The Messengers: Metamorphosis

Nothing ever bad happens in the woods... right?

                    Very late with this one. I'll try to be more on the ball with tonight's episode. The Devil didn't make much of an appearance in "Metamorphosis" but he has great timing, showing up at just the right moment to cause trouble. And remember that old saying "Looks are deceiving"? That's true in more ways than one.

She has many faces

     Two-Faced Angel

           We meet our 7th angel of the Apocalypse, Koa, a con artist and thief who's accounts have been drained by Abaddon. Turns out this hacker is bankrupting the insurance company that cheated his mother out of healthcare. While the cause is noble, more innocent people are going to get hurt. Of course Koa doesn't care about anyone else. We get into her back story a little. She's been conning ever since she was in pig tails, running a few scams with her dad until one sore loser took a shot at him leaving Koa an orphan. Needless to say Koa isn't a trusting person or a team player (unless there's something in it for her). 

Teen heart throbs

         Rose and Raul haven't clashed much but on this they butted heads. Raul down right didn't trust Koa. Being that he's the only one reading her mind I don't blame him. Rose believed they should give Koa a chance and reasoned that Raul didn't give our chameleon a real chance. While she has proven herself useful, I agreed with Raul that Koa wasn't going to start playing nice even if she got her money back. As soon as Koa found out who was behind Abaddon she flew the coop. Probably should have told her not to talk to dark handsome men with accents, Rose. The Man came with his usual promise of help. If Koa's not playing with the Messengers I doubt she'll play ball with the Devil but as I've said, she'll make a deal with the guy if it'll help her achieve her goal. Koa taking a drive with the Devil was only one of the curve balls that night.

Erin's the sweetest of them all
which is why she's most likely to die first....

     Angel's Anatomy

           Erin's gift of healing comes with a price. Surprise! Turns out the nose bleeds and that growing bruise on Erin's chest was the cause of her using her healing powers. Just when Raul and Erin were giving into their feelings for each other, Erin's weak heart had to give out. Leaving those ladies breathless I see, Raul. But this is a huge problem. If Erin's condition worsens then the Messengers are down a angel and a very valuable one at that! What would happen to Amy if her mother dies? Would Raul take her? Technically Ronnie would get custody but Raul's no stranger to breaking the law. And how will the doctors try and save Erin? I have a hard time believing the writers would kill Erin off so quickly so we'll have to see what they come up with.

Army plays hide n seek hard core

      Nature Walk

              Something bad always happens in the woods. Especially if the government has a secret base hidden in there with a deadly weapon that could wipe out humanity. I felt like Alan was feeling like he's been taking a trip further down the rabbit hole after Vera came out with her angel abilities. I know I'm not the only one who knows that Alan has a crush on Vera. We've all used that "let's huddle for warmth" trick to sneak a cuddle. Don't think Vera's feeling it though. Anyway our Horsewoman of War is making sure every detail of her plan for the Apocalypse goes on without a hitch. Vera spirit walks into the facility and arrives just in time to catch the name of the project and see the Senator "clean" the base of any loose ends. Cold! Rose didn't want Vera to tell Alan about their mission or abilities but sorry Rose we can't listen to you all the time. Maybe having Alan help is a good thing. He's a friend and we've seen he'll do anything for Vera. Quick note: Nadia and Peter are so adorable together!

Um I have to tell you something...

             Next episode will be a nail biter as the Messengers will be divided in more ways than one. Erin will be rushed to the emergency room and Koa will be tempted by The Devil. I can't resist the temptation! 

Arrow and The Flash: Yin and Yang

     

Green and red go so well together

        Arrow and The Flash make a pretty good team. Now we've got Legends of Tomorrow coming soon which I feel will tip the balance a bit (that remains to be seen) but I want to talk about how Arrow and The Flash what an awesome partnership it has been between these guys all season. 

        Oliver Queen and Barry Allen are two sides of a coin. I'm going to start with their differences.

