And so we've come to the massive finale. There's been a lot of build up to this, and it truly was the biggest moment of the series.
The first episode served mainly as a backstory for Amon and Tarrlok. Things start off action packed when Amon shows off his new planes to take out the Fire Nation army. However, the heart of the episode is when Korra discovered an imprisoned Tarrlok. He explains his story. He is Amon's brother and both of them learned bloodbending from Yakone.
The story is incredibly sympathetic. We see that having a family hasn't made Yakone any less of a monster. He forces his children to practice bloodbending, insisting that they will take revenge of Republic City for him. It is incredibly disturbing to see the two young boys torment animals with their powers. The younger Tarrlok cries, "Stop, you're hurting them." To which Yakone scolds him for being weak. The sound of blood being manipulated, the look of terror in the animals' eyes, and the fact that this is done by just kids is completely horrifying. It gets worse, though, Yakone makes his children bloodbend each other. This is the point where Amon, or Noatok as was called then, decides to leave behind his family.
It certainly puts a much more sympathetic view on both characters, but I don't know if can forgive all of their actions. Tarrlok explains that Amon believes that he is doing good by making the world 'equal.' Yet Amon never shows any signs of remorse or sympathy for all the damage he's done to innocent lives. He may have a tragic backstory, but he is still a pure villain.
During the second episodes, things really pick up. I feel that there just wasn't enough room in the given time. Throughout the series we've seen a lot of stuff happen, and it just gets all wrapped up here. Despite his massive army, Korra manages to challenge Amon, learning Airbending, beat Amon, and restore bending to everyone. Of course, it's understandable that it would be a little rushed, considering the time limitations. And that didn't make it any less awesome.
Amon battles both Korra and Mako, and then his own Lieutenant. While Amon has almost always been in complete control, we finally get to see some venerability to him. First off, his seems shocked by Korra's accusation that he's a bender, but has a backup plan for that. Still Tenzin gets a shot at him, and then Mako gets a big moment to shine by electrocuting him despite being bloodbended.
Amon's big defeat comes, right before he tries to debend Mako. Korra, who previously lost her three powers, suddenly gains airbending. It is incredibly satisfying to see Amon finally get what he deserves as Korra blasts him into the ocean. Then he has no choice but to reveal his bending to his followers. The only thing I would have liked to see was Korra's airbending actually coming from one of the lessons she's learned. I mean this whole season she's been trying to connect to her spiritual side to unlock airbending, and yet she gets it right at the end just whens she needs it? It seems a little convenient. Aang seems to explain it as her having nothing is what connected her to the spiritual side, but still it seemed a little out of nowhere to me.
Much more noticeable, however, is Korra's sudden regain of all her powers and the ability to restore bending to everyone. I know the season is ending, but I thought it would be great character development for Korra to learn to adapt without her former powers. And again, it just seems like an easy way out.
The sidestory to this episode feature Asami, Bolin, and General Iroh taking down Hiroshi Sato. First off, where has Iroh been all this time?! He's super awesome, and we only get a couple of episodes to see him in action. The guy has the ability to jet with his firebending, that is epic. However, Asami herself gets a huge moment to shine. She takes control of one of her father's own weapons and faces him in a duel. She calls him out on all this mistakes he's making, which is enough to push him over the edge. Sato has always seemed like a someone relatable villain. He lost his wife and that's enough to make him want to change the world. He clearly still loves his daughter, even when she opposes him. However, he crosses a line in this episode when he decides that Asami won't see things his way so he'll have to kill her. Bolin says it best in an awesome line, "Mr. Sato, you are a horrible father."
The romantic plot still seems a little up in the air. Asami and Mako share a tender moment, but there's still clearly tension between them. Judging by the way the two of them worked together, it seems like another hint that Bolin and Asami will end up together. At the end of episode, Mako and Korra seem to officially get together, which I guess means that Asami is officially single. I want to see Iroh get with someone. Actually I want to see a whole lot of this character, but having him paired off with Asami or Korra when be something interesting.
There is one moment in this episode that really defines the entire series, though. Near the end, Tarrlok and Amon are escaping, and Amon promises them a new life. Tarrlok agrees, yet he seems to have other plans. It takes the viewer a few seconds to realize what he's thinking--then boom! Tarrlok blows up the boat and kills both of them. Yes, that's right, they showed a murder-suicide on a kids show. It's the final touch of tragedy in both of their lives. They couldn't escape the darkness that Yakone had planted in them, and their only choice was to die.
I think I speak for everybody when I say, season 2 cannot come soon enough. The question is, what more will the series offer us. I'm hoping we'll get to see more of the descents of the previous generation. Iroh needs way more screentime, but what about the new Fire Nation queen ? And Tenzin's siblings, one of which showed up briefly at the end? And it's going to require a huge villain to top Amon and Tarrlok . I really don't know how they plan to do it, but I have total faith that season 2 is only going to grow.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Legend of Korra-Turning The Tides
I've said it before, but every episode of this series just cranks up the intensity. Amon moves up another level as he wages full out war with Republic City. Nearly every character in series gets a chance to show just how badass they can be.
