Godzilla: Encyclopedia Review!

 Godzilla: Encylopedia by Godzilla artist, Shinji Nishikawa, is a must for G-fans and anyone interested in kaiju! Godzilla has had a resurrgence at the box office and in pop culture. There is the brilliant Godzilla Minus One which won the Academy Award for visual effects and a parallel series with the Legendary Pictures MonsterVerse. This book covers the original 1954 Godzilla to the Reiwa era and Shin Godzilla (2016) and the anime films including Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018). I had previously picked up The Official Godzilla Compendium (1998) by J.D. Lees and Marc Cerasini. It was illustrated by Arthur Adams, only covered up to the Heisei era (1984-1995), and was not updated.  

Nishikawa is a designer who started with Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) to Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). He provides incredible commentary on each kaiju’s features with full color illustrations, details of action scenes (some have the cartoony chibi style), and characters. It begins with the Godzilla Anatomical File which has a summary of each kaiju and film starting with the Showa era (1954-1974). The first film, Godzilla (1954) has two pages with details like the left arm of the suit couldn’t be raised! There is inserts of a chibi Nishikawa that gives factoids. Interestingly, there is no notes about the roar or sound effects of the kaiju since they give character to them. 

The second page covers the clay model and the Guignol puppet used for closeups. This is followed by Anguirus who has a face like a Hannya mask. Nishikawa explains that it is a female demon. One of my favorite kaiju of that era is Mothra who had starred in her own film in 1961. Mothra fought Godzilla three years later. The fairy-like Cosmos are noted by Nishikawa as a link between kaiju and speaking characters. The best kaiju though is Minilla. Nishikawa explains that the newborn Minilla was a puppet. He also says that Minilla is considered “ugly” in Japan, what?, and thought to be more kawaii to Americans. I like him because he is chubby and kinda dopey looking. Relatable. 

Another great part is to see the all-star line-up of kaiju Destroy All Monsters (1968). It would have been an excellent finale to the Showa era, but there was still some energy left in the franchise. Jet Jaguar introduced mecha into the series and a year later there was Mechagodzilla! Still, the Showa era closed with Titanosaurus in Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). It does have a topless picture of Katsura from the unedited version of the film. She has a plastic cast of her upper body. It took nine years until the Heisei era (1984-1995). The robot version of Godzilla was a change from the suitmation. Godzilla looked vicious. 

Shinji Nishikawa at Son of Monsterpalooza, 2014, author’s photo. 

It is great to see Nishikawa cover Biollante in four pages. I like the Godzillasaurus from Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). It is like the early Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One. I was riveted by the section on Godzilla melting down in Godzilla vs. Destroyah (1995) that finished the Heisei era. For me, the Millennium era (1999-2004) is a mixed bag, mostly fun. There is four pages for Mechagodzilla, the Multi-Purpose-Fighting System Kiryu, in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002). I’m not a big fan of Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) which had epic kaiju battles, but the film was more interested in its Matrix meets X-Men characters. I was surprised that Nishikawa found some good in the 1998 Tristar Zilla. 

Shin Godzilla (2016) was ok, Nishikawa details the different forms of Godzilla, and points out the fourth form is rendered in CGI. The anime Godzillas are interesting including the classic kaiju redesigned in Godzilla: Singular Point (2021). Nishikawa’s inclusion of them unifies the different Godzillas. There is a section on how to draw Godzilla’s different faces and the heroines connecting to Godzilla. I like the manga version of Miki Saegusa. It is apparent that Nishikawa has love of the characters and films that shows in his artwork, knowledge, and fun with this book. Highly recommended!, Godzilla: Encyclopedia is a handy tome on all of the Godzilla kaiju with fantastic art and a designers’ perspective on all of them! 

Five Guignol Puppets out of Five!

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Agatha All Along, Episode 3, Review!

