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Hey party people, Amanda R. here, and I'm bringing you all the goss, recaps and recs that we could round up this week! There was so much to love on our small screens; Barry's (literal) blind date with Patty, Fitz being a total mensch about Jemma and Will, Selina's epic side-eye for Silver St. Cloud, Jimmy Olsen's, well, EVERYTHING, and Curtis hopped up on energy drinks. (I love Curtis, you guys.) LET'S DISH:
Small Screen Supes
Speedy Synopses
Supergirl 1x02: Stronger Together
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Supergirl is finding its footing, both the show and its title character. Kara is having trouble living up to the astounding feats expected of a superhero, accidentally causing an ecological disaster while just trying to help move an oil tanker away to safety. Super cringe!
We get a training montage as Kara starts with smaller crimes to get the hang of things. Meanwhile, Cat Grant demands that her news team get her an interview with Supergirl, even going so far to threaten James Olson’s job if he doesn’t deliver. His scene with Kara’s pep talk is the best in the episode, as she tells him that the “S” symbol for the House of El stands for “stronger together.” That explains Kara’s Team Supergirl approach to hero-ing.
We have one side villain who takes on the DEO, and then a high-powered heat vision fight with the Big Bad Astra, whose other main superpower seems to be talking in exposition. You guys are from Fort Rozz. WE GET IT.
As the episode ends, Supergirl pulls Cat aside (well, actually into the air) for that interview. Will Cat figure out Supergirl's identity when she gets up close and personal? (Kelly)
Gotham 2x7: Mommy's Little Monster
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Penguin goes to the place where Buth tells him Galavan and Co. are supposedly keeping Gertrude, and all seems to be going pretty well with the rescue until Butch turns on Penguin and reveals that his conditioning is overwritten. (Which makes me sad. I liked bumbling Butch as Penguin's right-hand man.) Penguin scrambles for his life, and Gertrude's life, and thinks he's won ... but then Tabitha stabs her while she's in Penguin's arms. This maybe wasn't the smartest of moves, since Penguin is known for holding a grudge. He takes his anger out on Galavan—who becomes mayor of Gotham by a landslide—at his election celebration. By sending in a seemingly neverending wave of Penguin look alikes with a death wish. Penguin stays outside so as to catch Galavan when he's fleeing, but Jim gets in the way. Penguin doesn't get to exact his revenge, but he does confirm Jim's growing suspicions that Galavan isn't the golden boy he's made himself out to be.
Meanwhile, Silver St. Cloud makes her play for Bruce, and shuts Selina down/out, and Edward struggles with the actions of his more evil side, eventually giving in. Looks like we'll be seeing more from The Riddler real soon. (Mandy C.)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 3x6: Among Us Hide ...
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In the aftermath of the Hydra attack on Andrew—which, in the timeline of the show, has just happened—May rejoins S.H.I.E.L.D., and Andrew (who is not dead, natch) recouperates at HQ. May "tests" Bobbi by attempting to beat the crap out of her (issues much, May?), deems her worthy to join the hunt for Ward, and the two go looking for Werner von Strucker, who also survived the blast.
Coulson makes another attempt to visit the ATCU, but Rosalind's house is broken into on the way. Thinking it's another attempt at keeping them out, Coulson sticks around. The two eventually make it to the ATCU, where Coulson learns how the organization deals with Inhumans: putting them in stasis until a "cure" can be found. Coulson's not exactly on board with the practice, but Rosalind's belief in the good of what they're doing seems sound. (I still don't completely trust her.)
Hunter, who Coulson benched from the Hydra hunt, joins Skye Daisy and Mac on their hunt for Lash, who they believe might be working for the ATCU in his human form. They follow Banks and test his blood, but find nothing ... except for the ATCU base, where they, too, see what's happening. And are even less on board than Coulson.
When May and Bobbi find von Strucker, he's about to die. But he does reveal one vital and explosive piece of information: Lash is, in fact, DR. ANDREW GARNER. And now everything nice he's ever done just seems creepy. (Mandy C.)
