Oct 15 2023

Daredevil Dead Again & Other MCU TV Shows Blues

Things just seem to be going from bad to worse for the Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV shows. For the most part, some of the recent MCU TV shows have been poorly received by fans and critics who griped about the inconsistent tone of the episodes, half-finished scripts and poor special effects. The MCU TV shows hit their lowest point with Secret Invasion, which should have been a lot better but instead turned out to be the worst MCU presentations. There have been a lot of reports and rumors about how Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige is going out of his way to right the ship with the MCU. This has led to substantial delays and cancellation of projects. But the news last week that the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again has been essentially scrapped created a lot of concern for fans.

Daredevil: Born Again has been one of the most anticipated MCU projects since it brought back Charlie Cox as the title character. He won so much acclaim for his performance as Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the Netflix TV series Daredevil, which was about a blind superhero with enhanced senses fighting crime in Manhattan. That series ran for three seasons and was considered to be among the greatest superhero TV shows based on a Marvel Comics charater. Fans wondered if the TV show would ever be revived and saw reason to hope when Cox reprised his role in the film Spider-Man: No Way Home and the TV show She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Naturally, many were excited when Kevin Feige announced that a new Daredevil TV show was being produced by Marvel Studios.

Not a lot was known about Daredevil: Born Again other than aside from Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio would reprise his role as Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin, the brutal crime lord that rules New York’s criminal society. Supposedly, the overall plot had to do with the consequences of Fisk being elected as the mayor of New York. But there were some aspects about the show that put off fans, namely that Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll would not return to play their beloved characters Foggy Nelson and Karen Page. In fact, there have been leaks that both characters were killed off in Daredevil: Born Again. Also, there seemed to be an effort by the executives to not associate it with the Netflix series. This did not make sense since Daredevil was so revered and it was only logical to continue that show instead of doing a reboot given that the same lead actor was returning.

Production came to a halt with the TV show due to the writer and actors strikes, which has crippled film and TV productions this year. At the onset of the strike only a few episodes had been completed and it was supposed to have an eighteen-episode run.

Marvel Studios has been having issues with the quality of many of their projects, especially the TV shows, and this resulted in diminishing returns. As we all know, Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige had been stretched very thin by mandates by Disney to produce more product and there are only so many resources and time available to consistently produce quality products. This is how we got poorly received films and TV shows like Secret Invasion, Eternals and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Naturally, this has forced Marvel Studios to take a hard look at their current and upcoming projects and honestly assess them.

This assessment and the realization that the market was being flooded with too many films and TV shows have led to delayed releases for their projects. In some cases, projects have either been scrapped or will undergo significant revisions. Unfortunately, this included Daredevil: Born Again.

According to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, Kevin Feige reviewed what had been filmed with the new Daredevil TV show and admitted that it was not working. It was turning out to be a procedural lawyer show that de-emphasized Daredevil and Matt Murdock did not even don the Daredevil suit until the fourth episode. This has led to the dismissal of the writers and directors and the show is now back to square one.

But Daredevil: born Again is not the only casualty. It has been rumored that a planned TV show, Visionquest, based on the android hero, the Vision, has been cancelled. Echo, which has been completed and feature Daredevil, keeps being delayed because it’s supposedly not well done and Marvel Studios is trying to fix it through editing. Agatha: Darkhold Diaries also seems to be a victim of constant retinkering given that the TV show based on the witch Agatha Harkness has had so many title changes. Ironheart, has been completed for some time, yet there isn’t any clear indication of when it will stream on Disney+. Rumors for upcoming MCU projects featuring Nova, Okoye and the Silver Surfer have stopped giving the impression that they also have been scrapped.

On the one hand this implosion of MCU TV shows is cause for concern given the high reputation Marvel Studios has with fans and most critics (excepting snobs like Martin Scorsese). Some panicking fans will use this situation to declare that superhero fatigue is upon us. But that is not necessarily so. The reason for diminishing returns in metrics and box office returns is due to diminished and inferior product that is not up to par with past MCU projects. If a film or TV show is great, people will seek it out, for the most part. Look at how well some recents films and TV shows performed. These include Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, WandaVision, Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Werewolf By Night. Right now, Loki, which began its second season a couple of weeks ago is removing the sting of the dismal Secret Invasion. However, it’s early for the show and it could wind up becoming an uneven disappointment. Another problem for Marvel Studios is that they do not have a lot of experience creating TV shows and it can be seen with their finished products. Most of them seem like overlong films instead of TV shows that are a different medium with a distinct method of storytelling.

