You think I'm trouble now, as your partner? Wait until I'm your enemy." Emotions are running high in the penultimate episode of Season Three. All our main characters are at an impasse in their stories as they wrestle with complicated lives and attempt to find solid ground. This is also possibly one of the cruelest episodes seeing as how many people get hurt in the crossfire. Kim, especially, is the one we'll be looking out for, seeing as she's been the hard-worker and the one doing everything for everyone else and not for personal gain.
For Mike, he's entered himself into a web of intrigue as part of the Madrigal company. It's great to see more Breaking Bad references as we head closer and closer to the endgame and the eventual transition between prequel and original show. Not much on the information front, but it's great to hear Lydia mention how much we really don't know about Gustavo Fring - he continues to be ominous character even though we know of his demise. Chuck has turned sour following a potential betrayal by his own colleague - Howard. In the wake of his major faux pas during Jimmy's trial, everything, naturally, is turning against him, including his own work and career. In a big u-turn, Chuck now threatens to sue his own company for his original financial contribution - a settlement that would inevitably destroy the company. It's interesting to see Chuck feel so slighted by everything around him that he must take his environment down with him. Despite his intelligence and wisdom, in truth, he strikes me as the smallest person on the show. Nacho is struggling to cope with living in Salamanco's shadow any longer, and it seems that the Don is starting to take his new batch of pills. However long it takes to maim him, it may not be enough to stop him from taking over Nacho's father's workplace. The conversation Nacho has with his father is emotional, seeing as how close they've always been. But, this seems to be the final straw for him as he sends his son away for betraying his trust once too many times. I'm a big fan of Kim, and her moral compass is set exactly in tune with mine. However, her association with Jimmy sometimes puts her at odds with her own opinion. But, it seems at this point, that the world is working against her. I love the symbolism of the first scene in which her car gets trapped in the sand, and after shoving it free, she almost causes it to crash into the Gatwood Oil machinery. This is a preordained warning on the car's behalf that tells Kim not to go forward with this job. However, seeing as Kim is incredibly loyal and wouldn't let anyone down if she could help, she continues regardless. Whatever happens now, after that terrible crash, she doesn't deserve it, but I can't help feeling that this might be her downfall, and she'll be regretting ever taking up that second client. On entirely another spectrum, Jimmy's days are looking brighter as he creates a storm in the heart of Sandpiper after causing a rift between a few of its residents. Again, I feel sorry for Irene as she's the pawn used in Jimmy's dastardly plan to see the lawsuit written off. It's another clever example of how Jimmy's lawyer mind works, and how even with the most elaborate of schemes, he can turn things his way. Saul Goodman appears to be on the rise, if I haven't said it already. But, this time, things could get personal as the finale looms with a lot of plot points left in the lurch. Who could be suffering the most by the end of Season Three? 8.5/10
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Fight for a future, not a dead past." A real classic romp, this one, with a real geeky cameo last seen in The Monster of Peladon back in 1974. The Doctor, Bill and Nardole find themselves amidst a battalion of British soldiers who have found themselves on Mars finding after travelling with a lone Ice Warrior from Earth. The premise involving a message seen on Mars by NASA leads to a causal loop that is actually quite neat and tidy, but there are some quibbles I have regarding some character choices and plot points.
