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The Mandalorian - Episode 1.06 - Chapter 6 - Review

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Just when you think The Mandalorian has put the toughest thing behind him, up comes something even more challenging. Episode 6 of The Mandalorian put him up against a rebel prison, and a dangerous crew.

The cameos in this episode were a lot of fun. They weren't cameos of known characters from the franchise, but of actors and filmmakers making appearances in front of the camera.

Star Wars fans are always used to Rebels/Resistance against Empire/First Order. The Mandalorian shows characters who don't have a side. So they do jobs against Empire type folks, and Rebel aligned folks. This episode was a good reminder of that.

The Mandalorian was looking for work, and went to an old acquaintance to do a job. From the beginning the deck was stacked against him, with antagonistic crew members, and differing agendas. Bill Burr leads a crew that will surely get a spinoff in some form (comics, animated, videogame, novel, whatever).


The episode did a great job showing how resourceful The Mandal…
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Crisis On Infinite Earths Parts 1-3 (2019-2020 Arrowverse Roundup - Week 10)

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The Arrowverse's biggest crossover is finally here. For the most part they delivered everything they promised, and more. The first episode was Supergirl. The second was Batman, and the third was The Flash. This will not be formatted as usual, but instead it will be one big rundown.

The event wasted no time in getting going. There was a ton of exposition happening at first, but once that was out of the way, the first hour really soared. Of the 3 hours, Batwoman was the only one that didn't feel like a Batwoman episode. Hour 1 was very Supergirl (and supporting cast) focused. As was hour 3, with The Flash cast. There were two big surprises of the crossover. The first was all of the cameos they were able to nab, which shows just how big this event is. The second was the story of Oliver Queen.

Audiences were told he was going to die, but no one expected it in the first hour. Amell has barely been in Crisis at all. He had his normal sized role in Hour 1, but just one scene in each ep…
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The Mandalorian - Episode 1.05 - Chapter 5 - Review

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The Mandalorian may be one of the best things on TV, but it is still TV. It fell into that common pitfall of TV, by treading water for a couple of episodes before it gets back to the main story. Episode 5, called "The Gunslinger" was entertaining enough, but definitely a side quest instead of contributing to the main story.

Dave Filoni directed this episode, which saw a return to Tatooine and Mos Eisley Cantina! The Cantina is much more accepting now, as there is a droid working there, when just a few years back, there were no droids even allowed in there.

The fan service didn't stop there though, even when it introduced us to the character of the week, he was sitting in the same spot - and nearly the same pose - as when we first meet Han Solo in A New Hope.

The episode is pretty self contained but also very familiar. Someone on the run hides their damaged ship on Tatooine, and then has to go find the money in order to pay for the repairs. Is this The Mandalorian, or The Ph…
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2019-2020 Arrowverse Roundup - Week 9

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This week brought midseason finales, final stands, new identities, and preparation for Crisis On Infinite Earths!

Below is a breakdown of all of the Arrowverse stuff that aired this week. It is part review, part speculation, part analysis, and part rambling. It is organized in the order they aired throughout the week, so feel free to scroll down to whatever ones you watch. If you want to get caught up, you can use my Arrowverse Viewing Order guide to help you navigate!

You can read this season's previous breakdowns here.

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The Mandalorian - Episode 1.04 - Chapter 4 - Review

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Chapter 4 of The Mandalorian introduced ex-Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune, played by Gina Carano. Her introduction added a unique and necessary layer to the show. It took until episode 4 for there to be any female representation in The Mandalorian. Which was a bit too late. There were 4 females who had anything of significance in this episode, so a 400% increase is a good start.

The battle scenes, directed by Bryce Dallas Howard (daughter of Solo: A Star Wars Story director Ron Howard) were some of the best battle scenes that the franchise has to offer. It felt like something out of Rogue One, which is one of the highest compliments it can get.

The bond between the Mandalorian and the Child continues strengthen. But the Mandalorian also got a glimpse at a potential peaceful life. That was short lived of course, but it shows the complexity of the character and reinforces the grey area he lives in.

The show also brought the Klatooinians into the forefront. They've appeared in the backgr…
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2019-2020 Arrowverse Roundup - Week 8

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Below is a breakdown of all of the Arrowverse stuff that aired this week. It is part review, part speculation, part analysis, and part rambling. It is organized in the order they aired throughout the week, so feel free to scroll down to whatever ones you watch. If you want to get caught up, you can use my Arrowverse Viewing Order guide to help you navigate!

You can read this season's previous breakdowns here.
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Knives Out - Review

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Knives Out is a good ol' fashioned "whodunnit" with very modern sensibilities. The Last Jedidirector Rian Johnson crafted a smart, fun, and wildly entertaining murder mystery with an all-star cast.

Predictable murder mysteries are no fun. A professional like Johnson knows this. That is why Knives Out is so entertaining. The audience is let in on more than the characters investigating the murder know, so you are watching Daniel Craig and LaKeith Stanfield figure out something that the audience has seen already. It is expertly crafted, and makes it unique from the other things in that genre.

Of course, there are twists and turns that the audience doesn't know, so the whole film is a journey of discovering bits and pieces. The audience only knows what Johnson wants them to know, when he wants them to know it. Because of that, Knives Out is one of the most enjoyable rides you can have at the movies this year.

Craig's Benoit Blanc is very reminiscent of Hercule Poirot fr…
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