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  • REVIEW: The Wheel of Time, 1×4: “The Dragon Reborn”

    REVIEW: The Wheel of Time, 1×4: “The Dragon Reborn”

    The fourth episode of Amazon’s Wheel of Time sees the team desperately trying to find their way back to each other. However, it soon becomes clear it may still be some time before the group reunites. “The Dragon Reborn” opens with Lan and Moiraine among the other Aes Sedai, who help to restore Moiraine’s strength following the poisonous attack at the Two Rivers.

    The Aes Sedai are trying to hold back a man calling himself the Dragon reborn. He’s powerful, so much so it requires two of the Aes Sedai to hold him back, yet they still can’t be sure he is the Dragon reborn. Unfortunately, this makes for a rather slow-moving episode, as there’s more exposition than anything. While still a good episode overall, despite the slowness, where “The Dragon Reborn” soars is the character study of Zoë Robins‘ Nynaeve al’Meara. This is her episode to shine and shine she does.

    Logain, the false Dragon, is able to channel the One Power and proves to be a handful for the Aes Sedai. He’s being caged and kept behind a shield prior to going before those at the White Tower. As the women sit nearby, projecting their shields onto Logain, we get to learn about the different types of Aes Sedai and what each color represents. Four episodes in and it’s the most we’ve come to learn about these powerful women and what they are capable of. The exposition at times is a bit much, and yes, it may drag occasionally. However, “The Dragon Reborn” is still an enjoyable installment even if it feels more like an explanatory episode for those unfamiliar with Robert Jordan‘s work.

    It’s in the last minutes of “The Dragon Reborn” where things go to Hell in the best way possible. After Logain is able to break free of the shields, he manages to kill one of the Aes Sedai, much to his pleasure. As the others try to fend off his followers in the forest, a slew of Aes Sedai and their warders run to the cave where he’s being held to offer assistance. Unfortunately, an attack against Logain results in what appears to be the near-death of everyone until Nynaeve manages to channel the One Power and restore their health. The Aes Sedai then go on to gentle Logain. The episode ends with a curious stare from Nynaeve, who seems to be adjusting to her newfound abilities.

    Throughout the episode, we do see glances of Rand al’Thor and Mat Cauthon, who have taken to traveling with the gleeman. While Egwene Al’Vere and Perrin Aybara spend time getting to know the caravan they’ve sought safety with on their way to the White Tower, Rand and Mat ultimately find themselves thrust into chaos as the darkness overtakes Mat temporarily. As fascinating as the Fade’s appearance is and as terrifying as the darkness overtaking Mat may appear, “The Dragon Reborn” is all about the Aes Sedai.

    “The Dragon Reborn” is an episode that may divide book fans. Yes, there are some parts missing from the books, and yes, the episode does change Logain’s story a bit. However, it’s a good episode for those trying to comprehend this massive world Jordan constructed. It moves along the plot, while giving other characters time to shine. It’s a solid installment for a series that simply wants to honor Jordan’s work.

  • Hall of Murphy: Episode 11 – ‘Stargirl’ 209 – 213

    Hall of Murphy: Episode 11 – ‘Stargirl’ 209 – 213

    John and Joe are back to finish up the second season of Stargirl, as Courtney faces off against Eclipso and tries to bring her friends back together. Will the dark past of the Justice Society of America define their future, or will they set their own?

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’s Piotr Adamczyk Talks Bringing the Tracksuit Mafia to Life and Kevin Feige’s Set Visit

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Hawkeye’s Piotr Adamczyk Talks Bringing the Tracksuit Mafia to Life and Kevin Feige’s Set Visit

    Hawkeye’s two-episode premiere introduced us to a couple of new characters in the Marvel Cinematic universe. In addition to Kate Bishop and Jack Duquesne, we have been introduced to the hilariously adorable Tracksuit Mafia, which consists of Eastern Europeans who call everyone “bro” a lot. One of its most prominent members was Tomas played by Piotr Adamczyk. In an exclusive interview, he shared some insight into what it was like being on set, especially when Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige visited.

