Friday, September 2, 2016

Zoo, Season 2, Episode 11: The Contingency



This episode felt like a lot of filler since most of it was padded by rather unnecessary fighty sequences with very little actual reasoning behind this

Oh my gods, did I actually expect reasoning in Zoo? You’d think I would have given up on that

Anyway the group splits into two. Alison and Mitch and Jaime are going to convince the Russians that spraying poison gas around the world is a bad plan while Abe and Dariela are focused on finding Jackson and his dad Robert even though Alison is kind of confused as to why they want the rage mutant when they have the much more peaceful elderly Finnish lady.

So Allison and co seem to be doing well in convincing the Russians – and then a gorilla arrives and they spend the rest of the episode struggling to kill it. The gorilla has been dropped in by Davies in his insidious plan to get the Russians back on side by causing some deaths and doubling down on hatred for animals. While Jaimie and Mitch manage to kill the gorilla (and have more relationship nonsense which really can wait until AFTER the world ends), Davies has succeeded

My take away from this? How, in the name of all that is sensible, did Davies manager to smuggle a GORILLA into the Russian government? This happened just because the Russian government had a vote – yet the first they knew of a Gorilla is when it appeared in the middle of them… How was this achieved? How would that be achieved today, let alone in a world where the entire world is, presumably, on guard against animal attacks.

The Last Ship: White Male Saviour & his Fawning Masses


We’ve spoken before about American exceptionalism and TNT’s The Last Ship.  In the ensuing seasons not only has The Last Ship pushed this narrative it has also come to push the idea that not only will the world be saved by an American but that said American will be straight, cisgender, able-bodied and male.  In this way it fits right into a framework that we often see being played out in shows set in a dystopia.  The Last Ship may be trying to pull off the summer blockbuster scaled down for television but it has failed to separate itself from the idea of what is the most powerful body (read: cis-het White men) and in so doing has not separated itself from the most common failure in dystopias.

From the very beginning, even though The Last Ship had a multiracial cast, the fact that it was set on The Nathan James - a navy war ship - means that a hierarchy of bodies was immediately established. With Tom as the captain and Slattery as the XO, from the very beginning the faces of power were represented by cis-het White men. There have always been people of colour and women on the ship but because of the military hierarchy, it was never truly possible for them to have real power. The nature of a navy power structure always made women and people of colour subservient to both Tom and Slattery.  To question the orders of the captain and the XO is mutiny. Sure, The Last Ship plays hard and fast with the rules and military law, particularly when it comes to Tom’s own decision to mutiny when he chose to take back control of The Nathan James, or even the various times when Tom, in the guise of informing President Michener about their present situation actually informs him about what he plans to do, rather than asking for permission. In this we have come to understand that sedition is only for White cis-het men.

It is not accidental that two of the women who have dared to actively question Tom’s actions and or motives have been positioned as his love interest. In seasons one and two, that role was filled by Dr. Rachel Scott.  Doctor Scott, as a scientist in charge of searching for the cure wasn’t directly under Tom’s purview and Tom’s first attempt to assert his power was when he ordered Rachel off the ice. Yes, Rachel complied but doing so didn’t stop her from giving Tom a piece of her mind.  Their relationship would continue to be antagonistic for the remainder of her time on The Last Ship, culminating with Tom charging Rachel with murder. Rachel remained unapologetic for her actions to the bitter end. This revolt was only possible because of the underlying sexual tension between Tom and Rachel.

Similarly, Sasha Cooper was introduced in season three and like Doctor Scott before her, didn’t start off directly under Tom’s purview.  We were told instantly that these two have history and now that their partners are both dead, clearly this presents as an opportunity to reignite an old flame. The show, typically, was not subtle and she was established as a love interest within minutes of her first appearance. Sasha has proven to be highly capable and has taken part in missions away from the ship which involve great danger as well as translating for Tom in his interactions with pirates.  For the most part, Sasha falls into line and follows through with what Tom desires. The one time she chose to confront Tom about his decisions, she did so on the bridge and was quickly informed about time and place.  Sasha is there to be a soft spot for Tom to land on and to follow orders just like everyone else on the ship.

It almost looks like these characters are allowed to rarely stand up to Tom because they are love interests. After all, if they were as cringingly subservient and fawning as the rest of the crew, these relationships would look really creepy and borderline abusive.

