Tag: season three

‘Fresh Off the Boat’ WWJD: What Would Jessica Do? (Review)

CONSTANCE WU, IAN CHEN

This episode of Fresh Off the Boat is perhaps the cutest one yet. ” WWJD: What Would Jessica Do” focuses, for the most part on Jessica and Evan. The two are Costco buddies who shop every Sunday for all the bargains they can find. Suddenly, Evan is invited to church by his friend Zack and Jessica is lost.

Louis gives friend and neighbor Marvin a friend’s discount on their latest meal (aka, free) and the dentist returns the favor. He gives Louis neon white teeth during his cleaning appointment.

Both mother and father of the Huang clan have difficulties for very different reasons. Louis hates his “glow in the dark” teeth and Jessica misses her shopping buddy.

Meanwhile, Eddie and Emery make “Bad-A** Cereal Bars” out of all the left over cereal from the multi-packs that Jessica bought at Costco. Sadly, as the boys learn to their dismay, not all  cereal is created equal when it comes to making cereal treats.

The mixed up cereal gets harder and harder to chew. Emery breaks off small pill sized portions to wash down with water and Eddie breaks a tooth.  The eldest Huang child goes with Louis to Marvin’s office to get the thing sorted and he orders a crown like his rapper idol.

(On a sidenote: There was a brilliantly funny gag at Marvin’s dentist office. Five dentists, including Marvin are all standing  and looking a tube of toothpaste. It looks suspiciously like Colgate. Four of the group says yes and the fifth shakes his head and says he just cannot. The punch line is, of course, that “four out of five dentists” recommend Colgate.  This was the best comedic sequence of season three so far.)

Evan is quite taken with church and even though Jessica tries to dissuade her youngest from going, he continues to attend with his friend Zack on a regular basis.

(The second gag of the show had Jessica using the voice altering  megaphone to play “God.” She tries telling Evan to stop going to church. Louis overhears and he and Evan find Jessica hiding in the pantry. Very funny.)

Eventually Evan decides that he can do Costco and Church, alternating between the two. Jessica agrees to this solution.

Yeardley Smith has a cameo role as a sampler in the Costco who dispenses some advice to Jessica about how to handle Evan’s defection.  Smith proves once again that she does not need Lisa Simpson to be funny. Her Costco shelving “confessional” was brilliantly funny.

Marvin and Louis make up after the latter’s angry outburst over the whiter than white teeth his dental neighbor set him up with.  The only loser in the show is Grandma Huang.

Grandma makes fun of her own son mercilessly. Calling him a muppet and  using every opportunity to laugh at his shiny white teeth, his discomfort is her clear delight.

Fresh Off the Boat keeps pushing the comedy envelope.  Ian Chen and Constance Wu make the best comedy double act ever and Forrest Wheeler and Hudson Yang were spot on in this episode.

Ray Wise, as usual, makes the most of his time on the show.

The final punchline in the episode had Jessica making a “stock” out of the giant cereal bar, much to the chagrin of the two Huang boys.

Fresh Off the Boat airs Fridays on ABC. Stop by for some addictive fun and Stay for Constance Wu.

Cast:

Guest starring Luke Judy as Zack and Yeardley Smith

Z Nation: They Grow Up So Quickly – Lucy (Recap/Review)

Z Nation - Season 3

In Z Nation “They Grow Up So Quickly” Addy and Doc meet a surprisingly big Lucy and her “keepers” and 10K gets  a name change. We learn  why Lucy has gotten bigger in such a short period of time and Doc tells Murphy’s daughter a fairytale version of her birth.

At Murphytown 10K undergoes a sort of brainwashing exercise with Murphy. He has his named changed to Thomas and has to play the “life game” with Murphy controlling him.

After the game, which leaves him with numerous cuts on his fingers. Murphy wraps 10K’s hand and then gives him an vaccine injector that can return him to  normal.  10K cannot use it, most likely because Murphy is controlling him, and “Thomas” then gets a special assignment.

In terms of controlling, the bigger than normal Lucy, controls Z’s easily.  At the farmhouse where Murphy left baby Lucy, she has a yard full of Z’s to play with. She can also control her “parents” aka Ma and Pa Kettle. Murphy turned the couple in season two.

The Kettle’s want to kill Doc and Addy after Doc gets the password wrong, it was not Smurf. Although to give Doc credit that was a good guess. Lucy, who has been controlling the questioning, wants to play with her new friends so their lives are spared.

It is discovered that whenever Lucy gets excited she suddenly grows older. Later, when playing “hide and seek” with Doc being “it” she is attacked by an Ender. Addy leaps to Lucy’s defense and beats back the savage woman.

This is the first time Lucy has seen an Ender.

