Welcome to our newly revamped Boomb Tube! Here, we will be catching you up on the week in comics TV, both through micro-reviews, as well as links to our full-length TV reviews. We also tend to review series that are dropped all at once weekly, so there are a few ‘older’ shows mixed in for good measure. Are we missing your favorite show? Let us know in the comments!
Batwoman – “Meet Your Maker” (S3E9, The CW)
It seems that the Batwoman writer’s room is in the mood for some genre pastiche. After last week’s heist, “Meet Your Maker” is a sendup of the cabin in the woods horror films as Ryan, Luke, and Sophie try to track down Renee Montoya and the original Poison Ivy. Unfortunately, while the episode had plenty of the aesthetics of a horror movie correct, a creepy woods at night, a villain who could attack at any time from any angle, three people isolated from the world, it just wasn’t all that scary. Maybe it was because the vines were pretty underwhelming. They looked incredibly synthetic most of the time, which stood out on the small screen. But the bigger problem was the show using this threat as more of a background menace and chose instead to focus on interpersonal conflict.
The central theme of “Meet Your Maker” seemed to be betrayal and everyone was in a betraying mood. It was kind of overwhelming and again seemed to highlight one of the show’s biggest problems, a failure to commit. That was probably best portrayed by Renee, who ultimately tries to continue being a good citizen after her betrayal this week. While the show eventually landed on her trying to get out of a toxic relationship (which, for the record, is a good thing), it would have been more effective over at least two or three episodes instead of resolving after one. As it stood, the show quickly wrapped up a problem established the week before.
At least the one decision they are sticking with, Mary’s transformation into a new Poison Ivy, was probably the best part of the episode. “Meet Your Maker” sets up the fact that Pam Isley needs to drain Mary to get to her full power, but if the ending is any indication, it seems that perhaps she realizes they’re more powerful together. – Joe Skonce
The Book of Boba Fett – “Chapter 4: The Gathering Storm” (S1E4, Disney+)
Full review by Brian Salvatore.
Cowboy Bebop – “Supernova Symphony” (S1E10, Netflix)
Full review by Robbie Pleasant.
Hit-Monkey – “Sayonara Monkey” (S1E7, Hulu)
In this episode, all of the storylines start drawing lines and choosing sides. A monk that has can see Bryce and previously told him about a possible trip to the next part of death now explains to Monkey that if he is not careful, he will be stuck in the spiritual limbo just like him. Monkey had previously had his doubts about the relationship, but this begins to solidify his previous thoughts and realize that Bryce may not be the best influence moving forward. The monk also reminds Monkey that he isn’t tethered to Bryce. It is the other way around, thus shifting the previous power dynamic. This realization also throws a major wrench into them running away from Lady Bullseye on her murder spree to get to Monkey. Strong message sent to everyone after opening the episode with the bodies of his breed of monkeys killed at the local zoo. Most of the previous antagonists that have come after Monkey seem pretty one-dimensional or just plain psychotic, but since she survived this episode, it looks like she may have some more depth to her after all.
Lady Bullseye’s attempt to get Monkey’s attention does come at a cost for some other characters. Detectives Ito and Hakura arrive at Akiko’s house to question Monkey when the house is blown up. Everyone is knocked temporarily unconscious until, with what little strength, Haruka gathers to try and arrest Lady Bullseye. However, LB isn’t going down without a fight and fires a nail at her only to have it taken by Ito right in the heart. His death was a curveball for his storyline because he didn’t get to make up for his old partners’ death and finish teaching her. Now Haruka is hellbent on getting justice for her Ito, and it’s to be determined whether she’ll stay on her current side of the law. Akiko survives the blast as well, and after waking up in the hospital with her uncle by her side, she gets her job back. She was fired earlier in the episode after praising Monkey and his vigilante antics, but after this near brush with death, she spun it to get the sympathy vote for those uncertain voters. This episode shook things up for everyone in the series, so we’ll see how everyone bounces back in the final three episodes of the season. – -Alexander Manzo
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Legends of Tomorrow – “Lowest Common Denominator” (S7E9, The CW)
Full review by Christopher Chiu-Tabet.
