Agents of SHIELD Season 3: “The Singularity” Recap and Critique

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April 28, 2016

This week’s episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., “The Singularity,” featured the apparent end of HYDRA and a long-awaited hookup. Daisy and Hive continued to recruit muscle for their war against humanity, introducing to the Inhuman cause Alisha Whitley–a female version of Multiple Man–and James–based on Marvel comics character J.T. James or Hellfire. So for those who may have missed all this …

“The Singularity” – The Recap

We rejoin the action after last week’s tense cliffhanger in classic Agents of SHIELD fashion–no one is dead, it was all just a fake-out. “The Singularity” opens on Mac and May meandering purposefully through the ruined base discussing their next steps. Through May (Ming-Na Wen) and Mac’s (Henry Simmons) somewhat halting dialogue in this scene, the viewer learns that Rodriguez and Guittierez have already been dropped off at The Cocoon for their own protection from Hive. May and Mac discuss Daisy’s strength, remarking that if she had wanted to kill her teammates then she could’ve. May thinks that Daisy’s actions show that she didn’t want to kill anyone but that she doesn’t want anyone to follow her either. The idea of leaving Daisy alone doesn’t sit well with Mac, though, who wants to do right by his partner. Coulson, suffering from a leg injury sustained during the base’s cave-in, orders everyone to board Zephyr One and, after a pep talk about protecting their own, May performs a nauseating takeoff through the broken hangar doors.

Meanwhile, Hive and Daisy take a walk down memory lane, remembering the peculiarities of the man who was Grant Ward. Daisy claims that Hive is nothing like Ward and that his presence alone makes her feel complete. Hive describes Coulson as a driven man and ponders whether or not he’ll come to Daisy’s rescue. The two then go off on a tangent about Daisy’s past and identity, Hive explaining there’s no need to hold anything back: they are now one entity. He explains that he has no need of an army. Once everyone has a common goal, i.e. making Earth a suitable home for Inhumans, there will be no need for war.

Back on Zephyr One, Fitz, Simmons, Lincoln, and Coulson discuss the nature of Daisy’s brainwashing by Hive. They describe it as an addictive infection that floods the host’s brain with dopamine, making the infected immune to icers. So, since they can’t stun Daisy with an icer, Simmons suggests consulting with Dr. Holden Radcliffe, an expert on parasitic organisms, who may be able to cure Daisy. Simmons also explains that Radcliffe is a transhuman, someone interested in transcending their need for a human body by way of technological enhancements. Coulson orders Simmons, Fitz, and Mac to locate Radcliffe who is somewhere in Romania.

Before they leave to find Radcliffe, Fitz and Simmons engage in an awkward public discussion about the consequences of taking their relationship to the next level. May demands that Simmons take a sidearm and remember her training–now that’s safe sex. As Mac, Fitz, and Simmons leave Zephyr One in a Quinjet, Coulson gets a call from Talbot who hints that something very big involving HYDRA is going on. Coulson tells Talbot that all of SHIELD is otherwise engaged and won’t be able to assist, cutting Talbot off after telling him that the ATCU has all the resources they’ll need to succeed in their mission. An awkward transition later, Coulson tells May that he fears that Hive and Daisy will recruit Alisha Whitley next.

In Romania, Fitz, Simmons, and Mac have tracked Dr. Radcliffe down at a transhumanist nightclub/black market of sorts and intend to entice him into meeting with them by offering him a new pair of cybernetic eyeballs. They hope that Radcliffe will agree to help them cure Daisy after they make the exchange but the three agree to meet back at their safehouse no matter what happens. Fitz and Simmons enter the nightclub and Mac keeps an eye on them via Fitz’s glasses, which broadcast a live feed of what Fitz sees.

Back on Zephyr One, Coulson demands that Lincoln wear a nano-thermite “murder vest”–maybe modeled after the Stark Heat Vest shown in Season One of Marvel’s Agent Carter— if he wants to participate in questioning Alisha Whitley about Hive and Daisy. Lincoln and May both voice some resistance to Coulson’s plan but he eventually convinces them both that they need a fallback should Lincoln be turned.

