Supernatural - "American Nightmare" - Season 12 Episode 4 Review

November 4, 2016

Talk about an intense start to the episode! A little stigmata and screaming in tongues in the middle of a church from a woman who screams “I belong to a cult.” That’s one way to distract from the fact that their mom left. It didn’t take long to figure out she wasn’t speaking in tongues, but was instead speaking Aramaic. She was saying something along the lines of, “Save me, Oh God.” That doesn’t sound good… The fact that her brain was also turned to mush doesn’t seem too good either. They discovered Olivia the victim, worked for Child Protective Services. One doesn’t make too many friends in that line of work, so that didn’t really narrow it down. Olivia’s office was now home to a witch, so of course the guys didn’t rule her out of their suspect list either. After dealing with Rowena, I can’t blame them for their lack of trust with witches.

It didn’t take long for whatever this invisible force was to take a second victim, this time a male working at a store. And it seems there was a connection to Olivia. The guy had delivered groceries to a very religious, cult-like family Olivia had a case on: The Peterson’s. They seem nice enough, but the people with the most to hide will often put on the best disguise. And I have to say, the mother creeped me out by the way she spoke about herself and her family in third person. She seems so disconnected and un-phased by death, instead hiding behind the idea that it’s all God’s plan. Not even the death of her own daughter, Magda, phased her. And that could be because, as we quickly learned, she wasn’t dead. We see her laying on the ground in what we can only assume is a basement in front of an altar adorned with a thorned cross and candles. She’s bare backed, with what looked like whip marks.

This poor woman’s crazy mother has her whipping herself for her sins. She thinks pain purges sin… that’s intense. She’s convinced her daughter has released the devil and was responsible for the deaths of the delivery boy and Olivia. Of course Sam makes the discovery on his own, and he was caught by the brother and father shortly after. Can he have one episode where he isn’t captured or tortured by something? He’s lucky that Dean was on the phone when the capture took place. With Castiel working with Crowley and their mom wherever she took off to, they’re on their own.

I think it’s quite funny that the Peterson’s would put Sam in the basement with Magda. He did after all declare to her brother that he could help her. She confides in him that she thinks she is the devil. She doesn’t understand that she’s psychic. In an attempt to get help for herself she killed the delivery boy and Olivia. It’s quite sad, really. All she wanted was to reach them somehow so she could be free. She had no control of her gift, and if she was shown how to control it she could be happy.

But her crazy mother had other ideas. She laced their dinner with rat poison, which was nice of her. The first victim was the father, who succumbed quite quickly to the poison exposing the mother’s plan. She wanted them all to go to Heaven together. And when Magda tried to save her brother, her mother stabbed him. How cold hearted! I agree with Magda, her mother is closer to being the devil than she is. The Winchester’s should thank their lucky stars the only worry they have about their mother right now is not knowing where she is. At least she isn’t a homicidal creep like Magda’s mom.

Something tells me this won’t be the last time we hear from the witch that works at the CPS office. And can we talk about the creep on the motorcycle, Mr.Ketch? Was it really necessary to kill Magda? I understand the threat of someone who can’t control their powers, but come on. Not cool. I just hope that it was really Mary who texted Dean back at the end of the episode and this Mr.Ketch guy doesn’t have her somewhere. I guess we will have to wait to find out.

Written by Kaylynn Kasandra. Awkward hippie who enjoys helping people, creating things, reading, sci-fi, fantasy, and Thor. Find more from her at kaylynnkasandra.com and http://www.youtube.com/c/tiedyesmurf

Westworld - "Contrapasso" - Season 1 Episode 5

November 3, 2016

Seeking much darker pleasures, Logan drags William and Dolores along to find Pariah, a sort of free for all town far out into the wilderness of Westworld. They’re led by Slim, the host they freed last episode. Logan wants to meet Slim’s boss, who in turn will point them to the edge of Westworld where it is rumored that war rages openly and constantly. Logan gushes about how their company ought to buy Westworld, and speaks of rumors about the creation of Pariah, Arnold’s suicide and the early days of the park. While we don’t know exactly who these shadowy investors are, or who sits on the board that Ford is constantly keeping at bay, we know that Logan and William represent at least one of these things.

Pariah itself is something of a rowdy port city full of pirates from all over the world, full of all the rejects and monsters and marginalized ghosts that life on the frontiers of America created. There’s open sex, fighting and murder on the streets, as well as an overall Day of the Dead theme. Pariah is supposedly Arnold’s creation, and William poignantly remarks that whoever designed it must not have thought much of people. He tries to keep a close eye on Dolores, who is oddly not as shaken by the sights of Pariah as one might think. As the trio get drawn deeper into the Pariah storyline, they hijack a Union convoy of nitroglycerin for the outlaw king of Pariah (a repurposed Lawrence), who in turn introduces them to a group of ex-Confederate soldiers who agree to take them to the frontlines of this rumored war in Westworld.

