Category Archives: HBO Max

Peacemaker S2 E6

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“Ignorance is Chris”

So the truth of the other world is finally revealed and the answer was just what I thought it was… although they take it another step .

Seeing that swastika on the American flag where the stars were supposed to be was a rough visual. Earth X? Some form of it? James Gunn is a wild man.

Harcourt noticed the fact immediately. As soon as Adebayo, Harcourt, Adrian and Economos arrived in the alternate earth, Harcourt spotted that there were no people of color.

It was a popular theory that had been going around the internet over the last several weeks, but it makes perfect sense. White Dragon, Chris father, a racist scumbag in the DCU, is still racist scumbag, but now… so is everyone.

The reveal of the truth was really well done and I am seriously concerned for Adebayo. Running from a mob of racists chasing her (including Keith) is shocking. It takes a big swing and sets things up for the final couple of episodes.

Economos spilling the beans to Chris’s father was very funny. Seeing Adrian go face to face with himself was also a hoot. I liked how the alternate earth Vigilante is a member of the Sons of Liberty, and now, you’ve got to reexamine everything we had thought about this world before.

Biggest surprise this episode though is easily… Lex Luthor! Rick Flag Sr. going to Luthor to make a deal to help him find the dimensional portal. I was thinking it was going to be Chris’s father, not dead, in the DCU, but when Nicholas Hoult sat down in his orange prison jumpsuit, I literally shouted out loud. I did not expect Superman’s arch enemy to make an appearance on Peacemaker.

There was a great scene between Chris and Harcourt too, as they try to figure out their relationship. Of course, there is only a limited time as this earth’s Emilia showed up demanding that Harcourt was arrested.

This has been great and now that we got this twist, I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Peacemaker S2 E5

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“Back to the Suture”

What a great episode of Peacemaker. This was my favorite episode of the season so far.

So much awesomeness happened in this episode. This included:

  • Harcourt takes down Chris to save him from being shot.
  • She had sent a message to Chris (secret word) which meant stay away. He ignored it.
  • Rick Flag Sr. shows exactly what his plans for Peacemaker are.
  • Flag Sr. beats the crap out of Chris in an interrogation room. He would have killed him had Economos not posted that Chris had been arrested.
  • I really thought Eagly was killed by that massive gun.
  • How many times does James Gunn have to kill off Michael Rooker?
  • The death of Rooker’s character, Red St. Wild, was about as brutal as I have ever seen.
  • Plus, Eagly dropping that finger at Chris’s feet… with Chris saying “I’m going to pretend that you found that.” LOL
  • Great performance again from John Cena. His depression is a real thing.
  • With Chris going to the alternate universe, I have a feeling that he’s going to find out things aren’t as rosy as he thinks.
  • Harcourt, Economos, Adebayo and Adrian’s plan on following Chris and bringing him back is destined for trouble.
  • The dialogue between Judomaster and Fleury was fantastic. I have grown to like Tim Meadows much more than I did with his first appearance.
  • The whole Prime Eagle thing was weird. I actually rolled my eyes at that. That reveal was the weakest part of the episode, even with the awesome brutal death of St. Wild.

Such a great episode. Even the weaker Eagly storyline, episode 5 was amazing and completely entertaining.

Peacemaker S2 E4

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“Need I Say Door”

This episode started out with a flashback showing how Chris wound up with the Quantum Unfolding Storage Area. Chris, his brother and father were out hunting (for what is not clear) and they find an alien (not a Xenomorph, that is Tuesdays).

We get more info with the rest of the ensemble as well. Economos is desperately trying to balance his friendship with Chris against his job with ARGUS. He was able to stop St Wild from killing Eagly by hitting him from behind as he was lining up his shot. He told St Wild that another eagle attacked him instead. St Wild decided that because of that, Eagly is the leader of all eagles, the Primal Eagle, and thus became his ultimate prize kill.

Listen…. you better not kill that eagle. Do you hear me, show?

Rick Flag Sr. approached Harcourt with the news she had been blackballed by Waller. However, Flag Sr. wants her to help capture Chris, so he offers to bring her back in. Not the happiest thing as Harcourt texted Chris and they set up a meeting. A meeting where Flag Sr. and his crew would be waiting. This is where the episode left off.