Later, May and Coulson have a heated argument about what to do if Daisy shows up while they’re questioning Whitley. Coulson says that they’ll kill Hive and rescue Daisy but May wants to know what she’ll be asked to do should Daisy offer resistance. Coulson tells May not to kill her and accuses May of being too quick on the trigger. Upset, she calls Coulson out for being willing to sacrifice Lincoln but not Daisy, saying that she’ll do his dirty work but reminding him that his hands aren’t clean.

Coulson, May, and Lincoln’s mission to question Alisha goes pretty poorly. It turns out that she’s already been turned by Hive. A May-Whitley/Lincoln-Whitley rumble ensues. Lincoln manages to grab hold of one of the Whitleys. He threatens to kill her but is beaten to the punch by the other Whitley who shoots her double in the head. After murdering her copy, Whitley turns the gun on an incapacitated May but is killed by Coulson before she can pull the trigger. The original Whitley, it turns out, is already with Hive, controlling her doubles from James’s trailer in South Dakota.

At James’s trailer, Hive demands that James give him the companion piece to the Kree Orb. James refuses so Daisy exposes him to terrigen mist. After transitioning into an Inhuman and being brainwashed by Hive, James is more than willing to reveal the location of the companion piece to the Kree Orb. After some ex-Quake-vation by Daisy, the three unearth the companion piece, what Hive describes as the only thing that can destroy him.

Back on Zephyr One, Lincoln can’t understand why Alisha would’ve killed her double since she feels each of her doubles’ deaths: he is sure that she was acting under Hive’s influence. Coulson takes Lincoln out of the field until Simmons can find a cure to Hive’s brainwashing infection. May and Coulson make peace in Zephyr One’s cockpit: Coulson explains that he’s frustrated, apologizing that he hasn’t been totally objective where Daisy is concerned because she’s the closest thing he has to a daughter. A nameless agent rushes in: they’ve located a seismic disturbance in South Dakota.

In the transhumanist nightclub, Fitz and Simmons talk to Radcliffe’s assistant saying that they’re willing to offer him the eyeball upgrade but will only deal directly with him. Radcliffe’s assistant says she’ll see if he’s available. While they wait, Fitz and Simmons turn off their comms system and finally have the private talk about their relationship that they should’ve had in Season One. Fitz analogizes taking the next step in their relationship to crossing the event horizon of a singularity, and once again the two nerds decide to stop thinking about it and “just do.” Their conversation over, Radcliffe’s assistant informs them that he is willing to meet, and a very odd introduction later, Fitz confesses that he and Simmons are with SHIELD. Radcliffe’s assistant jams Mac’s comms system and as Simmons asks for Radcliffe’s help, she gets hauled away by security. Fitz incapacitates a guard, yelling at Simmons to meet at the safehouse, and before any more security can arrive, Fitz starts pleading their case to Radcliffe. Unfortunately, he’s interrupted by a grandiose entrance from Daisy.

When Coulson and May arrive at James’s trailer in South Dakota they find it abandoned with a large hole in the floor where the Kree Orb’s companion object had been buried. May and Coulson find this hole a good hiding place when James’s trailer, rigged to blow, explodes around them. Coulson and May climb out of the debris, a shield-shaped force field projecting from Coulson’s prosthetic hand. As he and May brush off the dust, Coulson gets a call from Talbot.

Simmons runs into Hive who tries to get on her good side by referencing things she and Daniels said to each other on Maveth. He tells her to move on and Simmons responds by shooting him in the gut three times. James and Mac get into a fight and destroy the majority of the transhumanist nightclub. Daisy kidnaps Radcliffe and nearly kills Fitz, threatening to snap his neck if she sees him again. Simmons waits back at the safehouse until Fitz eventually makes it back, and the two geniuses, though they still have lots to talk about, finally do the deed.

Back at the newly fortified base, Coulson and May watch on their viewscreen as Talbot and the ATCU, acting on intelligence provided by Gideon Malick before he died, destroy all known HYDRA installations. Coulson remarks that this should have been a good day.

The final moment, though, was reserved for a peek into what Hive is planning for the season finale. As the group of Inhumans walk down a street with Dr. Radcliffe, Hive describes to them what he did with the late Gideon Malick’s considerable fortune: he bought a town.