The Scarlet Speedster & the Emerald Archer

         Oliver went through the grinder and then some. He watched his father commit suicide, had to survive on an island, was taught how to torture and kill, then saw his best friend die and mother murdered. I wouldn't be able to live much less push forward if I went through all that. Oliver is weapon in himself. He's killed people and continued that when he came home. His experience has given him perspective and made him a realist making him go to extremes to get justice. However because of his extremes Oliver's full of self loathing and also believing he bears the weight of the world on his shoulders gives him a sort of martyr-complex. Oliver learned that you have to stay alert at all times so he's more in tune with figuring people out at first glance: who's a threat and who's not. Oliver can be brutal to the point where he's terrifying. His Batman voice alone sends shivers down one's spine. 

Let's help Barry see the light!

          Barry has had dark moments in his life. His mother was murdered and his father was blamed. Yet Barry held onto his child like belief in the impossible, vehemently defending his father despite the vitriol is earned him over the years. He maintained a family support system gaining a second father in Joe West who in turn calls Barry "son". Barry has a huge amount of compassion that's inspiring. He's his own comic relief sometimes. He wears his heart on his sleeve, not only keeping a bright outlook but also crying whenever he feels sad. He allows himself to be emotionally vulnerable (and available) but that doesn't make him weak it gives him strength. Doing something bad seems out of character for him actually. Barry tried to take a page out of Oliver's playbook: play nice with the villain for convenience. That back fired. 

My abs are just as awesome as your abs, Oliver

     Despite their differences Oliver and Barry have something in common: their hearts. Oliver's heart lies with his family and it's this desire to protect them drove him to keep a light on in his dark heart. It's what allowed him to open up his heart to Laurel and Felicity. Oliver chose love over power and he'll do it every time. Mentoring Barry was the best thing for Oliver. It was like having a little brother. With Oliver's experience and Barry's heart they are the perfect team.

They're wearing the same color too!

      In the crossovers we saw the contrast between our heroes but we also saw that they have more in common than  differences. Together they can face anything. The perfect balance of light and darkness. 

12 Monkeys: So Who's the Witness?

You're not the White Rabbit. What hole did I fall into?

                  Surprising cliffhanger at the end. The soft spoken, close talking Olivia predicted that Cole would just run off into obscurity keeping the Time Line safe for them but instead Cole goes "Screw Fate" and sends Dr. Railly through the Time Machine to 2043 and saves his best friend Ramse. No one expected that! But I'm more interested in who this Witness everyone keeps talking about is. 

The Free Masons weren't weird enough for you huh?

          We thought it was Ramse but he seemed confused when Railly called him that. To be honest I didn't believe it was him either. I feel like the Witness has been around much longer. Someone mentioned that plants turn red in his presence. I remember when Cole time jumped back to 2043 the plants at the bar turned red though I haven't seen that happen before or since. On another occasion after the necklace paradox the whole garden got a red make over. That Red Forest is starting to feel less like somewhere you go on an acid trip and more like a real place. My theory?

Is that a rash?

           I feel like Olivia's dad is connected to the Witness. Hell maybe he is the Witness. We don't know much about him only that he predicted a few things that came true. If not him then perhaps someone from 2043 who used the time machine to go WAY back before the plague. That plague doctor mask could be more for hiding a deformity. I saw Ramse's hands. Perhaps that happened to the Witness.  

Wonderland was much more fun...

        Whoever this Witness is I don't think he predicted that Cole would send Cassie through the time machine and save Ramse. Who knows what repercussions will happen because of that. It sucks that we have to wait until 2016 for season 2 but I'll be occasionally binge watching episodes of 12 Monkeys in the mean time. 

TVD: Goodbye Elena and What Now?

All the 7 dwarves are here

                  A lot of heartfelt goodbyes happened on The Vampire Diaries season 6 finale. None more beautiful and emotional than between Elena and Damon as they danced their last dance (until 60 or 70 years have gone by). Yet it begs the question on what the remaining cast will do now that one of their main stars has said goodbye and where the focus will be next season?