Of course, “Lawrence” double crosses the group and they are forced to fight their way out of a lavish, semi-occult orgy. Tired of rescuing Logan, who has been goading and manipulating him since way before they arrived in Westworld, William leaves his future brother-in-law to his fate when he is overwhelmed by the ex-Confederates. Also tired of being a damsel, Dolores turns a new leaf and blasts her way through Pariah and onto a train, which will take them to the edge of Westworld. It seems Dolores is being guided by a voice that I thought was Lowe, but it seems more and more likely that Arnold is leading her to the center of the maze. That she has been able to hide this from Dr. Ford for thirty plus years is also strangely remarkable.

The Man in Black continues his own journey to the center of the maze and while Lawrence was thought to be an important piece of the puzzle, stumbling upon poor fuckin’ Teddy changed all that. Teddy is on the verge of death so using some good old fashioned frontier medicine, MiB uses Lawrence as a human blood bag to give Teddy a transfusion. While that keeps Teddy alive, he isn’t motivated to help MiB find Wyatt until he lies about Dolores being involved. That gets him up and moving, at least far enough for them to get to the next saloon. There they meet the man himself, Dr. Ford, waiting for them to arrive. While their conversation was cordial enough, Ford has to remind MiB who’s in charge of Westworld. Intriguingly, Ford invites MiB to continue his quest, even granting Teddy renewed vigor to keep going.

Meanwhile, Elsie discovers that the headless host she was denied analysis of had some sort of laser GPS device built in it, which was used to smuggle data out of Westworld. And Felix, one of the techs responsible for Maeve’s little adventure, dreams of something more than being a subterranean bonesaw. He keeps a contraband dead bird and a datapad hidden and when alone, and tries unsuccessfully to code the bird back to life. At the end of the episode he tries once again, alone with Maeve’s “corpse,” when he finally reanimates the bird. His joy at seeing his little bird friend flutter around the room is heartwarming, but as the bird lands on an awakened Maeve’s finger, we know that Felix’s troubles are just beginning.

I didn’t mention it last post, but Maeve is pretty chill for someone that just discovered the truth behind her existence. The custodians of the waking world are nothing more than that: street sweepers and lamp lighters and maintenance men who keep the order of things, not evil or benevolent, just...busy. It parallels our own search for higher powers and purpose, and I think a lot of us would be pretty upset (if not outright horrified to the point of insanity) to find out we’re just puppets in a show, and those who tend to our strings have no answers above what they are paid to know. But Maeve intends to ask, I think, “You’re think you’re pretty fucking clever, don’t you?”

Dolores has her own little awakening, demonstrating she’s frighteningly fast with a pistol, but also that she can keep secrets from Dr. Ford, and presumably Lowe as well. This is potentially much more frightening, but as the park’s oldest host, her mind must be so cavernous that even the deepest diagnostic wouldn’t catch everything. Perhaps she was designed that way by Arnold? Maybe his consciousness, his ghost, lingers on in her programming? Dr. Ford is himself a scary dude who has a deep knowledge of all things Westworld, but his downfall may be in assuming he knows everything.

William may have taken himself deeper into the heart of darkness by leaving with Dolores, but then again he really is quite tired of Logan. In the context of a game, the mild mannered guy like William ought to be able to be the hero, and ought to be able to play according whatever rules he wants, even if they are an exaggerated version of his code in the “real” world. In other words, he should be free to role play. But here’s Logan, a domineering prick in real life and an even more savage asshole in the game, kicking over all the intricacies and immersion just for laughs. When that becomes boring, he seeks the most extreme of what the game offers: trolling, griefing, and open world violence. And when he’s outmatched, he relies on the good nature of the guy still playing by the rules to run by and save his ass. William and Logan are more than just in-laws to be, they work at the same company, and William’s position is contingent on marriage and his lips on Logan’s ass. How many people have had real life relationships ruined by a game?

Which brings us to the Man in Black. I wondered earlier if he was trapped in Westworld for whatever reason, a transgression against Dr. Ford maybe. But maybe he’s trapped by his own need to complete the game. The “completionist” obsession owns him and he can’t leave until he gets to the last level, beats every quest, sees every sight, becomes the most powerful player, or whatever. Or it’s a real challenge he’s looking for. If the center of the maze offers a storyline with real consequences, then that would be the ultimate experience. Or else he’s a friend of Arnold’s, and has spent a fortune to become a permanent guest of Westworld, in order to find out if he really did commit suicide.

Again, Ford seems all too willing to pay for whatever crimes he’s committed while building Westworld.

Written by A Play On Nerds contributor, Jerry Herrera - Lover of horror, sci fi, and fantasy in that order. Semi-permanent Disneyland resident. I'm at least one of the droids you're looking for. Twitter: @FrankenJerry - Instagram: @GeraldoPedro

Westworld - "Dissonance Theory" - Season 1 Episode 4

October 31, 2016

In this episode things start to become a little more clear. Dolores has strayed far from her routine, under the care of William, and I guess Logan too, as they go on a bounty hunt that William insisted on. She’s still meeting with Lowe and while he may be guiding her away from her constant victimhood, she offhandedly says things that haunt and intrigue him. While the bounty hunt goes as it’s supposed to, Logan and William have very different approaches. William is ever as immersed in the story and the world, and chivalrously protective of Dolores, while Logan’s fun is had by treating the game as it is, invincibly shooting and killing at will. Things come out in the open a few times in their day, once when William realizes that the family he’s marrying into has a larger stake in Westworld than he was led to believe, and again when Logan realizes the bounty they collected is an Easter Egg that will lead them on a quest that is more to Logan’s tastes. While he has no problem being a murderous monster, knowing that the host he shot to free their captive and Dolores aren’t real and really don’t matter, William defends her as if she were an actual person. What’s interesting here is that he calls Logan evil.