Before the attack, Doc, who Lucy made “it” for her game, is attacked by a Raggedy Ann Z and is almost bitten. He manages to kill the Z with a rock and Lucy is upset. She has never seen a dead Z. She runs off and is then almost attacked by the Ender.

After the game, Lucy wants to learn all about how her mother and father met. Doc spins a yarn that starts with the blueberry pie that Lucy’s mother brought to Murphy.

In short order and with a lot of glistening over of the facts, Doc regales Lucy with a love story of epic proportions.  Lucy also asks how mommy’s and Daddy’s make babies. Doc’s answer is that it is just like baking a pie, a blueberry pie.

Lucy then believes that is why she is blue.

The tale ends, after Doc turns up in a court jester’s outfit, with the events of Zombaby! except in Doc’s version Selena goes off to rest in a “faraway land” instead of what really happened.

As Doc and Addy load up the car with Lucy in the backseat, they realize that the Kettle’s are not ready. Doc goes to find the couple. They have been  stabbed and tied to some chairs. After Doc releases them, the angry pair chase him back to the car.

Doc finds Addy laying on the ground with a head wound and The Man in the car with Lucy. The Man drives off with Murphy’s daughter in the backseat.

The Kettles arrive just as Doc is assessing Addy’s condition.  Doc manages to dispatch Pa Kettle with one of the most creative deaths on Z Nation. He shoves a lit road flare into the blend’s head.

Ma Kettle then leaps on Doc and Addy gets creative kill number two when she takes out the enraged Ma with a garden gnome.  Meanwhile The Man is learning that Lucy is a handful.

Doing her best impression of the Looney Tunes mouse Sniffles (he could talk nonstop) Lucy talks nonstop and The Man shoots her with a taser. Lucy loves it and demands to have it done again.

She wants to see Addy and The Man tells her she is dead. Lucy starts screaming and they echo in Murphy who wakes up screaming as well.  When The Man puts a bag over Lucy’s head, Murphy begins gasping for breath.

After the bag is removed, Lucy has suddenly aged another five years and she tells The Man that when her father finds out what has happened The Man will be in trouble.

A very angry Addy is following Lucy and The Man and Thomas, aka 10K leaves on his mission for Murphy.

This episode brought back some of the more fanciful and comic moments of Z Nation. There was a lot more of the quirky humor that the show became known for in the first two seasons.

Some of the funnier moments were very brief. For example, Addy not understanding Pig Latin and Lucy’s reaction to being tased. (That was such a “Dinosaurs” moment, as in the Baby Dinosaur “Not the momma” Again…)

There was no sign of Roberta and her downsized crew. Citizen Z and Kaya were also silent although Doc is going to attempt contact so presumably in the next episode, Simon will make an appearance.

As amusing as this episode was, it was heartbreaking to see 10K turn into Thomas. On the flip side, The Man may have met have met his match in , not so, little Lucy.

Z Nation airs Fridays on SyFy and is a brilliant alternative to TWD. Tune in and trip out with this post apocalyptic party.

CAST:

Guest starring  D.C. Douglas as Pa Kettle,  Kim Little as Ma Kettle, Sara Coates as Serena,  Madelyn Grace as five year old Lucy and Bea Corley as 10 year old Lucy.

Fresh Off the Boat: No Thanks-giving – Jessica vs Eddie (Review)

HUDSON YANG, CONSTANCE WU

Fresh Off the Boat sees Jessica go ff the idea of celebrating Thanksgiving. Right after her announcement that they would open Cattleman’s Ranch on Thanksgiving, Eddie decides there is nothing to be gained from working hard in the eighth grade.

He refuses to do his family tree homework. This decision leads to Principal Hunter delivering Eddie to his parents front door. The eldest Huang child tells his Louis and Jessica that middle school accomplishes nothing and does not count towards college.

The principal agrees but asks the Huang’s to sort Eddie out.

Meanwhile the plans are made to serve Thanksgiving Day dinner at the restaurant. Jessica and Louis set out what will happen on the day and the two engage in a winking fest. Each wink has an underlying meaning.

Grandma Huang is excited to see the parade on the bar’s TV and Eddie loses his bed. Jessica has taken it to prove a point. Eddie, however, is not going to give in.

At one point Jessica tells her oldest that Evan and Emery might inherit Cattleman’s Ranch and the two boys begin planning for their future in earnest.  Evan reveals that he does not realize the difference between a cow and a bull. Emery explains is and Evan is not impressed.

“You’re a cow!”

Nancy and Mitch start sucking up to the new “owners” and Eddie asks Honey and Marvin to explain how useless the eighth grade really is. Jessica refuses to budge.

Later, during the fresh turkey raffle, Eddie falls asleep and does not hear Jessica call the winning number. (She fixed the raffle.) They end up giving the turkey to another customer who is shocked to find that her prize is alive.

