BATWOMAN 2.18

 

RECAP - BATWOMAN  2.18:  "Power"  

Power....that's what it's all about in Gotham, and Black Mask wants it.  In this season finale, Black Mask makes his final push to drag Gotham City into chaos and anarchy...and then swoop in and become the savior of the town.  And he's got an army on his side....and his "daughter", Sersi.  With Kate still at Sersi Sionis' mercy, she's going to be on a rampage to help thrust Gotham into chaos---and what can the Bat Team do?  Well...it's the end of Season 2....let's see how it all shook out. 

Black Mask was revving up his troops, and using the old Channel 64 studios to send a city wide broadcast, spewing his agenda, and saying how the Crows, the GCPD, and Batwoman were the REAL prolem in Gotham, and that he wanted the people to rise up and initiate some anarchy in the town....take down the GCPD, the politicians, Batwoman.  He says if you've got the power---use it.  And thus, the powergrid is shut down, and the city is enveloped into darkness.  The Bat Team is watching all of this transpire when the power goes dark.  We then see Ryan in a quiet moment, penning a letter to Gotham, saying that maybe Batwoman isn't the answer.  But she never did take it for granted.  The team has to scramble to not only try and prevent the city from destroying itself, but to find Sersi and Black Mask...and put them down.  When looking at Black Mask's video footage, Ryan has an idea as to where he might be.  

Black Mask is overlooking all the bounty that Sersi had stolen from the Batcave, espousing that Batman loved his trophies, and that he got off on his power.  Now, he's going to use some of that power to take control of Gotham.  By using some of Bane's Venom...he gives a small dose to Tavaroff, as well as a mix of Snake Bite to help control him....but Tavaroff seems to have not survived the experiment, so Black Mask has his goons dump the body in the alley.  He reveals his plan to "save" the city once he destroys it. thus anointing himself the "white knight" of the city.  And that's after he disposes of his Black Mask identity, and having Roman Sionis as the sole savior of the town.  Luke informs Ryan where Black Mask is located.  Ryan is still doubting that she can beat Kate, and that maybe she's not cut out or deserving to be Batwoman.  Sophie sets her straight---she EARNED that cowl, and she IS Batwoman, and that is who the town needs right now.  They hear shooting and rioting outside, and they go to see what's happening, only to see the Mayor get shot.  Ryan tells Sophie to stay with him and get him to safety, while she has an idea on how to beat Kate.  Alice shows up at the cave, and says that Kate played them, and that Safiyah won't be a problem.  So, with that, she hands Alice a gas mask, and says that she's going to take down Black Mask, and get Kate back.  

Luke is in the Batcave trying to find alternate power, when he comes across some old drawings that look like designs of an old Batsuit.  It seems his father was building a new one, and the finds it under the black cloth we saw last episode.  We then get to see the Batwing suit in full glory, and as Luke touches it, it lights up to his signature.  Meanwhile, Mary is at her clinic, overloaded with patients, when someone brings Tavaroff in.  She notices the Snake Bite attatchment on his arm, and has an idea on how to stop Kate herself.  She has one of her assistants keep an eye on Tavaroff as she goes to call Luke and tell them her plan to use it on Kate...spark her memory, and get her back.  Everyone is on board with the idea.  But somehow, Tavaroff wakes up, and he's in a bad mood....and want's his elixir back.  So, Mary is in trouble.  

Ryan and Alice are on their way to the studio when Alice lets Ryan know she read up on her, and knows about her mother.  That she had supposedly killed her mother childbirth.  Alice tries apologizing for killing Ryan's adoptive mother, but Ryan refuses to accept it.  Ryan promises that they're going to find Kate, and then she's going to drag Alice to jail.  Mary is running away from Tavaroff when she is rescued by Batwing, who then takes out Tavaroff.  WHen he asks who he is...Batwing says "justice".  Mary then races to get the Snake Bite to Ryan, so that she can save Kate.  

Once they're at the stuido, Black Mask starts fighting Alice, as Sersi is off to do her damage, with Ryan in tow, meanwhile the rioting outside continues.  We then hear Vesper Fairchild reading a letter that Batwoman wrote (the same letter Ryan was composing at the start of the show), sayin that it was now Gotham's turn to be the hero...to use the mask and shine the light of justice and peace.  Many of the citizens do so, and when Ryan catches up with Mary to get the Snake Bite, she looks up and sees the city...heeding her call...and that they need Batwoman to save them. 

Roman and Alice continue their fight, and he calls Alice a failed villain....all because she has a heart.  Wanting to kill her sister, then save her sister....sends the wrong message as a villain.  But Black Mask/Roman Sionis...different face, same message.  Alice tells him that a great villain was The Joker...and she sprays Roman with the acid from the Joker's flower....thus scarring his face, and then putting his Black Mask back on, and she said good luck with his message, and walks off.  Ryan, at this time, is chasing Sersi down, trying to stop her from planting bombs and destroying the city.  Ryan finally catches up to her, and they begin to do battle on the bridge.  It's the same bridge that Kate and Alice crashed off of when they were kids.  As Sersi tries to goad Ryan, Ryan says to call her Batwoman.  Alice arrives to see the Snake Bite canister that Ryan dropped, and while Kate was dazed, Ryan yells at her to grab it and use it....Alice does, and Kate is sprayed in the face.  However, both of them tumble over the  railing and into the river---Ryan unable to stop them. 

