Supernatural - "All In The Family" - Season 11 Episode 21 Review

As the episode begins, I am anxious with anticipation knowing the last episode ended with the Winchesters meeting God. (Who prefers to be called Chuck.) I was all in my feels as the conversation between Chuck and Dean progressed. I mean who else could be so honest, kind of rude, yet vulnerable when speaking to God himself? Sam looked terrified by his brother’s candid approach, but Chuck wasn’t phased. That is until they brought up Lucifer, then he became quite in his feelings. It seems that really is a very touchy subject for God, and can you blame him?

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Source: The CW

Speaking of touchy subjects, I wasn’t too surprised to see Amara appear to Dean considering their weird connection. She knows showing him Castiel’s vessel in the rough shape it is in would spark something in him, perhaps grabbing God’s attention; who she already knows is near. And it is also beginning to seem like she is a one trick pony as she once again decides to whip up the fog. Metatron sees the news covering the last time she made the fog appear, and he sees Sam and Dean with Chuck. This sets off a light bulb for him as he calls Dean to tell him he wants to talk about something regarding Chuck-God, and it seems to be important. And did I mention the conversation he wants to have, he is insists be in person? I’m hoping it’s not some kind of trap.

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Source: The CW

Meanwhile back with Sam and Dean they talk to a professor, Donatello that was there when the latest fog hit. But instead of being affected by the fog in the normal way, Donatello was struck by lightning and filled with knowledge. Looks like after God released Kevin’s soul to heaven in the beginning of the episode the next prophet was born, and he is not happy about being a part of this. I would think someone who was involved in the pursuit of higher education such as a professor would be cool with all this new knowledge and abilities? The self-proclaimed former atheist was all but falling at the feet of the “celestial magnificence” known as God, which I find quite humorous.

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Source: The CW

Metatron brings Sam and Dean God’s autobiography, or as he calls it, his suicide note. He tells them God plans to sacrifice himself and let Amara do as she wishes. Dean confronts good old Chuck-God who was quite confused because as he says, “You think I’m a dick, why do you care?” Chuck explains he doesn’t plan to die, he will strike a deal; he will go to the cage so he can free all of his creations. He insists Amara’s beef is with him, and it should work. Dean is not happy with this answer at all, nor am I. This plan does not seem like it will work, not after all Amara has said. God insists if his plan doesn’t work, humans will have to step up. Sam, Dean, and the other “chosen” will find a way. He goes on to explain that that is why he saved him all those years ago; the Winchesters are a firewall between light and dark. Talk about a heavy bomb to drop… that is a lot of pressure.

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Source: The CW

Like I would, Dean begs God to step up; it has to be him to defeat Amara. Dean then talks to Donatello about getting Lucifer, and how this needs to be the way to draw God in. Metatron insists on being a part of all this; so let’s just hope he doesn’t mess it up. Now they need to get to Amara, and she has been wanting to meet up with Dean, so that wouldn’t be hard. Thanks to their new-found prophet and his tracking ability, they were able to find Lucifer. He is more than happy to go against Amara after all she’s done.

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Source: The CW

Amara is doing her best to get Dean to be on her side, that is until she touches him and knows he has been in contact with God. Now she is onto what they’re doing and Sam, Donatello, and Metatron need to hurry up their Lucifer rescue mission! I was shocked to see Metatron step up and say he wants to handle it as they feel her approach. Maybe he’s trying to atone and make things right after his stint as God? Whatever sigil he drew unfortunately didn’t work and he is quickly turned to nothingness after pleading she spare the universe. Thankfully God was able to help them just before Amara turned them to nothing too. When Chuck-God sees Lucifer, he tells him the “he’s changed”, and Lucifer returns the sentiment. I was glad to see they buried the hatchet and God healed him. However, I don’t understand why they would let the new prophet Donatello go back home? He was just seen by the darkness herself, and I am sure he is now on her hit list. That just doesn’t seem too safe. And with only two episodes left I can’t wait to see how this plays out. I mean, Amara can’t really win and take Dean as part of herself, can she?

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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

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - "Emancipation" - Season 3 Episode 20 Review

Throughout Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s three year run, its tie-ins to Marvel's latest movies have become one of its annual hallmarks. No other production studio has a shared fictional universe as extensive as Marvel’s, intertwining narrative through both film and television, while adhering to a consistent level of continuity. In the weeks leading up to each film’s release, fans start to theorize how it will intersect with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s current climate. Captain America: The Winter Soldier set a high standard for these tie-ins with season one's big Hydra reveal, a twist that still carries repercussions to this day. Coming into this season, fans expected a similarly game changing crossover with Captain America: Civil War, which sees the Avengers split down the middle over a conflict of ideologies. With Civil War debuting last Friday, "Emancipation" was earmarked as a potentially massive turning point for the show.

