{"id":94,"date":"2016-10-30T13:21:47","date_gmt":"2016-10-30T20:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/?p=94"},"modified":"2016-10-30T14:09:38","modified_gmt":"2016-10-30T21:09:38","slug":"quick-reviews-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/2016\/10\/30\/quick-reviews-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A Rocky Road, Westworld Wins"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>And here we are for my second installment of Quick Reviews! I still need to get current on Flash, Supergirl, and Arrow, but I am keeping up with everything else. Mostly. So let&#8217;s get started!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/files\/2016\/10\/1.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-88\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-88\" src=\"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/files\/2016\/10\/1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"1\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/files\/2016\/10\/1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/files\/2016\/10\/1-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/files\/2016\/10\/1-500x282.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/files\/2016\/10\/1.jpg 852w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Westworld<\/strong> &#8212; Seriously, this may be the best show on TV right now. This story is deep, the characters are well crafted, and it\u2019s masterful in the art of the slow reveal. I love how we\u2019re seeing more of the scary dark side of Dr. Ford; his lunch with Cullen was a beautiful depiction of how he may be playing the adorable grandfather, he\u2019s using it to hide his keen and manipulative mind. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a table-top RPG player, I\u2019m also loving the exploration of people \u201cplaying\u201d the park, with William as the type of gamer I prefer to be\/have in my group, and Logan as the typical Munchkin who could care less about story, setting, morals, NPCs or other players, except in how he can use\/abuse them for his own good time. Sticking Dolores in with these two is going to be interesting. Speaking of, I do wonder how she had her conversation with Bernard, while still out with those two. Is her \u201cmemory\u201d being remote loaded into that little glass room with him? And it\u2019s interesting that Bernard is keeping her clothed in these little secret meetings, against Dr. Ford\u2019s insistence on keeping them naked behind the scenes to drive home his \u201cthese are things, not humans\u201d agenda. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Getting back to the slow reveal side of the show, the hints on Harris\u2019 Man in Black. He\u2019s perfect in this role; the menace in his \u201cSay another word and I\u2019ll cut your throat. This is my vacation.\u201d line gave me chills. I love that he\u2019s searching for a game with real stakes, I\u2019ve known that type of gamer as well. They can be a great addition, or poison, depending on what they\u2019re looking for in your game. Then that end scene, I see a robot uprising in our future. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Supergirl<\/strong> &#8212; I finally got a chance to watch the first two episodes, and the move to the CW really hasn\u2019t hurt the show at all. Mainly because it continues to be a show about optimism and heart, with a stellar cast. Losing Cat hurts, but at least she\u2019ll come back for visits. Speaking of the cast, shuffling Jimmy to the new boss, the DEO into new digs and folding Winn in with them works for me. These first two episodes were full of fun, heart and Tyler Hoechlin is the Superman we need and deserve. He had great chemistry with the group, especially Kara, and he nailed both Clark and Kal-El. Like a lot of other people, I would be really interested in him having his own series.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As for the plots, I hope that Lena is not secretly evil, but she is a Luthor. I won\u2019t be shocked if that reveal happens, though it would be a better twist (and fit the show\u2019s heart) if she was legit. The worst would be if they play the \u201cshe was legit, but X happens, she blames Kara and turns evil\u201d bit. It would mirror Lex\u2019s story (some versions), but it\u2019s a bit overplayed and hokey these days. I like Cadmus being the season\u2019s Big Bad. They did a good job with Metallo, but he reminds me of a minor thing that\u2019s been bugging me since the show started: they\u2019re giving Kara a lot of Kal\u2019s villains\/stories in this series, which makes me wonder what he\u2019s been doing\/who he\u2019s been fighting for the 12 years he\u2019s been flying around Metropolis? (And yes, loved the \u201cMoving back to Gotham\u201d line)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Ash vs Evil Dead<\/strong> &#8211; The show continues to be so much better this year. Ash over his dead dad was the perfect mix of pathos and humor, and the line \u201cThink of your life as a good time, not a long time,\u201d was pure Ash. The addition of Ted Rami has been great, but I always enjoy his work. The rodeo with the Demon Delta was a blast, and intercut nicely with the ladies hunting down the spawn of the Necronomicon. It was also cool seeing the hell portal in the trunk of the car, and I can\u2019t wait to see what trouble tossing the book inside is going to cause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Gotham<\/strong> &#8211; The storyline with the Mad Hatter continues to be mildly interesting, but Gordon himself remains the least interesting guy on the show. The real reason I keep watching it Penguin\/Nigma, and now it looks like the show is going to screw that up with a dumb love triangle storyline. Those always work out so well. Here we had a chance to have a show with a decent non-heteronormative relationship, and they\u2019re gonna screw it up with a cheap attempt at manufactured drama. I\u2019m going to keep watching, hopeful that the show is pulling off a cunning or crazy misdirection, but I\u2019m worried. I\u2019ve walked away from this show before, and if they screw this up, I\u2019m willing to do it again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.