Part 64.3 – Echo

The Marvels is coming to streaming & disc in a couple weeks.
Deadpool 3, Ironheart, & Agatha have finished filming.
Daredevil: Born Again has resumed filming, with some familiar faces being spotted on set.
The entire Defenders Saga has finally been added to the Disney+ MCU timeline playlist (but only in the positions of their first seasons; they still don’t know how to split a show up on the menu).
And that brings us to the newest entry IN the Defenders Saga, part 64.3…

Echo:

#1 “Chafa”:
–Flashback, time immemorial: What in the Kahhori portal is this?
–Guys. It’s already MA rated, & we already saw all the naked people. The clothes suddenly appearing is just silly.
—AAAAAKLAHOMA, where the wind goes sweeping–wait, no, that’s not it.
–Something’s up with the captions.
–Graham Greene has the confidence to ask when he doesn’t know something.
–“I like your peaches.” Wanna shake her tree?
–We can’t really blame *her* for Every Car Crash Commercial happening; the brakes were out.
–IEP compliance is mandatory. Just felt the need to point that out.
–“Different world”, “couple of magic isolated villages & also a dead one is under your feet right now”, same thing.
–There’s a lot of Hawkeye footage in here.
–Timeline cue: We know Ronin only operated during the Blip. This is all then or later, but before December 2024.
–You can tell this isn’t the real world, because the cops didn’t shoot her before she finished rigging the bike.
–False equivalence fallacy. Maya didn’t kill William.
–I’m sorry, no song with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in the lyrics will ever be taken seriously.
–Perv gets what’s comin’ to him.
–Ever danced with Daredevil in the pale moonlight?
–Oh, that delay on the false leg kick was SICK!
–Timeline cue: May 2025.
–No way that’s been open for 5 months.
–EEEEEKLAHOMA, where the wind goes–no, that’s not it either.
–I have never & will never understand people who leave spare keys unsecured like that.
–“It’s me, a guy who wasn’t in the flashback!”
–This dude was a weasel as Nathaniel Malick, & he’s a weasel now.
–Speaking of recasting, Devery Jacobs sounds familiar.
–“Queenpin” just doesn’t roll off the tongue.
–IIIIIKLAHOMA, where the wind–nope, still not right.
–You come at the Kingpin, you best not miss.

#2 “Lowak”:
–Flashback, 1200 AD: O hai alai.
–“Their ringer spotted our ringer.”
–Let him take the stuff he’s holding inside first before you send him to buy more stuff.
–Neftoon Zamora scam, love it.
–Why the hell is there a working saw just sitting open on a shelf!?
–You gotta be careful using “All My Life” in stuff; a whole episode of All That got screwed in reruns because of that song.
–This train heist has some bad greenscreening, but the rest is cool.
–It’s a train; just follow the tracks, dude!
–Meanwhile, thousands of miles away.
–More like “zippity-BOOM-baby!”
–You could easily get $200 or more for a good-condition PS4.
–I love that they’re keeping all the ASL in frame on this show.

#3 “Tuklo”:
–Logo: Hold up, let’s get some more fitting music over these slides.
–Newsreel flashback, late 1800s: The Charge of the Lighthorsemen Brigade
–It’s amazing how many people in this show are “exactly alike.” Maya & Clint & Fisk & Chula &….
–Oh, a VERY inconveniently-timed vision!
–“Are more people coming around here?” Dude, it’s business hours.
–The heck is she shaking up?
–Who names their son Vickie?
–Thomas E. Sullivan, king of playing annoying minor antagonists who get double-crossed by the real antagonists.
–This guy Zane is not very good at looking for things.
–I’ve only gotten to play laser tag once. It was also in a blacklit room at a skating rink.
–Oof, that’s a tilt.
–Somebody has altered the deal. Pray he doesn’t alter it any further.
–In the land of the deaf, the one-eyed man is Kingpin.

#4 “Taloa”:
–Flashback, 2008: And that’s for the creepy “Hello” song on your truck!
–Flashback, 2021: You just know that guy is gonna end up in the same freezer a few days later. This also narrows down when Ronin hit the Tracksuits.
–Where is the voice coming from? It’s not her eye. Does he have a thingy in his ear?
–Wow, he’s not even mad.
–Wilson, she knows you had her father killed. Stop playing dumb.
–He still doesn’t have taste of his own; he still relies on others to tell him what’s tasteful.
–The cookies wouldn’t fit down the drain.
–It’s not a question of whether you can do the job, Maya; it’s a question of whether Fisk will kill you.
–Young Chula is played by Isabella Madrigal, in a piece of accidentally-perfect Disney synergy.
–O Brother is a great movie & all, but I actually prefer Little Axe’s version of this song from the Holes soundtrack.
–Isolated her, lied to her, murdered her parents, groomed her to be a weapon. It’s giving Thanos-Gamora vibes.
–So there it is! Marlene taught her boy well.

#5 “Maya”:
–Logo: Giacchino wrote the special Spotlight jingle, & it was only used in 2 episodes.
–Flashback: We just got captions over a closeup of the bird. So close to the finish, & they dropped the ball on showing the ASL.
–Brought to you by a subsidiary of a store that was intentionally mismanaged into bankruptcy by corporate ghoul Eddie Lampert.
–Crud.
–Billy Jack is such a good boy.
–Visions of a loved one like this can sometimes feel random, but this one is really well-justified since Maya’s been having visions this whole time anyway.
–Thank you for lampshading (heh) how jarring motion sensor lights can be if you don’t know they’re there.
–Does Zane even know Fisk already has Maya?
–For a limited time only.
–That wink was such a flex.
–It feels like something’s missing from this scene. I was really enjoying the emotional journey here, but then sudden jump cut to Fisk getting back into a car.
–Mid-credit scene: From President Loki to Mayor Fisk.

Executive summary: Overall good. The performances are really strong; Alaqua Cox definitely took some acting classes since Hawkeye. There’s a familiar brutality to the action scenes. The flashbacks were really interesting. I’m just baffled by how the finale was edited.

Part 64.5 – She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Harrison Ford has been cast to replace the late William Hurt as Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: New World Order & in Thunderbolts.
We’re now just 2.5 weeks away from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Here’s the first trailer for Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania.
And here’s part 64.5….

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law:

#1 “A Normal Amount of Rage”:
–Oh hai 4th wall break. D-Piddy is gonna be pleased…?
–“Stop whining about Hulk’s arm.” ~Kevin Feige
–Definitely NOT every distracted-driving commercial ever.
–Very quick origin story.
–Nice bathroom people are awkward, but comforting.
–Guys who won’t accept “no” are awkward & discomforting.
–Ohh, Bing-Bong. 😦
–The lullaby was a hypnotic trigger; how is that hard to explain?
–Why would you hold *in* your farts when you’re trying to relax?
–“I don’t like that her hair is completely different as a Hulk.” ~my wife
–Bruce is being patronizing & struggling to accept the differences in personal experience, but Jen is being stubborn in rejecting the wisdom of lived experience.
—My understanding of the shockwave clap.
–And this person is…?
–Credits: Stan, describing Jen.

#2 “Superhuman Law”:
–Recap: Whoa, the recaps have original narration footage!
–“Superpowered influencer” are among the most infuriating words I’ve ever heard.
–“Talk to it“!?
–Hopefully that’s just 5 figures in student loans now.
–Wait, was she wearing that hoodie in hulk form?
–I have already forgotten her buddy’s name.
–Awkward conversation is awkward.
–I am kinda tired of this Hawkeye question.
–Kind dad is kind.
–Ally McBeal above the bar.
–Difference between She-Hulk & Deadpool: Other characters can hear Deadpool.
–I can’t imagine any *judge* approving this conflict waiver.
–I would NOT trust that laser gate.
–So Blonsky was transferred to Damage Control after SHIELD fell, got it.
–This “seven soulmates” thing is setting off big red flags.
—“I’m a completely different person now.”
–That hurt, Emil.
–Mid-Credit Scene: It’s that Best Buy commercial where the teenage daughter has to fix everyone’s tech, but with a Hulk.

#3 “The People vs. Emil Blonsky”:
–I don’t think Bruce or Blonsky count as cameos, Jen; they’ve had way too much screentime.
–Oooh, they called it!
–Shadow “Dimension”? Suurrrre.
–Dennis, 9 times out of 10, our hearts just get dissolved.
–Oh, look, it’s how clickbait sites generate articles.
–Props for the accurate fractions.
–Dang, I think Blonsky might *actually* be reformed.
–Pug got himself a slam dunk.
–Ms. Thee Stallion is not helping with Jen’s cameo argument.
–WHiH would not have been this kind.
–These guys don’t have have powers; they just have weapons.
–Solid Harvey Birdman vibes this episode.
–Credits: They really used a song that mentions the Joker?
–Mid-credit scene: Ok, that explains giving main-cast credit to a cameo.

