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Daredevil: The Ones We Leave Behind (2015)
It's all coming to a head...
It's all about the consequences of the decisions people had/have/are about to make. Karen is still coming terms with what she did, Matt seeing some great parallels in his life by seeing the drugs being packaged by the blind and finally Fisk vs Ben...you kinda knew how that was going to end (ok perhaps not in such a way and just when you start to like a character!).
It was always going to be interesting to see how Fisk unravels and despite his best intentions to try to save his city, it's becoming rather personal for him and we are starting to see him turn into a monster (much like his father).
Looking forward to the finale and seeing the final showdown between Daredevil and Kingpin!
Daredevil: Daredevil (2015)
A good end to a great first season
Where to begin?! As the viewer (and fan!) of the show, you knew what would happen in the end: Fisk would be somehow stopped and Matt would become Daredevil. What we weren't quite sure of, exactly how that would happen and a season finale always has massive expectations, so i'm glad to say it did not disappoint!
Biggest strengths of the episode were showcasing the sheer power of Kingpin. This is a man who has nearly lost everything but his biggest strength is the power he holds in this city and the action piece in his breakout was brilliant! It was also a nice poetic ending for him in his cell staring at the wall. What was also great was the relationship between Matt, Foggy and Karen. It's great to see that this hasn't gone down the route of a typical love triangle but more realistic friendship/partnership between the trio.
A couple of minor gripes: 1) how Fisk was brought down. Previously in the season, we had seen how Fisk controls corrupt officials and even saw one of the Russians fall to this. Yet we are supposed to believe Hoffman manages to survive throughout this trial? It's entirely plausible of course but I was expecting something more clever to bring him down and; 2) the Daredevil costume. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't like it so much! Batman, Ironman etc. look great, but here, it just didn't feel as cool (just my opinion!)!
Something I loved a lot about this first season was that it was narrated as one story arc. There were sub-stories but it's strength was how it was about one story which dominated the season. Agents of Shield has fallen foul of this in episodes, as it tries to cram too many different stories but here it feels natural and as a result the show pulls it off.
I guess we have a few more of this short Marvel series to look forward to, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage etc. I really hope they have similar show-runners, as expectations should rise after this series.
Also looks like Netflix have renewed Daredevil for a second season, so I really hope they can bring back the same characters/actors and continue in the same vein! The great thing with Comic book adaptations is, there is plenty of material already available, so really hope they continue this to it's high quality standard.
Game of Thrones: The House of Black and White (2015)
And so the plot thickens...
Second episode in and this time the story telling is a lot better and more engrossing. We continue to see the struggles from nearly all the characters, some trying to keep hold of what power they have (Cersei, Danerys) others trying to keep hold of what they believe their purpose is (Brienne, Arya) and others who are unsure of what they want (Tyrion, Jon Snow).
Highlights in particular were the election/voting at The Wall (where you knew Jon Snow would win that - as the people's vote!) and the scenes with Danerys. I'm sure i'm not the only one, but I really wanted Jon to take that offer from Stannis, but knew deep down that is too good to be true. Should be interesting to see how that plays out for Jon and Stannis.
For Danerys, her glorious rise to power and overtaking other kingdoms was starting to become repetitive but now we actually start to see her losing her status of Mhysa, from the people and her dragons! It'll be fascinating to see if she can recover from this.
Great to see a couple of familiar faces back too, in Bronn and Jaqen! With such a massive cast, it's no surprise, but always fun to see them back after a while.
In summary, a good episode with more plot development!
Game of Thrones: The Wars to Come (2015)
A decent if slightly underwhelming start
I'm not one to expect a death/shock/twist every episode and can appreciate a slower more narrative approach in an episode, but this felt like neither and was more of a reflection on what has happened so far.
This reflection is felt by many of the characters after the last couple of episodes last season...it's not so much the hurt but rather the unknown and how many of these characters do not know how to move forward.