Agatha All Along's third episode has the first trial for Agatha and her coven along with the Teen! Re:cap, Episode 2; In Westview, New Jersey, Detective Agnes O’Connor is investigating a body of a woman who was crushed. Agnes arrests a young thief and helps break her spell. She discovers that the body is a W. Maximoff and that her true name is Agatha Harkness! She has broken free of the spell that took away her memory by Wanda Maximoff, but has lost her powers. Her rival, Rio Vidal, lets her go free, but tells Agatha that the Salem Seven will find her! Agatha and the Teen, whose identity is hidden from her, start to gather her coven. This includes the Divination Witch, Lilia Calderu, next, the Potions Witch, Jennifer Kale, Alice Wu-Gulliver, who is the Protection Witch, and lastly, Mrs. Davis, the Green Witch! 

The coven begins to sing the “Ballad of the Witches’ Road.” Then, the Teen sees the approach of the Salem Seven! The ballad seems to have failed and they begin to argue with each other. Agatha calls them rejects and goads them on. Lilia realizes that Agatha is trying to have them blast her to take their power. There is a rumbling overhead. A blue pentagram forms on the floor below them! The Teen runs from the appearance of one of the Salem Seven in the house! They open the doors that lead to stairs circling down. The Teen runs down as they hear shrieks. The rest of the coven hurries down and Agatha sees a black robed creature at the stairs before closing the doors from the steps. There is a thumping and then Agatha finds the ceiling has turned to rock. There are formations like rocks in a weave or tree roots. 

Agatha sees the Witches Road, shining stones winding through a dark forest with a moon overhead. Agatha removes her boots and the others also take off their shoes. Agatha tells them, “I never doubted us for a second” before the coven starts walking down The Road! Agatha All Along’s episode titles continues The Ballad of the Witches’ Road lyrics. Episode 3 is named “Through Many Miles/ Of Tricks and Trials.” It is directed by Rachel Goldberg who was the director of the Cloak & Dagger ep, “Alignment Chart” (2019). Cameron Squires is the writer who was the staff writer for WandaVision. The coven walks the Road, the Teen is impressed, there was disbelief by Alice. Lilia says, “Tame your fears”, they face their nightmares. They are being tested, each skill, each witch will have their trial! The Teen is eager, Jennifer asks who is he, and his answer is again hidden.

Lilia says he has a sigil on him. Jennifer explains he has a spell that hides him from witches. They find that Mrs. Hart has left them! Mrs. Hart is trying to find a way out, she sits down and her purse starts to sink in the ground! She starts to scream which is heard by the others. Mrs. Hart is being sucked into the ground, but Alice is able to pull her free! We haven't found Mrs. Hart's contribution as a Green Witch, maybe this will be much later. Agatha tells everyone to follow the Ballad. Jennifer’s attention is drawn to a golden light. A beachside house that has suddenly appeared. They walk the sand to the house. Lilia sees a circular symbol on the door which she says is the phases of the moon. Agatha enters the house and the others follow. They find themselves wearing posh clothes inside and are trapped there.  The Teen finds an envelope which Jennifer reads that it is the First Trial. It ends with “My tricks are well known.” A trickster demon. 

Mrs. Hart finds a bottle of wine on a dinner table. The Teen goes to find a corkscrew at the bar and Jennifer warns him that Agatha traded her son for the Darkhold! She says he might be an agent of Mephisto. This is a demon long rumored by fans to be in the MCU. He first appeared in Silver Surfer #3 (1968). Agatha pours the wine for all of the coven. Mrs. Hart downs the glass. A round clock on the mantle counts down from 30 seconds! Sinister music. Anything magical should not be drunk, “Drink me”, or eaten! Agatha leads a cheer. The Teen doesn’t have a glass. At the sofa, he takes interest in Alice’s tatoo, she says her mother made her get it. Agatha pours her wine into a planter. The Teen says the tatoo wards off curses. Agatha’s glass re-fills! Mrs. Hart says she would drink the blood of a virgin to smooth her wrinkles. The coven is shocked at her. 

