Saturday, July 31, 2021

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 3, The Thief Path - Part 12

In which all Hell threatens to break loose and we abandoned a cushy gig as the hero of the monkey people in order to save Tarna (and the rest of the world) from a demonic invasion. A hero's work is never done and has never been quite so unprofitable. But at least we finally got to climb something near the end!

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 3, The Thief Path - Part 11

In which we free our new bride and she immediately becomes a runaway bride. Thankfully, our kindness grants us an accomplice, as we finally get to do some honest thieving for the first time since coming to this gods-forsaken savanna.

Monday, July 26, 2021

Superman and Lois: Season 1, Episode 13 - Fail Safe

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

Lois and Chrissy start work on a new story as Clark visits Morgan Edge in custody and starts to ponder whether or not the world should have some kind of safeguard against a Superman gone mad. Meanwhile, Johnathan finds a welcome distraction after a very long day, as Sarah and Jordan skip class to escape the bully Sarah is now enjoying as the daughter of the town pariahs.


Influences

Reign of the Superman (the concept of the Eradicator) and every Superman story centered around Clark considering if the world needs a way to stop him from going out of control.


Performances

Again, the entire ensemble is great, but if one moment were to be singled out, it would be Tyler Hoechlin's delivery of Clark's confession that he liked losing control. The dialogue itself is not that great, but the delivery sells it.


Artistry

The special effects for the fight between Leslie Larr and Superman and The Stranger are of cinematic quality.


Super Trivia

The end of this episode sees Morgan Edge transformed into a being very much like the Superman villain The Eradicator. In the original comics, the Eradicator was created by a xenophobic Kryptonian scientist named Kem-L to strike against the teachings of a popular alien missionary known as Cleric. The Eradicator was programmed to preserve Kryptonian culture, as Kem-L saw it, and genetically altered the people of Krypton so they could not leave their planet's surface and travel to deep space. The Cleric took the Eradicator with him from Krypton and gave it to Superman centuries later.  The Eradicator attempted to override Superman's mind and turn Earth into a new Krypton.

The Arrowverse version of the Eradicator does virtually the same thing, only it takes over Morgan Edge's body in the end.


Technobabble

John Henry Irons has his own Kryptonian tracking system, which he is using to scan for Leslie Larr.

General Lane's inventory of anti-Kryptonian weapons includes two dozen rifles and handguns, a few thousand Kryptonite bullets and a collection of knifes, swords and spears. There are five prototype weapons in varying stages of development and enough raw Kryptonite to fill a couple of warehouses.


Dialogue Triumphs

Clark: Where is Leslie Larr?
Morgan Edge: How could I know? I can’t see beyond these lead-lined walls… And all I hear is what’s in my mind.
Clark:  There may still be time for her.
Morgan Edge: It’s too late. Leslie Larr replaced Irma Sayres a long time ago.
Clark:  And you feel nothing for what you’ve done?
Morgan Edge: I feel more than you could possibly imagine. But my concern isn’t for the souls of this planet. It’s for those that need to be resurrected, my own, even your soul, Kal.

(Superman and John Henry Irons stand over the downed Leslie Larr)
Superman: (holding up his fist) 
Nice shot.
(John Henry bumps fists with Superman)
John Henry: 
Thanks.

Jordan: Denise and Avery still giving you crap about what happened?
Sarah: I just know they’re talking about me, but it can’t be worse than what they’re saying about my parents.
Jordan: That’s not fair.
Sarah: I don’t think fair is a real thing. 

Superman: I don’t know what the plan was, but it wasn’t a good one.
Morgan Edge: It’s called loyalty, something you know nothing about.
Superman: I am loyal to the people of this world who accepted me.
Morgan Edge: (laughs) Accepted you? They fear you. They always will, and they should.
Superman: You’re wrong.
Morgan Edge: You should be a god, but you became a slave to them. Don’t you ever wonder who you might’ve been if you hadn’t landed here, been raised by simple farmers?
Superman: I’d be nothing like you.
Morgan Edge: We both know that’s not true. You fight against your real nature every day.
Superman: You don’t know me.
Morgan Edge: I know the power surging through you. I know how every moment you make a choice to hold yourself back, because that’s the only way we can walk amongst humans without killing them, isn’t it? It’s all about control. But didn’t it feel good to lose it just once?
Superman:  Goodbye, Tal.
Morgan Edge: I can see it in your eyes, brother. You felt it!

Jonathan: So you really built this thing from scratch, huh? Pretty amazing.
John Henry: You’re a gear head?
Jonathan: I don’t know what I am. Always been an athlete, you know, so…
John Henry: Me too. You know, you can be more than one thing.
AI: Perhaps you could tell Jonathan a tale from your own upbringing?
John Henry: Would you please just shut down?

(Lois and Clark are arguing about Clark wanting the DOD to keep their Kryptonite.)
Clark: 
Lois, will you please just listen–
Lois: No, there’s nothing you can say that I wanna hear, and now I’m angry, and I feel sorry for yelling at you, but I also have to stay angry so that I can scare the hell out of Jordan. So why don’t you just stay here, and let’s just both take a moment to think, and then we can talk about this later after I bail our son out of jail?

Chrissy: Wasn’t expecting to see you.
Lois: I owe you an apology.
Chrissy: Kinda busy, Lois.
Lois: You were right. I lied. My dad is hiding something, and I can’t betray his trust.
Chrissy:This story is bigger than you or your dad. We have a responsibility to the people. This town is falling apart.
Lois: Believe me, I know. People are tearing each other down, looking for someone to blame, and if we do nothing, we are as responsible for its downfall as anyone else.
Chrissy: (dryly) If only there was something we could do.
Lois: I can’t write this story. I’m too close to it to be objective… But you can.
(Lois hands Chrissy a paper, which she reads.)
Chrissy: It’s a statement… from your dad.
Lois: He wouldn’t go on the record about everything, but this is enough to tell most of the story and to focus the blame where it belongs: on Morgan Edge.
Chrissy: This was really messed up, Lois.
Lois: I know. I hope that I can earn back your trust. 


Continuity

As a teenager, Morgan Edge underwent sever torture at the hands of the Zeta-Rho hologram while waiting for the Eradicator to arrive on Earth.

Edge has no idea where Leslie Larr is.

Edge confirms that Leslie Larr has completely taken over the body of Irma Syres.

Clark reveals that he has the crystal holding Zeta-Rho's hologram, but that he will not destroy it while ensuring it is never used again.

The Department of Defense will be sticking around Smallville for a while longer and is shutting down the Shuster Mines while removing all the X-Kryptonite.

Principal Balcomb is holding an all-school assembly to present the official explanation for what happened: Morgan Edge was experimenting on people and giving them powers while mind-controlling them.  Lois Lane uncovered the truth, with the help of General Lane and Superman, and they stopped Edge.

Chrissy has been texting and calling Lois non-stop, wondering when she is returning to work.

Mayor Dean meets with Kyle and Lana and suggests that Kyle continue to take a leave of absence for a few more weeks, while he tries to change the narrative that has people shunning the Cushings, blaming them for Morgan Edge coming to Smallville.

Sarah decides to skip the assembly rather than endure anymore of her classmates starring at her because of her parents. Jordan goes with her.

Tegan Wickhem, the popular girl who Jonathan tried to flirt with 107, approaches him and encourages him to skip the assembly as well.

Chrissy asks Lois to get a statement from her father. Lois says General Lane never talks to the press, but the DOD should release a statement. 

John Henry Irons is revealed to be working out of one of the Kent farm barns.

Clark offers to put in a word for John Henry Irons with General Lane to see about getting him a job. John Henry thanks him, but says once they catch Leslie Larr he thinks he'll move on and try and find a new life for himself.

Leslie Larr launches an attack on the Department of Defense headquarters.

Clark and John Henry apprehend Leslie Larr.

General Lane tells Clark that he was wrong to back Project 7734 and that he's going to bury all the anti-Kryptonian weapons in concrete and sink them to the bottom of the ocean, while retaining enough to guard Morgan Edge and Leslie Larr appropriately. The Department of Defense will no longer maintain enough Kryptonite to outfit an army.

Tegan Wickhem asks about Jonathan having a girlfriend in Metropolis. He affirms that they broke up. She then tells him that she isn't seeing anyone.

Sarah's friends, Denise and Avery, are still giving her a hard time about her parents.

Lana says she can't get her old job at the bank back, as they hired a replacement right away and the bank (being owned by Edge) is currently under investigation.

Kyle and Lana see some of the fire-fighters, including Tom Mitchell (105) and Tamera (112) at the diner. Kyle accuses Tom of pushing the mayor to pressure Kyle into taking a longer leave of absence.

General Lane refuses to make a statement to the press, even to Lois, and says the Department of Defense will not be commenting on the Edge incident, saying that is a courtesy rather than a standard procedure.

General Lane says that if he comments on the story, it will give it legitimacy and carry it outside of Smallville.

Zeta-Rho stole the crystal containing Lara Lor-Van's personality so that she could see how he made his vision for Krypton restored before destroying her forever. He denied Morgan Edge the chance to access the crystal and talk to her.

Clark meets with Edge again to ask where the Eradicator is. Edge asks Clark if he enjoyed losing control and not holding himself back and says he can see that he did.
Lois lies and says she has no idea what her father is hiding, but Chrissy senses this and tells Lois that she can't have a reporter who isn't honest with her working for her.

Tegan Wickhem claims to have dressed up as Lois Lane for career day. 

Jonathan figures out that Tegan is only talking to him to grill him for information on the Kryptonian invasion - not because she likes him. He leaves her and walks back home alone.

