The latest episode of The Big Bang Theory throws another twist into Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler’s relationship.
As with much of the season so far, the focus of this episode lies on Sheldon and Amy’s relationship, while throwing fans another twist that leaves viewers frustrated all over again while hoping for the two characters to get back together.
While on a lunch date to an aquarium, Sheldon and Amy begin to feel comfortable in each other’s company again (even after an awkward car journey and an equally bizarre game) but if there’s one thing The Big Bang Theory loves doing with relationships, it’s throwing a twist in that surprises the viewers. After the aquarium, Amy calls Sheldon and says that she’s ready to be his girlfriend again, but Sheldon declines in surprising fashion (given how sad he has been over the break-up since the beginning of the season) and in an inadvertent reverse fashion it’s now Amy who is struggling to get over it. In my opinion, a very interesting twist that the writers decided to go with yet it actually works. It will be interesting to see how this is resolved between the two characters.
While the Sheldon/Amy scenes are the focus of the episode, we also see Leonard and Penny making their first Thanksgiving dinner as a married couple (do I have to talk about the scene where Leonard’s in her clothes?). At least we get a reference to this years’ Star Wars film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Meanwhile, we see Raj, Howard, Bernadette and Emily helping out a soup kitchen. As expected, Howard isn’t happy at the prospect but is shocked when he meets idol Elon Musk (CEO and CTO of SpaceX) who hints that they’re looking to send people to space, potentially foreshadowing that Howard will be going to space again. If the writers do insist on revisiting the space story for Howard, I hope that they don’t drag the story out again (I felt that the first space storyline with Howard dragged on for too many episodes).
In my opinion, this was an ok episode of The Big Bang Theory. While it has it’s high points in that Sheldon and Amy’s relationship difficulties continue to be interesting to watch, the Leonard/Penny subplot was average at best (and Leonard wearing her orange top was a poor attempt at humour) and the soup kitchen story wasn’t very entertaining either. The possibility that Howard could be returning to space worries me because of how the previous space episodes dragged on. This episode of The Big Bang Theory has its high and low points, but ultimately isn’t an entirely memorable episode.
My rating: 6.5/10
By Ruari Williamson
*The opinions in this article are those of the writer and do not represent the views of all of the Everything Geek Podcast staff*.
The latest episode of Star Wars: Rebels focuses on Sabine Wren and reveals some of her ties to the Imperial Academy on Mandalore.
In a similar to last week’s Hera-focused episode, this episode shines the spotlight on Sabine Wren. Aside from the Hera/Sabine jointly-focused episode last season (“Out of Darkness”) where we learned that Sabine was once at Mandalore’s Imperial Academy, the first season was sorely lacking in development for both characters. However, now both characters have been given a lot more depth which I (and I’m sure a lot of other Rebels fans) appreciate.
The episode reveals that not only was Sabine a member of the Imperial Academy, but she was also a Bounty Hunter at some stage as well. Anyone else find it a little strange that she has done so much and is only 16 years old?
The episode introduces fans to Ketsu Onyo, an old friend of Sabine’s at the academy who left her for dead. The focus of the episode revolves around Sabine and Ketsu’s history, with both characters eventually siding with the other again to escape from the Empire. The episode comes full circle with how both characters off against each other (with a bit of bitterness evident in Sabine) but the episode ends with Sabine and Ketsu having made up, and Sabine seemingly convinced that Ketsu will be back. I thought Ketsu was a great addition to the show and I hope she’ll return for more episodes of Rebels. Given the dialogue between Sabine and Ezra at the end of the episode I think it’s a no-brainer that we will see her again.
The episode also features some great connections to other areas of the Star Wars universe. R2-D2 makes a cameo appearance towards the end of the episode and the Black Sun is name-dropped as an organisation that Ketsu and Sabine wanted to join (though after Ketsu’s betrayal she was the only one to join them). Maybe we’ll see Black Sun in an upcoming episode of Rebels?
Note: This is actually the first episode of Rebels to rest some of the main characters. Kanan Jarrus and Zeb Orrelios don’t make an appearance at all, with Hera and Ezra only making small appearances as well. Only Sabine and Chopper of the main cast get a large amount of screen-time in this episode.