This felt like an insubstantial episode after last week. Sure there were some good moments, such as Chris vs. Judomaster, but it felt lesser. It felt like this was Economos’s episode.

I do like that Chris called Adebayo for help to escape from the ARGUS (which Economos tipped him off was coming). He told her everything and she tried to speak sense to him. Chris is really taken with that alternate universe and he is not thinking clearly. He truly is considering taking himself over to the other universe so he could have his dad and brother, as well as a potential relationship with Harcourt.

The whole Michael Rooker dance around a fire bit was as bizarre of a scene as you could expect. I am not sure this arc works well and Rooker feels like a character that has been thrown in to get Rooker a role.

Harcourt’s betrayal of Chris is going to really be a tough one to swallow, if that indeed is where the show goes. Next week’s episode could be an extremely powerful and difficult episode to watch. While this one was okay, it does provide a ton of excitement for the next episode.

Task S1 E1

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“Crossings”

I was able to watch the new crime mini-series on HBO Max starring Mark Ruffalo. I had been pretty interested in this since I heard about it.

Ruffalo played Tom Brandis, an FBI agent and former priest. Brandis was on leave because of a family tragedy. He was brought in to lead a task force to try and stop a group of violent thieves.

Tom Pelphrey played Robbie Prendergast, who was one of the thieves in the group Brandis is chasing.

The initial part of the episode was a little slow as we are introduced to all the characters. The second half of the episode was much better and was very intense and anxiety-ridden.

I am interested to see the next episode. I do love Mark Ruffalo but this episode was a little slow for my taste. I will be watching on Sunday night for now.

Peacemaker S2 E3

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“Another Rick Up My Sleeve”

Episode three brought us some awesome stuff and a couple of surprises.

Surprise number one kicked off the episode as Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, who Peacemaker killed in The Suicide Squad film, made his return in a flashback, showing that he had a relationship with Harcourt before his death, and he appeared in the alternate universe where Chris found himself.

Then, unexpectedly, there was Michael Rooker, dressed like an outdoorsman (that really looked Native American) named Red St Wild. St. Wild is an expert eagle killer and he has been recruited by ARGUS to kill Eagly. I do not know if Red St Wild is a DC character or an original character created by James Gunn. Ihave never heard of him but I am not the expert in DC Comics.

John Cena got a chance to show off his skill set here. Not only does he have some really solid acting scenes, in particular opposite Jennifer Holland’s Harcourt, but he got to go full hardcore as Chris goes into a tense situation to prevent a massive bomb. Without his helmet or his outfit, Chris brutally kills a bunch of the Sons of Liberty terrorists who were setting up this bomb.

And Chris messes them up.

That sequence was awesome and it showed Peacemaker’s strength. While he is sometimes portrayed as a buffoon, there is no doubt that he was a killing machine in this scene and it was a welcomed moment for both the character and the audience.

The rest of the ensemble had some great moments this week too. The show felt as if it may have kicked into high gear with the temptation of the alternate universe calling to Chris. Could he actually go to that universe and take the place of the Chris he killed.

That Chris, by the way, sure looked to be a hot mess. While the Peacemaker identity was beloved and held as a hero, Chris Smith was shown to be a drunk with a drug problem. That universe’s Chris did not seem to be having a positive life outside of his alter ego. It is clearly the path this season’s story is taking.

Finally, what is up with Vigilante? Taking the pants off a drunken Economos with a tender kiss on his forehead was bizarre.

The episode flew by and felt shorter than the first two weeks. I love how the season is setting up characters with their personal relationships. I expect things to get crazy, but the show had better not kill off Eagly!

Peacemaker S2 E2

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“A Man Is Only as Good as His Bird”

Peacemaker dropped its second episode last night on HBO Max. Last week’s premiere left Chris in a terrible state of mind as he accidentally killed an alternate universe version of himself.

This week, we follow up on that cliffhanger last week with Chris getting help from Vigilante to chop of the body with a handsaw. What a horrendous scene with the John Cena head rolling around on the ground.