To begin with, however, there's nostalgia for me as this feels like a classic Doctor negotiating peace scenario where there are two misunderstood races meeting for the first time. This sets up a rather interesting confrontation in which he meets a female Ice Warrior, Iraaxa, for the first time. As is customary for the Ice Warrior species, the females are the leaders and hierarchy as they are the wisest - a plot point destined for the modern age of equality. Nevertheless, she is a formidable opponent who is protective of her planet and the survival of her race, as anyone would be. But it takes a close ally of hers - an Ice Warrior, no less - to persuade her otherwise. That was a nice touch to the story, allowing us to consider our prejudice and the Doctor's. The visuals were great, and CGI shots of Mars' surface were nicely done, but the new method of killing by the Ice Warriors - less so. It is far more comical than terrifying, and does take away some of the scare factor associated with these 'upright crocodiles'. Nevertheless, I liked the fact that the monsters look the same as they did fifty years ago. On top of that, credit goes to the acting of Adele Lynch and Anthony Calf; the former was dramatic and reminded me of the Racnoss, the latter provided a confident performance that gave us an admirable character. The character choices were less meaningful, and unfortunately the episode fell into the trap of relying too much on the past, and giving us a situation that involves a series of deaths that leads to a discovery and then a fierce battle that is ended swiftly by either the Doctor os his companion's intervention. Catchlove's character was especially dislikable, mainly because he embodies the same trope of an arrogant man with little sense. In addition, I felt the Doctor and Bill were rather underused, despite their role in the conclusion - it was far more reliant on its supporting characters. To conclude though, I was very pleased with Gatiss' numerous cameos from the past, not least the Ice Warriors' return. But alongside the painting of Queen Victoria from Tooth and Claw, we had the cameo from Alpha Centauri, possibly the most ostentatious individual characters in Doctor Who's history, with her distinctive high-pitched voice. Having the actress return as well was just brilliant, and rounded off the rather uneven episode well - even leading us into the stories that spawned into The Curse and Monster of Peladon. I always love a good continuity reference. Finally, I'm intrigued by the storyline involving Missy. Nardole has possibly made his biggest faux pas yet by freeing Missy from the Vault so that she might help pilot the TARDIS back to the Doctor and Bill on Mars. It's the Doctor's reaction that's most interesting though, as he's still unsure where her loyalties lie, despite her claims that she's turning good. The finale beckons with some possible fascinating developments. 7.5/10 I'm out of time and room in my heart to care." Some of the most edge-of-your-seat minutes in this superb episode. I might go out there and call this my favourite Attack on Titan episode to date. It competently amalgamates the release of emotion between characters, while also ramping up the action and preparing us for an inevitably high-stakes finale of season two. It's also great to see that everything that we've learnt so far this season has culminated in this entire battle.
We begin by reviewing the current situation - Ymir has just captured Historia in her mouth and is escaping on Reiner's Titan back alongside Bertholdt who has also captured Eren. The Scouts are hot on their heels as they attempt to free their comrades before they can escape into the unknown wilderness beyond the walls. Considering the fact that they're roaming a mass Titan territory, around every corner there's a chance of being swallowed whole. But, at the same time, you have people like Mikasa who are in no mood for delaying and just want to finish the entire affair. There's a great moment between Christa and Ymir as they attempt to explain their perspective in the world - Christa desperately wants to save Ymir from Reiner and Bertholdt, while Ymir wants Christa to be safe in the outside world instead of being trapped inside the worlds to be inevitable destroyed by the Titans, and never to be loved by her kin. Ymir's intentions are noble, but her means are less desirable by making an alliance with two people who have consistently lied about their identities. The entire situation quickly falls into chaos as Mikasa and a group of soldiers attempt to free Eren from Bertholdt's hold, whilst Erwin concocts a half-mad plan to lead a horde of Titans towards Titan Reiner and halt his progress to give the Scouts time to save Eren from his clutches. Similar to some of the onslaughts in Season One, there's some truly awe-inspiring music accompanying a massacre of soldiers. Because the attack is so desperate with only one desirable conclusion, the Scouts have nothing to lose. Thus, even Erwin's fate is left in the lurch as he's man-handled by a hungry Titan to be brutally mutilated. It's uplifting to see Mikasa and Armin play a huge role in saving Eren as they distract Bertholdt from his captive. However, despite this whole plan working perfectly, the Scouts are left scattered and disorganised. Mikasa may have freed Eren, but she has been badly injured after being in the clutches of a Titan. The directing is so well done, that everything seems to be falling apart, as the Scouts suddenly realise how vulnerable they are. A lot of their comrades have already been devoured and they've petty much come to the visceral conclusion that they're next. Plus, Reiner hasn't been completely stopped as he starts using Titans as ammunition. It's the final shot of a familiar Titan that's most shocking though and hopefully we'll get an answer to its appearance next week. A gritty, relentless and dramatic instalment of Attack on Titan, that treads the line between excitement and despair. It's testament to its strong characters that we are so invested in them and find their possible fates so gut-wrenching. The hint that Erwin may be in deep trouble is most disturbing seeing as he is that incredibly skilled Commander that everyone has been falling behind since the beginning. But, as he stated, saving Eren is the priority of Humanity if they are to survive this entire ordeal. I foresee this finale is going to be painful to watch for many particular reasons, but the most important is that it will bring us to the start of another hiatus of this wonderful show. 9.5/10 The past can't remain hidden forever." I'm going to come out and say that I appreciated the ambition of this story. The premise demonstrated that it had a good foothold in history (whether accurate or not) and had far-reaching consequences - the film travels between Egypt, Iraq and England. The story behind Ahmanet and her sins were also exciting, albeit unoriginal, but even more so the connection to the Crusaders and how her power and weapons came to move through Europe and end up underneath London. It's simplistic as hell, but it's a great way to introduce the audience to the origins of this new mummy and her future motive.
