The Incredible Hulk #2

 "Hate you? Why shouldn't I hate you? Why shouldn't I hate all mankind?"

So... the Toad Men? Cartoonish generic alien invaders with their magnetic tech and tendency to spout convenient exposition between themselves? They're... yeah, these are early days, still very cheesy, with what is slowly becoming Marvel still emerging from a world in which comics are seen as disposable, throwaway fare, and the Toad Men are a clear symptom.

So much here is fascinating here, though. The Hulk appears grey when outside at night, but I think he's supposed to be green, in only the second issue. It's still very much the case- and integral to the plot- that Bruce becomes the Hulk at nightfall and changes back at dawn, regular as clockwork. This is very Edward Hyde and, indeed, the Hulk is drawn (pencilled by Kirby, inked by Ditko) with sinister, Hyde-like facial features right out of an EC horror comic. And he's pretty smart: it's implied that he could have flown the Toad Men's ship if dawn hadn't come.

One interesting point... the Toad Men refer to Bruce as the "greatest mind on Earth". I immediately thought, well, what about Reed Richards? But I then realised that we've had, as yet, no indication whatsoever that any of these titles are part of a shared universe. I'm very much on the lookout for when that changes.

This is very Silver Age silly, yes. But it's fascinating to see how different the Hulk is at this early stage. 

Tales to Astonish #32

 "No, my heartless intruder! It is you who have asked for it!

I've skipped a couple of Tales to Astonish stories in the Order as they were only tied to the Marvel Universe by one later story many decades later, past the mid-'90s beyond which I'm not sure I'll continue. This one... well, it's just about included, as the Classically inspired monster featured will be seen again in a handful of '70s and '80s appearances.... and, incidentally, had one previous Golden Age appearance!

This is but a five page story, "The Girl in the Black Hood", one of several in the issue, including a one page text story, as was the format of Tales to Astonish at this point. It features a crook getting his comeuppance as he tries to rob an acclaimed photographer who, it turns out, has a solid reason for always hiding her face behind a black hood. Not be all spoilery but, well, her name is "May Dusa"...

This is short and sweet, but a nice little tale with a twist. It does its job and entertains. It's a solid short story. It reminds me of Tharg's Future Shock in 2000 AD. But, well, there's not much more to say, other than to note that it's unclear who scripted this.

The Incredible Hulk #1

 "You keep  out of this, Betty! This is man talk!"

There are a couple of short stories from Tales to Astonish in the order, but I'm skipping them. They're standard pre-Marvel Age monster fare, and only in the order because the relevant monsters re-appear much, much later., and only once, as a novelty As I'm not sure whether or not I'll be going past the early '90s or so (although, well, we'll see!), they're just too tenuous.

So... the Hulk. The first issue is the early version of the familiar origin story. But it's not quite the narrative we will come to know. Most obviously, the Hulk is grey. His clothing is not quite what it will be. And he may be strong and have a bad attitude, but he's perfectly articulate. Moreover, at this stage, Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk at nightfall, not at moments of stress or anger.

These things in combination give much more of a Jekyll and Hyde feel. Like the Edward Hyde of Stevenson's novella, this Hulk feels to be not so much an actual alter ego as a repressed side of Banner's self. This is fascinating.

It all feels very grounded in 1962, though. The atomic explosion is, well, very Atomic Age. The baddies are very crudely drawn Soviet communists- the Cold War definitely shows. And then there's Rick Jones, looking and talking like a specifically early '60s American teenager- no longer rock 'n' roll, the '60s aren't actually swinging yet, and it all feels very American Graffiti.

The Gargoyle stuff is, of course, very silly- I mean, travelling between the USA and the USSR via rocket? The supposedly genius level Gargoyle travelling alone to the heart of America? And his sudden change of heart at the last minute, allowing Bruce and Rick to implausibly escape?

And yet... yes, like previous instalments in the Marvel Order, this is silly stuff... but that's the vibe at this point, deliberately heightened melodrama. It isn't necessarily a fault, just the way things were. Yes, the silliness makes this issue seem ridiculous today... but it's certainly got something.

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

 

This is one of those novels which have been translated to the screen again and again, not least in The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price, which I may well have blogged. And yet, in novel form, the premise is truly allowed to blossom. We have possibly the last person on Earth who has not become a vampire, and we really explore the minute detail of how he adapts, survives and reacts to the strange and nightmarish new world in which he finds himself,

And interiority is crucial here. We are privy to Neville's thoughts, feelings, despairing binges, bleak memories, and why he acts as he does, far more so than any film version could ever make us feel, by virtue of the medium itself.

And so (SPOILERS) the twist at the end comes, if anything, as even more of a shock, as it has real moral force. Ruth makes not only Neville confront the moral horror of the fact that Neville has been gleefully staking living vampires as well as dead ones... and it turns out that a treatment is possible which will give them reasonably normal lives. Neville, with whose deeds the reader has been complicit, is in fact a murderer, and must die.

This is a surprisingly brief novella, and it focuses narrowly on the worldbuilding, the twist, and one everyman character. But what it does it does very well indeed.

Fantastic Four #4

 "One side, woman! I got me an idea!"

It's weird to think that this is the Sub-Mariner's first Silver Age appearance... yet his last Golden Age appearance was only in 1955, seven years previously. But it's amusing to think how Marvel opted for nostalgia at such an early point. Indeed, it did that with the character of the Human Torch, and it's amusing to see how the cover has the modern Torch without a face, much like his 1939 predecessor.

Anyway, we begin in the FF's "secret skyscraper hideout", and once again I look forward to an explanation of how they can afford this, as well as such gadgets as the Fantast-car which, we now learn, can split up into four individual parts. Nice. And events follow on from the end of last issue, but Torch is missing, having flounced out after a dramatic argy-bargy with the Thing- and, yet again, it's striking how much real vitriol there is between the two of them at this stage. This is more than just banter, and it seems the Torch genuinely intended to leave the FF for good,

Anyway, it's Ben who finally finds Johnny, but Johnny gets away when the Thing (very) briefly turns human again, a nice little running sub-plot... and, beneath the panels, we get questions like "What is the Hulk?", a very nice teaser for a new comic which will be arriving very soon.

By an incredible coincidence, the hotel Johnny ends up in happens to be the one containing a bearded, amnesiac Sub-Mariner. And it's Johnny who deliberately restores his memory by, er, dropping him in the sea, as though that was certain to work. It does, though... and Namor finds out that his kingdom has been destroyed by (what else?) atomic experiments, so it's time to destroy humanity... with a massive monster which is called Giganto, because of course it is. Yet again Marvel's existing monster genre bleeds into the new stuff.

But the best bit is where, I kid you not, the Thing straps an actual nuke to his back, lets Giganto swallow him, dumps the bomb and escapes through the monster's gob, which is a whole other level of bonkers. And then the threat is basically resolved by the fact that Namor suddenly fancies Sue... and wants to marry her. Well, that escalated quickly, and now the Torch can apparently create tornadoes somehow because the plot requires it...

This issue is magnificently bonkers.

Fantastic Four #3

 " I'm disappointed in you, Reed! You almost had him, and then he slipped through your fingers!"

This issue begins to feel a bit more Marvel from the start, with the cover showcasing the Fantasti-car and the new costumes, which are introduced halfway through, designed by Sue... although Ben won't end up wearing the whole thing. We're also introduced to the FF's huge and expensive-looking secret HQ, crammed with Batcave type stuff. The question must again be asked- how are the FF paying for all this?

The opening scene is a nice little set piece as the four of them see a show by Miracle Man, a stage magician and (very) minor Marvel villain for future years, who is nevertheless destined to get his own Top Trumps card in the late '80s. Hilariously, the Thing is making a token attempt to disguise himself in the audience, and it's fun to see the character humiliate the FF, and Ben especially.

Reed tempts fate by musing that it would be unfortunate if the Miracle Man should turn to crime, while Sue, in giving out the team's new costume, speaks of "crime fighting". At this point, then, the team are being envisaged as crimefighters as opposed to explorers.

The best thing about this issue is the unreasonably critical police commissioner, who is hilariously rude to Reed. I certainly hope to see him again. We then round out the issue, after yet another origin recap and some basic character stuff with Ben and Johnny, with Reed revealing that Miracle Man was just a hypnotist all along, and his powers were just illusions... well ok. Best not to look too closely at the details of that.

Still, this is a pretty good issue and we're starting to see the team slowly morph into becoming the FF we know.

Tales to Astonish #27

 "I won't tell you yet! You would only laugh at me as you've done before! But when I've finished it, I'll show you! You shall know I'm a greater scientist than any of you!"

This is such a fascinating time capsule- entirely a product of Marvel pre-Fantastic Four with the slight detail that it happens to introduce Henry Pym. But it seems likely, from reading this, that it would never have been intended as anything more than a one-off tale, very much in the monster genre that Tales to Astonish and the other anthology comics had been doing.

It's interesting to see that this is just one of multiple tales in a comic that also includes text stories, and is a very short story of just a few pages. The cover and splash page, it must be said, are both excellent- I believe the former is Jack Kirby and the latter Steve Ditko? Ditko, I have to say, does a much more impressive job as penciller than Kirby has thus far, although I know Kirby's best work lies ahead.