Mrs. Hart has a swollen face! It is freaky version of plastic surgery like Katherine Helmond in Brazil (1985! Jennifer says the wine is poison! Agatha tries to hide that she is unchanged. Jennifer asks Mrs. Hart, Sharon, about any symptoms. Lilia says she loves them. They find their faces are normal. Jennifer says that since the swelling went away so fast that the poison could only be Alwife’s Revenge. They get dizziness, Alice says her heart is racing, then Jennifer says it ends in death! The Teen finds Agatha’s cup and they say she is not following the Ballad. Agatha shatters the cup and Alice holds up her glass which refills. Teen tells her to drink it and then says he will drink it when she refuses. Agatha takes the glass and forces herself to drink the wine. Mrs. Hart asks Wanda to let her husband breathe, then drops on the sofa. Agatha with a swollen face tells Jennifer to brew an antidote. 

At the kitchen, Jennifer says she needs frankincense and an insect which Teen and Alice rush to find. Then, Jennifer says she needs a corpse decaying for 30 million years! She explains that it is zooplankton and says it is in petropleum products. Clever finding witch ingredients in modern things! She looks for a cauldron and then turns to the kitchen sink. Agatha and Lilia find that the garage is empty. She decides that they should look for petroleum jelly. At the bathroom, they find only Jennifer’s products, Kale Kare. This trial is for Jennifer to test her Potions skill. Lilia says they are all organic, but Agatha says she knows a “snake oil saleswoman.” Then, Lilia suddenly says, “Try to save Agatha.” She is unknowingly getting messages, from Wanda(?) who may save her? Maybe the soul of her son, Nicholas Scratch?   

Alice and the Teen are searching the rest of the house and he spots a eucalyptus that will give them the ingredient. She pauses and then sees a strange door with steam. Of course she enters it! I think Alice is likely to be the Maiden of the trio, a daughter of a witch. Jennifer is at the sink when she remembers “eye of newt.” She goes into the pantry taking out mustard seed. Jennifer returns to see a frightful doctor in the kitchen! Lilia turns to see a girl in a pink dress right out of the The Shining (1980), redrum! This is Young Lilia (Chloe Camp). In the steam, Alice sees a lighted makeup mirror, her mother, Lorna Wu (Elizabeth Anweis)! Another series, Batwoman, had Catherine Hamilton-Kane played by Anweis. A mustached doctor (Scott Butler), from the turn-of-the-century?, says to Jennifer, “You are an inconvenient woman”, she is terrified. Butler starred in the horror movie, Hypochondriac (2022). Lilia follows the girl down a hallway that transforms into a house from the past. Lorna tells her daughter that her grandmother died, she could feel her death, and she is next! Nightmares from the past for all of the coven! 

Lilia enters a dark room, there is a withered, elderly woman whose eyes suddenly open, Lilia's Maestra (Laura Boccaletti), a black robed figure appears with a skull face! Boccaletti was in the thriller, Painter (2020). Maestra as in teacher, of magic? I think it could be that Lilia is the Crone. The Doctor takes Jennifer and shoves her face into the water to drown her! We know that drowning is one of the ways witches die. He is a witch hunter? Alice’s mother screams, “I can’t protect you!” A cursed legacy? She scrambles out of the room. Jennifer suddenly breaks from the nightmare. Lilia stumbles back into the house’s hallway and runs into Agatha. She says in Italian, “They’re all dead!” Agatha reassures her. Alice escapes from the empty steam room and is found by the Teen who has found the frankincense. This feels like the scenes from Poltergeist (1982), I remember the man who pulls off his flesh in the mirror. They catch up with Jennifer and Alice asks her if she found the “gut of a eusocial insect.” The Teen realizes that it is honey. Agatha brings in the skincare products with Lilia ready for the next step. Then, there is a cracking noise! They find that the house is underwater and have to rush to move Mrs. Hart to the kitchen table. 3 minutes tick on the clock!

Jennifer says that they have to be added in a specific order. She drops in the guts and eye. Next, she asks about the zooplankton, and Agatha slyly shows her products. Jennifer has them throw them in. Then, she has Alice add three drops of the frankincense, and the Teen helps her. The sink glows pink. Still, Jennifer realizes that they have to boil the potion. The Teen mentions a sous vide. This feels like the witch version of Top Chef. He takes out the cylinder used to heat up food. Then, Jennifer has him stir the potion, she tells everyone to take out a single hair. Agatha hears a baby crying, she walks lost in the dark past, and reaches a cradle with a soft glow. She opens the blanket… and finds the Darkhold! This makes her fall back in sadness. Jennifer snaps her out of the nightmare. Agatha adds her hair and then Jennifer has them hold hands. They have to align their intentions, Jennifer reminds Agatha, “To not die.” The potion turns green. It is not complete and Jennifer panics forgetting a part of the potion since she is bound by “him.” Agatha All Along's coven faces the first trial of the Witches Road with nightmares from their past! 

