THE FLASH 7.5

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.5:  "Fear Me"  

It's something we ALL have....something we deal with every single day:  Fear.  Fear is a hell of a motivator, and it's also paralyzing.  And it's the latter part that Team Flash deals with this week, as they face yet a new villain who has the power to make you live out your worst fears.  As they try to figure out how to stop the giant monster they saw last week, and dealing with the death of Abra Kadabra...this new villain arrives and immediately makes trouble for everyone involved.  Plus, we get a mysterious woman from the State Logistics Department looking to talk to Joe this week, and she's piqued Iris' interest.  And then....there's the issue with the two separate personalities that are Caitlin and Frost.  

Barry is a man with a relentless desire to find out who this new monster is, WHY it was able to absorb his lightning, and what it's purpose is.  As much as Iris tries to get him to take a break, he feels he can't.  Barry is tormented this entire episode, and this new villain---Psych---exploits his fears.  First, Psych makes Flash confront both Reverse-Flash AND Savitar.  As much as Flash says he has no fear, it's Savitar that stabs him in this nightmare....only for him to snap out of it and actually be wounded.  When he, Frost, and Cisco try to stop Psych again using the mental dampeners they had against Grodd a long while back.  Those turned out to be useless, as Psyche was able to break through them, and zap the trio and make them relive their worst fears.  Frost--now separated from Caitlin--fears that she's been turned into the police for her past crimes....only to find out Caitlin was a turncoat.  Cisco's fears surround Kamilla and losing her.  But Flash's fears are the worst:  losing EVERYONE, and not being fast enough, nor good enough, to stop Psych from killing them.  

Barry doesn't want to share his nightmares, but Cecile---who was the first to feel the effects of Psych's powers when she herself had a nightmare about not being able to control her powers, tries to get Barry to open up.  She expresses HER fears, and she also lets him know that while he HAS fear, he runs towards it.  That when SHE is afraid...she wonders what HE will do.  He's worried about the Speed Force...which has returned in the form of his mother Nora, but the Force is in trouble.  It's weak, and it appears that BOTH the monster....whom Cisco dubbed Fuerza...and Psych---are a like the Speed Force...as she/it said--they're connected.  The only way Barry believes that they can stop Psych is for Cecile to connect to The Thinker's chair, and expand her powers to be able to counteract Psych's.  It works, and allows Team Flash to win, by having Psych dissipate.  But how the Speed Force is connected to Fuerza and Psych is still a mystery.  As for Cecile...she got to fully expand her powers, and managed to fight through her own fears, and did it with flying colors.  As for Barry, however, he got overwhelmed by the powers that hurt the Speed Force.  He puts himself in the bio-chamber to heal, but whatever is happening to the Speed Force is connected to Psych and Fuerza.  

The other storyline running through this week's installment was with Caitlin and Frost.  Cicsco was looking for a way to help merge the two back together, and ended up modifying the Firestorm Matrix, and was setting it to charge to use later.  However, Frost wasn't thrilled about the fact that everyone---Caitlin included---was so quick to get the two merged back together, that she smashed the Matrix to prevent that from happening.  In dealing with HER fear, she actually talked to Caitlin about it her nightmare, where Caitlin turned her into the police.  Caitlin said she would never do that....Frost is her sister, and she needs her.  At the end, Caitlin says that she can use a roommate, and that it would allow her and Frost to still be connected, while in separate bodies.  

However, things are about to get worse for Frost, as a new character hits the Central City canvas.  This Logistics Expert sent down by the Governor wasn't very forthcoming about her arrival at first, which set off Iris' alarms, urging her father to dig into her background.  Once Iris tells him that she has a military past, and that's been mostly redacted.  This expert...named Kramer...coughs up her reason for being in Central City once Joe corners her.  It turns out, she's looking to arrest Frost.  This is definitely going to create some SERIOUS problems for Joe, the CCPD, quite possibly Singh, and the Flash down the road.  

The first few episodes of this season have dealt A LOT with emotions...and the ramifications of what happens when you don't address them.  This week, it was fear.  We've KNOWN Barry's....fear of not being able to save the city, his friends, his family.  This has often been an overwhelming hinderance to Barry Allen over the course of 6 plus seasons.  But this season seems to be focusing on him trying to overcome them, and now dealing with threats that somehow seem to be connected to the Speed Force.  When Iris used her temporary powers to charge up the Speed Force machine, that lighting of different color splintered across the sky.  Not long after that, we got Fuerza....who is a Strength Force.  And then there's Psych....the Sage Force.  It will be interesting to see what OTHER Forces appear.  And how connected are they to Barry?  Another thing:  With Barry getting HIS powers back....what about Wally?  Wally has been TOTALLY  M.I.A., and I wonder if he got HIS powers recharged?  They need to address that issue before Godspeed appears (and he's comin').  

Cecile finally got to be the big hero of the piece, as she got to really stretch her powers in helping stop Psych.  And Cecile's main fear has been losing control of her powers....and becoming a villain like The Top or The Thinker.  But as long as she can rely on Barry and the team to be there, we know she won't.  

Frost and Snow as separate twins.  This will be an interesting dynamic, and I'd love to see them interact together OUTSIDE of the team....could be good for some comedy bits, as well as some great bonding for two people who are---essentially---sisters.  It seems that this was all thanks to Mirror Monarch as to why they were split apart. A few stories to mine here, but with Kramer looking to get Frost's head on a pike, the sisters are going to have to work together to keep her out of trouble.  

Allegra and Chunk were absent again as was Kamilla, and it seems that the showrunners are rotating the members of the team to fit certain scenarios during this season (and I guess cost-efficient, and ensuring they're obeying COVID protocols).  We learn that Ralph and Sue are in Europe, going after Black Hole, and we got ONE crossover reference this week, as Flash saved two members of The Crows security team that happened be travelling through Central City.  So, we've gotten SOME things to keep us connected to the rest of the Arrowverse, but there won't be any crossovers this season.  

I am sure there is an endgame to all this emotional stuff that's been happening, but I DO hope it doesn't become a crutch for this show.  And I can't say I'm all for this different aspects of the Speed Force UNLESS they're just offshoots of Barry himself.  It's hard to say, and I am sure it will make sense at the end.  But how will all of this tie into Godspeed?  And when is HE coming?  Again, a show with some emotional beats....but hoping they get this team OUT of the doldrums, and lighten things up.  We need more Cisco and Kamilla---who we have seen literally NONE of since last season.  And have we also forgotten about Jenna?  The littlest West is a good year or two old at this point---and should NOT be forgotten.  This makes Joe and Cecile look like bad parents.  Again....it's the little things that the let slip through the cracks that can bring down the show.  Plus...when you get TOO heavy on the drama, you run the risk of dragging the show down.  With The Flash....you should have a balance.  