“The Singularity” – My Critique

“The Singularity,” as is evidenced by my lengthy recap, involved a lot of different settings and a lot of separate groups of people operating as disparate elements of various subplots. This happens a lot in Agents of SHIELD since it’s by its nature an ensemble show. “The Singularity,” though involved so many different elements that they were difficult to keep track of at times. This lack of cohesion was made more obvious in “The Singularity” by the number and frequency of transitional cuts from one group of characters in one setting to another group in another setting. Some scenes lasted less than a minute, cutting jarringly to something totally different.

Aside from the jarring cuts and oftentimes weak transitions, “The Singularity” wasn’t a bad episode. In terms of developing Hive as a villain, we now know what can destroy him and that’s key information to have on any super-villain. And, I have to admit that, although I think that Fitz and Simmons should’ve gotten there two years ago, their eventual hookup in “The Singularity” was done in a way that seemed organic and was respectful to the characters.

I also think that “The Singularity” made good cannon fodder for the season finale. Things are ramping up now, only two more to go until the two-parter on May 17th. I’ll be there, True Believers, complaining about the utter lack of Arnim Zola.

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Review: ‘Green Room’ A Fantastically Twisted Thriller

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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April 28, 2016

Writer- Director Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room is a fantastically twisted, brutal, pulse-pounding thriller that will leave audiences speechless. Green Room is the type of thriller that doesn’t just go for the throat; it seeks to capture the mind and succeeds in spades.

What was noticeable right off the bat was just how much time Saulnier spends introducing his main characters. Pat (Anton Yelchin), Sam (Alia Shawkat), Reece (Joe Cole), and Tiger (Callum Turner) are part of a punk rock band known as the “Ain’t Rights.” The Ain’t Rights gives off the impression they’ve have had a following for a while now but have yet to hit it “big.” It appears the group is very interested in keeping it “real,” refusing social media. They also refuse to pay for gas, so they choose to siphon. They aren’t selling out.

After a show that promised to pay “big bucks” falls through, the band is booked at a gig where they will be playing to some rough and tumble skinheads in the middle of the woods. Now, if it were me, I certainly would have had a conversation with the band about making sure we played songs that didn’t incite the crowd. Hell, I wouldn’t be there in the first place, call me crazy. The Ain’t Rights had other ideas, kicking off their set with the Dead Kennedys’ “Nazi Punks F- Off.”

Terrible Idea!

That is when all hell breaks loose. Violence explodes all over the club: temple stabbings, killer attack dogs, and gunshots ring out. Darcy (Patrick Stewart), the owner of the club and the leader of the “White Pride” movement, enters the story and attempts to restore order. Faced with the prospects of his whole empire being exposed, Darcy orders his followers to get rid of these witnesses (The Ain’t Rights), by any means possible.

Saulnier tackles the know it all millennial disposition in Green Room. This group of twenty-somethings certainly think they have it all figured out. Even when it’s evident the odds of their survival are slim, they still believe they can talk their way out of the Neo-Nazi bar. the ones that do survive only make it by relying on the help of others (very anti-millennial behavior).

Saulnier also touches on the blind faith followers have no matter what the cause. It’s astonishing to bare witness to grown men agreeing to commit every atrocity Darcy ordered in the name of his “White Pride” movement. It certainly spoke to the lack of thought most people in these groups display when they simply just buy into an ideology (no matter how awful it might be). Does that sound familiar? Check out CNN sometime.

Patrick Stewart’s performance was very even tempered, and that added a layer of authenticity to the performance. It was cool, cold, and in many ways heartfelt (which is very odd for me to say even). Darcy truly believed in his “White Power” movement and in the actions that he took to ensure his group’s survival, no matter how brutal.

REVIEW: Green Room

Who: With Patrick Stewart and Anton Yelchin.

Directed by Jeremy Saulnier.

Rated: R (for strong brutal, graphic violence, gory images, language and some drug content).

Running time: 95 minutes.

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Tomb Raider Reboot Casts Alicia Vikander As Lara Croft

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 28, 2016

Alicia Vikander is the next Lara Croft; the actress has signed on to star in Tomb Raider for MGM, Warner Bros, and GK Films, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The plot of the film is Croft’s first adventure, young and untested fighting to survive.

Roar Uthaug will direct the reboot; no release date has been announced.

Vikander won an Oscar for ‘The Danish Girl’ and will co-star in ‘Jason Bourne’ this summer.