From there though, the film struggles to find a cohesive bond. Scenes interact messily, characters change tone very quickly and the plot progresses rapidly without much consideration for the detail and emotion invested in the story. My biggest gripe, is that I believe Tom Cruise to be miscast. I really like him as an actor and consistently applaud him in his Mission Impossible films and he never fails to be engrossing and charismatic as an action hero. However, in the Mummy, his character is ill-portrayed - he's hesitating rather than attacking. It may not help that I thought his character to be unlikeable, but I do believe Cruise should not have been given the role. Elsewhere, the action looks stunning - I especially liked the plane and ambulance crash sequences; they were both very effective visually. But, most of it is needless violence that seems lost in a film more connected to the horror genre. Speaking of horror, this was a pretty scary film, and I can now fully understand its certificate - the visual effects definitely helped to conjure up the monsters in the movie, sometimes to the extent of leaving you gasping in fright. The walking mummified corpses gave the movie a proper sense of danger that you don't find in many horror films in the modern day. The pacing was a major problem in most places - considering that the first half of the film, where most the exposition was spoon-fed, rushed by in the blink of an eye. Consequently, it seemed the second half spent too long allowing characters to interact with each other rather than concentrate on tying up the story. The final confrontation between Nick and Ahmanet was heavily drawn out, meaning that the final payoff didn't have the same resonance as it should have. Also, the film tried desperately to be humorous throughout, most often between Nick and his friend Chris, which was for one thing incredibly distracting, but also felt way out of place. Some of the jokes were cringeworthy to say the least and equally Cruise struggled most of the time to deliver them honestly, I'm sorry to say. Regarding this "Dark Universe" motif, I'm intrigued to see how it will pan out, in this entirely new franchise and Universe. Russell Crowe as Dr. Henry Jekyll was an interesting revelation I was not expecting, and despite the fact his preemptively important character only appeared for a mere fifteen minutes, he provided a much-needed shake-up for the storyline, possibly hinting at something else in the future of the Universe. The transition between Jekyll and Hyde and his dialogue about a patient he once cured was a clever way to make the reveal too, and I commend that achievement. Sometimes dark and sometimes ridiculous, the Mummy is a mixed bag that really tries to be serious, on the basis that it'll try to scare the living daylights out of you by putting its characters in mortal danger, but also annoy you as its one-dimensional characters act idiotically, and the typical horror tropes repetitively reappear. Some scenes were effective - the original finding of the prison is almost Spielbergian, but the overall product is a convoluted mess that is just barely held up by the acting. One thing I will say - Sofia Boutella was excellent. 6/10 These things always have a way of clearing themselves up." An upturned prison truck, a wolf hunt, philosophical chats in the bowling alley, reincarnation, a poisoned co-worker and a room full of stamps - in essence, another episode of Fargo. But, let's be serious here, this is as brutal and wacky as Fargo has been since Season One - a story with flamboyant twists and blood at every door. It's great to see that even towards the end of its third season, this show can still construct a pretty terrifying scenario such as the one Mr. Wrench and Swango are thrown into at the opening of this week's episode.