The most interesting scenes were played out at The Wall - with some great dialogue on pride vs. survival (I may have over simplified it here but it was quite powerful stuff, especially in how that climax played out). Also great was the scenes with Varys and Tyrion - this could have been played out with sympathy or regrets or feeling sorry but was very well shown by the main two leads. One of GOT's biggest strengths is the relationships between characters and this one should be great to see develop over the season.
In summary, a decent start but you do get the feeling that more is to come in the season!
Daredevil: The Path of the Righteous (2015)
Karen's turn to shine!
How do they keep coming up with these amazing endings?! Just when you think you know what'll happen...bang! It's thrilling to watch and credit goes to the showrunners - even if you ignore the whole superhero world, it's actually great drama and great television.
This time it's Karen's turn for centre stage and she delivers! It's not an easy character to portray but Deborah Ann Woll does well not to make her role two-dimensional - this is someone who gives a damn and is doing her very best to try to do the right thing, even though everyone else is telling her not to...and boy that was a shocker of an ending!
It's also great to see the repercussions of the paths taken by Murdoch and Fisk...neither is in a great place but both are looking to seek justice respectively.
Very few shows maintain this level of quality. Only 2 episodes to go and I cannot wait to see what happens!
Daredevil: Nelson v. Murdock (2015)
You gotta love Foggy!
Another fantastic episode - this time delving deeper into the relationship between Foggy and Matt. Foggy is probably the most likable guy ever and you really feel his hurt by the end of the episode. This was a guy who treated Matt like a brother but feels betrayed from all the lies.
The acting performance have been brilliant by the main two leads throughout the season, but Elden Henson finally gets to shine with more screen time. He's still funny as ever with his quips but you could feel the sadness at the end when he was leaving the apartment.
Elsewhere, you kind of felt that something bad was about to happen and I had predicted early on that something could happen to Vanessa...if things don't turn out well for her, Fisk could lose it completely - it feels like it's just a matter of time before he gets rid of Gao and Leland...
Another great episode and a brilliant ending again. Looks like Karen and Ben have something against Fisk now and will be exciting to see how that unravels!
Daredevil: Speak of the Devil (2015)
Stopping the Devil looks impossible!
A big theme so far has been the reluctance for Murdoch to kill people - he is not a killer, yet we've had a couple of characters say, he has to become one. The conversation with the Father was fantastic - Murdoch knows what he can do to stop Fisk but he is not willing to go down that road...even when it seems he has chosen not to take that path, Fisk (the master tactician!) plays on his pressure-point, and beats him (physically and psychologically).
It leaves on a good ending - finally someone finds out! That had to happen at some point and I feel this could be the catalyst for Murdoch's fightback.
The quality of episodes has been great, with lots of action here!
Daredevil: Shadows in the Glass (2015)
My name is Wilson Fisk!
Wow! Just wow!! I am absolutely hooked on this show and this episode is one of the reasons why.
We finally get a backstory for Fisk and it's brilliant yet brutal. You can see where the vulnerability comes from and it really makes you feel for the character (and weirdly at the end even root for him!). The acting by D'Onofrio and the kid that plays him in his youth are incredible. We also get to see Vanessa as the rock that supports Fisk - creepy but something he really needed.
It's going to be interesting to see how the story picks up from here...the show is about Daredevil, yet Kingpin has definitely overtaken the character in terms of the show's biggest strengths - but the story is still amazing and continues to entertain the viewer. Possibly one of the best episodes so far.
Daredevil: Stick (2015)
The master and the apprentice...
I must stop with the Batman Begins comparisons, but the hard-a55 trainer routine was coming the moment I saw Stick meet Matt for the first time. That being said it was still pretty good, funny and Scott Glenn was fantastic with the deadpan humour.
What was rather surprising was how he left Matt when he was so young - mainly due to his own preachings: don't hold any ties with friends. This has very much helped and detrimented Matt's own development to become this warrior, but again the half measures aspect i.e. That he will not kill (similar to Batman with Ra's Al Ghul; Batman with the Joker - OK last batman reference!!) should also come to bite him in the future.
