Television Reviews – Page 514

The Toys That Made Us – Star Wars

Alan Rapp / January 29, 2018 / Television Reviews

Title: The Toys That Made Us – Star Wars
IMDb: link

Playing heavily on nostalgia, The Toys That Made Us take an in-depth look at some of the most popular toys of my youth. The first episode looks at the merchandising and toy line tied to the original Star Wars and creation of an entire line of 3 & 3/4-inch action figures. The look back includes interviews with the toy makers, lawyers, and executives at a little-known Cincinnati toy company that would create a brand in excess of $14 billion worldwide. For those who grew up we these toys, each episode is an intriguing look into the toys of our youth. While I don’t have much interest in the Barbie episode, the Star Wars, G.I. JOE, and He-Man episodes each had something fun and interesting to offer.

The Toys That Made Us – Star Wars Read More »

Arrow – Divided / We Fall

Alan Rapp / January 29, 2018 / Television Reviews

Title: Arrow – Divided / We Fall
wiki: link
wiki: link

Returning from mid-season hiatus, the first two episodes of Arrow heat-up the fight between Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and the team led by Cayden James (Michael Emerson) who is so overconfident after fracturing Team Arrow he reveals the full roster of baddies under his control before hijacking Star City’s infrastructure and holding it for ransom to the tune of $10 million a day. The episodes also reveals James’ reasoning for attacking Oliver’s city, although it appears the villain is blaming the wrong bow-and-arrow wielder for the death of son. Despite bending to the terrorist’s demands, the latest piece of information may offer Oliver an out if it turns our he can’t defeat the villain as either the mayor or its hooded vigilante.

…

Arrow – Divided / We FallRead More »

Arrow – Divided / We Fall Read More »

Firefly – Serenity

Alan Rapp / January 26, 2018 / Television Reviews

Title: Firefly – Serenity
wiki: link

“Now I did a job. I got nothing but trouble since I did it, not to mention more than a few unkind words as regard to my character so let me make this abundantly clear: I do the job, and then I get paid.”

This week’s Flashback Friday post takes us into the black and the two-hour pilot episode of Joss Whedon‘s Firefly. While it turned out that Fox could indeed take the sky from us, the show’s introduction (which the network, in all their genius, chose to run at the end rather than the beginning of the show’s short run) does a great job of setting up the universe of Firefly and introducing us the Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and the crew of Serenity: the loyal first officer (Gina Torres), her wacky pilot husband (Alan Tudyk), the bubbly engineer (Jewel Staite), the gruff mercenary (Adam Baldwin), the space hooker (Morena Baccarin), and their guests in the man of god (Ron Glass), big city doctor (Sean Maher), and a girl in a box (Summer Glau). And, not to be overlooked, the show’s eighth character in Serenity herself which would be home for so many of us that fell immediately in love with the space-western.

…

Firefly – SerenityRead More »

Firefly – Serenity Read More »

Black Lightning – Lawanda: The Book of Hope

Alan Rapp / January 25, 2018 / Television Reviews

Title: Black Lightning – Lawanda: The Book of Hope
IMDb: link

With his daughters momentarily safe Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) considers hanging up his costume again. However, with the inept police department unable to prosecute the gangbanger kidnapper (William Catlett) followed by the man’s murder of one of Pierce’s former students trying to save her own daughter, Black Lightning emerges from the shadow one more time. And this time it looks like he’s here to stay (at least as long as the show stays on the air). Even if the 100’s reach at times borders on the ridiculous, the show does succeed in presenting a better look at street-level gang activity than either Luke Cage or Daredevil. Of course it does help not having to half-explain a bizarre cult like the Hand.

…

Black Lightning – Lawanda: The Book of HopeRead More »

Black Lightning – Lawanda: The Book of Hope Read More »

Star Trek – The Conscience of the King

Alan Rapp / January 25, 2018 / Television Reviews

Title: Star Trek – The Conscience of the King
wiki: link

This week’s Throwback Thursday post takes us boldly back to where no man had gone before. Shakespearean themes run through “The Conscience of the King,” and not only through the stage performances of Macbeth. When an old friend reaches out to Kirk (William Shatner), the captain finds himself pulled into the past and a 20 year-old massacre whose architect may be now living the life of a member (Arnold Moss) of a Shakespearean acting troupe and slowing killing off the remaining witness who can identify him. Arranging for the Enterprise to escort the troupe to his destination, the captain struggles with his suspicions and what to do if they are proved true. The truth, however, is even more tragic than the captain initially suspects.

…

Star Trek – The Conscience of the KingRead More »

Star Trek – The Conscience of the King Read More »