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The Essentials: The 10 Greatest Tom Hanks Performances

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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April 28, 2016

We all love Tom Hanks. All of us. And what’s not to love about one of Hollywood’s greatest, most genuine ambassadors? The stories of Hanks just being a great dude are endless, and the trustworthiness he exudes in his life permeates his screen performances. It’s part of what makes him great. From the charming comedic brilliance of his late 80s career, to his 90s Oscar domination, to where we find him now as a reliably wonderful actor, Tom Hanks’ persona has built an unprecedented level of trust and admiration from audiences. We see Hanks in a film, we accept his role, and we watch him dominate.

Hanks’ 10 greatest performances not only highlight his ability to give us all the feels, they also show his sneaky range. He can make us laugh and cry from see to scene, he can hypnotize us, and he can redefine more than once what it means to be a movie star. Here we go…

CLOSE CALLS: As Carl Hanratty, the tight-assed agent chasing DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can, as Woody in Toy Story, arguably the most identifiable role in Hanks’ career, and as Paul Edgecomb, the guard in The Green Mile, a mediocre movie that undoes his solid work.

10) James Donovan, Bridge of Spies – It may climb this list over the next few years, as Bridge of Spies appreciates. James Donovan is the embodiment of what we have defined Tom Hanks as over the years, a wholesome and honest family man who uses his decency to navigate a tricky situation: the transfer of prisoners between the American and Russian governments. Bridge of Spies may be “Minor Spielberg,” whatever that possibly mean, but Hanks’ performance is much more layered, and he tells the tale with his eyes just as much as his words.

9) Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump – This is a tricky entry. Forrest Gump has, over the last twenty plus years, run the gamut of Hollywood crowd-pleasing greatness and overcooked, overrated melodrama. I tend to lean towards the latter more these days, but that’s just my 2016 cynicism leaking in. Forrest Gump is an infinitely entertaining film, despite its on-the-nose narrative and troublesome definition of Jenny’s character. And despite its heavy-handed saccharine tone, Hanks absolutely embodies an original film character like very few people have done.

8) Joe, Joe Versus the Volcano – Yet another marginalized comedy starring Tom Hanks, Joe Versus the Volcano also plays up the everyman complacency of Hanks’ character. However, unlike The Burbs’, Joe Versus the Volcano deconstructs a State of Mind. Joe is a beaten company man who discovers he has a brain cloud, and only when he realizes his life may be ending does he allow himself to break free of his downtrodden existence, and his weird adventure begins. This is all told through some brilliant work by Hanks, a spot on late 80s satire.

7) Michael Sullivan, Road to Perdition – Remember Road to Perdition? Where has it been these days, where films of the late 90s and early 2000s are beginning to appreciate? Sam Mendes’ follow up to American Beauty is no less subtle, but its undoubtedly one of the more beautiful films of the 21st century. And it has Tom Hanks playing something different: a killer. Hanks is not a bad family man, but that doesn’t make him a good one. He is a hired gun for his surrogate father, John Rooney (Paul Newman), but when his wife and young son are murdered and his only surviving son endangered, he learns how to become a real father.

6) Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 – Ron Howard’s impressively accurate portrayal of the doomed Apollo 13 mission to the moon has a great performance from Hanks, playing astronaut Jim Lovell. But while it is Hanks in the central role, Apollo 13 succeeds even more in its phenomenal ensemble. Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan all have wonderful moments init he film, and Lovell appropriately feels like a dog in a wheel that’s spinning out of control.

5) Josh Baskin, Big – Big was a turning point in Hanks’ career. It was a bridge between his straight comedy roles like The Burbs’, Joe Versus the Volcano, and The Money Pit (which is damn funny), and the heights of his career in the 90s. He is Josh Baskin, a 13-year old kid who gets his wish one night, and becomes an adult. Big is the pinnacle of the body switch comedy because of its heart. Serious questions about the pros and cons of childhood and adulthood are addressed, and every time I see Hanks in this one it means something different to me. Because I’m getting older, just like Josh wanted.

4) Chuck Noland, Cast Away – Hanks’ physical transformation is probably what Cast Away is known for more than anything. And while his change from normal looking dude to emaciated, bearded islander is astonishing when you consider the work involved. Cast Away also hits some wonderful thematic notes, about what matters when we have nothing. It’s the most balanced work of Robert Zemeckis’s career, and just a complete performance from Hanks. Who else could make you cry over a volleyball? Not many.