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Source: ABC/Disney/Marvel via TheGeekyPlanet.com

Unfortunately, the effects of Civil War pass through this episode with little more than a whimper. There are plenty of direct references to the film itself, as well as its overarching dilemma, but it's mostly just noise as the show stays focused on its current "Fallen Agent" arc. We do get a Civil War-ish disagreement between the "pro-Iron Man" General Talbot and the "pro-Cap" Phil Coulson, but it does little to distinguish itself from their usual squabbling. Yes, Civil War is a part of this episode, but it doesn't necessarily play a part in it. Its effect on the episode's events are minimal, and it would have been much more impactful to see team S.H.I.E.L.D. divided against each other over the Sokovia Accords, rather than keeping the debate between Coulson and Talbot.

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Source: ABC/Disney/Marvel

It's likely that we'll never get another film tie-in as consequential as The Winter Soldier. The revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been compromised by Hydra altered the very core of AoS in a way that other films probably won’t have the capacity for. Additionally, it’s been speculated that the movie and television divisions of Marvel don’t play well together, particularly after Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Film, terminated his working relationship with Isaac Perlmutter, who oversees Marvel Television. Similarly to Civil War, last year's Avengers: Age of Ultron crossover made a lot of direct nods to the film, but provided few, if any, substantial ramifications for the TV universe. Thor: The Dark World made even less of an impact when it debuted in the middle of season one, although we have gotten a couple of enjoyable guest spots from Lady Sif, a key supporting character from the Thor franchise. Out of all the non-Winter Soldier films, Iron Man 3 might have quietly had the biggest impact, particularly during season one, when Extremis tied in heavily with the show’s early antagonists.

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Source: ABC/Disney/Marvel via TheGeekyPlanet.com

Besides the Civil War tie-in, this week's episode is fairly nondescript, aiming its remaining focus towards Daisy and Lincoln. Lincoln gets a lot of play this week, featuring heavily into the A-plot. He manages to hold his own as the focal point, though the nature of the storyline somewhat overshadows this. We get a decent amount of relationship building between him and Daisy, but it feels kind of jarring after we’ve gotten used to them being apart during the last couple of episodes. The show revisits a handful of characters from earlier points in the season, among them, General Talbot and the Watchdogs (no Carl Creel, unfortunately). Talbot continues to be one of the show's best minor supporting characters thanks to his strong chemistry with Coulson. I wouldn't mind if, going forward, Talbot was given a more substantial role. AoS could use a break from its typical style of humor born of snark and sarcasm, and I think Talbot could provide that quite capably with his “overconfident dunce” role. Regrettably, the Watchdogs are considerably less threatening after their surprisingly compelling introduction in episode fourteen. Rounding out the cast, we spend some time with Mack, who’s broken in both body and spirit after his near fatal encounter with Daisy. He’s comforted by a returning Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez, who also manages to drop some subtle hints on who might be caught in the exploding Quinjet from Daisy’s vision.

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Source: ABC/Disney/Marvel via TheGeekyPlanet.com

The episode has a pretty engaging climax, although it suffers from some noticeable hand-waving, wrapping things up in a neat and tidy bow without a satisfying explanation. This seems to deemphasize plot points that have been building up over the past couple of weeks, making the “Fallen Agent” arc feel a bit stake-less, though I think the storyline is handled well for the most part. Overall, I was a little disappointed with what's functionally the penultimate episode of season three. I personally would have preferred a more cliffhanger-y lead-in to the season finale, but on its face this is an entertaining episode that feels a little flatter than it actually is, thanks to the Civil War-sized expectations it was saddled with. It's obvious that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is banking on the "Who-Will-Die?" angle to build interest for the finale, but the writers have shown that they are more than capable of keeping us tuned in without resorting to such a sensational tactic.

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Garrett Yoshitomi is a contributor for A Play on Nerds. He covers Marvel films and television, and enjoys fantasy baseball, Big Brother live feeds, and Anna Kendrick. You can find his tweets @garrettweets

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Fear the Walking Dead - "Captive" Season 2 Episode 5 Review

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Source: AMC

Anyone who likes Patsy Cline and is that handy in the kitchen can’t be all bad.  Connor makes Alicia about as good a meal as she’s probably going to have ever again in an act of good will.  The only way she’s going to eat better is if she gets to Mexico in one piece.  Connor tries to get to know Alicia but before that happens, the power goes out and he leaves to tend to the problem.  Vida follows, taking Alicia’s steak with her before she was able to eat more than one bite.  Pregnant or not, this girl has a shitty attitude.  Alicia takes the opportunity to scout around, only to find that they’re not at sea at all, but dry docked in some kind of ship yard.  Jack finds her and she convinces him to check on Travis for her.