Along with Sasha, Allison and Roberta Price have come to prominence this season and  unfortunately they fall squarely into the role of antagonist. They are directly responsible for the death of Michener and their goal is to end the United States as we know it. This is clearly going to put them into opposition with Tom and since the point of this show is that the cis-het White men not only always wins but is always in the position of the moral right (yes, it’s ahistorical as hell) it’s already clear that Allison and Roberta have been set up to be defeated. A strong woman in this case, exists to lose.  A strong woman cannot be the equal of the great Tom Chandler - as we also saw with the defeat of Amy Granderson; a Black woman in power who was irredeemably and obviously evil and was defeated and dead within three episodes of facing the mighty Tom Chandler

People of colour really have not fared better on The Last Ship though they are very visible on the show.  CMC Jeter, Alisha Ganderson (who happens to be the only LGBT character), Doc Rios and Cruz (who died this season) have been the most prominent people of colour on The Last Ship to date. Though they have pretty much been visible each season, because of the military hierarchy they largely exist without real power and are forced to follow Tom’s lead. These characters, however, don’t just follow Tom’s lead they also seem to worship Tom and never even have private moments of doubt regarding any decision that Tom makes. CMC Jeter in particular seems to exist to assuage any feelings of doubt Tom may chose to express.  Honestly, I can’t even watch scenes with Jeter in, he sets my contact embarrassment off so badly. I think less of Tom for not trying to put a stop to his cringeworthy brown-nosing. If Jeter decided to ditch his uniform for a set of “I love Tom!” t-shirts, I wouldn’t even be surprised.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Colony, Season 1, Episode 5: Geronimo



Last week saw the demise of Phyllis (and, like so many characters, some more complexity to her emotions arise). This has got the whole collaborator authority quite agitated and raised Will to being boss of the unit (which seems… dubious given his coerced loyalties but I’m guessing they have few real options given the givens).

He leads his team to continue to try and track down the mysterious Geronimo, continuing to showcase the brutality and suppression of the regime and the violence it inflicts. By brutally threatening some teenagers putting up posters they manage to follow a trail to find Geronimo…

…and Phyllis is right. Geronimo doesn’t lead any cell, Geronimo is certainly not the overlord of the resistance. Geronimo is a couple of not very menacing art and design professionals who produce good scripts and posters. They’re advertisers, not militant leaders

This puts Snyder in an awkward position because he has repeatedly put out fictionalised and rather ridiculous propaganda pieces on how the Occupiers have won and the Resistance lost only to learn over and over again that they’ve not really won anything. He needs a plan to save this, especially since his boss (Helena, aid to the governor – yes another hint that no-one seems to actually report directly to the aliens) is very hands off. She wants Snyder to succeed and do his own thing. I like this, it sounds so nice and sensible but you can almost hear the undertone “if you fail it’s entirely your responsibility”. A very nice subtle threat there.

So Snyder decides to put on a show trial with the captures Luis pretending to be the fictional Geronimo. Why would he go for it? Because he’s desperate, afraid and will to grasp at the straw offered by Snyder… of course he’s lying. Of course Luis isn’t living through this – but how many people would take that desperate chance?

The show trial is desperate propaganda and ends with “Geronimo” being hanged. And it’s likely to backfire because Kate’s cell is already planning something big and dramatic in response. I’m going to bet it involves blowing up a car with Snyder – and Will – in it.

Glitch, Season One, Episode Five


Episode five is the penultimate episode of this series. It's supposed to set things up for an exciting conclusion but all I can think about is how excited I am that this wretched hot mess is coming to an end. At this point, I am sick of the relationship angst, the casual bigotry and the horrible acting. Yeah for season finales.


Kate's gotten what she wanted cause now Sarah knows she's alive. Sarah doesn't understand why Kate doesn't look sick and has all her hair. Kate says that she's perfectly healthy. James helps Sarah to sit down after she complains the baby is going crazy and asks for a glass of water.  Kate tells Sarah that it's good to see her and the two women hug. Sarah tells Kate that she's missed her so much. Let's see how long this love fest lasts.

Kirstie finds, Charles name on a WWI memorial and learns that he was given a medal. Charles however wants to know exactly how he died and where. They decide to head into the Royal Hotel to investigate some more.