As the episode starts we see that the Equalists are taking out several political figures. However, when they come to Tenzin he is able to take them all out in an awesome battle. It only goes up from there. When things take a turn for the worst for Tenzin, the Avatar Four show up and take out his attackers. Then we get to switch the scene to Lin Beifong having to protect Tenzin's family. When she runs into trouble, the three airbender kids prove that they really have been taught well.
All in all, though, the real star of this episode has got to be Beifong. She truly proves how dedicated she is to protecting when she takes on the Equalist attackers practically by herself. Then she realizes that Tenzin and his family need to get somewhere safe and escorts them out of Republic City. When Amon's battleships follow she comes to the decision that it's up to her to keep them busy. The way she tells Tenzin to not turn back, no matter what, shows that she knows how much of a risk she's facing, yet she does it anyway. She metalbends the ships as she tears them apart. It's incredibly awesome, yet incredibly sad, because you just know that she's doomed. Sure enough she's eventually taken out and brought to Amon. She doesn't lose her hard attitude though, even as her bending is taking away from her. Before she disappears Meelo announces, "That lady is my hero." So true.
Something I could do without is the drama of the episode. I feel like I've been saying this for a while, but all the love angst is taking away from these episodes. It worked back when things weren't so dangerous, but now the city is under attack and Asami still is giving Mako grief. Mako brings up several good points, why can't they worry about their relationship later? Asami's not having it though; she is seriously getting quite annoying.
The episode still managed to fit in some funny parts too, though. Right before Asami starts tearing into Mako, Pemma offers to leave the room to give them some privacy. Right before she heads out though, she shows the audience a serious "Oh crap," face. Or another hilarious line was right before the young airbenders attacked,Jinora shouted, "Stay away from my dad's ex-girlfriend!"
At the very end we see a General Iroh from the Fire Nation announcing that the army will arrive in three days. I have no doubt that this show will just continue to escalate in how epic it is as the finale nears. Things are definitely going to get destructive. Korra will most likely finally get to show her full potential. Of course, I expect no less from any of the characters, but it is her legend after all. More than ever, I'm looking forward to more.
As the episode starts we see that the Equalists are taking out several political figures. However, when they come to Tenzin he is able to take them all out in an awesome battle. It only goes up from there. When things take a turn for the worst for Tenzin, the Avatar Four show up and take out his attackers. Then we get to switch the scene to Lin Beifong having to protect Tenzin's family. When she runs into trouble, the three airbender kids prove that they really have been taught well.
All in all, though, the real star of this episode has got to be Beifong. She truly proves how dedicated she is to protecting when she takes on the Equalist attackers practically by herself. Then she realizes that Tenzin and his family need to get somewhere safe and escorts them out of Republic City. When Amon's battleships follow she comes to the decision that it's up to her to keep them busy. The way she tells Tenzin to not turn back, no matter what, shows that she knows how much of a risk she's facing, yet she does it anyway. She metalbends the ships as she tears them apart. It's incredibly awesome, yet incredibly sad, because you just know that she's doomed. Sure enough she's eventually taken out and brought to Amon. She doesn't lose her hard attitude though, even as her bending is taking away from her. Before she disappears Meelo announces, "That lady is my hero." So true.
Something I could do without is the drama of the episode. I feel like I've been saying this for a while, but all the love angst is taking away from these episodes. It worked back when things weren't so dangerous, but now the city is under attack and Asami still is giving Mako grief. Mako brings up several good points, why can't they worry about their relationship later? Asami's not having it though; she is seriously getting quite annoying.
The episode still managed to fit in some funny parts too, though. Right before Asami starts tearing into Mako, Pemma offers to leave the room to give them some privacy. Right before she heads out though, she shows the audience a serious "Oh crap," face. Or another hilarious line was right before the young airbenders attacked,Jinora shouted, "Stay away from my dad's ex-girlfriend!"
At the very end we see a General Iroh from the Fire Nation announcing that the army will arrive in three days. I have no doubt that this show will just continue to escalate in how epic it is as the finale nears. Things are definitely going to get destructive. Korra will most likely finally get to show her full potential. Of course, I expect no less from any of the characters, but it is her legend after all. More than ever, I'm looking forward to more.
Friday, June 15, 2012
New Show: Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated
I've been waiting for season 2 of this, but as it turns out it's already started airing in the UK. So now I've been catching up on all the new episodes.
This has got to be one of the best incarnations of Scooby-Doo. While the monster mysteries are still a key part of the show, there's also the arc mystery of the old Mystery Incorporated and a cursed treasure. Then there's also the characters have their own personal stories of relationships.
It's got quite a few funny lines, and just plain amusing moments. For a Scooby-Doo TV show it's surprisingly dark, though. The big bads who manipulate the gang throughout the show usually make things dangerously serious.
