Maelstrom

There was so much other fun stuff going on in this that I forgot to mention Beebo Blox in my previous post. I would totally play that game. Also, I la-la-love that Mick used an iPad as a plate. To serve a donut to a Puritan. Like you do. And that's why you should never piss off Airbenders. (Just ask season three of Legend of Korra) I wonder if they didn't want to switch things up with her totem necklace to distance themselves from last year's totem storyline. Ha! Indeed, Constantine, indeed. As far as the funding, I can see they needed a way to tie the TB (and thus the show) back to 2018 a little more firmly, as well as slot in Nate's dad, so I'm fine with it. And it's easy to forget that Rip spent most of his life as a Time Master, so he was probably quite used to greasing the wheels of bureaucracy. I was glad they gave a little mention to Rip, since I will miss seeing AD on my screen this year. *sniff* Can I just mention how hilarious it is that everyone still disagrees on how to pronounce Mallus? Heh.

Maybe not quite as good as last week's ep, but still a hell of a lot of fun and way better than most of the shows on tv right now. Nate and Pig Ray going all Lassie was something only this show could pull off, and I loved it! I also thoroughly loved Nate's comment about living in 2018 costs money, and being a Legend only pays in friendship. Heh. Adding Zari was one of the best things this show has ever done, and Tala Ashe is a true gem. In just over a year we've seen so much development from Zari, and watching her grow as a person and bond with the other Legends has been such a joy. Seems like they're going to continue to delve further into her character this season, and I'm looking forward to it very much. It was odd seeing her without her totem necklace in her final scene with Sara (which was excellent and much appreciated, btw - I love that this show never forgets to make the plot serve the characters, and not vice versa). This bugged me, too. Pretty sure anything another than dark colors or undyed cloth was a big fashion don't to the Puritans. And while I'm nitpicking, Nate's credit card couldn't have expired in 1953 because they didn't have credit cards back then. Unless it's a leftover anachronism card he never got rid of? Maybe he exchanged hemophilia for a temporally-impossible credit card. Same here. I didn't realize until quite recently that the character was blond in the comics - I'd been assuming they bleached his hair for the shows to make him look sickly and unnatural, lol. Totally with you on this. And I really don't want him to eat the show, and take precious screen time away from our faves. However, I watched this right after watching last night's nuCharmed ep, and I now have greater appreciation for Constantine's magic - its rules are defined and consistent, and he puts more effort into mastering it than three witches I could name. I have a feeling we're going to see more (and better done) magic on Legends this year than on Charmed, but that's a discussion for a different forum. Beyond all that, I'll just add to the chorus - loved the Fairy Godmother and her ridiculous singing, only this show could make Disney + Salem Witch Trials work. And connecting the witch trials to Zari's dystopian future was nicely done. Also loved that the show continues to mix up the interactions, like with Nate and Ava tonight. They made a good team and Nate is definitely more useful at the TB than with the Legends. And I much prefer Daddy Issues Nate to Schmoopy Romantic Nate, so I say bring on Biff Daddy Haywood! (Who, by the by, is awfully stuck up for someone who ended up facedown in manure so much in his younger days, but I digress. Though if we don't get at least one good Back to the Future reference by season's end I will be thoroughly disappointed) Poor Gary, he has to be useful for something... right? All that parking won't validate itself. And where would the Legends restock their supply of stolen time couriers without Gary? Can't wait for next week!

