'Agent Carter' Season 2 Episode 1 & 2 'The Lady in the Lake' and 'A View In The Dark' Review

Episode 1 'The Lady in the Lake'

Non Spoiler Review- A season premiere that brings us right back into the fold kicking off with Peggy right back in the action. The episode does a good job of bridging the gap between seasons and establishing the essential plot set forth for the remainder of the season. I really enjoyed the introduction of some new characters as well as the return of a few favorites from last season. The series has some new gags to play up that were particularly amusing and some great action as well! I can say it was a great start for a new season that bridged perfectly with the second episode. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. The Opening- My favorite part of the episode was seeing Peggy fight Dottie Underwood and bring her down in the very beginning of the episode. It made for a great fight sequence with some very cool shots. I hope to see more action similar to this throughout the season.

2. Darkforce- The main MCU connection for the episode and likely the entire series is the presence of Darkforce, which is a connection to the upcoming 'Doctor Strange' as well as a previous episode of 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'. I'm curious to learn more about it and it's role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

3. Chief Thompson needs Peggy- I really liked that Chief Thompson was essentially forced to the realization that he needs Peggy after he sends her to the LA branch of the SSR to work on a case. I liked that it shows how far she's progressed in terms of being accepted as one of the agency's top agents. 

4. Peggy leads investigation- Along the same lines as my previous highlight, I liked that Peggy is in charge of the investigation once again showing how far she's come in terms of acceptance. 

5. Bernard Stark- The hilarious part of the episode was the fact that Howard Stark now has a flamingo, especially Jarvis' dislike towards the creature which is further used for humor in the next episode.

Episode 2 'A View In The Dark' 

Non Spoiler Review- A great continuation from the season premiere episode and the two worked well packaged together into what is basically a longer two hour episode. I liked the developments made in the episode in regards to further character relationships and some intriguing plot points. Overall, it made for a great collaboration with the first episode delving deeper into characters, the plot, and some fun action. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Whitney Frost- At the end of the episode following the explosion of the Dark Matter, we learn that somehow Whitney Frost survived but she now has Dark Matter embedded in her. Maybe this will help guide her towards becoming Madame Masque as her character is in the comics. I'm also very curious to learn what became of Jason since he was present when the Dark Matter exploded as well.

2. Peggy and Jason- This episode really focused on potentially making Jason a new love interest for Peggy as there is clearly chemistry between them. I'm curious to see how this develops and if it will lead to anything further. 

3. Hydra!- I thought those lapel pins looked familiar. They match the sketches shown in a recent episode of 'Agents of S..H.I.E.L.D.' where it's revealed that the organization Will was working for and the ATCU were Hydra. So now that we know that this is Hydra I'm curious to see how that will play into the series given Peggy's history with the group. 

4. Howard's car- Howard Stark's car had a number of features that I fund to be hilarious and was effectively used for some great gags.

5. Jarvis chasing Bernard Stark- This was one of the funniest moments of the episode as we learn why Jarvis loathes Bernard and calls him "The Devil in Pink". I hope to see bernard used throughout the series for some a few gags. 

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'The Flash' Season 2 Episode 10 'Potential Energy' Review

Non Spoiler Review- 'The Flash' kicked off it's 2016 midseason premiere quite effectively managing to explore many character relationships in very interesting subplots along with some great action and probably some of the greatest humor all season. We also got a more interesting new baddie for Barry to fight that wasn't involved in Zoom's schemes, so that was great. I can say this was a substandard episode of 'The Flash' but it certainly has me thrilled for the next few episodes!

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Reverse Flash is back?!?- The ending of the episode certainly left me wondering "What? How is this even possible ?" and unfortunately this was revealed by the mid season trailer that came out about a week ago but I'm still ever so curious to learn how Eobard Thawne could possibly be back,  although it seems it's an earlier version of Eobard Thawne.