As for the mysteries, I wouldn't bother trying to solve them. They're either obviously straight-forward, which is to be expected from a kids' show, or impossible to predict from what they've given you. I just find it's more enjoyable to watch the gang work and see who the culprit is by the end.
Season 2 continues to expand the mysterious plot. While Mr. E played the role as mysterious helper to the gang, he clearly shows a more villainous side in this season. Helping him now is former 'Manticore,' Hot Dog Water. I think she has potential to be a very interesting character. She's already proved that she's more than another crook in a mask, with her desire to have friends. And yet she also seems loyal to Mr. E. Whatever happens, I think she'll make things interesting.
The gang continues to develop as well. All the romantic relationships have fallen apart, but Daphne and Fred seem to be starting to repair things. Velma meanwhile is trying to maintain a friendship with HDW, yet the gang feels there's no place for her with them. And Scooby has a new crush on cute female dog, Nova. Now it's Shaggy's turn to start feeling jealous.
I'm adding the show to my list, so I'll try to do the most recent episode soon and then continue from their once the next one airs.
This has got to be one of the best incarnations of Scooby-Doo. While the monster mysteries are still a key part of the show, there's also the arc mystery of the old Mystery Incorporated and a cursed treasure. Then there's also the characters have their own personal stories of relationships.
It's got quite a few funny lines, and just plain amusing moments. For a Scooby-Doo TV show it's surprisingly dark, though. The big bads who manipulate the gang throughout the show usually make things dangerously serious.
As for the mysteries, I wouldn't bother trying to solve them. They're either obviously straight-forward, which is to be expected from a kids' show, or impossible to predict from what they've given you. I just find it's more enjoyable to watch the gang work and see who the culprit is by the end.
Season 2 continues to expand the mysterious plot. While Mr. E played the role as mysterious helper to the gang, he clearly shows a more villainous side in this season. Helping him now is former 'Manticore,' Hot Dog Water. I think she has potential to be a very interesting character. She's already proved that she's more than another crook in a mask, with her desire to have friends. And yet she also seems loyal to Mr. E. Whatever happens, I think she'll make things interesting.
The gang continues to develop as well. All the romantic relationships have fallen apart, but Daphne and Fred seem to be starting to repair things. Velma meanwhile is trying to maintain a friendship with HDW, yet the gang feels there's no place for her with them. And Scooby has a new crush on cute female dog, Nova. Now it's Shaggy's turn to start feeling jealous.
I'm adding the show to my list, so I'll try to do the most recent episode soon and then continue from their once the next one airs.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Legend of Korra - Out Of The Past
Now this episode was just stuffed to the brim with everything. With a series so short it's necessary to get things moving fast and this episode was another huge leap. Surprisingly, Korra was not the center of attention this time, instead the two major plots focused on her friends trying to find her, and a flash of Aang dealing with the criminal, Yakone.
Having the action build again was really amazing. While Team Avatar has normally been on the defensive, this time they finally attacked the Equalists. Bei Fong, being the true badass that she is, took the lead to breaking into the headquarters, rescuing her men, and taking out anyone they ran into. Together the entire group never really had too much trouble with their assault; it just goes to show how amazing they can be when they work together.
The second part of their plot involved confronting Tarrlok. This is where it starts to get a little iffy for me. The Equalists tell the group that they didn't attack and kidnap Korra, so Tenzin immediately concludes that Tarrlok had her kidnapped and lied. I mean, I know Tarrlok is shady and he actually is guilty, but how could Tenzin make an assumption just like that? Their confrontation with Tarrlok would must likely have failed as they had absolutely no proof against him. However, in an awesome moment, Tarrlok's assistant that we saw briefly last time revealed the truth about him. Seeing Tarrlok completely break down was pretty cool too, considering how he's been a smug jerk all this time.
The other side of this episode involved Korra meditating to find out what Aang was trying to tell her. We finally see the story of how Aang and Toph arrested Yakone. After just getting glimpses it's really nice to have it all straightened up and explained. Yakone could definitely rival Amon in creepiness. He remains calm for the most part, and when he's sentenced to prison, he proceeds to bloodbend everyone in the room. There are so many things that are disturbing with these signs: Yakone's constant calm, the sickening sound that comes with bloodbending, the struggling movements of the victims, and then there's the fact that Yakone was doing this in a full room instead of waiting until he was alone. Aang eventually takes away his bending for good, which definitely made the connection with Amon.
As the episode wraps up we learn that Tarrlok is Yakone's son, predictably enough. However, here's another moment I'm not too keen on. Just after Korra concludes that Aang's been trying to warn her about Tarrlok all this time, Tarrlok himself is attacked and depowered by Amon. So we have all this build up to Tarrlok being a major threat, and he's just disposed of by the bigger bad? Korra never even got a shot of him after he imprisoned her. I'm hoping that he's not done yet, but with the finale fast approaching, it doesn't seem too likely.