One last sleep over!

           Last few minutes we left TVD in the season finale is Matt has become a boy in blue (to match those pretty blue eyes of his) patrolling Mystic Falls while Damon looms on the clock tower like Batman. From what I can tell Mama Salvatore and her new family have made their home in Mystic Falls. Now the place looks like Gotham. First off:

I have issues with my mom too so I feel Damon & Stefan

       
        What will Damon and Stefan be doing? Most likely they'll be busy trying to rid the town of their mother and her witch/vampire hybrids. I think the Salvatore brothers will have an ally in Enzo. Despite Enzo's bad boy persona he's a soldier and he cares about protecting people or at least getting rid of something that is wreaking havoc on everyone and everything. We've seen Enzo trying to be a bridge between Lily and her sons with little success. Lily kept talking about getting her vampire family back but Enzo didn't understand. Her sons were right here but she wanted nothing to do with them. But Lily won't hear any of it. I can say I'm not a huge fan of Lily. She's selfish and cold hearted. I'm hoping Damon rips her heart out. For now I see Enzo acting as an envoy between the Salvatores but I doubt that will work out well.

So do I call you "Brother" too or...?

       How will Bonnie & Damon get along now? Now that Mystic Falls has a resident witch again I suspect Bonnie will be trying to do everything she can to rid the world of the witch-vampires. This will put her in a great amount of danger. Damon saved her life even though Bonnie's death meant Elena would wake up but having to wait 60 years? At some point Damon may break. Though I feel like Damon won't actually let Bonnie die because Elena would never forgive him don't count out the idea that Damon wouldn't consider it. 

Mommy Dearest be trippin'

       Delena is gone so where will the main ship focus be? Stefan confessed that he loved Caroline and would wait until she was ready to start something with him. Not as epic as Klaus's "I intend to be your last love" speech but vampires are immortal so Caroline may end up with Klaus but first she may give Stefan a try for a few decades. Given what's happening in New Orleans right now it's not really the best time for Caroline to take a trip to the Crescent City. Klaus can't protect his child and the love of his immortal life at the same time. Wait until Hope is a teenager at least when she can take care of herself. 

"Smile, the worst is yet to come" as the song goes

       How will Alaric hold up after losing his girlfriend and their babies? Alaric has bad luck with relationships. Before he could get back up but I think he'll have a lot more trouble. He's lost more this time. He was even willing to kill himself but as Alaric has the worst luck he ran out of bullets. I don't see any relationships in Alaric's immediate future or any time soon. I do see him helping his wingman Damon in fighting the witch-vampires. 

No one could ever have been ready for this goodbye

       So what's the focus of the show going to be? I feel the show evolved from the Salvatore Love Triangle to the relationship between the Salvatore Brothers. Damon and Stefan love each other and will do anything for each other. They'll have to face their mother and her twisted family in the future together and they'll have different approaches but it'll be all about testing that brotherly bond that has gotten them through some rough times. Elena brought the brothers together again so expect some tears and hugs as well as punches and apologies next season. I hope season 7 is the last though. TVD has run it's course and needs to pass the torch onto The Originals and go out with a bang. I'll blog next how I want TVD to end soon!
     

Nina & Michael are gone but never forgotten

The Flash Finale

He's got that look in his eye! You know what that means...

                 Tears! Still processing The Flash season finale and even seeing pictures of Barry crying moves me to tears. It was certainly an emotional roller coaster. We also got teases of The CW's new DC spin off Legends of Tomorrow. So next year (as it comes out in 2016) we'll be given a back door Pilot or a Pilot. For now let's talk about the best moments of The Flash season 1 finale.

If I had a name like "Eobard" I'd be a psycho too...

You, Crazy. And what kind of name is Eobard?