So....what do YOU guys think of this new chapter of The Scarlet Speedster so far?  I'm curious to see YOUR thoughts on the matter, and all you gotta do is just subscribe to the blog, and leave a comment.  Or...leave a comment.  Either way, I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time....Keep on running.

BATWOMAN 2.9

 

RECAP - BATWOMAN  2.9:  "Rule #1"  

Grieving with loss is something the Bat Team is having to deal with in the wake of Julia's findings of Kate's "remains".  They prepare to move forward, as does our Scarlet Crusader.  Another having a hard time coping with the loss of Kate is her twin sister, Alice.  She's trying to figure out just how to deal with the loss of her sister as well.  But WE all know better...as we saw LAST episode.  Kate is alive....but has been discarded under the streets of Gotham....her face having been damaged, and bandaged up.  And she's out of it---not even aware of where she is.  And now we have Black Mask stepping up his criminal activities in the distribution of Snake Bite.  And caught in the middle of THAT mess....Ryan's girlfriend Angelique.  

We got the funeral for Kate this week, as Luke, Julia, Jacob, Sophie, and Mary all paid their final respects to Kate.  Meanwhile, we get a voice over of Ryan, writing in her journal to Kate, thanking her for showing her how to be a hero, and promises to honor her.  With her being cured, Ryan plants the Desert Rose in the Batcave, and promises to honor Kate.  She was worried that she'd have to give up wearing the cowl once Kate returned, but now that she's gone....Ryan says SHE is Batwoman now.  Meanwhile....Black Mask makes his first big appearance---finding Kate in the tunnels, and knows who she is---and has BIG plans for her.

Skipping to a month later, we got the Commissioner being interviewed by the press, when a young woman approaches him, and asks questions about his meeting about police funding, and how he skips over the fact that there has been cases of police brutality.  She's putting the Commissioner on the spot, but he fires back at her that IF she's so concerned....run for office.  Later on, we see the Commissioner a victim of an attack by the False Face Society on the steps of City Hall.  He ends up lying on the steps as the gang makes their getaway.  Unbeknownst to THEM, however...there's a witness:  the same woman who accosted him on the steps of City Hall earlier.  In the aftermath, we get the press interview local businessman Roman Sionis, who offers his help to the police.  He feels that both The Crows AND Batwoman are the TRUE problem plaguing Gotham City.  

The death of the Commissioner sends both The Crows AND Team Bat on the hunt for the killer.  The Bat Team discovers that there's a glitch in the security tape---someone had erased footage, and therefore feel it was an inside job.  Ryan notices some graffiti on the wall next to where the Commissioner met his end, and she's seen it before.  Angelique goes to see Ryan, and she tells her that she wants out...and she was driving the getaway van.  Mary and Luke wonder about Ryan being objective when it comes to her...especially since Angelique was asked by Black Mask to be the new maker of Snake Bite.  The woman who witnessed the entire incident turns out to be Sophie's sister Jordan---and activist and the tagger who's spreading the message with her graffiti.  She's the one who saw WHO drove the getaway van---she had a gold bracelet. 

We later find out that Angelique was the one who drove the getaway van after the murder of the Commissioner.  She wants out, and she wants out.  Ryan says she knows Batwoman, and when Batwoman goes to find her...she finds her apartment trashed, and she's been taken.  Mary had given Ryan an hour to find Angelique before she called the cops on her.  All Ryan wanted was the team's trust in her decisions.  While she was at the bar chatting with Sophie and Jordan, she got insights a little about both women, and that led Sophie to discover who was behind the getaway van.  Jordan meets Batwoman, and they put her into hiding, as to not let Black Mask get to her.  Batwoman goes to find Angelique, but ends up battling Black Mask's men, and gets knocked out.  Locked onto a machine, she witnesses Black Mask kill one of his goons for failing to nab Jordan.  He plans on doing it to her, while espousing about how she and The Crows are the true plague of Gotham.  He blames the previous Batwoman for killing his daughter.  As he turns the machine on, and a saw starts inching closer towards Batwoman, Sophie arrives and stops the machine, having found her because Luke contacted her, saying that he couldn't contact Batwoman.  They save Angelique, and Angelique decides to fess up to the crime of killing the Commissoner.  When Ryan asks why Angelique did that, Sophie says it' was to protect Ryan from being killed by Black Mask.  We also see that Jordan and Sophie patch up some of their differences, and Jordan is in Sophie's corner about her sexuality...even going so far as to try and set Sophie up with Ryan.  Later on, Ryan thanks them for their trust, and lays down the 3 rules for the team:  Support, Accountability, and Giving Back to the Community.  

Elsewhere, Black Mask had his other plans---for Kate.  Since Kate Kane is now legally dead, it's given Black Mask a chance to use Kate for his own means.  And with his assistant Aniqua---his plans for Kate are huge.  They plan on repairing her face, and...no doubt...altering her memory, ensuring that the Kate Kane WE know will be long gone.  

Jacob isn't quite convinced that Kate is truly dead.  Despite the reports and body parts that were found in Bludhaven that matched Kate's DNA, and Julia Pennyworth reported to him....he's not going to give up on Kate.  He expects Julia to comb through everything thoroughly.  So, Julia makes some inquiries, and it appears that she had contacted the department where they investigated the crash awhile back, but she can't recall.  It's possible either someone used her name to get the info....or she actually DID call about the crash back then....but can't recall it because her memory was wiped.  Safiyah had been after Julia, so it's possible SHE was brainwashed as well.  This is a side mystery that I'm curious about, and we'll get to see Julia in full investigation mode.  

Finally, we can't end this recap of the show without mentioning Alice and how SHE has been dealing with the loss of her sister.  As we see throughout the episode, Alice is in a state of denial, and is seen hallucinating to the point she sees the younger version of Kate appear at Mouse's old home in the basement where she was held captive.  Young Kate had offered a way to help Alice deal with her grief and to let go.  She leads Alice to where she had buried her cat.  When Alice digs the cat up...it's alive.  Young Kate says that Alice has so much potential, and her mind is limitless.  With that, Alice must cope with the grief of losing Kate, and try to let her go.  