2. Patty leaving Central City- The episode's plot centered around Barry and Patty and whether Barry should tell Patty that he's the Flash or not. This was a great driving force for the episode and the episode did a great job of putting the audience in Barry's position clarifying reasons he should tell her and vice versa. So throughout the episode Patty seems to notice somethings off and Barry almost tells her twice but by the end she tells him that she's leaving Central City to Midway City University to be apart of the CSI program. I'm sad to see Patty potentially leaving the series as I really liked her character and her great chemistry with Barry. Hopefully, she'll at least make a few returns to the series later on but we'll have to wait and see what happens. 

3. Potential way to stop Zoom?- The metahuman of the week this week is Turtle, a metahuman with the ability to slow everything down around him. I liked that the team realized maybe he could be the key to stopping Zoom, since Zoom is so fast. I liked how Wells at the end of the episode went into Turtle's cell and took a sample killing Turtle showing that he will do anything necessary to stop Zoom. I think this also reveals maybe he's confident in using this as a solution to stopping Zoom. 

4. Joe and Wally- This was an aspect of the episode I liked and disliked. I wasn't a fan of how Wally West was being depicted in the episode as kind of a teenage jerk who blew off his father. But towards the end of the episode he became slightly more likable. I disliked that Wally didn't quite have much reason for being a jerk to his father and wasn't a fan of the fact that he really came to Central City to drag race. I did however like how this issue was resolved at the end when the two come to peace with one another and Wally dines with Joe. 

5. Jay is sick- A pretty large reveal in this episode was that when Jay lost his speed he became sick. It is also revealed that the only way to heal him is for him to gain back his speed which will require Zoom's defeat. I also liked the further development of the relationship between Caitlin and Jay, which has been slowly building this season. 

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'Supergirl' Season 1 Episode 10 'Childish Things' Review

Non Spoiler Review- This episode was a rollercoaster with some high highs and some very low lows. I wouldn't go as far to call it the worst episode of 'Supergirl' because there are some interesting subplots, some awesome action, but there was just so many awkward moments that made it slightly less enjoyable. All unrelated to the episode, I've started a blog called TV Assessment, which will deviate from this blog and am currently in the process of transferring all my television reviews to this new blog but will continue to initially post them her until that is complete. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Martian Manhunter training Supergirl- The best part of the episode was the beginning sequence in which we see Martian Manhunter training Supergirl on proper flying technique. This opening just evokes how great a crossover with 'The Flash' or 'Arrow' could be. It's possible that we could see this happen as the executive producer has stated he would love to see it but a decision would have to be made relatives quickly. 

2. Maxwell Lord makes a few discoveries- Maxwell Lord is becoming the most interesting villain on the show in my opinion and I think that's in large part to his character's development on the show thus far. Each week, more and more is revealed about his schemes and he's becoming a more complex interesting character. At the end of this episode we see that he managed to put a camera on Alex's purse and learns that Alex and Supergirl are sisters. Thank goodness they never referred to Kara by name or he would know Supergirl's secret identity as well. 

3. Hank finds Bizarro Supergirl?- The most interesting subplot to me was J'onn  J'onnz infiltrate Lord Tech disguised as Lord. I really like that Martian Manhunter's becoming more involved in the show instead of the series choosing to possibly hold him back. When he infiltrates he discovers the Bizarro Supergirl, the Red Tornado arm and is interrupted by one of Lord's men, who realizes that J'onn is not Maxwell Lord. J'inn then knocks him out and erases his memory. We later learn that the memory erasing essentially wipes all of a person's memory and not just specific memories.

4. Toyman- Toyman made for an interesting villain, especially with him being Winn's father. I liked having a villain that's more human although he didn't have too much to do in the episode aside from "blowing toys up". I hope to see more villains of this nature on the show that are more personal for Kara.

5. Awkwardness ensues- The ending of the episode was filled with awkward moments. First off, Winn kissed Kara which seems to have strained their friendship. Then when they finally talk it out, that only seems to make things worse and theres a very generic sequence of Kara flying around National City with background music that I'm pretty sure has been played in a Starbucks. Also there was an awkward moment when Kara lands in Alex's apartment and the two eat pizza (while Kara's in her Supergirl costume). So essentially the ending had many awkward moments. 

