Murphy's Multiverse

Category: Features

  • ‘House of the Dragon’-Episode 3 Recap

    ‘House of the Dragon’-Episode 3 Recap

    A Historically Accurate Royal Hunt

    One of the biggest plot points in this episode was Viserys’ royal hunt, where he and about half of the Red Keep went into the Kingswood to hunt down a rare white hart in celebration of his son Aegon’s second nameday. This is actually pretty accurate to what medieval royal hunts looked like, where the monarch would wait for his huntsmen to find their prey and the king would deliver the killing blow. So while this may be more in line with how it actually may have happened, we’ve already seen a king in Game of Thrones go hunting through the Kingswood, with nobody but a Kingsguard, his brother, and a cupbearer. Robert Baratheon has no time to sit in a tent when a boar the size of an elephant is waiting to gut him to pieces!

    Viserys chose to spend his time waiting for his prize drinking and getting into whisper shouting matches with his daughter, Otto Hightower, and a Lannister about the war in the Stepstones. Paddy Considine is really nailing the role of Viserys, trying to please everyone while drinking himself into a stupor, and in doing so, making things so much worse. And did anyone catch those missing fingers from the Iron Throne cut? Bad omen. Another note is that the hunters couldn’t track the white hart, they only found a brown one, and Viserys could not even cleanly kill the poor replacement. The rare white hart did appear for Rhaenyra, but she chose to let it go. Something to remember moving forward.

    A lot of time was spent this episode with Viserys combating different people (Hightower and Lannister) for questioning his line of succession. Viserys finally made a stand and cemented his daughter as heir, even confirming it to her. He did have a moment of weakness with Alicent in wondering if he had the made wrong choice in Rhaenyra, but then doubled down on his choice afterwards. This confirmation of Rhaenyra as heir should make her more interactive in court and around her family, but the lingering question remains: what happens between Rhaenyra and Aegon when Viserys is gone?

    Rhaenyra and Company

    The episode provided some quality one-on-one time with Criston and Rhaenyra, after Rhaenyra ran off and Cole had to go after her. A callback to King Robert showed up when a (much smaller) boar attacked Rhaenyra and Criston, but the Kingsguard knight made short work of it. It did make quite a striking visual with them arriving back at camp dragging the carcass and Rhaenyra being soaked in blood.

    Another significant dynamic to keep an eye on is the rivalry between Alicent and Rhaenyra. So far, Alicent has seemed very sympathetic towards Rhaenyra who is giving her the cold shoulder. How long will Alicent continue to play nice, especially with her father in her ear whispering that her own son Aegon should be heir and not her stepdaughter?

    War in the Stepstones

    A big difference between the show and the book is that Viserys was not supporting the Stepstones throughout the war. In Fire and Blood, Viserys was happy to pay for Corlys and Daemon’s war in order to keep him out of trouble. In the show, Corlys and Daemon are struggling, and were on their last legs before Viserys chose to send a small force. This minimal help drove Daemon into a rage and one last assault, basically soloing the Crab’s forces before Corlys’s army along with his son, Laenor, and his Dragon Seasmoke came to save the day. Laenor isn’t a warrior in Fire and Blood, he doesn’t even get knighted until he’s required to for marriage, so it’s quite a change from the books and something that probably should have been set up a little better to have a bigger impact.

    One major complaint about this episode is that Daemon’s duel with the Crabfeeder took place entirely offscreen. I was really looking forward to that, especially with the Crab looking like Jason Voorhees incarnate. Oh well. We’ll see how Viserys handles Daemon being the self-proclaimed King in the Narrow Sea next week.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘Second of His Name’

    ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘Second of His Name’

    House of the Dragon is back for it’s third week with one hummdinger of an episode, and Murphy’s Multiverse is back to tackle the best and worst moments it had to offer. Second of His Name continues to play with the series’ standing theme of succession and the royal bloodline, pitting Milly Alcock‘s Princess Rhaenyra against her infant half-brother Aegon and causing Paddy Considine‘s King Viserys to question every decision he’s ever made. Meanwhile, Matt Smith‘s ever-enigmatic Prince Daemon wages war against the vile Crabfeeder and his army in an ownership conflict over the Stepstones. Both plotlines get rather intense surprisingly fast, and together make for a memorable few days in the history of Westeros. Let’s get to dissecting.

