DCEU Blog - Joker Sequel Goes Musical, The Sandman And Harley Quinn Get Release Dates And More

Okay this blog definitely has plenty to mull over with the first item of business being somewhat more serious than usual for here. 

At this point anyone reading this blog will be aware of the current situation with Ezra Miller (which seems to be getting worse), but what will it mean for The Flash? Truthfully no one seems to now but there are rumours that the WB will be dropping Miller from future projects. 

Black Adam premiered it's first trailer earlier in the month and will be releasing tie in comics for Hawkman, Dr Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone from July onwards. Test screenings have also rumoured another Superman appearance but not with Henry Cavill.

US fans will be able to buy a digital copy of Zack Snyder's Justice League from July 19th as part of a box set with Man Of Steel and Batman V. Superman.

Susan Sarandon has completed filming her scenes as Victoria Kord for the Blue Beetle movie.

Todd Philips has confirmed that the sequel for Joker will be titled, Joker: Folie A Deux with Joaquin Phoenix also back. The sequel is also rumoured to be a musical with Lady Gaga being eyed as the female lead.

According to more test screenings (take with a pinch of salt), Michael Keaton's Batman will also be appearing in Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom.

Rachel Zegler's character in Shazam! Fury Of The Gods is called Anne.

Netflix have released a first trailer for The Sandman, due for release on August 5th. The series will have ten episodes. Mark Hamill will voice Merv Pumpkinhead.

The animated movie, Green Lantern: Beware My Power will be released from July 26th.

The CW have released a trailer for the third season of Stargirl but have yet to confirm an air date for the returning series.

The third season of Harley Quinn will premiere on HBO Max from July 28th and will be ten episodes. Expect appearances from Amanda Waller, Swamp Thing, Nightwing, Constantine, Firefly and James Gunn to name a few.

The upcoming fourth season of Doom Patrol will contain twelve episodes. Release date yet to be confirmed.

Candice Patton has confirmed that she will be continuing her role as Iris West-Allen for the ninth season of The Flash.

That's everything for this month. Let's see what the next one brings in terms of DC content.

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x15: "Waiting For Superman"

 

Written by Brent Fletcher And Todd Hellbing

Directed by Gregory Smith

Lois (re new Fortress): "It's incredible."

Clark: "It's only the beginning."

It's taken a while to get there with the increased amount of breaks this season, but we finally got to see the ending of this season and in a weird way, minus one piece of set up, this almost could've served a series finale in a way. I'm glad the show has a third season ordered but had this been it's last one, it would've at least ended on a strong note.

The show set themselves up with an ambitious storyline in Ally's quest to merge both worlds and it took a few people here to bring out about her inevitable downfall. Both John and Natalie had their big hero moments in getting to disrupt Ally's completion of her plan with a lovely father and daughter scene with the two of them. It nearly cost them their lives but thankfully both survived for next season.

Of course it was always going to be Superman who would stop Ally but having Tal-Rho throw him into the sun to recharge him really did highlight how much things had changed for the better with the brothers. It also was enough for Superman to separate both versions of Ally with the two of them now being kept prisoner at the DOD and both worlds back to their original states.

Story wise, I think this was definitely a satisfying outcome for this season though if by keeping both Allys alive (why put them in the same cell?), I do wonder if the pair will be back next season. Ally admitted that her plan didn't exactly go to her expectations though the bond with her other self seemed intact. Villain wise, Ally was a strong antagonist for this second season.

As for the rest of the characters, Tal-Rho headed for the Inverse world to make a name for himself, Lucy moved to Metropolis, both Lana and Sarah made amends with Clark and Jordan while the whole Kent family themselves got a new Fortress in the middle of the ocean. Ending this season with just our four main characters was a nice note.

However, seeing as the show will be back next season, we did get our obligatory appearance from John Diggle who had a mission in mind for John Henry Irons. It seems that both Intergang and Bruno Manheim will be the main threats for next season and the latter was revealed to have killed the other Irons as well. It's gonna be interesting to see this lot, considering that Intergang are also in Black Adam too.

