S02.E02: Proper Preparation and Planning

[Bort]

Quote

The Boys get themselves a Super Terrorist, Starlight gets evidence against Vought, The Deep gets in touch with his feelings, and Homelander gets himself a family (sort of). All that, and a hard-hitting exposé on why Super Suits don’t have pockets.

Airdate 4 September 2020

[mac123x]

I think Singing Gills is the new Jingle Cats.

[Morrigan2575]

I love Kimiko, so glad we're getting more of her story.

I'm really digging Storm front, going to hurt when she turns out to be secretly awful...I'm assuming she is a supe.

I hope S2 isn't humanizing the Supes or trying to make them the good guys. I'm fine with Starlight and even Maeve but, please don't try to make Homelander misunderstood.

Rebecca teach your son to fucking lie! Lie like your life depends on it kid because it does 😯

 

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

A Train is still an asshole. I didn't buy it last season and I don't buy the let's get sympathetic for The Deep this season. The dude sexually assaults women, so fuck him twice over. I can deal with all the gore and violence, but there was something disturbing about the gills talking, just no.

[CletusMusashi]

This is two episodes in a row that disappointed me. Last year, I was invested in everyone's scenes. This year, I consistently like all the Vought stuff, but "the boys" themselves, including Kimiko, are just not carrying their share of the entertainment load very well. The season pilot contained enough scary Homelander stuff for me to give it an overall thumbs up. This one did not. 

And, why can't A Train just use his super speed to kill Starlight? Vought would do another paper-thin coverup, he'd give Homelander the stolen sample, he'd explain that he did it to protect their big secret, and Gecko could even be interrogated for collaborating evidence. How on earth was "Oh yeah? Well if you try to endanger me, I will move slowly at regular human speed to tell people what my dirt on you is," even remotely a serious threat? 

By the way, I though the previous episode was decent. This one, however, was weak enough that I went back and rewatched it a second time, to see if it was just my mood or whatever. Nope. I'm on my way now to try the third installment, but I can't honestly say my expectations for this season are still high. My hopes, however, are. I miss loving this series.

Edited September 7, 2020 by CletusMusashi

[DeeDee79]

18 minutes ago, CletusMusashi said:

And, why can't A Train just use his super speed to kill Starlight? Vought would do another paper-thin coverup, he'd give Homelander the stolen sample, he'd explain that he did it to protect their big secret, and Gecko could even be interrogated for collaborating evidence. How on earth was "Oh yeah? Well if you try to endanger me, I will move slowly at regular human speed to tell people what my dirt on you is," even remotely a serious threat? 

Yeah I agree that Starlight’s threat seemed pretty thin. She and Hughie were there when A Train confessed but it would be their word against his and no way to prove it. Plus Homelander already knows and is suspicious about her connection to Hughie which could definitely work against her.

[Spaceman Spiff]

4 hours ago, DeeDee79 said:

She and Hughie were there when A Train confessed but it would be their word against his and no way to prove it.

I thought Stargirl indicated the autopsy report showed that one of the needles injected into her arm had shattered a bone, which would not occur if she had done it herself and that it indeed had been done by a super. Still as @CletusMusashi says, it was a weak episode. I did like all the things with Kimiko.

[DeeDee79]

5 hours ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

I thought Stargirl indicated the autopsy report showed that one of the needles injected into her arm had shattered a bone, which would not occur if she had done it herself and that it indeed had been done by a super. Still as @CletusMusashi says, it was a weak episode. I did like all the things with Kimiko.

She did tell him that but no one seemed to know that he was dating her except for Starlight and the boys. I suppose that they could find a way to prove that it was him but it probably wouldn’t be that simple. 

[arachne]

I could do without any more of Homelander's milk fetish -- and he drinks it straight from the bottle! Eeww! 

[WritinMan]

On 9/6/2020 at 7:59 AM, Spaceman Spiff said:

but there was something disturbing about the gills talking, just no.

I just read that the voice of the gills was Patton Oswalt.

[supposebly]

Homelander scares me almost as much as Kilgrave on Jessica Jones did. The way he projects onto his son is just unbelievably creepy.

How long does Vought think this is going to work until Homelander kills Rebecca? Do they care? Are they hoping to have someone who might be able to kill Homelander? His son?