Sarah is trying to figure out exactly what happened and when. Sarah is not pleased to learn that both Elishia and Vic knew what was going on and James tries to suggest that this needs to remain contained. James explains that as soon as this becomes public, Kate will be taken away. You just know Sarah's wondering if that would really be a bad thing. Sarah asks if Kate took the dog and Kate responds that the dog followed her because the dog belongs to her. Sarah then tells Kate that no one has taken anything from her and Kate makes it clear that she bought the house with James, she cleaned the house and that the dog is hers.  Sarah remind Kate that she's dead.

Charles and Kirstie head inside the hotel bar. Kirstie is only fixated on who killed her though. Charles heads to the bar and has a flashback of being inside the bar with his fellow soldiers, his arm around a girl. Charles introduces himself and claims that he was named after Charles P Thompson. It seems that Russel, the bartender knows a lot about Charlie and starts to tell Charlie stories about himself.

The wound on Vic's head is not healing and his skin is starting to come off. So yeah, I guess that makes Vic dead.  Vic arrives at the hideout.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Legacy of the Demon, (Kara Gillian #8) by Diana Rowland



Kara has had her power cut and is isolated away from the demon lords (except one). But she has no time to just sit back without power – her best friend is bereft, her baby is missing

And the world is under siege – there are rifts appearing everywhere, spewing out demons, some of them completely unlike anything Kara has seen before. The world knows about demons – because they’re under constant attack and have very few experts who can actually fight back.

While the demon lords are overwhelmed trying to stop the end of both their worlds.



I actually had trouble getting into this book. Because it’s all there! This book series is now eight books long and it’s all in this book. All of it. Things that happened in all the seven books before this, all that rich world building, all those dramatic events, all of those amazing storylines and characters and world building – it’s ALL THERE

Honestly, I wish, sincerely, that I had the time to start again on book one and appreciate every little part of this amazing story because I think this is really the only way to truly absorb the hugeness of this book. Especially since it has been a year since I last read this excellent series.

This reminds me of just how very rich this world is and how much has grown from the very beginning and is still growing. This book contains so many absolutely amazing developments, revelations which builds so much more on this word. I love that there is more to develop, I love that there is so much more to this world than we have seen and that when we finally thought we had so many answers it actually turns out…





Yes I was always going to use this gif

In any other book I would yell “too much!”. And I’m not even sure why I don’t on this one. There’s so much here. The world building grows exponentially with revelations about the demon world, the nature of potency, the nature of the Demon Lords, the rifts, the demon clans, the history of the demons – that’s all huge world building developments. It’s immense and makes the whole world look so much different and have so much potential for more stories. Then we have Kara’s relationships, Mzatal, her aunt, her own history, her power, her new friends, her old friends. There’s amazing complexity like how she deals with Rhyzkhal.

The Frankenstein Chronicles, Season 1, Episode 4: The Fortune of War



So, after entering the tunnels last week, there is absolutely no way that they can’t avoid the plot for once.

In the tunnels they find a criminal gang with lots of bodies and Marlotte and Pritty (the grave robber) pose as a necrophiliac looking to acquire a fresh victim. They solicit the gang to murder someone for them and, in doing so, hope to follow them to their lair and find the people who have been killing people (and kids) to make the Frankenstein monster, as Sir Peel first asked Marlotte back in episode 1 between his bouts of hallucinations and angsty memories.

The trap is set –they just need a lot of money and a girl to play bait. Pritty, always reluctant, has the money. And Flora is back

Flora has had a not-convincing-anyone miscarriage which everyone delicately calls a miscarried, including Lord and Lady Harvey (along with realistic, yet condescending talk of just how terrible her life would be with an illegitimate child). She now wants to return to Marlotte where she feels safe. For some reason.

Especially since Billie the Fagin stereotype drops in to be a bit more menacing.

The only person who doubts Flora’s convenient miscarriage is Nightengale – which is unfortunate because he’s also the only one who actually cares about her as a person and not as a tool or bait and now that one person who cares about her is equally invested in condemning her actions. She does strike back firmly at the idea that the baby could have been just like her – because she’s not sure if being aborted wouldn’t have been better for her than the life she lived, which goes some way to deflating his outrage.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Urban Dragon volume 1 by JW Troemner



Rosa and Arkay live a difficult life – being homeless even with someone to watch your back (and that someone having scales, claws and the ability to breath lightening) is always dangerous.

Only more so when you not only have to find a safe place to sleep, but also have to deal with zombies, necromancers and demons. Especially if you want a solution beyond “let the dragon kill everyone.”



