A relationship heavy episodes with fights all over the place, Ben teaching Maggie how to use her new abilities, and Cochise taking a group to find something to help unbury the Beamer....
Hafta feel for poor Matt. He finds his friend from the camp and she turns on him. That had to suck. I find it very hard to fault him for untying her, particularly since he recognized it as a major mistake himself. But given how well she and Matt had worked together, I can't blame him for believing her. I do want to note that I did call this. In my review of the 4th episode, I said "[u]nfortunately for Matt, I suspect that the next time we see her, she will be firmly under the Espheni's grip. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be wrong, but I don't see her successfully resisting without Matt there to provide support." Not a hard call to make, granted, but I was still right. Was Tom right when he labeled it puppy love? Probably, but I also get why Matt rejected the label, which was likely because she is the first girl he's had feeling for. Hell of a hard way to learn a lesson, but it was learned. The problem is that the Espheni are playing with human emotions and sentiments, which can be a major weakness. The only way to avoid that weakness is to become like them, which is think is worse that having the weakness in the first place.
Ha; and Ben also fought. Here, again, I have trouble blaming either of them. Ben has had feelings for Maggie for a long time, but he has resisted them so far because he doesn't want to hurt Hal. Ben's explanation of the spikes and their effects was very illuminating. If they do have a personality of their own and really do try and control the person they are placed in, Ben has to be fighting them constantly, which is really amazing. And since Maggie's spikes were in Ben, it makes sense that she is attracted to him now. Since the spikes enhance feelings as as well as physical, mental, and sensory attributes, she is feeling his feelings towards her which is influencing her. This is so not going to be pretty, particularly with the look that Ben shot Hal after Hal told him to stay away from Maggie.
Speaking of Maggie, it was so much fun watching her learn her abilities. After some initial trepidation, she embraced the new abilities wholeheartedly and had lots of fun with them. Now she just needs to learn to separate her own feeling from the feeling that come through the connection she and Ben now share. Speaking of that connection, is it possible that the two of them may be able to fight as one majorly coordinated unit since there is the link between them?
Watching Pope and Sara fight was interesting. I cannot blame Pope for not trusting Sara. She is an addict and we only have her word that the case she gave Pope was aspirin. Even if it was checked, how do we know that she didn't switch it at some point? While I do think that she was right when she said that he is afraid, I can't say I entirely believe or trust her.
Tom and Anne had an interesting week. Anne is very upset that Tom doesn't want to go after Lexi, but; as he pointed out; he has to operate as more than just a parent. Like last week when he said that he needs to always be hopeful, he made sure Anne understood that he has to do things differently. I would add this is doubly so since Lexi willingly went with the Espheni and forced Ben to accompany her after she caught him following her. There is no way to force her to come back and the only way I can see her coming back willingly is if her bond with the Espheni is somehow broken. Then again, she did let Ben go, so it is possible that a strong enough appeal could persuade her to eschew the Espheni. And I have tot say that I honeslty thought that Tom and Anne were already married. Was I wrong? Or was this a recommitment ceremony?
Next week is the penultimate episode with the week after being a two-parter. Until then!
Monday, August 18, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
My Review of Teen Wolf 4.08- Time of Death
Scott and the gang carry out a completely insane plan in order to smoke out the Benefactor, Malia confronts Peter, Derek learns defense from Braeden, and Lydia discovers the possible identity if the Benefactor...
Out of all the plans the group has come up with over the years, this has to be one of the craziest. Kira shocked Scott enough to put him into a coma that only an Alpha could survive in order to use his "death" to cause the Benefactor to come out of the shadows. The biggest downside is that if Kira did not revive Scott within 45 minutes, Scott would die. Yeah, this makes complete sense. Weird thing is that despite the fact that the Benefactor did not come knocking, Scott may have figured out something about the Benefactor. After all, who would be able to tell whether or not someone is dead without visual confirmation? A banshee! Whether or not Scott is correct remains to be seen, but it is an intriguing hypothesis which fits in nicely with something Lydia discovered.
When in the boathouse at her family's cabin, Lydia discovered that the urn which supposedly held her grandmother's ashes actually held mountain ash and that the entire boathouse was made out of mountain ash. I find that interesting because both Scott and Liam have freely entered into the boathouse before. We know that Scott can; with a great deal of effort; force his way through a mountain ash barrier, but so far he has been the only creature who has managed to do that, so there must be something about the cabin that is different. Interestingly, Lydia's mom knew Meredith and Lydia's grandmother spent time in Eichen House because she heard voices. So it would seem that Lydia's grandmother is/was a banshee. Could she be the Benefactor? If she is, why is Lydia on the kill list? Alternatively, could the Benefactor be forcing Lydia's grandmother or another banshee to be working for him/her in order to tell when someone died? And what does that code Lydia discovered say?
When he was hovering on the edge of death, Scott had some weird dreams. They always started with him in the morgue and then pulling his way out into the hallway at school where Liam tosses his something (first a ball, then a tomahawk). Liam was always attacked and killed by the Mute except for the last time, when Scott himself killed Liam with the tomahawk. Is Scott truly that worried that he'll become a killer and monster (witness the fang portion of the one dream)? He did break a promise to never turn someone, even if turning Liam was not intentional. So maybe he's worried that as he matures, the wolf will increasingly take over and he'll become more and more wild. I doubt that'll happen short of some major;y traumatic event, but that could also be holding him back from realizing his full potential.