The gills were talking and I keep thinking, what am I watching?

I'm still worried about Annie although she played it well with Stormfront and A-Train.

Poor Kimiko.

Edited September 7, 2020 by supposebly

[Quickbeam]

21 hours ago, WritinMan said:

I just read that the voice of the gills was Patton Oswalt.

Absolutely, I squee-ed out loud when I heard him. Mr. QB ( not a fan) muttered: “Geez is that guy everywhere?”.

[Bruinsfan]

Annie can take a high-powered assault rifle bullet to the chest without serious injury, so I don't think A-Train could kill her easily. And maybe not fast enough to keep him safe from her powers. Kimiko was able to injure him badly, and I think Annie is stronger than her (though not as vicious) as well as having energy zap powers that he can't outrun.

Speaking of Kimiko, Karen Fukuhara did some amazing work conveying emotions with her expressions and gestures. It's a crime that she's only been featured in roles where her character is either blank affect or feral up until now.

[DeeDee79]

2 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

Kimiko was able to injure him badly,

When did Kimiko fight A Train? I don't recall that.

Quote

And maybe not fast enough to keep him safe from her powers. 

Didn't he get the drop on her in the finale by speeding past her light blasts?

Edited September 8, 2020 by DeeDee79

[Bruinsfan]

He repeatedly slammed Kimiko into a wall in the subway. She got him back by snapping his femur with a crowbar at Hughie's dad's house.

[DeeDee79]

1 hour ago, Bruinsfan said:

He repeatedly slammed Kimiko into a wall in the subway. She got him back by snapping his femur with a crowbar at Hughie's dad's house.

Oh that scene! I thought that you were referring to an actual fight and I couldn't remember when it happened.

[mac123x]

Logically Starlight's threat to expose A-Train for Popclaw's murder shouldn't work.  However, A-Train is fundamentally a weak person who is easily bullied and manipulated.  He never really asserts himself, but just goes along with what people tell him to do.  Homelander makes him into a compound V drug runner, he does it.  Vaught PR says "say you're single, it's better for your numbers" so he denies being in a relationship with Popclaw, even though he does seem to genuinely care about her.

 

He's weak, so Starlight standing up to him immediately cowed him. 

[DeeDee79]

1 hour ago, mac123x said:

Logically Starlight's threat to expose A-Train for Popclaw's murder shouldn't work.  However, A-Train is fundamentally a weak person who is easily bullied and manipulated.  He never really asserts himself, but just goes along with what people tell him to do.  Homelander makes him into a compound V drug runner, he does it.  Vaught PR says "say you're single, it's better for your numbers" so he denies being in a relationship with Popclaw, even though he does seem to genuinely care about her.

 

He's weak, so Starlight standing up to him immediately cowed him. 

This is very true. It would be he said/she said if Starlight did go to Vought or the press about Popclaw's death but A Train is so consumed with how he's seen in the public eye he wouldn't even want it to get that far. Didn't they even say that he was on a top secret mission instead of saying that he had a heart attack? At this point he would probably be more upset if the public knew about that than about what he did to Popclaw.

[The Companion]

On 9/5/2020 at 8:02 PM, Morrigan2575 said:

 

I'm really digging Storm front, going to hurt when she turns out to be secretly awful...I'm assuming she is a supe.

 

Oh for sure. Evil or dead (possibly for running her mouth). She is way too enjoyable. 

On 9/7/2020 at 10:08 AM, DeeDee79 said:

She did tell him that but no one seemed to know that he was dating her except for Starlight and the boys. I suppose that they could find a way to prove that it was him but it probably wouldn’t be that simple. 

She isn't looking for a conviction. She doesn't need beyond a reasonable doubt. Her threat was to go to ESPN. To drum up enough controversy to have all his sponsors drop him. To lose public support. 

On 9/7/2020 at 11:55 AM, WritinMan said:

I just read that the voice of the gills was Patton Oswalt.

I recognized his voice and couldn't stop laughing. The scene was just so deeply unsettling, weird and hilarious.

On 9/7/2020 at 12:43 PM, supposebly said:

Homelander scares me almost as much as Kilgrave on Jessica Jones did. The way he projects onto his son is just unbelievably creepy.