Naomi – “Unidentified Flying Object” (S1E2, The CW)
Naomi definitely feels inspired by shows like Stranger Things, which is a distinct difference from the comics source material. Naomi’s gang of friends are a really key piece of the show, and most of them are pretty enjoyable to spend time with. The intra-group tensions are handled pretty well too, with the boys vying for her attention having issues with each other, and the skepticism of the whole ‘alien’ thing being handled with caution. I think the show is dismissing how much Naomi would be teased for thinking she’s an alien, but the tone of support and kindness is certainly appreciated.
This episode also clarified what her parents how about her alien origins, or at least what they are publicly willing to admit. The show is setting up interesting fault lines between characters, with Naomi being pulled in five distinct directions: with Dee to test her powers, with her friends to get to the truth, with her suitors to find happiness, with her parents and the inevitable conversations about her origins, and with Zumbado into conflict. Some of these have crossover, and some operate on their own (for now), but it gives the character and the show a broad sense of self, with each character, already, containing more than just surface level motivations or ideas.
The most effective scene of the week was Naomi talking with Annabelle about her apprehension in embracing her alien origins. She uses her identity as both an adoptee and a Black girl to show how she’s always felt different in a very white, very traditionally nuclear family world. It’s a powerful scene, and one that gives me most hope for the series going forward. If the show can continue to work these sorts of conversations into it, it’ll go beyond the surface-level drama that often haunts the CW.
Peacemaker – “The Choad Less Traveled” (S1E4, HBO Max)
Fresh off their (somehow) successful assassination, Peacemaker and friends head back to their HQ and spend an episode attempting to clean up their messes – and, inevitably, making everything worse. Peacemaker discovers that Project Butterfly set up his father Auggie (a.k.a. the White Dragon) to take the fall for the parking lot bombing, and, in an attempt to undo the damage and “make the hard choice,” Adebayo manipulates Vigilante into getting imprisoned so he can kill the old racist boogeyman. Meanwhile, the thoroughly beaten Judomaster breaks free of his restraints, earning him a hand-to-hand rematch with Peacemaker and a bullet in the chest from Adebayo. As the dust settles from those plotlines, the show throws its first major plot twist, with team leader Murn expanding his long slurping tongue and revealing himself as a secret Butterfly.
Both Peacemaker and Adebayo are grappling with the kind of people they want to be in the shadow of their parents, as Adebayo plays at manipulating and killing like Amanda Waller and Peacemaker reflects on the ways his father’s childhood abuses have led him to kill in the past. A major theme of Peacemaker so far is the battle between a person’s inner self and the way they present themselves, and the lengths people go to in preserving the latter at the expense of the former. Vigilante – Peacemaker’s absolute MVP who delivers perfect line after perfect line – is the peak example of this, poorly putting on an appearance of assuredness until he finally breaks down at the end of the episode with the realization that his actions have done more harm than good. Peacemaker’s internal struggle has led to some major clashes with the team’s stated mission, and it stands to be seen whether he and his teammates will come out of that conflict on the same side. – Reid Carter
Star Trek: Prodigy “Time Amok” (S1E8, Paramount+)
The crew attempts to learn how to work together in a training program within the holodeck. Upon failing the program, Dal comes clean about them not being Starfleet cadets and stealing the ship. Zero then offers to explain the situation to Holo-Janeway. Across the galaxy, the Diviner gets information from a certain Ferengi about the Protostar. He learns that it would take months to catch up to them.
Continued belowA temporal wave from a tachyon storm blasts through the ship as Jankom attempts to stop the engine drive from exploding. Holo-Janeway is then thrown into a Groundhog’s Day style time loop with each time re-set placing her with a different crew member as each character has been placed in a different timeline. Now she must get each crew member to do their part so that their timelines can come together and save the ship.
