How TAG Uses Comedy And A Children’s Game To Create Suspense

Tag takes a silly premise and turns it into something that not only warms your heart, but also puts you on the edge of your seat in suspense.

Based on a true story, a group of friends have been playing the same game of tag for 30 years. Every May, the game is on, and the gang will go to any lengths to ensure that they’re not “it” come June 1st. When one friend decides he’s going to retire with a perfect record, the remaining friends decide that they can’t let that happen. Again, this is based on a true story.

Tag is a movie that lives and dies by its actors. It’s all about their chemistry and their ability to make you believe they’ve been friends for so long. Luckily, their chemistry is brilliant, and they do just that. This isn’t a movie where a bunch of movie stars compete for screen time and try to outdo each other. These stars humbly blend and support each other.

Everyone here gives a performance worth talking about. The script is very good with a lot of solid jokes, but it’s the delivery that turns them into laugh-out-loud moments. Guys like Ed Helms, Hannibal Buress, and Jake Johnson all do their usual hilarious shtick, and their respective styles work together instead of clash. Even actors that don’t really classify as comedians – like Jeremy Renner or Jon Hamm – make you bust a gut. However, it’s Isla Fisher that steals the show as Helms’ wife. Her performance is so over-the-top intense that if I were to make a “Top 10 Moments of Tag” article, it’d just be a list of her scenes.

And therein lies the rub. Comedy is a direct line to an audience’s heart. It’s the fastest and easiest way to make you care about a character, or a group of characters. So when an entire cast is firing on all cylinders and making you laugh, it makes the movie that much more powerful, and your emotions watching it that much more intense.

Now, that works on two fronts. On the one hand, it makes the movie’s moral about friendship that much more meaningful and sweet. On the other, it creates a feeling of suspense for the characters’ well-being.

This is 100% true. There is a moment towards the end of Tag where one character goes in for a major tag. In the seconds building up to it, I felt tension in the pit of my stomach that I don’t feel during most horror movies. And I love horror movies.

That’s the most intense moment, but the movie is full of suspense like this. Which is silly, right? This is a movie about a children’s game being played by man-children (I can say that as a man-child myself). And yet you want them to succeed so badly – because you’ve come to care about them – that the stakes feel much higher.

Jeff Tomsic directs the hell out of this movie too. It’s not just a “point-and-shoot” approach that lets the dialogue supply all the humor. He does some really interesting things to generate humor in alternative ways, whether it’s a slow-mo Sherlock Holmes-esque sequence, or changing the cinematography to create a more “survival movie” tone for a scene in the woods. So while it’s the actors that bring this movie home, it’s Tomsic that sets them – and Tag – up to succeed.

Earlier this week, I declared Incredibles 2 as this weekend’s must-see movie, but now I’m not so sure. Play it safe and make it a double feature. Just send the kids home after Incredibles before heading into Tag.

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Review: INCREDIBLES 2 Will Satisfy Fans But Still Falls Short Of The Original

Robert Yaniz Jr.

It’s been an, um, interesting summer for Disney so far. Of course, the Mouse House kicked off the “summer movie season” in April this year on an undeniably high note with Avengers: Infinity War. That film had already earned a bajillion dollars — okay, more than $600 million domestically — by the time the studio’s other big early-summer release, Solo: A Star Wars Story, hit theaters with a resounding meh, relatively speaking (it’s still earned over $300 million worldwide so far).

So, naturally, all eyes are now turning to Incredibles 2, Disney and Pixar’s long-awaited follow-up to Brad Bird’s beloved 2004 superhero adventure. Audiences have waited many years to see Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and their kids back in action, which means the hype — and, conversely, the potential to fall short of impossible expectations — are very real. If the history of superheroes onscreen has proven anything, it’s that oftentimes costumed vigilantes can be better the second time around. But does Incredibles 2 disappoint or is it, well, super? If you answered “both,” you’re on the right track.

