COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK

COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK


Welcome back, friends!  It's that honored tradition we've established during the weekend, where we open up our comic box, and take out an issue to chat about.  This week's edition, we dive into the debut issue of one of the more fascinating characters of the Marvel Universe - Alison Blaire...AKA Dazzler.  Now, Dazzler made HER first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #130 in 1980, and ended up getting her own series greenlighted in 1981 and ran for 42 issues.  Dazzler has gone on to be a member of the X-Men, S.H.I.E.L.D., and an Avengers off-shoot team called A-Force.  



DAZZLER #1


COVER:  Bob Larkin
WRITER:  Tom DeFalco
ARTIST:  John Romita, Jr., John Buscema, John Romita
INKS:  Alfredo Alcala, Bob McLeod, John Romita
COLORS:  Glynis Wein 
LETTERS:  Joe Rosen
EDITOR:  Louise Jones
COVER DATE:  March 1981
PUBLISHER:  Marvel Comics


STORY TITLE:  "So Bright This Star"


Dazzler #1 came about after Alison Blaire debuts in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #130.  She was a creation collaborated by Marvel and Casablanca Records as a cross promotion.  The promotion ended in 1980, and Dazzler manage to stick around, and have her series greenlighted by Marvel in 1981.  The series followed Blaire as she tried to get her singing career off the ground, but ended up becoming a reluctant super-hero.  She was a creation done by committee at Marvel, but the primary culprits were Tom DeFalco and John Romita.  She is a mutant who can transform sound into light, and do a variety of things with it.  She mainly used it for her stage shows, as to add more flare to her act.  This first issue threw a litany of guest stars in, including the X-Men and Spider-Man, and the Avengers.  The Asgardian Goddess the Enchantress was the huge villain of the issue.  This comic has the distinction of being Marvel's first direct-market-only comic, and wasn't available on newsstands.  It had a huge circulation, which was way above the average for popular titles of the day.  


THE STORY:  Alison Blaire, who turned down going to law school (much to the disappointment of her father), to become a pop singer, finds herself on the run from a crooked record producer, and is saved by noneother than Spider-Man.  Later on, she feels her career is over before it starts, so she contacts the X-Men, who'd asked her to join before, but turned them down, said they would accept, but it would derail her singing career.  So, she auditions at a disco where, looking to gain entry as the singer for the disco in order to gain control of the manager for a devious plan, is the Enchantress.  However, the disco club owner chooses Alison instead, and the Enchantress is NOT thrilled about it.  So, she seeks revenge on the club owner AND Alison for the sleight.  


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This issue was rather fun and hectic, and it gives us a quick background on Alison Blaire, who she is, what she's about, and WHY she's pursuing a singing career.  It's amazing that right out of the gate in this issue, she's in trouble and on the run.  While Spidey lends her a helping hand, she also manages to tick off the Enchantress down the road, and that's not good, either.  So, aside from looking to join the X-Men, she also encounters the Avengers, who lend aid to her in stopping the Enchantress.  It moves at a good pace, story wise, and not a lot of wasted time with her origin.  She's now made friends in the superhero community pretty quickly, and they will end up being her de-facto "family" as the years go by.  Sure, the whole disco motif is REALLY cheesey, but she DOES grow out of it, as she later on focuses on different kinds of music (and looks).  It's a fun series to read, and also check out her graphic novel, Dazzler:  The Movie, if you can find it in a book store, comic shop, or somewhere else.  It's NOT your typical superhero comic book, and that's what's great about it.

BATWOMAN - SEASON 1.16

REVIEW:  BATWOMAN - SEASON 1.16:  "Through the Looking-Glass"


Maaan, has the crap hit the fan!  Just when we thought Kate had a grip on this whole being Batwoman thing...she went and slayed the Caterpillar.  Due to the machinations of Dr. August Cartwright, what with his mother, his abuse of Mouse, his keeping Alice hostage being bad enough...he had gone and beheaded their mother, so that HIS mother could have HER face.  That was the last straw for Kate, as she choked the man out.  Now mind you, he'd ALREADY tried to off himself during last week's episode, but he managed to goad Kate into doing the thing she had sworn she'd NOT do:  take a life.  Now, she has blood on her hands.  Her father knows it, and now Alice knows it.  The Kane family is in dire straits, and those three don't even KNOW that Mary is aware of Kate's double ID, and Jacob is clueless as well.  Plus, Mouse is out of it, due to the heavy dose of Scarecrow's Fear Toxin, and who knows what he's up to since he left Alice for dead.  So...what happens next?  Let's once again peek in upon Gotham City, and find out....


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Oh, what a tangled web that has been woven...we got a man murdered at the hands of our heroine, and she's feelin' the guilt.  We have her father, who's going to try and cover it up, and the psycho sister, who isn't going to let EITHER of them forget the blood on their hands.  Kate goes through a bit of the emotional wringer in this episode, as she tries to come to grips with the fact that she killed August Cartwright...and thus, violating the ONE rule Batman always imposed on himself---no killing.  But see...UNLIKE Bruce Wayne, who spent his entire crimefighting career as Batman keeping allies and, to a certain extent, loved ones at arm's length, never allowing himself to get too emotionally attatched.  That's the difference with Kate Kane---her whole PURPOSE this season wasn't JUST to take over as Gotham City's vigilante protector, but to try and find and rehabilitate her sister.  Also, mend fences with her father, form a sisterly bond with her step-sister Mary, AND figure out her relationship with Sophie.  Kate is emotionally attatched all over the place.  She ISN'T Bruce...and, therefore, is susceptible to the usual human foibles we all are.

We got some tiny "family bonding" of sorts as Jacob, Kate, and Alice bury the body of Cartwright, all the while Alice egging Kate on about how she's a killer now, too.  In fact, we pretty much spend a good chunk of the episode watching Alice take every shot she can to dig into Kate about being a killer.  She's NOT going to let her forget it, and USES that as a way to manipulate her into finding Mouse.  Jacob wants to find him as well, but he wants to put him away.  While Jacob goes onto talking to Sophie about the Lucius Fox case, Alice manipulates Kate into once again losing her temper, and convincing her to look for Mouse, even going to far as to visit one of the nurses that cared for him while he was in Arkham.  He seems to be targeting them.  However, the nurse calls upon the Crows anyway, and before Alice and Kate can nab him, Jacob's got him, and he's shipped to Arkham in the deepest part of the clinic.  Alice wants to break him out, and needs Kate's help, because they need to get to two master keys to open the cell he's in.  Kate eventually finds out that Alice set this whole thing in motion...she set up Kate to hear her story, get enraged, and take Cartwright's life---so that Kate would be just like her.  Kate has had enough doubts the last 2 episodes about who she is, but hearing this nearly sends her over the edge to where she starts choking out  Alice herself.  However, she manages to get control of herself.  She's fighting  so hard to NOT become Alice.  But she agrees to help her get Mouse out of Arkham on the condition that Alice and Mouse leave Gotham, and never come back.  

Alice and Kate break into Arkham, and, after Alice gets the key from the good Dr. Burton (nice play there to pay homage to Tim Burton), and Kate fights her way through the guards to get the other key, they go find Mouse, and as Alice goes to let Mouse loose, the cell door closes, and Kate is the one who closed it.  Jacob shows up, and it was all a ruse to get Alice into Arkham.  Alice feels betrayed (Honestly?  She SHOULD'VE seen that coming!  After all, who's to say she wouldn't have stabbed Kate in the back?), and Jacob says she can't hurt anyone anymore.  She begs Kate and her father to let her loose, but, once again, she is trapped in a cage.  We see Alice at the end of the episode, in isolation, quoting more of Alice in Wonderland, saying that she wants to be Queen.  Kate, on the other hand, manages to finally let it out with her dad, and he tries to  tell her to put it behind her.  He's relocated the body so that Alice can't go blabbing to anyone about where it's at (not that anyone would believe her anyway...she's nuts), and tells Kate that it's time to put Alice behind them.