#4 “Is This Not Real Magic?”:
–Donny Blaze (I see what you did there) isn’t even good at *stage* magic.
–Wong is still on this show?
–“Twitter armor”? You & I both wish, Jen.
–It’s actually a really good headshot, Nikki.
–Did he just set his own phone on fire?
–Wong’s case is weak, but his argument is correct. Donny here is endangering lives constantly, & that should be patently obvious (pun intended).
–Wong, The Sopranos has been off the air for 12 years my time, & you’re 3 years in the future from me.
–That’s still just a portal, Donny.
–And those are the aforementioned demons, Donny. I’ll betcha they know “Jake”, too.
–Genuinely sad for Jen here. Guy had to know she wouldn’t stay like that ALL the time.
–Credits: I’m enjoying the artwork, but it’s still 7 minutes of credits.
–Mid-credit scene: Vodka & milk sounds like some horribly ill-conceived attempt to mimic RumChata. Also, at least This Is Us only ended this year (my time).

#5 “Mean, Green, & Straight Poured Into These Jeans”:
–Perfume ads were bad even *before* influencers were a thing.
–Lip-sync is off.
–Very solid point about walking home safely.
–Do Iron Man Threes explode if your body rejects them?
–That is a real toy Mjolnir.
–She didn’t trademark the psuedonym because she didn’t establish the name! This isn’t difficult!
–Is Titania trying to get her own case dismissed?
–Not gonna lie, I was kinda hoping for Melvin Potter, but I guess we *are* on the wrong side of the country.
–There doesn’t appear to be any media in the courtroom on this case, so it’s not like this bit of embarrassment is gonna spread very wide.
–I loathe the use of “hater” as an excuse to dismiss legitimate criticism, & personally I blame Hilary Duff.
–Ah, I guess Melvin is still in jail. Or maybe Betsy finally has him on the straight & narrow?

#6 “Just Jen”:
–Ugh, glitter.
–“How do you say no to being a bridesmaid?” You make selfish demands less than a week before the wedding that would screw over both another bridesmaid & at least one other guest, then bail when the bride refuses to play that game.
–Heh, it’s Thursday.
–This is the best the She-Hulk CGI has looked all season; she looks genuinely integrated into the scene for once!
–Wait, this is the MCU Mr. Immortal? Bummer for Derek Theler.
–I know some disingenuous trolls like Titania. Met some on Reddit, met some on VGF, met some IRL.
–Bigamy’s illegal, so Craig’s case here should be that only the first spouse has an actual claim.
–Shirts like that wrinkle the instant you bend over.
–We had to pay like $1000 for an open bar, & barely anyone ended up drinking.
–Nikki’s gonna make a great lawyer.
–Ok, so Titania actually has a complete subplot now, AND Jameela gets a decent fight scene, nice.
–I know some people like the Intelligencia too.
–Mallory’s wrong, *never* let death threats go.

#7 “The Retreat”:
–Ohr nor, the condensation! Cleor!
–Josh’s food truck idea is literally just Wendy’s.
–They are blocking the view of the car behind them.
–My phone is always muted in churches, theaters, & my job.
–Parole officer seems like an ok guy.
–El Aguila is too flashy to be a Zorro-type.
–They’re saying the name of the car too much for it NOT to be product placement, but they also wrecked the car too much to BE product placement.
–There’s only one daywalker, so I’m pretty sure Blonsky is right about Saracen not really being a vampire.
–I about busted a gut at “You never heard of…Spain?”
–I *remember* that guy; I just didn’t *recognize* that guy. Laughed pretty hard at “Previously on That Guy” too.
–Saracen isn’t a vampire, but he’s onto something with the blood thing.
–I have old contacts I don’t waste time on anymore, but I don’t like deleting records, & Jen might need to track down Josh again for non-romantic reasons.
–So where did the 7 soulmates go?
–Dang it, I *really* wanted that fantheory to be wrong.

#8 “Ribbit & Rip It”:
–What goes up must come down; your name is *Leap*frog, not *Fly*frog.
–He’s NOT representing himself?…oh no….
–Aha, the Accords are repealed! Thank goodness. Also, Matt has a bit of conflict here himself.
–How would he even know she’s a beautiful woman? It’s kinda spooky actually.
–Matt accidentally tipped his hand here by admitting Luke, a man who only tailors for supers, made him clothes, but Jen’s already drunk.
–I promise Toddles here did NOT study abroad in Wakanda.
–There’s a lot of CG here that doesn’t need to be.
–O HAI THEME MUSIC
–Gold is a bad color for stealth.
—My first mental image when the “Lilypad” was revealed.
–Poison dart frogs don’t actually shoot darts.
–That’s WAY too many cuts for a hallway fight. Loki did a oner through a whole town, & you guys couldn’t pull one off for a single room?
–Dat walk of shame tho.
–Dat Wolverine pose tho.
–Mallory’s jab at the host is lovely.
–Clearly these idiots standing around filming this never saw Carrie.
–So, these guys like the Hulk, but their plan to take down She-Hulk is to make people see her like they do the Hulk?

#9 “Whose Show Is This?”:
—You magnificent sons of guns, you actually did it!
–Not a good look for Holliway to fire Jen for the same reason he hired her.
–GREAT look for Papa Morris.
–That video looks Orphan-Black-ish.
–Dennis is an EASY defamation suit. Do NOT lie about people. _{*acuongthycpoausgtho*}
–There’ll be no Stranger Than Fictioning here!
–I read a fantheory that Nikki would be revealed to have been in the Intelligencia all along. I appreciate how epicly wrong that fantheory was.
–And now, “Deep Thoughts” by Emil Handy
–It was that douche Todd all along!
–There’s a dude here who looks like Ryan Murphy (not the famous one, the cool YouTube one).
–I got worried about Emil, but it looks like he just had no clue who these clients were.
–Oh, thank goodness, Todd’s an idiot & confessed to everything in front of two people with an open phone line.
–There’s a lot of annoying contrivances in this scene, but the only *confusing* part is how Bruce got here.
—Jen’s Big Idea (1966, colorized)
–“This is very creepy, the way you’re talking about him, it’s not healthy.” _{*acuongthycpoausgtho*}
–Feige probably laughed his butt off when Gao pitched “What if we made you GLaDOS?”
–I like Jen’s changes, but I also would’ve liked to see them play out after she went back, instead of skipping over the climax.
–Supermax was the prison Jessica Jones tried to get sent to.
–When & how did this happen, Bruce? (I mean, the when is obvious. But HOW?)
–Credits: You just spoiled the mid-credit scene, guys.
–Mid-credit scene: Wongers is overstepping.

Executive summary: There are some glaring visual design issues (the GLK&H set must’ve been a nightmare for the VFX team to integrate She-Hulk into), & some of the jokes don’t land, but mostly this is a funny & intelligent good time with a powerhouse performance by Tatiana Maslany & a powerful message about how certain people engage with media.

Part 64 – Hawkeye

Next known release date is May 6th; we’re in our first content drought since before WandaVision.
In the meantime, I’ll double back around to 63 once a certain film is on disc in a couple months; this is part 64….

Hawkeye:

#1 “Never Meet Your Heroes”:
–Flashback: 2012 New York. Gee I wonder what’s gonna fall from the sky.
–Did caption guy just italicize “checkers”?
–How big could this place be that the shouting child could traverse multiple floors & still not be heard?
–Ooh, *opening* credits!…that are entirely about Kate?
–The Edge of Twenty-Two
–That tower is far too skinny for the bell to swing back & forth. The bell itself barely even fits in there.
–If the clapper swinging was enough to bring this bell down, & the bell falling would wreck the entire tower, then this thing was a massive safety hazard that should’ve been renovated years ago.
–Who’s Random Grey-Haired Man in this musical?
–Ant-Man can’t fly. Also, roll-call songs are cringey. Shaiman & Wittman wrote this? Seriously?
–Good to see edgelord redditors exist in the MCU too. (Also, that’s the least crowded theater bathroom I’ve ever seen.)
–“Don’t drop off your bags at your house first; carry them to my house & then carry them further to your house later.”
–Paul F. Tompkins? [Editor’s note: Upon further research, this is not Paul F. Tompkins, but a very high-quality facsimile.]
–Clint, take the free food; you’re not Danny Rand.
–It’s funny, his mouth said “Doo-cane”, but what was in the caption surely must be pronounced “doo-ques-nee”.
–You made her come to your house first, but you didn’t bother telling her about the engagement then? Lame mom.
–It’s the auction from Get Out!
–Ronin’s identity remains a mystery…but his stuff was found in the Avengers Compound, so….
–Wait, did he just say “bro”?
–In vino violence.
–I was afraid this might be a quantum GPS watch, but that close-up says it isn’t.
–Kit Harrington? [Editor’s note: Upon further research, this is not Paul F. TompkinsKit Harrington, but a very high-quality facsimile.]
–Unwrapped in the fridge, that slice of pizza would be fossilized by now.
–Hawkeye, meet Hawkeye.

