The Morning Show S2 Ep 1: My Least Favorite Year

from Vulture: https://www.vulture.com/article/the-morning-show-recap-season-2-episode-1.html

What did you miss? For a review of the last episode, click HERE

The Morning Show S2 Ep 1: My Least Favorite Year

By Maggie Fremont

And we’re back. It’s been almost two years since the finale of The Morning Show’s debut season, and it feels like the world is a wholly different place than it was in December 2019 — and you better believe The Morning Show is capitalizing on that. If you’re here for a bit of escape from what we’ve all been living through, you should probably turn around. It’s pretty clear the show won’t be shying away from the real-world news, and based on that quick trip around the empty streets of Manhattan after the March lockdown before sending us back three months to December 30, 2019, it’s safe to assume this season will be hyperfocused on the lead-up to those early days of the pandemic. A time, as you might recall, full of confusion and fear. So this should be fun!

Within the show, of course, they have no idea what’s coming for them. As usual, the folks at UBA have enough self-inflicted drama to focus on anyway. Before we get a glimpse of New York on lockdown and before the show drops us just as we’re about to ring in 2020, The Morning Show kicks off season two by showing us the immediate aftermath of the finale. It’s hard to forget, but in case you need a little reminder: Alex and Bradley took to the airwaves to expose the fact that UBA CEO Fred Mickland was silencing women and that many powerful people at the network, including Alex Levy herself, had helped foster a pervasive culture of silence and fear as sexual misconduct ran rampant. The season ended with the UBA feed getting cut off, and now we see what was going on in the studio at that time, which is, not surprisingly, the most chaos.

Alex is whisked out of the building by her team, Bradley wants Alex to promise that they’ll stick together on this before being left all alone. Cory Ellison, director of news with a touch of crazy, is brought before the executive board and fired for his attempt at mutiny. At the same time, Fred Mickland is merely placed on administrative leave until the board can determine the truth behind these allegations. If that last bit really grinds your gears, as it should, don’t worry: Our One True Drama King Cory dresses down the board with a speech that starts by calling them out of touch, includes a bit about broadcast content being “cave paintings” watched by “the last remaining savages” (Apple TV+ is really going after it, huh??), and ends with Cory declaring that “this is a battle for the soul of the universe.” I didn’t realize how much I missed Cory until this very moment.

When we arrive at UBA the day before New Year’s Eve, eight months after Alex and Bradley’s big moment, things appear much different than you might have guessed. Bradley is in the middle of an NYE-themed song-and-dance number with her new TMS co-anchor Eric (a very game Hasan Minhaj), which is miles from Kelly Clarkson’s Truth-Teller Bradley Jackson and not even in the same universe as I’M EXHAUSTED Bradley Jackson. Meanwhile, Fred Mickland has been fired, and somehow Cory has become the new CEO of the network. He’s selected Stella Bak (Greta Lee, welcome!) to replace him as director of news at UBA, while Mia has become the new TMS executive producer. Oh, and Alex Levy is exactly nowhere to be found and hasn’t spoken to Bradley since she left the show. But most important: R.I.P. to that ridiculous brown wig that plagued Reese Witherspoon’s head last season; Bradley is a blonde now. What a world!

As she explains to her producer, the reason for this new and perky Bradley is because she was told that if she played the game a little and did what TMS asked of her, she’d have more freedom to be herself. It doesn’t at all seem like what someone who repeatedly said she was tired of the bullshit would do, especially after everything that happened with Hannah, but you know what? Bradley Jackson made no sense as a character last season, and it seems we’re sticking with that. Now, on the other hand, Bradley still very much would rather be doing hard-hitting news than light morning-show fodder (so she says), so when Marcus Ray, the anchor of UBA’s evening-news show, gets ousted for emotionally abusing his staff (UBA truly is a rotten tree), she wants to be considered for the job.

Bradley decides to go see her old pal Cory to ask him about it. The exchange is awkward. On Bradley’s end, she seems to hint that the two friends haven’t seen each other much since everything went down. She misses him, she says. He’s very cagey in his response. So this could be part of the reason this whole conversation feels superficial. Bradley also takes time to remind Cory that according to her, she’s the one who got him un-fired and he kind of, sort of, owes her for that. The look on Cory’s face makes me believe that Bradley doesn’t have all the facts of that story. This tracks, of course, because we know why Cory is so weird during this conversation. First, obviously, because Cory is weird. It’s why we love him. Second, because Cory already knows that they’re replacing Marcus with Eric from TMS. In fact, everyone except for Bradley knows this is happening. You’d think Bradley would be able to sense that something’s going on here, but, no, apparently Bradley trusts everyone at their word now even though her entire time at UBA has been full of lies and betrayal.