The Man in Black continues his quest with Lawrence to the blood arroyo and finds that the snake they seek is the tattooed outlaw and member of Hector’s gang, Armistice. Rather than murder everyone, the Man in Black only kills two people, and they join the posse. In exchange for the next clue to the location of this maze he’s obsessed with, the Man in Black offers to single handedly raid a prison and free Hector. Whether Armistice understood what he was talking about or not, he espouses a bit about his motivations. He mentions Dr. Ford’s partner Arnold, who supposedly died on accident in Westworld, but believes there’s more to the story than that. Either the Man in Black wants to know exactly what happened to Arnold, to peel away the veil of Westworld, or thinks that there’s a storyline out there that offers real danger, remains to be seen. Part of Armistice’s posse are guests, and when one tries to talk to MiB (I’m tired of typing that all out) about his foundation, he’s threatened. MiB is obviously a premium player in Westworld and we’re finally seeing how and why that came to be. He frees Hector easily and gets his next clue, and he’s off to find the villain of Teddy’s storyline, Wyatt.

Maeve continues to be plagued with flashbacks of her escapade through Westworld’s underbelly. She barely functions as a host, and bits and pieces of her interactions with Clementine seem too familiar. A few things vex her: the strange masked men she remembers standing over her, and a wound she suffered from the last time the saloon got shot up, that she remembers despite being wiped. The answers begin to come when she draws out what she remembers, only to find that she’s made many of the same crude sketches before. The masked man eerily resembles a doll she sees a Native girl carrying, and a nearby soldier remarks that it’s a symbol of their religion. This leads her to have questions for Hector when he comes into town for the big finale. Somehow the natives regard the masked men as gods, but don’t see them as benevolent entities but puppet masters of the waking world. The final hint comes from the bullet fragment Maeve cuts out of herself. She isn’t crazy, this will all be (mostly) forgotten, they aren’t really going to die when the law men bust through the door, and nothing really matters.

Meanwhile Elsie is sidelined in her investigation into why an errant host tried to break a rock over his head, and Theresa is warned by Dr. Ford not to fuck with him in a most creepy way while construction of his new story arc gets underway. It’s a scene that highlights Ford’s awareness of literally everything that goes on in Westworld, and while he says he’s comparatively saner than Arnold, I think he’s just crazy in his own special way.

The last few minutes of the episode were perhaps supposed to be tense. Hector’s grand entrance and big finish were again cut short, because the Westworld staffers felt that the families returning to town shouldn’t be subject to the bloodbath. Armistice meets a defiant and violent death, the two guests in her posse were tackled and arrested (to be later compensated), and Hector and Maeve presumably get blown to smithereens. As I learn more about these hosts, I begin to get more and more annoyed by the guests’ presence and how they don’t have agency within their own world. Obviously we’re headed toward a shift but for as much as Westworld is touted as a living, breathing world, it’s still just a theme park.

Logan is a giant prick but his reckless abandon is a great contrast to William. Of course there’s more to the story of Logan’s family as Westworld investors, and I think his assholism will push William a bit too far. Is what happens in a fictional setting, a game, worthy of sundering a relationship...perhaps even a marriage? We can look at William as someone who plays in character, and cares about his immersion and the story. He reads all the quest text, knows the lore because he collects little fluff artifacts strewn throughout the world, and hates people who use “memespeak” in world chat. He may even actually use the sit emote in a tavern. Logan is the troll, the overpowered jerk who runs around in low level areas killing guards and new players, and harasses others in chat. In Westworld terms, sure the hosts are there at to serve at your pleasure but they have function and purpose to an extent. And they’re real enough: they bleed, they cry, they feel pain, or they appear to anyway. Isn’t that enough to keep someone “in character” or at least respectful of the immersion? Perhaps not. In a consequence free environment, what does it matter? I fear a great many people would run amok if it weren’t for whatever law and social structure we have, and all that goes out the window in Westworld.

The Man in Black still doesn’t have my sympathy, but at least now we’re gaining some insight into who he is. Obviously he’s been in Westworld a long time and he’s trying to squeeze the last few drops of enjoyment of his “vacation.” Or perhaps he’s trapped there?

And god damn it, can they cut Teddy a fuckin’ break once this season?

Written by A Play On Nerds contributor, Jerry Herrera - Lover of horror, sci fi, and fantasy in that order. Semi-permanent Disneyland resident. I'm at least one of the droids you're looking for. Twitter: @FrankenJerry - Instagram: @GeraldoPedro