    Best – The Decline of King Viserys & Daemon’s Last Stand

    Second of His Name was perhaps the most action-packed installment of House of the Dragon yet, and somehow, none of the violence managed to rank as the definitive best part of the episode. That honor belongs instead to King Viserys and his slow descent into madness, or at the very least, severe depression. Between all the steamy love scenes and insane bloodshed, viewers tend to forget that the true heart of George R.R. Martin‘s universe is mental gymnastics. Whether it be political rivalries or personal vendettas, House of the Dragon and its kin are typically at their most entertaining when the show is focused on big decision making. Second of His Name is no different, and shines the brightest when it opens the curtain on Viserys’ inner-mind.

    The King is being forced to choose between duty and family, which wouldn’t normally be so hard if it wasn’t for the fact that this time his duty is his family. After everything, he has finally welcomed a son into his life, a development that directly harms his relationship with his beloved daughter. On top of that, the mother of his son is his daughter’s former best friend, and the child of his own Hand, further complicating things in both his home and his court. Now, everyone wants to know who his true successor will be, and everyone thinks the lineage should somehow involve their own offspring. All Viserys wants to do is drink wine and go on a hunt, and the sudden pressures of his job all coming down upon him at once cause the mental break that’s seemed inevitable since the beginning.

    Considine‘s acting is superb as he portrays a ruler with so many emotions, he can’t decipher which is anger and which is sadness. His fireside soliloquy to Emily Carey‘s Alicent Hightower is a highlight of the season thus far, and the moment he begins to lose it in the tent – with everything fading to black around him – is peak television storytelling. Even his cathartic, disturbing kill on the hunt was able to speak a thousand words without Viserys even opening his mouth. This is exactly the kind of thing fans cling to this world for, and it was great to see it back at the forefront of the franchise.

    That being said, it would be remiss not to mention all the very cool action that does take place during this episode. Desperate to win his war on his own, without the help of the Crown, Daemon plays dirty and uses a white flag as a ploy to gain the upper hand on his opponent – the Crabfeeder. His last stand, which is pretty much mostly just Daemon cleaning house all by his lonesome, is exhilarating to watch, and the visuals as the battle comes to an end are stunning. It’s also a great example of using action as a device to comment on the nature of a character. Daemon will not be outdone, and he will not be tricked, but he is fine pulling some tricks of his own.

    Worst – Otto Hightower

    Rhys Ifans is doing a wonderful job as Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and maybe that’s why he’s so convincingly unlikable week in and week out. As per usual, the worst part of Second of His Name comes in the form of Hightower manipulating both his boss and his family into giving him more power. The schemer is already glib about his daughter’s betrothal to the King, yet still finds a way to suggest the horrific idea that his grandson – also the King’s son – be wed to Rheanyra. That’s right, he would like a sister to marry her much-younger brother so that his blood is tied even closer to the Crown. Very Game of Thrones, but also pretty disgusting.

  • How the New Characters from ‘The Rings of Power’ Connect to Old Favorites from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

    How the New Characters from ‘The Rings of Power’ Connect to Old Favorites from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

    One of the best things about the new TV trend of returning to places we’ve visited is finding connections to the older projects. It worked really well in Bel-Air and Saved By The Bell, and now, two episodes into The Rings of Power, we can safely say that it feels like it will work even if we do not know for sure yet.

    The first two episodes have taken us back to places that feel familiar, but what is even cooler to see are characters who we meet here who will play a pivotal role thousands of years down the road in the fight against Sauron. In some cases, we are seeing what led to them being who they were when we first met them in either The Hobbit or the Lord of The Rings trilogies. And then there are brand new characters who, unless you have read Tolkien’s other Middle-earth pieces, are surprisingly connected to the more famous heroes of Middle-earth in different ways, including a LOTR veteran who we later see refuse a ring of power. 

