SUPERMAN & LOIS 1.9

 

RECAP - SUPERMAN & LOIS  1.9:  "Loyal Subjekts"

It looks like Morgan Edge is looking to finally execute his master plan---especially with Lois Lane getting much closer to exposing him, and Superman always at the ready to take him down.  So, this week, he decided to start playing his trump card...and it was QUITE a revelation to the Man of Steel.  Also, this week, we see just Lois and Jonathan in danger, and Jordan has a new issue to deal with in regards to his continuing emerging powers.  Lana gets dangerously close, and Sarah finally has her debut.

We got ominous from the start, as Leslie Larr had entered Edge's office, but we're seeing everything from a mystery person's point of view.  This tends to be a mystery until later on in the show.  But when the reveal happens, you kind of expected it...and it will be VERY interesting to see what the consequences are from it.  So, while Edge is talking to this mysterious person, we got Lois, Clark, and Chrissy back at the Smallville Gazette, going over the evidence they have collected so far on Edge and his plans for Smallville.  They discuss the X-Kryptonite, all the times he bailed the other towns, and left them hopeless.  They're still trying to connect the dots, but they're getting closer.  After Edge is done with our mysterious person, he bumps into Emily, who is all excited for this new opportunity.  He asks her if she wants to improve her life...and she's all for it. So, Edge puts her through the process of gaining Kryptonian powers.  

Lois feels Clark is the only one who can reach the townsfolk, because he's from here.  Jordan walks in, and he says he's going to be there for Sarah at the talent contest, and they tease him about it. Superman gets called away to Mexico, where there's a bank heist in progress.  For the most part, he's downed a few of the robbers, but one gets a few shots in on him...and he actually falls!  Superman feels off, and he's taking shots to the body with bullets like crazy.  However, he manages to recover and finally end the threat.  One of the bank employees asks if he's okay, he replies he is, and flies off.  At this time, Lana, Lois, and Chrissy continue to work out Edge's game, and Lana talks about Emily being recruited for this "team building exercises".  Lois goes to confront Edge, and she is going to expose him, but he calls her out for lack of proof...and he begins to threaten her, but she says she'll call Superman.  Edge certainly hopes so.  When she gets back home, she notices tons of bruises on Clark, and she knows he doesn't bruise.  It appears that the Kryptonite gas he inhaled last week hasn't fully worked out of his system yet.  

Jordan and Sarah are talking about the talent contest at school when Jordan sneezes, and it's ice that forms in his hands.  It's like he's got a cold, and has to bail on Sarah, saying that he's not feeling well.  When he gets home, he shows what happened to his parents, and they immediately quarantine him to his room.  Meanwhile, Sarah runs into Jonathan at school, and inquires about Jordan, saying he left in a rush.  She's worried about him, and Jon says he'll check it out.  He gets home to find out what happened, and says that Sarah is worried about him.  He's supposed to watch her sing that night, but Lois and Clark forbid it.  

Lana bumps into Emily, and tries to get answers about the "team building" that she's doing with Edge and his new "employees", and she says she can't discuss it, but she's felt better than she ever has.  Edge calls Lana into his office, and says he's caught her snooping around, and giving Lois information about what he's up to.  She denies it, and says that she hired him, so she felt she should know what's happening in order to help him.  Edge then offers her the same choice he offered Emily---and he says that whatever decision she makes will GREATLY affect her family. 

Back at the Kent Farm, General Lane arrives, and says that he's got the DoD working on an antidote to the K-Gas, because whatever affected Clark has affected Jordan.  Things get worse for Jordan, as the oxygen in his lungs start freezing up, and Clark can't wait on the DoD to save him, so he flies him off to the Fortress to be able to help him with Kryptonian technology.  At this time, Lois decides to have a chat with her father, and rips him a new one about how he always put duty first before her, and now that his devotion to that duty has put the lives of not only her husband in danger, but her boys.  She's through with him.  So, after this is over, she doesn't want him around anymore.  Clark has Jordan at the Fortress, and Jor-El says that Jordan is going through what Clark did at his age...and that the only way to help him, is to let the process work through...but Clark is panicking, and decides to use the lasers in the Fortress to essentially "melt" the oxygen in Jordan's lungs, thus alleviating the situation.

Sarah and her family arrive a the show, and she's still concerned about Jordan.  She doesn't feel she can perform without him.  As she goes up to sing, she can't do it...and Kyle finally steps up with is guitar to help her get through the performance.  After that, Emily daughter goes up to sing, and as she does. She mysteriously gets up, and walks out of the performance, saying she'll be right back.  Lana finds this suspicious, so Kyle decides to go talk to Emily and see what's up.  We find out that Edge has "activated" Emily to go after Lois since he found out that Superman is weak.  At the farm, Lois is so stressed out because she feels she can't protect her boys, and Jon says it's okay...he gets it.  It's the price they pay being in a family with super-powered beings.  Then, things get amped up, as Sam is out in his car, still awaiting word from the DoD about the test results to help Clark and Jordan.  But he sees dark figures entering the Kent Farm, and he goes to take a look.  Emily and another companion come in, and they're there to kill Lois and Jonathan.  The Kents make a break for it, as Sam comes in, gun aimed at the two killers to be.  He drops a K-Gas capsule on them, and yells for Lois and Jon to run.  Jon leads them to the barn, where he managed to snag a few weapons from John Henry Iron's RV.  Sam gets taken down, and Emily and her partner crash through the barn, ready to take out Lois and Jon, when Jon blasts them, knocking them out of the barn.  Kyle immediately shows up, and checks up on them....but then instantly turns on them, and is ready to use his heat vision on the two.  