It’s not until the New Year’s Eve in Times Square broadcast that Bradley learns the truth. It’s a real shame because this little country bumpkin is having the time of her life! But Eric feels so guilty lying to her face repeatedly that he delivers the news. When Bradley finds Cory, she lets him have it. She calls him a “weasel” and throws a whole bunch of fucks in his direction before officially ending their friendship or something. It’s not really convincing. Cory wishes she would just trust that he has her best interest at heart.

Oh, wow, you guys, how is Bradley ever going to be able to do that once she finds out who Cory wants to bring in to replace Eric and join Bradley at TMS? Cory loves messy drama — don’t ever believe anything else. Cory wants to bring Alex back. Of course, he does! While the bigwigs discuss Eric’s move to the evening news, people get honest about Bradley. She’s not doing great. As per usual, Cory is the only person really sticking up for her, but he’s overruled. Stella would get rid of her completely. Mia points out that Bradley only works with someone more poised and seasoned sitting next to her, like Alex. That’s when inspiration hits. Literally not one other person in the room thinks this is a good idea, but Cory doesn’t care; he’s going to convince Alex to return to The Morning Show.

It will have to take some convincing, although maybe not as much as one would think. Alex blew up UBA and became a sort of feminist icon, but mostly she’s been hiding out in a gorgeous cabin in Maine writing her memoir, chopping wood, and getting the point of Hans Christian Andersen’s stories wrong. She seems sad. And the news from her lit agent that she thinks her book needs more Mitch stuff in it — especially an explanation of the true nature of their relationship — only pisses her off. When Cory arrives at her snowy doorstep telling her everything she wants to hear, how she was all UBA needed in the first place and only she can save the network, and if she comes back it’ll be on the heels of an insane new deal that gives her a ton of power, she hesitates a bit. Even if she wanted to go back, she says, she can’t. And sure, she eventually tells Cory that she “would rather die than go back there,” but by that point, you know she’s just putting on a good show.

It’s exactly why Cory doesn’t give up on his little TMS dream. He leaves Alex a voice-mail in which he tells her that she is destined for greatness and that what she’s done thus far ain’t it. “You’ve yet to do your greatest work,” he says. Alex doesn’t listen to the voice-mail until that NYE ball is dropping. She’s just beelined out of a party after a psychic played by Kathy Najimy tells her that she’s running away from something (what in the world is this scene?). She’s upset, and she knows the psychic (!!) is right, and when she hears his voice-mail, she’s in tears. Leaving now means that her whole story is about Mitch and the sins she admitted to committing, and she clearly wants more than that. It doesn’t hurt that Cory frames it as Alex simply filling in at the anchor desk for a year until she launches her own prime-time show. She doesn’t officially accept the job, but things are looking up for ol’ Cory Ellison.

That is, until, amid the confetti and belting of “Auld Lang Syne,” he gets a look at a news chyron in Times Square and learns that Hannah’s family is suing UBA for wrongful death. Ah, yes, that UBA ship continues to sink.

This Just In!

• Yanko is the saddest weatherman. Despite Yanko and Claire reuniting at the end of season one, we learn that after everything with Hannah and UBA, Claire left New York and is starting over back home. Yanko seems heartbroken and also a little angry — it’s why we get this great response when someone on the street asks him for a weather forecast: “The Earth’s gonna crash into the sun, but tomorrow night you’ll need a fucking sweater.”

• Last we saw Chip, he was punching Mitch’s face on an apartment lobby floor before leaving Alex a voice-mail in which he confessed to leaking the Mitch investigation to the New York Times to save her job because he’s always been in love with her. Clearly, things didn’t work out the way Chip hoped because we find him working at a local news station and proposing to his Very Nice Girlfriend. He seems sort of happy? Drama free? This cannot last for long.

• The Morning Show is really taking glee in hammering home that no one was prepared for the awfulness that 2020 had in store for us. From Mia’s “Jesus, 2019 sucked” after hearing a list of things that could be included in their end-of-year packet, to her passing over a small news story about a strange contagious disease in China without a second thought, and that very ominous zoom in on 2020 in bright lights in Times Square, it all stings. Prepare to relive the horror, friends.

• I’m already obsessed with Holland Taylor on the UBA executive board and the promise of many more showdowns with Billy Crudup’s Cory Ellison. The pairing I never knew I needed!

• One item looming over everyone that will surely come into play later is Maggie Brener’s tell-all book about what went down at UBA and The Morning Show before it imploded. No one knows what’s in it, but everyone is scared.