After that, though, we soon return to the awesome. Korra manages to keep herself safe from electrocution by using her wristband to suspend herself. She then takes out the Equalists and manages to escape from Amon. At the end she is reunited with her relieved friends.
One more thing I'd like to mention about this episode is Asami. I liked her before because of her level-headedness, yet now it seems like she's letting the romantic drama get to her. I was hoping this was all behind us after the drama between Korra, Bolin, and Mako, but apparently Asami wants to have her turn now. Throughout the episode she commented on how Mako was so obsessed with finding Korra. Maybe afterwards she could worry about it, but right now her friend has been kidnapped and that's what she chooses to complain about? I suspect that they'll resolve all this drama in the episode before the finale, so hopefully everyone can work it out.
Overall it was a good episode with a couple of questionable points. Like I said the finale is almost here, so if it continues to build, you know it'll be huge.
Having the action build again was really amazing. While Team Avatar has normally been on the defensive, this time they finally attacked the Equalists. Bei Fong, being the true badass that she is, took the lead to breaking into the headquarters, rescuing her men, and taking out anyone they ran into. Together the entire group never really had too much trouble with their assault; it just goes to show how amazing they can be when they work together.
The second part of their plot involved confronting Tarrlok. This is where it starts to get a little iffy for me. The Equalists tell the group that they didn't attack and kidnap Korra, so Tenzin immediately concludes that Tarrlok had her kidnapped and lied. I mean, I know Tarrlok is shady and he actually is guilty, but how could Tenzin make an assumption just like that? Their confrontation with Tarrlok would must likely have failed as they had absolutely no proof against him. However, in an awesome moment, Tarrlok's assistant that we saw briefly last time revealed the truth about him. Seeing Tarrlok completely break down was pretty cool too, considering how he's been a smug jerk all this time.
The other side of this episode involved Korra meditating to find out what Aang was trying to tell her. We finally see the story of how Aang and Toph arrested Yakone. After just getting glimpses it's really nice to have it all straightened up and explained. Yakone could definitely rival Amon in creepiness. He remains calm for the most part, and when he's sentenced to prison, he proceeds to bloodbend everyone in the room. There are so many things that are disturbing with these signs: Yakone's constant calm, the sickening sound that comes with bloodbending, the struggling movements of the victims, and then there's the fact that Yakone was doing this in a full room instead of waiting until he was alone. Aang eventually takes away his bending for good, which definitely made the connection with Amon.
As the episode wraps up we learn that Tarrlok is Yakone's son, predictably enough. However, here's another moment I'm not too keen on. Just after Korra concludes that Aang's been trying to warn her about Tarrlok all this time, Tarrlok himself is attacked and depowered by Amon. So we have all this build up to Tarrlok being a major threat, and he's just disposed of by the bigger bad? Korra never even got a shot of him after he imprisoned her. I'm hoping that he's not done yet, but with the finale fast approaching, it doesn't seem too likely.
After that, though, we soon return to the awesome. Korra manages to keep herself safe from electrocution by using her wristband to suspend herself. She then takes out the Equalists and manages to escape from Amon. At the end she is reunited with her relieved friends.
One more thing I'd like to mention about this episode is Asami. I liked her before because of her level-headedness, yet now it seems like she's letting the romantic drama get to her. I was hoping this was all behind us after the drama between Korra, Bolin, and Mako, but apparently Asami wants to have her turn now. Throughout the episode she commented on how Mako was so obsessed with finding Korra. Maybe afterwards she could worry about it, but right now her friend has been kidnapped and that's what she chooses to complain about? I suspect that they'll resolve all this drama in the episode before the finale, so hopefully everyone can work it out.
Overall it was a good episode with a couple of questionable points. Like I said the finale is almost here, so if it continues to build, you know it'll be huge.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Young Justice - Depths
This episode has got to be the complete opposite of last week's episode. "Bloodlines" was for the most part comedic and only focused on one character. "Depths" on the other hand was incredibly dramatic and gave a fair share of development to many characters. It was just as good an episode though.
The main focus of this episode was Artemis and was nice to see her back after giving and episode to Aqualad and Kid Flash. She' still awesome as ever and seeing her in action was fun. The big thing about the episode was that she "died." However, this wasn't a surprise ending; they revealed it right at the start, which was the first clue that it would be subverted somehow. The early reveal and then working back to how it happened was an interesting idea, but they really abused it to death. Every time Artemis or Dick said anything it would someone hint to her upcoming "death," which got a little annoying after the first couple of times.
And of course the ending reveals that she's still alive. However, they did pull this off pretty well. Instead of just having Artemis burst back into life at the last minute, they actual made it seem like she was truly gone. The next scene was a funeral, again giving the impression that she really had died. So when she showed up at the final scene, it was quite a relief. I feel that it would have been better if they hadn't had the "She's dead" line right at the start, though. Like I said, that was a big tip off that all wasn't as it seemed and meant that I still figured that she might be alive.