    He was on the set. It was very special for us. He talked to everyone, so I had a chance to talk to him, and I was also surprised that for him this mafia, tracksuit mafia, is an important element. He even told us that it was a very significant element of the story.

    Piotr Adamczyk

    It highlights one of the reasons for Marvel Studios’ success is that Kevin Feige and the rest of the producers are comic geeks and care about properly adapting certain comic book elements. The Tracksuit Mafia was an iconic part of the comic My Life as a Weapon, and it’s no surprise that Feige‘s meticulous attention to this aspect is being taken to reflect them well in the series. Yet, Adamczyk highlights that it was a very different experience on set:

    We didn’t feel like that at that time, because we were mainly the group that was waiting to be needed, maybe they would use us. We were often on the set but not always working. Working on the set, especially of such a big, big-budget production, is waiting, especially if you’re not Jeremy Renner. But yes, it was an exceptional conversation, very uplifting. This is also a man who, with such a huge presence, is always in a hat, in sneakers, this is just a regular guy you can talk to casually.

    Piotr Adamczyk

    As Adamczyk highlights, a lot of working on these kinds of projects is waiting. Actors are around for specific scenes and with the Tracksuit Mafia’s presence throughout the story, they might have to wait around quite a bit. So, it’s great to see how approachable Feige is for cast members of any kind to chat with him. There’s a lot of care put into these projects by the various teams involved with the production.

  • New Toy Leak Indicates Sleepwalker and D’Spayre Among the ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Wave Figures

    New Toy Leak Indicates Sleepwalker and D’Spayre Among the ‘Multiverse of Madness’ Wave Figures

    Very few people cover the future Marvel Legends wave on the level of YouTuber Rektangular. His channel is full of leaks and updates of any kind, which makes it worth a follow if you’re a collector. In his most recent update, Rektangular spilled the beans on what to expect from Hasbro’s Marvel Legends collection for 2022.

    Obviously, the further out the waves, the less info that’s available, but Rektangular seemed very certain about what to expect from the first two waves set to launch in 2022. The best part is that both will feature figures from upcoming MCU films.

    The first wave of Legends is currently scheduled for a January release and will feature characters from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The wave will feature a mix of seven MCU and comic book characters who are currently only known by the following code names:

    • Runes
    • Bleeker
    • Bleeper
    • Stripes
    • Master
    • Sleep
    • Dreamy

    According to Rektangular, two of those figures will be comic book sculpts of Sleepwalker and D’Spayre. A digital rendering of D’Spayre, who is a demon and one of the Fear Lords that feed upon the souls of humans for power, leaked some time ago. However, this is the first mention (to my knowledge) of Sleepwalker joining the wave. A relatively obscure character, he has a bit of a cult following and has taken on the Fear Lords, specifically Nightmare, in the comics. Of course, these characters being in the wave is in no way an indication that they will appear in the film.

    It’s likely that Sleepwalker and D’Spayre are “Sleepy” and “Dreamy” while the other characters are from the film. Given what we know, it’s possible that Wanda is “Runes”, Strange is Bleeker (a reference to the NYC Sanctum’s location), America Chavez is “Stripes” and Wong is “Master.” That just leaves “Bleeper”, who could be Rintrah. Keep in mind this is the first wave and won’t be spoilery, so Rintrah seems safer than say members of the rumored Illuminati.

    April will reportedly see the release of a 7-figure wave featuring characters from Thor: Love and Thunder that we recently covered here. According to Rektangular, the rest of the year will see 6 additional waves released:

    • April: Vintage wave
    • May: X-Men wave
    • June: Classic wave
    • September: Avengers wave
    • September: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever wave
    • October: Avenger wave

    It’s likely that characters from Marvel Studios’ streaming series She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel will be sprinkled into some of the waves listed above. It’s also possible that additional waves could be planned. Check out Rektangular’s report below and give him a follow if you’re into such things.

    Source: YouTube

  • ‘Hanna’ Season 3 Doesn’t Know What To Do With Hanna

    ‘Hanna’ Season 3 Doesn’t Know What To Do With Hanna

    There are spoilers of the final season of Hanna in this feature. Only continue at your own risk if you haven’t yet seen it.

