It’s time for another round of TV commentaries! No Flash or Arrow for the time being, but that leaves me with five shows to keep on top of.
Star Wars Rebels: Fire Across the Galaxy is the season finale for season 1. Unfortunately, due to the show’s tendency to start and stop without any notice, I was not aware this was coming. Luckily, it was brought to my attention. This actually comes at a perfect time for me, though, as between the start of Rebels and the end of the season I’ve actually watched all of The Clone Wars, with the exception of the incomplete episodes on StarWars.com. As a result, the revelation of Ahsoka at the end of the episode means a whole lot more to me than it would have initially. Still, what catches my attention the most at this point is the question of what the Inquisitor was talking about – was he discussing Kanan awakening the Dark Side within himself, or knowing that his death would call the attention of a more powerful Force user?
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Aftershocks was the return of the series after a mid-season break, populated by the new (or temporary) Agent Carter. “Aftershocks” deals with the results of the transformations that occurred in “What They Become”, specifically Raina, Skye and Trip. The latter was killed in the transformation, which triggers changes in everyone, particularly Jemma and Coulson, which is…awkward. This leads to a forced conflict and to Skye’s new Carrie powers being kept secret; ultimately, a well executed version of some tired plots I’d rather have avoided.
Gotham: Everyone Has a Cobblepot I’ll admit was a surreal experience for me. I watched it while acquainting myself with Knights of the Old Republic II, which means I mainly remember it as Jim Gordon and friends narrating while I investigated a post-apocalyptic Peragus II. Still, I love the concept of Jim Gordon launching a serious investigation into the root of the corruption in Gotham and making just enough difference to keep himself in the force and keep himself and Bullock moving up without having a chance at seriously fixing things. I’ll need to rewatch this with my full attention one of these days, though.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Pig and the Rhino was pretty much the episode that fans of the 1987 series have been waiting for since 2012. The episode knew exactly what the climax was and how to deal with it, and it was a stroke of genius having the no-nonsense boss-type love the names Bebop and Rocksteady and having the more comical character hate them. While I still wish for the real Irma to show up (kidnapped by the Krang and kept to study, perhaps?), on the whole I have to say I am not disappointed with the way beloved elements of the show have been introduced.
Power Rangers Dino Charge: Breaking Black was an interesting piece. It did teach me all I needed to about the black ranger, which was its point, but I don’t particularly like this black ranger, so that’s a mixed bag. Still, I appreciate the way they’re introducing each episode. It definitely makes me like this season more than the previous two/four. This gives me a lot of hope for the upcoming 25 episodes.
Insomniatic 