As Alice and Kate hit the water, all the other artifacts from the cave that Sersi stole also fall into the river.  As both are out of it and close to drowning, Both Kate and Alice connect mentally...and Kate hears Alice, and calls out to Beth.  When she opens the door in her imagination from her locked room....Beth is there.  Alice wakes up, and then notices that Kate is drowning, and rescues her.  Ryan meets them down at the riverbed, and Kate is still out of it....so Ryan and Alice perform CPR on her, until she awakens, coughing up water.  As Kate stumbles into awareness, the GCPD is there, ready to spring on Alice and take her into custody.  

As the city has settled down, Vesper hits the airwaves the next day, giving props to the city for not buying ointo Black Mask, and for heeding the call to be heroes.  She also says the city refuses the resignation of Batwoman....they'll always need her. In the aftermath, Kate is back to normal, and she, Mary, and Luke catch up.  They respect the decision she's made, and as far as Alice goes---until Alice wants to be Beth...Kate says there's nothing she can do for her.  Ryan shows up, and she and Kate have a moment to chat.  Ryan says thanks to Kate , and Kate thanks her...and says that Batwoman is hers...and for her to watch out over Luke and Mary.  Ryan promises.  They shake hands, and Kate is off on one more errand.  She meets with Sophie, and says that timing is bad.  She says that she's got to go to National City to see a friend (have to visit Kara), and then visit her dad in Metropolis....then, she's off to find Bruce.  IF anything has happened to him, she owes it to herself to find her cousin like she failed to find Beth.  Sophie knows that they can't be together, but they share one last kiss until Kate takes off on her mission.  We should also note that Ryan had met with the parole board, and was finally granted her release from parole, making her a free woman once more--with no boundaries.  

The Bat Team meets up, and discuss current matters...including getting all the weapons that were stolen from the Cave back before they cause trouble.  Now that Mary's clinic is legit, Ryan feels that they should rebuild the youth center above it, and they all agree that's a good idea.  Ryan is also happy to have back up with Luke out in the field as Batwing.  They wondered how he found the suit, and he said he drew designs on what a black Batman would be like when he was a kid----and his father made it a reality.  Ryan then pays a visit to Alice at Blackgate Prison...letting her know that this is justice for her mother, and that she hopes they NEVER see each other again.  But Alice has yet another card to play----and reveals to Ryan that her biological mother is VERY much alive.

The show ends as we see the Penguin's umbrella...the Mad Hatter's hat...and the vial of Poison Ivy's vine floating in the Gotham river---and the vial opens....and when water comes into contact with the vine, it begins to grow. 

This was a pretty exciting ending to the 2nd season of the show!  I was happy with the way they wrapped up the Black Mask storyline, and now get the backstory as to how the mask is permanently fused to Roman's face now...his rep is done, and he's fallen from Babylon.  But we know he'll find a way to be a menace again down the road.  It also gives us a very satisfying ending to Kate's time in Gotham.  Now she's charged with a new mission:  finding Bruce Wayne.  We've never really understood Bruce's absence, but Kate is going to find answers.  She knows Gotham is in great hands with Ryan....who is now our ONLY Batwoman.  I have to admit....I had predicted that Alice and Kate would fall into the river in a scuffle....but that they'd BOTH disappear...and MAYBE wash up on Coryana.  But this works out better.  It still sees Alice as the villain, who still hasn't completely freformed...but happy that her sister is back.  As for Kate....a new direction, AND they can bring her back down the road.  Either way, I've no complaints about it.  Luke becoming Batwing was cool, and I LOVE the suit!  He's going to be an asset in the field for Ryan.  Mary's clinic is legit, so she's living her dream.  We DO bid farewell to Jacob Kane, as Dougray Scott is finished on Batwoman. With Kate gone, Alice incarcerated for the time being (and should only be seen SPORADICALLY), there is no further storyline for Jacob Kane....he served his purpose.  So, now the focus can shift to the Bat Team...which WILL have Sophie in tow, and a new slate of villains for next season.  I expected Sophie to stick around....she and Ryan have mended fences, and she's a valuable member to the team.  So, the sisterhood of the team will grow.  

As for Tavaroff....expect him to turn up next season as a villain...as well as what other designs the showrunners have for the Penguin's umbrella, the Mad Hatter's hat, and Poison Ivy's vine that just started to grow again.  This will be the team's next mission---getting all these artifacts back before a new breed of supervillains come to the fore.  But I enjoyed myself MUCH more this season, and Javicia Leslie was incredible...Ryan Wilder grew on me...and I totally see her as Batwoman.  NOW....I'm just hoping things will clear up with this virus crap, so that we can get some serious crossover action again.  

Okay boys and girls....how did YOU rate Batwoman, Season 2?  What did you like/hate about it?  What theories did YOU have going into this week's finale?  Subscribe and drop me a comment below.

Until next season....The Signal is OFF!

DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW 6.8

 

RECAP - DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW  6.8:  "Stressed Western"  

Well...our Timestream Toublemakers try to adjust to having SOME sense of "normal"....at least for them.  Their intrepid Captain is back, and they're looking to get back to business:  fixing the timeline, and eliminating the aliens that have landed in it, and screwed it up.....mostly due to Sara and Gary having dumped them when they fought Gary's ex-fiance.   But before they get down to the next adventure---they want to properly welcome their Captain home.

So, we got the team whipping up a monster breakfast for Sara, who still hasn't revealed to the team that she's half alien.  She isn't quite ready to tell the team what happened to her, even though she just revealed it to Ava.  She wants to keep it under wraps until she has time to settle back in and come to terms with it herself.   But she professes to Ava that everything is fine.  Everyone wants to get time with Sara, but Ava wants as much time with her as possible.  So, she gets the big breakfast, but her appetite isn't where it usually is, and she settles on the smoothie Zari left instead.  Gideon interrupts Ava and Sara getting closer, as she finds yet another alien messing up the timeline....this time in a old western town named Fist City in the late 1800's.  Sara wants to have a romp, so Nate rallies the troops, and they head into the past to confront this new alien threat to the timeline. 