    Galadriel and Elrond

    Given the role both of these characters play down the road, it makes sense to lump them together. It’s even cooler that the older version of these characters, two of the greatest heroes in Middle-earth, are played by Hela and Red Skull respectively, two of the greatest villains in Marveldom. Galadriel was very much resigned to her fate when we saw her in The Lord of the Rings, but The Rings of Power finds her seeking vengeance for the death of her brother at the hands of Sauron, who she believes is not gone. In the source material, she actually is not allowed to return home because she rebels with her own army of elves with plans to rule over Middle-earth, and there doesn’t seem to be any mention of that here. Elrond, meanwhile, is a friend to the Dwarves and their King in a way that he does not appear to be in the films. In fact, utter indifference is probably the best way to describe his attitude towards Gimli and the dwarves who come to Rivendell. He’s definitely learning how to scheme here, whereas the Elrond we meet later on is very much content with letting the world end: at least until his daughter shares that she’s given up her immortality. Elrond is afforded a sort of reverence in The Rings of Power that can be directly attributed to the source material in which his parents played a key role in defeating Morgoth.

    Gil-galad

    The High King of the Elves is actually only seen briefly in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, fighting next to Elrond and Isildur in the war against Sauron, but we are getting a lot of him here. In the source material, it should be noted that Sauron kills Gil-galad with his bare hands, so folks should not get too attached to a character that is highly respected and who has the most authority of any of the elves we meet.

    Prince Durin IV

    Prince Durin didn’t physically appear in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so we are seeing him for the first time in The Rings of Power. However, it is his father, King Durin, who rules over what would later become the Mines of Moria. Yes, we know what you’re thinking: who rules over the mines? Well, dwarves did when the mines were actually the Kingdom of Khazad-dûm and that’s where the Balrog resides. Prince Durin is also present when the secret box is shown, and while we don’t see what is actually in it our bet is that it is mithril: mithril is what Frodo’s chainmail was made from, and what ultimately saves his life.

    Celebrimbor

    A name only whispered as a cautionary tale in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but one who plays a pivotal role in how we even get to the end of Peter Jackson’s labor of love. Celebrimbor, who can also be seen in the critically-acclaimed video game Shadow of War, ends up being tricked by Sauron into creating the titular rings of power, a plot point for which the wheels have already started turning. He is, also, the one who created the three elven rings in secret, so his role (while small right now) will expand as the show progresses.

    Elendil

    The sword of Elendil was reforged by Elrond and bestowed upon Aragorn so he could go into the mountains and return with a ghost army that had sworn an oath to the King of Men. Here, we meet the owner of THAT sword and the second to last King of Men. Elendil plays a pivotal role in Sauron’s defeat as well, as it is he who forges the last alliance between Elves and Men. He is not that person in The Rings of Power yet, but his ties to Aragorn and Numenor will most likely be explored further.

    Isildur

    The last King of Men, who both defeated Sauron AND allowed him to return by not destroying the ring. We last saw Isildur in The Fellowship of the Ring face down in a river with arrows in his back. He succumbed to the temptation of the One Ring and didn’t destroy it when he had the chance, but he is also who helps discover Gondor (a place that plays a pivotal role in the original trilogy).

  • ‘The Rings of Power’ Debut Leaves More Questions Than Answers

    ‘The Rings of Power’ Debut Leaves More Questions Than Answers

    Season 1 of Amazon’s mega-budget adventure, The Rings of Power, debuted with a two-episode opener that featured dazzling VFX, some great new characters, a couple of familiar characters and a wonderful tour of Middle-earth. It also left plenty of room for fans to wonder and theorize as they wait for Episode 3 to debut on September 9th. We breakdown the biggest unresolved questions.

    Stranger Danger

    Episode 1 concluded with the very Superman-like entrance of a character known so far only as The Stranger. The Stranger comes into the care of the adventurous Nori Brandyfoot and the entirely unadventurous Poppy Proudfellow and by the time Episode 2 concludes, only three things really seem clear about him. He is incredibly powerful, he has arrived with a purpose (though he can’t confer his purpose to the Harfoots) and he seems to siphon energy from his surroundings, as seen not only by the fireflies dropping dead around him but also the lack of heat radiating from the flames at the site of his arrival.