Kyle suggests moving away from Smallville, but Lana thinks maybe she can find a job in one of the outlying areas.
Sarah takes Jordan to Atlas Pond - a place she goes to when she wants to get away from things. She says she used to go to it as a girl with her grandmother.

Sarah and Jordan are caught by the police.

Clark tells General Lane that he thinks the DOD should keep Project 7734 active just in case something ever happens to where he needs to be killed.

John Henry Irons spray paints the Nat-Bug symbol onto his armor.

The AI suggests John Henry reach out to this Earth's version of his sister.

Jonathan talks with John Henry Irons about his gear, only to be caught skipping school by Lois.

General Lane calls Lois and tells her he is worried about Clark after their meeting.

Kyle asks Sophie what she would think about moving.

Lana and Lois are both called by a police officer named Kya about Jordan and Sarah skipping school.

As Lana and Lois are leaving the police station, Lana overhears Mayor Dean talking with the sheriff and blaming the Cushings for the whole incident with Morgan Edge.

Jordan and Sarah are let go with a warning despite trespassing on private property.

Clark says he's been controlling his powers every second of every day for almost 40 years.

Clark also admits that a part of him did enjoy letting go and that scares him.

Lois agrees to there being a fail safe to stop Clark, but only if the Department of Defense is not in charge of it.

Clark asks John Henry Irons to act as the Gatekeeper of the Project 7734 arsenal. He agrees. 

Lois gets a statement from her father and gives it to Chrissy so she can write about what Morgan Edge did and shift blame away from the Cushings.

When Morgan Edge learned of Superman's existence and that he was his half-brother, he rebelled against Zeta-Rho and tried to find a way to enact his plan while winning Kal-El over to his side.

Lana is now entertaining thoughts about moving from Smallville.

Jonathan and Jordan are both grounded for ditching school.

Morgan Edge's vitals suddenly drop and energy explodes out of him as his eyes glow blue. For some reason, the Kryptonite field does not affect him.

The final scene reveals Morgan Edge hiding on the far side of the sun, absorbing its power, and that all the Kryptonian minds inside the Eradicator have now taken him over.


Untelevised Adventures

The flashbacks show Morgan Edge recalling his training with the hologram of Zeta-Rho.


The Bottom Line

A
 great episode all around, which gives all of the ensemble a chance to shine and raises the stakes heading into the finale of the first season.


Starman Plays Quest For Glory 3, The Thief Path - Part 10

In which we grind stats a bit more before discovering that our captive Leopardman is truly a Leopardwoman. And so begins the highly questionable quest in which we have to bargain to buy her as our bride and give her gifts so she won't immediately kill us upon being let out of her cage. Our hero, ladies and gentlemen!

Friday, July 23, 2021

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 3, The Thief Path - Part 9

In which we return to the Simbani village to hear a story and discover that they've taken a Leopardman prisoner. The good news is we know an apohthecary who owes us a favor who can whip up a dispel potion. The bad news is I totally drank all my Pool of the Peace water while grinding my stats, so we have to make an extra trip across the savanna to get the potions made. We also go above and beyond the call of duty do do a quest thieves don't really have to do, but dang it, what kind of hero would we be if we didn't save a baby animal?

Thursday, July 22, 2021

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 7, Episode 18 - Heart of the Matter, Part 2

 For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

Three generations of speedsters join with allies old and new against the menace posed by Godspeed.

Influences

Star Wars (the lightning-blade flight) and The Flash comics of Mark Waid (creative use of Speed Force, family theme)


Goofs

In the opening scene, Nora makes reference to her father being out somewhere doing something dangerous, when he's in a different lab being projected into Godspeed's head.


Performances

Karan Oberoi's performance as the amnesiac August Heart is very honest and heartfelt. Which makes it all the more painful he spends most of his time on-screen hamming it up and the idea of an Amnesiac man being traumatized by the idea of his becoming a villain is largely ignored by this episode.

Jordan Fisher is a great singer.


Artistry

Ignoring how ridiculous some of it is, the special effects work for the various Speed Force effects is great.


Flash Facts

This is the first season finale of The Flash to not end with a cliffhanger.


Technobabble

Speedsters who get their powers from an artificial source cannot match the pure potential of a true speedster chosen by the Speed Force.

Amnesia is a side-effect of a speedster fracturing themselves into multiple speed clones.

Godspeed cannot use his speed-draining powers on a Negative Speed Force user like Reverse-Flash.

Chester modified his father's design for the SEE so that it would only target artificial speed cell membranes, making it ineffective against natural metahumans.

Cisco modifies his Entropy Trap and uses it to create an Entropy Bubble that makes him and Frost invisible to the Godspeed clones. The one downside to it is that they have to hold their breath while they are inside it, as there's no oxygen in the field.

The Entropy Bubble runs on a two-minute timer.

Barry gives August Heart a speed boost to jumpstart the artificial speed cells in his body that have gone dormant. The harness Chester makes should help shape the change and create an organic Speed Force connection.


Dialogue Triumphs

Jay: Kid? I know giving August Heart his powers back is crazy. But if we don’t, we’d better come up with another idea. A big one.
Barry: (grinning, have just had an idea) Not a big one. A fast one. 

(Thawne just struck Godspeed with a near-fatal blow.)
Barry: You could have killed him.
Thawne: Wasn’t that the plan? Didn’t you say you needed help dealing with a threat? Well, I dealt with it. And now…(chuckling) and now… it’s just you and me, Flash. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long, long time.
Barry: I’m only gonna say this once. Walk away while you still can.
Thawne: Allen. You are too weak to stop me. (voice distorting as his eyes glow red) And I’m just getting started!
(Thawne tries to punch Barry but, as we shift to Barry's perspective, he's moving much slower. Barry has enough time to grin as he grabs Thawne's hand and throws him, easily tossing him a few dozen feet.  When Thawne gets up he is furious... but that fury hides clear terror.)
Thawne: What did you do?! I created you. I taught you everything you know! Everything you are is because of me! What did you do?
Barry: (smiling innocently) I got faster. Didn’t you? 
Thawne: No.  But I will, Flash. Mark my words. I will.
(Thawne runs. Away. Fast.)


Dialogue Disasters


Most of Karan Oberoi's lines as the true Godspeed, but especially "Are you threatening me, Flash?!" which is delivered in a manner that leads you to expect his next line will be "I am Cornholio!"


Continuity

As the episode opens, Bart is still in a coma and Nora and Caitlin are watching over him.

Joe and Kramer are still stranded on the freeway, being attacked by Godspeeds.

Godspeed acknowledges this is the first time Barry has met him, suggesting that he may have met Barry at a later point in his timeline.

Godspeed demands Barry find a way to give him an organic Speed Force connection or he will destroy Central City.

The amnesiac August Heart has a tearful conversation with Cecile about being afraid of becoming the monster everyone helping him seems to be afraid of.

Nora asks Barry to consider meeting Godspeed's demands, but Barry refuses.

Chester checks in on Allegra, who is still depressed over Ultraviolet's death.

Chester reminds Allegra that she saved Barry's life in 716 and in doing so she probably saved the city, while Ultraviolet chose to start a war instead of ending one.

Nora West-Allen refers to the Speed Force as "Big Nora" and she calls her "Little Nora."

Jay comments on how the Speed Force resembles his wife, though he is very formal in addressing her.

The Speed Force gives everyone a power boost, even granting Iris temporary superspeed powers.

Bart is able to recover from the coma in seconds thanks to the boost.

Bart addresses the Speed Force as SFN - Speed Force Nana.

Bart addresses Jay as Uncle Jay, which surprises him but does not displease him.

Kramer briefly acquires superspeed and saves Joe's life, running them away from the Godspeeds, before passing out.

The assembled speedsters attack the Godspeeds, each using a signature move.

Bart throws stars made of lightning.

Nora uses a whip/lasso made of lightning.

Jay throws his hat like a discus and ricochets it off things before it returns to his hand.

The Speed Force just drains the energy from the Godspeeds and makes them pass out.

Iris uses her hands to create compact whirlwinds.

Barry throws lightning.

The Godspeeds are able to recharge almost instantly, thanks to the presence of the Speed Force.

Allegra teleports in with the SEE and supercharges it to 500% times its maximum strength. This disables all the Godspeeds present but also wrecks the SEE.

Chester says it will take him 4-5 weeks to rebuild the SEE.

Nora once again asks Barry and Iris to consider giving Godspeed but he wants but Barry still refuses.

Cisco is able to trick the Godspeed mob he and Frost are facing into leaving them alone using an Entropy Bubble.

With the help of the Speedsters reassembling parts, Chester says he can get the SEE fixed in a day.

Barry and Iris come up with a plan to deal with Godspeed once and for all and it involves giving him an organic Speed Force connection.

Iris and Big Nora travel into the Speed Force to enact part of the plan, with Iris acting as an anchor for Big Nora.

Barry tells Jay, Bart and Nora to stand down while he works the other part of the plan, which involves trying to give the amnesiac August Heart an organic Speed Force connection.

The newfound speed restores August Heart's memories, but he renounces his previous gentle personality to become the God of Speed he wants to be. 

Bart is reluctant to hold back but is talked into it by Jay, who gives him the "sometimes you have to take off your hat speech" for the first time, from Jay's perspective.

Godspeed is stopped in his effort to kill Barry by Eobard Thawne, who was last seen in 615.

Big Nora apparently helped Thawne to rebuild his body in exchange for his help in defeating Godspeed.

Barry is now faster than Thawne and easily outclasses him when Thawne inevitably tries to double-cross him.

August Heart is said to be locked up in Iron Heights and Big Nora erased his memory of Barry Allen's secret identity.