We also had Reggie Harris' hearing this episode, and due to the corrupt way both the cop who busted him and the judge who tried him came to light, he was released, much to Luke's dismay.  Thankfully, Mary was there as moral support.  Meanwhile, Jacob had tasked Sophie with looking into the missing footage from the convenience store where Fox was killed that night, and she found out that someone internally had given money to the proprieter of the store, possibly to misplace or destroy the security tapes.  This ends up becoming even MORE interesting by the fact that, when Sophie goes to visit the lady who owned the store, she finds her murdered on the floor of her home, executed with a bullet to the head.  Seems that someone didn't want her to talk.  And, apparently, they KNEW Sophie was looking into it, because SHE became a target, only to be saved by the returning Julia Pennyworth!  Julia said she got wind of a contract out on Sophie, so she came to assist, but got shot herself in the process.  They get her checked out and sewn up at Mary's clinic, while Luke goes to confront Reggie himself.  Reggie says that night, he heard nothing from Lucius about Luke, and about all the praise he was giving him, how proud he was of him.  Reggie says that all he did was go in for a snack, and the next thing HE knew, he woke up with a gun in his hand, and that he was charged with killing his father.  Luke was going to get more, but then Reggie got targeted with a laser sight, and before Luke could react, Reggie was assassinated right in front of him.  He returned to Mary's clinic, and both he and her discovered that someone's covering up who killed his father, and they're still out there.  

Julia left Sophie in a secret location to check on Luke, and Sophie calls Jacob about what she found out:  that it goes deeper than the Crows.  Just as she's about to fill him in more, HE becomes a target!  But, Jacob's quick on his feet, and he avoids getting shot.  He then shoots his attacker, and when he goes to ask who hired him...the man dies.  So, the mystery continues.  We end the episode with Kate drinking atop Wayne Tower, and Julia ends up finding her.  As much as Kate wants to be alone, Julia refuses.  Kate says she doesn't know who she is anymore, and feels like she almost became Alice.  Julia says she's nothing like Alice,and the two start making out as the episode ends.

So...what we've seen as this series has progressed, is just how psychologically manipulating Alice can be...and how crafty a villain she is.  She set Kate up perfectly, and wanted to prove to Kate that she was no different than her.  And while Kate has feared that for the last two episodes, she's becoming Alice...that she actually stops to THINK about it---makes her different.  And though she had ZERO remorse in killing August Cartwright for the heinous crimes he did to not only Alice, but to Mouse himself...she's going to quesiton herself for days to come.  I honestly feel that IF it had been Jacob in that position instead of Kate...I think he would've done the same thing...if not moreso, considering what HE lost personally...his other daughter.  HE could actually kill, and not have remorse, and actually feel justified in doing it.  Kate can't, and that is the crux of her issue right now.  

Sophie digging deep into Lucius' case, and finding some discrepancies..aside from the corrupt way Harris' case was handled...now has painted a target on Jacob, her, AND they just dispatched the owner of the store.  So, no one's talking.  Plus, the assailant Jacob took out is dead, so no answers there.  Whomever killed Lucius Fox DEFINITELY has some pull enough to stage THIS big a plan.  Whomever this is, I seriously DOUBT stops with just Jacob and Sophie---Kate, Mary, AND Luke will now become targets.  It was great to see the return of Julia Pennyworth...how long she sticks around will be anyone's guess, but she COULD factor into this other story going on right now that seems to be taking center stage, now that Alice and Mouse are tucked away in Arkham for the time being.  But don't get me wrong...I STILL feel Alice has one more card to play up her sleeve before the season ends.  Speaking of which---WHO in the hell left that note at her hideout, with all the dead Wonderland Gang members?  WHO is Coryana?!  And just what IS it that Alice supposedly DID to piss them off?!!

Overall...I truly enjoyed this week's episode.  We got another mystery, and we got to see Alice take one more twist of the psychological knife into Kate, but paid for it afterwards.  The return of Julia Pennyworth, and something big brewing for the end of the season.  This show has found it's legs, and I'm loving it!  The fight scenes are even improving...Kate's fight with the guards was excellent!  

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That does it for this round.  Be sure to subscribe, leave a comment, and pass along the good word about this here place...willya?  It's cheaper than a tin of Altoids.

Until next time...The Signal is OFF!

SUPERGIRL - SEASON 5.16

REVIEW:  SUPERGIRL - SEASON 5.16:  "Alex in Wonderland"  


With this virus lockdown in full effect, production has halted on the CW shows, and there's a strong possibility that the seasons for the remaining shows in production will be reduced in order to get a proper ending---even if it means something's are going to be rushed in rewrites in order to get the season to a logical conclusion.  I honestly hope it DOESN'T happen, but if it IS inevitable...ESPECIALLY in the wake of the news of star Melissa Benoist's pregnancy, I'm hoping they are able to tie everything together into--at the very least--something that makes sense, and we can be satisfied with.  

That being said, we see that Lex and Jemma are still playing mind games with each other, Andrea is hell bent on getting Obsidian Platinum launched, and will do anything she can to get it out there---and she's also got new powers to play with.  We had a disgruntled man who was looking to destroy people via VR through the Platinum lenses, Leviathan capturing these people and keeping them in there.  The resurfacing of Margo...the main lackey of Leviathan.  Lena is making progress in her plan to use the Obsidian lenses to reprogram people's minds, and now Kara and Alex have to cope with the loss of Jeremiah Danvers. 


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This week...we focused on Alex, and how she has to handle the fallout from the news of her father's passing.  She had been upset the last time when he escaped ARGUS in order to warn her and Supergirl about them, but he ended up betraying them, and then disappearing again.  This has weighed on Alex A LOT, so to say the least that she's a mixed bag when this episode started is an understatement.  She's sad, we know that for sure, but we also see the anger in her.  And she isn't afraid to lash out.  We see her not getting ready for her father's funeral, we see Kelly TRY to console her, and Kara telling her she needs to go, but she's bitter, angry, frustrated, and she lashes out at the two people she loves the most:  Kelly and Kara.  She REALLY hits Kara with the fact that Jeremiah protected her, and it seemed like Kara took priority over Alex...at least, that's how she felt when she was younger, so it was some residual resentment from Alex about Kara.  And Kara, quite frankly, wasn't going to put up with it, and left with J'Onn, not being able to deal with Alex's anger issues.  We don't even see Kara again this entire episode except for one part in the VR world, and at the end of the episode. 

 Alex then lays into Kelly, who is doing her best to try and understand her pain, but Alex throws it in her face as well.  Had it not been for the fact that Kelly was needed at Obsidian, she would've tried to talk Alex into going to the funeral for her Dad, but she let's everyone know how pissed off she is that he's gone, and how he left her with the main task of taking care of not only herself, but her family...especially Kara.  Alex then discovers the pair of VR lenses Kelly had at home, and puts them on, wanting to escape into the VR world to get away.  When we see the options she has once she's in, we see her as a mother (something she's DESPERATELY wanted to be), and herself as Supergirl...and option she quickly chooses.

We then spend the majority of the episode living out Alex's fantasy in VR, but what happens is that she comes upon a young lady named Bonnie, who has escaped under the name Tilly.  Tilly looks like Indiana Jones, and says that she has a sister back in the real world with cancer, and can't do a thing about it...so she came into the VR to escape.  Alex then sees a dragon fly by, it wrecks the place, and she--as Supergirl--saves the singer, who'd been in there awhile, and had no idea that it wasn't real.  But that's how it feels in the VR world with all the new fancy upgrades.  Alex performs a few heroic deeds as Supergirl, and is feeling it.  But she also begins to see that everyone around her that's been in here awhile, and they're losing their grip on reality---that they actually feel the VR is real.  So much so, Alex herself falls for it.  She begins to lose her grip with reality, and believes herself to actually be Supergirl.  Meanwhile, in the real world, Kelly realizes that the glitch that happened last episode was NOT repaired, and when she confronted Andrea about it, she chalks it up to beaurocracy.  The funds were not released from the board of the company to get the problem fixed.  Andrea warns Kelly that all the good that it does for those in VR could be damaged if they try to fix it.  