           To start off, Barry's narration was much sadder than usual. Before it exuded with confidence but it went down a note. It was a solemn occasion. Barry comes face to face with his mother's killer and Thawne is a sociopath of the first order. He hates the future Barry but loves the Barry he has met now and has worked with. Eobard went so far as to say he looked at him like a son but Barry wasn't buying it. For me it was an episode where Barry dealt with 3 of his fathers: Henry (biological), Joe (surrogate), and Eobard (changed him and nurtured his gift). They all had a hand in shaping Barry into the man he is today and they all had something to say about whether or not he should go back in time and save his mother. Barry grappled with this decision all day.

Come on! The outside is so much more roomier!

He's been on the inside for too long

        My favorite scenes are when Barry visits his dad, Henry in prison. Their conversations always resonate and evoke great emotion. Surprisingly Henry didn't want Barry to go back and change events even though it would have meant that he would get out of prison and be with his family. Henry is one proud father and despite what happened he wouldn't change a thing if it meant Barry would be different. Either way it appears Barry becomes the Flash but I see his point. I was ready to cry at this point because of the look on Barry's face but that comes later...

Barry you're breaking my heart here.
Knock it off!

Stop giving me the feels!

          Barry's surrogate father, Joe West had a different opinion. Joe was there for all of Barry's terrors so it would make sense for him to want Barry to change the course of history if it meant he could be a happy kid. As always Joe wants to protect his kids no matter the consequences which is pretty noble though so far it's gotten him in trouble. However, Joe was too good of a dad. Once more obstacles presented themselves (a black hole consuming the universe) Barry wondered if it was worth the risk and even more so would it be worth giving up his second father. But Joe affirmed that no matter what happened, Barry would never lose Joe.  

Come on, you can tell your future spouse anything...

And they're not together why?

           Iris didn't give Barry much of an answer though. You think it would be awkward talking to your future spouse knowing they may become your future spouse but surprisingly it wasn't. Iris and Barry are friends first and foremost. Even I have to admit that she gave Barry some sage advice. Nevertheless I wish it was more than just hugs and forehead kisses between them. I never liked Iris with Eddie. Something just didn't fit and just when I was about to cheer that they were broken up for good, Dr. Stein comes in and lifts Eddie's spirits with that "choosing his own destiny" stuff. Damn it, Stein! So Eddie comes bearing Chinese Food and he and Iris get back together. But that reunion was short lived...

I come bearing Chinese Food. Screw destiny

Hold on. Dr. Evil says what now?

Thank god we don't live in Mystic Falls or Westeros.
This would have turned into a Red Wedding

           Some minor points to discuss before I hit home on the finale's biggest, most heartbreaking moment. For one we got a wedding! And unlike TVD there wasn't a massacre (because they're not in Mystic Falls). Cisco has super powers! Don't know exactly how they work, Eobard said Cisco feels the vibes of the universe whatever that means. I don't speak sociopath. Eobard had a lot of nerve though: "I'm so sorry. Not for killing you I'm sure I had a good reason." Wow he gets the "Worst Boss of the Year" mug for sure. For most of the episode Eobard was as cool as a serial killer. He tried to convince everyone that he was trying to help them, reminding them of all the times they worked together to save Central City. You don't get points for putting out the fire if you're the one who started it, Eobard. 

Use the Speed Force, Barry!

The future IS bleak if there are no cows!

        Didn't matter because in the end, Eobard went crazy with rage after Barry decided not to change the time line. Figures. Then we got some clips from the future episode about the Legends of Tomorrow where when Barry was harnessing the Speed Force (thank God for Cisco who made a Star Wars joke was waiting for that) he saw parts of his future including Killer Frost. 

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will... not... oh man
here come the tears

Oh god stop crying, Barry, you're making ME cry!

