REVIEW: American Horror Story, Episode 706
American Horror Story continues with this sixth episode of its Cult season entitled “Mid-Western Assassin”, and this was really a very enlightening episode with lots of twists and turns.
For a change, the episode started with a flashforward scene, and a very intense one I must say. It wasn’t that hard to guess Kai survived the gunshot, but I really didn’t expect Ally was the one who fired. Of course, we later found out it wasn’t exactly her, but I didn’t know that at the time.
Continuing last week’s episode, after Ally saw Meadow she decided to finally toughen up and go save her neighbor. I am so glad Ally finally grew a spine, because she really knows by now she isn’t imagining things and the clowns after her are very real, so she has to fight if she wants to prevail. Ally frees Meadow from the garage, and we learned why the cult turned against her: she realized what we did from moment one, which means, she realized Kai is an asshole who cares about himself and getting what he wants, so he will do whatever he has to, to get it. Kai was just playing her, and everyone else really, and after Meadow finally realized that, she left (or almost did, since she was kidnapped). Even though this whole story was fake, I still believe Kai cares about getting what he wants, and nothing more, because if he cared about the cult wouldn’t ask Meadow to shoot him, because there is no scenario in whichc that would turn out good for her.
This new idea of making Ally crazy by telling her the truth is really a struck of genius. Sure she was scared, but she had Ivy to run to when things got tough, which means she now has no one. She knows the whole truth, everything that has been going on, but she can’t say it because she will sound beyond crazy. The one person she thinks she can count on is doctor Rudy, but we now know better. Maybe he isn’t on the directly cult, but he probably reports to Kai. Kai may be a jerk, but he is smart, and this was probably his smartest idea yet.
We also found out why the cult is targeting Ally specifically: because of Ivy. Ivy hates her wife now, and it all started when Oz was born. We learned Ozzy is Ally’s biological son, and Ally made sure to mention that many times, especially when she was breastfeeding him. Adding to this, came Ally’s annoying phobias (I am going to have to agree with Ivy on this one), and now she wants a divorce, but Ivy knows she will never get full custody of Oz. Unless of course, Ally completely loses it, proving she is unfit to take care of their son.
In another great twist, Kai met Sally Keffler, a woman who decided to run against him for the empty sit on the city council. I really liked the scene in which she presented herself, because everything she said was very true. But because she represented serious competition for Kai, probably unlike the other candidate, I realized she wasn’t going to live much longer, and I was right. Even though Sally did look smart and like someone who would do a much better job than Kai, she also looked very weird. I guess that is customary in American Horror Story. When Ally told her about the cult, she wasn’t surprised at all, she just kept making casual conversation as if Ally had simply told her rice was on sale at the supermarket.
After having Sally killed and posting a suicide note on Facebook (“People won’t believe it”; “Of course they will. This is Facebook”), we finally got to see the scene from the beginning. It was finally in then that we found out Meadow was still working for the cult. Even though I believed her story in the beginning, I wasn’t too surprised by how most of what she said was a lie. Of course, it was still very surprising seeing Meadow kill herself. Now the police took Ally, but I don’t think they can arrest her, since she didn’t do it, and there are many people to testify that. I am sure she will be out in no time, because this will probably not be something left for the local police, so Samuels won’t put his hands on this.
Overall this was, as usual, a great episode. I definitely continue to say this season is shaping up to be one of the best ones (if not THE best one) so far. I am giving this episode an 8.9.
The seventh episode of this seventh season is entitled “Valerie Solanas died for your sins Scumbag” and in it we will start to see some previous cult leaders, so stay tuned.
REVIEW: The Gifted, Episode 102
After airing its pilot episode, The Gifted is back with its second episode entitled “rX” and in it we saw a race against time to stop Clarice from destroying the Mutant Underground.
The episode started with what I thought was a great scene in which we saw the Strucker family play bowling, when a girl with powers started being mocked, while everyone did nothing but watch. This, in my opinion, showed that most of the people there didn’t do anything because they shared the same opinion. The girl ended up getting upset and using her powers, and only then Reed interfered and told the girl and her father to get out, because the police was going to be after her. Sure this kind of showed Reed cares a bit about mutants, but not enough to publicly defend them, only to whisper in their ears to run away, and then turn his back, not really caring if they were going to take his advice.
In present day, with almost everyone back in the mutant underground, Clarice started going into shock and using her teleportation powers, always opening portals to the same road. Even though Lauren was able to close them, it did take some time. This made the police start to weapon up for when it happened again, and when it did, we saw another little showdown between mutants and the police. The situation grew worse, and portals started opening everywhere, making everyone evacuate the Underground.