Before they take off, John confronts Gary about The Fountain of Imperium, and Gary says it's just a myth, and he doesn't believe it exists.  John walks off in a huff, and Gary looks on...knowing he just lied to John. 

When they get to the town, they find out it's....different.  They walk into the saloon, and as soon as they bump into one of the patrons, it looks as if a fight will break out.  Instead, the man is courteous, and orders them drinks....all soda.  There's no alcohol there, and also no gambling as well.  They see the list of rules, and find it weird.  From their research, this town was protected by the first black deputy sheriff named Bass Reeves, but he's considered an outlaw based on a wanted poster of him posted.  The actual sheriff of the town is a man named Stapleton, who was supposed to be the outlaw criminal based on history.  A balladeer shows up, and the saloon breaks out in song, as he tells the story of the sheriff, and Stapleton arrives, curious about the strangers who've come into town.  At this point, Sara is downing milkshakes like they're going out of style, and Ava is worried about her, and why she's acting the way she's acting.  Behrad makes nice with one of the locals, and his sister doesn't think the girl is right for him.  Nate is just trying to keep the peace, and Astra is not happy that the guys playing Go Fish at the tables have no gold on them, and she's heard of it.  She wants to grab some for herself.  Spooner, trying to sense the alien, and Astra giving her grief for having the foil in the hat.  

The tension between team members causes a rumble underneath the ground.  the card player and Astra have words, and they get angry.  Then, the alien shows up---a worm---that ends up swallowing the card player.  It takes the whistle from Stapleton to quell the alien, and force it back underground.  He tells the team to eat up, have a drink or two, and then hit the road.  They question Gary about it, and he says it's a Hadarac---and it feeds on anger.  They realize they have to get the whistle from the sheriff, so they head to the square dance....minus Astra and Spooner are left behind because of their tempers.  Astra then wants to follow the trail to find the gold of the card player.  So, she wants Spooner to help her find it.  She eggs Spooner about her powers, and says that she should learn to control them, instead of it controlling her.  She talks about her time in Hell, and having to fight for her power.  Spooner opens up about her mother, and how she had to survive without her.  Astra did not know this.  They end up finding the worm, and it turns out that the worm leaves a trail of gold in its wake.  They have been followed this whole time by Bass....who's curious as to who they are.  Bass says that this worm turned Fist City into a boomtown, and there's no way the townsfolk are going to let anything happen to the worm.  

At the square dance, Sara and Stapleton talk, and she challenges him to a shootout.  Winner gets the whistle, and the loser leaves town.  Stapleton agrees.  Ava wonders why Sara would do this, and Sara is calm, and she says she needs this.  Meanwhile, Zari and Behrad continue to argue about his flirtation with the woman, Ava is upset Sara is putting herself in danger.  The ground begins to rumble as the alien gets restless.  So, Sara and Stapleton have their showdown, and Stapleton shoots Sara in the head before she gets a chance to turn around.  However, Sara gets up and heals her head wound...a byproduct of her alien DNA.  She then turns around, and Stapleton continues to fire on her, but she takes all the bullets.  She then shoots the whistle off Stapleton.  The worm takes out Stapleton, and then the woman Behrad flirted with turns on the Legends, and they won't let them take the worm from them, so they start shooting at the Legends, who hide inside the saloon.  While the team is trying to figure out what to do, they all begin to argue.  Ava and Sara argue about what she just did, the siblings argue about Behrad's flirting with the woman, and John feels that if he had his magic, this wouldn't be a problem...and that's on Gary.  Nate has tried to keep the order, but then he tells the team to screw themselves, and starts to vent about trying to make this adventure fun for Sara, how he's had to listen to everyone else's problems, and how he's been all by himself because he's without the woman he loves, who's stuck in a totem.  He then goes outside, raging, and hoping to draw the alien to him.  Everyone wonders just what Nate is doing, so they all commiserate outside and see the alien approach Nate, ready to eat him.  But Astra and Spooner arrive in time with Bass to see Nate about to be eaten.  Spooner gets into the alien's head long enough to distract it, and Astra musters up enough magic to destroy the creature.

With the town back to normal, and Bass reasserted as sheriff, and how he uses everything he knows about the townsfolk to ensure they'll toe the line.  Back aboard the ship, Gary tells John where he can find the Fountain...but the only one who's got a clue to where it's at is Aleister Crowley....So, John takes off to find the Fountain to get his magic back...and Gary warns him that if he gets the map to be careful...no one's survived trying to find it.  The siblings make up, and Behrad realizes that Nate's been suffering without HIS Zari.  So, he lends Nate the totem to go and visit Zari within it, but just return it when he's done.  Sarah and Ava seem to be okay again as well.  

Well....we got back to some of the hijinks that makes our Waverider Bunch fun to watch.  We did get a decent dose of humor, but we also got some character development here.  I think that since they got engaged, Ava has now been taking more of a protective stance with Sara.  Call it the "worrisome wife" syndrome, but she's now going into that role.  She has yet to understand the struggle Sara is going through, as she realizes what her alien DNA has given her...a super healing factor, and an immensely indestructible body.  Sara is dealing with her humanity and what it means.  This week, she was unsure about how the team would react if they knew she was half alien.  That brings me to Spooner, and how she not only kept sensing the alien, but Gary as well.  However...it makes me wonder if she could sense Sara's half alien DNA as well.  Astra also made a good point to Spooner about taking control of her powers...and not letting them dictate to Spooner, but the other way around.  Astra also learned that Spooner is a lot like her:  rough around the edges, angry, and both lost someone they loved most:  their mothers.  It was also cool to see Behrad give Nate a helping hand by letting him borrow his part of the totem in order for him to visit Zari 1.0 inside it.  

