Good Trouble 1x04 "Playing the Game" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Good Trouble allows the supporting characters to exist outside of Callie and Marianna. Davia, Alice, and Malika got scenes without Callie or Marianna, letting them be people outside of the sisters’ dramas. I’m excited to see where this development goes, especially with Alice and Davia, who are getting more content to work with. Malika already has a complex backstory, and she is mostly there to help Alice stand up to the other residents who take advantage of her.

Alice is easily becoming one of my favorite characters on this spin-off. She is such a nice person, but she has to learn how to take care of herself too. She also needs to cut Sumi out of her life. I also thought her moment in the bathroom was brilliant, when the toilet paper ran out. We need more Alice in future episodes, and I hope the show will deliver.

Davia is a plus-size character, but she isn’t defined by it, unlike say, Kate Pearson from This Is Us. The show also gave us a sex scene between her and a married man. It wasn’t as steamy as the ones with Callie and Gael, but it’s better than nothing. When Marianna tries to warn Davia about her friends with benefit being married, she throws us a twist by revealing she already knew about it. She doesn’t care, which tells me that this relationship will not last forever.

Marianna and Callie have their own separate dramas this week.

Callie is invited to Judge Wilson’s house for a BBQ, which turns into “Twenty Questions”, and that is filled with a lot of boring lawyer stuff. I’m not even going to pretend I understood anything they were talking about, but I recognize a sore loser when I see one. Judge Wilson kicked Callie, Rebecca, and Ben out of his house because he couldn’t guess their case. His wife was definitely not pleased. Then they ended up at a bar, which was an actual nice scene between the three of them.

Callie also learns Judge Wilson’s son has an ankle monitor, but does not disclose that bit of information to her fellow clerks. Knowing this girl, she’s going to find herself involved, make things worst, and maybe get a happy ending for the family at her expense. She’s always doing crazy stuff like that. I mean, just watch the first episode of The Fosters. Seriously, Callie will smash a car to get your attention.

Marianna is dealing with white, sexist / racist assholes who do not appreciate her. She is tired of trying to fit in and plans to tell the truth at the “diversity” job interview. However, she does not go through with it, and instead bonds with Raj over how they’re outsiders at the work place. They agree to become friends, and Raj misreads the signals (so did I, buddy) about it. He is visibly disappointed to find Marianna had brought along her friends to their “date”.

This episode was almost perfect. If I could change at least one thing, I’d take out the “fake-out” scenarios where the characters want to say something, but the “real” scene reveals they didn’t actually say any of that. This needs to be removed and never used again for the rest of the season. It’s annoying at this point, and the show did it multiple times in one hour.

The Flash 5x12 "Memorabilia" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

I thought this episode was the turning point. We got a lot of information about Nora West-Allen, and how she is trying to change the future with Eobard Thawne’s help. Yes, she is trying to stop Cicada to save her father from his fate (presumably), and is convinced that keeping her parents in the dark is a good idea. Having Nora speak to Gideon at the beginning and the end of the episode worked. I think everything else going on: the development of the metahuman cure, Ralph and Cisco, Iris’s random plan to expand her blog into a business, and Caitlin’s weirdness with Killer Frost, were all annoying distractions to the best part of the season: Tom Cavanagh playing the Reverse Flash again and manipulating Nora.

I do commend the writers for improving Ralph’s character and having him help Cisco with his love life. He even smiles so proud when Cisco bonds with the cute bartender.

Exploring Nora’s memories was filled with tension. Barry and Iris were in awe of the future, and how The Flash has become so famous. It was all getting to Barry’s head, and rightfully so. Then we get to Young Nora and Future Iris being cold to each other. Crafting Iris West-Allen into a mother and a reporter again worked out great for the character. Candice Patton is delivering not only her best performances since the first season, but delivering them somewhat consistently.

Cicada doesn’t feel like the main villain anymore. After the Reverse Flash reveal, he just doesn’t have the vibe anymore. He barely had it to begin with, but now it’s totally extinguished. Although Grace having the dark matter shards inside her head is an unexpected development, which also prevents Team Flash from saving her again.

Hopefully, future episodes focus more on Nora West-Allen and get the tension going on for this second half of the season. Iris West-Allen started a newspaper business from a small blog. I don’t think the world works that way, but then again, I don’t live in the Arrowverse. She even got the business going two years earlier, changing the future. This could be a good / bad thing, considering that means Crisis on Infinite Earths can move closer too.

Arrow 7x11 "Past Sins" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Apologies for the late post. I have been grinding Kingdom Hearts 3 all week, and the cold, snowy weather in Michigan is no joke. I have a lot to say about this episode too. A good amount of this hour focused on my two favorite characters: Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance E-2. Stephen Amell and Katie Cassidy Rodgers are given a lot of emotional baggage to work with, thus “past sins”.