Meanwhile, Marcos and Kate, who knows a little bit about medicine, went to a mutant hospital to try to steal supplies and save Clarice, since they can’t take her to a hospital. To get there, Kate opened Marcos’ wound from last episode, making him bleed light (which is always going to be weird). Because of the stupid made up excuse about how Marcos got his wound, and because Kate had some wounds of her own, the doctor thought she was suffering from domestic violence. I wonder if he would still think this if Marcos wasn’t a mutant. Maybe. Maybe not. I actually like to think so, since I think doctors are also trained for this. He even called the police, which, of course, turned out to be a problem, but a minor one. They got there just in time to save Clarice and the whole Underground. This last part didn’t really feel very realistic. I can buy the whole mutant thing, but a person who is dying and collapsing doesn’t just wake up one second after taking a shot (at least I don’t think so, but I am no doctor, so I am sorry, and glad, if this is a reality).
At the same time, Lorna started to adjust to her new life in prison, where she tried to make a mutant friend, only to learn that in there it is every woman for herself. Expect of course, the prison queen, who is never alone. Glad Lorna kicked her ass in the end, but, of course, not without getting kicked too, and on the belly which is even worse since she is pregnant. ecause she is a mutant, they didn’t even take her to the infirmary, but immediately to the “hole”.
Finally, in the aftermath of the last week’s episode, Reed was caught, imprisoned and questioned. Jace, the guy from the Sentinel Services, really did seem very desperate to get Reed to cooperate, so desperate that he played all his cards in a matter of hours. Because Reed was many times in the other side of the table, he knew exactly what was on Jace’s mind, so in the end they pretty much made a deal under his terms, expect for one thing: Jace wants the Mutant Underground. We didn’t hear Reed’s answer, but I think he will give Jace what he wants, and I really don’t blame him, since this is his family we are taking about. I think most people would do that.
I definitely continue to say this show really screams racism and homophobia, because what we see here is very similar to what used to happen with black people years ago (and even today unfortunately). People will always look at people who are different from them as inferior (fortunately not everyone, but a majority), but what they don’t know is that it is totally better to be different and mocked than to be kicking and like them. There is no such thing as superior people, only different, and if some can’t live with that, maybe they should get a time machine and go to a time where people agree (which is definitely many centuries ago). Sorry if I went a little bit off topic, but I really wanted to say that.
Overall, this was a good episode, but I feel like the pilot was better, since it had more action. To be honest, this kind of felt like a stall episode, but of course that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good, because, as I said, it was. I am giving it a 7.8/10.
The third episode is entitled “eXodus”, and I hope we start seeing some efforts for the Strucker family to be reunited, because it already seems that together is where they all belong.
REVIEW: Once Upon A Time, Episode 701
Once Upon A Time’s season seven finally kicked off last night with its first episode entitled “Hyperion Heights”. Even though this was a requel (reboot + sequel), it was, in my opinion, still very faithful to the first six years.
It was really great the episode started in a very similar way the pilot did: with the words “Once Upon A Time”. One of the goals of this new season is to bring in a new audience, letting them know they don’t have to watch the previous seasons and they will still understand what is going on, and this really showed that is possible. This, to me, also proved that the story really is about to begin (again), and that new adventures are coming.
In flashbacks, we saw Henry leaving Storybrooke to go find his own story. This makes all the sense in the world to me. Throughout the last six years, we heard Henry say a few times that he was tired of simply reading about heroes, that he wanted to find his story and be one, and that is what he finally decided to do. Years later, not long before he planned on going back home, Henry literally stumbled into Cinderella. I think we can all agree that, just like most couples on this show, these two hardly shared love at first sight, but that doesn’t mean their love story won’t be epic. As usual, this really isn’t the classic story we know, because Henry didn’t really save Cinderella, because she didn’t need to be saved. That’s right, Cinderella is a badass, who doesn’t need other people, especially not men, to protect her. And a great proof of this is the reason why she wanted to go to the ball in the first place: not to meet some prince, but to get revenge on him because of the fact he killed her father.
Because Cinderella is a part of this, Lady Tremaine couldn’t possibly be left behind. It appears the wicked stepmother isn’t only wicked to Cinderella, unlike in the original tale, because she isn’t that much nice to Drizella either. When we first met her, she killed Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother with her own wand, calling it a “teaching moment” to Drizella. Apart from this, unlike (I will say) all villains in this show, Tremaine doesn’t believe magic is the solution. She is mean and a bully, but she doesn’t usually use magic to get what she needs, because “magic can be taken”. She continued her evil deeds when she murdered the prince, after Cinderella failed to do it, simply because he rejected Drizella, while his younger brother didn’t. After fighting the guards with Henry’s help, she ran away to where they first met. After Henry got there too, he found nothing but her show, so he missed the portal home to go help her. The most amazing thing in this is that this is still a lot like Cinderella’s story, and the shoe was the biggest proof of this. It simply has a few twists Once Upon A Time is so well known for.