So, the protagonist is Rosa, a Latina lesbian and her best friend, occasional partner, is Arkay, an Asian bisexual woman or lesbian. And a dragon. We have a Latino, deaf priest. We have a Black ghoul who becomes a loyal friend of the couple and a Black police officer who plays a major role.

Their adventures take them from homelessness, living on the streets and struggling with the realities of sex worker, predation, being devalued, ignored. We have some nice looks at how being a lesbian facing homophobia drove Rosa to be homeless and how disability also pushes many out onto the streets. Arkay becomes a stripper and all of her co-workers are portrayed as actual people – not vicious fighters or innocents in need of saving, but women just working a job without shame or coercion. And we have an awesome point from Arkay about how amazing she finds having that much attention after being so utterly invisible while homeless.

I also really love the moment when Arkay is believed to be dangerous despite being a petite Asian lady not because she’s a dragon (and very very dangerous indeed) but because of Asian martial arts (which she duly mocks).

It also had plot and a setting.

I feel it’s vitally important to stress this. While I was super excited about inclusion, I know we’ve all read very well meaning books with good diversity where the author has clear sat down and decided to Teach Us about Diversity and it will be Diverse and Good and they are a Good person. And then completely neglected to include anything resembling a story. In short, sometimes these books tend to read like a well meaning but clumsy and ultimately dull PSA.

This is not one of those books. This is a book with a plot, a wide array of creatures, and 3 excellent stories that happen to have a very involved and well developed diverse minority cast.

In addition to the daily struggle to survive and move out of poverty, Rosa’s main issue to constantly worry about is Arkay, a dragon, who is so very protective of her to the very real point of perhaps going on a rampage. And she’s a dragon – rampage is definitely the word, the very very terrifying world.

The plot is really well written with three different short stories as Rosa and Arkay slowly find themselves in both a better place personally while at the same time are put at risk ad their awareness of a greater supernatural world comes to light. We see more and more supernatural beings and Rosa’s steady growing comfort with it even as they face greater threats. There’s a lot of personal growth and analysis, the awesome relationship between Rosa and Arkay with a lot of conflict and caring and trust as Rosa addresses Arkay’s alien nature. There’s Rosa pursuing her own relationships and love life and moving towards stability and happiness.

And there’s a really well placed, often action filled, emotional, dramatic plot line that never once made me want to stop reading as Rosa and Arkay confront various threats while the ongoing battle of Rosa playing Arkay’s conscience is also acted out.

The Strain, Season 3, Episode 1: New York Strong



After one of those weird hiatus things, The Strain is back.

It is now 23 days after the infection started and a nice little prequel beginning tells us that though the army has been dispatched to New York, other cities are also being hit by the vampire menace. The plague is spreading.

Justine still leads the city and still manages to be awesome (which is essential to try and balance the sheer loss of female characters on this show), but can do little to get more resources to help the city. As she repeatedly tells Ephraim, their winning and claiming back ground – but the casualty rate they’re taking is not sustainable and it’s all going to fall apart. To make matters worse, Ephraim’s super bioweapon is becoming less effective

So is he. He’s torn by nightmares, drinking, scavenging in the ruined areas of New York and not coming back to mastermind the whole plan with Justine as she wants (since he could teach others to actually synthesise the weapon). He remains, unshockingly, an arsehole and a reckless one at that, constantly risking his expertise needlessly.

He’s focused very much on Zach – which is why the Master is using Kelly to keep Zach alive in order to trade him for the Lumen. We do get some interesting indication that Kelly is still partially human… but only when the Master doesn’t overwhelm her brain

That Lumen is still Abe’s obsession and he has spent a week studying it – but slowly. I think we’re seeing a very shaken Abe now, he’s put all his faith in the book while at the same time is almost paralysed by failure since he’s acted so many times against the Master now and each time not known enough, not been ready. We can see Vasily losing some of his powerful respect for the man as Abe continues to be indecisive.

Quinlan, the half vampire, is also growing impatient with Abe’s slow progress. He’s also still meeting with the Ancients to try and solidify their alliance (he definitely does not support or serve them and isn’t a big fan of them generally but enemy of my enemy and all that). The Ancients aren’t mad fans of the Lumen – with its knowledge on how to kill them – being in Abe’s hands, but since the Master has already killed their old world counterparts they’d be fools to make a big thing out of it.