First off, anyone entering the theater with unrealistic unexpectations should probably shed them beforehand. While Incredibles 2 is very much a worthwhile sequel, it’s a sequel nonetheless and falls prey to many of the “more and bigger” storytelling traps that typically result in diminishing returns whenever a cinematic tale is continued in subsequent films. The novelty of Bird’s distinctive, hyper-stylistic approach to the genre may have faded a bit but Incredibles 2 — though not as pristine as its predecessor — exhibits admirable effort in dusting off the Parr family for a second go-round. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

The film picks up mere seconds after The Incredibles ends. So fans who have been craving more of The Underminer (John Ratzenberger) will be pleased with the opening sequence (Bomb Voyage fans will be sorely disappointed, however). As it turns out, the Parr family’s showdown with The Underminer ends up causing untold damage to the city, and authorities shut down the superhero relocation program, leaving Bob (Craig T. Nelson) and Helen (Holly Hunter) with little option but to hang up their tights for good. Thankfully, inspired by the Parrs’ incredible (pun intended) feats, telecom tycoon siblings Winston and Evelyn Deavor (Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener) hatch a campaign to change the public’s perception of supers.

In a clever inverse of the first film’s narrative, Helen/Elastigirl re-enters the crime-fighting world just as a new supervillain emerges, and Bob finds himself overwhelmed by the various plights of his three children. Violet (Sarah Vowell) has perpetual boy trouble, Dash (Huck Milner) is struggling with math, etc. So the film goes for most of its runtime, following Elastigirl down a fairly straightforward superhero tale — albeit one rife with relevant social commentary (politics, public relations and even the ubiquity of technology) — and Bob in a kind of superhero riff on Mr. Mom (dated reference alert!). The action is as thrilling and visually stunning as ever, the comedic bits (especially those involving Jack-Jack and a raccoon; you’ll see) land hard and, by and large, Incredibles 2 plays out exactly like what you’d expect.

Perhaps that’s why the film feels like a mild disappointment, even as it leaves you pumped up and hoping that Bird and Pixar don’t wait another 14 years to give us Incredibles 3. The first film was such a breath of fresh air when it hit theaters, coming from a talented filmmaker finally getting his due after an undeserved box office failure (The Iron Giant) and a studio that had yet to establish its tendency to churn out subpar fare like the Cars franchise and The Good Dinosaur. Incredibles 2 doesn’t quite up the emotional ante like Toy Story 2, though it does level the playing field between its co-leads in a similar fashion.

Taken on its own, Incredibles 2 is a damn fine addition to the Pixar ouevre, but when put up against its predecessor — the pair line up more precisely than they should, right down to the villainous twist that audiences can see from miles away — it falls short on nearly every level. Hunter steals the show as (let’s keep it real) the most dynamic member of the Parr family and, as mentioned above, little Jack-Jack is just about the closest thing the film has to a scene-stealer.

Moreover, Bird does earn points for not overplaying the fan service card, as so many sequels tend to. Aside from a very brief callback to Frozone’s (Samuel L. Jackson) unseen wife and a smaller-than-expected role for fan-favorite Edna Mode, Incredibles 2 remains remarkably focused on the story it’s trying to tell. It’s just too bad that its tale isn’t as tight as it should be. The beauty of Pixar’s best films is so often in the artful simplicity of their storytelling, and Incredibles 2 goes for a more complex route, simply because it feels like it must.

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Breaking: First page of HEROES IN CRISIS Surfaces Online

Manuel Gomez

June 14, 2018

Yesterday news broke about Tom King’s and Clay Mann’s mini-series Heroes In Crisis, which will focus on the Sanctuary, a place for heroes dealing with PTSD and other issues. The series follows a long tradition of mini-series using ‘Crisis’ in it the title, which means it’s a pretty big deal for the DCU. Now via Twitter, the very vocal Tom King has shared the first page! Check it out below!

Probably not allowed to post this, but here’s the first page of HIC by my older brother in comics, @Clay_Mann_. Just so you can see how pretty this book’s going to be. pic.twitter.com/oW2BJhFIQC

— Tom King (@TomKingTK) June 14, 2018

What do you guys think? Are you excited for this series? Comment and discuss below!

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Review: TAG Is A Game Worth Playing And An Entertaining Film Too

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

The chemistry between the cast and a narrative which is full of good intentions are more than enough reason to check out Tag.

Now the idea of a film centered around a simple game (most of us played as children) sounds incredibly foolish and bound to fail. However, director Jeff Tomsic is able to extrapolate the motivation behind why these gentlemen have been doing this for 29 years and showcase the transformative effect it has on all of them. The game isn’t about who wins; it’s more about who is in. As time marches on, this game is the one thing which manages to keep them in each others lives.