    But who is The Stranger? Nobody really knows just yet and the showrunners are doing just enough to make fans’ minds march through myriad possibilities. From what we know so far, he certainly seems to be a Maia, one of a group of wizards who were sent to Middle-earth to help its people in their fight against Sauron. So the arrival of a Maia in the first two episodes, which go to great lengths to prove that “the enemy” has not been vanquished just yet, wouldn’t be out of line. If The Stranger is indeed one of the Maiar, it would be in line with The Rings of Power’s introduction of a young Galadriel and a young Elrond to have this wizard be a younger version of a familiar character.

    Is he Gandalf? His firefly whisperer routine is certainly (and intentionally) reminiscent of Gandalf’s ability to commune with the animal life of Middle-earth as seen in The Lord of the Rings films. However, Gandalf’s Doctor Doolitle routine hasn’t been known to kill the participants. Still, if this is Gandalf, he’s new to Middle-earth and clearly not fully in control of his energy siphoning abilities just yet.

    Is he Saruman? Like Gandalf, Saruman was a Maia sent to Middle-earth to protect the people against the growing threat of Saruron. Unlike Gandalf, Saruman’s “moral flexibility” made him much less of an ally to the people of Middle-earth and more of a wild card. So far, The Stranger seems a bit wild card-ish.

    But is The Stranger either of those two known wizards? Unlike The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films, The Rings of Power is not directly adapting any novels. It is, instead, drawing inspiration from a chapter in The History of Middle-earth which is really more of a collection of Tolkein’s thoughts on how things may have worked out chronologically, in this case in the Second Age. And Tolkein didn’t write about Gandalf and Saruman hanging out in Middle-earth during the Second Age. From what’s known, it seems Gandalf and Saruman didn’t come to Middle-earth until after the forging of the One Ring. However, other wizards seem to have been there.

    Is The Stranger one of The Blue Wizards? In The People’s of Middle-earth, the twelfth volume of The History of Middle-Earth, it is explained that two Blue Wizards arrived on Middle-earth in the Second Age year 1600. And that seems to be close to about where The Rings of Power is set. In fact, it seems to be about 100 years or so after the setting of the first two episodes. How do we know? SA 1600 saw Sauron build Barad-dur in Mordor; the first two episodes seem to hint that Sauron must have a new stronghold somewhere and it just hasn’t been found yet. SA 1500 saw Celebrimbor being working with the dwarfs of Khazad-dum to build rings under the guidance of Annatar, a being who claimed to be an ambassador of the Valar (the immortal creators and rulers of the world). Episode 2 saw the beginnings of this relationship as Elrond and Durin’s reunion will eventually lead down this road. So it’s certainly possible that the showrunners played a little fast and loose with some already flexible timelines and decided to introduce the Blue Wizard(s) about 100 years early.

    Of course, there are other options, too. The Stranger could be Sauron. He could be another wizard previously unnamed and unknown. He could be something else entirely. But as Daniel Weyman, who plays The Stranger points out, the hope is that fans have fun trying to figure out who he is, so they may hang onto his identity for quite some time.

    What’s in The Box?

    Showrunner Patrick McKay believed that mystery was at the heart of Tolkein’s writings and the first two episodes made very clear that The Rings of Power was going to be filled with mysteries. Episode 2 ends with a big one as the two Durins debate whether or not Elrond’s visit was connected to whatever treasure resides within their mystery box.

    The foremost theory about what’s in the box connects to another of Tolkein’s posthumously published collected works, The Simarillion. It’s possible the box holds one of the elven Silmarils, jewels that contained within them some of the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, which were seen in a trailer for The Rings of Power and whose presence reaches well beyond their destruction which happened well before the events of the series. If the dwarves are hiding one of these gems from Elrond, it should cause quite a stir.

    Sauron’s Scary Sword

    Not much to think about her, but Theo’s attraction to the very spooky sword of Sauron is of great concern. Not as concerning as Theo’s haircut, but he has to hide those ears somehow.

