Agatha All Along, “Familiar by Thy Side”, Review!

The stunning reveals of last episode to the 13th year of the Teen! Re:Cap - Episode 5; Last ep, Agatha faced her trial in a cabin with a game of Ouija. A spirit appears, Evanora, her mother. Alice uses her power to force out Evanora from Agathat, but Agatha takes her power and drains her life! Teen confronts Agatha and Jenn confirms Agatha only wants their power. He refuses to take life, becoming a protector witch?, Agatha whisopers that he is like his mother. She walks away, heartbeats, and Teen’s hands spark blue. Agatha is held by Lilia and Jennifer with glowing blue eyes. Teen’s hands crackle blue and he throws his right arm out. Agatha thrown to the road and then begins to sink in like Sharon Davis. Agatha screams, but the others just watch. The last of her air bubbles pop. Lilia and Jenn are possessed by Teen’s power. He yells and sends them flying to the Road. Both slip into the black earth of the Witches’ Road. 

Teen is corrupted by his new power? A closeup of his face as he wears the diadem of Wiccan, Billy Kaplan, the son of Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch! The last we saw of young Billy Maximoff was in the alternate reality in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022). A portal was opened by America Chavez. Billy and his brother Tommy saw the Scarlet Witch choking her. The Scarlet Witch slams the Wanda of that world. He was afraid of the Scarlet Witch. America seals the portal. Mount Wundagore collapsed under the Scarlet Witch who destroyed every copy of the Darkhold across the multiverse. The director of the sixth episode is Gandja Monteiro. She has directed episodes of Wednesday in 2022. It is written by Jason Rostovsky who is the story editor for this series. He also wrote the “Before Sundown” (2019) episode of the Deathcember anthology series. Quiet closeups as William Kaplan gets his suit ready for his Bar mitzvah, his 13th birthday. 

His parents, Rebecca (Maria Dizzia) and Jeff (Paul Adelstein), proudly smile. Dizzia was in the supernatural series, School Spirits (2023). Adelstein was in the teen mystery show, Cruel Summer (2023). They were introduced in Young Avengers #7 (2005). Billy Maximoff was reborn as William Kaplan in the comics. Wiliam reads in Hebrew and this shifts to a dance party. Jeff hugs his son and Rebecca kisses him proud of William. He is taken to the dance floor to sit in the chair for the hora. Afterawards, he heads to a Palm Readings tent. William is greeted by the palm reader, Lilia! His sigil must have hidden him from Lilia. He asks about the future, Lilia says he will be going on a great journey, one of transformation. The lights flicker and she says his lifeline is broken in two! His two lives! Lilia mentions, “The Tower Reversed”, a tarot card meaning personal transformation. William nervously leaves and Lilia draws a symbol, the sigil, on a wood chip to put in his jacket left behind. Lilia cast the sigil to save William. 

Lilia gives his jacket to get back to William. Jeff makes an announcement about the Westview anomaly. It is 5:02 p.m. on everyone’s phones. Jeff says that the party goers should go home. It is chaos outside. William is in the back seat of his parents’ car as they drive past police cars. He sees the sigil. William looks outside to see the pink dome. He warns his mother and she swerves past a car to send the car smashing sideways into a tree! His parents revive, but William is in the back, bleeding. There is the distorted voice of Wanda saying the names of Billy and Tommy. William suddenly wakens and shouts Tommy’s name! Tommy was reborn as Thomas Shepherd, Speed. I think it will be Billy’s quest to find his brother. It really does feel like Wanda Maximoff will return to face Agatha Harkness. Agatha’s quest may be to gain enough power to face the Scarlet Witch. Jeff has brought a police officer to check on his son, Officer Wu-Gulliver! It is great to see the witches before the coven was formed, it was no coincedence that they were chosen. 