The Flash 2x5: The Darkness and The Light
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Barry is having a hell of a time explaining the presence of Earth-2 Harrison Wells, but they all eventually (sort of) accept that he’s there to help them stop Zoom. Caitlyn runs this by Jay, and it turns out that Jay and Harrison aren’t each other’s biggest fans; Jay hates Harrison for making money off the particle accelerator explosion (and denying responsibility for the presence of meta-humans on Earth-2), and Harrison hates that Jay can never catch Zoom. Jay thinks that Harrison has secrets (duh), and that he’s knowingly putting Barry in danger by trying to convince him that he has what it takes to stop Zoom. Harrison thinks Jay is a giant chicken but, sadly, doesn’t do a chicken dance when he calls him out.
Barry is at least brave enough to finally ask out Patty Spivot (YES), although he’s blinded by Dr. Light, the newest Earth-2 meta tasked with bringing him down. Their date is adorable and hilarious, with Cisco tasked as Barry’s remote eyes for the evening.
SPEAKING of Cisco...he might also have a date. Kendra Saunders (the soon-to-be Hawkgirl) is new in town and pulling espresso shots at CC Jitters. (I would really like to see this develop because Cisco is too great to be chronically single.) He also finally comes clean about his meta powers to his friends after seeing visions of Dr. Light robbing a bank. Oh, and after being outed by Harrison 2.0. That guy really is a dick.
Dr. Light - who happens to be Linda Park’s Earth-2 doppelganger - doesn’t want to kill Barry, but has no problem killing Linda so that she can assume her identity and hide out from Zoom. Thankfully, Iris is a mean shot and Dr. Light is eventually taken down (and put in the morally dubious pipeline) with the help of Harrison 2.0 and Barry’s speed mirage.
Also: Jay is friends with Aquaman (my KINGDOM for a Jason Momoa cameo!), and Zoom has Wells’s daughter locked up on Earth-2. He’s been awfully quiet about that fact, and I can’t help but wonder WHY when all it would do is garner sympathy from Team Flash. (Amanda R.)
Arrow 4x5: Haunted
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Thea hires Oliver a mayoral campaign strategist played by Suburgatory hunk Parker Young. He suggests Ollie distance himself from Laurel, which seems like sound advice considering he discovers that not only has she been keeping Sarah’s resurrection a secret, but she also lost track of her sister who is on a killing spree, focused particularly on trying to murder Thea.
Speaking of, Constantine comes to town to help restore Sara’s soul. His rough, snarky, trench-coated Welshness is—as you probably suspected—everything. He takes Ollie and Laurel on a journey to the spiritual plane, fighting off demon guardians as they pull Sara’s soul from the Resurrection Pit! She wakes up, seemingly back in her right mind. Hurray! Constantine strolls out of town. Boo! But before he goes, he warns Ollie that Damien Darhk will be a formidable enemy.
Meanwhile, Curtis finally decodes Ray’s message to Felicity, which is that he’s alive and needs her help. (Amanda K.)
Hero of the Week: John Constantine, Arrow
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He's sexy, he's surly, he wears a loose necktie like no one's business. It's Constantine! Our favorite magician manages to restore Sara's soul in about five seconds thanks to a handy combination of spellwork and sword-fighting. His show may have been canceled, but he'll always be a hero in our nerdy hearts. (Amanda K.)
Honorable mentions: Quentin Lance/Arrow, Curtis Holt/Arrow, Iris West/The Flash, Leo Fitz/Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Villain of the Week: Silver St. Cloud, Gotham
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Poor, lonely Bruce Wayne. He has no idea what kind of fox he's invited into his henhouse. Selina Kyle sees RIGHT THROUGH Silver as she manipulates Bruce into falling for her, and in the process alienates herself from Bruce. This girl is DANGEROUS; she's cunning and manipulative, wearing whatever mask she needs with absolute conviction, and she will root out your most tender insecurity right before she sambas all over it. (Amanda R.)
(Dis)Honorable mentions: Dr. Andrew Garner/Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Theo Galavan/Gotham, Astra/Supergirl, Dr. Light/The Flash
Biff! Bam! Pow!
Harvey: We're out-manned here big time, partner.
Jim: Yeah.
Harvey: But not out-gunned.
Jim: Oh, hell yeah.
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Gif via matthewdadarioh.
I wish I could have found a complete set of this scene, because the whole thing was superb. Also, totally hot. *fans self* (Mandy C.)
Pull List
Top Titles
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Paper Girls #2 by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang
Paper Girls continues to darken as the girls realize that most of the town has vanished. Who are these invaders? Are they aliens? Mutants? Time-traveling alien mutants? This series continues it's 80's-fuelled kids-adventure nostalgia, and doesn't disappoint. (Amanda R.)
