Consensus opinion seems to be that the wormhole is time erasing them because of Reverse Flash's death. One of the more interesting theories I've heard about next season is they will introduce Rip Hunter for Legends of Tomorrow by having him come in and fix everything.
That is the only acceptable scenario I can think of right now and it is barely acceptable. There wasn't a wormhole/blackhole needed to erase wells!
Quote:
But if you can't take joy in a show ending by ripping a hole in the space-time continuum that will kill everyone and leaving it as a cliff-hanger, I can't help you.
Also, THE HAT! How can you not be happy about the hat and Wells'/Thawne's reaction to it?
I'm not a big fan of super cliff hangers for season enders. Obviously they need to have some hook to keep people excited about next season, but such a huge cliff hanger isn't really my thing. It was one of the things that bothered me about Haven (but didn't keep me from watching it!).
The hat was one of about two or three good things in the episode.
There was just so much for one episode to handle. Especially in an episode where time is actually at a premium - despite it being about time travel or erasing time or changing the past. Even if ultimately I think (present) Barry made the right decision, it should have never gotten to the point of him having to make it in that moment. This is exactly why you never listen to what the Bad Guy™ tells you. Especially if he's trying to work it so he gets everything he wants. They could have left him locked in that cube, or heck a regular jail cell, for all eternity. He had no powers and no way to absorb energy to get powers. The negatives for the world, past present or future, were too great for what one person was gaining. Barry had achieved his life long goal, find the real killer. Whether or not it could have freed his father is a debate. Maybe in the simplified world of comics it could.
This wasn't really much of a season finale as it was a preview teaser for Flash and the Legends of Tomorrow. And in that aspect I can't help but be a little disappointed. I'm slightly buoyed by some of the easter eggs we did get. Future Flash will eventually get a more red suit. Jay Garrick is a thing in some dimension of this multiverse. Barry can now p easily access the Speed Force. That means faster speeds, dimensional travel (maybe) but it definitely means crazier feats of ridiculousness, which is perfect for this show. And best of all, despite the trauma and drama of what Barry has been through, he's still so many miles happier and brighter and so much less broodier than BatArrow.
I have to say, after a season of horrible writing for her, the conversation between Iris and Barry was one of my favorite parts of the episode. They way they just calmly accepted that the newspaper that showed them married was a result of an alternate timeline and didn't necessarily indicate their own future was so mature and smart of them. If they had written her and their relationship that well all season I would have been a much happier viewer.
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"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
That is the only acceptable scenario I can think of right now and it is barely acceptable. There wasn't a wormhole/blackhole needed to erase wells!
But Wells did take some time to turn blue and crack instead of just vanishing, at the time I assumed it was just visual effects to portray an idea but perhaps when it's a big shift it actually takes time for things to rearrange themselves into the new order.
I thought it was a great finale and had no qualms with whatever logic quirks or loops. I've long come to accept that time travel is really frickin' strange and is never gonna make sense from one minute to the next. Who knows what's gonna happen?
I thought Eddie's sacrifice was well done. I suspect it might be all for naught, as Reverse-Flash isn't gonna go away that easily. I loved the talky bits with Papa Allen, Joe and poor poor Mama Allen.
As for Thawne's reaction to the hat, I saw it as him getting the hell out of Dodge before Jay Garrick comes to deliver an ass whupping. I know that in the pantheon of Speed Force users, Jay isn't the most powerful. But, I'm thinking he's got wicked crazy old man strength and has probably used it on Thawne a time or two.
So, after I finished the Netflix Daredevil series, I started watching Arrow, even with all of the caveats and outright pans provided by y'all.
So yeah, Daredevil was great. A few minor problems (Madame Dragon Lady, etc.), but overall quite good, with a refreshingly non-comic-book vibe. My mistake was watching it first.
I've only seen the first 4 or 5 episodes of Arrow, and I understand from y'all it gets worse. I like the setup -- in fact, Oliver Queen's motivation is actually better than Matt Murdock's. More specific, and less cartoonish. But that's about the best I can say for this show.
So far, it's not ... bad, but it's already soooo loaded with formulaic bullshit. Particularly when two characters kiss. I don't know why that in particular bothers me so much, but it's just so fucking predictable the way they set up every kiss such that you can tell how the scene is going to end from the first line of dialog.
And Oliver's voiceovers, where they're not completely unnecessary, have about twice as many words as they fucking need. If this were a comic book, there'd be pages upon pages of those narration boxes covering up all the artwork. Shut the fuck up, man. I know you're righting your Dad's wrongs. You told me that a few minutes ago. I didn't forget, it's the premise of your fucking show!
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"Her eyes in certain light were violet, and all her teeth were even. That's a rare, fair feature: even teeth. She smiled to excess, but she chewed with real distinction." - Eleanor of Aquitaine
Things start improving towards the end of Season 1. Season 2 is a large improvement overall. Season 3 is more of a big fat mess. For the most part your complaints will remain consistent throughout. The quality of any single episode bobs up and down like a life raft in the middle of a stormy Pacific.
I think it works better for binging on Netflix than it does as a weekly serial on the CW. I hate that I like it because it feels like I'm not exactly enjoying it. I don't know what I'm getting out of it.