On the other hand, these delays, cancellations and retoolings are a sign that Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have acknowledged that things are not working for their projects. It is far better to course correct now with Daredevil and be willing to go back to the drawing board. Otherwise, can anyone imagine what would happen if Daredevil: Born Again turns out to be another Secret Invasion? One thing Marvel Studios should do is bring back the folks who were behind Daredevil like Drew Goddard. He and the other creatives behind Daredevil knew how to handle the character and his world, and it would reassure fans. Anyway, with less projects to deal with, Marvel Studios now has more bandwidth to ensure that they create superior films and TV shows that will be up to their usual high standards. So, while we may have to wait longer to see the full return of Daredevil, we can be comforted knowing that it will be worth the wait.

Oct 5 2023

Ahsoka Is An Incomplete Star Wars TV Show

The latest Star Wars TV show streaming on Disney+, Ahsoka, just concluded its first season which left many questions unanswered while providing lots of member berries for Star Wars fans. Whether or not that is bad or good would depend if you are a fan of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels.

Ahsoka is for the most part an enjoyable and even riveting Star Wars TV show with great characters, special effects and expands the Star Wars lore. On the other hand, its pace is uneven with some episodes feeling wooden and stilted thanks to timid direction and it crams in so many characters and sub-plots that could not possibly be resolved in eight episodes. Guess what? Many of the sub-plots were left unresolved. This gave the impression that Ahsoka was merely a prologue for a larger storyline. Evidence for this is the fact that a Star Wars film is being planned that will combine the stories and characters from Ahsoka and most of the recent Star Wars TV shows. That’s very ambitous, but after viewing the final episode, the overral feeling is that the TV show is incomplete.

Rosario Dawson stars as the title character, Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi who embarks on a quest with her former Jedi apprentice Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) to find their fellow Jedi Ezra Bridger (Erman Esfandi), who is trapped in another galaxy along with their formidable enemy Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelson). During their adventures the duo uncover a plot by members of the defeated Galactic Empire who are trying to bring Thrawn and his army to the main Star Wars galaxy in order to conquer the New Republic and restore the Empire. With the officials of the New Republic unwilling to help them, Ahsoka, Wren and their Jedi droid Huyang (David Tennant) set off on their own to stop the plot, in addition to rescuing their friend.

If this sounds complex, then you are correct. Anyone watching the series will be able to follow along with its storyline, but there is a nagging feeling that there are so many details and nuances that will go over the heads of casual viewers. The very first Star Wars film was like this, but it was easier to follow and was more engaing. A major flaw with Ahsoka was that the early episodes were a chore to watch thanks to its deliberate pace and line delivery.

This is concerning because the worst episode was the first one and it not only set the way Ahoska was presented but it was directed by Dave Filoni, the major producer of the recent Star Wars TV shows, including the acclaimed animated TV shows. He helped expand the Star Wars lore with Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, but his live-action directorial effort fell short and what’s worse is that he will direct the Star Wars film that combines these stories and characters. He was largely responsible for the creation and cultivation of Ahsoka Tano and his attempt to bring her to life was disappointing. Throughout the TV show, Ahsoka would stand around, fold her arms and take long moments to reply to others. This Ahsoka is not anything like the quippy and spirited young Jedi that first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and won the hearts of many fans. This older live-action version of Ahsoka is so stiff and stoic that Sabine easily steals the show with her emotional journey to become a Jedi. Sabine has more emotion and heart and it was easy to identify with her, especially since she had such a poor connection to the Force that Jedi tricks and skills were a chore for her.

The fact that we identified more with Sabine than Ahsoka is a another fault with Ahsoka given that the show is named after her. This is a troubling trend with many Star Wars TV shows like The Book of Boba Fett and the third season of The Mandalorian. Like with those TV shows, there was even an episode where Ahsoka barely appeared. There are too many moments where it feels as if this show is in reality the fifth live-action season of Star Wars: Rebels. It might have served the TV show and Star Wars fans better if it was retitled. This is a disservice to Ahsoka since she is one of the most captivating Star Wars characters.