Barry asks Iris to renew their vows with a proper ceremony, unlike their wedding, which was disrupted by a Nazi attack from Earth-X.

Kristen Kramer gets a metahuman gene test and determines that she has the power to copy the powers of other metahumans near her.

Kramer decides to take a leave of absence from the CCPD to get her head together, but she's changed her mind about depowering metahumans as a means of punishment.

Barry and Iris hold their vow-renewal ceremony on the following Tuesday. Cisco officiates the ceremony, wearing a STAR Labs sash to accent his vestments.

Jay, Joan, Nora, Bart, Frost, Caitlin, Allegra, Chester, Joe and Cecile all attend the ceremony. 

Cecile indicates to Joe that she might want to get married.

Bart sings as part of the ceremony.

Barry uses his Flashtime powers to make his and Iris' kiss last as long as possible.


Location


The Speed Force


Untelevised Adventures

Frost and Mecha Vibe fight a different group of Godspeeds at the same time that the Speedsters face the main group.

The Speed Force communes with the Negative Speed Force to reach Eobard Thawne and help him fashion a new body.


The Boomerang Factor

Somehow, nobody anticipates that the Godspeed clones, who are feeding on the Speed Force, might somehow draw power from Nora/Big Nora/Speed Force Nana being present.


The Bottom Line

Much like Season 7 itself, this is a few great moments held together by a lot of weak subplots. The only thing keeping this show running at this point is the ensemble, but even Grant Gustin's ability to deliver a stirring speech is tested here. Here's hoping the show rebounds in Season 8, like Arrow did.

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 6, Episode 10 - Bad Blood

 For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

John's increasing desperation to find the Fountain of Imperium leads to an unlikely partnership with Spooner and a trip to Spain during World War II, as the rest of the team tries to work around Baby Gus-Gus' growing pains and Mick's pregnancy.


Influences

The classic Hellblazer comics (John using magic to fight fascism), the Rick and Morty episode Raising Gazorpazorp (heroes raise an alien baby that grows faster than humans) and every comedy based around people who aren't used to handling babies having to take care of a baby.

Goofs

The official synopsis for this episode mentioned both Sara and Lita being worried about Mick taking care of himself, but Sara is barely in the episode and doesn't show up until the end, as she and Ava are out exploring wedding venues for most of the episode.


Performances

This may be Matt Ryan's finest turn yet as John Constantine, playing the warlock with all the sleaze and cunning he should have.

At the same time, Lisseth Chavez does an amazing job holding her own against Ryan as Spooner, giving Spooner further development and confirming her own strong will to match Constantine. 


Artistry

The costumes for this episode are notably fine and show some exquisite detailing.

The special effects for the psychedelic sequence in which John uses the blood magic potion are amazing.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

Noelle is the first instance of a classical vampire existing on Earth-Prime.

Previous Arrowverse series have shown beings from other Earths that were described as vampires and Supergirl season 6 introduced an alien race called Transilvanians, who drink blood and can transform into bats.

Zari 1.0 and Behrad clasp their hands to activate their powers at one point and say "Tarazi Sibling Powers Activate!" This is a nod to the DC Comics heroes the Wonder Twins, who first appeared in the Superfriends cartoons and had to hold hands to activate their superpowers. They also said "Wonder Twin Powers Activate," but it was not clear if they actually had to do this for their powers to work.

When Spooner is trying to comfort Fernando and tells him that some real superheroes are about to come rescue them, he makes reference to the JSA. This is the first reference to the Justice Society of America existing in some capacity on Earth-Prime, albeit as fictional comic book characters. (It's possible this is a nod to "The Flash of Two Worlds" which revealed that Barry Allen was a fan of comics starring Jay Garrick, who was a real person on Earth-2. Barry theorized that the comic book writers may have had a psychic connection to the other Earth and wound up transcribing what they thought were stories they imagined.)


Technobabble/Arcana

True vampires must be invited into a home before they can enter and possess some degree of super-speed.

John has wards built into his home that can easily repel a vampire, even if they were already invited into the house once.

John claims to be capable of summoning sunlight in sufficient quantity to kill a vampire.

This potion Noelle provides John is identified as a cocktail of rare bloods that can be used to temporarily enhance a warlock's power. John says this "juicing" is even darker than leeching human souls for power. 

The life cycle of a Gusarax is only 38 rotations according to Gary. While he does not specific just what must rotate 38 times, Gusaraxes age rapidly and Baby Gus-Gus enters his surly teenager phase within the span of a day.

According to Spooner, only the worthy can drink from the Fountain of Imperium.

Spooner's powers allow her to communicate with the mute Fernando telepathically, as he drank from the Fountain of Imperium.

John knows a ritual that allows him to draw the magic from other people and take it for himself, which he tries to use to take Fernando's power by using Spooner as a conduit.

John is still capable of clouding minds and alters Spooner's memories, instructing her on what to tell the other Legends when she returns.


Dialogue Triumphs

(John is trying to talk his way out of paying Crowley's debt.)
John Constantine: See, I'm offering something far more valuable than dosh, love. A favor.
Noelle: What could you possibly do for me?
John Constantine: Spare your immortal life, for one.
(John nods down to the floor. Noelle realizes she's standing in the middle of a magical circle built into the tile.)
John Constantine: One word and sunshine will turn you to ashes.
Noelle: Clever.
John Constantine: I'm John Constantine, love. Clever doesn't even begin to describe it.

Zari 1.0: Superhero, a totem bearer, and an alien named Gary becomes singing mannies. Did I just invent our spinoff? 

(John, Spooner and Fernando flee the bar.)
Spooner: John, we have to go back.
John Constantine: What? Are you mental? Why?
Spooner: The fascists will kill everyone.
John Constantine: You know what happened in the Spanish Civil War, right? The moral side, it didn't win. Now get the boy to lead us to the cave.
(Spooner just stares at John, as if to say "how did you know?")
John Constantine: Oh, come on, I know you were bloody lying, all right?
Spooner: Yeah, well, I'm not helping you finish your ridiculous, selfish quest.
John Constantine: Quest? This is real. My connection to magic is lost.
Spooner: Boo-hoo. What's so bad about being normal? You don't think that kid would give just about anything to have a normal life again? I know I would.
John Constantine: Yeah well, some people want picket fences and ponies, don't they?
Spooner: Oh yeah. And what do you want? You want me stay here and risk my life so I can help you get your magic back. Give me a reason.
John Constantine: You know where I'm from, being normal is being crushed by the boot of capitalism and then blaming it on anyone with brown skin. It's being told that only degenerates can fancy men and women. It's your old man coming home drunk every night and beating you to a pulp because that's what his old man done to him, but magic, Spooner, the ability to break the rules, to stick it to the rich and the powerful, that's who I am. And I'm nothing without it, Spooner. I'm nothing.
Spooner: (sighing) I can't believe I'm saying this. All right, John. You win. 

John Constantine: You take the boy and hide.
Spooner: What are you gonna do, John?
John Constantine: Only a bastard could vanquish a monster. Go!

John Constantine: No, Spoons, listen, we failed, all right? Spain is not gonna be safe for Fernando, not for a long time. And I'm just as ineffectual as my dear old grandad fighting bloody fascism.
Spooner: That's not true. You killed a lot of Franco's soldiers.
John Constantine: Yeah, I did. And I bet at least one of them wasn't a bad bloke and once again, my soul is damned.
Spooner: You know, for someone who hates church, you sound an awful lot like a Catholic.
John Constantine: What, just because I'm like full of guilt and self-loathing?


Continuity

As the episode opens, Constantine is torturing the painting of Aleister Crowley for information on where his map to the Fountain of Imperium, mentioned in 608, is hidden.

Crowley makes reference to the events of 605 and how, after being stuck in a painting again, John locked him in a chest with a witch.

Crowley eventually confesses that he entrusted the map to a banker in anticipation of his resurrection.

The banker in question is revealed to be a vampire named Noelle. She tells John that Crowley still owes her 2 million pounds for services rendered. John is able to threaten her into backing off after she realizes she's standing in a magic circle.

Noelle offers John a potion which she says was part of her arrangement with Crowley. This potion is later identified as a cocktail of rare bloods that can be used to temporarily enhance a warlock's power. John says this "juicing" is even darker than leeching human souls for power. 

As the episode opens, Gary has lost his glasses and is stuck in his alien form.

Baby Gus-Gus is having trouble sleeping. So is Spooner, as the rest of the team is trying to sing him to sleep in her room.

Sara and Ava are said to be off the ship looking at wedding venues.

Behrad is able to play the guitar.

Crowley transcribed the map in 1939 while using Noelle's potion and talking to an alien being. John uses the map to narrow the location of the Fountain of Imperium to Spain, but he still can't read the alien writing on the map.

John tells Spooner about how he's lost his magic and asks for her help in translating the writing on the map. She identifies the name of Albacete - a city in Southeast Spain.

John explains the sensitive situation in 1939 Spain to Spooner and the basics of the Spanish Civil War. The war was fought between two sides - the rich and the fascists, backed by Nazi Germany versus the trade unions and the Democratically elected government. The Catholic Church also had a role in the conflict. In 1939, the war had been raging for three years, amid the rest of the turmoil in Europe caused by World War II.

Spooner is Catholic.

John does not like priests.

John read legends about a leftist leader called El Gato, who survived seven assassination attempts and a crucifixion. John suspects that he drank from the Fountain of Imperium, leading them to a bar in search of the rebel leader.

John knows enough about the Spanish Civil War to convincingly bluff his way into convincing the people in the bar that he served in the trenches of Jarama. Specifically, he knows the soldiers had to grease their guns with olive oil, fought with antique weapons and shaved with wine because water was so scarce. He also says the lice were the worst part of the experience, as they were the size of boils.