So, no one ever cleaned up the egg that Macy “dropped” at the beginning? That bugged me the entire fucking episode. OK, I’ve been very willing to give this remake the benefit of the doubt, but it has to work with me a little bit here. I feel like they’ve tried to start into the thick of things without taking the time or effort to set up ANY of it. I liked the one on one scenes between Maggie and Macy, and the final scene between Mel and Harry - the character beats, essentially. But the rest - their normal lives, their witch training, the Demon of the Week - is all feeling very forced and uninteresting. I’m starting to think that I’ll see more magic on this season of Legends of Tomorrow than I will on Charmed, a frikken show about witches. Not good, Show. And I wouldn’t have expected to say this after last week, but Harry actually came out as my favorite character this week. Which isn’t a good thing in a show about sisterhood and female empowerment. Yay, personal gain *and* the Elders are back? Two phrases I’d be happy to never have heard again in my life. *cries* Macy’s Greek goddess costume was beautiful, though, and I liked Mel’s green witch look too. Seriously, Mel was traipsing all over the kitchen after that egg fell, so there’s gotta be dried egg tracked all over the damn floor. I don’t think there’s strong enough magic in the world to clean that up. And even if there was, these three sure couldn’t handle it.

Still catching up, but let me echo what others have said - GV, AS, and even EM really nailed their post-explosion scenes. And GV continues to be improbably hot. He's seriously getting hotter as he ages. CB is selling the hell out of Gabi's Revenge. I still hate that Abby will inevitably come out smelling like roses as the poor innocent victim, but whatever. Such is life in Salem. Can Kate and Jennifer please stop shopping at Clowns R Us? Please? Wow, Julie, you must need binoculars to look down on Sheila from your high horse. Don't get altitude sickness way up there! Though on second thought... Ha! When you put it like that, all the horrible things she's done sound even worse. This. Kassie dePaiva is another actor who commits 1000% no matter her own opinion of the story. OLTL shit on her character of Blair for years, and TPTB fired her RL husband yet she stuck with the show and never gave less than her all in every scene. Heck, after OLTL ended she said in an interview about one particular storyline that had struck her as so horribly OOC and miswritten that she had a tough time figuring out how to play it so the story would make sense - and I never saw one even bit of that in her performance. Billy should take note from pros like Ali and Kassie. NNNOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT AGAIN!! *runs and hides* That's a pretty big claim - so many contenders, but she's certainly in the running! ;)

Sadly most shows these days don’t even have opening credits, let alone a theme song. I miss the old days. And now I sound old, lol. I’m glad you said that about the lyrics of the original song, because that’s what I always thought they were, too. Though I maintain they’re better than the actual lyrics.

Nice summary of OG!Charmed, Esmeralda. For me it’s too early still to say which way this reboot is going to go. So far we’ve had mention of fighting evil and slaying demons but not a word about protecting innocents; yet there have also been no signs that any of the sisters will start whining endlessly about wanting a normal life. Which is a relief. (Seriously Piper, you have fucking magical powers yet you’d rather fly from San Fran to Europe commercially?!)

Rewatched this before the new episode, and this time I noticed that Chidi not only stocked up on peeps and chili makings at the grocery store, but also on almond products. Seriously, at the checkout the counter was full of cartons of almond milk, and laying on the conveyor belt was an entire bulk bin full of almonds. Ha! I swear you could rewatch this show a thousand times and catch new details each time.

The sound mix was terrible in this one, to the point where I couldn't make out a word of the entire telepathy montage. Unfortunately I have that problem with a lot of shows (*sideeye at Elementary, starring Jonny Lee "Mumbles" Miller*). I think this sums up what most concerns me about this version as well. I mean, 9 out of 10 shows are clunky for the first few episodes so I can cut them some slack until the cast, characters, story elements, etc, really start to gel. But the way Harry has been handled as far as his function on the show has me wary. To some degree I believe he's a result of the tv convention that wants every single thing spelled out so the characters (and by extension the audience) don't have to think too hard to understand anything. But the fact that a show that markets itself as starring strong women has a male character leading them by the nose and telling them what to do every step of the way is frustrating - and the fact that the show comes across as so oblivious as to why this might go against their message is downright troubling. All we can do is see where this goes. Well said. Unfortunately, this has been reeeeally light on the witchery so far. I want moar!! All that being said, I'm going to stick with it awhile longer. I liked that we got to know Maggie more and saw more of her relationship with her (now two) older sisters. There's always something sympathetic about an underdog. And the actress playing Macy continues to be the standout so far. Although I have to admit that during the final fight scene I was waiting for someone to get thrown into a grandfather clock. It's just not Charmed if a grandfather clock doesn't get smashed to bits every week! Random thought: Maggie's top was seriously fugly. Yikes.