The return of a fan favourite must be applauded - Mr. Wrench was a brilliant character in the first season and it was great to see two criminals so quickly get along as they desperately fight for survival while being chased by malicious killers. That tree stump scene was particularly nauseous, but shows even in the direst of situations, sometimes the victims can get out winning, as Wrench's lucky shot with an axe severs the Russian's ear. With some well-chosen camerawork and editing, everything falls into place nicely, and we get a smooth transition from the truck accident all the way to the bowling alley. Speaking of the bowling alley - this is where Fargo decides to make things interesting. It seems reality isn't concrete in this season, as a mysterious man greets Swango after she orders a whisky - a man with a cat called Ray. The hint is that the cat is a reincarnation of Raymond Stussy, Swango's love - it's great to see how quickly she accepts this fact, and it reveals how much she misses him. What symbolic meaning the mysterious man has to the story is unclear as of yet, but what is clear is that he's standing in as an adjudicator of the characters, and a man who has been setting characters on their path in the story, almost like a writer. We haven't seen the conclusion of Yuri's judgement, but we can only imagine what that might be. For Gloria, things are more or less quiet, other than the fact that her only suspect has now disappeared following the truck incident. It's frustrating seeing that every time she gets close to an answer, it slips away non-apologetically. But, with this week's conclusion, she might finally be on the front foot of all the goings on in her little town. Emmit has finally decided to confess his sins. You can't blame him, considering the events this week. Being watched carefully by two of the most uncomfortable people, especially Varga, is not a pleasant experience. Ewan McGregor is smashing it as the character, as you can see is complete and utter bewilderment at the predicament he finds himself in - and now with Sy's poisoning, you can see him isolated, just like on the pacific island. This theory of incarnation and his brother coming back for revenge might work really well if the writers do it properly, but it may not be necessary - as this could all be one hallucination after another in this mad old Fargo world. What I am sure of though is that this is quality television with an aptitude for the unpredictable. Everything I've seen so far, I couldn't make it up in my dreams. Two more episodes remain, and probably a whole lot of danger too. 9.5/10 I used to want to save the world, this beautiful place. But the closer you get, the more you see the great darkness within. I learnt this the hard way, a long, long time ago." Wonder Woman is a movie of epic proportions, with spectacular visuals, an A-list cast and a world-building story. However, its is unfortunately let down by some poor depiction of its characters and reliance on traditional tropes that make it too predictable. With its potential, Wonder Woman could have exceeded my expectations, but in the end, it only met them. Which is not to say that I disliked it, more that I enjoyed the film, but was disappointed with its avoidable flaws.
The scale of the film must be applauded. In a mere two hours, we touch on a variety of themes across a number of eras. I'm not much of a superhero fan, but the world-building involved here helps to illuminate me on the scope of this world and its many cultures, and how it ties into the real world timeline. The Amazonian settlement especially intrigues me, considering the back story involving how they existed for the good of mankind and to help tempt them from greed and corruption. Their culture may seem unoriginal in the pantheon of fantasy tribes and species that have come before - I was reminded of the Avatar-like attributes of warfare - but director Patty Jenkins has some conjured them in a way that seems new and glittering. Also, I'd like to point out my appreciation for the fact, that despite their appearance and their clearly immense physical skill, the Amazonians are still vulnerable to bullets as is demonstrated in the German attack on their island. As we move away from Themyscira, the story intertwines with something that a lot of us are familiar with, the terrible Second World War. At first, it seems out of place to be depicting a superhero film in the midst of an historical event, but the story adapts well, even pointing out some of the stereotypical notions that were evident in that day and age to remind us of how much our own culture has transformed thanks to open-mindedness and equality. We don't get much content of the brutality of the war, but I did especially like Diana's scene in which she walks purposefully into No Man's Land and deflects thousands of bullets to help the British and allied forces cross the battlefield into German territory. The action scenes are beautifully shot, and much care has been