In one last reference to the past, I would now like to comment on Alice. It was a great twist she was working for Rumple, and it was really funny when she told Henry “Your grandfather knows everyone”, because that is usually what I also say about him. She left Henry with a warning: he must leave that land because that is not his story, and bad things happen when people mess in someone else’s story.
In present day, Henry is a swift driver, but he is an author when he is off duty. He published one book with the story of the first six season (not a very successful one, by the way), and now he has no inspiration to start another. That is, of course, until Lucy gets in his life and drags him to Hyperion Heights, where he meets Roni. It was great seeing these two interact, and even greater when he said: “Imagine if I walked through that door and told you I was tour son”.
We also got to see Jacinda’s hard life as a single mother and a step daughter of a powerful and mean woman, who wants to change everything in Hyperion Heights. She has a crappy job and a jerky boss, and right in the beginning of the episode she fired herself, showing that there is still a little bit of badass Cinderella inside. But as I said on my preview, this time she has a daughter to protect, so in the end of the episode she goes back to it.
It was great seeing Henry and Jacinda meet again. We were able to see they shared a little moment of connection, but it faded quickly. They really didn’t end up in good terms by the end of the episode, because Henry told the police where Cinderella might have been taking Lucy to.
Speaking of police, we met Officer Rogers, who eventually became Detective Rogers, because of how he helped Victoria. He has Lucy’s book now, and for the sake of all Captain Swan shippers out there, he took a special interest in a certain character. His new partner is now going to be Detective Weaver, previously known as Rumpelstiltskin, a cop who seems to be into some very interesting hobbies. In fact, just like in the old days, it seems, Tilly is still working for him.
The end of the episode was also pretty incredible. Usually season premieres (and pilots, since that is what this episode felt like in a way), have a twist in the end, but just like the original pilot, this episode simply ends with hope spreading around Hyperion Heights. This time, instead of the clock tower moving, hyacinths (Cinderella’s lucky flower) started growing in a garden where nothing grew anymore, Henry found some inspiration to start writing, and Roni decided to raise her middle finger to Victoria and keep HER bar.
Overall, this was a pretty good start for the season. There is really something about this new story that feels real. Sure the other seasons were about fairy tales in the real world, but they were isolated from everything and everyone. This time, they really are all in the real world, in a bigger city, and that is really great to watch. I am giving this premiere an 8.3/10.
Next week’s episode is entitled “A Pirate’s Life”, and it will be a Hook/Rogers centric episode. It is also during this hour that Emma’s story will come to an end, so don’t miss it, because I sure as hell won’t.
REVIEW: How to Get Away with Murder, Episode 402
How to Get Away with Murder returns for the second episode of this new season entitled “I’m Not Her” and this definitely felt like the show is back on track.
For some time now, this show, like all shows really, made a detour to what it was its first season, its origins, to put it differently. There were episodes that simply focused on the main story, and that is fine, but this one really seemed to bring Annalise back. Now that she is able to practice again, “The Queen” found her first case in Jasmine Bromelle. It was really great that it wasn’t some random stranger, but a woman we saw before. We didn’t know why she was in prison (at least if it was revealed, I don’t remember), but now we do: she was found with an illegal gun. Of course, the police didn’t really have an excuse for searching her, except for the fact that she is black, but that is a fact for a totally different conversation.
Later in the episode we found out this really wasn’t the only time she was wronged. When she was 13 she was caught by the police for prostitution, and the judge thought he was being fair simply by sealing the charges, when he did so much more for white girls in very similar circumstances. Sure it was different times, but he was a racist then and probably still is, so he would have continued to do the same thing if he wasn’t retired already. That speech Annalise gave in the end was so beautiful and true. I am glad the judge decided to do right by Jasmine and sealed all her records. The only thing I didn’t really like in this arc was the fact Annalise seemed to be almost sure Jasmine would later end up in the same situation. Of course it isn’t impossible, but people really do change and having hope she will have a good life and live the Happy Beginning the court gave her in a good and honest way, is definitely a nice way to think. I really believe everything will work out for her (call me an optimistic, but I can’t help it).