We got a different guest role for David Ramsey, who also directed this episode.  So, while not a John Diggle appearance, he got a nice little guest role to help the plot along.  Sadly, no real interaction between him and Sara...but it's always good to see Ramsey on TV.  And did anyone notice that Mick had a small part in this week's episode?  He pretty much slept and ate steak in this episode as they went to the Old West.  I guess that they didn't really need Mick much in this episode and gave him a break.  We also got the siblings sniping at each other this week as well, as Zari went all sister mode on Behrad for his choice in women.  But we see that Zari is a loving and protective sister....showing their family dynamic as strong as ever, even when they argue. 

Overall...not too bad an episode.  Had some character development, had a baddie alien, some humorous moments, but doing their usual stuff.  It's not mind blowing things they're doing on this show, and they're staying the course.  Not sure what they have planned, but hopefully something major---especially if it means John and his quest for the Fountain of Illumination.  Because this season has just been staying in it's lane....but in cruise control...and that 's a problem with a show when it gets creatively stale.  That is what I fear for this program.  It needs a major jolt..and soon.

That's MY thoughts on this week's happenings about the Waverider crew....what about you?  What's YOUR take on the Legends so far this season?  Subscribe and drop me a comment below.  

Until next time....Time is on our side.

SUPERMAN & LOIS 1.11

 

RECAP - SUPERMAN & LOIS  1.11:  "A Brief Reminiscence In-Between Cataclysmic Events"

This week, we took SOMETHING of a brief pause in the action in Smallville, as we focused on Superman, and what's going on with him, before we jump into the next disaster awaiting the Kent Family and Smallville.  We see Kal-El take a stroll down memory lane, as he recovers from his encounter with the neo-Kryptonians created by Tal-Rho/Morgan Edge.  He's depleted of power at this point in time, and has headed to the Fortress to recover before going back after his half-brother.  So, what journey did Clark take us through, as he recovers?  Let's find out....

This episode focused on Kal-El's journey from when he left home in Smallville to "find himself".  We start out with Clark making the journey north to the Arctic, where he tosses the Kryptonian crystal into the snow....and then the Fortress rises.  He then uses the crystal to activate the hologram of his father, Jor-El.  Jor-El then says he's going to teach his son how to be a hero for this world.  So, we go through a montage of Clark training in the use of his powers.  Once he finishes his training, we see him return home to Smallville...telling his mother Martha about meeting Jor-El, finding out about Krypton, and realizing what he's been put on Earth to do.  Martha then presents him with a gift...clothing that she had saved from the rocket crash, and said she'd made it into a uniform for him....so that he could be the hero he was destined to be.  Clark went to go see Lana, whom he had a crush on back in the day...but when he goes to tell her he's returned, he sees that she's with Kyle...and Kyle proposes to her.  Clark is heartbroken, but Martha makes him understand that life went on without him.  So, he must do the same. 

We move to Clark in Metropolis, looking to find his way around when he hears with his super-hearing about a car about to crash into people....he races out, and saves the boy we saw at the beginning of the season, and how everyone talks about the rescue.  He had changed to and back to Superman in an old phone booth (an ode to what he used to do in the past), and overhears someone talking about the Daily Planet getting wind of this story.  It inspires Clark, as he turns around and sees the Planet in the distance.  Jumping again, we see his job interview with Perry White, whom he convinces to hire him, and pairs him with Lois Lane.  They have their moment in their first meet, and then we jump to them working together through a montage.  They had been working on a story, and getting closer.  Eventually, Clark comes into the Planet looking for Lois, but she's missing.  With his hearing, he finds out the person they were investigating had Lois in his sights, and planned on killing her.  He races out, and rescues her, and stops the man from harming anyone else.  This is the first time Lois meets Clark in his superhero identity. When she asks his name, he amusingly says that she'll think of something.  When some bystander asks her who he is...she coins him "Superman".  

Later on, we see Lois on TV talking to Superman about who and what he is, and he's careful enough to not divulge too much information.  They take a break from the interview, and Lois is frustrated that he won't give her a straight answer.  Her friend tells her that he likes her, and she's not interested, since she's already in love with someone else----Clark.  Not knowing that, at the time, Clark can listen to her whole conversation.  They go back to the interview, and Superman says that Clark is a lucky guy to have Lois.  Moving forward, we see Clark bring Lois to Smallville to meet his mother, and she's worried, but Martha is very welcoming.  Clark then tells his mother that he's going to confess to her about who he is.  We then see him finally tell Lois of his dual identity.  We go from there to Clark proposing to Lois, to their marriage, and then to when they find out they're pregnant with the boys.  

It's when Lois is in the delivery room, having the boys, that Clark ends up "stepping out" of the dream, as he keeps seeing some kind of flickering shadow...something he'd notice in his dream before...and it ends up being his half-brother, Tal-Rho.  Tal says Kal is weak, and will use his secret against him to destroy him.  Tal threatens the boys, and Superman says not to kill them...they're babies.  But Tal says he wouldn't do that...but teenage boys, however---that's another story.  Superman wakes up, and realizes that Tal is there at the Fortress, using a Kryptonian dream device to show him how weak his life is.  Tal is there to discuss the terms of Kal-El's surrender.  Superman isn't in the mood for it, and he goes to attack Tal, but Tal is still more powerful than Superman right now, as he's still recovering.  Tal and he did damage to the Fortress, and Superman is left lying, as Tal leaves...looking to destroy his targets. 