Ahsoka was allowed the spotlight in the fifth episode, which largely focuses on her as her mind enters an interdimensional realm called the World Between Worlds where time and space are not linear. There she meets the spirit of her mentor Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) as they end up in past battles during the Clone Wars. This was thrilling for fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars as they finally got to see these two Jedi interacting in live action during that war. More importantly, these sequences provided fascinating insights into Ahsoka and her feelings towards Anakin Skywalker knowing that he ultimately became Darth Vader. With the way this episode showcased her guilt about Anakin and the Clone Wars, it was probably the best one in the series.

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Sep 26 2023

The X-Files: The Truth Is Still Out There 30 Years Later

The X-Files is celebrating 30 years and is regarded as one of the most influential sci-fi TV shows of all time. It was in September 1993 that audiences were introduced to now-iconic FBI investigators Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). Mulder was obsessed with finding out what happened to his sister who was abducted by aliens when he was just a boy. This passion launched his lifetime pursuit of investigating the UFO phenomenon and other paranormal events. His bosses at the FBI were wary of his quest and partnered him with sceptical FBI agent Scully, who always tried to reign in Mulder’s forays into the unknown. Their evolving relationship and investigations into weird events, such as alien bounty hunters and cryptid creatures, endeared them to fans worldwide and made Mulder and Scully household names.

The plots of the episodes over the original 9 seasons consisted of either the conspiracy storyline that featured sinister govt. agents and alien forces conspiring to take over the world, or “monsters of the week”, where the duo investigated other strange events having to do with unexplained phenomena, such as psychic powers in the episode “Beyond the Sea” or sea serpents in the episode “Quagmire”, among other bizarre events. The conspiracy episodes became increasingly convoluted as the series progressed with the storyline involving an alien plan to colonize the Earth, and the aliens were assisted by covert government forces led by the villain of the series, the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), the nemesis of both Mulder and Scully, who always attempted to untangle to web of lies they faced with each case. They’re helped by various allies during the show, such as their boss Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) who shielded them from attempts to have the X-Files section of the bureau shut down at great risk to himself, as well as the Lone Gunmen (Dean Haglund, Tom Braidwood, and Bruce Harwood), fellow conspiracy buffs who assisted Mulder from time to time in solving cases.

The influence of The X-files can’t be overstated as it led to many other shows involving alien conspiracies or other kinds of surreal mysteries that would have a complex story unfold over several seasons. Such shows that followed quickly after The X-Files debuted were Dark Skies, and spinoffs Millennium and The Lone Gunmen.  Even well after The X-files aired, in the 2000s, other shows appeared that followed in the footsteps of characters dealing with weird circumstances or events like Lost, Fringe and Supernatural, all of which are regarded as offspring of The X-Files, the first show that had mass appeal showcasing bizarre and unexplained phenomenon.

As for what inspired The X-Files itself, this would have to be the great but short-lived Kolchak: The Night Stalker starring Darrin McGavin, which aired in 1974-75 and is credited by X-Files creator Chris Carter as a huge influence on The X-Files. That show had a bumbling investigative reporter Karl Kolchak seeking answers to unexplained phenomenon very similar to what Mulder and Scully would take on 20 years later. McGavin even guest starred in two episodes of The X-Files portraying a character seen as the father of the FBI’s X-Files division, a tribute to Kolchak’s influence on the show.

The X-Files returned for two more seasons in 2016 and 2018 after a long hiatus and two theatrical films, which again showcased Mulder and Scully trying to unravel more alien and government plots, and finding the whereabouts of their child William. Overall, the show has become an icon in the TV and cultural landscape and has legions of devoted followers. It arrived at a time when the idea of UFOs and aliens were emerging in the mainstream as a serious topic and the show further pushed these conversations into the mainstream. The X-Files is still highly regarded 30 years later and will still be seen and imitated for many years to come.

C.S. Link

Sep 18 2023

Top Ten Star Wars Live-Action Animals

Star Wars is famous and groundbreaking for many reasons including the depiction of unusual and captivating alien animals. The most recent and memorable examples were the magnificent purrgils that appeared in Ahsoka. Whether they’re reliable beasts-of-burdens or savage wildlife, here are the ten best Star Wars animals to appear on live-action films and TV shows. If there are any other Star Wars animals that deserve to be on the list be sure to comment below.

10. Mudhorn (The Mandalorian):

Resembling a giant wooly rhino, the mudhorn earned a lot of sympathy from fans despite its ferocious demeanor. Even though the fierce animal inspired the sigil of Din Djarinn, it was only protecting its egg, which made its death at the hands of Djarinn and Grogu much more disturbing.