While this is happening, Clark is holding onto Jordan and the Fortress, as the lasers do their work.  Once done, Jordan is better, and the situation is better.  Clark apologizes to Jordan about everything, and Jordan lets him know that everything will be okay.  However, it's just outside the Fortress when both of them hear Lois calling for Superman....they both take off, heading back home.  As Kyle is about ready to kill Lois and Jon, Superman enters the bar and takes out Kyle...and he disappears.  Superman does a quick scan with is x-ray vision, and doesn't find the super-powered trio anywhere.  Later on, Lois talks to her dad, and says she came to Smallville to get away from all the craziness for the boys.  Sam says he's gonna stick around until all this is over.  Lois informs her father about what John said about a war coming...and Morgan Edge is bringing it. 

Kyle winds up at home, and lies to Lana about not knowing where he was at before, and mysteriously waking up in a field out in the middle of nowhere.  What we DO find out, is that the mysterious figure Edge invited into his office was, in fact, Kyle.  Kyle has now been recruited by Edge to be a part of his army.  

Chrissy calls Lois, and tells her that the real reason for Edge being in Smallville ISN'T for the Kryptonite....it's the PEOPLE.  Leslie Larr and several others...who are now under fake names, were once Smallville residents who went through Edge's process, and are now recruits for his army.  Clark knows that when HE came to Earth, there were meteor showers across the world, but a good chunk of that Kryptonite fell in Smallville.  So, they know what Edge's game is finally.  Clark then hears Edge in his ear...calling to him.  He flies off and finally meets with Edge.  It's here that Edge finally reveals that he is NOT from Earth...but Kryptonian as well.  

Business picked up this episode, and now the cards are on the table.  Edge's master plan has been revealed fully.  And we also discover that HE is, in fact, a Kryptonian.  And I'm sure Morgan Edge isn't his real name.  What it is....hard to say, but I've no doubt we'll find out next week.  Admittedly, the plot WAS rather easy to figure out, but that doesn't mean we're not excited to find out what happened.  To know that several of his recruits are former members of Smallville...Leslie, Emily, Tag, and many others...as well as some from the other towns he plundered, are a part of his army.  The WORST part...is that he's now got Kyle mixed up in it.  His desire to get involved with whatever Edge had planned has now led him to take the job that Lana tried to keep him from.  And now...with Kyle in his fold...WITH super powers...Edge's warning to Lana about her choices affecting her life has come to fruition.  What happens to the Cushings as Kyle now becomes a brainwashed soldier against Superman and his family.  How will this work out for Lana and their girls?  Is this a process that can be reversed?  And will we see John Henry Irons again to help stem the tide?  It's going to be a fun ride the next few episodes, as this first season winds down.  And another thing....will Sarah and Lana eventually find out about Clark, Jordan, and what they're capable of?  Looking forward to having all these questions answered in the next 4 or so episodes.  

What did YOU all think of this installment?  Subscribe to the blog and leave a comment, theories, and whatever ideas you have.  I'd love to hear from you. 

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

 

THE FLASH 7.12

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.12:  "Good-Bye Vibrations"  

Well...the moment has finally arrived.  'Tis a sad time for Team Flash, as we have to bid farewell to our favorite engineer, resident funny guy, and hero in his own right--Cisco Ramon.  After 6 plus seasons, Carlos Valdes is taking his final bow as the man formerly known as Vibe.  One of the OG's of Team Flash along with Barry and Caitlin, he's been the proverbial heart and soul of this team from day one....and now we have to tearfully say goodbye to Cisco, and his girlfriend Kamilla, as they depart Central City to pursue new avenues in their lives.  So, it's no surprise this week, we got one last adventure with our boy before he skips town for his new gig.  

This episode was pretty much a "one last hurrah" adventure before Cisco took off for Star City (of all places, but he'll only be 600 miles away from Central City), to work for ARGUS, while Kamilla will head to Florida for her photo art show, and then join Cisco later on.  And while the nerves were high for the departing couple, they didn't quite expect the response they got when they finally told the team they were leaving...the team gave them hearty congrats, and decided to start helping them pack and prepare to move.  It was something BOTH of them had found odd during the course of the episode, and really began to gnaw at Cisco, because he felt like they were kicking him to the curb.  Barry alone had already packed most everything Cisco had in his lab at STAR Labs, and, he was quite surprised at that.  Caitlin had asked him for his ID badge and all his access codes to the building and everything else.  Barry and Caitlin came off as somewhat dismissive to him during a good part of the episode, and it was something that built into anger on Cisco's part later on.  But for now, he was showing Chester around what essentially was going to be HIS lab.  

Now, mind you, things don't stop in Cental City because our main characters are busy.  We had this young lady in a rainbow jacket and boots head into the bank, and use her super powers to literally have the bank manager happily write her a check for 10 million dollars, and she walked out, as she manipulated his emotions to feel nothing but happines...and quit his job.  This colorful new villain DID get the attention of the team, especially Team Citizen, as Iris was there on the story with Kamilla and Allega.  Allegra managed to see Cecile talking with one of the officers, and went to grab a few words before heading back to the office to start the story.  Kamille offered to help Iris vet new candidates for the photographer position that is now open what with her departure.  Team Flash realizes they have a new meta to deal with in town, and Barry and Caitlin are doing research and planning on how to stop her, when Cisco strolls by, wondering why they're working without him in stopping this new meta.  He wants in on one last adventure before he leaves, and they're cool with it.  So, Cisco figures out that this is a brand new version of the Rainbow Raider.  So, Cisco figures that they can use the same weapon they stopped the original Raider, and use it on her.  However, once confronted, as she's trying to commit another crime, she blasts Flash and Mecha Vibe, and the weapon doesn't work.  While Flash manages to avoid getting whammied, the same doesn't happen to Cisco...who is now just on happy overload.  

