Lantern7

Final first-round matches, and TriHands TriForce Tri Hards make it to the next stage. Sean Bryan and his team had to work for it, though. Sloppy running all around, which explains how Wisco Warriors (mostly rookies) beat Jamie Rahn's Superhero Squad. Hazard Brigade pushed Tri Hards, and Mike Bernado beat "Papal Ninja" when he had a mistake on the course. Seriously, though, this episode was not a good example of competition. Seriously, how does the next round work? Nine teams advanced, and I think eight are going into the wild card round, so we'd win up with eleven altogether. Am I missing something? ETA: Last season, Sean was a substitute. That still tickles me. He made Stage Three in ANW, and he was a filler.

"Hey, Joe. I've been a bit busy here at Star Cit- . . . no, I didn't hear about Laurel in Central City. Wait . . . .another Laurel?!? And she's from that Earth where everyone's a Nazi? And that version of my daughter is also a Nazi? And she came to our world? Wow. No, Joe, you did the right thing. What am I gonna do? I'm gonna drink until I die. If I'm going to Heaven, I wanna go really happy. Seriously, I got enough shit with the Laurel I got now." Dunno who sucks harder: Diaz from Arrow or DeVoe. I like the idea of Barry having to deal with somebody without speed and with more brains. But the Thinker basically can't be beat. He's wicked smart and he can absorb powers. How many sets of abilities does he have now? It gets exhausting. Basically, it's a guarantee that the missus is gonna betray him, but he reads minds. He would see that coming. We'll end up with a Deus ex Macchina to save Barry in the very end, and that's also tiring. DeVoe has more characterization than Diaz, but it get boring to see him pants Barry over and over. Found this on the Earth-X thread: Ha! Called it! All versions of Laurel Lance suck!! And of course this one has sonic powers, because originality is hard to find sometimes. I'll give the show points for Laurel-X's echolocation abilities. I doubt Dinah or Laurel-2 will think of that. I forget . . . .did Quentin-X live past his brief appearance? Snart is still Snart,and that's always fun. I am a bit tired of doppelgangers being the same throughout. How about a Snart without Wentworth's sarcastic delivery? Maybe from Earth-2? As much as Snart was fun, he felt too "magical" here. He comes in, gives advice and life lessons, and goes away into a magic portal. While I'm at it . . . Tom & Jerry is a thing on Earth-X? So . . . random. If the Nazis ran that Earth, that must have been a really dark cartoon. Tom probably ate Jerry every time. Watching Cisco and Harry, I remember an old short on the dangers of driving ragged on by Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Harry makes another cap for Cisco, all I could think was, "Hey, [nobody] never said anything about doing intensely stupid things!" Aside from Cisco putting on the mental equivalent of the Everlasting Gobstopper, what was the point? Yeah, boo hoo for Harry because somebody is smarter than him. He can't deal. He's probably the smartest guy on Earth-2. He's probably smarter than all of the Wellses out there. Well, except for Harrison-1, but he's been dead for about a decade. And now, he's gonna shed IQ points.

I guessing a lot of people missed the bulk of the episode. Once they namedropped Zook, all the hardcore fanboys passed out. Good episode with a lot of angst. And cape fu. Apparently, that's a martial art Superman doesn't know about. Who said Mon was useless? Also, party games with Martians. It's just sad that M'yrnn is not only losing his mind, but it wreaks havoc in the DEO. Granted, a lot of the people working there could benefit from a forced physical regiment involving beating the crap out of each other. And it does create admittedly awesome slow-motion sequences . . . .but the cost is too great. Meanwhile, Lena gives Sam tough love. Lena is in that grey area where she's doing the right thing for the right reason, but she's being a bitch about it. Well, "bitch" probably wouldn't apply if she wasn't a Luthor. Also, James shows us he exists. Yay? Oh, and the sky falls at the end of the episode. I'm still thinking the writers are taking cues from Legends of Tomorrow. ETA: Cute bro moment with Mon and Winn. I approve.