- Lana not only hosted a Miracle Monday to celebrate Superman's victory but she even got to say his new catchphrase - "Truth, Justice And A Better Tomorrow." She also didn't get back with Kyle.

- Chrissy now knows that Clark is Superman as Lois told her the truth about her husband. Chrissy also did the opening narration for this episode.

- Did the Inverse versions of Lana and Jon-El go back to their world or are they still banged up at the DOD?

- Chronology: From where the last episode left off.

Waiting For Superman ended this season on a very strong note and while the second season arguably did not always hit the same incredible heights of the first season, it's still the best DC on the CW's dwindling list. Though maybe a sight reduction in episodes and less breaks for next season might be a good idea.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Fire Island (2022)

 

Written by Joel Kim Booster

Directed by Andrew Ahn

Noah: "Pretty dope way to start a story, right? Well, no offence to my girl Jane but that sounds like some hetero nonsense."

With Pride month coming to a close, I thought it was time to get round to watching this gay themed film released a few weeks ago from writer and lead actor, Joel Kim Booster. With the title, it's not hard to guess where the action for this particular tale was placed.

Seeing itself as something of a queer take on Pride And Prejudice, Fire Island saw a group of gay men - Noah (Joel Kim Booster), Howie (Bowen Yang), Luke (Matt Rogers), Keegan (Tomas Matos) and Max (Torian Miller) all heading to the titular place, staying with their lesbian friend, Erin (Margaret Cho) for a week of drink, drugs and sex. So far pretty clear cut stuff.

On top of the usual plans at Fire Island, Noah made it his mission to get his best friend, Howie some action and that's where Charlie (James Scully) factored into things. With Howie and Charlie taking the time to get to know one another, Noah found himself clashing with the latter's friend, Will (Conrad Ricamora) while also being brief'y swayed by the seemingly charming Dex (Zane Philips) who Will has prior history with.

Needless to say, the more Noah and Will are drawn in each other's orbit, the more they learn of the other and go from the enemies to eventual lovers trope by the time we get to the movie's ending. There's undeniably great chemistry with Joel Kim Booster and Conrad Ricamora, though I found myself more on Will's side than Noah's during the movie. Can Will and Noah be a long term thing considering the latter's aversion to commitment? Maybe a sequel might shed light on that.

As for Howie and Charlie, it's a nice enough secondary romance in the movie and the chemistry between Bowen Yang and James Scully has it's moments but the focus wasn't as sharp with it compared to the main romance of the movie. Also between Charlie's awful other friends and racist ex-boyfriend, he's probably the only white gay (Luke too I guess) who wasn't depicted as being the absolute worst.

The film definitely has a lot to say on race and privilege, most of it done reasonably enough. It's the main source of conflict between both groups in this movie, between Noah and Will until the pair find common ground and love with each other. It's also seen in how someone like Dex can exploit others for his own personal gain too, given what he did to Luke here.

As for the other characters, I have to admit to finding Erin and her stories entertaining but the plot about her house didn't really get any closure. Luke got something of a storyline with Dex but both Keegan and Max didn't have a whole lot to do even if they were both likable to watch. Again, perhaps a potential sequel could give those characters a bit more to do.

- Originally this was going to be a comedy series called Trip before it became a movie.

- Released on Hulu but for UK/Irish audiences, available on Disney+ who now have their own Pride section.

- Standout music: It has to be the use of Britney Spears Sometimes, doesn't it?

- Chronology: The movie took place over the course of a week on Fire Island.

Fire Island hits the sweet spot of being an all round entertaining movie with a likable cast while also attempting to talk about issues of racism and privilege within the gay community. It pilled off these feats rather well too. I definitely wouldn't mind another trip.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Scream 6 - Everything We Know So Far (Spoilers)

With filming currently underway for the untitled sixth installment of the Scream franchise, I thought now would be a good time to do something of a rundown of what we know about the upcoming movie for now. Without further ado, here we go.