3) Richard Phillips, Captain Phillips – Throughout Paul Greengrass’s thriller Captain Phillips, Tom Hanks’ Richard Phillips is a stoic leader, a worthy captain and a hero to the men on his ship, under siege by Somali pirates. Phillips continually sacrifices his own safety for his men, and it winds with him in a pod on the ocean with the three trigger-happy pirates. Everything is utilitarian in the first 90% of the film. And that’s what makes Hanks’ release in the end, when he sits blood spattered and being examined, so powerful. It’s easily one of the finest few minutes in Hanks’ career, a sorrowful, haunting cry of relief.

2) Captain Miller, Saving Private Ryan – At the center of Steven Spielberg’s sprawling war masterpiece, which manages to expertly handle grand scale and intimate narrative, is Hanks’ Captainn Miller, a purposefully enigmatic platoon leader working dutifully to complete the task given to him. All the while, he must manage his team, growing more resentful with every confrontation as they risk their lives for one man. Hanks plays Miller with a bottled-up intensity that doubles as desperation when he dangerously remembers the life he had back home. It is a heartbreaking, pitch-perfect performance at the center of such madness and bloodshed.

1. Andrew Beckett, Philadelphia – At the center of the AIDS epidemic in America, rose Philadelphia, Jonathan Demme’s social-message movie about a gay man, Hanks’ Andrew Beckett, wrongly terminated for having AIDS. It was an important film at the time, and in many ways has become a relic of a bygone generation. And that is a promising turn of events. Melodrama be damned, Hanks shines, announcing his presence as an actor to be recognized beyond comedy.

Toy Story

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Mads Mikkelsen Reveals His Character For ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 28, 2016

Mads Mikkelsen was on SkyOne Thursday morning and the actor may have revealed a little too much about ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’ Like who his character is in the film!

Spoilers after the jump.

Mikkelsen let the beans slip when he was asked how he felt when he was approached about the project.

“A little scared, I wasn’t sure whether I was wearing a Stormtrooper outfit or anything like that. I wasn’t sure I could fit into that, at that point. I read the script, it was very beautiful. Felicity playing this lovely, strong woman. I play her… father. That’s too much, I’m sorry,” said Mikkelsen.

What does this mean?! Is Jyn Erso’s father a hero or a villain? More details to come.

Watch the complete interview below.

“Rogue One takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe. It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know. Gareth is such an innovative director, and I’m so excited to be working with him, and the extraordinary ensemble cast he’s selected for ‘Rogue One,” said Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm President.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is directed by Gareth Edwards, and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen (IP Man), Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen of Hannibal fame, Alan Tudyk (as a motion capture character), and Riz Ahmed.

The film is a prequel to the original 1977 Star Wars, dealing with rebel efforts to convey Death Star blueprints to Leia Organa. The screenplay is by Chris Weitz, and the film is due in theaters on December 16.

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Tye Sheridan Signs to Play Cyclops in Two More Films

By

Seth Frederiksen

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April 28, 2016

Though X-Men: Apocalypse has not been released in theaters, news has come out that Tye Sheridan, the actor playing the role of a young Scott Summer, aka Cyclops, has signed on to play the role for two more films. This is almost entirely on speculation that the film will have the same critical and commercial success as its two recent X-Men predecessors, First Class and Days of Future Past.

One concern surrounding the depiction of Cyclops in this film is how much of a role he will play in his development as a leader to the group of mutant heroes. In the previous trilogy, Scott Summer’s role was diminished greatly to being a romantic foil to Wolverine, much to the fans’ disapproval. This is a stark contrast to his role in the comics where he is among the premier leaders of the mutant heroes and key figures, second only to Prof. Charles Xavier.

Given photos of Tye Sheridan’s costume, particularly his visor/sunglasses did little to arrest this fear. Which might have been why photos of cast members in costumes highly reminiscent to the Jim Lee designs were released presently to the film’s release. Few would have also raised an eyebrow given Sheridan’s revelation that he had never seen the film prior to Days of Future Past. However, in all fairness, there have been many actors who have proven themselves worthy of similar roles by going in without prior knowledge.