Tag is based on a 2013 article published in the Wall Street Journal which chronicled a group of friends from Spokane who have been playing this game for most of their lives. Through deaths, children being born, birthdays, and meetings at the office, the game (which lasts the whole month of May) don’t stop. There are of course rules, and they have been adjusted over the years to morph the game into a hardcore version of the original. Snares, flinging chairs at your opponent, and disguises are just ways to catch your target or avoid being “It.” Ed Helms, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Hannibal Buress, and Jake Johnson play these lifelong friends from Spokane. While Tag is based on these gentlemen from the state of Washington, the film’s focus is on Hoagie (Helms) tracking down his pals to let them know Jerry (Renner) is planning to retire from the game after this year with his perfect record (he’s never been tagged). They band together in hopes of ending Jerry’s exceptional streak.

Tomsic manages to keep the pace up and the humor extremely raunchy allowing each of the actors hit those comedic moments. Screenwriters Rob McKittrick and Mark Steilen were able to construct a narrative based on the group’s mantra “We grow old, if we stop playing,” which reflective the groups need to stay connected and maintain their bond. My only concern is, did McKittrick and Steilen try to accomplish too much in the film? Personally, had Tag been about just been all raunch and the groups need to maintain their bond after all these years, it would have made for a better film. There was little need for how they ended the story. This doesn’t mean that audiences should avoid Tag, quite the opposite.

The performances in the film are solid. Seeing Renner in a comedic role was a treat, and he would have stolen the movie if it hadn’t been for Isla Fisher. Fisher plays Anna (Hoagie’s wife) and she comes along with the boys to be supportive, but she’s an ultra-competitive person who is willing to do anything so they can win. Seeing how psychotic she became when the boys changed their minds about waterboarding an employee at Jerry’s gym for information on his whereabouts demonstrated the comedic spark she added to the film.

Overall, Tag was a joy to watch and showcased the power a good friendship can have on someone. While the film isn’t perfect, the entertainment and messages in Tag are more than enough reasons to see it.

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Review: TAG Is This Year’s Second Ridiculously Fun Game-Inspired Comedy

Robert Yaniz Jr.

By now, audiences are accustomed to seeing film after film touting its basis on a “true story.” However, not very often does such a tagline come attached to a comedy, especially one as broad and seemingly far-fetched as Tag. Yet, here we are with one of this summer’s most promising comedies.

Director Jeff Tomsic’s film follows a group of childhood friends engaged in a 30-year rendition of the titular playground pastime. For one month every year, Hoagie (Ed Helms), Bob (Jon Hamm), Sable (Hannibal Buress) and Chilli (Jake Johnson) keep their ongoing game of tag alive, and this year, they decide to join forces to finally tag the elusive Jerry (Jeremy Renner) for the first time before he gets married and retires from the game for good. In a race against time, the quartet reunites, and the mission to take down Jerry together begins at last.

Plot-wise, that about covers it. Shenanigans occur, as Hoagie and friends — make no mistake, Helms is essentially the main character here — throw their lives into disarray in pursuit of their greatest game yet. Yes, Tag goes some pretty goofy and outlandish places (some of which are unwisely spoiled in the film’s trailer), but the script by Rob McKittrick and Mark Steilen grounds it all with the central friendship between the five men and even finds an interesting way to weave in the real-life Wall Street Journal article on which the film itself is based.

Even with that emotional grounding, Tag does struggle in places to balance its sentiment with its bid for nonstop hilarity. A few plot points threaten to take the humor a bit too far for its relatively carefree tone, and a third-act twist does wind up ringing a bit false in light of the over-the-top tale that precedes it. Nonetheless, the performances — as well as the spastic energy running through the film — keep it from losing its way completely. In particular, Jerry’s continued escapes offer some of the most fun moments, with Renner slipping into a Sherlock Holmes-esque slow-motion voice-over as he anticipates his opponents’ moves.