There was a lot of emotional beats in this episode, as the Bat Team (as well as Jacob and Sophie), were coping with the loss of Kate in their own ways.  While Ryan herself plans on doing all she can to fulfill the boots Kate left as Batwoman, Luke and Mary are still dealing with the loss, but Mary's bonding with Ryan pulls them closer together like sisters, and it also strengthens the team itself.  Jacob is NOT convinced that Kate is truly dead, and doesn't trust the final report....and he's got good reason to.  As Julia tries to be the strength of everyone, she's also now in charge of going through the crash investigation with a fine tooth comb. And the fact she has missing time will give her the motivation to dig further.  I've no doubt all roads will lead to Black Mask...but I'm intrigued at HOW Julia's investigation will go...and whether or not Sophie or the Bat Team will get involved.

Then...there's Alice.  With Kate gone, it feels like Alice has lost her motivation...her reason for being.  Kate was always the Yin to Alice's Yang.  Very similar to Batman and the Joker's relationship, but on a more personal level.  Alice has always managed to shun the grief of tragedy by hiding in another world....another personality.  But Beth Kane...the woman beneath Alice...will now have to learn to cope with her feelings of loss...to experience grief.  I doubt that it will turn on the lightbulb in Alice's head, but where she goes from here will be interesting.  At this point---Alice is a woman with NOTHING left to lose---and that makes her the most dangerous wild card in the deck.  

With Sophie and Luke keeping contact with each other...it seems as if Batwoman has a person on the inside with The Crows.  Not only that, Sophie believes in her, and it seems we're getting closer and closer to Sophie becoming part of the Bat Team.  And I'm gonna toss THIS out there right now:  With NO Commissioner right now...how about Sophie becoming Commissioner someday, in much the same way Gordon was.  To keep the tradition of the Commissioner of the GCPD and a Bat working together.  I'm just tossing seeds out there....

We are introduced to Roman Sionis this week....and if anyone couldn't figure it out---he's Black Mask.  He's definitely working his mojo overtime to ensure that he can get the public on his side as Roman, all the while doing all the dirty deeds he wants to gaining control of Gotham.  His plans for Kate are going to be devious, and the Kate we remembered will be gone.  With Aniqua removing Kate's necklace, and with her getting a new face---expect new memories to come with it...and her joining Black Mask's gang.  When this Kate reappears, she will be dangerous to the Bat Team, and I see a confrontation between her and Batowoman down the road.  

We are taking a brief pause from the show for a couple of weeks, as we get set for the next chapter of our story.  But we're now seeing a more confident and take-charge Ryan Wilder.  She knows she IS Batwoman now, and is embracing it, and making the cowl her own.  She's also embracing her role as the leader of the team, and I like that Luke and Mary are willing to follow her lead.  It's a nice step forward for Ryan...despite the fact that the love of her life just committed self sacrifice to save her from Black Mask.  This episode had some sense of sadness, intrigue, and a tiny bit of Bat action.  But it's beginning to form a really interesting story going forward.  It took awhile for this show to gain its footing last year, but this year, they've got a better idea, and they're throwing in enough twists and turns to keep us interested.  

How did YOU feel about this installment?  Are you embracing Ryan as Batwoman now?  Your thoughts on what is going to happen with Kate at the hands of Black Mask?  And what role will Alice play in all of this? What will Julia's investigation uncover?  We've got questions, and I'm curious about YOUR answers.  Subscribe and leave a comment below to toss out your theories.

Until next time....the Bat Signal is OFF.  

SUPERMAN & LOIS 1.5

 

RECAP - SUPERMAN & LOIS  1.5:  "The Best of Smallville"  

We got some VERY interesting revelations in this edition of our Superman Family before we hit the "break" for this show, so that Kal-El's cousin, Kara, can start HER final flight as Supergirl begins HER final season this coming week (so, if you don't see new editions of this show for the forseeable future, you know why).  We got more backstory on our mysterious Captain Luthor, more on what happened with Derek Powell, and Jonathan finally breaks.  All of this done under the backdrop of one of Clark Kent's favorite times of the year:  The Smallville Harvest Festival.  

For as much excitement as Clark had for the Smallville Harvest Festival, and his ardent wishes for his family to enjoy this event---it didn't go off quite as planned.  And for all involved, it has a lasting effect....both positive AND negative.   Jonathan alone goes through HIS first real rough patch, as he finds out early on that his longtime girlfriend Eliza, whom he was hoping would be coming to Smallville to visit him during this festival, breaks up with him suddenly, and it causes him to lash out, because he feels he was taken away FROM his life in Metropolis, and that it was his family's fault for dragging him here, taking him away from his life, and he didn't want to be here.  He feels he's never going to play football, his brother is a star on the team, his status is gone from what it used to be in Metropolis, and he's finally showing signs of typical teenage resentment towards being uprooted from his life.  He takes it out on his family, and actually asks his father about moving OUT of Smallville, and staying with some friends back in Metropolis to finish school.  Lois & Clark shoot that idea down, and then Jonathan goes to the Festival, and meets up with some of the other players on the team, and proceeds to get drunk.  This is not lost on Jonathan, who was looking to get him sobered up, but not before he's busted by Lois & Clark.  Jordan takes a tongue lashing himself for not stopping Jonathan, and sours the night for both boys----especially when Sarah snapped at Jonathan for being drunk.  

One positive note for the boys--is while we KNOW Jordan is crushing hard on Sarah, she's not quite ready to jump into another relationship yet, and what she really needs is a friend right now until she works through not only her own personal issues, but her family issues as well.  Jordan, however, is okay with this, and it helps solidify THEIR friendship.  As for Jonathan---while he screwed up BIG TIME this week...you also feel for him.  While many of us thought the adjustment to Smallville would be hard on Jordan, it's Jonathan that's suffered.  Lost his girlfriend, his status back home, and now can't even get into a football team where his brother is flourishing.  So, it was his time to lash out, as we've seen this happen to Jordan the last few weeks.  Clark & Lois did agree that IF he can't make Smallville work for him, they'll discuss other options.  But Clark is extremely hoping that Jonathan will come around.  