In my opinion, this was another good episode of Star Wars: Rebels. Like with Hera last week, it was great to see an episode focusing on Sabine and giving viewers more of her backstory. Ketsu Onyo is a great addition to the supporting cast of Rebels and the cameo appearance of R2-D2, as well as the name-dropping of Black Sun, were nice touches to add to the episode.
My rating: 8/10
By Ruari Williamson
*The opinions in this article are those of the writer and do not represent the views of all of the Everything Geek Podcast staff*.
The latest episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D reveals secrets about HYDRA, a moment FitzSimmons shippers will never forget and strains the relations between S.H.I.E.L.D and the ATCU. I’ll be tackling all three of these areas and more in this review.
Firstly, while some fans of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D are getting tired of the HYDRA storyline, I feel it’s really picking up which is a good thing as they’re very similar to S.H.I.E.L.D in the sense that they’re always around. Ever since Gideon Malick (the member of the World Security Council who constantly disagreed with Nick Fury in The Avengers) joined the show I’ve especially been interested to see what the writers do with Hydra, particularly with Malick teaming up with Grant Ward.
After betraying Ward and trying to get him killed, Malick later reveals a twist that even surprised me (and long time podcast listeners know I’m not surprised easily) which revealed that HYDRA has been around since before World War 2. This was a surprise reveal, especially because S.H.I.E.L.D was set up to counter HYDRA around the time of World War 2 (when Red Skull was the head of HYDRA). I’m keen to see this idea stretched out in upcoming episodes but it was definitely a bold move on the writer’s part.
Keen fans who have wanted to see Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons get together were given a moment to savour in this episode, especially given what happened with Simmons and Will a few episodes ago (that annoyed at least a few shippers). The kiss scene with Fitz and Simmons was well written by the writers and worked well in the context of the scene, even though they were arguing just moments before the kiss. After waiting since the Season 1 finale when Fitz revealed his feelings to Simmons, it was great to finally see both characters get closer in a romantic way and it will be interesting to see how that carries on in the rest of the show.
The dynamic between Phil Coulson and Rosalind Price has been one of the highlights in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’s third season so far, but this episode brought their dynamic to an even more interesting level. Following the reveal that Coulson and Price are now in a romantic relationship (and that Price is in communication with Malick), I was especially interested to see what would happen between both characters in this episode with many fans of the show expecting Price to be part of HYDRA. Instead, though the writers tease the possibility that she’s working with HYDRA, it’s revealed that she has been in communication with Malick for a long time and Price realises that the former has been working behind her back for a long time. It will be interesting to see what happens the next time Price and Malick talk after this revelation.
The post-credits scene shows Grant Ward visiting the captive Andrew Garner and filling his containment area with a gas.
In my opinion, this was an outstanding episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The reveal that HYDRA has been around since before World War 2 was an interesting twist, the added strains with S.H.I.E.L.D and the ATCU (as well as with Coulson and Price’s relationship) will be interesting to watch in upcoming episodes and it was great to finally see Fitz and Simmons kiss. An excellent episode.
My rating: 9.5/10
By Ruari Williamson
*The opinions in this article are those of the writer and do not represent the views of all of the Everything Geek Podcast staff*.
The latest episode of The Walking Dead features plenty of action for Daryl Dixon, Abraham Ford and Sasha, as well as introducing viewers to comic series character Dwight.
Daryl, Abraham and Sasha may be main characters on the show, but in the shows sixth season they had barely seen any action until this episode (most of their screen-time has been leading the herd away) so I was happy that they all got a good amount of action in this episode, particularly in Daryl’s case where he encounters Dwight, Sherry and Tina.
The introduction of comic series character Dwight was an interesting idea for this episode, considering when you line up the TV shows events with the comics we aren’t at the point where Dwight was introduced in the comics. I think it was an interesting idea on the writer’s part to give Dwight some background before they line up the events. While some fans of the comics weren’t happy with Dwight’s portrayal in this episode, I believe this episode was just a taste of the medicine and the next time we see Dwight he will be a lot more like his comic counterpart. I think the idea of the writers to have Dwight steal Daryl’s crossbow and motorbike was a clever idea (if they go the comic route it’s likely the next time we see the crossbow it will have just been used to kill one of Daryl’s friends).