Good points, johntfs. I haven't been too thrilled with the changing tone of this show in recent months but I'm really enjoying this tournament. It's been really cool to see how different types of smiths work and what skills and tricks they bring to the table. Though I have to chuckle that each class has said how they're the most versatile ones and will have an edge over the others. Let's just agree that you're all special, fellas!

The US always has to have an ice princess to push to the masses, so Brandie just the latest in a long line of them. I have to say I did enjoy her FS at Skate America, for what that’s worth. Speaking of the Grand Prix season, NBC’s coverage is going to suck!! Two whole hours (less commercial time) each weekend to cover the entire event? How generous! /sarcasm Looks like I’ll be watching a lot on YouTube this year.

So I’m not the only person getting serious Amon from LoK vibes from Talky McMaskface? It can’t be a good sign that the tertiary characters are the only ones who interest me in the least. Nia’s scenes with James and Barney, I mean Brainy, were excellent and felt very genuine. And as much as I miss Winn, I am enjoying Brainy and his dynamic with Alex quite a bit. His final scene with Alex where he discussed his newfound doubt was very humanizing, no pun intended. Between the overdone plastic surgery, the weird line delivery and the ridiculous OTT hip swaying walk (she crossed her legs so far to each side that she nearly fell over a few times!), Mercy is just too painful to watch. Yikes. And Alex, why would you have the anti-alien guy guard the anti-alien criminals? I guess for;the same reason Nia went to a pizzeria for coffee.

Agree about Constantine, that's a good way of putting it. TPTB have said that they don't want to change Constantine to fit the Legends but as you so accurately said, he can't remain a static character and still work. I'm hoping he gets over himself quick (since I'm already over him). Though I love the idea about his tie being an amulet or something, ha. Praise Beebo! I'm tired of bats, and would hate to see LoT tossed aside.

Woo hoo, Legends is back! This was a hell of a lot of fun and sets up a lot of good stuff for the rest of the season. The team was looking a little slim tonight without their new members, but it was nice to start off just focusing on our five returning Legends before we meet the new faces. There was some solid character work in this ep, which is always my favorite aspect of the show. I love how they keep mixing up the pairings and thus exploring different facets of the characters' personalities and relationships. Ray and Zari are always a good dynamic since they're total opposites in their worldview. And Mick and Nate gave us some good scenes tonight, especially Mick's reaction to Nate's daddy issues. "Did he hit you? Burn you? Dress up as a clown and terrify you? Then boo hoo!" As much as I love the Mick/Ray relationship, Nate and Mick have given us some good stuff as well. And I have to add that I was more intrigued by Nate's family problems than two years of his schmoopy eyes with Amaya. I'm another who was really, really hoping they'd bring up Nate's hemophilia, but it sure seems like that's been totally forgotten. Disappointing. For a very long time I found it to be the most interesting thing about Nate. I'm with Lady Calypso, it's not something most shows explore so I was really hoping it would get at least a mention. Maybe it still could? We can hope. I'm loving the magic aspect and think it's a good fit for the absurd roller coaster ride that is this show. Mind-altering rainbow snot, of course! Mick hallucinating his dead rat, why not? Ray making out with a tree that he imagined was a Disney princess-esque Nora, bring it on! This show makes the ridiculous work so very well. And I love it for that. Which brings me to Constantine. I've been rather skeptical of him joining the show, but tonight showed some promise. We'll see how it goes from here. I just don't want him to eat the show, or have the show totally change its tone to suit him. Though I have to commend Constantine on his towel-tying abilities. He must've used magic to hold that thing on. Impressive. Poor Gary. I'm actually shocked he didn't tell Ava about the dragon head. No matter how terrifying Mick and Sara can be, I would imagine he'd rat them out as soon as their backs were turned and Ava looked at him longer than five seconds. On a more technical note, the look of the show was quite different from previous seasons, but I liked it. The lighting was different, less overly bright, and the new sets are a nice change. Loved the camera work/split screens at Woodstock, that was very nicely done. Same here! I would add Ray to the list as well.

