Rather than write several individual blog entries on several different television programs, here's a roundup of the television week spanning from Tuesday, January 19 2016 until Monday, January 25th. Warning some Spoilers ahead:
Captain America: Celebrating 75 Heroic Years - Twenty-five years is a long time so I don't recall how much of splash Cap's 50th anniversary made. As avid Marvel Zombie at the time, I fondly remember reading and re-reading an issue of Marvel Age devoted to Captain America's fiftieth. There certainly wasn't a television special. Even a decade ago, I could never imagine a slot of prime-time devoted to Captain America. Needless to say, I marked out big-time when ABC aired an hour special on 75 years of Captain America. If you have not seen it, I heartily recommend tracking it down. Captain America: Celebrating 75 Heroic Years provides an excellent summary of Captain America over the years from inception to modern day. Creators Jack Kirby and Joe Simon receive proper credit and due. Was a nice touch. I did feel the closing moments went by quite fast; but I am glad that Steve Rogers will be returning to the role soon. Absolutely love that he'll be wielding the triangular shield once more! Do think there will be room for both Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers to each be Captain America as long as the stories have a different tone.
Agent Carter - Buffy the Vampire Slayer's spiritual successor has made her triumphant return with the sophomore season premiere! So yes, Agent Carter is off to a strong start. Mrs. Jarvis wasn't what I expecting an excellent surprise. Look forward to the rest of the season.
Flash - The winter premiere was fairly solid. Turtle made a formidable foe and should lead to an interesting development down the road in the fight against Zoom. Wally West should make things interesting for the rest of the West family. Wonder how long the cast member that leaves at episode's end will be gone? Looking forward to Eobard Thawne's appearance tonight.
Sneak Peak Legends of Tomorrow - informative special however now that Legends of Tomorrow has aired, I wouldn't consider it necessary viewing.
DC Cinematic Universe Special - Okay, I don't remember the exact title. Was surprised by the unveiling of the Wonder Woman footage. Promising. Loved the Suicide Squad trailer. The Justice League line-up is the New 52 roster. Since all that can be gleaned from the Internet, the only reason to watch the special now would be for Kevin Smith. I felt Smith was constrained and not fully himself. He clearly geeked out but it seemed that he had to follow guidelines.
Arrow - Two surprises contained in the winter premiere. Things aren't what they seem in the Damian Dahrk family. The unfolding family dynamic should prove interesting. The other surprise is that Felicity is not the deceased upon whose grave Oliver swears vengeance. My prediction is that Felicity's mother dies. Wonder how long Felicity be wheelchair-bound? An episode? Most of the season? Will she be Arrow's version of Oracle? Okay, Felicity becoming Oracle would indeed be awesome. Diggle and his brother play a card game that leads to more development on that front. Finally, Anarky's origin is complete as the character come into his own. A solid episode.
DC's Legends of Tomorrow - Part one of the pilot is off to a rollicking good start! Absolutely loved it! Wait, one apostrophe isn't enough. !!!!! Ok. Better now. Legends of Tomorrow does a great job combining a group that ranges from the heroic quasi-LG type to the less than heroic, ne'er do well CN, LE type. If you're a D&D player this show would serve as an excellent example of how a party of wildly different alignments could co-exist. Yep, my latest experience playing a paladin with a party that included three Zhentarim agents greatly influenced my perception here. I suppose that leads to the next question that no television show has yet to answer. Can a television show exist in which a team of super-powered characters actually work together, do it well, and execute such a team-oriented nature well? Legends of Tomorrow answers that with an emphatic yes. Which leads me to the next show...
Heroes Reborn - One central facet of Heroes was that the characters would never become the Justice League. Heck, the characters of Heroes make the non-team Defenders resemble a professional hero team by comparison. My one fault with the Heroes Reborn finale is that not only does HR continue its disdain toward a hero concept but most of its ensemble cast are reduced to afterthoughts. That aside, I felt greatly satisfied after watching the finale. The Petrelli/HRG/Hiro torch was successfully handed off. HRG's, and lesser extent Zach Levi's character's, sacrifice was incredibly touching. Heroes Reborn ends on a note promising that there's still more stories left to tell. I, for one, hope they are told.
X-Files - One television series mini-series ends, another begins. Much like Heroes Reborn, X-Files seems to unfold in real-time. Therefore, while the premiere unfolding at very slow pace, I appreciated the chance to become reacquainted with the setting and characters along with the new world those characters find themselves in. Exposition that Heroes Reborn took half its run to explain. I was an avid fan of X-Files until around the fifth season when I lost interest. By the premiere's end, 'I wanted to believe' once more. I have come to realize that while the charm that the mythology episodes used to have still doesn't have the same sparkle, the monster of the week episodes still do. The second episode that aired on the 25th was exactly the type of episode that drew me to The X-Files. Actually, it's more of a hybrid mythology-monster episode but that's okay. X-Files always shone when the conspiracy was background fodder.
Lucifer - Based on the Vertigo property much of my experience stems from the story in The Sandman in which Lucifer abdicates Hell. Lucifer pushes the boundaries of network television in tone, subject matter, and language (well, kind of to the last part). Regardless, not a show for small children. Should be interesting how much of a veiled police procedural show it'll be compared to a supernatural drama. Greatly enjoyed it.
Elementary - A rather topical episode that delves into hackable cars and the conflict in the Ukraine. Like all good mysteries, the mystery lies in a matter of perspective. Episode ends with the revelation that Sherlock's father was in all likelihood the target of a failed assassination plot. Hmm, should probably catch up on the early episodes of the season in preparation for the next episode...
Mercy Street - Is a PBS original series about a medical, historical drama set during the Civil War. The characters cover the gamut of what you'd expect. If you ever want to see how grisly medicine was during this time period, Mercy Street paints quite a picture. The show does not seem like it'll last long but I thought the same about Once Upon a Time and that show has endured three seasons longer than I expected. Definitely will see the next episode.
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