oliverwendell

I found it engaging, if not terribly sophisticated.

I need someone to explain to me why the Titan that ate Eren back in Season 2 didn't turn into the Founding Titan/Attack Titan/Whatever Titan Eren Has. If eating one of these Intelligent Titans automatically makes a Pure Titan turn back into a human and thereafter be able to shift into the Titan it ate -- which is what Rod Reiss wanted to do with Eren and Historia -- wouldn't it have happened then?

Hey TvEcho! I just wanted to thank you for posting all these juicy media tidbits here. It's much appreciated!!!!

Who are The Eternals? Are they part of the same universe as The Avengers? Are we supposed to believe that these immortal, superpowered beings have just been hiding on Earth doing nothing even when Earth is dealing with an existential crisis like Thanos? Also, while that movie has a stellar cast, I'm generally less intrigued by stories about immortal superpowered beings than I am by stories about regular mortal folks (albeit regular mortals enhanced by a super soldier serum or a spider bite or a high tech suit), trying their best to be heroes while dealing with regular mortal stuff. Like family shrimp boats and going to high school and coping with PTSD. Though I'm sure I'll watch it.

Jon Snow is called The White Wolf at least once in the television series, when he's nominated to be King of the North by his clansmen. I noticed that, too, and given that he was able to have Sokovian Alfred blow up Karli's super soldiers from the depths of the Raft, this is a really meaningful statement. He absolutely has the reach and power to have Bucky killed at any time, and he's chosen not to. And it's definitely because he decided Bucky wasn't a "bad" super soldier anymore. His other comment, about how he bears him "no grudge for what you felt you had to do," is also telling. It shows that he believes Bucky has a code of honor that is worthy of respect even if he disagrees with him. (Sorry for posting back to back; I haven't figured out how to quote from two different posts in one reply.)

Sharon doesn't say "Sir. Lining up our buyers." She says "Start lining up our buyers." Big difference there: she's not working for someone else, she's in charge.

I thought it was interesting that Walker pulled the exact same move on Bucky that Karli pulled on Lemar, throwing him all the way across the room and into a pillar. Bucky has the super soldier serum, so it didn't kill him, but it's just one more thing that shows Walker has lost whatever moral high ground he had.

I've read comments elsewhere about the show "fridging" Lamar to service John Walker's story. I get where these comments are coming from, but I'm inclined to give the show's writers/creators the benefit of the doubt on this one, especially since there are so many people of color involved in shaping the narrative and one of its driving themes is whether America would ever accept a Black Captain America. In fact, I think there's an argument to made that by employing this trope here they are actually subverting it. John Walker's Captain America has been presented as the dark side of American exceptionalism from the start, especially the strain of "exceptionalism" that translates as "white supremacy." (In other words, the idea that the best parts of America are the white parts.) In a story where that kind of hero is exalted, he would have a Black sidekick, and his trusty Kemo Sabe/Sancho would have to die so he could realize his full potential. But that's not what happened here. Lamar dying pushed John straight to the dark side, and he's clearly not going to be redeemed. So I think we are supposed to see the supremacist cruelty in that trope through how it plays out in this episode. Also, I expect the narrative to draw pointed contrasts between Sam and John in this regard. After all, this is Sam's Captain America origin story, not John Walker's, and unlike John, Sam won't need a loyal sidekick to die to make him who he's destined to be.

That would be a GREAT swerve. Maybe it's no accident that the episode where we first see her is called Power Broker.

I guess my quibble with this take on things is that I didn't read Bucky as following Sam on the mission to keep lecturing him about the shield. After all, he didn't mention the shield again once they were on the plane. I read it as Sam telling Bucky he was investigating a potentially Avenger-level situation ("Androids, aliens, or wizards"), and Bucky wanting to tag along on that. To help, and also because it was the first thing he'd stumbled across that felt purposeful to him since the events of Endgame.

Just popping out of lurkerdom (I too haven’t watched this show in years but am back for the final rodeo) to say: HI DEMIAN. Your reviews of the first five seasons on TWoP were some of the best TV recap/commentary pieces I have ever read. To anyone who hasn’t read them: go find them. They are archived somewhere with all the old TWoP recaps, and they are brilliant.

Also, do we know if either of these two leakers are still associated with the show for Season 8? (Because if they are, I imagine it's pretty likely they will leak again.) To be honest, I liked the level of spoilage for Season 6. It gave me little nuggets to speculate about. But I didn't like knowing every beat of every episode for season 7, so if we get that level of detail again, I'll go 100% spoiler-free to avoid knowing.