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'Supergirl' Season 1 Episode 9 'Blood Bonds' Review

Non Spoiler Review- A satisfying midseason premiere that picks up right where the midseason finale left off. This episode has some intriguing subplots and reveals that help set up the remainder of the season, which looks to bring some stronger villains.

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. The Ending- At the end of the episode reveals what was inside Room 52, which is an easter egg to the New 52, including what appears to be Red Tornado's arm, and what appears to be Bizarro Supergirl. Bizarro Supergirl is essentially a clone of Supergirl. Usually Bizarro is a clone of Superman but in this case it's been transferred to Kara for the purposes of this series. 

2. Kara fools Cat- One fun moment was when Kara manages to remove Cat's suspicions that Kara is Supergirl when she has J'onn impersonate as Supergirl using his shapeshifting abilities and so the two can meet in cat's office thus confusing her. I liked that for once in a superhero series a superhero is able to deceive someone who discovers their secret identity in a clever way. Usually, the hero just allows them to be in on the secret.

3. Astra tells her men to stand down- One moment I really liked was when Non had his soldiers se up an ambush for the DEO after the exchange of prisoners and Astra shows mercy asking them to stand down. I liked that this gave her character some good making her more of a conflicted villain. 

4. Maxwell Lord captures Jimmy- I really was intrigued when Maxwell Lord essentially reveals himself as a villain to Jimmy when he captures him after he trespasses on Lord's property. I like that then entire team working with Kara are now knowledgeable that Lord is up to something although they don't quite know what that is yet. I also really liked how Lord decided to harm Jimmy himself rather than leaving it to his henchmen. 

5. Henshaw and Alex tell Kara the truth- I liked that Kara quickly found out about Henshaw's secret rather than it being prolonged throughout the season and so I hope that means we could see a Martian Manhunter and Supergirl team-up this season. 

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'Supergirl' Season 1 Episode 8 'Hostile Takeover' Mid-Season Finale Review

Non Spoiler Review- Another good episode of 'Supergirl' but there wasn't anything too impressive in this episode aside from some great visual effects and some interesting story bits. Overall a tad mediocre for a mid-season finale but I'm excited for the series to return. 

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Cat discovers Kara's secret- At the end of the episode Cat Grant finally pieces together all of her evidence that Kara is Supergirl and confronts her about it. I liked how Cat Grant showed she was brighter than we suspected and pieces together evidence brilliantly. I'm interested to see how this changes her perception of both Kara and Supergirl now that she knows the truth.

2. Battle between Kara and Astra- The best action sequence of the episode which featured some great visual effects, that were among the best of the series. I hope to see more action and visual effects on this level throughout the season.

3. Kara learns alot from her aunt- This episode also revealed much more backstory and Astra tells Kara the truth about much that occurred on Krypton which angers Kara. I thought this was an interesting little subplot for the episode and how it influenced my next highlight.

4. Kara's rage- I thought it was awesome to see Kara angry and expressing that rage towards her mother's hologram in her Fortress of Solitude. It was interesting to see and I just love the visual effects for the heat vision in this series. 

5. Cliffhanger- The episode's cliffhanger involved Non and Astra's followers attacking Maxwell Lord's facility and I'm curious to learn the reason why and what their plans are. I'm also interested to see the fallout of this attack. 

'Arrow' Season 4 Episode 9 'Dark Waters' Mid-Season Finale Review

Non Spoiler Review- A crazy mid-season finale that may be one of the best episodes of the season if not the entire series with a huge cliffhanger and some exciting twists and turns. Unfortunately a weak point for the episode was the flashbacks, which have been very lack luster this season. Aside from that the episode made for a thrilling mid-season finale.