taken to ensure that we get every view of the battle sequences. This film certainly shows off (as Doctor Strange did last year) the power that CGI has when used correctly. The story is where things start to deteriorate for me. In the beginning, there's great ambition for the writers as they tell us the full background of how Diana came to being and of her impending destiny. But, as we move into the actual progressive story, the movie falls into the trap of being predictable and becomes reliant on grand, awe-inspiring action to distract the audience from its half-hearted dialogue and character choices. The relationship between Diana and Steve is lovely, but from the moment they first meet you can easily tell where their story will go, and where it will inevitably finish. Their friends who join them in the battle on the front line all seem like wonderful, loveable characters, but we barely get a chance to get to know them before we're thrust into the battle and their development is thrown into the wind. Sameer and Chief are especially weakly-developed and we barely have a chance to understand their role in the story, despite the length of the film. The only saving grace towards the end is the twist involving Sir Patrick Morgan who ultimately turns out to be Diana's arch enemy, Ares. My feelings towards their final confrontation aside, I thought David Thewlis was magnificent as the big bad, and perhaps deserved more screen time and a better script. He was mostly hindered by the fact that he was wearing a helmet during most of the battle, so there wasn't much of a chance for him to spread his acting wings. Production-wise, I thought this was a massive triumph. To cap off the incredible visuals, there was some evocative music to accompany them. Patty Jenkins allows the aesthetic of the film to flow easily from scene to scene. Some of the best shots are ones such as Diana walking silently through thick smoke as she surveys the bodies of those who were recently gassed by the toxic bombs. As I said before, the CGI was used sparingly, especially for the opening half an hour as we saw Diana grow up and beautifully golden-crested island, isolated from the rest of the world. The battle sequence on the beach is possibly my favourite scene, simply because it doesn't rely on too many big visuals, but the shots are full of life and action that it looks more like a rich collage of artwork. The acting has to be commended. I'm very pleased to say that Gal Gadot was undeniably endearing as Wonder Woman, and performs fearlessly as the lead character with little effort. Chris Pine may have been lumbered with cheesy lines, but he did well with what he had, and portrayed his character as a respectful soldier who was simply fighting for what he believed in. It was also great to see Robin Wright portray General Antiope - a role I would've thought would be difficult for her, but she plays soundly and without reservation. Her character's death was genuinely emotional, even though it was still predictable. All in all, this was an astoundingly good superhero movie, with a heavy emphasis on the visual infusion, which makes it look all the more grand. It may be tied with some uninspired dialogue, but the actors do well to build on their characters and ensure that it is an enthralling experience. The final confrontation may be something we've seen so many times before with superhero films, but it does not completely ruin what is an entertaining night out at the cinema. 7.5/10 We've had this sort of trouble before. Election of 1800 Jefferson vs Burr. They wound up in a tie. 73 electoral votes each. That was the number required then, and that's when Congress tried to address what the Founding Father just couldn't imagine. And, Poof, 12th Amendment was born. And It says that if states don certify. It's the House that chooses the president and Senate that chooses the vice president. Now House is a bit messy, but the Senate is rather democratic in how they choose the VP. One person, one vote. But if there is a tie... and this is where Donald Duck comes in, it's resolved... by the toss of a coin. A solution that's elegant as hell. But then there is no elegance in modern politics; mostly hell." Loyalty is the big element joining these latest episodes. It plays a big part in the leading candidate for presidency following a scenario where two states are left unable to complete electoral voting and a nation is left in the lurch as to who its next leader will be. Francis Underwood's speech in Chapter 57 bridges the time gap we have between the previous chapter and the current one. It's a brilliant speech, potently delivered by Kevin Spacey in what is my favourite scene to date. As he walks the hallways and buildings and sidewalks of politics, Francis and acts and breathes as the King of America, a man who has deceived the system and crippled the alternatives. As the Underwoods stated in the previous chapter, they were willing to do anything to save their reign - and this is the payoff.