    Stunning Seamen

    As things looked very bleak for Galadriel and Halbrand, a mysterious figure on a ship full of other mysterious figures arrived to presumably save them. Plenty of options exist, but given the fact that the rescue was at sea, it’s highly likely the ship hails from Númenor, an island nation of men who helped the elves defeat Morgoth. Númenor has been seen before in The Lord of The Rings films and if the Rings of Power is going to Númenor (sppiler: it is), it will show it at the height of its power and, eventually, show it’s fall. And someone we’ll meet there will be an ancestor of one of the great heroes of the Third Age, Aragorn.

    With five seasons planned for The Rings of Power and over 1000 years to cover before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings, don’t expect all these questions to be resolved in Episode 3, but after two episodes they certainly seem to stand out as questions that, when resolved, will drive the plot.

  • ‘The Rings of Power’ Release Schedule

    ‘The Rings of Power’ Release Schedule

    Amazon Prime’s $715M journey to Middle-earth is finally set to debut on the streaming service. The great news is that the premiere will come a day earlier than expected and that fans will be given a two-episode introduction to the series. But when can fans tune in for the remaining episodes? And what time can they expect the first two to drop tonight? We have answers.

    Episodes 1 and 2

    The first two episodes of The Rings of Power are set to drop on Amazon Prime at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET on Thursday, September 1st.

    Episodes 3 through 8

    Season 1 of The Rings of Power will consist of 8 episodes, each of which is expected to run roughly one hour. Following the two-episode debut, the series will release a new episode each Friday as Amazon Prime has elected not to follow the binge model for the series. The weekly release schedule is as follows:

    Episode 3 will release on Friday, September 9th
    Episode 4 will release on Friday, September 16th
    Episode 5 will release on Friday, September 23rd
    Episode 6 will release on Friday, September 30th
    Episode 7 will release on Friday, October 7th
    Episode 8, the Season 1 finale, will release on October 14th

    How Many Seasons?

    The Rings of Power takes place roughly 1000 years before the time of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films, leaving all kinds of room to tell some great stories at a time when Middle-earth was a very different place than what people remember from the films. With that in mind, the showrunners have laid out a five-season plan. With production on Season 2 set to get underway soon, it’s possible that fans will only have to wait until next Fall to catch Season 2 and that the entire series might conclude in 2026.

  • ‘She-Hulk’ Episode 3 Includes A Potential Captain America Connection

    ‘She-Hulk’ Episode 3 Includes A Potential Captain America Connection

    Through three episodes She-Hulk has already made a habit of sneaking in comic book characters and Easter eggs in addition to tying itself into all corners of the MCU. The A plot of Episode 3, “The People vs. Emil Blonsky”, focused on one of the MCU’s oldest villains in Tim Roth’s the Abomination and, in doing so, may have brought a Captain America connection to light.

    Episode 3 picks up right where Episode 2 left off with Jen confronting Blonsky about his breakout from prison, which was captured on camera and has become national news. Since Jen was working on Blonsky’s potential parole, the footage is kind of an issue. Jen’s status as a female superhero lawyer and the bad news footage of Blonsky fighting Wong quickly become talking points for all the talking heads of the world (the writers created a WONDERFUL satire of the real world in this episode), including one by the name of Jefferson Coop, played by Mahdi Cocci. As part of his show, The Conversation, Coop interviews the prosecutor who put Blonsky behind bars all those years ago after his rampage in Harlem. And, as it turns out, that prosecutor has some big-time connections!

    The prosecutor, played by Jason Turner, goes by the name of Gideon Wilson. In the comics, Gideon Wilson is the name of both Sam Wilson’s brother who has some pretty significant connections to gamma-related characters. While Sam’s sister, Sarah, was introduced in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, no mention was made of another sibling. Like in the comics, the Wilsons were born in Harlem, however, it has also been established that they moved to Louisiana where they were raised. While it’s not made clear in the episode if Gideon is indeed Sam’s brother, it’s possible he moved back to Harlem to pursue his law career where he was born. So for now it’s best to take it as a cool Easter egg and keep an eye on whether or not Gideon pops back up in the future. Either way, Jessica Gao and company certainly have displayed a knack for dropping in some wonderful comic book connections!