Jessica has one last talk with Eddie and she convinces him that she is “crazy.” He gets his bed back and actually does the family tree homework assignment. Instead of tracing his family, he uses the tree to map out the rap hierarchy.

LUCILLE SOONG

This episode of Fresh Off the Boat was equally divided between the Huang couple and the kids. Although Grandma Huang does get some brilliant moments. Her nut throwing at the Cattleman’s Ranch TV screen, and the reaction of the guy next to her,  was priceless.

 

“No Thanks-giving” also shows just how business minded Jessica is.  Louis may own and run the restaurant but Jessica could run circles around him in terms of management. Although her scruples are a little close to the bone and her people skills could use a little work.

Season three of Fresh Off the Boat is maintaining its high level of comedy. All of the Huang “kids” have chemistry that  cannot be beaten and Lucille Soong is the hidden gem in this ensemble piece. Check out that expression on her character’s face when throwing those nuts.

Once again, Constance Wu was the “most valuable player” (MVP) with Soong coming a close second.  Louis and Jessica’s wink “thing” was one of the funniest things in the season so far. (But not funnier than Wu’s “Louis” in a previous episode.

By the end of the episode the Huang’s have taken their Simpsons position on the sofa and are watching Eddie’s in-depth family tree of all the “relevant” rappers.

Fresh Off the Boat airs Tuesdays on ABC. Tune in and let the comedy wash over you.

Cast:

‘Gotham’ Mad City: The Executioner – Dark Barnes (Recap/Review)

gotham-309_scn25_jn-118_hires1

Symon managing to get out the name of his killer puts events in motion that will end with Barnes in a straightjacket. `Gotham: Mad City  was very dark with “The Executioner” showing just how far Alice’s blood affected the captain.

Poison Ivy gets in a bit of bother when she steals a huge piece of jewelry and knocks the owner out. Ivy stops in to see Selina who threatens to “cut” Pepper if she does not leave. The puzzled Ivy cannot believe that her old friend does not recognize her.

Ivy may have gotten older but she is clearly no wiser. Her responses to the older man she steals the jewelry from and her later interactions with Bruce prove her brain functions are still that of a child.

Gordon’s attempt to feel Barnes out results in the two of them going to see Sugar. A man that the captain says is implicated in the Symon’s death. Before their conversation and the fateful trip to the warehouse hideout of Sugar, Barnes hangs three criminals.

Jim and Barnes talk about legality and where cops should stand on the battlefield. The captain’s side of the argument upsets Gordon.

Selina finally recognizes the older Ivy Pepper. She confronts her pal for not saying anything. Bruce tries to help and Ivy brushes him off.  The conversation between Kyle and Pepper  is the comic highlight of the episode.

As Ivy and Selina start to argue, Bruce Wayne hears something. Masked men have entered Kyle’s lair. They are armed with crossbows and chase after the fleeing group.

Barnes and Gordon find Sugar and as they question him, Barnes blows him away with his shotgun. Gordon is shocked. Barnes makes Jim drop his  gun and tries to convince the younger man he sees as a son to join him.

At the docks, Bruce buys Ivy’s stolen necklace for five grand and a reluctant Ivy hands over the jewelry.  (This was another amusing moment that once again showed Ivy having to work with a child’s mentality.) Bruce tells Pepper that they need to return the item to take the heat off of her.

Meanwhile Ed  is massively depressed and he listens to Isabella’s favorite classical music while Oswald has his picture painted. After a little pep talk from his friend Ed visits the place where she died. He then learns that Isabella had her brake lines cut.  Ed now believes that Butch killed his replacement for Kris Kringle.

Barnes and Gordon discuss the captain’s condition and Jim realizes that it is Alice’s blood causing this change in Barnes.  Jim gets away from Barnes who is now trying to kill him.

The three youngsters go to return the necklace and find the owner dead on the floor with a crossbow bolt in his eye.  The necklace turns out to be hiding a key.  Ivy realizes that Bruce and Selina are an item but Kyle denies it. The trio head to Wayne’s mansion.

James calls Harvey and he goes to Lee for help. Barnes chases Gordon through the deserted warehouses trying to kill him.  Just as he starts to pull the trigger Harvey and the GCPD arrive to arrest the captain.

Barnes and Gordon fight and they both grab their weapons.  As they face each other Barnes starts to shoot but Jim wounds him and the rest of the force pour in to take custody of Barnes.

The men with crossbows search Kyle’s lair and find the news clipping about the Wayne murders.

Jim thanks Lee for faking the blood test results.

Oswald shows Ed how much he means to him; he had the painter put Nygma in the painting.  Ed tells his friend about the brake lines and explains that he is sure Butch killed Isabella.

Harvey and Jim look at the empty captain’s desk as Barnes, wearing  a straightjacket, bellows out “guilty” non stop.