Consequently, Will Conway is now in a state of demoralisation as he desperately seeks presidency, something that he was assured would be his on election day, but has now been swiped away from him by his opponent, but he has no incriminating evidence or leeway to prove Francis' manipulation of government. Unfortunately for Conway, in chapter 58, his emotion gets the better of him, as we start to witness the petulant, sore loser behind the inspirational and charismatic mask. His anger may be justified, but it's another nail in his political coffin and a feather in the Underwoods' cap. What's worse is that his own supporters and colleagues by chapter 60 have released his breakdown on the plane to the Underwoods as ammunition for their campaign. It's becoming clear that his tenure as the chosen Republican candidate could be nearing its demise. Regarding the behind the scenes characters, it seems Tom Hammerschmidt, despite firing a new employee , has stumbled upon a trail of bodies that could prove Doug Stamper's involvement in some hellish crimes. This plot point dates back to the first and second season of House and Cards, and perhaps has more meaning than the rest of the stories, but not a lot has been covered yet to amount to anything accusatory. However, I expect to see Hamerschimdt nearing the answers pretty soon as he starts to join the dots that link Zoe Barnes and Rachel Posner. Chapter 59 demonstrated the stronger side to House of Cards tension. It reminded me a lot of Season 2's Chapter 17 as the White House is sent into lockdown due to a possible terror threat involving a van of radiation. The episode fruitfully shows the dynamic duo of Francis and Clare as they collaborate together to find the solution to a problem. In this case, they rapidly uncover a hidden coup that attempts to distract the Underwoods from their political campaign. Seeing Francis confront one of his own military leaders, Vanessa Morrison was well-handled and showed how deep-routed the hatred is towards the Underwoods. Additionally, Chapter 59 introduced a new fan favourite of mine - Jane Davis. From the moment Patricia Clarkson first appeared, you could tell that she was going to give us a fascinating new character to get to know and understand. Here, she does it brilliantly, simply by demonstrating her negotiation skills and aptitude in languages. Her presence in the future could vastly improve the Underwoods chances of survival in the White House, as Clare did mention - she is a beneficial ally. But, the question remains, what are her motives - what does she want? As the election continues, so do the problems in the world, as Clare and Francis learn of Petrov's involvement in the disappearance of Aidan Macallan. This forces Clare to take action as she attempts to use different methods to negotiate Aidan back. To make matters a little more interesting, a boat finds itself stranded and in danger of sinking in the north, which only the Americans can help. In an attempt to get Macallan back to America, Clare brilliantly attempts to threaten the Chinese with a higher tariff, which leads her and Davis to discover that the Chinese were lying about a certain American geo-physicst on board, but unfortunately does not push Petrov to concede. The main section of the story I'm not keen on is Tom Yates character. In Season Three and Season Four he was a great asset to the show and provided a lot of depth to the Underwoods' development as a couple and their developments as presidential candidates. But now, with the inclusion of his affair with another woman in New York, things are getting too sidetracked to care anymore. The only connection he has to the overall story is his relationship with Clare, which doesn't seem to be deteriorating. Unless he has a larger role soon, I don't think I can bother with him any longer. Nevertheless, House of Cards continues to demonstrate its parallel connection with real world politics and easily shows how power is collected and exchanged between characters with as little as a memory stick or a photo. The exclusive club at Elysian Fields in Chapter 60 was a great way to reassert our image of the power of politics and how egregious the entire system is, where people of influence can perpetuate their reputation and image for their future gain. President or not, Francis Underwood is the epitome of a politician seeking to reform the government into further disrepair. Chapter 57 - Strange Days - 8/10 Chapter 58 - The Losing Candidate - 8/10 Chapter 59 - The Hidden Coup - 9/10 Chapter 60 - Crow's Nest - 8/10 Perhaps, the worst experience of my life." This season of Better Call Saul has had it all. Stakes are really high at this point in time, and every scene is being stretched to breaking point. Jimmy appears to be consistently showing his Saul Goodman side, and is starting to make hard money just by pinpointing his skill in the law field. Seeing him intimidate his supervisor just through threatening him with court time was a treat to watch and one of the reasons why Jimmy is such a satisfying character. This little negotiating tactic comes off the back (pardon me) of another deal made in the music shop after he implicated the owners in an injury he suffered while in the store - intentionally.