<\/strong> &#8211; This show is still improving, but Daisy\/Sky\/Quake backslid again this week into \u201cI hate her\u201d territory. I\u2019ll be glad when they finish off this self-pity arc they\u2019ve locked her into. Ghost Rider continues to be cool, though I totally called him letting his uncle get grabbed by our physics ghosts while he killed off the gang guy. I also liked the new director facing off with the Congress lady on TV, but I\u2019m not sure that I\u2019m going to like the political angle they seem to be setting up between them in the end scene. Still, watching May &amp; Coulson continues to make the show worthwhile.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Legends of Tomorrow<\/strong> &#8211; Another show that continues to improve in its second season. I\u2019m happy that this Vixen is joining the team, and I loved their little adventure in Japan. Though I do have to wonder why a show that is strapped for the budget to do Firestorm on a regular basis added a guy who\u2019s powers are another expensive CGI effect. Ray\u2019s struggle of \u201cam I a hero without the suit\u201d arc is hopefully ending soon, with him building a better looking set of armor. I also hope they end the \u201cSecret Message from Barry\u201d thing quickly\/the return of Hunter before they get tiresome as well (which won\u2019t take long).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Arrow<\/strong> &#8211; I finally watched the first episode of the new season, and while Mopey Oliver is always a drag, at least by episode\u2019s end he seems to be pulling out of it. I also got a little tired of their naear constant attempts at putting over Diggle. The guy doesn\u2019t need it, we already know how good he is, was there ever a question about his skills? Still, I like our new bad guy in town, and the fact that we\u2019re going to have both Wild Dog and Ragman, two of my favorite underutilized DC characters, makes me very happy and hopeful for the season. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>American Horror Story: Roanoke<\/strong> &#8211; This season is amazing. I had wondered why on Earth the husband had come back to the house, as he was the only one I couldn\u2019t figure out. The actors didn\u2019t believe in the ghosts, and the wife wanted her husband back, but the reveal on why he went back into this merry land of murder made sense. As did his wife\u2019s reaction, the poor dear. I\u2019m wondering if she\u2019s going to be our sole survivor. Speaking of, there were so many kills this episode, three before the opening credits! I\u2019m so happy the producer died, but is it bad that I wish the jackass had suffered a bit more, at least on camera? I love the real Butcher, and felt so bad for Bates\u2019 character at their fated meeting, especially her meek little \u201cI just wanted to be on TV\u2026\u201d before her head was split from crown to nose. Though with the other three ladies being held by the murder hillbillies and the Butcher\u2019s forces at the house, I wonder how they\u2019re going to make this last for three more episodes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Channel Zero<\/strong> &#8211; This show continues to be a slow reveal, slow burn kind of thing, and really working on the creepy vibe more than out and out scares, which is nice. I\u2019m still trying to figure out how the tooth fairy fits in with Candle Cove, and we have the mystery of the teacher\u2019s level of involvement. I like the twist that the main guy had to kill his brother because of what the show was turning him into, and I wonder now what it\u2019s doing to his daughter. It still feels a little forced at times, but I\u2019m still enjoying it enough to stick with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Walking Dead<\/strong> &#8211; The hell with this show. And not because of the deaths of [SPOILERS], lots of people have died on this show. My issue with the show is that it&#8217;s fallen into a horrible formula. Unless it&#8217;s the first episode of the season, the mid-season finale, the return episode or the final finale, not one damn bit of real plot motion happens. There&#8217;s more life in the undead on the show than in its plot. All you need to watch for each season is those four episodes, and you won&#8217;t miss a damn thing, and that&#8217;s frustrating as hell. JDM was great as Negan, but I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;s gonna be enough to make up for the lack of plot progression and once more having to watch Rick suffer through a crisis of &#8220;Oh god, I can&#8217;t do\/deal with this!&#8221; whining. And I&#8217;m also sick of his and Daryl&#8217;s plot immunity. Negan should have killed Daryl for slugging him, and the only reason he didn&#8217;t was the &#8220;If Daryl Dies, We Riot&#8221; crowd would turn on this show and tear it to pieces. Maybe this season will change, but I have my doubts.