#2 “Hide & Seek”:
–Something something he calls himself “Star-Lord”.
–Do not go straight home when you think you’re being followed.
–I hope he didn’t need that bag.
–You don’t thaw frozen pizza, Kate; you preheat the oven.
–“What makes you say [I’ve got a lead]?” You’re not angry that you don’t have the suit.
–Nice, the kids are learning ASL for Clint.
–There’s always a bunch of superhero actors in Times Square.
–Is “coming up with the conversation topics” at dinner a thing people do? Most folks just ad-lib.
–The LARP scene reminds me of the movie Tag. (But a 12-hour battle!?)
–Oh, good, Laura knows; that’s good.
–Only one reason to hide how good of a fencer you are: you’re planning to kill somebody with a sword & don’t want to be suspected.
–Whether Jack did it or not, he goes to his uncle’s house a lot; he’d have butterscotch anyway.
–Hmm, another deaf person.
–Oh, NOW we switch to the fancy end credits, & now they’re about both leads.

#3 “Echoes”:
–Flashback: 2007. Maya’s dad is accidentally right about dragons.
–Hmm, “Uncle” is giving me mad Vincent D’Onofrio vibes.
–Imagine Dragons writes good songs, but the bass is overwhelming. I like covers better.
–Black Widow killed Ronin the same way that Darth Vader killed Anakin Skywalker, in that Clint is lying.
–Echo, you don’t have the right to make the decision about a hearing aid for someone else.
–The oner in the car is spectactular.
–There ain’t a chance in hell that Hank knows Clint has that arrow.
–For people who literally can’t converse right now, they’re very impressively on the same wavelength.
–KEEP THE HANDS IN FRAME WHEN PEOPLE ARE USING SIGN LANGUAGE. Did we learn nothing from Inhumans!?
–The H on the forehead was always dumb.
–Kate, why do you need to sneak into a house you have a key to?
–Credits: Interesting, this appears to be the first D+ MCU show to credit main-cast actors who aren’t in the episode.

#4 “Partners, Am I Right?”:
–Jack is clearly well aware of Clint’s “Sterling” reputation.
–Very meet-the-boyfriend vibes, but minus the romance.
–I’m impressed he could steal the sword from within Jack’s field of vision.
–Wait, so the watch actually *matters*?
–Kate, you’re right, this dance is horrifying.
–My wife loves those premade margaritas.
–“The shot he didn’t take” could’ve also been Thor. Just sayin’.
–Look, Clint, she was gonna find out eventually.
–So Kate’s aunt is an edgelord redditor too?
–I’ve seen those silent alarms before. I’ve always wondered, though, how do they work when the person is asleep?
–Oh no, that bag is gonna get wrecked. 😦
–Hmm, maybe Clint should’ve picked an even *lower* vantage for the zipline?
–Both Clint & Kate should be observant enough to notice that Yelena & Maya fought each other too. Also, screw you, Val.

#5 “Ronin”:
–Flashback: 2018. “This girl looks like a weird mix of Brie Larson & Anna Paquin.” ~my wife, being correct
—Yelena’s POV. (1968, colorized)
–Well, that *could* be a normal adoption….
–A recap AFTER the show already started? That’s bad editing, guys.
–Eleanor helps Kate deal while she thinks her future is Up In The Air.
–I wouldn’t mind a houseguest who cooked dinner. Come to think of it, my mother-in-law does that sometimes; it’s great.
–Yelena speaks from experience about American Christmases.
–Somehow Val’s operation knows who Ronin is, but the people actually after Ronin don’t.
–Oh gosh, is Grills gonna die?
–What does “Christmas in Hollis” have to do with The Royal Tenenbau–HOLY CRAP A SWORDFISH ALMOST WENT THROUGH MY HEAD.
–This is a very Batman kind of a sequence.
–Somebody got her credit cards turned back on.
–You’re a mean one, Mr. Fisk.

#6 “So This Is Christmas?”:
–Eleanor, the last guy to try blackmailing the Kingpin…was Daredevil & it worked. But the guy before that was Owlsley, & he got pushed down an elevator shaft for his trouble.
–Fisk has always kept his operations low-profile, hence the Avengers never taking interest. They don’t go after every random crook…unless someone else drags them into it.
–Clint finally acknowledges Kate’s true grit.
–Kinda cool seeing how the sausage is made.
–The question about Jack now is how *much* of a patsy he is.
–Dear small child, wine ages regardless of whether its owner is in jail.
–Why do elevator doors not have their safety-open feature in fiction?
–Clint knows what I’ve been saying for years: Neckties are dangerous.
–Kate vs Yelena is a fun fight, a rare instance of two people fighting just to slow each other down & not cause any actual harm.
–Are…are you guys going to put on your LARP costumes to better organize people instead of your NYPD & FDNY uniforms?
–It’s a very lucky thing nobody was on the rink.
–“Children shouting”? Little too much adult egg nog there, caption guy?
–Kazi’s right that Maya shouldn’t have gotten into the business. Maya’s right that the audience won’t be upset if she kills Kazi.
–Wilson Fisk & car doors are a dangerous combination.
–Remember, Fisk’s clothes are all armored, though he might have a pretty nasty multiple concussions.
–I think Clint might be okay with Yelena killing him now, because it’s clear that at least she finally believes him.
–Ok, so Jack was *completely* a patsy.
–She can’t hear your “when I was a boy” speech, man.
–He made it!
–So Laura used to be an agent. But how would this watch incriminate her?
–Mid-credit scene: Holy crap, that’s Marc Shaiman & Adam Pascal!

Executive summary: All kinds of fun, & sticks the landing. Hailee Steinfeld is a joy. D’Onofrio brings back the menace. A couple of plot holes, perhaps, but overall my favorite of the D+ shows thus far.

Part 47 – Daredevil season 3

[Originally posted 6/24/20.]

And now, from one hotbed of Catholic influence to another, here’s part 47….

Daredevil season 3:

#3.01 “Resurrection”:
–Holy symbolism, Batman!
–“Several weeks” & “months ago” are drastic understatements. Let’s make this abundantly clear: There is no way *all* of the events of Punisher 1, JJ2, LC2, & IF2 all happened in just “months” after Defenders, & this has to be after them. But let’s say for argument’s sake that those descriptions are correct–even still, Daredevil’s powers do NOT include any kind of enhanced healing or durability; his recovery is gonna be nice & slow even past that point, so you can add a few more months.
–Most of the nuns I’ve known kick butt, & Maggie matches that rule. In fact, the only nun I’ve known who I didn’t like was my spiteful grade-school principal.
–It’s nice seeing how Karen reacted after the end of DD2, but knowing Matt already had to go back on that makes it more bitter than sweet.
–Nothing like a little bit of interfaith harmony. 🙂
–It’s worth noting that *even among Biblical literalists*, the book of Job is considered fiction, a parable, not a historical account like the rest of Bible.
–Matt feels like a failure, but Fisk is sitting in misery in prison.
–You should always filter or boil Neti pot water.
–Matt’s still not at 100%, but getting that clog out helped a TON, just like Maggie said. Probably still wasn’t ready to hit the streets yet, but our mans has developed a death wish.
–If your cards all got declined buying lunch meat, then either you’re bankrupt or you got hacked. Either way, it’s not time to put in a pool.
–Fun fact: Ray’s supervisor is speaking truth; the FBI won’t hire or advance people with bad credit or a lot of debt because of the risk that they’d be open to bribes….so why not give them the appropriate performance-based raises to remove that vulnerability???

#3.02 “Please”:
–Fisk is only talking so he can find a way to get Vanessa home safely, but Nadeem is too desperate to care.
–We never used the word “catechism” when I was growing up.
–“Argumentation is a skill; being argumentative is a sign.” “The burning bush business doesn’t happen very often, even in the Bible.” Spot on, Lantom.
–Nobody would be dumb enough to shank the Kingpin unless he told them to. Fisk wants his luxuries back as well as his financé.
–Matt playing the helpless blind rando instead of the suave lawyer is kinda hilarious.
–Foggy’s mother still wants him to be a butcher, & the whole family is too proud to let their rich lawyer son pay his father’s medical bills.
–Convict, when you are asked a yes or no question, do not answer it with a long, slow speech that does not include the words “yes” or “no”.
–Fisk was actually startled by that explosion; this attack was NOT part of his plan.
–That’s some slick shooting, agent…& some slick throwing. This guy’s gonna be Bullseye.
–Matt’s ears clear up just in time for him to get the worst news of his life.