This entire incident with his son reminds Clark of when he was Jonathan's age, and he had his issues with Martha, because she was reluctant for him to go around performing acts of heroism, and risk being exposed.  Clark argued with her about it, and felt he needed to go find himself, so he ended up leaving home.  Martha gave him a box that had a crystal from his ship in it, and then they said their goodbyes at the bus station.  Clark told Jonathan as he gave him that same box that he regretted not spending more time with his mother before she died.  It's something that gnaws at him to this day, and he hopes Jonathan doesn't go down that same path.  Clark DOES get some satisfaction this episode on that front:  the very bench that Martha used to sit at in town...at the bus depot, and watched the town, was dedicated to her by Lana.  He and Lois sit there and talk about his mom, and what the future will bring...not knowing they're being watched.

Speaking of Lois, she is being followed all over town by Captain Luthor, as she runs errands, but also gets a call from Chrissy, who has Susan Powell show up with her son, Derek.  Derek seems off, and Susan is awfully quick to want to bury the story, since she got her son back.  He has no idea how he got to where he was, or what really happened to him.  Later on, however, Derek shows up at the community center where everyone in town is donating for the Festival, and he can't control the superpowers he's gotten.  His heat vision loses control, and he destroys the building, causing a fire.  He ends up disappearing right afterwards, and Kyle and his firefighter crew and on the scene trying to put it out, but his partner and friend got hurt in the incident, and Clark manages to discreetly put out the fire.  Lois questions Kyle about what happened, and if he'd seen Derek, but he said he thought he did, but he's gotta worry about his friend.  Lois gives her condolences, and is on the case.  It seems that Susan had called Chrissy and said Derek went missing, hence Lois looking for him.  Lois gets a call from Chrissy later on, and finds out that Chrissy tracked Derek to some secret lab, where he meets up with Leslie Larr.  Apparently THEY are a thing.  Derek is desperate to get cured from what's happening to him, and Leslie puts him into a machine to temper his powers a bit.  Lois and Clark are at the festival when Chrissy calls Lois---Clark is off like a shot when he overhears the conversation.

As Superman races to find Derek before he causes more damage, he's also being followed by Captain Luthor, who had been shadowing Lois this entire episode.  He even bumps into her at one point, coming off as a reporter who's following the Morgan Edge story.  He tries to get more information out of her, but she pretty much stonewalls him, and tells him that when he has some proof....get back to her.  He ends up following Superman when he and Derek start fighting, and Derek is on the run from the Man of Steel.  Luthor then uses a bazooka to blast the both of them out of the sky.  Both men crash to the ground, and when Superman tries to help Derek, the Powell man , but Derek says that he's already dead....and disintegrates into nothing.  When we catch Luthor spying on Lois and Clark on the park bench, we can see how upset he is---as we flashback to one of his memories, where---in HIS world---he and Lois are a couple.  

We also see that Kyle isn't handling the situation with his partner and friend Mitch very well, either.  Mitch was seriously hurt, and he's comatose at this point in time.  Lana tries to console him, but Kyle is drunk, which doesn't make Lana happy.  It causes another fight, and Lana takes off.  Kyle is still moping on the couch when Sarah arrives home, and tries to talk to her, but she's just not in the mood.  So, there's still issues within the Cushing Family that need to be worked out.  This is why Sarah just needs Jordan as a friend at this juncture, and he's more than willing to just be there for her.  

Jordan gets the biggest shock of the episode as he's walking home, and attacked by Tag, who has escaped his situation at the DoD...and he attacks Jordan, asking what he did to him.  And that is how the show ends.

This was a solid episode, as we continue watching all these characters grow, and get more insight into our villains of the piece.  Captain Luthor and Lois being an item in HIS world doesn't exactly come off as a surprise, but it DOES fuel his anger towards Superman, and makes him want to destroy the Last Son of Krypton even moreso.  With what happened to Derek Powell, it's causing Lois and Clark to really wonder about what Morgan Edge is doing, and how Derek got superpowers.  It looks like, at some point, they're going to have to team up to crack this story.  I like that Chrissy took the initiative.  She's got a knack for being a really good reporter, and she's taking cues from Lois, even if Lois isn't giving them to her.  I just hope Chrissy doesn't bite off more than she can chew.  She's a good supporting character, and Lois needs someone like her in her wheelhouse outside of Clark and the boys.  It helps keep Lois grounded, in her element, and allows her to be...well...Lois Lane.  

Jonathan was long overdue to have his outburst, and vent HIS frustrations about his life changing.  Having Eliza just dump him out of nowhere was the last straw for him.  With no girlfriend, being on the bench while his brother is playing, and feeling like a third wheel between Jordan and Sarah...had to expect Jonathan to have his outburst at this juncture.  We'll see how he responds down the road here.  

How did YOU guys feel about this installment?  Subscribe and leave your comments below.  We're taking a little bit of a hiatus from Smallville for a bit, as we head back to National City to finish out Kara Zor-El's story.  But fret not---we WILL be back to our favorite little Kansas town to pick up this story, but for now---we're going to get answers to our questions, and see how the town reacts once Morgan Edge is exposed.  So, check back here for another recap when the next episode drops.  

Until then....Up, up, and away!  

THE FLASH 7.4

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.4:  "Central City Strong"  

Coping with tragedy, trauma, and loss....the pivotal theme coming from The Scarlet Speedster and his team this week.  In the wake of many who suffered at the hands of the Mirror Monarch during the last few months.  A city trying to rebuild in the wake of a battle yet again, we see the citizens of Central working on getting back to some sense of normalcy....for them, anyhow.  But we all know that our beloved city tends to draw out the crazies, and this week is no different.  One of Flash's Rogues makes his return to the center stage to wreak havoc on a town that is just trying to put the pieces back together. 

This episode put a focus on the fallout of Eva's evil machinations, as many citizens who were trapped in the Mirrorverse are trying to cope with their time in isolation, and have a feeling of PTSD going on.  They form a support group,  Iris, we discover, is DEFINITELY suffering from this, although she tries to not show it.  Barry is suffering too....and he's overcompensating by showering Iris with gifts and taking her on little mini vacations in order to make up for the fact that HE didn't notice that for 3 months...while Iris was trapped in the Mirrorverse...he was sleeping with her mirror image, and didn't put the pieces together until it was too late.  He's beating himself up...as usual...about his mistakes, and Iris is terrified to speak her own mind and express herself when she attends the support group that Allegra tells her about.  After all, Allegra calls her out when she's taken too much time to write the story about Eva and her plot to take over the world.  Allegra reminds her that---like it or not---Iris herself IS a part of the story.  To Barry and Iris' credit, though...they talk it out this episode.  There's no laying blame on the other, there's just an honest conversation between the two.  