In a parallel arc, the Keating 4 had meetings with many law firms to try to find another job. Sure the firms were really looking for interns, but they accepted the 4, not because of their amazing skills (even though that is something they do have), but to know what it is like working for Annalise. Michaela really nailed the interviews, even in the questions which were supposed to take her down a bit. She was called back to 3 of the firms and managed to get a job. Asher was also called back, but he didn’t have Michaela’s luck and charm to take it to the end. Connor was the only one who didn’t get any call backs, but let’s be honest and say he didn’t really try that hard to get a job. Laurel is a whole new story. She is still very broken about Wes’ death and she doesn’t know what she wants anymore. She didn’t put a lot of effort in it, but she get one call back, which she didn’t show up to.
It was still really sad to hear that Laurel blames Connor for Wes’ death. This is so unfair to me, that I can’t even begin to describe it. Connor was trying to save his life the best way he could. He didn’t really know what he was doing, and it went the wrong way, but his intentions were good. I understand Laurel wants to blame someone, but she knows her father ordered Wes killed, so just blame him. Speaking of which, I am glad Laurel finally told someone (Michaela) the truth about her father. It seems now that the two will work together to bring him down, and I really am looking forward to that.
In another storyline, Bonnie and Nate started working together. At first Nate thought that was all a scheme Annalise put Bonnie through, and that they were still working together, but in the end, he realized the truth. I must say that I kind of liked seeing them together. I think Bonnie is still with Frank, but I like her more with Nate, even though this is a very recent thing.
In the most How to Get Away with Murder style, we found out someone died. No one talked about a body, but from what we saw in the elevator (at least I think that was an elevator), it sure looked that way. Also, they made it seem like Annalise had something to do with Laurel being drugged. Not sure how that is going to turn out, but I hope it isn’t true.
This was really an amazing episode. As I said, it really took me back to the origins and I loved it. Last episode was great, but this was greater, so I am giving it a 9.1/10.
Next episode will air next week, at the same time and on the same day and it is entitled “It’s for the Greater Good”, so don’t miss it, along with my review.
REVIEW: American Horror Story, Episode 705
American Horror Story is back with another great episode, the fifth of this season, entitled “Holes” and in it we finally learned a few things more about the cult.
Right in the first few minutes of the episode, it was officially confirmed that Ivy is a part of Kai’s cult. In fact, in this episode, we found out exactly who are its members: Kai, Winter, Ivy, Harrison, Meadow, Beverly, Detective Samuels, Gary (the guy who cut his arm to go vote in the last episode) and a guy who appeared for the first time, R.J. It was a bit surprising seeing that Ivy is a part of all this craziness. I know that I said in one of my previous reviews that maybe she was, but I don’t think I actually meant it. I really wasn’t prepared for this. But of course that it makes all the sense in the world, because even though their house was always full of evil clowns, Ivy was the only one who never seemed to see anything.
That one scene in the end of the episode made me wonder if there is someone else on the cult, and by “someone else”, I mean Rudy Richards, or better, Rudy Anderson. Apparently, Winter isn’t Kai’s only sibling, Ally’s psychologist is too. In fact, I think it is safe to say Rudy was the one who made Kai start walking downthe dark road he is on right now. I thought I saw some weird things in shows and movies before, but keeping your parent’s corpses in their old bedroom, lying in their old bed, definitely beats a lot of them. Not to mention the fact Kai goes there from time to time to speak to his mother. As weird families come, the Andersons really are very close to the top.
In contrary to what I thought, Meadow being missing isn’t really a scheme (at least not in the way I thought it was). Harrison was simply preparing territory to kill her, since she had been doubting Kai. The good news is that, before she was killed (at least I think she was), she told Ally that she can’t trust anyone: not the police, the neighbors… nor her wife. I am glad Ally knows about this now. I was a bit tired of seeing her continue to run back to Ivy every time. I hope she realizes she is alone in all of this, so she will have to toughen up, and fight if she wants to see her son everyday like she used to.
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But Meadow wasn’t the only one the cult turned against in this episode. Because R.J. was showing some hesitation when it came to spreading fear, all the members joined forces and killed him, slowly and painfully. Even a hesitant Ivy helped, making up for the fact she didn’t help killing Bob.
Another thing I have to say is that it has been great how this season has been dealing with fear. I love this topic, and it has really been well developed. Sure people get scared when there is a serial killer on the loose, but they don’t really care that much, because we all think that is something that happens only to other people, never to ourselves. Sure they can make curfews, and start being a little bit more careful, but in end of the day, not a lot changes. Of course things do change when a tape of someone being murdered by very freaky clowns is shown on national television. Fear is definitely starting to spread and it probably won’t take long for the city to fall into chaos. And then Kai will be able to have the “kingdom” he always wanted.