It was Nacho's scenes that I loved the most though. Rammed with tension, Michael Mando plays his character astonishingly well, I felt every moment of fear as he transferred the containers of pills whilst Don Hector obliviously sits behind him. But, the writers have outdone themselves here as they intricately plotted out his entire plan to the last detail so that Nacho was feasibly able to make the exchange as Mike had predicted. The air conditioning ploy was a clever one and allowed for a number of inevitable things to occur that ultimately allowed Nacho to complete his task. But, I have no doubt in my mind that whatever happens next will have far-reaching consequences. Indeed, with the relationship that Nacho shares with his father, I'm not looking forward to seeing Nacho get hurt in any way - I've grown to respect him as a man with strong capabilities, a sound mind, but a loving heart. The fact that he keeps his father in the dark about his illegal ministrations is his greatest characteristic. For Chuck, things are still teetering on the edge. He desperately wants to return to law practice and prove to the world of what he's capable of, but his ambition, as his doctor informs him, might be his undoing. Nevertheless, Jimmy may have involuntarily offered him some support as he now attempts to regularly fight his psychological condition. The fact that he understands that his condition is not real shows he's developing nicely, but as we continue to see as viewers, he's still affected somehow. Never have an aisle of freezers seemed so terrifying before. Once again, I commend the directors for their accomplishment in depicting his condition and showing how it causes him psychological pain. We covered all the bases in this episode, it seems, as Kim continues to uphold her relationship with Maso Verde. However, it's quite obvious that Kim is at some crossroads regarding her association with Jimmy. It seemed she was going to make sure that her only priority was her biggest client, but she quickly changes her mind after having a rather stubborn conversation with Jimmy about bills. It's hard to speculate what exactly is her mindset at this point in time, but it's clear that Jimmy's trial and the outcome has had an influence on her career. This is nicely pointed out when she attempts to clear her debt slate by repaying Howard for helping her get on the ladder in the past. At the beginning of the episode, it was great to see Marco again, and return to his relationship with Jimmy when they were first conducting their shady business before Marco's untimely death. The symbolism of the coin is of great importance as it indicates Jimmy's entire obsession with money. It links well with his final scene this week as he rests his head on a wad of seven-hundred dollars. But, the stash of coins is a clear demonstration of his destiny in life and the path we already know that he treads. 8/10 I had to stop you, or at least not stand in the way of someone who wanted to, because the guns were getting bigger, the stakes were getting higher, and any minute now it was going to be goodnight, Vienna." Toby Whithouse has been a frequent contributor for Doctor Who - a writer who has brought a lot of imagination and colour to the Whoniverse. His plots aren't always sound, but from evidence such as his first contribution, School Reunion, and his two-parter two years ago, Under the Lake/Before the Flood - he has genuine style and flare. With The Lie of the Land, he has conjured a dark and bleak image of an alternative Earth where the Monks have taken over the free will of the Human race, and indoctrinated them by means of brainwaves. This may seem vague and candid, but the way it is portrayed is gruelling - even more so when you realise the Doctor's working for the Monks.