And because of the conversation that Barry and Iris have about what's happened to the both of them, it, in turn, allows Barry to resolve the solution to defeating the returning Abra Kadabra from the 64th Century, who came back to exact some revenge on the Monarch of Motion for what occurred in an alternative universe, where he had a family of his own...only to be wiped out by CRISIS.  Because of the fact that Barry himself did not die (as he was supposed to---but was replaced by the Flash of Earth 90, who gladly sacrificed himself for this Earth's Flash)---it wiped out his family's existence...even though they weren't really HIS family, just another version of him and his family.  Either way, he somehow figured out about this alternate Abra through the use of Cisco's Multiverse Memory Restorer, which he made with the help of the Martian Manhunter's help.  Cisco had mentioned that he'd made it, and Laurel Lance used it to visit Mia Queen in the future (but didn't explain more, because that was another story for another day....but glad we got the Black Siren & Green Arrow reference).  Kadabra came back to exact revenge on the Flash by collecting items from ARGUS in order to build an antimatter bomb in order to destroy Central City.  He had been easily captured by Team Flash, but he was taken to ARGUS to be imprisoned, but that was by design so he could get the components needed to build the bomb.

Flash eventually catches up to Kadabra, and appeals to him about destroying the city.  He tells him about CRISIS, and how he and many others had to save the universe, and in the process, eliminated all other realities, and created this one Earth.  Flash tells him about loss, and the loss of his best friend Oliver.  Kadabra eventually gives up on his plan, and the two come to some sort of truce.  It's here that we learn that Kadabra's real name is Felipe.  But things hit a snag when some giant looking figure comes out of nowhere, causing the ground to quake, and he's looking to destroy something.  Kadabra tries to stop him with his wand, but he ends up getting killed in the process.  The creature then aims for Flash, and Flash throws lightning at him, only for the creature to absorb it...as well as the antimatter bomb....grow larger, and then beat a hasty retreat.  This earthquake also occurred earlier on when Barry and Iris were at home talking.. So...whatever this creature is....Flash's power was ineffective against it.

Iris eventually takes Barry's words to Kadabra to heart, and attends the next group meeting for the Mirrorverse victims.  Allegra attends the meeting with her, and Iris herself paraphrases Barry's words in order to deal with her own trauma of being trapped in that realm for 3 months.  She's also impressed with Allegra standing her ground on Iris writing the story...and not leaving herself out of it.  For this, Allegra is promoted from intern to full fledged reporter.  Noticeably absent was Kamilla...as she was out on a photo assignment apparently.  

The other big story this week was that of Caitlin, who was experiencing headaches this week after their final fight with Eva McCulloch.  She had been worried something had been horribly wrong, but an analysis by Cisco revealed nothing irregular between the two of them.  However...as Cisco was in the lab messing around at the end of the episode, Caitlin calls to him with some shocking news:  She and Frost had physically split into two separate beings.  This is going to be a HUGE change of direction for these two as we head into this new arc.

This episode wasn't bad...albeit for the HORRIBLE CGI when it came to the large monster guy that killed Kadabra and attatcked Flash, then absorbed the antimatter bomb and bolted.  King Shark and Grodd look more believable that THAT.  It was bad...VERY bad.  I know this show can do better than this.  And another thing----they REEEEAAALLLY needed to KILL OFF Abra Kadabra?  Sure...he's on the low end of Flash's Rogues Gallery....but COME ON!  Bad enough we lost Captain Cold...but Kadabra too?  Lame.  But...he died a good guy in the end....but that isn't worth much.  We got a lot of story about the city trying to recover after another attack, and the team trying to come to grips with the reality that is now.  Iris having to come to grips with HER trauma, acknowledge it, face it, and move forward.  Barry feeling guilty about not finding out about Mirror Iris sooner, and having felt like he betrayed Iris.  So...the both of them dealing with THAT together as mature adults was something nice to see.  How this benefits their marriage going forward---time will tell.  

Caitlin and Frost being separated---that's a shocker.  I had thought MAYBE they'd integrate at SOME point...and that might STILL happen.  But for now, I'm curious to see Danielle Panabaker pulling double duty as both Frost AND Caitlin.  I hope she's up for the challenge, as their story will take on a much larger role, as we see the fallout from what's happened.  And hey....anyone ELSE actually digging the chemistry between Chunk and Cisco?  They're getting along swimmingly, and I can see A LOT more humor from these two---especially in the wake of NOT having a Wells for Cisco to bounce off of.  This will be a change of pace for Cisco.  Plus...I REALLY liked it when Kadabra referred to Cisco as "Mecha-Vibe".  Though I WAS curious as to what Kadabra said about Cisco's future.  

It was a good thing that THIS episode wasn't the start of the season---it would've fallen FLAT.  But as a bridge to the new chapter---it works.  It's nice that the show can stop and take a beat before jumping full boar into the next huge baddie.  And as for the new monster bad guy---where did HE come from?  How was HE created?  Did that have ANYTHING to do with the different colored lightning that shot into the sky last episode?  We have questions, and we will get answers.  This was good for character development and to prep for the next storyline....but would NOT have worked as a season premiere.  Now we're ready for what's next.  

What did YOU all think of this episode?  Not much heroics or Flash action, but we got some story.  Curious as to what YOU all felt worked and what didn't.  Subscribe and comment below YOUR thoughts.  

Until next time....Keep on running!

BATWOMAN 2.8

 

RECAP - BATWOMAN  2.8:  "Survived Much Worse"  

The title of the latest installment of our Scarlet Knight certainly rings true.  This week's installment certainly gives way to that very premise with our cast of characters.  Survival is the name of the game, and it takes on many different shapes as this episode played out....and we got some shockers along the way.  

For starters, all the principal combatants made their way to Coryana, and a meeting with Safiyah at some juncture.  While Mary and Luke were back in Gotham, trying to run things from their end....at least from Batwoman's persepective.  We had Sophie and Jacob on Kate's trail, and Alice was on her way to meet with Safiyah personally, having "done the deed" to Ocean....or so Safiyah thinks.  Rescuing Kate is the main goal....at least for a few....and for Alice....a chance to gain revenge on her twin sister.  But let's see how events unfolded, and where we're gonna go next.  

