Buffy Comic Reboot and Daredevil S3 Review

Gloomy and raining, again. I think we've only seen the sun once this week?

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Comic Reboot By BOOM

BOOM! Studios today unveiled the first look at characters designs from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER by Russ Manning Award-winning artist Dan Mora (Klaus, Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers).

Debuting in comic shops on January 9th, 2019 in partnership with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1 reimagines the groundbreaking pop culture phenomenon from the very beginning!

What's interesting is who isn't shown in the re-imagining of the characters, and well, how some of the characters look exactly the same no matter what decade you put them in.

Oh, and they are debuting Drusilla as the key villain, The Mistress -- apparently she's taking the place of The Master. (Making me wonder if Spike and Angel will now take the places of Darla and Angel in S1?)

It's basically 20th Century Fox (which is now owned by Disney) endorsed fanfic. But fun Fox endorsed
fanfic.


2. Daredevil Season 3

A good season in many ways, but whether you loved it or not has a lot to do with how you felt about the key villains and their arcs.

( spoilers )

Doctor Who: Witchfinder & Where it Takes You

Saw both last week's and this week's Doctor Who episodes tonight, Witchfinders and Where it Takes You Away.

The season to date has admittedly been a bit uneven in the writing, but I think that's true of all the seasons I've seen, and pretty much all television series I've seen. I remember in the commentary to Farscape that the writers stated regardless of how many episodes you do, the nature of television is such that you will inevitably write a couple of stinkers, a couple of brilliant episodes, and a couple of in-between ones...it's the law of averages and really not a lot you can do about it.
Possibly true, but you'd think if a season only had six episodes...it would be tighter? Of course it's probably written very quickly on a low budget, so.

Anyhow...after reading all that preamble you're probably scratching your noggin and thinking, wait, what? You didn't like them?? Really?

Uhm. No. I actually did. I liked them a lot. I think the last two episodes are the best of the season so far. Well, with the exception of The Demons of Punjab and the second episode of season, which I think were a notch or two better than Witchfinder.

Both continue to push the thematic arc of kindness and mercy over violence, or resolving conflict through merciful means and negotiation with a bit of stumbling about here and there.

1. Witchfinder

I thought it was bit heavy handed in the metaphor -- but this is a kid's show. I liked the previous episodes a little better in regards to their metaphors, more subtle. I really don't need the writers to say "see, metaphor" and "it's about hate, and fear, and violence" - "got it?"

Yeah, sort of got it from the set-up. I mean hello, Witch Trials. A bit obvious. But wait, Alan Cummings is the guest star????? ALAN CUMMINGS??? All is forgiven. (I'd watch Alan Cummings read the bloody phone book.)

It was actually funny in places because of Alan Cummings.

( spoilers )

2. Where it Takes You

First of all -- I want to go wherever they filmed this. It's beautiful. Or get a life-size picture of the Tardis on that forest hill top.

I enjoyed this episode, it was scary, it had well developed guest-stars, and it surprised me. Also while keeping with the general theme of resolving conflicts by not giving into violence, it was less preachy about it. And examined the other underlying theme of how to move on after losing someone or handling "grief" -- which has been featured in every episode that I've seen to date in some way or other.

Will have to agree with the majority of reviews that I've read -- it is by far the best episode of this season. I'd rank it first, with Demons of Punjab second, Woman who Fell to Earth Third, the second episode fourth, and Witchfinder Fifth. (I can't comment on the spider episode, because I didn't see it.)

( spoilers )