Rickmancing the Stone Thrusts Rick And Morty Fans Back Into The Mayhem
Returning to the world of Rick and Morty is a daunting task. The show has more inside jokes and references than the entirety of 30 Rock. This type of humor & storytelling can hit or miss as it’s hard for fans to fall into such a serialized cartoon. What the newest episode “Rickmancing the Stone” does so well is work well on its own, but still progresses the insane narrative. Unlike the season premiere that was a continuation of last season, this episode isn’t bogged down by that. It follows the story set-up in the premiere but can be accessed by casual and die-hard fans alike.
When it comes to homaging popular culture, Rick and Morty creator Dan Harmon does it so well. “Rickmancing the Stone” is another example of the brilliance. Not only is the title of the episode from a classic 80’s film, but it draws inspiration from the action-adventure genre. Most of the parodying focus being on the Mad Max franchise. This aesthetic works well for the show’s Rolodex of references. The episode touches on Fury Road and Thunderdome. It even finds a way to mock Game of Thrones of the same night it airs.
“One Man Enters, One Man Comes Out in 9 Months”
Following the departure of her father Jerry, Summer is desperate to leave. Rick, Morty, and Summer rush to a post-apocalyptic world, and it doesn’t go well. Rick finds another random McGuffin that he needs, so he gets every into more trouble than needed. Things get bad when he steals the green rock, but it isn’t made any better with a new callous Summer. She’s having a character makeover from a simple “valley girl” to giving Rick a run for his money. Is it because of the divorce of her parents or is there something more happening?
Same goes for Morty who is cracking under pressure more than usual. He’s taking his anger out on anyone who crosses him, and it is deeper than his father drama. There is no way Morty can keep it up much longer without doing something he will regret. It will make for great television but could spell the doom for Rick.
Final Thoughts:
No one can knock the ability Rick and Morty has to tell continuously one-up itself and still exist in an expansive universe. Each episode seems wilder than the previous, and that rings true for “Rickmancing the Stone.”
Walking away from “Rickmancing the Stone,” one of the biggest developments is Summer’s place within the Rick and Morty’s relationship. She’s a great addition but doesn’t take away from what makes the show great. There is something that seems off and could unfold in later episodes. Does it have something to do with Tammy and Phoenix Person?
Also, next Sunday is the debut of Pickle Rick so, away we go!
You can find Rick and Morty on AdultSwim.com. Check your local listing for air dates/times on Cartoon Network.
Let’s Rock! While life goes on in Twin Peaks, the twelfth episode of the series offered one of the most substantial answers to the missing pieces yet presented. Of course, to accept that answer, one must overlook a certain inconsistency with a certain established fact.
The Case
Angela is sweet on Clark. But Clark is known to get very chummy with other women at the Roadhouse. As her friends know, this could get ugly if she finds out about Clark. She’s off her meds now, and it could be very bad as she even dreams about Clark.
Oh, and Trick survived a near-collision with someone on the highway.
Yeah, we’re going to the last scene of the episode because for all its inanity, it feels important. It illustrates the ABC primetime soap opera people remember Twin Peaks being is still happening. It’s still out there with its dull intrigues and mundane dramas. And even though a drama like Shelly’s relationship with Red feels elevated, it’s still part of a show the revived program doggedly avoids.
In fact, the whole episode decided to avoid the case for the most part. But then again, the Buckhorn case is sort of meaningless now. And Dougie’s problems seem solved. So what are we left with? Hutch managed to kill the warden. So that’s the first part of his task squared away. We also know that Bad Cooper’s business in Las Vegas is still unknown to the Blue Rose Task force — but more on that in a moment.
In the meantime, let’s stew on the fact that Ben is more than ready to believe that Richard killed that little boy and has no problem paying for it. Also, any story from his youth is heartbreaking.
The Updates
Audrey Horne is awake! Left with the notion that she might still be in a coma from the bank explosion all those years ago, it was an amazing thrill to see her upright. Hilariously, the camera knew we’d be thrilled and quickly moved off of her and onto her lawfully wedded husband Charlie. Much like the mundane drama of Angela and Clark, Audrey also seems to still live in the primetime soap. So her major concern is for her lover Billy.