Oliver is finally addressing the story he’s been telling everyone for the past seven years: how his father killed himself to ensure Oliver survived. He left out the part where Robert Queen murdered someone first before doing the heroic deed. This has been an issue / non-issue with me since the show started. Every time he’s told this story to someone (Moira, Thea, Barry, etc.), he’s always leaving out the part where his father killed a man in cold blood.

I’m glad the show finally has Oliver confronting his own guilt, and how he handled the situation when he came back to Star City. The son of the murdered man, Hackett, never received closure from his father’s death, and rightfully(?) blames Oliver for keeping it a secret. This was a good time to mend his past, as Oliver is trying to start a relationship with his half-sister, Emiko Queen.

Emiko Queen is ready to talk about starting something after the events of the episode.

Laurel E-2 also reveals her past. I don’t think I like how she is at fault for her father’s (E-2 version) death. It’s her birthday, she made him leave the house, and her last words to him were hateful. However, how Felicity comforted Laurel, and their friendship hit the right amount of emotional beats. I also get giddy whenever these two and Dinah are in the same room together. Apparently, we’re getting a Birds of Prey-centric episode at some point this season… make what you will out of that.

The Suicide Squad arc of the episode was the weakest. It didn’t really mesh well with everything else going on, and Ricardo Diaz has to leave. He is really annoying at this point, and how Curtis is the one involved in this arc is not right. Curtis is the least interesting character on this show right now, and the writers haven’t done a great job of finding a good place for him. He is also the only member of the New Team Arrow who hasn’t been seen in the flash forwards. When he died, I wanted to believe it, but at the same time, I also didn’t want to believe Ricardo Diaz escaped ARGUS. Overall, I love the idea of Suicide Squad returning to the small screen in some form, but not like this.

Overall, solid episode on Oliver and Laurel, but everything else going on felt off. Next week is the 150th episode of Arrow. Damn, that’s crazy to me. Let’s see how it goes.

Supergirl 4x11 "Blood Memory" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

This was the best episode of the season. All of the stories told in this episode tied in to each other, at least better than last season with the World Killer Reign. The focus of the episode was on family, particularly Nia’s and Kara’s relationships with their sisters.

Nia Nal’s backstory and reasoning for hiding her powers became clear. She was born on Earth, but had a tough time being transgender. However, the small town she was raised in was accepting of her, and Nia appreciated being herself for the most part. If Nia starts embracing her powers and suits up, she’ll benefit greatly with Kara Danvers as a mentor on both fronts: journalism and superhero.

Kara revealing her secret identity to Nia was inevitable. Their bond was naturally growing over the season, unlike Samantha, and it also tied in with Kara feeling her secret puts her loved ones in danger. Kara is not okay with Alex not remembering she’s an alien. Alex is also going through a change with how she views aliens without those memories. I don’t know why Alex has to be in the dark still even after the truth seeker alien thing, but I guess we’ll have to go with it.

The heartbreaking scene between Nia and her sister Maeve had a lot of undertones. While the powers acknowledged Nia’s gender even before she was born, her mother and sister have not when it regarded seeing Nia as a vital candidate. While the mother realized her mistake before she died, Maeve is hurt and declares her sister, “not a real woman”. I hope Nia and her sister will be able to mend the bond by the end of the season.

Lena and James are together, but at a cost. He has to go along with her genetic experiments, which he knows is wrong, and begins hiding it from her employees. A reporter brings up funding off the accounts, but James manages to cover it up. He is starting to corrupt himself simply to stay with Lena. I’m not a fan of either of them at the moment.

Red Daughter is also addressed at the beginning and the end of the episode. She is coming to National City soon. This is the most intriguing storyline, yet the show took the longest time to make her relevant. I want this to explode in Kara’s face, to see an unchecked Supergirl without Kara needing to go Rogue on Red Kryptonite.

Overall, I loved the Nia Nal story in this episode. It was my favorite part clearly. Dreamer!

The Magicians Season Three Review

Major Spoilers are included in this season review. Please read with caution.

The third season of The Magicians explored the Quest for the Seven Keys. They took this concept from the second novel of the book series and made a masterpiece that went to shit in the season finale.

I enjoyed all the character journeys, especially Juliet and Margo, but we’ll get to that in later paragraphs. Let’s talk about where season two left off first.

Season two ended with magic being taken away by the Gods, and all the magicians were made powerless. Well, except Julia. She has magic and reveals to Quentin that there is hope to be had. Having this power is a blessing and a curse for our heroine. Julia is one of my favorite characters in the entire series. She is instrumental in the season three plot, bringing all of the separated characters together for the next adventure.