Watching Malia confront Peter was interesting. He has a thin file on her and claims to be looking for her mother, whom he calls the "Desert Fox". Fortunately, she seems wary of Peter, even if she is talking with him. I am also glad that she is talking with Stiles again. I wouldn't blame her for being pissed at him still. And how cute was Stiles' dream at the beginning of the episode? Watching him try and find a comfortable position with Malia in bed was really funny, especially as she got progressively more annoyed with him. And he got to be the big spoon for once! :-)
Why were Peter and Kate so concerned about Scott possibly being dead? Obviously they want him alive for their own reasons (which so cannot be a good thing!), but what are those reasons exactly? I suspect that Peter wants to kill Scott in order to take his Alpha abilities, but I am not sure what Kate wants. I do have to wonder if Chris could have actually pulled the trigger of the gun. Somehow, I doubt it.
Watching Braden systematically take Derek apart until he realized that she could teach him was just fun. He is so used to being very powerful that he now needs to learn how to defend himself while human. And I think the two of them could be good for each other, assuming that they both survive this season.
I wonder if Melissa knew about Scott's plan. Her hysterics would suggest that she didn't, but the fact that she pulled everything together so quickly leads me to suspect that she did. I loved her conversation with Kira's mom about whether or not they were doing the right thing by letting the kids handle the situation. And is Scott really going to bring his father in on what is going on? An FBI agent could be an invaluable ally.
Speaking of Kira's mom, I really hope she is ok. And I don't really get why Kira and Liam confronted the Berserker instead of running away. Kira has fought them before, and while she did a decent job, they could still wipe the floor with either of them.
Until next week when (supposedly) the identity of the Benefactor will be revealed!
Out of all the plans the group has come up with over the years, this has to be one of the craziest. Kira shocked Scott enough to put him into a coma that only an Alpha could survive in order to use his "death" to cause the Benefactor to come out of the shadows. The biggest downside is that if Kira did not revive Scott within 45 minutes, Scott would die. Yeah, this makes complete sense. Weird thing is that despite the fact that the Benefactor did not come knocking, Scott may have figured out something about the Benefactor. After all, who would be able to tell whether or not someone is dead without visual confirmation? A banshee! Whether or not Scott is correct remains to be seen, but it is an intriguing hypothesis which fits in nicely with something Lydia discovered.
When in the boathouse at her family's cabin, Lydia discovered that the urn which supposedly held her grandmother's ashes actually held mountain ash and that the entire boathouse was made out of mountain ash. I find that interesting because both Scott and Liam have freely entered into the boathouse before. We know that Scott can; with a great deal of effort; force his way through a mountain ash barrier, but so far he has been the only creature who has managed to do that, so there must be something about the cabin that is different. Interestingly, Lydia's mom knew Meredith and Lydia's grandmother spent time in Eichen House because she heard voices. So it would seem that Lydia's grandmother is/was a banshee. Could she be the Benefactor? If she is, why is Lydia on the kill list? Alternatively, could the Benefactor be forcing Lydia's grandmother or another banshee to be working for him/her in order to tell when someone died? And what does that code Lydia discovered say?
When he was hovering on the edge of death, Scott had some weird dreams. They always started with him in the morgue and then pulling his way out into the hallway at school where Liam tosses his something (first a ball, then a tomahawk). Liam was always attacked and killed by the Mute except for the last time, when Scott himself killed Liam with the tomahawk. Is Scott truly that worried that he'll become a killer and monster (witness the fang portion of the one dream)? He did break a promise to never turn someone, even if turning Liam was not intentional. So maybe he's worried that as he matures, the wolf will increasingly take over and he'll become more and more wild. I doubt that'll happen short of some major;y traumatic event, but that could also be holding him back from realizing his full potential.
Watching Malia confront Peter was interesting. He has a thin file on her and claims to be looking for her mother, whom he calls the "Desert Fox". Fortunately, she seems wary of Peter, even if she is talking with him. I am also glad that she is talking with Stiles again. I wouldn't blame her for being pissed at him still. And how cute was Stiles' dream at the beginning of the episode? Watching him try and find a comfortable position with Malia in bed was really funny, especially as she got progressively more annoyed with him. And he got to be the big spoon for once! :-)
Why were Peter and Kate so concerned about Scott possibly being dead? Obviously they want him alive for their own reasons (which so cannot be a good thing!), but what are those reasons exactly? I suspect that Peter wants to kill Scott in order to take his Alpha abilities, but I am not sure what Kate wants. I do have to wonder if Chris could have actually pulled the trigger of the gun. Somehow, I doubt it.
Watching Braden systematically take Derek apart until he realized that she could teach him was just fun. He is so used to being very powerful that he now needs to learn how to defend himself while human. And I think the two of them could be good for each other, assuming that they both survive this season.
I wonder if Melissa knew about Scott's plan. Her hysterics would suggest that she didn't, but the fact that she pulled everything together so quickly leads me to suspect that she did. I loved her conversation with Kira's mom about whether or not they were doing the right thing by letting the kids handle the situation. And is Scott really going to bring his father in on what is going on? An FBI agent could be an invaluable ally.