        Now onto the part that still makes me shed tears just thinking about it. Barry goes back in time to the night his mother was murdered. He came face to face with his future self who was wearing a much brighter red than Barry and his future self motioned for him not to change anything. Despite Barry's desire to save his mother and father from their fates, Barry decides to let the tragedy happen. Instead of saving his mother, Barry decides to get closure instead by saying goodbye to his mom and give her comfort as she lay dying. It was a very painful moment.   Grant Gustin gets major points as he exhibits full emotional range, giving us the depth of Barry's sorrow and agony. 

Destiny is a bitch

"I've been controlling your life for so long, how will you get along
without me?"
Pretty well I imagine

Barry keeps rolling with those punches

         Barry has the heart of a true hero as he gives up the thing he wants most to do the right thing and not let a criminal get away. He comes out of the wormhole and delivers a great blow to Eobard in every sense of the word. Then someone else makes the ultimate sacrifice: Eddie kills himself so that Eobard is erased from existence. Well that's one way to get rid of a rival. Yet despite their rivalry over Iris, Eddie and Barry had a pretty civil relationship full of understanding and being that Barry has a big heart you can bet he'll mourn Eddie genuinely. 

To Infinity...

...and beyond! At least it wasn't any Superman phrases

          Of course it's not going to be a peaceful cliff hanger. The black hole reopens and starts sucking in everything. The fate of the universe now hangs in the balance. We see Hawk Girl and Captain Cold looking into the void, which introduces us to some members of Legends of Tomorrow. How are they going to introduce White Canary? Hoping we get the details into how Sara is resurrected. Also how will they get Ray to the city if he's facing a size issue at the moment? We'll get answers next season. In the mean time you can stream episodes on Hulu, download them from Amazon for only $1.99, or wait a month for Netflix. Go and binge!

He gets a museum!?

The Messengers: Eye In The Sky Review

Highway to Hell

                Just because it's the Apocalypse doesn't mean you can't celebrate a little girl's birthday. Unless the Devil decides to crash the party... 

You're a bad influence, Raul. 

       Angel Bromance

              Raul and Joshua shirtless in the desert? Is it my birthday? No that's in February but besides the shirtless thing, Raul and Joshua spending time together was sweet as they really clicked. Joshua hasn't had a vision in 3 days which is a problem because the Devil continues to weave his web of chaos this time in Hong Kong where we meet the mysterious 7th angel who's into Identity Theft; literally! More on that later. 

P.S. Can you check if I left the iron on?

           Raul and Joshua are an interesting combination. Raul is more of a rule breaker while Joshua seems more the type who's had to keep a clean nose, however, they both have a little yin yang in them that balances them out. Despite his bad behavior with selling drugs and sleeping with his brother's wife, Raul is a noble character and Joshua though a preacher, obviously has a darkness in his past that had to be kept under wraps so this makes Joshua less judgmental of others. Turns out Joshua was weighed down by resentment and anger over his wife sleeping with his father and having his baby, which led to some vision blockage. Once Joshua let go of his anger and forgave his wife (in a message that was erased by sleaze ball dad) it unplugged the spiritual pipes allowing Joshua to have a vision leading them to the Horseman of Pestilence. 

Devil's Water... You got any ice to water this down?

         Raul had a vision of his own. We were all waiting for it: Erin and Raul kissing. Even though it's in a vision I still got some satisfaction from it. After kissing Vision Erin, Raul sees Gabriela who tells him to help Nadia be a kid. Tickets to Magicland with a boy who saw her naked seems like a great idea. Nadia and Raul are slowly repairing some broken bridges. Though now that Nadia knows her uncle can read minds she'll have to be more careful about what she thinks around him.