Compared to season one and two, season three appeared more mature and dove into the mythology of The Magicians’ world. They are even self-aware of how complicated the rules are. It’s hilarious because the show throws so much at us, but they usually attached entertainment, so it’s all good.

Penny and Penny 23 was an interesting choice to make. I’m not sure why this transition happened other than to give us a mellowed Penny without backtracking on his characterization. I do ship Penny 23 and Julia together, but I miss the original Penny. Josh is also a character who got to do more this season, and had his existence acknowledged by the other characters.

The flow of the season was pretty good. I was entertained the entire time with the pop references, and the Harry Potter comparisons to literally everything they encounter. The expansion of The Library, the Gods, and the complicated rules on magic were very welcomed.

Margo is a bad ass woman and didn’t back down once the entire season. I loved seeing her kick ass and how she rose to High King of Fillory. Her dialogue and attitude was incredibly entertaining to watch.

Elliot took kind of a backseat this season. I can’t recall anything significant happening to him, other than that episode where he lived a full-life with Quentin in the past. Oh, and getting possessed by the monster, but that happened right at the end of the season. He was otherwise occupied with Fillory’s reign and / or the Quest for the Seven Keys.

Overall, season three improved the flaws seen in the past two seasons to a certain degree, the characters are amazing, Julia’s journey to Goddess status was beautiful, and the cliffhanger with the new identities has me excited to start Season Four. I hope to have the first two episode reviews of season four done by the end of the week at the latest.

Young Justice 3x10 - 3x13 Mid-Season Finale Episode Reviews

Major Spoilers are included in this episode reviews. Please read with caution.

These first 13 episodes went too quick. We won’t get new episodes until June, but at least we have a lot to think about until summer (finally) arrives. The first three episodes, before episode 13, were pretty terrific with the Outsiders being more fleshed out and incorporating Cyborg into the team. Let’s talk about how Victor Stone finally showed up on Young Justice.

This is an origin story we’ve seen before. Star football player, neglectful father, and then the tragic accident that changes his entire life. The DC Universe has been trying to make Cyborg a full-fledged member of the Justice League for quite some time, but Young Justice reminds us that he works better as a young Teen Titan with a lot of issues. He is quickly replacing Geo-Force as the anti-social member of the group with a strong connection to Halo. Love triangle? Maybe. We shall see.

Halo, Forager, and Brion (Geo-Force) are wonderful characters. We didn’t expect them to become a major part of season three, or even clued in on their existence, but I’m glad the show kept them a surprise. Their inclusion in the show helps push the show forward and flesh out the major characters we already knew: Artemis, Dick, and Connor into adults. Halo is my favorite character. The Halo - Forager friendship is a treasure, and the predictable romance between Halo and Brion is finally unfolding.

The Beast Boy-centric episode was bonkers. We are guided through Beast Boy’s tragedies through a dark cherry song about dying in Teen Titans Go! parody animation. The original voice actors of the Teen Titans was confusing, especially when they made Teen Titans Cyborg voice Victor Stone’s best friend shouting, “Booyah!”

Terra is finally introduced in the mid-season finale. I thought it was rushed, the approach to saving her was too easy, and could’ve been expanded more rather than them saving her, and then going back to save the other metahuman fighters. The cliffhanger involving Terra was not original, and it will definitely will to some tension, especially once one of the team members start suspecting her as the mole.

However, out of the first 13 episodes, only the mid-season finale was executed poorly. In a way, that’s a win because it’s better than screwing up the entire thing. I also enjoy the subtle expansion of the Bat-Family with the side mission and the breadcrumbs scattered for Jason Todd and Damien Wayne in the earlier episodes.

Hurry up, June! We need more episodes of Young Justice!

Aquaman Movie Review

Major Spoilers are included in this movie review. Please read with caution.

I got around to watching Aquaman last night, and I found it entertaining. The problem? There wasn’t a “Why” to it all. The basic plot of the movie is Arthur Curry trying to reclaim the throne, so he can stop a war between Atlantis and the Surface World. I thought this should’ve been easy to pull off. Hell, Black Panther had a similar plot going on with two men fighting over their right to the throne. However, the CGI was incredibly gorgeous. A lot of people told me this was a good, maybe amazing movie, and here’s why they’re both right and wrong for having that opinion.

Yes, the movie is entertaining. Jason Mamoa plays a great Aquaman and brings the character back to glory by simply having a lot of fun. He gets drunk, loves to fight, and tends to get brutal too. His dialogue also reveals a lot about his character. At first, I thought he was the goofy guy stuck in a serious movie, but maybe it was everyone else who wasn’t aware what kind of movie this was.

Black Manta’s motives were hard to figure out. He wasn’t the only character with issues, but he’s the only one who proved super distracting. Then he suited up, and I thought that fight scene was insane, but my friends and I kept asking out loud, “Why does he want to kill Aquaman again?” Yes, because Arthur killed his father, but what was the reason before that… Why were they after him to begin with?