Speaking of Kira's mom, I really hope she is ok. And I don't really get why Kira and Liam confronted the Berserker instead of running away. Kira has fought them before, and while she did a decent job, they could still wipe the floor with either of them.
Until next week when (supposedly) the identity of the Benefactor will be revealed!
Monday, August 11, 2014
My Review of Falling Skies 4.08- A Thing With Feathers
Before I get to the review of this week's episode, I want to thank everyone who comes to visit this blog. Over the weekend, this blog passed 30,000 views! I am very grateful that so many people come to look at and read my thoughts.
This week on Falling Skies, Lexie reveals the Espheni's plans for humans to Ben, Hal makes a choice, Tom and Dingaan work together, and Matt doesn't lose faith.
Even though we've known for weeks that the Espheni have been turning humans into monsters, seeing the process was, quite frankly, horrifying. The fact that Lexie was waxing rhapsodic about it just made it even worse. Calling it the peaceful solution to the problem was an attempt to spin an event that simply could not be spun in any sort of good way unless you'd been drinking the Espheni Kool-Aid, which Lexie clearly has been doing. The fact that Ben has now declared that she is gone is a major step because, other than Anne, he has been her biggest defender in the Mason clan. Tom seems to be more about helping Anne than he is defending Lexie and Matt is reflexively defending her because she is family.
I was surprised that Lexie let Ben leave. I suspect that she truly thought he would be happy to join her once she revealed the "wonderful" nature of the Espheni plan. But his little speech about how she'd have to make him a slave seems to have struck a serious chord with her. I think that she genuinely wants Ben and the Masons to join her, but she wants them to join of their own free will and not because she forces them to do so.
Speaking of Ben, I have to wonder if giving Maggie some of his spikes will have any affect on him, her, or their relationship. I have never been entirely clear on how Ben gets his enhanced abilities, but I think that it is a combination of the spikes and implants in his back as well as the fluid that Anne removed from Deni and injected into Maggie. Given the way the two of them went into convulsions simultaneously, I suspect that Maggie can be controlled by Lexi now and may be somewhat enhanced, but we'll have to wait and see. I doubt if she'll reach the level that Ben and Deni are at, but it is possible. It is also possible that Ben's abilities will be diminished somewhat as a result of the spikes being removed. I do also have to say that I wish they would make more use of Ben's abilities. I don't want him to be a Mary Sue or deus ex machina, but the fact that they never use his abilities anymore is annoying.
Raise your hand if you were surprised that Hal lied and told Anne that Maggie wanted the injection to take place. If you raised your hand, consider yourself slapped upside the head. I totally get why he did it, and honestly I probably would have done it myself if I were him, but it was still not the best thing, if only because the results are extremely unpredictable. Adding the fluid and spikes into Maggie could change things in a serious way. And Hal seems to have just realized how Ben feels about Maggie although it has been obvious for some time.
Seeing Tom and Dingaan work together was interesting, mainly because of the revelatory conversations. Tom explained how he has to constantly remind himself that there is hope because if he gives up, other people will do so as well. And Dingaan revealed that his family died before the invasion. His son died when he was accidentally buried alive after Dingaan took his eyes off of him and his wife drank herself to death. Talk about having life suck! It was interesting seeing that ship and what was that thing that went into Tom's arm?
Like Hal's lie, Matt's not giving up on Tom was totally expected. I did not expect him to tackle and attack Pope, which was totally amusing. I am also not surprised that Anne still holds out hope for Lexi. I was hoping that Ben's report would dissuade her, but her desire to not lose a second child is stronger than anything Ben has to say.
Until next week!
This week on Falling Skies, Lexie reveals the Espheni's plans for humans to Ben, Hal makes a choice, Tom and Dingaan work together, and Matt doesn't lose faith.
Even though we've known for weeks that the Espheni have been turning humans into monsters, seeing the process was, quite frankly, horrifying. The fact that Lexie was waxing rhapsodic about it just made it even worse. Calling it the peaceful solution to the problem was an attempt to spin an event that simply could not be spun in any sort of good way unless you'd been drinking the Espheni Kool-Aid, which Lexie clearly has been doing. The fact that Ben has now declared that she is gone is a major step because, other than Anne, he has been her biggest defender in the Mason clan. Tom seems to be more about helping Anne than he is defending Lexie and Matt is reflexively defending her because she is family.
I was surprised that Lexie let Ben leave. I suspect that she truly thought he would be happy to join her once she revealed the "wonderful" nature of the Espheni plan. But his little speech about how she'd have to make him a slave seems to have struck a serious chord with her. I think that she genuinely wants Ben and the Masons to join her, but she wants them to join of their own free will and not because she forces them to do so.
Speaking of Ben, I have to wonder if giving Maggie some of his spikes will have any affect on him, her, or their relationship. I have never been entirely clear on how Ben gets his enhanced abilities, but I think that it is a combination of the spikes and implants in his back as well as the fluid that Anne removed from Deni and injected into Maggie. Given the way the two of them went into convulsions simultaneously, I suspect that Maggie can be controlled by Lexi now and may be somewhat enhanced, but we'll have to wait and see. I doubt if she'll reach the level that Ben and Deni are at, but it is possible. It is also possible that Ben's abilities will be diminished somewhat as a result of the spikes being removed. I do also have to say that I wish they would make more use of Ben's abilities. I don't want him to be a Mary Sue or deus ex machina, but the fact that they never use his abilities anymore is annoying.