Monday, August 29, 2016

The Last Ship, Season Three, Episode Ten: Scuttle


Kara gets her mother and son all packed up.  She hands them off to Jed, Chandler's father. Chandler's kids are worried that their father is in trouble but she assures them that she will update them later. Jed tells Kara that he has his SAT phone if she needs to contact them.  Kara then watches as they drive away to safety.

On board the ship, the injured from the two navy vessels are being treated.  Doc Rios struggles because they are short on medical supplies. Meylan observes his troops and its clear that he's troubled. Miller and O'Connor are reunited. Meylan gets word from Cobb that it's time.

It seems that the crew of The Nathan James took what they needed from the other ships and now it's time to destroy them to prevent the enemy from getting any materials or sensitive information. Slattery announces that it's time to proceed and hands Meylan the detonation device but Meylan silently refuses to accept it. Tom does the duties instead.  The men watch as the ship is blown sky high.

The upper echelon meet to discuss their options. Meylan is adamant that they need to head home. Ganderson interrupts the meeting to say that a message has been intercepted and that the cipher is likely on-board the sunken ship. Meylan again expresses a desire to return home, citing that they are running low on food and that their medical supplies are depleted. Chandler is certain that they will find supplies and says that as long as Peng is breathing he's a threat.  Chandler is adamant that unless Peng is stopped he will simply start again. Meylan lays out the facts regarding how out armed they are and his belief that there are other people in the world who could use their help. Slattery and Chandler make eye contact and Chandler says that mission was approved by the commander and chief and he adds that until they have secure communications, they are going to follow the last orders they have.

Oliver is having a press conference and Allison predictably is right by his side. Oliver announces to the press that he will be easing restrictions on rationing, giving more power locally and stopping the property clawback law. Yep, he's going back on all of Michener's policies. This of course comes as a shock to Jacob, who notices right away that Kara is missing.  Jacob questions why Oliver is rolling back Michener's policies and before Oliver can answer, Allison cuts the meeting short.  Allison announces to the press that they will no longer have daily addresses and will have weekly meetings running from her office.

Allison heads inside and is informed there's a call for her. Kara reaches out to Allison to say that she's in trouble and needs help.  Kara tells Allison about the shooting in the parking garage and then actually gives Allison her location, after Allison promises to come alone.  Kara doesn't know who to trust and thinks it's a good idea to trust Allison? Agents show up at Kara's location to find that she isn't there.  Allison was smart enough to hide and watch the location discretely to see if Allison kept her word.

Slattery goes to see Takehaya about the Chinese destroyer because the team was unable to find the cipher.  Slattery asks Takehaya to reach out to the pirates that he knows in the hopes that it will help them find Peng.

Meylan once again lets his displeasure be known to Tom.  He's not pleased that they are going to deal with pirates and talks about bad interactions he and his crew had with them.  Tom points out that they don't always get to choose their allies and his determination to finish the job. Meylan admits the damage Peng has done and suggests that this is personal for Tom and that there might be other people on the Nathan James who feel the same way.  Tom however is not convinced and points out that sometimes the captain has to make the unpopular decision.

Allison gets word that the agents missed Kara at the diner. Allison meets with Roberta Price from the Texas territory to explain her actions. Roberta reminds Allison that if Chandler makes it home things get more difficult. Allison tries to pull rank by suggesting that no one would have a seat at the table were it not for her. Roberta does concede this fact but counters that the territories are paying for the food at the meal before walking out.

The pirates board the ship as the crew points weapons at them. Sasha acts as the translator after Takehaya greets the leader.  It seems that the pirates want more money for the cipher and Takehaya intercedes and the pirates agree to the deal at the original price.  Tom shakes hands with the pirates and Meylan watches shaking his head in judgement.

Allison enters Oliver's office with paper work for an arrest warrant. Oliver is adamant that no one in their right mind would sign this and once again, Allison lets him know who is in charge. Oliver reminds Allison that he is the president and that he doesn't care if he's killed.  Allison however counters that they can kill his family. Allison explains that there are forces at work bigger than her and Oliver.  Oliver brings up the genocide and Allison says that they had no idea what Peng was planning to do and that they needed his help to take care of Chandler. Allison says once again that nothing can be done to stop the changing landscape of the country. Oliver gives a speech about stopping things but Allison simply tells him to sign the paperwork.