Unbeknownst to her, Billy got caught in Richard’s crosshairs. I think at this point we have to assume he’s her son. Which would seem important except for all the plot we’re given on the Audrey spinoff no one has been watching all this time. The scene seems to assume we’re familiar with Charlie, Billie, Tina and why Audrey is in this situation. It’s also sad. Audrey always seemed a little bit smarter than the sad soap opera world around her. But gravity comes for us all and turns us into mundane players in a one-season series.
Meanwhile, something happened to Sarah Palmer. Something significant. Something that made her blind to picking up a couple of bottles of Popov to supplement her purchase of Smirnoff and Mr. and Mrs. T’s Bloody Mary Mix. But beyond her consumer habits, the freak-out seemed to suggest Sarah has a passenger in her addled mind. I can’t help but think about David Lynch’s weird interview with all the Palmers in the series Blu-ray set and wonder if maybe Leland and Laura are truly present at all times.
Then, when you notice the fan was on when Hawk stopped by, you almost have to wonder if BOB is in the house as well.
The Questions
How the heck does Charlie have a working rotary phone? Can I buy one?
Why is Carl such a kindly old cuss now? While he wasn’t an angry man in Fire Walk with Me, he is distinctly more helpful now. I suppose twenty-odd years can change a man, but that much?
What did Jerry find in the woods? Did he find the Fire Hawk and Frank will face?
Did Bobby ever make it up to Big Ed’s Gas Farm?
Possibly connected to previous question, but why is the Golden Shovel working for Nadine?
What sort of man was Ben Horne’s father? He seemed so distant before, but the bicycle story suggests something different.
Are “the men” Sarah warned the clerk about our old friends the Woodsmen? Things seem to be headed in that direction.
Not about Judy
At last, I know this about Philip Jeffries: he was selected by Gordon to head the Blue Rose task force. I also know it was organized as an unofficial successor to Project Blue Book. And on top of that, I now know Jeffries selected Albert, Chet Desmond and Cooper to be part of the Task Force.
Which makes it all the stranger that Jeffries and Coop didn’t recognize one another when Jeffries made his crazy appearance in 1988. In Fire Walk with Me, it’s clear that Coop has never met Jeffries, but Jeffries has some idea who Coop might be. At the same time, this new information underlines Desmond’s disappearance and puts a special mark around Albert as the only person on the team not to have a close encounter with the forces in the outer beyond.
Tammy might want to reconsider accepting the assignment.
But I also have to wonder if the Blue Rose task force was aware of Major Briggs’ special presidential assignment. According to The Secret History of Twin Peaks, Briggs was also selected to head an unofficial successor to Project Blue Book. That was how he built his monitoring station near Twin Peaks.
Also, I just had another thought: Windom Earle was not officially part of Blue Rose.
The Blue Rose
For as seemingly inconsequential as this segment felt — especially after the forcefulness of last week — finally knowing what the Blue Rose is feels huge. Well, at least for those following this story through the Jeffries angle like I am. While it still doesn’t put to rest the biggest dangling mystery of Fire Walk with Me, it does confirm what a blue rose means and why it even has that name. That, strangely, is good enough for me.
But also, seeing Audrey once again felt a little bit like going home. I have to give Sherilyn Fenn a lot of credit for giving Audrey her voice back. In interviews, the actor sounds nothing like the character; right down to her register. But to hear her pitch and delivery again made it seem as though no time had passed … even if ten seasons of the Audrey show have definitely missed us by.
Oh, also, special shout-out to Jonathan Bruce for covering Part 11 last week. Comic-Con and the usual ConCrud flu knocked me off my usual schedule, so his help was invaluable. But baring anymore unforeseen illness, I will be here every Sunday until Twin Peaks runs its course and we all meet again in Valhalla.
FX’s American Crime Story: Katrina appears to have stalled somewhere along the road to its predicted 2018 air date.
The anthology series, which was yet another FX hit for creator Ryan Murphy, had a widely acclaimed first season focusing on trial of O.J. Simpson. The sophomore season promised an even stronger lineup of actors than its predecessor, including Matthew Broderick playing FEMA director Michael D. Brown, Annette Bening as Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, and, most notably, Dennis Quaid as President George W. Bush.