Mera could’ve been a cool character, but she was mostly there to convince Arthur Curry that he was worthy of the throne. She kept telling him over and over again. I wondered why she she didn’t want the throne for herself. The question of “Why” is all over the place for me. I think the run time was longer than usual because she kept annoying him to want the throne.

I wish they turned the brief flashbacks of Arthur Curry training as a kid into full-on training montages. It could’ve prepared him better for the battle against his half-brother, Orm and explain further how he got so strong plus it could’ve flesh out the bond Aquaman has with his mentor, Vulko. I didn’t get a strong sense of Vulko other than his need to explain things.

Overall, an entertaining movie with lots of issues involving plot and character. For some reason, I enjoyed watching it. Let’s hope the sequel improves on these glaring flaws.

How To Get Away With Murder 5x10 "Don't Go Dark On Me" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

The aftermath of the Gabriel reveal stirred up so much drama, and the return of Eve brought this show back from the brink. I almost gave up on watching / reviewing this show because it took the show way too long to get to this point, but I’m glad I stuck around to see how the rest of the season will play out. These people are pros at getting away with murder at this point, already prepared to do a complicated frame job on the Governor, like hitting two birds with one stone.

Bonnie’s journey is going to be heartbreaking. It already is. Miller is obviously innocent and had nothing to do with Nate Sr’s death. Bonnie found proof, but she is trying so damn hard to believe he is a monster, in order to clear her guilt. There is a lot of story potential here with Nate and Bonnie involved in killing an innocent man, and what they’ll do to seek amends for it. If they will even do that.

The dynamic between Eve and Annalise is super natural. I have missed these two together, and hearing them talk about the past reminded me on why I loved this show in the first place. The season one drama and Sam Keating’s death. All of it is coming back to blow up in their faces, and that includes the Keating 4 + Oliver, without Wes coming to save them this time.

If Sam’s case gets reopened, all of them are going to be in serious trouble. The domino effect that would set off if they get caught. Everything from seasons 2-4 would get drenched up too. I’m way overthinking this, but this is a serious problem. Plus, the whole Miller death on top of that.

Tegan is interested in Annalise, and has a weird thing going on with Michaela again. They have to stop doing that. It’s creeping me out, and confusing me on whether the show will gun for that. Nobody can really stay platonic on this show.

Overall, a lot of build-up for the second half, and nostalgia from the past was refreshing, especially with it being plot important. Welcome back, Eve. We’ve missed you so much. You can go, Gabriel… he’s been secretly working with Miller, so he knew about Gabriel being Sam’s kid… wow I’m hooked again.

Grey's Anatomy 15x10 "Help, I'm Alive" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Grey’s Anatomy is trying to make Link a potential choice in this week’s episode. After spending last week with DeLuca in an elevator, Meredith gets to know Link in the operating room and at a kid’s birthday party. I am a DeLuca fan. He deserves some happiness after all the crap he went through with Maggie, Alex, Jo, and his ex-girlfriend. They clearly like each other, and the insane chemistry between them works for me. I think Link should spend his time elsewhere, with Nico maybe. Teaching him a thing or two about Ortho? I’m super bias, but it’s whatever. I don’t dislike Link… I actually think his background as a cancer kid is fascinating, but I don’t want him as a love interest for Meredith.

Teddy, Owen, and Amelia drama is where it’s happening for me. Teddy is humiliated about downgrading career wise, and wants to move back to Germany. We finally learn all that she gave up to give her kid a chance to know both parents. Owen understands, bless his heart, and gives Teddy his job as Head of Trauma. This was a nice gesture, and we see that Owen obviously wants Amelia. He’s going to officially choose Amelia, and I think that’s the best choice in this scenario. Teddy had her chance years ago, and missed it again when Cristina was around. Owen and his love life… I live for the crap he goes through.

Bailey is seeking help for her issues, Richard Webber has a new sponsor, and Catherine is coming to terms with her diagnosis. She is also upset with Meredith for telling her secret to literally everyone, and you know what, we don’t blame her. Meredith violated her privacy by telling Maggie, and then it was on Maggie for telling everyone else. Shit. Don’t mess with these sisters.

Schmidt is happy. He is confidant and no longer goes by Glasses. Moving forward, he is Dr. Schmidt. I am glad he is having a good time with Nico and taking Alex’s advice about locked rooms. These crazy kids are too much. I do want to learn more about their backgrounds now, especially Nico. The show hasn’t gotten the chance to dive into his character much.

Overall, I think the second half of the season is going to be a fun time. Teddy should be giving birth to the baby around the season finale based on how far along she is. Wonder if Teddy and Koracick are going to hook up… I hope they do.