Initial observations are that Hank Pym doesn't exactly come across as a hero here. Indeed, he seems to be a bit of a prat, much as he shows sense at the end, following his lucky escape. His deciding to destroy his shrinking serum seems to indicate no intention of a return.... but the loose thread of that one mysteriously friendly ant may suggest otherwise!

The less said about the science the better, although I may point the reader to look up J.B.S. Haldane's "On Being the Right Size". Still, this is a pleasingly amusing little tale. Still very early days though.

Fantastic Four #2

 "No wonder our leaders dare not invade Earth until the Fantastic Four are stopped!"

Issue #2, and we have Skrulls! But, well, they're drawn by Kirby in a very cartoonish fashion, and they're very silly to boot. 

Like the first issue, this is very much rooted in the monster books Marvel had been producing, and doesn't yet feel fully like a superhero title. There are still no costumes, and Reed is still dressing like Don Draper from Mad Men. Indeed, given is apparent age (about 45?) and pipe smoking ways, it's likely that the character would have fought in the Second World War, an odd thought.

We begin with Skrulls framing the Fantastic Four for various crimes, in order to get them imprisoned and out of the way so their orbiting fleet can conquer the planet, which at least makes sense. Interestingly, the FF are very much known to the general public.

We get a recap of last week's origin, and... well, not much characterisation as yet. Ben is still very bitter and anti-social, quite reasonably, as his so-called friends address him not as "Ben" but "Thing"!

The art is still very functional, and the pages feel crowded with lots of panels in this multi-part story in which rather a lot happens. The FF are attacked by the US army, captured... and Johnny is rather alarmingly put into an asbestos cell! Of course, they all promptly and entertainingly escape, and head to "one of the Fantastic Four's many secret apartment hideouts"- wow. They seem to have an awful lot of resources, especially while being fugitives. What's their source of income, then...?

The FF's defeat of the Skrull is... well, as absurd, ridiculous and over the top as one could possibly imagine, involving panels from Strange Tales and Journey into Mystery- both still monster books at this point- among other things. 

We end with the Thing, for the first time, very briefly becoming Ben Grimm again, as the FF now prove their innocence with utterly ridiculous ease. And... the three remaining Skrulls are hypnotised and forced to spend the rest of their lives on Earth as cows. Er, perhaps a bit harsh...?

All in all, very silly indeed. Marvel isn't Marvel yet. But strangely compelling in its silliness!

Fantastic Four #1

 "You've turned into monsters... both of you! It's those rays! Those terrible cosmic rays!"

Yes, it's a bit of a sudden change of direction to start reviewing comics. So... why am I doing this?

Simply put, I've had a temporary but rather unpleasant medical condition for the last year and a bit, meaning physical discomfort . This is making it increasingly hard to concentrate on TV and film, the main focus of this blog. The good news is that I should be right as rain after surgery next month, followed by a few weeks to recover, and I'll be watching and blogging all the usual stuff.

But what to do in the meantime? Well, I can still read well enough, and will still be blogging novels. I will try to keep blogging TV and film as much as I can. But I could do with something that will allow me to blog with relative frequency... so I'll be reading all Marvel comics, online, according to the Complete Marvel Reading Order (fellow Brits, you may need a VPN), starting with this issue! I may not go beyond the early '90s but... we'll see.

So... it's August 1961. The same time period as Season One as Mad Men. The Sixties won't start swinging for a while yet. It's still very much the Atomic Age, the Cold War is in full swing, between the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Both the USSR and the USA put a man in space earlier this year.

And, in terms of comics, it's the Silver Age. And... well, we'll say "Marvel" for clarity, but this is really Timely Comics, known for its pulp-style stories of monsters, aliens and mad scientists- certainly not superheroes for the most part, not since they went out of fashion just over a decade ago. Captain America, the original Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner have, it seems, had their day.

Yet a certain Distinguished Competition has had great success, after years of retreating to just Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, of expanding its roster of superhero titles... and Marvel needs to do something. Things are not going great.

Enter two men in their forties, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Much has been said over the years over how Kirby's contribution to the plots has been underappreciated, but we must be careful not to dismiss Lee as a mere hype merchant, either. This thread I will, I'm sure, keep returning to, but Lee is very much on record of saying that, at this point, he was thinking of leaving the comics industry and this was a last throw of the dice, him finally doing a comic exactly the way he wanted. And, well, that clearly worked.

I'm very much aware that the Fantastic Four, being essentially explorers, owe much to Challengers of the Unknown, which Kirby had recently done at DC. Indeed... this issue in many ways seems and feels more like an Atomic Age monster comic than a superhero comic- there are, for example, no costumes at this point. And this is very much baby steps for Marvel- Kirby's art, while very good for what this is, is by no means anywhere close to being as sublime as it will eventually become, great though the cover is. And the dialogue is... melodramatic, and also wordy. The narration, while poetic at times, is surprisingly foregrounded: there's certainly an authorial voice to this.

The narrative, perhaps reflecting the pre-existing style, is split into four. The first is... odd, with Reed Richards summoning the others with some weird signal thing. Sue Storm is with "society friends" when she hears the signal, reacting to her "vow" and leading to some hi-jinks with a taxi. Ben Grimm, at this point, looks much less rocky, and is far more grumpy and anti-social, saying "bah" a lot. The events seem to take place in "Central City", a DC-esque fictional location, not New York. And... the FF are very much treated as hostile by those in authority, with the US government trying to get Johnny. This sequence showcases the characters' powers, but... it's odd, it's uneven, it feels experimental, and the characters are far from fleshed out at this point.

The second part of the narrative is the familiar origin story, with the cosmic rays. Even this has some unexpectedly fascinating little details, though. Reed was rushing the rocket and cutting corners on safety in order to beat "the Commies"- you can really feel the sudden urgency of the space race in 1961, the year the US quickly rushed Alan Shephard into space in order to keep up with the Soviets. And Sue goads Ben by calling him "a coward" despite his very reasonable safety concerns. The love triangle over Sue between Reed and Ben is surprisingly raw.

Part three gives us actual plot, with atomic plants (this being the Atomic Age) being targeted from underground, including in French Equatorial Africa, reminding us how long ago this is! "Monster Island" is from right out of pulp and B-movies, the monsters (one with three heads!) being pure Ray Harryhausen. Mole Man is... well, not the most classic of villains, basically an incel who flounces, self-pityingly, to the centre of the earth, losing much of his sight... and then gaining supernatural senses and mastery over the monsters for reasons which are in no way explained. And yes, he explains his rather rubbish plan to the FF "before I slay you".

This is by no means the finished article. It certainly doesn't feel like Marvel at this point. And yet... the fundamentals of the key characters have real potential, and I can see why this was such a success.

An Update... and a Plan

 Firstly, fear not: everything I've been blogging- Dexter, Gen V, films, other new telly that may arise- will continue. This blog isn't going anywhere.

However, the medical condition I've had for over a year now has been gradually worsening, and at this point it's becoming harder to focus on TV and film. Fortunately I have surgery scheduled for the middle of next month which should have me completely back to normal. I'll need a few weeks to recover from the surgery, but after that the blog will continue.

So, ideally, I need an idea to keep this blog sort of going in the short term. Part of that will be filled by the novels; I can concentrate more easily on a book, and I'm still going to blog those.

But I need something else... so here goes: the Complete Marvel Reading Order! I'm going to start with Fantastic Four #1 and go on and on until, well, at least the early '90s. I'm in my late forties, so a project like this is a pleasing way of giving the finger to mortality.

For my fellow Brits, you'll need a VPN if you fancy following along, but I assume we all have those since the passing of the Online Safety Act. 

Ghostwatch

 "You don't know, do you?"

"..........No. I don't."

I haven't seen this since... well, 31st October, 1992, so reluctant was the BBC to admit to it until recent years. A drama that (despite the opening and closing making it clear that it is indeed such) apes Orson Welles' famed 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds and convinces much of the nation that this is in fact a real live broadcast, with actual, well-known presenters, was... well, bound to be controversial, and the BBC got cold feet very soon after broadcast.

All of which, of course, is an ironic consequence of just how bloody good it is. Yes, some criticise the early parts for being slow and meandering, but that's the point: if it's to convince as a real drama, it has to do precisely that, warts and all. And it does so well. Michael Parkinson and Sarah Greene, in particular, are utterly convincing as themselves, which is not as easy a feat as it seems, both being absolutely convincing at moments that have to feel spontaneous. And Craig Charles, too, is not only convincing but rather a good sport in allowing himself to come across as a bit of an arse during scenes when he "thinks" he's off camera.

Yet the family themselves, none of them known faces for obvious reasons and including two child actors, are utterly convincing with, necessarily, very naturalistic acting. The whole thing progresses perfectly and the ending is utterly chilling. I'm surprised how dark the themes are, with hints of past child abuse and child murder, and the terrifying use of nursery rhymes.

Watching it in 2025, though, one is ruefully reminded that this is a bygone age of tape recorders, where deepfakes and AI were undreamt of, as I wish they had remained. And the one obvious hint that this isn't actually real is the merely token inclusion of a sceptic, made to be unlikeable, the BBC certainly not being likely to have dared to seem so biased in reality... at least back then. 