    Hanna explores a world where the government is training young girls into becoming deadly weapons. That was until Joel Kinnaman‘s Erik Heller broke into a facility to save a young baby from that fate. He raised her hidden in the forest into a strong warrior that could take on anything in case the organization he stole her from found them. After she is set out into the world, we learn that the facility, UTRAX, was still active in the world and a new generation of girls was being trained to do the government’s bidding. Everything culminated in the second season about finally ending its existence. Yet, the third season seems oddly disconnected as a “final season.”

    Motion-thriller Hanna Season 3 Sequence Finale Premiers Novemb

    As fast as Hanna infiltrates the group of girls, the series sends them all out into the world to take on various goals. We spent the last season building up to the moment that Hanna is forced to join them and questioning her place in it. There was a great emotional growth throughout that season, as most of the series so far was about Hanna finding a “home.” Most of the first season explored that with the question surrounding Heller’s parentage. His death capped off her question of finding an identity, especially after being rejected by most girls who were part of the program when she tried to save them. Clara, the only one to join her, was a showcase of her goal

    In the third season, we had a clear goal: take down UTRAX and everything involved with it. The big mystery remained around who exactly was running the facility. Marissa Wiegler, who had a somewhat motherly obsession with Hanna, is the catalyst for that development. So, the show titled Hanna isn’t about Hanna but rather Marissa’s ties to the organization. Outside of her father, our actual protagonist lost her role in the story the moment all the girls got sent out into the world to take down their targets, which happens early in the season. For a final season, it’s an incredibly dangerous undertaking to disconnect plot elements and scatter them across the world.

    Hanna Season 3 Trailer: Hanna's Life As An Assassin Comes To An End

    Yet, that is handled quite well even if they conveniently find their way to the same location in the final view episodes. The issue lies in the fact that Hanna is “given” a reason to be involved in this story through a new love interest. He’s her first target and she starts developing feelings for him. It’s not a terrible idea, as it adds a personal level to the actions she takes, even making some harsh errors throughout. What makes it stand out negatively is that his existence takes her agency. She serves to protect this character rather than to follow through with the initial plan. There’s no direct conflict between these worlds, as most of her actions are mainly to serve other characters.

    It’s quite the departure from her rebellious actions in the first season kicking off the events that would unravel everything. Yes, she still has moments where she takes action but it feels like she became a side character in Marissa’s story. The “end goal” is even simplified to offer a clean cut for the series to end on instead of weaving more of this world’s darkest corners. Hanna was a point of hope, as she believed in the good of people. Helping Clara finds her mother was a clear indication of that. Yet, once she leaves the Meadows, it seemed that goal was completely forgotten.

    Amazon releases season 3 trailer for Hanna

    The character of Sandy is never truly given a chance of redemption after she takes quite a lot of screentime throughout the second season. Jules’ turn isn’t even true given time to develop but rather is a sudden twist in the story that Hanna has no direct influence over. That’s kind of the issue at the end of the day, she’s not an active participant in the story outside of the new romantic subplot introduced early in the season. While I adore that it doesn’t end on the note that you’d expect, it doesn’t make up for an entire season moving further away from what the series was about. The series didn’t end on a strong note but doesn’t undermine what came before either. It just felt like Hanna was noticeably absent within this story and it’s a shame given Esme Creed-Miles continued strong performance in the series.

  • First Look at ‘Hawkeye’s Funko Pops for Kate Bishop and Lucky the Pizza Dog

    First Look at ‘Hawkeye’s Funko Pops for Kate Bishop and Lucky the Pizza Dog

    The latest episodes have finally arrived for Marvel Studios’ last venture on Disney+ for 2021. Hawkeye takes a look at New York City’s underbelly, as Clint Barton is pulled into an unlikely adventure through his new protégé, Kate Bishop. As per tradition, it also meant we’re going to get a new slate of Funko Pops and it didn’t take them long to finally give us our first look at Kate Bishop’s Funko. The best part, she’s not alone as she is also joined by Lucky the Pizza Dog. You can check out the version found by @FunkoPOPsNews on Amazon EU.