Simulated conversation between myself and the local CW station: Me: You guys are preempting Arrow for the Yankees again? CW11: Yeah. And we’ll run the episode on Sunday night. There will be a Mets game on Saturday. Seriously, you don’t invest in this “Arrowverse” series like the others. Why do you care? Me: It’s the principle! CW11: Well, the episode centers on Diaz. Me: Wow. You just did me a solid. CW11: Right?!? I don’t care about “Dragon.” Kinda wish Adrian was back. Or Slade. Or Damien. Or Malcolm . . . and I feel everyone would loathe that character if he wasn’t played by John Barrowman. For this whole season, the endgame for Diaz was to have “a seat at the table” with a larger crime family? And the cherry on top was finding his orphanage antagonist and setting him ablaze?? Seriously, how old are the writers? Such poor motivation, and Diaz’s Vin Diesel-like mumblegrowl makes me not take things more seriously. I know Kirk Acevedo is good, but he should’ve passed on this gig. Another question: how far would Diaz have gotten in a past season? Team Arrow is fractured as hell, and I see that as the only reason he still has the edge. At this point, Laurel-2 killing him (and Anatoly) might be for the best, and I think all Laurels are toxic. Fuck it, bring in an evil team of counterparts from Earth-2, give them scars and eyepatches, and it might work better than what we have now.

This is based off Ninja vs. Ninja, but I think it fits . . . cameras focusing on Matt and Akbar going nuts while doing commentary.

This week: Alessi basically torments the shit out of Polnareff, making him even younger. Also, as per @jbrecken, he turned Polnareff's rescuer into a fetus. Polnareff does get in some decent movies . . . like shitting in the tub as Alessi tries to drown him. And then setting up a semi-intricate hiding place and ambushing Alessi, using Silver Chariot to slice the hell out of that ugly face. Alessi gets knocked out of the window . . . and lands in front of Jotaro. Alessi actually uses Seth to shrink Jotaro down to seven years . . . and back then, he didn't have Star Platinum. Unfortunately, Alessi doesn't realize that Jotaro was fuckin' tough for a seven-year-old. One knocked-out a-hole later, the re-aged Jotaro and Polnareff use their Stands to Team Rocket Alessi. The end. Well, there is a bit of denouement with Polnareff biding the lady goodbye without revealing what had happened. Either Polnereff really is a gentleman, or "Some guy turned you into a fetus" was too big a hassle to explain. The guys meet Joseph and Avdol, who are recovering from their battle with Mariah, and DIO's residence is revealed. Lil Jotaro shouting "ORA ORA ORA!!!!" was adorable. Also, I was wrong about Jotaro playing dumb. In his defense, I forgot that Adult Polnareff has the eraser hair. Lil Polnareff had the Guile hair.

@Matt K . . . maybe you could help set up forum titles. I can’t think on those. “It’s Not ‘My Hero Macadamia’!” doesn’t really work anywhere. ETA: Were there any ads for My Hero Academia last night?

Jamie Chung will be going to BoroughCon in Brooklyn. Anybody near there want to say “hi” to her?

Here's my mind went. Even for Robot Chicken, it's dark. I reckon the melancholy nature of the music fits better in the second half of the anime. I haven't checked . . . has "Diamond Is Unbreakable" been dubbed?

I got spoiled because this thread shows up in my content. I'm not torn up about it, though. My question: exactly how much blood did Orga have? I think the absolute limit poured out of him as he staggered forth, delivering his final lines. The second big question: is Mika gonna go off the rails because Orga balanced him so well? Or is Mika too emotionally dead. She had two girls kissing him on the cheek. Anybody else would have smiled. @ZoqFotPik . . . in case you didn't hear, Toonami picked up My Hero Academia and will slide it into the 11:30 slot, pushing FLCL and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure back thirty minutes.

@Sandman87 . . . that was my thought upon initially seeing trailers, but it gets a lot of praise. And people think it's one of the anime that Black Clover "borrows" from.

Lots of stuff happened tonight, but the main thing I got? Deke suuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. Yeah, I know, he hails from a crappy future where he had to look out for "number one" and occasionally selling people out, but he brings nothing good to the table, and he's crushing on Daisy. I can be nice in saying that he's slightly better than any version of Grant Ward, but he's just a waste. Basically, he's here to make the noble sacrifice. Well, another noble sacrifice. "Shut up, Lemons," indeed. Talbot needs a hug. And a supporting role next season, because Pasdar was/is wasted on Supergirl. We need an acidic authority type that's cranky most of the time. Even without the Bucky programming, he's fun to watch. Can't really blame Elena for killing Ruby. Of course, she's probably wrong about aborting the future, but that was a nice moment. Ruby was compelling, but she was a pain in the ass before the floating and other assorted abilities. Girl was broken, and she'd never get fixed.