Behrad prepares Tortilla Espanola for dinner.

Lita tells Mick he shouldn't be drinking but Mick is trying to ignore his pregnancy.

In the short span of time that has passed, Baby Gus-Gus has become a teenager.

The apparent leader of the villagers in the bar tells John that El Gato got his powers from the milk of a magic donkey in the next village over.

Spooner and John both figure out that the man who told them the story of the magic donkey was El Gato.

Spooner senses something with her powers, leading her and John to the cellar of the bar. It is here they meet Fernando -a mute teenager who likes comic books.

Fernando mistakes Spooner for La Toerrera - a pistol-packing action heroine resembling a female Zorro.

Spooner senses something alien about Fernando and is able to talk to him telepathically with her powers. This leads her and John to conclude that he drank from the Fountain.

The bar is taken over by Captain Noriega of the Fascist forces led by General Franco. He has also come in search of the Fountain of Imperium. He says that he is searching for many mystic objects on behalf of Adolf Hitler and mentions the Spear of Destiny and the Loom of Fate - both objects that the Legends encountered in Season 2 and Season 5 respectively. 

El Gato is shot dead by Captain Noriega. This leads Fernando to reveal himself and his powers, as he is able to resurrect El Gato, who is his uncle.

John runs off in the confusion, trying to think of a plan as Spooner is left behind.

Mick tells Lita about how he abandoned Kayla to get himself, Gary and Sara off of Bishop's planet in 607 and how he deserves to die for that. 

Lita fakes going into labor to get Mick to go into the Medbay so he can be checked out.

John returns to the bar dressed in a stolen Catholic priest's robe and speaking in a bad Italian accent, introducing himself as Father Constantine. He claims to have been sent by several senior cardinals in Rome to track down the Fountain of Imperium and offers to work with Captain Noriega to secure it.

Zari 1.0 and Behrad use their combined wind powers to push Gus-Gus through a time corridor and into an unidentified pastoral setting.

John fabricates a ritual that will let Fernando "speak" through Spooner (i.e. this virgin) for the benefit of Captain Noriega.

Fernando claims that he discovered the Fountain of Imperium when an angel appeared to him after a bomb exploded next to him and his uncle and he fled into a cave and prayed for some way to save him. The angel told him to drink from the fountain inside the cave and that was when he gained the power to heal others.

Spooner lies when Fernando says he can lead her to the cave, saying that he said he can't remember where the cave was.

A firefight breaks out after John reveals himself, with El Gato asking Constantine and Spooner to save Fernando.

Spooner refuses to help John any more since it's become apparent he cares more about the Fountain than what happens to Fernando and his family. John doesn't deny this, but says that he always tried to use his magic to stand up to bullies like Captain Noriega but that without his power he is nothing. That gets Spooner to agree to help him.

Fernando takes John and Spooner to the cave with the Fountain, but the Fountain has apparently gone dry.

John tries to work a ritual to take Fernando's power into himself.  He tries to claim this is to give Fernando an ordinary life, but Spooner doesn't buy it. John agrees to leave the choice up to Fernando.

Fernando agrees to give John his magic if John will help find his missing mother.

Spooner uses Nate and Behrad's lullaby to focus her mind so that she can channel Fernando's power to John.

The magic leaves Fernando, but does not attach itself to John - presumably because he was not worthy.

Captain Noriega and his men are revealed to have followed John, Spooner and Fernando. 

John tells Spooner to hide Fernando while he tries to hold off the fascists. 

John takes Crowley's blood magic potion and is able to kill the soldiers.

Gideon confirms that Mick is not in labor and that his babies are doing fine. 

Gary found his glasses.

Sara and Ava return to the ship.

Spooner asks John about the blood potion. He says he won't be using it again. Spooner says that's good because what she saw when he was "juicing" scared her.

Spooner and John find Fernando's mother and reunite them with El Gato.

Spooner remembers her mother's voice, though she's forgotten her face. She remembers her saying "We're saved by faith alone." when she was a child. 

John hypnotizes Spooner to tell the Legends that they were successful and that she drank from the Fountain of Imperium.

John trades Crowley's painting to Noelle for more of the blood cocktail potion. 


Location

Northumberland County, UK - 2021
Albacete, Spain - 1939


Untelevised Adventures

Most of the Legends problems with Baby Gus-Gus occur off-camera.


The Bottom Line

A brilliant episode that restores John Constantine to the treacherous wanker he should be. It also develops Spooner and teaches a bit about an aspect of WWII that doesn't get covered a lot outside of Spain.

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 3, The Thief Path - Part 8

In which our soul is judged and I run through the test twice just to see what happens if I don't take the obvious thief answers to the test. Speaking of thieves and tests, we run into that thief we helped catch and interview the one survivor of the peace mission. It does not go well.

 

Monday, July 19, 2021

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 3, The Thief Path - Part 7

In which we take our first steps into exploring the jungle and a giant tree that is full of magic. Expect more grinding and maxing-out of stats as I abuse the buggy combat system.

Saturday, July 17, 2021

Superman and Lois: Season 1, Episode 12 - Through The Valley Of Death

 For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.


Plot

With Clark having fallen under Morgan Edge's control, Lois turns to John Henry Irons for help, only for the two to start butting heads on how to handle the problem. Thankfully, an old friend is there to help, as Jonathan pushes Jordan to practice using his powers so they can find their father.


I
nfluences


Every story dealing with a corrupted Superman and the Iron Man movies (John Henry Irons' HUD display scenes.)


Goofs

John Diggle is said to have delivered some specialized ammunition from ARGUS for John Henry Iron's rocket, based on Lyla's orders. However, Lyla Michaels was promoted in the Series Finale of Arrow. While it is possible she is still overseeing ARGUS, the whole thing is a little confusing.


Performances

David Ramsey is a delight as Diggle, though his appearance is largely pointless.


Artistry

The effects work for the Steel/Superman fight is fantastic.


Super Trivia

In this episode, the Eradicator is used to try and imprint General Zod's mind into Clark's body. Clark was said to have fought General Zod and killed him in the reality of Earth-38, Pre-Crisis on Supergirl. It is unclear if this event still occurred on Earth-Prime Post-Crisis.


Technobabble

Clark can hear fluctuations in the collective sonic frequency with his super hearing, but it took him years of practice to narrow his focus to look for specific things.

Project Icarus was a project created by John Henry Irons and Lex Luthor which led to the creation of a rocket-powered projectile using red solar energy technology. In theory, it could depower a Kryptonian long enough to kill them. Unfortunately, Irons can't confirm that it works as the one time he tried using it was just before he was transported to Eartrh-Prime.


Dialogue Triumphs


John Henry Irons: Clark Kent is Superman? And your boys?
Lois: They didn’t know who he really was until this year. It’s part of why we moved here. I needed you to know the truth about why Superman is different here. He has a family to fight for, which means he won’t give up, and neither can we.
John Henry Irons: Lois, this doesn’t change anything.
Lois: How can you say that? He loves his sons. He loves me. That matters.
John Henry Irons: What about all the other sons, the other wives, that will be killed when he attacks?
Lois: He won’t attack. He won’t give up, which means he can be saved.
John Henry Irons: Lois, he wanted you to call me because he knew what I would do. He knows, worst-case scenario, if it comes to that, that you won’t hesitate.
Lois: Fine. I need you to believe the possibility that there’s hope.
John Henry Irons: If that’s what you need, then you called the wrong guy.
Lois: John.
John Henry Irons: No, Lois. Everything you are saying is just getting in the way of what needs to be done. But you were right about one thing, Lois. I will not hesitate. I saw you die. I lost Natalie. Millions of people, gone. I won’t let that happen again. I have a responsibility to do the right thing.
Lois: And I am telling you that killing Superman is not the right thing. John, please, I’m begging you, don’t do this.
John Henry Irons: I’m sorry, Lois. 

General Lane: I know this isn’t what you expected, but Lyla wouldn’t have helped otherwise.
John Diggle: Yeah, and I wouldn’t have come.
General Lane: That, too.
John Diggle: Doppelgangers, other worlds, glowing boxes, losing the people I love, I’m done with that life.
General Lane: Knowing your past, I don’t blame you. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of letting this one just play itself out.
John Diggle: Come on, he’s Superman. I’ve fought beside him. He’s the best we have. Oliver would’ve said that. Hell, they have would have.
General Lane: This is not an easy decision for me to make.
John Diggle: What? Exhausting every option to save the life of an ally? A hero? That should be an easy one.

Jonathan: Do you know who I am?
John Henry Irons: I have a pretty good idea.
Jonathan: My name’s Jonathan. Jonathan Kent. When you were at the DOD, your RV was parked at our farm. I saw a lot of videos about you there. I saw what happened to my mom. I saw who my dad was. I saw a lot about you too. I saw about your daughter, Natalie. You seemed like a really good dad. But I just want you to know… This guy you’re about to kill… He’s a really good dad, too.
John Henry Irons: I wish there was another way, son. 
Jonathan: There’s always another way. 


Continuity


As the episode is open, John Henry Irons is in Metropolis, parked on the campus of MIT (Metropolis Institute of Technology) working up the courage to approach his younger sister on this world.

The AI in John's RV still refuses to just call him John.

John takes Lois' phone call from the end of last episode and learns about Superman being turned.

Morgan Edge tells Clark that his plan is to turn his body into the host for the will of the Kryptonian General Zod, who was an ally of his father.

General Lane is confirmed to not know where the Fortress of Solitude is.

Kyle Cushing is undergoing regular mandatory military check-ins with medical check-ups to make sure he is still free of Kryptonian influence. 