Five Lockets out of Five! 

#AgathaAllAlong, #ThroughManyMilesOfTricksAndTrials, #RachelGoldberg, #CameronSquires, #KathrynHahn, #JoeLocke, #SasheerZamata, #PattiLuPone, #DebraJoRupp, #AliAhn, #ElizabethAnweis, #ChloeCamp, #LauraBoccaletti, #ScottButler

The Ark, “It Will Be Over Soon”, Review!

The Ark's arrival to Trappist-B has to wait as there is a mystery involving Felix Strickland! Re:cap - “It Should Have Been You”; the funeral ceremony for Spencer Lane is given by Captain Sharon Garnet with Captain Zed Avega attending whose life was saved by Lane. The Ark-1 is about to go into FTL, but the engine sends out bolts that hit Garnet, Lane’s clone, Ian, and Dr. Marsh! They find they are on an empty ship, but Marsh vanishes only to wake up from his coma on the ship! Lt. James Brice sees that Marsh has scars on his back which the doctor explains is from his post-human implants that failed. He suddenly screams from his faulty brain implant! Ian and Garnet have aged in the other reality and eventually marry. Felix Strickland has removed a MX chip during Marsh’s operation. William Trust says that it was part of a mind control project. 

Lt. James Brice has a talk with Angus about leadership. He encourages Trust to help in engineering. Brice has the idea of using probes which are inserted into Garnet’s head, she emerges from her coma, but then fades back into it. Garnet wakens in the reality to tell her husband, Ian, that they both have to die to return from the shared dream! Now elderly, the couple spend time on the observation deck. Now the probes are shared and activated. Ian feels a stroke and then their heart beats fail at medbay. Ian and Garnet kiss one last time. Defibrillators are placed on Garnet and Ian in their comas. A red light flashes as the airlock depressurizes in the dream reality. The couple walks towards space. Their vitals return to normal. 

Dr. Sanjivni Kabir welcomes them back. She tells them that they have been in comas for 36 hours. 

Ian says Garnet was right, she sees that they were holding hands, and pulls away. She looks forward and doesn’t want to talk to him. Eva Markovic and Alicia Nevins are sitting at engineering wondering why the engine doesn’t work. Trust offers to help them. Eva smiles. Brice thanks the crew at the bridge. Garnet contacts Captain Avega to explain why they didn’t meet with the FTL failure. It has been repaired and Brice activates the FTL drive. The two ships, the EF-2 and Ark-1, slip into FTL. Alone, Garnet goes to a terminal to look at the profile of Spencer Lane, and cries. She says, “It should have been you” and changes his status to Deceased. Great acting by Christie Burke.

THE ARK -- “It Will Be Over Soon” -- RICHARD FLEESHMAN, CHRISTIE BURKE, PAVLE JERINIC -- Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY.

Orsi Nagypal is the director of “It Will Be Over Soon” She directed season one’s “The Painful Way” (2023). India Sage Wilson is the writer. The Ark-1 has reached its destination, the rendevous with EF-2, there is a star ahead of them. Alicia reports Trappist-1D is the fourth planet similar to Earth. Garnet tries to send a contact. There is four Arks thought be there. Home base sends out coordinates. A celebration!, but this show doesn’t have easy resoltuions. EF-2 hasn’t arrived yet. Marsh checks Kelly and she brings up that he is also post-human. He said his implants failed after a few weeks. Kelly calls herself a freak. Alicia walks to engineering and the worker, Maija (Olivera Perunicic) is supicious about Alicia's work instead of Trust. Perunicic is in the horror movie, Subspecies V: Bloodrise (2023). 

