Diapason Untuned

I really liked Jughead's storyline this week. Silent episodes are nothing new, but the way it focused on Jughead's writing process, how not being able to listen to music or his clacking typewriter really messed him up and he pivoted to graphic writing was really interesting. This show can be more than just balls off the wall crazy when it wants to be! This so much. When you think on all the stuff Hiram did to the three of them, even when Veronica knew and was still championing her Daddykins, I can't blame them for not going. Most people would have cut Veronica out long ago to boot. Hiram was funny, but he was honestly played out by now ( a recurring issue with CW villains). If they do want to use Mark Conseulos again, they can use him for a new character, maybe even a brother. They already did it with Clifford and Claudius. Bonus points if he would act like the comic version of Hiram, to the general befuddlement of all. There's a Reddit theory that their powers and weaknesses are related to their traumas, with Archie being weak to palladium because it represents Hiram's obsession and how that led to most of the stuff Hiram did to him. Best dog in town.

The CCC side of the story hit me differently this week. Allegra's behaviour was pretty unprofessional, but God help me, I agreed with her during some parts of it. Like, interviewing that influencer wasn't a two woman job, that was just a waste of time. I know why Iris did it that way, but it still was. When Taylor was talking about how "bold" the subject was for dropping out of Cornell to be an influencer, my eyes just about rolled out of their skull. I wouldn't have done it, but I could understand the impulse to just go "Nope" with that. Taylor definitely had a point there too, even if she took it too far at the end. when Iris came over to ask who things were going and Allegra just chimed in, despite not having done the actual assigned work, that shit would have pissed me right off. I've actually seen stuff like that done and it's never pleasant. I also really liked Iris this week, first time she's really felt like a boss to me. The show is doing a good job showing her growing into her role. In this case, the parallel between Barry and Allegra who both went off reservation because they had a strong gut feeling made up for it. I can't recall, but did Cecile read clients emotions when there wasn't a present threat to human life?

I'm convinced that Phillip and Viv paid Lou to go away and have no contact with Will and Vy. Yeah, this was a great episode for Carlton, it's great to see him open up about how he was feeling. Having to prove you're worthy to exist in the same space when those other rich white boys can be as average and mediocre as they please with no expectations would definitely get to your head. They talk on the phone now and then. For them, Will is basically the cousin you met once on a family trip your parents dragged you to years ago. You know they exist, but that's it

I like to think that Barry has to consciously choose to go from normal speed to Flashtime, so he can still get surprised by stuff like the gas this episode. Goldface was pretty fun, I hope we can see some more of him. I like when this show does something novel like putting two people who don't interact much together, like Barry and Kramer. I never liked Kramer before, but she's starting to grow on me a little now I felt embarrassed for poor Marcus, it can't be easy just getting dropped into drama like that I'm pretty sure they already knew that, they were just upset about Caitlin just airing that stuff out in public with a relative stranger. I don't think we were supposed to find it charming, just him being petty right back at her.

I don't blame them for wanting to stick around and watch a turnaround game. I would ask why one parent didn't go to the lacrosse game and the other go to the basketball game, or why they decided they would go to the basketball game first. It came across to me as none of them really wanting to go watch lacrosse in the first place. They would go and cheer Carlton on, but they would think of it, subconsciously or not, as doing a chore not as something they would enjoy on it's own. I don't think he needed everyone there, just a single person would have been fine. That baby definitely didn't kick. She was just trying to show off. Not to mention she outed herself as a homewrecker, knew she outed herself and still wanted to insert herself into the event? I start to wonder how much of this is Fred's doing. Going into her private studio and manipulating her with her husband to get her to show her work when she wasn't ready for it was creepy. Plus the way he just blithely wrote down $15,000 when he was the one that came up with the conditions for the bet, when he knows she'll see that eventually? He's trying to get with her. Phillip is fine, that Reid dude is the one that has to be watched.

Seeing Lucy with her nephews was so mice. It made me wish we could see Kara hang out with them too, since she would have perspectives on their Kryptonian heritage that even Clark wouldn't, but alas... That Power Rangers experience served her in good stead. It seemed like he got permission from his boss. Seeing her discuss American football with them was nice. Nothing like sports to bond a family.

I'm loving this show a lot! First Saved by the Bell and now this, Peacock is cornering the reboot market. For me, that moment came when Carlton realized his family ditched his lacrosse game to watch Will's basketball game. I know what it's like for family to just put your interests on the back burner when it's not something "traditionally" black for something that is.