Raise your hand if you were surprised that Hal lied and told Anne that Maggie wanted the injection to take place. If you raised your hand, consider yourself slapped upside the head. I totally get why he did it, and honestly I probably would have done it myself if I were him, but it was still not the best thing, if only because the results are extremely unpredictable. Adding the fluid and spikes into Maggie could change things in a serious way. And Hal seems to have just realized how Ben feels about Maggie although it has been obvious for some time.
Seeing Tom and Dingaan work together was interesting, mainly because of the revelatory conversations. Tom explained how he has to constantly remind himself that there is hope because if he gives up, other people will do so as well. And Dingaan revealed that his family died before the invasion. His son died when he was accidentally buried alive after Dingaan took his eyes off of him and his wife drank herself to death. Talk about having life suck! It was interesting seeing that ship and what was that thing that went into Tom's arm?
Like Hal's lie, Matt's not giving up on Tom was totally expected. I did not expect him to tackle and attack Pope, which was totally amusing. I am also not surprised that Anne still holds out hope for Lexi. I was hoping that Ben's report would dissuade her, but her desire to not lose a second child is stronger than anything Ben has to say.
Until next week!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
My Review of Teen Wolf 4.07- Weaponized
A sickness spreads through the school which hits anyone who is supernatural the hardest, Malia discovers something Scott and Stiles have been hiding from her, and Deaton returns....
All in all, this was a quiet episode. There wasn't a lot of action, instead we got a whole lot of character moments and Mama McCall proved (again) just how useful she can be. Unfortunately for some of our characters, not everything that happened was good.
One of our assassins this week was a chemist who used a variant on canine distemper to make everyone sick. What this variant would do to werewolves, however was worse. They lost control over their ability to shift as well as their sight and then they died. The other assassin was a woman with two pistols. She didn't last too long though.
Stiles once again proved just how useful he can be. Because he is human, he could go out with everyone else when Scott, Malia, and Kira had to hide and investigate what was going on. It was a good thing he did, because he was able to figure out that the assassin was the man giving the PSAT who infected everyone using the fingerprint ink pad. And when captured, Stiles held himself together admirably well. Getting splattered with the assassin's brain matter could not have been fun, but Stiles also managed to get information from Mr. McCall and get it to Scott in time to save him, Malia, and Kira.
Mrs. McCall also (again) proved her mettle. When Deaton needed help with the illness, he went right to her because he knows she can be trusted. She also remained cool enough under pressure to get all the necessary information in order to save the gang. While Scott may not have had a choice about telling her what is going on, her knowing about it has saved the gang on more than one occasion. She's smart, focused, and determined to do whatever she can to help out.
Sheriff Stilinski is still gamely hanging in there. By his own admission, he doesn't quite get everything that is going on, but he knows enough to trust the gang when they bring him information. Seeking help from Lydia was a good idea. While she may not be in full control of her abilities, she can use them well enough to be a good conduit of useful information.
I am honestly not sure how to feel about the whole Malia situation. She has more insight than I would have given her credit for. She knew that Scott and Stiles were hiding something from her, she just never guessed that it would be that she is a Hale. I don't know if she figured out that Peter is her father or not, but she is currently pretty well brassed off. Was it a good idea to withhold the information? Probably not. Scott agreed because Stiles was insistent, but Scott definitely wanted to tell her. I get that Stiles didn't want to freak her out or anything and, in a way, I agree with his reasons. However, you know she was going to find out somehow and she is not taking it well.
So what should Scott and Stiles do with the money? Granted, it does belong to Peter and Derek, but they also really need it. I bet that Derek would let them borrow some in order to help them out, but I doubt that Peter would be as willing to. And now that Malia knows she's a Hale, she may insist on getting the money back too.
Satomi is a badass. Fortunately, she is still in control, but I liked it when she unleashed her rage on the assassin. Those were some sweet moves and that stab to the neck was absolutely vicious. She was also the key to saving everyone because it was through her and Derek talking that Deaton figured out how to save everyone.
Until next week!
All in all, this was a quiet episode. There wasn't a lot of action, instead we got a whole lot of character moments and Mama McCall proved (again) just how useful she can be. Unfortunately for some of our characters, not everything that happened was good.
One of our assassins this week was a chemist who used a variant on canine distemper to make everyone sick. What this variant would do to werewolves, however was worse. They lost control over their ability to shift as well as their sight and then they died. The other assassin was a woman with two pistols. She didn't last too long though.
Stiles once again proved just how useful he can be. Because he is human, he could go out with everyone else when Scott, Malia, and Kira had to hide and investigate what was going on. It was a good thing he did, because he was able to figure out that the assassin was the man giving the PSAT who infected everyone using the fingerprint ink pad. And when captured, Stiles held himself together admirably well. Getting splattered with the assassin's brain matter could not have been fun, but Stiles also managed to get information from Mr. McCall and get it to Scott in time to save him, Malia, and Kira.