Yet according to The Hollywood Reporter, series director Anthony Hemingway admitted “That just kind of got stalled. We’re all standing by waiting to find out what’s happening. Nothing has really been done. We haven’t started prep on it at all.” When asked if the second season would be happening at all, Hemingway, who directed half of the episodes of the previous season’s American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson, shrugged. “Who knows? It’s all up to Ryan Murphy.”
Part of the problem likely has to do with the fact that in June, FX announced another installment of American Crime Story, Versace, before Katrina had even begun production. This series would star Penelope Cruz, Darren Criss, Edgar Ramirez, and Ricky Martin. THR also ran another exclusive about yet another installment, this one focusing on the Monica Lewinsky presidential scandal.
It would seem that there are too many ideas for Murphy to juggle at the moment, and that he may be dabbling with each of them rather than focusing solely on Katrina or any other individual American Crime Story installment. This lack of focus is extremely unfortunate, and rather than Murphy being able to debut multiple installments in the same year (2018), he may end up with nothing. Although in this case, “nothing” should perhaps be amended to “one of his many other projects, such as Feud or American Horror Story.”
Spoiler Warning For Season One And Two of Voltron: Legendary Defender
Fans have been waiting in anticipation for months for the third season of Voltron: Legendary Defender. Why wouldn’t they? The second season of the series left the audience on a cliffhanger of immense proportions. After the intense battle with Zarkon, the team discovered Shiro was gone, and Hagar orders the summoning of Prince Lotor, Zarkon’s son from the original series who has yet to show up in this new reboot. There are a lot of questions out there and only a new season would provide the answers necessary.
Luckily, a preview in the form of the first two episodes was given to this website to give you, our readers, a preview of what to expect in this new season. The spoilers will be kept to a minimum, but a few details need to be mentioned for the sake of reviewing the episodes. Keep this in mind before continuing.
Changing of the Guard
These episodes mostly serve to showcase what the universe has been up to in the wake of Zarkon’s defeat. Keith is desperately searching for Shiro, Lance and Hunk are working with the Blade of Mamora to take down remaining Galra forces, and Pidge is still searching for her brother. These are interesting enough elements, but then Lotor makes his introduction later and steals the entire episode. He comes off even more manipulative, cunning, and dangerous than his previous incarnations. Lotor will definitely be welcomed addition to the show.
The Red Paladin
As Lotor works to flush out the Voltron Paladins, he sends his elite forces to set a trap. It appears his team is made up of all half blooded aliens, showcasing Lotor’s weakness for others who weren’t born a pure blooded alien. Afterward, the process to see who gets to pilot the Black Lion begins. If you have seen the original show, you know what happens and the predictable nature is the only real downside of the episode. There is as interesting bit as Allura reveals her connection to the previous Red Paladin and why she is desperate to try and pilot it herself.
Overall, not a bad start to the new season at all. Stay tuned to Monkeys Fighting Robots for a full review of season three of ‘Voltron: Legendary Defender.’.
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Are you looking forward to the new season of ‘Voltron: Legendary Defender?’ Leave a comment below and let us know.
There are so many comic book conventions now a day that sometimes one can pass you by and you wouldn’t even notice. That’s both the beauty and the burden of being a geek. But there’s one con that you should never let pass you by. That con is, of course, Tampa Bay Comic Con. Over the final weekend of July (or the first weekend in August) and right before kids have to head back to school is generally when Tampa Con takes place. For those of us, Florida geeks Tampa Con has a long and established history going back to around the early to mid-2000’s when it was a smaller one room Sunday convention at the Double Tree Hotel. Eventually, it was bought out by Imaginarium and expanded into the 3-day event you know of today. And according to them, it is Tampa’s largest, true comic con. Featured are exhibitors that cater to a wide-spectrum of interests including comic books, magazines, toys, games, Star Wars, Star Trek, anime, manga, cosplay, artwork, sketches, and apparel.
And during this years show I had the joy of interviewing one of the greatest artists this industry has to offer. The unbelievably spectacular and incredibly nice Ben Caldwell. Now Caldwell has worked on DC Comics brilliant Prez with Mark Russell, his own creator owned work Dare Detectives and illustrates some gorgeous Red Sonja covers for Dynamite Entertainment. Now he’s done far more than what I’ve listed and you should definitely check out his work via the links I posted below. And for those who you new to the wonderful world of Ben Caldwell here’s a bit about him I stole from Wikipedia.