Still, this is not only one of the earliest examples of this kind of more metatextual take on horror, leading to genres such as "found footage" becoming more prevalent and therefore important to film history, but also one of the very best,

Update

Fear not; I haven't gone anywhere and will continue with Dexter, Gen V and other stuff as much as I can. Just bear with me in advance of my upcoming surgery and recovery, with my condition it's becoming increasingly different to watch serious telly and concentrate most days. But I should be back to normal after the op.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Yes, I know: I've seen the television series based upon this novel and its sequels, and I usually arrange to read the novel first. But it matters little here- this is well-trodden history and spoilers hardly apply. Moreover, the two are not particularly alike. Plot is one thing; interiority is another. Yes, this novel may be a truly magnificent feat of making us truly feel the England of the 1520s and '30s, but it is more than that.

The novel is told entirely through the thoughts and impressions of Thomas Cromwell. The various familiar figures from the reign of Henry VIII very much appear, but we see all of them as Cromwell does. And we come to understand him- his kindness to children, his hard-headed bruiser side, his workaholism, his deeply cultured nature.

The novel truly communicates the nuances and paradoxes of its age, an age in which the line between Catholic and Protestant is blurred in ways which would soon not be true, and an age in which judicial murder coexists with the primacy of legal propriety, in which a famously tyrannical king nonetheless respects that he is constrained by Parliament.

The novel takes a notably sympathetic approach to Cromwell himself, as well as to the future Queen Mary I and the seemingly kindly Cardinal Wolsey. Others, notably Thomas More, the king himself, and Anne Boleyn, get damning portraits, particularly More, a torturing zealot and abusive husband. Others, such as the Duke of Norfolk and the young Christophe, are simply fun.

This is a novel that's all about the nuance, the texture, the reimagined history. It's a truly dizzying experience.

Stranger Things: Season 5, Chapter 8- The Rightside Up

 "Oh, I was planning on carelessness...!"

I saw this finale last night, and I'm glad I've let it sink in a little before articulating my thoughts. There is, of course, one rather large plot hole- the gang, having destroyed the Upside Down and saved the world, end up in the custody of Sarah Connor and her toy soldiers. Why aren't they all arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to those absurdly harsh prison sentences of which America, with its extraordinarily huge prison population, is so fond? Regardless of morality, they've all surely broken several important laws. But I think we can safely forgive and handwave this. Because the episode is a masterpiece,

The way the threat is resolved is superb. We have two hours of run time, plenty of time for each character to breathe, with lots of nice little scenes between pairs of characters- especially the reconciliation between Jonathan and Steve. It's fitting that Vecna, whatever he may think, is ultimately just another vessel and the real Big Bad is a freaking massive CGI monster. And the whole gang work together to destroy it before Sarah Connor ruins everything... and yes, there's no hope for Eleven after all. There never could have been. Those waterfalls always were a pipe dream.

This is, of course, very bleak. But by the end of the episode we nevertheless haven't turned to despair. Because Stranger Things never really was about the supernatural threat- it's about the characters, about growing up, about how we all deal with adversity together. About how, yes, the world is full of suffering, unfairness and death, but how we can nevertheless find joy and make our own meaning. 

Which is why we need this long coda for the characters to be seen to be getting on with their lives, pursuing their dreams and friendships, dealing with their grief. Life goes on. The proposal scene with Joyce and Hopper is so very wonderful, as is Hopper's speech to Mike on healthy and unhealthy ways of grieving, lessons we will all need at some point.

But there is also fun. It's 1989, the end of the decade. We have the Pixies! Dustin gives a wonderful valedictorian speech, including a tribute to Eddie. And we end, of course, with D&D (or rather, I assume, 2nd edition AD&D!), with a beautiful imagined happy ending for El. It's just Mike's fantasy, of course. But sometimes we need to believe in comforting fictions, and that's ok.

The perfect finale.

The Room in the Tower

 "I've given you the room in the tower..."

It's that time of year, and so we have the latest of the BBC's Ghost Stories for Christmas helmed, as ever, by Mark Gatiss and on iPlayer right now along with all of its modern predecessors. It's really rather good, an adaptation of a short story by E.F. Benson. I'm in two minds, though- it's good to see adaptations of other writers, but I sort of pine for that M.R. James feel.

This is typical Gatiss Christmas fare, I suppose, which is no bad thing. Despite the ending, which is thoroughly earned, it's a slow, atmospheric tale in which the feeling of dread is slowly and masterfully managed by both script and visuals. The pacing is slow and old-fashioned, which some will not like. I very much do; the slow pace is precisely the point with a ghost story like this, all about mood.

Tobias Menzies does a good job as the protagonist, but it's incredible how subtly terrifying Joanna Lumley manages to be with what really isn't very much screen time. She really steals the show. The framing device with the air raid works well, too, and helps the ending to hit hard. This is, I think, one of the better Ghost Stories of recent years.

The War Between the Land and the Sea: The End of the War

 "We will give you anything you want. Because we are terrified of you."

RTD is writing again for what proves to be a dramatic finale that hits hard and delivers its political subtext relatively well for current television. The human race is indeed out of control, what with the climate catastrophe, pollution, threats of nuclear war, unregulated AI and other such nonsense, all in the name of profit- however nice individual humans may be. And the dog eating scene... yeah, we all know which orange individual is being referred to there. Nice one.

The plot here, if we look at the broad thrust, is quite horrifying. The Sea Devils seem to have won. Humanity has an impossible five years to implement the terms, or the Sea Devils will melt the ice caps, causing mass floods and even more carbon emissions. But some have a plan, Severance, to stop them, and it's particularly pernicious. Not only is it genocidal, it cruelly exploits the love which Barclay has for Salt, using him as the unwitting vector for transmission... and then we get the Sea Devil bodies washing up on the beach. 90% of all Sea Devils are dead. Humanity has won. And we are truly terrifying.

Some may criticise the virus as deus ex machina. I wouldn't. "Severance" is seeded well in advance. But one other possible criticism is how similar this is, plot-wise, to the resolution of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. There's a thin line, sometimes, between homage and just simply lifting something, and I'm not sure which side of the line to place this.

There's much else, though. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart has been deepened considerably as a character within this series. Grief-stricken, obsessive, workaholic, capable of blackmail to avoid being signed off work, her threats to the prime minister are great stuff... but will this be built upon later? I like the reference to the Doctor's absence, though- "I save the human race, but I don't shape the human race". And the scientist's comment that "from the moment homo sapiens meet a new species, we slaughter them.". Indeed. What hope for the Sea Devils, after the fate of the Neanderthals, Denisovans and countless other hominids that went before them?

Salt and Barclay may get their happy ending to counterbalance the bleakness, as Barclay grows gills(!) and goes to live in the sea. But he's abandoning his child, and that sits very badly with me. This, the War of the Worlds issue, and the need for Kate's character development to actually be followed through on, are real worries for me. But there's no doubt that this is a hard-hitting and impactful finale.

Stranger Things: Season 5, Chapter 7- The Bridge

 "Guess you didn't need truth serum, huh?"

So Max is awake. Her muscles are weak, she's in a wheelchair for now, but these things will pass. It's very much penultimate episode from this point onwards, though, with high stakes. And, despite some oddly negative reviews for this episode (Far right culture warriors getting mardy about a certain scene I'll discuss later, foreshadowed early on by Joyce geeing up Will?)

Now, I saw this episode and its two predecessors in one sitting, with Little Miss Llamastrangler, and blogged all three based mainly on my note but, inevitably, also by a certain amount of memory. So I boobed by saying in my last blog post (now amended) that it revealed the lore that the Upside Down is not another dimension but merely a wormhole, connecting Hawkins to a not-very-nice dimension which Dustin dubs "the Abyss" and is presumably the source of the Demogorgons and such. It is, of course, in this episode that Dustin, armed with Brenner's notebook and a very big brain, gets that rather awesome exposition scene.

Plans are made. The gang is going in. Will is pivotal, he must be strong... so we have that amazing coming out scene, one of the most moving scenes in all of Stranger Things and also one of the most satisfying. Mike's musical taste- the Butthole Surfers and the Replacements- is exquisite. But not all is positive. There are unresolved issues between El and Hopper- will Hopper die with them unresolved in the finale? Then there's Kali telling Eleven that there's no hope and they both need to stay in the expunged Upside Down and die. Then there's Holly who, after all that, is recaptured and heavily gaslit. Henry has all the kids and begins his plan.

Awesome stuff, of course. But some predictions for the finale. Who will live and who will die?

I wonder if Hopper will die, as above. Kali, but not Eleven. Max is probably the safest character- the Duffer Brothers wouldn't put her through all that with the coma only to kill her, right? Surely not the core gang- Dustin, Lucas, El, Mike and Will. Not Nancy and Jonathan, who have just fixed their relationship. But, if that's the case... what about Steve?

Stranger Things: Season 5, Chapter 6- Escape from Camazotz

 "Before you say anything... I know it's five o'clock in the morning, but I need you to build me a telemetry tracker."