I think Jon is doomed. I agree with the idea floating around on the interwebs that he is the Lightbringer of the prophecy, the "flaming sword" forged by Rhaegar (who was the Prince Who Was Promised/Azor Ahai), to defeat the long night. He was brought back by R'Hillor (hence the "flaming" part) to do this one thing, and I think he will die doing it. I honestly see no other future for him. Danaerys will sit on the Iron Throne, possibly pregnant with his child, hopefully influenced by him to be a more moderate, even proto-democratic, ruler, and Sansa will be the Lady of Winterfell. His death is the bitter part of GRRM's ending. (IMO his "final five" list of survivors means nothing. It just means these characters survive until the last book. It doesn't mean they're still standing at the end of that book.) So I go with: Dead 1. Jon 2. Jorah 3. Cersei 4. Jaime 5. Littlefinger 6. Beric 7. The Hound 8. Euron 9. Ghost 10. Rhaegal 11. Melisandre 12. Varys Living 1. Dany 2. Bran 3. Sansa 4. Arya 5. Tyrion 6. Tormund 7. Brienne 8. Sam 9. Gilly 10. Gendry 11. Missandei 12. Yara 13. Drogon 14. Edd

Is the wedding at Regina's house? It kind of looks like it, with that black and white floor tile.

I just finished posting this same thought in the Speculation thread. But you put it much more coherently than I did, and now I'm even more convinced that we're both right.

This is an excellent theory also. However it shakes out, I'm convinced Redbeard is critical to whatever went down with Euros and Sherlock as children. I still lean toward my own crack theory (Redbeard = Euros) but the fact that there's canon out there involving murderous siblings and dogs is interesting.....!

I have another crack theory: there is no Redbeard the Dog. Redbeard the Dog is a trick of Sherlock's mind. Any memory we've seen of Young Sherlock and Redbeard is actually a memory of Young Sherlock and Euros. (Okay, yes, that one is probably too crazy.)

Okay, I don't normally toot my own horn like this, but I'm feeling positively Sherlockian right now, because last week I posted this in the Speculation thread: But I will freely admit I didn't guess the redhead on the bus was also the therapist.

What if Sherrinford is the redhead on the bus? Okay, that's a crack theory. But I'm leaving it here anyway.

I agree. I also think Lucifer's self-touted honor will be jeopardized by his emotional connection to Chloe before the end of the season. That line from Charlotte about how "the one thing Lucifer values above [pointed look at Chloe] everything is his honor" just screams foreshadowing. I think Dad is using Chloe to take Lucifer down a peg or two, teach him lessons about humanity and humility and, more sinisterly, eviscerate the one thing holding Lucifer's fragile self-esteem together: his sense of integrity. All so he can bring him back into the fold. The question will be, how does Lucifer square his strong desire for a deep, human connection with Chloe (not just romantic, mind you) with his much vaunted free will? And what role does Chloe herself play in all of it? Because I do credit with these writers with a plan that involves her being more than just a "magical girl" who exists solely to serve Lucifer's story, and that's saying a lot, because I usually assume the worst in these situations. Don't disappoint me, writers.

!!!!!!! I was a diehard TWoP girl (under a different username). I'd definitely check out its new iteration, and I'd be really excited if the recaps were back. TWoP had THE BEST show recaps out there, rivaled only by AVClub. (Cindy McClennan!! Have they called you yet??) But I have to say, I like the way this place is moderated much better. There's a little more leeway allowed for vigorous debate, but it's never allowed to descend into the personal or annoyingly repetitive.

I've thought this since they first appeared onscreen. I don't think you hire Sam Witwer to be a one-season villain. I think he's secretly good, and I also think he will be Regina's True Love. (Because Robin was just her "soulmate." Not her "true love.")

The same could be said of Melisandre, though. Maybe Jon orders them to forge an uneasy truce because he needs them both? I really don't want him to throw in with Melisandre's Red God wackadoo shit.

If he is dead to me.

Bringing this over from the episode thread, because I belatedly realized it's more spec than commentary: I just watched it, and I'm kind of loving Hyde, gross bloodshot eyes and all. I'm hoping he turns out to be the good guy, and Jekyll the bad guy. Maybe he wants Storybrook because he's actually trying to help the people from the Land of Untold Stories finish their stories and find their happy endings, while Jekyll wanted to come to Storybrook to be all eeeeevil and such? One way or another, I'm pegging Hyde for Regina's new love interest. I don't think you hire Sam Witwer just to talk in a really low voice and rock Victorian outfits.