#3.03 “No Good Deed”:
–Ellison & his wife are sweet.
–Foggy & Marci are sweet too, but Foggy has nightmares about Matt.
–Matt’s hallucination of Fisk is more effective than Mariah’s hallucination of Mabel & Pete, but less effective than Jessica’s hallucination of Kilgrave.
–Matt posing as not-blind rando is kinda hilarious too.
–Tower has a solid point, but he’s still a coward.
–$40 tuna melts!?
–Donovan, you don’t recognize Daredevil?
–Garage fight: It’s no hallway fight, but it’s cool seeing how Matt handles people he actually doesn’t wanna hurt.
–Matt juggling heavy moral issues from a standpoint where God is a given parameter rather than a point of debate is pretty unusual for modern secular TV, & it’s pretty gripping to watch.
–Crud, Dex is gonna try to kill that girl at some point.
–Matt & Foggy’s reunion is painful, especially the robbery.
–Matt’s complete abandonment of his own identity is almost the exact opposite of the regresssion stage of the hero’s journey that Fr. Delgado described last winter.
–“So the Devil is back.” Girls, dry your tears.

#3.04 “Blindsided”:
–Marci has had very little screentime, yet her character arc is very clear & sensible, & she’s pretty freaking cool now.
–NYC DA is a November election; this has to be late October.
–Hopefully, Matt posing as Foggy won’t tank the latter’s campaign…or tank his client’s life.
–Why is Ray so opposed to his son having a sleepover with his cousin?
–The Hindi for “promotion” is “promotion”?
–The blind guy can’t let his pupils be checked.
–Hallway fight 6. I haven’t typed anything for 10 minutes straight. Holy crap.
–If inmates not wanting to finish their food isn’t allowed (JJ2), then guards eating inmates’ food should also not be allowed.
–How is Brett the only detective in the room at a police union meeting?
–Even if Fisk wasn’t grooming you, Dex, he’d still protect the agent who saved his life.

#3.05 “The Perfect Game”:
–Fisk is wrong for the right reason regarding Matt’s eyesight, & is right for the wrong reason regarding Matt’s survival.
–“Gave the DEA [a] very white Christmas.” I get it, drugs.
–Ray is right for the wrong reason regarding Matt having been home, & wrong for the right reason regarding Karen’s discomfort discussing Wesley.
–Karen should’ve recorded her chat with Felix.
–The flashback device while Fisk studies Dex’s transcripts is pretty clever.
–Dex’s doctor was great. A lot of this kind of narcissistic behavior could be nipped in the bud if all parents taught their kids from the time they could talk that they need to care about other people. Shame about her terminal illness. Funnily enough, Mercer’s code for Dex is kinda like Harry’s code for Dexter.
–Whoa, look at you, all asking a girl out normally instead of stalking her! (I’m terrified for her.)
–Whoa, look at Julie, all correctly identifying a dangerous stalker! (I’m even more terrified for her.)
–Karen probably feels pretty relieved to finally be able to tell somebody about Wesley.

#3.06 “The Devil You Know”:
–The Kingpin is back.
–Karen, you & Foggy were targets even before Matt stole Foggy’s ID.
–“I should’ve let you die.” Truer words, Dex.
–Why is *anybody* questioning Dex’s actions during the transport?
–Maggie’s chat with Karen is kinda sweet.
–For once I’m annoyed with Maggie: A business suit should not be required to be deemed “dressing like a normal person.”
–Daredevil is the only person who can make Bullseye miss; that’s one of the reasons he hates DD so much.
–At melee range, Matt utterly dominates Dex, to the point that only the fake-DD body armor keeps that fight from ending immediately; Dex has to spam projectiles to win.
–Ray is a freaking idiot if he thinks the guy who helped CATCH Fisk is working for him.

#3.07 “Aftermath”:
–Maggie acknowledges that there are others who could go after Fisk. (Jessica in particular would be very good at the investigative side.)
–Foggy did his job. Nadeem did not.
–Holy crap, Betsy’s real!? I’d thought she was just Melvin’s imaginary friend or something.
–Well, dang.
–Warden, the only reason you lawyer up in this situation is if YOU were the one who released Evans.
–“I’m full of percoset. Jello. Rage.” We like Ellison.
–Melvin demonstrates why he was called “Gladiator” in the comics.
–Ray gets his first glimpse at exactly how much luxury was returned to Fisk, but in the process gives him time to get back in bed.
–For such a good liar, Fisk is a terrible liar.
–Nice of Matt to follow up with Betsy.
–Not so nice of Karen’s dad to refuse to let her home.
–Ray is finally getting with the program.

#3.08 “Upstairs/Downstairs”:
–Even in the public spaces, I’m still terrified for Julie.
–Both teams of Daredevil & Nadeem and Foggy & Karen have smart, pragmatic plans for going at Fisk.
–Poor Julie. In a show where a hell of a lot of people get killed, this one murder may be the most disturbing. Seeing it through the security camera just makes it worse, like an attempt at alienation that instead had the opposite effect. (Then again, most attempts at intentional alienation have the opposite effect on me; Brecht had no clue what he was talking about.)
–Dangit, Karen, you ruined Christmas.
–Foggy handles himself pretty well until he realizes Karen is out ruining Christmas.
–Ray, you’re an FBI agent; you can get that wound treated at the hospital & just tell them the circumstances are classified.
–Dex pops his collar? Come on, show, we already knew he was evil.
–HOLY CRAP MAGGIE IS MATT’S MOTHER & HE HEARD HER THROUGH THE CHURCH FLOOR OH MY GAAAAA

#3.09 “Revelations”:
–Lantom hustles pool. I love this show.
–Flashback: Maggie & Jack met cute, but she got hit hard with a very un-convent-ional case of PPD.
–Ray, you were 90% of the way right. Just the “unwitting” part was wrong.
–That “Creel vs Murdock” poster is still on the wall of the gym.
–The hallucination of Jack isn’t quite as good as the hallucination of Fisk; Jack isn’t blurred as effectively. The audio effect on both their voices was pretty cool, though.
–“The church has been helping people hide for 2000 years.” Sanctuary, Karen. Sanctuary.
–The Kingpin finally takes his title.
–Foggy’s brother is just dumb as hell.
–The look on Ray’s face when he actually sees Dex throwing, he saw that action in the stairwell.
–Rosalie Carbone remains the only crime lord in New York physically capable of relaxing under pressure.

#3.10 “Karen”:
–Flashback time: It only took us until the 44th episode out of the 48 Karen appears in to find out why she’s like this.
–Ah, so here is the junkie Karen from the comics, except she’s also a dealer, & we already know she’s gonna live through this phase of her life..
–That luge thing is idiotic.
–Entitled small-town cop is entitled.
–Karen’s dad spent money he doesn’t have, her brother screwed up her college admission schedule & committed arson, & her boyfriend tried to kill her brother. But sure, she gets blamed for everything.
–Back in the now, Karen takes refuge in the same room where Matt stayed before.
–Fisk’s techie is also a hostage. I wonder how he forced her into this.
–Fisk has no qualms sending his hitman into a church. Requiescat in pace, Fr. Lantom.
–Once again, Dex only survives this fight by his armor.
–In the comics, Bullseye kills Karen in the church, & Daredevil ends up cradling her body just like Karen is cradling Matt now.

#3.11 “Reunion”:
–Hell of a night for a walk, Sister.
–“Why didn’t you run?” She was running, Matt; that’s why she was in the church!
–Fisk’s speech presumes that none of these people saw his dudes attack that police motorcade & kill a bunch of cops.
–The NYPD has plenty of corruption, but it’s been Fisk-free ever since the end of season 1.
–Don’t screw with nuns, Ray.
–Theo’s argument is garbage.
–Well played, Foggy & Ray.
–Even a selfish jerk like Fisk can admit that even he doesn’t take precedence over the Holocaust. (They may have called themselves “national socialists”, but communism was just a red herring.)
–A jacket is no car door.
–Ray & Matt both kick some butt in the Nadeem household.
–“Obviously, I’m here to help you.” Love it.

#3.12 “One Last Shot”:
–Vanessa has finally rejoined the show, & we finally get to meet Brett’s mom!
–Seema’s rage is fully justified, but ya still gotta feel for Ray a bit.
–“Nelson & Murdock, attorneys at law.” Oh hell yes.
–“We’ll cover it” means “Foggy will cover it,” as Karen & Matt are both nearly broke right now.
–“I don’t even pick up a book in the airport without reading the last page first”. Tower, you suck.
–The buzzing in Dex’s head is gonna boil over soon.
–Vanessa wants in on the action. That’s pretty screwed up.
–In Dex’s desperation to be Fisk’s new best buddy, he’s murdered a Holocaust survivor against Fisk’s wishes & stained the man’s favorite artwork.
–Heh, “Five Senses”.
–Matt & Ray make a really great team.
–Godspeed, Agent Nadeem. For real, though, when did you dig this hole for the pool?