Mrs. McCall also (again) proved her mettle. When Deaton needed help with the illness, he went right to her because he knows she can be trusted. She also remained cool enough under pressure to get all the necessary information in order to save the gang. While Scott may not have had a choice about telling her what is going on, her knowing about it has saved the gang on more than one occasion. She's smart, focused, and determined to do whatever she can to help out.
Sheriff Stilinski is still gamely hanging in there. By his own admission, he doesn't quite get everything that is going on, but he knows enough to trust the gang when they bring him information. Seeking help from Lydia was a good idea. While she may not be in full control of her abilities, she can use them well enough to be a good conduit of useful information.
I am honestly not sure how to feel about the whole Malia situation. She has more insight than I would have given her credit for. She knew that Scott and Stiles were hiding something from her, she just never guessed that it would be that she is a Hale. I don't know if she figured out that Peter is her father or not, but she is currently pretty well brassed off. Was it a good idea to withhold the information? Probably not. Scott agreed because Stiles was insistent, but Scott definitely wanted to tell her. I get that Stiles didn't want to freak her out or anything and, in a way, I agree with his reasons. However, you know she was going to find out somehow and she is not taking it well.
So what should Scott and Stiles do with the money? Granted, it does belong to Peter and Derek, but they also really need it. I bet that Derek would let them borrow some in order to help them out, but I doubt that Peter would be as willing to. And now that Malia knows she's a Hale, she may insist on getting the money back too.
Satomi is a badass. Fortunately, she is still in control, but I liked it when she unleashed her rage on the assassin. Those were some sweet moves and that stab to the neck was absolutely vicious. She was also the key to saving everyone because it was through her and Derek talking that Deaton figured out how to save everyone.
Until next week!
Monday, August 4, 2014
My Review of Falling Skies 4.07- Saturday Night Massacre
Lexi emerges from the cocoon with a brand new attitude, Cochise brings the 2nd Mass some very bad news, Ben does something very expected, and Tector says "Tick, tick, boom!" for the last time.
This has to be one of the biggest body counts on this show. Tector, Dr. Kadar, and Lourdes are all dead; Maggie is fighting for her life; and 70 members of the 2nd Mass were killed when a gas main exploded. All in all, not a good thing.
Let's start with Lexi. She emerged from her cocoon and is convinced that the humans will never be able to live in peace. Apparently, the Espheni DNA is now ascendant because she is even more powerful than she was before. She killed Lourdes by touching her face, froze everyone, controlled Pope's actions, and apparently activated Ben's spike and is controlling him. So, was Tom right to spare her? I would still argue that he was. As I said last week, he would do the same for anyone else, so it is ridiculous to expect him to do any less for his own daughter. I will admit that the Volm predicted that something like this could happen, but they only have experience with an full Espheni, so it was not a sure thing.
The biggest problem is that there is no satisfactory answer to the problem of Lexi. She is something completely new and there is no real way to know exactly what she will do. Could her human side reassert itself? Sure, but then again it might not. The other problem is that it is never morally right to kill someone because they may prove to be dangerous. At the current point, I do think killing her is a viable alternative, but if she can be saved without endangering too many people, it should be tried.
Ben going after Lexi was too predictable. I am surprised that no one seemed to realize that he might do it. For the longest time, he has been trying to save and protect her in large part (I suspect) because he sees in her what he could have become. I do wonder if Lexi has been playing with his mind at all. Given that we don't know the extent of her powers and the fact that she can now outright control him, I would not be terribly surprised to discover that she has been influencing him to be more sympathetic to her. Not that he really needed it, but a little nudge here or there could have had something to do with how adamant he has been about protecting her.
Hal is apparently still feeling guilt over what he did while under control of the Espheni last season. Thank goodness Maggie was there to verbally bitchslap him, because he needed it. He and Lourdes were never that close, although she did have a massive crush on him, so his reaction to her death was a bit extreme. I am glad that he and Tom got the whole thing sorted out.
Anne's idea about using thermite on the Mechs and Skitters was a great idea. The thermite decimated the first group to attack the city. Unfortunately, their destruction seems to be what caused the gas rupture that killed so many people. I do have to give the SFX team kudos for the gas explosion, that was really quite cool. Totally grisly, but cool nonetheless.
I'm so gonna miss Tector. But, if he had to go, I'm glad he went in a way he would have wanted, destroying Skitters and saving Tom. Well sort of saving Tom. Trapping Tom in the rubble of the building was probably not what Tector had in mind, but if Tom had been up there when the Overlord came in, things could have been a lot worse. Not gonna miss Lourdes nearly as much. And as for the idiots who insisted that if they were peaceful, the Mechs wouldn't kill them? I am almost glad they're gone from the gene pool, because that was seriously up there on the stupidity scale.
So next week, we apparently have Tom captured by the Espheni and Maggie fighting for her life. Fun times.
BTW, I have decided to quit watching Under the Dome, so don't look for any more reviews.
This has to be one of the biggest body counts on this show. Tector, Dr. Kadar, and Lourdes are all dead; Maggie is fighting for her life; and 70 members of the 2nd Mass were killed when a gas main exploded. All in all, not a good thing.