Overall, this was really an amazing episode. Finally we have been receiving much needed answers. American Horror Story never really had very long seasons, and this one is already almost halfway through. Hope things start getting more and more intense. This season has been really great, and I am sure it will continue down this road. I am giving this episode a 9.2/10.
The sixth episode of the season will air next Tuesdays, October 10th, and it is entitled “Mid-Western Assassin”, so don’t miss it, because I won’t either.
REVIEW: The Gifted, Episode 101
One of the most awaited series premieres of this fall is probably The Gifted. Well, the wait is finally over, because last night this new show kicked off with its pilot entitled “eXposed”.
Because this is a show which has history behind it, and also doesn’t at the same time, I think it will gain a big audience real quick. By that I mean that a lot of people know about the X-men, and it has a big fandom, so that will draw attention. But it also doesn’t at the same time, because people don’t really need to have watched those movies to understand the show, and this is of course a plus, because it draws both kinds of people.
Moving on to the story now, this is a little bit classic X-men: 2 teenagers who find out they have the gene, and they drag their family on an escape from people who want them locked away. The only difference is that they don’t have Professor X to protect them. But, of course, that with the X-men gone, there are new mutant protectors: The Mutant Underground Headquarters. This escape requires two very different sides to work together, and that is always nice to watch: a mutant leader and a guy who hunts mutants. Of course, they didn’t trust each other (and they probably won’t for a while), and that is what is greater about it.
Another great thing about it, was the scene in the high school dance. It was really a very intense scene, full of suspense and emotions. I think it makes sense the gifts first reveal in an intense moment of people’s lives, since that is usually when we do things we didn’t know we could (of course that in the daily life it isn’t such unlikely things). It was even greater they added, before all this, that scene in which Andy and Lauren were talking about mutants, and how Andy was a bit racist.
In this pilot, we were able to see some mutants already, and I have to say that I always love seeing people with different abilities work together. It is so amazing how some people/powers complement each other when fighting the bad guys. I think this really is something I will never get tired of watching.
This is still the pilfirst episode, but I can already see a great story unfold. There are really many great possibilities for future episodes/seasons, and, unlike some shows, I think this show will be able to tell a long story, without getting cut off. The story is great, the cast is great, the special effects too. There is really no reason for cancelation here (adding what I already mentioned about the X-men connection).
Also, I think this show can even be something we can connect to our daily life, if we see the mutants as a metaphor to other outcast people in the community, like black people or LGBT members. As long as there is an “us” and a “them”, there will always be trouble and war (maybe not like a world war, but nevertheless a fight between the two sides). And this is exactly what we see in this show: people who see things in sides and that are not able to give in, always seeing themselves as superior and the others as a threat. The thing is that, of course, things always change when it is someone you know, like what happened with Reed. People can say they hate mutants all they want, but this is all up until a certain point. “Things change when it comes to your kid”, as Jace said, and this is really true for everything.
Overall, as I have been saying, this was a great pilot, full of action, suspense, thrill… everything a pilot needs to get people’s attention. The story was set in a good way, and we can hope all this will continue. I am giving this episode an 8.3/10 (I don’t want to raise the bar too high, since this is just the beginning).
Next episode is going to air next Monday, October 9th,and it is entitled “rX”, so don’t miss it.
REVIEW: How to Get Away with Murder, Episode 401
How to Get Away with Murder is finally back with this season four premiere entitled “I’m Going Away”, an episode which focused a lot on the relationship between Annalise and Ophelia.
Close to the beginning of the episode, Annalise went to her mother’s house for a visit, and I have to say the scenes with the two were great. Both of these actresses are brilliant and they do an amazing job with these characters. Like usually, the scenes with the two were very heartfelt and incredible to watch. It was even funny seeing that, even though she is the one who was mentally ill, Ophelia is still the person who brings balance to the family when things start to heat up. The family started to consider taking her to a Memory Care Center, or at least Annalise and Celestine did, since their dad said he could take care of her alone. At first, Ophelia didn’t like the idea very much, but she later realized it was really for her safety and other people’s.
Even though it seemed like the best thing to do, we realized where Annalise got her stubbornness from: her father. Mac really didn’t like the idea of having his wife away, so in the end, Ophelia continued to live at her old house with him. I really hope none of them live to regret this. Annalise’s mother really needs treatment, and I think it is obvious she won’t have that in her house (or at least never enough to get better). One day she really can end up hurting someone, herself included.