Here's a brief AMV with All Might. Anybody want to take bets on when I start asking for MHA sketches at conventions? Still hoping for Assassination Classroom, though the phrases "kids with guns" and "tentacles" makes the prospect iffy. Still hoping for Mob Psycho 100 to ward off the One-Punch Man shakes. Oh, and One Piece.

I think that I need a notebook to keep up with the machinations. between Oswald, Ed, and their seconds. On the bright side: Ra's is back, Barbara has an army, and fanfic writers are currently doing the second chapter of their Alfred/Tabitha stories. So funny . . . and Selina going Tom Cruise to snag the knife didn't push it over the top. Looks like Babs grew. Also, she now has a small army of badass assassins. Yeah, that is not gonna end well. As least Tabitha's back in her corner. Dunno about Selina. . . I'm thinking she's firuging out she's the sensible one in that clique. Like the idea that Ed can plague Riddler. Of course, Gotham City is going up in flames. Y'know, again. Did Ra's mean in the final three episodes this season,, or is he selling next season? Of course, it looks like Jeremiah is gonna go Jokermiah next week. Seriously, the proto-Joker shit is getting old. I'm having fun, but it feels like I'm getting yanked around.

Good finale for a good series. Fuck it, let's sink the CW with DC Comics properties. They're doing way better than the DCEU, and who needs Smallville Riverdale? Wait, don't answer that. Given how painful the tone gets, we have a semblance of a happy ending. The Pierce family lives, Tobias lives to scheme and eat scenery, and the Mega Evil White Dude "got got." Dude reminded me of the Dean from Animal House as Mr. Big in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. Just unabashedly evil and racist as fuck. Not bulletproof, though. Thanks, Gambi!! Does Khalil have a supervillain name? Enhancing cybernetics and neurotoxins don't sound too familiar to me. For some reason, I keep thinking M.A.N.T.I.S. Tobias' henchwench is Syonide, which fits. Lala = Tattooed Man? Curious is this comes back in the fall, or goes in as a midseason replacement. It does deserve a second season after this episode, showing it can get as bugfuck as Legends of Tomorrow, which is a huge compliment from me. ETA for @Trini . . . thanks. Dunno if there's a canon character for that name. I vaguely know of a "Painkiller Jane," but that's about it.

Are Yankees fans still booing Giancarlo? It’s only April. It’s not like he’s struck out fifty times, both his arms fell off, and Derek Jeter is seen absconding with the Yankees’ millions, which is all he ever wanted.

Alert: My Hero Academia debuts on May 5, and Toonami says they got all three seasons. ETA: Tumblr post

I'm going to be DVRing this. I have a job, and I get up before 6, so I feel that I shouldn't be watching anything with intent going to 11 p.m. It helps that I'm not caring about most of the idjits on both sides. And we got Wes and Devin in the same edition, which means ego in stereo. Seriously, they're basically the same guy. If you punch one in the face, the other feels it. Devin's back is probably still sore from the excessive patting after beating Johnny in Vendettas. CT is still fun to watch. Apparently, not thinking hard enough about a slide with lube will help you up it. Good to know. There should have been male and female heats. I know Shane probably didn't mean to slip, slide, and knock three girls down, but it's still painful. Also: Shane has never made a Challenge final, let alone won a season. Why not just call this Challengers vs. Stars? New format means that the Stars are going to get bulldozed. And this shit is for charity, which makes things suck a little harder. Mike: "Hey, you guys want my fantasy football fave back in the game?” Team Red: "The Stars are in a minority . . . .so, yeah, Arian’s charity is getting table scraps."

I didn't start watching from the start until around 8:18. Still not caring. The biggest loser tonight has to be Angela. I'm good with the movements while eating . . . I think pro eaters (re: Joey Chestnut, Tim Janus) do that during contests. It's just that she tried to swallow sea slugs whole, or at least in as few bites as possible. Regardless of her relationship status, she's guaranteed to get a lot of attention from males that basically boils down to "How you doin'?" I thought Wendell was toast after he didn't even try to compete in the IC. I mean, I can't say I blame him, but a potential power player like him should at least try to solidify his position. Hey, another magic stick got used. How many are left?