I thought John Cena did a great job with his acting in this episode. He played Peacemaker in a real depressed state and you could completely understand why. His comment about looking into the eyes of yourself as he dies was really powerful. I thought this might have been Cena’s best performance as Peacemaker yet.

Then Tim Meadows joined the cast as ARGUS agent Langston Fleury. I have to say that I did not like this character even a little bit. Bird blindness? Hated it.

Eagly kicked some serious butt in this episode and it is awesome. Eagly went after some of these ARGUS agents with a gusto not seen by the eagle lately.

The Peacemaker crew party on the roof was amazing. The writing was perfect. The dialogue, especially between Chris and Harcourt was exceptional.

Another good episode and great progression of the story.

Peacemaker S2 E1

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“The Ties That Grind”

I watched the first episode of Peacemaker season two last night, but, to be honest, I was really tired and I dozed through a bunch of the show. It is not a criticism of the episode as much as it was how tired I was after all day at school and the open house that night.

So I woke up early this morning and rewatched the episode, and I am so glad that I did. I realized that I actually dozed through the entire bit with Chris (Peacemaker) and his father and his brother Keith in the alternate universe, which is a major piece of the episode.

Before we go on, let’s talk the most important part… the dance routine on the opening credits. I have to say, my first thoughts were that I did not love it as much as I did last year. While I did enjoy it, and the dancing of the cast was as corny and over-the-top as ever, I feel as if the song this season, “Oh Lord” by Foxy Shazam, does not reach the level of awesomeness as “Do Ya Wanna Taste It?” by Wig Wam. That is just a personal preference, and I will say that I found it more entertaining the second time, so perhaps this will be a song that will grow on me as the season progresses whereas last season’s song grabbed me immediately.

Moving on, I thought this episode was really strong and highlighted more of the character aspects of the cast, especially Chris, Economos, and Harcourt. Chris’s entire storyline with the alternate world Peacemaker was amazing. The scene where Chris sat silently as his dad and Keith talked was powerful and a bit sad. I wonder if, in this universe, his dad is not the racist piece of garbage that was displayed last season. They do seem to be working together as a trio.

There was less about Adebayo and Adrian Chase (Vigilante) though they do appear in good scenes complimenting the other performances. I expect more from both before the season ends.

Also, shout out to the Bludhaven reference made during the episode. Bludhaven is the city outsie of Gotham where Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing, resides.

Another major switch came in the “Previously on” section at the beginning of the episode where they made a couple of adjustments to scenes from seaosn one. Specifically, we hear Adebayo make mention of the “Justice Gang” instead of the “Justice League.” Another switch was the iconinc scene at the end of season 1 where the Justice League shows up and we see Flash and Aquaman from their movie sides. Here we get the Justice Gang with Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl making comments instead. None of these adjustments bother me any and it makes me wonder if the plan is not to have Chris move into a different world, but to have Chris’s world be the actual DCU.

I know everyone was making the guess that Peacemaker would jump universes, but I think that is not going to be the way they go. With these few retcons, I think the story will be Chris goes to the happier universe with his cool dad and living brother, but he needed to return to his home world which is the DCU. I could be wrong on that, but I am calling it right now.

Peacemaker season two episodes drop every Thursday on HBO Max.

Duster S1 E8

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“66 Reno Split”

Okay, the finale of season one of Duster rocked really hard.

It was probably the best episode of the season as everything came to a close and they set up some unbelievably compelling storylines for a season two.

Major points this episode:

  • We find out what happened to Joey. (Hint he was not killed by Saxton)
  • I did not see Saxton’s death coming but his sacrifice for his son fit well for this character
  • I did not realize that Corbin Bernsen was playing Jimmy’s dad. He had some tense scenes with Genesis.
  • Good seeing Billy get his, especially after his brutality with Jimmy and Nina.
  • The Agent Grant-Nina showdown was intense too. Thanks to Awan for his awesome timing.
  • Jimmy is just a hero. He drove his car right into the hornet’s nest to try and save Nina.
  • Of course, he had his dad set up to shoot Genesis as a way to get Saxton to change his plans. That was the old 66 Reno Split.
  • Izzy tells Jimmy that she had cancer to convince him not to leave town. She told him that Luna would need him.
  • Turned out that the mysterious Xavier is Joey, Jimmy’s brother who is not dead (Saxton helped him get away).
  • The Nixon tape found its way into other hands. It had Nixon preparing to sow racial divide.
  • Jimmy and Nina are teaming up again to try and find Joey/Xavier.