While Caitlin and Barry try to figure out how to fix Cisco, Iris and Kamilla have been going through applications for brand new photographers, and Iris just hasn't made up her mind.  When Kamilla asks why she skipped over a few, Iris kind of snaps at her.  Iris apologizes, but we can tell that she can't keep up the brave face anymore.  It's hard for her to lose her friend....and her photographer.  Going back to STAR Labs, Team Flash gets another hit on Rainbow Raider 2, and he's off to confront her, while Chester and Caitlin try to figure out how to undo what she did to Cisco....who is just overdosing on joy.  Things go from bad to worse, as Flash tries to use his goggles to try and track and protect himself from Raider's attack, but Cisco rigged the goggles, causing cartoons to appear in them, and thus blinding Flash.  He crashes into a van, and as he tries to recover, Raider hits him with a blast of joy for himself.  He races back to STAR Labs, having been just as whammied as Cisco.  Chester DOES manage to resolve the issue using a device that he flashes into their eyes, thus counteracting the effects of Rainbow Raider 2's effects.  The team tries to brainstorm on how to stop her, and Barry suggests that Cisco use his newfound influence at ARGUS to see if they have something to stop her.  At this point, Cisco's had enough, snaps at Barry and Catilin, and storms off.  Barry and Caitlin talk to him, and they tell him that it's hard for them to see him go...they don't know what they're going to do without him.  They tried to put up a brave face for HIS sake, but they're sad.  Cisco thought they couldn't wait to be rid of him, and that wasn't the case.  Cisco finally opens up about what he saw as his worst fear when Psych zapped him:  Seeing himself still at STAR Labs 30 years later....still doing the same thing, while everyone else grew beyond him.  They hate the thought of him leaving, but they're not going to stop him. 

The team figures out that this new Rainbow Raider is named Carrie Bates...a meta who has seen the plight of the city, and isn't robbing banks for her own personal gain---but is acting like a modern day Robin Hood.  She stole a dirigible from Ferris Aircraft, and plans on dropping the loot on the city...including the stadium where a football game is being held.  They have to figure out how to get onto the blimp without Flash having to use his powers, and thus his ligthning, causing it to explode in midair.  With Vibe and Allegra in tow, Allegra can help counteract Raider's powers with her own.  Allegra uses her weapons in her bandalier to pop them aboard the ship, where Raider is ready to stop them from ruining her plan.  She's telling Flash that she's seen the plight of the city, and she's trying to do right---does he not see it?  Flash agrees, but can't agree with how she's going about it.  Allega and her battle briefly, but they manage to sneak the metacuffs onto her and dampen her powers, ending the threat.  However, in the process of the quick fight, they jacked up the control panel, and now the blimp is on a one-way collision with the football stadium.  Flash says he won't arrest Carrie, but she'll have to work off her prison sentence working in the Mayor's office trying to make the city a better place.  She likes that deal.  Cisco, however, sees that they're on an out of control ship, and people need to be clearned quickly.  Flash takes Allegra and Raider, and departs the ship, going to the stadium to speed save everyone in attendance.  Meahwhile, Cisco has connected with Chester to help him figure out how to land the ship without killing anyone. Cisco then uses the technology in his Vibe gloves to gain control of the ship, and land it safely into the bay, thus saving the city.  Cisco proves his heroic worth one last time for Central City.

Later on, Cisco manages to get Chester to admit they're throwing a party for him.  But before he goes, he essentially gives Chester the keys to the kingdom---asking him to take care of his friends.  Chester is beyond excited, and says he'll see Cisco tomorrow, and he now wants to rearrage his new lab.  Cisco looks around one last time before he leaves STAR Labs forever. We see that Team Citizen is having a private party, as they bid Kamilla farewell.  Kamilla thanks Iris for everything, and she wouldn't have gotten the chance to expand her career without her help.  Cecile shows up for the party, and Allegra asks her what she was doing at the bank earlier that day, and Cecile says she was talking to an old friend about a case.  They then go on to celebrate...especailly after Iris apologized to Kamilla about her earlier behavior.

Team Flash is having their own party, as Cisco bears gifts to Joe, Barry, and Caitlin.  Joe says that he's really going to miss Cisco, as they all will miss him dearly.  Cisco, however, wants one last karoke battle with Barry...using the song Barry woke up from his coma to---the Lady Gaga one.  So, they party, as we see them have one last fun time.  It's the end of an era as one more of the original Team Flash OG's departs.  

Later on, we see Cecile return home from Team Citizen's party, only to be greeted by some ominous voice as she enters the house.  She scours the house to find the focal point of the voice...and when she looks into the mirror...she sees a golden masked face staring back at her. Is it the Psycho Pirate?  We don't know...but this is how our show ends this week.

We got a fairly formulaic, but something of a proper send off for Cisco Ramon.  The episode was fairly campy and lighthearted, which is what Cisco brought to this series throughout most of its run.  The last year and a half has seen our engineer leave Central City for small periods, as he had begun exploring this New Earth in Post-Crisis...cataloguing what he could.  But he'd always return home to be with Kamilla and Team Flash.  But now, he's got a new job awaiting him at ARGUS....working with Diggle and Lyla, though they're in Metropolis, but will still communicate with them, but he'll be stationed in Star City.  It's cool to know that he'll be fairly close, but won't be in Central City.  Kamilla has her photography show, and a new career...and then she'll join Cisco.  We didn't get to dive much into Kamilla's life....she's just pretty much been photographer for the Central City Citizen, a friend to Team Flash, and Cisco's girlfriend.  It's a shame we didn't get to know more, or see this couple interact more often.  Now, we'll have to imagine, as they depart Central City for greener pastures.  It's weird to think that two of the original cast for this show is now gone....but things do grow and change as time goes on...and so does this team.  With the New Earth, it eliminated the need for a Wells...once all of them were amalgamated into the orignal Harrison Wells...who is now just a moment in time....living the life he wated before his untimely death.  Now Cisco....Vibe...our engineer, comedy relief, but stalwart best friend and hero.  