Kelly is also assisting William Dey on his case against Lex, who had just recently gotten government approval to launch satellites into space.  He thinks there's a connection, but it's proven differently by Kelly.  However, she DOES find out that one of the board members of Obsidian IS Lex, so his case just bled into hers.  They work together to find out that anyone with the VR lenses that have had them on for about a 48 hour period continuously, can suffer brain damage.  They get a list of names, and start to make calls on it.  After getting nowhere, Kelly needs to check up on Alex, and when she does, she finds out that Alex is trapped in the VR, and can't get out.  She tries the booster shot, but it has no effect.  She then tries to go into the VR herself to get her out, but she can't.  The other parts of the program try to actually kill her.  She calls Andrea, and informs her what's going on about the hack, and that without the patch, people are getting stranded, and have no escape app.  Andrea informs her that she needs to find something to shock Alex into waking up and ending the simulation.  Kelly creates a younger version of Alex to get her out.  The younger version of Alex manages to persuade her current self to get out of the simulation by making her realize that none of what she's experiencing his real.  The other avatars of the VR - Brainy, Eliza, Dreamer, and J'Onn...all look to destroy her, because of the "corruption" in the system - her younger self.  But she snaps to her senses, and escapes the VR realm.  

William, meanwhile, uses his NSA contact to locate the rest of the bodies where they manage to pinpoint them in a single place.  William goes to investigate, but sees a big empty wherehouse.  Beind a false wall, however, is Margo with the bodies.  Observing William snoop around, she's satisfied when he turns to leave.  However, what she DOESN'T see is that William spots a hospital patient tag on the ground, and picks it up.  He's found a clue to what's going on.

Alex and Kelly discuss her issues with not being able to save her dad, and how angry she was she couldn't do anything about it.  Alex has been dealing with feeling helpless lately, and this compounded it.  Kelly says she's there for her no matter what, as well as her family.  They end up getting Alex to the memorial service for her dad, just as her mother Eliza is giving the eulogy.  She sits next to Kara, and apologizes for her behavior.  Kara forgives her.  Alex and Kelly KNOW something is rotten at Obsidian, and as much as they wanted to look into it, Alex needed to mourn her father.  

What catches our eye at the end of the episode, is Andrea going to one of her techs, and instructing them to start fixing the glitch with the new patch, and she has released the funds to do so.  What we get, however, is a little bit of a shock:  her techie is noneother than Eve Tessmacher.  

I did enjoy this episode, because it allowed us to see the things Alex has been dealing with since she not only left the DEO, but now finding out about the death of her father.  She had a hard time coping this episode, so the VR was a way to vent some steam.  Had to admit, the long haired wig looked cheesy, but DID like her Supergirl outfit.  THAT was pretty badass.  We get to delve into her fantasy a little bit, vent some frustration, and come to grips with her reality...that no matter WHAT she did, she couldn't save her father, no matter what.  He lived and died by the choices HE made, and that was all there was to it.  But she also was able to help advance the plot about the other VR users being trapped in the VR, and totally losing themselves in it.  So, along with Kelly and William (with Kara in tow, no doubt), the investigation will possibly lead to uncovering Lex's grand scheme...and that of Leviathan's, for that matter.  If they're cutting the season short by an episode or two, they're going to have to do some serious rewriting, and picking up the pace of the plot for it to not only have a good flow to it, and not feel forced or rushed, but for it to ALSO make sense.  Mind you---this is just ONE plot going on right now---there's STILL the issue with Lena and HER plan.  Going to have to tie THAT up, as well.  So, there's A LOT of story to tell, and I just hope that in their gung-ho to get the season filmed, that they don't sacrifice the story because of it.  I can live with a cliffhanger if necessary.

We got William, Kelly, Kara, and Alex (J'Onn too), now going to be working as a team.  No doubt Nia will have an input, and...somewhere in the background...Brainy is going to have his input as well.  But for THIS week...while they all made appearances (especially David Harewood for pulling double duty as J'Onn and Hank Henshaw), this was the Alex Show.  And I was cool with that.  Chyler Leigh did a great job eminating her distate at first of her father's death, and the eventual resolution through the problem.  Plus...I'm sure she was BEYOND stoked to wear her own Supergirl outfit.  But this was a much needed story for Alex...to help propel her forward in feeling more useful to the team.  

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Alrighty, that does it for us from The Tower.  What did YOU think of this episode?  Leave a comment below, and don't forget to subscribe to the page, and tell all your friends within earshot!  

Until next time....Up, Up and Away!

COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK

COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK

Welcome back!  Dealing with this Virus Lockdown sucks, and it's also provided a bit of distraction, so I apologize for not having this segment of the blog last week.  But we're back, and today, we're going to explore one of the more unusual series in DC Comics' history - ATARI FORCE.  Based off a short 5 issue series that was co-produced by DC and ATARI Corporation (yes, ATARI - the video game company), and it proved to be intriguing enough, that DC decided to go ahead and greenlight a series back in 1982.  So, this week, we're going to check out the first issue of this sci-fi series.

ATARI FORCE #1

COVER:  Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

WRITER:  Gerry Conway

ARTIST:  Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

INKS:  Richard Villigran

COLORS:  Tom Ziuko

LETTERS:  Bob Lappan

EDITOR:  Andy Helfer

COVER DATE:  January 1984

PUBLISHER:  DC Comics

TAGLINE:  Introducing:  The STRANGEST SF Heroes of All!

STORY TITLE:  "Part One:  Fresh Blood"

Atari Force #1 is the 2nd volume of the series that originated from DC and the Atari Corporation back in 1982.  The original 5 issue run was featured in 5 different video game packages for the Atari 2600 gaming console:  Defender, Berzerk, Star Raiders, Phoenix, and Galaxian.  The story focused on 5 members of the ATARI Institute:  A.T.A.R.I standing for  Advanced Technology And Research Institute.  The 5 issues told of the adventures of 5 memebers of this group:  Martin Champion, Lydia Perez, Li-San O'Rourke, Mohandas Singh, and Dr. Lucas Orion, as they explore the multiverse in their ship, Scanner One.  Along the way, they pick up an alien "pet" named Hukka, and face off against the evil malevolence of a being known as the Dark Destroyer.  During this story, the team ends up finding a new home for the denizens of Earth...calling it New Earth.  This original series was created by writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, and was illustrated by Ross Andru.  The 2nd volume takes place 25 years after the first series.  

THE STORY:  25 years after the original Atari Force's mission, we see two mercenaries:  Dart and her partner/lover Blackjak, escape a trap on an outward world by the Dark Destroyer, who's returned to destroy the universe.  Meanwhile, a young alien named Babe is abducted from his homeworld by an unscrupulous black market dealer, and on New Earth, woman named Professor Venture tries to teach the son of Martin Champion, Christopher, how to use his multiverse powers--and ability called "phasing"--and Martin himself broods in his ship---sending probe after probe into deep space, looking for the Dark Destroyer. And a thief named Pakrat, eludes capture after a theft, and heads to New Earth for opportunity.

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This first issue of the series set us up nicely with the introduction of the new characters that have appeared since the original series.  As we are now 25 years later.  Dart and Blackjak are new, and Dart is the daughter of two of the original members of Atari Force:  Mohandas Singh and Li-San O'Rourke.  Christopher Champion is the offspring of Martin Champion and Lydia Perez, who's been established in this issue as having been killed by the Dark Destroyer.  Martin is estranged from his son, and subconsiously blames him for the death of his wife.  Professor Venture acts as a surrogate mother to Chris...who's got a major chip on his shoulder.  He's also very close to Dart, whom he sees as a sister.  Babe is a large alien being with a mind of an infant, who is lured away from his home by a black market dealer.  Morphea is an insect being who is Martin's thereapist, and Pakrat is a rodent looking thief.  All the characters eventually make their way to New Earth where they will eventually hook up, and become a new Atari Force.  I love the character interaction, and Conway really helps express the changes in the last 25 years, and the fallout from it.  These characters have real human issues, and was one of the first series to really have diversity in their characters.  Garcia-Lopez's art has always been one of my favorites, and his work is incredibly exceptional here---he gets very Kirby-esque with this title, and gives us a bit of a Star Wars feel to it.  The Dark Destroyer is a great malevolent force that's reminiscent of Darth Vader in scope.  We get a wonderful set up and introduction, preparing us for what's to come down the road.  The series SADLY only lasted 20 issues, but for the moment in time that it occurred, it's worth reading!

DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW - SEASON 5.7

REVIEW:  DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW - SEASON 5.7:  "Romeo V. Juliet - Dawn of Justness"


Our Misfits of Time haven't lost a beat this season.  We've seen reanimated conqueorors, gangsters, entitled rulers, and the return of Damien Dhark to name a few, as Astra has sent the Encores from Hell to make the Legends' life miserable---especially that of John Constantine.  He is on a quest, however, to retrieve the broken Loom of Fate, so that he can save her, along with her mother, and bring that family back together again.  And they need to do it quickly, before Charlie's fellow Fates---namely her sisters---find the pieces first, and wreak havoc.  We saw that Mick has to deal with the fallout of having a kid, Ray and Nora tied the knot, and what more will Zari remember about her previous life aboard ship?  Plus---what new threat do we have this week?  Let's just jump in, get our feet wet, and see what happens....


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As Dylan once sang, "The times are 'a' changin'", and nothing could be more proof of that than with our Mirthful Group of Timecops aboard the Waverider.  This week's episode dealt primarily with change.  Things aboard the Waverider have always seemed SOMEWHAT in flux, but there was always the core of the team:  Sara, Ray, and Mick.  Well, this week, we said goodbye to Ray Palmer and his new lovely bride, Nora Dhark Palmer.  As Ray had promised her father Damien last week, that Nora's work as a Fairy Godmother is better suited being on Earth, and not hopping around time, trying to make sure it doesn't get screwed up, or is in dire need of repair.  So, Ray realized that the time had come for he and Nora to start their lives together....but it needed to be at home.  So, Ray spent the better part of this episode bidding farewell to his teammates.  However...as you may have guessed...NOTHING ever goes right when it comes to the Legends.  It's ALWAYS gotta be done the hard way.  And while it was hard enough for Ray to tell Sara he was leaving, Mick spilled the beans to most of the group, except one:  Nate.  Of all the relationships that have occurred aboard the ship, Ray and Nate's friendship has always provided the comical spark, as well as it's heart.  They've always stuck by each other's side, and their antics have always made the show more enjoyable.  However, this time around, we got to see Ray struggle with leaving.  As hard as it was going to be for the team to be without him...it's hard on Ray as well.

Of course, we can't have a PROPER send off for Ray without throwing in some typical Legends trouble.  This time, Shakespeare was our historical figure of focus, as he had gotten ahold of a ring---which turned out to be one of the pieces of the Loom of Fate that Charlie had scattered across the cosmos---reshaped because normal people couldn't handle the sight of it.  Either way, Shakespeare had it, and sold it to a man, in order to open up his theater, and produce his plays.  The boys end up travelling to the past on one final mission with Ray, to retrieve the piece, along with Charlie...and while Nate is concoting some great plant to get it, Charlie goes to the man, and steals it back.  With the mission being pretty much OVER, they SHOULD'VE went back to the ship, and got the heck outta Dodge...but we know better.  Nate decides that THIS would be a good time to throw Ray that bachelor party they didn't get to have.  Meanwhile, aboard the ship, Zari stumbles upon the other laides (including the returning Mona for a visit), and they invite her to join Book Club.  Which, as it turns out, is just "ladies time" for them, and they don't really talk about books.  Zari finds it cute, and describes it like a cult, which they quickly correct her, letting her know that it's not that, and because that's how Nora grew up.  So, what ends up happening...since they all know Nora is leaving with Ray---THEY decide to throw a party of their own!  A bachelorette party.  So, both Nate AND Sara lie to each other, and both parties get underway.

Naturally, trouble ensues when the party gets out of hand, and a fight breaks out, and the team puts their abilities to use---although they ARE intoxicated.  They end up bolting, but not before screwing things up...as usual.  The ladies, however, weren't anymore well behaved, because they had a fireman stripper, and they were just as sloshed.  So, as Sara lectures them, she's also doing so drunk.  But the BIG problem is:  with Shakespeare having witnessed the Legends in action, he completely scraps Romeo & Juliet, to be more about the team!  Now, they have to go fix their mistake, by convincing Shakespeare to write the play he was originally intending to do.  It takes Ray to eventually sit him down, and talk to him, telling him that his characters deserve a better ending than the one he's got now.  Ray goes on to say that saying goodbye is always hard to do, but it's necessary sometimes, and that change will always happen.  Nate actually overhears this convo, and eventually, he and Ray have a spat over the fact that Ray didn't just come out and tell him, PLUS...he was the LAST to know.  Of course, Ray tells him he was GOING to (but how many hints did the team DROP to get him to fess up to Nate?), but it was hard for him.  And, to make matters worse, everything Ray told Shakespeare apparently didn't stick, because history wasn't altered.  Instead, he scraps the play completely.  He lost funding for his theater, and now he's quitting.  Ray still feels that he and Nate still have one last mission, but Nate's butt-sore, and thus doesn't want Ray to participate.  

Sara sits the team down, and gives them her usual pep talk, and realizes how they can get Shakespeare on the right track:  perform the play.  So, the team gets down to it, and they start the play, and things are going well...until Nate can't do his part as Juliet.  Zari ends up fillling in, and we find out she's actually a drama major.  Charlie sits with Shakespeare as the play goes on, while Nate races back to the ship to catch Ray.  Ray himself, has felt he overstayed his welcome, and he and Nora are about to leave.  But, thankfully, Nate gets to the ship just in time to have a final, tearful goodbye with each other.  And while it's hard on both of them, Nate knows this is what's best for Ray and Nora.  The really touching part about this was when Ray was saying his final goodbye to Gideon, and she wondered if he'd be back.  He asked her to look after the team, and as he left--SHE cried!  I was so sad.  Either way, the mission DOES get accomplished, they set history right yet again, AND they have a piece of the Loom.  Sara, of course, tells Nate that she hates it that Ray is gone, but she'll be his shoulder to lean on--his best bud, in a way, should he need it.  So, it gives us a chance to have Sara become even closer to some of the crew.  But now, this just leaves Sara and Mick as the final two of the core of the team.  Of course, the team celebrates a final drink to Ray and Nora, as they try his green juice---which most of them outside of Zari think it's awful, and makes them sick.

Don't worry....I didn't forget about Astra, and the Coin Dealer.  Turns out, her and the Coin Dealer have been much closer than we realized.  The Dealer had taken Astra in, when she was a lost soul.  And Astra tells her about Constantine's plan to help restore her family, and the Dealer says that if that happens, she won't be able to see her anymore...and she's been the only family Astra's had in the dark realm.  So, they spy on the team, and John senses her spirit there.  He then attacks, and before he realizes it's her, he's knocked her out.  She awakes, and the Dealer asks her what she saw.  Astra talks about the Loom of Destiny, and she asks Astra whether or not SHE wants John to have that power, when she could have it for herself.  Now...while Astra ponders that, let's make it clear here:  We KNOW John's intentions are good with the Loom...but we ALSO know that ANYONE in Hell is NOT someone to be trusted, so I see the Dealer working Astra right now in order to get ahold of the Loom herself.  After all...I think the Council themselves would find that quite a wonderful little prize for themselves.  So...I think Astra is going to get played from here on out the rest of this season until John can save her.  

One last detail from this sentimental send off to Ray and Nora, was Mona's brief return, to talk to Mick about the slamming Rebecca Silver is getting online from ONE particular person.  Mick doesn't want to deal with it, and forbids Mona to do anything about it, but he DOES fess up to the rest of the team that he has a kid.  Mona DOES figure this out, and tells him to talk to her.  He refuses, because he feels he's protecting her.  When Mona asks why, he shows her the burn marks on his arm---telling her that his father was NOT a good man, and that he doesn't think he'd be a good parent.  But Mona says it's because of HIM that she's the person SHE is.  So, she hugs him, and it's another one of the very few times we witness some compassion in Mick Rory.  So...what this holds for him and his future as a parent to his daughter Lita remains to be seen...but it SHOULD be comical.  I will admit ONE thing that was missing from this episode:  Gary.  But then again, I was okay with that.  Gary is good in small doses.  He's the one character that I don't NEED a lot of---he can be too much at times.  Plus...with John's house, it's a perfect place for him to be until he's actually called upon.  It's a nice plot device if you ask me.