The Good Place 3x13 "Pandemonium" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

We’re at the season finale. This is it. The Good Place took us for a joyride through Jeremy Bearimy over the course of the third season. We saw the Soul Squad return to Earth, remember their time dead, and then they died again to fix the point system allegedly rigged. This show threw a lot at us, more than usual, and then the breaks didn’t help either. This show is incredibly bing-worthy. I wish they dropped seasons rather than weekly episodes, but I don’t make the rules.

After Michael’s frantic breakdown in last week’s episode, Eleanor steps up to become the face of the neighborhood, taking Michael’s place as the Architect for the four new humans arriving in the new neighborhood. However, it doesn’t stop there. The Bad Place has chosen humans who’d torment the original four humans to ensure this experiment failed—one of them being Simone, Chidi’s ex-girlfriend.

This leads to a heartbreaking decision. Chidi decides to remove his memories, including his relationship with Eleanor, in order to save everyone and the experiment. Eleanor is devastated and afraid to lose him, but she accepts his decision for the good of the group. At least he’ll remember pizza. So, not a total loss according to Jason.

Janet and Eleanor share a powerful scene towards the end of the episode, which made me appreciate how much Eleanor’s grown over the past three seasons. She earned that fantastic character development and all the philosophical questions she asked about “love” feel natural. I’m very excited for the season four craziness. I have no doubt on the show’s future, but let’s see if they have an endgame in mind next season.

I honestly don’t know what I want from this show. Guess Jeremy Bearimy will tell. Chidi made a love speech out of the messed-up timeline. I hope they get to live in the dot above the “i” too.

Legacies 1x08 "Maybe I Should Start at The End" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

The episode leaves Lizzie and Josie in Europe. Why?! Rafael and MG are back at the Salvatore School. I’m fine with that. Only three main characters are in this: Alaric, Hope, and Landon. Having the mid-season premiere only focus on these three brings the show to life in ways they haven’t explored yet. The dynamic between Hope and Alaric is a lot more natural this time around. I think the long car ride getting lectured on osmosis really brought the tension to their professor-student relationship.

Answers are revealed when Landon meets his biological mother, Seylah. We learn she was trapped in Malivore with the rest of the supernatural creatures, and that she magically appeared back in this world somehow pregnant. This adds another layer of mystery to Landon’s origins, and to the question of what supernatural creature he is.

I’m growing on the Hope-Landon romance. They are smitten with each other, but the romance is thrown a wrench when Landon’s memory is wiped, but not Hope. By the end of the episode, Seylah falls into the pit, which wipes her out from everyone’s minds. Hope remembers her and the events of this episode, and only tells Alaric about it. Landon also picked up another item, presumably the second key to Malivore.

The second half of the season shifted the tension between Landon and Hope. Now, she’s the one keeping secrets from him, rather than the other way around. I hope Lizzie and Josie come back soon. I think having them absent two episodes in a row is the limit. If they’re not in next week’s episode, I’ll get annoyed.

Thanks for reading! See you next week!

Supernatural 14x11 "Damaged Goods" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Castiel and Jack are absent in this episode, but Nick has made his grand return. He has been missing for a good amount of episodes, but he’s back to get his revenge. Nick’s journey finally has him crossing paths again with the Winchesters. He is hunting down Mary Winchester because she is the last hunter who made contact with the demon Abraxas, Dean also pays a visit to his mother for one-on-one time without being around Sam. This behavior arises suspicion from Sam and Mary.

Mark Pellegrino is an amazing actor. I’m glad the writers found a way to keep him around post-Lucifer. He portrays Nick subtly differently from how he plays Lucifer. Nick behaves more like a deranged man than an archangel who’s mad at Daddy Chuck. I really hope Nick finds a way to redeem himself… because the idea of resurrecting Lucifer is not the best move to make at the moment. We have plenty going on with Dean trying to kill himself with Alternate Michael.

Sam and Dean argue about how Nick was handled, and then about Dean’s plan. No matter how many times they fight with each other, these boys never fail to tug at the heartstrings. The episode also had small moments between Dean and Mary, reminding us how 14 seasons ago, these two were just eating unhealthy food with John Winchester. I can’t wait for the 300th episode… John Winchester, baby!

Overall, a good episode that finally addressed Nick’s revenge and revealed fairly early the endgame Billie showed Dean in the book. Sam and Dean are going to get out of this one. Let’s see how much the world is fucked after they do it.

Good Trouble 1x03 "Allies" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

This show keeps better and better. Side note: I am a big fan of Callie’s journey from The Fosters and seeing her being an adult makes me proud no matter how hard these lawyer kids try to push her down. Mariana, I’ve hated her on-and-off, but grew to love her by the end of the original series. The spin-off continues to advance her story in this strong third episode, as she makes an ally who won’t stand up for her.

