Ariah

The amount of "Ward was really just protecting FitzSimmons this episode" I saw on other board made me utterly sick. It's scary how people (misguided young women?) perceive a villainous behaviour if the perpetrator is attractive. I wonder if Malick knows something more about the "It" lore that he was not telling Ward - like, "It" needs a human host and will be drawn towards the strongest Alpha Male on the planet, hence Malick's move to have Ward leading the team. Now, with Coulson in the mix, "It" may find it hard to decide which body to chose. (I still believe the storm/revenant Jemma saw on the Planet was a security system guarding "It" and its current host. That's why it didn't cross through the portal with Fitz and Jemma, even though it was pretty close. It was stopping the real HydraLord from crossing over.) I must admit that even though Fitz told Jemma he's going to get Will back, his face made me wonder if he's not trying to pull a suicide mission, make good on his promise to Ward and leave them all forever stranded on PlanetBlue. I admit that Jemma looked pretty good for all the screaming she did - either she has a really low pain treshold (not likely, concerning previous episodes) or the makeup department botched the job. The show is not Jessica Jones, so I'm rulling out the other ways in which she might have been hurt that would not leave marks visible on a clothed body (yes, my mind went there, thanks to Killgrave and Jessica). Those who feel cheated that Jemma's story was reduced to a typical damsel in distress kind - I'm hoping she'll have a large part to play in the next episode, with Secret Warriors storming the castle and her trying to figure out how to help Fitz and keep the portal open.

In the light of the current events, I'm almost sure the cliffhanger of the winter finale will be Fitz getting Will to Jemma, only for Will to be revealed as the "It" / "Overlord" in the final seconds of the episode.

I believe it's easier to endure physical pain onself than to have to witness a person you love suffer. I'm pretty sure that if Jemma had to listen to Fitz being tortured, she'd react the same way. Still, Ward made his choice that way, because - I think - he had an axe to grind with Jemma for trying to kill him earlier... And he just loves messing with Fitz's sense of self-worth. I know most of you hate Ward, but I still love to hate him :) He's still a good villain IMO. It's hard to find an equally personal foil to the team, unless somebody's long-lost realtive will pop up... Having said that, I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the last of Thomas. I want to believe he was really a good guy, but... you never know with this series. Ros's loss would have touched me more if I a) knew more about her and b) cared more for Coulson. Funny how in a series that centers around Coulson, I couldn't care less for him. I started to care for Skye/Daisy, I love May, I adore Mack, i wouldn't like to live in a world without Simmons and Fitz... But I just don't care much for Coulson, his resurection, life, loves and losses. Heck, I felt more for Banks in this episode! edited to add: - the portal must have some momentum dampening abilities, because Coulson was seriously getting some speed when jumping down the hole and the impact on the other side should have killed him (unless the portal shoots the objects passing through 'up' and thus manages to dampen the total speed... which could be the point) - the whole scene with Fitz and Simmons by the portal reminded me of Empire Strikes Back and Leia/Han goodbye. But this may be just my recent Star Wars rewatch talking.

Sneak peak 2: http://www.zimbio.com/TV+Preview/articles/WcgrDXM-S7z/Exclusive+Agents+H+E+L+Sneak+Peek+FitzSimmons

I may be remembering things wrong, but wasn't it that Jay actually described his brother as a douche on Chicago PD? I guess every med drama needs one and not every Halstead can be likeable. I was thinking they were setting him up with the pregnant doctor, but the way he treated her in this episode... oh boy, way out of line. The heart-attack case hit quite close to home to me: recently my mum had a heart-attack (she had angioplasty and is fine now), so I basically knew a lot about symptoms and blood markers. I guess the guy just had a clotted artery (he was overweight, had a lot of stress from his wife - these are serious risks). On a shallow note: Doctor Rhodes is still extremely easy on the eyes. And Colin O'Donnel just keeps on getting s!tty on-screen fathers...