• Please, no one ever use the phrase “Baby New Year is starting to crown” ever again, for the love of all things holy.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #22-28:
The Clone Saga

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #22

The Battle with Ultimatum is over, but Miles and his family will bear the scars for the rest of their lives. A day with Starling may raise Miles' spirits, but there's always another shoe dropping.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #23

There are symbiote dragons in Brooklyn, but that's not the worst thing Miles has to face today… Knull has taken one of his best friends and is using them to go after the Spider-Man he met back in ABSOLUTE CARNAGE! Will Miles sacrifice his friend to save himself?

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #24

The King in Black put Miles' back against the wall using one of his best friend's super-hands around his throat. Can Miles bounce back with any of his soul intact?

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #25

THE CLONE SAGA - MILES MORALES-STYLE! We finally see the full extent of what the Assessor did when he kidnapped Miles back in #7. This oversized anniversary issue lets the clones loose in Brooklyn and messes with Miles life even more than Peter Parker's Clone Saga messed HIS life up.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #26

THE CLONE SAGA CONTINUES! Two Spider-Men find themselves face to face with the three terrifying clones. Peter thought he knew what to expect out of a Clone Saga, but this one throws him for a loop and Miles into the deep end of the ocean.Miles tries to keep his Spider-Side away from the rest of his life but this time he's got no say in the matter.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #27

THE CLONE SAGA CONTINUES! The secrets and origins of the clones are revealed and the truth is horrifying. This is the issue you won't forget any time soon, and neither will Miles.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2018) #28

THE CLONE SAGA REACHES ITS CATACLYSMIC CONCLUSION! Selim was cloned and raised to be the perfect super-soldier for hire. Miles has trouble just getting to class on time. Selim’s scruples are also vastly different than Miles’… so Miles’ family is in horrific danger. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THE MOST HEART-WRENCHING COMIC OF THE YEAR!

The Witcher S1 Ep 7: Before A Fall

What did you miss? For a review of the last episode, click HERE

from Vulture: https://www.vulture.com/2019/12/the-witcher-recap-season-1-episode-7-before-a-fall.html


By Scott Meslow

The very first episode of The Witcher concluded with a major shift in the Continent’s political structure, as the vaunted Kingdom of Cintra fell at the hands of an invading army from Nilfgaard. At the time, we didn’t really have full context for what was happening, and what it would mean for both the characters and the world. But the nonlinear structure of the show meant that we were inevitably bound to return to Cintra eventually, and “Before a Fall” is an episode designed to give us the real story from the perspectives of characters we didn’t even previously know were involved, like Geralt and Yennefer.

Honestly: With the fantasy wackiness of the past few episodes dialed way down in favor of political twistiness and large-scale medieval military stuff, this is not my ideal version of The Witcher. But it is proof-of-concept for another pretty good show The Witcher could be, and the show Netflix probably wanted when they ordered it: an impressive-looking fantasy series doing a reasonably convincing cover-band version of Game of Thrones.


The Witcher has spent the whole season unfolding its story over three different timelines, and while I’m not fully convinced such a convoluted structure was necessary, it is interesting to watch as the timelines finally come together. The big reveal at the top of the episode is that Geralt was actually in Cintra during the fall of the city, which we saw from Ciri’s perspective in the series premiere. Geralt has returned to Cintra to fulfill his obligation to the Law of Surprise, which made him responsible for the princess’s life after saving the life of her father. With the Nilfgaardian army ready to sack the city, Geralt wants to make sure Ciri is safe and secure.

But especially after the death of her daughter, Queen Calanthe is reluctant to part ways with the granddaughter, who represents both her sole surviving family and the future of Cintra. So she pulls the old switcheroo (or witcheroo?) and gets a young female commoner to pose as Ciri, hoping that Geralt will just take the girl and leave.

The plan doesn’t work, because the girl immediately runs off and says goodbye to the actual Princess Ciri. (I would rather have seen Detective Geralt figure this out in a more clever way, but I guess this episode has a lot to do as it is.) When Geralt returns to Calanthe and demands custodianship of the real Ciri, as per the Law of Surprise, the queen responds with vitriol: “You and destiny can both fuck right off.”

We already know, of course, that Cintra will fall and that the queen will die. But this episode presents an intriguing new wrinkle. By refusing to honor the Law of Surprise, Calanthe is breaking a sacred covenant, and there are cosmic consequences for that. If she had just given up Ciri, would fate have flipped the tide and allowed the kingdom to repel Nilfgaard’s attack? Or — as Geralt himself argued back at the banquet — is “destiny” the word people use so they can comfort themselves in the belief that “there’s an order to this horseshit”?

Maybe the answer is somewhere in between; as another character argued a few episodes back, the sword of destiny has two edges. Either way, the fall of Cintra has a tragic inevitability to it; we know it has to happen because we’ve already seen it happen.