Once again, the Legends do what they do best:  Give us a story...wrap a TON of calamity around it, but somehow, someway, find some drama, and have a touch of heart into it.  This had all of that.  Plus...watching Mick having to do Shakespeare was funny.  It was a sweet and touching send off for Ray and Nora (and for Brandon Routh and his wife Courtney Ford who play Ray and Nora, a farewell to the series), and we got to see more of the Dealer and Astra, as I think there will be MORE brewing THERE as we are halfway through the season.  But the dynamics are shifting, and the team is a bit smaller now.  But, I've no doubt the writers will continue to find ways to keep us engaged, and most DEFINITELY keep us laughing.  That's what I love about this show---there are NO RULES.  It's just a good time.

Oh...and nice play on the title for the episode...a little tongue-and-cheek by the writers to play off of Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

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Alright, kiddies, our funtime here is done.  Please make sure you subscribe, leave a comment, and whore this blog out to everyone you know!  I know I'D appreciate it.  I know this review wasn't a complete recap, and it was a tad late, but this whole Virus thing has things wonky...even for ME.  So, stay safe out there, and take care of yourselves and each other.  So, I'm thinking this is how they will be from here on out---gonna try it anyway, and hope you guys still like it.  That's why I require INPUT!!  

Until then...Time Is On Our Side

THE FLASH - SEASON 6.15

REVIEW:  THE FLASH - SEASON 6.15:  "The Exorcism of Nash Wells"


Situations are picking up speed in the world of the Fastest Man Alive....HOWEVER...things are about to SLOW DOWN for Barry Allen.  The Speed Force is GONE.  Thawne is BACK, and inhabiting the body of Nash Wells.  And once he's free---he's got a mad-on for the Flash, and he's intent on ending Barry and his team once and for all.  And to make matters WORSE...he's got a new Mirror Master in Eva McCulloch, collecting items she needs in order to launch her own devious plan, and has a fake Iris running around, causing problems, and has now claimed Camilla as well.  Black Hole is still a threat to deal with---and there's not much Barry can do...except hope he, Caitlin, and Cisco can find a way for him to create his own Speed Force.  Time is running out for the Scarlet Speedster.


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Mirror, mirror, on the wall...what is the Mirror Master's grand plan of all?  Eva is talking to the duplicates of Iris and now Camilla that she's made.  She said Camilla wasn't part of the plan, but she had to act fast.  Right now, her main goal is to find a piece called a prismatic refractor that she created six years ago.  Both copycats are charged with finding this piece in order for her to fulfill her longterm plans.  Apparently, her husband, Joseph Carver, Mr. Black Hole himself, had sold it to Mercury Labs.  She makes them a copy of one, and says for them to replace the fake with the real one.  

Team Flash, meanwhile, is working on a way to help Barry manage what speed he has left before he's powerless.  Cisco and Caitlin have made him a watch that monitors his speed levels, and tells him to manage it carefully,  If he gets into the red, he'll burn off what he has left.  Nash wakes up in his cell down in the pipeline.  They wonder if it's HIM, or whether or not Thawne is playing possum.  

Joe's talking to Chief Singh about the possible leak in the department, that someone is on Carver's payroll.  Singh warns Joe that he just got the job as Captain, and not to go over Internal Affairs' heads.  Play it by the book.  If Carver has a mole, he's been able to make sure to botch any evidence taken, to make sure he evades criminal charges.  Joe just asks his boss to read the file on Carver.  

Back with Nash, and he finally fesses up to the team about seeing multiple Wells.  But Cisco doesn't think that's possible, because they're all dead.  However, with a brainwave scanner, Caitlin finds out that Nash has all of those Wells converged into his head.  There's no way to medically separate them, and Nash tells them about the gauntlet in his bag.  He tells Cisco to calibrate it, and he does, but winks at Barry before Cisco activates it.  Caitlin wants him to wait, but Cisco activates it, and it feedbacks on them.  Turns out, Thawne was playing them, and he races off.  Barry speeds to go find him, despite Caitlin's warning.  Barry  catches Eobard, as he's about to take off in the time sphere to go back in time and change events to ensure he gets his speed back, and kill Nora, then Barry.  Barry then is tempted to kill Thawne when Caitlin stops him, and tases Thawne, knocking him out.  

We see that they have Nash's body strapped down, and Caitlin wonders if Barry had planned on killing him, and he thought about it, but wasn't sure.  Caitlin feels that for them to get rid of Eobard out of Nash's body, Barry can't be there.  He's too emotionally wound up, and if he uses his speed in the tiniest amount, he'll drain himself more.  Caitlin urges Barry to leave, and he does.  

Cecile shows up, and has all the usual gimmicks used for an exorcism:  galric, a cross, holdy water, a ouija board.  Cisco tells her it's NOT that kind of exorcism.  He needs to use her pyschic powers to keep tabs on Nash, while he uses positive energy to get into Nash's mind to see what's going on.  We flash back to Earth 719 some 8 years ago, where Nash catches a young girl stealing his stuff.  He finds our her name is Maya, and that she says the valuable stuff he was looking for isn't as valuable as the red rock that was with it.  It was worth 3 times as much.  He gives her his hat, and tells her that when she goes back to her parents, that Nash Wells sent her.  She says she has no parents, and he asks if she'd like to learn what he does:  Archaeological Mythbusting.  She's interested.  Cecile can feel Nash's feelings about Maya, and she can see he is in a lot of pain.  Especially now that, in his head, he's dealing with Eobard Thawne.  

Fake Iris and Camilla are at Mercury Labs, talking to one of the techs about the refractor that they got from McCulloch Technologies, and they're acting like they're on a story, but they're really doing recon. While the lab tech goes to get Tina McGee (haven't heard Tina's name dropped in awhile), Fake Camilla does a scan, and finds the safe the refractor is in.  However, a new meta materializes on the scene, and is looking to make off with it herself.  Fake Iris then calls Barry ,and Caitlin says that SHE can handle it, and for Barry to stay put.  As Frost, she's over to Mercury Labs, where she takes on a new meta named Sunshine.  They begin to fight for the refractor, but Frost isn't holding up in battle so well, since Sunshine can counter her freeze powers.  Barry, sensing this, grabs some Velocity X from a secret compartment, takes it, and races over to help Frost out.  Frost warned him to stay put, and as he tries to handle Sunshine herself, his powers short out again.  He's down for the count, and Sunshine blasts Frost, taking her out as well.  Just as Sunshine's about to leave with the refractor, Joe and the CCPD show up, and she takes off.  

Back at the lab, Caitlin is resting, but she's down for awhile.  Barry feels stupid and blames himself.  He tells Joe that he trie to use the Velocity X, but it didn't work on him.  Barry gives him and update on what's happening with Thawne, and Joe tells him that he needs to watch using his speed.  Barry wonders who Sunshine is, and Fake Iris comes in, saying that she's a former soldier and DoD agent named Millie Rawlins, and she can bend light to her will.  Joe that shows them that HE has the refractor, and Fake Iris suggests they keep it at STAR Labs, and it will be safe there.  Barry says that's not a good idea, and Joe says that it's going to ARGUS, and until they claim it, he's holding onto it.  Barry feels helpless, and takes off.  Joe has to actually urge Fake Iris to go talk to him.  This is NOT lost on Joe.  

Barry needed time to think, and Fake Iris puts on the act, and gives him the pep talk.  She says that Barry himself is the hero, not the Flash.  It's like he feels that he can't do anything unless he's the Flash.  Metas have limits.  She urges him to use his abilities as Barry Allen to stop the bad guys.  He then realizes how he can beat Sunshine.  He takes off to go talk to Joe, and Fake Iris calls Fake Camilla, and lets her know where the refractor is.

Thawne is still taunting Nash over Maya's death, making sure to let him know it was his fault.  Meanwhile, Cecile is feeling all of Thawne's hate, but all of Nash's pain, and it's too much to bear.  She can't hang in, and Eobard starts to push through, but Cisco manages to slap some meta cuffs on him to stop him temporarily, which Eobard lets him know about.  He tells him he WILL take over Nash's body, and when that happens...Nash is gone.

