Tag: TV

Latest ‘Hawkeye’ Teaser Offers First Look at Yelena Belova

It looks like the latest teaser for the Disney+ series Hawkeye has given us our first look at Yelena Belova. It’s only a very brief scene, but see someone wearing goggles that might remind many of Sam Fisher from Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. Yet, if we take a look at the comics, it’s quite similar to the design that Yelena wore when she was an Adaptoid. As we know she is a confirmed return, the six eyes on her visor seem like the dead giveaway that it is Florence Pugh‘s character from the Black Widow film.

The biggest surprises are yet to come! The third episode of Marvel Studios’ @HawkeyeOfficial is now streaming on @DisneyPlus with new episodes every Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/eP1uUrVrzl
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) December 2, 2021

It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but the marketing team knows exactly what they are doing with this tease, especially as it’ll confuse casual moviegoers but grab comic fans attention given the details included in this design.

Going by Kate Bishop’s reaction, this might also be the moment that Belova joins the party and ends up hunting down an unsuspecting Clint Barton. It’ll be interesting to see how this conflict unravels and if she might become an ally once she realizes the story she was fed wasn’t true. There’s still the quesiton on why she is here in the first place, as Val put a bounty on Clint’s head, who already is having enough trouble juggling the emotional guilt. So, a new Black Widow coming in to take him on might not bode well for the archer.

Source: Twitter

December 2, 2021
REVIEW: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ 1×07 “Galileo Hustle”

After taking a backseat in the last episode, Faye Valentine takes the leading role in the seventh episode “Galileo Hustle.” Yet, most of the episode does have our crew interacting (always a plus) and we get some tension between Jet and Spike, as we get a set-up for an eventual betrayal later down the line. Can Netflix’s take on Cowboy Bebop pull off one of the calmer moments from the original series and can it continue the momentum built from the previous episode?

We finally get a pay-off from a few episodes ago on the arrival of Whitney. Early on, we find out how this gender-bent version of the character played into Faye’s origin. Right after she got out of cryo-sleep, this version of the character pretended to be her mother and conned her out of her Identikit. I like this take a tad more than the original. These two characters build a relationship throughout the episode that is a twisted take that kind of works.

Jet gets some great moments, as we also build upon some character development between him and Chalmers, which was sweet to see. It’s a bit fast considering where they started this season, but I like that we see episodes that seemed a bit out of nowhere continue to build into the next. The same goes for Spike still recovering from the events of “Binary Two-Step” adding a nice layer of continuity that also lets you know that this takes place directly after the previous one.

The episode does have an important set-up surrounding Jet’s emotional reaction to being betrayed. While he does forgive her for lying about her not-mother being a con artist, it sets up a bigger betrayal later down the line. It’s a great way to build up the point made in the previous episode when the fake Julia confronted Spieka bout lying to his long-time partner. Heartbreak is on the horizon at this rate, which won’t go over so easily this time around.

As much as I enjoy this take on Whitney, I do think the episode wraps up the cassette mystery way too fast. It seems convenient that their ship happens to have the player they need. Yes, it was a distraction in the original but that was fun seeing Jet and Spike going out of their way to solve the mystery surrounding it. It seems that their focus is more on setting up Faye’s actual mother at the end of that episode. We know little about how old this version of Faye actually is and if she even has the debt from the original. We’ll see what the future has in store for our protagonist.

Overall, a strong episode once again that continues to build up from previous storylines. It’s good that after the halfway mark we finally see some payoffs. I’ll say that Daniella Pineda is a highlight in this episode, especially in the emotional moment in the end. It probably was one of the highlights and was the show at its most restrained. Oh yeah, Vicious and Julia continue their plans to take over the syndicate. Overall, was a very good episode that isn’t quite on the same level as the previous one but it’s a close one.

December 1, 2021
REVIEW: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ 1×06 “Binary Two-Step”

Now that is what I call a step in the right direction. The sixth episode titled “Binary Two-Step” is quite the highlight of the season. Mostly due to the plot actually primarily focusing on our main trio. Yes, they are still refusing to stick together, but the dynamic feels less forced this time around. While it doesn’t fully capitalize on every aspect that is presented, the concept of Spike getting lost in a virtual space and facing his past actually pay off the side story that’s been dragging it down through most of the season.

We get the Dr. Londes, who goes by Cy-Baba now, set up very early in the episode alongside the first mentioning of Radical Ed. They don’t appear in the episode but we get our first confirmation of their existence within this adaptation. Still, the focus of this episode is an adaptation of one of the later releases “Brain Scratch.” While it’s less of a cult this time around, the biggest departure is that Faye isn’t directly involved with this storyline. While she has her own little adventure involving a mechanic and a rail gun, Spike is the one to get sucked into Londes’ offerings.