Back in Smallville, Kyle is still trying to process everything that went down with Edge, and the incidents that led up to him being possessed by a Kryptonian.  Lana is trying to console him, but he still feels guilty.  He apologizes to Lois, and is grateful to her.  Lois says it's okay.  Meanwhile, Jon, Jordan, and Sarah are talking about the events, and she thanks them for their help.  She wants to speak to Jordan privately, and Jon excuses himself.  Sarah is especially thankful to Jordan, and says she doesn't want to be just friends anymore, and kisses him.  Later on, Lois and the boys return home, when they're confronted by Tal, who is there to kill Lois and the boys.  Jordan orders him to leave, and fires at him with his heat vision, but Tal easily fights it off, and blasts Jordan, knocking him down. Superman arrives just in time to order his brother to stop.  He says he'll surrender, just as long as he leaves Lois and the boys alone.  He bows to Tal, and as much as Lois and the boys beg him NOT to do this, he surrenders, and he and Tal take off.  They arrive back out into the desert, where Tal shows him HIS fortress...where we go back in time to see how HE arrived there, his Fortress rising, and conversing with HIS father about their master plan---but they don't have the Eradicator machine---but soon will.  Tal takes Kal-El to meet his father, and they said that he will learn, and he will become one of them.  Then, as what happened to Tal, Superman gets blasted with a red energy beam just like his brother...converting him to the Kryptonian side...becoming more evil.  At the end, we see the boys and Lois at home, worried about Clark.  Lois then makes a call to John Henry Irons....and she tells him that their worst fears happened...and to be ready.

This was a nice place to pause, and give us a pretty cool retelling of Superman's story from when he left Smallville until now.  It also establishes his origin in the Arrowverse.  And yes, while we KNOW how Clark proposed to Lois at the end of the ELSEWORLDS crossover, CRISIS re-imagined the universe, so events unfolded a tad differently.  That was the good thing about that crossover, is that it wiped the slate clean enough for the show runners to be able to have a clean slate to work with.  We also get to witness the great chemistry between Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch---they DO make an amazing Lois &Clark.  And to watch their story unfold was fairly sweet.  It was also cool to see Kyle and Lois make amends....and you have to commend Lana for sticking by her man...though all the mess, she's been a loyal wife.  Hopefully, this will push Kyle into a better direction, and mend the fence with Sarah as well.  And as for Jordan and Sarah...we saw them to getting together at some point.  But...there's still the looming issue of Jordan's powers hanging over them....and how will Sarah react when she finds out?  She might not take the secrets as well.  And will Lois fess up to Lana when they have to try and save Clark?  We've got some pretty interesting questions to answer within the last few episodes.  But we're along for the ride.  

What did YOU all think of this little trip down memory lane?  And did you expect...as I did...that John Henry Irons' premonition about Kal joining Tal to happen?  Albeit, the circumstances are different, it looks as if Lois was prepared for this eventuality.  I feel A LOT of heartbreak is going to happen before the end of this season, and we're going to see Superman's good standing fall.  How he manages to redeem himself will be the story to tell.  But for now...we're prepping for the worst.  But...hey!  Lemme know YOUR thoughts!  Subscribe to the blog, and hit up the comments section below!

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

THE FLASH 7.14

 

RECAP - THE FLASH  7.14:  " Rayo de Luz"  

As we gear up for the final 4 episode arc (which will---FINALLY---feature Godspeed), Flash gives usw one more single episode arc focusing on one of the members of Team Flash.  This time around, we finally get more into Allegra Garcia's story, and her issues with her cousin, Esperanza---whom we know as Ultraviolet, who's terrorized the team before, as well has having been employed by Caver's group, Black Hole.  This episode was directed by Danielle Panabaker, and it does feature a more female-led story, but Chunk is there along for the ride.  But mind you...we haven't forgot about Barry & Iris...and we DO touch on Joe this week, as he continues to dig into Kristin Kramer's mysterious background.  So, let's see how things unfolded this week...

As we opened up at a point in the show where Allegra is doing battle with her cousin, we backtrack to 12 hours prior to the incident, where Team Flash is chilling at STAR Labs, not doing anything.  Barry zips in, and says he and Iris are taking a little vacay, but of course he's vague about what they're doing....not that anyone doesn't know what's going on with those two at this moment...they're getting freaky for baby's sake.  So, as awkward as Barry comes off to everyone, he does bail to go on his little island trip with Iris.  Frost has returned, and while Chunk is ready for some serious D&D, he invites Allegra and Frost, but Frost herself says she's got a thing, and awkardly shuffles off herself.  As for Allegra, she passes on Chunk's invite, and says she's on a search for her cousin, who is just freshly out of prison.  Chunk inquires how she found her, and she said she used the Citizen Tip Line...which she wasn't supposed to...but did anyway.  Allegra wants to make things right with her, considering Esperanza has blamed her for abandoning her years ago.  So, when Allegra DOES catch up with Ultraviolet, Esperanza's been in a vendetta kind of mood.  So, when the two cousins meet, it's not good.  Allega tries to appeal to her, but Esperanza would rather kill her.  And had it NOT been for the timely appearance of Sue Dearbon, Allegra would've been dead.  This, apparently, has been part of the reason Sue has stuck around, because Ultraviolet is still working with Black Hole.  