When this becomes their regular uniform and if this will become a permanent element of the series will be seen in this feature and subsequent sequels. Furthermore, how Cyclops will grow as a character will also prove to be either a redemption or condemnation to Fox’s treatment of the famous mutant.

Given the recent successes of the previous X-Men films and the massively successful Deadpool movie, signs appear to show the studio’s sincerity to presenting these characters in a way respecting the original source material. Many seem to see this upcoming adventure for the mutant team as either the make or break to ensure a full salvation for the franchise.

Of course, it would be nice to see characters such as Juggernaut and Kid Omega return in faithful manner.

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Wesley Snipes Signs Multiple Movie Deal With WWE Studios

By

EJ Moreno

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April 28, 2016

Wesley Snipes Inks WWE Film Deal…First Up, Action/Horror!

Somehow when I prayed at night for Wesley Snipes to make a big movie return, Vince McMahon heard my prayers. WWE Studios announced this morning that Snipes has signed a multi-film deal with the studio. Many see this as a major step-down from his blockbuster heyday but the production company has produced fun independent hits as of late like ‘Oculus‘ & ‘The Call‘.

After all the recent drama that Wesley Snipes has had, it’s just great to see him return to a genre that he loves. His first project with WWE Studios will be an action/horror film titled ‘Temple‘. Co-starring Anne Heche and former WWE Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, ‘Temple‘ is about a team of highly trained military professionals led by Snipes as they fight their way out of a locked down compound while dealing with supernatural forces.

“We are always looking for the ideal talent to extend our brand and Wesley is the right combination of action movie star and savvy producer,” WWE Studios president Michael Luisi said in a statement.

I personally think he will bring a lot to the projects and elevate their films. Are you looking forward to this collaboration between WWE Studios and the former ‘Blade‘ actor Wesley Snipes?

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Avenger’s Standoff – The Teased Return

By

Seth Frederiksen

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April 28, 2016

In addition to what is occurring in its current multi-title event, Avenger’s Standoff, Marvel is hinting at a return of a long missing member of their pantheon in recent years. There are currently three main contenders who might be making a big return to during this episode, though this is purely speculation as of now:

Richard Rider:

Rider was the first hero to hold the title of Nova as a member of the Nova Corps. This organization was Marvel’s equivalent to DC’s Green Lantern Corp, and the character quickly became a fan favorite. His last appearance came at the conclusion of The Thanos Imperative when he and Star Lord were trapped in the Cancerverse with Thanos.

Both Star-Lord and Thanos have returned to Marvel’s main canon, leaving Rider to await his own return. How his return fits into the overall story taking place is a little difficult to ascertain. Though it would be interesting to see him up the current Nova (Sam Alexander), who is looking for his father, who also happened to be a member of the Nova Corp.

Mar-Vell:

Mar-Vell was a Kree warrior who was also the first hero in the Marvel Universe called Captain Marvel, which led to an interesting lawsuit between Marvel and DC over their own Captain Marvel, now known as Shazam (who had been involved in an entirely different lawsuit between DC and Fawcett Comics). Mar-Vell lost his life to cancer he contracted during his exploits, his passing leaving a profound mark in the Marvel Universe.

If his return is the case during Avenger’s Standoff, there could be a conflict of interest between Mar-Vell and his former supporting hero, Carol Danvers, who is now the current Captain Marvel in their respective universe. It would be keen to see this hero return to a world that as more than moved on since his passing and how he tries to come to terms with this situation. Of course this would also go into territory frequented by Steve Rogers in many of his story arcs.

Genis-Vell:

The son of Mar-Vell and the third character to hold the Captain Marvel title. He was also a member of several groups, including The Thunderbolts, where he was trapped by Baron Zemo into an alternate dimension.

His return in the middle of a fire-fight headed by the baron would certain make the climactic fight a thrill to say the least. As he was using the moniker Photon during his last encounter with Zemo, there wouldn’t be a real problem with his return as there isn’t really a position his return might contest.

Of course, compared to his father and Rider, his doesn’t have the same public appeal, so his return might not have the same effect as would the other two if they made their return.

Regardless of who Marvel will bring back for the end of the Avenger’s Standoff arc, things will certainly be interesting as the dust settles from this critical moment in Marvel’s post-Secret War environment.