Yeah, I'm not sure either. I think part of the problem is that Arrow almost has to carry the whole DC universe. Last season they had to introduce Barry, Cisco and Caitlin to pave the way for Flash. They have to do a Suicide Squad episode every season, which meant bringing in Waller and her apparatus as well as all the villains. And this season they had to introduce BlueAtom or AtomBeetle or whatever he is, as well as doing a couple crossovers with Flash. I think they've lost their own coherence trying to work all these things in.
But the real thing I have been thinking lately is that I would absolutely hate being a writer or worse a show-runner, on a genre show these days. I follow one big Supernatural shipper on Twitter and get occasional glimpses from her of the battles that go on in that fandom. It sounds like hell on the writers. If Dean and Cas have too many scenes together, the Sam & Dean shippers go nuts, and these guys are literally crazy. If they have too few scenes together, the Destiel shippers bitch and moan. It sounds like a horrible life. I imagine the Arrow writers have the same problem with Olicity shippers demanding a relationship, and others demanding they get rid of it. On top of that, they have DC mandating that Oliver has to get together with Laurel and Laurel has to become Black Canary because it's in the comics. So they have to get rid of Sarah, even though she quickly became a fan favorite, and that pissed everyone off as well.
So, yeah, wouldn't want that aggravation at all.
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"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
Particularly when two characters kiss. I don't know why that in particular bothers me so much, but it's just so fucking predictable the way they set up every kiss such that you can tell how the scene is going to end from the first line of dialog.
Wow, clearly Diggle has been seeing the Salmon Ladder behind Oliver's back.
Incidentally, one of my favorite things from the AV Club coverage of Arrow is that the commenters have anthropomorphized the Salmon Ladder and even, upon occasion, shipped it with The Flash's Cosmic Treadmill.
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"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
Bruce Timm is back with Justice League Gods and Monsters. It's an Elseworlds idea, the Trinity you know and love are not the Trinity you know and love. I'll let this trailer speak for itself.
Instead of Kal El as Superman, you have a son of Zod. Bruce Wayne isn't the Batman, it's somebody else - who is a vampire. And in the Wonder Woman slot is someone from New Genesis.
There have been a couple episodes of Chronicles that give us some insight into the characters outside of what we get in the upcoming movie. Spoiled only so they don't cause trouble for loading.
I've started a rewatch of BTAS for the summer. I like it even more in retrospect. Bruce is light and even tries to be funny in the first few episodes. He even banters with Alfred. Knowing what's coming and how grim he gets, I am more impressed that it was planned development and not there from the beginning.
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"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
I could enjoy this exploration a bit more if there wasn't already the cinematic universe, Injustice universe, infinite Infinite Criseses, and a general endarkening of DC properties. I think this look at these different types of DC heroes might be a good Marveling of the Trinity. Being able to explore a what if or how would you is an important aspect of science fiction and fantasy, comic books included.
So, I don't know what to think about this project right now.
So, after I finished the Netflix Daredevil series, I started watching Arrow, even with all of the caveats and outright pans provided by y'all.
So yeah, Daredevil was great. A few minor problems (Madame Dragon Lady, etc.), but overall quite good, with a refreshingly non-comic-book vibe.
Just got around to watching Daredevil, and I thought it was very well done- great casting- the supporting actors were super strong, every single one- great character development and story arc; good pacing and very solid fight choreography. The fight in the hallway with the Russians to get back the boy was some of the best US fight choreography that I have seen in a long time, without the really stupid jump-cuts and shitty camera work; which also was very good in this series. Some of the plot direction surprised me, in a good way. I'm definitely going to watch the second season when it comes out.
Much as the CW show has brought me around to Barry, I still would prefer that if it were Wally from JL/JLU rather than Barry from Flashpoint.
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"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
__________________
"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
Yeah I was a bit confused by that, my only guess is that this is telegraphing that part of that will be undone... but maybe that's giving them too much credit.
Yeah, that was definitely a wasted opportunity. I was hoping it would undo the whole year of Arrow, too, but that was just wishful thinking. I also thought the reason Barry's dad gave for leaving were stupid and contrived, but John Wesley Shipp made me cry giving them so I was not inclined to be too critical.
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"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
Last night the Flash paid tribute to something. It's likely the best thing this show could ever do in its entire run. I mean, I'm not saying it's all downhill from here and that there's literally nothing left to enjoy, but I can't think of anything else I need this show to do (except to maintain its quality).
It's not really a spoiler, but I'm putting it beneath a tag anyway. Just because.
AND they gave a shout-out to the Floronic Man. The Flash makes me so happy I can hardly stand it.
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"freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order."
- Justice Robert Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Ed. v. Barnette
I'm not even done watching this week's episode and I just gotta say: This show does not deserve Jesse L Martin. Most of the time he's just doing the simple cop thing but when they ask him to do the father/adopted father thing he brings it so very hard. I'm just incredibly thankful the show decided not to play the Plot of Omission* game and draw out Joe keeping that secret for longer than was believably unnecessary.
*I didn't do the research myself but according to the guy who does Passion of the Nerd, there isn't a specific trope for the keeping of a secret as a central plot device. Fittingly, of course, it's a trope named after a Buffy episode.