Fortunately, in the light of what we soon learn, Nancy's shot does only minor damage, despite the pyrotechnics, because we get some fascinating new lore here: the Upside Down is not what we thought, as outside is simply void. This is pretty damn cool.

So is the lovely scene between Nancy and Jonathan, within which they reconnect and confirm their love by not getting engaged at what would have been the wrong time. Plus they don't die, which is nice. We also have a nice scene with Dustin and Steve reconciling, and one in which Joyce and Hopper bond on what we parents know is the impossible question- how to get the balance right between being overprotective of your child and risking harm. The characterisation for this episode in particular is superb, but one could say the same for the season as a whole.

But the main focus of the episode is Max and Holly's eponymous escape from Camazotz. Holly's cleverness finds the way out in a superb sequence of scenes which also reveal that Henry was carrying some serious childhood trauma. This, of course, makes sense, with him as a metaphor for abuse. The cycle of abuse is a terrible thing.

With Holly having made the breakthrough, Max in turn helps her to find her own portal, albeit not to Hawkins but where her physical body is. But Max is in trouble- Vecna has Will, and is cruelly gaslighting him with "vessels" and "new and better worlds", and goading him with how he's Vecna's unwitting accomplice.

Even worse, he uses Will's mind to locate Max's body, leading to the awesome hospital sequence which brings the episode to an exciting climax, while also resolving the tension between Robin and Vickie. Yes, the Demogorgons do rather seem to be taking their time finding the gang, but Karen Wheeler to the rescue....

Another superb episode. I have high hopes that the Duffer Brothers will stick the landing. Fingers crossed...

Stranger Things: Season 5, Chapter 5- Shock Jock

"There are no happy endings, Jane. Not for us."

We begin (incidentally, Frank Darabont of Walking Dead fame directs), despite the awesome revelations about Will last episode, with the gang in a downbeat mood, positive and lovely that Joyce may be; Vecna has all the kids. This is bad on the surface as Vecna's plans are not at all good, but there's a definite subtext to Henry and it's a creepy one, one of grooming, noncery and such vile things which, sadly exist. So, yeah, let's actually release the Epstein files, hmm? Wouldn't it be lovely if they were leaked by someone beyond Dementia Donnie's reach.

We get reminded of Lucas' theoretical 6 November "deadline", which is at once diegetic and non-diegetic. So things are high stakes. Plus we now have, after last episode's events, Kali, whose own story is pretty damn bleak... Sarah Connor needed her blood to give to captive pregnant women in order to make more "numbers". And, this time around, the season is airing at a time when we can truly believe that the US government is evil, what with CECOT, the state terrorists of ICE, and all that. If Vecna is a metaphor for vile abuse, Sarah Connor is a metaphor for MAGA fascism.

Still, we have plans by the gangs. Joyce has faith in her awesome son, and wants him to go on the attack against Vecna, and this ends up happening by means of... well, the reason for the episode title. Meanwhile, Dustin plans to break through the wall in the Upside Down by means of a Death Star analogy. What could possibly go wrong?

The end is bleak. Max and Holly plot their escape, with some surprising help from Derek, but the first attempt never succeeds in such cases, and they end up in Vecna's clutches. Yes, Will attacks Vecna and helps them escape, but he's ultimately defeated, and rendered as comatose as Max is. Even worse, Dustin has a terrifying realisation...

This season is simply on fire, this episode as much as any, and I'm really liking the subtext.

The War Between the Land and the Sea: The Witch of the Waterfall

 "You'll never swim alone!"

Hmm. I can see what they're trying to do, and even admire it. There's a racism and xenophobia subtext in this episode, especially given that the phrase "great replacement theory" gets bandied around at one point. Far right conspiracies, rich oligarchs, populism... these are, of course, terrible things. So Salt gets arrested, there's the deepfake image of her claiming responsibility, all so very topical. It's all very well done, but perhaps a little too obviously on the nose.

Then there's the weird romance between Salt and Barclay, now rebels together against both human and Sea Devil. Yes, we've seen their mutual attraction, but I'm not sure I buy this. Again, we have the racism angle, and this is supposed to show an interracial relationship as a contrast to all the MAGA-type racism. But the analogy doesn't hold. Barclay and salt aren't people of different ethnicities, they're literally a mammal and a reptile... "interracial" is a much bigger deal here.

And there's Kate, overworking and ploughing through her grief. Jemma Redgrave is superb here, but the character just isn't that deep, and this deep focus on her characterisation just doesn't really work as a consequence. And the stuff with the conspiracy, and the stressed prime minister in over his head... again, I like and appreciate what they're trying to do in theory. But the execution makes no sense. Why is a British PM being advised by American and French generals rather than the Cabinet? Why is an American general giving orders to the British army on London's streets? The whole thing doesn't quite come off, and I just don't buy the stand-off at the end.

Perhaps I'm being a little harsh. The whole thing looks superb, and the performances remain first rate. The dialogue is often impressive. But I'm not sure this is quite working in terms of the execution when it comes to both plot and subtext. I hope the finale makes me feel differently...

Stranger Things: Season 5, Chapter 4- Sorcerer

 "Henry is a lot of things, but in trouble with the monsters is not one of them."

Wow. That episode was a bit good, to put it mildly. But I'll open with my only gripe before I go on to the gushing... Stranger Things takes such care over the '80s period detail, but seems to get sloppy when it comes to D&D, and we have a particularly wincing example here. Mike's pep talk to Will is great, but it's anachronistic, because the sorcerer character class, as opposed to the magic user or wizard, was not introduced until 3rd edition in 2000, whereas in 1987 things were very much either OD&D or 1st edition. This may seem a minor point to those who don't play D&D, but it's basic stuff and certainly not a minor error.

That aside, though, this episode is pretty much flawless. I'm relieved to see so much of Max here. She may spend pretty much doing exposition to Holly, but it's truly magnificent, conceptually mind-blowing exposition that both answers questions and asks them. Is Henry/Vecna in some kind of psychic prison?

The Great Escape set piece is awesome, of course. So is Dustin's breakthrough with the wall in the Upside Down, and the scenes between Eleven and Hopper are both exciting and great in terms of characterisation. I like the bait and switch- we expect to find Vecna in that room, but we find Eight.

That final sequence, though, with all those Demogorgons, all the children taken by Vecna and all seeming lost.... but then Will gets the pep talk from Vecna (Why? What is Vecna planning for Will? Because this is a crucial thread this season.) and realises he has powers...

Now that's what I call a cliffhanger. And that's what I call bloody good telly, much though I may worry that the insanely high production values provide simply impossible competition to the rest of telly.

Roll on Christmas.

Stranger Things: Season 5, Chapter 3- The Turnbow Trap

 "No, we're saving a child via kidnapping."

I know, I'm getting rather behind: bear with me, it's my condition. All will be well after the op. Meanwhile, though, I have Little Miss Llamastrangler with me for Christmas (yay!) and so not bingeing Stranger Things is absolutely not a thing this week.

This episode is, basically, magnificent. All that stuff with Holly and Henry is splendidly fairytale, right down to the Red Riding Hood outfit, and the reveal with Max is a magnificent shock... but makes total sense. I assume her mind has been there since going into the coma, that Henry wants to keep Holly away from the forest in order to stop her meeting Max, and it was in fact Max who wrote the note? We shall see!

I'm loving the character moments. Murray urging Jonathan to propose to Nancy. The stuff between Will and Joyce. Will asking Robin about the experience of being gay. Dustin doing that to Steve's car.

All that, and we get a superb Home Alone type set piece. We finally get to see Erica again- it's about time; she's awesome. We get hints- does Dr Sarah Connor really have Vecna's physical body as a prisoner? What's her angle, though, besides wanting Eleven?

This episode has it all- the set pieces, the character moments, Winona Ryder's superb acting. One more to go until I'm caught up...

The War Between the Land and the Sea: The Deep

 "If you're trying to keep the peace, you've already failed."

The third episode maintains the quality by pushing the tension even further, daring to pace things slowly in a way that really works. There's so much superb characterisation here in both script and performances, but malevolent forces are lurking behind the scenes and the shock ending (if not that detail!) feels both earned and inevitable.

The scenes with Barbara and Kirby, with TikTok calling Barclay both a fool and a traitor, shows us just how much pressure he's under, as well as how awful humanity can be in this age of far right culture war. And I have to admire how the slow descent is dwelt on, with some superb and very real characterisation alongside the building up of tension. This takes up a huge chunk of the episode and, in pure plot terms, is technically padding. Yet it's utterly gripping, the atmospheric pressure of the deep an apposite metaphor for the pressure felt by Barclay.

Yet, on the surface, all is not well. Kate is overworking, to the concern of Colonel Ibrahim, while the prime minister tries to subtly exclude her, himself being manipulated by the dark forces of the military-industrial complex.

The home of the Sea Devils (and other races) is quite the sight. We, and Barclay, are fed a little more lore- the Sea Devils are nomadic, and seem to count dolphins amongst the many aquatic races! And Barclay and Salt have blatant sexual tension. A mammal and a reptile...!

The end comes as a huge shock, though. The assassination attempt on Kate, Ibrahim taking the bullet for her and dying, her anguish as her soulmate dies in her arms- Jemma Redgrave is extraordinary here. And then we see why Ted was so nervous all along... he was a suicide bomber, and we know who he's broadly working for.