Mariana’s story is getting spicy. The CEO didn’t blow her off like we were lead to believe. He wonders why she didn’t pitch her ideas to him, but the guy next to him (his assistant?) lied and said Marianna failed to get back to them. I can’t wait to see what happens next. There is a mystery to be solved here. Also, all of her coworkers are horrible, except Raj, except he’s awful too in a different way.

Callie is not fired because her fellow clerks cover for her, saying they wrote the bench memo together. This leads to Judge Wilson calling Callie into his office. He thinks, based on the memo, that she is not staying true to her beliefs, and that he wants her to rewrite it from her point of view. He is revealed to be not a bad person too. He isn’t using Callie as the counter clerk after all. Even better news?

He didn’t dismiss the Jamal Thompson case.

Callie’s love interests are all gorgeous men: Gael and Jaime. That’s right, Jaime from The Fosters series finale returned like he promised. The sexual tension between them is fantastic. We need Mariana to get some love interests too, but I think the show is trying to make Callie the character with boy drama this season. In the previous show, Mariana was the girl who went after the boys.

We learn more about Malika in this episode, and her connection to the Jamal Thompson case. She ends up bonding with the mother of Jamal Thompson and gets closer to the case, driving a wedge between Callie and her fragile friendship. This upcoming trial will rack up the tension for sure.

Overall, this episode fixed a lot of the issues I had in the previous episodes. I’m looking forward to see how the rest of the season plays out.

This Is Us 3x11 "Songbird Road: Part One" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

This episode finally has the Big Three together for a meeting with Nick Pearson, their presumed dead uncle. Kevin, Randall, and Kate decide to go out to meet him, while Rebecca and Miguel stay behind to watch the kids. This scene is also paralleled with Jack’s last meeting with his brother after his latest postcard, and how he lied to his family about Nicky being alive.

Strangely, this does not really affect what we know about Jack Pearson or the legacy he left behind. We learned what happened in the aftermath of the boat explosion. Not surprising that Nicky survived, but he accidentally killed a little kid with a grenade. The kid’s mother is the one who gives Jack his necklace, the same one he eventually gives to Kevin. The death of this kid severed the bond between Jack and Nicky forever. A large amount of Jack’s guilt from the war stems from Nicky’s fatal mistake.

I think the show over-explained the flashbacks we already seen, but this is one of the few issues I had with this episode. I thought this episode made great use of their best character: Jack Pearson. The episode had to tread carefully with the Nicky revelation, and how much Jack knew about it. The last meeting between them was full of regret, resentment, and last goodbyes. He doesn’t want his kids to end up like him and his brother. It’s why he pushed them to keep their sibling bond strong.

Rebecca’s heartbreaking regret of not pushing Jack to talk about the war was great. I loved that scene; how they addressed her lack of effort to get Jack to open up about the past. Miguel comforted his wife and assured her that he didn’t completely Jack either, despite him being his best friend.

Overall, great episode devoted to the most intriguing storyline. The episode title called this “Part One”, so next week will deal with the Big Three having Nicky Pearson in their lives, and what he’s been up to in all these years. We might learn a thing or two about Jack too.

The Flash 5x11 "Seeing Red" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review.

The Flash needs to scrap Cicada. After seeing him perform in this week and knowing what’s coming (Reverse Flash!), the show needs to resolve him as quickly as possible. Maybe he should’ve stopped playing a role in the mid-season finale, but we’ll see how Team Flash handles saving his daughter, Grace. The theme of family was great with Grant Gustin playing the angry father.

The gut-wrenching scene of Cicada breaking Nora’s back was horrifying. Candice Patton and Grant Gustin are playing the hell out of their emotions. Even Jessica Parker Kennedy was giving legit tears to receiving the news of being paralyzed. I love this little family, and the twist coming for them all. Eobard Thawne is too cruel. I can’t wait for him to come back. He’ll probably play a major role in next year’s crossover too.

Caitlin / Killer Frost is too weird. I did like the Ralph / Killer Frost scenes. Their friendship is too sweet. Ralph is growing on me as a character, and he is earning his place on the team. Cisco is absent in this episode, working on the meta-human cure off screen. I have a feeling this cure will not end well.

The plot was weak. It was too much like “Rogue Air” from season one. Transporting meta-humans to a safe location, but their transport plane / helicopter gets destroyed. They could’ve used a breach to send them to another Earth, but I guess that requires bothering Cisco. Team Flash makes simple tasks so difficult in service of the story.

The character dynamics are better… Caitlin / Cisco, Ralph / anyone else, Nora/Barry/Iris, etc. I just hope Cicada’s endgame is more connected to the Nora / Eobard mystery, arguably the better story arc.

Overall, a very emotional episode with lots of good character moments. Except for Cisco and Joe.

