Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

Defiance S3E4 Review: Dead Air

Arch destroyedOne thing you can say for Defiance is that they’re never afraid to destroy that status quo. There’s hardly a status quo at all, really. We’ve got returning characters this week, so we can wrap up that already idiotic hanging plot thread from season 2, and pretty much nothing else. But there’s a new character, and a few significant shifts at the end of the episode, so you can’t just skip this one.

Read more

Defiance S3E3 Review: The Broken Bough

Casti Omec relationsAfter the intensity of the Defiance season 3 premiere, things step back a little bit to give everyone a little room to breathe. Well, not everyone. Life always sucks when you’re Alak. And that doesn’t really mean that things are looking up, either.

Read more

Defiance S3E1&2 Premiere Review: The World We Seize/The Last Unicorns

Omec girlDefiance is back for season 3, and it certainly came roaring back like few others. It certainly put the Season 1 and Season 2 premieres to shame. But that level of excitement comes at a cost, and as is so often the case for this show, I don’t know if the direction we’re headed is a good one.

If you’re a Defiance fan who hasn’t popped onto the site in a while, we’re taking a different approach to reviews, with more focus on criticism and less recap. So proceed only if you’re caught up! Read more

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Retrospective

SHIELD SplinterNow that it’s been a few weeks since the season 2 finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., we can get enough distance to take a look at the second season as a whole. This season was a marked improvement over the first, continuing the trend that started with the post-Captain America 2 episodes of season 1. It continued some plot threads from season one, but the main thrust of the season was largely centered on new territory for the MCU: the Inhumans. We’re going to look at three things here: the development of characters, the overall progression of the various plot threads, and some of the more general themes present throughout.

And it’s a retrospective, so duh: spoilers for all of season 1 and 2 ahead.

Read more

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S2E21 & 22 Season Finale Review: S.O.S.

JaiyingThe 2 part season finale has arrived, and it hits a lot of highly anticipated points while still keeping some surprises, even for those of us who had some spoilers. Our endings range from bittersweet to just plain bitter, and everything in between… but the setup for next season! Well, let’s read on for a super-sized review.

Read more

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S2E20 Review: Scars

Terrigen CrystaloThings take a surprising turn in the wake of Age of Ultron, which saw the series playing a big role without putting movie-only audiences out of the loop. Conflict arises between SHIELD and the Inhumans–and not necessarily from the people we’ve been expecting. And we’ve still got the finale next week!

Read more

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S2E19 Review: The Dirty Half-Dozen

Awkward Team MeetingTonight’s episode has the duty to build hype for Avengers: Age of Ultron, and boy does it ever. On top of that, we’ve got a moment that has been in the making all season–the original cast is reunited, and things get ugly fast. Both character moments and show development take front and center, without letting the build-up to The Avengers overshadow it.

Read more

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S2E18 Review: The Frenemy of My Enemy

Coulson and WardAnother amazing episode as the various factions we’ve been introduced to this season start running into each other, and our wild cards keep dropping into play to complicate it even further. The march towards the finale has indisputably begun, and we’ve still got the Avengers 2 in between!

Read more

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S2E17 Review: Melinda

May BahrainMay’s backstory is revealed at long last, and it turns out “the Cavalry” wasn’t quite the badass nickname it always seemed to be. More traumatic, really. We also get to see more of Skye, Raina, and the Inhuman encampment they call Afterlife. It’s not the strongest episode of the season, but last week was a tough act to follow.

 

Read more

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S2E16 Review: Afterlife

Skye LincolnBoy, was this episode one hell of a ride. Surprise appearances, twisting allegiances, amazing banter and lots of action. Everything’s so gray and ambiguous right now… and yet perfectly so.

Read more

Return top