Ryan and Alice were both writing in journals....to Kate.  Though the messages were VERY much different:  Ryan was looking to rescue her, and said to her that she was an inspiration, and made her want to be a better person....a hero.  Alice...just scorned from when Kate locked her up in Arkham, and thus wanted to find her---to finish her off.  Ryan is dead set on chasing after Alice....whom she planted a tracker on, and goes to take an adrenaline shot, only for Mary to stop her.  She and Ryan argue the point of her dying/not dying, but Ryan wins the argument.  She feels she's a dead woman, either way, so let her go after Kate, and get a Desert Rose from the island, and come back.  Meanwhile, Alice is already on her way to meet with Safiyah, Meanwhile, Sophie and Jacob...hot on Ocean's trail, are about to make their trip to Coryana as well, especially when Luke informs Sophie that Batwoman is dying and needs the Desert Rose to live.  However, the plan to track Jacob and Sophie goes awry, and they're captured, which prompts the previous argument between Mary and Ryan, and Ryan is suited up and ready to go....but not before she gives Mary her plant that she had gotten for her Mom, but never was able to give it to her.  Mary's reluctant to take it, but she does for Ryan as a last request.  Ryan wonders what will happen to her once she finds Kate....will that be the end of her as Batwoman?  She's started to get used to it, and now she'll feel that identity crisis once Kate returns.

Alice is the first to arrive, and meets with Safiyah.  She shows her the body of "Ocean" and wants Kate.  Alice also tells her that Tatiana told her the truth about her feelings for her.  However, it seems that Saifyah is still one step ahead, as she informs Alice that she had a tracer put on her, and is aware of it.  Batwoman is on her way to Coryana as Jacob and Sophie wake up in a cell on the island.  Tatiana informs Jacob that Alice wants him present when she kills Kate.  Sophie and Tatiana end up fighting, and they take her down, and the two escape.  Batwoman has arrived on the island, but ends up facing off against some of Safiyah's men, and is captured, due to her weakened state.  Safiyah has Sophie and Jacob recaputred, and takes a shine to Sophie...inviting her to join her army.  

Alice is losing patience, and wants Kate, so that she can finish her off, and Safiyah says she doesn't want to kill Kate...she has no idea what she wants with Kate.  Alice says she wants to kill Kate more than she wants to breathe air.  So, Safiyah agrees.  But before Kate is fetched, Batwoman is brought to Safiyah, and she tells her that the body of Ocean is a fake.  Once she's dragged off, Safiyah discovers the truth, and is pissed off.  She has Alice taken away and thrown in the cell with Batwoman.  It while locked up that they actually begin to hash things out:  Ryan calls out Alice for lying about wanting to kill Kate.  Because, unlike when Alice told Ryan it wasn't her fault that Ryan's mother got killed by her henchmen, it WILL be Alice's fault that Kate dies by her hand.  Just as Ryan calls Alice's bluff, Safiyah arrives, and thanks Batwoman for exposing the truth.  And she gives Batwoman a wish...which Batwoman says she wants the Desert Rose to heal herself....and Kate.  Safiyah says that she can only have one....and Batwoman chooses the Desert Rose.  That leaves Kate to Alice.  

However...before Alice can have Kate....she's gotta do ONE thing:  kill Ocean.  Safiyah managed to track him using Alice's phone, so she had him brought back to the island.  She gives Alice a choice - kill Ocean and have Kate...or don't and never get Kate.  As much as Ocean tries to convince Alice that his sister is unhinged, Alice does the dirty deed, and kills him.  With him dead, Safiyah takes her to Kate.  Back in Gotham, Luke and Mary are attacked by one of Safiyah's lackeys for spying on them, and they managed to knock her out....only for the assailant to land on Ryan's plant.  They go to pick it up, and the assassin has bled on it, but they grab the plant and run just as the assassin recovers.  The assassin is then killed by Julia Pennyworth, who just happened to show up in the proverbial nick of time. 

As Tatiana goes to give Batwoman the news about her cure, Safiyah goes to take Alice to Kate.  While Tatiana informs Ryan the reason why Alice won't kill Kate, Safiyah shows Alice a cell where there's dozens of necklaces like hers and Kate's handing from the ceiling.  It turns out, Safiyah had NEVER had Kate to begin with, and lured Alice here under false pretenses, in order for her to hunt down and kill Ocean.  As the truth unfolds, we now realize that Safiyah wanted to punish both her brother and Alice for them falling in love with each other and betraying her, and by having Alice do her bidding.  She now wants Alice taken off the island, and she's escorted away.  Back in Gotham, Julia delivers devastating news to Mary and Luke:  Julia said that authorities had found scattered body parts washed up on the shores in Bludhaven...and they were a positive match for Kate.  So...to the world at large...Kate Kane is dead.  

Turns out, Safiyah played more games, as she pulled the knife from Ocean, and he's alive!  She had coated the blade with the Desert Rose serum, and once she pulled the blade out of him, he revived.  When asked WHY she did that, it was that Safiyah wanted to teach him a lesson---that Alice didn't love him, and that no one should betray her.  That he's better served being there with him.  He calls her cruel, but she feels justified in her actions.  Alice, on the other hand....upset that she was lied to, and manipulated in regards to Kate....decides to give one last "screw you" to Safiyah, as she sets the Desert Rose fields on fire---saying to herself that now she and Safiyah have lost the things they love most.  Safiyah sees the fields burning, and knows Alice was the culprit.  But she also knows the TRUE perpetrator in this whole scenario:  Tatiana.  It was she who had set up Alice by giving her the note in the sewer, and had wanted to destroy her---for Safiyah.  Because SHE was in love with Safiyah, but it seemed that Safiyah NEVER got over Alice.  But because Tatiana set this whole series of events in motion, she's now going to pay the price.  Safiyah stabs her with the blade, and leaves it in her....saying she'll remove it later when she feels she's learned her lesson. 

Jacob and Sophie managed to find a plane, and Jacob looks to hotwire it, as Sophie says she's going back for Kate, and to give her an hour to find her.  As she goes to find her love, she stumbles across a dying Batwoman...who is watching the field of Desert Rose go up in flames.  Sophie apologizes, and Batwoman asks that she not leave her....if she could stay with her, as she dies.  Batwoman then tells Sophie that Kate was never here on the island, and that she was informed Kate was killed.  Luke, now with the signal back up and running on the island, gets ahold of Sophie, who tells them she's with Batwoman, who's dying.  They tell her that they need to get her back to Gotham quickly....they have the cure for her.  It turns out...Ryan's plant was actually a Desert Rose all along.  

Our show ends this week with us going down into the Gotham sewers where we see a short haired woman who's face is bandaged up...with a necklace just like Alice's....when then realize it's a VERY MUCH alive Kate Kane.  

