We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the apocalypse.
It may be April Fool’s Day, but the Mooniverse couldn’t be more serious. Season-long mysteries get devastating answers, our cast struggles to know who to trust, desperate times lead to desperate plans, and characters be droppin’ like flies. Geez. Did I accidentally switch over to Game of Thrones: The Animated Series at some point?
Return of the Mack.
Short two characters, Agents of SHIELD renews its focus on people and story lines that have been a little short-changed this half-season, expanding its current cast’s personal lives and trying out some new team-ups and interpersonal dynamics. Also, sociopolitical commentary! And they say comic book shows are just popcorn TV.
You can click here to join the conversation at TMS or hit the jump to read on.
And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for?
Showa Genroku’s tragedy-coaster reaches its summit and drops us straight down in more ways than one, fulfilling its first-episode promises in dramatic fashion. There may be a small light at the end of this tunnel, but it’s an awful long way off. For now, we need to talk about our cast and our story, and about why things happened the way they did–or, rather, about why that “why” remains so elusive in the first place. It’s another essay, this one in four parts. Get comfy. It’s a long way down to the bottom of this post.
Okay, Star Lights. I have good news and bad news.
The good news is: congratulations! you’ve finally found your princess! As for the bad news…well, let’s not spoil the surprise, shall we?
I have a lot to talk about this week but I worked it all into the posts, so let’s skip the opening chatter and jump right into it. Recaps, ho!
I’M NOT CRYING, YOU’RE CRYING.
We knew this moment was coming, but I wasn’t expecting it to come quite so soon. Still, an attempted coup, an extended interrogation, and a creepy Inhuman power sounds like a good way to go out in style. Hit the jump to see our agents punch some people, a shadow…and my heart.
You can click here to join the conversation at TMS or hit the jump to read on.
You know, if we stop watching now, we can pretend they lived happily ever after…
My goodness, was that a delightful episode. While Showa Genroku makes for a fascinating character study, it’s not what you’d call a “feel-good” series–our protagonist’s dour outlook, our cast’s ongoing struggles, and our knowledge of the eventual conclusion weigh too heavily on the story, infusing it with a quiet sorrow even in its brighter moments. This week, though, for perhaps the first time since the premiere (or at least since Kikuhiko’s first triumphant performance), we had an episode that was positively resplendent with joy. My grin was nearly as wide as Konatsu’s.
We’re Star Serious Laser-Focused on the main plot now.
Taiki and Yaten continue to be a broken record of unnecessary hostility, but the rest of the story has no interest in stewing with them. We’ve got auditions, minion deaths, shiny star seeds, black holes, and plot holes. And I thought my week was busy.
The con is coming from inside the house!
As the world’s leaders begin to take action about the increasing population of Inhumans, SHIELD once again finds itself dealing with more enemies than the obvious one, thanks in large part to its covert, faceless nature making it a difficult organization for others to have faith in–at least until they storm in to save the day, that is. Coulson, you’ve really got to come up with some less dangerous trust exercises.
You can click here to join the conversation at TMS or hit the jump to read on.
One big, happy family…
In an episode that begins and ends with apprentices, it’s no wonder this week’s Showa Genroku is all about inheritance—the legacy we leave, what we try to pass on, and what ends up getting left behind. This is true of genetics, yes, but also of traditions, from religious ceremonies to social norms to scientific knowledge to storytelling and other art forms. Just as the human race depends on progeny for survival, human cultures depend on good teachers and willing students.
*headdesksbeds* indeed, Usagi.
Our teams are still struggling to see eye-to-eye–and in some cases not “struggling” so much as “working very hard to NOT do that thing.” I was pumped when the Outer Guardians returned to the cast at the beginning of the season, but their role in the story has been so limited and aggravating that I almost wish they’d stayed in Time Prison/on their couples road trip instead. Still, despite Team Xenophobia’s best efforts, Team Moonie is slowly but surely winning over Team Lights thanks to a combination of friendship and empathy. Now if only they could do the same for their own allies…
The Josei Next Door 