Drax #1 by Cullen Bunn and CM Punk, illustrated by Scott Hepburn
Drax has time on his hands after the latest Guardians escapade, and decides to fill it with his ongoing (slightly obsessive) quest to kill Thanos. But how can you find a titan who could be anywhere in the known universe? Rocket is never one to step in the way of anyone's crazy, and so he lends Drax a complete shit-heap of a ship so he can find Thanos. This series has the trademarked Guardians hilarity, even if our hero is a member of a race known for being completely literal. (Amanda R.)
Monstress #1 by Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda
This hefty first issue does an amazing job of setting up a well-crafted world in which "monsters" and humans have been at war with each other forever, with only a wall to divide them. It doesn't shy away from the evil realities of countries trying to scrabble out a living while havoc is everywhere; there is a slave market, an established "religion" of magically-powered "nuns" who are experimenting on the monsters, and at the center of the story there is Maika, a human-passing monster who is looking for answers that only her enemies can provide. The aesthetic is being described as steampunk-meets-Kaiju, and it is STUNNING. (Amanda R.)
Pick of the Week: Howard the Duck #1 by Chip Zdarsky, illustrated by Joe Quinones
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What can I say - I am a total sucker for this wise-mouthed waterfowl. Howard is burnt out. He's tired of doing other people's dirty work. Can't an alien passing as a duck just make a decent living as a private dick without some redneck idiot screaming at him about "taking jobs from Real Americans"? Howard is DONE, and he wants to go home. He asks Dr. Strange for his help only to find out that sometimes home isn't where we're from, it's with the people who care about us most. (And did I mention that Gwen Stacy is Deadpool in this universe? BECAUSE SHE IS. #GwenPool) (Amanda R.)
As Seen in the Daily Planet
News
SO much casting news: BD Wong has been cast as Hugo Strange in Gotham, Emma Caulfield (ANYA!) will be playing Cameron Chase in Supergirl, Ken Marino (!) has been cast as crimelord Joseph Manfredi in Agent Carter, Ralph Fiennes will be LEGO Batman's Alfred, Mads Mikkelsen has been cast in an unknown villain role for Dr. Strange, and Nicole Kidman is playing an Amazon in Wonder Woman.
For those of you that love spoilers, the Jessica Jones episode titles and synopses were leaked.
Iron Fist might not be getting his own Netflix series (BOOO) in lieu of The Punisher getting one instead. I just need Marvel to make sure Misty Knight is in either show and we're square.
Potential spoiler: Is it possible that Harrison Wells 2.0's daughter is another speedster?
This season's Flash/Arrow crossover event will be a 2-part story, and will launch Legends of Tomorrow. SQUEEEEE!
First pics of Livewire in Supergirl.
Evan Peters talks about Quicksilver's role in X-Men: Apocalypse.
First pics of Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo on the set of Dr. Strange. #Cumberbeard
There's going to be a Middle Grade tie-in series for DC Super Hero Girls, and Wonder Woman will be the first book!
This Etsy shop makes the RADDEST superhero jewelry. It's simple and elegant. (I need that Kate Bishop necklace, y'all.)
Sneak peek at Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1. It's out on November 25th.
Artist Michael Cho has done GORGEOUS variant covers for several Marvel titles coming out in February 2016. Take all my money, sir:
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Trailers/Videos
First trailer for Netflix's Preacher, airing mid-2016:
Hello, Dominic Cooper. You and your beard may stay.
New mini-webisode from DC Super Hero Girls! Wonder Woman and Bumblebee take flying lessons from Red Tornado. GET YOUR CAPE ONNNNN
I would have LOVED this as a wee lass, but I definitely would have wanted more than 3-minute episodes.
THAT LASH REVEAL! What does this mean for Andrew and May? And why does he want to kill Inhumans? How long do we reckon it's going to take Cockney Geezer Alfred to realize that Silver St. Cloud is a total sham? And who is officially aboard the S.S. Sparry? #shippingit Why hasn't Arrow cast someone for a live-action Vixen cameo yet? Oliver is going to need all the mojo he can get to defeat Darhk. And for the love of GOD, can someone PLEASE get James Olsen his own salmon ladder? #HelpASisterOut