But “Before a Fall” offers one other storyline that complicates the questions of how, and why, the once-mighty kingdom of Cintra was beaten down. Yennefer returns to Aretuza, where she received her magical training, and stumbles into a meeting of the Council of Mages. There, Tissaia de Vries and Stregobor are leading rival factions arguing over whether they should intervene to stop Nilfgaard and protect Cintra, which has previously shunned the Council and its political influence.

Here, too, we have to wind back the clock of destiny and think about how The Witcher reached this point. Nilfgaard grew in power and aggression under the sorceress Fringilla, who was one of Yennefer’s classmates. And Fringilla was only sent to Nilfgaard because Yennefer bucked her orders, got her enchantment, and blazed her own trail that bucked against the one Tissaia had set for her. Here, all the logical consequences of those decisions come home to roost, as the Council votes against intervention in Cintra, leading to the kingdom’s doom.

But there are logical consequences for that, too. Back in the present, Ciri is relieved to come across her old friends from the kingdom. But when she reveals herself, she finds that the politics of the times have changed everything. Times have grown tougher, her friends are now her enemies, and they grab her her with the intention of delivering her to Nilfgaard and receiving a reward.

And in that moment, the strange power Ciri has occasionally displayed — and, maybe, the reason Cahir wants her so badly in the first place — finally explodes. In an apparent trance, Ciri delivers a bizarre speech that sounds like it heralds the end of the world, as her powers knock her attackers back in a series of magical blasts. And with just one episode left in The Witcher’s first season, it’s going to be very interesting to see just how powerful Ciri will actually turn out to be — and what everybody else is going to do about it.

Stray arrows:

• Ciri’s final, trancelike speech begins with a promise that the “era of the sword and the axe is nigh,” which is the same thing Cahir said at the end of the last episode.

• Per Queen Calanthe, Pavetta and Duny died at sea sometime after the banquet. That certainly sounds like the kind of vague, somewhat inexplicable off-screen death for two major characters that we’ll get more context for later. (If, of course, they’re dead at all.)

• Before she heads back to Aretuza, Yennefer checks back in with her old flame Istredd, who has grown a beard. She proposes the life he once proposed, with her working as a mage while he screws around with old monoliths and rocks as the magical equivalent of an archeologist. This time, he turns her down.

• As The Witcher continues to complicate both its characters and the politics of its world, it’s interesting to hear Istredd mount a defense of Nilfgaard. Sure, they’re weird ruthless religious zealots — but they’re also making sure all their subjects have food, which is more than you can say for most of the rulers on the Continent.

• Attendees at the Council of Mages includes Triss Merigold, who briefly crossed paths when Geralt when he squared off against the striga in the third episode.

• The episode’s title, “Before a Fall,” references both the fall of Cintra and the literal circumstances of Queen Calanthe’s death.

• Ciri: If you’re really trying to blend in, it might be time to lose that robin’s-egg blue cloak.

• Ciri walks by a street puppet show mocking the Cintran royal family. Queen Calanthe does not seem to have been very popular at the end of her reign.

• “What kind of crazy person talks to a horse?” Ciri, you’re going to get along with Geralt just fine.

• Geralt was once offered 3,000 orens to kill a vukodlak. I wonder if that’s more or less than the “barrel” of orens Nilfgaard is promising for anyone who captures Ciri.

• No Jaskier in this one! We missed you, buddy.

from Decider: https://decider.com/2022/03/21/outlander-season-6-episode-3-recap/

What did you miss? For a review of the last episode, click HERE

Outlander S6 Ep 3: Temperance

By Jennifer Still

Mar 21, 2022 at 6:30pm

The opening scene of Outlander Season 6 Episode 3, titled “Temperance,” sets the scene for much of what’s to come. This week, it’s largely about little Henri-Christian, born last week to a relieved Marsali (Lauren Lyle) but shunned by his father, Fergus (Cesar Domboy) because he was born a dwarf. Such a genetic condition wasn’t just taboo in the 18th century, it was seen as being from Satan himself.

Because of this, Henri-Christian’s older brother Germain teamed up with Aidan and other young boys in the settlement to test out a theory. If Henri-Christian is the “devil’s seed,” as their parents have told them, surely he won’t be able to float on water. To find out the truth, they took the baby in his basket and threw him on the rushing river. He was quickly carried downstream, but thankfully Roger (Richard Rankin) was nearby and managed to dive in and save the little one.

Fergus, for his part, is still struggling. He has his wife, who thought she was going to die, and a healthy little boy, but he’s tortured by the thought of what kind of life Henri-Christian will lead. During a heart-to-heart with Claire (Caitriona Balfe), he confides that in his native France, dwarf children are either left to the wolves or forced into prostitution to be used by men with “exotic” tastes. Not only that, but they also face danger on a daily basis, as Fergus revealed that an old dwarf friend of his named Luc was found in an alley with his throat slit, the madame of the brothel later selling his body parts off to be used in divination. Yikes.