Let's start with Lexi. She emerged from her cocoon and is convinced that the humans will never be able to live in peace. Apparently, the Espheni DNA is now ascendant because she is even more powerful than she was before. She killed Lourdes by touching her face, froze everyone, controlled Pope's actions, and apparently activated Ben's spike and is controlling him. So, was Tom right to spare her? I would still argue that he was. As I said last week, he would do the same for anyone else, so it is ridiculous to expect him to do any less for his own daughter. I will admit that the Volm predicted that something like this could happen, but they only have experience with an full Espheni, so it was not a sure thing.
The biggest problem is that there is no satisfactory answer to the problem of Lexi. She is something completely new and there is no real way to know exactly what she will do. Could her human side reassert itself? Sure, but then again it might not. The other problem is that it is never morally right to kill someone because they may prove to be dangerous. At the current point, I do think killing her is a viable alternative, but if she can be saved without endangering too many people, it should be tried.
Ben going after Lexi was too predictable. I am surprised that no one seemed to realize that he might do it. For the longest time, he has been trying to save and protect her in large part (I suspect) because he sees in her what he could have become. I do wonder if Lexi has been playing with his mind at all. Given that we don't know the extent of her powers and the fact that she can now outright control him, I would not be terribly surprised to discover that she has been influencing him to be more sympathetic to her. Not that he really needed it, but a little nudge here or there could have had something to do with how adamant he has been about protecting her.
Hal is apparently still feeling guilt over what he did while under control of the Espheni last season. Thank goodness Maggie was there to verbally bitchslap him, because he needed it. He and Lourdes were never that close, although she did have a massive crush on him, so his reaction to her death was a bit extreme. I am glad that he and Tom got the whole thing sorted out.
Anne's idea about using thermite on the Mechs and Skitters was a great idea. The thermite decimated the first group to attack the city. Unfortunately, their destruction seems to be what caused the gas rupture that killed so many people. I do have to give the SFX team kudos for the gas explosion, that was really quite cool. Totally grisly, but cool nonetheless.
I'm so gonna miss Tector. But, if he had to go, I'm glad he went in a way he would have wanted, destroying Skitters and saving Tom. Well sort of saving Tom. Trapping Tom in the rubble of the building was probably not what Tector had in mind, but if Tom had been up there when the Overlord came in, things could have been a lot worse. Not gonna miss Lourdes nearly as much. And as for the idiots who insisted that if they were peaceful, the Mechs wouldn't kill them? I am almost glad they're gone from the gene pool, because that was seriously up there on the stupidity scale.
So next week, we apparently have Tom captured by the Espheni and Maggie fighting for her life. Fun times.
BTW, I have decided to quit watching Under the Dome, so don't look for any more reviews.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
My Review of Teen Wolf 4.06- Orphaned
Scott has to work with someone he'd rather not work with, the fallout from last week continues, Liam gets in major trouble, Derek teams up with Malia to find another pack, Stiles and Lydia work together to unlock the final part of the dead pool, and a scary new alliance seems to be formed....
Wow, Scott had a busy week. First, he busts into Garrett's gym locker and takes the money that is in there, then he has to team with Garrett to rescue Liam, and then he works with Chris Argent to find Kate in order to get Violet and rescue Liam. In the process he managed to get stabbed, run through several walls, and thrown around by a Berserker. Yeah, just a little busy. The promise he made at the end is going to drive the rest of the season methinks. Scott is bound and determined to save as many people as possible and he is not going to be in for an easy ride. With Kate and the Berserkers out there, the Benefactor's assassins looking, and now Peter working with Kate, this is not going to be easy for Scott to deal with.
Speaking of Kate, she is even more vicious than we have previously seen. She and the Berserkers took out at least 10-15 assassins (may have been more, lost count) and the only reason Scott and Chris are alive is that Kate didn't want Chris dead and called off the Berserkers before they could do permanent damage to Scott or Chris. As for her seeming to team up with Peter (never heard her actually accept, but it seems like she will), that is so not going to be a good thing. The two of them are two of the more dangerous enemies Scott has, particularly since Peter has spent a lot of time with Scott and his group and can probably predict what they'll do.
It was nice to see Malia with someone besides Stiles. Derek is losing his werewolf abilities and needed help. For all his faults, he can be a good teacher and that is what Malia needs right now. Well, that and learning how to deal with people socially. That girl has absolutely no filter. It is funny, but if she keeps busting out with lines like the one about sniffing for Scott, things could get tricky. Turns out Derek realized whose pack the recently killed wolves were a part of: Satomi. Remember the Japanese werewolf from the flashback episode last arc? Her. Turns out she turned to Buddhism to maintain control after her molotov cocktail outburst. Unfortunately, her pack appears to have been wiped out.
Stiles and Lydia team up again to work on cracking the rest of the deadpool. Well, that and warning Deputy Parrish that he is on the list. And apparently Parrish is unaware if he is supernatural because he seems to have no clue as to why he is on there. Well, either that or he is hiding it well (which is always possible). Going to Meredith was smart. Unfortunately, she wasn't any help because the Benefactor somehow go to her and scared her into silence. Watching Deputy Parrish threaten the Eichen House guard was quite amusing, as was Stiles' reaction/ And realizing that the last name (Derek) could be the name of someone who would die was a smart move on Stiles' part. Speaking of Derek and Stiles, Derek needs to stop underestimating Stiles. Yes, he is a bit of a hyperactive spaz but aside from Lydia, he is easily the most intelligent of the gang.