#3.13 “A New Napkin”:
–That split screen was very cool.
–Felix has a very punchable face & voice. Glad somebody’s finally punching him.
–Ray’s an original character, so it was a very pleasant surprise to see how compelling his story was. And God bless him for thinking to record his dying declaration.
–I didn’t expect the hitmen’s bodies to be stashed in the same place as Julie’s…or the hitmen to even be dead.
–Matt’s plan is smart, using Dex as his battering ram to clear a path through the security.
–One of those news articles is about Cybertek, the company that made Deathlok’s parts.
–Daredevil vs Kingpin vs Bullseye. Chills throughout my entire body as the advantages shifted back & forth, as Fisk passed his armored jacket to his wife, as Dex was finally decommissioned, as Vanessa’s painting was truly ruined, as Matt made his ultimate declaration of victory & forced the big man to cave, as Mahoney came in & knew immediately which Daredevil was the real one. Breathtaking.
–The light coming into the crypt full of flowers paints a beautiful picture for Matt & Maggie’s last conversation.
–Matt’s eulogy for Lantom is also lovel–“the man without fear”…I see what you did there.
–This feels conclusive, like a proper series finale, even the tease of Dex’s surgery at the end is just an “& the adventure continues” moment.

Executive summary: Phew. That was truly astounding to watch. I’m just…in awe. The show definitely bounced back from its dip in season 2, but I can’t decide whether this was better than season 1 or not. As ever, Cox & D’onofrio steal the show.

Part 33 – The Defenders

[Originally posted 5/25/20.]

Part 33 overlaps the past couple parts.

The Defenders:

#1 “The H Word”:
–The Immortal Iron Fist, protector of K’un-Lun & sworn enemy of the Hand, just failed at saving a dude from a Cambodian sewer. I truly cannot see his opponent beyond that she’s a woman. Glad he & Colleen found something to do after their backpacking trip fell through.
–The design of the opening with the street grid of Manhattan forming the heroes is very cool-looking, but the song is just kinda there.
–Jumping straight to Jessica’s direct cynicism after having spend so long with Danny’s cryptic goody-goody-ness is a breath of fresh air I didn’t expect it to be.
–Luke’s going home! Looks like Foggy was able to put his new gig to good use.
–Matt kicked some butt in court, but he kicked even more butt with the firsthand advice he gave that kid.
–Danny still isn’t comfortably flying, but it’s still absurd of him to keep thinking K’un-Lun was slaughtered when (a) the only corpses at the gate were Hand, & (b) the city was gonna disappear anyway.
–Sigourney-effing-Weaver is on this show.
–The color scheming is very clever. It’s all very natural, mostly through practical light/costume/set design moreso than exposure tricks.
–Fun fact: If you don’t want a PI to do something, don’t tell them not to do it.
–Well, dang. Claire really wanted that coffee.
–The whole crew is here: Claire, Foggy, Karen, Lantom, Trish, Malcolm, Misty, Colleen, Gao….
–Matt’s went to confession twice in 5 days? My parish only even offers it once a week.
–I don’t wanna be around the person who scares Madame Gao.
–$24 in 1700 is equivalent to $1500 today. Minuit was still a crook, but let’s not act like inflation isn’t a thing.
–There is a faultline through Manhattan, but it shouldn’t be causing this–holy crap, it’s Elektra.

#2 “Mean Right Hook”:
–Weirdly, this Daredevil sequence is flashing between red & green.
–The Hand has its…hands in Trish’s station.
–A licensed PI who calls the cops about a bunch of explosives she found, has a reasonable story about finding them, and stays until the cops arrive definitely is not involved with the explosives. Misty certainly knows that, & if she’d gotten to the scene sooner, she could’ve questioned Jess quickly instead of Officer Lunkhead.
–Colleen, your contact sent you back to New York because the Hand are here. Danny, you’re making progress against the Hand because you left your post.
–Whoever wrote the line “We’ve never encountered a wall before” should be fired.
–Hogarth might actually be thinking in Jess’s interests for once. She’s not connected to the Raymond case, so it can’t be her usual self-preservation.
–Turk saw Luke & took a long look at his life to wonder how he got here.
–White Hat is not a White Hat.
–How do you know that’s a picture of K’un-Lun, Danny? There are no distinctive features.
–Luke has a very different reaction to “Who are you?” than T’Challa does. Iron Fist, meet Iron Jaw.
–So this is how Foggy keeps the firm distant from Jessica, by sending Matt.

#3 “Worst Behavior”:
–Alexandra, it’s been a long time gone, Constantinople.
–“Months ago.” Elektra died just before Christmas 2015, so it’s spring or summer 2016 now, overlapping the Hive arc, Civil War, & Black Panther.
–So that’s why Ellen Ripley is worried about dying of cancer; they used the last of the resurrection potion on Elektra. We saw both Nobu & Harold bounce back from fatal injuries without the secret sauce, so each dose must last for at least a couple rounds.
–What the hell is a Black Sky?
–Stick pulls a Deadpool, but his hand won’t grow back.
–“I’m the Immortal Iron Fist.”
–Claire’s proving her worth as the glue binding these shows together.
–Hi, photo of Stan as Forbush Man!
–Jess couldn’t just jump back that far without drawing attention; she would have to have hovered just slightly off the ground.
–Luke & Danny are talking past each other. What Danny needs to understand is that the Hand doesn’t tell everyone they employ what they do & that the people at the bottom can’t fight him back, & what Luke needs to understand is that most of the Hand is NOT “at the bottom” & that Danny’s connections & money don’t work on a cult that cares about nothing but their own lives.
–The sitting balls ARE dumb, Jess, you’re right.
–“There’s a box in here, but it’s too high up for me.” Cole, you clever boy; rest in peace, sir. Mrs. Miller perfectly illustrates why you can’t just leave people like the Hand alone; even though on the surface, they just wanna live, but they do it by destroying other people who also just wanna live & weren’t hurting them, weren’t even in their way, but were just related to somebody who just maybe might’ve someday said something slightly off. Kinda like Killmonger’s plan to slaughter children.
–“I am the Immortal Iron Fist, weapon of K’un-Lun.”
–Danny opens this fight very cleverly, using the darts against their own shooters. And then it becomes a Daredevil hallway fight, so that’s always nice. Only took 3 full episodes, but the Defenders are finally in the same place.

#4 “Royal Dragon”:
–Jess & Luke reuniting makes me very happy.
–“I’m the Immortal Iron Fist, sworn protector of K’un-Lun.”
–Somebody who lives in Hell’s Kitchen & sees a guy in a mask moving like that can tell he’s Daredevil without being a PI.
–What the hell is a Black Sky?
–The colors are blending now.
–I am getting really tired of characters with superpowers refusing to believe characters with other superpowers exist.
–If Warden Walker was sneaking up on you, she wouldn’t have worn such loud shoes.
–“We serve life itself” by desperately hogging as much of it as you can while depriving others of theirs.
–Oh, Elektra really wants those sai back.
–“Because this one, the Immortal Iron Fist, living weapon, & protector of the ancient city…is still a thundering dumbass.” Love you, Stick.
–The more I learn of K’un-Lun, the less “heavenly” it seems. The elders taught Danny (& apparently also Bakuto) absolutely nothing about the Hand except to keep them out of the city at the expense of the rest of the world.
–Earlier, Dana Barrett said Elektra was “more powerful that you can imagine.” But I dunno, I can imagine how powerful a car is. Nice shot, Jessica.
–Most of this episode is just arguing or fighting in a restaurant, yet it’s so good!

#5 “Take Shelter”:
–Gao, Sowande, & Murakami’s entrances are really cool.
–What the hell is a Black Sky?
–Sowande overestimated the advantage of a truck hitting Luke.
–“Do as I say or I’ll kill you. I love you!” ~Gwen DeMarco to Elektra
–Everyone mocking Danny for K’un-Lun being destroyed is gonna feel really silly in 15 years when the city reappears.
–Crap, Bakuto’s back. Not “crap” because I thought he was dead; it was obviously that he’d come back. “Crap” because that means I gotta hear him talk more now.
–HOW DID BAKUTO VANISH WHEN LUKE WAS LOOKING DIRECTLY AT HIM?
–Karen doesn’t get it; she’s on the Hand’s crap-list anyway, regardless of what’s happening now.
–Stick makes a Toph-quality blind joke.
–Foggy doesn’t get it; Matt didn’t seek this out & genuinely wants not to be involved with it. (Also it’s technically Foggy’s fault that Matt got dragged into it.)
–Misty thinks it’s “weird” to own a family heirloom just because it’s a sword?
–“Cut off a finger, you can still use your hand” is (a) true, (b) directly contradictory to what Danny thought about the Hand before, & (c) pretty cool-sounding, even from a guy getting choked out.
–I love that the Hand has absolutely no worries about the Iron Fist, the weapon specifically tasked with destroying them, but they are openly TERRIFIED of Daredevil.
–Translator, Murakami did not say “Elektra Natchios.” Proper names don’t translate.
–“Can be killed” is not the same thing as “expendable”, Working Girl.
–Sowande is certainly the most interesting of the 3 new vill–and he’s dead.