The number of the Cushing house is 4526.

One of the other fire-fighters, Tamera, tells Kyle that he should take a few more days off instead of coming into work because people are still angry at him for pushing Morgan Edge as the solution to the town's problems.

Jonathan suggests Jordan try and use his super-hearing to find Clark.

Lois wants to come up with a rescue plan to save Clark, but John Henry Irons wants to put him down.

John Henry Irons says that it took Superman 7 minutes to destroy Metropolis on his world.

General Lane is calling in all of his Project 7734 weapons as a precaution if Superman is taken over by an evil Kryptonian, but he isn't telling Lois about that.

John Henry Irons says he has a weapon that might be more effective than Kryptonite - a red solar missile.

Jordan is able to hear people as far as Australia or New Zeland, but he can't differentiate the accents.

John Henry Irons tried to use his red solar missile on Superman after luring him out into space, but he was transporting into Earth-Prime before he could confirm it worked.

Lana and Kyle have a tense confrontation with Emily Phan, who blames Lana for what happened to her and tells her not to talk to her anymore.

Lois meets with Lana and Kyle and says she'll do what she can to try and make it clear they aren't the villains in all this.

Lois asks Kyle for details on the possession process.

Kyle says that he started losing himself and couldn't remember things, like his family, and it hurt to resist but he did find a way to fight back against the process even as he had a feeling that his family would be better off if he quit fighting. This suggests the conversion process can be resisted.

Clark tries to make a run for it in Edge's fortress, and calls Jordan's name while he is outside.

Edge figures out what Clark did and tells Jordan that if anyone comes for his father, he won't be the man they find waiting.

John Diggle from ARGUS delivers the ammunition for John Henry Irons' red solar rocket. However, he is not happy when he learns what the ammo is for and says neither he nor his wife would have agreed to help General Lane if they'd known they were being asked to help build an anti-Superman weapon.

John Diggle and Lois Lane know each other. This is the first time they've seen each other since Lois and Clark moved to Smallville.

Lois is not happy when she learns why John Diggle is in Smallville.

Lois tells her father about what Kyle Cushing said about it being possible to fight the Eradicator control.

John Henry Irons tells John Diggle he is from another Earth.

Jordan and Jonathan tell General Lane that they think they know roughly where Clark is.  They also mention the threat against trying to find Clark.

Someone attacked the Cushing home while they were in town, breaking windows and spray-painting GET OUT OF SMALLVILLE on the front of their home.

Lois takes John Henry Irons aside and tells her why she is so sure that this world's Superman can't be corrupted - because he is her husband and the father of her sons.

John Diggle makes reference to the glowing box he discovered in the Arrow finale, but does not explain what it was.

The Cushing family clean the paint off their windows together.

Jonathan Kent goes to John Henry Irons and tells him about how he saw the videos and photos of his family in 108. He says Irons seems like a good dad, but tells him that his dad is a good dad too.

John Henry Irons and a Zod Possessed Superman fight.

John Henry Irons tries to break through to Superman and tells him Lois and his sons still believe in him.

Clark is able to shake off Zod's control.

John Henry Irons uses the red solar rocket to neutralize Edge.

Edge is imprisoned in a state of the art facility.

Lois invites John Henry Irons to dinner at the Kent house, but he says he has to finish debriefing with her father and he thinks they need some family time.

Sophie Cushing returns home from wherever she was staying.

Sophie has no idea what has been going on in Smallville.

Leslie Larr is said to still be on the run, but the DoD is looking for her.

In his cell, Edge is hearing a voice telling him to complete what he was sent to Earth to do.


Location

Tal-Rho's Fortress of Solitude, located in The Badlands


The Bottom Line

Probably the weakest episode of the series so far, but that's largely because so little happens in it. Even the Diggle cameo is largely pointless. Still, there's enough good dramatic moments to make it worthwhile. 

Friday, July 16, 2021

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 3, The Thief Path - Part 6

In which, having trained as much as we can in the Simbani Village, we head out into the savanna to improve our combat skills. Thankfully, fighting as a thief is much easier in Quest For Glory 3. A good thing too as we can't really sneak away from fights in this game. We also get to check out the Pool of Peace and have a chat with an earth-pig.

Thursday, July 15, 2021

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 7, Episode 17 - Heart of the Matter, Part 1

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

The Godspeed War intensifies, threatening Central City, as Barry and Iris meet a new addition to the family - their future son, Bart!

Influences

The Flash comics of Joshua Williamson and Mark Waid (presence of Impulse and Godspeed)


Goofs

Why didn't Joan and Jay let the rest of Team Flash know they were alive before now? (Maybe they wanted to make sure they weren't going to die like all the other doppelgangers.) 


Performances


Jordan Fisher slays as Bart West-Allen.


Flash Facts

This was the 150th episode of The Flash.

The opening shot of Central City in 2049 showed the billboards for several businesses from the comics, including Ferris Air, Palmer Technologies and the Central City Sharks football franchise. The skyscraper for Iris' newspaper, now CC Citizen Media, is also visible.

While not referred to by the code name Impulse, Bart West-Allen is clearly based upon the comic book character Impulse. His name was also Bart Allen, but he was Barry Allen's grandson rather than his son. The Arrowverse Bart's costume is modeled on his comic book counterpart, however, and he makes use of the slang term "Crash" to mean something is good, like the Bart in the comics. The Arrowverse Bart is also reputedly described as impulsive.

The building where Bart and Nora stop after their first fight with Godspeed is Powers Industries. In the Batman Beyond animated series, Powers Industries was the company that acquired Wayne Enterprises in a hostile takeover. It's CEO, Derek Powers, was the chief villain of the first season and, in secret, the supervillain Blight.

Godspeed is able to time travel using the Cosmic Treadmill in the Flash Museum. In The Flash comics, Barry Allen used a device called the Cosmic Treadmill to travel in time. While the Arrowverse Cisco created a device he called the Cosmic Treadmill, this marks the first time it was used for that purpose in the show.

Adam Creyke is said to have confessed to a bombing in Polokistan. This is a fictional DC Comics country, once part of the Soviet Union, which became protected by a villain called General Zod, who was unrelated to the classic Kryptonian General Zod. 

Based on the timeline described in the episode, Jay Garrick would have been 94 when he was killed by Godspeed in the future. It might seem unlikely he'd still be active at that point, but in the original comics Jay's connection to the Speed Force slowed his aging so he still appeared to be middle-aged when he was 100 in some stories. 

Jay Garrick his held captive in the Zauriel Cathedrial on Morrison Avenue. This is a nod to Zauriel - an angel who became a superhero during writer Grant Morrison's run on JLA.


Technobabble

Nora has developed the ability to shape her lightning into a lasso that she can use to snare other people.

According to Nora, speedsters should not try to phase through other speedsters, as their molecules can become conjoined on a quantum level. However, Bart is able to effectively disable Godspeed by doing this.

According to Bart, quantum physics is not taught until the junior year of collegiate science classes.

Nora says that Future Chester improved the efficiency of her gauntlet by 200%.

The Solar Encryption Engine (SEE) is a device Chester's father created that reconverts the atomic mass of neutrino-voltaic energy cells. This allows it to neutralize artificially created kinetic energy sources, like the artificial speed Godspeed uses. However, it must be charged with an electromagnetic source - preferably microwave energy.

Bart and Nora have a combo move they can do together called the Fathwoom Boom.

Bart is said to have the power to throw lightning in the shape of stars but can't catch a ball of lightning in 20 seconds.

According to Chester, the SEE required 700 nanometers of microwave energy to be powered up. When Barry charged it with the Speed Force, it acquired 5 billion nanometers, which was channeled directly into the Godspeed variants instead.

Bart is able to vibrate so quickly he can be invisible to the naked eye and uses this power to eavesdrop on the conversations at STAR Labs.

Chester analyzes Allegera's energy output and determines she is only projecting ultraviolet light rather than microwaves, as per usual. He claims that Allegra only hits that range when she's channeling from negative emotions, like anger or pain.

Cisco creates a synthetic entropy trap with his gloves, but it is only good for one shot against Godspeed.

Barry uses Jay Garrick's neural hyper-collider to enter August Heart's mind, with Cecile's help, after readjusting the tachyon booster with a neuro-fiber housing.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Nora and Bart are working out.)
Nora:
What gives, Bart? You can throw stars with your lightning, but you can't catch a ball of it in under seconds?
Bart: Nora... (breathing heavily) It's a lot harder than it looks.
Nora: Well, maybe you should stop focusing on being a badass parkouring off every wall you see.
Bart: So you agree I do look badass?

Bart: Dad and Uncle Wally taught me how to run, and how to meditate, and all that's great. Uncle Jay understood me. He was the first person that saw my impulsiveness as a strength and not as a weakness, and he would literally tell me. He'd say, "Bart, sometimes you have to take a risk. "Sometimes you have to go with your gut... and is it impulsive? Maybe. But sometimes it's right." He got me... (sighs) And now he's gone.

(Barry, Nora and Jay are surrounded by Godspeeds. Suddenly, the church doors open. It is Cisco.)
Cisco: I leave Central City for two seconds... 


Continuity

In the future of 2049, Nora and Bart West-Allen are the protectors of Central City. They work with the Central City Police and a Gideon AI. 

Bart is 19 and a Freshman in college. Nora is 26.

The address of the Flash Museum (and, presumably STAR Labs in the modern day) is given as 5724 Fontana Drive.

Chester apparently meets Nora and Bart in the future. Nora says he's the smartest person they know and Bart claims that Chester helps him with his differentials of mathematics homework. However, it seems likely Bart is lying and is hoping to trick past Chester into helping him in the future.