I had two m isconceptions about this show: 1. I thought, with all the back pilots and characters being present at the other Chicago shows, that Med started a few weeks ago and that I have a few episodes piled up to watch. 2. That Will Halstead will be the main focus character. I'm glad I was wrong on the second one, not so happy i was wrong on the first one. As much as I love Jay, I cannot make myself like his brother. So, I was not at all eager to try this Med series, thinking it'll feature the mighty Halstead-redux taking the lead. But then tumblr gifs arrived, showing Colin O'Donnel in scrubs, Colin O'Donnel sans scrubs... And I was lost. I had to try it. It's true, all Med series are quite alike, once you get to now them. And it's true, there has to be a wunder-surgeon, a real Captain Hospital who is not only handsome, but also brilliant and kind and with a tragic past to boot. But, to be honest, Colin O'Donnel can be my Wonder Doctor anytime. This series will be watched.

I may be biased as I'm utterly scarred by previous shows by a guy named "Wheddon". I'm rooting for these two, but at the same time I'm afraid that if they are finally happy, something huge will come up and destroy the said happiness. But let's put that aside and use logic and real-life experience: - I think Fitz will try to avoid the subject and distance himself from Jemma, because that kiss was his goodbye. - I think Jemma will try to talk about it and nudge Fitz to open up, because that kiss was her welcome sign. I still think the whole Will affair should not have been done the way it was - it would easily have the same impact without the romantic aspect. But alas, the writers used a cheap trick and we have to roll with it. At least Fitz vocalized what I think of the writer's abilities when he talked about the curse. What I'm hoping for is the writers actually going for a steady relationship with these two, which, on-screen, would only differ from the dynamics we have between them by having them steal a kiss or two in the lab and exit the same bunk in the morning.

I'm pretty sure those who came up with those names high-fived themselves with joy and squeeled "see what we did there? see?" (and yes, the Yo-Yo part is not only lame but kind of offensive)

As long as the real Fitz is there and not gone like Fred to Illyria... Then I may give it a try ;)

As far as I'm 120% certain that Ward will turn inhuman one way or the other, I'm not so trigger happy with killing off May... "two shocking twists" may or may not mean someone is actually dying. One would be the whole Ward-inhumanization thingy, but it can be done in such a way that the audience is led to believe he's dead - he's consumed by the cocoon and left on the alien planet (yesss) or somewhere in a dark storage room, or in a colapsed cave... And then, in the final seconds of the episode, we see his cocoon breaking and flames rushing out. Or something. So, that's one twist. Another twist may be linked to Bobbi and Hunter leaving the show for their own spin-off. I'm still hung up on the word "twist", which means something we expect does not happen, but something other does. Naturally, those who know the spin-off is in the making, won't be surprised with the duo leaving the show, but... what can be the cause of their decision? Perhaps Mack's death? Now that Lincoln has been added, Mack could be pushed to the background and eventually killed off (noooo!). Another take on the "twist": Will is not human (yes, we're all at least partially suspecting that, but think about a regular user. That could be a twist for them - to have a final shot of Will cradling Simmons with tenderness and joy... and see his eyes turn yellow/red/black) (also, I refuse to even think about May, Simmons and Fitz dying. THAT is not happening )

Ritter is not my thing, I look at her and see a goofy side-kick from romantic comedy and a goofy Veronica Mars character. But I'm willing to give her a chance... She's really doing a good job with PTSD, it's just that i don't buy her as a serious character. +1 to liking the credits. The watercolour feel and music really got me. I liked the dark turn and the fact that the villain seems insanely creepy and powerfull. I also like the fact that Jessica's abilities are not all front and center, but very underplayed. Yes, she can hold up a car. Yes, she can jump (fly?) to a balcony. But how powerfull is she really? (I want to find out) The Luke Cage thing seemed weird to me. Was she observing him? I got the impression at first, that they used to be an item, but whatever happened in her life, split them apart. I guess that was not the case and they just hooked up.