Story Details: In the past we've had movies that have taken place outside of Woodsboro with mixed results and we know that this movie the action will take place in New York City with a mixture of returning and new characters caught in the crossfire of Ghostface yet again. Set pics have indicated a winter setting but others have also specifically pointed towards Halloween. We do know that the younger surviving cast from the previous movie will be attending college. Of course before I get into who will be returning, I have to talk about who won't be.

Sidney No More: In news that's something of a downer, this upcoming movie will be the first movie not to feature Neve Campbell's legacy survivor, Sidney Prescott. Yes, the issue boiled down to a pay dispute and yes, the studio are idiots not to pay her. Also yes to the fact that a Scream movie not featuring the iconic Final Woman is going to feel off, even if she had been underused in the 2022 movie and the story has moved beyond Sidney Prescott. Hopefully the writers don't give Sidney an offscreen death and if this movie does well, maybe the character can return in a seventh installment. As for who will be returning, you won't be too shocked.

Returning For Another Slice: Considering that they all made it out of the events of the previous movie alive (just about), our returning main cast will comprise of Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding as Samantha and Tara Carpenter and Mindy and Chad Martin-Meeks will be experiencing life in the Big Apple as well as a new Ghostface(s) to boot. Also returning will be Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers, making her the only actor along with Roger L. Jackson's Ghostface to have featured in every movie of the franchise so far. Last but definitely not least will be the return of Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed. A popular character from the fourth movie who had been confirmed alive in the fifth movie, it'll be interesting to see Kirby will factor into the events of this one.

New Blood: It wouldn't be a new Scream movie without some new blood added into the mix and while it's likely that more casting could be announced in due course, it's been confirmed that Dermot Mulrooney, Josh Segarra, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Devyn Nekoda and Henry Czerny have been cast in undisclosed roles for now. Both James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick have written the script with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet returning to directing the movie. 

Filming for the currently untitled sixth Scream movie is taking place in Montreal and will hit theatres from March 31st 2023.

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x14: "Worlds War Bizarre"

 

Written by Michael Narducci

Directed by Sheelin Choksey

Lois: "What happened to our home?"

Clark: "This isn't our home. It's the house from the other Earth."

One more episode left to go and things are definitely getting a bit Bizarro here, aren't they? Despite having limited screen time in the penultimate episode of this season, Ally certainly made her presence felt by going full steam ahead with her plan to merge two Earths together. The final scene definitely showed she was getting close to completion.

As for Superman, Ally had definitely done a number on his powers with him spending most of the episode struggling to recharge and unable to defend both the world and even his own family from the Inverse Jon-El and Lana from attacking them. It's a good job for Superman that both Jordan and mostly Natalie were in his corner while John tried to stop Ally's big scheme.

Of course, John didn't succeed in stopping Ally but he did manage to keep Natalie out of her way. For a brief moment, I did assume the worst and thought he had perished, only for the last scene to reveal him to be still alive. With less than a day to go, Superman will need to get his powers back pronto before Ally succeeds in meeting both worlds.

Speaking of the imminent merger, it's probably good that both Lois and Chrissy were honest with Lana about what Ally's plans and that Lana in return told everyone else what was happening. Of course having the former mayor trying to derail Lana was annoying but expected. Then again, we did have Superman appear at the town meeting to confirm Lana's information nonetheless.

Keeping with Lana for a bit, I was disappointed that she didn't get any big scenes with her own doppelganger and the way she handled Sarah finding out about Jordan's powers left a lot to be desired, I really don't want Sarah and Jordan to get back together but she seemed to handle the idea of her ex-boyfriend having powers a lot better than Lana did with Clark two episodes ago.

My last point that going into next season this show needs to handle the Cushings a lot better with the main stories. Lana needs to get past her feelings on Superman's powers and the Kents not telling her and Sarah the same too. The show either needs to drop Kyle as a character or have him and Lana get back together. Likewise it might not hurt to have Chrissy more on side too. Not to mention that both John and Natalie need to stick around. Sam can go either way to be honest.