Wow. It's all kicking off. This is gripping stuff, still.

Update

 As per the previous update, just bear with me between now and my surgery in late January, a rather unpleasant hernia is making concentration a bit difficult. I'll endeavour to get the third and fourth episodes of The War Between the Land and the Sea done this week, but I can't manage to focus properly today. I may be able to manage a short episode of Batman: The Animated Series shortly though.

Next week (21st-28th December inclusive) is likely to be very blog-lite for family reasons, but I'll be back to what currently passes for normal after that.

Stranger Things: Season 5, Chapter 2- The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler

 "Heavens to Betsy!"

This season continues to be brilliant, in terms of script and acting. It also looks amazing, a case in point being the initial sequence of the Demogorgon going after Holly and ultimately taking her, despite Karen's heroism and unorthodox usage of a wine bottle (fortunately, she'd drunk it earlier!)- it looks incredibly expensive on screen. And, well, it probably was. Clever, too, that the episode title harks back to the first ever episode, with Holly being in the same position as Will was... hence, I assume, the sequence at the start of last episode.

And I'll never listen to ABBA in the same way again...

The characters generally pair off so they get to interact, have character moments and be well used. Hence Robin and Will pairing off to rebelliously enact Operation Antennae behind Joyce's back, while singularly and ironically remaining in their respective closets, each of them unaware that the other is gay. Hence the lovely scene between El and Hopper as they come to understand each other and reconcile- both of them are stubborn punk asses, but they love each other. And... well, Hopper may be overprotective as a parent, but we understand why he's like that. And Sarah Connor has seen El in the car with Nancy. Oops. I bet the authorities cause lots of trouble arising from this...

Lucas is underused, but I appreciate how wise he's shown to be. Max is even more underused, a main character just lying down with eyes closed for two episodes. I hope things are as they seem and she's about to wake up.

Dustin is ok, mercilessly, just beaten up by townies who need taking down a peg or two. Him and Steve clashing over his reckless provocations is good stuff- they both care, but they're too emotionally constipated. And Steve's home truths to Jonathan about him and Nancy make for one unhappy van. But Steve, right now, is right about everything.

The ending is a shock, though, as Nancy (that hair, er, yeah...) and Mike discover that Holly's imaginary friend seems to have been... Vecna. Oh dear...

This is quite the climax and, once again, quite the episode. Season Five is firing on all cylinders so far.

The War Between the Land and the Sea: Plastic Apocalypse

 "This man is the most important person on the planet."

This episode may be Pete McTighe rather than RTD, but the quality continues. If it continues to do so, we could have something truly special here, a modern and deeply thoughtful updating of the Silurians' and Sea Devils' intrinsic subtexts. Here, though, there are two key differences. Firstly, the Sea Devils (still not having Homo Aqua, reptiles are not hominids!) are not opposed to humanity's existence, or ownership of the land; they merely object- strongly- to our pollution, and our possession of the oceans and waterways. Secondly, there's no Doctor... much as Kate may complain, when Barclay goes off script, that "This is like working with the Doctor"!

Yet there's the human side too. Barclay feels real, a testament to Russell Tovey's acting but also to the characterisation. His relation to Barbara and Kirby further humanises him, with Kirby genuinely both idealistic and proud of her dad. But humans, of course, are not perfect, and those with wealth and power are plotting to undermine UNIT. This plot thread can only deepen.

It's interesting to see UNIT more closely. For the first time we see Kate and Colonel Ibrahim at home, very much a couple, contrasting with their professionalism at work. We see speculation about a kind of Sea Devil hive mind. And... it becomes more and more unclear what Shirley's job description actually is.

Yet the drama of the actual diplomatic negotiations is enormous. Even more so than the Sea Devils' dramatic act of returning all plastic etc in the oceans back to land (including, in an echo of Ghostbusters II, the Titanic finally reaching New York)!. Salt and Barclay see to have real chemistry, yet her (and their) anger is palpable. Their demands are seemingly impossible, the sacrifices seemingly too great. Yet, from the Sea Devils' perspective, they are modest and reasonable.

There's long to go, and I've no idea how this will end. But the subtext, the pacing, the characters... this is very, very good.

Batman: The Animated Series- Harley and Ivy

 "You're just one big, forgiving doormat, aren't you?"

Another superb episode here, from the opening scenes with the very Tim Burton-esque Gotham cityscape evoking his two Batman films to the highly satisfying ending with Officer Montoya being the one to apprehend Poison Ivy and Harlequin. But, despite the highly 1960s-style deathtrap and the very Thelma and Louise crime wave (much of it shown via newspaper headlines in the use of a splendid old trope). this episode succeeds because of character.

It's fun seeing the two ladies capering together, especially sticking it to the Patriarchy in various ways. But this episode is fascinating as the first to truly depict the relationship between Harley and the Joker as it would later be understood- abusive, co-dependent, complex. Harlequin knows the Joker is abusing her but she misses him when he's not there, and needs him. It's complex, tragic, nuanced, and depicted so very well.

It's a Batman-lite episode, yes, but that's ok. This series is very strongly about its ensemble cast. Batman standing back gives us a chance to see some real depth to poor Harlequin in what is yet another superb episode.

The War Between the Land and the Sea: Homo Aqua

 "That's them- the gay waters!"

Before I start praising this promising first episode, a gripe about "homo aqua": it's just scientifically illiterate. Even this English graduate knows that the genus "homo" is for hominids, i.e. primate species that walk upright. The Sea Devils are not even mammals, let alone primates. It just doesn't work. I get that the name "Sea Devils" is pejorative, and I don't mean to be one of those tiresome culture warriors who whinge about "woke" this and "woke" that. But dammit, this is a fictional race, and I'm just not having this bad science. As far as I'm concerned, "Sea Devils" it is.

That said, though... this is a very promising start. It looks gorgeous, with the Disney budget well used. The cast, led by Russell Tovey, is excellent. There are some nice little Easter eggs for the fans- a glimpse of Trinity Wells; the surprising use of General (formerly Colonel) Pierce in a more important role all these years later; UNIT in all it's glory, with Kate, Colonel Ibrahim and Shirley all back... although no Blinx; that would hardly suit the more adult tone.

But best of all we have the impressive script from an RTD writing for an adult rather than family audience. The world-building and exposition is well done for people who haven't seen The Sea Devils, and so is the characterisation. General Pierce comes across as a well-rounded and rather impressive individual. Even better, though, is Barclay, the relatable everyman and audience surrogate, with whom we quickly come to identify. He's no one special, just a humble UNIT clerk, divorced and with complex child custody issues to navigate- I can certainly relate! And it's somehow made believable that a chain of events could lead to him being forced to act as humanity's ambassador to the Sea Devils.

I already want to watch more of this intriguing spin-off. I suspect pollution will be a theme, and I wonder what's going on with the two apparent other species. Are we going to get an explanation as to why the Sea Devils look so different, though?

This has real potential. I'm not going to say that it has Torchwood: Children of Earth vibes yet, but the potential is certainly there.

Update

 It's probably worth copying what I wrote yesterday, as not everyone will be following Batman: The Animated Series:

"Yes, I know: I'm doing another episode of Batman: The Animated Series as opposed to the other series I'm blogging- Stranger Things, Dexter, Gen V, with The War Between the Land and the Sea starting within days.

Fear not; I'm still blogging all of the above. But I've been struggling with a rather unpleasant hernia for the last year or so which makes it increasingly difficult to concentrate, among other things, and is slowly getting worse over time. The good news is that my employers are kindly allowing me to work the hours I can, on full pay, and that the whole bloody thing should be sorted by surgery in late January. I should be right back to normal after that.

But that means there are days when I can only manage to focus on a twenty minute episode as opposed to something longer. Hence Batman: The Animated Series. It doesn't mean I won't keep blogging those other programmes when I feel up to it, or films. But that's the situation...."

So I haven't gone anywhere, I'm just struggling a bit to focus at the moment with my condition. I'll be back in the new year.

Batman: The Animated Series- The Mechanic

 "I need a new car..."

Yes, I know: I'm doing another episode of Batman: The Animated Series as opposed to the other series I'm blogging- Stranger Things, Dexter, Gen V, with The War Between the Land and the Sea starting within days.

Fear not; I'm still blogging all of the above. But I've been struggling with a rather unpleasant hernia for the last year or so which makes it increasingly difficult to concentrate, among other things, and is slowly getting worse over time. The good news is that my employers are kindly allowing me to work the hours I can, on full pay, and that the whole bloody thing should be sorted by surgery in late January. I should be right back to normal after that.

But that means there are days when I can only manage to focus on a twenty minute episode as opposed to something longer. Hence Batman: The Animated Series. It doesn't mean I won't keep blogging those other programmes when I feel up to it, or films. But that's the situation....

Plus, of course. this show leaves Netflix on 21 December....

That said, I enjoyed this episode very much. Not for the fairly standard blackmail plot, perhaps, but for the worldbuilding. The Penguin (I loved his vulture!) is getting nicely fleshed out as a character by now. As ever, the car chases are hugely entertaining. And yet again the cars and the clothes evoke, appropriately, the '40s.