Chester now inherits Cisco's role, and that leaves Caitlin and Barry as the original members of Team Flash still left.  And, aside from Frost...who was out of town with their mother this week, Caitlin is the only one who's life seems to have stalled.  All of Caitlin's important stories the last few years have been wrapped around Frost.  Caitlin hasn't had her life grow since she married Ronnie back in Season 1.  I wonder how long it will take before they get Caitlin's life moving forward?  She's had little to zero love interest, and I feel that it's time for her to grow as a character. Allegra has shown more growth than Caitlin the last couple of years.  

Was cute to see a new Rainbow Raider---while her intentions were good and noble, her actions were misguided.  And giving her the name "Carrie Bates" is a nod back to former Flash scribe Cary Bates, who had written Barry Allen's adventures during the latter half of his series, just prior to Crisis.  So, love that they did that.  Also loved that we got another mention of Ferris Aircraft....always good hearing about that one. And I'm not sure if his is the Psycho Pirate or some other being toying with Cecile, but we're gonna get our answers next week. Like I said...it was a cute episode that had a tiny bit of emotion to it---Carlos is going to be VERY missed on this show, and that void will be IMPOSSIBLE to fill....but we've also had to bid farewell to Team Arrow last year, and we said "goodbye" to The Pierce Family, and Supergirl flies off into whatever HER destiny will be....the Arroweverse is changing.  And while our favorites will still be around in some capacity---we won't be seeing them from week to week.  So, I thank Carlos Valdes for the 6 plus years he's given us on this show.  He's been highly entertaining, and I wish him all the luck in future endeavors---can't wait to see what he does next. 

How sad are all of YOU to see Cisco gone?  What do you see happening for the future of Team Flash?  And what in the hell is stalking Cecile?  Subscribe below and gimme your answers.  

Until next time....Keep on running. 

BATWOMAN 2.15

 

RECAP - BATWOMAN  2.15:  "Armed and Dangerous"  

Things are most certainly changing in Gotham.  With Black Mask cloaking the city in his own brand of Snake Bite filled darkness, the Bat Team has had their hands full.  On top of that, they now have to deal with a renegade group of Crows who're taking a much more staunch vigilante approach to justice than even our own Scarlet Knight.  And now, they've struck at the Bat Team's core:  Luke Fox.  Luke was shot by Agent Tavarov last week, and is now hanging on for dear life.  How will this affect all involved with this circle of chaos.  And let's not forget...Alice is still floating around, but will she continue HER quest to get Kate back from Black Mask?  Or will she follow Ocean to who knows where? 

Luke is fighting for his life in this installment, as Mary and Ryan figure out how they're going to save him.  Mary is hunkered down in the Cave, using some of the Desert Rose to concoct a serum to keep him alive and help him heal.  Meanwhile, Ryan gets info from Mary about how Luke was shot, and  how he was trying to stop Eli, the car thief they met in the jail cell a couple weeks back.  Ryan wants answers, and she's in NO MOOD to mess around.  Jacob is conducting an investigation into the shooting, and Tavarov lies straight to Jacob, saying that Luke was armed and dangerous, and pulled a gun on him, so he acted in accordance with the law.  Jacob wants to review the bodycam footage.  Batwoman is out on the prowl, and she manages to catch up to Eli, who'd stole yet another vehicle.  She gets him to tell her about who shot Luke.  She then knocks Eli out, to ensure he's picked up by the police.  

Ryan is back at the Batcave, working feverishly over the computer to get information about Tavarov.  Turns out, he's got quite a track record of bad and excessive behavoir.  Ryan recognizes him as the Crow who stopped her from beating down False Faces, and that he had shot at the Snake Bit zombie addicts in the abandoned church.  She eventually catches up with Tavarov, and the two fight.  Batwoman has him subdued, until his cronies in a vehicle aim at the Scarlet Knight, and Tavarov breaks free of her just enough to push  her into the path of the vehicle, and they drill her.  She's down and out, and Tavarov beats a hasty retreat.  

Luke's situation hasn't improved, and Mary can't gain access to deliver the Desert Rose to him, because there are two Crows guards stationed at Luke's door, and she can't get it.  Even using her influence as Jacob Kane's daughter isn't enough---since they said HE was the one who ordered them to not let ANYONE gain access.  Mary has to think of a Plan B.  Luke has entered what looks like his father's office in his subconcious  as he fights for his life.  He tries to talk to his dad, but he's stopped by Bruce Wayne, who says that Luke has a choice:  live and fight on----or talk to his dad, and never wake up to rejoin the living.  Mary came back to offer yet another distraction to the guards, as Wolf Spider climbs his way into Luke's room using his equipment and skills to quietly enter the premesis, deliver the inoculation to Luke, and leave before the guards notice.  Evan reappears with Mary, and they take off...having accomplished their mission.  

Ryan is frustrated that Luke is in this position, and she feels guilty about calling him out about his upbringing.  Sophie is there to try and be supportive, and it's honestly the first time that the two have finally connected...finally realizing they're on the same side.  Sophie and her see the news report that shows Luke pulling a gun, and him getting shot from Tavarov's body cam.  Knowing the footage is fake, the duo work out a plan to obtain the original footage from the Crows' archives before it's deleated forever.  Before they enact their plan, Sophie pleads to Jacob to look over Luke's case.  She tells him that there is NO WAY Luke could be guilty of what he's being accused of...and that Tavarov is dirty.  Jacob says he'll think about it.  He then questions Tavarov about how he believes that Luke could go from upstanding image to Grand Theft Auto in no time flat.  Tavarov covers his tracks, and says that Luke WAS in jail with a car thief, so it doesn't surprise him.  Jacob isn't buying it, and puts Tavarov on suspension, and wants his gun.  Tavarov then strikes Jacob, knocking him out.  Him and his goons then take Jacob out of his office...looking get rid of all the questions and doubts.  