Huh. Sometimes, wonders never cease. Here’s hoping for an early season!

Crap, I didn’t check Dirty XXX on Wikipedia. Sorry about that. I think her payout beats out Johnny’s ill-gotten gain from Rivals III.

I might have been distracted and/or not caring at the very end. Did they say how much Cara Maria won? According to Wikipedia, she left with $380,125. That’s a single-season record, but BMP seldom focused on the running tallies of the players, so I am not really awed. A rough calculation in my head says her payday was more than five times greater than Zach’s. Even after taxes, she should have enough to pay people back, start a business, get the extensive plastic surgery needed to drop from Abram’s radar, etc.

I know that I sound like a broken record, but I don't care . . . Why do I watch this series? Nobody comes off looking entirely good. There can never be a truly happy ending unless "masseuses" are involved. BMP keeps fucking with the formula where only minor changes are called for. And we don't find out who won until two weeks after we see the final mission, which is even more fucked up than CBS dragging the final results of Survivor past two hours. And seriously, lets just have Devin and Johnny drop trou, and we can finally determine who the real man is. Because we're never going to get a clear-cut answer via endgame. All they do is snipe at each other . . . and while I feel that Johnny needs a foil, Devin is as big of an asshole as him. He's basically Diet Wes, and the actual Wes is too busy doing shit to participate in the "real" edition. Oh, and Cara Maria won. Yay, I guess. I get how she can be a pain in the ass, but she's not as awful as at least half the other girls. And at least Jemmye felt like a bitch for dumping on Kayleigh. She's never going to make a final mission, though. Ditto Shane, who should have stayed "retired" after Fresh Meat. I hated him in Campus Crawl. It tickles me that Sarah got a title, and he never even advanced to a final episode. I'm recording CvS3. Maybe "Final Reckoning" won't suck, but I doubt it. I'm still holding out hope that the "Final" will be a big part of that season.

Ralph: Rookie, DeVoe is gunning for me. I like living. If I break his neck, would that be a bad thing? Barry: First of all: HEROES. NEVER. KILL. Usually. Secondly, he has eight sets of abilities. You take "Folded Man" to the lair, it won't end well. Please leave this to the professionals. [later] DeVoe: Tarnation! Team Flash done gone plumb loco! They go for my big chair, and they didn't check if I was actually there! Oh, and I'm really over being Izzy. I done like not having a pecker, but this here accent's got to go! [hitting a nearby spittoon] Seriously, call in Oliver. DeVoe can predict everything? Okay, lets see him anticipate an arrow to the neck. No Felicity or Diggle, no Team Broen Arrow, no bring in Supergirl. One arrow? Problem solved. As must as I like taking a break from a speedster Big Bad, it gets tiring watching DeVoe pwn Team Flash over and over. I didn't expect him to depower Caitlin, which is an extra kick to the ribs. Sadly, it's going to come down to Whasherface to figure out about her husband "modifying her and siding with Team Flash, sacrificing herself in the end. Called it!!!! Well, Ralph "doing" DeVoe was foreshadowing. Didn't expect the short hair, though. Also, I was expecting that Harry was faking a dependency on the "thinking cap," letting Gideon do the heavy lifting, And she wouldn't mind that he wasn't "her Wells," because she's been offline for so long. Nope . . . he's an addict, and he choked in the clutch. I'm pretty sure Ralph comes back, because he's old-school Flash canon. Question is if the other metas would be restored . . . or at least those that were possessed. ETA for @bettername2come . . . this is me form last week.

Once again, I push the DVR past fifteen minutes, because wrestleheads need their fix so bad. Takes me make to waiting for that to end so I could watch The Joe Schmo Show. Does ANW drug test at all? Has Najee been tested? I don't think he's on PEDs, but I also don't think he's human. If he breaks his leg, I'm half-convinced he'd burst into flames like an actual phoenix and win the match. This week fire beats frost. Biggest disappointment: Zhanique's kid wasn't there. I guess the kid only shows for "regular" ANW. Not sure how the next round works out. Thirty-six teams equals nine teams making the next round . . . but we'd have seven wild cards? That would mean four more episodes. On the bright side, that would lead to four teams and one finale, as opposed to one team cooling their heels, waiting for an opponent to face in the final match.