- Lucy was working with analysts to try and figure out a way to stop Ally. The most useful thing she's done all season and it's off screen.

- Jon-El had the perfect chance to grab Jonathan and merge with him but was more fixated on taking his daddy issues out on our Superman instead. I thought for a moment that Inverse Lana had killed him.

- This show has often been influenced by Man Of Steel and the fight scenes definitely were riffing from that movie.

- Chronology: Few days after the events of the previous episode. 

Worlds War Bizarre have set up the stage for one hell of a merger. Can Ally really bring two worlds together? Will Superman and company manage to stop her in time? Will there be casualties this time around compared to last season? It's a good job there's only one episode left to go.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Running Up That Hill, Two Cassies And One Last Fairground Ride

 Yup, this is gonna be a tad longer than usual, so buckle in.

911: Season 5 has been pretty steady without too much boat rocking, only for there to be an arc with new character being a sort of serial killer with a saviour complex that put both Hen and Howie in danger and made Bobby question his own judgement. Other than that, there was a fire at the 911 centre that killed off Claudette, Hen and Karen getting remarried, Eddie coming back to the station and Buck ending things with Taylor. 

Derry Girls: The final three episodes of this show ended the series on one hell of a high note. From a delightful change in pace with the mothers getting a flashback episode of their own to a Halloween night ending in the death of Clare's father and then the hour long finale focusing on the Good Friday Agreement. This show absolutely nailed the landing with a series finale that did the the characters justice as they head off into an unknown but promising future. 

Love, Victor: I watched the third and final season in the space of two days and for a final season, I think that it did a good job of ending things with the characters. Victor and Benji might have had various obstacles in their way but it did make sense for them to be the endgame couple here. In terms of couples we also got Lucy and Lake, Rahim and Connor, Mia and Andrew and maybe even Felix and Pilar again. While I do feel the slight reduction in episodes might have speeded things up too quickly, overall this was a nice show to have watched.

Stranger Things: The first seven episodes of the fourth season of this show really took things to new and exciting heights. I mean, villain wise, Vecna is definitely up there with some of the scariest seen on this show and the way held connected to most of the different characters this season has been impressive. From trying to terrorise both Max and Nancy to a shared history with Eleven and the way his brutal actions put new characters like Eddie in the frame, he's definitely made one hell of an impression. I can't wait to see how the final two episodes wrap up his story and get Joyce, Murray and Hopper back into the main action of the season.

The Boys: The first four episodes of Season 3 have been quite the ride. I thought Homelander was terrible in the first two seasons but this season so far has not only made him even more unhinged than usual, but at every turn he's managed to undermine and outsmart every one else around. Then there's Billy and Hughie road testing the Temp V compound while searching for Soldier Boy while Maeve and Starlight conspire against Homelander. It's been gripping stuff so far.

The Flash: Now that we're into the final hurtle of episodes, it feels like an effort has been made to make things more interesting. How about one good Thawne who is in love with the speedster soon to be known as Fast Track while the other bad Thawne works with the now suddenly evil Deon? Not to mention the lack of Iris has been surprisingly good for the show. Not everything works as Diggle's two year plot was sloppily resolved, Cecile's now going down the vigilante path and Caitlin and Mark'a plan to resurrect Frost also feels rather tedious.

The Flight Attendant: I absolutely loved the first season of this show and thought it was a gem in HBO Max's crown but I hate to admit that I've been struggling with the second season. Five episodes in and it's been something of an almighty slump in quality. Cassie's recklessness while sympathetic beforehand has more ridiculous this season while having to deal with a doppelganger as well. On the plus side, Max and Annie are delightful as is Cassie's sponsor Brenda, but the Megan subplot and not enough Miranda have been low points this season.