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let\u2019s do the Time Warp Again<\/strong> &#8211; Someone at Fox has had a burning desire to remake Rocky Horror for at least 10 years, at least that when I first heard of their thinking about doing this. I\u2019m personally not opposed to remakes; my favorite movie is a remake, John Carpenter\u2019s The Thing. But if you\u2019re going to do a remake, you should at least try and bring something new to the table, and this, well . . . it did add \u201cSuperhero\u201d to the end, so that was new. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most of the cast did their best, I loved Milian &amp; Carny as Magenta &amp; Riff Raff, the casting of Ben Vereen as Dr. Scott was genius, and it was cool that Curry was the Criminologist. Everyone else was pretty solid, though McCartan over-sold Brad\u2019s squareness but did well after his tryst with Frank. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Speaking of, casting Laverne Cox as Frank seemed like a good call. And while she can sing, her Frank just didn\u2019t work for me. Her Frank was sexy as hell, and had some great outfits, but Frank should feel dangerous, slightly crazed and have an edge. And she felt Hot Topic edgy. Especially with removing the cannibalization of Eddie. But, in a way, that\u2019s my complaint with the whole thing. This was bloodless, toothless and somehow sexy yet nearly sexless. Most of the songs were decent, but overall, this is not gonna be the version anyone thinks about or requests when they wanna see Rocky.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>And here we are for my second installment of Quick Reviews! I still need to get current on Flash, Supergirl, and Arrow, but I am keeping up with everything else. Mostly. So let&#8217;s get started! Westworld &#8212; Seriously, this may &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/2016\/10\/30\/quick-reviews-2\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4,5,3,6,8],"class_list":["post-94","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-genre","tag-horror","tag-reviews","tag-sci-fi","tag-tv"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.2.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/2016\/10\/30\/quick-reviews-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Rocky Road, Westworld Wins - Squid Ink\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"And here we are for my second installment of Quick Reviews! I still need to get current on Flash, Supergirl, and Arrow, but I am keeping up with everything else. Mostly. So let&#8217;s get started! Westworld &#8212; Seriously, this may &hellip; Continue reading &rarr;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/2016\/10\/30\/quick-reviews-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Squid Ink\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-10-30T20:21:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-10-30T21:09:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/files\/2016\/10\/1-300x169.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gary Mitchel\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/\",\"name\":\"Squid Ink\",\"description\":\"Just another RevolutionSF.com Blogs site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/2016\/10\/30\/quick-reviews-2\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/files\/2016\/10\/1-300x169.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/2016\/10\/30\/quick-reviews-2\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/2016\/10\/30\/quick-reviews-2\/\",\"name\":\"A Rocky Road, Westworld Wins - Squid Ink\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/2016\/10\/30\/quick-reviews-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-30T20:21:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-10-30T21:09:38+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/#\/schema\/person\/c8d7513abe1755e8e0e45d81d477af64\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/2016\/10\/30\/quick-reviews-2\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/#\/schema\/person\/c8d7513abe1755e8e0e45d81d477af64\",\"name\":\"Gary Mitchel\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/squidink\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a655992b4da1bde234de3fe9af7ad05dfa1690141f37116d8929ebffa8d57c8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Gary Mitchel\"},\"description\":\"Gary Mitchel is a writer, reviewer, geek blogger, gamer, sf\/fantasy fan, comics reader, podcaster, voice actor, and International Man of Mystery (who\\u2019s too dangerous for the entire country of Canada) currently living near Atlanta. He is co-host with Deanna Toxopeus of the RevolutionSF Roundtable, the site's weekly geek culture discussion which was nominated for a 2012 Parsec Award. He has also appeared on various nerd podcasts such as Needless Things, Earth Station One, Storm of Words, Yes Have Some, Nerdy Laser, and many others. He can be found on the Facebook, and followed on the Twitter as @gary_mitchel (and yes, it's his real name). Additionally, he is a frequent panelist at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, where he is the Co-Director of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track. There, he has discussed Sci-Fi TV, zombies, movies, zombies, cartoons, comics and zombies. 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