Thanks for the video! (I'm waiting very impatiently for the premiere to start airing in my time zone ?)

It's funny, because after reading that article I was inclined to disagree. LoT doesn't feel like an old-school, throwback kind of show to me, it feels very fresh. Yet it is definitely unique among what's on the air right now, especially other superhero shows. Maybe what makes it feel so different, or old-school if you prefer, is the complete absence of Dark and Gritty™ that seems to permeate every single other show on television - instead they focus on fun, adventure, and good character work. I dunno, JMHO. Whatever it is, I just want them to keep doing it because LoT is hands down my favorite show on tv right now. Well, along with The Good Place (another show lacking in Dark and Gritty™. What would happen if Team Cockroach met the Legends? Jason and Mick could debate the merits of the heat gun vs Molotov cocktails)

So, as far as Nate interacting with his father this season, I've been wondering if they will touch on Nate's hemophilia (or even remember it). Does his father (or his mother, for that matter) know he has been "cured" of his hemophilia? I always thought that was such an interesting aspect of Nate's character that was completely forgotten after his second episode. It's not something you see in too many fictional characters, especially on an action show.

Wow, that is sad about DramaFever! I kept thinking I'd restart my subscription when life settled down but never got back to it. Like you say, thank goodness for Viki. It better not go anywhere, it has the best subtitles I've come across. I recently watched My Horrible Boss on Netflix, mostly because I'd enjoyed the male lead in I Hear Your Voice, and was quite pleasantly surprised. It had good leads and a good story, with minimal angst and melodrama. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun Kdrama.

Petunia13, I think that gif is actually of Jem’s rivals The Misfits, not Jem’s band The Holograms. Sadly, I didn’t even have to Google that. (What can I say, I watched it when I was a kid and the characters had magic earrings! What kid wouldn’t want magic earrings? Hell, thirty years later and I’d still love to have magic earrings!) Anyway, now I can’t wait to see today’s ep.

I don't know the characters' history like some of you do so I can't speak for that... But since JP Lavosier was last seen playing Phillip, the idea of JPL and FF onscreen together again makes my brain want to eat itself to escape the sheer horror of it. It's possible I still have some lingering PTSD (post-traumatic suck disorder) from their show-eating run together on One Live to Live.

Totally agreed. I've suspected for a long time EM could be a pretty good comedian, I just wish they'd let him go there. I'm pretty sure there were clowns out there saying, "Whoa, tone it down!" Heck, I bet Hope's Crayola nightmare from a few weeks ago was thinking that, too. I think maybe she could've pulled off the florals against all odds (like Lauren Koslow tends to do) but the ruffles just put it over the edge for me. Yup, me too. Almost. No wonder MM wanted out with this crap. But on the plus side, being an evil mastermind clearly suits Gabi. Her hair looked beautiful despite being "attacked." I know I'm repeating myself here, but why oh why did they waste someone as charming and talented as Paul Telfer on Xander? So frustrating. All the groundwork for a really dynamic anti-hero is right there, but instead of utilizing it they just make Xander a creepy rapey psycho. Argh. And while I'm repeating myself, Greg Vaughn is still really hot. Just saying. (I swear I'm not actually as shallow as my posts here might indicate, but if the writing can't hold my attention, something has to, right?)

Now we're getting somewhere! Agreed that this felt more like the first two seasons. Poor hot broken Chidi, poor Janet learning of Jason and Tahani's marriage, and poor Larry Hemsworth. Can't wait for next week! I caught that too! Janet while watching Michael type = me. So damn much. I was laughing my ass off while simultaneously wanting to reach through the screen and shove Michael aside so Janet could just do it already!!

I can recognize that farm in anything after watching Smallville for half a decade! (I gave up in season 6) It’s always a good litmus test of whether or not something was filmed in Vancouver.