While his absence from Avengers: Infinity War left some fans overzealous about Hawkeye’s role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Renner is perfectly cast as the insanely competitive undefeated champion of this particular game of tag. Likewise, Hamm, Johnson and especially Helms get to tap into their substantial comedic backgrounds, with Helms playing most closely to the image he’s cultivated from films like The Hangover trilogy. However, it is Hannibal Buress, an actor far better known for his stand-up than his film roles, who winds up being the scene-stealer and keeper of the film’s best one-liners. Aided by his laid-back delivery, Buress perfectly contrasts with his manic co-stars, easily emerging as the most valuable player in this game of Tag. It’s not hard or unwelcome to imagine his presence on the big screen expanding quickly following the film’s release.

There’s an irresistible madcap nature to many of the film’s best sequences, which makes some of the more lackluster and sprawling subplots all the more distracting from the main action. Rashida Jones, for instance, pops up intermittently for an undercooked love triangle with Johnson and Hamm, and Annabelle Wallis’s role as a reporter along for the ride leaves the actress with almost nothing to do for most of the runtime. Actually, the female stars of Tag in general are largely underserved. Only Isla Fisher as Helm’s hot-tempered wife and Leslie Bibb as Renner’s bride-to-be have anything remotely resembling a strong presence, and even then, it’s only in service of their significant others’ childish ways.

So far 2018 has proven to be a solid year for comedies, and Tomsic’s film keeps that trend alive for at least a little while longer. Although films like Life of the Party and I Feel Pretty each overcame critical derision to turn a tidy profit, others like Ocean’s 8 and Blockers made a bigger splash. Of course, the 2018 hit that most closely corresponds to Tag is this year’s other game-themed R-rated comedy. The Jason Bateman-Rachel McAdams vehicle Game Night might still edge it out on a pure laugh-per-minute level, but Tag still promises a fun night at the movies for anyone looking for some escapist antics.

Like many other summer movies currently playing in theaters, Tag is the kind of film that benefits from turning off your brain and just rolling with the by-the-minute punches. The scenarios in which its stars find themselves are beyond silly but rooted by a mostly well-told narrative setup and a winning set of lead performances. While its earnest streak doesn’t quite gel with its wackier set pieces, Tag is ultimately as breezy as a round of its eponymous game. Even though it’s not necessarily an experience you’ll never forget, there are far worse ways to spend a couple hours with some friends.

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JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM Premiere With Steven Spielberg

Matthew Sardo

June 13, 2018

The US premiere of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was held in Los Angeles Tuesday night at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, check out what Steven Spielberg had to say.

About the film:
It’s been four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles.

When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Owen is driven to find Blue, his lead raptor who’s still missing in the wild, and Claire has grown a respect for these creatures she now makes her mission. Arriving on the unstable island as lava begins raining down, their expedition uncovers a conspiracy that could return our entire planet to a perilous order not seen since prehistoric times.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is directed by J.A. Bayona from a script by Colin Trevorrow, and stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniella Pineda, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, Isabella Sermon, BD Wong, and Jeff Goldblum.

The dinosaurs return June 22.

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Jim Lee Promoted to Chief Creative Officer at DC Entertainment

Michael Stagno

June 13, 2018

The recently-vacated position of Chief Creative Officer at DC Entertainment has now been filled as former DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee has accepted the promotion.

A fan-favorite artist for nearly 30 years, Lee will now take over as CCO for Geoff Johns, who will step away in order to focus on writing and producing comics, television shows and movies, though will still remain within an active role with both Warner Bros. and DC properties.

Lee jumped on the scene in 1986 with Marvel after graduating from Princeton University. His X-Men #1 (1991) cover still holds the all-time sales record, having sold over eight million copies in a single month! In 1992, he launched his own company in Wildstorm Productions, which he later sold to DC/WB in 1999, and co-founded Image Comics as well.

Lee will also continue to act as co-publisher, in conjunction with Dan Didio. He recently provided the art in a short, which was written by Brian Michael Bendis, in Action Comics #1000 and is also currently drawing The Immortal Men series.

We caught up with Lee back in February at the CoC 35th Anniversary Event. At the time, he was helping spearhead the DC Universe: Rebirth promotion initiative. Read more about the event HERE.

Congratulations from all of us here at MFR, Jim!