This was a really fun episode and a great end to the season. I hope we get to continue on. Josh Holloway is a tremendously charismatic actor and his presence in every scene is perfect.

Duster S1 E7

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“K-129”

Duster has taken a wild swing into the world of political thriller, connecting the story they have been telling to, of all things, the Watergate tapes.

Howard Hughes made a guest star appearance and told Jim that Joey was killed by the CIA. Is that the truth or just the ramblings of a crazy man?

Sgt Groomes awakened and gave his info on Jim to Billy, all the while then ousting Nina from her Russian interpreter role. Billy snatched Nina at the end of the episode, which technically saved her from Agent Chad who had received orders to take Nina out.

Luna stowed away in the duster with Jim and Saxton, who were delivering the case (that contained the “smoking gun” tape of Nixon) to Hughes. When she was discovered, she dropped the fact that she was the daughter of the protestor that Saxton had been having so much trouble with, but Saxton did seem to be willing to listen to the little girl argue the case for the protest and for women’s rights.

Who, by the way, is Xavier?

There were a ton of storylines coming together and setting up for net episode’s finale of season one.

Duster S1 E6

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“Встречают по одёжке (Meet by the Clothes)”

Duster has started each episode with the old flashforward cold open, setting up something that will eventually happen in the episode. Some have been more interesting than others. This one was excellent.

Bringing up “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” set the tone for the scene extremely well and highlighted the characterization of Jim and Nina perfectly.

The scene where Jim, Nina, Ezra, Royce and Billy meet with the Russians was a tense scene. It really showed the cleverness of both Nina and Jimmy. Jimmy stepping in to cover for Royce who was having a reaction to his heart medication and the vodka was utter genius. Josh Holloway does a sensational job delivering the improvisation to the Russians in a huge spot.

The firefight afterwards was also cool, although it may not have been as improbable as they made it out in the first scene.

I am not sure there will be enough time for all the dangling stories that are available making me think that several of these plot holes will not be finished in season one.

Duster s1 E5

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“Ravishing Light and Glory”

It is the Fourth of July on Duster and we have two separate storylines that are coming together well.

Jim has been fired for losing the Hughes car last week, so he go to see Saxton’s daughter Genesis. He discovered that her girlfriend is being forced into marriage by her criminal father for business purposes. Seeing a chance to get back into good graces of Saxton, Jim takes Genesis to help bust up the wedding.

Sadly, this comes at the cost of spending the 4th with Luna and giving David a chance to be the hero.

Meanwhile, Nina wants to go undercover inside Saxton’s organization as a Russian interpreter. She needs help to get an in with Saxton. When Jim tells her that he got canned, she decides that Jim’s father Wade is the way in.

The scene between Jim and Wade where Jim tells him his suspicions that Saxton had put the hit out on Joey is a good scene. Both men showed their level of pain at the potential betrayal, even if neither of them wanted to accept it.

There are scenes in Washington D.C., including a wild Richard Nixon appearance. There are a lot of things going on here and the last three episodes could be amazing.

Duster S1 E4

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“Criminalus Velocitus Super-Sonicus”

Duster kicked off the episode with Jim picturing himself in a Looney Tunes cartoon, specifically the Road Runner cartoons.

No… really.

Jim was worried that he was being pursued by an assassin, and it translated perfectly into the world of Looney Tunes.

Meanwhile, Nina and Awan head into Navajo country, something that would hit close to home for Awan.

Duster also seems to have a thing for special items. Last week it was Elvis’s blue suede shoes. This week it is Howard Hughes’s car.

That car ends up being a huge piece in a confrontation between Jim and the assassin sent after him as Jim continues to show his creativity and his charm in dealing with people.

Of course, he has lost Hughes’s car and now has to go back to his boss with only an explanation.