• Charlie Carver and Billie Lourd will appear in the eleventh season of American Horror Story. The theme has yet to be revealed but the setting is 70s/80s New York.
• Cody Fern and Judith Light will appear in episodes of American Horror Stories second season. The show will be released on Hulu from July 21st.
• UK Viewers will be able to see The First Lady on Paramount+.
• AMC are interested in more spin-offs for Breaking Bad now that Better Call Saul is ending.
• Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo will star in the upcoming Apple TV series, Criminal  Record.
• Wilderness, an upcoming series for Amazon Prime will have both Jenna Coleman and Oliver Cohen-Jackson as leads.
• The CW have cancelled Charmed, Legacies, Dynasty, Roswell: New Mexico to name a few series.
• HBO Max have cancelled JJ Abrams Demimonde as well as both Raised By Wolves and Made For Love.
• Game Of Thrones have a sequel series focusing on Jon Snow in early development for HBO.
• Nicola Coughlin and Luke Newton's characters, Penelope and Colin will be the love story of the third season of Bridgerton.

Doctor Who - Neil Patrick Harris Joins 60th Anniversary Celebrations And It's Meeping Time

Last month we learned that Ncuti Gatwa was cast as the next Doctor while David Tennant and Catherine Tate were confirmed for the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. Needless to say, more new information has been officially announced.

Neil Patrick Harris, best known for his roles in Doogie Howser and How I Met Your Mother has been cast in the 60th anniversary in a yet to be disclosed role. However going from an Instagram exchange between Harris and showrunner Russell T. Davies, Neil will play a great enemy of the Doctor. Going by the picture released, could Neil be playing the Celestial Toymaker, a role previously played by Michael Gough back in 1966? It would be an interesting choice for a return for the diamond celebration. Harris has previously worked with Davies on It's A Sin and I can't wait to see what chaos he'll bring to the Doctor when the two of them cross paths in 2023.

Speaking of chaos, recent set pics have pointed to a very random but inspired selection of villains that will be appearing in the first of three specials. Beep the Meep, a rather adorable but dangerous furry villain who originated in the comics (as well as an audio titled The Ratings War) along with the Wrarth Warriors. Both have been spotted on set and as baddies, they're such a delightfully bonkers choice to go with for the Doctor (David Tennant), Donna (Catherine Tate) and the latter's extended family to go up against.

The first special, nearing completion seems to be a present day alien invasion story with UNIT soldiers also being spotted on set. The special will also be directed by Rachel Talalay, who last directed Peter Capaldi's final three episodes back in 2017. As for whether or not other former Doctors and/or companions will be returning for any other specials, we'll have to keep an eye. Saying that, it feels good to be excited about the show's future.

NPH's Casting: https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a40275481/doctor-who-60th-anniversary-neil-patrick-harris/

Doctor Who is still filming for the next two months with it's 60th anniversary. The final special with Jodie Whittaker's Doctor will air on BBC1 and BBCAmerica from October. Exact date tbc.

My Review of Big Boys - Series 1 (2022)

It's Pride Month and there will be some LGBT themed posts on this blog this month and to get the ball rolling, here's your first one.

Written by Jack Rooke

Directed by Jim Archer

Jack: "Hi, I'm Jack. This was me in 2013. A closed mummy's boy with newly dead dad and a crap perm.When I got into uni, it was a big deal."

When it comes to LGBT content, Channel 4's history has been somewhat better than most. This as been a channel responsible for shows such as Queer As Folk, Sugar Rush, Cucumber and as recent as last year, It's A Sin. Now the channel can proudly add this sweet natured comedy into the mix as well.

Created by writer Jack Rooke and based off his book, Good Grief, Happy Hour, Love Letters, this delightful six part series focused on a somewhat fictionalised version of the author, also named Jack (Dylan Llewellyn). In this series, Jack has lost his father, Laurie (Ian Burfield) and has been a support for his mother, Peggy (Camille Coduri) but the time has come for him to embark on a journalism degree at Brent University and it's there where he finds himself not only coming to terms with his own sexuality but also meeting a set of friends that change him for the better.