On a related note, it was really not fair for Mac to blame Ophelia’s dementia on Annalise. We are not sure if she is the one causing the “visions”, maybe she is, maybe she isn’t, but if she is, then that is not her fault. Mac really went over the line there. Should Annalise stop visiting her mother just for her not to relive things? What she needs is treatment, and not people who simply ignore her problems or blame them on someone/something else.
Moving on from Annalise (at least for now), Laurel’s father is in town, and I was really surprised they just dropped the abortion bomb like that. Laurel told her father she didn’t keep the baby, like this was the most natural thing in the world. But later in the episode we found out Laurel did not abort, and she really intends on keeping the baby. This was really a relief. Another relief was realizing Laurel knows her father ordered Wes killed. I was wondering throughout the episode when they were going to find this out, but Laurel already did. We don’t know how, yet, and I don’t think no one else knows about it, but the important thing is that she knows, and I am sure she has a plan to make this secret come to light. Maybe she even already started that plan by telling her father she did the abortion.
On happier news (even though it probably didn’t felt like happy news for some people), Connor denied Oliver’s marriage proposal. As I said, this may not sound like happy news for everyone, but it did feel kind of right. Connor does want to get married, and to have children and pets, as he said, but from what I understood, he wants to do this when the time is right, not because one of them is afraid of being murdered or going to jail or something equally as terrible. He wants to get married because they both love each other and because they are in the right place to do so. Plus, married life wouldn’t probably change that much in their relationship, so I am fine either way. As long as they are happy, I am happy too.
The most unfortunate thing is yet to come: Annalise, after being again able to teach, ditched literally everyone. It really sucks this happened, because I love the team working together and being badass, kicking their enemies’ buts. On one hand I understand Annalise’s side of things: she blames herself for Wes’ death, and she realized this kind of tragedy happens around her, so she doesn’t want to be responsible for any other person’s life shattered. On the other, I also understand everyone else’s perspective: they have worked a lot for Annalise and the gratitude they get for all that is a recommendation letter after being “fired” for no reason. I think (and hope) we will see them all working together again not very far from now, but it is definitely not going to be fun seeing them apart while this doesn’t happen.
Lastly and as usual, How to Get Away with Murder introduced us to flash-forwards of 3 months later. We didn’t yet see much, but it is already possible to say that Annalise’s therapist is going to play a major role than he did in this episode. I don’t know why, but I don’t trust him, and I usually tend to trust people, so I don’t think I will be liking him very much. But there is something that left me confused: I read on an article the producer of the show saying that the big question this season is going to be “where”, and it was with this question the episode ended. Is the question “where is Laurel’s baby?” Maybe it could have died, and the question is a totally different “where” but it could also have been taken(?). I don’t know. Looks like we will have to wait and see.
Overall, this was a good start for the season. Could have been a bit better, but it was nice enough. I am giving it an 8.5/10.
The second episode will air next Thursday October 5th and it is entitled “I’m Not Her”, where I hope we will have a few more answers about the flash-forwards, so don’t miss my review.
REVIEW: American Horror Story, Episode 704
American Horror Story is back with its fourth episode of season seven entitled “11/9”, an episode which didn’t really continue what we have been seeing in the last 3 episodes, but it was still a great one.
To make things a bit clearer, I will comment on the events by chronological order, since the scenes in the episode were a little all over the place. By the way, I am not saying this is a bad thing, I actually liked it because it made my brain start working right in the first hours of the morning.
In this episode politics definitely had a major role, since we were put through the last few hours before Election Day. Ivy asks Ally to go with her to a rally, but she doesn’t want to since she is sure Hillary is going to win, so the rally is pointless. It is precisely because of people like her that nothing gets done, not just in America, but all over the world. People who just think “Why bother going if I can stay home and do whatever I want?”. And when something they didn’t want to happen, really does happen, they complain. This is exactly Ally’s case. She was so sure Hillary would win that she didn’t even vote for her. Then she cried her eyes out and screamed until her lungs hurt when Trump won. Even though she is probably the character who complains most about Trump’s victory, she seems to be one of the few who can’t say anything about it, because she didn’t try to prevent it.
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But anyway, these flashbacks for the day before the election focused, for once, on Ivy. A Trump supporter harassed her right in the middle of the protest, and this was really the first moment she met Winter. Probably for the first time in the show, Winter didn’t act weird and even helped Ivy catch the man who did that to her. Even though what they did to him may have seemed a bit extreme, it was definitely nothing he didn’t deserve. The most unfortunate thing about this is that this man may be fiction, but there are real ones out there who think it is OK to do whatever they want to women and get away with it.