9. Rancor (Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi):

Caged and forced to eat its victims, the gigantic rancor was a fearsome beast that tried to make a meal out of Luke Skywalker. The rancor also had a scene-stealing appearance in The Book of Boba Fett as Boba rode the animal and used it to stop his enemies.

8. Kowakian Monkey-Lizard (Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi):

Jabba the Hutt’s cackling pet creature was a hilarious standout during the first act of Return of the Jedi by the way it parroted the sadistic laughter of the sinister gangster. Salacious Crumb, the name of the animal, also displayed a malicious side thanks to its vile owner.

7. Exogorth (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back):

Talk about being in the belly of the whale! This behemoth produced many gasps after it was revealed that Han Solo actually landed his ship inside of the spaceborne slug instead of a cave in an asteroid. Han’s escape from the exogorth’s closing jaws was one of the film’s most thrilling moments.

6. Loth-Cat (Ahsoka):

When the loth-cat made its live-action debut in Ahsoka, its appearance captured viewers’ eye with the accuracy of its appearance and charm from Star Wars: Rebels. Can’t wait to see how the loth-wolf is eventually depicted.

5. Reek and Acklay (Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones):

These two giant animals that were dispatched in the Geonosian arena to kill Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Senator Padmé Amidalla were two unique and deadly creatures that harkened back to the giant animals featured in a Ray Harryhausen epic.

4. Purrgil (Ahsoka):

The gentle space-faring whale and squid-like creatures were a truly impressive sight when they made their live-action appearance in Ahsoka. Even more impressive and inspiring was when the peaceful giants demonstrated their ability to travel into hyperspace.

3. Bantha (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope):

As one of the first animals featured in the Star Wars franchise these mammoth-like creatures with huge ram horns helped give the planet Tatooine a naturalistic and live-in look. Their further appearances in other films and TV shows cemented their status as the planet’s unofficial mascot.

2. Varactyl (Boga) (Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith):

There have been many notable beastly mounts in the Star Wars films but Boga, the long iguana-like varactyl ridden by Obi-Wan, rode stood out with its loyal and spirited nature. Even though it and its rider were fired upon, Boga faithfully obeyed Obi-Wan and kept him from harm while emitting truly unique animal sounds.

1. Tauntaun (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back):

This two-legged beast-of-burden was so eye-catching it was even featured prominently in posters for the film. Looking like a hairy theropod with ram horns, the tauntaun was a hardy mount ridden by Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. The way it was brought to life (at the time of the film’s release) through go-motion and puppetry made the animal realistic thanks to small touches like strange animal sounds and a frosty breath.

Noteworthy Mentions:

Blurrg, Colo Claw Fish, Dewback, Corellian Hound, Dianoga, Eopie, Fathier, Frog-Dog, Kaadu, Krayt Dragon, Luggabeast, Mynock, Opee Sea Killer, Orbak, Porg, Rathtar, Ronto (they taste great!), Sando, Sarlacc, Shaak,  Vexis Snake, Vulptex, Wampa

Sep 10 2023

In Celebration of Star Trek: Prodigy

During the recent official celebrations for the 57th anniversary of Star Trek, its many spinoffs, and the 50th anniversary celebration of the original Star Trek animated TV show, it was noticed by many how the powers-that-be conveniently failed to mention Star Trek: Prodigy. It was so glaring because in the Paramount + Star Trek Day special and related promo material, even though all the Star Trek TV shows were noted, the animated TV show, Star Trek: Prodigy, was absent as if it never existed.

This is peculiar because until a few months ago, Star Trek: Prodigy was streaming on Paramount + until it was yanked out of the schedule and cancelled. This was part of a wider cost-cutting move by Paramount Pictures with its streaming platform that saw the cancellation of many projects. The sudden cancellation of Star Trek: Prodigy was unusual because a second season was already under production and the TV show was removed from the platform mere days after the cancellation announcement.

Honestly, this move by Paramount was disrespectful to the Star Trek franchise and its fans that were only starting to discover Star Trek: Prodigy. This action only reminds fans of how the studio is disdainful of its franchise.

Star Trek: Prodigy was met with a skeptical eye from many fans when it was first announced. Many automatically dismissed it as a kid’s TV show and what did not help was the prominent Nickelodeon logo plastered on top of the TV show’s logo and the announcements in promo materials that it was aimed at children.