Arrow 7x10 "My Name Is Emiko Queen" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

“My Name Is Emiko Queen” is structured more like a series premiere than a mid-season one. We are finally properly introduced to the new Green Arrow, Emiko Queen, and her motive for being a superhero. She is the daughter of Robert Queen and another woman, the latter she was raised with alone. Robert Queen had fallen in love with Emiko’s mother but ultimately returned to his family (Oliver and Thea). Moira knew the truth about Emiko and left them alone to survive. Emiko’s mother is killed in The Glades, and now she wants revenge on the killer, keeping a list to track him down.

We don’t know who trained her yet, but her skills are Oliver-like. Next week should provide answers on why she is copying her brother’s outfit and who trained her to fight like he does. If it was Talia, I wouldn’t be too mad.

I enjoyed going on this journey with Emiko and her formation of a Team Arrow with Rene. This week’s flash forward also centered on Rene and his very bad wig. He is the Mayor of The Glades, having gotten rid of crime in Star City through politics. He has become corrupted, and his daughter resents him for becoming this awful person. It’s honestly sad to see Zoe and Rene’s relationship deteriorate when in the present, she still admires him and encourages him to do the vigilante stuff with Emiko.

Suicide Squad is back with Ricardo Diaz as its first recruit. I liked this idea in season two, but not sure it’s needed for this current season, especially with Diaz being involved. I think the writers have to remove him by the end of season seven. He should’ve stopped playing a role back in season six, but when Oliver beat him in prison felt like a more solid conclusion. We’ll see, but I’m not a fan of Slade’s son trying to take his place in the Arrowverse. A good work around since they don’t have access to Slade Wilson at the moment.

Oliver Queen was not a major player in the episode. He was mostly reacting to Emiko Queen’s existence, which reminded me a lot of what Thea went through when she discovered Malcolm Merlyn was her dad. The secret letter to Walter, the off-shore bank accounts, the lies, Moira knew about Emiko (of course she did!), and Oliver is tired of his father’s secrets. By episode’s end, he goes to meet Emiko for the first time at his father’s grave, the one behind the Queen Mansion.

This episode mostly moved a lot of pieces to establish the new status quo and the direction of the show’s second half, which will center around Emiko Queen probably going through the hardships of being a hero and doing right to her father’s wrongs… plus revenge for her mother’s death. I hope she gets a different code name later… New Green Arrow is not a good name anymore.

Overall, not a bad episode. I’m impressed with Sea Shimooka. The training montage was giving me season one vibes. I think she can take over as the lead character when Oliver sacrifices himself next year. I haven’t forgotten what the crossover teased. See you next week!

Supergirl 4x10 "Suspicious Minds" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

The mid-season premiere of Supergirl readdressed and even advanced the storylines from earlier in the season like Red Daughter, Lena Luthor, Kara’s secret identity, and Brainy / Nia romance. The episode also factors in the sisterly bond between Kara and Alex, setting it up for tragedy in the second half of season 4.

Kara Danvers’ secret identity never seemed all that important and not well-put together. The beginning of the episode almost makes fun of this trope with Kara pretending to get a cramp to excuse herself. Lena is not an idiot, and once she finds out the truth about Supergirl / Kara being the same exact person, their friendship will not recover from it. I can already tell that it’ll be severely strained once they go down that route.

James Olsen needs to figure himself out. The character has not been in a good storyline except for the symbol Guardian represents for the humans. However, the Guardian storyline was not addressed much, but rather the show put James back with Lena Luthor, showing how bad the relationship has gotten. He is going to break her heart.

Brainiac 5 reaches out to Nia, who misunderstands their meeting as a date. This is both very cute and equally embarrassing for the blossoming couple, but everything is handled. Brainy wants to help Nia become a superhero, to work side by side with Supergirl. She refuses but is considering the option towards the end of the episode.

J’onn officially opened his private investigator office space. Kara and Alex love the setting and frankly, so do I. This concept of J’onn helping the little people is an interesting path our Martian Manhunter is on, but it works.

Colonel Haley is a real villain. She makes it her mission to learn Supergirl’s identity and manages to do so by breaking one of the agents who knew her. This causes Alex to knock her out in order to protect Kara. What a scene… I wish I could forget and watch it again for the first time.

The mind-wiping of everyone knowing the secret seemed like a cheap win for the good guys until it was made clear Alex had to forget too. The ending scene with Kara and Alex effectively saying goodbye to their bond was an emotional one.

Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh pulled off a powerful scene, reminding the audience how close these sisters really are, and how sharing the Supergirl secret is at the center of their bond. It was so emotional that the show cut to the credits right before the mind-wipe. Alex Danvers will be a changed woman during these last few episodes.

We shall see where this all leads, and how Red Daughter will be included.

