinlan’s backstory and why he both hates The Master and why he wants to kill him. We get to see a series of flashbacks centering on Quinlan, his adoptive mother, and his thousand plus year quest for revenge against The Master. The episode is adequately named “First Born” as we learn that The Master is, in fact, Quinlan’s “father.” Turns out The Master fed on his mother before realizing that she was pregnant. The baby resulted as being half vampire/half human, having the strengths of both races.
Speaking of Ephs son, Zach has been strengthened by The Master giving him some of “the white” and no longer has an asthma problem. Although he watched his mother feed on a child no older than he was, and he saw his mother tempted to feed on him, he still doesn’t seem to have a problem having a heart to heart chat with his mother. She tells him (and we learn through a brief flashback at the beginning of the episode) that he’s a caul baby, meaning he was born still inside the amniotic sac from his mother’s womb. His mother tells him that as a result she and he have a deep bond and he’s destined for greatness. She tells him more about The Master and his plans for Zach, which include keeping him alive and human, so Zach’s safe for now.
We are also treated to Setrakian and Fet going on a road trip after the two of them as they think it was Quinlan only who stole the ancient book. Fet had never truly trusted Quinlan because in Fet’s eyes, he may be half human/half vampire, but he’s still a vampire and Fet didn’t trust him all the way. As the two of them chased after them.
Meanwhile, we get to check in on Gus, who still is holding his vampire mother in their apartment. Gus can’t let go that his mother is no longer his mother and proceeds to drain himself of blood and place it in a doggy bowl to feed his mother. As Gus continues to do this, the weaker he becomes. Although he has his mother enchained in a strait jacket and places what appears to be a hockey mask on her so that her stinger doesn’t get to him, he’s still in danger of her. Lucky for him, his buddy Angel comes and at least tries to talk some sense to him exclaiming that she is no longer his mother. As the police do neighborhood sweeps for vampires, the two help his mother escape, not before they are arrested and she becomes free. $1,000 bucks say that he will meet up with his mother within a few episodes and will either have to finally kill her, or he will hesitate and she will kill him. After Angel and Gus are arrested, they learn that in this new world the police don’t have time to arrest and put people in jail, they simply deputize them as vampire hunters as well. So it looks like they will continue their role as vampire hunters, only now they are doing it with the help of the NYPD.
Finally, there is the trade of Zach for The Occido Lumen and the battle that commences afterward towards the end of the episode. Not only did we have our “Walking Dead prisoner exchange,” but we also had a surprising conclusion for the end of the battle, which we will get to.
Over the past few years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t just been expanding on the big screen, but also as of 2015 with their Netflix products with Daredevil, Jessica Jones and now their third series: Luke Cage. After having been introduced to Mike Colter’s Luke Cage in the second season of Jessica Jones, Colter is now getting to expand his character in his own series. In the first seven episode that I was previewed to – no worries, this is a spoiler free review -, to put it in short terms at first: Luke Cage absolutely 100% lives up to the name “Power Man”.
Something that might surprise viewers is that this show isn’t as dark as Daredevil Season 2 or season one of Jessica Jones, in my opinion. It does have the same grittiness and intensity – if not more – as those two shows, but it just doesn’t feel as dark as the two of them, which was a surprise to me. Luke’s world definitely features dark elements, but it doesn’t really have those levels of darkness that Daredevil and Jessica Jones have. Although that could possibly change in the remaining episodes that I have yet to see when it comes out on September 30, so we will see if the tone is the same.
Just like the two previous Netflix/Marvel series, the creative team behind Luke Cage has assembled a tremendous cast of extremely talented actors portraying these characters. If you had already fallen in love with Colter’s portrayal of Luke on Jessica Jones, then your love for this character is only going to grow when you see what he delivers in his own show. Simone Missick’s Misty Knight is a breakout character that kicks butt, has a fascinating chemistry with Colter and is someone that is just fun to follow. Misty never feels like a sidekick or secondary to Luke, she is able to be on equal ground with Luke and you are rooting for her as much as you are rooting for Luke.
It’s almost impossible to compare the villains of each of these shows, with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, David Tennant’s Kilgrave and the power players in Luke Cage. Each of these antagonists are written and portrayed beautifully in so many different ways, that it becomes impossible to compare. What Mahershala Ali’s Cornell Stokes and Alfre Woodard’s Mariah Dillard bring to the table, is intense, fun, but also complicated in a good way. That is one of the few things that sets Luke Cage apart from the previous Netflix shows, is that we have two power players to deal with for our protagonist. The two characters have a very complex relationship, but you can’t help but love it. Without going too much into specifics about Theo Rossi’s Shades, he is just as intimidating so make sure to watch out for him.
While not part of the main cast as a series regular, Rosario Dawson’s presence is 100% greatly appreciated as you can’t have enough Claire Temple in your life. She continues to have that extra touch that the Marvel Netflix shows need and is continuing to be a great connecting thread, in a similar way that Clark Gregg’s Phil Coulson had in Phase 1 of the MCU. While we have many voices of reason on the show, Claire’s voice stands out a lot more, in particularly with her interaction with Luke and it’s a dynamic that I think many will come to enjoy very quickly.
From a comic book perspective when looking at this show, it definitely delivers of being a superhero show as well as the comic book history that Luke Cage has. However just like with Daredevil and Jessica Jones, this show doesn’t just have a superhero tone to it, as it goes beyond just being a show about a man whose skin is unbreakable. The world of Harlem is fascinating as the writers and the show portrays Harlem as its own character in many ways. As I mentioned before, the show is definitely dark, but not as dark as one would think, even though with the topics they touch on, are intense, but in an important way.
If I were to describe Luke Cage with just one word: it would be soul. Not just the character of Luke, but the show itself with all of its characters, the story that it is telling and more. There is a lot of great and fun action because let’s face it, when you are dealing with a superhero who is unbreakable and super-strong, you are in for a treat. The tone of the series also do fit in quite nicely within the MCU, while being able to stand on its own, but again, definitely matches this big world that Marvel Studios has built.
The fact that we are finally getting the first African-American superhero show and having seen these first seven episodes has me extremely excited for the rest of the world when they see Marvel’s beloved Power Man on September 30. December may be the month of Christmas, but September is without the month of Sweet Christmas, all thanks to Luke Cage.
“After a sabotaged experiment leaves him with super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) becomes a fugitive who attempts to rebuild his life in modern day Harlem, New York City. But soon he is pulled out of the shadows and must fight a battle for the heart of his city _ forcing him to confront a past he had tried to bury.”
Marvel’s Luke Cage Season 1 will be released on Friday, September 30, only on http://ift.tt/2bT56YL. In case you haven’t seen them, check out our Comic-Con interviews with the cast and crew of Luke Cage.
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