Back at STAR Labs, Allegra fills the gang in on what she's trying to do.  Sue warns her that Ultraviolet is a killer, and she needs to be stopped.  Caitlin and Chunk wonder why Allegra would try to save her, and Allegra says that it's what Barry would do.  So, she's taking cues from the boss.  Sue reluctatnly decides to help, and has a device to track Esperanza, but they don't have a powerhouse on the team....Frost is M.I.A., and Barry and Iris are on vacation, so they are all there is....Sue says for them to get ready, and meet back at the lab to put the plan into action. Once ready to go, Allegra wants Chester to sit the mission out, But Chester insists on going.  They catch up with Esperanza again, who is looking for a particular doctor to kill.  She finds the doctor---a Dr. Olsen in question, and is about to kill him, the team shows up to stop her.  Sue and Allegra capture her, and Esperanza says that she was trying to kill the doctor, because HE was the one who created her.  At STAR Labs, Esperanza explains what happened to her, and this somehow convinces Allega to work with her cousin to find him, and bring him to justice.  Sue tells Allegra that this isn't a good idea, but Allegra tries to train with her cousin, but she can't muster up her power enough like her cousin.  Sue jumps in, and decides to throw down with Esperanza, as they have so many times before.  In the process of their little fight...Ultraviolet shoots her power, and Chunk takes a hit.  Caitlin and Allegra tend to him, and Esperanza takes off, saying they're all weak.  Later on, Chunk is in a sling, and Allegra apologizes.  Sue comes in to try and convince Allegra that her cousin is a lost cause and evil, and Allegra doesn't listen.  Sue wants Chunk to talk some sense into her, but he says he can't.

Sue tries to reach Allegra about her cousin, but Allegra gives her some backstory, about how they grew up, and how Esperanza felt she abandoned her.  Allegra feels she can offer her cousin a way out...at least she has to try.  Sue finally opens up about her parents, and how they took Carver's bribes in order to stay out of trouble---but then they learned to like the lifestyle, and covered and helped Carver with his criminal activities.  Sue feels bad because she COULDN'T get her parents out....because they didn't WANT out---and Sue feels that Allegra is trying to convince someone who kills and is a criminal to give it up.  Allegra, however, sticks to her guns.  

Chunk has figured out how to track Ultraviolet, who has found Dr. Olsen, and he has offered her a chance to get her voice back...to finish what he started. Chunk figures out that Allegra and Esperanza are the yin and yang of their powers...and they use that find her.  Chunk, Sue, and Allegra head to a warehouse, where Black Hole guards are posted.  Allegra goes to take out a few of them, but gets into a bit of trouble.  Sue is there to help with the guards, as is Chunk.  Allegra meets up with her cousin again, and Dr. Olsen says he plans on staying in business...even though Carver is dead.  He's not going to be caught, and says for Ultraviolet to kill Allegra, so that she can get her voice back.  The two cousins battle, but Esperanza still gets the better of Allegra.  As Esperanza is about to put the finishing touches on her cousin, Allegra's powers...which aren't born from hate, start to amplify.  She stands up, and fully powers up in a way she never has before...and she attacks her cousin, and Esperanza can't overpower her this time.  Allegra wins the fight, and the battle is over.  Esperanza can't believe how Allegra powered up, but Sue asks if things are okay, and Allegra says it's good.  

Caitlin gives props to Allegra for following her heart and for powering up....she's on another level now.  Caitlin manages to save a file from Dr. Olsen that created Esperanza, and it gives information on how to save Esperanza.  Allegra promises she'll be there for her cousin, and gives her the file...with a chance to Esperanza to finally be free and cured.  Sue still plans on sticking around...and maybe talk to her parents finally...feeling a tad inspired by Allegra's ability to not give up on her cousin.  

Elsewhere in this episode, we check in with Joe and Cecile, who're still working on Kristin Kramer and her shady past.  Joe comes acorss an audio recording of a member of her team the night they died, talking about the set up that killed them.  They wonder just how deep Kramer is in, and Cecile tells him to ask her.  So, when Joe goes to confront Kramer...who still says she an INTERIM Captain of the CCPD...about the night her team was killed, he lays out the file for her to see.  She instantly gets defensive, and calls out Joe, reams him, and says that if he digs more into her life...she'll arrest him.  Joe is shocked, but takes the file and leaves....leaving Kristin shook up at finally having her past come back to haunt her.  Joe just feels that she's not being honest when he talks to Cecile again, and she urges him to maybe give it another shot.  Listen to his gut.  Kramer eventually calls Joe, and wants to meet.  So, they meet, and she opens up by first apologizing to him for her outburst, but then reveals her story about how she had a member of her team...her brother in a sense, who grew up outside the reservation with her (thus informing us she's Native American), and how she knew he sold their team out, and how helpless she felt that she couldn't stop what went down.  She asks Joe to help her find her brother....and bring him to justice.  

Finally....we catch up with Frost at the end...as she tracks down Chillblaine...ready to put HIM back on ice at Iron Heights.  But he has a HUGE surprise for her:  He's turned state's evidence, and has been released.  So, now like her, he's free.  