Yet even better than that is the introduction of Earl- not, I believe, a character from the comics or any other medium? That Batman should maintain his own mechanic makes perfect sense and, of course, adds to the texture of Batman and his world. I particularly loved the monochrome origin sequence, featuring a very retro Batmobile and Batman in his pre-1964 costume.

Surprising to see John de Lancie in a fairly minor role here, but yet another strong episode.

Batman: The Animated Series- Zatanna

 "This never happens to me in Vegas!"

This is a real first for the animated series- an appearance by another DC superhero, in this case Zatanna, whom I must confess I don't know very well. I understand that, in the comics, she has real magical powers, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. But the character is fun and engaging, and this is a fun little tale. 

The story- Zatanna being framed for a bank heist, Batman helping to exonerate her and grab the real culprit- is quick and simple, as the twenty minute run time demands, although the set pieces are particularly fun, with a couple of splendidly cliched death traps. It's also nice how Zatanna is inserted into Bruce's backstory, her dad teaching him escapology.

It's not a particularly pivotal episode, perhaps, but there's nowt wrong with that. Good fun, and Zatanna herself is extremely likeable.

Stranger Things: Season 5, Chapter 1- The Crawl

 "What is it about your presence that brings out your inner Neanderthal?"

I've missed Stranger Things... but then it's been three sodding years and, personally, soooo much life has happened since then.

No denying it, though: this is wonderful stuff, a strong and very fun first episode, letting all the characters breathe and remind us why we adore them so. It's November 1987, about a year later, Hawkins is rebuilding, quarantined, with a strong military presence investigating the Upside Down... and the doctor in charge of all this is played by Linda Hamilton, for once not playing Sarah Connor, in a bit of truly '80s-tastic casting.

The opening sequence, taking us back to the events of Will's disappearance, looks incredible and, yes, cinematic, meaning incredibly expensive. Most of the episode consists of the gang, a well-oiled machine at this point, at first planning and then executing their latest "crawl". It's gripping viewing and... yes, those last few scenes are cinematic, meaning incredibly expensive.

And... yeah. This is all awesome, but the flip side of this is that it's the perfect illustration of how the streaming model is just not sustainable. Television can't always look like blockbuster cinema, with the same production values, it can't always have such a low episode count per season and, yes, three years between seasons is far too damn long- one can't exactly criticise them for aging at a rate of one year per annum, but the "kids" all look about thirty-seven years old. And yet... can we put the genie back in the bottle? Will the public ever accept "normal" television production values ever again?

Such matters aside, though, this is amazing. There's upset- Dustin is such a good friend, always washing the graffiti off Eddie's grave, but he seems in very serious trouble from those vile bullies. I hope they get their comeuppance and, indeed, that Eddie's reputation is redeemed. Hopper's care for El is touching. And, most of all, Robin is the best DJ ever. And that cliffhanger...

More please?

Batman: The Animated Series- Paging The Crime Doctor

 "I thought I told you to take the day off..."

This is one of the finest episodes yet- perhaps the best.

Yes, it's a little contrived that Rupert Thorne should have a brother, Matt, whose medical career he has ruined but was an old med school friend of Lesley Thompkins and Thomas Wayne. But this nice little tale of moral ambiguity and dilemmas, and ultimately of redemption, is rich and deeply fulfilling. Even better is the final scene, with Bruce wanting nothing from Matt Thorne in return for funding his defence other than to "Tell me about my father".

Oh, there are loads of good episodes with the traditional rogues' gallery, and so they should be. Our favourite baddies are important. But the animated series really does have an added level of depth with mob characters like Rupert Thorne, and the likes of Lesley Thompkins who humanise Bruce Wayne. The relationship between those two is rather lovely.

I'm amazed how I suddenly seem to be quite far in to The Animated Series, and how little there is left to watch. Yet it is, by this point, pretty much a fully matured and impressive take on the character and the world. And episodes like this really highlight just how good it can be.

Gen V: H Is for Human

 "Well, you kind of get used to the public nudity stuff..."

I only know of Olivia Rodrigo from Little Miss Llamastrangler, but damn, this middle aged rocker has to admit that the song they play at the start is daaaaamn good, a bit heavy with good vocals and some good, old-fashioned teenage angst.

The worldbuilding continues to be great here, in all sorts of subtle ways. The insidious "Avenue V" kids programme, indeed best enjoyed via the medium of weed. The poor young human lady working at the coffee bar, subjected to constant abuse and trauma because of the flyers put there by unthinking Starlighters who, ironically, haven't stopped to check their supe privilege. And, of course, the decision to hush up the real perpetrators of the attack on Cate.

But the character stuff continues to be great, too. Cate's realisation that, if her powers don't come back, she's finished. Sam having to actually have his terrible deeds on his conscience now that Cate can no longer just take the bad memories away.

Then we have Marie realising from an "Aunt" (I recognise the actress from Dexter!) that she was conceived in a Vought fertility clinic... and delivered by none other than Cipher. But also, quite rightly, calling out her aunt that she didn't "massacre" her parents, just had her first period, with no agency or control over what would happen, and that she's blameless. A subtle dig there at the Neanderthals who see periods as "unclean"?

So much going on. But the ending, with Jordan telling Marie that they love her back, and then... that ending. Wow... this is how you keep an arc going. Excellent stuff.

Update

 Bear with me- I do realise I’m not blogging quite as often at the moment. This is because of a gradually worsening health condition which, thankfully, should be dealt with by surgery in the New Year.

But I haven’t stopped blogging any of my usual stuff, fear not. There just won’t quite be the same frequency.

The Apprentice (2024)

"Have you no decency?"

"Oh, I've heard that before..."

The more my thoughts dwell on this film, the more I come to appreciate it. It is, I suppose, a tale of two monsters- ultra-reactionary, homophobic, gay, anti-Semitic, Jewish, sadistic, loyal, charismatic fixer Roy Cohn and the utterly amoral Donald Trump. It isn't quite the making of a monster- we only really hint at the sheer nightmarishness of having Fred Trump as a father- but Cohn was, shall we say, a bad influence on the boy. As for Cohn's own demons, well...

Ali Abbasi does a superb job of evoking the New York of the 1970s and '80s, with the fashions, soundtrack and mores truly evoking a time that is longer ago than some of us like to imagine. From the exclusive New York clubs to the cocaine-fuelled orgies to the emergence of AIDS... it was a different time.

Sebastian Stan is perfect as Trump, inhabiting the entitled, soulless, empty man without crossing the line into doing an impression. He showcases the charm and charisma, but also makes it clear what a truly horrible orange monster the boy was and is. That scene with poor Ivana is truly horrific. Alas, if only she'd stayed with her boyfriend.

Yet the film truly belongs to Jeremy Strong, who truly inhabits both the mannerisms and the deep darkness of Roy Cohn, a truly evil man who, uniquely among the many tragic victims of AIDS, deserves no sympathy. We follow the power balance between these two men, Cohn as alpha male and mentor and Trump as supplicant at first... until the orange monster, having learned what he needs, has no further time for this pathetic, weak old man, happily claiming credit for Cohn's methods as his own.

That final, tragic, birthday party for a very frail Cohn, though... remind you of anyone?

Batman: The Animated Series- Mudslide

 "It seems that Clayface is losing his integrity."

"I wasn't aware that he had any to begin with."

So that's the end of Clayface? I may be wrong, but it's surprising. The character doesn't seem to have appeared much.

I have to say this episode, while structurally seeming to be well constructed (unlike Clayface himself!), doesn't quite work for me. Stella is quite sympathetic, yes, but she's just the trope of the girl who falls in love with a bad boy. And Hagen... well, he isn't sympathetic at all. Indeed, the moment where he smashes the telly even gives domestic violence vibes. So a tragic ending for him isn't going to work.

Still, the concept of his having to steal in order to fund the expensive business of staying alive sort of works, there are some good set pieces, and there's a sort of nice mini-mystery about Stella's identity. But the whole thing doesn't quite work, basically because it just doesn't really generate any pathos. 

And Batman sabotaging Clayface's cure... why? The stolen stuff is a sunk cost by then, anyway, and it's just plain immoral. Not only do we not have much sympathy for Clayface, but Batman himself is certainly no hero here.

A rare misfire.

Des: Episode 3

 "I could never have stopped..."

And it ends with a highly dramatic and entertaining courtroom drama, with twists and turns throughout until we reach the relief of the guilty verdict, a majority (but not all) of the jury rejecting Nielsen's claims of diminished responsibility.

Yet there's more to it that that. This is a deeply ethical episode of television that focuses heavily on the suffering of the victims, and those who mourn them. Neither we nor Peter Jay can fault the anger of the widow who's ex is not getting justice. Then there's Carl, a deeply traumatised survivor, who endures vile homophobic abuse not only outside the court but inside the witness box.

Also, though, it becomes disturbingly clear how Nilsen is controlling the whole narrative, despite the outcome, everything proceeding on his terms, including his acceptance of the verdict. And it's satisfying to see Brian Masters not only come to realise this, but to assert control in how he frames his biography, firmly stating that it's not about Nilsen's ego, but a "warning".