If there was a main character in this episode, that was Kai, who popped up in every time line. He made the harasser so desperate to vote, that he cut off his own hand. I think Evan Peters really nailed it in this episode. We hadn’t had the chance to really see Kai before. Sure he was in all 3 previous episodes, and we knew he was weird, but we never got to see how far he is willing to go to get what he wants. Not really at least. Kai managed to make that man think the entire result of the elections, the choice between Clinton and Trump, rested upon his hands, and if he didn’t vote he would have to see a woman lead the most powerful country on Earth.
It was with these kinds of arguments that Kai managed to recruit Harrison and Meadow Wilton. The couple had just lost everything, so Kai comes in with his ideas of world domination, and about the fact that there should be no labels. Sure it would be great labels didn’t exist, that we were all simply citizens of the same country/world, but labels will always be there. When we look at a person we label her/him immediately, from the most obvious: gender, color; to the ones we find out later: like sexual orientation, among others. If Kai thinks he can change this, he is very wrong.
But this weird couple weren’t the only people he recruited to his little cult. A reporter featured in the previous episode, Beverly Hope, also made it into Kai’s secret group. Understanding she had a lot of rage inside her, after looking into her past, Kai went to talk to her continuing to advertise his ideas: starting in the city council, and slowly climb his way up until who knows where. To prove he is serious and not just some guy who likes to talk crazy, Kai orders the death of Serena Belinda, Beverly’s rival, while the camera filmed it. I have to say that recruiting a reporter was a great idea, because, as we started seeing later in the episode, Beverly is slowly trying to spread fear while telling the news.
As I said before, even though this episode didn’t follow the footsteps of the previous ones, it was still a very nice one. The change of pace felt like a welcoming change. This wasn’t my favorite episode so far (I prefer the previous one because it was more intense), but I it will take the second place. Really looking forward to see this newish character of Beverly. I am giving it a 9.0/10.
The fifth episode of the season is entitled “Holes” and it does seem it will continue to mess with Ally’s fears, because we already know that she and holes don’t really get along.
REVIEW: Dead of Summer, Episode 110
Dead of Summer comes to an end with this season finale, which turned out to be a series finale, entitled “She Talks to Angels” and in it the story closed with what I thought was a good ending.
There weren’t many flashbacks in this episode and that contributed to make it great. In an episode that intends to end a story (since a second season would have begun a new one) the focus should always be in the present. And I liked the fact that the flashbacks weren’t, as in previous episodes, a continuing storyline: we simply saw 4 flashback scenes unrelated to each other. Out of the three, my favorite one was Garrett’s because it was a bit emotional and also was the only one which seemed to have a connection with the present. I also liked Jessie’s because we got to see her sticking up to her mother, which she definitely deserves.
In present day, while the survivors were trying to finally leave Camp Stillwater, Garrett’s car broke down. Amy explained that Holyoke put the last piece of his soul inside Jessie, so while both powerful and opposing sides are still breathing, none of them can leave the camp. Amy soon advertised she was always evil and she has Malphas inside her, and I think this was another proof of how much of a psychopath she is. She could have pretended for a few more seconds, got close to Jessie and kill her right away, but she didn’t. Excluding the fact that this happened because the writers wanted to make 10 episodes instead of 9, we can see that she was so sure she could kill them all and get out, that she could tell them anything and even give them time to run.
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A cat and mouse game began soon in the episode and this was really nice to watch. Made the episode very intense. In an anthology show, every season finale is kind of a series finale, so we really never know who will make it out alive, since no matter if their character die or not, the actors can still always return for another season. This episode really shows that, because it was made obvious that it was either Jessie or Amy, and blood would shed before any of two were dead. And if we consider this was what the writers promised, they totally delivered.
One good thing about this was that it brought out the good in some people, especially Alex, who sacrificed himself so that Jessie could get away, hoping that would buy her some time to run and come out with a plan. This was a great scene and it had even more impact because it was placed after a flashback between Alex and his mom, in which she called him weak. Well, he wasn’t in the end. Garrett was also suffered a casualty in the episode, but even after he died, he managed to help Jessie.
After Blair and Drew came back, the four made a plan and were able to trap Amy using the last pure water in the camp. Garrett managed to play Holyoke’s song (which was recorded in Joel’s camera by accident) and that weakened the demon, allowing Jessie to kill it and with it, Amy. In the end, Jessie, Drew and Blair got out of Camp Stillwater (definitely hoping they would never had to return), and started living what seemed like a good life.