It's two bulls in a Pancake Palace

    Story Time with The Devil

            Sounds bad but turns out Satan is great with kids. The first story the Devil reads? Little Red Riding Hood featuring the Wolf in Grandmother's clothing, which is a perfect metaphor. Erin takes Amy to the library for her birthday but takes some muscle with her. Peter and Nadia had an awkward moment that morning, which cute Amy diffused; still it's kinda awkward. The tension between the two teenagers kind of rises as Nadia tries to get to the bottom if who the Messengers are. Surprise, surprise she didn't believe Peter's truth. What was more interesting is that we meet the Homeless Lady who's been spying on the Messengers but she's clean... She tells Peter to "Follow the Signs". That's what Peter's good at as we've seen in a previous episode. But before Erin could see this mysterious homeless lady, she disappears along with Amy.

We know Satan has a TON of daddy issues

          We get a bit more into Erin's back story here. Ronnie is her ex and Amy's father but he was a paranoid control freak who made his house into a Fort Knox keeping Erin and Amy prisoners. I'd drink a bottle a day too if I was cooped up in that house day in and day out. Good for Erin putting her daughter first and running away. Ronnie snatches Amy from the library turning this into a car chase. Erin's ride? The Devil. While in the car we learn about Satan's own Daddy Issues. Pretty specific: Dad was strict, controlling, and threw him to the ground a few times but it was all because He loved him. Wow, Satan needed more hugs growing up. But it gives us a better picture of the Devil and his motives. He's a deeply wounded Fallen Angel, spiritually and emotionally. The Apocalypse is his way of punishing God but he's been thwarted before...

You should've cracked the window

         Thankfully Erin calls Peter and sorry Ronnie but Angel Power beats Horse Power. Ronnie tries to peel out of there but Peter holds the car in place. Of course Ronnie's back up is to shoot the kid (how did he become a cop again?). Luckily Nadia is good with a gun too and fires before Ronnie pops a shot. Despite the fact that Ronnie's an ass, Amy was in tears, "Please Daddy don't die." Personally I would have let the bastard die but Erin's a better person than I am. She gave up her career to be with her daughter, which means she'll always put Amy first and I can get behind that. But Erin's nose starts to bleed at the bar. For now Raul blames dry air but their powers have consequences. We may find out the consequences of Erin's healing abilities soon.

She's got that Po-Po-Poker Face

   Looks are Deceiving

           So let's discuss the next Horseman and the other Messenger. The Horseman of Pestilence turns out to be a hacker, which actually makes more sense. Who says a virus has to be a plague when destroying computers would cause much more chaos. The hackers are called Abaddon (an angel of chaos or the angel that guards the Pit, of course) and they hack into Kaolin's (I think that's a her name) and Gareth Fletcher's accounts leaving them broke. Right now Abaddon is faceless (except for the scarab skull they keep using). It's going to be hard to find just one of the hackers if it's even a group or just one. Not sad that Gareth Fletcher was wiped out. He sounds like a real jack ass. Joshua said the Devil looked like a saint in comparison (I think the Man would disagree). Seems like Abaddon is hitting wallets where they're the deepest and more corrupt but so often the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Not sure what the sin will be but I have a feeling like the Senator, Abaddon will make the wrong choice. Hopefully this time our Messengers can stop this seal from being broken.

Pancakes! 

         Kaolin's a con artist and a literal identity thief where she takes on the appearance of anyone she likes. But modern technology can see through that deception (not like they pay much attention at the air port). Kaolin will definitely prove a challenge. She may be one of the Messengers, but she's a lone wolf and unlike Raul a real criminal. Rose may try to use her empathy on Kaolin but that may not be enough. From next week's promo we see that she meets the Devil who makes her an offer. Will she take it? Probably...

Deal with the Devil

       
         So now the Messengers all know what the Devil looks like, which should make them more ready for next time. "No more talking to dark handsome men with accents." I make no promises, Rose. Erin says she may swear off men altogether. I think I heard Raul's heart crack a little. Interesting that Vera is really diving in to her Messenger role and applying her science more gently instead of trying to be a smart ass. We're starting to see our Messenger's weaknesses where their powers are concerned. Vera can only spirit walk for 6 minutes and Erin's getting nose bleeds. How will the other Messengers' weaknesses manifest?