The Path - "Why We Source" - Season 2 Episode 5 Recap and Review

February 17, 2017

So as the episodes begins, I have to admit, as twisted as The Movement is, they have some pretty cool tools. The paper Cal was using with the guy he was doing the unburdening with was interesting. That’d be a cool thing to have in the right circumstance I am sure. If it actually works the way he says, anyway. While Cal seemed to be coming up empty handed in his search for the FBI informant, Eddie was making leaps and bounds in his support group. And as annoying as Sarah is to me, I was glad to see she is still fighting for the water testing to be done for the town that is being poisoned. Hawk’s passionate display about this very issue seemed to backfire. He was arrested as Sarah was coming home from the lab, thanks to the Dekaan’s. I feel this will either be a catalyst for Sarah to fight harder, or it’s going to get very messy.

I find it quite interesting that Hawk’s first real exposure to the outside world away from Meyerism is in a detention center, surrounded by the very types of people he had be taught to fear becoming. Hopefully this will be an opportunity for him to open up and grow a wider perspective. He has a very pure spirit, but such a warped perception of how things should be. When I heard the charges against Hawk, I wasn’t too surprised this influential family was able to pull off getting him on federal charges. Ms. Dekaan’s threats certainly were not empty!

Can we all take a second to laugh at how blind Cal is? He seriously asked Agent Gaines to be the one to search for the informant. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I’m glad Gaines was able to get the heads up they know the FBI is watching. And how about Summer spilling the beans about seeing her dad? I’m just glad it’s out in the open. That poor kid was having a horrible time keeping that under wraps. At least now she can relax a little bit, unless Sarah catches some heat. Is it mean to say I quite enjoy seeing the dysfunction in Sarah’s family? They try so hard to appear perfect, yet at times it seems they can’t stand each other. While we are talking about dysfunction, we still see Eddie struggling not to fall back into practices he followed in Meyerism, and hating himself for it. But seeing him stand up to Sarah and fighting for Hawk is pretty awesome. I love watching him check Cal too. Those are always some of my favorite moments in the show, if I am being honest. Sean is standing up to Cal even more now a days too which is super exciting to watch. Between Eddie, Sean, Richard, and Kodiak, that’s more than enough people to take Cal down. And they would all get enjoyment out of it too.

Seeing Mary stand up to Cal was something I didn’t expect at all. I always expect Eddie to go all out for his family. So that was no surprise to see him check Ms.Dekaan. But Mary has always been under Cal’s spell, so to see her protect her family can be a game changer for sure. Another game changer, Richard calling out Cal to use that magic paper and unburden. It’s scary backing Cal up in a corner though, and Richard isn’t the biggest guy, so that’s a bit concerning. Being the master manipulator he is, seeing Cal deflect wasn’t shocking in the least. His deflecting could have quite possibly saved Richard’s life. He would be on Cal’s hit list for sure had he uncovered his truths. As truths are always uncovered, Eddie’s scar is exposed and Sarah finds out its source. Lightning. I wonder if she will put the pieces together that it has to do with the light? I also can’t wait to see how she is going to handle this situation with Eddie now she has reopened her heart, and her um, legs, to him once again. They never stopped loving each other after all.

It’s nice to see Hawk defend himself coming from such a passive background. He really is his father’s son after all. I only hope this won’t cause him to get more charges. I have a feeling he and Samuel, his other cellmate, will become close. They are more alike than they appear to be at first glance and I think they’d learn a lot from one another. Perhaps that’s why Hawk needed to be locked up? I guess we will have to see. Agent Gaines seems to be doing well working both sides. He faked a heart issue and planted evidence to find; ruthless. He is not dumb, that’s for sure. I just hope Cal doesn’t go contacting Gaines family as he promised. That would be Gaines’ downfall, I think. Seeing Hawk pissed at being released right before seeing Shelby shunned for the found burner phone was done well. Both are not in control of their leaving, one is angry, the other devastated, probably suicidal. It says quite a lot. They are merely puppets on a string for those in power. It should be interesting to see how both of them cope. With the threat of FBI infiltration now null and void I can’t help but wonder if Richard will press Cal again. And I can’t help but hope Sarah grows a pair and keeps pushing with the water testing. How can she not after seeing that poor, poor, cow?!