#6 “Ashes, Ashes”:
–Immortality is like a record skipping. It’s not supposed to happen, & it prevents what’s supposed to happen next.
–So maybe that’s why the elders had the past Iron Fists just hang around the gate all the time instead of actually hunting the Hand, because they knew he could be used to unlock something for them? But then, if that was the case, surely they would’ve been smart enough to TELL HIM THAT.
–Daredevil vs. Iron Fist is hilariously one-sided.
–You can tell Elektra is dreaming because Matt is making poper eye contact.
–What the hell is a Black Sky?
–Gao is still her scheming self. That’s comforting.
–Locking Danny in time out is the smartest thing the Defenders have done.
–“You & I belong out there together on the front lines.” Solid Heroes for Hire reference.
–Jessica looked into Battling Jack. Nice.
–The Hand keeps saying Daredevil “let” Elektra die, but he didn’t.
–Sigourney’s delivering all her lines as if she was talking to a toddler. I don’t get it; she’s never talked like that before.
–Matt learned to play the Defenders theme song in church?
–Stick screwed himself over; the knockout incense kept Danny from being able to fight Elektra & save him. The Chaste are gone; only the Defenders remain.
–Finally somebody confirms that K’un-Lun isn’t destroyed….& then dies. Alexandra was billed as the primary villain of this story, & there are now 2 episodes left she won’t be in.

#7 “Fish in the Jailhouse”:
–Remember, just because Stick was one of the good guys doesn’t mean he was always right. Vice versa, just because he was wrong sometimes doens’t mean he was one of the bad guys.
–Crap, Stick never finished getting rid of Sowande’s bodies?
–Matt is a lawyer known to be working Jessica’s case & there was nothing on the scene to implicate him or identify him as Daredevil, so he gets special privileges in the station, but Misty isn’t stupid.
–“I did everything I could to avoid people with abilities.” The writer of this episode did not watch LC1 or IF1; she explicitly said there that she wanted to keep working with powered people & demanded to be involved with them.
–“Last I heard, they still have legal rights.” At least a few; we’ll see how the Accords affect that moving forward.
–KAREN, THERE IS A CULT OF NINJA ZOMBIES TRYING TO IMPLODE THE ISLAND. LET THE SUPERS DO THEIR WORK. Even Foggy gets that, & he actually has something to lose if Matt’s found out.
–Misty’s CO is a freaking douchebag.
–“I […] protect K’un-Lun & destroy the Hand.”
–Metal Gear Wing.
–AKA High-Functioning Alcoholism.
–It’s hilarious that Gao has to fight Luke because she’s the only one of the 3 remaining Hand leaders who can do anything to him. Luke & Jess tag-teaming her is pretty cool, too, as is Daredevil holding off both Bakuto & Murakami long enough for Colleen to arrive.
–Meanwhile, at the bottom of a giant hole, Danny fails to understand that he’s being baited.
–At least Misty has finally gotten with the program.
–“These people aren’t really alive.” Marvel Zombies confirmed.
–It’s too dark to really tell what I’m looking at other than just “some bones.”

#8 “The Defenders”:
–Stop title-tracking episodes, Marvel; it’s very disorienting.
–Luke stipulates that no innocent people get hurt, but Matt already confirmed there’s no innocent people in the building *to* hurt.
–So the Hand’s “substance” is dragon bones, but as we’ve seen, they have to mix it with human blood to make the resurrection roux.
–“The unyielding woman” is a very awkward nickname for Jess.
–The captain is a moron; Luke & Jess couldn’t have stolen the C4 because that didn’t happen until after they’d escaped the station.
–The two journalists comparing notes is actually pretty interesting, especially because for once Karen isn’t being the worst.
–“The epicenter.” “Of what?” OF THE EARTHQUAKE, GENIUS.
–I’m about 70% sure Mike Colter ad-libbed “I’m not hugging you” & they just kept it because it was so good.
–Colleen, this isn’t the moment for a nurses-are-heroes-too speech.
–“Did you simply follow?” Shut up, Bakuto. They told her NOT to come.
–Danny & Gao both seem to forget that Shao-Lou grows back. Danny’s dumber, though, because he should realize Shou-Lou is physically somewhere else right now.
–“Tell me something I don’t know.” Danny proceeds to repeat the thing he said that Luke already knows.
–More Wu-Tang. “Protect Ya Neck” has a lyric about Spider-Man in it, but Spider-Man is active in the MCU by this point, so it actually works.
–Never has dismemberment been such good news. Don’t worry, Misty, things are gonna get awesome for you.
–Colleen lathes Bakuto’s throat, & I’m happy that his destroyed larynx means I’ll never have to hear him speak again. Then she kills him.
–An elevator should not be slower than literally climbing the scaffolding.
–What the hell is a Black Sky?
–Jessica flies up to catch the elevator.
–Each lightsaber duel in the original Star Wars trilogy is a philosophical argument. Matt & Elektra are having a fight like that right now.
–Sowande, Alexandra, & Bakuto have been decapitated. Murakami is impaled, but without the bone broth, he ain’t coming back. Gao is just walking around uninjured, though.
–Ah, that explains the red & green lights before; it was foreshadowing.
–We’re not getting Danielle Cage anytime soon, are we?
–Stinger: Oh my gosh, Karen & Foggy were so close.

Executive summary: The good news was that the IF1 team didn’t make this. Leaning into Danny’s reputation for being dumb helped make his character more tolerable. And there are a whole bunch of genuinely cool & enjoyable things in here. The bad news was the DD2 team did make this. The Hand is just so dull, & the writers here don’t have Whedon’s wit to make all the introductions & get-to-know-yous sound natural. Three new major characters were introduced, & two of them were basically blank slates.

Part 25 – Daredevil season 2

[Originally posted 5/9/20.]

We now enter a brief interlude of darn-near 4 full TV seasons before the next phase of films begins.

Daredevil season 2:

#2.01 “Bang”:
–Something something Father’s house den of thieves.
–Mr. Delfino is smiling very proudly for his dog.
–I first saw Nelson & Murdock being paid in food in the 2003 movie. Glad to see they didn’t leave that out here.
–Well, bang.
–That’s a good question; where IS his hand?
–The Dogs of Hell got hit too? Oof, so much for Rooster’s crew.
–Karen Page is much better at improvising than Jemma Simmons is.
–Oh, look, it’s Turk.
–The “Dogs of Hell” sign is hilarious.
–Daredevil is infiltrating the place where they make Soylent Green.
–Oh, wow, it’s the Punisher.
–What was up with that color shift when Matt stood up? It was kinda cool.
–Well, bang.

#2.02 “Dogs to a Gunfight”:
–I would hate to live in a building with anyone dumb enough to fall for “I lost my keys.”
–Reyes is back, & she’s still a jackhole. Foggy handles her beautifully, though.
–Hi, photo of Stan as Forbush Man!
–When you’ve sold a guy your security tape & your security gun & he has shown no interest in your porn, do not stop him on his way out to offer him kiddie porn.
–Matt’s spending this episode living through what’s probably been his worst nightmare since the car accident.
–Reyes, lying to defense counsel is never the right move.
–That’s some Cap-style stuff with the baton.
–They keep saying “war zone”, & it’s gotta be a reference to that crappy movie.

#2.03 “New York’s Finest”:
–In Karen’s words to Reyes, I’m reminded of Betty’s words to Thunderbolt Ross, “You made him a fugitive to cover your failures & to protect your career.” Reyes is threatening to make Nelson & Murdock a patsy to cover her failures & to protect her career.
–“‘You’re one bad day away from being me.’ ~Joker to Batman” ~Punisher to Daredevil
–Claire’s life hasn’t been great lately, but Foggy’s helping.
–Most of this episode is Matt & Frank arguing on a roof about philosophy & methodology. And it’s one of the best dang episodes of this series.
–Hallway fight 2. Matt’s whipping that chain around like he’s Ghost Rider or something. (Wouldn’t an MCU Ghost Rider be a hoot, though?)

#2.04 “Penny & Dime”:
–This Finn guy is as much a nutter as Frank is. At least he didn’t kill the dog.
–Lantom’s back with a deeply honest eulogy for an audience of 3 about Grotto.
–At least Tower is aware that his boss is a crapstain of a person.
–Frank’s shot in the head like he’s Ghost Rider or something. (I wonder if they’d ever actually do that?)
–So this carousel is where it happened, eh? That’s messed up. Gangs don’t usually like to throw down in places like that. Frank must’ve been really lost in his memories to be snuck up on like he was.
–We did NOT need that closeup on the foot.
–The penny-&-dime thing is a children’s book!? I thought it was some Marine slogan or something.
–These idiots fell for the old booby-trapped money trick.
–Matt gaining Frank’s respect & Frank pouring his heart out to the Devil is a great emotional beat.
–“I think we’ve had enough Punisher for one evening” is right; I need to go to bed after this one & resume tomorrow. But what are the next 9 episodes supposed to be about?
–Wow, there’s gonna be a little somethin’-somethin’ going on with Matt & Karen n–HOLY CRAP ELEKTRA IS HERE.