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Review: BLOODSTRIKE: BRUTALISTS Fuses 90s Insanity With Indie Stylings

Manuel Gomez

Bloodstrike: Brutalists, created entirely by Michel Fiffe, takes a 90s property and fuses it with the energy and stylings underground comics, creating an experience only comics can provide.

Bloodstrike: Brutalists #0
Written by: Michel Fiffe
Art by Michel Fiffe
Lettering by Michel Fiffe
Published by Image Comics

“BRUTALISTS,” Part One! In the spirit of Bloodstrike’s groundbreaking carnage, the creator behind the indie hit Copra shines a light on Image’s most extreme series. Witness the origin of Cabbot as he launches his undead strikeforce upon the world!

Overview

If you are a comic reader of a certain age, you no doubt remember the batshit crazy books that came from Image Comics in the 1990s. They received a lot of criticism over the years, but one thing is for sure: they were filled with ideas and energy. In Bloodstrike: Brutalists #0, Michel Fiffe continues that tradition, along with continuing a story thread that was never completed. This issue begins with an explosive action scene, and that pace continues on every page. Ideas come flying at you. The dialog also crackles with the same kind of vibe. He also uses old-school tools like thought balloons to further suck the reader into a specific type of reading experience. And that’s exactly what this book is, a singular experience that only a comic book could provide.

Fiffe’s images and words feel like they are materializing right in front of you. Sure it’s rough and far from polished, but that’s exactly the fucking point. There is a punk rock/’zine attitude here that will charm just about anyone. The icing on the cake of it all are the subtleties that also showcase Fiffe’s keen understanding of the language of sequential art; images and words break panel borders and sometimes figures stand in contrast to both stark plain backgrounds and chaotic ones. Each flip of the page just drives the story forward and by the time you are done you will can’t help but have a big shit eating grin on your face.

Conclusion

It’s not often something like Bloodstrike: Brutalists comes along, and when it does it feels like a breath of fresh air in a climate were comics are increasingly become vehicles to promote other media. This is comic made for people who love COMICS by someone who clearly adores the medium themselves. Without a doubt the book to pick up this week at the shop and one to savor and pour over multiple times.

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Review: WONDER WOMAN #48 Introduces The World to the Dark Gods

Jose "Jody" Cardona

This chapter of the recent Wonder Woman arc fails to impress regarding storytelling.

During the last issue of Wonder Woman, she had to take on Supergirl. As the Dark Gods (hinted at in Dark Nights: Metal) approach Earth, they’ve begun infecting its residents. As Wonder Woman takes down the hypnotized Supergirl, her brother Jason has learned of his armor’s power. Foreseeing the Dark Gods arrival, the Greek Pantheon creates the armor to help Jason combat them. As Jason goes to join his sister in battle, Wonder Woman is taken away by the Star Sapphires to assist them in space. This leaves Jason facing down the Dark Gods on his own. How is the inexperienced son of Zeus going to take down this powerful threat? wonder woman 48

**Some Spoilers Below**

Story:

After Wonder Woman is taken by the Star Sapphires, Jason prepares to take on the enemy. The Dark Gods burst from their statue forms and proceed to head out into the public to start killing civilians. Jason springs into action as he explains what he knows about each of the Dark Gods. Before it proves too much for him, Supergirl, who has been snapped out of her hypnosis, flies in to help.

The biggest problem with this issue is how quickly things build up and or taken away. For example, we have ARGUS, Supergirl, and the Justice League coming in to help. Despite such heavy hitters, the leader of the Dark Gods defeats them all with one attack. If this were over the course of the issue, it would be tolerable. The Justice League is defeated within three pages of them first showing up. They didn’t even hit the Dark Gods before they were sent off to who knows where.

We do get a cool glimpse at the Dark Gods in action, with their less than spectacular names. Each one is unique and badass in action, but it makes you realize that this is all that the issue is used for. The story didn’t progress from the last issue. It only introduced the Dark Gods as we waited for Wonder Woman to return. While the Dark Gods were impressive, it wasn’t enough to justify stopping the story.

Art:

If there is always one thing you can count on for the Wonder Woman comics, it’s fantastic art. Jesus Merino is the illustrator of the issue, and he goes above and beyond. The highlight of the issue is the designs of the Dark Gods. They fit the theme that has been carried over from Dark Nights: Metal while maintaining that mythological feel. Their action scenes while fighting Jason pop off the page as well, thanks to Romulo Fajardo Jr.’s colorwork. The art team does a great job with every issue; it’s become its selling point.