Perhaps, ironicaly, the "monster" seen on the Blue Planet is a guarding system for the Big Bad Inhuman (presently in the shape of Will). So, in a true Wheddon fashion, the one Simmons regarded as dangerous was only trying to help. As for Ward and Malick taking anyone from SHIELD to open the portal - I guess they'd want: a) Simmons, a.k.a. the person who was brought back and can tell what she saw there if properly motivated, b) Fitz, a.k.a. the person who figured out how to open the portal and can build a machine to do that if properly motivated. It's so convenient that a + b comes in a neat package called FitzSimmons and can indeed be motivated by threatening the other one. Which Ward would be delighted to do. (...and I can almost see the final shot of winter finale...)

Ok, I may be alone here, but I like evil Ward. Don't get me wrong, I need him to have his comeuppance. I need him to lose, to get hurt and scarred. I want the good guys to beat him. ...but I like evil Ward doing evil things, no remorse, no second thoughts. I always liked villains like that. I hope I will not be asked to feel sympathetic towards him, because I refuse to do that. I love to hate this Ward. Fitz, you and Simmons are cursed by Wheddon. Trust me, you don't want to be a happy couple. Nothing ever came good out of that equation in Wheddon-verse. (Or be the exception to the rule, because I adore you both, you little conflicted sweet science children) Bobbie and her magnetic batons - pretty neat. Wouldn't work against Magneto, though. Good he's out of this universe...

So, anyone ales thinks next episode someone will blow terrigen up Ward's face which does turn him into a cocoon and later on gives him some destructive powers? (Closure = the closing of a chapter on human-Ward, the closing of the cocoon)?

And what was happening when his teeth were coming out?... If he bit his tongue? That one time he scratched a pimple and it bled?... (Ok, I'll stop now)

Very pretty show, very pretty. A post-apocalyptic western, I like the premise. The sword-fight in the rain was absolutely wonderfull, an anime come to life. I'm putting the show on my "to watch live" list. Now for some stray thoughts: - young prodigies who turn into killing machines when bleeding -> not a fan. I prefer seasoned warriors with troubled past (see: Sunny) - in need of a strong female character / badass. The widow seems like a good try, I'll see where she ends up. - the first wife of the Baron knows the pendant / the city. Perhaps she's related to the young bleeding prodigy.

Was it ever explain why the device Blofeld used on Bond didn't work and James didn't lose his face-recognition skills? Or are we to assume that: - either Blofeld made a mistake and didn't set the machine too precise (probable), - or Bond is strong enough to counter mechanical injury to his brain (improbable). Other explanation is that Bond does not use this part of his brain to recognize women... he uses the other one. Of course I'd have loved a twist in the end where Bond calls Dr Swann "Vesper" and is sincere about it, meaning his brain indeed had been damaged.

Well, having WW's romance in the WWII period makes her conveniently free to romance Batman and Superman... Oh boy, do I hate this or do I hate this?

I don't think we'll have sexy times for FitzSimmons just yet ;) Fitz seems that kind of guy who takes a step back and considers Jemma "taken", so he won't make a move. It's up to Simmons to close the gap, and I believe she'll be trying to: she did ask "what do we do with this now?" wanting Fitz to state where is he standing. Still, Fitz seems to be too of a gentleman. I guess he's waiting for Jemma to sort things out with Will first and make her choice when both men are present. (But I do believe Jemma will try to kiss Fitz next episode and either someone will interrupt them, or Fitz will at first reciprocate hen break the kiss) I'm just happy we didn't get the space-pregnancy, because the medical would have found that out by now.