After such a heavy chat, it’s hard to believe Claire can possibly be in the mood for Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones), who has the gall to complain that Claire took too long coming back to the house and that he’d been waiting for a while. He insists his one hand is now healed enough that he can have surgery on his other hand. However, he doesn’t want any of Claire’s “potions,” i.e. the ether, instead opting to have his arm strapped down while Jamie pours whiskey down his throat and reads scripture. Claire also offers a bucket for Christie to vomit in, should he need it.

While Christie is shouting the place down with his hand cut open, Malva (Jessica Reynolds) is really hitting it off with Young Ian (John Bell). Together, they discuss sin, family, and their eternal fates. Malva even shares that her mother was hanged as a witch when she was very young, which would explain her fascination with Claire’s “potions,” so to speak. They seem to really hit it off over the following days, nearly sharing a kiss in a field. This is going to end in trouble!

Back at Fraser’s Ridge, Marsali is desperate to help Fergus with his alcoholism but he’s having none of it. It’s safe to say toxic masculinity was alive and kicking in the 1700s (no surprise there) because he balks at the idea of being helped or protected by a woman. When Marsali says that she’s fully capable of pitching in and looking after the family, revealing that she actually killed Lionel Brown by filling a syringe with water hemlock and injecting him. This does little to assuage Fergus, and he ends up being ordered out after Marsali dumps a pitcher of alcohol over his head.

Claire is still having flashbacks to her ordeal with Lionel and his men that are provoked by the slightest comment. This time, it’s Jamie’s joke about them being the grandparents of “demon-born” Henri-Christian, and she quickly excuses herself to “check on Tom” who’s stayed overnight after his surgery for observation. One can’t help but feel that she’s headed to her workshop to grab the ether.

Before she can, however, Christie wakes up and begins speaking to her. He’s entirely unpleasant as usual, condemning her for not wearing a proper cap since she’s a “pious married woman” and quoting scripture. She tries to show him how to move the muscles in his hand so that they don’t stiffen up as it heals and even makes him some food before leaving him and heading back to bed.

In bed, she and Jamie discuss how weird Christie is about having any contact with a woman whatsoever. He explained that at Ardsmuir, men were so desperate for touch that they sometimes turned to one another, but Christie turned inward. Claire believes it’s as if he’s “afraid to sin” and she might well be right, though it certainly must count as sinning that as soon as his hand begins to heal, he’s back to whipping Malva repeatedly?

Towards the end of the episode, it’s Quarter Day, meaning rents and other profits are due. It’s a grand occasion, but then Fergus has to ruin it by getting way too drunk and getting into a fight with a couple, the Macgregors, who call Henri-Christian “grotesque.” Fergus throws alcohol in the woman’s face and begins pummeling the man before the fight is broken up.

It takes a heartfelt pep talk from Jamie himself later that day to figuratively smack some sense back into Fergus. The younger man has gone into a clearing to end his life, but Jamie is there to stop him and remind him that he’s worth being proud of and has a lot to offer as a father and a man in general. Seemingly, it took only those few words from Jamie to get him back to his old self because when they come back to Fraser’s Ridge, he promises Marsali that he will “never again”… drink? Desert her? He also takes hold of Henri-Christian and smiles a smile of pure joy at the baby. Well, that was simple.

We close things out this week with the arrival of the Red Coats. They’ve brought plenty of guns for the Cherokee, believing they will have the Native Americans’ loyalty in the coming war. Their arrival worries Claire, who seems to remember more about American history than most viewers will. However, we soon find out that the Boston Tea Party has just taken place, leading Claire to declare: “It’s starting. The storm, the war… it’s almost here.” That certainly seems to be the case.

Black Sails S3 Ep 6

from Den of Geek: https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/black-sails-xxiv-review/

What did you miss? For a review of the last episode, click HERE

By TS Rhodes

February 28, 2016|


Gotta say, I was expecting Black Sails to give us a little more action this time around. We’re still dragging along with setup, though I’ll admit the setup is moving along a little more smoothly with this week’s episode.

Nice jump forward in time – we didn’t need to see the hostages being traded between Flint and the Maroons. Cutting straight to the conflicts that arise from this was a smart move.

It was also pleasant to see that the shamanic healing ritual being practiced among the Maroons was treated with intelligence and respect. I did a little poking around, and couldn’t immediately DISprove the ritual being used, though I do think that it might have been more appropriate for the Queen to be doing the ritual for her husband. This ceremony was easy to understand however, and believable, so I’ll give it my approval.