  • Around The League: AFC North

    Around The League: AFC North

    Last time, we looked at arguably the worst division in football. Today, we look at, arguably, the best division in football. In one corner, you have a Pittsburgh Steelers team who will always be well-coached no matter who plays QB. In another, you have a Baltimore Ravens team who saw half their team snapped away due to injury like the Avengers. In the third corner, a Cleveland Browns team that will rightfully be without the QB they traded the farm for most of the season. And then in the last corner rests the reigning defending conference champion Cincinnati Bengals, coming off their best year in years and aiming to finish the job they started last year. 

    Let’s boogie. 

    1. When does Kenny Pickett start? The Steelers will have a first-round QB to start the season, so in that regard, it is no different than when they had Ben Roethlisberger. Which first-round QB it will be? Well, that’s the question. Mitch Trubisky signed in the offseason and has looked solid if unremarkable. Kenny Pickett, to the surprise of many, has actually looked like he belongs, and that’s without the assortment of weapons he should have when the season begins. Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and Pat Freirmuth should be all systems go when the season starts, and the Steelers’ defense has added pieces and should return to form this year. While Trubisky should be able to navigate an early season terrain, it might make more sense for the Steelers to see what they have in their young QB sooner rather than later. 
    2. Can the Bengals repeat? The most significant difference from Joe Burrow’s first season to last year can be summed up in two words: Ja’Maar Chase. Sure, the Bengals spent on the defense, and you saw that come together really well, but Chase was the most game-changing rookie WR since Odell Beckham, Jr. He opened things up for Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, and helped cover up A LOT of OL deficiencies. In year two for him, it will be interesting to see how defenses cover him because the Bengals go as he goes. If defenses have figured him out, there is a good chance the Bengals don’t repeat.
    3. Can Jacoby Brissett win enough to have the nasty man’s return matter? Jacoby Brissett is not a good QB, and the Browns would’ve been better off trading for Jimmy Garrapolo to salvage their season. Instead, they chose not to acquire a good QB (or, at least, a QB that could run their offense well enough to where the defense can carry them), and will now try to tread water for 11 games until their franchise QB can make a late-season run. With Nick Chubb, a really good OL, Amari Cooper at WR, and two solid TEs, he won’t have to do much under normal circumstances, but the Browns begin on the road versus Carolina before taking on an improved Jets roster. They then get Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New England, Cincy, and the Chargers over five of the next seven games. The Browns could be 0-9 before Thanksgiving, and then it won’t matter if the QB is coming back because the season will be over.
    4. Who catches Lamar’s improved passes? Before getting hurt, Lamar was showing great strides at QB from the pocket. He was, also, beginning to develop chemistry with Rashod Bateman, who led the Ravens WRs in first downs. This off-season saw the Ravens trade Hollywood Brown, and add Coastal Carolina TE Isaiah Likely and Iowa State TE Charlie Kolar. It is a lot to ask rookie TEs to contribute in year one, which means Bateman and TE Mark Andrews will be asked to carry the Ravens’ passing attack. Whoever emerges after them is in line for heavy-duty targets, and will go a long way towards determining if the Ravens return to the top of the division.
  • ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 2

    ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ From Page to Screen: Episode 2

    Welcome back to another installment of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law From Page to Screen. Last week, we looked at the differences between the comics’ and series’ versions of Jennifer Walters becoming She-Hulk as seen in the first episode. In Episode 2, viewers got a live-action introduction to Jen’s new legal job, taken straight out of Dan Slott’s and Juan Bobillo’s 2004 She-Hulk run—Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway (GLK&H).

    ‘She-Hulk’ #1 (2004)

    The Hiring/Firing

    Both She-Hulk #1 (2004) and She-Hulk Episode 2 feature a specific moment. In the comics, Jen is hired by Holden Holliway in a bar. There, she transformed back into Jen from She-Hulk after drinking and was immediately drunk. The live-action series adapted this moment, though not when she was being hired. Instead, Jen explains her “different metabolism” when drunkenly being fired from her job at the District Attorney’s Office.