I need to put my stray thought to paper and state what bothered me in this new Bond film (and, by extension, the whole Craig run). And I'm not talking about women and their abysmal treatement. It's Bond's identity. For me, Bond has always been a code name. James Bond is a name attached to 007. Like M and Q, there can be only one James Bond at a time, and there will always be a James Bond. In my mind, the agency took on lost souls and gave them purpose and name. So the first James Bond might have been a Sean, then a Roger, etc. When one was killed or retired, a different man step up to take his place. A neverending procession of Jameses Bonds. Always a little reckless and always womanizing their way around the assignement. Cocky. That was probably a requirement for the 007 codename. An unspoken rule for every M and Q would be never to mention the previous Bond to the new one. A Bond is a Bond, there's no point in making much fuss about it. One can always read about the predecesor in the files. One rarely does. And this is why I cringed when the Craig's run introduced Bond as a real figure. A James Bond of birth name, who had parents that were killed and whose arch-enemy was connected to him from before little James even though of becoming an agent. (Yes, I am aware the novel treates Bond as his real name. But the novel never anticipated several decades of franchise and changing faces). By doing that, by rebooting the franchise, current run cuts itself further from the previous films in the series - and I detest that very much. This film will quote and allude to previous parts of the franchise, at the same time cutting the line. I don't need Bond's enemy to be connected to his childhood, if it does nothing to make this Bond more human. It doesn't. I don't need Bond's enemy to be obsessed with Bond outside the fact that he's an agent on her Majesty's Secret Service. It does not give him more depth. This Blofeld didn't want to rule the world. It seemed the only reason he created a multi-national crime organization was to one day fight with his one-time semi-brother figure. World domination? An afterthought. Let's torment Bond. (How anticlimatic. How pathetic) I need the Bond franchise rebooted again. A fresh start with minium personal baggage. Please?

I'm holding my judgement until I actually see the said characters in action. My only recolection of Hawkman was from when he was called Katar Hol and had a wife Shayera and a friend called Gentleman Ghost. Yes. I liked them, but their only power was flying, so... not too much to do in a world of Superman. Ok, they could talk to birds. If Vandal Savage has ties to both Damien Darkh and Malcolm, he may be more interesting. I'm not crossing him out just yet.

I guess I'm ready for a new actor to take on Bond's moniker. I'm officially fed up with Craig. After the film we had a little discussion with friends about the whole "5 seconds hook-up" with Bellucci. A beautifull woman, reduced to a mere side-piece. Within the context of the film, the sex-scene had no purpose. This Bond comes across like a predator, exploiting women's weaknesses. In Skyfall, he had sex with Silva's girl, a sex-slave survivor. And now he just take advantage of a widow. Why would a normal person do that? It doesn't help that I find Craig weirdly similar to Vladimir Putin when he smiles.... Doctor Swann got points from me initially as she mocked Bond's womanizing. But soon she also fell prey to his "pelvic sorcery" in a scene so cliched the sound of ground teeth filled the cinema. Poor Mr White laughed so hard when he heard Bond will "protect" his daughter. He probably foresaw this scene. Doctor Swann, described as a survivor and a resourcefull girl gets herself kidnapped in the final act - what a let down. I guess sex with Bond does that to women. The only thing I liked unconditionally was the opening sequence up to the point when the window blew up (the single-camera shot De Palma inspired shot). But was it ever explained why the room blew up and took the building with it? Was it Bloefeld's evil schemeing? Was it Bond being his regular self and going for the overkill?

I never had a problem with Cassandra (other than her sudden but inevitable betrayal at the beginning of the series). I still think her overly enthusiastic and childish behavior is a coping mechanism when faced with terminal illness. We have been shown she can be dead serious (pun semi-intended) but choses not to, perhaps that brings her to close to the thought of oblivion. Her attire does not bother me as well, maybe I have been around artistic types for too long. Also, I think they've toned her down in season 2. Ezekiel is a different matter - he does bother and irritate me, but I cannot pinpoint why. He's like an itch I cannot scratch. - - - Having said that, I enjoyed the episode - the season 1 Stone episode was not my favourite, but this one played out much better. I liked how Baird was not featured too much this episode, which helped flesh out the rest of the team. I liked the funny bits and the drama - predictable and tropey, but still hit the right notes. The effects were as always - sub-par, but it's like watching the old Xena series. Make-believe-pretend it's ok.

Ah, the Smallville song! Great montage, though, very dynamic and fitting the rythm.

I still firmly believe that long lushious locks, be it natural or a wig, are not a prefered hairstyle for urban brawl. Gets in the eyes. Wig can be a defense mechanism - when an opponent grabs the hair, he's left hanging to a wig and exposed to a hit. But frankly, what works as a female-fighter hairstyle is slick hair in a tight bun or crew-cut.