    Lucky is quite adorable and they even included the detail of his left eye is closed. Kate Bishop is in her Hawkeye gear that was teased throughout the posters and trailers. We’ll see if we get some additional designs, as she even wears the Ronin outfit in the series. So, they might offer a special Funko. It’ll be interesting to see what other Funkos they might release, especially with the rumored characters set to appear throughout the series six-episode run. Echo seems like a very likely bet for the next release after she takes centerstage in the upcoming third episode.

    Source: Twitter

  • Leaked ‘The Marvels’ Set Photos Reveal New Ms. Marvel Costume and Kree’s Return

    Leaked ‘The Marvels’ Set Photos Reveal New Ms. Marvel Costume and Kree’s Return

    Just the other day, it seemed like Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel sequel has finally wrapped production. We know very little about the project. During Disney’s Investors Day we found out that we’ll see the return of WandaVision‘s Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and future Ms. Marvel actress Iman Velani. With a title rework, The Marvels, we’ll see the trio tackle an unlikely threat that might tie into the Secret Invasion Disney+ series. Right after it ended production, set photos have found their way online with some interesting teases.

    What sticks out first is Velani’s new costume. While it retains the classic elements that were already revealed in the Disney+ series promo, there are quite a few additional elements added. The red color is more pronounced in this version and she even has additional elements on her shoulders. The iconic “S” on her chest also looks different, as it’s closer to the version of the logo than the one she wears in the promo. What is the biggest change is that she replaced her sneakers with actual boots. She’s also joined by someone on a break playing a Kree soldier given his blue skin.

    The Kree were expected to make a return, but it’s great to have a confirmation. If Secret Invasion explores the Skrulls storyline set up in Captain Marvel, we may also learn that Kree has planned an invasion of their own. We still don’t know how they might’ve changed Ms. Marvel’s abilities and how she ends up joining Carol on her adventure. The set might be a tease that the story will be an intergalactic adventure, which means we’ll get some fun reactions out of Kamala Khan.

    Source: Twitter

  • REVIEW: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ 1×04 “Callisto Soul”

    REVIEW: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ 1×04 “Callisto Soul”

    Faye finally makes her return after a brief appearance in the pilot episode. We get a clearer picture of her character and the series’ new take on her origin from the original anime. She’s on the hunt for a con artist but ends up involved with the incompetent Callisto Liberation Front, who accidentally steals the only lead she has and her ship. Luckily for her, two familiar cowboys are at a local diner and allow her to get back what she was going to steal. Do we get a better insight into her character, or are we retreading familiar problems?

    COWBOY BEBOP Recap: (S01E04) Callisto Soul

    As Faye Valentine takes center stage this time around, we get a better grasp of her character. She’s not the same character we know and love from the original anime. Daniella Pineda’s take on the character is just as outspoken but very much “in your face” which summarizes the series’ general adaptation perfectly. Once you get used to her take on the character, there’s quite a bit of charm there and she does work well when she plays off Cho and Shakir’s spins on their respective characters. Spike wanting to kill her was quite a hilarious running gag.

    The biggest change though is the Liberation Front. While the Ganymede sea rat is referenced and remains their core motivation for this group, but they now turn their victims into trees rather than monkeys. So, the connection is that due to this corporation deforesting trees it led to their extinction. It seemed like a strange extra step to avoid an expensive monkey transformation. It’s also rather gruesome to watch and adds to the lack of subtlety that the original had. Yet, it’s also visually impressive and nightmarish to imagine. So, it balances itself out.

    Cowboy Bebop' Netflix: How this version departs from anime - Los Angeles Times

    Julia gets more focus this time around again. Vicious reveals his plans to take down the Elders and she seems to be the driving force behind her husband’s actions. It teases a darker future for her and adds another layer to how different they are from the original. Seeing the main antagonist of the anime being manipulated so easily is still a hard pill to swallow but highlights that this is a different take on the original characters. After a brief appearance, the episode also highlights that Gren is quite removed from the original but is given a more active role in the story. We’ll see if their tragedy will ever get a focus later down the line.