Singh meets up with Joe, and agrees with him.  He read the file, and realizes that they need to keep this mole case in house.  Just then, Sunshine materializes, and wants the refractor.  The officers, Joe and Singh try to fight her off, but she takes them out  except for Joe. He manages to pass along the refractor to Barry, who takes off running, making her chase him.  He races up to his lab and locks the door.  Sunshine burns through the lock,and walks into his lab looking for him.  Then, all the windows have metal shutters slam down, causing the light to be taken out of the lab.  With the lab dark, Sunshine can't use her powers.  The police manage to get guns on her, and they arrest her, ending her threat.  ARGUS gets the refractor, and Singh and Joe realize that Sunshine, with her powers, might've been the mole they've been looking for.  Either way, they have her in order to start building their case against Carver.

Cisco and Cecile talk about what will happen to ALL of the Wells if they don't get rid of Eobard---they'll be in a living hell.  As Cisco rummages through Nash's stuff, the polaroid of him and Maya falls out.  Cecile figures out that Nash is feeling grief over losing Maya, and Thawne is using that negative energy to power himself AND to take over Nash's body.  Nash needs to work through his remorse and sadness in order to save himself.  Barry comes back with an idea.  To use the brain connecters they used for The Thinker in order to get into Nash's head, and help him.  They arrive in Nash's head, and while Cisco tries to urge Nash to deal with his guilt and fight back, Barry is holding guard, and not allowing Thawne to get to Nash.  Thawne takes this time to goad Barry again, so that he'll use his speed.  Telling Barry that he wasted the time he had with Nora, and that Thawne taught her all she knew about the Speed Force, and that he was a terrible father.  Barry starts to lose it in the real world, but Cecile talks him down.  Barry eventually calms himself, and says he won't let Eobard egg him on anymore.  Cisco tells Nash, who's hearing Maya's voice, to go through the tunnel, and face his guilt.  Deal with it.  So, we see that it's Earth 13, and he's watching her get to another prize, which he told her was the ultimate goal.  He manages to procure what they're looking for, but she took her harness off, and she slips and falls.  She's hanging on by one hand, and Nash is frozen, not sure what to do.  His current self is telling her to let the prize go, but he cannot be heard.  History plays out, and she falls to her death.  Nash comes back, and he accepts the blame for her falling.  He finally lets out his grief.  Seeing this, Barry tells Thawne that he can't feed off Nash's pain anymore.  He tells Thawne that metas have limits...but people don't.  Thawne then is exorcised from Nash...with his essence and red lighting expelled from Nash's body into the sky....then dissipates.  Nash wakes up, but he's okay...however, he's now finally facing the pain.

The team then goes over what happened, and they find that while Thawne was expelled from Nash's body, the lighting wasn't destroyed, so he's still out there, though there is no current trace of negative tachyons in the atomsphere.  There's also no trace of Thawne in Nash's body, henceforth he's okay.  Nash is packing up, ready to take off, when Cisco tells him that all the other Nash's are now a part of him permanently.  He'll have to accept that, but he's grateful for all they did.  Cisco gives him the picture of him and Maya.  He says that even though Allegra looks like Maya, she should still make amends with her.  He feels it's a bit too late for that.  But Cisco tells him that when he met Harry, and all the other Wells...they always got off on the wrong foot.  But when he REALLY got to know them, they became his friends.  He should do that with Allegra.  Cisco takes off, and Harry reminds Nash that he's right.  Nash tries to answer, but Harry is gone.  He knows he's going to have to get used to that.  And thus, he takes off.

Barry and Caitlin talk, and they make up.  He apologizes for not listening to her.  Cisco still wonders how they can create a Speed Force.  And Caitlin wonders whether or not it will be bad.  Barry tells them that when he was in Nash's head, and Thawne was goading him, that Thawne reminded him about Nora, and that he taught her how to create a speed force.  Barry said their Speed Force will be different.  He shows them Nora's diary.  They can use that in order to learn how to create a Speed Force.  

Fake Iris and Camilla report back to Eva.  They somehow managed to get the real refractor for her.  She comments how it is her husband could forget all about her, but wanted to make use of her toys.  She then says to make sure to stick to the plan...she's that much closer to her liberation.  


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This wasn't a bad episode in terms of storyline driven plot.  We're starting to see the finish line of the season on the horizon (even though we're getting a hiccup in the airing of these shows due to this virus crap that's halting EVERYTHING down), but for how, we will review until we have nothing TO review.  And this episode gave us a few more tidbits.

This installment focused primarily and Nash having to deal with this guilt and remorse over not being able to save his "daughter", Maya.  He had taken her in, and had been the only parent she really had, and to lose her was devestating, but since he couldn't and didn't really save her, he shouldered the blame.  Now we finally understood why it was he was so attatched to Allegra.  However, he had buried his guilt and shame (though it was on full display when he was Pariah during CRISIS).  Thawne used that to his advantage, since he draws on negative energy to power himself.  Once he managed to consume all of Nash's, he could take over, and begin his plan to kill Team Flash.  Thankfully, with the help of Cecile, and some old tech...Barry and Cisco managed to fend off Thawne, and get Nash to accept his blame and guilt...own it...and come to terms with it.  We also now understand WHY he had been seeing every other version of Wells in his head...it's because they are now all a part of HIM.  He is now the living amalgamation of every other Wells we've experienced.  This is going to be interesting down the road, and hoping it's a plot device that can be put to good use.  It'll make him that much more interesting a character.  Plus...I think we DO wanna see him finally have that chat with Allegra.

The second aspect of this episode focused on yet another piece of Mirror Master's plan (yes, I'm calling Eva that---because THAT IS WHO SHE IS!), and it seems that Carver had the same idea as Eva---getting this piece.  Though Carver had sold it to Mercury Labs, he was going to have it stolen back, so he---as the Black Hole--could continue to build his organization.  Sunshine was just another villain of the week---but glad we got to see Barry Allen use his WITS instead of his speed to solve a problem.  Frustrates me sometimes at how stupid Barry comes off as, even though he's a scientist by nature.  He should KNOW these things instinctively, and shouldn't have to struggle THIS hard to defeat a villain...either as himself OR the Flash.  But I guess that's how the writers wanna create drama.  

It seems as though Fake Iris' ruse is beginning to crack.  Wally told Joe to be conscious of Iris...he said she didn't seem right.  Joe is now aware after watching Fake Iris not even pay attention to Barry's plight over his issue.  It struck him as odd that HE had to nudge her to go and talk to her "husband".  Even though she put on the fake loving wife part, and gave him the pep talk he needed...she still slipped up.  And that's going to backfire on her...and back to Eva.  I think with having created a Fake Camilla...and her own preoccupation with her plan, and hiding it from the real Iris...Eva is slipping.  Her concentration is straining, and she's going to finally get exposed.  Hopefully soon.  Even Iris is going to have to figure this all out.  And with Camilla now in that same universe, they're BOUND to meet up, and when that happens, Eva's exposed.  But how Iris and Camilla can combat that is not known.  It just puts Barry in danger...and Cisco too...in a lesser extent.  I'm curious to see if Cisco himself notices something off about Camilla.  

Allegra was absent again for the 2nd episode, as was Ralph.  Not sure what Allegra's issue is, unless she's hiding from Nash, but I'm under the impression that Ralph is still tracking Sue. No Chester this episode either.  And, we DID get a bit of BOTH Caitlin AND Frost...so that was cool.  And always awesome when we can get Cecile involved.  

Another good episode, and looking forward to seeing just when in the hell Eva has planned for Central City once she escapes the mirror universe.  

Okay, kids---that's all for now.  Be sure to subscribe, comment, and let everyone know about this little joint on the web.

Until next time...Keep On Running!