There is a malfunction as a pipe explodes. Brice reports the coolant leak. Eva activates the anti-radiation. Garnet sees the engineer has a badly scarred face. Maria?  Alicia’s face only has burns on her chin. Angus goes to hug Alicia. Kabir says that she only has minor burns. Garnet enters engineerng with Eva, Ian, and Sasha. Trust walks in and finds that Alicia wouldn’t have made the mistake. Ian catches up with Garnet. He says he thinks he knows her from the dream. Garnet says he is “just a dream.” Felix Strickland practices with his katana. He gets a call from a mysterious man who tells him that they have his daughter! The man says he has Katherine! He hears her voice! He asks her favorite book. She says Pinocchio.

 It is his lost daughter! She says she is scared. This is pushing him over the edge! I like that Felix Strickland is the focus of the episode. The man says Garnet is knocking at his door. If he says anything, Katherine will lose a finger! She mentions preparations for Trappist. Alicia and Kelly enter the medbay and Kelly wants to give her nanites to heal Maija. Marsh says it can’t be done. This seems like a Hippocratic Oath violation, a patient should be given something to help her, if it doesn't endanger the patient. Felix is contacted by Kabir about her defense session. She is in the gym ready to work on the punching bag. He enters engineering sub-station. and is about to take out a chip. The voice tells him that he should continue. He replaces chips. Ian walks in. Felix is being manipulated, but strangely, the man knows his every move? 

THE ARK -- “It Will Be Over Soon” -- SAMANTHA GLASSNER, JADRAN MALKOVCH -- Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY.

Eva finds that a capcitaor has overloaded which makes travel to Trappist-B difficult. Felix writes in a a book, “I’m being blackmailed, help me.” He gets a warning on his wrist unit. Felix eyes the crew and then the security camera. Marsh enters Kelly’s cell, she is frustrated that she can’t use her blood to help, he wants to protect her from people who will use her. She asks if her mother will be on the planet. Kelly admits she doesn’t know if she will fulfill her vow of killing Evelryn Maddox. Eva has found the radiation blowout. She asks Trust about it and wonders if it is sabotage. Ian mentions Felix’s action, but she doesn’t find it important. At the ready room, Eva wth Brice  tells Garnet about the blowout is intentional. Felix taps his fingers as a signal. 

He gets a message to “direct them from Maija.” Felix mentions Ian. A mystery! Felix is told to log in to the Personnel files. He is asked to volunteer for a spacewalk. Garnet tells Alicia about the explosion was set up. She wants her to stay in her quarters and invites Angus to stay with her. She kisses him as Garnet leaves. Interesting to see paintings of flowers in her room. At the ready room, Garnet invited Trust for a spacewalk, he agrees to it even though he was sick. He asks for Garnet and Felix volunteers. He taps his fingers again. Trust agrees to Felix on the spacewalk. Ian tries to tell Brice about Felix and he agrees with the captain. He wants them to investigate Felix. Brice admits that Felix has been acting “jumpy.” 

At the engineering sub-station, Ian says he loves jazz, and Brice says Lane didn’t like it. Ian says he feels the pressure of living up to his example. Ian has found the faulty capacitor and sees the capacitors were switched. Felix enters the captain’s quarters, he says Ian is responsible for the radiation vent, he taps his fingers on his elbow. Garnet says, “Right, got it.” Finally, we have one person who understands the situation. Garnet takes Maija’s wrist device and computer at medbay. She uses her command override to access the device’s message, “We’ll kill your brother unless you do what we say.” Garnet, now investigator, looks at the Ark-2 locker and finds an old tape recorder. 

THE ARK -- “It Will Be Over Soon” -- RICHARD FLEESHMAN, REECE RITCHIE --  Photo by: Aleksandar Letic/Ark TV Holdings, Inc./SYFY.