Batwoman is inside Crow headquarters, and has worked her way into the archive room, and hooked up to the hard drive, ready to find the real cam footage.  But she tells Sophie she's stuggling to find it.  Things go from bad to worse, as Sophie---monitoring everything from the Batcave---sees on the security cameras that Tavarov as Kane, and that they're going to kill him.  She warns Batwoman, and our hero reluctantly goes after Kane, knowing they just had a chance to clear Luke's name.  She crashes into the room where Tavarov has Jacob.  She ends up cleaning house, and beating down all of Tavarov's men....and Tavarov himself.  She frees Jacob and tells him that this HAS to end.  If he doesn't put an end to this...he's no better than Tavarov.  She's given him the gas and the match---it's time for Jacob to burn it down. 

Luke is quickly recovering, and in his subconscious, he's still weighing his options.  Bruce informs him that he's going to wake up...unless he chooses to stay with his dad.  He wonders why Bruce left, and why he keeps going on, when the world is just getting worse.  Luke makes the decision to stay and be with his dad.  He goes to talk to his dad....but he ends up waking up from his mini-coma.  

Jacob holds a press conference, and talks about all the things that have occurred with the Crows.  Everyone is watching, and Jacob says that things need to change.  So, effective immediately, the Crows are dead.  He also made sure to thank Batwoman for saving his life.  Reporters are shouting questions and cameras flash, as Jacob walks off---taking time to read a text from Mary, expressing how proud she is of him.  As we see him clear out his office, Sophie comes to see him, and she tells him he did the right thing.  He thanks Sophie for always being by his side.  He then leaves his office, kills the lights, and exits the building.

IF you thought I'd forgotten about Alice this week....you're mistaken.  We find Alice in Enigma's office, rummaging through her files, and finding files on her family:  Kate, Mary, Catherine, and Jacob.  It appears that Black Mask really has it out for the Kane family.  Ocean comes back to get rid of Enigma's body, and we discover (to no surprise, really, considering her cane and her name), that they killed the daughter of The Riddler.  Alice then enters Wayne Enterprises, where Mary cuts her off with a gun, and asks what she wnats.  Alice gives a warning to Mary that Black Mask is out for her and their dad.  Alice goes to leave, but Mary tells her that she knows she's in love.  And though Mary LOATHES her, she says that even Alice deserves love. 

Alice returns to Ocean, and he's packing to leave.  Alice is still planning on getting Kate back, but Ocean feels it's a lost cause, because all Kate did was cause her pain.  She's free now, and can go anywhere and do anything.  Ocean can't turn off how he feels anymore than Alice can.  She's not trapped or confined anymore.  But Alice tries to tell him that she loves him, and that if he loved her...he would know that getting Kate back would make her happy.  At the end of the episode, as we see Jacob Kane leave the Crows building for the last time, he finds Alice in his car.  He's really not in the mood for her games, but she tells him that Kate is alive---and in Gotham City.  And she says that they will stop at nothing to get her back from Black Mask. 

This show has gotten BETTER.  And changes are happening all around.  With Tavarov out of the way, and the Crows offically DONE, it takes care of one aspect of the show that I felt was bringing it down. It does makes you wonder what happens next for Jacob, but at least he finally got the point that Batwoman is not the source of all the evil in Gotham...at least we hope so.  But it seems he doesn't get to rest on his laurels much, as Alice now has him roped into whatever plan she has to get Kate free of Black Mask's influence.  That will be a tough task, because she feels she's Sersi Sionis.  And IF they get Kate free...will Alice finally take her chance and kill both her father and sister?  Finally gain that sweet ounce of vengeance that has plagued her all these years?  And what of Mary?  I wonder if he will tell Mary before they manage to get Kate back.  

Also with the Crows disbanded....where does this leave Sophie?  She quit, but what will she do for work?  I think we can finally say that she IS a part of the Bat Team now.  And the emotional moment when Ryan broke down for feeling guilty about Luke led to a tender moment between her and Sophie.  These two have broken down A LOT of walls recently, and it's good.  But again...with Kate being the big focus here....I wonder how everything will play out for these two as well.  For Sophie...the love of her life returns.  Can they regain what they lost?  And for Ryan---is this the end for her time as Gotham's resident Bat hero?  While we ask these questions, there's also the matter of Black Mask himself.  Will he finally be unmasked and taken down?  There's still a fight ahead, and I'm looking forward to it.

It was pretty cool that they brought Evan/Wolf Spider back to help out with Luke.  He's a cool character, and having him pop in every now and then is nice.  The other surprise was in Luke's subconscious....as we got to see Lucius Fox in his office...though his back was to us, and we didn't really see his face, had NO dialogue, but was just a body in the background.  Having Bruce Wayne in his dream was pretty nice as well.  It keeps that Bat connection allive, and I wouldn't see this guy dress up in a bat suit at some point.  

Overall, it's been a MUCH MORE fun ride this season...and I'm eager to see how all these storylines play out.  What did YOU guys think of this week's installment?  Subscribe to the blog and leave me a comment below.  Good or bad, I wanna hear from YOU.  

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

DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW 6.5

RECAP - DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW  6.5:  "The Satanist's Apprentice"  

Our team took a bit of a backseat this week, as we focused on the ONE member of the Legends who has been trying to adjust to life on Earth---Astra Logue.  Astra didn't feel like being a part of the whole time travelling hero deal after helping the Legends defeat the Fates and destroy the Loom.  She wanted to see how she could go it alone as a mere mortal, and try to stay out of trouble.  So, it was time to check in on our fair lady, and see how she was handling things chillin' at the Constantine House.  