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

The Walking Dead - "Rock in the Road" - Season 7 Episode 9 Review

February 13, 2017

When we last left our heroes, Negan had liquefied Abraham and Glenn’s skulls, disemboweled Spencer, had Olivia shot, abducted Eugene, strutted around like a macho jerk while making over-affected threats, and mocked everyone with a shit-eating grin at every turn. They decided this was just too much to bear, and as the mid-season finale drew to a close, they hugged it out and prepared to go to war.

As the mid-season premiere opens, we find Father Gabriel in perhaps a crisis of faith. After finding no comfort in his bible, he very loudly gathers some canned goods and melee weapons/gardening tools, gasses up a car and sets out on the open road. To what end remains to be seen.

Rick and the gang are too busy listening to Gregory bullshit them to notice Gabriel is gone. In their attempt to rally Hilltop they once again must deal with Gregory’s spineless avoidance and blame shifting, but Enid appeals directly to the people and on their way out, a few Hilltoppers offer their allegiance to Rick, as long as they think they can win against Negan. It’s not much but it’s a start. This little bump of courage spurs Jesus to lead our heroes to the Kingdom and Ezekiel.

While Rick and company make a strong case for war, and perhaps Ezekiel knows that the Saviors need to go, he ultimately refuses to join forces. In part because of his dedication to his people, but also because of Morgan’s lack of confidence in Rick’s bellicose path. Even the news of Abraham and Glenn’s brutal deaths cannot sway the zen master ninja turtle’s walk of peace. I thought for sure the young knight Benjamin’s pure hearted desire to step up and be a hero would have cancelled out Morgan’s wishy washy solution and convinced Ezekiel. Then again, the existence of such a good-hearted dude may be the exact reason Ezekiel won’t fight. It’s a catch 22: protect what’s precious and risk getting steamrolled anyway, or fight and definitely lose people, perhaps those very dear to you. In the end, all Rick gets is a hiding place for Daryl, who is technically a wanted man. This may be the ace up his sleeve though, because we all know how convincing a greasy, puffy eyed hillbilly glaring at you can be.

Jesus smartly finagled a long-range walkie talkie from Sanctuary so now our heroes can keep track of all of the Saviors’ communications, even Negan’s lamentations over the death of the most innocent of the bunch, Fat Joey. During his eulogy, the group comes across a roadblock of cars and a steel wire trap laden with explosives. The tension comes from a radio dispatch requesting a search for Daryl, so the group needs to become demolition experts to safely remove the explosives for use in the impending battles, then become valets to repark the cars they moved, then become NASCAR drivers to reach Alexandria before the Saviors do. It’s indeed nerve wracking, but we’re at least treated to one of the coolest and most creative zombie kill scenes in the show’s history. I did find it a bit unbelievable that Rick and Michonne were able to shrug off hordes of walkers to escape though, and it was fairly ironic when Michonne whispers to Rick that they’re the ones who live.

They do in fact make it back to Alexandria, just in time to put up with Simon’s worst Negan impression. Of course they don’t find Daryl, but one thing is apparent: Gabriel took more than just a handful of their food supply, he took it all. He left a clue, however, and Rick and company go searching for him near the houseboat they found in the middle of the lake, which leads them to a previously unexplored area. How he knew that Rick and Aaron had been out there is another mystery, and I thought it was his ominous foot that we saw momentarily as they struggled with the boat a few episodes ago. As it turns out, it was probably one of the many members of a new group that encircles our heroes at the end of the episode. Why did Gabriel lead them out there? Will these new people prove to be friends or foes? Rick’s smile in the last shot shows his confidence in the former.