Speaking of the ending, another twist that wasn't expecting as much though was that Aqualad is still good. I thought this at first, but after "Alienated" it made it quite clear that he had many reasons to turn to the bad side. So I really couldn't help but smile when we learn that he's just been acting undercover all this time and having to make tough decisions. Like season the search for the mole created a lot of tension between characters, I think we might heading in that direction again with this plot now.
While that was the major source of drama, there was quite a lot going on between Miss Martian, Superboy, and Lagoon Boy. In a dark scene we learn the true reason behind Miss Martian and Superboy breaking up. It seems like Megan still sees things as black and white and thinks it's okay to mind rape as long as it's on "the bad guys." That might not seem like enough to break up the two, but they we learn that she tried to change Connor's mind about it mentally. It's so easy to feel the pain between the two of them. You may recall Connor exploding at Megan earlier when she tried to talk to him mentally because it reminded him of his time at Cadmus. And then you'll remember that Megan was terrified that she might make a mistake and lose Connor. Well the worst has come true for the both of them. If the pain in their voices isn't enough to make you feel for them, than Megan starting to cry would do it.
And then there's the character who has been waiting for a breakout episode since season 2 started, Lagoon Boy. He's always around, and sometimes goes out on missions, yet we haven't really seen too much of him yet. Today we really got to learn what kind of person he is. He has probably got to be one of the most obnoxious characters yet. He purposefully taunts Connor with his relationship with Megan, and then in action he ignores orders from Nightwing. We haven't really seen a character like this yet. Cassie was shown to be a little careless, but Lagoon Boy is much, much worse. I quite like him for it. He should keep things interesting by not being as perfect as the other heroes. Currently he's been captured by Black Manta which in itself should lead to an interesting plot.
Nightwing finally got into the action, but I still don't think it was his breakout yet. He still hasn't done anything particularly big, aside from being in control of the team's actions. I'm still hoping he'll get an episode to himself soon. Since the so-called retired heroes are starting to get back in the spotlight, I'm also hoping we'll be seeing Zatanna and Rocket soon too. They were two of my favorites from season 1 and I was disappointed to learn that they would be leaving the team, especially since they didn't get much development. But I've got my fingers crossed.
The main problem with this episode was plot holes. Megan says that they can't let the villains know that the main heroes are gone, but earlier Psimon seemed to know that Batman was out of the picture. If The Light already know then it's not likely keeping it a secret will help. And then there's the reasoning behind Artemis returning to the team. In hindsight it was likely that they just wanted an excuse to "kill" her, but the reasoning they gave to everyone else seemed pretty weak. She just told Megan that she was there because "not everyone thinks the Martians are bad." So, what exactly does that mean? And lastly, why did Black Manta want to destroy the rocket? I'm sure it benefited The Light's plan somehow, but they didn't really explain that.
Last week's plots were shoved to the side for now. Bart and the real Speedy are probably going to be stored for another plot later. It's a shame because I was interested in both of them, but I guess that it's for the best that we take it one plotline at a time.
The plot is definitely getting deeper and I think things are really going to start taking shape soon. As always, I'll be looking forward to the next episode.
The main focus of this episode was Artemis and was nice to see her back after giving and episode to Aqualad and Kid Flash. She' still awesome as ever and seeing her in action was fun. The big thing about the episode was that she "died." However, this wasn't a surprise ending; they revealed it right at the start, which was the first clue that it would be subverted somehow. The early reveal and then working back to how it happened was an interesting idea, but they really abused it to death. Every time Artemis or Dick said anything it would someone hint to her upcoming "death," which got a little annoying after the first couple of times.
And of course the ending reveals that she's still alive. However, they did pull this off pretty well. Instead of just having Artemis burst back into life at the last minute, they actual made it seem like she was truly gone. The next scene was a funeral, again giving the impression that she really had died. So when she showed up at the final scene, it was quite a relief. I feel that it would have been better if they hadn't had the "She's dead" line right at the start, though. Like I said, that was a big tip off that all wasn't as it seemed and meant that I still figured that she might be alive.
Speaking of the ending, another twist that wasn't expecting as much though was that Aqualad is still good. I thought this at first, but after "Alienated" it made it quite clear that he had many reasons to turn to the bad side. So I really couldn't help but smile when we learn that he's just been acting undercover all this time and having to make tough decisions. Like season the search for the mole created a lot of tension between characters, I think we might heading in that direction again with this plot now.
While that was the major source of drama, there was quite a lot going on between Miss Martian, Superboy, and Lagoon Boy. In a dark scene we learn the true reason behind Miss Martian and Superboy breaking up. It seems like Megan still sees things as black and white and thinks it's okay to mind rape as long as it's on "the bad guys." That might not seem like enough to break up the two, but they we learn that she tried to change Connor's mind about it mentally. It's so easy to feel the pain between the two of them. You may recall Connor exploding at Megan earlier when she tried to talk to him mentally because it reminded him of his time at Cadmus. And then you'll remember that Megan was terrified that she might make a mistake and lose Connor. Well the worst has come true for the both of them. If the pain in their voices isn't enough to make you feel for them, than Megan starting to cry would do it.