*******There will be Spoilers from this point on*******

Highlights of the episode

1. Is Felicity dead?- The big cliffhanger of the episode is the question of whether or not Felicity is dead. The episode ended with an attack on Oliver and Felicity by HIVE and Oliver manages to escape and pulls Felicity out of the limo and as you can see above he holds her in his arms where Felicity appears to be lifeless and the episode seems to point that she will be the one in the grave. However, I think this is very misleading for many reasons. First of all, at the beginning of the season when it flash forwards to that scene of Oliver in front of the grave said it occurred six months later and 'Arrow' occurs at real time and so it hasn't quite been six months in the continuity of the show and even if it had and suppose Oliver is just revisiting the grave it doesn't make sense that Barry would arrive and apologize  for missing the funeral if that had occurred four months earlier. Also I included a gif because if you look at the gif included above you can see Felicity move her head by herself. So this definitely suggests that she is certainly still alive for the moment. Now it's very possible she could die but I think it's very unlikely she is the person in the grave unless she survives and dies later. We'll have to wait and see in January when the series returns however and I think it's very likely Felicity will survive as last year the series "killed" off Oliver only to have him survive when the series returned.

2. Darhk's grander plans?- The episode also subtly reveals more of what Darhk is up to although I'm still very confused what all of this means, It shows Darhk showing a board of some sort these  corn fields and saying that the algae they used for the gas chamber made the air breathable here. I have literally no idea what this could possibly mean as it's extremely subtle and doesn't reveal too much.

3. Darhk has a family- A very intriguing reveal saw Darhk celebrating Christmas with his family. The big reveal about this was that Damien Darhk has a family which also means a weakness Oliver might be able to exploit since Darhk hasn't held back kidnappingand almost killing Oliver's friends.

4. Darhk will go to great lengths to stop Oliver- One thing that makes Damien Daehk such a great villain for the series was that he won't hold back in his battle against Oliver and will harm his loved ones without blinking an eye. I think this proves that Darhk is significantly a larger threat than Oliver has been lead to believe. I'm curious to see how this will affect Oliver's side of the battle and if he will stop holding back at this point.

5. Oliver proposes- Throughout the episode Felicity learns more about Oliver's original intentions to propose and asks him about it and at the end of the episode Oliver finally asks her and she says yes although the happy moment is short lived before they are attacked by HIVE. If Felicity does survive I'm curious if she will learn of Oliver's son as he is still keeping that a secret from her.

6. Laurel and Malcolm team up- During Oliver's attempt to save his friends by offering himself in exchange for them, he has a back up plan to have Laurel and Malcolm, dressed in the Green Arrow suit, come in to save them. I thought it was interesting to see Merlin utilize Oliver's arsenal in a very different way and doesn't hold back at all. It was cool to see the two of them fighting HIVE's soldiers and it made for some great action.

7. Oliver saves Malcolm- Malcolm tries to confront Damien Dark dressed as the Green Arrow and manages to find brief success before Darhk begins to use his abilities to choke Merlin and Oliver arrives to stop it and Merlin and Oliver then help each other against Dahrk and manage to subdue him and they think he is possibly dead but Darhk uses his powers and survives somehow, I'm curious to learn what he did as he recited some words before the explosion and survived.

8. Oliver outs Darhk publicly- It was very interesting when Oliver decides to reveal Darhk as the leader of HIVE on the news telling them about his intentions to destroy Star City and this had some huge repercussions as Darhk went after the Oliver cared about but it was interesting to see Oliver fight Darhk on another front.

9. Diggle's troubled interrogation- A small subplot of the episode showed John Diggle tries to get some information from his brother but Andrew doesn't want to cooperate. It was especially interesting that Andrew is no longer under Dark's influence and is still not cooperating. It made for some great dramatic tension for Diggle's character and I'm curious to see this arc further explored this season.

10. Laurel learns about her father's involvement with Darhk- I never realized that Laurel had no idea her father was working with Darhk. I just assumed she knew since she's a part of Team Arrow but never really thought about the fact she may not realize this was going on. I think that her reaction was interesting as it made since she would be angry about it but she seems to have quickly forgiven him when Quentin turned against Darhk later in the episode.

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