Or not. In one of the biggest tricks in the book, the Doctor deceives the Monks into believing that he has been shot and killed by Bill. Now, at first, this all seems incredibly shocking, seeing as Bill was the one who shot the Doctor, something that some younger viewers might find distressing. But, the Doctor adding a regeneration effect and a full-bloated performance into the mix, makes it all quite comical. This trickery may not work on all frames of reference, but for me it felt like a symbolic foreshadowing of the Doctor's fragility and his impending death very soon. I really enjoyed the opening sequence too. It has become a staple in Capaldi's era that there be some sort of monologue or voiceover exposition at the beginning of an episode to provide the audience with a notion of what is to come. This one works really well, as it shows the full scale effect the Monks have had on the history of Earth and the Human race. Even seeing the Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels brought back some wonderful connections to past seasons. Bill and Nardole also worked well together, continuing their flourishing chemistry from Oxygen and Extremis. Pearl Mackie has adapted really well to her role, with arguably her greatest performance in this episode, when Bill attempts to reason with the Doctor after he confesses that he's working with the Monks. Even better, we got another snippet of Missy, a favourite character of mine, who appears to have vital information on the Monks. Michelle Gomez plays her character far more subdued this time, but she never stops being mad. Some of the lines Whithouse wrote for her were bloody brilliant. It's great to see the development of the series as well, as the Vault was first revealed, it was hinted at who was inside, Missy was revealed, and now it has finally been opened. The big question now is, after that final scene, has Missy truly started to turn good. Considering some setbacks in the story, I'm going to have to point out some negative factors. Whilst the resolution of the Monks was lovely, in every sense of the word, having Bill use her imaginary connections of her mother as the method of defeating the Monks was a tad ridiculous. Love is a powerful thing, yes, but seeing as how the Monks have a dear connection with love themselves, surely these thought-processes wouldn't harm them in any way, shape or form. Regardless of that, I'm also inclined to point out that the Monks have had little to say, despite featuring in three episodes. Extremis introduced them well, and the Pyramid at the End of the World, gave them a motive, but this episode hasn't properly ended their plan. Indeed, they wanted to take over the Earth, but what was their destination - their end goal? Cons aside, I feel like this was a winning episode, giving the Doctor and Bill a chance to reassert their relationship as tutor and student, but also as close friends who enjoy challenging each other with question and hypotheses. Having Missy in the episode was a positive decision, and Whithouse writers her character very well in my opinion, almost as good as the maestro himself. But, in the end, it concludes in lacklustre style, save for that beautiful final scene between the Doctor and Missy. 8/10 I would never lie to myself again." This week's Attack on Titan is very Ymir-centric, and was much more busy than last week's pause for breath. Here, we get a glimpse of what Ymir's life was like before she became a Titan and before her 60 years of turmoil. It's interesting to see what kind of world there is beyond the walls and to see what type of society dwells there. In fairness, it seems almost as hostile as life inside the walls. Ymir was taken in by a community of people as a child and chosen as a representative of the people, with the blood of the King inside her. This peaceful community is quickly dismembered when armed troops attack and punish those who falsely claimed relation to royalty. The most important factor, or revelation, in this episode is, of course, that punishment for this crime is to be transformed into a Titan.
The masterstroke for this episode was that in the story that Ymir tells, all the hanging threads are tied together, linking her childhood with her eventual imprisonment in a Titan body, to accidentally meeting Reiner and Bertholdt and killing their friend. After finding a way to be free of her body, which isn't exactly explained, she decides to change her life for the good, setting her on a course to join the training corps inside the walls and ultimately meeting Christa, someone whom she sees as her equal, someone who has chosen to hide her true identity and stop lying to herself. The internal struggle that she has with her own mindset helps to add the emotion as she finally decides to side with Reiner and Bertholdt, as long as they allow her to capture Christa. Elsewhere, the Scouts almost get their hands on Eren and his captors, but they are foiled when Ymir betrays their trust after taking Christa and fleeing with her new allies. Mikasa's anger is obvious, but it's Hannes final words that ring of foreboding. Even they pull off saving Eren and capturing the traitors, the whole operation seems worthless anyway, as they haven't hit a blow against this hidden enemy of theirs. If loads die in the process it could be even more hopeless. I really thought Ymir was going to remain on the good side, but perhaps she really is all about her own gain and doesn't care for anyone else. Whilst most of the episode relied on great action scenes, the opening scene was more crafty as we return to the former home of Connie and the Titan with short legs. In the process of looking through the village and identifying Connie's parents, one of the Scouts makes a unsavoury discovery after turning the portrait upside down. The trapped Titan bears a striking resemblance to his mother - a key plot point in what could be a big reveal coming soon about the true origin of these Titans and what explicit connection Humans have to their physiology. Especially now with Ymir's past life being revealed along with a village that exists outside the wall, the writers have been hinting at revealing some new information for quite a while. But, with only two episode remaining, I find it difficult to see how they will be able to answer every question. 8.5/10 |
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October 2017
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