Garnet makes a ship wide announcement for the members to the ready room. She takes out the tape recorder. She has them silent, take off their wrist devices, and plays a tape of herself speaking to them. She takes them to the closet to speak privately. Felix admits he is blackmailed. He doesn’t know how they knew and Eva says the ship could be monitored ouside of the ship. Felix says he heard his daughter’s voice. He realizes that the blackmailer wants Trust dead. Garnet has him continue as they plan. Felix is troubled as he is contacted by the man. He wants Felix to cut both of their tethers when on spacewalk. At the airlock, Felix and Trust suit up and then prepare for spacewalk! Tense. He has Trust use hand signals, cuts his tether, and throws him into space! This episode of The Ark episode blackmail, the hope of Felix's daughter, and a plot to kill Felix and Trust! 

Five Compression Suits out of Five! 

#TheArk, #ItWillBeOverSoon, #OrsiNagypal, #IndiaSageWilson, #PavleJerinic, #ChristieBurke, #ReeceRitchie, #RichardFleeshman, #TianaUpcheva, #OliveraPerunicic, #StaceyRead, #RyanAdams, #JadranMalkovich, #SamanthaGlassner, #ShaliniPeiris 

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Review!

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story covers the life and accident of the Superman actor, but also the story of his family who gave him the strength to fight! The documentary directors are Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui. They previously direcxted Rising Phoenix (2020) about the Paralympic Games. The duo is also the co-writers of the film along with Otto Burnham, who also edits this film and previously edited the documentary, Right to Fight (2023). It has a limited release by Fathom Events on September 21 with the next screening on September 25th. The film was acquired by DC Studios which sports its new logo. This appears to be the first release of DC Studios and it is a perfect way to launch a studio. 

The story is of course about actor Christopher Reeve, it touches on his well known role in the Superman films. It does not feature his part as Dr. Virgil Swann in the 2003 and 2004 episodes of Smallville which I think brings his story full circle. We see New York City from a Superman flying perspective. It is New Year’s Eve, 1995. We have a closeup of the dark statue of Reeve. The statue float through the cosmos and moves against a red nebula that seems to form a cape. There is a family scene where Reeve is playing piano with his son, Will Reeve, who is two years old and also his wife, Dana Reeve, is there. We also have interviews by his stepbrother, Matthew Reeve, and stepsister, Alexandra Reeve Givens. I think the film has Christopher Reeve, but it is also the story of Dana Reeve and the family. 

Reeve also told his story in his autobiography, Still Me (1998). It is explained that Reeve had learned how to ride horses for the movie, Anna Karenina (1985), adapting the Leo Tolstoy novel for television. His athleticism incorporated equestrian riding, This moves to May 27, 1995 when news reports report Reeve’s fall from his horse, Buck, this is explained by Reeve’s narration detailing the accident. It was a “dirty stop” where his hands got caught in the reins and he landed on his head. Reaction is also given in interviews with Glenn Close and Susan Sarandon. We see the green fractures in the neck of the statue. He was taken to the University of Virginia Hospital. 

Kevin Johnson, Reeve’s step brother, is also interviewed. He mentions the decision by the family, including Reeve’s mother, Barbara Johnson, was to take him off life support. Tears started to fall which went through most of the documentary. The film brings back some of the sadness during that time, but also is about the strength shown by Reeve and his family. It was Dana Reeve who saved Superman.

Five+ Statues out of Five! 

#SuperManTheChristopherReeveStory, #IanBonhote, #PeterEttedgui, #OttoBurnham, #ChristopherReeve, #WillReeve, #DanaReeve, #MatthewReeve, #AlexandraReeveGivens, #AnnaKarenina, #GlennClose, #SusanSarandon, #KevinJohnson, #RobinWilliams  

Agatha All Along, Episode 2, Review!

Agatha All Along's second episode has Agatha gathering her coven in her next step to regain her power! It had its Disney+ premiere on September 18th with two episodes. Premiere re:cap; Detective Agnes O’Connor is on a case involving an unknown woman victim who was crushed by some force. The only evidence is a book card that she finds a burned section of the library. Agnes has also found a brooch which turns out to be a locket of hair. Agnes returns home, there is awards in a room for her son(?), Nicholas Scratch. She finds a rival in Agent Rio Vidal. Agnes captures a young intruder who is looking for The Road. He chants words and the interrogation room twists with a painting instead of a window. 