And then there's the character who has been waiting for a breakout episode since season 2 started, Lagoon Boy. He's always around, and sometimes goes out on missions, yet we haven't really seen too much of him yet. Today we really got to learn what kind of person he is. He has probably got to be one of the most obnoxious characters yet. He purposefully taunts Connor with his relationship with Megan, and then in action he ignores orders from Nightwing. We haven't really seen a character like this yet. Cassie was shown to be a little careless, but Lagoon Boy is much, much worse. I quite like him for it. He should keep things interesting by not being as perfect as the other heroes. Currently he's been captured by Black Manta which in itself should lead to an interesting plot.
Nightwing finally got into the action, but I still don't think it was his breakout yet. He still hasn't done anything particularly big, aside from being in control of the team's actions. I'm still hoping he'll get an episode to himself soon. Since the so-called retired heroes are starting to get back in the spotlight, I'm also hoping we'll be seeing Zatanna and Rocket soon too. They were two of my favorites from season 1 and I was disappointed to learn that they would be leaving the team, especially since they didn't get much development. But I've got my fingers crossed.
The main problem with this episode was plot holes. Megan says that they can't let the villains know that the main heroes are gone, but earlier Psimon seemed to know that Batman was out of the picture. If The Light already know then it's not likely keeping it a secret will help. And then there's the reasoning behind Artemis returning to the team. In hindsight it was likely that they just wanted an excuse to "kill" her, but the reasoning they gave to everyone else seemed pretty weak. She just told Megan that she was there because "not everyone thinks the Martians are bad." So, what exactly does that mean? And lastly, why did Black Manta want to destroy the rocket? I'm sure it benefited The Light's plan somehow, but they didn't really explain that.
Last week's plots were shoved to the side for now. Bart and the real Speedy are probably going to be stored for another plot later. It's a shame because I was interested in both of them, but I guess that it's for the best that we take it one plotline at a time.
The plot is definitely getting deeper and I think things are really going to start taking shape soon. As always, I'll be looking forward to the next episode.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Legend of Korra - When Extremes Meet
This episode started out not promising too much, but once it got rolling it seriously made some big movements.
The main thing to note that it was basically line after crossed line for Tarrlok. It's not surprise that the new chief of police is in his pocket, but that was just the start of his feud with Korra. Tarrlok continues to prod Korra, and things take a turn for the worst when he tries to abuse all non-benders for being suspect of being equalist. Korra, being the hot-headed morally driven girl she is, tries to help the people, only to get her friends arrested. Then at the climax, Korra visits Tarrlok alone at night. It starts out like another one of their conversations going nowhere, but suddenly Tarrlok snaps at gets into a fight with Korra. And at the very last minute he shows that he knows how to bloodbend and locks Korra in a wagon. His last words are that she'll never see Republic City again.
These episodes just keep on adding bigger and bigger plotpoints. Whether Tarrlok is working for Amon or not, he's clearly branded himself as a villain now. We don't know what's in store for Korra, but she's got a lot of work to do now.
In this episode we also got to see the official formation of the new Team Avatar. Korra, Bolin, Mako, and Asami get into action and start taking down the equalists. I thought that Korra was supposed to be focusing on Airbending instead of fighting crime but I'm not complaining. We finally got to see Mako and Bolin in full offense mode which is something I've been waiting for. But it's clear that the most skilled fighter is Asami, which isn't too surprising.
I really liked Korra's attitude this episode. As usual she doesn't always think before acting, but that's what makes her so cool. She's ready to help out the nonbenders as soon as she sees how they're being treated. Then she takes the fight to Tarrlok personally. And when he tells her that he'll release her friends if she follows his rules, I was expecting her to reluctanly agree, but she tells him that she can't be controlled. Go Korra!
I have to say I am quite disappointed with Ikki, though. Just when that painful romantic plot was getting resolved, Ikki blurts out to Asami that Korra likes Mako. And later we see that it's Asami's turn to get jealous. Really? We already had Korra, Mako, and Bolin have dramatic reactions to this plot, while Asami remained pretty kind to everyone. And now she's going to get angry too. Thanks, Ikki.
But there were some funny parts in this episode too. My favorite part was Korra yelling at the corrupt police chief, "You are the worst police chief ever!" And it was immediately followed by Tenzin telling her to calm down, before adding, "You really are the worst...ever." Ah Tenzin, always good for a laugh.
With the end of this episode we've got a lot of questions and plots to resolve. Will Korra manage to get back to Republic City? Will her friends get out of jail? How will they deal with Amon? When are we going to see Beifong again? I seriously can't wait for the next episode!
