December 2017

Doctor Who – Twice Upon a Time

  • Title: Doctor Who – The Empress of Mars
  • wiki: link

Doctor Who - Twice Upon a Time TV review

“Twice Upon a Time” concludes the run of Peter Capaldi as The Doctor in a Christmas special that reunites the Time Lord with his first incarnation (played by David Bradley). The 2017 Christmas special also marks Steven Moffat‘s departure as Doctor Who‘s showrunner. Bringing together the Twelfth Doctor and the First Doctor, both of whom are refusing to regenerate, offers some amusing moments – particularly in Bradley’s non-politically-correct comments (although the episode goes to the well for these jokes at least once too often). Mark Gatiss is well-cast as the confused WWI soldier out of time, even if it was far, far too obvious to guess the the man’s familial connection to The Doctor. The episode also brings back Bill (Pearl Mackie), Nardole (Matt Lucas), and Clara (Jenna Coleman) as avatars of Testimony (a futuristic computer filled with memories which, since it isn’t part of an evil plot, The Doctor struggles with knowing what to make of it).

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Jessica Jones #15

Jessica Jones #15 comic reviewJessica Jones has issues. I’m just saying. Jessica Jones #15 brings the super-hero detective face-to-face with the Purple Man for a mostly-civil discussion about how Kilgrave has missed her company and needs something from her. Mostly civil, that is to say, until Jessica’s pals (with the help of Kraven the Hunter) spring their trap and assassinate the mind-controlling super-villain in mid-sentence. And then things get interesting.

By interesting, I’m not so much referring to Jessica beating up the dead man’s corpse (which see does with ferocity). No, I’m referring to the fact that death doesn’t seem to agree with the Purple Man who rises to his feet in a far less agreeable mood than when his conversation with Jessica began.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Rewind

  • Title: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Rewind
  • wiki: link

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Rewind television review

“Rewind” is the first episode of the show’s Fifth Season that I’m relatively happy with (even if it still leaves quite a bit unexplained). Leaving the alternate future, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. rewinds to the moment in which the rest of his team where taken and follows the path of Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) from arrest to finding his way to the future himself. The episode introduces us the alien Enoch (Joel Stoffer as a character pretty much stolen from a Hellboy comic) and a young human (Lexy Kolker) whose hazy vision of the future is responsible for the rest of the cast being thrown decades into the future, despite the fact that their return to the present will undoubtedly change events to make the future they are currently stuck in completely irrelevant.

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Batman #37

Batman #37 comic reviewI thoroughly enjoyed Batman #36 which focused on the relationships of Bruce Wayne and Catwoman, Clark Kent and Lois Lane, and Batman and Superman. Somehow, this issue is even better. Bringing the foursome together for a night out at the Gotham Fair (on super-hero night no less) proves to be one of the most enjoyable comics I’ve read all year.

With the men and ladies both trading clothes, the humor is great as Lois and Selina get to know each other better and Bruce and Clark enjoy themselves (and compete) while Mr. Wayne gears up for his impending nuptials. Honestly, I’ve been very lukewarm to the idea of a Batman and Catwoman wedding, but this issue sells me on the idea (especially if we get more comics like this!).

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Danger Man – The Blue Veil

  • Title: Danger Man – The Blue Veil
  • wiki: link

Danger Man - The Blue Veil television review

Our Throwback Thursday post takes us back into the Cold War spycraft of Danger Man. In “The Blue Veil” John Drake (Patrick McGoohan) successfully completes the task that John Rambo fails in Rambo: First Blood Part II. Learning that slave trading is taking place in the Arabian Desert, the United Nations send Drake in undercover to collect photographic proof which could used to bring pressure to bear on the local leaders. Disguised as a drunken slave trader, Drake makes new friends in a local boy (Joseph Cuby) and stranded showgirl (Lisa Gastoni) and new enemies in an underworld figure (Laurence Naismith) who doesn’t like competition. Although he’s unable to help those forced to work in the diamond mines against their will, Drake does make it out with both the showgirl and the proof (completing his mission once again).

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