In a lot of ways, this was a filler episode before we get to the final arc of the sesason, but it was good that we got to dig a little more into Allegra's life.  Outside of the fact that both her and Esperanza grew up on the streets, and that they both spent time in Iron Heights, we didn't know much about her.  After tonight, we got a little more, and she finally showed us what she's capable of.  Her power increase is a phenomenal gain for Team Flash, and it means she'll be more ready for field work should Flash need a helping hand.  As for her relationship with her cousin...that'll be work, but it looks like she's up for it.  But will Esperanza take the cure?  Get her voice back?  Or will her spots never change?  Maybe we get to find out, maybe we don't....we shall see.  It also looks like Chunk and Allegra are getting closer...we saw hints of that a couple of episodes back.  So...we getting another couple here?  

Looks like Joe finally broke down Kristin's walls.  Now...I'm still NOT 100% behind her, and putting my money on her to be the actual good guy...but it seems as if she trusts Joe enough with her story to let him help.  See...THIS is why Joe is the heart of this show right now....his guidance and wisdom guide this show throughout...and it effects EVERYONE.  Jesse L. Martin is so incredible with his performances, it just radiates on the screen.  Joe is that dad we ALL want, the great husband Cecile has...and the stoic man of justice we need.  This show would be LOST without him. So, it will be interesting to see how Kramer's story pans out.  

I think that now Chillblaine is a free man, will he stay on the right side of the law so that he and Frost can date?  We know she's crushing hardcore on him, so that'll be something to pay attention to.  As for our main two characters....Barry came and went after HIS awkward reasons for bolting.  And when he returned, saying that he and Iris had a good time....yeah, I'll BET.  Baby making is FUN!  So...we KNOW that both of them are making the most of this.  And while we've had episodes where Grant Gustin has only appeared briefly....I honestly belive THIS is the first time Candice Patton was NOT in an episode in ANY fashion....except having Iris' name mentioned.  I know she wasn't crucial to the plot this week, so that allowed Candice some down time...but when your other main star is out...it DOES feel a little weird.  

Okay, gang...how did YOU feel about Allegra's story?  Do you trust Kramer?  And will Frost and Chillblaine have their first date?  And when will we get the announcement that Iris is pregnant?  IF you have theories....subscribe to the blog, and leave a comment below.  

Godspeed is coming....next time!   So, until then......Keep on running! 

BATWOMAN 2.17

 

RECAP - BATWOMAN  2.17:  "Kane, Kate"  

We've reached critical mass in Gotham City.  We've got a war about to erupt, and Black Mask is at the center of it.  He's amassing more people to take up the cause of "cleansing" Gotham.  Tavaroff is now loose on the streets, and he's got his own agenda.  Jacob Kane is in prison in Metropolis, far away from the happenings in his town.  And then there's Kate/Sersi---a war in the mind of Kate Kane for control, and we have no idea who's the dominant personality from one minute to the next.  Alice is not there for her sister, because she's mourning the loss of Ocean.  Safiyah is here working with Black Mask, and has her own agenda....and what of Ryan?  With Kate back...does she get to remain Batwoman?  Wheels within wheels as we head towards the season finale. So, let's examine the happenings in the penultimate episode of our Scarlet Knight.

Everything that the Bat Team thought was better....or looking up, for that matter....was actually falling apart in devious little pieces.  With Kate having flown the coop, Batwoman was on a quest to find her, knocking heads and kicking ass across town to find her.  Having no luck getting any answers, she returns to the Cave, and then Mary gets a call, saying there's a stranger at the bar saying that there's a woman who acts like she owns the joint giving everyone free drinks.  They head there and find Kate all passed out.  They get her back to the loft, and Ryan wonders what will happen when she wakes up, and afterwards.  Mary feels that the only person at this moment to help Kate is Alice.  She goes to find alice in the subway tunnel, and sees her over the fallen body of Ocean.  Alice wants Mary to fix him, and make him better, but she can't....he's long dead.  Mary let's her know that Kate is fine, and Alice wishes she had left with Ocean when she had the chance.  

Ryan feels like she's seeing the writing on the wall....with Kate back, and overseeing the security feed of Kate talking to Mary and Luke, looking forward to getting back into action again as Batwoman, Ryan feels that her time as the Caped Crusader is done.  She packs up from the loft, but runs into Sophie.  Sophie is dolled up to meet up with Kate, and Ryan says she's got to move on now that Kate is back.  Sophie says that she can't go...and that she IS Batwoman...she has made Batwoman her own. Besides, they know Safiyah is working with Black Mask, and that's a threat they'll have to deal with down the road.  Ryan says that her and Safiyah are on good terms, so she'll have to find out more.

Luke presents Kate with her old journals, in hopes that it would jog her memory, as well as the keys to her motorcycle.  She takes off, and heads to some run down abandoned warehouse, and goes inside one of the rooms, where Black Mask and Safiyah are---turns out, it's just been Sersi who's been in control, and played everyone for a fool.  She now has all of the secrets of the Batcave, and the Bat Team...and they intend to exploit it.  Roman later on meets up with a few of the Crows who got left in the cold when Jacob shut the organization down...including Tavaroff.  Roman promises them a chance to help "clean up" Gotham, without restrictions and legal parameters to hold them back.  Everyone's on board---except for Tavaroff.  He's not interested in being someone's stooge.  Black Mask makes him a better offer...by being the one in control.  This raises Tavaroff's interest. A chance to BE the mask...instead of hiding behind one.