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Source: AMC

Back on the Abigail, we find that impaling does not mean killing, and Reed is still alive but at the mercy of Daniel.  I think Daniel’s character works best in this element, seemingly harmless but unafraid to get his hands dirty.  As he cleans/tortures Reed, he learns some important details about Connor’s strengths.  Strand is still recovering so Daniel and Maddie have taken over captain’s duties and are dead set on finding Travis and Alicia.  Luis has a problem with this and bringing our heroes into Mexico in general, but Strand repays Maddie for saving his life by granting them time to mount a rescue.

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Source: AMC

Alicia meanwhile seems to be doing just fine, learning the ins and outs of piracy thanks to Jack.  He even gives her a task:  finding new boats to raid.  All too happy to bring her into his world, he doesn’t notice when she slips his knife out of his back pocket.  Alicia is a bit more street smart (sea smart) than I gave her credit for, and perhaps I was wrong to think that Nick was the only clever one in the family.

Travis is not so fortunate and wakes up in a makeshift cell.  Ironically a book titled “Jesus Saves” has a paper clip bookmark in it.  School teacher, nautical mechanic, and now master locksmith.  Travis is really a jack of all trades.  His lock pick is interrupted by Alex, previously left afloat by Strand and found by Connor.  As if she didn’t see Strand cut the rope, she blames Travis for her misfortune and reveals that she’s the one that gave Connor Abigail’s position.  I’m a bit confused by her recollection of events, but we’ll see how it shakes out.

Strand feels well enough speak with Maddie about Nick’s usefulness, and she makes it a point to try to dissuade Nick from any more away-missions.  Her mothering seems out of place, since Nick has pretty much been on his own since the show began.  Alicia seems okay with helping Jack find new vessels to raid, except for when the Abigail pops up on the sonar and she realizes that Reed, in his normal run of things, executes the people he finds on other boats.  Jack seems to genuinely want to help Alicia and they find a ship for Connor to check out, with the intention of escaping with one of the boats in the dock while he’s distracted.  Jack doesn’t appear to be a bad guy so it’s going to suck when the consequences of his decisions come back to him, as they surely will.

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Source: AMC

As Abigail approaches the marina, Travis and Alex spend quality time together mulling over the past and the nature of the world, good and evil, etc.  While they share some of the same hardships, it seems that Alex was waiting for some kind of confession or apology from Travis because when he tells her he’s no better than Strand, since not stopping him was the same as cutting the rope, she gives him a bit of juicy info:

“Connor said he could use me.  People don’t use me.”

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Source: AMC

Back on the Abigail, Reed tries to get into Chris’ head but Nick intervenes at the right moment.  It’s a wacky world when the heroin addict is the chilled out voice of reason.  Jack and Alicia find Travis, who spills the beans about Alex, and tells Alicia not to come back for him.  We go back to the Abigail, where Maddie and Connor negotiate a trade of people:  Reed for Alicia and Travis.  It seems like this might be a straightforward deal, since Connor isn’t a rampaging psychopath like The Governor or Negan, but of course things get unnecessarily complicated.  Chris, “Fuckup of The New World,” blasts a hole in Reed’s face, giving the excuse that Reed was about to turn.  While he does seem to know that people turn after death no matter what, that still doesn’t change the fact that Reed is missing his jaw.  It’s only when he hears Daniel and Luis arguing that he realizes how thoroughly the pooch has been screwed.  It may be a moot point, since seeing Reed with a crowbar through his abdomen might have sent Connor into a rage just as much as seeing him dead, but now we’ll never know.

As Ofelia and Nick clean up Reed’s teeth and such, it’s apparent that they don’t understand the nature of walkers the way Chris does, that is until Reed wakes up.  Nick goes for the kill, but perhaps a moment before Daniel stops him, I saw a new plan, and so did Daniel.  An animate Reed is a trade-able Reed.  Oddly, as Daniel is prepping Reed, he hears the Voice of Hispanics Past, telling him to take the gun.  I’m sure this means Daniel is going to go insane later.

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Source: AMC

Amazingly, the hostage trade goes pretty well, with only a small hiccup in retrieving Alicia.  Reed bites Connor and another grunt, while Travis delivers an impressive head-butt to another henchman.  Alicia tries to rescue Travis from his cage but gets into a tussle with Vida, who ends up locked in the cell.  Jack survives the whole encounter, perhaps suffering only a broken heart.  But this isn’t to say that he, Vida and Alex won’t seek their revenge later on.

I really love the tension and drama.  Things are shaping up very well so far.  It isn’t just people against walkers, it’s people against people, and their own natures.  Our heroes are straying into gray areas fairly quickly, while it took Rick and company a while to embrace the darker realities of the world.  Travis, Maddie and Alicia motor back to the Abigail and the next stop, presumably, is Mexico.

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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

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