The main thing to note that it was basically line after crossed line for Tarrlok. It's not surprise that the new chief of police is in his pocket, but that was just the start of his feud with Korra. Tarrlok continues to prod Korra, and things take a turn for the worst when he tries to abuse all non-benders for being suspect of being equalist. Korra, being the hot-headed morally driven girl she is, tries to help the people, only to get her friends arrested. Then at the climax, Korra visits Tarrlok alone at night. It starts out like another one of their conversations going nowhere, but suddenly Tarrlok snaps at gets into a fight with Korra. And at the very last minute he shows that he knows how to bloodbend and locks Korra in a wagon. His last words are that she'll never see Republic City again.
These episodes just keep on adding bigger and bigger plotpoints. Whether Tarrlok is working for Amon or not, he's clearly branded himself as a villain now. We don't know what's in store for Korra, but she's got a lot of work to do now.
In this episode we also got to see the official formation of the new Team Avatar. Korra, Bolin, Mako, and Asami get into action and start taking down the equalists. I thought that Korra was supposed to be focusing on Airbending instead of fighting crime but I'm not complaining. We finally got to see Mako and Bolin in full offense mode which is something I've been waiting for. But it's clear that the most skilled fighter is Asami, which isn't too surprising.
I really liked Korra's attitude this episode. As usual she doesn't always think before acting, but that's what makes her so cool. She's ready to help out the nonbenders as soon as she sees how they're being treated. Then she takes the fight to Tarrlok personally. And when he tells her that he'll release her friends if she follows his rules, I was expecting her to reluctanly agree, but she tells him that she can't be controlled. Go Korra!
I have to say I am quite disappointed with Ikki, though. Just when that painful romantic plot was getting resolved, Ikki blurts out to Asami that Korra likes Mako. And later we see that it's Asami's turn to get jealous. Really? We already had Korra, Mako, and Bolin have dramatic reactions to this plot, while Asami remained pretty kind to everyone. And now she's going to get angry too. Thanks, Ikki.
But there were some funny parts in this episode too. My favorite part was Korra yelling at the corrupt police chief, "You are the worst police chief ever!" And it was immediately followed by Tenzin telling her to calm down, before adding, "You really are the worst...ever." Ah Tenzin, always good for a laugh.
With the end of this episode we've got a lot of questions and plots to resolve. Will Korra manage to get back to Republic City? Will her friends get out of jail? How will they deal with Amon? When are we going to see Beifong again? I seriously can't wait for the next episode!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Young Justice - Bloodlines
Alright, let's get this started!
With the hints that have been dropped so far, I've been waiting for various other kid heroes to show up in the series. With this episode we got to meet Impulse, and I've definitely been expecting him. He's a really awesome character and this was a great episode to cover him. His wacky personality is really enjoyable, and it's a strong step above the other comic relief characters, Kid Flash and Beast Boy, who are more joke-makers. Impulse's motor mouth talking and constant nonchalant attitude makes him very amusing.
The plotlines that we've been following so far didn't get too much progress in this episode. The villain, Neutron, seems to have been controlled by some hidden bad guy. My first thought was the Kroloteans since that's what we were led to believe, but at the end we see a silhouette that does not match the Kroloteans. But the plot just got a lot more deep with the addition of time travel and a wasteland future. The ending revealed that Impulse still has work to do in 2016, so we'll probably be seeing more of that.
Speaking of the ending, it was a nice twist that they pulled off. It's not a serious shocker, but it was interesting to see that Impulse isn't actually the goofball that he appears. He seems to in fact be rather grim, having come from a terrible time that's understandable.
The sideplot in this episode was just as, if not more, fascinating. Continuing where we left off, Red Arrow work to find the original Speedy. Seeing the two of them in action on the same side was very satisfying; in particular we see them surrounded by guard in one scene, then finished off the last one in the next scene. When their story started, I was a little confused as to why Chesire would risk bring her baby with them, but I wasn't the only one; Roy points out that they should have left Lian with Artemis halfway through their plot. Of course, Chesire and Roy both have no problem even with the baby. With the discovery of Speedy I'm really interested to see how he will play into the plot.
Some of my favorite moments this episode were Nightwing's skills in general. He managed to take out super speedy Impulse, then got him to drink a tracking device by getting him to think that he was tricking him into giving a DNA sample. We really need to have an episode that actually focuses on Nightwing in action and not just him off to the side. Then there was Barry's "Be back in a flash," line. What really makes it hilarious is just his family's unamused reactions.
The only problem I have with this episode is that it created way more questions than it answered. We haven't even gotten to know all of the new characters, we don't know the full story behind the former members, and we don't know what's with the five missing numbers; yet they're already adding a new character. Furthermore I felt like they had a nice balance going on between the Kroloteans, the Light, and the other subplots, but this one just throws another major curveball. The future plot is not going to be something that can be resolved soon so we're likely to get a few more episodes on it.
That being said, I'm still really happy to have Impulse on the cast now. I think his plot and character will make the series even more enjoyable. I've got my fingers crossed that next episode we'll get a few more answers we've waiting for.