That's another point of commonalty with him and Alice. She was allowed to go free much longer than she should have because of Kate and Marquis is succeeding much more as a villain than he should have because of Jada and Ryan

Not to mention he runs in the same social circles. Yeah, Barbara was still alive at the end there. The idea that BGS was basically using untested illegal medicine on their kids in private to avoid having to give them therapy and risk people knowing their kid is messed up was an interesting one. Rachel Skarsten played Alice going insane pretty well. Glad to see she's finally hallucinating Mouse and not just Ocean.

I'm still thinking that the X-K plot will lead to Jon getting powers myself. That brief eye flash seems like solid proof to me. The condescension fairly oozed out of his mouth this episode and the worst part is that he wasn't even doing it on purpose. Add the snub of not getting to go to a dance with his girlfriend and I can get why Jon is taking that X-K. It's great to see what a real budget can do on a CW show. Ditto! I mean, even if what she's saying is true, the woman drugged you! Can't trust someone like that. I think if the show just didn't want us to see something gory, they'd play it like they did with Tagg's teammates.

I'm wondering if someone in the writer's room thought that if they were going have a cult storyline, they shouldn't ignore the issue? Or maybe someone in there just doesn't like her? I didn't get the impression that Sam trained Clark...at all. The secrecy stuff is grating, but I can understand why Sam agreed, since Jordan was a mistake away from blowing his family's secret. As far as Sam knows, Jon isn't getting himself or his family into trouble, so Jordan really needs more help than he does. I was assuming his arm strength got a boost too, based on some of those passes he was throwing. From what I've seen a lot of people post from multiple series, they don't want kids reacting like kids to stuff, they want them acting like little adults.

I feel like I'm repeating myself here, but I do wish this show would at least put in the effort not to act as though it isn't on Earth-1. I know about the filming restrictions and the different writers, but still. I wonder if it's coincidence or not that Jonathan was wearing Brady's number on the day he announced his retirement? Jon's girlfriend is really starting to bug me now. It's one thing to sell drugs to help feed your family, but it's another to upsell your boyfriend. Jon, you need to dump that chick. On the matter of the X-K, I don't see why JOn would have an adverse reaction due to his half-Kryptonian heritage. I would almost think it would be the opposite. We get confirmation that Lucy's life did not go so well post-Crisis. I'm assuming that she has vestigal memories of her life there which is what is causing her unhappiness and Ally can connect her more fully with those memories. I rather like that Bizarro is thus far an unknowable monster; it's the fact that you can't communicate with them that makes a monster truly scary. Also liked the hear breath, very classic stuff there.

Alice once again steals the episode. This was the first time that she actually felt like a part of the team, an annoying part, but a part. She should drive the Batmobile from now on. I hop Mary keeps that dye job; it suits her. I look forward to where her character is going from here, especially the guilt. Someone should give her Roy's number, he could give her some advice. This is the same island as the Desert Rose, so not exactly a new place. Jada's not exactly a rando and there have been a lot of resurgence of old villain stuff, especially Poison ivy nearly killing half the city. The last scene cemented that Renee is just as crazy as Pam. This makes much sense.

They tricked me, I love when a show manages to trick me. That Bizarro reveal and especially the part at the end with the reversed logo... Chef's kiss. I'm also really loving Natalie. She's getting along with her multi-versal siblings. You know you'll be OK with each other when you can hang out after demolishing someone at Madden. 😁 Tyler's physical acting continues to impress. The way he went hella creepy and disconcerting when he raged out, that excellent pratfall when Jonathan hit him, the way he expressed his struggle with feeling helpless and unsure, simply brilliant. Seeing Sam and Lois have a real heart to heart of the kind they didn't get much of last season was pretty amazing. Now I 'm interested and worried about how exactly Lucy is going to fit into this new family paradigm, especially with the oily Ally Alston running around. The fight scenes were also amazing. That HBO budget works wonders. I particularly liked the scene with John Henry suiting up, that was straight out of Iron Man! I can't quite tell if Jonathan is simply trying to investigate the XK in the town or if he really wants to use it. Hopefully it's the former. The Lana plot is moving ahead too, I hope her new social media approach at the end is enough to wash the Edge stink off her. Though I generally loved the episode, I still dislike how the show is separating itself from the Arrowverse at large. I could not resist rolling my eyes when Clark was acting as if he and John Henry were the only people qualified to help. I know COVID threw some spokes in the wheels, but really there's basically no point is having everything on one Earth.

So why is it that when shows include stuff that have to do with minorities it's forced, but never when it's to do when it's white cis stuff? Kids going off to summer camp and having romantic escapades is a tale as old as time, but it's forced because she kissed a girl?