While this reaction was understandable many missed out on how unexpectedly solid Star Trek: Prodigy turned out. Yes, it was not as complex as some other Star Trek shows but its stories were imaginative and embraced the Star Trek lore. It actually felt like it was part of Star Trek thanks to its stories, themes and characters. It also boasted beautiful 3D animation that showcased truly unique aliens and landscapes, while being grounded in the Star Trek Universe.

Star Trek: Prodigy takes place in the distant Delta Quadrant at a prison mining colony where a young alien prisoner named Dal R’El (Brett Gray) discovers in a mine an abandoned Starfleet ship called the Protostar. He activates the ship and escapes the colony with his companions who include Gwyndala (Ella Purnell), the daughter of the show’s antagonist, Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas), a young Tellarite mechanic, Zero (Angus Imrie), a Medusan in a floating containment suit, Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui), a huge rock-like alien who is actually a brilliant young girl, and a gelatinous alien called Murf (Dee Bradley Baker). On the Protostar, they meet a training hologram that is patterned after Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). She helps them run the ship and mentors Dal and the others on becoming Starfleet officers. The motley crew decides to embark on a voyage to return the Protostar to the Alpha Quadrant and the United Federation of Planets. Along the way they carry on with the Starfleet mission of exploring new worlds and civilizations in the hope they can become Starfleet officers once they return the ship.

The Protostar is an experimental starship that actually changes its shape to travel at tremendous speeds in warp space. The starship and its new crew are hunted across the galaxy by Gwyndalla’s father, the Diviner (John Noble), who rules the prison colony and has a personal vendetta against the Federation and its Starfleet. He covets the Protostar to use it as a Trojan Horse to decimate the Federation.

Also pursuing the Protostar is the real Janeway, who is now a Starfleet admiral commanding another Starfleet ship. Years ago, the Protostar was lost in the Delta Quadrant along with its crew, which was commanded by her former first officer, Chakotay (Robert Beltran).

For a TV show supposedly oriented towards children Star Trek: Prodigy has a surprising amount of depth considering that many episodes featured character arcs that fully developed the characters. Throughout the first season we see Dal change from an impulsive and rebellious teenager into a responsible and mature person who had the qualities for a Starfleet officer. The best episode that illustrates his development was “Kobayashi”. Dal activates a holo-training program that is the famous Kobayashi Maru test given to Starfleet cadets where they hopelessly try to rescue a freighter from Klingons. Making up his crew in the simulation are popular Trek characters like Spock (Leonard Nimoy) from the original Star Trek and Scotty (James Doohan) from the original Star Trek films. As Dal tries to win the test’s no-win scenario and learns some hard lessons about command, he interacts with these characters, which was amazing since some of the actors voicing the roles are no longer alive. It was a nice way to give tribute to the franchise.

Most of the other characters saw significant development, as well. Gwyndala fought an inner battle within herself as she was at first hostile towards Dal and the others but gradually formed a deep bond with them. In the episode “Time Amok” Rok and the others are trapped in different temporal loops. Being that in Rok’s loop time runs at the slowest rate she uses this as a chance to learn to become a scientist and save the crew. Many of the others have tragic backgrounds and this journey on the Protostar serves as a means to give them some meaning in their lives.

The best way to think of Star Trek: Prodigy is to compare it to Star Wars: The Clone Wars or Star Wars: Rebels. On the surface both TV shows were apparently made for children, but before long they evolved and became more complex and appealing to adults who otherwise might have been turned off by them. I’m pretty sure that if Star Trek: Prodigy was not cancelled and allowed to fully tell its story, which included the search for Chakotay, the show would have reached the same level of admiration that the animated Star Wars TV shows has received.

Cancelling Star Trek: Prodigy was one thing, but to remove it from Paramount + and having it unavailable to easily view elsewhere was a foolish decision. Even though it was not a massive hit it still would have found an audience. Right now the only way to see Star Trek: Prodigy is to buy it through Amazon Prime, Vudu or other video on demand services or to actually purchase it on physical media. It’s certainly worth buying and will help hold us over until season two is ready. As of this writing, post-production of season two of Star Trek: Prodigy is underway and the show’s producers are finding another place to air it. Given the way the actors and writers strikes have ground film and TV productions to a halt Paramount should reconsider its decision and bring back Star Trek: Prodigy to its streaming platform to at least let the fans see the final season.

José Soto