Once he enters the machine, he is stuck in a loop where he tries to save Julia from Vicious. Londes, once again a machine rather than an actual person, wants to force him into a scenario where he gives up on life to make way for the AI to take over. Jet is briefly taken out of the picture as he tries to repair the Bebop while fighting the already teased mechanic. It’s a decent setup to force him into this solo scenario but does once again highlight how this team just cannot stick together.

The VR nightmare is quite an interesting concept that is even realized quite well. As the AI keeps fighting Spike’s mental fortitude, the world around it starts falling apart with an interesting visual effect. Taking a closer look at how it changes over time, especially as he recalculates to break Spike’s love for Julia adds a nice bit of character development. Especially, when the moment we think he “gave up” turns out to be quite different after a last-second save.

I did like Jet a lot in this episode. The moment he realizes what is happening to Spike and the desperation of getting to Earth at all cost was a great moment. We do get the tease of what it would mean if he found out about his friend’s time as “Fearless” but you really get the feeling these two would go through hell for each other. Here’s hoping we get a similar scenario from the other’s perspective as well.

The funniest bit is (sadly) probably Alex Hassel’s face when he is getting ready to shoot Spike in his last flashback from that virtual world. It just once again cements this is a very different take on the character but also highlights the way Spike sees him as well. Most of this episode is here to give our characters some character development with Faye on her own journey of self-discovery adding a nice step into the next episode where she takes centerstage again.

December 1, 2021
BREAKING: Cobie Smulders Returning as Maria Hill for ‘Secret Invasion’

It seemed like a sure-thing that Cobie Smulders would return as Maria Hill in the upcoming Secret Invasion Disney+ series, but we never got a confirmation. Well, at least that was until now as Deadline has reported she’ll indeed return for the upcoming series. She’ll join the already stacked cast consisting of the returning Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Colman, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Christopher McDonald, Killian Scott, Emilia Clarke, and, of course, Samuel L. Jackson.

It’s still curious that she was never part of the initial announcement during Disney’s Investors Day, where only Mendelsohn and Jackson were confirmed. Smulders has been a mainstay in the franchise, especially if it came to Nick Fury and SHIELD. We don’t know the exact details of how the Secret invasion storyline from the comics will get adapted. So, perhaps her role is rather small overall or there were still some contract discussions and that is why she’s a late addition.

There’s a curious inclusion in the article, as they add that “details about the role are being kept under wraps, but I hear it is a newly created character.” As she’s already well-established in the franchise, it’s an odd comment to add. So, perhaps it was from an older article or they might’ve given away she’s a potential Skrull. As we get closer to the series release, we’re going to get a lot more confused about who is and isn’t a Skrull.

Source: Deadline

December 1, 2021
‘Only Murders in the Building’ Adds Cara Delevingne

It looks like Hulu and Star’s popular mystery comedy series Only Murders in the Building has added Cara Delevingne in a new role. The actress will join the trio of Martin Short, Steve Martin, and not a Martin, Selena Gomez. Delevigne ‘ll play the character of Alice, who’ll end up entrapped in the mystery.

The story follows the main trio of strangers that end up getting ensnared in a murder mystery within the walls of their apartment building. They document their tale through a podcast as the hobbyists take it upon themselves to solve the mystery. The series was created by John Hoffman and Steve Martin, who both are executive producers on it alongside Gomez, Short, Jamie Babbitt, Dan Fogelman, and Jess Rosenthal.

Her addition will certailny add to the trio’s dynamic and we’ll see how they might twist up with her character’s arrival. She’s described as an art insider, who might also add an intersting twist to whatever story they find themselves in. There’s no word if she is just a temporary addition for the season or it might become a bigger role moving forward.

Source: Variety

December 1, 2021
AMC Orders Anne Rice’s ‘Lives of the Mayfair Witches’ to Series

AMC has been quite excited to bring Anne Rice’s many classic stories to life. Not too long ago, they greenlight a series based on the Interview With the Vampire storyline. Casting has been underway, but we’re still waiting for more details. Yet, AMC believes in their new projects and has now ordered Lives of the Mayfair Witches to series. It’ll be based on the Anne Rice novels of the sesame name with Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford joining as showrunners. Mark Johnson will executive produce the project alongside them.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard about the project, as the first development news hit the web back in August. AMC Studios has opened up a writer room on the author’s famous line of books to develop direct-to-series orders and it’s certainly paying off. Spalding shared her excitement of adapting the series:

The world of witches has fascinated and terrified for centuries, and yet Anne Rice’s particular lens on witches explored something new altogether – women who are powerful, and often brutal, and always committed to subverting our current power structures.
Esta Spalding

It’ll be interesting to see how they bring these stories to life and how they’ll continue on the various Rice adaptations. It’ll join the 2022 line-up that has been quite stacked with new projects and others coming to an end. AMC has been making strong pushes on building up their library to also support the streaming service AMC+.