How long does Vought think this is going to work until Homelander kills Rebecca? Do they care? Are they hoping to have someone who might be able to kill Homelander? His son?

 

He is so creepy. So incredibly, deeply creepy. Talking about being a god. Threatening in that low key conversational way.

And Maeve, talking about his abusive, murderous ways. That made me shudder.

On 9/8/2020 at 2:56 PM, Bruinsfan said:

Annie can take a high-powered assault rifle bullet to the chest without serious injury, so I don't think A-Train could kill her easily. And maybe not fast enough to keep him safe from her powers. Kimiko was able to injure him badly, and I think Annie is stronger than her (though not as vicious) as well as having energy zap powers that he can't outrun.

Speaking of Kimiko, Karen Fukuhara did some amazing work conveying emotions with her expressions and gestures. It's a crime that she's only been featured in roles where her character is either blank affect or feral up until now.

I don't know who wins in a fight, but I don't think ATrain knows either. He also doesn't know who she has ready to spill. He doesn't have any backup, but he knows she has Hughie. He takes a shot, he better kill her. And even then, there are other players involved. 

Karen Fukuhara was amazing in the scene with her brother. Truly great work. 

On 9/9/2020 at 5:04 PM, DeeDee79 said:

This is very true. It would be he said/she said if Starlight did go to Vought or the press about Popclaw's death but A Train is so consumed with how he's seen in the public eye he wouldn't even want it to get that far. Didn't they even say that he was on a top secret mission instead of saying that he had a heart attack? At this point he would probably be more upset if the public knew about that than about what he did to Popclaw.

I agree. His reputation is critical if he wants to remain where he is and not get sent off to some small town somewhere (or worse if the reputational harm blows back on the Seven and Homelander gets involved).

The Seven are barely superheroes. They are packaged, marketed media-driven personalities. 

I love Starlight standing up to ATrain. I loved the montage of the same garbage questions and the glitzy media rollout that felt like a steaming pile of bullshit. 

I actually enjoyed this episode way more than the first. It had some lighter/funnier parts and the pacing was better, in my opinion. I also really liked the change in the team. The refusal to just go along with Butcher.

I am least enthralled with The Deep, but the gills were hilarious to me and the pseudo-scientology angle could be interesting.

[DeeDee79]

57 minutes ago, The Companion said:

She isn't looking for a conviction. She doesn't need beyond a reasonable doubt. Her threat was to go to ESPN. To drum up enough controversy to have all his sponsors drop him. To lose public support. 

Yes but my point was that she probably wouldn't be able to prove anything. Add to the fact that Vought would probably spin it to look like someone else killed her if it gets out that it wasn't suicide. It seemed more like a bluff than a true threat anyway.

[DeeDee79]

1 hour ago, The Companion said:

The Seven are barely superheroes. They are packaged, marketed media-driven personalities. 

I think that the only one of the original seven that could be considered a "hero" was probably Maeve way back when. The rest of them don't even care about helping people but from her brief convos with Starlight it seems that she did at some point.

[The Companion]

5 hours ago, DeeDee79 said:

Yes but my point was that she probably wouldn't be able to prove anything. Add to the fact that Vought would probably spin it to look like someone else killed her if it gets out that it wasn't suicide. It seemed more like a bluff than a true threat anyway.

I guess my point was they might cover it up, but because of the potential exposure, he might be sent out somewhere else like The Deep. Plus, even the allegation might be enough to lose his sponsorship deals. He has to know that nobody has his back if there is a chance the cover up fails. 

I do think it was a bluff, but I also think it at least had some teeth. 

5 hours ago, DeeDee79 said:

I think that the only one of the original seven that could be considered a "hero" was probably Maeve way back when. The rest of them don't even care about helping people but from her brief convos with Starlight it seems that she did at some point.

Agreed. I think Starlight did in her own way (see when she helped the random civilian), but there is a lot of ego in it for all of them (except again possibly current-day Maeve who feels more trapped than the rest of them). It's a little old studio Hollywood, a little reality show, and a little corporate malfeasance all rolled into one. 

[ketose]

3 hours ago, The Companion said:

Agreed. I think Starlight did in her own way (see when she helped the random civilian), but there is a lot of ego in it for all of them (except again possibly current-day Maeve who feels more trapped than the rest of them). It's a little old studio Hollywood, a little reality show, and a little corporate malfeasance all rolled into one. 