Melylan and the crew watch as some of the seaman help load up the supplies for the pirates. Jeter and Tom talk about the mood of the crew and Meylan's disapproval. Jeter assures Tom that Meylan will get on board and so will the rest of the crew.  When Tom asks if Jeter believes this is personal for him, Jeter says that it's personal for all of them.  Ganderson interrupts to say that that the cipher works and that Peng is on a destroyer outside of Tokyo.

Unwanted (Elemental Assassin #14.5) by Jennifer Estep




This is a short story in the greater Elemental Assassins’ Series and I think it’s one that does an excellent job of hitting the balance of what a short story should be: i.e. it’s not compulsory to understand or follow the greater series, yet at the same time it does a good job of enriching the greater series

There are some things I really like about this story

I like that it looks at the ongoing effects of a traumatic experience, it shows that someone cannot be betrayed and tortured without it having lasting damage on their feelings and emotional well being.

I really really really like that we look at collateral damage. This is a series that has piled up many many many many many many oh gods so many bodies. Now we do see a lot of grieving families who then turn to Gin and ask her to slaughter a whole lore more people in the name of justice

And along the way she, her friends, her allies, her enemies, have killed a small nation worth of Giant guards. Seriously, the gravediggers union is probably lobbying to ban giant guards just because 80% of all the bodies they have bury are these huge muscly giants. But since Ashland is the most criminal city in the entire world

So seeing one of them have a funeral? Having grieving families? Actually seeing a human cost to the endlessly disposable bodies hitting the ground? I like that – I like that a lot. I think it’s vitally important to truly depict this world and what is happening. Especially if we want to consider the ethical problems Gin faces or the danger that the city faces from the criminal gangs controlling the city.

Fear the Walking Dead, Season Two, Episode Nine: Los Muertos


Nick wakes up in the medical center next to someone coughing up blood.  When he heads outside the it's early in the morning but the area seems strangely deserted as though no one lives there.  He wonders around and makes his way to a little girl, who is crying about her father.  It's then he sees a group of people gathered by the wall.

A man hands over his knife to Luciana as Alejandro watches.  The community starts to chant, as the man exits the community through a school bus and faces a horde of zombies.  Nick picks up the little girl and turns her away so she won't have to see the man get devoured. A look of disgust crosses Nick's face.

Strand drives a truck and Madison bangs on the side indicating that he needs to stop.  Madison hops off the truck and is joined by Alicia and Strand.  It seems that they have spent the last two days looking for Nick.  Alicia suggests that it's time for them to head back to the Abigail. Travis argues that there's water on the boat and points out that the truck is running on fumes.  Finally, Madison agrees to the return.

The people of the town are back to their normal activities and Nick wanders through them.  A woman calls him over to help Don, who is not doing well.  Alejandro comes over to treat the group of sick men.  One man comments that he'll be leaving them soon but Alejandro tells him to wait it out before going to see Luciana.

They've made their way back to the boat only to find it gone.  Alicia suggests that they need shelter and is adamant that Madison has to except the fact that it's just the two of them now whether she likes it or not.  To appease her mother, Alicia picks up a stick and the two of them write a note in the sand to indicate the direction they've traveled in. They pause outside of a hotel to consider how dangerous it would be to stay there and if it has any supplies.

Nick continues to earn his keep and he is interrupted by Luciana, who says that they have work to do.

Strand and crew make their way to a boarded up hotel and break in.  Strand is the first to enter with the women cautiously following.  Strand starts to ring the bell, alarming Madison, then snarks about the service being subpar.

Luciana takes Nick to the bus the community exits from.  Nick follows and Luciana and she orders him to follow and to stay absolutely quiet.  After stabbing a zombie to a wall, they cover themselves with the walker blood.  Luciana explains that she is taking Nick along because no one is going to miss him. Nick questions who will miss her and she replies, "the only one who would miss me is already missing".

Strand and company make their way through the empty hotel. The come across the remains of a wedding reception and Ofelia talks about almost being married once.  It seems the marriage didn't happen because she had to take care of her parents.  Strand warns that the past will make her sick, before ordering Madison to help him find the kitchen.

Luciana and Nick are now out on the road.  Nick asks about the incident this morning and Luciana explains that those near death deliver themselves to the dead to protect the living.  Nick asks what if her friend became lunch for no reason and she angrily asks him what is happening.  It seems that Luciana thinks that what is happening is that the world is being washed clean and that when the dead go, the world will be purified.  It seems that this logic originates with Alejandro, whom Luciana claims was bitten. When Nick questions this, Luciana claims to have seen it for herself.