Source: Deadline

December 1, 2021
‘Hawkeye’ Episode 3: The Clint Barton Convergence

The latest episode of the Marvel Studios Disney Plus series Hawkeye picks up the pace and presents probably the most complete and best episode so far. Part of picking up the pace meant speeding through flashbacks to tell the origin story of one of the series’ main characters, Maya Lopez. Much like the flashbacks that told the tragedy of Kate Bishop’s early life, Maya’s flashbacks take up about 5 minutes of screen time and end in a similar tragedy. Through the use of these flashbacks, the episode draws some intriguing parallels between the two young women and gives them a common point from where their paths through life diverged.

Paterfamilias

In the cases of both Kate and Maya, Hawkeye establishes a loving relationship between father and daughter. Both Derek Bishop and Willie Lopez are shown to share special bonds with their daughters. In Kate’s case, it’s made clear that her childhood relationship with her father is stronger than that with her mother. When it’s noticed that she is eavesdropping on her parents’ argument, her mother indicates to her father that he’s the one who will have more success communicating with Kate while she’s upset. In Maya’s case, it’s implied that her father is a single parent but it is clear that the two share a special bond. When Willie is unable to send Maya to a deaf school, he teaches her to embrace her disability and assures her that she’ll be stronger for it. He’s portrayed as a father who teaches his daughter to refuse to use her disabilities as an excuse and one who wants the best for her, even if his station in life doesn’t make it possible for him to deliver.

Essentially both girls look up to their fathers as heroes but the two fathers’ lives are very different. Derek is portrayed as an optimistic silver spooner while Willie is equally optimistic but seems to have to scrape for every penny and chooses to do so as part of a criminal organization. And make no mistake about it, the difference in the circumstances in which Kate and Maya were raised lead directly to the divergent paths they took in life.

For both characters, the relationships with their fathers have truly made them who they are. Both are shown to be uniquely skilled and driven; both are shown to be determined and dynamic; both are also shown to have apply those characteristics in very different ways.

Death of a Father

In the case of any child, the death of a parent is traumatic. Hawkeye draws another parallel between the two characters by having them both experience the deaths of their fathers. However, the responses of the two character to the death’s of their fathers are entirely different. The death of Kate’s father (bit mysterious, don’t you think? I’m not convinced her mom didn’t kill him) during the Battle of New York set Kate on her journey to be a protector, a hero, like her father; the death of Maya’s father (much less mysterious) set her on a journey to become a violent, vengeful criminal.

The New Father Figure

After suffering the loss of their fathers, Kate and Maya have father figures step into the void. In Kate’s case, Jacques Duquesne tries to charm his way into her life, going so far as to brag about buying a book about being a stepdad. In Maya’s case, her not-so-mysterious “Uncle” is still looking after her and she find herself in his employ. On one hand, we see Kate rail against allowing someone as slimy as Jacques into her life; on the other hand, we see Maya, choose the life of a mob enforcer. Simply enough, one chose the light while the other chose the dark.

The Clint Connection

The two characters have walked divergent paths following the losses of their fathers but those divergent paths have now converged thanks to a common interest: Clint Barton. The ending of Episode 2 and beginning of Episode 3 really highlight the entirely opposite interests the characters have in Barton: Kate comes crashing into the abandoned KB Toy Store warehouse to save Clint just as Echo makes her way to interrogate him about the Ronin. Clint Barton is the intersection of these characters lives and the revelation of his secret, which he’s holding from both of them, will greatly impact how both of them view him.

How will Kate look at her hero when she finds out he was Ronin? How will Maya deal with discovering the identity of her father’s murderer? While it was Clint that brought the two together, the answers to those questions could well set them on divergent paths once more in the aftermath of Hawkeye.

December 1, 2021
‘Hawkeye’ Has Yet to Fully Utilize Fra Fee’s Kazi

We’re only halfway through the latest Marvel Studios series on Disney+, but we’ve gotten a glimpse at the main players throughout the rest of the series. Yet, it’s also noticeable that an iconic part of the original My Life as a Weapon run. While teased in the first two episodes, Kaz Kazimierczak finally had an actual role in the story but he’s quite a departure from the comics. While still an interesting character, it seems like they are going down a different route with him.