But Starlight's help could have gotten her in more trouble than doing nothing. In this world, (much like the real one) overpowered authority figures can create a backlash from the criminals who portray themselves as victims from someone who beats them instead of incarcerating them. Ironically, Homelander can rip a guy's heart out and watch the life go out of his eyes as long as there are no witnesses and Vought can cover it up.

[tennisgurl]

All of Stormfronts talk about how the system is stupid and her whole Girl Power thing seems like its leading to her being revealed to be just as bad as the rest of the Seven, maybe even worse. The more she protests how the system is crap and how badly it treats women, the more I think she doth protest too much. Plus, I kind of want more female supes to be bad guys, if that makes sense. As of now, most all of the men are just evil amoral dicks, while most of the women are basically decent and are abused by the evil men, which just makes the story seem like its relying too much on women being victims and morally better, which always strikes me as rather condescending, like women are more gentle and delicate by their nature, and makes for less interesting characters. I guess its because they're trying to do stuff with how the patriarchy exploits women, especially a lot of Starlights stuff last season, which is perfectly good, but sometimes I want to see a good female bad guy. You cant have equality unless men and women can be equally good of evil. 

The talking gils certainly were...something else. To be a fly on the wall in this show writers room. 

 Kimiko is my favorite character, so I am glad that she is getting more focus, even if it seems like her finding her brother will only end in sadness.

Edited September 28, 2020 by tennisgurl

[tessathereaper]

19 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

All of Stormfronts talk about how the system is stupid and her whole Girl Power thing seems like its leading to her being revealed to be just as bad as the rest of the Seven, maybe even worse. The more she protests how the system is crap and how badly it treats women, the more I think she doth protest too much. Plus, I kind of want more female supes to be bad guys, if that makes sense. As of now, most all of the men are just evil amoral dicks, while most of the women are basically decent and are abused by the evil men, which just makes the story seem like its relying too much on women being victims and morally better, which always strikes me as rather condescending, like women are more gentle and delicate by their nature, and makes for less interesting characters. I guess its because they're trying to do stuff with how the patriarchy exploits women, especially a lot of Starlights stuff like season, which is perfectly good, but sometimes I want to see a good female bad guy. 

The talking gils certainly were...something else. To be a fly on the wall in this show writers room. 

 Kimiko is my favorite character, so I am glad that she is getting more focus, even if it seems like her finding her brother will only end in sadness.

You know one show I felt mostly got that balance right was Battlestar Galactica, the women could be just as dickish as the men, they could be just as selfish and stupid and ruthless and just as heroic.  I think after a while there weren't really any straight up villains(well maybe one or two). Everyone male and female, human and cylon were just screwed up and traumatized and trying to survive.

But anyway, that's how I feel about women characters, they should be allowed to have all the same qualities male characters can have,  hopefully more than one at a time.  Female bad "guys" should not be off limits, whether it's a psychologically complex villain or whether it's the so-called "mustache twirling" villainous for the sake of villainy sort of villain.  Female heroines shouldn't need to be morally superior to and/or smarter than everyone else, etc.

[eddyboy]

Those gills singing cracked me up - but it was equally creepy. The most gross part about the gills is when that girl started putting her fingers in them last series, there's always something about them which makes me cringe.

[meeeechiganman]

sorry but I was watching the episode and their is no translation for  komikos scenes with her brother, so Can someone explain what they were saying?

[Tachi Rocinante]

At least Maeve knows how to put on a decent "disguise".

[DeeDee79]

8 hours ago, Tachi Rocinante said:

At least Maeve knows how to put on a decent "disguise".

Out of all of the Seven only Maeve, Starlight and A-Train have been seen in regular clothes. I wish that Homelander and The Deep would change once in a while. 

Spoiler

After this season it's understandable why Black Noir never changes out of his Supe suit.

[Bruinsfan]

We did see Translucent out of his superhero costume a good bit...

[DeeDee79]

On 6/16/2022 at 10:07 PM, Bruinsfan said:

We did see Translucent out of his superhero costume a good bit...

True!

Edited June 18, 2022 by DeeDee79