TV Review: Supergirl (Season 4)

*This review contains some spoilers*

Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube

“Supergirl” season 4 struggles to do much more than a social commentary, but finally hits its stride with the inclusion of Lex Luthor…and bit of retconning.

The majority of this season was a fairly heavy-handed analogy about the current political climate in America, with outer space aliens standing in for illegal aliens and other immigrants. Despite the bluntness of their message, it mostly works. This is largely due to Melissa Benoist’s earnestness as Supergirl. But this time she gets an assist from the newly introduced Dreamer. While she initially comes off too similar to Kara in season one, her empathy and desire to help others come off as genuine.

The show does attempt to give some validity to the anti-alien characters. While they make a few valid points, they still mostly paint them as evil Even after an entire episode that chronicles Ben Lockwood’s journey from alien-sympathizer to murderer, we never feel like we should hope for some type of redemption arc.

Another plotline is that of Martian Manhunter and Manchester Black. Their dynamic never works the way it’s supposed to, and John’s man of peace mentality doesn’t really hit its mark like they intended. Other stories, like James gaining and losing superpowers, Brainy turning evil and Alex being mind-wiped to forget Supergirl’s identity come and go while having little impact on the overall plot.

Probably the biggest highlight was the introduction of Lex Luthor. While John Cryer is mostly known for his comedic roles, he brings the menace and intelligence required to make Lex a force to be reckoned with. While his plan is meticulously thought out and executed, it felt like they had to do a bit of retconning to tie him into the events of this season, particularly his hand in creating Red Daughter.

The fourth season of “Supergirl” starts off with a solid arc about alien rights, before transitioning into Lex Luthor as the main threat. However, both storylines doesn’t quite mesh together, and once Lex is introduced, the show loses a spark whenever he doesn’t make an appearance.

*** out of *****

Movie Review: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

A ballet of action and violence, that almost gets lost in an unfocused story that relies a bit too much on the franchise’s lore. The film starts off right where the previous entry left off, but before long that fascinating new narrative gets pushed aside for what turns into a massive detour that seems to serve no purpose beyond traveling to new locations and deepening the mythos of this universe of assassins. We’re also introduced to Halle Berry’s character, Sofia. And while she doesn’t add all that much to the plot, her ability to hold her own alongside John Wick in a gun battle really cranks up the excitement. The movie once again succeeds in the action department. Not only is the signature gun play still awesomely choreographed, but the overall brutality is high, as anything from books, to throwing knives , to attack dogs are used to viscously dispatch the bad guys. The main villain Zero is physically impressive, but gets bit corny as the film goes along. There’s also a bit of suspension of disbelief required to watch Wick repeatedly get up from all the beatings he takes. Not to mention the fact that there are apparently so many assassins just hanging around, and despite all the shooting and stabbings, the public never bats an eye.

*** out of *****

TV Review: The Flash (Season 5)

Watch my SPOILER review on YouTube

*This review contains minor spoilers*

“The Flash” season five is a bit of a mess. The new family dynamic and the return of a classic foe just can’t overcome the series’ most mediocre big bad.

The new twist this season is that Team Flash is joined by Nora, Barry and Iris’ daughter from the future. She’s a bit annoying at first, but her charm and earnestness eventually won me over. Visually, she brings nothing new to speedsters lore outside of purple lightning, so it makes it that much more important that her chemistry with the team is solid. We’re also introduced to another new Harrison Wells. This one has a French accent and likes to be called Sherloque. Initially, it’s just Tom Cavanagh doing yet another silly accent, but after a while his contributions to the team and his detective skills make him a good addition to the show.

What never works is the main villain, Cicada. No matter how many times we’re told he was never stopped, he just doesn’t see all that intimidating. Even with his ability to negate superpowers and his augmented strength, it always feels like he’s only getting away because the show needs to stretch his story out for twenty-two episodes. Plus, he has a mediocre origin, a silly-sounding evil voice, and a general lack of a diabolical plan beyond killing random metahumans. Eventually, we get a brand new Cicada, and while her abilities are much more formidable and she actually has a scary master plan, she still isn’t much better than the previous Cicada. Her origin is even less compelling, and her powers are poorly defined. It doesn’t help either Cicada that the Flash’s greatest foe returns and upstages them every time we see him. It just hurts that his motivations aren’t revealed into so late in the season.

There’s also the odd meta-cure subplot. It causes not only Sisco to uncharacteristically decide his powers are a bad thing, but even Barry acts out of character, swinging back and forth on forcing the cure on bad guys and then back to asking for their permission. On top of that, the payoff towards the main plot is surprisingly limited. (Although, a twist late in the story makes better use of it.)

While the family dynamic with the Flash and his wife and daughter gets better as the season goes on, the Frost family story falls flat. Everything with Caitlin’s dead father, the origin of her alter ego and the conclusions to all of this just don’t quite work.

“The Flash” season five suffers from one of the shows lamest villains, but is saved by a fulfilling family dynamic that connects the present to the future…and a dark influence.

** out of *****

TV Review: Arrow (Season 7)

Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube

*This review contains some spoilers*

“Arrow” does its best to shake things up for season seven, and it succeeds early on, but then falls back into familiar territory.

This season starts with a unique setup, as Oliver spends the first seven episodes in prison. While he’s locked up, the rest of the team take different paths. By giving the large cast their own story arcs, even though they occasionally overlap, it helps breathe new life into the show. Even after Oliver is released, the twist of making him an official part of the police department is an interesting angle. Another great twist are the flash-forwards. There are some really cool moments seeing what becomes of our heroes, and plenty of mysteries. All these changes create a practically new show. However, as “Arrow” reaches the back half of the season, it mostly feels like the old status quo. On top of that, the flash-forwards begin to sputter out. They’re rejuvenated by an episode that takes place entirely in the future, but instead of wrapping up the story, it limps on the rest of the season.

One weak aspect this season is the villains. For starters, a rehash of Ricardo Diaz is mostly uninspired. And while a second villain makes a sold entrance midway through, the true big bad is an interesting choice. While there are plenty of personal connections to Oliver, the story is just too convoluted for its own good, and the attempts at redemption require overlooking some truly vile deeds. While this worked with Black Siren, it was just too much to ask this time around.

he show adds only a few new major characters, but does a good job of bringing back a few from previous seasons. From Roy Harper to Bronze Tiger, the blasts from the past help bring things full circle as the show passes its 150th episode and gears up for the upcoming eight and final season.

Despite reusing last season’s main bad guy, the first portion of “Arrow” season seven does a great job of shaking things up. However, just as they introduce a brand new villain, the show starts slipping back into a rut.

*** out of *****