The episode was quite a nice change from the normal plot, yet maintained the same level of quality from the season so far.
Daredevil: Condemned (2015)
Tense, twists and thrilling!
Possibly the most thrilling episode yet! Just when you think you know what'll happen, there's a twist - which isn't silly but rather believable and makes you think "that was pretty clever!"
We also have a long awaited first meeting/chat between future Daredevil and Kingpin. That wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be but was useful to show the difference between the two characters. Murdoch is struggling, angry, desperate to escape with no clear plan (in the short term of long), whereas Fisk is smart, confident, manipulating and knows exactly what's going to happen. It's also cool to see the power Fisk has by how much he controls Hells Kitchen.
We're just getting to the halfway point and so far so great!
Daredevil: World on Fire (2015)
Just gets better...
Each time I watch this show, it just keeps reminding me of Batman Begins...not just because it's dark or doesn't have people flying about everywhere but because it feels real. You can see the writers have invested a lot of time into this and it is working!
Best thing in the episode is Wilson Fisk. I mentioned previously that this is such a good character - you see the vulnerability and ruthlessness in one scene (his reasons also being very similar to Ra's Al Ghul from batman). I just get the feeling things won't end well with him and his girl but looking forward to him losing it again (like in previous episode).
One gripe I had was how quickly we're supposed to believe Claire is falling in love with Matt - I mean perhaps they have met quite a bit off screen that we didn't see but it didn't feel as natural. In fact the scenes between Foggy and Karen were more interesting and I'm keen to see where that goes.
A rather nice cliffhanger of an ending - can't see how Matt can get out of that one, but story is moving nicely.
Daredevil: In the Blood (2015)
It most definitely is in the blood!
An episode more for the supporting characters - allowing for good character building, especially for one character in particular! The storytelling is great and the star performer in the episode was Vincent D'Onofrio - absolutely terrifying!! We have seen many types of villains from many of movies/shows. Sometimes they are really great (Iron Man, Thor, Avengers) and sometimes it doesn't quite work out (Hulk, Thor 2) but here they are fleshing out a great complex character and one that I'm looking forward to seeing more of!
The thing I like a lot about the show so far is that even though this is still part of the shared Marvel Universe, it's keeping the story grounded, unlike Agents of Shield, can at times tries too hard. This works well here and I hope it continues.
In summary, a good episode with a great ending.
Daredevil: Rabbit in a Snowstorm (2015)
Right and wrong...
What starts off as a strange opening, allows us to see that these "events" are happening to be part of a major plot, or rather a major player. The build up has been great and the ending was a nice (albeit brief) payoff too.
The thing I liked a lot was the theme of right and wrong in the episode and this was showcased well by nearly all the characters. This is summed up nicely by a great speech from Murdoch (you'll know when you see it!). What may be the right thing to do could prove costly, but how easy is it to live with ourselves if we choose to do the "wrong" thing.
All in all a solid episode with a great ending, which will want you to to carry on watching!
Daredevil: Cut Man (2015)
The important lesson: is to get back up again
An even better follow-up from the Pilot episode! Here we see the emotional and psychological impact of our hero and his upbringing. This is very well played out and acted superbly by Charlie Cox and John Patrick Hayden.
In the pilot episode, I felt it was quite a refreshing take on the superhero genre and here it still applies. We always get that story where we find out the reason behind why a hero takes the path they do...we've seen it many times with the likes of Batman, Superman, Spiderman, etc. here we see this again but it's a different feel...these are the strongest scenes in the episode and really make you root for the hero.
What's also great here is the story writers are not dwindling on what happened in the previous episode and the story is progressing nicely.
Only 2 episodes in and I am hooked!
Daredevil: Into the Ring (2015)
Great start!
Is it me or does it feel like Marvel is taking over the world? Based on the first episode here, it's definitely not a bad thing! Superheroes are the norm now and we have more and more coming on the big screen and small, what's key though, is how you make the fans like them. Marvel saw this opportunity in Peggy Carter and took a smart risk there...and here it is also onto a winner here as Matt Murdoch fits the bill nicely as a likable character, yet has dark enough moments to please most.