At the hotel, the kitchen is empty and Madison suggests going room to room.  Madison is very anxious to keep Alicia by her side but Alicia walks off with Ofelia.  Strand tells Madison to have seat so they can have a drink and when Madison refuses, Victor tells her that it's medicinal.

Luciana and Nick make their way to one of a number of gangs and she warns Nick that they won't hesitate to end him.  Marco stands and loads his weapon and Luciana places her knives at the ground at his feet.  Luciana asks for water and hands over drugs in exchange.  She is offered a cart and told that she can put whatever fits inside it.  Luciana tries to negotiate for two carts but is denied.  Luciana and Nick enter a large factory with shelves stocked with food.

Strand makes Madison a martini and for the first time, Madison's accent slips and we learn that she's from Alabama.  Madison, unimpressed with Strand's martini asks for tequila.

Ofelia and Alicia are going room to room.  Alicia finds a room key on the housekeeping cart but when she approaches a door a zombie begins to bang.  They quickly realise that doors with do not disturb signs mark the rooms which contained the infected.  They finally get into a room and manage to grab some clothing and a container of peanuts.  In the bathroom they find a walker which is the remains of someone who hung themselves.  It's Alicia who has to encourage Ofelia to keep moving. When they exit the room, Alicia flips the do not disturb sign, indicating to anyone else who comes that the room has a walker in it.

Luciana and Nick begin to shop for water, vitamins and bandages. Nick picks up some treats and Luciana makes it clear that they are only to take what they need.  Nick pauses to stare at some of the sick and Luciana rushes him along to help with the water.

Alicia and Ofelia continue to empty mini bars and Alicia wonders why the man hung himself. Ofelia suggests that the man was tired of surviving but Alicia is adamant that you just push on.  With tears in her eyes, Ofelia says that she is not going to make it and that her father was always one step behind hope.  Alicia declares Daniel wrong, adding that if they lose hope they are dead. Alicia tells Ofelia that she has her and that they are family now.  This doesn't seem to bring Ofelia much comfort.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Killjoys, Season 2, Episode 9: Johnny Be Good



Ooh look, we’re starting the episode on the middle of the story again

Did I ever mention how much I hate this? Oh I did? Pfft, like that’ll stop me? I write a blog about marginalised fuckery in the media – sadly repetitiveness is a daily reality.

So, after convincing me for 10 minutes that I’ve missed an episode and getting me all confuised and googling – it would appear that Dutch’s capture and torture over rescuing Jelcho of all things, while Pree is ready to die defending her is going to get explained when we start at the actual beginning.

Dutch and D’avin swoop into Old Town, surrounded by everyone tripping out because of the wall’s happy juice and more than a few of them dying because of their actions and/or the poison the Company has shipped out. They rescue Johnny and Pawter and get them back to Lucy

There Dutch and Johnny talk a bit about the whole rift between them and cover it pretty quickly. I like that actually – because good friends don’t necessarily need long apologies and a lot can go unsaid.

Johnny and D’avin do wonder why Dutch is so jealous of Pawter because it’s totally unlike her.

 Uh, since when? Seriously since this show began Dutch’s possessiveness of her men has been pretty strong. Are we now shocked by this?

Dutch takes the moment to take her beef to Pawter and help explain a little more of this endless hostility. I’ve said before that I find it really depressing and frustrating that the two most awesome female characters on this show are so antagonistic towards each other. The one silver lining in this is that there has been a genuine effort to try and make the hostility part of the story rather than standard “rawr there can only be one woman!”

Dutch is angry because she values Johnny, his heart, his compassion – because she pretty much sees herself as a murderous monster who needs Johnny’s Jiminy Cricketness to keep her human. Interestingly, of course, is when Pawter points out that Johnny wants to be more than a Killjoy. Which makes sense – if both Pawter and Dutch look to Johnny because he’s a genuine, nice, caring guy (which he has always been) then equally he’s not going to be content to be a “neutral” Killjoy and ignoring the pain around him. The very thing Dutch relied

But there’s more – Dutch pretty much doesn’t think that Pawter is tough enough or strong enough to dive into this and survive, and she’ll drag Johnny down with her. We see this backed up with Pawter’s unwillingness to carry a gun or kill because she’s a doctor and saves lives. Dutch finds this naïve

Ok… yes I can see this conflict. It’s a good conflict. And an excellent take down of an ivory tower revolutionary who has never been in the trenches…