My Review of Annabelle (2014)

 

Written by Gary Dauberman

Directed by John R. Leonetti

Evelyn (to Mia): "I'm old, which means there's very little that surprises me any more and if it does, I'm too tired to show."

The Conjuring franchise in spite of it's mixed reception and personal feelings towards the Warrens has undoubtedly managed to cement itself as one of the most successful horror franchises out there and after introducing the titular antagonist in the first movie, it was time to give her a spin off.

This movie opened with a bunch of nurses relaying their experiences before we headed to Santa Monica. Once there, our protagonists of the piece included a young doctor named John Form (Ward Horton) gifting his pregnant wife, Mia (Annabelle Wallis) a porcelain doll named Annabelle. Even if you've never seen a horror film in your life, what unfolded throughout the movie will not shock you in the slightest.

For you see, Annabelle isn't any ordinary porcelain doll. Now, whenever she's in someone's possession, bad things tend to happen and it's not long until the Forms, in particular Mia fall victim to this doll's malevolent ways. It's also not long until Mia herself gave birth to a baby girl named Leah and the Forms moved to Pasadena with Annabelle not far behind to cause them more harm.

Fortunately a change of location did bring about one ally in the form of local bookstore owner, Evelyn (Alfred Woodard). In what's something of a slight role and often exposition full in parts, Alfred Woodard does a lot with on paper does feel like a rather paper thin character. Even when her sacrifice feels rushed, it still managed to land some kind of impact.

As for the main couple of the piece, they're a fairly inoffensive group of protagonists. Out of the two, I do feel that Annabelle Wallis pulled in the stronger performance compared to Ward Horton, who felt a little too stoic in parts. As for Father Perez (Tony Amendola), it's a solid performance but again, not the most fascinating character in the movie.

As for Annabelle, herself, well her look here was the most stereotypical evil look compared what the real thing looks like itself. This ain't a Chucky style quipping a minute, but more of a quiet menace that's effective in it's scares. By the end of this movie, Annabelle might have left the Forms in peace but her evil has found someone else to antagonise.

-  The original Annabelle doll is a Raggedy Ann doll that the Warrens are keeping in a glass case in the now closed occupy museum of the Warrens.

- Not only does the foll appear in other movies set with The Conjuring universe but even DC fans have seen them in the likes of Aquaman and Shazam!

- Rosemary's Baby definitely seemed to a heavy influence, even down to naming the protagonists John and Mia.

- Chronology: The story of Annabelle did seem to originate from the 1970s but this movie did seem like it was set a decade earlier. 

Annabelle served as a solid means of showing that this franchise had the ability to expand beyond the Warrens while never forgetting them either. It's a solid spin-off/prequel with good performances from the main cast and decent enough scares. Not a classic but very watchable.

Rating: 7 out of 10

DCEU Blog - DC Studios Gets It's Leaders, The Flash Meets Red Death And More

October certainly didn't disappoint with some major DC updates unveiled. As usual, it's an exciting and volatile time to be a DC fan, depending on whatever news hits first.

The biggest news item would be that DC Studios finally has it's head guys. Step up, both James Gunn and Peter Safran. The former will tackle the creative side while the latter will tackle the business side. 

Both men will work with various creatives and characters being prioritized include Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Harley Quinn.

Rumoured projects include a sequel for The Flash movie to be written by Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom scribe David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick.

Bruna Marquezine has confirmed her Blue Beetle character is named Jenny, though other places have said she was called Penny in the movie.

Not only did Henry Cavill finally reprise his Superman role in Black Adam but he also stepped away from The Witcher and a sequel to Man Of Steel is in development. He's really back guys.

As for fans of The Batman, the sequel likely won't hit theatres until 2025 but not only will The Penguin HBO Max series start filming next year but the Arkham show has announced Antonio Campos as it's showrunner.

Joker: Folie A Deux has added Harry Lawtey to it's ever growing cast. Filming begins in November for the sequel to the 2019 mega hit.

It seems for now that the Zatanna film has been scrapped. Yup, don't expect anything to emerge from JJ Abrams WB contract.

The first half to the fourth season of Titans will premiere on HBO Max from November 3rd. Expect the second half in 2023.

The first half of the fourth season of Doom Patrol will premiere on HBO Max from December 8th. Expect the second half in 2023.

Jeremy Irvine and Finn Wittrock have been released from their contracts from the Green Lantern series as has the showrunner. The show will now be redeveloped to focus on John Stewart.

The ninth season of The Flash will see Javicia Leslie appear as Red Death. Meanwhile Jon Cor's Chillblaine will be a regular and Richard Harmon will appear as the Owen Mercer version of Captain Boomerang.

Filming for the first seasons of both Gotham Knights and Dead Boy Detectives has taken place. Expect some more news on both shows fairly soon. 

Patty Jenkins has confirmed that the script for the third Wonder Woman movie has been completed.

That wraps up the big stories for this month. Let's see what the next one brings.

My Review of American Horror Story: NYC - Black Out

 

Written by Ned Martel & Charlie Carver

Directed by Jennifer Lynch

Whitely (to Cameron/Daniel): "I'm sorry. I hate to lie to you, especially since you know what's in my bag."

Oh dear. Massive heat, a roaring black out, more secret and lies and a killer who just won't quit trying to up the ante. Not to mention two recurring characters who have found themselves at the mercy of said killer. To me, I'm surprises it wasn't either Adam or Patrick who ended up in that elevator with Whitely but there's still time for him to catch up with either of them.

Both Daniel (Hale Appleman) and Cameron (Gideon Glick) have appeared in the previous two episodes and the death of the former's lover, Hans (Casey Thomas Brown) would've seen Daniel arrested for it had Patrick not stepped in to vouch for him. Because of that, we saw Daniel being proactive in trying to warn his community of danger, only for Adam to also vouch for him.

Then there was Cameron, initially annoyed at Daniel for disrupting his black out warehouse get together, only to help him seek out Hans's killer, even though doing that put the pair of them in danger by the end of this episode. Will both of them end up dead next week? One of them might. I have a feeling Whitely's story will likely end next episode to put the focus on the other killer.

Still though, Whitely nearly killed Gino at the start of this one, only for his taunting to lead Patrick into teaching his boyfriend. Then Whitely had fun taunting Patrick over the phone about his next kill. I liked that Patrick made some good character progress this week such as coming out to Mac and admitting his infidelities to Gino but Whitely kept managing to outsmart him this episode.

As for Patrick and Gino, both are lying to the other. I can't tell if Barbara genuinely was concerned about Gino or if a part of her was deliberately trying to sabotage Patrick and Gino's relationship. Perhaps it's both to be honest. Either way, Gino has cat scratch fever and Patrick won't tell  him about his own rashes and yes, the show definitely has hammered home where the story will be going on along with the ineffectual police force and serial killers.

Last but not least, there was also the Adam, Theo and Sam triangle. Theo finally ditched Sam and decided to go all in with Adam. Sam retaliated by attempting to bribe Adam to ditch Theo, only for Adam to refuse to do so. Yeah, it's nice to see Adam and Theo as a pairing but Sam will definitely be something of a problem for them. Saying that, I'm still not sure if he was the one who caused the fire that ended up killing seven people. Maybe Big Daddy's doing this stuff on his own like his attack on Patrick.

- This was the second episode to be co-written by Charlie Carver and he's got at least one more this season. Get him on the writing staff again for next season.

- Gino and Kathy Pizazz had some great scenes together and I did find the latter's impersonator rather funny in their one scene here.

- I'm beginning to think that Kal Penn's character, Mac might be the only straight prominent male character this season. Unless he's later outed in an episode.

- Whitely mentioned serving in Vietnam to Daniel and Cameron and being close to Gino's age to Patrick. That meat reference was a blatant one to Jeffrey Dahmer.

- No Hannah, Fran, Alana or Henry in this one. 

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off and then a jump to a few days later.

Black Out certainly brought out the heat in more than one ways. I like where this season seems to be going. I find Jeff Hiller has done a strong job in making Whitely an unsettling baddie and I'm intrigued by everything going on with the main characters. This feels like one of the strongest seasons of the show and having a primarily different cast has helped with that.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Americsn Horror Story: NYC - Smoke Signals

 

Written by Brad Falchuk And Manny Coto

Directed by John J. Gray

Whitely (to Gino): "I would never spill the blood of another vet but this is different. You'll just freeze to death. It's a peaceful way to go."

In the space of three episodes, Gino has become something of a regular dude in distress, hasn't he? In the previous episode, it was the peculiar Mr Whitely (Jeff Hiller) who kidnapped, tortured and ultimately spared him due to Gino being a vet. This time, Whitley wasn't feeling as merciful and Gino found himself on ice.

This episode also confirmed the fan theory that there are two killers out there and likely with different motives. Whiteley's are more self righteous but with it's own code. Even when he felt he had to kill Gino, he offered him a merciful way to die. Do I think Gino will die? Not bloody likely, especially given that Patrick wasn't far behind but it's also not looking good for the intrepid editor though.

Speaking of Patrick, yes, his dark side was touched on a lot this episode. Gino baited him over his secretive nature while Sam clearly had an idea that Patrick was into some dark stuff. Not to mention Patrick's undercover work led to him having an S&M encounter of his own while Whitely slipped out of his grasp.

Speaking of Whitely, it seemed like he was lining up both Adam and Theo as his next victims before Big Daddy interrupted the evenings events and set the place they were in on fire. Adam and Theo were getting arguably closer in spite of some tension between the two as well as some barbed comments over a choice of beer. I do like Theo but there was an element of class snobbery I liked a lot less as did Adam.

Couple wise though, it does seem like like Gino/Patrick and Adam/Theo are the ones to watch out for while every other character got pulled into their respective orbits. Like a lot of fans, I had considered the idea of Big Daddy being a ghost but after that fire, perhaps he's very much real. Was it Sam who told him to set that place on fire or was Big Daddy working on his own accord?

As for Hannah, she certainly had more to do this week. She started the episode listening to Fran's government conspiracy theories, first appearing skeptical but then wanting her own research into a potential danger, even going above her own boss to do it. Then there's her connection to Adam and the fact that they did something. If you've seen filming pics, you'll know exactly what that thing is and I'll discuss it in a later episode.

- Although I did suspect he was involved in Gino's kidnapping, it turned out that Henry didn't drug the former. Henry does however tend to look away from danger.

- The Son of Sam killer got a shout out during Gino's conversation with Alana at the Ditch. This killer plot is also loosely based on the Last Call Killer.

- For a guy who likes to kill, it's not too surprising that Whitely happened to not like needles himself.

- We met Dunaway (Sis), the host of the Brownstones where Adam and Theo went on a date. Dunaway also cryptically told Theo that something was coming. The character inspired by Klaus Nomi also got that warning from a woman at the subway.

- Stewart managed to escape from Sam's cage, although it appeared that Sam simply was done with him as Big Daddy didn't try to stop Stuart from leaving.

- Chronology: It's still 1981 but we did get a flashback to 1952 when Fran was explaining to Hannah about the government experimenting with human and animal diseases on vulnerable people.

Smoke Signals was so,thing of a shorter event but again the quality of this season has held up well so far. Having two killers makes some sense because it does feel like the walls are closing in on Whitely and I assume once he's out of the way, the focus will be on the second one. Yup, this season has hit the ground running.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of House Of The Dragon's 1x10: "The Black Queen"

 

Written by Ryan Condal

Directed by Greg Yaitanes

Daemon: "I now proclaim Rhaenyra of the House of Targaryen, First of her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Lord Protector of the Seven Kingdoms. Long may she reign."

After the shocking events of last week's episode, it was time to move away from the Greens and head back to Dragonstone for the Blacks. Boy, was this quite the episode for that particular team. Both good and bad stuff happened here. 

The good stuff being that Ser Erryk actually not only pledged his loyalty to Rhaenyra's claim for the Iron Throne but he even brought her Viserys's crown to show just how serious about being Team Black he really was. Crown wise, it's still a lot nicer than the one currently donning Aegon's head but Rhaenyra has a long, complicated road ahead of her.

She might have the support of the people currently on Dragonstone with her but if Daemon can be so quick to anger over a prophecy that he'll put his hand on Rhaenyra's throat, then that's going to be another obstacle that Rhaenyra will have in her long battle to get the Iron Throne. Not to mention the fact that the Greens are also vying for the same remaining houses the Blacks are. 

Worse than that, not only did the Greens managed to swipe House Baratheon from the Blacks with such ease but one final confrontation between Lucerys and Aemond ended in the worst way possible. Aemond had been biding his time for losing an eye and when he couldn't get Luke to give him one willingly, he took to the skies to get his ultimate revenge.

I knew Luke was a goner the moment I spotted Vhagar but the latter dragon ripping apart Arrax was brutal, especially when it was revealed that Aemond was struggling for control over his dragon. Given Rhaenyra's reaction at the end of this one, there's no longer an option for peace. War has been set and next season should be a respective bloodbath.

As well as her own ascension as Queen in this episode, we got to see Rhaenyra having moments with both Jacaerys and Lucerys  that proved she's a far better parent than Alicent will ever be. Not to mention the tragedy of her losing her only daughter in a rather brutal birth scene. On the plus side, I did love her ripping Otto to pieces and she managed to get both Corlys and Rhaenys on side, in spite of their earlier claims of staying out of things.

Speaking of Corlys and Rhaenys, they had some interesting scenes here too but no matter how much they express their displeasure towards Rhaenyra and Daemon, even they know that Greens don't deserve the Iron Throne. I'm still hoping at some point they become aware that Laenor isn't dead but for now, at least they're a part of Rhaenyra's list of allies.

- Alicent sat out the events of this episode along with Aegon. Criston is the only character to have appeared in every episode so far.

- Other allies that Rhaenyra sought out were Lady Jeyne Arryn and Lord Cregen Stark, which Jace went to see. 

- Daemon sang an ancient song in order to get Vermithor on side. Moondancer was mentioned and Seasmoke currently doesn't have a new rider. We also saw Syrax and Vermax again here.

- Otto tried to manipulate Rhaenyra by trying to play the childhood friend card and even had the piece of paper Rhaenyra tore out of a book with Alicent back in the first episode. In fact this episode had various nods to earlier episodes.

- Both Arrax and Vhagar proved that they can ignore commands and if they can, Daemon better pray that both Caraxes and Vermithor don't do the same to him.

- Chronology: Not long from where the previous episode left off. 

The Black Queen proved a strong ending to this season. We started with Rhaenyra becoming an heir and ended with her becoming queen on her own terms, not to mention a shattered friendship, the loss of children and war breaking out. It's going to be a hell of a wait for the second season.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's - The Power Of The Doctor

 

Written by Chris Chibnall

Directed by Jamie Magnus Stone

The Doctor (to herself): "Doctor whoever I'm about to be. Tag, you're it."

Elephant in the room first to be addressed - there's no denying that this has been the most divisive era of Doctor Who and for a lot of people, Chris Chibnall handing back the TARDIS keys to Russell T. Davies was certainly needed. This year alone, the first two specials certainly left a lot to be desired. Was this special going to go the same way? Let's see, shall we?

On one hand, the main plot for this episode was certainly convoluted and nonsensical with the action often moving too fast for it's own good. However, on the other hand, this was an episode determined to tie up loose ends (abruptly or not at all), throw in as many returns as humanly possible, combine evil forces together and end on the mother of all cliffhangers, and for the most part, this episode actually managed to accomplish their goals.

The evil part first though. - any episode that features the Master (Sacha Dhawan), regardless of quality will be a must see for me. Last time we saw him, he was left on Gallifrey with his Cyber-Masters. This time though, he used them, the Daleks, a random child and a planet for conversion in order to smoke out the Doctor and Yaz. What for you might ask? Oh nothing, really. Instead of killing the Doctor, the Master decided to become the Doctor. It's not a big deal.

Sacha Dhawan's version of the Master has undoubtedly been one of the most successful elements of this era and in spite of  his ridiculously convoluted plan (become the Doctor, discredit the Doctor, destroy the Earth in a nutshell), he almost stole this episode from Jodie Whittaker. He was delightfully deranged, a good few steps ahead of everyone but ultimately, he overreached and grossly underestimated both the Doctor and Yaz. With his body looking in worse shape than ever, this likely will be the last time we see Sacha Dhawan in the role but not the last time we see the Master. Just give it a while before they pop up to cause havoc for a new Doctor.

As for the returns, you'd swear this was an anniversary special for the show, instead of simply the BBC. If some fans weren't happy with Steven Moffat skimping on returns for The Day Of The Doctor, then you could almost argue that this episode massively overcompensated. Yes, there was the ones we knew about, the ones we expected and then there was the ones none of us saw coming.

I genuinely gasped in excitement when seeing David Bradley, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann's Doctors on the screen with Jodie Whittaker. Was it fanservice over kill? Absolutely but I didn't care. Just seeing them on screen again was too exciting to watch. Not to mention the scenes that Davison and McCoy had with their former companions Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) were utterly sublime to watch.

I don't need to tell you that seeing Tegan and Ace was a delight because it was but so was seeing the likes of Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), Vinder (Jacob Anderson) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) all swooping into to help the Doctor and Yaz as well. As for Dan, his exit was rushed but a later scene kind of made up for it and while Yaz hasn't been my favourite companion, I did like the final moments that Mandip Gill had with Jodie Whittaker during this episode.

As for Jodie Whittaker, this episode cemented a strong final performance for her. If you were hoping for a resolution for the Timeless Child, this episode didn't bother with it. Story wise, I wouldn't expect anything further from it. As for the regeneration, I appreciated the shake up in format but David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor was definitely unexpected. What a way to end this special on.

- Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred's names were in the opening credits but this episode also saw the returns of Jo Martin (Fugitive Doctor),  Katy Manning (Jo Jones), William Russell (Ian Chesterton) and Bonnie Langford (Melanie Bush) along with mentions of Sarah Jane, Adric and Ryan.

- We got a brief trailer for the 60th anniversary, which featured the Fourteenth Doctor, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), possibly the Celestial Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris) and the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa), due for November 2023.

- This was the longest episode in this current era, clocking in at 87 minutes. 

- Despite the first two specials teasing the idea of Thasmin, ultimately this special didn't go through with it, though the Doctor and Yaz did have an ice cream before the former elected to regenerate alone.

- Standout music: The use of Boney M's Rasputin while the Master spent a good portion of the episode disguised as Rasputin was on brand for that character. 

- Chronology: Mostly 1916 Russia and 2022 UK but there were a few different locations here.

The Power Of The Doctor undeniably was something of a messy story in terms of the Master's overall scheming but the returns it had, the various callbacks and references might have alienated casual audiences but they were a delight to watch nonetheless. Also that ending. November 2023 will be a hell of a wait. As for Jodie Whittaker, she did good here.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Black Adam (2022)

 

Written by Adam Sztykiel And Rory Haines And Sohrab Noshirvani

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Teth-Adam: "Some men are not meant to be heroes."

True, because some end up being villains and others operate on that middle ground of anti-hero. In terms of comics, Black Adam has been both a popular villain of Shazam (perhaps one of his most definitive) and as of late, more of anti-hero. Hell, even in the last year alone the character has been a member of the Justice League and you don't have to be a genius to see that's a future aspiration for Dwayne Johnson.

Kicking off this movie we got a flashback to 2600 BC in Kahndaq where a young boy named Hurut (Jalon Christian) finds himself becoming the people's champion (Uli Latukefu) against an oppressive ruler who wanted to use the Crown of Sabbac to have total dominion. Needless to say, the king is killed, the champion is killed, revenge was had and someone spent 5000 years in a magical prison as a result.

Present day, Kahndaq has been occupied by Intergang and archaeologist Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) wants to get the Crown of Sabbac away from power hungry psychos, little knowing that her teammate Ishmael Gregor (Marwan Kenzari) had his own sinister designs for the crown. Anyways, she ended up nearly getting killed by Intergang and as a result Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson) awoke from his slumber and wasted very little time in adding a lot of dead bodies in his path.

Teth-Adam's arrival in the current state of Kahndaq certainly raised heavy debate. The citizens were quick to embrace him. Adrianna embraced him and her superhero obsessed teenage son, Amon (Bodhi Sabongui) shamelessly idolised Teth-Adam to the point of trying to get the anti-hero in the lore of using catchphrases as well as repeatedly putting himself in danger. Sometimes a little can go a long way and Amon could've done with a little less screen time than he got here.

On the other hand, not everyone was thrilled with Teth-Adam's return. Notably Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) who despite currently lacking a Task Force X decided to rope in the Justice Society in order to deal with Teth-Adam. A slightly scaled back version including seasoned pros such as Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) along with the newbies, Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell).

The pros and cons of the Justice Society would be that all the characters make a solid impression, look absolutely fantastic, are willing to work with Teth-Adam, Adrianna and Amon when the chips are down and you want to see more of them in any kind of follow up. The con on the other hand would be that they're not hugely developed as characters, Hawkman repeatedly had his ass handed to him and a sacrifice that Doctor Fate made for the greater good doesn't have quite the emotional impact it was aiming for and felt easily avoidable.

Then there's the actual villain of the piece. Marwan Kenzari doesn't pull off villains very well and here, Ishmael who resorted to extreme tactics in order to become Sabbac simply doesn't cut it as a baddie. I mean he looked fantastic and there was some decent effects with his fire but he's introduced too late in the game and was taken out almost abruptly as well. Without a doubt, definitely one of the weakest villains we've had in the DCEU.

As for Teth-Adam, there are some unnecessary changes to the character's backstory I'm surprised even Dwayne Johnson went along with. Also for a guy who constantly went on about not being a hero, you never get the sense that he'd threaten an innocent person either. The status of him right now as Protector of Kahndaq is an interesting proposition but will it be enough to sate the character and Johnson's own long term goals for the DCEU?

- The mid credit sequence featured the long anticipated return of Henry Cavill's Superman, along with his classic suit and a hint of John Williams classic score.

- We saw Djimon Hounsou in flashbacks with the Council of Wizards as well as the return of Jennifer Holland's Emilia Harcourt. 

- Henry Winkler made a brief cameo as the original Atom Smasher, Al Pratt. The current one is his nephew, Albert Rothstein.

- This movie had both nth metal and eternium as major properties that could be moaned for good and evil purposes. The latter used for Sabbac's crown,

- Standout music: Nice use of Paint It Black. 

- Chronology: Safe to assume, it's set after the events of Peacemaker. 

Black Adam might not be quite the disaster area that some critics have been a bit too quick to label it but at the same time, it's also not the game changer for the DCEU that Dwayne Johnson desperately wanted it to be either. If I'm being honest, it's easily one of the weaker entries in this franchise and a movie that felt like the sum of it's parts to boot. Keep your expectations moderate and you won't be too disappointed.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of American Horror Story: NYC - Thank You For Your Service

Written by Ned Martel & Charlie Carver & Manny Coto

Directed by Max Winkler

Adam: "I want to start a fire."

Gino: "You'd be putting a target on your back."

Adam: "I already have one."

With this season for some odd reason taking the double bill format, it's good to see that the storyline showed signs of moving forward as this one both began and ended on equally interesting notes. Is it too early to hope this season has it's shit together?

Anyways the episode started with a bound and gagged Gino getting drugged up by the mystery killer, who I think at this point might not be Big Daddy (though more on that guy in a bit). The killer was about to do Gino but upon seeing a service tattoo on the reporter changed his mind but not before gloating that the police will do nothing to help Gino or any other potential victim out there.

Sadly for Gino, that turned out to be spot on as the police were unhelpful when he sought their assistance and later they were quite openly hostile to Adam's own efforts to help the community protect one another. Also in two episodes, Patrick seriously needs to step up and start helping better too.

One minute, he's berating Adam for taking the law into his own hands and then he's evasive when Gino confronted him over his bullshit and faux naivety about the handkerchief code. We've had dodgy detectives on this show too many times and it's looking like Patrick will also fall into this category. Even Gino was largely questioning his motives here.

As for the killer himself, yes, he spared Gino but he made a point of publicly killing someone at the Ditch while Gino and Patrick were arguing and Alana (Rebecca Dayan) was trying to keep her place of work out of the public eye. Yes, there was also a noticeable pattern involving a certain alcoholic beverage and leaving behind an umbrella cocktail. 

However going by the subplot with Sam and Big Daddy because obviously those two are involved, it seems that this killer is someone else. We didn't see his face but heard his voice twice in this episode. Chances are the character will get revealed at the halfway point of the season but more than likely it'll be someone we've already met.

As for Sam, well, it seems like he might have a certain disease but he's too occupied kidnapping random blokes and keeping them caged instead of concentrating on his health. Big Daddy also was revealed to be his muscle and while Sam was keeping poor Stewart prisoner, Theo and Adam were getting closer, proving that this season isn't wasting too much times. Not to mention both Patrick and Mac witnessing some gory body parts to end this one too in a direct reference to Cruising, like this season has been blatant about.

- Bandannas are definitely the order of the day here, with even Gino getting gagged with one at the start of the episode.

- The opening credits are less about the Big Apple and more focused on BDSM, deer and cells. They could've changed the theme music a little for this season.

- Hannah found herself briefly encountering Big Daddy before she bumped into Fran. The latter being convinced that the US government are targeting gay men with the disease.

- Gino's paper, The Native not only gave Adam a job (the hotline idea he had) but also Fran and her girls. It was also Barbara who showed Gino the secret box that Patrick had.

- Adam had at least two different people telling him that's 'something's coming'. Way to drive the point home though.

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off.

Thank You For Your Service kept the pace going successfully. I know it's early, there are eight episodes left to air in the next four weeks but this season has gotten off to such a good start, that if the landing does stick, it could end up being a fan favourite. I'm cautiously optimistic. Also Charlie Carver clearly has some writing chops, given he co-wrote this one.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of American Horror Story: NYC - Something's Coming

 

Written by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk

Directed by John J. Gray

Gino: "I'm not looking to break a big story, Pat. Come on, this is about people dying."

And for the gays, you get a season for yourselves. Isn't that a good thing? After a rather female dominated second season of the spin off series and past seasons on this show being more female led, perhaps this season focusing on gay men was somewhat overdue.

However, going by this opening episode, this will be a season that inevitably will draw comparisons both Pose and Dahmer, and to be fair, there are some similarities where those comparisons will not be unjustified. Saying that,this might be one of the stronger opening episodes the show has done. It's also the first time this show has ventured into the Big Apple and I'm surprised it's taken eleven seasons to do such a thing.

So where do I approach talking about this episode? Let's talk about the journalist Gino Barelli (Joe Mantello) and detective boyfriend, Patrick Read (Russell Tovey). There are some issues in their relationship and the slew of gay men being murdered, seemingly by a leather dom named Big Daddy (Matthew Bishop). Both have different approaches to handling this potential killer before both find some common ground on the issue.

Gino and Patrick seem to be the centre relationship here and the latter upon quickly realising how ineffectual his own precinct has been with these murders essentially encouraged Gino to do his own investigation. This led to Gino seeking out some fancy artist type named Henry (Denis O'Hare) who predictably put Gino in danger. Meanwhile Patrick decided to explore the hanky code while his boyfriend was getting kidnapped by a killer.

Then there's Adam Carpenter (Charlie Carver). He's another sympathetic character who's worried about his missing friend Sully and managed to outrun Big Daddy. He also managed to do some digging into his own by making friends with photographer Theo Graves (Isaac Powell). The latter was definitely not as helpful as he could've been to Adam but there's a sense that underneath his hedonism that there's something of a conscience with Theo. Not to mention an obvious spark with Adam that later episodes will undoubtedly explore, given his blatant disdain for sleazy sugar daddy Sam (Zachary Quinto).

With Big Daddy being a looming threat, Sam on the other hand was a very present one. His possessive nature towards Theo and sleazy behaviour towards the men that the latter photographed, including poor Freddy, who found himself in danger as the episode ended. Unfortunately, Freddy will be far from the last guy in danger from Big Daddy.

As for the few female characters that appeared in this season, there was a doctor named Hannah Wells (Billie Lourd). Hannah spotted a disease in the deer community and ordered them to be shot at a specific location while Fran (Sandra Bernhard), the only lesbian regular so far offered Gino protection while giving him flack for not publishing lesbian voices in his newspaper. Then there was a glamorous lounge singer named Kathy (Patti LuPone) and Patrick's ex-wife Barbara (Leslie Grossman) but outside of Hannah, none of these roles had a lot of screen time. This season does seem to be geared towards the gay men.

- The opening credits didn't appear here but thanks to the first two episodes leaking on Disney+ India, I spotted them. I'll mention them in my review for the next episode.

- We met another friend of Adam's named Morris (Kyle Beltran) and Patrick's chief, Mac Marzara (Kal Penn), who I'm expecting to be revealed as gay later in the season.

- Theo definitely feels like a stand in for Robert Mapplethorpe, though given the time period, I wouldn't be surprised if he appears later in the season.

-  The hanky code got mentioned due to opening victim, Captain Ross (Lee Aaron Rosen) having a dark blue one lodged down his throat. Gino also talked about the light blue, grey and yellow bandannas to Patrick. Bandanna was a working title for this season. 

- Standout music: Kathy's rendition of Fever was pretty decent. 

- Chronology: New York City, 1981.

Something's Coming did a great job of kicking this season off. The central story has risk of being cliched and it won't kill Ryan Murphy to have a wider spectrum in how he writes gay men. So far with the obvious exceptions of Sam and Henry, the majority of the gay men in this episode are likeable/interesting enough.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of House Of The Dragon's 1x09: "The Green Council"

 

Written by Sara Hess 

Directed by Clare Kilner

Rhaenys (to Alicent): "Have you never imagined yourself on the Iron Throne?"

The King is dead and after a very long season of declining health, family in fighting and general scheming ala Hightower, the moment came where the Greens demonstrated without a shadow of a doubt as to why none of them deserve to be on the Iron Throne. In all of Westeros, has there been a family so undeserving of that seat?

Yup, I've been shamelessly team Black for a long time and this episode cemented my allegiance more to that house. While Alicent had her moments of sadness for Viserys's death, wanted to prevent Rhaenyra and her children from being assassinated and even called out her own father, none of them negated the fact that her own ambition ruled over everything else.

You can posit the theory that she misheard Viserys's last wish about Aegon being his successor but when nearly everyone in this episode including Aegon himself was quick to point out she was wrong, perhaps Alicent could've conceded the point? Nope she was determined to get her ill equipped first born on the Iron Throne and she succeeded. By doing that she's also brought about her own family's destruction.

Speaking of Aegon, this show has done an amazing job in demonstrating on how terrible he is in every aspect. He slipped out of the Red Keep and wound up being a temporary hostage of Mysaria while two teams went out of their way to look for him. We had twins Erryk and Arryk looking for Aegon on Otto's behalf as well as Criston and Aemond for Alicent's. In this regard, I'm glad that Alicent emerged the victor in that little game.

With Aegon ascending the throne, the highlight of the whole moment belonged to Rhaenys. Whatever issues she might have with Rhaenyra and Daemon, even Rhaenys knew that Team Green wasn't it. Alicent did her best to get Rhaenys on side and for a moment, I thought she might have gotten through to her. I did enjoy watching Rhaenys reading Alicent for filth in regards to the latter succumbing to all the men in her life. You can tell that Rhaenys's words had an impact on Alicent as the episode progressed.

As for the twins, their story took a very surprising turn. Both Erryk and Arryk took very different stances in regards to the Blacks and the Greens. Erryk openly expressed his disgust with Aegon's debauchery and wasted no time in trying to help Rhaenys out of King's Landing. However Rhaenys proved more than capable of getting herself out of a potentially dangerous situation. She even managed to reclaim Meleys and scare the shit out of Alicent and Aegon before she departed.

Meanwhile the division within the Red Keep was also interesting to watch. It was great to see characters like Lyman Beesbury (Bill Patterson) and Harold Westerling (Graham McTavish) essentially stand up for Rhaenyra even if it cost them both. On the other hand, both Criston and Larys's own devotion/obsession with Alicent continued to be creepy with at least one scene involving Larys that felt like it came out of a Quentin Tarantino fantasy. Alicent really does have the worst people in her corner, doesn't she?

- The first episode this season not to feature Rhaenyra or Daemon. We did see Viserys's body getting wrapped up while Alicent will not be in the finale.

- Aegon and Helaena's children appeared briefly in this episode and we learned that Aegon has fathered several bastards in Fleabottom.

- Mysaria using Aegon as a means to help get children out of being used for fighting endeared the character more to me. 

- Aemond seems to have that 'second son' envy of Aegon and for a brief moment, I had thought he was going to kilo his brother to get the Iron Throne.

- People on this show need to start paying attention to Helaena's predictions. She saw that last scene coming. 

- Chronology: Exactly where the previous episode left off.

The Green Council started off as a quiet episode before the shit really hit the fan. The stand out performances of course have to go to both Olivia Cooke and Eve Best and that last scene where Rhaenys could've ended the Greens on the spot was rather jaw dropping. I cant wait to see how the finale will end this particular season.

Rating: 9 out of 10 

My Review of Halloween Ends (2022)

 

Written by Paul Brad Logan & Chris Bernier & Danny McBride & David Gordon Green

Directed by David Gordon Green

Corey (to Laurie): "What are you gonna do when Michael comes back for you? Because he is coming."

Trilogies are a difficult beast to get right, aren't they? Sometimes they can end on a whimper. Rarely do you get them all right from start to finish and in other cases, they can wildly deviate from where they were expected to go. Halloween Ends definitely fell into the latter category.