This episode, despite the comic relief value of Ivy Pepper, was quite dark. Barnes’ reaction to Alice’s tainted blood brought out his inner Judge Dredd.

Gotham airs Mondays on FOX.

CAST:

Guest starring Wade Mylius as Sugar. 

Z Nation: Heart of Darkness – Escorpion Reborn (Review)

Z Nation - Season 3

This episode of Z Nation “Heart of Darkness” was aptly titled.  This season has been darker than the previous two and as correctly forecast by our review of Welcome to Murphytown Roberta Warren does indeed enlist the help of the Red Hand to take on Murphy. Overall, despite the surrealistic end where Addy and Doc find Lucy, this was an incredibly dark episode where the old Escorpion meets the new “reborn” one.

The episode starts with Citizen Z and his new partner Kaya, getting back on the airwaves. Simon and his girl are hoping to contact Warren and her team. Warren infiltrates Murphytown and almost gets caught.  Murphy interrogates 10K.

Murphy asks what Warren plans to do and 10K answers, “She plans to spank your a** real good.” 10K is then put on Z moat clean up.

Warren, Hector and Sun Mei run into Hopper, the drug dealer for the Red Hand. He takes them to meet Escorpion.

(Hopper must be a homage to the late great Dennis Hopper. If it is not, we will stand corrected but we believe this was the intent.)

Citizen Z tracks down Murphy in Spokane and calls him. Murphy tells Z that Operation  Bitemark has been terminated.  Murphy tells him not to call again and rips the phone cord out of the wall.

Kaya looks at Simon and says, “That went well.”

Warren finally meets the new Escorpion. It is the former mercenary Vasquez.  He has undergone a change and does not recognize Roberta. She tries to get through to him but Vasquez is gone.

Escorpion challenges Hector and the former Zeros enforcer shows him the tattoo. Vasquez  has the same one on his forearm. Warren tries to make Escorpion remember their time together. For a moment it looks like she is getting through but he orders his  men to lock her up.

Hector and Warren are locked up together and Sun Mei gets her own cell.  Warren tells Hector that if they cannot get Vasquez to remember who he really is she will kill him.

Hector takes the initiative and chokes Roberta out. When she comes to, he is gone and a dead Red Hand is in the cell. Hopper asks Warren where Hector is and she replies she does not know.

Roberta and Sun Mei are taken back to see Escorpion (Vasquez) and Hopper has to tell his boss that Hector escaped.  Warren explains again about their previous mission; getting Murphy to California and Hector shows back up fighting Red Hand gang members.

Hector reminds the new Escorpion of their history together. He rimed Vasquez that he killed  his wife and daughter.  Vasquez does not believe him.

The two Escorpion’s fight and Vasquez stabs Hector repeatedly with a short knife. Warren then shoves her long knife into Vasquez who recognizes her as he begins to die. He asks her to mercy him.

Roberta decapitates Vasquez.

Sun Mei tries to save Hector by giving him her experimental vaccine and it  stops him from turning but that is, apparently, all it has accomplished.

The Red Hand’s take on Roberta Warren as their new alpha leader since she killed Vasquez and she now has her army. Warren and the Red Hand army head out to Murphytown.

Z Nation - Season 3
Lucy’s tea party.

Meanwhile Doc and Addy find Lucy. Murphy’s daughter has certain gotten big in a hurry. Back at the now deserted Red Hand headquarters, Hector’s eyes open and his eyes have changed.

This season has had its clever moments, for example the “Election Day” episode had so many that it was hard to catch them all. This episode was clearly a homage to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness that was also turned into film in 1993 with John Malkovich and Tim Roth.

Unlike the previous seasons, The Asylum and series creators Craig Engler and Karl Schaefer have shied away from the warped humor attached to the show and gone for a darker vision.  Z Nation has always been, to a certain extent, a bargain basement alternative to The Walking Dead.

As the show has gone on, the humor always been more or less present but there were moments where the series reached heights of almost cinematic genius. Die Zombie Die… Again was a perfect example of the sublime and it marked a defining moment in the show.

This season, which could almost be a sort of Apocalypse Now homage with Murphy as Kurtz, is more grim than earlier seasons and the humor is used sparingly when it is used at all.

Murphy’s face is beginning to take on a camouflaged appearance, once again bringing to mind a military motif, and his move to take over has removed his comedic moments altogether.

Z Nation has shifted into a higher, or possibly lower, gear.  The series has left behind its more schlocky moments and while it is not “high drama” it is certainly more ready to be taken seriously.

There is still some humor, it will never evolve into the grim setting associated with the AMC zombie fest, and one hopes that it never loses sight of its original vision.

Z Nation - Season 3

Z Nation airs Fridays on SyFy. Tune in and see what Lucy has been up to while daddy has been raising his own army.

CAST:

Guest starring Dylan Vox as Hopper and Matt Cedeño as Vasquez