Ben Caldwell is a cartoonist who has worked in a variety of art and design fields over the past decade, including toy design, animation development, children’s book illustration, and comic book illustration. Most of his work has been for DC Comics, ToyBiz, on projects including The Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, X-Men, World Championship Wrestling, and Harry Potter. He has contributed to Justice League Unlimited covers, Wonder Woman children’s books, and Star Wars: Clone Wars comic art.
Ben Caldwell was an incredibly nice guy (I know I’ve already mentioned that but it deserves repeating) and had a lot of great things to say about how he got interested in comics, his start in this industry and his thoughts on the future of the industry as a whole and without giving anything away he did mention that more creator owned work is in the cards. Now, how about that interview? But wait! This time things are a little different. Instead of writing up my interview I’m going to give it to you as an unedited audio to listen to. How cool is that? You’re technically getting it live (not really but go with me here I’m on a roll) and straight from the wonderful convention floor of the Tampa Bay Comic Con.
So check it out, hit play and enjoy. Don’t forget to follow Ben Caldwell via his twitter, Tumblr and Blog.
Tampa Bay Comic Con 2017 Interview: Ben Caldwell
What did you think of the interview? Comment below.
Previously on The Mist – we had a really good episode! Kevin’s not the baby daddy. |Eve used to have loose morals. Leeches were everywhere!
Why Ditch The Formula?
This week we’re back to jumping between the action. If the show hadn’t done a flashback episode last week, this wouldn’t be an issue. However having seen the potential the show had when it focused more on a single group of the characters, it was hard to go back. The story in the church this week about challenging faith and touching on the more zealot side of religion would have made for a fantastic episode. Focusing on Nathalie would have given Frances Conroy a chance to sink her teeth into something. Her character and development through the season are a wasted opportunity. At present, she’s simply being under used. The parts we did see were brilliant. However, I just wish that a little more time had been devoted to the story.
Who dropped the fliers?
That was certainly a twist! Although after six weeks of watching I don’t even remotely trust those fliers. The mall has been slightly underwhelming as a location so far. The rape storyline with Alex just doesn’t seem to sit right. The writers are trying to show Jay as a good character at every turn; everyone know’s he’s not the one that raped Alex. At this point, especially with Eve foaming at the mouth every time he is on-screen, it’s a dull storyline.
The fliers story-line might bring some hint of danger to the mall setting. Admittedly this week someone tried to set Alex on fire, but again as the main character, there was no chance she was likely to get harmed. (She didn’t – Jay saved her.) I’m not sure what it is, but nothing that is happening in the mall is either interesting or original. Maybe it’s because malls are a mainstay of the horror genre. I know the show isn’t the movie or the book, but in both cases, they turned an ordinary supermarket into a downright terrifying place to be.
Who the hell is Bryan?
One of the biggest reveals last week was that Bryan isn’t actually who he thinks he is. After a bit of a cryptic confrontation with the real Bryan that resulted in… well it led to murder. Now only Mia and Fake-Bryan know the truth. It became quite clear that Fake-Bryan has got a history that is ripe to be explored, whether the show manages to do that is another story. The hospital setting has been a saving grace, especially after last week’s Kevin and Co. centric episode. I found that these are the only characters I have any real connection with.
Will Mia Be The Last One Standing?
Mia was the saving grace of this episode. Her fleeing the hospital and getting to face her demons was genuinely tense. Considering her character has had a lot of secrecy following her, it was nice to get some insight into her. The issue’s with her mother fed into the mist, and it was good to see it addressed. The Mia that returned to the hospital wasn’t the same woman who left; she’s stronger and more in charge now. It’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out in the rest of the season.
Verdict
Slightly less entertaining than last weeks, but you can see the foundations for a couple of future story lines. As always with this show, I’m expecting the worst for the characters. I doubt that the fliers are going to be a good thing. Mia’s decision to lead Kevin and the gang into the mist filled psyche ward won’t play out well for them. After surviving her attack in the church, it’s going to be interesting to see how Nathalie will react. I never thought I’d say it, but I’m quite excited for next weeks episode.