I also really liked the dynamic between Daryl and Dwight. Since the start of the season we’ve seen that Daryl still thinks there’s good people, as shown when he wants to invite Dwight into the Alexandria Safe-Zone, so Dwight’s betrayal comes as a sucker-punch to Daryl. It will be very interesting to see both characters cross paths again…
Not to be outdone, Abraham and Sasha get some good fight scenes and bonding time. Was Abraham trying to flirt with Sasha? I’m still uncertain about that whole talk scene, but it did give us a greater insight into who both characters are now. With a Walker attack on Alexandria imminent, the weapons Abraham found in this episode will definitely come in handy.
Who was the voice on the radio asking for help at the end of the episode? I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s who everyone is expecting it to be (sorry Glenn fans).
In my opinion, this was another very good episode of The Walking Dead. It was nice to see Daryl, Abraham and Sasha get some action again, and the early introduction of Dwight was an interesting idea by the writers. The episode also sets up future events with Dwight taking Daryl’s crossbow and motorbike, Abraham finding weapons and the voice on the radio at the end. A stellar episode.
My rating: 8/10
By Ruari Williamson
*The opinions in this article are those of the writer and do not represent the views of all of the Everything Geek Podcast staff*.
The latest episode of Doctor Who sees the consistency of Series 9 come to an end and features the first episode of the series that isn’t a two-parter (though a sequel is already being talked about for a future series).
The episode is very unusual for Doctor Who in the way the story is told from a found-footage perspective. While it was unusual for Doctor Who to attempt a story being told in this perspective (with Gagan Russmussen acting as if he was talking to the viewers), this was one of the elements of the episode that I liked. The problem lied in the complicated use of the footage but if handled perfectly it could be a useful storytelling technique. I wouldn’t complain if a future episode of Doctor Who also used this technique as it is very different.
While Rassmussen serves as the main villain of the episode, a new creature is introduced in the episode to add to the arsenal of Doctor Who monsters. The monsters were called Sandmen (where have I heard that name used before?) and they’re created by (essentially) eye sleep. Dust? Yes. Dirt? Maybe. Eye sleep? How can you create a monster out of that? The writers of Doctor Who have come up with some weird ideas for how new creatures are born, but this idea takes the cake (probably ate it too) and in my opinion it needed a lot more thought put into it (the Morpheus program wasn’t a really good story device in my opinion). All I’ll say is I’m glad I don’t get much sleep… I could create a monster if I sleep more by Doctor Who’s logic.
The episode sees The Doctor and Clara Oswald trying to help a crew aboard a space station (Le Verrier) to escape the Sandmen. By the end of the episode only The Doctor, Clara and Nagata (the leader of the crew) survive and Rasmussen is revealed to be an agent of the Sandmen, turning into dust and perishing.
Before I wrap up this review, I want to touch on the subject that there are already talks for a sequel to this episode in the future. While I didn’t enjoy this episode and found it to be average at best, I’m caught in two minds on the talks of a sequel to this episode. On one hand, the episode isn’t great but at the same time the episode felt like it only told half of a story, meaning we would need the other half to complete the story. Maybe the sequel would be a lot better than this episode?
In my opinion, this was a poor episode of Doctor Who. While the rest of this series has brilliant so far, the first solo episode of this series falls short compared to the rest of Series 9 so far. The story technique of telling the story through found-footage was really interesting and Rasmussen was an interesting villain. However, the plot let the episode down and the Sandmen (while well detailed and brought to life) had a really terrible story for how they were created. The possible sequel will have to be a significant improvement on this episode.
My rating: 4/10
By Ruari Williamson
*The opinions in this article are those of the writer and do not represent the views of all of the Everything Geek Podcast staff*.
The latest episode of Pokémon XY sees Serena become the latest Pokémon companion to capture an Eevee.
While the previous Serena-centric episode (“Mending a Broken Spirit”) missed the mark in my opinion, this episode reminded me why Serena is my favourite character from the XY series and shows that most of the episodes centred on her are very strong, while also showing another similarity to former companion May in that one of her Pokémon is an Eevee (as May is my second favourite of Ash Ketchum’s companions I’m totally ok with this).