    This episode does build on the strengths of the last one. I love the dynamic between these three, even if it’s a bit more cynical. While there’s no cor mystery, our team has something to do as a group, and we get a great moment from Pineda when she has to decide what is important. Sadly, our main antagonist, Adrienne Barbeau‘s take on Maria Murdock, is oddly the most downplayed aspect of the episode, as we spend little time with her. She doesn’t even interact with our main cast outside of running away, but it’s her hubris that becomes her undoing.

    Cowboy Bebop Episode 4 Recap and Ending, Explained

    The episode is quite a bit better than the previous one, as outside of some bidet discussions, there are some strong moments scattered throughout. Pineda gets a great moment after she seemingly sacrifices herself that is given more weight with a beautiful piece by Yoko Kanno. While the episode still doesn’t quite catch that Cowboy Bebop magic, there’s a lot to love here. Cho’s performance and comedic timing add that extra layer of enjoyment. It has me excited going into the next episode.

  • Netflix Mapping Out Multiple Films and TV Series for a ‘Power Rangers’ Cinematic Universe

    Netflix Mapping Out Multiple Films and TV Series for a ‘Power Rangers’ Cinematic Universe

    Netflix has been quite busy with its various ventures on expanding its available intellectual properties. After releasing their first of many live-action anime adaptations with Cowboy Bebop, the streaming giant is already setting its eyes on another popular franchise. In a new report by Deadline, they’ve shared that Jonathan Entwistle is still working on a Power Rangers Cinematic Universe for the streamer. They currently are working on not one but multiple series and movies that’ll interweave the iconic franchise.

    Sadly, they are still shy about going into detail about how far along they are, as we first heard about Entwistle‘s involvement back in October 2020. While many cinematic universes have failed in the past, most notable Universal’s attempt at a modern Dark Universe, Power Rangers has been an interconnected series since the Mighty Morphin days. So, it’s quite a perfect choice for the concept. The recent boom in popularity with the aptly named Boom comics has also utilized a multiversal storyline for the Shattered Grid storyline. So, they might be building towards that event by having multiple teams exist throughout different dimensions.

    Bryan Edward is currently busy writing the script for one of the films. It may be the project to kick off the other projects and spin-out into multiple series. Some time ago, we learned that the story was going to explore time travel, which perfectly leads to the introduction of multiple Power Ranger teams and even foreshadows a major threat. It was smart of Netflix to enlist Entwistle as showrunner for all projects, as he’ll have a similar role to Kevin Feige for Marvel Studios. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait much longer for san actual production update.

    Source: Deadline

  • Kathleen Kennedy Hints That ‘Rangers of the New Republic’ is Possibly Shelved

    Kathleen Kennedy Hints That ‘Rangers of the New Republic’ is Possibly Shelved

    Sadly, it seems that we might finally have more information surrounding the mysterious Star Wars project, Rangers of the New Republic. It was proudly shared alongside their other The Mandalorian spin-offs during Disney’s Investors Day last year. Yet, we’ve heard very little about the project. What didn’t help matters was that its original star, Gina Carano, faced quite a bit of backlash for her actions on social media. Her contract with Lucasfilm was swiftly ended and it seemed like the series was going to look for a new leading star.

    Well, a new statement by Kathleen Kennedy in the new Empire magazine may have put the final nail on the coffin. Luckily, someone was kind enough to share a scan of the latest issue where the Lucasfilm CEO states that there is currently no script prepared for the series. While she doesn’t straight out confirm it is canceled, it seems likely they have no plans to enter pre-production at any time.

    We’d never written any scripts or anything on that. Some of that will figure into future episodes, I’m sure, of the next iteration of Mandalorian.

    Kathleen Kennedy

    It’s the final statement that some story elements may get integrated into the next season of Mandalorian may be the definitive statement that they have no interest to continue the series as it was originally envisioned. Quite the shame, as insight into how the galaxy has been rebuilding after the end of the Empire. There’s a lot of potentials to explore this storyline and its conflict with the remnants of a once tyrannical regime. So, maybe later down the line they find a way to make it work.

    Source: Empire via Imgur, ComicBook.com