Bart and Nora both call Cecile Grammy Cecile. 

West-Allen Family Rule #1 is Protect the timeline at any and all cost.

Nora and Bart want to return to their time, but Barry invites them to stay a while since the Godspeeds are stopping anyone from traveling to 2049.

Caitlin and Cecile are working on a new version of the Cerebral Inhibitor (aka MAD 2.0) to unlock August Heart's memories, but haven't had any luck so far.

Chester found a device in his father's notes he think he can use to depower the Godspeed variants, but he needs Allegra to help him charge it.

No one has seen Allegra since yesterday, when she went to find her cousin.

Iris and Barry told their children about the first version of Nora they encountered in Season 5.

When Barry, Nora and Bart confront the Godspeeds, Barry is stunned when Bart says they can kill each other for all he cares.

All the Godspeeds chase after Bart and nearly kill him, referring to him as "The Adversary."

Bart eventually explains that August Heart is his Eobard Thawne and that he's devoted to killing him, for some unknown reason.

Chester finds Allegra in the lounge and catches her up on things. He senses something is wrong, but Allegra denies it. Chester also notes that Allegra's coffee is ice cold, despite her claiming she warmed it up with her powers.

Adam Kreyke is handed over to the FBI in Midway City.

Neither Joe nor Kramer report how Adam Kreyke claimed to have seen Kristen Kramer die.

Joe and Kramer are given a car to take them back to Central City.

Neither of them is able to contact anyone in Central City on their phones.

Gideon makes contact with Bhikkhuni Amala - the Buddhist nun who helped Wally hone his powers, whom he mentioned in 614  She says that Wally is in deep meditation, handling unrest on the psychic plane. This explains why Wally does not join the Godspeed War. (It is possible, however, this unrest is connected to the Godspeeds draining the Speed Force from the inside.)

Iris is returned to the present, having apparently been stabilized by Deon Owens.

Iris was able to watch everything that was happening on Earth from within the Still Force.

Iris asks what Godspeed must have done to Bart to make him equate him to the Reverse Flash.

Jay Garrick and Dr. Joan Williams are revealed to be alive and living in Keystone City on Earth-Prime. This marks their first appearance since 602.

Jay's speed has been restored with the activation of the Artificial Speed Force, which Joan says happened 40 days earlier.  He also no longer needs a cane to walk.

Jay is ambushed by six Godspeed clones before he can run to join the fight.

Deon Owens apparently talks to Nora and Bart in the future and told them about saving their mother at one point.

Barry tells Bart he wants him to sit this fight out so Godspeed isn't provoked. This makes Bart run off.

Bart goes to Joe's house, which was apparently where he always went to get away from things when he was uspet.

It is revealed that Godspeed kills Jay Garrick in the future and that is why Bart hates him so much - because Jay was Bart's mentor and the only one of his teachers he felt truly understood him and worked to turn his impulsive nature into a strength.

Wally West goes on to teach Nora and Bart, in addition to Barry and Jay.

Nora gets Bart to agree to sit out the fight with Godspeed.

Caitlin and Cecile show August Heart the Cosmic Treadmill to see if it stirs his memories. It does not.

Despite Allegra claiming to have been trying to use her powers to charge the SEE for a while, it is only 7% charged when Chester calculated it should be at least 89% charged that that point.

Barry uses his lightning to charge the SEE, since it can absorb any form of kinetic energy, in theory. Unfortunately, this only serves to recharge the Godspeeds rather than drain their power.

Frost is able to save Barry and Nora from the Godspeeds.

Barry and Iris tell Nora to stay out of the fight with Godspeed as well as Bart.

Allegra tells Chester about Ultraviolet's death in 716.

Barry recalls how Godspeed was originally Nora 1.0's arch-enemy, as seen in 518.

The Rebel Godspeed faction is revealed to have kidnapped Jay Garrick and they contact STAR Labs demanding a trade; Jay for Bart.

Bart runs off to save Jay.

Nora and Barry come to save Bart, but they are all quickly surrounded by Godspeeds.

The Godspeeds are frozen by Cisco Ramon, who arrives in his Mecha-Vibe costume, armed with a make-shift entropy trap that allows the heroes to escape.

Bart is left in a comatose state by the Godspeeds attack.

Cisco says he decided to come help after John Diggle told him what was going on.

Joe and Kramer return to Central City to find people clogging the freeways out of town.  They are attacked by Godspeed clones.

The episode ends with Barry confronting the real Godspeed inside August Heart's mind.


Location


FBI Office - Midway City
Jay and Joan's home - Keystone City


The Bottom Line

One of the stronger episodes of the season, but that's largely because all the extraneous subplots are all but over and not much time is devoted to them. Still, Nora's return is welcome and Bart is immediately likeable, which makes up for the fact that not much really happens in this episode when you get right down to it. 

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 6, Episode 9 - This Is Gus

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

When the Legends forget Behard's birthday and their next mission takes them to 2023 and the set of his favorite sitcom, Nate and Zari are forced to keep the "surprise" party going, as everyone else tracks the alien. Meanwhile, Rory gets some unexpected news from his daughter Lita, leading Sara and Gary to investigate why he's been acting so strangely.


Influences

This Is Us
(title) and various sitcoms and series which change format in the middle of their runs. There are a number of meta-jokes regarding previous seasons of Legends of Tomorrow, with Gus-Gus being a parody of Beebo (as well as Baby Yoda and Gizmo from the Gremlins movies) and a few nods to Alf and Mork and Mindy - two sitcoms based around aliens.


Goofs

The official episode synopsis described the team traveling to 2024. They actually travel to 2023.


Performances

The whole ensemble is on fire, but Shayan Sobhian deserves special distinction for how well he plays the two Behrads and the transition between them.


Artistry

The script for this episode is very smart but also touches upon important ideas of representation without being preachy.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

Lita mentions donating all of the money Mick lett her to "AOC's future presidential run." This is a reference to American Congressional Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is commonly known as AOC. At the time the episode aired, AOC was too young to run for President of the United States, but was highly hoped to do so given her fighting attitude and strong progressive beliefs.

When discussing Sara and Ava's engagement, Zari 1.0 refers to them as "Avalance." in a pun on Avalanche. This is a reference to a fan nickname given to the romance between Ava and Sara.


Technobabble/Arcana

Spooner has improved her favorite gun, which she calls her little friend, and it is now powerful enough to knock a pod off of its landing trajectory. 

Astra has a spell that can conjure up a coffee cart.

Gary identifies the baby alien as a Gusarax - a species that bond to their parents during the development phase. They literally become attached to their parents at the hip, as that's where the teat is located. 

The butterfly effect causes Behrad to change more and more as the timeline is changed as Bud Stuy changes more and more from its original concept. At first this manifests with Behrad feeling an urge to slick his hair back and suddenly having a coffee mug for Wharton - the college he told his parents he was going to before joining the Legends. As time goes on, he becomes more and more of a different person before vanishing completely.

Astra knows a spell that lets her summon her keys to her hand.

The Tarazi family ancestors think that Zari 1.0 can safely leave the Totem world, provided Zari 2.0 stays behind in her place. This seems to be confirmed by the end of the episode.

Female Necrians lay their fertilized eggs in the heads of their partners during sex.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Mick opens a time coordior. Lita enters and is visibly pregnant.)
Nate:
How long was I in that totem?

Kamran: Well, this animatronic alien is adorable. And the audience ate it up. So if we're ever gonna be more than a cult show we need a gag that's a little less foreign.
Imran: Less foreign? It's a freakin' alien, man.
Kamran: I want broader appeal.
Imran: You want less Muslim.
Kamran: You don't know what religion the alien is.

(Spooner, upon seeing Gus for the first time.)
Spooner:
I think I'm going to need a smaller gun.

(Lita is struggling to open a jar after Mick offered to help her.)
Lita: Okay. I am rational enough to accept defeat, hangry enough to accept your help.
Mick: You know, uh, some jars are like old, stubborn bastards. They, uh, eventually open up.
(Mick struggles with the jar a moment and it pops open. He offers it to Lita.)
Mick:
Tell me about Niko. 

(After the alien screams and drives off the Legends trying to pick him up, Kamran comes and sees what the noise is.)
Kamran: There you are. (clearing his throat upon seeing the Legends) I'm going to talk to props about leaving things lying around. Somebody could get hurt.
(Kamran walks off with the alien. The Legends have clearly not heard anything he's said.)
Legends: WHAT?!?

(Nate gets cast in Bud Stuy instead of Zari.)
Zari: (sarcastic) Finally, a win for straight, white men.
Behrad: Well, if I was rebooting a show with a flop first season, you'd be my pick. 

Behrad: (To Imran) You can't sell out, man! Growing up, my mom and dad looked at me and saw a future business school graduate. The world saw a weird, Muslim kid they couldn't bother to figure out. But seeing you on TV, Imran, was the first time I saw me. 

Zari: Listen, I know you worked your ass off for this moment. And our hard work is rarely celebrated. So I get how badly you wanna be seen, but... you know this isn't right.
Kamran: Have you ever seen the show? My brother wasn't exactly making television that we could be proud of.
Zari: Well, you know what, he doesn't have to be a torch-bearer for all of us. That expectation is, honestly, unrealistic and, frankly, annoying. Your brother inspired people, not by trying to inspire people, but... just by being himself.


Continuity

As the episode opens, Behrad has just turned 25 years old.

Gideon is capable of playing Mortal Kombat and apparently kicks Behrad's butt at it quite often.

Behrad believes in astrology.

Astra had a bet with Zari that Behrad would be late to the team meeting, arrive wearing the same clothes he had on the day before but would still take the time to make himself breakfast.  This results in Zari having to handle her bathroom-cleaning shifts on the chores rotation. 

