The Review at the End of the Universe
“Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. (Part 1)” Stargirl approaches the end of its first season, mirroring its two part opening with a two part finale crammed with even greater intensity than the opening action. It seems like Stargirl has barely got going before it’s already gearing up for the climax. Part of that is down to the…
“Shining Knight” The pace of Stargirl slows a little, giving everyone time to take stock before things ramp up for the finale, while a tangential figure from Courtney’s past re-appears and one from her present begins to remember who he is. I’ve been looking forward to this episode, mostly so I can stop being deliberately…
“Stolen” Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns to the 1980s and showcases Nathaniel Malick’s plan to build an army of Inhumans for anarchic purposes. An otherwise stellar final season of this show has been marred by underwhelming antagonists. The Chronicoms have consistently failed to feel like a credible threat despite their plan to irreparably alter history…
“Brainwave Jr” Stargirl continues its theme of villain stories, and comes around to one of the series’ most loathsome characters, and interestingly also attempts to infuse him with the most moral ambiguity seen to date. If you’ve been reading these reviews, you’ll be well aware I’ve made no secret of how much I utterly despise…
“As I Have Always Been” Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. delivers its version of a time look story with Daisy and Coulson working to stop the Zephyr from being destroyed. Sooner or later pretty much every sci-fi or fantasy show does a time loop episode. It’s one of those staples of genre storytelling that’s just fun…
“Brainwave” Stargirl continues its focus on the villainous characters, revealing what turned Brainwave into a psychotic killer and teasing whether that legacy will be inherited by his son. Origin stories are certainly nothing new in comic book TV series, but most often they are that of a protagonist whose growth from nobody to hero forms…
“After, Before” Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. remains in the 1980s and heads to Afterlife to consult Jiaying in order to restore Elena’s powers. It was only a matter of time before the final season got around to referencing the Inhumans and how they played into the show. The concept was first introduced in this show…
“The Flock” The 100 shows the journey to becoming a disciple on Bardo as Sanctum deals with a hostage situation. One of the more frustrating things about this season is how little overall forward progression there is on some of the plots. Many steps forward are countered by show turning back the clock to detail…
“Shiv (Part 2)” Stargirl continues spending too much time looking at Cindy, the psychotic assassin Shiv. The last episode was something of a disappointment, mainly on account of the attempts to make us empathise with her and put an alternative spin on her hateful personality falling flat. This follow up puts things slightly back on…
“The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D” Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. journeys to the 1980s as Mack is consumed by loss and Deke tries to make the best of a bad situation. The convention of jumping two decades at a time is broken with this episode. We started in the 1930s, moved to…