Poor Liam got caught by Garrett and stuck down a well. Climbing out was quite impressive, as was his howl. Without that, I don't think Scott would have found him as quickly. If he can keep learning from Scott, he will probably become a formidable force. I suspect that he will be a scrappy fighter too.
Until next week!
Wow, Scott had a busy week. First, he busts into Garrett's gym locker and takes the money that is in there, then he has to team with Garrett to rescue Liam, and then he works with Chris Argent to find Kate in order to get Violet and rescue Liam. In the process he managed to get stabbed, run through several walls, and thrown around by a Berserker. Yeah, just a little busy. The promise he made at the end is going to drive the rest of the season methinks. Scott is bound and determined to save as many people as possible and he is not going to be in for an easy ride. With Kate and the Berserkers out there, the Benefactor's assassins looking, and now Peter working with Kate, this is not going to be easy for Scott to deal with.
Speaking of Kate, she is even more vicious than we have previously seen. She and the Berserkers took out at least 10-15 assassins (may have been more, lost count) and the only reason Scott and Chris are alive is that Kate didn't want Chris dead and called off the Berserkers before they could do permanent damage to Scott or Chris. As for her seeming to team up with Peter (never heard her actually accept, but it seems like she will), that is so not going to be a good thing. The two of them are two of the more dangerous enemies Scott has, particularly since Peter has spent a lot of time with Scott and his group and can probably predict what they'll do.
It was nice to see Malia with someone besides Stiles. Derek is losing his werewolf abilities and needed help. For all his faults, he can be a good teacher and that is what Malia needs right now. Well, that and learning how to deal with people socially. That girl has absolutely no filter. It is funny, but if she keeps busting out with lines like the one about sniffing for Scott, things could get tricky. Turns out Derek realized whose pack the recently killed wolves were a part of: Satomi. Remember the Japanese werewolf from the flashback episode last arc? Her. Turns out she turned to Buddhism to maintain control after her molotov cocktail outburst. Unfortunately, her pack appears to have been wiped out.
Stiles and Lydia team up again to work on cracking the rest of the deadpool. Well, that and warning Deputy Parrish that he is on the list. And apparently Parrish is unaware if he is supernatural because he seems to have no clue as to why he is on there. Well, either that or he is hiding it well (which is always possible). Going to Meredith was smart. Unfortunately, she wasn't any help because the Benefactor somehow go to her and scared her into silence. Watching Deputy Parrish threaten the Eichen House guard was quite amusing, as was Stiles' reaction/ And realizing that the last name (Derek) could be the name of someone who would die was a smart move on Stiles' part. Speaking of Derek and Stiles, Derek needs to stop underestimating Stiles. Yes, he is a bit of a hyperactive spaz but aside from Lydia, he is easily the most intelligent of the gang.
Poor Liam got caught by Garrett and stuck down a well. Climbing out was quite impressive, as was his howl. Without that, I don't think Scott would have found him as quickly. If he can keep learning from Scott, he will probably become a formidable force. I suspect that he will be a scrappy fighter too.
Until next week!
Monday, July 28, 2014
My Review of Falling Skies 4.06- Door Number Three
We spend the episode exploring how each of the Masons reacts to a development on the Lexi front.
Let's get the first few minutes out of the way. Hal and his group get to the sanctuary where they meet Tom, Weaver, and Matt and they are all reunited with Ben, Anne, and everyone else. Lexi then goes into a cocoon and that is what I want to concentrate on because that was the bulk of the episode.
Most of the Masons reacts in a fairly predictable way to Lexi being in the cocoon. Tom wants to get more information, Hal wants to eliminate a possible threat, Ben sees parallels between his life and Lexi's, Matt sides with Tom, and Anne looks for a way to free Lexi.
Let's start with Hal. Out of all of them, I was the most surprised at his reaction. Well, I was until I thought about it and think I understand some of his reasoning. Hal is not a biological father like Tom is, but he takes his responsibility to keep the people with him safe very seriously and that is where his head is. He is not looking at Lexi as a sister, but as a threat that needs to be eliminated. The other thing is that he is allowing himself to be easily swayed by the fear that people are feeling. To his credit, he does want to talk with Tom first unlike Pope, who naturally wants to shoot first and never bother asking questions at all.
Tom, on the other hand, has conflicting loyalties here. He wants to protect everyone, but he also wants to protect his daughter from harm. So he wants to be shown evidence that Lexi is dangerous before doing anything like killing her. I do think that he would kill Lexi if he had to, but he would torture himself about it afterward. And while I appreciate Weaver's opinion, I disagree that Lexi is an imminent military threat. Do I trust her? Hell to the no, but I do think that her heart is in the right place. She is just being pulled in two different directions by the Espheni and her family.
Ben, although he never said this, is obviously thinking about how he was treated. After all, when he was first returned to the 2nd Mass (and even afterwards), he was a pariah because of the harness. I don't know if he could kill Lexi if necessary, but he might be about the only one to stand a chance. I just worry that she'd be able to control him the way the Espheni do. Then there was the dream he had about him and Maggie. I have to say that when I saw that scene in the first preview, I was a little worried because I thought it might actually happen. The fact that it was a dream makes it a little less worrisome (what with her relationship with Hal), and I so hope the writers don't go for some sort of weird love triangle, because that would be truly wierd.