#2.05 “Kinbaku”:
–Those leftovers get thrown away anyhow; they can’t be resealed. The money is already lost. So I truly don’t understand what the problem is with someone else eating it.
–Elektra is the most English Greek person I’ve ever seen.
–Somebody with less-refined hearing than Matt would’ve heard “electric nachos.”
–Foggy really needs to start recording all his conversations with anyone from Reyes’s office.
–Well, dang. That’s quite the…knockout.
–That Roxxon dude’s arrogance offends ME, & I’m not there.
–Ellison is much more reasonable than he used to be. Of course, back issues should be easy enough to come by.
–Marci comes through with Reyes’s motive. She’s working with Hogarth now?
–This is a very awkward date. Now, am I talking about Matt & Karen now, or Matt & Elektra in the flashback?
–They say those Murdock boys got the devil in ’em.

#2.06 “Regrets Only”:
–NINJA GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES!
–Roxxon has had ties to crime since at least the 1940s, & the false Mandarin exposed some of those crimes just a few years before this. You knew, Elektra.
–I feel bad for little Roth here. Thankfully Matt & Foggy were easy on him.
–Reyes seems to feel invincible. This is gonna bite her in the butt.
–Frank has some kind of special connection to Karen, & I wanna figure out what it is.
–It’s still very bright in that bathroom for the power being out.
–Just realized, this episode is the first time Frank has eyes upon Reyes. No wonder he changed his plea.
–What’s with the string on the guards’ fingers?
–That “starts next week” announcement would be a lot more poignant if this show ran weekly.

#2.07 “Semper Fidelis”:
–So, none of these people are gonna be approved for the jury, right?
–Frank raises a very good point about the stigma against veterans with PTSD.
–Elektra is gonna completely wreck Matt’s preparation for every stage of this case.
–Karen has a moment like she’s describing. That’s the connection she shares with Frank.
–I don’t like sand. It’s all shapeless & rough & train car filling. And it muffles the sound of approaching footsteps.
–Foggy pulled that the hell out of his butt, & he was amazing.
–Karen is not as good at defending Frank as Frank is.
–Why the hell would the jury be cleared out so quickly just because a witness is slightly upset?
–Foggy’s anger with Matt is justified. Matt’s anger with Elektra is justified. For once, though, nobody’s anger with Karen is justified.
–This is quite a plot hole.

#2.08 “Guilty as Sin”:
–Faceless ninja horde fight in the dark #1.
–Madness? This…is…STICK!!!
–Colonel Eugene Krabs for the defense.
–Schoonover was shot in the arm, but Reyes just shot herself in the foot.
–What the hell is a Black Sky?
–Dat skull tho.
–I never understood how “I instruct you not to let that influence your opinions” is supposed to work. Obviously it’s gonna; everything everyone experiences influences their opinions.
–Stick, you let her see that on purpose, you jerk.
–Those signs should not be allowed in the courtroom; they influence the jury as much as that kid shouting did.
–Why does Castle have to be brought in? Why did proceedings begin before he was in there?
–Matt, why.
–That’ll teach that kid not to join the evil ninja cult.
–None of them understand. He’s not locked up in there with them. They’re locked up in there with him.
–Ok, maybe one of them understands. Hello, fatty.

#2.09 “Seven Minutes in Heaven”:
–Fisk has been busy in here.
–Dutton seems very…generic.
–Matt, all you have to do is tell Karen you weren’t sleeping with Elektra.
–Matt & Foggy breaking up hurts more than any of the romantic relationships on this show.
–How are neither Karen nor Ellison noticing there’s a car pulling up behind Tepper’s window!?
–Fisk just made a very dangerous enemy.
–Hallway fight 3. I had to look away a couple times.
–The shield drumming is so stupid.
–So is Karen just a reporter now? She just gets Ben’s old office? Ben didn’t know he was gonna die; did he just give Karen his password?
–The Kingpin finally claims his title.
–What the crap; it’s Nobu?

#2.10 “The Man in the Box”:
–This crap with the blood-draining is horrifying. It’s not even gory or hard to look at; it’s just so psychologically screwed-up.
–Reyes was corrupt, but Tower is a coward.
–Donovan, blindness is not unusual enough to be addressed that way.
–Crap, Fisk knows. Matt let him get too close & threatened him too similarly to before.
–A bar in a hangar? That’s just tacky.
–Sometimes overcoming latent sexism means continuing to protect a woman because you realize you should’ve also protected a man in the past, not refusing to protect a woman to match the mistake you made not protecting a man in the past.
–“Punished”, the fire new album from MC Foggy & the Night Nurse!
–I learned the term “hair shirt” from a Barenaked Ladies song.
–Cox’s accent is slipping as badly as Matt’s emotional stability is.
–Frank makes a strong case for his innocence by not being the one shooting at Karen right now.
–Elektra tries the Black Widow move, but it didn’t work. Luckily she found another way to cut the dude down to sais.

#2.11 “.380”:
–Faceless ninja horde fight in the dark #2. (Gotta admit, this one’s a little more memorable because that nurse got murderstabbed.)
–Fun fact: The Foot from TMNT were conceived as a parody of generic ninja villains like the Hand.
–Karen making things worse #52837.
–“We’ll be just outside.” *leaves the hotel entirely*
–Chicks dig battle scars, Foggy.
–Gotta say, Gao again is a surprise; is she Hand too? Two of Fisk’s branches?
–Looks like those two dishes… *shades* …just got served. YEEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!!
–“What made you think I ever left?” …You said you were leaving.
–Claire makes quitting look smart. It isn’t, but she makes it look like it is.
–Well, bang.
–Stick is normally a joy to watch, but this sword-sharpening scene is just a bore.

#2.12 “The Dark at the End of the Tunnel”:
–Baby Elektra is actually kind of an adorable widdle psychopath.
–Faceless ninja horde fight in the dark #3.
–Brett: “It’s over. Frank Castle’s a dead man.” Narrator: “Frank Castle was not a dead man.”
–Karen just got hired & she gets the veteran investigative reporter’s office. The rest of this staff is gonna hate her.
–Faceless ninja horde fight in the dark #4.
–This is just like in Carnivale when Clancy Brown was revealed to be the villain all along!
–Faceless ninja horde fight in the dark #5.
–Stick giving advice was clever, but do we have to watch fingernail torture again?
–Matt’s the boxer’s kid, but clearly Stick is a fan of Mike Tyson.
–What the hell is a Black Sky?
–These flashbacks to Elektra’s youth with Stick are a real Sucker Punch.
–Faceless ninja horde fight in the dark #6.
–Punisher wins. Fatality.
–Faceless ninja horde fight in the dark #7.

#2.13 “A Cold Day in Hell’s Kitchen”:
–What the hell is a Black Sky?
–Matt’s making a very strong case against killing cult leaders.
–Hmm, not sure if Hogarth is a healthy jump for Foggy, but at least he’s gonna get paid what he’s worth for a change.
–Melvin, mah man.
–God bless you, Turk.
–Relying on Nobu for this plotline, the member of Fisk’s ring who mattered the least & had no personality, was a mistake.
–Faceless ninja horde fight in the dark #8.
–Realistic helmet hair is a nice change of pace compared to most other superhero things.
–Madrid & Tunisia are both south of NYC, Matt.
–Faceless ninja horde fight in–wait, no, this one actually matters. Poor Elektra. Dat skull tho. Finish him, Stick.
–This season started in a heat wave, didn’t it? And now there’s snow. This all took quite a while.
–Don’t print beat poetry in a newspaper, Karen.
–Karen sucks, but she deserves the truth, finally.

Executive summary: Elodie Yung does a fantastic job as Elektra, & absolutely everything about the Punisher plotline was amazing (except Karen being herself). But the Hand stuff slogged, in part because Nobu is a big bunch of nothing, in part because there were 137 faceless ninja horde fights in the dark, & in part because what the hell is a Black Sky?

Part 17 – Daredevil season 1

[Originally posted 4/29/20.]

Oh yeah, I probably should mentioned that I’m linking to these posts from Grand High Productions’ FB & TW, as well as the relevant MCU subreddits. Probably not getting a ton of clickthrough on that, but just in case anyone looking at stats was wondering.
Anyway, it’s Netflix time.

Daredevil season 1:

#1.01 “Into the Ring”:
–Same origin story as Affleck, same confessional opening too.
–That first fight is different, though.
–The blood-soaked credits are somethin’.
–“The Incident” is going to be ongoing Netflix terminology for the Battle of New York. It’s a bit irksome, but we’ll roll with it.
–I hope that dude’s daughter doesn’t get killed because he failed at killing Karen.
–The Legion of Doom here is definitely something.
–I’m surprised Matt can sleep without a sensory-deprivation chamber.
–Karen is already proving herself to be just the worst.
–“Creel vs Murdock”? This must’ve been where his dad trained too.
–An optimistic start undercut by a depressing epilogue. The work is not done.