She says not to move him with an ambulance about to arrive. In many ways, this show reminds me of The Acolyte, witches, a song, and characters that die whom we see in flashback. The difference is that this series is well written in developing characters and secrets. William has an oxygen mask as his parents reassure him. He panics seeing his reflection in a mirror. The sigil rests by his patient ID wristband. William has recovered in his hospital bed. His parents enter and he can hear their thoughts! They say the doctor reported that he doesn’t have permanent damage and can be discharged. William returns home, but he has the look that it is unfamiliar to him. He sees photos of himself as a child. His dog, Greg, suddenly barks at him. Jeff takes the dog away. Again, William hears his parents’ thoughts. He can’t take the thoughts adn they overwhelm him. Interesting, Billy Maximoff had a form of telepathy.  

William shouts out, “Stop worrying!” He goes to his room, the thought of Rebecca, again it all looks unfamiliar. Ther is a poster of Houdini, and he holds up a vacation photo of his family. William says his name. We get “3 Years Later”, the current time, he is with his boyfriend, Eddie (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) in a car at night. Gutierrez-Riley is in the upcoming horror movie, Smile 2. In the comics, Wiccan’s boyfriend was Teddy Altman, Hulkling. Eddie asks about the wooden symbol and William says it is a sigil. They kiss and William starts hearing Eddie’s thoughts. He starts to explain that “this thing” happens when he is around people with whom he has “intense feelings”! William explains that he died in the car accident and he came back different. He wanted to tell Eddie, says he loves him, and they kiss. At William’s room, he has papers spread on the floor, he explains that the car was near Westview with the fall of the anomaly. Eddie says he thought it was a failed Avengers training mission.  

William opens a laptop showing Jennifer Kale’s Probiotic Candle Mask video and then shows the skies of Westview. Kinda disappointing that Jen did not figure into William's life before the accident. He points out a rune and tells Eddie that it was a spell. William says that no one remembers what happened, but he is going to meet someone who lived there, Mr. Hart? They are at a parking garage waiting for William’s contact. William sees the man in the trenchcoat and bucket hat place something at a security camera. They get out and the man pockets something else into his jacket. They give their contact names, CraftCrazy17 and Bohnerrific69! The contact turns, it is a bearded Ralph Bohner (Evan Peters)! This is a great call back to WandaVision, Peters was a surprise as Quicksilver, and now is a surprise in Agatha All Along! He says he remembers everything, Wanda controlled his every action in her sitcom world. William hears Ralph’s thoughts trying to stop him from saying, “Please don’t ask about Agatha Harkness”! William asks and Ralph sprays them with what he calls “witch repellent.” I love that Ralph’s mind was broken by the experience and that Peters gets to play the paranoid conspiracy contact. 

He said Agatha made him her puppet, husband, took his house, and made her keep a “nice  lady”, Monica Rambeau, prisoner. Ralph also says that he was a “terrible influence” on Wanda and Vision’s sons. William asks about their names. Ralph mentions Billy, the “mind reader”, and Tommy, the speedster. He says the twins disappeared. Ralph thinks they were taken into the anomaly and he left town. He adds that Agathat is still there under a spell and warns Billy about her. Ralph asks for cash or half off his one man show in Paramus! Funny. At home, William sees his parents, but goes to his room. He listens to the “Ballad of the Witches’ Road” by Lorna Wu and the Coral Shore on a record player. Wiliam is writing the fates of the players in Westview. He has the sigil and circles “Agatha Harkness still in Westview.” He does a search of Agatha Harkness and then the Salem Witch Trials which has an old photo of Agatha! William begins searching for Agatha, a newspaper headline about a zeppelin explosion, and then gets to her Fun Fact as the only survivor of The Witches’ Road. 

Lorna Wu’s song is heard clearly. He looks again at “Tommy Maximoff - missing.” He has to find his brother. William drives to Agatha’s house and looks at his pocket spellbook for “Release spell.” He gets a text from Eddie and thanks him for protection. Eddie sends back that William is his black heart emoji! He gets out of his car and pulls the hood of his sweater. He sees Detective Agnes and then enters her room to find a personal item for the spell. William finds the locket in a bag, but knocks over a lamp! We get his perspective climbing onto the roof. His version is more realistic as he apologizes, Agnes has a leg cramp, and he runs into the open car door of Sharon Davis. William is in a chair as Agnes has rope and electrical tape. She has a green plastic toy gun and is wearing a sweatshirt, “Boehner Family Reunion”! I like the reality that confused Agatha under the spell. Agnes sits down in the next chair, not an interrogation room, and questions him. The photos snaps her out of the spell for a moment and William starts to read the Release spell. 