Twists within turns within twists.  This episode gave us a few, and sets things up goigottng forward.  Almost 10 episodes in, and we got A LOT of movement on the Kate Kane front.  While the world...and her family believe her dead...she is alive and has been dispatched into the Gotham sewers.  But before you guys get all up about Ruby Rose returning....she's not.  This is Kate Kane recasted by the show runners with actress Wallis Day.  She'll be handling the role of Kate from here on out, which begs us to wonder:  if they had that in mind to BEGIN with....WHY create the role of Ryan Wilder to begin with?  Wouldn't it have just saved time to recast Kate, and go forward?  See....this is the problem with the CW sometimes...they goof up.  I have ideas on how they'll explain it away, but now it creates an issue for the series---if you have a new woman in the role of Kate Kane....what's the purpose of Ryan Wilder?  Why have her at all?  she now seems meaningless. By doing this, it now appears they've backed themselves into a corner.  I'm REAL curious to see how they write their way out of THIS pickle.

On the positive....with everyone believing Kate dead, it will allow Ryan to fit more comfortably into her role as Gotham's Scarlet Crusader.  She won't feel burdened by having to just be a fill-in for Kate....she IS Batwoman.  And once she's cured, she'll grow more confident in her role.  But there will still be grieving for all those in Kate's life:  Luke and Julia....but moreso....the three people who truly loved her:  Jacob, Mary, and Sohpie.  This will hit them the hardest.  For Jacob...losing another daughter (because he feels Alice is a lost cause), for Mary...her sister...the person she grew up admiring.  And Sophie...the love of her life.  This will effect them going forward.  

And then there's Alice.  This is a woman with absolutely NOTHING to lose now.  It's been one thing for Alice to live life on the edge, and tiptoe on the border between insanity and pure madness....but now having lost her sister---whom we NEVER believed she ever would've killed---because she always wanted Kate to save her.  Now that isn't possible.  And though she destroyed the Desert Rose on the island to get back at Safiyah....I'm pretty sure this means that those two are not done yet.  

And will Ocean ever find a way to destroy his sister?  It seems that she wants him back into the fold, and manipulated him as such...but I feel he'll stay....if only to plot against her again, and possibly take her down once and for all. 

This was probably one of THE most solid episodes of the entire series.  We've got some interesting subplots moving forward...plus Black Mask on the way!  So, I'm REAL interested in hearing YOUR thoughts on this episode, but on what's to come.  So, don't be afraid to drop me a line after subscribing....will you?  

Until next time....the Signal is OFF!  

SUPERMAN & LOIS 1.4

 

RECAP - SUPERMAN & LOIS  1.4:  "Haywire"  

Smallville is starting to become a hotbed of trouble---and Morgan Edge seems to be at the center of it.  This week, we find out exactly WHY Edge has such an interest in the tiny Kansas town, and it's MAJOR.  And now he's trying to ensure his TRUE intentions are NOT discovered by TRYING to stifle Lois from writing the story...because he KNOWS how tenacious Lois will be in pursuing the story and getting to the truth.  Clark as his own issues, as he tries to keep performing the balancing act between being Dad and being the World's Greatest Superhero.  And this situation is putting him at odds with General Sam Lane---who expects him to be the hero FIRST, and father SECOND.  We also get MORE in depth into Lana's life, and what SHE has been going through.  So, let's recap what's been happening in our favorite Midwestern town this week....

Morgan Edge is moving quickly with his plans to gain a foothold in Smallville, and the townsfolk at a town hall meeting this week to vote on whether or not to allow Edge to come into Smallville, and open up the mines.  Before we get to the town hall meeting, we see Edge, Leslie Larr, and his team from Six Months Back, as they were in Saskatchewan, Canada, responding to meteorites hitting the Earth...they look like pods, and Edge is pleased...saying that the Resurrection has begun.  As for the town hall meeting, Lois wanted to cover it, as well as voice her opinion on how Edge will only destroy the town, but before she even gets to go to the town hall meeting, she got handed papers by Leslie Larr, who basically handed her papers that said if Lois prints ANY story that paints Edge in a negative light, it's a violation of her contract with The Daily Planet, and she will face litigation.  Because of this, Chrissy is unable to print Lois' story, and Lois is stifled at that point.  With no way to report, she relies on Clark to be able to show up at the town hall meeting, and write the story, since Clark was fired from the Planet, and thus could report freely without consequence.  

Edge also seemed to be working his influence over Kyle...who's been a big supporter of his...as he asks about Lana, and Kyle tells him that she works for him at the bank.  Edge cozies up to Lana, and tries to offer her a better job, but she says she came back to Smallville after college, because it's her home.  Her and Kyle argue about the issue of Edge coming at her in an uncomfortable manner, and it causes a fight between the two.  Edge continues his research into Smallville by checking one of the mines, where he's confronted by Lois.  The two have an exchange, and Lois promises to fight him all the way, and get to the truth.  Edge and Leslie then discuss their ultimate plan.  And they plan on using the miners to dig into the walls to extract what we discover is Kryptonite once Leslie punches a hole in the wall.  This is NOT a good sign for the Man of Steel.  ESPECIALLY since we have an alternate Luthor out there DESPERATELY looking for Kryptonite himself.  How long before THESE two cross paths?  And join up to ultimately destroy Superman?  It's a scary thought, and one we should be keeping an eye on as the season runs on.  

Lois...poor Lois.  Now she's been silenced from writing about Morgan Edge due to his legal maneuvering, prevents her from having her story told.  This episode sees her relying on Clark more to not only be a father to the boys, but to also help HER in her quest to take down Edge.  She asks Clark to cover the town hall meeting, and be supportive, since he CAN write the story, because he was FIRED form the Planet, and thus NOT under contract to them.  Clark, of course, makes a promise to her, but we know that in the life of a superhero...promises are hard to keep.  On top of that, Clark still has to deal with Lois' father, as Sam is vehemently upset that Clark and Lois relocated to Smallville to take care of the boys.  Sam is insistent that Clark put his role as Superman FIRST...because the world is MORE important than the boys.  Sam even tells the boys that their father has a responsibility, and that it will fall on Jordan to pick up the slack should Clark falter or when he's done.  Once word of this gets to Lois and Clark....it doesn't go well for Sam.  Sam wanted Superman to play security for the transfer of a criminal named  Killgrave to a more secure location, since Superman isn't in Metropolis much, and the underworld has noticed...especially Intergang.  This leads to Lois, Clark, and Sam having an argument about priorities, and Lois calls the General out on his parenting skills, and tells him that if he continues to press on this issue, he won't be welcome anymore.