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Blink 182 New Video And Tour Announcement

By

Matthew Sardo

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April 28, 2016

Blink 182 released a new single ‘Bored To Death’ from the band’s forthcoming album, California, Wednesday. The also release their tour schedule for 2016.

‘Bored To Death’ is Blink 182’s first single since Tom DeLonge left the band and Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio joined Mark Hoppus, and drummer Travis Barker.

California is set for release July 1, the kicks off July 22 in Sandiego.

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Review: The 100 ‘Demons’ – Because Why Not?

By

Curtis Waugh

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April 28, 2016

At this point in season 3 of The 100 I’m simply numb. In a season that has been plagued and marred with behind the scenes issues, actors leaving for greener pastures and a widened budget and scope, The 100 has stumbled into its final stretch. Excellent episodes like ‘Ye Who Enter Here’ and ‘Nevermore’ have become increasingly sporadic as the show must finally reconcile the mouthful it has chewed from the plot-corpse.

In what could have been another claustrophobic and taut horror-thriller like ‘Nevermore’, ‘Demons’ fails by trying to be overtly more horrific and widens its lens in order to encapsulate the power dynamic still quaking in Polis. If ‘Demons’ had focused solely on the crew at Arkadia dealing with an old enemy, it could have been a suspenseful entry that still would have to deal with feeling stale.

SPOILERS AND STUFF

We pick up the episode with Miller telling Harper and Bryan (who isn’t cool enough to even have a last name) a ghost story which ends as any other horror movie featuring kids telling ghost stories might. As it began I thought, “If this show actually kills off these three useless ‘leads’, then we might be going somewhere.” Lo and behold, The 100 isn’t that gutsy or sick and instead treats us to a tale of revenge devoid of all suspense.

Emerson, the lone survivor of Mt. Weather has finally come to exact his revenge on Clarke for her genocidal act. The structural pacing of this season’s characters and events can’t have been easy given the necessities the show had to take in certain exits but I’m sick of giving the show an out because of that reason. None of it makes any structural sense. Emerson is a character who should’ve died 10 episodes ago or three years from now. His return marks a point in the season where it’s clear the writers are just trying to wipe the slate clean with what they’ve laid thus far. And it’s a shame because Emerson truly does represent some interesting thematic territory. If only it had been handled with some grace and sense.

His plot, involving kidnapping everyone Clarke cares for and forcing her to watch them die is intriguing on a surface level, but completely devoid of drama or tension in execution. When Emerson chains up Bellamy, Octavia, Jasper, Monty, Miller, Harper and Bryan and leaves them to suffocate in the airlock as he places a chokehold on Clarke, I just wait until the moment she can break free and save them. This isn’t the show that kills off seven leads in one fell swoop; not at this point in the season and not in the way that it’s handled here. Even in the “surprise” deaths the show has deftly given us, those resonate thematically and can be seen as consistent with the arc of the season after the fact. Here, we have been through giving a damn about Emerson a full year ago and are just waiting for him to reach his inevitable end. If the episode had picked a different entry point, one not so focused on the “will they or won’t they die” aspect, there could’ve been a greater tension at hand.

It’s like the Marvel movies. It isn’t who lives and dies, it’s who has to sacrifice their values in order to achieve their goals.

I truly like most of the people who frequently inhabit the world of this show. Compromise their characters. Show me their weaknesses. Give me their strengths. Don’t pander to me because you want to play in a horror sandbox where you kill off the character who may as well have been asking for sweet release this entire season.

RIP Sinclair. Whatever.

Elsewhere, Murphy stumbles upon his former and true flame, Emori, in Polis and divulges all his nasty secrets to her. Surprise(!) when she comes out as having taken the A.L.I.E. pill and spills the beans to Ontari. It’s a shame we don’t know Ontari more because if we did, we might have gotten some tension from the moment when she’s on the take-the-pill-or-don’t-take-the-pill cliffhanger.

Of course she’s going to take the pill. Now A.L.I.E. sits on the throne of Polis with Jaha and Ontari at her side.

If I sound a little angry at the show it’s because deep down I know it’s capable of so much more. Just last week we were treated with an episode that knew how to manipulate its characters enough that it manipulated its audience. None of that nuance is present here which has, unfortunately, become the norm.

“Like demons do…” – Bryan

Check out my reviews of previous episodes of ‘The 100’ here: