DCEU Blog - Wonder Twins Go, World Needs Heroes And More

It's been a busy month and with The Batman finally releasing this week and review embargoes about to be lifted, it's an interesting time for DC fans everywhere.

Early in February, DC/WB released a trailer titled The World Needs Heroes showing new clips from The Batman, The Flash, Black Adam and Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom, confirming that all four movies will release in 2022.

More scoopers have been confirming that Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa and even Henry Cavill appear in The Flash movie. Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller recently appeared in the first season of Peacemaker.

Constantine: The House Of Mystery, which sees Matt Ryan reprising the role in animated form will be released on May 3rd. 

Matt Reeves has also confirmed to the absolute shock of no one that a sequel for The Batman is currently in development.  

Black Adam scribe Adam Sztykiel will write and direct a Wonder Twins movie for HBO Max.

Zack Snyder's Justice League is up for a fan favourite Oscar nod. You can vote for the scene where The Flash runs through time.

An upcoming episode of Superman And Lois will see Jonathan Kent (Jordan Elsass) don a Superboy look. The second season is currently airing on the CW.

Michael Keaton has been spotted on set filming for the Batgirl movie. A recent report has suggested that the movie will get a December release on HBO Max.

An addition on IMDb Pro has suggested that a Nightwing movie may be in development. Take that one with a pinch of salt though.

UK viewers will be able to see the current seasons of both Legends Of Tomorrow and The Flash on SkyMax from March 22nd. Edit: It may be April instead.

Titans fourth season have added Joseph Morgan, Franka Potente and Lisa Ambalavanar to the cast. They will play Brother Blood, Mother Mayhem and Jinx respectively.

Doom Patrol will add the character of Casey Brinke, the heroine also known as Space Case. Casting has yet to be confirmed.

The CW are going ahead with Gotham Knights and the main roster will comprise of Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown, Tiffany Fox, Julia Pennyworth, Harper Row and her brother, Cullen. The pilot should begin filming later next month.

That's a round up of this month's stuff. Let's see what next month brings.

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 7x12: "Too Legit To Quit"

 

Written by Morgan Faust And Leah Poulliot

Directed by Sudz Sutherland

Gideon (to the Legends): "We are all retiring."

Okay, while I'm definitely certain that any day now the CW are going to confirm this show for an eighth season, this episode very much felt like the beginning of the end for the Legends. Or more likely a false ending as Evil Gideon really cannot be trusted at all.

Anyways the Legends had to use Evil Gideon's services in order to save the Good Gideon and as a result, the latter made a deal with her bad self. The Legends would retire and live out their lives away from one another while both Gideons would keep an eye on the timeline instead. Of course, Evil Gideon wouldn't be satisfied with that.

With Gary being somewhat of a hindrance, it wasn't too much of a shocker that he'd get ejected into the time stream while our Gideon had made her own reckless decisions in order to prevent the Legends from reneging on the deal they had made with Evil Gideon. However neither had banked on sparking a new determination in Gwyn to save his lover.

I knew it was a little too good to be true when Gideon stopped Ava and Zari's plans to rescue Alun (Tom Forbes) and when Gwyn realised that he was an android, it was obvious what was going to happen next. Given that Alun's death has been revealed to be a fixed point, it's hard to tell what will happen with Gwyn after next week's finale. Will he accept that fate cannot be changed or perhaps have his own changed for the worst? 

As for the futures in questions, we certainly got some interesting things to ponder. Shippers must have been happy with Sara and Ava winding up with a daughter and they themselves seemed excited by the prospects. Personally I would've liked Ava to have had her own Only Murders In The Building style podcast but this kind of works too.

Of course with Nate penning a book, Behrad becoming a children's entertainer, Astra for president, Spooner setting up a mental health centre with her mother and Gwyn getting a cottage in Wales, Zari found herself less satisfied with her prospective fate. It also influenced her decision to save Alun and there was a lovely scene between both her and Nate on the nature of heroism.

- We just got the title card for this episode as well as a lot of references to past characters on this show. 

- Astra's impression of Spooner was pretty funny, even if the real,one nearly got sent out of the airlock by Evil Gideon.

- While this episode talked about audible lips in Zari's future, we also had three kissing scenes in this one. Sara/Ava, Behrad/Astra and Gwyn/Alun.

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off. Gideon visited 1916 offscreen during her initial attempt to rescue Alun.

Too Legit To Quit under different circumstances definitely could've been the groundwork for a series finale but given that this show's very likely coming back for another and Evil Gideon might not be totally honest in what she was showing, I think it's safe to say that Legends and retirement won't be going hand in hand just yet. A good thing as I'm not ready for this show to end either.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x05: "Girl .... You'll Be A Woman, Soon"

 

Written by Rina Mimoun And Adam Mallinger

Directed by Diana Valentine

Bizarro (to Superman): "Ally Allston will destroy everything you love. Your friends, your family. She'll destroy everything unless you kill her first."

There we have to, our true villain of this season. I assumed Doomsday, then Bizarro but nope it's Ally Allston who has been revealed as the real Big Bad of the season and this episode revealed a bit more about her and the danger that she will bring.

First of all her ascension gimmick very much turned out to be true. She's in tune with the bizarro world and had zero problems in drugging Chrissy where the latter met the opposite version of herself. On the plus side, while Ally might have been telling he truth, it was also enough to bring Chrissy back to Team Lois, so at least those two are on the same page with one another.

This episode also revealed that Bizarro himself isn't a villain at all, just more someone willing to cross lines that Superman himself will not. Bizarro's desperate to save both his own world as well as this one and Ally poses a danger to both worlds. At some point, both Superman and Bizarro will have to team up, especially given that Ally has become a bigger danger in Bizarro's word and seems to be heading the same way with this one too.

Moving away with from the Ally side of things this week, we also had a lot of focus on the Cushing family this week and in particular, the events of Sarah's quinceanera. What should've been a nice night for Sarah somewhat got marred by the fact that she learned about Kyle's affair with Tonya and walked out of the father and daughter dance before Lana managed to save some public face.

The affair plot definitely feels like a story for the sake of story and it might have been more interesting had we seen this play out in a far less rushed than it did. Still though, the episode gave a lot of great scenes with Sarah, Lana and Kyle and we even got to meet the latter's mother and learn a bit more about the Cushing family history.

Last but not least, Jonathan let his own jealousy of Jordan get the better of him during those training scenes with the latter and Sam but lying to his brother than he now has powers definitely won't end well. Jonathan's story definitely has been one of the weaker storylines this season, although I'm looking forward to upcoming episodes where he'll don a certain comic look. 

- Kyle's family were actually called Cortez and Sarah was taking back the surname as part of her quinceanera. 

- Not surprised that Anderson wouldn't give Superman the pendant back. How many pendants are they as we know Ally has one too?

- Although being mentioned and given Lois's banana muffins, both John and Natalie sat out this episode. We did get to see Lara though interrogating Bizarro in the Fortress of Solitude.

- Chronology: We had a 1979 flashback in Metropolis which saw a young Ally Allston taking on her father's legacy.

Girl .... You'll Be A Woman, Soon definitely delivered on both Bizarro and Ally Allston and the Cushing subplot was pretty strong overall too. Saying that, I do want to start getting glimpses of this other world than having characters describe it and hopefully that'll be happening soon.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Peacemaker - Season 1 (2022)

 

Written by James Gunn

Directed by James Gunn (eps 1-3, 6 and 8), Jody Hill (ep 4), Rosemary Rodriguez (ep 5) and Brad Anderson (ep 7)

Peacemaker: "Eat peace, motherfucker!"

Following the title character's abrasive introduction in The Suicide Squad and the somewhat antagonistic role he had in that film, I'd be lying if I said that I was eagerly anticipating his HBO Max series but over the course of eight episodes, I soon became a convert to both the idea of this show and it's less character.

Last time Peacemaker (John Cena) was seen, he was in a coma, courtesy of Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and as punishment for disobeying her, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) put him in the care of Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee) in order to either help save the world to make him into a future patsy. The show does present both options for Christopher Smith upon waking from his coma.

Saddled with a team also comprising happy go lucky psychopath, Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), first team leader Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji) and new recruit, Leota  Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), the latter revealed to be Waller's daughter very early on, Peacemaker finds himself going up against the Butterflies as they have their own plans for humanity that are not as black and white as their first appear to be.

For a group of antagonists, they're an interesting bunch, able to possess humans, which we see them do with various characters such as Detective Sophie Song (Annie Chang), who became a host body for their leader Goff. Murn himself was later to be revealed as a rogue member of the race, opposed to their plan and overall as a character got a rather nice character arc, even if he didn't quite make it to the finale.

The main characters definitely have some strong arc and there's none stronger than the title character himself. We see Christopher Smith openly question his militant stance for peace while his relationship with his racist father, Auggie Smith/White Dragon (Robert Patrick) undoubtedly motivated a lot of his behaviour. Ultimately while Peacemaker can be set in his ways as a person, his experiences throughout this first season alone start to shape him into being a better person, so there might be hope for him yet.

Then there's Leota herself, who for the most part tried to see the good in Peacemaker and formed a rather believable friendship with him while struggling to get out of her mother's shadow and maintain her marriage to her wife, Keeya (Elizabeth Ludlow). She's easily one of the best characters on the show and also the one who truly brought about the downfall of both the Butterflies and Task Force X.

As for Emilia Harcourt, she started the season being openly hostile to everyone, only to truly step up as a leader by the finale. Vigilante and Economos aren't quite as developed as the others but both characters do have their moments and the more said about Peacemaker's pet eagle, Eagly, the better. As for Judomaster (Nhut Le), there's potential with the character and hopefully the second season will explore that as he's likely to encounter the gang yet again.

- The episodes are A Whole New Whirled, Best Friends For Never, Better Goff Dead, The Choad Less Traveled, Monkey Dory, Murn After Reading, Stop Dragon My Heart Around and It's Cow Or Never.

- The Justice League were referenced several times and in the finale we got to see to both Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Flash (Ezra Miller) with body doubles standing in for Superman and Wonder Woman.

- The penultimate episode implied that Peacemaker himself  was bisexual, which genuinely surprised me. We can thank John Cena for that development.

-  Like with many shows, this one had flashbacks of Christopher's childhood and accidental killing of his brother, Keith.

- The title sequence might be one of the best ones seen in a DC production with Wig Wam's Do You Wanna Taste It being a catchy theme tune for the series.

- Chronology: Five months following the events of The Suicide Squad. 

Peacemaker's first season was something that I had very moderate expectations about and it was a show that turned out to be far better than expected. James Gunn had his fans with The Suicide Squad but this for me was even better. A true testament in giving a character a second chance with fantastic results. I will definitely watching the second season. 

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Catwoman: Hunted (2022)

 

Written by Greg Weisman

Directed by Shinsuke Terasawa

Catwoman: "You know I appreciate the classics but I like to move with the times."

I have to admit that when I saw the first trailer for this animated film, my expectations were not exceptionally high for this. Catwoman's a fan favourite character with many iterations out there. In terms of animation, she's not been always as utilised well so I was cautious about what this solo/team up movie would bring. To my pleasant surprise, a lot in the best way.

Donning a classic look, Catwoman (Elizabeth Gillies) decided to crash a party hosted by Barbara Minerva (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) in order to steal the cat's eye emerald. By doing this, Selina quickly put a target on her back, courtesy of Leviathan as both Black Mask (Jonathan Banks) and Tobias Whale (Keith David) gave chase, only for Catwoman to soon encounter Batwoman (Stephanie Beatriz) and soon the pair of them are forced to work together.

Namely because Julia Pennyworth (Lauren Cohen) and King Faraday (Jonathan Frakes) make Catwoman an offer she can't refuse and as the movie developed, it also turned out that Catwoman had her own personal agenda for targeting Barbara Minerva. It's funny how things tend to line up, isn't it?

Having both Catwoman and Batwoman form an unlikely pair (minus the "faux" sexual tension) along with the former's cat, Isis definitely made for an entertaining movie. The bickering, slight flirting and competitiveness along with the two working together to take out both Cheshire (Kelly Hu) and Nosferata (Zehra Fazal) was definitely a highlight of this particular feature.

Of course the big highlight was Selina's motives for going after Leviathan and the set up of a future confrontation with Talia Al Ghul (Zahra Fazal) as well as a genuinely engaging fight between Catwoman and Minerva in her true form as the Cheetah. That along with a Solomon Grundy (Steve Blum) and this movie definitely doesn't lack in the action sequences. 

As for Selina, with this being her movie, it made sense that everything would end up going her way, even if it took a while for her plans to come to fruition. Then again, Selina did prove herself to be the expert at playing both the long game and those who underestimated her throughout. She might be a jewel thief but she's also got a bigger cause as well.

- The anime style worked better here than I expected it to and aside from the costume party, I'm actually impressed this movie didn't have a Batman appearance.

- There was brief arc back in 2015, which explored Catwoman's bisexuality, so I guess the flirting with Batwoman might have been an allusion to that.

- The anime Lupin III was an influence for this, according to producers.

- Location wise we had Spain, Shanghai, Paris and the English Channel.

Catwoman: Hunted turned out to be a delightfully entertaining romp and the sort of story that would be perfect as a live action vehicle for the lovable cat burglar. Elizabeth Gillies did a terrific job as Catwoman and I enjoyed the character's hi-jinks throughout.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Money Isn't Everything

Took the month of January off from these sort of blogs but any more, I will try to make them monthly affairs going forwards. Anyways, a look at stuff I've been watching recently.

And Just Like That: It's been an undeniably divisive return for the ladies of New York (minus Samantha) but at least it's been discussion worthy to a point. With Charlotte mostly relegated to comedy mishaps and stuff involving her children, it's been Carrie and Miranda getting the dramatic stuff with mixed results. Carrie's  had hip problems, apartment problems, neighbour problems and finding the right place to scatter Big's ashes. She's also gained a solo podcast and a new love interest. Miranda also gained a new love interest in Che, thus breaking up her marriage to Steve and losing a bit of her former self. I'm all for Miranda discovering herself but Che was the wrong character to do this with. At least Seema proved to be a strong addition to the series. Will it gets seconds? Who knows.

Batwoman: Ah, this season has been surprisingly strong for the most part. What hasn't worked in my opinion has been Ryan's family, especially Marquis, who is a very poor version of this show's attempt of a Joker baddie while Jada still hasn't really clicked as character either. What has clicked was the Poison Ivy arc (short as it was and convenient in exiting Renee Montoya) along with the sisterly bond between Mary and Alice and Luke finally syncing with his Batwing suit. Even the Ryan and Sophie pairing, despite being a tad contrived has worked better than expected. Hopefully these last two episodes can end the season on a good note.

Dexter: New Blood: I think this show has managed to strike a record for coming up with a finale more polarising and controversial than the original one it did. To me, that's crazy because what we got in 2013 was a terrible way to end the show while we got in 2022 while not entirely perfect, at least made more thematic sense. Harrison being the one to kill his own father after Dexter's whole web of lies came crashing down felt oddly right. This limited series didn't fully recapture the heights of the original series glory days but it definitely made up for it's original ending.

Pam And Tommy: Is there anyone not watching this limited series? Last week Hulu/Disney+ dropped the first three episodes and it made for some interesting viewing. Needless to say both Lily James and Sebastian Stan absolutely nail it as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee and they're ably supported by Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman and Taylor Schilling. These episodes provide quite the education into the title characters turbulent relationship as well as the role that Ran Gauthier played in their sex tape being leaked. Lily James herself has completely disappeared into the role and the 90's soundtrack, I just love. As for Tommy's talking penis in the second episode. Um. 

The Gilded Age: Julian Fellowes is a writer who found his comfort zone a long time ago and has never stepped out of it since. That might sound harsh but can you tell me if it's untrue? Fortunately for Fellowes, his comfort zone continues to be very much appreciated and while this show feels too familiar and comparisons to Downton Abbey are completely justified, the first two episodes were enjoyable. It's beautifully shot, the cast are excellent with Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon being obvious standouts. There's even a closeted gay love story in between fabulous costumes, old versus new money discoveries and a young female protagonist in Marion trying to make her way in an ever changing world. It's also performed well enough to quickly earn itself a second season.

• Nyle DiMarco will play a graduate student in the upcoming reboot of Queer As Folk.
• National Treasure for Disney+ has found it's lead star in Catherine Zeta Jones.
• The CW have ordered pilots for Gotham Knights, The Winchesters, Walker: Independence and a female led Zorro reboot.
• Aubrey Plaza, Michael Imperioli, F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hollander, Adam DiMarco and Haley Lu Richardson will make up the main cast of the second season of The White Lotus with Jennifer Coolidge also returning.
• Murray Bartlett will be appearing in both The Last Of Us and the second season of Only Murders In The Building.
• Legends Of Tomorrow has added Donald Faison as a fame hungry mystery character for it's seventh season finale. If the show gets picked up for an eighth season, the character will likely be a regular.
• The L Word: Generation Q has been renewed for a third season by Showtime.
• Euphoria has also been renewed for a third season by HBO. The show is currently having a record ratings boost.
• The second season of Bridgerton will be released on Netflix from March 25th.
• Arielle Kebbel will appear in an upcoming arc of 911 as a character named Lucy. 
• Moon Knight will premiere on Disney+ from March 30th.
• The Lords Of The Rings: The Power Of The Rings will premiere on Amazon from September 2nd.

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 7x11: "Rage Against The Machines"

 

Written by Mark Bruner And Mercedes Valle

Directed by Jes Macallan

Zari (re Android Legends): "We really are our own worst enemies."

As we head into the final stretch, it was time for the Legends and their Android doubles to meet up and boy, did this episode have fun with that idea. Possibly too much fun with it, but that's no bad thing. This episode had so much in it's favour.

I have to give Nick Zano a shoutout for his comedic timing because he had clearly had way too much fun in playing up Android Nate's toxicity and capped with an Arnold Schwarzenegger accent made the character's scenes even more priceless. It also made the character's final fate more interesting as a certain promise that Sara made Thawne was nicely capped off as well.

Sara had hoped that she could reason with the Android Legends but them killing Thawne and even her put Gwyn in a leadership role that he excelled at. It was fantastic to see the character in his element, using his military knowledge to bring about the downfall of the Android Legends. After this episode, I'm starting to think that Gwyn might be sticking around after all.

Watching the team working together to take out the other Legends was fantastic. Spooner turned her double and Gary in each other, Gary sent the Ava and Astra doubles into hell after Behrad gave them a lethal dose while Astra killed the Behrad double as did Zari with her double and Gideon tricked the Sars and Nate ones into their own destructions. Then another fate befall Android Nate.

However while it seemed like things were working out for the Legends, something had to go wrong. Ending the episode had Gideon stabbed by a toasted Android Astra and this was only moments after the real one said she was proud of Gideon. I guess we did need that cliff hanger moment as the show took a break for the Winter Olympics.

However now that the Legends have control of the other Waverider, there's the problem of the other Gideon. The trailer for the next episode made it clear that Zari's pulling the plug didn't have the desired effect. With two episodes left to go, how do you solve the problem of an evil AI?

- With Jes Macallan on directing duty for this one, it made sense that the episode sidelined Ava for most of it.

- The Legends using the singing fish, Star Wars spoilers, VRs and tablets to smoke out their doubles was highly amusing.

- Is this Thawne really dead? At least he went on a heroic note.

- Chronology: Still 1914 Sarajevo for this episode.

Rage Against The Machines did a great job in tying up the fixed point storyline and certainly gave most of the main cast a perfect chance to shine against their Android doubles. With two episodes left, I cant wait to see how this season will finish up and hopefully news on a next season renewal will happen this month.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x04: "The Inverse Method"

 

Written by Jai Jamison And Andrew N. Wong

Directed by Melissa Hickey

Chrissy (to Ally): "Can you meet me? I want you to tell me the truth about Lois."

Last season had a clear path when it came to enemies for Superman and Lois. The former thought he had an enemy in Captain Luthor who would later turn out to be an ally in Steel while the latter's battle with Morgan Edge soon back to Superman when Edge was revealed to be his half brother.

This season the enemy playing field feels different. While Bizarro has undeniably proven to be a great physical threat to both Superman and Steel, Lois has found herself a personal and psychological threat in Ally Allston (Riya Kihlstedt). So far, she's shaping up to be a very dangerous adversary for Lois. 

In the comics, Ally Allston became a version of Parasite and the opening flashback in this episode where Lois referred to Ally as a parasite preying on vulnerable people to Lucy (Jenna Dewan) definitely seemed to be laying the ground work for a future storyline this season. Make no mistake, Ally has certainly done a number on Lucy Lane.

It's been six years since we saw the character back in the first season of Supergirl and needless to say that Lucy has become a shell of herself. Depressed at the state of her life and lingering childhood anger towards Lois, I can see why Lucy fell in Ally's dangerous trap and joined the Inverse Society. Unfortunately the lengths in which Lois has gone to save her sister have only resulted in pushing Lucy further into Ally's grasp.

However it's not just Lucy that Lois will potentially lose to Ally. Lois's relationship with Chrissy has never been on an even keel and Ally was quick to exploit that when she gave Chrissy access to Lois and Lucy's conversation. She succeeded in creating a divide between Lois and Lucy and now has managed to do the same to Lois and Chrissy. To me, Ally has definitely shown to be a far more dangerous threat than Bizarro.

Saying that, Bizarro has definitely not lacked as a baddie so far. As I pointed out earlier in the review, he's a massive physical threat to both Superman and Steel and nearly killed the latter when he wasn't killing Anderson's own Superman team. However Tag managed to survive and took Bizarro's amulet away with him, so that's another potential problem for everyone in the next episode.

As for the Cushings this week, their storyline definitely feels too detached from the main plots this season so far. Also a tiny bit too predictable with Dean trying to get dirt on Lana's family by targeting Sarah. However the reveal that Kyle might have cheated on Lana with a bartender definitely felt cliched. I don't mind the story so much, but it's definitely needs to tie in to the main stuff at some point.

- Jonathan started using the X-Kryptonite due to Candace goading him to do so with Natalie spotting something off with him. Also Sarah's friend, Denise fancies him.

- We now have a plot where Jordan will be getting trained by Sam so that he can help Clark against Bizarro. Sam should've been involved in the Lucy story this week.

- Lucy talked about seeing another version of herself during her suicide attempt. Crisis related memories or something else?

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off, also five years ago in the opening flashback scene, not to mention trips to New Carthage and Bolivia this episode.

The Inverse Method definitely added the tension this week with both Ally Allston and Bizarro causing havoc for our main players. Both are compelling villains for different reasons and both are bringing out interesting sides to the characters as well. I can see why Lucy's return has divided fans but I'm intrigued to see where tho story will go.

Rating: 8 out of 10

DCEU Blog - Batgirl Major Spoilers, Arrowverse Future Series And More

Yeah, this blog might as well be a special focusing on a certain movie, but I promise, other DC stuff has happened too. Here we go.

Earlier this month, Leslie Grace used her social media accounts to unveil her costume for Batgirl (currently filming in Glasgow). Very inspired by the Batgirl: Year One comics.

Keeping with this movie, Ivory Aquino was cast as Barbara's best friend, Alysia Yeoh, marking the first trans character to appear in the DCEU.

Other casting revealed for the movie included Ethan Kai (rumoured to be a love interest for Barbara), Rebecca Front and Corey Johnson. JK Simmons also started filming at the end of the month.

Michael Keaton will film his scenes as Batman/Bruce Wayne next month and there's rumours we will also be seeing Dick Grayson in the movie with casting due to be announced soon. The movie is due for a HBO Max release later this year.

Luke J. Roberts and Olivia Grant have been revealed as the actors playing Thomas and Martha Wayne for The Batman. Their characters will be seen in flashbacks. Gil Perez-Abraham is seemingly Stanley Merkel while Barry Keoghan might be playing a much bigger character.

The Batman will be 175 minutes long with tickets going on sale from February 10th. Spoilers are going to be a challenge to avoid until March 4th.

Looks like the Joker sequel might go into production around 2023 with both Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Phillips slated to return.

Gal Gadot has also confirmed that the third Wonder Woman will not film until early to mid 2023.

Peacemaker not only seems to be likely to get a second season on HBO Max but James Gunn has admitted that another spin-off from The Suicide Squad could be happening too. I'll be doing a series review after the release of the finale.

A three part tie in comic for The Flash movie, titled The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive will be released from April to July and will be written by Kenny Porter with art by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz.

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom has now completed filming while Shazam! Fury Of The Gods has had another test screening.

Blue Beetle will begin filming in April for an August 18th 2023 theatrical release. Expect a lot of casting news over the next few weeks.

David Ramsey's John Diggle may leading his own CW series as the network has ordered a pilot for Justice U, in which Diggle would be recruiting and training up young heroes.

Grant Gustin has apparently signed a deal for a ninth season of The Flash, which will be 15 episodes and will see Gustin earn $200,000 per episode.

Filming for both Titans and Doom Patrol's upcoming seasons will begin next month. 

HBO Max now have the first two seasons of Pennyworth available to stream. The third season has completed filming and will be released later in the year.

That's everything for this month. Next month, I could be covering some major casting reveals as well as some show renewals too.

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 7x10: "The Fixed Point"

 

Written by Matthew Maala And Paiman Kalayeh

Directed by Maisie Richardson-Sellers

Sara: "Get ready Legends because this time, there are no do overs."

We are near the final stretch of episodes and after last week's bombshell where Gideon gave Gwyn's suggestion of saving Archduke Franz Ferdinand and preventing World War 1 some serious thought, this episode quickly turned the idea on it's head.

Instead of the Legends trying to break a fixed point in time, they'd use it to smoke out Evil Gideon and the Android Legends and get the other Waverider. A delightfully cunning idea that could've gone without a hitch but then this episode would've been only five minutes long. Of course there was a hitch and then some.

The first hitch being the Legends getting roped into a time traveller's bar where they were the laughing stock among their peers while also waiting in line to try and prevent Ferdinand's assassination. This also resulted in Sara getting killed multiple times as the gang realised that a mystery man was there, derailing their attempts.

Had the promo pics and press releases for this episode and the next one not spoiled things, the return of Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash would've been a genuine surprise. Either way, it's nice to see the character again and it's even better that it's the Matt Letscher version of the character too. On a surprising note, Thawne's purpose for this episode was to make sure the fixed point remained intact and he was more grudging ally than dangerous foe for Sara and the Legends this week.

Now with the Legends in a prime position to reclaim the Waverider, what else happened in this episode? Oh, there was the rather understated manner in which Spooner came out as asexual to Zari as the two of them became friends this week. That was a lovely little moment in this episode and one that proved yet again, why this show has been the best for LGBT representation.

Speaking of LGBT representation, I never loved Ava Sharpe more than I did in this episode. With both her and Gwyn mostly sidelined in this one from the main story, there was a beautiful moment between them here. Gwyn's plan to save Alun but to deny himself happiness with the latter was heart-breaking and I loved that Ava seemed to have gotten through to him.

As for the other romances of the episode, both Astra and Behrad seem to be in the early days of their romance while Gideon went from self doubt about her knowledge of time to being elated about Thawne's arrival and being openly affectionate with Gary. As for Nate, we did learn that art was not a talent of his while he was also a great support for Sara.

- The credit sequence came back to normal for this episode after the last two doing something different with them.

- Zari's "smash, marry, avoid" game was a good catalyst to have Spooner open up about her feelings. 

- This episode had way too much with the amount of ways that Sara got killed this week.

- Chronology: June 28th 1914, Sarajevo.

The Fixed Point was another triumph for Maisie Richardson-Sellers on the directing front and on the front of everything else, this has become one of my favourite episodes of this season. Brilliant character moments, a welcomed baddie return. Everything about this one was a winner.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x03: "The Thing In The Mines"

 

Written by Katie Aldrin And Juliana James

Directed by Gregory Smith

Sam (to everyone): "There's a bizarre version of Superman on the loose."

Well, not to put too fine a point on it, Sam, but it's actually a Bizarro version of Superman. Close enough though. It also looks like that it's not Doomsday that was causing all that ruckus in the mines but it was Bizarro and now he's on the loose.

This also means that Tyler Hoechlin will be on double duty, acting wise this season and the episode did a great job in introducing Bizarro to both Superman and Steel where the former also made himself at home in the Fortress of Solitude. While Bizarro doesn't seem like a great conversationalist for now, he also doesn't appear to be very dumbed down either.

Bizarro's arrival certainly had Clark on edge all throughout the episode. Not only did he have to put his Superman duties on hold but he also snapped at both Jordan and Jonathan  in a way that even shocked him. Again, I'm so glad this show doesn't drag these plots out for too long. We know it's Bizarro that was the cause of Clark's recent distress and now so does everyone else.

As for Sam, he's helpful when the script needs him to be and a hindrance for the same reasons as well. He wanted Clark to tell Anderson everything about Bizarro while also clashing with Lois at first  over Lucy's past with Ally Allston and the latter's dangerous cult. Of course Sam did come good for Lois but unfortunately for the latter, it was made painfully clear that Lucy was still part of Ally's toxic cult.

As for Jonathan and Jordan, their woes were personal this week. The former found out his girlfriend was supplying Timmy with the drugs that was enhancing his football performance and decided he wanted in while the latter decided to continue seeing Sarah. That can only mean their relationship really will be doomed as the season goes on.

Last but not least there was Lana's mayor plot, which although made for decent screen time, it did feel too separate from the main plot strands this week. Lana did gut her first stumbling block in her campaign but thanks to Sarah getting her to do a cooking live stream, she might have recovered a little faster than expected. I'm guessing she'll win or lose before we get to the halfway point of the season. 

- I love the title card going backwards at the end of the episode. Very inline now that we have Bizarro in the mix.

- With the amount of mentions of Lois's mother this season, I get the feeling she'll be appearing later on. Natalie had some great scenes with Jordan and Jonathan this week.

- Not only are John and Natalie going to fix the former's suit but also the barn. I'm surprised that Sam didn't have more of a reaction to Natalie as well.

- Chronology: From where the last episode left off and we're still in 2021, going by Lana's homemade campaign posters.

The Thing In The Mines didn't waste time with the Bizarro reveal and it was nicely handled. We're three episodes in and this season has definitely been as strong as it's first one, balancing the family elements and the superhero ones too. 

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 7x09: "Lowest Common Demoninator"

 

Written by James Eagan And Emily Cheever

Directed by Eric Dean Seaton

Astra (to the Legends): "We are on a reality show in Hell."

Following last week's focus on the Android version of the Legends, this week saw the return of our guys, who thanks to Gideon landed in the pocket dimension of Constantine's manor in Hell. Could've been and of course, it means the gang would have the opportunity to come up with a strategy against Evil Gideon.

Except for the fact that Gwyn opened a door in the manor and let inside the cursed crew who sold their souls to a demon named Harris Ledes (Giles Panton) in order to make a hit reality show. Yup, the Legends have found themselves living out a reality TV series and all the tropes that came with it.

To cap off things, you had Nate and Zari 2 almost fall into 'friends to lovers' trope before both of them fell out over their own feelings about Zari 1 while a self doubting Gideon switched off her emotions to stir the pot among the feuding housemates. Gideon being a massive contrast to a very overly emotional Gary, who also made things worse for the Legends.

Then there was Sara and Ava with the former more fixated on planning a vacation than trying to get out of reality show hell while the latter grew tired of being the den mother of the gang and snapped. Meanwhile Spooner took Survivor a little too much or heart and Gwyn went from wanting to save Alun to wanting to prevent World War 1 altogether.

As for Astra, she had a plan to get Ledes to pull the show but Behrad's snooping just put them in the periphery of things instead. However it was also Behrad opening up about his own past experience and a commentary on being a stoner and chill dude that basically resolved this plot. As someone who found Behrad a weak character last season, I really like how much he's improved as a character this season. 

As for the potential romance between Astra and Behrad, I think the former has more chemistry with Spooner but I don't mind the pairing either. Both of them were the only ones who were more savvy about the main plot of the week and I do think the actors play off each other rather well. Likewise the same with Gideon and Gary and how the latter also castigated the Legends for being judgmental about their blossoming romance.

- The premise of this episode was set in Constantine's manor. There's a Hellblazer comic with this very premise and the title sequence were very Constantine themed. He was also mentioned in the episode. That's it really.

- Harris Ledes production company was named after the title of the episode. 

- Gwyn's constant praying throughout the episode being censored was funny as well as Nate's Jersey Shore look.

- Chronology: From where the mid season finale left off for the Legends.

Lowest Common Demoninator definitely and shamelessly went overboard with the reality TV tropes but only this show could've pulled this episode off with aplomb. Add some genuinely funny scenes with the main characters and development for both Behrad and Astra and this was a winner for me.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x02: "The Ties That Bind"

Written by Kristi Korzec And Michael Narducci

Directed by David Ramsey

Tal-Rho: "Aren't you gonna thank me for reuniting you with your long lost mother?"

Superman: "She could've been a mother to us both if you had chosen a different path."

Well, this was a family reunion I didn't expect so early in the season. Tal-Rho reappearing actually took me by surprise and it was a pleasant one nonetheless. Is it me or is this show going for a potential Loki vibe with the character?

I mean, sure his resentment towards Kal-El isn't going anywhere anytime soon but I do think a part of him wanted to help his brother this week as well as himself. On top that, he also seemed a little dejected when Superman didn't believe there was any good in him but wanted there to be. I feel a potential redemption story might be on the cards for Tal-Rho.

What I really loved about this episode was the fact that Clark took direct action about his visions. Once his family knew he was afflicted by them, he reached out to his estranged brother and the latter reunited them (and Jordan) with Lara (Mariana Klaveno). It was nice to see Lara both sympathise with Tal-Rho while also giving Kal-El a bit more information on what's causing her other son's visions.

At this point we know it's Doomsday and the antics down the mines certainly keep confirming that. There's also the fact that Dr Faulkner did her best to keep both Lois and Chrissy away from the mines while also confirming to a mystery person that something powerful was down there. I want to assume the mystery person Faulkner was talking to was Anderson (who's still a charmless pain in the ass) but I wouldn't rule out someone else altogether.

Meanwhile outside of the main plot, we had some interesting personal stuff too. Last week, Sarah was extremely distant with Jordan and this episode saw her and Natalie bonding over a car that the latter managed to get up and running. The reveal of Sarah possibly being gay or bisexual (she kissed a girl named Aubrey at camp) - it's too early to tell but I wouldn't be surprised if the show pairs her and Natalie before the second half of the season.

As for Lois, she had a lot of strong moments here too. Her attempts at bonding with Natalie over a big breakfast might have been a bust but she had some great scenes with both John and Chrissy this week. The latter especially as it was revealed that Lois's sister Lucy was in a cult and nearly killed herself. The show definitely has been laying the ground work for the character's imminent arrival.

Last but not least, I mentioned in my review for the season premiere that it wouldn't take the show long to go with Lana running for Mayor and it didn't. This episode had Daniel Hart quickly drop out of the race, Kyle get his fire station to vote for Lana and the latter to fill out the paperwork. Again, it's nice to see the show just speed through some of these plots.

- Superman nearly got defeated by an X-Kryptonite infused Philip Karnowski, also known as Barrage in the comics. He also got rescued by Tag, who has become of Mitch's soldiers.

- Jonathan figured out one of his lazier teammates was on steroids while still happy with his new girlfriend.

- I noticed the blog that was giving that cult leader a platform was from the same person that Lois didn't want Chrissy to hire last week.

- Chronology: From where the premiere episode more or less left off.

The Ties That Bind was definitely a better episode than the premiere. So many fantastic character moments, plots continuing to be moved forward while the Doomsday arc nicely being teased without feeling dragged out. This season definitely has gotten off to a great start.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Scream (2022)

 

Written by James Vanderbilt And Guy Busick

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin And Tyler Gillett

Ghostface (to Dewey): "It's an honour."

The horror franchise that galavanised the horror franchise of the 1990's and after an unrelated MTV series, it's back again to see if it adds little more bite in the horror genre one more time. The results are definitely something alright.

We open with a very familiar scene. Teenager Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) at home on the phone, thinking she's talking to her friend, Amber Freeman (Mikey Madison), only for Ghostface (Roger L. Jackson) to show up and kill her. Except, it's a new decade and there are new rules and this time, the supposed opening kill managed to survive their encounter with Ghostface.

With Tara not ending up the first victim hut still hospitalised, her estranged sister, Samantha (Melissa Barrera) came back to Woodsboro with her boyfriend, Ritchie Kirsch (Jack Quaid) in tow and it's soon revealed that Samantha has a noteworthy history with Ghostface. The noteworthy history being that her father was Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and he's been haunting her subconscious ever since she found this out.

Unfortunately for Samantha, the new Ghostface also knows her secret and it's not long before she enlisted a retired and divorced Dewey Riley (David Arquette) while getting to know Tara's friend circle, which included Randy's niece and nephew Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding), the latter's girlfriend Liv (Sonia Ben Ammar) and Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) son Wes (Dylan Minette).

As a younger generation, they're a mixed bag of characters that while mostly likable enough don't really stand out too much. Having most of these new characters, including a creepy guy named Vince (Kyle Gallner) who was revealed to be Stu's nephew did feel a tiny bit contrived, even though the movie went to lengths to point out the necessity of bedding both old and new in this 'requel'.

Speaking of the old, this movie certainly gives our three OGs the least amount to do of any movie by far. Dewey probably fared the best in some respects and also worse in a lot of others. As for Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), she's determined to stay away from Woodsboro but like Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), it only took one thing to draw them both back into the thick of things.

In terms of who Ghostface are, I won't spoil their identity but I will say they're the worst killers since Roman and I found myself generally uninterested in them as characters even before the reveal. The motive thought about wanting to make the perfect sequel while framing Samantha as the bad guy and commentary on toxic fandoms however did work as did the team up with Samantha, Sidney and Gale to take them out. While Samantha might not be quite as compelling a protagonist as Sidney, I do respect this movie for making her as different to Sidney as possible.

- This movie had a For Wes credit and of course, Dylan Minette's character was also named after him. I actually wish we had seen more of Wes. 

- Rian Johnson apparently directed the last Stab movie that sent the current Ghostface on their mission for that perfect sequel.

- Gale got a morning show in LA and Dewey left her. Dewey also had nerve damage from previous attacks, Sidney married Kincaid and had kids with him and Kirby survived the previous movie.

- Chronology: 25 years since the events of the first movie with the third act being set in Stu's house to really bring things home for all concerned.

Scream (2022) definitely had it's moments and while the third act didn't pack as big a punch as it could've with the killers being somewhat lacking, I do think this movie did manage to breathe a bit of new life in the franchise. Will it lead to another? Maybe it should but I'd be fine if it didn't either.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Legends Of Tomorrow's 7x08: "Paranoid Android"

 

Written by  Phil Klemmer And Marcelena Campos Mayhorn

Directed by David Geddes

Android Sara: "We are the real Legends Of Tomorrow."

Well, this was certainly an episode to come back to after nearly a two month break. I knew there was potential in Evil Gideon coming up with her own Android version of the Legends and this episode really scratched the surface of that concept. 

Having our Android version of the Legends firmly believe they're the good guys made absolute sense and of course would make Evil Gideon's plan seem just that bit more nefarious. However it shouldn't be a surprise that Doctor Sharpe would be the one enabling Evil Gideon's scheme and it was less surprising that Android Sara would be the one to suspect that things weren't quite as they appeared.

Watching the cast play somewhat exaggerated versions of themselves as Androids who didn't know they were for most of the episode was entertaining as hell. Although they're slightly better at cleaning up the timeline as the real Legends as Evil Gideon got them to fix up the mess that Gwyn caused with Chernobyl from two episodes ago.

So let's talk about the Android team shall we? There's Nate who seemed to have gotten Mick's old personality and seriously looked roided up to the hilt when he wasn't belittling the completely alien and always hungry Gary. Then there was Behrad and Spooner who for some reason seem to be locked in a permanent game of trying to up the other, which was also funny.

The Android version of Astra didn't feel that different or exaggerated from the version we already know while Android Zari was both the cause of Sara realising the truth and her eventual downfall. Not to mention the more antagonistic dynamic between Sara and Doctor Sharpe, which was definitely the highlight of the episode.

Unfortunately with Android Sara posing a potential threat to Evil Gideon's overall plans, it was up to the rest of the Android Legends to relieve her of command, regress her into only being an assassin and for Citizen Steel to take charge of the Waverider. Yup, this will definitely be fun to watch play out for the remaining five episodes of the season.

- The actual Legends themselves were confined to a scene from the previous episode as seen by the Android versions perspective. Gwyn for now does not have an Android double.

- The Android Legends got their own title sequence and Citizen Steel got a bullying ad where kids compared him to John Cena. That was timely considering that Peacemaker premiered today.

-  Even this episode seemed to be hinting at a future Behrad and Astra hook up while Spooner referred to the latter as her best friend.

- Chronology: 1943 Seattle, 1986 Ukraine and 1992 Norway for the Legends to assassinate a surviving Soviet scientist.

Paranoid Android definitely had far too much fun in parking our main heroes and giving us the spin off within a show with their Android versions. I had so much fun with these characters that I actually didn't miss any of the main players this week. 

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Superman And Lois 2x01: "What Lies Beneath"

 

Written by Brent Fletcher And Todd Hellbing

Directed by Gregory Smith

Lt Anderson: "America can have more than one Superman."

And it's back. It's been nearly six months since the show went off the air, finally acquired itself a UK home on BBC1 and snaring the old Doctor Who timeslot. The first season raised the bar for what a CW DC could do. The question - can this new season continue to raise the bar? We'll definitely have to see, won't we?

Picking up from the finale, both Lois and Natalie Irons (Tayler Buck) have different reactions upon seeing one another. While Natalie struggled with meeting a woman who looks like her dead mother hut isn't her, Lois struggled to talk to a child that also isn't hers. It's a struggle that both Buck and Elizabeth Tulloch articulate throughout this opening story.

Lois's struggle with Natalie's existence affected her relationship with Clark and her sons during the episode, leading to some harsh words as well as her partnership with Chrissy at the Smallville Gazette and finding extra staff. It also led to Lois getting a breakthrough of her own and confronting the Natalie situation full steam ahead.

Having John and Natalie move back from Metropolis (where the latter was miserable in) to the Kent farm definitely could go either way. Clark did seem to support Lois's decision but both Jordan and Jonathan seemed apprehensive about it as did even Natalie. Either way, it's going to be a very interesting family dynamic with these characters this season.

Speaking of dynamics, one episode in and Lt Mitch Anderson (Ian Bohen) already has me missing the days of General Sam Lane and Superman butting heads. Anderson already comes across as a less flexible version of Sam Lane and he absolutely didn't waste any time in letting Superman know that he had his own way of maintaining America's interests at heart.

This season already seems to be tackling the theme of Superman's loyalty and whether he should be more loyal to the country he grew up in or the planet he feels responsible for. Anderson's use of those students from that school definitely feels like something that will put both him and Superman at odds for the majority of the season.

Then there's the actual baddie itself. Last season made viewers think that Captain Luthor would be the main threat, only to reveal that he was John Henry Irons/Steel all along while Morgan Edge was actually Superman's half-brother, Tal-Rho. This season definitely feels like Anderson and his militant devotion will be one threat while the thing that has been pounding it's way up through the Earth will be another. The thing in question might also be Doomsday, so that's gonna be a fun ti,e ahead for Superman.

- Lana has found herself campaign for potential mayor Daniel Hart and Kyle seems to be a tad jealous of him. 

- Jonathan got a new girlfriend named Candace and Lois caught them neatly having sex. It also seems like Sarah might be on the brink of dumping Jordan.

- Nice reference to Lucy by Lois in this episode. Jenna Dewan will be reprising the role from Supergirl this season.

- Chronology: Three months from where the previous season's finale left off.

What Lies Beneath got off to a relatively slow start and perhaps was a little too angsty in some parts. Saying that, the new dynamics set up here with various characters are definitely interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing how the show will be able to handle Doomsday. 

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

 

Written by James Vanderbilt And Alvin Sargent And Steve Kloves

Directed by Marc Webb

Peter: "We all have our secrets: the ones we keep and the ones that are kept from us."

With this movie hitting it's tenth anniversary later this year and Andrew Garfield's tenure as the web slinger getting a certain appraisal from audiences, I thought now was the perfect time to take a look back at this movie.

Sandwiched between Tobey Maguire's trilogy and Tom Holland's dominance in the MCU, Garfield's movies have definitely had their fair share of scrutiny in the past. It's a shame really because this first movie alone while not quite as strong as Spider-Man (2002), I feel definitely was a bit stronger than Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).

Andrew Garfield to me might be the best actor to ever play Peter Parker and likewise, Spider-Man himself The movie embarked on a straightforward origin story of the high schooler becoming the masked hero of the piece, learning more about the burden of responsibility, falling in love and battling his first major enemy.

The major enemy of the piece being Dr Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) whose own experiments not entirely of his volition resulted in him mutating into the dangerous Lizard and Peter along with some help from Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and her cop father, played by Denis Leary have to work together in order to prevent the city from suffering the same fate as Connors.

For a first villain threat, the use of Lizard felt like a nice call back to the 1990's animated series and outside a few petty criminals here and there along with a wider conspiracy regarding Oscorp and Peter's parents (played by Campbell Scott and Embeth Davitz), just focusing on one major threat managed to keep things reasonably contained. The CGI for Lizard also looked pretty decent as well.

As for the more personal side of things, the flashbacks to Peter's parents helped to set up an ongoing mystery while both Sally Field and Martin Sheen did an excellent job as Aunt May and Uncle Ben respectively. Of course the start of Peter getting powers inevitably resulted in the latter's death and his determination to be a hero.

As for Gwen Stacy, it was a departure after Mary Jane Watson being used in both the 1990's animated series and Tobey Maguire's movies. I really do like Emma Stone as an actor and there's no doubt that she had fantastic chemistry with Garfield's Peter Parker and Spider-Man alike. It also helped that throughout the movie Gwen was written as both a sympathetic and competent character. Of course this would a romance very much destined to be doomed though.

-  Mid credit sequence saw Connors taking to a mysterious gentleman in prison. A gentleman who also seemed to have a rather keen interest in Peter.

- Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka) quickly went from being openly antagonistic towards Peter to being friendly to him, following Ben's death.

- Apparently both Big Wheel and Proto Goblin were considered for the movie. The latter would've been played by Irrfan Khan who played Dr Rajit Ratha here.

- Chronology: The movie came out in 2012, so I'm assuming that time as well.

The Amazing Spider-Man definitely has it's moments as a movie. For an origin story, it dies a good job in setting up this Spider-Man, has an engaging central romance and a pretty solid main antagonist in Lizard. I'm glad this duology has gotten a renewed sense of enthusiasm from fans and critics and I'll be holding on to that energy when I review this sequel for this one. Overall, a very enjoyable first outing for Andrew Garfield.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Doctor Who's "Eve Of The Daleks"

Written by Chris Chibnall

Directed by Annetta Laufer

Dan (to the Doctor/Yaz): "Anyone get a proper sense of deja vu?"

It's somewhat incredible for a show that's getting closer to it's 60th year that it's only now that the show decided to do an unashamed take on Groundhog Day complete with our TARDIS trio, a trio of Daleks and two guest characters for good measure.

After the universe destroying events of Flux, perhaps it was necessary for the Doctor, Yaz and Dan to have a more small scale adventure and this time loop themed one managed to fit that in. Taking place in Elf Storage, this was going to be the New Year's Eve adventure that would play over and over and over. Well, until finally there was a way for everyone to work and beat the Daleks at their own game.

The Daleks have been served well in Chris Chibnall's era. They've been one of his more successful stories here. From a modest start with a Recon Dalek to two different Dalek groups playing off one another , this story had them wanting revenge on the Doctor for the events of Flux and though their plan was definitely repetitive, it did almost work. Then everyone got a bit wiser, loop got broken and Daleks went up in bits. 

With the Daleks on a loop as a threat, what of our guest characters? We had storage owner Sarah (Aisling Bea) who clearly hated her business and for the first half of the episode, her admirer/stalker Nick (Adjani Salmon). She also wasn't best pleased with getting repeatedly killed by the Daleks or the three strangers that she had to rely on to save her life.

Needless to say as guest actors go in this era, Aisling Bea was a delight as Sarah. She could've easily made the character unsympathetic but managed to hit all the right notes, even when Sarah was rather prickly to everyone. Adjani Salmon did well too as Nick but the romance between their characters definitely felt somewhat off. I don't think someone like Sarah would date Nick in real life, especially given his penchant for keeping stuff from his exes.

As for the TARDIS trio, well this was an enjoyable enough adventure for them. Dan had a brilliant scene with a Dalek that might be one of my favourite scenes with the character. On top of that, it seems that fans of the Doctor and Yaz might get their wish as Yaz finally admitted that she has feelings for the Doctor, which might even be reciprocated. At this point, why not? There's only two specials left. 

- Karl from The Woman Who Fell To Earth made a brief appearance. I have to admit, I had completely forgotten about the character.

- Pauline McLynn appeared as Sarah's mother, Mary and the use of her bad timing did help with Daleks defeat.

- Aside from the lack of Davros, I was also surprised there wasn't much continuity from the previous Dalek specials.

- This is the first episode to air on a Saturday and the TARDIS problem from Series 13 has now been resolved. It also caused the time loop problem here though.

- The next special, due to air in Spring was revealed to be Legend Of The Sea Devils.

- Chronology: New Year's Eve 2021/New Year's Day 2022.

Eve Of The Daleks might have been a bit of a lowkey start to the 13th Doctor's final specials but it was rather solid as a story. Some nice scenes with the main and guest characters as well as the Daleks getting some nice one liners ("I am not Nick" for example). Saying that, I do hope the next special packs a bit more.

Rating: 7 out of 10

2021: A Year In Review

While 2021 might not have been the greatest of years, there was still that I managed to watch during the year and while some shows I probably should've watched (Line Of Duty, Succession) but didn't get into. I still did manage to watch a variety of stuff. Here are some of the highs and lows I had for 2021.

In terms of Ryan Murphy, I quite enjoyed current seasons of 911 and 911: Lone Star with the latter showing a marked improvement on it's first season. I did however miss Halston, which didn't seem to have any following at all and despite enjoying the first episode, I found myself not sticking with Impeachment: American Crime Story. Then there was American Horror Story: Double Feature, which started well and dove off a cliff within it's second half while spin-off series, American Horror Stories had one genuinely gripping episode while the rest felt sorely underdeveloped. As for Pose, the series might have ended too soon but it definitely went out on a high note.

This year was also a year for continuing the sequel series trend. The L Word: Generation Q added Rosie O'Donnell to the cast but did very little to warrant any interest while And Just Like That has somewhat been divisive with fans while at the same pulling in strong numbers for HBO Max. Gossip Girl upped the raciness and LGBT content while Dexter: New Blood gave a little more life into the title killer. None of these shows have successfully recaptured the magic of what came before but none of them have been out right disasters either.

Then there was Doctor Who. The year got off to a strong start with festive special, Revolution Of The Daleks while Series 13 introduced us all to John Bishop's Dan Lewis, hinted at the final days for the 13th Doctor and Yasmin Khan, saw most of the universe decimated by the Flux and gave us a campy sibling act in Swarm and Azure.We were also introduced to Karvanista, Bel and Vinder, had the return of Kate Stewart and with three specials for 2022 and Russell T. Davies back from 2023 onwards, this show isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

In terms of dramas, nothing came close for me than Russell T. Davies miniseries, It's A Sin. The five part series starring Olly Alexander and Lydia West to name a few was an incredible piece of television that got all the award love, broke streaming records for Channel 4 and tackled the AIDS crisis issue from a poignant point of view. One of the most sublime pieces of television and easily Davies most important work he's done in his career.

As for crime related material, Mare Of Easttown cemented a career high for Kate Winslet but my favourite crime series was of course, Only Murders In The Building. Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez truly delivered as murder solving, podcasting trio Charles, Oliver and Mabel while The Long Call gave us a gay lead detective in Ben Aldridge's Matthew Venn, and though the show itself didn't stray too much from the trusted ITV format, it was still massively enjoyable.On the non crime front, I finished up the likes of Bridgerton, Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, Schitt's Creek, Friends: The Reunion and even found both The White Lotus and The Nevers pretty enjoyable.

As for the MCU, this year they definitely dominated in both theatres and on Disney+. Keeping with the latter, both WandaVision and Hawkeye were the best ones for me. I personally found What If to be the weakest of the bunch while both The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and Loki definitely had their moments too. Let's see if the next batch of shows can match the mostly high standards that these first five (or four out of five) have set up.

Meanwhile while HBO Max have yet to debut any of their own DC shows yet, they did give us the third seasons of both Titans and Doom Patrol, with the former being a mixed bag and the latter as enjoyable as ever. Pennyworth also pulled in a stronger second run while Netflix had both the last run of Lucifer as well as the debut of Sweet Tooth. CW wise, there was the endings of both Black Lightning and Supergirl while Batwoman debuted a new version of the title character and changed the show's whole dynamic. The Flash resolved the Mirror Monarch storyline, tackled the Forces and Godspeed before going all Armageddon on us with Despero and Reverse Flash. Legends Of Tomorrow played around with aliens, magic mushrooms, stranded our team in 1925, ditched some characters and added others while Stargirl tackled both Summer School and Eclipso. However the DC highlight of the year was of course the debut of Superman And Lois, which more than lived up to it's expectations.

Last but not least, some other LGBT highlights aside from shows I mentioned earlier in the blog. Legends Of Tomorrow might have seen Matt Ryan retire the role of John Constantine but having remain as gay scientist Dr Gwyn Davies continued to highlight why he's one of the best actors on the show while fans of Sara and Ava got to see them getting married. Then there was the second season of Love, Victor which ended with a triangle between Victor, Benji and newcomer Rahim while the main love story in the Chucky series was of course between Jake and Devon. 

Okay, those were my highlights of 2021- what were yours? What are you looking forward to in 2022?