With the hints that have been dropped so far, I've been waiting for various other kid heroes to show up in the series. With this episode we got to meet Impulse, and I've definitely been expecting him. He's a really awesome character and this was a great episode to cover him. His wacky personality is really enjoyable, and it's a strong step above the other comic relief characters, Kid Flash and Beast Boy, who are more joke-makers. Impulse's motor mouth talking and constant nonchalant attitude makes him very amusing.
The plotlines that we've been following so far didn't get too much progress in this episode. The villain, Neutron, seems to have been controlled by some hidden bad guy. My first thought was the Kroloteans since that's what we were led to believe, but at the end we see a silhouette that does not match the Kroloteans. But the plot just got a lot more deep with the addition of time travel and a wasteland future. The ending revealed that Impulse still has work to do in 2016, so we'll probably be seeing more of that.
Speaking of the ending, it was a nice twist that they pulled off. It's not a serious shocker, but it was interesting to see that Impulse isn't actually the goofball that he appears. He seems to in fact be rather grim, having come from a terrible time that's understandable.
The sideplot in this episode was just as, if not more, fascinating. Continuing where we left off, Red Arrow work to find the original Speedy. Seeing the two of them in action on the same side was very satisfying; in particular we see them surrounded by guard in one scene, then finished off the last one in the next scene. When their story started, I was a little confused as to why Chesire would risk bring her baby with them, but I wasn't the only one; Roy points out that they should have left Lian with Artemis halfway through their plot. Of course, Chesire and Roy both have no problem even with the baby. With the discovery of Speedy I'm really interested to see how he will play into the plot.
Some of my favorite moments this episode were Nightwing's skills in general. He managed to take out super speedy Impulse, then got him to drink a tracking device by getting him to think that he was tricking him into giving a DNA sample. We really need to have an episode that actually focuses on Nightwing in action and not just him off to the side. Then there was Barry's "Be back in a flash," line. What really makes it hilarious is just his family's unamused reactions.
The only problem I have with this episode is that it created way more questions than it answered. We haven't even gotten to know all of the new characters, we don't know the full story behind the former members, and we don't know what's with the five missing numbers; yet they're already adding a new character. Furthermore I felt like they had a nice balance going on between the Kroloteans, the Light, and the other subplots, but this one just throws another major curveball. The future plot is not going to be something that can be resolved soon so we're likely to get a few more episodes on it.
That being said, I'm still really happy to have Impulse on the cast now. I think his plot and character will make the series even more enjoyable. I've got my fingers crossed that next episode we'll get a few more answers we've waiting for.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Introductions
Hello everyone. So, for the last year or so I've been giving my opinions on music, but now I've decided to spread out into TV shows now. I have several shows, mostly cartoons, that I watch weekly, and I have strong opinions on most of them. With each episode I'll post my thoughts on what I thought of it and how it affected the plot and characters. The list of shows is bound to change based on what's airing at the time. Right now the three cartoons that I'm watching are Young Justice, Legend of Korra, and Ultimate Spider-man.
Young Justice is a DC universe show focusing on the younger heroes. It took a bit of time for me to warm up to it, but I have become quite fond of the deep characters. Recently it started it's second season featuring several new characters. Again, it took a little time to get used to them, but they also seem interesting. With each episode I'll be show to talk about the further expansion the characters receive.
Legend of Korra is a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender. While I've only seen portions of Airbender, I have been keeping up to date with Korra. The characters always make me smile, and the dark plot is very, very intriguing. I'm sure to mention my favorite funny moments of each episode and my speculations for future episodes.
Ultimate Spider-man takes Peter Parker and puts him on a team with four other heroes. They run into various Marvel heroes and villains throughout their adventures. This is the series that I'm the most mixed on and most likely to complain about. It has some good points: interesting characters, an overarching plot, and clever fight scenes; and some bad points: lame characters, plotholes, and tries too hard to be funny. My posts will probably vary depending on how good the episode was.
So yeah, if you like watch any of these shows and wanna hear my opinion be sure to drop by whenever the episode airs.
Young Justice is a DC universe show focusing on the younger heroes. It took a bit of time for me to warm up to it, but I have become quite fond of the deep characters. Recently it started it's second season featuring several new characters. Again, it took a little time to get used to them, but they also seem interesting. With each episode I'll be show to talk about the further expansion the characters receive.
Legend of Korra is a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender. While I've only seen portions of Airbender, I have been keeping up to date with Korra. The characters always make me smile, and the dark plot is very, very intriguing. I'm sure to mention my favorite funny moments of each episode and my speculations for future episodes.
Ultimate Spider-man takes Peter Parker and puts him on a team with four other heroes. They run into various Marvel heroes and villains throughout their adventures. This is the series that I'm the most mixed on and most likely to complain about. It has some good points: interesting characters, an overarching plot, and clever fight scenes; and some bad points: lame characters, plotholes, and tries too hard to be funny. My posts will probably vary depending on how good the episode was.
So yeah, if you like watch any of these shows and wanna hear my opinion be sure to drop by whenever the episode airs.
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