Line of the year: "Gabi would have to be a mastermind" to pull off gaslighting Abby. Excuse me for a moment. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA This coming from a place where the townsfolk share one functional brain between them. I mean, finding all ten things in the "Spot the Difference" puzzle in Highlights magazine also qualifies you for mastermind status in Salem. FFS. I continue to find Ben highly watchable, somehow. Though I haven't necessarily taken much note of RSW one way or another in the past, he's been doing a good job since his return. Though I'm sorry he's going along with Claire, since a giant neon sign saying MISTAKE was practically flashing behind her as she was prattling on. Who knows, maybe after their scheme is exposed and he's inevitably vilified once again TIIC can hook him up with Gabi, who will also be vilified once her schemes against poor sainted Abby come to light. They'd probably have great chemistry, since CB seems to have chemistry with everyone. Also she wouldn't have a problem with what he did to Abby in the past, and since the show has totally forgotten that Paige was her half-sister it's not like that would be an issue between them. Unless of course TIIC just randomly turn him evil and totally ruin his character once again, as they're fond of doing with everyone.

How is Bonnie's wig so much prettier than Adrienne's real hair? The mind boggles. I also love how whenever Sami explains anything there's an obvious impatience in her manner about why the other party hasn't gotten it already. Duh, Kate, of course I'm not going to call the cops because they'll stop me from pulling off my crazy scheme! Ha. AS really is a joy to watch. Too bad the makeup department didn't put a little red powder around AZ's eyes after Nicole got maced. You mean "Samanther." Also, since I don't give a single shit about EJ or Ejami, I give negative shits about watching closeups of a stand-in's arm for a quarter of the show. Seriously, Show. Move the fuck on! Ha! It is truly frightening. She's dangerously close to joining Jaqueline Woods and Hunter Tylo in the infamous WTF Have You Done to Your Face Club. Kassie did look wonderful in her scenes with Victor! Lately she looks so healthy and beautiful, it makes me so happy to see. And even though Eve has been, um, questionably written since KdP was cast, as a OLTL fan I'm just happy to get to see Kassie on my screen once again. I wondered if the strange repeat scenes didn't have to with maybe reediting some shows because of news break-ins? Though rewrites and storyline changes are probably the more likely culprit. If they were reediting shows to account for preemptions I would assume the episodes in question would be cut down and jam-packed with missing sections, rather than being padded out. Hmmm. Also, you're not the only one who enjoys Ben, as messed up as it feels to admit that, lol. I'm looking forward to catching up on today's episode now. Though I have zero interest in the other three on their own. Claire, Ciara, you're both self-centered little twerps who need to grow up, and Tripp, if you're going to get involved to some degree with multiple women, find some that aren't related!

Thinking on this more, they definitely could have come up with a much better way to introduce the sisters to their witchy heritage without Harry the Exposition Fairy taking over the show. If the witch aspect had been couched as, say, a fairytale or bedtime story that Maggie and Mel had grown up hearing (maybe their mother always used to tell them the same tale of three witches who worked together to fight evil) then that way when they had to defeat the demons they could have A) figured out their destiny and powers themselves by realizing that the story was true and they themselves are the witches in question, and B) it would have been an organic bonding experience between the three rather than Harry ordering them to work together. He still could have Apparated in after the fight and filled in some gaps in their knowledge, but they would have been the catalyst for their own change and choices. If only. As it stands, having a man kidnap and tie up three female leads of a girl power womens' empowerment show to tell them of their powers is... not a great choice. I can understand that vanquishing a demon would bond the three together to some degree, so I can give them a pass for now. I just hope going forward it's not an immediate happy family, and we continue to see all three working to accept their new relationship, both the good and the bad. There's lots of potential to mine here, I just hope they do it justice. I'm also hoping that we'll see more facets and traditions of witchcraft than just the bland pseudo-Celtic/European that most movies and shows skim the surface of. And why are the ravens always evil?