Agnes goes to the coroners that looked empty and then has the victim’s body, hinted at being Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, and Rio. She breaks free of the spell (and her clothes) finding that she was trapped by the Scarlet Witch’s spell for three years! Maximoff’s spell has taken away all of Agatha Harkness’ powers and identiy! She goes to her basement and picks up her pet rabbit, Señor Scratchy, connected to her son, holding his soul or something? Then, Agatha hears a thumping upstairs. She opens a closet to find the Teen with his mouth covered by electrical tape. Then, she is thrown back as her door explodes! Rio enters in black as Agnes is thrown back to a wall with Rio’s dagger at her neck! Rio knows that Agatha had the Darkhold book, but lost it. 

Agatha’s throat is cut and the Teen watches the fight as Agatha grabs the dagger’s blade! She knocks down Rio and they both say they can’t kill each other. Agatha tells Rio doesn’t want to kill her without power. Rio taunts her with taking her own power, but Agatha says would die. She agrees to wait for Agatha, but will tell Salem’s Seven where to find her! Rio leaves, but licks Agatha’s hand healing the knife wound. Agatha turns to see the Teen. The second epsiode, “Circle Sewn with Fate Unlock The Hidden Gate”, is written by Jac Schaeffer. Directing duties is now helmed by Laura Donney who was the staff writer for WandaVision. Agatha is looking at the damage to her house as the Teen hops over. He manages to move the tape to ask to go to the Witches’ Road. 

She tears off the tape and he doesn’t believe the lie that the Witches’ Road is not real. It will give “the thing you want the most” if you reach the end of the road. Like the Soul Stone? It is also like the promise of The Wizard with the Yellow Brick Road. The Teen, 16, says Agathat wasn’t killed on the Witches’ Road. He had read everything about Agatha including her time in Salem. The Teen says he studied, but wants to “blast, shield, to levitate” which Agatha says is a shortcut. He warns her about the people coming and she picks up her brooch. Agatha asks who the Teen is and a spell weaves around his mouth, he is a secret to her, I’m still guessing Nicholas Scratch. She says she will drive and gets into mock car with table, wheel, and fuzzy dice. She has to find a covern to reach The Road. 

Wanda’s house is now just foundation and they leave the town by the Westview welcome sign. The Teen gets a call from his boyfriend, but doesn’t answer. One theory has The Teen being the reborn Nicholas in the body of Billy, Wanda’s son. Is the boyfriend Teddy Altman, later Hulkling, a shapeshifter, of the Young Avengers? Agatha tells him the Covenstead Rule that a covern will be around in a three mile radius. I like rules for world building. She has him stop by Madame Calderu’s Psychic Readings. They enter the shop, Agatha uses a Southern accent, and out from beaded curtains is Lilia Calderu. She is played by Broadway legend, Patti LuPone, her rendition of “Memory” in Cats is iconic. LuPone was in American Horror Story. Agatha says her husband had died and left behind some gold bars. Her “son” pays for the reading. Lilia makes some goofy sounds and says the gold bars are in a bowling bag.  

Agatha is about to leave when Lilia says she was “under the influence of another” whom she hurt and took her “agency” for three years! Lilia knows why they are there, says she’s not interested, there is almost tears in Agatha’s eyes. She knows that she is Agatha Harkness. Lilia turns and suddenly screams. Agatha guesses that Lilia is 450 years old. Lilia was chased out of towns for predicting the future. Agatha tells her that she is going to walk the Road! She needs Lilia as a Divination Witch, but Lilia says Agatha is the most infamous witch. Agatha whispers that she can’t take her power unless she is blasted by her. She takes an eviction notice and she offers Lila a return to her greatness. Suddenly, lights burst around the kitchen, Lilia has written four names for Agatha. Her name is also on the list, the Teen leaves the address on a card, Agatha says, “Plenty of street parking”, funny! 