Kayla's scanner tracks the latest lost alien to Vancouver in 2023.

Lita calls Mick after the time-jump to 2023. He opens a time corridor for her to come to the ship only to discover that she is pregnant and that she hadn't heard from him in over a year.

The site of the next alien pod landing turns out to be near a studio where a taping of Bud Stuy, a stoner comedy sitcom with a Muslim protagonist, is about to begin.

Bud Stuy was Behrad's favorite show growing up and he becomes convinced the "mission" was just an excuse to get him to the taping as a surprise gift.

Nate and Zari run with this idea and go to the taping, dragging Astra along, leaving Sara and Spooner to deal with the alien.

Imran Saeed is the star and co-creator of Bud Stuy. His brother Kamran is the producer of the show.

Bud Stuy only lasted two seasons but had a cult following.

The episode makes mention of the "Dragon Girl" song Zari recorded as a tween pop star.

Spooner shoots the pod out of its original trajectory, causing it to crash into the studio where Bud Stuy is filming.

The alien is revealed to be a cute, little and adorable creature.

Kamran wants to work the alien into the show, after seeing how much the audience loved the twist of bringing an alien into the story after Imran improvised around the crash and pretended it was part of the episode. Imnran begrudgingly agrees to give it a try.

Lita is still in college in 2023 and is taking classes in intersectionality and feminist activism. It is here that she met her boyfriend Niko.

Lita has become a Vegan and claims she is over Black Sabbath and is now more into Fiona Apple. She also says she's donating all the money Mick gave her to AOC's presidential campaign.

Lita says she and Niko are living together but have no plans to marry, as the institution is too inherently patriarchal. 

Mick starts asking Lita for details about Niko, seemingly as a father would ask a daughter about her boyfriend.

Zari asks about Zari 1.0 and asks what she's doing in the Totem. Nate says mostly she plays poker with her ancestors, but that when they were together she mostly wanted to know about Behrad and how he was doing.

Zari 1.0 remembered Behrad's birthday was coming up.

Behrad poses as the new Personal Assistant on the set of Bud Stuy to get close to the Saeed brothers.

The alien does not like being picked up except by certain people and unleashes a high pitched scream when it is unhappy. It causes intense pain and temporary deafness in others and causes Spooner to develop a nosebleed.

After the team regroups at the Waverider, Behrad emerges from the bathroom cleaned-up, with his hair slicked back, having borrowed Nate's special pomade. 

Gideon reports that a new episode of Bud Stuy titled "First Contact High" has been scripted.

Zari and Nate both audition for the role of a noisy landlord being introduced into Bud Stuy. Nate gets it, despite Zari being a trained actor.

Behrad talks to Imran and argues the show can't be changed because it meant so much to him, being the first time he saw a funny Muslim guy on TV.

Imran decides to quit rather than eliminate the reality of his life he tried to bring out in the show.

Sara returns to the Waverider to find Ava wrapping Behrad's birthday present.

Lita says Mick asked him a lot of questions about where he grew up, his class schedule and his cross-country training, which he is hoping will let him compete in the Olympics.

Sara realizes that Mick wasn't asking these questions to be polite - he was getting information he could use to kill Niko. 

Niko is shown wearing a hat with an HU logo. This is a nod to Hudson University, which Lita decided to go to after touring the campus with Mick in 512.

Behrad changes into a sharp suit.

Astra sems to be attracted to Behrad's new look.

Astra and Zari pose as members of the Puppeteers Union and confront Kamran over whether or not the alien is being brought to life by union members.

According to Kamran, the baby alien is the first alien TV star in history.

Behrad becomes more and more of a corporate shill, talking to Kamran about how to market "Baby Gus-Gus." This disturbs Zari, as he sounds like a male version of her.

Sara, Gary and Lita find Mick hugging Niko.

Mick was planning to kill Niko, but was persuaded it would be bad if a prominent author of post-feminist empowerment literature was known to have killed his daughter's boyfriend.

Mick says he just wanted to make sure his grandson had what he didn't and what he failed to be to Lita - one of two loving parents under one roof.

Mick told Niko about Kayla and how he knew what it was to get caught up in a romantic moment. This is how Sara and Gary find out about Kayla and Mick having sex.

Mick starts crying when Kayla is mentioned.

Behrad completely changes into a business bro, has no idea who the Legends are, and his totem is replaced with a Rolex watch. This results in Zari's totem disappearing as well, since Behrad 1.0 stole the original one.

Gary asks Mick if tentacles were involved in what he and Kayla did. He confirms that she did stick a tentacle into his ear.

Zari tries to talk to Kamran about remaining true to his brother's vision.

Astra chases after Imran and gets him back to the set.

Nate is able to disappear with Baby Gus-Gus, as the alien is now known.

Behrad is restored to normal, with the show restored to its original state.

Behrad's gifts include a photo album Zari put together, a chef's hat and apron, a new recipe book and coupons for free hugs (from Nate.)

Zari 2.0 goes into the totem and shows the pictures of the party to Zari 1.0 and tells her about everything.

Zari 2.0 offers to stay inside the totem and let Zari 1.0 out for a bit, as the Ancestors think as long as one of them stays inside the Totem World, Behrad should be safe.

Gary knocks a beer out of Mick's hand revealing that Kayla laid eggs in his head when they had sex and that he confirmed Mick is pregnant. 


Location

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - 2023
Hudson University - 2023
The Totem World


The Bottom Line

Sweet and funny in equal measure, while making a few pointed stabs at itself and television culture in general. Not the funniest episode of Legends in terms of laugh-out-loud moments, but probably one of the most cleverly written.

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 3, The Thief Path - Part 5

In which we continue exploring the Simbani village and using the equipment they use to train their warriors in ways they were not intended to boost our thief skills. We also get the chance to catch up with Uhura and meet the tribe's storyteller, who teaches us a lesson about the importance of not stealing from people who have little to offer in the way of material wealth.

Monday, July 12, 2021

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 3, The Thief Path - Part 4

In which we go into the savanna to complete the one quest we can manage before a forced-march to the Simbani Village. It is here that we meet up with Uhura once again and make a new friend. Which is pretty much all we can do as a thief in this village at the moment, sadly.

The Flash Episode Guide: Season 7, Episode 16 - P.O.W.

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

John Diggle arrives in Central City with a weapon to help Barry stop the Godspeed War. Meanwhile, Allegra and Ultraviolet’s new bond following he surgery is put to the ultimate test, as Joe and Kristin Kramer are hunted by her former colleague. 

Influences

The Flash
comics of Joshua Williamson (use of Still Force and Godspeed characters), Ghostbusters (general design of the entropy trap),  and The Most Dangerous Game (Joe and Kramer being hunted.)


Goofs

The official show summaries keep changing Kristen Kramer's name, spelling her first name with an "i" and an "e' (Kristin/Kristen).

Cecile mentions that it is the year 2021. However, the events of The Flash season 7 have taken place within a four week period following the events of 703, which was firmly set in mid-2020 based on the Season 6 episodes leading to the battle with Mirror Monarch.

Joe retrieves his oversize gun seemingly from nowhere during the final confrontation with Creyke.

It's a minor point, but the episode never addresses if Caitlin (who knows more about metahuman neurology than most) examined Diggle while he was in Central City or after his breakdown facing Godspeed.


Performances


It's always good to see David Ramsey as John Diggle and the scenes between him and Grant Gustin improve this episode immensely.


Flash Facts

The entropy trap which Diggle delivers is said to be a one-of-a-kind due to it being constructed from some unique Time Trapper tech. This is a reference to a classic villain from the Legion of Superheroes comics - a time-traveler from the future who became the Living Embodiment of Entropy. This also confirms that the Time Trapper exists in the Arrowverse.

August Heart is said to have worked for Dayton Labs' Central City branch in the future. In the DC Comics universe, Dayton Labs is a research facility owned by Dayton Industries - a company owned by the superhero Mento, who was part of the Doom Patrol.

Adam Kreyke claims to have the power to die over and over. There are a few DC Comics characters who have a similar power of immortality, but most of them (such as Resurrection Man and Multi-Man) gain a new superpower each time they die.

At the end of the episode, Nora West-Allen's lightning is only purple when it was purple and yellow in Season 5. This is believed to foreshadow that the newly introduced Bart Allen Jr. is her twin brother, as his lightning is yellow, like his father's.

In the original The Flash comics, Barry and Iris did have twins, a boy and a girl, who inherited Barry's powers, but they were named Dawn and Don and were known as the Tornado Twins. 

Bart Allen Jr. desribes the Speed Lab as "crash." This is a future slang term from the comics, used by Impulse to describe good things.


Technobabble

The Godspeed War generates a build-up of electricity, shielding Central City from outside electrical signals, basically acting as a giant Faraday Cage. This prevents Cecile from calling Joe, who is outside of the city.

Adam Creyke is armed with an advanced pulse rifle and a scrambler program that prevents people close to him from using a phone.

The motion-detection plate on the entropy trap has a response time of a picosecond. The plasmatic wave it generates eliminates all entropy from any object or person, freezing it in time.

The metal band that Caitlin creates to replace Ultraviolet's mask is made of the same unique metal alloy, so her body won't reject it and it will still maintain the laryngeal structure.

Diggle confirms that the doctors at the neurology clinic in Gotham didn't find anything wrong with him physically.

Chester's algorithm confirms the Godspeeds are returning at an exponential rate. 

Caitlin's scan of August Heart's brain and body show no sign of speed powers, organic or artificial. However, his neurological scans show severe memory degradation yet his somatic memory cells are still intact, but inactive. She says a nano dose of neurogenic dark matter might reactivate the cells, but the procedure is risky and it would still only restore his memory temporarily.