Conclusion:

Despite the art team knocking it out of the park, this story arc of Wonder Woman is falling hard. The story has come to a halt, and we have two issues left. We’ve spent more time with Jason and his armor instead of the title character. The balance I mentioned in my previous review continues to skew towards Jason. Anything could happen in the next two issues, but right now, it’s looking like this arc is going to fall flat.

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WESTWORLD Review: “Kiksuya” Shines Some Light On The Past

Joshua Versalle

“Kiksuya” means “remember” in Lakota. If you took the time to learn Lakota so you could watch Dances With Wolves without subtitles, your efforts are paying off, because most of this episode is spoken in Lakota. Also, don’t forget that SPOILERS are to follow. If you haven’t yet seen Sunday night’s episode, check it out before reading further. Or don’t. You’ve got free will, right? Who am I to make assumptions about your prime directive? Maybe you’d enjoy reading this first and then watching the show.

Can’t remember what happened last week? Here’s a refresher.

“Take my heart when you go.”

Zahn McClarnon (who also shined as Hanzee in Fargo’s magnificent second season) makes the most of the spotlight shined on him in this episode. His performance as Akecheta is right up there with the best performances of the first two seasons of Westworld. Despite what could be handicaps to expression (a stoic voice and having your face painted for half your scenes), he demonstrates love, bewilderment, betrayal, anger, and resolve easily and beautifully.

Throughout the hour, we learn the history of Akecheta, one of the first hosts (he was the one with Angela when they were pitching Logan on the idea of Westworld), and how he gained consciousness after happening upon the maze toy in the church.

Akecheta starts to remember his previous loops and his love, Kohana (Julia Jones). Like Maeve’s Daughter, Kohana fails to recognize someone that loves them. Wandering off from his set loop, Akecheta finds Logan, now naked, sun-scarred, and delusional after being stranded by William. Logan’s ramblings inspire Akecheta to journey even further out, where he eventually finds the Cradle and realizes there are worlds beyond his own.

He wants to take Kohana with him, but she still doesn’t remember him and reacts as though she is being kidnapped. It isn’t until he speaks the words they spoke to each other in a previous loop that she realizes who he is. Things are going well until Kohana is retrieved by a couple of Delos techs, tearing the lovers apart. When he returns to his village to find her, Kohana has been replaced by another host.

“Nothing as it seems.”

We find out that Maeve’s “memories” of the Ghost Nation warrior and the Man in Black menacing her and her daughter were misunderstood. Shown in snatches throughout the first two seasons, it appeared that both the warrior and The Man in Black were there to kill them, just in different loops. While this was true of the Man in Black, the warrior was actually Akecheta, who was there trying to protect them.

After failing to find his love in all his searching in Westworld, he decides to look on the other side of life, and allows himself to be killed so he can continue his search in the Cradle. In a haunting and tender scene, he finds her in cold storage, inert.

“Take mine in its place.”

Eventually Akecheta comes upon his creator, Robert Ford, who questions him about the maze and then tells him that when the Deathbringer (Dolores) comes, he will gather his people and bring them to a new world.

We end with two of the show’s mainstays in peril. Maeve is in the Cradle, cut open and at the mercy of Charlotte and Roland. While it would be painful for the audience if this is her end, things don’t look good, with only the bungling Lee to stand up for her.

The other major player whose outlook is dim is The Man in Black. The last we see of him, he’s tied to a horse and being led off by Grace. You remember Grace, right? The daughter that last episode he seemingly reunited with, only to abandon her once again? From what we’ve seen of her, she’s just as ruthless and determined as her old man, which bodes very poorly for him.

Although both episodes from this season that focus on one character (this episode and “The Riddle of the Sphinx”) are perfect for showcasing the talents of a single actor, I think Westworld has such a great ensemble cast that it works better when they show each storyline in an episode.

I was glad to hear composer Ramin Djawadi Westworld-ize another modern song (Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box”) in the episode. Such songs were used so brilliantly in season one, but it feels like they’ve gone away from using them in season two.

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