Astra has spent most of her life in the bowels of Hell, learning how to climb her way to the top of the food chain down there when she was taken from her mother as a child.  She was used to power, and wielding it, and gaining more.  She spends the first few minutes of the episode trying to get a job, integrate into society, and try to get along with the neighbor, who's nosey, and quite racist to boot.  Things start breaking down around the house, such as the sink, finds out there's no laundry room, and....worst of all...no wifi.  It doesn't help Astra much when she tries to get John to help her out, only to be distracted by Zari, or popping into the house to grab things for spells to do whatever Legend stuff that he's doing with the team.  This leads Astra to become increasingly frustrated.  It's then she pops into the attic, where she discovers a painting of Aleister Crowley.  Though, we find out it's actually Crowley himself, and John had trapped him into that painting before he carried out whatever diabolical plan he had in store.  

It doesn't take long for Crowley to sink his teeth into Astra's insecurities and hardships, and ensuring he lays the blame on John for it.  Not that John isn't 100% without fault....he's kind of brought Astra back, only to kind of cast her aside in a way, not realizing her adjustment into the mortal realm would be hard for her at best.  He begins to teach her a few basic spells that would improve her station in life, but they're only temporary.  He then teaches her a spell to break him out of the painting for a short period of time, and she says that if he screws her over, she'll put him back into the painting.  Of course, someone HAD to go back into the painting, and that's when John showed up.  He warned her that he was up to no good, but Crowley managed to convince her that he could help her gain power.  She sticks John into the painting, and he begins to teach her the dark arts.  However, unbeknownst to her, Crowley has is own agenda, and convinces her that she needs to build an amulet that will help her gain more power...but it requires a human soul.  Not wanting to go back to nothing, Astra plans on getting the nosey old neighbor over to steal his soul.  

As Astra plans to get back at the old man, the team shows up, having made the trek to John's, considering they don't have the Waverider at the moment, since Mick took off with the alien last week in search of Sara....and more on Sara's day as well a little bit later.  As for Astra, to get the Legends out of the way, she casts a spell that changes them into inanimate objects.  She squirrels them away, so that she can enact her plan.  But at the last moment----she can't do it.   Despite the gruff old man...she can't bring herself to kill him.  But Crowley manages to ensure that the amulet is activated as he touches the old man with it, and he's out.  Crowley now has the amulet, and Astra sics the Legends on him...as objects to attack Crowley, who is in John's body.  However, Crowley subdues them, and says that all Astra can be is a princess....and not a God.  So, he zaps her and the team, and we're in an animated "Beauty & The Beast" style setting, as Astra is singing her way through stopping Crowley, who, in turn, puts her into the attic with John in the painting.  He apologizes for not realizing how hard it was for Astra to adjust, and promises to help her out.  They have to figure out a way to stop Crowley before he goes to take over the world.  Earlier on, Astra had come across a few objects she thought she'd use for magic, which included a notebook that had music written in it by her mother.  John says that her mother created a spell to banish magic within a certain radius....it was meant for John should he ever had gone rogue.  So...with his help, Astra begins to sing the spell, as Crowley has the team down in a spell, ready to claim their souls as well.  He begins to grow in size, and getting stronger.  But Astra's singing manages to do enough to break Crowley's spell, break the animated world, and bring them back to reality.  Crowley is put back into the painting, and John tapes his mouth shut, as he puts the evil sorcerer back into the attic.  The spell worked....but at a price.  John doesn't have his magic anymore.  While Astra gets rid of the old man, who complains about the team being there, Astra says they're her friends, and ushers him out of the house.  John later on says that they can learn magic together.  She likes that idea.  

Then, we can't forget our dear Captain Lance.  Sara finally comes face to face with the stranger named Bishop.  It appears Bishop was a geneticist from Earth, who had begun to feel that Earth was no long a viable place to live for humanity, so he began to experiment on humans with alien DNA.  The nurse treating Sara is another Ava, who is loyal to Bishop.  We discover that Bishop was the one who created Ava to begin with.  And while Sara says that HER Ava is independent and acts of her own free will, Bishop says that ALL Ava's have it in their genetic makeup to obey him.  Sara, however, tries to convince Nurse Ava to work with her, and get out of there.  She has a ship, and they just need a power source to get away.  Ava later on comes back, and says that she wants to help Sara escape.  They make it to the ship, and when she asks for the power source, Bishop shows up with his alien goons, and Ava says she obeys Bishop.  Feeling betrayed, Sara takes out Bishop's goons.  And he's the one who had the ship set up with the pods.  While Sara says that she dumped his precious cargo into the time stream, he reveals to her that all the pods not only were cryogenically freezing his cargo, but was also getting DNA samples from them....that includes Sara.  So, now, he says, they're much closer than they realize.  

This episode allowed us a little fun, with Caity Lotz in the director's chair (hence why we had limited Sara this episode), we got some Disney-like animation, where Astra got to be a princess for a brief period of time...and gave a chance for actress Olivia Swann a chance to stretch her vocal chords.  The team was there in a limited capacity, save for the fact they needed to be there to give Astra someone to save, and to realize she DOES have friends that care about her.  We see a lost woman this episode trying to cope with her new reality....and suck at it.  And wishing to go back to what she was before.  But with Crowley manipulating her, she saw the troubles that came with that.  It was good to visit Astra again, and ensure that we didn't forget about her.  She still a very much big part of the team, and while she didn't want to join our time travelling heroes, there's still a bond with them.  Whether or not this forces Astra back with the team is another matter.  But for now, we see that Astra made a BIG mistake...nearly cost her dearly with the loss of her friends and herself.  Now, let's see whether or not her and John can mend fences, and try to regain the magic back.  

On the other spectrum, we see that Sara met the creator of Ava this week, which explains the various clones of her roaming about the planet.  Bishop apparently is one of those crazy whack job mad scientists that wants to use the fighting ability of Sara's DNA to help his new species survive out in the universe.  He's a bit eccentric, but he does have big villain plans, and it will take a collective Legends to be able to stop him.  He's got the right level of cheesiness for this show.  Noticeably absent  was Mick and his alien travelling companion this week.  Guess they've not been able to get a lock onto Sara yet.  

Well, kids, that wraps up THIS take on the Legends this week.  What did YOU like or dislike about this week's show?  Subscribe and leave a comment below.

And until next time, kids.....Time is on our side.

 

SUPERMAN & LOIS 1.8

 

RECAP - SUPERMAN & LOIS  1.8:  "Holding The Wrench"  

We got some SERIOUS pent up anger and frustration going on in this latest installment of our Man of Steel and his intrepid reporter wife.  Aside from having to deal with Jordan's growing powers that he can't quite managed yet, we still have the frustration Lois feels for being led on by John Henry Irons, who's been lying about his real ID, super powered people like Leslie Larr...and whatever its that Morgan Edge has planned.  It's pushing Lois to the edge, and we're gonna wait to see if and when she blows.  Meanwhile, John himself is frustrated an angry that he hasn't completed his mission to kill Superman, and destroy Morgan Edge's threat of amassing a super-army.  And we KNOW Jon is still a bit pissed off about having broken his arm trying to save Jordan from exposing himself and killing his old bully from Metropolis.  So...nerves are raw, and let's see what happened THIS week....

This week we saw Lois doing something I'd thought I'd NEVER see:  talking to a therapist.  Especially one that's a friend of the old man.  Lois was going over what she had done in regards to nearly ruining her relationship with her son Jon.  Since she and Clark first informed the boys about what exactly is going on, it's put the Kent Family on high alert.  While Clark has gone to talk to John Henry Irons, and get information out of him about what's going on, Lois and Jonathan decide to investigate the confiscated RV of Irons, and is now in the Kent barn.  As they step in, the AI security goes on alert, and asks for verification.  Lois speaks up, and it recognizes her.  They rummage through the RV for information, and they discover a control panel where they see Irons' life on his world.  Jon points out to his mother about her doppleganger on Irons' world, and how they were together.  This hits Lois pretty hard, and they leave the RV.  She needs some time to process everything before going back in and searching further. Jon, however, gets REAL curious, and enters the RV, trying to gather more answers.  He discovers Iron's armory of weapons, but then sets off the security alarm, and the RV goes into defense mode, with laser sights pointed at Jon, and the RV seals itself up...windows and all.  Jon tries pounding on the door to get out, and Lois hears the alarm, banging on the door to try and get her son out.  

Meanwhile, Superman is at the DoD, and he sits down with John, and wants answers as to why he's trying to kill him.  John says that Morgan Edge is creating an army, and soon Superman will join him....join his kind.  Despite what the Man of Might says, John is unconvinced.  He believes he needs to kill Superman...before he takes over the world, and kills this world's Lois Lane...just like he did on his world.  A little later, General Sam Lane feels he needs to chat with John...military man to military man.  Sam wants to know John's story, but John just doesn't want to discuss it.  He feels that Sam is being led astray by Kal-El, and that he'll join his fellow Kryptonians in destroying the Earth.  Sam tells him that Superman won't betray them, but he won't say anymore until he sees Lois.  At this point, Superman hears Lois as she cries out for help, and he's off...racing back to Smallville to barely save Jon from being shot up by Irons' booby-trapped RV.  Afterwards, Jon tries to justify going back into the RV, but Lois EXPLODES at him, and just shreds the poor scared kid with a severe tongue lashing with how he was stupid, didn't listen to her, and how he could've been killed.  She sends him away, and Clark wonders whether or not Lois crossed the line.  She's shaken, scared, and angry all at once, and Clark suggest she talk to her dad's friend who's a therapist.  Lois does talk to her, and says there are times that her words can be harsh, and she can be verbally abrasive.  But we learn some VERY interesting things from this session:  namely, Lois and Clark got pregnant a third time, but Lois had a miscarriage.  Lois has blamed herself for it for awhile, and it was something she never coped with---the loss.  She just threw herself into her work and the two children she still has.  But the therapist convinces her that she needs to accept that the miscarriage wasn't her fault, and that she needs to let it go.  

Superman is back at the DoD, and Irons is still silent until he talks to Lois, and while ONE of the soldiers...a man named Trask...wanted to torture Irons until he got what General Lane wanted out of him, the other soldier wouldn't let him do it.  Turns out, the smaller soldier was an agent of Edge, as he has superpowers, and kills Trask.  He leads Irons into the armory of the DoD.  Superman and General Lane find out what's going on with the alert in the building, and Superman says he's got to stop the solider and save Irons.  Sam let's Superman know that there's Kryptonite weaponry down there, and he could be killed.  Superman goes anyway, and he and the super powered soldier fight.  They end up exposing themselves to Kryptonite gas, and pound on each other, as General Lane and his men try to breach the armory to stop the soldier from killing Superman and Irons.  Superman does get the soldier down, but Irons takes a staff with Kryptonite at the end of it, and kills the soldier.  General Lane's men manage to break in and got guns on Irons, as he has Superman on the ground---ready to kill him.  Lois...who had been in the building, came down and talked to John.  She understands what he's going through, and knows his story.  But she convinces him that he can trust Superman, and that she stakes her life on him to protect the planet.  John backs down and the threat ends.  Later on, Sam and Superman talk, and the General apologizes to Superman about how he found out about the Kryptonite weapons.  But he makes Superman understand why he has them.  He knows he's got to earn the Man of Steel's trust again, but he's willing to try.  

Later on, Lois sits down with Jon, and she apologizes for how she acted and how she lashed out at her son.  She makes him understand how scared she was.  She then shows the picture of the sonogram of the little sister he and Jordan was going to have...and how she lost her.  She makes Jon understand that while THEY are the two non-powered people in a family and world of superpowered people, they need to lean on each other, and be there FOR the super powered ones in order to survive.  A tender moment for both, and hopefully, Jon stepping up more.  

While the Kent Family was dealing with Irons and the renegade soldier, Sarah Cushing was looking to enter a talent contest at school.  Lana is all for this, and encourages her.  Even Kyle is looking to give her a helping hand in getting ready, and said he'd be there to help her through her nervousness.  However, before the talent contest arrives, Kyle has a chat with Leslie Larr, and she says that Morgan Edge was disappointed that he didn't take the offer for the job Edge had.  Kyle is surprised by this, because he didn't turn the job now, and he didn't even know the offer was on the table.  So, he bumps into Lana later, and he questions her about it.  Lana explains to him that Leslie doesn't know everything, and that Edge doesn't see Kyle as leadership material, and that's why he didn't get the job.  This must've struck a nerve with Kyle, because when it came time for Sarah's audition, he as missing in action.  Just so happens that she had a backup plan...unbeknownst to her---Jordan.  Apparently, Jordan is adept at playing the piano.  Jon wants to talk to Jordan just as Sarah is about to go on, and says that he needs to chat with him, and he really needs him to be there for him.  Jordan promises, but then sees Sarah in trouble.  So, he goes up, and starts playing the piano as Sarah sings.  It looks like these two are getting ever closer, as Jon looks on.  When we see Sarah later, she's not interested in her father's explanations, as he said he found out about a job opportunity he missed, and it left him deflated an disappointed.  So, she doesn't want anymore promises from him.....she's been disappointed enough.

After Superman informs Sam about what he believes Morgan Edge is up to with the X-Kryptonite, and creating an army, and believes what John says, he visits John at the farm with Lois, and says that he'll need John's help in stopping Morgan Edge before he gets his army together.  John is willing to call a truce, but he needs to focus on what he has ahead of him.  Lois offers encouragement.  He wants to say something to Lois...just not THIS Lois.  As he is about to take off, he tells the AI to change the ID for access to John Henry Irons.  

This episode gave us A LOT of emotional beats, and we finally got a little more into Lois that we did not know before.  It's true, Lois comes off as tough and strong...she's HAD to in order to be a star reporter AND having a life with Superman.  But now...she's a mother, and that takes on an extra added weight...so her reaction to Jon's situation was completely believable, and I got where she came from.  You understand the fear and panic in her voice...even in her anger, that she was terrified to lose her son.  The therapy session also allows us to discover that Lois and Clark were going to have another child----but she miscarried.  It's a situation it seems that Lois NEVER managed to work through, and that blame she put upon herself, carries over into the two boys she has.  Plus, knowing what she now knows about John Henry Irons, and the wife from HIS world...it's a bit jarring...so Lois is on an emotional high this episode.  Jon, sadly, became the focus of that emotion when he went back into the RV and almost got killed.  I love the depth and honesty for which Elizabeth Tulloch brings to her rendition of Lois.  There's an honesty to it.  

As for Clark...well, he's desperate to reach John Henry Irons, and but meets with a lot of resistance.  There's frustration within him this episode, because he always believes he can try to reach a person's sense of goodness within them. He doesn't understand exactly what John has lost, so it's difficult to relate.  But Clark  wishes to earn John's trust by allowing him to go and find some solace in what he's lost.  While John doesn't want to trust Superman, or work with him, he won't kill him.  John himself is going to take time to find out who he is in this new world.  So...while there's a cease-fire between the two men, it's going to take time before these two will cross paths and work together.  Believe me when I tell you---Steel is coming.  As for Clark and Sam---well, at least the General was honest with him about the Kryptonite weapons...and he tries to get Clark to understand his side of things.  He also knows that trust must be rebuilt between the two, but he's willing to work on it.  

As for trust going bad----that's Sarah Cushing's situation.  Poor Sarah has had to deal with the her own failures and depression, but we also see the extreme faults in her parents as well.  And while Lana has made strides in her relationship with her oldest daughter.  But when it comes to her father...there's fissures in that relationship, despite Kyle's efforts for this talent show.  But he's been SO obsessed with Morgan Edge and his deal, that when he finds out from Leslie Larr that Edge wanted him for this new job, he was utterly disappointed to find out that Lana didn't tell him about it, because SHE said that Edge didn't find him "leadership material".  So, he got so depressed and went to get sloshed to drown his depression.  This made him miss the audition---which, thanks to Jordan, was successful---and when she got home, he tried another lame excuse for his behavior, but she's over it....she doesn't want anymore promises from him.  Kyle is so in lockstep with Edge, that he will seem like he'll to ANYTHING to make an impression.  And I bet that the reason Lana didn't suggest him to Edge, is because she is suspicious of what Edge is up to, and doesn't want Kyle involved.  But I feel that's going to happen anyway.....and bad results will happen.  And I feel it will create MORE of a rift between him and Lana once he finds out that Lana is secretly working with Lois to expose Edge's plans.  It's sad to see a man like Kyle...who IS honorable in his own way...feel slighted by his wife, and break  a promise to his daughter, all because he's upset that HE wasn't considered for this new job by Edge....because HE has been THE most vocal supporter of Edge, and thinks it's unfair.  I wonder what is going to happen when he discovers the truth, and how he'll handle it.  

Again, the writers of this show are doing a good job, and the story is intriguing, and loving the developing family dynamic of the Kent clan.  Things aren't being rushed, and they're slow building to the crescendo of this arc.  What did YOU guys think of this week's installment?  Subscribe and drop me a line below.  

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