Overall, this was a good show, which had a premature end. It starts off a bit slow, but gets more intense episode after episode. These final few were really intense episodes and also full of unexpected twists. I just think this season finale would have had more impact if Amy managed to kill everyone and got out of there, spreading evil and destruction onto the world.
But anyway, it had a good ending, a happy one, and this tenth episode was definitely great. I am giving it a 9.5/10.
It is now time to say goodbye to Dead of Summer. As I said some times (hope I am not being very repetitive), but this was really a great summer show, which could have had a good future. But it is never a good thing to be sad about the past all the time. Even though it could have had more seasons, it didn’t, but we still have this one and no one will ever take that away.
REVIEW: Stranger Things, Episode 108
It is now time to close up the reviews of Stranger Things’ first season with this eighth episode entitled “Chapter Eight: The Upside Down” and in it, the search for Will is as close to a finishing line as it will ever get.
In contrary to the previous episode, in this one the story divides back in three storylines. In Hawkins’ lab Joyce and Hopper were separated and questioned so that the Bad Men realized how much they knew about everything that was going on. After learning they know too much, the Bad Men were planning to kill them, and that was when Hopper made some sort of deal with them. We still don’t really know everything they agreed to. In the scene, Hopper said if they let him and Joyce go to the Upside Down he would tell them where Eleven is, but I wonder if that was all, because close to the end of the episode the Bad Men came to pick him up from the police station, and he acted like he was expecting them. So does Hopper work for them now? Looks like we will have to wait for season 2 to find out.
Whatever the deal was, the Bad Men let them both in to search for Will, probably expecting them to die there. When they finally found him, I was really afraid he was dead. It would have definitely been a horrible twist, all of this just so that he would die in the end. Fortunately he was alive. Can’t wait to see more of him in the next season, because we don’t really know a lot about him yet. Even though he was the center part of the entire season, he was only in a small number of scenes.
Meanwhile, Nancy and Jonathan make all the preparations in an attempt to trap and kill the Demogorgon. I already said this multiple times, but here it goes again: I was definitely not pleased with them doing this, but now that I saw the trap they prepared and the plan they had, I have to say that it was a good one. I didn’t expect to say this, but I was glad Steve showed up. When he did, I kept yelling him to go away, and also insulting him when he actually did go, but then he came back, and he was the one who managed to put the Demogorgon in the bear trap, so at least he did one good thing this season. Despite all this, the three were only able to hurt it, and not kill it as they planned.
At the same time, in the school, while Dustin and Lucas go steal chocolate pudding, Mike and Eleven had a heart to heart conversation. I am going to go as far as to say that that scene was the best of this episode. It was so cute Mike wanting Eleven to go live with him, making Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler her new parents, Nancy her new sister, but it wouldn’t make Mike her brother, since you are not supposed to go to the Snow Ball with one of your siblings. Of course the scene got even better when they kissed. Unfortunately, things only went downhill after this: the Bad Men arrived trying to find Eleven, and, because of the bloodshed, the Demogorgon arrived as well, killing every Bad Man in his way. Even though El was weak after the bathtub and killing some of the bad guys, she still managed to kill the Monster by shredding it into millions of pieces, but with it, she disappeared as well.
Even though season 1 ended in a good way, or so it may seem like it at first sight, there are still a few things left unexplained, and the Dungeons and Dragons game we saw the Stranger Kids play near the end of the episode was, in my perspective, a way of telling us that. In it, Mike finishes the game, but apparently there were still a few things left unexplained and Will, Lucas and Dustin made sure to point that out. In the end, what matters is that they won, but there are more games coming our way. Like the fact that Will still seems connected to the Upside Down, even though he is in the real world now. Like the fact Nancy is with Steve, when she should be with Jonathan. And there was also something I missed the first time I watched, but I noticed it now: While Joyce and Hopper were in the Upside Down, close to the “Castle Byers”, the sheriff saw a really big egg. That egg (or a similar one) is featured in one of the posters for next season, so maybe it will be another thing featured in it. Looks like we will have to wait and see.
This was really an awesome episode. Will was finally found and is now back home, Eleven is missing/dead (whatever the case, she will definitely be back for season 2 somehow). I am really looking forward to see all 5 Stranger Kids together, because we didn’t get to see that yet. I am giving this episode a 9.7/10.
With this, I now conclude my reviews of this first season. We still have to wait some time for season 2, but not that much, because stranger things than these will available in Netflix on October 27th. The good news is that season 2 will have 9 episodes, instead of the 8 in this season. Really looking forward to watching it, because I hear that it will somehow be much better than this one (not sure if that is possible, but we will see).