There are so many comic book conventions now a day that sometimes one can pass you by and you wouldn’t even notice. That’s both the beauty and the burden of being a geek. But there’s one con that you should never let pass you by. That con is, of course, Tampa Bay Comic Con. Over the final weekend of July (or the first weekend in August) and right before kids have to head back to school is generally when Tampa Con takes place. For those of us, Florida geeks Tampa Con has a long and established history going back to around the early to mid-2000’s when it was a smaller one room Sunday convention at the Double Tree Hotel. Eventually, it was bought out by Imaginarium and expanded into the 3-day event you know of today. And according to them, it is Tampa’s largest, true comic con. Featured are exhibitors that cater to a wide-spectrum of interests including comic books, magazines, toys, games, Star Wars, Star Trek, anime, manga, cosplay, artwork, sketches, and apparel.
And during this years show I had the joy of interviewing one of the greatest artists, writers, and creators this industry has to offer. The one and only Jim Mahfood. This genius of a man has worked on Miami Vice Remix, Tank Girl, Marijuanaman, Heavy Metal and so much more. For those who you are new to the wonderful stylings of Jim’s work here’s a bit about him I stole from his website.
Jim Mahfood aka Food One was born on March 29, 1975, in St. Louis, MO. He was raised on a steady diet of classic cartoons, comic books, Star Wars, and his mom’s eclectic vinyl record collection. He began his professional art career at age 15, working for Artline Studios under the tutelage of artist Lorenzo Lizana. At age 18, he left home and moved to Kansas City to attend the Kansas City Art Institute. There he met Mike Huddleston and formed the studio: 40oz Comics. A sacred bond was created, with Mike penciling and Jim inking, and the two produced hundreds of comic book pages together. Most of this material would never see the light of day. Frustrated with rejection, Jim started self-publishing his own work in 1995 with the first issue of Girl Scouts. This would eventually lead to him scoring his first big break in 1997 with Marvel Comics, writing and drawing the bizarre X-Men related Generation X Underground Special. And from there, Mahfood’s career has branched off into the fields of illustration, advertising, murals, fine art, animation, live art in nightclubs, and custom body-painting.
Now, how about that interview? But wait! This time things are a little different. Instead of writing up my interview I’m going to give it to you as an unedited audio to listen to. How cool is that? You’re technically getting it live (not really but go with me here I’m on a roll) and straight from the wonderful convention floor of the Tampa Bay Comic Con. And let me tell you Jim Mahfood was unbelievably awesome and an overall joy. We talked his love of comics. How he got his start in the business. His creator owned work and whether or not his creator owned Image comic GRRL SCOUTS would be getting another chance at that sometimes coveted TV adaptation.
So check it out, hit play and enjoy. Also don’t forget to follow Jim Mahfood via his website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Tampa Bay Comic Con 2017 Interview: Jim Mahfood
What did you think of the interview? Comment below.
Supercon got underway last Thursday. The junk food was flowing. Celebrities from every spectrum of the geek community met with fans of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. Side-thought: conventions are a beautiful place full of people accepting everyone else’s utter weirdness. But more on that in another article for another time. We’re here to show off some of the amazing cosplay that fans put together with their blood, sweat and unadulterated love of fiction.
Monkeys Fighting Robots took plenty of pictures! Here’s a taste of the amazing cosplay from Supder in South Florida. More to come.
From the DC Extended Universe to Universal’s Dark Universe, it feels like Dwayne Johnson is constantly rumored or attached to yet another franchise role. Since his big-screen debut way back in 2001’s The Mummy Returns, the wrestler-turned-actor has become one of the most beloved and profitable movie stars of the modern age. So it’s no wonder that every franchise is anxious to get into business with him. In just the past few years alone, Johnson has lent his impressive star power and boundless likeability to a number of franchises, boosting their performance considerably. Let’s look at some properties that have gotten to smell what The Rock is cooking.
5Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
This may be a bit premature, but considering how much love the moviegoing public has for Johnson — not to mention co-stars Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan — it’s easy to assume that this December’s reboot of the 1995 adventure film will be a slam-dunk at the box office. Even if it ruins a few childhoods along the way, count on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle to become a box office success story that attracts both families in search of something to take their young children to and older fans eager to see if it will honor the cherished memory of the original Robin Williams hit.
Which film franchise would you like to see Dwayne Johnson join next? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