The show isn't dark, but is feels gritty, which gives it a more real and personal feel. The fight sequences were well choreographed and provided possibly my favourite moments when shown in slow-mo.
Whereas the other Marvel films/shows are bigger and louder, Daredevil works fine as a more "local" setting, which gives it a fresher feeling. This is not someone who will save the world, but more like a local vigilante and that makes it different and interesting from the others.
It's still only the first episode but the show has great potential. Looking forward to the next episodes!
Fast & Furious 7 (2015)
Decent movie but great tribute to Paul Walker
When you go in to see a fast and furious movie, you know what to expect...fast cars, lots of action, incredible stunts, and a moral message about how important family is. Great thing is you get this in the movie! It's always been about the cars and it seems based on each subsequent sequel, they try to outdo the last one with even bigger stunts and there is one in this which is just as much as ludicrous as it is incredible!
The problem comes with the story and execution. Fast 5 and 6 (although more the former) raised the bar for the franchise. They turned it from not just street racing but adding more to the story e.g. Elaborate heist; taking out a big bad rival gang etc. This movie could have been a great revenge story (based on the bad guy here) but the way the story was shown did not showcase that well and the story in the end with the sub plots ended up looking clunky. This isn't a huge problem in such a movie but I guess I was expecting a bit more or better.
Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jason Statham are good in their performances and the rest do their parts as usual, but it's the ending that's quite bittersweet. Paul Walkers tragic death through filming was tough to take for all, but how they move forward with the filming had to be done tastefully to respect him. What they did was truly beautiful and possibly the best way possible to remember him.
All in all, a decent movie, but not the best in the franchise.
Better Call Saul: Marco (2015)
Good end to a great first season
It was always going to be interesting to see how Jimmy reacted to the bombshell in the previous episode and it was brilliantly displayed. Jimmy McGill is a very different character to Walter White (sorry but the Breaking Bad comparisons will continue - speaking of which, there is a great reference in the episode, that brought a smile!) and it was very refreshing to see his inner turmoils.
The storyline is quite clever too, to keep the story arc ticking but also show Jimmy at his best, doing what he absolutely enjoys. There were so many doubts as to how Bob Odenkirk can lead this show, but he truly shows what a great actor he is, especially in the scenes where he has to show/hide his emotions.
While the episode was slightly more mellow than the previous one, but it finished on a nice ending, and leaves fans with great excitement for what's to come in season 2. This show will definitely last a few more seasons and I cannot wait to see the transformation of Jimmy to Saul! Bring on season 2!!
Predestination (2014)
Will become a sci-fi classic!
I just finished watching this film and I'm speechless! What a film! What a story! This will become one of those movies that people will rate highly and the reason is how original and unique it is. We've seen many time travel stories over time...The Terminator, Looper, Source Code and so on but this takes those elements and delivers something I don't believe we have ever seen before.
The way the story plays out is very uneven (which is intentional and will make sense by the end) but the payoff is the ending. For me, it's the ending that really makes it worthwhile and I would even go so far to put it along the likes of Usual Suspects and Saw to have a brilliant climax - it took me a bit of time to figure out but when I did, I was blown away!
Ethan Hawke is solid, as usual but it's really Sarah Snook who's brilliant in her role, which by no means was easy to pull off when you see her performance.
Sometimes you watch films and can leave your brain at home. This is not one of them! If you like time travel films or fantastic endings or let's just say intelligent films then this is a must watch! I would thoroughly recommend this to all.
Better Call Saul: Pimento (2015)
Possibly the best episode this season!
The story is so simple...Jimmy possibly has the case of a lifetime, a chance to make his name, an opportunity to make his brother proud...yet it ends in such a gut wrenching way, it makes you really feel for Jimmy.