Time loop stories are typically not my cup of tea, but the idea of having each character needing to work together while unable to actually be together is one of the more clever details ever used in one. The episode makes the main problem a deconstructed version of the task the crew attempted in the holodeck. There have been very similar stories done within Trek through the decades but the change in specific details keeps this episode fresh for fans. It’s also a pretty shocking and dark plot for a kids show. I appreciate the writers’s knowing that kids can handle a legitimately dangerous and scary story. Not only must the crew weave their temporal threads back together and save the ship and their lives, but the added threat of the Diviner and Drednok tracking them down makes for a heart-pounding adventure. – Christopher Egan
Super Crooks – “The Gladiator” (S1E6, Netflix)
I lamented last week about the fact that one of the new Super Crooks team members had his fingers chopped off and it was never mentioned again. It turns out that’s because, in this episode, he loses every other appendage at least once, and so does his brother! The finger thing was just a prelude to the mayhem to come. Even though it’s titled “The Gladiator,” this episode is all about the new heist team put together by The Heat in the last episode. It’s a non-stop action sequence, much like the chase scenes in episode two, but on an airplane and featuring a different team. The episode ends with the body-regenerating brothers safe in the Gulf of Mexico with Kasey, while the Ghost is trying to deactivate the device keeping “T.K.,” the team member they’re rescuing, from using his powers. In a plot shortcut entirely consistent with how the rest of Super Crooks is written, The Ghost is a safecracker but he can’t seem to crack this one. So Johnny, ostensibly our protagonist, takes over the airplane where he and The Heat are flying above them and when the episode ends, it looks like they’ll be crashing into each other or into the “supermax” prison, which was their destination all along.
I’ve often lamented that Super Crooks doesn’t lean into the violent weirdness it promised in the first episode, when an entire pool full of unsuspecting kids, and a cow, were electrocuted in a showy, strange spectacle of an action sequence. This episode leans into the gruesomeness of the brothers’ regeneration powers, and then some. It’s bloody and weird, and finally, kind of fun. The shame of it is that since these characters were just introduced one episode ago, I don’t really care about their limbs falling off and crawling away of their own volition, other than for the “ew” factor. “The Gladiator” tells us nothing about the character named “The Gladiator” but it does offer a glimpse into the show that might have been: an ultra-violent, ultra weird, action-packed show about a bunch of awful people who hijack planes and have weird powers. If Super Crooks were just that, it would be way more fun. –Mel Lake
Superman and Lois – “The Ties That Bind” (S2E2, The CW)
Full review by august (in the wake of) dawn.
The Wheel of Time – “The Dark Along the Ways” (S1E7, Amazon Prime Video)
Full review by Gregory Ellner.
The Witcher – “What is Lost” (S2E3, Netflix)
While Geralt and Vesemir mourn Eskel, and Geralt struggles with the guilt of having killed his possessed body, Ciri begins her combat training in earnest, montage-ing her way through an obstacle course of dubious OSHA compliance. Geralt discovers the leshen that possessed Eskel may be after Ciri, perhaps because of her mysterious power. He and Ciri hunt the leshen in the woods, guided by Ciri’s visions, only to find it slain by an even bigger and scarier monster that Geralt must slay instead. Wherever these new monsters are coming from, it might have something to do with Ciri’s magical ancestry.
Meanwhile, the Elves have united with Nilfgaard to occupy Cintra, and Yennefer of Vengerberg has walked all the way back to Aretuza. Tissaia, Triss, and the others are glad to learn she’s alive, but Stregebor erroneously suspects that Yen is working for Nilfgaard. Sensing her vulnerability among the Brotherhood, particularly without her power, she flees, and frees Cahir, perhaps just to piss everyone off. Everyone’s feeling a strong sense of loss. Yen has lost her power. Gerelt and Vesemir have lost Eskel. Triss is forever changed having been injured in the war. Fringilla and Francesca cling to each other in the hopes that together they can recover from their military losses to the North. The real monster was loss all along. – Laura Merrill