The people in question including the rather laddish Danny (Jon Pointing), feminist Corinne (Izuka Hoyle) as well as LGBT activist, Yemi (Olisa Odele). While Jack has a great bond with both Corinne and Yemi throughout the series, it's his friendship with Danny that's essentially the lynchpin of the entire series. It's a beautifully handed friendship from start to finish with the show's unabashed depiction of Danny's mental health and less idyllic family background, along with failing grades. Both Jack and Danny bring out the absolute best in one another with Llewellyn and Pointing playing off each other brilliantly. 

Of course with this series also focusing on Jack's embracing the fact that he's a gay man, there's some brilliant scenes as he navigated into the gay world around him. Yemi served as a mentor along with Danny as a wingman of sorts but it's Jack's discovery of himself that led to some truly priceless moments. These included accidentally swallowing poppers, getting ashes on a hook up as well as fantasising about his hunky tutor Tim (Robert Gilbert) in his briefs to name a few.

As for the family side, there's the new family that Jack made with his new friends and there's also the one he's grown up with. Camille Coduri won over so many people as Jackie Tyler during her time on Doctor Who and she's wonderful to watch here as Peggy. The bond between her and Jack was lovely to watch as well as the way she not only accepted his sexuality but her kindness towards Danny. She's such a lovable character to watch.

Speaking of relatives, while we also met Jack's cousin, Sharon (Harriet Webb) and Nanny Bingo (Annette Badland), there was also time spent in showing audiences Danny's relationship with his grandmother, Iris (Sheila Reid). Danny's closeness to his grandmother and his despair as she no longer was able to look after herself was another poignant moment in this series and while we didn't really learn too much about Yemi, we got some context on Corinne's past with her brother, which also informed her relationship with Danny as well.

- Series creator, Jack Rooke also narrated the series. 

- The episode titles for this show were Hello You, I Wanna Take You To A Gay Bar, Merry Sexmas, Dad I Did Drugs, What A Bummer and The Letter.

- Did Tim know that Jack fancied him? He did give the impression that he did in some scenes. The character was a bit of a jerk but I did like that he tried to get Danny to appeal to remain in the university after the latter failed first year.

- Katy Wix was also rather fun to watch as campus guide, Jules, though comparing herself to Obama was a bit of a no no.

- Channel 4 did burn this series off in three double bills in a Thursday 10pm slot. They should push this series like they did with Derry Girls if it gets a second series.

- Chronology: The series took place between 2011 to 2014.

Big Boys turned out to be an absolute belter of a series. Genuinely funny, genuinely touching, smartly written and laced with brilliant references, this show was immensely enjoyable from start to finish. Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing are fantastic to watch as Jack and Danny. I feel some might have slept on the show due to it's later timeslot, but I really do hope Channel 4 gives it a second series. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x13: "All Is Lost"

 

Written by Kristi Korzec

Directed by Elaine Mongeon

Natalie: "But Ally is still out there. We need Superman."

John: "Then until he comes back, we are all gonna have to step up."

Last week I mentioned the lack of referring to Ally as Parasite, so this episode only went and had Lois be the one to refer to Ally as such. Ally also lived up to her title, not only through her flashbacks with Lucy but also through her latest encounter with Superman, which definitely didn't end well for him.

With two episodes left to go, Superman has been drained, Ally will go ahead and try to merge two worlds and everyone else will have to pull together if they want to have a hoping help of stopping her grand scheme. On the plus side, at least Lucy has finally seen Ally for who she really is, even if it almost took Sam nearly being killed to open her eyes. 

The flashbacks between Lucy and Ally did what they needed and showed how Ally was able to make Lucy dependent on her, while in a single way turning Lucy against her sister and father. I've not really liked the way Lucy has been written on this show compared to her depiction on Supergirl but at least she's finally turned a corner.