Dialogue Triumphs

Diggle: So you want to tell me what's really got you so upset that you're talking to your teammates like that? And don't tell me it's about some broken tech, Barry.
Barry: It's my daughter. Nora. Before she came to join us, she lived in the future. The exact time Godspeed's from.
Diggle: Okay, and with everything that's going on, you think it affects the future somehow?
Barry: Dig, if... If August Heart is here, what does that mean for Nora? And the future of our family? Is she okay? Will Iris and I still have a family? Is Nora even alive in the future anymore? (breathing heavily) Now all I want to do is run to and make sure Nora's okay. See with my own eyes that my daughter's safe. But I can't do that.
Diggle: Why not?
Barry: Dig, you know better than anyone what could happen if I did. Besides, man, with this civil war destroying the city staying here to fight is the right thing to do.
Diggle: No, it's not. Barry, I lived a long life here on this earth. I've been a spy, a vigilante, a soldier... hell, I've even been the Green Arrow. The most important job I've ever had is as a dad. And there's not a bullet I wouldn't take, there's not a timeline that I wouldn't risk changing if it meant protecting my family. I know that now. Lyla... my kids, they're my heart, man. My soul. My entire world. How far would I go for them? As far as it takes. Everything else be damned. Don't be afraid to do the same.


Continuity

The events of this episode take place sometime after the Batwoman episode Rebirth (B216) as Diggle makes reference to his clinic visit in Gotham City from that episode.

As the episode opens, the Godspeeds are randomly running around Central City attacking people when they aren't fighting each other.

Barry has another dream vision of Nora West-Allen, like the one in 715, where she tells him that the future is changing and something happened to their family.

Iris is still suffering from a sickness that has her confined to her and Barry's apartment.

Cecile hasn't heard from Joe since he left Central City with Kristen Kramer 8 hours earlier

Joe and Kramer are revealed to have escaped their exploding car and hide in the woods as Creyke hunts them.

Kramer recognized Creyke's attack coming because she knew what the light of his pulse rifle looked like.

Barry is said to have six broken ribs and internal bleeding after his latest battle with the Godspeeds, but he says he'll be fine after an hour thanks to his speed healing.

Barry tells the rest of the team about his vision of Nora and wonders if he should go to the future to check on her.

Diggle arrives from Star City with a device Cisco constructed  - an entropy trap - which he thought might help with the Godspeeds.

Diggle volunteered to deliver the entropy trap personally, as he is still working with ARGUS.

Chester is aware of who John Diggle is (presumably having read up on previous Team Flash adventures) and says that he is a big fan.

Barry plans to use the entropy trap to catch a Godspeed so they can question him as to why the Godspeeds are fighting.

Caitlin heals Ultraviolet and says she won't need any more surgeries or bio-chip updates to live.

Ultraviolet plans to go after another Black Hole team right away. Allegra says that's stupid.

Ultraviolet asks Allegra to help her. Allegra agrees, but says they will only work to capture the Black Hole forces - not kill them - and that it will have to wait until after the Godspeed War is over. Ultraviolet agrees to those terms.

Barry attempts to lure the Godspeeds into the entropy trap by broadcasting one of their signals through the speakers built into his suit. They manage to catch one.

The Godspeed refuses to answer questions, which Diggle takes as a sign that he's a soldier and will talk when he is ready to volunteer information.

Diggle tells Cecile that ARGUS is aware of her empathy powers, despite her efforts to keep her status as a metahuman a secret.

Cecile tried to read the Godspeed but could only sense hatred and determination.

The Godspeed was trying to contact his other selves but was blocked by Allegra's powers.

The Godspeed finally speaks and reveals that he knows Barry Allen's secret identity.

Joe wants to flee and get back-up but Kramer wants to confront Adam Creyke.

Joe asks why Creyke would be trying to kill Kramer now when he tried to save her before. She says that he must not know who he is hunting, which gives Joe an idea.

The Godspeed reveals that there are two factions within the Godspeeds - those loyal to August Heart, who want to take Barry's speed and deliver it to him. The other Godspeeds wish to live freely, as they "did not ask to be born, but we do ask not to die" which is the inevitable fate of all the Godspeed clones.

The Godspeed reveals that the original August Heart has come to the present day from the future and the Godspeeds are trying to find him. It also says the only solution is to kill August Heart before he becomes Godspeed.

The Godspeed escapes after Barry refuses to help kill August Heart, thanks to Barry forgetting that the anti-meta safeguards in the Pipleine only work on naturally created metahumans - not artificial speedsters created by a Velocity drug.

The Godspeed also breaks the entropy trap, which can't be rebuilt as it was made using repurposed Time Trapper tech that ARGUS didn't have much of in their possession. 

Barry snaps and yells at Chester when he says he can't fix the entropy trap. This prompts a lecture from Diggle.

Allegra overhears Diggle's speech about the importance of family and resolves to help Ultraviolet against Black Hole now.

Diggle references having been the Green Arrow for a time during Arrow Season 6.

Iris gave Cecile Nora's journal to search for information on August Heart. Cecile found mention of a few places Nora found that seemed personal to Heart which might be worth searching.

Barry agrees to let Cecile search for the original August Heart, but asks her to take Diggle and Allegra with her.

Cecile winds up going with Frost and Diggle, as Allegra isn't answering her texts for some reason.

John has a massive migraine, which he says is the worst one that he's ever had.

Cecile feels John's pain, describing it as like fighting a hurricane. She also claims to have sensed something behind the pain which felt infinite in power.

Barry tries to enter the Speed Force to visit Nora in 2049 but is ambushed by a mob of Godspeeds.

Barry is pulled out of the Speed Force by Deon Owens (aka The Still Force) who tells him that the Godspeeds are feeding on the Speed Force and that "big sis" (i.e. Nora Speed Force) has her hands full trying to deal with them.

Deon refuses to send Barry to the future, saying it is too risky until the Speed Force is done cleansing herself. Besides that, it is taking all of his strength to protect Iris, who is being pulled out of time by some outside force, which is causing her illness.

Deon promises to protect Iris, but tells Barry he's needed to fight the war in the present.

Diggle attacks the Godspeeds using a dose of nanites devised by Ray Palmer that neutralize superspeed. (The same nanites were used by Oliver Queen against Eobard Thawne in 122.)

Diggle has another headache, this time hearing a chorus of voices say "Worlds Await," over and over.

Frost saves Diggle while he is down.

Allegra is revealed to be tracking Ultraviolet, who ran off without her despite her promises to wait. She finds her in the middle of a massacre, critically wounded.

Ultraviolet has just enough time to curse Allegra for letting her die alone, but she says that she will not die afraid.

Ultraviolet's body dissolves into dust upon her death.

Frost, Diggle and Cecile check out the future site of Dayton Labs' as Nora's journal said August Heart worked there for a while in her time.  That lab doesn't exist in the modern day, however.

They find a man they think is the original August Heart, but he's amnesiac and was only at the Dayton Labs site because he felt it was important for some reason.

Adam Creyke claims to have died 17 times and been reborn over and over.

Adam Creyke recognizes Kramer and asks who she really is, claiming that the real Kramer was killed during Operation Griffin.

Creyke defends his mercenary actions, saying he gave half of the money he earned back to the reservation they grew up on.

At Joe's urging, Kramer doesn't shoot Creyke.

Chester calculates they have 90 minutes before the next wave of Godspeeds.

The only thing Cecile can sense from August Heart is the same confusion and fear an amnesiac would have.

Chester tells Diggle to thank Cisco for the Time Trapper tech and to tell him that he's going to do what he can to repair it himself.

Diggle leaves Central City, telling Barry there's something he's been putting off for far too long and it nearly got him killed. This coincides with a quick flashback to A810 and Diggle's discovery of a glowing green object in the meteor that nearly hit him when he was loading his moving van.

Barry and Diggle hug before he leaves and Barry offers whatever help he can.

The mystery man confirms his name is August after Caitlin injects him with dark matter.

Cecile has still not gotten in touch with Joe at the episode's end.

Nora West-Allen appears and tells Barry she wouldn't have come to the past if it weren't important.

Nora points out that the fact that she is there is proof that Iris will be all-right, as is the person who traveled with her. This leads to the introduction of her brother, Bart Allen Jr.


Location

A wooden area somewhere near Midway City.


Untelevised Adventures

Iris is off-camera for most of the episode, being protected by the Still Force.

Barry is ambushed by several Godspeeds while evacuating City Hall.

Frost is said to be out in Central City fighting the Godspeeds for most of the episode.

Iris gave Cecile Nora's diary so she could search for information on August Heart.


The Fridge Factor

Iris is reduced to a damsel to be protected by this episode.

Ultraviolet is killed off an episode after being cured, purely to give Allegra angst about abandoning her family and likely setting up her inevitable conclusion that Team Flash is her family now.


The Boomerang Factor

Barry's forgetting that the safeguards in the Pipeline only neutralize the powers of natural born metahumans seems like a major oversight, as does the safeguards somehow not working on those who get powers from temporary means like Velocity-9.


The Bottom Line

Overstuffed but comfortable, like an old easy chair. The scenes with Diggle are enjoyable and expand well upon his mystery. Unfortunately, the urgency of the Godspeed War is seriously undercut by all the subplots involving Iris' disappearance, Joe helping Kramer and everything involving Ultraviolet. It's clear they didn't have as much time to develop everything with the shorter season order and, ironically, it's probably for the best they had to abandon the Elongated Man storyline they had planned lest this seem even busier. That being said, the final two minutes bode well for the 150th episode and the arrival of Impulse.