#1.02 “Cut Man”:
–This is just like when Roger met Mimi, kinda, sorta, a little bit.
–My dad did the same thing for me once; a sip of beer at age 5 put me off of alcohol for life.
–I can’t tell if Claire is oblivious or just in denial.
–Foggy & Karen’s night out is charming, but kinda irrelevant. Josie seems cool, though.
–Tequila comes with a worm, you idiots, not an eel.
–Wait, St. Agnes? Skye went through there!
–Holy crap, Claire went from denial to devious way too fast.
–Godspeed, Jack.
–The hallway fight. Accept no substitutes.
–A-plot was flawless; B-plot a complete waste of time.

#1.03 “Rabbit in a Snowstorm”:
–What a great way to ruin a perfectly good bowling alley.
–If Healy here thinks revolvers never jam, he’s never fired a Nerf Maverick.
–Villager f-smash.
–Our new mysterious kingpin lacks the honor of the mafia, & that is not a compliment to the mafia.
–I don’t think they’re on to Matt; I think they really do wanna put them on legal retainer.
–Karen could easily argue in court that the file being stolen from her does not at all constitute her disclosing anything.
–Why go through the trouble of recruiting clean lawyers & keeping them uncompromised if you’re gonna rig the jury anyway?
–Foggy’s opening statement was good, but Matt’s closing is a work of art.
–“…the judgement is yours & yours alone.” You won 2 pendants in the Temple Games; who’s going first?
–Cutting BACK to the head spike was completely unnecessary.
–No wonder Fisk understands the intricacies of law so well; he used to be Det. Bobby Goren.
–Cool to see some serious legalism.

#1.04 “In the Blood”:
–Origin story for Generic Russian Criminal Brothers?
–Ok, Gao makes drugs, the Russians distribute the drugs, Leland handles the money, & Fisk coordinates everyone. What does Nobu do?
–“Stranger things, right?” Ben cross-promotes other Netflix shows.
–The Russian for “three” is “three”?
–An ephinedrine shot to make Malcolm Reynolds proud.
–He’s moving like a bug wearing an Edgar Wilson suit.
–Wait, it’s really called “Rabbit in a Snowstorm”?
–“Don’t children have that at birthday parties?” So?
–The car door decapitation. Accept no sub…oh, gosh, I’m gonna be sick.
–Now we really get to meet Wilson Fisk, & he’s a mercurial terror.

#1.05 “World on Fire”:
–How ’bout yours? That’s the way I like it & I’ll never get bored.
–“Vladimir” is a common name, Claire.
–Wesley is playing very smart.
–This car cam is giving me chills. Poor delivery guy.
–What. Dirty cops. No way. Perish the thought. How unrealistic.
–Foggy gets a win without being overshadowed by Matt.
–Turk is, as ever, the wrench in the works.
–Fisk makes a lot of speeches about improving the city, but it’s all vague grandiose blather that screams “supervillain.” Vanessa, who claims to already know what kind of business he’s in, must have some kind of issue to want to stay with him.
–Poor other delivery guys.
–It’s a trap!
–Lots of plot progression here, very exciting.

#1.06 “Condemned”:
–Playing cards for an investigation is legit, but I’ve seen it before, not just in fiction but in reality.
–Vladimir has a very poor understanding of his situation.
–The police may be corrupt, but if there were just a bunch of virusesexplosions outside, I’d be fine with them telling me to stay in.
–“This isn’t a movie.” ~a TV character technically telling the truth
–Leaving the bullet in is the right move for sure. Botched removals killed Presidents Garfield & McKinley. Teddy knew this & told the doctors to leave his slug in because of it.
–“Part of something bigger”? That was Fury’s recruitment speech to Coulson & Garrett!
–Fisk’s threat is really obviously gonna be a self-fulfilling prophesy.
–Killing your own guy who didn’t even screw up? That’s cold-blooded, Gomer Pyle.
–Vladimir goes out really well.
–A powerful bottle episode.

#1.07 “Stick”:
–What the hell is a Black Sky?
–Good Mets burn.
–How is Leland of all people the first person to face Daredevil & come out unscathed?
–Gotta say, I’m liking Stick right away.
–Didn’t Matt say he got a discount on this apartment?
–Urich is trying to teach Karen a lot of useful things that she isn’t really taking seriously & one useless thing that she is.
–Good mace burn. Props to the Fogg Machine, too.
–Come on, Matt came from the same direction those guards were facing.
–How is Matt gonna explain all this mess?
–Aw, he kept it!
–A twisted tale of complicated relationships with mentors.

#1.08 “Shadows in the Glass”:
–Why even own that many cufflinks if you’re never gonna wear–WAIT WHAT.
–Daredevil screwed up with Blake. He almost certainly didn’t get much info, & now he’s accused of even more crimes.
–Wesley’s face when Fisk starts speaking Mandarin.
–Fisk’s dealings with Gao stand in start contrast to his dealings with everyone else.
–Papa Fisk is (was) a real piece of work. That may be the only person Wilson ever killed who deserved it.
–But seriously, what’s the point of a tiny sprinkle of scallion that’s just gonna fall off anyway? Cook that stuff into the omelet!
–How do you get people to come to your press conference when they’ve never heard of you?
–This was Fisk’s episode, & boy did he make the most of it.

#1.09 “Speak of the Devil”:
–Fr. Lantom’s speech on the Devil is really good.
–Explicit mention of Captain America. Take that, people who claim there are no direct mentions of movie stuff on these shows.
–So this is the episode where Nobu actually matters?
–Poor Mrs. Cardenas.
–Nobu used Selfdestruct! It’s not very effective…
–Heh, “baited the hook”. Nobu was using a giant hook.
–We’re really going deep into the philosophy on this one, & I’m deeply enjoying it.

#1.10 “Nelson v. Murdock”:
–In the sense that his eyes do not function anymore, yes, Matt is blind.
–Don’t let “Hey Soul Sister” deceive you; Train is actually a really tight country-rock band.
–Foggy oughta give Matt a slapshot over this. Or they might become Bash Brothers. Heck, Matt’s been out there in hockey pads.
–Oof, Mrs. Urich is slippin’ same as Peggy.
–Nelson & Murdock, Avocados at Law.
–Greek girl? Hmm.
–Daredevil hasn’t been half as effective against Fisk’s inner circle as Fisk has been himself, & Owlsley recognize this.
–Roxxon again?
–Is that the same actress as Mama Fisk?
–Oh, right, the poison. The poison for KuzcoVanessa. The poison chosen especially to kill KuzcoVanessa. Kuzco’sVanessa’s poison.
–This was the confrontation we were waiting for all along.

#1.11 “The Path of the Righteous”:
–Why is Foggy in Marci’s bed exactly?
–“I’ll always be there…” …just not for the next few weeks when I’ll be out of town like I already said.
–Wesley is one hell of a good consigliere, but Lantom is an even better counselor.
–Crap, did Karen just get herself & Ben killed?
–Brought to you by Yoo-Hoo chocolate-based fluid.
–Did…did Matt just read the closed-captioning to figure out Melvin’s name?
–Wesley did not play this one smart. See ya!
–There had to be a tipping point eventually; here it is.

#1.12 “The Ones We Leave Behind”:
–Dream Kingpin is far more even-tempered than the real thing.
–Foggy thinks he’s helping, bless his heart.
–Both Karen’s scheme & Fisk’s operation are starting to unravel.
–Sure, it’s easy to keep up with a car in a city where the traffic is too thick to ever drive fast & buildings are close enough together to run across the tops of.
–The sad thing is, I don’t think Ellison even is on the take. He’s just that much of a jerk.
–Gao’s operation is the most disturbing thing on this show, & that includes that time with the car door.
–Gao used Force Palm! It’s super effective!
–Brett, finally, a cop on this show Matt can trust.
–Leland did it!?
–Dangit, Karen, you did get Ben killed. At least he wasn’t careless enough to get you killed too.
–This episode went poorly for everybody, good or bad.

#1.13 “Daredevil”:
–Lazy episode title is lazy.
–Hi, photo of Stan as Forbush Man!
–Leland has no poker face & poor self-preservation instincts.
–It’s really comforting to see Matt & Foggy reconcile after all this mess. That moreso than anything else is what’s inspiring hope of a happy ending.
–If you told me 7 episodes ago that Hoffman was gonna be the key to the whole thing, I would’ve said “who?”
–Fisk, unless they let you get married before trial, proposing to Vanessa as you get arrested ain’t gonna do jack crap do protect either of you.
–WHiH is broadcasting a live firefight? What slease!
–“15 minutes to the drop.” 15 seconds would’ve been closer.
–Dat devil suit tho.
–What the Kingpin fails to understand is that it’s possible to improve things without killing lots of people or trafficking slaves & heroin.

Executive summary: A genuine masterpiece. Daredevil’s best comic stories have always been told through a layer of grit, & this captured it well. All due respect to Michael Clarke Duncan, but the cast here is just magnificent.