Sara has been dismissing most of Ava's concerns about how their actions can affect the timeline all season and she did it again with the promise she made to Gwyn. Having your opinions mostly ignored while being expected to clean up messes because you're the 'responsible one' would make anyone mad.

I mean, he blew at her and then she flew away and hit the wall. It seemed clear to me it was something he did. Regardless of Dee's trustworthiness, we can be fairly sure that Superman or someone very like him exists, based on what the general told and showed Naomi's dad. From what we know of the larger Arrowverse not to mention the source series, the multiverse angle seems the most promising.

I believe that this show takes place in one of the new parallel universes Oliver Queen created at the end of Crisis, similar to Stargirl. In this universe, Superman is fictional but he exists on another parallel Earth(not Earth-1, where the main Arrowverse shows take place, but another one) that can still travel to this Earth. Superheroes being fictional on a parallel world is a trope DC has used before and would work well with this series in particular. He literally blew her away with what his powers this episode. To me, it seemed like it was showing her vision getting sharper actually.

Apparently Allison Mack's nickname that all her close friends call her including the cult members is Ally. Kinda, but then again, Tal did just betray his trust and try to kill his son, so... Considering the way his dad was, I can totally buy it. I figured he was like that when the secret got revealed. Jon just got his arm broken, so likely he was taking it easy. I believe his issue with the teammate stems from that, plus the fact that he was lagging behind on the team before and now has to try even harder. That stuff really does get to you when you're 15.

Yeah, Kendall has his degrees and his years of experience working in the company, he could find a good job elsewhere. Shiv could too, though it may be harder. But it's not about the money, it's about love. That's the tragedy of this family. On one hand, Logan groomed them to become his successor and played them off each other to that end, on the other hand he had no intention of actually giving up power and played them off to that end at the same time. They don't want the job so much as they want Logan to choose one of them, because he's raised them to believe that's his way of showing love. Except it actually isn't.

Shiv had a perfectly good career elsewhere, but Logan manipulated her into giving it up in order to use her to his own ends by promising something he was never going to give her. Kendall worked his way up the ladder to the point where he was virtually CEO but Logan just pulled the rug out from under him on a whim, then tried to sell him out to save his own neck. They earned something for that. Roman must be thinking that if he had a spine in Season 1, Ken would have taken over and done this same deal, only he would have taken care of him and Shiv while he was at it.

There are no words. Just damn. When you saw the whole family, even Logan kinda pulling for Kendall there at the start, I got a funny feeling in my stomach that I kinda realized was hope for this crazy fucked up family. Then I remembered what show I was watching. 😂 Jeremy Strong did some unbelievable acting when he just broke down in front of his sibs like that. Kendall just seemed done with everything. I can't believe he admitted his secret to them. Their response left something to be desired, but hey they tried. I was howling when Ken was talking about what he was owed as the eldest son when Connor was right there 🤣 They all deserved Con going off on them. I can't believe I'm saying this, but poor Roman! First his dad scrutinizing his sex life and the way he just dismissed him from the meeting with Mattson. Roman sorta knew he was getting screwed over, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it, even up to the end, The way he was just begging Logan at the end. Logan sinks to even deeper depths than usual today. The way he immediately tried to play Roman off against his sibs as soon as they came in united was a look at the way he must have raised them. No wonder they're all so fucked up, especially Roman. Then he tried to play it off as a lesson for them to succeed, which would have made some sort of sense, if Logan himself hadn't basically manipulated them so he could keep them locked to him, He fucked all of them over when they were trying to gain some measure of independence from him, he doesn't get to complain about the real world to them now. Then he just calls Caroline. No wonder she was married to Logan, she just calmly sold her kids out like that and didn't give a single damn. Finally, Logan was perfectly honest that he's doing it for his sake, and that he cares zero about any of them. And then Tom! The man has cause, but still, I felt for Shiv when she realized it. I'm really looking forward to how the status quo will change next season.

That could be interesting, but it seems to me it was more Josie's way of subconsciously throwing shade on Lizzie for being unable to make a choice between the two. The only TV show I can think of that showed a throuple was what, the Politician? It was really amazing how Aurora planned out this entire thing and expertly maneuvered everything to get Hope to make dumb choices. She hasn't been around for centuries for nothing.

Except Logan uses this against him even when he doesn't do that. Last season, Kendall was actually getting a little happy with Naomi and Logan just decided to use it against him because he was pissed about the Pierce deal falling apart.

She doesn't need all that much power, she just needs enough to get by. We see it in this episode, her fiancee wants to use Logan for his business interests, so she screws over Kendall to get Logan in a good enough mood. When you're as rich and powerful as Logan, even being on his periphery can get you serious gains. Hell, that's Greg's whole character.