In the comics, Kazi was better known as the mercenary Clown. He’s shown to be quite ruthless and even emotionless while shooting down anyone he’s contracted to do so. He also doesn’t have a connection with Echo directly but was contracted by the Tracksuit Mafia and Wilson Fisk in the comics. He also normally wears noticeably absent clown make-up.

With more hints going around that the Kingpin will make his appearance soon, and the “uncle” mentioned by Kazi, it seems he’s generally a part of the Tracksuit Mafia rather than a hired hitman. He’s also an emotional anchor for Echo, whose story was adapted for the series quite a bit to fit the overarching MCU. Yet, it feels like his role could’ve been replaced by almost any other character.

So, there is the possibility that he may potentially be turning into the character we’ve met in the comics. Live-action adaptations of any kind tend to showcase origin stories to give characters arcs. The events of this storyline could end with Kazi taking on a new personality and covering his face with the clown make-up at some point. The show does highlight his role in the story and perhaps he is taking a backseat before taking over in a potential future storyline.

December 1, 2021
‘Hawkeye’ Episode 3 Includes Kingpin Easter Egg

The hints are getting more obvious that Wilson Fisk is making his grand return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only do we have the mention of a mysterious uncle and his short hand-cameo in Echo’s flashback, but there is quite an emphasis on his role moving forward when even Hawkeye hints that he’s someone you don’t want to get in trouble with. There’s one more tiny detail that may have added to his upcoming appearance.

At one point in Echo’s flashback, she visits her father at his workshop. It’s the sequence where we find out how she connects to Ronin, the location they are at is given a rather curious name, Fat Man Auto Repair Shop. Now, it is more than just an additional tease of Fisk’s appearance in the series in a later episode but also is a great little Easter egg for fans of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

In the animated series, the Kingpin never physically makes an appearance. Yet, there’s a brief mention by the Grim Reaper who calls him “Fat-Man.” Plus, it’s an ongoing joke by Spider-Man to mock NYC’s most dangerous criminal about his weight. So, it adds a fun layer to his potential arrival and what the series has in store for viewers. Given the number of teases throughout this episode, it seems likely that we might get our first official appearance next week, but the team behind Hawkeye might also be playing the long con as the teases rise in frequency.

December 1, 2021
‘Hawkeye’ Makes a Major Change to Echo’s Story
Episode 3 of Hawkeye, “Echoes”, delivered on last week’s tease and gave us a full introduction to Maya Lopez, aka Echo, played by newcomer Alaqua Cox. While the translation of the character to the MCU from the comics stays faithful to her Native American heritage, her deafness and her connection to Wilson Fisk, the series makes one major change to her origins that will have a huge impact on how the remainder of the series plays out.

Episode 3 introduces not only Maya, but her father, Willie, and lays out that he works in “upper management” of the Tracksuit Mafia for the head of organized crime. This, too, is true to the comics were her father, Willie “Crazy Horse” Lincoln, works for the Kingpin. And in both the comics and the series, Maya is forced to watch her father’s life in crime catch up with him as he dies in her arms and places his blood-soaked hand on her face. However, Marvel Studios has chosen to make a major change to that event and the consequences of that change are already becoming obvious.
In the 1998 Daredevil series, Maya’s father is killed by the Kingpin. While Kingpin called Willie his “good friend”, he ruthlessly shot him for an undefined mistake. Willie’s dying wish was for Kingpin to take care of his daughter, a promise he kept by raising her and affording her every luxury. Twenty years after her father’s death, Maya was told by Kingpin that it was Daredevil who murdered him, setting the two up for an epic clash. Eventually, Maya learns the truth about who murdered her father and takes her revenge my shooting the Kingpin in the face at point blank range.

Hawkeye tells a very different version of Willie’s death, making Clint Barton the man responsible for it. In the series, Maya sees her father take the business end of Ronin’s blade and then holding him as he dies. The first two episodes of the series made it clear that the Clint and the Tracksuits had a history; this episode clarifies the extent of that history and now puts Clint not only in Maya’s crosshairs, but also potentially the Kingpin’s. In episode 3, Clint tap danced around the identity of Ronin both in conversation with Maya and Kate; it probably won’t be long before his secret comes out. How will the series choose to deal with the reveal? What will be the cost of Echo and Kingpin finding out? Hopefully Clint doesn’t meet the same fate as Fisk did in the comics, but it is clear that these changes will result in some very different takes on both Echo’s existing relationships and those she might forge along the way.
December 1, 2021