This episode is important for two reasons. Firstly, the group of Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie learn that the next Pokémon Showcase will be held in Anistar City (where Ash’s next gym battle is) and this motivates Serena to work hard before her next performance.
The second reason is her befriending of Eevee, who later joins the group. While there are the similarities I mentioned with both Serena and May having an Eevee, both end up with an Eevee under very different circumstances. May’s hatched out of a Pokémon egg, while Serena stumbled across Eevee while it was dancing on a rock.
The episode’s plot focused on Serena trying to encourage Eevee to join the group and not feel shy around them. While a simple plot, by the end of the episode it’s very heart-warming to see Eevee deciding to join Serena and the rest of the group (though it’s still shy around some of the other Pokémon in the group) and with Eevee joining Serena it’ll be interesting to see them perform together in an upcoming Pokémon Showcase. Considering Eevee is the evolution Pokémon and a new Eevee evolution was created for this series, it’s not crazy to speculate that Serena’s Eevee will eventually evolve into Sylveon.
Note: Anyone else love how Bunnelby doesn’t say anything when Eevee jumps onto the rock and grabs the treat that Serena left there?
Team Rocket’s role is pretty minimalistic in this episode, but they do try and capture Eevee and there’s a humorous scene where Meowth tries to entertain Jessie and James with its dancing but fails.
In my opinion, this is another stellar episode of Pokémon XY. The heroes have another great addition to their group of Pokémon in Eevee and it’ll be great to watch Eevee performing in Pokémon Showcases. The episode also has a number of entertaining scenes including the Bunnelby scene and Meowth’s attempted dancing.
My rating: 8/10
By Ruari Williamson
*The opinions in this article are those of the writer and do not represent the views of all of the Everything Geek Podcast staff*.
On the one-hundredth and twentieth episode and next LIVE episode of the Everything Geek Podcast this weekend, we’ll be interviewing actor Markice Moore! Markice is best-known for playing Andrew in The Walking Dead. His other notable roles include Austin in ATL, Keith in 96 Minutes, Tommy Adams in Army Wives, Moses in Blood Done Sign My Name and Young Man in Reed Between the Lines. We’ll be taking YOUR questions for Markice as well, so if you have any questions for Markice on any of his roles, please leave them in the comments or call-in when we look for questions or call-ins from our listeners on Channel1138! Markice’s full list of credits can be found here:
Arrow and The Flash may be taking it easy next week, but when both shows return in December the titular heroes will be up against Vandal Savage in this years’ crossover of the two shows. Until then, The CW has released an extended trailer to hold fans over until the two-night crossover event.
You can watch the trailer below:
Thoughts on the trailer? Are you excited for this years’ crossover?
After the massive success of Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation this year (the film scoring $682 million at the worldwide box office), it comes as no surprise that Paramount and Skydance are moving quickly to add a sixth instalment to the franchise.
A new report has indicated that the companies are looking to bring back Christopher McQuarrie, the director/writer of Rogue Nation, to write and likely direct the sixth instalment.
McQuarrie would be the first director to oversee more than one Mission: Impossible film should he sign on for the sixth film.
Tom Cruise will be returning as Ethan Hunt, with the possibility that Rebecca Ferguson will reprise her role of Ilsa Faust as well.
Ever since the trailer for the Legends of Tomorrow series was released, DC fans have been eagerly awaiting confirmation on the premier date of the show. The premier date has now reportedly been revealed…
The possible premier date was let slip in a two-hour conversation between Warner Bros TV’s President and Chief Content Officer Peter Roth and producer Greg Berlanti, the producer of three DC shows- Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl.
When talking about Legends of Tomorrow, Roth said that “we have very high hopes for on January the twenty-first,” indicating the likely premier date of the series.
This would see Legends of Tomorrow airing on Thursday’s, meaning three DC shows would air on The CW in as many days (The Flash on Tuesday’s, Arrow on Wednesday’s and Legends of Tomorrow on Thursday’s).
Thoughts on this report? Are you excited for Legends of Tomorrow?