    The series also interestingly reversed Jen’s presence in the GLK&H office. In the series, Holliway asks her to be in She-Hulk form to be the face of the division. Jen is upset because she feels more comfortable in her human form. In the comics, however, Jen is much more comfortable in She-Hulk form, but Holliway asks that she always be in Jen form for work. It makes sense that the series would want to spend more time with She-Hulk herself, so the reverse of the comics’ situation suits where Jen’s story is currently at.

    ‘She-Hulk’ #1 (2004)
    ‘She-Hulk’ #1 (2004)
    Marvel Studios ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 2
    Marvel Studios ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 2
    Marvel Studios ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 2
    ‘She-Hulk’ #1 (2004)
    ‘She-Hulk’ #1 (2004)

    Superhuman Law Division

    The most important aspect of GLK&H in all media is, of course, the fact that the firm has a superhuman law division. While it will likely change over the course of She-Hulk, a difference between the comics and the series is obvious through Jen’s first tour of the firm. In She-Hulk #1 (2004), GLK&H’s superhuman division has been flourishing for some time. Doctor Strange is involved in negotiations while Jen starts her first day. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history with superhumans in society is much shorter than the comics’. She-Hulk seems to be actively moving the live-action world forward, but for the time being, GLK&H’s superhuman law division is relatively empty of superhumans. But Jen’s meeting with Emil Blonsky, aka The Abomination, is already showing the series’ potential to get as absurd as the comics.

    Marvel Studios ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 2
    Marvel Studios ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 2
    Marvel Studios ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 2
    ‘She-Hulk #1 (2004)
    ‘She-Hulk #1 (2004)

    Another GLK&H superhuman law division component appears on the page and screen. In Episode 2, Augustus “Pug” Pugliese introduces himself by walking in the door. Pug is a character directly from She-Hulk (2004), and he also introduced himself while walking into the room there too. It’s a minor detail, but nonetheless, something the mediums shared. Pug is another lawyer in Jen’s division at GLK&H, and has been a neighbor and roommate to her in the comics. It has yet to be seen how large of a role Pug will play in She-Hulk, but he becomes a close friend (and one-way love interest) during his comics story.

    Marvel Studios ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ Episode 2
    ‘She-Hulk’ #1 (2004)

    She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is now streaming on Disney+.

  • REVIEW: ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 2

    REVIEW: ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 2

    TWISTS! TWISTS! TWISTS!

    Twist of the episode, and the series so far, is that Viserys chose Alicent to be his new queen, instead of Laena Velaryon. Viserys’ reasoning, besides trying to spite Corlys, is that Laena is “too old.” Yeah, let’s go with the 15-year-old instead of the 12-year-old! The plot is showcasing some other motivations other than age and spite. Otto, the Hand and father to Alicent, tries to alienate Viserys from other players. For example, when Viserys brings up Corlys’ and Rhaenys’ marriage proposal, he immediately says that this is an overstep and should have been brought up to the council directly. Viserys is showing signs that he’s recognizing the overreach with his reply that “that’s what I am doing presently.” That still doesn’t stop Viserys from choosing Alicent, who was prodded to comfort the king by her father. Another motivation by Viserys for choosing an older wife would be that these Iron Throne cut wounds aren’t healing. Time may be short for King Viserys.

    Now, Corlys and Rhaenys do have another son named Laenor, of similar age to Rhaenyra. Perhaps Viserys could make amends with his Velaryon cousins with a betrothal between those two?

    SEEDS OF WAR

    Alicent and Otto don’t plan for the new queen to just be a happy wife to Viserys, right? Marriage leads to children, and how are these kids going to feel about being after a woman, Rhaenyra, in the line of succession? The show is keeping these kiddos hidden very well, especially with the time jump that is coming to age them up. Rhaenyra wasn’t exactly thrilled about Alicent being chosen as queen, especially with them growing up as childhood friends.

    DRAGONSTONE

    Daemon and Mysaria caused some ruckus on Dragonstone, and it turned out to all be for nothing! Daemon drew some Valyrian steel and ended up handing over the dragon egg he stole without a hitch. In the books, Mysaria actually was pregnant and was forced by Viserys to send Mysaria and her unborn child across the Narrow Sea. The ship hit a storm, Mysaria lost her child, and Daemon was angry with his brother for a long, long time. The big change is that she’s just chilling with him and her only want is to be liberated from fear.