One scene in particular stood out to me. As Aaron prepares to leave, he has a moment with his boyfriend that encapsulates all our fears for the next few episodes. If and when the fight happens, the people we love may not live. Again, doing nothing may prolong life, but what kind of life if the threat of death is always looming? And yet fighting means death for some is a certainty, and victory at the end is not.

And did you catch the group’s exchange at the Hilltop, about how not all the people in Sanctuary are Saviors, and some probably have it pretty bad? Who might help them incite an insurrection within the Sanctuary?

Once again, TWD has started with great momentum. Here’s hoping they keep it up as we prepare for all out war.

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

Supernatural - "Regarding Dean" - Season 12 Episode 11

February 10, 2017

So in typical Supernatural style, the episode begins with a case. Who needs to worry about pending cosmic chaos right? And of course, with that lingering over their heads, Dean finds himself in a serious predicament when a spell is cast on him. I was quite shocked to see a stranger trust him with their iphone to call Sam when he found himself waking up in the park. However, it wasn’t too surprising to see Dean’s first thought going to food. He was obviously confused, and Sam as always will take forever to figure out what going on with him, I’m sure of it. But to see Dean incorrectly throw his gorgeous Impala into reverse, my heart sank. That has to be enough to cue Sam in right? As soon as I ask the question, Sam caught on. Seeing him not able to name the members of Bon Jovi is quite concerning.

Learning of Dean’s escapades from the night before is quite amusing. And the laughs keep coming as Dean’s memory slowly slips away. Even though the situation is quite serious, the writer’s approach and Jensen’s delivery was on point! I can’t tell you which part I laughed harder at, when he learns supernatural things are real or when he finds out he is best friends with an angel. Even when he discovers the body of which they were in search of I laughed; it was hard not to with how over-dramatic it was. The humor quickly subsides when we learn that what was supposed to cure Dean of his memory loss didn’t work. The witch is dead already so his memory should no longer be diminishing. Hopefully Rowena is up for another call and can figure this out. Because as humorous as Dean may be in his current state, we need him back.

I was happy to see Rowena went above and beyond a call and showed up. As she was explaining the origin of the symbols used to curse Dean, I began to get nervous. It was from an ancient form of Druid magic: Celtic symbols. And something told me this was going to take a lot of power to break. And worse, she explains to Sam this curse won’t just affect his memory, but his brain will stop sending the signals needed to live. Of course. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from this show with the world hanging in the balance.

Here is hoping this Black Grimoire Rowena is on the hunt for really is the answer and that this isn’t just a ploy for her to get to it like Sam accused. So leaving her to babysit the ever so declining Dean, was quite humorous, especially when she handed him a voodoo doll to occupy himself. She is almost sweet in her own twisted way when left alone with him. With Rowena on speaker phone, Sam’s plan seems to be crumbling right in front of him. He walked right into this ancient witch family’s hands. I still can’t believe he didn’t at least call Cas to help. I mean, I know Cas has been on a losing streak, but he still always has their backs. I understand not calling his mom, as she would possibly be too emotionally involved this go around.

Luckily for Sam, Rowena is on his trail, Dean in tow, however, she has him confined to the car. I’m just hoping Rowena has what it takes to go up against them. They have plans to swap Sam’s soul for the soul of their dead brother’s. Talk about taking grief to a whole new level. I’m not surprised to see Dean not following Rowena’s instructions to stay in the car, and was relieved to see she also left notes directing him to the right weapon for the job, even if he did almost take out his own brother. Seeing the look on Sam’s face when Dean pretended he wasn’t cured was priceless. The hippie line was perfect too. It’s nice to get a break from all the constant drama and have an episode filled with humor every once and awhile.

I was happy to see they did show Dean riding Larry as I was hoping they would. This episode didn’t disappoint in a way only Jensen can pull off. He really has a way of portraying Dean that is very lighthearted and innocent at times. And the humor both he and Jared infuse into the show is really well received. The bond they have behind the scenes really reflects in the show, especially the more laid back episodes such as this one. It should be interesting to see if we get a few more of these types of episodes before or as this big plot we are waiting for develops.

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