Silver is still suffering with his leg, also a believable problem. Having a leg removed in the 1700s was only slightly less dangerous than letting the limb rot. Mortalities were somewhere in the 80% range – that’s 80% that didn’t make it. Silver, who has survived a very inexpert amputation, then dehydration and starvation, and all in a world that doesn’t have any idea what a germ is, should certainly be sick. As far as the medical opportunities in the “outside world”… I think I’d take my chances with the Maroons. English doctors were still using leeches, for god’s sake.

Luke Arnold is a good actor, who does his character justice in the role, and the makeup department has made him a suitable shade of sweaty gray. They shouldn’t have let him get on the “bearded pirate bandwagon” for this season though. The scraggly face-hair looks good when he’s being dapper, but gets in the way of his emoting now.

It’s really quite remarkable how much this character has grown as a person. Tricksters like Silver usually stay tricksters. But here’s Silver being all introspective and shit. (Goes well with I-might-be-going-to-die). I’ve always been conscious of the fact that Silver has a half-black wife in the book, and it looks like he’s definitely found her.

I also liked the business of the Maroon not having learned any seamanship yet. Ships of the time were not easy to run, and sailors had a high contempt for newcomers who couldn’t handle the miles of rope involved. We get to see Flint in his determined mode – something he does well. I’m getting tired of Flint being determined, though. Yes, it’s his best point, but the character has always felt one-note.

His conflict with Blackbeard leaves me cold. He shouldn’t be asking Blackbeard for control of the fleet, he should be pontificating about the Pirate Brotherhood and Being Kings of Our Fates and No Man Can Stand Before Us. Instead we get something that feels like two different owners each calling a dog to find out who is loved the best.

Vane has never made a good dog, and his actions here don’t do him justice. It’s just a method of moving the plot forward. For all the well-structured fight, none of it felt authentic.

Props to Ray Stevenson as Blackbeard, though. His character has never been given the best lines… All that stuff about Vane being the son he never had, and now we find out there’s a convenient piece of shrapnel moving toward his heart. Where’s Iron Man when you need him? It’s just a method of getting the character out of the way whenever they want to do him in, and it feels cheap.

The acting’s good, though. And our little glimpse of Blackbeard’s bare chest looked just right. Not the tattoos – Golden Age pirates didn’t have tattoos. But the build of the man, with the perfect look of someone who’s been fit all his life, and is now taking it a little easier.

Blackbeard’s camp also shines as a piece of design work. Grand tables and upholstered chairs on a beach tell you exactly where you are, and it feels just as rough and exotic as it should.

As for the tale of Jack and Anne – well, we knew this was going to happen. But it’s the best writing of the episode, and feels like authentic pirate action. Henry Avery did set the standard for pirates, and Jack Rackham’s – this Jack Rackham’s desire to risk everything to be the pirate that Nassau needs, is the real spirit of the pirates of old.

It’s a damn good thing we got to see Jack blow a man’s head off with no preamble, or we wouldn’t believe in this resolute man who sets Woodes Rogers up to fail.

The historic Rogers had a terrible time persuading people to work on the fort. Hornigold had inspire the people of Nassau with a stirring speech about how work on the fort directly protected the ill-gotten gains of the people hauling the stones. Then he bought drinks. When Rogers came, the fort became “the government’s problem” and no one wanted to drag rocks up a hill.

The sudden change in Nassau is a story device, just as Rackham’s and Bonny’s share of the Urca is a story device. The Urca treasure has become a McGuffin – a plot device that has no purpose except to drive the plot. There’s no logical reason why Rogers needs that money – Spain would hardly take offense at England returning so much treasure, especially given how much other treasure England ever returned to Spain (hint: like none).

Since the treasure is the result of a shipwreck, it’s highly unlikely that Spain even had an accurate count, even if the Spanish excavating crew that Rackham defeated had given a report.

(Check this – if you were collecting gold off a beach for your government, would you actually report all of it? Or would you hold back a little for yourself?)

No matter how much explaining they do, the treasure now serves no real purpose.

But what haunts me from this episode is the sight of Anne Bonny silhouetted against the sky. We know she’ll kill her man. And we’re very pleased at Jack’s way of telling her what she needed to do. They know each other very well, these two.

Amazing Spider-Man #56-60

Recent events have taken their toll on Peter Parker's world. In the wake of "Last Remains," you'll never look at Norman or Harry Osborn the same again! We know Spider-Man certainly won't. But as Spidey continues to pick up the pieces and put his life back together, the gathering storms are swirling more and more violently. Mister Negative is back and wants only one thing: His own alter ego, Martin Li! But how is that possible? Meanwhile, Peter and Mary Jane have been through so much, and the specter of Spider-Man has been a constant strain on their relationship from day one. Is there anything left for them to cling to? As one era comes to a shocking end, an unexpected new day is dawning!

The Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #56

""LAST REMAINS"" TAKES ITS TOLL! You will never look at Norman or Harry Osborn the same again. We know SPIDER-MAN won't.


The Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #57




Spider-Man continues to pick up the pieces and try to put his life together. But many of the gathering storms are swirling more and more violently... We want to tell you more but it WOULD SPOIL SO MUCH OF LAST REMAINS!!!


The Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #58




The Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #59





Mr. Negative is back and wants only one thing - Martin Li. But how is that possible? Spider-Man is still reeling from the Kindred affair and Peter will not stand for anything else to be taken away from him



The Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #60

Peter and Mary Jane have been through so much… Spider-Man has been a constant strain on them from day one… With the events of the past few months, is there anything left?

What did you miss? For a review of the last episode, click HERE

The Book of Boba Fett S1 Ep 6: 
From The Desert Comes a Stranger

from Space.com: https://www.space.com/star-wars-book-of-boba-fett-episode-6-review
'The Book of Boba Fett' Chapter 6 is full of surprises, for better or for worse


By Scott Snowden 

published February 09, 2022

The episode, titled "From the Desert Comes a Stranger" is an all-star affair, with both old and new making appearances.

Last week's impressive information-overload-of-an-episode was always going to be a tough act to follow and executive producer, and co-creator of "The Mandalorian" Dave Filoni stepped up to the challenge this week.

However, for reasons that will soon become clear, it is now obvious that "The Book of Boba Fett" exists to serve a bigger, all-encompassing plot that is both exciting and disappointing. And if this trend continues, it's entirely possible that at least some of the forthcoming live-action "Star Wars" spinoff shows will also serve as supporting cast members instead of the lead role, so to speak.

We now know that the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" spinoff is coming to Disney+ in May, and apparently the story is set 10 years after the events of "Revenge of the Sith" where Kenobi faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. Kenobi went into self-imposed exile on Tatooine. It doesn't take a giant leap of imagination to assume that there will be some interconnected events. After all, Disney has all those closed Tatooine street sets to squeeze more from.

"The Book of Boba Fett" Chapter 6 — titled "From the Desert Comes a Stranger" — is full of surprises, and the first of those comes in the very first scene: the return of Cobb Vanth. You may recall this instantly likable character played to perfection by Timothy Olyphant and first introduced in "The Mandalorian" episode "Chapter 9:

He confronts some Pyke spice runners out in one of the moisture fields outside of Mos Pelgo, or Freetown as the locals are choosing to call it now. It's a beautiful set piece and Olyphant has really made the role of Vanth his. But just as quickly as we all shouted, "Oh yes!" we all sighed "oh no" and we're on what appears to be the planet Tython, where an army of worker drones is building what might be Luke's Jedi Temple, although that hasn't been confirmed because Luke's Jedi Temple(opens in new tab) that was destroyed in "Episode VIII: The Last Jedi" was at a secret location.

An interesting point that's been made on social media(opens in new tab) is how the N-1 is much more streamlined than the more practical Razor Crest, and that it doesn't include any bathroom facilities. And if it is the planet Tython, according to Legends(opens in new tab) (the new word for the old canon) it's 8,000 light-years away and the N-1 only has a 1,000 light-year(opens in new tab) range before needing to be refueled, presumably. So, that's a lot of coaxium station stops and beef jerky snacks.

The pace of the show slows significantly for this episode and love him or loathe him, CGI Luke Skywalker is back. The reveal is eased on us with the assistance of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) the Togruta Jedi Knight from the animated series "The Clone Wars" and first introduced in live action in "The Mandalorian" episode "Chapter 13: The Jedi.


Thankfully, the VFX has come on a little bit since we last saw Luke collect Grogu in the Season 2 finale of "The Mandalorian" and he's actually played by a different actor. Bizarrely, the actor who appeared in that episode was Max Lloyd-Jones, but in this episode it's a different actor, Graham Hamilton. The vocal performance however, was put together(opens in new tab) with software, collating recordings of Mark Hamill’s performances as a young man and creating a library of sound that was used to synthesize his voice. What we saw wasn't perfect, and some creative camera angles are utilized to avoid too many very expensive close-ups of Skywalker's face, but at least the technique has improved.

Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) reluctantly decides not further confuse little Grogu while Luke is trying to train him and leaves the Beskar chain mail vest with Ahsoka, but that's not to say Grogu didn't feel his presence nearby. It's all actually rather emotional


One unexpected bonus of this nostalgia fest is that Luke asks Grogu about his homeworld and for a fleeting moment, as our hearts stop, we almost believe that we're going to see that. Alas though, Grogu can only remember (or only chooses to remember) as far back as the attack on the Jedi Temple by Imperial troops as they execute "order 66" in "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," and we're given a glimpse of that. This begs the question, who rescued Grogu from Coruscant?