Killgrave DOES escape his transfer with help, and he sets a trap for Superman...who promises General Lane that he'll keep searching until he finds him, thus breaking his promise to Lois.  The town votes to let Edge open up the mines, and Lois is disappointed that Clark isn't there, but he's busy fighting Killgrave at this point in time.  Lois is pissed off, as is Lana, who had a fight with Kyle about Edge trying to hustle her.  Lois is upset with Clark, and lets him know it.  She and Lana go out for drinks, and they talk about their spouses.  Lana says that, despite knowing Clark pretty much their whole lives, and is her best friend, Lois is the one that brings out the best in him.  Lois says that despite what Kyle and her argue about...he's a good man.  Later on, we see Clark has lured Lois into a date night in the barn...only to be interrupted by a call for Superman, but it seems that Clark assures her that---despite him having to balance his life as himself and Superman---Lois is the one that keeps him grounded and together.  

Lana also finds out that her husband is still a good guy, as she wakes up with him making the family breakfast.  It seems he understands that Lana was uncomfortable with Edge, and he'll be more attentive.  They also seem to make up.  

As for the boys themselves---we got to see Jordan become the football hero in the game, as he caused a turnover, and allowed the team to score the winning touchdown.  There IS one teammate of theirs, however....a boy named Ted...who's arm is in a sling, but he seems to have an issue:  his arm is supposedly broken, but he seems to have healed fast.  He's got some kind of vibrating powers, and they begin to start manifesting more and more as the episode goes on.  Things REALLY hit a snag as the boys attend a party with Sarah.  While Sarah and Jordan continue to bond, Jonathan---who's been concerned about Ted all episode, goes to look after him, but then Ted's powers get out of control, and things start to shake around them.  Jordan follows, and tells Jonathan that he's got to do his part..and that his powers can help Ted.  As Jordan tries, though, he's knocked out.  Jonathan hits the signal to call their dad, and Superman hears it---takes out Killgrave and his men, let's General Lane know, and flies off to save Ted by flying him up to the upper atmosphere, making him pass out, and calming him down.  Later on, we find out that Ted is in a special facility to help him with his powers until he can control them.  The boys want to see him, but General Lane refuses.

We end up seeing General Lane at the end of the episode hold the Superman dogtags left by the Alternate Luthor, and remembers what this Luthor said.  He calls on one of his staff, and says that he's going to start a secret project:  Project 7734.  It seems that Alternate Luthor is in General Lane's head.

Another solid episode, as we got a little more family drama this time around.  Part of it focused on Clark's ability to TRY and balance both his lives, but is finding it difficult to do.  Not only has he neglected the boys, but Lois as well.  When she needed him the most, he wasn't there.  But--he was busy with Killgrave, and couldn't get back in time.  Lois is very understanding, she just feels neglected as a wife.  Clark reassures her that it will NEVER come to that---Clark reminds her that it's because of HER that he's able to do all of this.  She's just as important to him as the boys are, and he'll keep working on it.  But I WAS happy to FINALLY see Lois call out the General on his awful parenting.  That's always been the thing about General Sam Lane---his commitment to country and duty.  Admirable traits, but it made him a LOUSY father---especially to Lois.  While Lucy may have followed in her dad's footsteps, Lois has always bucked the trend.  And the fact that SHE can stand up to him with no problem as always been one of Lois' strengths.  It's the reason why they have such a dysfunctional relationship.  Sam is all about duty...and he tries to push that down the boys' throats in regard to their dad...but it backfires.  Sam's continued commitment to duty, and his expectations of Superman cause him to rethink things.  With Alternate Luthor telling him of how much a menace Superman is....it's allowed Sam to go behind Clark's back to set up a project designed to STOP him.  This is NOT going to end well for this family...and Sam will be the worse for wear for it.  If he thought he had a rift with Lois NOW...just wait.  

Killgrave seemed to be just a villain of the week deal---not sure if he'll come back around, but he served his purpose:  be enough of a threat to cause Clark to miss the town hall meeting, and prove General Lane right about Superman being too distracted.  While Superman still saved the day, it caused an issue between he and Lois temporarily.  Clark continues to feel the mounting pressure of fatherhood, being a loving husband, and The Man of Might all rolled into one.  How he manages to try and balance it all makes us see WHY he's called Superman.  It's Clark's personal struggles that make him relatable...and make us cheer him on.  

The boys---powers or limited powers---have inherited their father's compassion for others.  Jonathan especially this episode, as he is concerned about his teammate the whole time.  These boys are wise beyond their years, and with the parents they have---will grow up to be great men.  While Jordan's powers work to an extent....he's still vulnerable....which means he can't use his powers best ALL the time.  But we cheer these boys on, anyway, and it shows growth.  Jordan and Sarah's friendship getting stronger is a good sign.  They boys need a third to balance things out....Sarah fits in nicely.  As for Sarah's parents---it seems that Kyle and Lana finally hashed out some issues, and it took a ladie's night out with Lois for both women to see the value in their spouses.  Lana noted that while he and Lois disagree on the Edge issue---Kyle does like her.  Probably because she stands her ground.  But we'll see how he respects her, as she continues to dig her heels in on wanting to take Edge down.  BUT....I DO like the fact that Lana and Lois are bonding.  It COULD be that Lana ends up becoming an ally to help Lois and Clark take down Edge before the season is out.

As for Edge...we learn that there is A LOT more to him than what we realized.  Starting with the discovery with Leslie in Saskatchewan with the pods, and to finding the Kryptonite in the mines in Smallville, he's plotting some huge take over of the world...and the destruction of Superman in the process.  And he won't be afraid to use Lois and the boys to achieve that end.  He's not sure why Lois is in Smallville, or why she moved her family here with her unemployed husband, but he'll find out.  But safe to say that Edge's plans are epic, and will be the BIGGER threat going forward for the Superman Family than this Alternate Luthor.  But they're getting it on all fronts.  It's making for some damn compelling television.  Especially when Sam starts HIS little project against Clark, and THAT little nugget of info slips out---it's going to destroy Sam's relationship with Lois forever.  And the trust and partnership between Superman and General Lane will be shredded.  

So...how do YOU all feel after this week's show?  Subscribe and lemme know YOUR thoughts and theories going forward.  

Until next time....Up, up, and away!