Nilsen may be charming when he wants to be, he may be unassuming. He may quote Cervantes. But he's also a deeply controlling monster who destroyed lives and caused untold suffering. This drama, and this final episode, examine this superbly and tastefully.

And, yet again, David Tennant is magnificent.

Dexter: Dex, Lies and Videotape

 "What step was that?"

"The naughty one!"

So... Dexter gets away with deleting the marina footage by the old fire alarm trick. Easy... and, perhaps, a bit of a cheat, given the weight put on this at the end of last episode. But not all problems are so easily solved. Doakes is getting very persistent in his suspicions now. Dexter can deal with this by partly confiding in LaGuerta, of course. And she has reasons to be concerned about Doakes' obsessiveness... and yes, it's confirmed: they're exes, with a past. Quite the conflict of interest in her being his boss, then.

I suspect Doakes will, in the long run, keep being persistent, and it won't end well for him. But, yet again, we ought to remember: he's right. And he may be the antagonist but he's not the bad guy. Dexter is.

And Dexter has another problem now: a vengeful ex-mother-in-law. Choosing the somewhat wild femme fatale Lila over decent, dependable Rita is certainly most unwise of him, to say nothing of the morality. He's been emotionally cheating on her for a while, confiding things to Lila and not to Rita. And now, after Rita gets the wrong end of the stick, he actually does literally cheat on her... and admit it. Wow.

Lila bonds with him much better. He can be a closer approximation of his true self with her. But... I'm full of foreboding.

We have more bonding between Deb and Lundy, who seems to be morphing into something of a father figure. And it's being made teasingly ambiguous that he may suspect Dexter. I suspect they'll string this out for quite a while.

Oh, and then there's the copycat killer, played by Monroe from Grimm. Dexter protests rather too much when he insists that his murders are "principled" and this man's are not. It's becoming increasingly emphasises that even Harry didn't actually have a "code", much less Dexter. But scenes like this are deliciously revealing.

Another excellent episode, with some cleverly nuanced scripting. And it's the perfect balance between having us accept Dexter as the protagonist while always reminding us that, if this show has a hero, it's certainly not him.

Skyfall (2012)

 "You were expecting an exploding pen?"

And so here we reach unexplored territory for me- until yesterday, I hadn't seen any James Bond films since Quantum of Solace because... well, you know. But this, the very next film, is an absolutely superb return to form, and I'm not only talking about the brilliant theme song.

One of the things you tend to notice at the start of a film, before you get "used" to it, is the artiness of the direction, the composition of the shots, the camera angles, that sort of thing. And yes, Sam Mendes shoots this film very creatively. And yet at no point does he forget that he's shooting an action film. The set pieces, the action sequences, they're particularly magnificent in this film and that's down to Mendes.

The script is superb too, though. This is a Bond who's getting older, past his peak, but determined to keep going. We have a new Q, more of a computer whiz than a purveyor of gadgets- nice idea, but let's see how long that lasts. This is M's swansong, of course, with Judi Dench doing a bloody good death scene and Ralph Fiennes taking over as the new M to whose name, shockingly, we are actually made privy.

Oh yes, and there's Eve. I like the reveal about her at the end... and it's a new spin on the character to have her be a former field agent. Even the villain has motives that are closer to home. Indeed, while this is in some ways a typical Bond film on the surface, with big action sequences in Istanbul and Shanghai, it's fundamentally more about character, with the climax being a siege in Bond's rather posh childhood home. And yet, still, it never forgets that it's an action film.

This is the best Bond film in a very long time.

Batman: The Animated Series- The Man Who Killed Batman

 "Without Batman, crime has no punchline."

We begin with rain, with night-time darkness, with interesting camera angles giving a very noir feel, matching the '40s fashions and cars for which the Animated Series is known. And a small time crook, one Sidney Debris, face drawn in that slightly cartoonish way of which the Animated series can be fond, seems to have killed Batman, in circumstances which he relates to Rupert Thorne, and to us.

This is one op those episodes that are "Batman-lite", and are told from a specific perspective. Such episodes are often among the best, and this is certainly no exception.

Debris, except in his head, is a hopeless loser. Set up to take the fall, he accidentally seems to kill Batman, but the fame proves too much for this mouse of a man. Violence, suspicion, a dangerous encounter with a fascinating nuanced and unstable Joker (by this point the character of the Joker, and his rapport with Harley Quinn, is very interesting), all drives him to desperately seek help from Thorne.

And here we have the two clever twists that really make the episode: Thorne doesn't believe him, thinking him a dangerous rival and, less surprisingly, Batman is not in fact dead (interestingly, not only Montoya but also Bullock must presumably have been in on it) but using Debris as a reward to get to Thorne. It's all delightfully clever, and the ending- Debris finding respect as a big man in prison- is perfect.

As is, perhaps, the episode itself.

Des: Episode 2

 "Death gives no refunds..."

Yes, I know, I don't usually blog the same programme on consecutive days, but this time I have, so nyeeer. Something different next time, though, I promise!

Another superb bit of telly here, and another superlative performance from David Tennant, adding further layers. Dennis Nilsen is still the paradoxical monster with principles from last episode, yet this time he's more sinister and controlling... indeed, a very controlling man, co-operating (or not) on his own terms. It was he who complained about his drains in the first place, wanting to be caught: he's been trying to curate the whole thing. And then the curveball at the end, as the trial begins and he unexpectedly tries to plead not guilty.

Yet at the same time he's... well, DI Peter Jay describes him to the press as "unassuming". And this is nevertheless a man who loves his dog. Brian Masters uncovers certain things about Nilsen's past for his book (a real book, which no doubt garnered many extra sales from this series), but quite rightly resists the urge to draw conclusions. And Masters' own motives eventually become clear: the definitive book on Nilsen's crimes must come from within the gay community in such deeply homophobic times.

The other cause of conflict here is Peter's desire to identify all fifteen victims and the reality that the police are a public service like any other and must justify their costs. With six victims identified... six murders will put Nilsen behind bars forever. It's the right decision, awful though it is, to end the investigation there. But, after they identify a seventh victim too late to prosecute, we see the human cost as Peter has to explain this to the devastated widow. This series refuses to glamorise the killer and puts the victims first, always.

If anything, this episode is even better than the first. Very impressive indeed.

Des: Episode 1

 "How didn't we know?"

The first thing to say about this dramatisation of the investigation into the appalling crimes of Dennis Nilsen is that David Tennant is utterly spellbinding as this calm, seemingly ordinary and unassuming, polite and even cultured man who committed fifteen violent murders. The character is, of course, fascinating- a disarmingly articulate, thoughtful monster, by no means without compassion for his victims ("This bloody government does nothing for them"), with an integrity of sorts and determined to assist the police in unearthing the truth as well as he can, even to the point of dismissing his solicitor. And yet... a monster.

Yet also at fault is the harsh, uncaring nature of London in the early 1980s. Far from its roads being paved with gold, it sucks in the young and vulnerable, exploits and abuses them... to the point where fifteen young men can disappear and not be missed.

Also interesting is DI Peter Jay (it annoys me that the programme has journalists address him as "detective" rather than "inspector", which didn't and doesn't happen in the UK, especially as the attention to detail seems very good), a very human copper whose wife won't let him see his kids seemingly for no good reason. And then there's Jason Watkins' interesting Brian Masters, who seems not only fascinated by this young serial killer but determined to understand him.

A promising start, then, very wisely showing everything from the point of view of the investigation. Yet the moment that lingers in the mind is one of deep humanity, as Stephen Sinclair's parents learn the unthinkable truth of what happened to their son. And that's this episode's big strength- that focus on humanity over sensationalism.

Dexter: The Dark Defender

 "Should we call the Super Friends for help?"

So... that was an actual armadillo. Wow! Very strange for this Brit to think of one of those as a creature that might find its way into one's home. A hedgehog it is not.

Anyway, basically another top episode, and as ever it's a fascinating one in terms of where this is all going.

Dexter likes a queue.... yeah, that fits. But we also have an interesting sibling chat: Deb really has it in for the "Bay Harbour Butcher". But others (naturally occurring overheard vox pops) approve of him, probably hangers and floggers and people who loved Chuck Dixon's run on The Punisher. But it's an interesting binary, the divided attitudes.

And then we get a murder in a comic shop, as Sophie Ellis-Bextor didn't quite sing. And this riffs on that very contrast- is Dexter the "Dark Defender", a kind of Shadow/Mr A figure straight from pulp fiction or the Objectivism-addled mind of Steve Ditko, or is he just the "Bay Harbour Butcher", a common or garden serial killer?

There are other sub-plots. LaGuerta and Doakes are having a bit of an arc, with her very much concerned about his developing habit of shooting people, and... is it implied that they used to be a couple? Then there's deb's trust issues with Gabriel, and her interesting dynamic with her eccentric widower of a boss.

But really, as was always going to happen, this is about Dexter, and his flashback to his mum's murder opens a couple of cans of squirming invertebrates. Firstly... Harry not only slept with his mum but used her as bait and got her killed! If even Harry is deeply flawed, can there be any stability in Dexter's world. And he confides not in Rita, but Lila, who understands him more... and is as abnormal as he is. And so she is involved in his need to confront the surviving killer and get "closure".