Duster S1 E3

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“You’re No Good”

Duster episode three was pretty good as we had progression of the two sides to the investigation.

Jim and Saxton head to a meeting and some road bonding takes place. Nothing better than a bar fight because of racial hatred, right? The chemistry between Josh Holloway and Keith David is exceptional. Jim is torn between his beliefs about his brother’s death. He went from one scene where he was sure Saxton did not have the c4 placed under his brother’s van and then to another scene where he believed he did.

Personally, I am hoping that Saxton was not responsible for Jim’s brother’s death and that it was someone inside his organization that was at fault. I’m not sure though as it sure seems like the show wants us to believe he did it.

Meanwhile, Nina and Awan went undercover and broke into an asylum to try and speak with Agent Breen about the report from the Saxton case. Things did not go well as Breen became violent and nearly killed her with a knife to the throat.

Overall, it feels as if the trip to the asylum, which went against direct orders, was a failure. However, Awan’s passionate defense of Superman was an episode highlight.

I have been liking this HBO Max series so far. Josh Holloway is a powerful force in the show.

Duster S1 E2

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“Suspicious Minds”

Thank you… thank you very much.

How meta is this when you have the actual Adrienne Barbeau playing a character in your show, while you have an actress playing Adrienne Barbeau in your show. And that actress, in the story, distracts an actor playing Colonel Tom Parker so Jim could steal Elvis Presley’s original blue suede shows.

Wild.

This turned into what felt like a Coen Brothers movie with plot twists and killers. Patrick Warburton played a hitman named Sunglasses that Jim hired to lean on the crooked cop that had seen him meeting with Nina at the end of episode one. That cop wanted a $10,000 pay off to not take that information to the interested parties.

Josh Holloway continues to be charismatic and entertaining in the main role. I felt a little less that this was just a Sawyer-lite character this week than I did the last time, which is a good thing. I think part of that was because of the bizarre storyline of Jim needing to steal Elvis’s blue suede shoes to pay off Sunglasses to take care of the crooked cop.

Of course, the crooked cop ended up shot (I guess not dead though). Jim and Sunglasses had a great fight in a bowling alley. Never knew the bowling alley was such a dangerous location.

The HBO Max series releases on Thursdays.

The Last of Us S2 E7

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“Convergence”

“You wasted it!”

What an end to the second season of The Last of Us. Abby comes face to face with Ellie and it sure seemed as if Abby shoots Ellie.

Ellie killed a couple of Abby’s group earlier, including Mel, a pregnant woman, and it was clear that it hit Ellie hard. Mel became collateral damage in this revenge and that shook Ellie to her core.

With the screen going to black when the shots are fired, we have no idea what happened to Ellie. Most series I would say that it was obvious that she would be fine, that it was someone else’s gun going off, but about a month ago, the show killed Joel so I would not put anything past it.

It did end the season with the idea that the show was going to switch POV to Abby as the episode ended with a chyron stating “Seattle Day One” on the screen after we saw Abby in the Wolves’ stadium. I do not know how excited I am in seeing the POV of Abby in this whole thing. I hate this character of Abby and I do not want to have my opinion changed on her. I am not interested in a redemption arc for her, seeing everything that she has been through. She killed Joel and she killed Jesse. I am sad for the loss of Jesse, by the way. I should have known earlier in the episode when Jesse said that he was not dying that it was just foreshadowing the end.

By the way, the short time that Ellie was on Scar Island with the Seraphites was utterly frightening. I was not sure how Ellie was getting out of that situation as the noose was around her neck and she was just about dangling off the ground. She was seconds away from being gutted like a deer by the Seraphites. Thankfully, an alarm goes off, preventing the scarred psychos from completing their ritual. Ellie has that luck roll working for her.

The shots of Ellie on the water in the thunderstorm was amazing scenes. The power of the storm was clear and the danger that Ellie was willing to put herself in to satisfy her own selfish vengeance is fully realized.

I was not sure that this was the finale of the season, and it left off at a horrible moment. Then, Abby seemingly the focus of the third season, at least at first does not make me anxious for the show to return. It is absolutely a quality show, but I worry that it may push some viewers, particularly those that are not the game players, away.