The Teen is happy that they have found a new member for the coven, but Agatha is distracted by the cawing of a crow, a shapeshifted form of the Salem Seven? It is has supernatural connection including divination. The next member is Jennifer Kale played by Sasheer Zamata. The actress is known for SNL and she also voices Adria in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. The character is familiar to me from the comics as a sorceress tied to Man-Thing. Her first appearance was in Adventure into Fear #11 (1972). She lights a candle for two customers and has them taste the wax! It is a probiotic candle. A fortune teller and now an alternative health store, the whole supernatural type scams is fun, there needs to be a carnival worker. Agatha enters and asks about jade eggs, a Goop item, Jennifer stares daggers at her. Hahn is just too funny! 

Agatha comes right out with it needing Jennifer for Potions, alchemy, to walk the Witches’ Road. She knows that Jennifer also has a binding spell on her for a hundred years! Jennifer calls Agatha “witch killer.” She had killed her first coven that included her mother, Evanora, in the WandaVision finale, “Previously On” (2021). Agatha is about to walk out when the Teen says he loves Jennifer’s products, she asks if he is “another child sacrifice”! Agatha sacrificed maybe her son, Nicholas?, for the Darkhold? Similar to Thanos with the Soul Stone? He points out the class action lawsuits against Jennifer. Agatha joins him and The Teen adds that she faces jail time. He offers her the card with the address. Agatha gets hungry and munches on a corn dog at a mall food court. She says the next member is a Blood Witch, the child of a witch.

He realizes that the witch is talking about is Lorna Wu and the Coral Shore who recorded the ballad. The Teen says his mother saw her tour before she died. Agatha sees a rat scurrying along a fence, the Salem Seven closing in, and she finishes her meal. They enter a Hot Topic and Agatha watches an Asian security guard, Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn). The actress played Dagon in the Supernatural show. She was a character introduced in Doctor Strange: Last Days of Magic #1 (2016). Agatha tells the Teen that Lorna Wu was rumored to be lost on the Witches’ Road! Agatha tells the Teen to run so he could get tripped up by Alice. She tells Alice that they need a Protection Witch. The owner walks in and Agatha says that Alice assaulted her son! He says he gave her the job as a favor from her police lieutenant. They offer to join them on the Road, Alice says she doesn’t believe in it, The Teen says forty million copies says she’s wrong! Agatha tells her that they can find what happened to her mother! 

On the way back to Westview, Agatha asks where the Teen is from and his answer starts with Eastview and then his words are drowned out. Agatha turns up the radio volume, but must know it is a spell that hides his identity from her. Agatha walks out of her house and sees a grey wolf howling down the street. The Salem Seven have been following her everywhere! They may be sending animals to follow her or only able to take animal forms by day. The Teen has put up a “Welcome Coven” sign above the fireplace, but Agatha rips it down! Then, Jennifer enters, The Teen brings her appetizers, granola bars. Lilia takes one and recognizes Jennifer as “high priestess. Alice is at the door having tracked down Agatha since she is an ex-cop. 

 

Jennifer asks about the Green Witch and adds that it is the only way to get to The Road. The Teen asks Lilia about the last name on the list and she says it was a heart, a black heart, sinister. There was a demon, Blackheart, that was son of Mephisto. He was in the film, Ghost Rider (2017), and had first appeared in Daredevil #270 (1989). Agatha leaves them to find the Green Witch. Mrs. Davis is trimming her hedges and Agatha invites her to a party. She says she hasn’t been to a party since Mr. Davis died! He was in WandaVision played by Fred Melamed. One of the Westview residents missing. Agatha and her coven are assembled at her basement. She sends up the Teen up stairs. 

Agatha has them circled around the empty basement floor to sing the Ballad. Interesting, since we just had witches sing about the Power of Three in The Acolyte, but those lyrics were not from Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. The Teen picks up the rabbit, the music is eerie, and then sees a dark form in the road! Agatha begins singing the “Ballad of the Witches’ Road” joined by Jennifer, and then the legend, Patti LuPone, I think LuPone didn’t want to overwhelm the voices in this chant. Next, Alice, but Mrs. Jones is uncertain about the lyrics. The song continues. Outside, Herb wonders at the witch on the road who splits into the Salem Seven, and then runs! They start to walk and The Teen turns to run into the house! Agatha All Along has the coven assembled and they are a misfit bunch that have to be strong enough to face the dangers of the Witches' Road! 

Five Lockets out of Five! 

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