As for Lana, she's firmly in the camp of keeping her distance from Kents and was even a tad harsh with Jordan too, even of his neediness with Sarah has grated a bit. I did however like her talking to Kyle after the Sarah singing bit and it does look like with her doppelganger coming back to kill Superman, it should give Lana something interesting to do in the last two episodes.

As for Natalie, this episode saw her stepping up in a big way. John found her suit and tried/failed to dissuade her from suiting up but at the same time also had to rely on her help with saving Superman and getting away from Ally. Of course, Nat wasn't the only kid of a superhero getting to spread their wings this week. 

While it was brief, we did get to have a training scene between Superman and Jordan and far more enjoyable to watch than the latter moping over Sarah. However it did seem like Jonathan was excluded from things as he couldn't hide his own hurt feelings over Superman and Jordan bonding over powers.

- Lois lied to Chrissy about Clark wanting a job at the Gazette and it looked like Chrissy was planning on letting Clark down.

-  The way Mama Lane has been mentioned this season, I really wouldn't be shocked if she pops up next season.

- Looks like we're getting one more break before the final two episodes air uninterrupted. 

- Chronology: A flashback into five years ago when Lucy and Ally first met. 

All Is Lost definitely left our title hero in a rather dicey predicament while Ally herself has managed to prove that she doesn't need a pendant to merge both worlds. These remaining episodes have to resolve this storyline in a satisfying way, but no doubt they will.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x12: "Lies That Bind"

 

Written by Rina Mimoun

Directed by David Mahmoudieh

Inverse Tal-Rho: "I should've listened to my brother. You're no saviour."

Ally: "Not yet, but I will be."

And we're back again from another month long break with an episode that while not quite as stunning as the previous ones did have some good moments attached to it. Anyways, let's address the cliff hanger from the previous episode first.

Lana has now become aware of Clark and Superman being the same person and naturally, she didn't take the news as well as possible. As we'l as being frustrated with Clark keeping his secret for too long, she also blamed Lois for not confiding in her earlier. Personally, I was on Lois's side even if I could see why Lana was angry with her.

However Lois did fill Lana in on everything else such as Jordan having powers, Lana's own Inverse self and of course, Ally's general scheme. Lana came close to confiding in Sarah about everything but instead chose to distance herself from Lois and Clark for the time being. I do hope they don't drag that for too long though.

Speaking of Ally, she came to get the pendant and was met with the combination of Superman, Steel and Tal-Rho and the pendant wound up getting destroyed. Ally then vented her anger out on her version of Tal-Rho with him getting reduced to a husk by the end of this episode. That action might wind up costing her the other Lana when the latter learns what became of her husband.

As for Tal-Rho in this version, he might have escaped but it really does feel like the groundwork has been lain for him to turn a new leaf. He even attempted to apologise to Lois and she wound up in his corner while both Sam and John remain skeptical of him. If he makes it in the remaining episodes, maybe he might get a chance to be part of his brother's family after all.

Last but not least, we had a good team effort with Natalie, Jonathan and Jordan as the three tried to get X-Kryptonite to help with the suit Natalie made. It was nice to see the three of them working together, even of their plan wasn't the smartest or even successful, due to Jordan's misuse of his powers. As for Jon-El, he's still pretty much Team Ally in spite of Superman's best efforts to reason with him.

- Kyle assumed that Lana was dating someone else but on the plus side, he did get Sarah a chance to sing in public.

- Anyone else get a tiny bit frustrated that the episode wouldn't directly refer to Ally as Parasite, considering that's exactly who she's meant to be here?

- Lois admitted that prior to Lana she didn't have any female friends.

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off. We also got some flashbacks to Clark and Lana as kids, teenagers and previous scenes from the first season.

Lies That Bind wasn't quote as strong as it could've been and while Lana's reaction to the massive information dump she got was believable, it was disappointing as well. With the pendant out of action, I do wonder what they're going to do with Ally's for the remainder of the season though.

Rating: 7 out of 10