The people behind the show deserve great credit for this and you can see how the small moments from previous episodes made the ending so powerful. I honestly did not think that Jimmy's own brother would be the one to betray him and boy you could see it in Jimmy's face. That last scene between the two brothers made you feel so much for Jimmy...all he wanted was to make his brother proud, but deep down Chuck never even believed in him. His rant started off as a reason of pride but then when the truth came out, it showed that Chuck never saw Jimmy as a success. Perhaps the mail room was enough to keep him at that level, but not as a lawyer, something Chuck spent his whole life to become, but this Chuck could not allow.
What we saw today possibly could have been THE defining moment of Jimmy eventually becoming the Saul Goodman as we remember him from Breaking Bad. What could have been the successful start for Jimmy McGill could be the root cause for Jimmy to turn to becoming a criminal lawyer. It's great performance all round but Bob Odenkirk deserves great praise for his acting here. It's not easy to be remembered as a comic relief in one of the best TV shows of all time and then to lead another show but also as a dramatic actor and it really works here.
On a side note, the scenes with Mike were brilliant! The whole reason we loved him from Breaking Bad was his understated performances and his scenes were no exception. Especially loved his explanation of the difference between a bad person and a good criminal. He clearly is a good man (for his family) but has to be a good criminal too (murdering his son's killers; taking this job) in order to do what's right and provide for his family. It's a great parallel to Breaking Bad and how he saw this problem with Walt and we all know how that ended...
Only one episode left and I can't wait for it! It's been a great season so far, let's hope it's finishes on a high!
The Walking Dead: Conquer (2015)
Unspectacular but still brilliant!
This is my first ever review and i'm quite excited to do so for a great show! Firstly, what a great episode! This was a very different finale to the previous ones we have seen, yet was just as tense throughout. There was enough story, character building, gore, and a death! The positives...
Bringing Morgan back was a great move as it gets fans excited from the off (I was jumping up and down!) - speaking of which, he was practically just as much a bada55 as Daryl tends to be!
The plot threads between the different characters was also great and only really possible by extending the normal running time, as now it really feels like an ensemble cast, meaning not everyone can be on screen for each episode. The main plot from this Alexandria arc is how these people choose to live and this is the stems from the difference of opinions between Rick and Deanna. Rick has his "agressive" ways, yet Deanna does not and wants to build a new civilisation/government/world (she clearly hasn't spent much time outside like our survivors have!).
There were some fantastic parallels between the story lines...Glenn chooses (again!) not to kill Nicholas and same with Sasha (with the help of Maggie) for the guilt-ridden Gabriel, yet in the end, Deanna gave in to that belief/hope/morality (albeit in an emotional state) and gave the order "Do it!", which was enough for Rick. It's this "greyness" that makes this watching these characters so compelling. An example of this is Carol's transformation from the first season timid/beaten wife/mother to virtually a master manipulator psychopath has been sensational! I have actually found her so difficult to read now - does she want a happy life with the Alexandria residents or has she gone even further than Rick, in not knowing how to live in a peaceful way. In a weird way, she seems like she is enjoying herself in this new world...
Negatives...a bit of a shame on teasing the "Wolves" even in the finale (since they gave us these "W" hints in past episodes) but I guess the anticipation should help with the build-up for next season. It's also quite difficult to care for minor characters, such as Reg, who seemed like he could have grown into a good character. Though his demise felt more appropriate for the: 1) shock factor (which we always love!) and 2) to nail Rick's point: would Reg have been alive if Deanna had listened to Rick earlier and kicked out (or killed) Pete?
Finally, have to end this on who else, but Rick. I keep telling my wife, he has turned into a "nicer version of Shane". Rick is Shane - he fully believes that in order to live in this "new world" you have to change your morality and essentially what you believe to be right and wrong. I still remember the scene where the Governor held a sword to Hershel's head and desperate plea Rick was making to him to spare him.I believe Rick genuinely was speaking the truth and that he was willing to try to live together without the violence/bloodshed...the consequences of that, I believe, have changed him for good (despite however much Michonne/Carl/Glenn try to help). The interesting thing is, his group (minus Father Gabriel obviously), believe in him and agree with him. Will Morgan? Will my wife? Cannot wait for Season 6!