Batwoman...in perhaps one of THE best scenes of the episode...invades Roman's company to get information that he doesn't want prying eyes to see.  So, she spooks the accountant working on his laptop by himself by throwing her voice out, keeping to the shadows, and turning off the lights to scare the man into being distracted enough to grab his laptop.  It's a great, classic Batman move, and she works it to perfection.  Later on, we see her in the back of her old van, contemplating what was, and leaving the Batsuit behind.  She then flips up the laptop to start gathering intel on Roman and his holdings, and following the money trail.  Unfortunately for her, the GCPD raids her van, and arrests her for possession of Snake Bite.  She's taken into custody by heavily armed cops.  Once at the GCPD, the cops leave the squad car, and Roman sits in there, trying to make Ryan and offer, and letting her know that he knows she's Batwoman.  Whatever he's offering, she isn't buying, so she knows she's going to die anyway.  When Mary and Luke find out, it's all hands on deck, and they look to Kate to suit up as Batwoman to save her.  At first, it looks like Kate is about to get ready, but then she turns around, and shoots Mary, Sophie, and Luke with tranquizlizer darts.  They finally find out that it's been Sersi in control all along.  And now with the keys to the kingdom, she starts romaing the cave, looking for certain things that both Black Mask and Safiyah wanted.  She comes across a room with some old weapons and artifacts, but totally skips what's underneath a dark sheet in the back.  In another room, she sees a cabinet that has biological weapons in it.  Among them are the deadly rose from the Joker, the Mad Hatter's hat, and a vial that contains a vine from one of Poison Ivy's plants.  Sersi grabs a few items and she's off to Black Mask to present him these gifts...which he plans to use to take down Batwoman and all of Gotham. 

Meanwhile, Alice has had Ocean creamated, and she's spreading his ashes into the ocean.  Safiyah comes to pay her respects, and says that her and Alice are even.  Since Alice took away the one thing Safiyah loved most---the Desert Rose---she took away Ocean.  Safiyah offers to take Alice away back to Coryana...to spare her from being locked into a cage from what's about to happen in Gotham.  She says that she'll have her island paradise again, thanks to the Poison Ivy weed she got from Sersi Sionis---which means that Alice hasn't gotten Kate back.  Alice is upset, and Safiyah says that she's the only one who loves her, and wants to spare her from what's about to happen.  She has no family, Safiyah says, as she hugs Alice.  But Alice says that's because Safiyah took them from her, and stabs her with the Desert Rose knife.  Alice says that she'll return to Safiyah and pull the dagger out once she gets her family back.  Alice says she knows she'd never kill Safiyah...that wouldn't be much fun.  But leaving her to suffer in this torture....that delights her, and she takes off.  

Ryan is in custody when her parole officer shows up, upset that Ryan got busted.  Ryan tries to reason with her, but her parole officer won't hear it.  Ryan says that she's going to die in the station, because of the armed guards outside.  She tells her parole officer she's Batwoman.  When the guards come in for Ryan, her parole officer tries to stall for time, but the cops whip out their guns, and Ryan attacks....taking out all six corrupt officers.  Her paorole officer believes her, and gives her the ID pass she has to help Ryan get out of the building.  Once Ryan is gone, she makes her way back to the Batcave, she sees that Mary, Sophie, and Luke are trapped in a cage, and that Sersi is on the prowl.  Sersi attacks Ryan with a crossbow, and Ryan ducks for cover.  Ryan eventually gets the crossbow out of Sersi's hands, and the two get into a fight...but Sersi is too strong, and beats Ryan.  She ends up taking off, saying that Ryan isn't good enough to take her on.  The trio escape and tend to Ryan.  Ryan is scared because now that Sersi has her suit and equipment...there's no stopping her.

We later see Sersi maniaclly tearing up the Batsuit...and we see her then deface the symbol with her knife as the episode ends.

This was an intense episode, with a couple of nice little twists.  Sersi playing everyone all along seemed like the route we were going, because from the previous installment, it looked like Sersi got control of Kate's mind.  Also, the fact that Black Mask has made Tavaroff an offer to be THE mask, and be the man who gets to take out all his enemies and those he feels are just for dying...with no rules to hold him back---is too tempting to for him to resist.  With Sersi gaining the Batsuit and equipment, all the secrets to the Batcave, as well as leverage to expose Ryan's ID as Batwoman...plus anything ELSE Bat related, she's going to enjoy tearing everything that Kate had cherished most.  And Kate cannot do anything about it, because she is unable to fight back right now. And among the afroementioned items that I listed above that Sersi had brought her father...Venom was another one---which was Bane's power of choice. 

Alice has finally learned about suffering and loss....and Mary expressed her condolences to her step-sister.  Mary said she'd never wish heartache on anyone...and even told Alice even SHE deserved love.  Her finally stabbing Safiyah with the Desert Rose knife...and leaving her lifeless on the beach in a comatose state---is just a small ounce of revenge on her for tearing apart her family.  Alice getting them back means that SHE will have to confront Sersi...and try to break through to get to Kate.  However it plays out, it will be interesting to see if the Kane women can reuinte.  

As for Ryan....she'd been worried about her own future.  With Kate returning, Ryan felt lost in the shuffle...but she exercised caution with the Team when it came to Kate's well being.  Once again, Ryan's instincts proved correct.  It was Sophie, of all people, to convince Ryan that SHE was Batwoman....that she had EARNED the right to be Batwoman, and made the hero her own.  And now with Sersi loose...it's going to take Ryan stepping up, and being Batwoman to take down her predecessor before she destroys the legacy of everything the Mantle of the Bat stood for.  This is going to be a great fight.

What did YOU all think of this episode?  Are you ready for an action packed season finale?  I sure am.  I've been jazzed about this season, and it FAR dwarfs Season 1 by leaps and bounds.  Where the future of Batwoman goes will be interesting after this next week.  What do YOU all have to say?  Subscribe and drop me a comment.

Until the Season Finale....The Signal is OFF!