Agnes ties him up with the electrical tape and shoves him into the closet. It snaps to the end of the premiere when Agatha asks his identity. He says, “My name is William Kaplan.” This wouldn’t have any clue to Agatha at the time. She takes out her locket and asks him again. He says, “I’m Billy Maximoff”! On the Witches’ Road, we hear Agatha as she pulls herself out of the muck using a tree root. Agatha tries to wipe the mud from herself. Billy spins the sigil and then crushes it. Behind him, Agatha brings up his words about power as all an act. She says she knew who he was since Agatha says Billy and Wanda have the same tell. Agatha says she didn’t know for certain until the explosion, she mimes his action. She says he killed Lilia and Jen and then tries to count of her kills. Agatha asks how he came across this new body. Then, she seems almost proud of Billy taking a “fresh vessel.” Hahn is able to revel back as the Agatha Harkness villainess! We don't know the fates of Jen and Lilia, but Billy maintained he is not a killer, the Road may move them to a pivotal point. Then, there is Rio. “Familiar by Thy Side” takes away enough of the mystery to get us to the end of the Road! 

Five Lockets out of Five! 

#AgathaAllAlong, #GandjaMonteiro, #JasonRostovsky, #JoeLocke, #MilesGutierrezRiley,#KathrynHahn, #PattiLuPone, #AliAhn, #EvanPeters, #MariaDizzia, #PaulAdelstein  

Megalopolis Review!

Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis: A Fable is a phantasmagoria of look into a future, a Bosch-like chaos of the modern world’s fame, violence, and sex, challenging, with a message of hope. Francis Ford Coppola is the writer and director producing a vision that has taken him around forty years and his own money to bring to the screen. We see the cityscape that moves to the Chrysler Building, the world’s first skyscraper, with its 1930s spire. There is the narration by Laurence Fishburne. He plays Fundi Romaine, the assistant who documents the rise of Megalopolis. Fishburne collaborated with Coppola on his first film, Apocalypse Now (1979), and also The Cotton Club (1984). We get a closeup of Adam Driver’s face who plays Cesar Catilina. This is Driver's first work with Coppola and his last film was Ferrari (2023). Cesar's last name points to the Catilinarian conspiracy with the attempt to topple the Roman Empire. 

Out of a triangle window of the top floor, the reflection of the sun is golden, Cesar walks out in black suit and boots. The clouds race across the sunset sky sped up as Cesar slides to the edge of the building. He reaches out with his right boot, then suddenly slips down, Cesar yells, “Time! Stop!” His arms are crossed over his face, then he looks below to the street frozen in time. Cesar shifts back onto the building. He snaps his fingers and the street starts to move. Cesar looks around almost with new eyes. We hear a clock ticking, time, as there is the Milky Way galaxy that moves to the Earth. There is a CCCP, Russian, satellite that passes by. The title card reads New Rome, Third Mellennium, 21st century. The setting reflects on our time, but gives it the patina of history and future. We see a wild party, Clodia Pulcher (Chloe Fineman) is dancing with Julia Cicero played by Nathalie Emmanuel. Fineman is known for Saturday Night Live and appeared as Marion Davies in Babylon (2022). Emmnuel is in this year’s action remake, The Killer, and also known for playing Missandei in Game of Thrones. 

On a horse statue is Clodio Pulcher played by Shia LaBeouf who also starred in the lead role of the bio film Padre Pio (2022). It is an eccentric performance that is perfect, capturing the wildness of a party guy, but driven by ambition. Julia brings Clodia to see Commissioner Stanley Hart (D.B. Sweeney) who has arrived to take her home. Sweeney was in the drama, Gardens of Stone (1987).  Clodio is obsessed with Julia, but this is a passing fancy. At his office reading the headline, “Mayor’s Wild Daughter”, is Mayor Franklyn Cicero played by Giancarlo Esposito. Other parts by Esposito include Cotton Club and also starred as Lambert in Abigail. His mayor wants thing to be controlled and the same counter to Cesar’s city of the future. Cicero revealed the Caitrilian conspiracy. Julia is at a building clearing with many of the Design Authority personnel. She watches as Cesar stops the collapse of the building. This is making way for Megalopolis. Mayor Cicero is at the New York Public Library with classical architecture. His assistant is Jason Zanderz (Jason Schwartzman).  