I'm sure there will be consequences in the aftermath of said confrontation... not least in him getting closer to Lila. Especially after her confession to, effectively, murder by arson, but of someone bad in the same way as Dexter's victims. So suddenly these two have even more in common... but Lila is dangerous. She's chaos. Calling it now: she's going to die. But not before she and Dexter break poor Rita's heart.

Poor Rita. All the loyalty she's showing, sticking up for Dexter with her mum... by the rules of television drama, she's going to end up sooo heartbroken.

And that ending... oh dear. Another utterly gripping episode.

Gen V: Justice Never Forgets

"Today, as you are inducted into our sacred brotherhood, our legacy, it would do you well to remember our three trinities: wisdom, honour and dignity. Now take off your pants."

A confession: it's taken me until the second episode of Season Two to work out that "Gen V" is a semi-pun, supposed to rhyme with "Gen Z", as my British brain thinks "Gen Zed" and not "Gen Zee". But I get it now...

Anyway, another top episode. Lots happens, of course, but the worldbuilding is superb, as ever, gloriously skewering MAGA with aplomb as the orange fascist runs amok in the real world. Firecracker's broadcast about Cate is chilling, but not as much as Modesty Monarch, a "trad supe." Brr. And all that Nazi and Klan stuff in the secret room within the archive... this is dark, but that's what MAGA is. And then there's Emma telling Marie, truthfully, that going back to uni and being very, very visible is her only real defence against being disappeared by some supe version of ICE.

We get revelations about Andre, who seemingly suffered from the same condition as his father, hence his death. We have a lovely scene with Marie and Jordan reconciling, mourning, forgiving and reconnecting... literally, and heartwarmingly. We get the Rememberer, a great little character. We get another reminder of how those American frat societies are creepy, weird and deeply, deeply wrong. We get the Deep spouting Lost Cause bollocks.

There are lots of little nuances and, yeah, a bit reveal at the end. But mostly it's the mood, the world, the grim humour and, most of all, the characters.

So what exactly is this with Marie...?

Silver Blaze

"That was the curious incident..."

This thirty minute curiosity is a one-off, produced in November 1977 under the auspices of an anthology programme, The Sunday Drama. It's an adaptation of what, I believe, is considered to be one of the more cleverly plotted of Conan Doyle's short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

I won't discuss the plot here- either it will be familiar to you, or I'll risk spoilers. I'll confine myself to saying that this is a very faithful, straightforward version, and very well done indeed, with some nice visual touches- the exposition at the start is done with an admirable economy, in particular. It's an excellent version of the tale.

Thorley Walters is a perfectly good Watson, if a little traditional. But the real standout is Christopher Plummer as Holmes. I've seen his only other attempt at the role, in the slightly later film Murder by Decree. But, unlike that film, this is a faithfully and straightforwardly written version of the character, and allows Plummer to show what he can truly do with the part. He doesn't disappoint, showing us a playful yet focused Holmes.

I had to roll my eyes at the predictable pipe and deerstalker, but I enjoyed this little curiosity very much.

Batman: The Animated Series- Off Balance

 "As you said, detective... this is not over!"

This is a magnificent episode. An exciting story, a clever twist, Helen Slater (Supergirl herself!) and a nod to the fact that Gotham City is a kind of fictional knock-off of New York City by featuring a knock-off Statue of Liberty in the opening set piece... this one has it all. 

The conceit is delicious- a kind of criminal cult called the Society of Shadows, with eyes everywhere, which kills anyone who spills its secrets and whose agents use a mind-erasing drug when captured. Already this is intriguing. But they are led by a chap called Vertigo, whose powers induce a particularly trippy version of just that, combined with a penchant for set piece booby traps. And naturally this shadowy organisation is after Wayne Enterprises' latest MacGuffin.

Even more intriguing, though, is a lady of ambiguous loyalties who eventually saves Batman, healing him, and seeing who he is beneath the mask, apparently a friend... but then she gives her name: Talia. And yeah, at that point I knew.

It was still enormous fun to see how the episode ending, though, with Talia proving to be loyal neither to the law nor to Vertigo... but to her father, Ra's al Ghul. About bloody time...

And I love the fact that the title is a pun.

Animal Crackers (1930)

 "Well, not all the jokes can be good. You have to expect that once in a while."

After forty-eight years on the planet, most of them having a vague idea of the Marx brothers, especially Grouch, I've finally seen one of their films and... I liked it.

That said, it's a strange beast for one experiencing the Marx Brothers for the first time, ninety-five years on. Apparently this is adapted from a hit Broadway play and, well, it shows. The film is also a semi-musical with some of the musical numbers not being comedic at all, which gives it a feel, to this Brit, of semi-variety or music hall.

I have to say that, of the four brothers, Groucho stands out hugely for me, with his gloriously absurd and vaguely cynical one liners. Harpo's physical comedy is, perhaps, not for me. Yet I adored the overall absurd plot, such as there is one, with the famous explorer and the absurd farce surrounding a valuable painting.

Interestingly, the verbal humour, contemporary references aside, hasn't really dated. And the fact that it hasn't, as well as the occasional pre-code risqué line, helps to bridge the cultural gap between now and then. Yet this is an age where there's still a social "season", there's a casual reference to "Abyssinia", and some of the musical numbers feel as though they might be there to show off the fact that sound is now normal for cinema, but it's still very new... hence, perhaps, the need to film a stage play so it's easier for the sound recording.

Old though this may be, fascinatingly so in places, the humour nonetheless feels very modern and the film is genuinely very funny. Well worth a watch.

Batman: The Animated Series- I Am the Night

"A weary body can be dealt with. But a weary spirit... that's something else."

The title of this episode reminds me of Audioslave's "I Am the Highway"... but I digress before there's anything to digress from. Anyway, contrived though Batman's depression may be, this is a good episode. And contains another instance of homages to creators as cops refer to the "corner of Adams and O'Neil", a nice touch.

It's the anniversary of the murder of Bruce's parents, so he's already out of sorts, but then we have the double whammy of Jim Gordon being badly hurt while Batman is elsewhere and... well, for me, the contrived nature of it all doesn't work. This kind of depressive episode seems out of character for someone like Batman who, while I'm certainly no psychiatrist, just doesn't seem the type to doubt his purpose.

Regardless, though, it's a good episode for developing Bruce's relationships with those around him- Alfred, Robin, Lesley Thompkins, Jim and Barbara Gordon, and it gets away with its flaws. It's just that I suspect this is a highly popular episode... and, for me, it isn't quite up there.

The Haunting (1963)

 "It was an evil house from the beginning- a house that was born bad!"

This may be the quintessential, the perfect haunted house movie. It's also a serious contender for the best and most terrifying horror movie ever made.

It won't satisfy fans of gore, of course. The fear is abstract and unseen, just sound and subtle but terrifying hints of something malevolent in this house with a long, evil past. The horror is conveyed by the performances and, especially, by the extraordinary direction of Robert Wise: few things in this world are more terrifying than the use of the camera in this film. And there's a nicely metatextual touch in that part of what makes the house so unnerving is the unnatural angles, a nice little nod to German Expressionism.

Yet, as with many such horror films, the focus is on one tragic young woman, Eleanor- naive, of limited horizons, spending her whole adulthood caring for her controlling mother in a dysfunctional family. No wonder she's attracted to the calm, urbane Dr Markway. He, on the other hand, seems to represent the veneer that is civilisation, which likes to think it is in control of the forces that truly shape everything... 

There's a lot going on here, thematically, behind the horror. Eleanor's background is complex, tragic and shown to us without didacticism. Yet it seems to me that, ultimately, the film is about the cycle of abuse, a truly terrible thing. This is a truly great film.

A couple of interesting points, mind. I was surprised to see the diminutive "Nell" for "Eleanor" used as late as 1963; it feels much more archaic than that, being a contraction of "Mine Eleanor". And then there's the dialogue about creepy statues moving when one isn't looking at them.. don't blink!

Twin Peaks: Beyond Life and Death

 "You and I have an appointment at the end of the world..."

Wow. That was extraordinary. And that final scene, with Kyle MachLachlan giving a very different and hugely unnerving performance... perfection. And so is the whole episode.

Oh, I suppose the end of the series feels rushed. Most of the side plot threads are resolved only perfunctorily, if at all. Nadine's sudden recovery of her memory, only to see her life ruined, is tragic. The sudden love between Lucy and Andy is adorable. Andrew's explosive comeuppance is delicious, and Audrey's act of civil disobedience is so very Audrey. And... is Ben Horne dead? Is Pete?

But the rushed nature of all that pales in comparison to the extended and delightfully surreal, indeed literally Lynchian, sequence in the Black Lodge, with image after image, event after event, all of which defies description. It's not really narrative as such, just David Lynch being a true master of mood, atmosphere, imagery and unsettling weirdness. Does it make sense? That feels like such a banal question.

So much to ponder, though. I realise the Log Lady intros were made later, but this one is gloriously weird, with the close-up into Margaret's eye, a deliciously Lynchian touch. But we're left realising that Earle arrogantly tried to control forces far greater than himself, and paid the price. We end with Bob, unleashed again...

Utterly superb.