Following the events of Haddonfield dealing with the boogeyman over the course of two movies set in 2018, this third installment took place a year later where nerdy babysitter Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) found his life being torn apart following the accidental death of Jeremy (Jaxon Goldberg) while under his watch.

Three years later, Jeremy's grieving parents separated, abandoned their former home and Corey became something of a town pariah while working for his uncle and being antagonised by a bunch of annoying teenagers. Then Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) came into Corey's life and soon a blossoming romance with Allyson (Andi Matichak) also followed. In some respects, perhaps things were about to look up for Corey.

Expect not really. The town still largely hated him, those teenagers tried to kill him and then ending up in the sewers led to Corey experiencing something of a life changing encounter.  Yup, before you thought this movie was all about Corey Cunningham (which it mostly was), there was the fact that Michael Myers (Nick Castle/James Jude Courtney) was still alive, in pretty rough shape and for some reason instead of killing Corey on the spot, Michael ended up sparing him with some interesting consequences.

For months this movie has been compared to John Carpenter's Christine but instead of a corrupted motor, merely looking deep into Michael's eyes managed to set Corey on something of a killing spree and he certainly didn't waste time going from nerdy bloke to bad boy as his relationship with Allyson intensified and Laurie realised that Corey was another threat to her family's safety.

The scenes between Corey and Laurie are fantastic, both offering a contrast to the impact that Michael Myers made on their lives. Of course while this movie finally did what previous ones considered but balked at with the copycat killer storyline then gets somewhat nixed with a return to status quo of sorts. I think this movie made a misstep with not leaving Corey's overall fate ambiguous. 

However, the audience wanted a final confrontation with Michael and Laurie and this movie gave a hell of a showdown between the pair of them. Arguably the best one within the trilogy itself with a conclusion that for this timeline that made sense here. Michael got the ending he deserved, while both Laurie and Allyson (the latter not best served here compared to the previous two movies) got their own respective closures. 

- Both Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney appeared in other roles in this movie besides sharing Michael that connected with Corey as well.

- There were loads of lovely nods to the first movie as well as Halloween III: Season Of The Witch with the opening title sequence. 

- Laurie was writing a memoir for most of the movie, Allyson worked as a nurse, Frank wanted to visit Japan with Laurie and Lindsey read tarot cards and worked at a bar. We also learned that Sondra survived the previous movie and saw both her and Julian at the junkyard scene.

- Corey killed the majority of people here while Michael had the lowest body count in a film he's appeared in. Terry also killed Corey's uncle by accident. 

- Standout music: The score music naturally, especially the Corey And Michael bit. 

- Chronology: Halloween 2019 at the beginning before we moved into 2022.

For better or worse, Halloween Ends certainly lived up to it's title by providing a definite ending to this specific timeline. Is it a perfect ending? Nope. Does this mean we'll never get another Michael Myers movie ever again? I doubt it somehow but it's an interesting way to end this particular with. The Corey storyline might have felt a bit late in the game but it worked far better than expected and this movie will definitely a fanbase because of the interesting choices made with it. 

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of House Of The Dragon's 1x08: "The Lord Of The Tides"

 

Written by Eileen Shim

Directed by Geeta Vasant Patel

Viserys (to Otto): "I will sit the throne today."

The day finally came or more specifically the episode itself. Viserys Targaryen, first of his name had lived a long and not very healthy life. Throughout this first season we've seen the man's health diminish in shocking ways that him even breathing at this point was a miracle in itself. This episode did what it needed to do and the ripple effect it'll have for the remainder of the series shouldn't be underestimated either.

Viserys might have been a weak king but he was undoubtedly a good man and his love for Rhaenyra was something that was endearing to watch, even if it meant looking the other way at times. For one final time, Viserys stood up for Rhaenyra when backing Lucerys's right to Driftmark in response to Vaemond trying to take it from the boy. Of course Daemon's own skill set also took Vaemond out of the conversation as well but this episode was all about Viserys's final moments.

Viserys to his credit was not only happy to see his first born daughter, her husband/his brother along with their own children bit he was determined to try and mend fences with all warring sides of his extended family. He almost made some progress but the enmity between Jace (Harry Collett)/Luke (Elliot Grihault) and Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney)/Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) only got worse while Rhaenyra and Alicent briefly put their differences to one side, something which clearly didn't please Otto in the slightest.

However in his final moments of life, Viserys lamented about the prophecy and thanks to Alicent being with him at the time, she now believes that Aegon was destined for the Iron Throne. Aegon seems more interested in terrorising the serving girls as well as ignoring his sister wife and winding up his nephews, At this point, Alicent might as well as go for the throne herself over her incompetent son.

It's almost a shame that war will break out by next episode because there was some progress with Rhaenyra and Alicent during the dinner scene and you even got the feeling that in spite of all the bad blood spilled between them, there was a yearning to reconnect as well. Sadly, Alicent's need to get her son on the Throne will ruin all that.

As for other storylines, Rhaenys didn't seem too broken up with the prospect of Corlys being missing and possibly dead at the Stepstones but more irritated by Vaemond's attempts to claim Driftmark. Also in spite of her belief that Rhaenyra was responsible for Laenor's 'death', not only did she back Lucerys's claim for Drifmark but also accepted both him and Jace as potential husbands for Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell). I'm genuinely surprised that Rhaenyra just didn't tell her about Laenor though.

- The opening credits now has the long list of characters including the grown versions of Rhaenyra, Daemon, Viserys and Alicent's children. Rhaenyra and Daemon also had two sons - Viserys II and Aegon III and were expecting another child. Daemon even collected dragon eggs for them.

- Helaena (Phia Saban) made her displeasure for being married to Aegon well known during the dinner scene and seemed to enjoy dancing with Jace in order to spite Aegon.

- Mysaria reappeared again after being gone for over a decade with it being revealed that Alicent's handmaiden was one of her spies.

- We got to meet another set of twins this week, knights Ser Erryk Cargyll (Elliot Tittensor) and Ser Arryk (Luke Tittensor). Even Alicent couldn't tell them apart. 

- Rhaenyra clearly knew the assignment with the black dress she wore throughout the episode, further hinting at the imminent divide while Alicent decorated the Red Keep with the Seven Pointed Star symbols.

- Chronology: Six years since the events of the previous episode.

The Lord Of The Tides was less about either Vaemond or Lucerys potentially succeeding Corlys and far more about Viserys's final moments. Needless to say that Paddy Considine delivered an exceptional performance with Emma D'Arcy not far behind him as well. I have to give a special shout to both Eileen Shim and Geeta Vasant Patel, who did an increible job with the writing and directing for this episode as well. Both of them need to be mainstays with this show going forward.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Werewolf By Night (2022 MCU Disney+ Special)

 

Written by Heather Quinn And Peter Cameron

Directed by Michael Giacchino

Verussa (to everyone): "For tonight, it's every hunter for themselves."

2022 has undoubtedly become the year where the MCU have found themselves no longer being critic proof with many projects coming under far more scrutiny than years before. Has there been a decline in quality in the behemoth of franchises? Kind of but at the same time, the MCU can still prove capable of pleasantly surprising nonetheless.

For example, this delightful special, appropriately timed for the month of Halloween itself decided to pay homage to the Universal Monster Movies of old while also further delving into the supernatural side of the MCU. Needless to say, it's paid off with aplomb.

Ulysses Bloodstone (Richard Dixon) has died and his widow, Verussa (Harriet Sansom Harris) has decided to appoint a successor to the monster hunting club of her former husband. Among the group of hunters, included Ulysses's own daughter, Elsa (Laura Donnelly) and the rather mysterious Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal), who had his own agenda and one that turned out to be far more sympathetic than his fellow competitors.

With Elsa determined to get her family heirloom off the back of the captured creature Man-Thing (Carey Jones), Jack's motives were more about rescuing his friend, forming a bond with Elsa and having the fact that he was a werewolf in secret revealed in possibly the worst way going. Needless to say, Jack soon went from being a hunter to being a prey of sorts.

In fact, a pretty jealous Verussa ultimately tried to use Jack in order to get him to kill Elsa, only for Jack and Elsa to kill most of Verussa's guards along with the remaining hunters in question before Verussa herself fell victim to Man-Thing. As a result, Jack got his freedom and Elsa got her inheritance with things feeling neatly wrapped up here.

Jack's connection with Elsa was nice to see with even a hint of a future romance between the two of them but it was his scenes with Man-Thing that were the highlight of the episode. Their friendship and willingness to rescue one another was nothing short of endearing and they might one of my favourite partnerships in the MCU in the space of one special. 

- The other hunters in this special included Liorn (Leonardo Nam), Jovan (Kirk R. Thatcher), Azrael (Eugenie Bondurant) and Barasso (Daniel J. Watts). None of them were particularly sympathetic characters but entertaining to watch.

- The majority of this special was in black and white until the last few minutes after Elsa got the Bloodstone.

- Standout music: Judy Garland's Somewhere Over The Rainbow during Jack and Man-Thing final scene together.

- Chronology: Something of an unspecified timeline here.

Werewolf By Night was delightful 52 minutes that proved sometimes less can be more but if more had been on offer, I would've gladly taken. Fantastic performances from Gael Garcia Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris and Carey Jones, this Disney+ special definitely proved that the more horror and supernatural stuff we get from the MCU, the better.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022 Netflix Series)

It took me a little longer to catch up with this recent and rather controversial limited series from Netflix, focusing on infamous serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. Was it worth the watch?

Written by Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan & David McMillan & Janet Mock & Reilly Smith & Todd Kubrak

Directed by Carl Franklin & Clement Virgo & Jennifer Lynch & Paris Barclay & Gregg Araki

Glenda Cleveland (to the police): "I called you for months and its too late. Y'all come too late."

Ryan Murphy's foray into the world of Netflix over the last three years with the type of shows he's chosen to do have been a mixed bag for some. As shows they've largely felt no different to the majority of his FX content and in some respects, the rather long title of Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story could've easily been a lost season of American Crime Story. In fact, watching this series did remind me of the second season of that show, which had focused on Andrew Cunanan's murder of Gianni Versace. Tonally, this series wasn't that much different to it.

The first episode opened with Jeffrey Dahmer (Evan Peters) taking home his last victim, Tracy Edwards (Shaun J. Brown) with the intention of killing him. Only this time, Tracy managed to escape from Dahmer's grasp, alert the police and get Dahmer arrested to the relief and anger of his neighbour Glenda Cleveland (Niecy Nash), who had warned the police about Dahmer, only to have been ignored by them.

From the second to the seventh episodes, most of this limited series put the focus on Dahmer's childhood. We see him growing up as a strange kid with a morbid fixation on taxidermy, something which had been encouraged by his father, Lionel (Richard Jenkins). We also see Lionel marry another woman, Shari (Molly Ringwald), following the separation from Jeffrey's mother, Joyce (Penelope Ann Miller), whose own mental issues were depicted throughout the series.

On top of Jeffrey flunking high school, getting kicked out of the army, bouncing from various jobs and his volatile relationship with his religious grandmother, Catherine (Michael Learned), the show saw his descent into terror with an emphasis on some of his victims. Something that Dahmer was able to do due the shocking incompetence of the police force at the time a well as their lack of accountability following the fallout of Dahmer's crimes revealed.

This series made no bones about the fact that the majority of Jeffrey's victims were non white and along with Tracy Edwards, some of the victims largely emphasised throughout the series included Konerak Sinthasomphone (Kieran Tamondong), Steven Hick (Cameron Cowperthwaite), Ronald Flowers (Dyllon Burnside) and Tony Hughes (Rodney Burford). Most of these men died at the hands of Dahmer and the ones who survived him were deeply scarred by what Dahmer had done to them. 

While family members of Dahmer's victims have been critical of this series, I'll admit this series has at least tried to be respectful to them as well as depicting the fallout of Dahmer's actions, his trial, life in prison, finding God as well as his own brutal death at the hands of a fellow inmate. Not to mention the dark shadow that his reign of terror had left on everyone, including Dahmer's own family.

- Other killers who factored into this miniseries within context to Dahmer were Ed Gein (Shane Kerwin) and John Wayne Gacy (Dominic Burgess).Ryan Murphy has previously depicted versions of Dahmer and Gacy in American Horror Story: Hotel.

- In spite of the controversy surrounding  the show, it's become of Netflix's biggest hits in less than a month of its release.

- The end credits of the finale showed all seventeen victims of Dahmer. 

- The episode titles for the episodes are Bad Meat, Please Don't Go, Doin' A Dahmer, The Good Boy Box, Blood On Their Hands, Silenced, Cassandra, Lionel, The Bogeyman and God Of Forgiveness, God Of Vengeance.

- Standout music: The song Please Don't Go by KC And The Sunshine Band was used a lot in this series.

- Chronology: From 1959 up until 1994.

Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story made for an uncomfortable watch with a compelling set of performances from Evan Peters, Niecy Nash, Richard Jenkins and Rodney Burford to name a few here. Also given the success of the series, I wouldn't be shocked if another real life monster gets emphasized in a follow up show.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of House Of The Dragon's 1x07: "Driftmark"

 

Written by Kevin Lau

Directed by Miguel Sapochnik

Rhaenyra (to Alicent): "Exhausting, wasn't it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness but now they see you as you are."

Wow, did this episode take some fucking turns or what? The big dramatic trailer moment with Alicent coming after Rhaenyra with Aegon the Conqueror's knife was something I expected this episode to end on. Instead it took place halfway through the episode and it wasn't even the most shocking thing here. Then again appearing in the trailers did dilute the potential shock factor in that scene.

So what exactly happened to make Alicent get a bit knife happy on Rhaenyra. Funnily enough, it wasn't Rhaenyra that Alicent had in mind for the knife but rather Lucerys, who during a very violent spat with Aemond cleaved the latter's eye. Basically Alicent decided to get a bit literal on the whole 'eye for an eye' adage when Viserys refused to punish his own grandchild.

I thought Aegon was a little shit in the last episode but Aemond stepped up that factor, first by claiming Vhagar, then by attacking a rightfully upset Baela and Rhaena and also by making sure he knew that both Jacaerys and Lucerys were bastards. Oddly enough, his victory over claiming Vhagar did calm him down in regards to losing an eye.

As for Rhaenyra, the walls were definitely closing in on both her and Laenor's sham marriage and both of them needed a miracle. Alicent might have failed to turn Viserys against Rhaenyra but the latter knew her claim to the throne was under serious threat and she had to act accordingly. She needed a husband that could strengthen her claim. Laenor was out and Daemon was in. Only problem being Laenor still being alive but on this show if a spouse becomes an obstacle, there are ways to remedy that conundrum.

Yup, it really did appear that we were going to get the 'bury your gays' trope a second time this season and had the show stuck to the source material, it's what would've happened. Heck, this episode did a great in convincing that Daemon had hired Qarl to murder Laenor at Rhaenyra's behest. We even got a dual between the lovers and a body for Rhaenys and Corlys to mouth over.

Except in a genuinely surprising twist, it turned out to be a ruse and Laenor turned up alive and sailed off with Qarl for some unknown adventure. If this was the last time we've seen Laenor and Qarl, this was a great way of ending their story. This turn of events also served as a good reminder that this show will do it's own thing, which means other characters fates down the line could end up being very different from the source material itself.

As for Rhaenyra and Daemon, those two didn't waste time here. Laena had just been buried in the sea and the two of them ended up having sex in the sand, stepping up against the Greens, faking Laenor's death and even getting married in secret with their children as witnesses. Alicent and her Greens might want to up their game because Rhaenyra and Daemon as a force will definitely pose a big threat to her.

- Alicent went from judging the Targaryens about their queer customs to planning marriage for both Aegon and Helaena. The latter might be weird but she's the nicest of Alicent's children so far and she did predict Aemond's fate with deadly accuracy.

- Rhaenys and Corlys's stance on Rhaenyra's children was fascinating to watch. Corlys embraced them as his own while Rhaenys was distant towards them. She was also resentful of Daemon not letting Laena come home.

- Larys became Lord of Harrenhal following the deaths of Lyonel and Harwin. Alicent also made it clear that she would be asking a big favour of him fairly soon. Otto has also become the Hand of the King yet again.

- Not only has Viserys lost an arm but his memory seems to be going as well. In one scene he mistook Alicent for Aemma and didn't correct himself when he realised what he had said.

- This is the first and likely only episode this season set on Driftmark from start to finish. 

- Chronology: Not long from the events of the previous episode.

Driftmark was definitely a season high point for me. Yes, if the show had stuck to the book and killed Laenor, a part of me would've been disappointed but I still would've highly rated the episode. The fact that they changed that though did work in the episode's favour as well as every other storyline we got this week. Possibly my favourite episode so far.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

 

Written by David Kirschner And Blake Harris And Jen D'Angelo

Directed by Anne Fletcher 

Winifred: "Lock up your children, Salem. We're back."

Oh indeed, they bloody well do. In an era of reboots, sequels and the combination of both (requels?), it was time for Disney to dip into the well and see of there was some more life into this 1993 camp classic and would you look at it? It seems there was some more life in the Sanderson Sisters after all.

Opening with a flashback scene to 1653, a very stroppy young Winifred (Taylor Paige Henderson) has incurred the wrath of the local reverend Traske (Tony Hale) by refusing to marry a young man, due to her preference for Billy Butcher. As a result, the reverend attempted to take her sisters, Mary (Nina Kitchen) and Sarah (Juju Journey Brener), but a spider caused something of a frenzy and the girls scarpered into the forbidden forest for refuge.

Once in the forest, the girls encounter Mother Witch (Hannah Waddington) who hands her beloved Book over to Winfred while warning her never to do the Magicae Maxima spell. For the most part, Winifred agreed to that term but she also had fun getting revenge on the very villagers who banished her and her sisters. Then the action dips into the present day.

The present day involving three young girls named Becca (Whitney Peak), Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) and Cassie (Lila Buckingham). Something of a fractured group due to Cassie having a jock boyfriend named Mike (Froy Gutierrez), both Becca and Izzy visit the magic store (formerly the Sanderson home) where the owner Gilbert (Sam Richardson) managed to trick the girls into lighting a new Black Flame. You can guess exactly what transpired next as a result.

Yup, they're back and they're badder than ever. Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy) and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) waste no time in singing about their return, attempting to kill both Becca and Izzy and of course, some generational revenge when they realise the current mayor Traske (Tony Hale) has a daughter who can be handy for the spell that should not be done.

Between Gilbert's scenes with Billy Butcher (Doug Jones) as the latter's head was needed for the spell and the new trio of girls reuniting and taking on the Sanderson Sisters, there's plenty to enjoy here. The new trio are a likable bunch and work well together. Of course there's the reveal of them forming a new coven, given Becca's bond with Book and the fact that she's also a witch too. 

As for the Sandersons, all three of the are on fire here with a much grander scheme than the previous movie. Needless to say, they do the Magicae Maxima but there are consequences and one that lead to a character shifting moment for Winifred. Fortunately though, it was a moment that was prepared for and as one generation of witches leave the mortal plane, another have risen to take their place.

- A post credit scene had Gilbert's cat (who was briefly mistaken for Thackery Binx) watching over another Black Flame.

- Both Winifred and Becca came into their power during their 16th birthdays. It also looked like Mother Witch was going to make herself known to Becca and company.

- Mary and Sarah found themselves using a mop and roombas while Winifred got a proper broom. The scene at Walgreens was hilarious.

- Anne Fletcher replaced Matt Shakman due to the latter's commitment to fellow Disney+ sequel Disenchantment.

- Standout music: The Sanderson Sisters The Witches Are Back and their version of One Way Or Another resulting in a flash mob scene during a Sanderson Sisters drag show. We also had a gay couple watching the movie. 

- Chronology: 1653 and 2022 as well as some clips from the 1993 movie.

Hocus Pocus 2 managed to do everything a sequel needed to do these days. It embraced the past, brought back the Sanderson Sisters, Book and Butcher and did something new with them while also ushering an exciting future that I will be shocked if Disney+ don't capitalise on. That post credit scene alone definitely made it clear that we haven't seen the last of Winifred and company.

Rating: 8 out of 10