    STEPSTONES

    Time to see some more Dragonfire third-degree burns! Corlys will lead the navy, while Daemon will fight from the skies on Caraxes. If you remember, the first season of Game of Thrones didn’t include any major battles on screen; in fact, Tyrion was knocked out and missed what would have been the biggest one. That was due to budgetary concerns, which House of the Dragon does not have. Expect a full spectacle on this. Crab man is living on borrowed time.

    Two episodes in and we still haven’t even touched the actual timeline where the Dance of the Dragons takes place. House of the Dragon is taking its time and, in doing so, has put together two killer episodes.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘The Rogue Prince’

    ‘House of the Dragon’ – Best & Worst of ‘The Rogue Prince’

    House of the Dragon is back for another round of violent mayhem and questionable decision making! The series’ second episode, titled The Rogue Prince, was all about succession and the disdain that comes with being rebuffed. In fact, it was so much about succession, it might as well be called Succession With Dragons, because it feels an awful lot like Succession, but with very cool dragons instead of Brian Cox. Anyway, the episode continues the show’s strong start with a heavily political outing – replacing last week’s jousting duels with a series of Small Court shouting matches. Everyone either wants King Viserys to marry their kid, or name them the direct heir to the Iron Throne. Events play out as chaotically as one might expect. Let’s get into it.

    The Best – The Women of King’s Landing

    There was a lot to love in The Rogue Prince. When it comes to the very best part of the episode, however, it becomes a little harder to narrow things down. The obvious resolution to this would be the moment Milly Alcock‘s Princess Rhaenyra came swooping through the clouds to put a stop to unnecessary bloodshed and reclaim what was hers. Yet, the true answer is actually a bit finer and lies deep within that very sequence of events. Throughout this entire episode, the women of King’s Landing absolutely run circles around their male counterparts.

    Rhaenyra and her best friend, Emily Carey‘s Alicent Hightower, are the heart and soul of this entry. This may turn out to be true of the series as a whole, but it’s especially on display here. The moments they are on screen are consistently the most interesting of the episode. Alcock and Carey‘s characters also mirror each other perfectly, as both are forced to confront their unknown futures via awkward conversations with their respective fathers. There’s a moment specifically early on when Alicent seems to realize she may one day wed Viserys, and the look of quiet disturbance that crosses her face puts every other performance in The Rogue Prince to shame. An honorable mention must also go to Eve Best‘s Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, who finally gets some chewable dialogue in a pivotal scene with her cousin’s daughter.

    The Worst – King Viserys’ Wife Sweepstakes

    Similar to last week, this episode’s worst moment is less of a storytelling critique and more of an uncomfortable, cringe-filled sigh. Now six months after the death of his wife and newborn son, King Viserys is pressured to select a new bride. It matters not if the man is still grieving, as the kingdom and his family’s reign must continue to persevere. Only, there’s one massive problem. As is customary in the culture presented in the Game of Thrones franchise, all of Viserys’ potential suitors are either literal children or very young women who don’t want to be involved – and honestly, it’s really gross. Yes, this is part of the show, but that doesn’t mean it’s enjoyable to watch a grown man flirt with a girl who is, at most, a few years older than his teenage daughter.

    Ultimately, Viserys chooses Alicent as his future bride. This is weird because, again, she is basically a teenager and very close with his own child. However, the episode makes it seem like the more noble choice by setting up the King’s decision with a truly terrible conversation. Before he decides on Alicent, his Grace must consider the pros of wedding Rhaenys and Lord Corlys’ 12-year-old daughter instead. This culminates in a shockingly uncomfortable scene where Viserys essentially goes on a date with the aforementioned Lady Laena, who tells him her mother said she “won’t have to bed him until she’s 14.” It’s something worth gagging over. Luckily, this is as far as that relationship goes, but it doesn’t make the fact Alicent will likely have to birth her friend’s half-brother much of an easier pill to swallow.