SUPERGIRL - SEASON 5.15

REVIEW:  SUPERGIRL - SEASON 5.15:  "Reality Bytes"


Lots of things going on around our Girl of Steel.  After dispatching of a woman who was seeking revenge against Andrea Rojas  and her Obsidian Platinum VR Lenses, she still has to contend with whatever it is that Lex and Lena are planning, the hassle of Andrea--either protecting her or dealing with her as Kara Danvers, the looming threat of Leviathan....and dating.  Lex is still getting cozy with Jemma, as he hopes to learn the secrets of Leviathan, so he can control them---as well as everything else.  Jemmia sees Lex as an annoyance, but useful.  But has no regrets about throwing him out with the trash when they're done.  Andrea just discovered her Shadow powers, so who knows what THAT will mean, and Alex is looking to fit in after her stint in the DEO.  Brainy is now feeling like working with Lex is a bad idea, and Kara looks to get closer to William...while they're still trying to unravel the truth as to Lex's plans.  And Lena---still isn't budging on her quest.  But it will have bad ripple effect for her in the last few episodes of the season.  So...without further ado, let's fly into National City, and see what's what.


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Our focus this week centers on our Dreamgirl, Nia Nall.  But before we get to the nitty gritty of this week's installment, we also have another story going on involving the Obsidian Tech VR Glasses.  A young man is observing a winter display, as he watches kids chase a real live snowman, and observes life around him.  But apparently, it's a bit too emotionally painful for him, so he looks to get out of the simulation by pressing on the escape option.  But...it doesn't work.  Kelly Olsen then has to use a shot to get him out.  He's not happy, and when Kelly asks why he didn't use the failsafe, he said he tried, but it didn't work.  She says she will ensure that the failsafe is working, and the glitch WILL be repaired, and apologizes to the man - Richard Bates.  Then, an elderly nurse walks in, and says that she will give the man his exit interview.  It's Margo from Leviathan.  This happens two months prior to today.

We jump to present day, where Dreamer and Supergirl have teamed up to save the day against a Dominator who got loose, but Dreamer pretty much did the heavy lifting.  Dreamer reminds Supergirl of her date as Kara Danvers, and tells her to go, she's got this all wrapped up.  Supergirl flies off, and Agent Dox shows up, and both Brainy and Dreamer greet each other, but it's an awkward moment to say the least.

Kara, on the other hand, is worried about her date with William, and is asking Alex for advice.  While Alex is giving her an idea at what to wear, she says she's been working on the new weapon that J'Onn gave her, and tries showing off to Kara.  It works briefly, but for some reason, it doesn't work all the time.  She still has some practice, apparently.  They also talk about Nia, and how proud Kara is of her, as she's gotten better in her role as Dreamer.  It's nice that she has someone who can handle National City while she can take a break and go out on a date.  They overhear a news story about Lex bringing the Obsidian lenses to Qurac.  They turn it off, because they don't wanna hear about Lex, even though he is STILL a problem they have to deal with.  Kara is off to her date.

We see Nia at home with her roommate Yvette, who's looking forward to her upcoming date with a man she made contact with through a dating site.  They haven't met in person, but Yvette is hopeful.  Nia plans on just lounging at home, but Yvette will have none of it.  She drags Nia to this club where Yvette was going to meet this dream date of hers.  

William and Kara are at a bar, where they're about to shoot a game of pool.  Kara knows she has to be careful (because of her powers), and kind of plays coy with William about not having played pool before...or, at least, not very well.  He teases her a little, and she goes for the opening shot---and proceeds to drain every ball.  She laughs, and chalks it up to beginners luck, and he laughs.  The date is going well.

Nia and Yvette are at the club, waiting for Mr. Dreamboat, when Nia gets a vision in her head about bloody hands.  It forces her out of her little trance, and she heads to the bathroom.  Yvette gets a text from her date, saying to meet her outside the club.  A white gentlemen shows up and engages in a quick convo with her before she says she's meeting her date outside, and goes to meet him, only to have the gentlemen follow her.  It turns out, he set her up by being "Mr. Wonderful", and says that she lied about herself on the website.  While in the bathroom, Nia gets yet another vision about Yvette, and she races outside to find that Yvette had been beaten by this man.  He did leave a note for Dreamer, however.  The note saying that Dreamer is a terrible role model, and they don't need a trans superhero.  She needs to go away, or he'll keep attacking people like her until she does. This upsets Nia deeply, as she holds her friend.  Later at home, Yvette gives them a description of her assilant, and the officer assures her he will do all he can to find this guy.  He promises to check back in with her later.  Yvette is too upset,and heads into her room.  Kara arrives, and checks in with Nia.  She is so sorry and apologizes to Nia for not being there for them.  Nia says that Yvette isn't just physically hurt, she's heartbroken.  She thought the person online really liked her.  But this guy hates trans people, and she is going to find him, and bury him.  Kara tries to understand Nia's pain, but Nia isn't up for a Supergirl like lecture.  This kind of thing happens in her community a lot more than they know.  Nia feels it is HER duty to protect her community.  She isn't going to hide and run away.  She won't let it happen.  Kara tries one more chance to reason with her.  Asks her to let her handle it.  Nia throwns down the ultimatum:  She's got a few hours with which to find him and bring him to justice.  Otherwise, she's doing it HER way.

Alex is still having issues trying to harness the weapon J'Onn have her properly.  J'Onn tells her that it takes a little time for the weapon to bond to her bio-matrix.  She needs to be patient.  She has to allow it to become a part of her.  He knows she's still adjusting to life outside the DEO, but she needs to focus on a clear path.  She has one:  she wants to stop Lex, and get the DEO away from him, and take it back.  An alarm goes off in the Tower, and they have a guest:  Al the alien bartender.  He's looking for his brother Trevor, who seems to have disappeared.  Seems that lately, Trevor has spent a lot of time online, and got an invite to a VR party in what they call "Virtual Las Vegas".  He went with some buddies, but that was well over a week ago.  He hasn't come back, and now Al is concerned.  J'Onn says that he wants to look around their place to spot any clues, and Alex says that she'll talk to Kelly at Obsidian ,and see what's going on with this Virtual Las Vegas thing.  

Brainy is at work, looking at clips of Dreamer's battle against the Dominator, when he gets a call from Kara.  Kara explalins to him what's going on with Nia, and asks for his help in tracking down the man who attacked Yvette.  

Alex and Kelly talk about what she'll face as Alex enters into VR to find Trevor in this "Virtual Las Vegas".  Kelly gives her special lenses, and everything she feels, smells, and tastes will feel real.  Kelly will keep tabs on her from the real world, but once Alex enters, there are no rules.  Alex goes in, and she gets into the Vegas option, and is on her search for Trevor.  She is looking for a place called the Escape Palace.  Meanwhile, J'Onn is at Al's checking out the place, and asking Al about Trevor and his friends.  Al says that Trevor has been spending a lot of time retreating into VR.  J'Onn has found a couple of names connected with Trevor's trip, and asks Al for a momento of sorts that he can psychically link with, and help find him for Alex.  Speaking of Alex, she asks around about the Escape Palace, and it shows a creepy house on a hill outside the window.  She goes in, and she manages to find two men---presumably Trevor's friends---in water tanks that are filling up, and they're drowning.  They can't activate their failsafes.  Apparently, someone hacked the system and got around them.  If Alex doesn't break them free, they could suffer brain damage.  So, Alex uses her Martian weapon to help break them out.  She inquires where Trevor is, and they said that he went through a door behind Alex with a man named Richard.  He's new to the group, but apparently, they played on these men's fears, and they were left behind.  He didn't allow them to escape.  Kelly informs J'Onn of the proceedings.  He is in Opal City checking up on a lead, and he runs across a Mrs. Bates.  

Nia calls the police detective, and is getting an update on the case.  He says that he's put the face out there, and they're still searching, but it's going to take time.  Nia thanks him and hangs up.  She apologizes to Kara, and says that she gave her time, but her time is up.  Now, she's going to handle it on her own.  She starts setting up a dating profile on the same site that Yvette was on.  

J'Onn talks to Mrs. Bates, and she says she doesn't know Trevor, or Richard, but he knows she's lying.  She says that Richard (who happens to be the same man we met at the beginning of the show), is her husband, and he's an electrical engineer.  They haven't exactly had the greatest marriage.  He does his thing, and she gets away through VR.  J'Onn stresses that he needs to find them both, otherwise, they will suffer permanent brain damage.  