Grey's Anatomy 15x09 "Shelter From The Storm" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

This mid-season premiere was not messing around with anything. All the storylines: Bailey’s OCD, Catherine’s diagnosis, Meredith and DeLuca (+Link), Alex Karev being chief, Nico and Glasses, and then Teddy, Owen, and Amelia love triangle finally went down. There was also a story going on with the Building Manager, which was incredibly cruel, why do we watch this show? There’s so much going on, but it’s so entertaining and filled with heart. Grey’s Anatomy has put Meredith through the ringer over the past 15 years, that I hope the show keeps putting her on this journey of love.

Teddy, Amelia, and Owen is the love triangle I’m most invested in. This is such a conflicting storyline for me because I ship both of them: Teddy and Owen, Owen and Amelia. I really hope they explore Owen weighing his options, but at the same time, for both women to stay in his life. There are kids involved in this. The show factored children with a lot of weight in the love triangle. They found a way to do it.

I’m going to state this now. After much thinking, I think Owen should choose Amelia. I loved Teddy in the earlier seasons 6-8, but that’s a long time to be gone. Teddy and Owen should just stay best friends, I do want that to happen. If not for each other, then for their child. He must have a headache right now. Owen will figure it out, I have faith.

Catherine’s news gets spread to the whole family. Jackson learned about it in the winter finale from Maggie, and now Richard knows. They are all heartbroken, and Jackson going through those tragic emotions. The way Jackson cried in those scenes is outstanding, I can’t help but feel real for him.

Meredith and DeLuca was steamy. The sex elevator in Grey Sloan Memorial does its thing, and the two start talking Italian to each other. DeLuca is attracted to Meredith, and it is very clear in this episode that Meredith feels the same way. The problem? The elevator turned back on too soon. They get back to work, and she leaves him guessing with Link.

Bailey’s OCD was a long-time coming. She has allowed it to derail her life, and has a break down with Alex Karev, begging him to keep being chief until she gets help. This was a vulnerable moment for Alex, who supported her in the best way possible. I hope Bailey and Ben get back together, but with them being on different shows, it seems likely the two will be spending some time apart.

Nico and Glasses had sex. That’s awesome. Alex Karev lectures them on it, tell them to do it in a room with a lock, not in the middle of a crisis. Nico is so embarrassed about getting caught by the chief, but Glasses assures him he’s done way worse things in front of Karev.

Overall, this episode was a strong conclusion to all the cliffhangers in last week’s episode. The episode also managed to juggle the Building Manager and how he almost lost his legs. I was screaming at my TV because the set-up was too good not to do it. Grey’s Anatomy is getting so much better. Can’t wait for next week’s episode. Love Triangles!!

The Good Place 3x12 "Chidi Sees The Time-Knife" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Yeah. You read that right. Chidi sees the forkin’ time-knife! The Good Place explores how hard it is to be a good person on Earth. The show takes us to IHOP, the inter-dimensional hole of pancakes. The setting was tripping me out, and the shift to the actual IHOP enhanced the dialogue and the acting to such extremes, it was like a game of theater improv.

The main plot of the episode is Michael convincing The Judge how hard life is on Earth, and that the point system can’t calculate for it. Michael fails to convince her, but then Jason swooped in to save the day. I was waiting for laughs whenever Jason does anyway, but I listened and he was making sense… the story about Jason and Big Noodle is beautiful and inspiring.

Never change, Jason. Never change.

The brief scene of The Judge visiting Earth was spot-on. Her time there convinces The Judge of the flaws in the system. She summons Shawn (Bad Place leader), wanting to hear his opinion in the situation. Then Chidi has an idea, but forgetting they weren’t in the real International House of Pancakes. He sees the time-knife and is saved by Janet. That was incredibly funny.

But Chidi’s idea is to repeat the experiment with four different humans. Not the experiment from the beginning of the season, but the Neighborhood experiment that jump started the series. This leads everyone to the Medium Place as the setting of the experiment.

Janet reunites with Derek, her ex-boyfriend, who has been getting smarter with every reboot. They also work together to create more “Janet babies” to be the NPCs of the Neighborhood. I can see why Jason was jealous of the two. What an interesting love triangle.

Michael designs the neighborhood, but Shawn gets to choose the humans for the experiment. He has to select humans who are similar to the original four: Eleanor, Jason, Tahani, and Chidi. The Judge declares Michael isn’t allowed to reboot the Neighborhood but can adjust it accordingly.

Best part is the Clown House is back. Eleanor and Chidi are living there together as boyfriend-girlfriend. What can possibly go wrong?

The pressure getting Michael to freak out RIGHT before the first human wakes up. Eleanor may be forced to step up as leader. OH forkin’ shirt balls, this is getting insane. Let’s see what happens next week!