There are a few throwbacks to earlier "Star Wars," including some of the phrases Luke uses to train Grogu that are very similar to when Yoda was training Luke on Dagobah in "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back," and there's a Marksman-H training remote. And then Djarin heads back to Tatooine to take up arms with Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen). It seems we're going to be stuck with "knee-cam" shots as Djarin flies his as-yet-unnamed N-1 — they're the same point-of-view shots that you'd expect from Wedgie, Jock's pet snake in "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Following a debrief at Jabba's Fett's palace throne room with the Mos Espa Mod Squad and Black Krrsantan, Djarin suggests he can help by recruiting foot soldiers for the imminent, upcoming battle with the Pyke crime syndicate. A vague plan of sorts is hatched and off he goes to speak to Vanth. The Marshall of Freetown is naturally happy to see the Mandalorian once again; they haven't spoken since they killed the Krayt dragon in "The Mandalorian" Chapter 9 "The Marshall." However, Vanth says the people of the town formally known as Mos Pelgo are done fighting. So, no doubt we can expect them to show up next week after having a change of mind brandishing pitchforks and homemade weapons.

Djarin takes his leave and then something very interesting happens. You see, the idea was for us all to think that the "Stranger" from the episode title was referring to Vanth, but it isn't. Instead, a lone stranger appears on the horizon and walks menacingly towards the town. Naturally, this grabs Vanth's attention and he warns the townsfolk to get inside. Turns out to be none other than Cad Bane.

Now, even if you're not a devout worshipper of all things "Star Wars" and you have no clue who or how bad this cat is, the introduction of Bane was still impressive and care has clearly been taken to make his presence noteworthy regardless of your background knowledge of the "Star Wars" universe.

According to Wookiepedia, Cad Bane was a male Duros bounty hunter and mercenary whose career spanned from the fall of the Galactic Republic, the reign of the Galactic Empire and into the era of the New Republic. After the death of Jango Fett (from whom Boba was cloned) on Geonosis at the hands of Jedi Master Mace Windu, Bane was considered the best and one of the most ruthless bounty hunters of the era. He first appeared in the animated series "The Clone Wars" and his story was fleshed out in a number of episodes.

Bane instructs Vanth not to follow Djarin and Fett into a fight with the Pyke syndicate and only the dimwitted actions of his dopey deputy (played by J.J. Dashnaw) prevent a peaceful exchange. Deputy Defus is blown away in a hail of blaster fire, and poor Vanth takes one to the chest. Unfortunately, the scene ends with Vanth still lying motionless on the sand, so we hope he's not seriously hurt. However, this will probably be the motivation that the townsfolk need to join Fett's fight and rid Tatooine of the Pyke syndicate once and for all.

We then cut to Mos Espa, where two members of the Pyke syndicate leave behind a camino in the popular Sanctuary bar, and it's pretty clear what's going to happen next, as even Garsa Fwip (Jennifer Beals) realizes a split second before — a massive explosion rocks the streets of Mos Espa, destroying at least half of the cantina in an official declaration of war. But exactly who was killed in that blast remains to be seen, and our hopes of less Skywalker content blow up along with the bar and we're back to Luke and Grogu.

Luke senses that Grogu misses the Mandalorian and presents him with a choice; Luke lays down Yoda's old lightsaber next to the Beskar vest and says he must choose — each one represents a different path, one as Luke's padawan and the other as a companion of Din Djarin's. That's a hell of a cliffhanger, but we suspect that we won't see what choice Grogu makes in this show's finale. It's more likely that monumental moment will be carried over into Season 3 of "The Mandalorian."

A few questions remain as we go into the final episode: Will we actually see more of Boba Fett? After all, this show was named after him. Will Fett ride his Rancor into battle? Or will he utilize air superiority like he did in Chapter 4, cutting up a gang of Kintan Striders on speeders with his Firespray class gunship? Or will Shand perhaps pilot that? Will there be a showdown between Fett and Bane?

And finally, will we get a second season of "The Book of Boba Fett" or will this remain a standalone, limited series as we were told was the original idea? Temuera Morrison has said that he wants to hunt down Mace Windu in a potential second season, "I owe him big time for [Jango Fett]... He's top of the list."

Stellan Skarsgård has revealed that "Andor" was getting a second season, so perhaps "The Book of Boba Fett" will too. "Star Wars" needs to expand beyond Tatooine and show off its full universe and hopefully some of the new live-action spin-off shows will do that.