Anne, ever the mama bear, is looking for a way to save Lexi because she couldn't save Sammy. After that vision with Lexi, Anne is convinced that she just needs to be there for Lexi. That whole thing does worry me, if only because it was a rather sudden turn around in Anne's opinion. That being said, it was understandable given how maternal Anne can be and the fact that she wants so badly to save Lexi.
Matt is going with family and siding with Tom. We don't get a whole lot about his motivations, but I suspect they are pretty basic.
The crowd looking to kill Lexi was reacting out of sheer fear of the unknown. Like I said before, I don't trust Lexi and I do think that she may be dangerous. If the people continue to not trust her, she will definitely become dangerous because they will prove to her that humanity is violent and deadly. We also got to her from Lourdes why she is completely devoted to Lexi. She claims that Lexi helped rid her of fear. Not that I trust Lourdes either, but it was nice to get an explanation.
I also want to say that if anyone has the right to the benefit of the doubt, it is Tom Mason. He was right when he said that he has given so much to the people of the 2nd Mass. He has fought for them, killed for them, been taken to protect them, and so much more. Part of the problem is that Pope is really good at finding people's triggers and using them. Pope has a serious hate on for the Mason clan, which is part of the reason I was disappointed in Hal. Pope hates Tom, can't stand Ben, and thinks both Matt and Hal are spoiled princes. Pope also has the nasty habit (as noted above) of shooting first and then never asking questions. While it may be good to have someone like that around to give contrarian advice, he is not a good leader at all.
Next week looks like an all out battle with the Espheni. Until then!
Let's get the first few minutes out of the way. Hal and his group get to the sanctuary where they meet Tom, Weaver, and Matt and they are all reunited with Ben, Anne, and everyone else. Lexi then goes into a cocoon and that is what I want to concentrate on because that was the bulk of the episode.
Most of the Masons reacts in a fairly predictable way to Lexi being in the cocoon. Tom wants to get more information, Hal wants to eliminate a possible threat, Ben sees parallels between his life and Lexi's, Matt sides with Tom, and Anne looks for a way to free Lexi.
Let's start with Hal. Out of all of them, I was the most surprised at his reaction. Well, I was until I thought about it and think I understand some of his reasoning. Hal is not a biological father like Tom is, but he takes his responsibility to keep the people with him safe very seriously and that is where his head is. He is not looking at Lexi as a sister, but as a threat that needs to be eliminated. The other thing is that he is allowing himself to be easily swayed by the fear that people are feeling. To his credit, he does want to talk with Tom first unlike Pope, who naturally wants to shoot first and never bother asking questions at all.
Tom, on the other hand, has conflicting loyalties here. He wants to protect everyone, but he also wants to protect his daughter from harm. So he wants to be shown evidence that Lexi is dangerous before doing anything like killing her. I do think that he would kill Lexi if he had to, but he would torture himself about it afterward. And while I appreciate Weaver's opinion, I disagree that Lexi is an imminent military threat. Do I trust her? Hell to the no, but I do think that her heart is in the right place. She is just being pulled in two different directions by the Espheni and her family.
Ben, although he never said this, is obviously thinking about how he was treated. After all, when he was first returned to the 2nd Mass (and even afterwards), he was a pariah because of the harness. I don't know if he could kill Lexi if necessary, but he might be about the only one to stand a chance. I just worry that she'd be able to control him the way the Espheni do. Then there was the dream he had about him and Maggie. I have to say that when I saw that scene in the first preview, I was a little worried because I thought it might actually happen. The fact that it was a dream makes it a little less worrisome (what with her relationship with Hal), and I so hope the writers don't go for some sort of weird love triangle, because that would be truly wierd.
Anne, ever the mama bear, is looking for a way to save Lexi because she couldn't save Sammy. After that vision with Lexi, Anne is convinced that she just needs to be there for Lexi. That whole thing does worry me, if only because it was a rather sudden turn around in Anne's opinion. That being said, it was understandable given how maternal Anne can be and the fact that she wants so badly to save Lexi.
Matt is going with family and siding with Tom. We don't get a whole lot about his motivations, but I suspect they are pretty basic.
The crowd looking to kill Lexi was reacting out of sheer fear of the unknown. Like I said before, I don't trust Lexi and I do think that she may be dangerous. If the people continue to not trust her, she will definitely become dangerous because they will prove to her that humanity is violent and deadly. We also got to her from Lourdes why she is completely devoted to Lexi. She claims that Lexi helped rid her of fear. Not that I trust Lourdes either, but it was nice to get an explanation.
I also want to say that if anyone has the right to the benefit of the doubt, it is Tom Mason. He was right when he said that he has given so much to the people of the 2nd Mass. He has fought for them, killed for them, been taken to protect them, and so much more. Part of the problem is that Pope is really good at finding people's triggers and using them. Pope has a serious hate on for the Mason clan, which is part of the reason I was disappointed in Hal. Pope hates Tom, can't stand Ben, and thinks both Matt and Hal are spoiled princes. Pope also has the nasty habit (as noted above) of shooting first and then never asking questions. While it may be good to have someone like that around to give contrarian advice, he is not a good leader at all.
Next week looks like an all out battle with the Espheni. Until then!
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