One of Brainy's agents comes up to him with information about hate groups towards the transgender community.  She hesitates as he's looking at Nia's personal file on the dating site.  He excuses the woman.  

Back in VR, Alex has a little trouble trying to get through the door.  While she's making an effort, Kelly explains to her that Richard seemed to think that Trevor was having a virtural affair with his wife.  Kelly says that she needs to discuss with Andrea about improper use of the VR.  Alex uses her weapon again to fashion a key, and get in.  However, the scene changes a bit, and Alex and Kelly get cut off.  Alex is on her own.

William and Kara are back at CatCo, working on an article discussing the attacks on the transgendered community, when she gets a call from Brainy.  Who informs her that Nia is taking initiative to find this guy by drawing him out, by using herself as bait.  He sends her the  picture Nia put online.  Kara has to take off.  

Alex finds Trevor...who seems to not be able to stop blowing up, and reassembling, and blowing up again.  Richard is coming, and he finds Alex.  He wants her gone, but she refuses to leave.  He then attacks her. Alex fights back, and beats him.  He wakes up in real life, and has no intention of letting her win, and as he's about to go back in, J'Onn shows up.  He tries to go after J'Onn, but J'Onn easily puts him down.  J'Onn manages to give Alex the address to where Trevor is located, and she's on her way.  Especially once she coaches Trevor how to control the VR.  

The hateful attacker shows up, looking to meet Nia, but she shows up as Dreamer instead.  He says she isn't supposed to be there, but she says that's too bad.  He goes to stab her, but she beats him down, and then uses her powers to subdue him around the neck.  He says that she's not a role model for superheroes, and that she's disguting.  He feels heroes are supposed to be virtuous and honest.  Because trans people lie about who they really are, she isn't.  She's disgusted with him, because his fragile little ego is shattered, but she's going to make it to where he never harms anyone again.  Supergirl arrives in time, and tries to talk Dreamer down.  She apologizes for not seeing this threat much sooner...but now that it's out in the open, they will be more vigilant, the world will know this man's hate.  Supergirl says that she understands, but if Dreamer takes this man's life---he wins.  This community NEEDS her as their hero.  Don't give into hate.  Dreamer relents, but not before she says that he's going to jail.  And if he gets out, and tries anything again---she's going to give him a nightmare he'll never wake up from.  

Later on, Kara sees Nia on the balcony of CatCo, and Nia cries...saying that she almost killed a man tonight.  Kara consoles her, and Nia says that she had a dream, but couldn't make it out.  Couldn't interpet it, until it was too late.  She couldn't save Yvette.  Kara says that sometimes being the hero sucks.  But NOT giving into hate, not killing--THAT is what separates them.  Kara apologizes for not seeing Nia's pain, and they hug.  

Alex and Kelly are having a drink, when they discuss what went on inthe VR world.  They argree that ANY VR flirting is considered cheating, and that while Kelly believes in what she's doing, she flagged the glitch two months ago, and it SHOULD'VE been fixed.  Then, Trevor shows up to thank Alex in person, and that he's grateful.  She invites him for a drink.  

Yvette is looking to delete all her social media.  She's done trying to put herself out there, when she's got such an uphill mountain to climb.  Not just being transgender, but being a black transgender.  She really liked this guy. Nia says that if she does that,then they win.  That's what they want---to make them hide and disappear.  That's not gonna happen.  If anything, they need to shine brighter.  She calls Yevette a beautiful woman.  Yvette hugs her friend.  Meanwhile, Brainy meets up with the detective on Yvette's assault case, and gives him info on the hate group Yvette's attacker was a part of.  They were also responsible for other crimes, and maight help with some of his cold cases.  He's thankful, but asks why, and Brainy says that the DEO takes their sister superheroes seriously.

Later on, Alex is ready to train with J'Onn again, but still, can't get the weapon to work.  She said it worked in VR, but he says that's VR---she still needs to allow the weapon to bond with her.  The phone rings, and it's her mother.  The news seems shocking.  She then shows up at Kara's door, and says that they found Jeremiah's body---he's dead.  

Mrs. Bates checks up on her husband, and Margo is there, saying that he is in good hands.  Mrs. Bates leaves, and Margo pushes Richard to a room where there are A LOT of other VR bodies.  


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This episode took on a couple of serious subject matters:  Hiding in a virtual fantasy, and prejudice.  It was a good episode that kind of taught us a couple of things tonight.  

First of all:  Virtual Reality.  I can see the benefits of it---but there's so many types of it.  Aside from losing yourself into a virtual world, where you can play a character, or live out a fantasy, there's also the virtual reality of cyberspace itself.  This played out a bit with Yvette's dating site.  See, it's one thing to create an online profile to scare up a date, and find love.  But how honest ARE people ON these sites?  You always want to make  yourself up to the best representation of yourself---even if you embellish.  What got Yvette attacked was that the attacker felt she lied on her profile...which she did.  But that wasn't all.  And we'll get to that in a bit.  The other is an entire fantasy world....to get away from the life we normally lead.  It's been one of the many underlying storylines this season:  Andrea's company releasing VR lenses to take you out into another world---now, another world with a deeper sense of realism.  A better place that allows you to explore your fantasies.  But at what cost?  When does the virtual world BECOME your reality?  The lines are blurring daily.  Sometimes, virtual life seems better than the scariness and harshness of the real world.  Much as it's fun to get away...it becomes more of an addiction when you live in this virtual space, and spend less time in your actual reality.  And there are no rules in VR...as Trevor, Richard, and Mrs. Bates found out the hard way.  Richard used his genius to hack into the VR, and change his target's exit codes, therefore, they're trapped inside that world.  It nearly had dangerous consequences.  It certainly did with Richard.  Now, Leviathan is using that to their advantage. One that Kelly will find out the hard way, when the reality hits HER in the face.  

The BIG story tonight was one of prejudice.  The transgender community is one that is rife with targets of hate, prejudice, and violence.  Sadly, the men and women of this community are victimized daily---just by wanting to be who they want to be.  It's unfortunate that there are those in the world who wish to do harm to people who endure enough criticism for wanting to be the people they wish to be...even if it means changing to something else.  For Nia Nall (and, for that matter, actress Nicole Maines herself), have to deal with this daily, and it came to roost at Dreamer's doorstep.  For all the heroic deeds she's performed, and goodwill among the community she's built, there is this ONE man...who took advantage of HER best friend and roommate---beat her, and threatened Dreamer that she either disappeared.  He believes that the transgender community lies about who they really are.  It's a rhetoric that has been of debate for many--but sadly, cruelty and violence follow.  Nia's friend being attacked is just one aspect.  Many have been murdered simply because of who they are.  So, it's a difficult subject to tackle, and one that's going to put people on opposite sides.  But I thought those involved portrayed their characters well, and I credit the actress who portrayed Yvette for her work, as well as Nicole.  This is gutwrenching when you tell a story that is very near and dear to your heart---but have to live through the anger and hate that comes your way.  I know it couldn't have been easy for the both of them, but I tip my cap to them for doing some mighty damn fine work in showing us what we don't normally get to see---but should.  It was also nice to see Brainy contribute.  No matter the awkwardness between Brainy and Nia---she still loves him, and we KNOW it's killing him to NOT be with her.  Those other two Brainiacs aside, he should just be with her.  Becuase I feel those other two are playing him...maybe it's just ME.

The other little tidbit was Alex.  Her still battling with impatience in wanting to be a bigger contibutor to the team, by trying to get to learn this weapon fast.  She still feels lost, enough though she went into the VR, and saved the day.  She's still too hard on herself.  Hopefully, she'll come around.  The bombshell Eliza dropped tonight over the phone was interesting.  Jeremiah is dead.  Now the mystery begins...who killed him?  Was it Lex?  Or was it Leviathan?  That mystery can't be left hanging.  But we're now getting into the home stretch of this season, so I expect all storylines to pick up the pace.

That's it for this week, and I hope you all enjoyed the blog.  We're continuing to evolve, and look for more changes down the road.  Until then, please subscribe, pass the good word, and leave a comment, and lemme know what YOU all think!

Until next time...Up, Up, and Away!