The news reports that Cesar has won the Nobel Prize for the discovery of megalon, a new, indestructible material. Later, Fundi drives Cesar, and is told not to take the call of Wow. At a presentation, Mayor Cicero, Jason, and Nush Berman (Dustin Hoffman) enter. Hoffman starred in Midnight Cowboy (1969) and he was in the drama Sam & Kate (2022). They walk on wooden catwalks suspended above a city model. Julia also watches the presentation. We get the news telecast of the Money Bunny, Wow Platinum, played by Aubrey Plaza. Rio Vidal is played by Plaza in Agatha All Along. Her part is pure femme fatale, scheming and using her sexuality for her own ends. She interviews Hamilton Crasus III (Jon Voigt). This year’s thriller, Shadow Land, starred Voigt and he is also known for Midnight Cowboy. Crasus is the head of the bank. Cesar enters and recited the “To be, or not to be” speech from Hamlet about mortality. He introduces Megalopolis, "a city people can dream about", as the chairman of the Design Authority. Cesar accuses Mayor ciero as begin the "chief slumlord." 

Five+ Megalons out of Five! 

#Megalopolis, #FrancisFordCoppola, #AdamDriver, #NathalieEmmanuel, #GiancarloEsposito, #LaurenceFishburne, #AubreyPlaza, #ShiaLaBeouf, #JonVoigt, #JasonSchdwartzman, #DustinHoffman, #TaliaShire, #ChloeFineman, #DBSweeney, #GraceVanderWaal

Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls #1 Review!

The best comic book and most powerful story of the year is Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls #1! This was a project in development by Legion M started in June 2019. The Kickstarter campaign funded the graphic novel in July 2023. Stranger Comics partnered with Legion M in February 2024. Part one of the graphic novel was released in March 2024. This will all lead to the film. Check out the inspirational and true story of Robert Smalls with this video at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaxgeBgG3Fk. The first print comic book will be available to order on November 6th, everyone should our local pre-order the comic at your local comic book store. The first issue has an introduction by the Legion M team. Also a foreword by Michael B. Moore, congressional candidate for South Carolina, the great great grandson of Robert Smalls. 

At Los Angeles Comic Con, there was a Shaft Trade Dress homage cover and a foil cover, pins and a print were also given to customers. The regular cover by Caanan White has Robert Smalls in uniform next to cannon with a telescope in hand before a battlefield! The writer is Rob Edwards. He is also known as the writer for the animated film, The Princess and the Frog (2009). The interior artists are Sean Damien Hill and Alex Paterson. Hill is the artist of the limited series, Bishop: War College (2023). Tales of Asunda #2 has art by Paterson. The layouts are by Darrell May. May provided art for the Morka Moa series. It is February 22, 1915, dawn, an older man in a suit takes his grandson out fishing. Beautiful colors by Blond and then some intense colors by Mauro Salgado. The boy in the blue suit gets into a small boat with his grandpa who brings a box. 

The grandfather steers the sailboat and reminds his grandson that they will only keep what they will have for dinner. Closeup as the hook sinks into the water. He gives his grandson the fishing pole. A closeup of the box of fishing lures and a brass telescope. The older man takes out the telescope and tells his grandson that he is looking at the water He is looking at the wind at the water and then the current. Very wise. He hands the telescope to the boy. A closeup shows that it is the “Property of the Confederate States of America, Captain Robert Smalls.” The grandson asks if it is from the war. His grandfather says that the telescope and himself are stolen property. The boy asks if he was stolen. He is told, “I stole me.” The grandfather tells his story back when his great-grandmother was the same age as the boy. I like the story device of passing the story to the next generation. We see the fishing line in the water.  

At the cotton fields is a young girl, the narration notes that they named themselves, so the girl took the name Lydia Polite. An elderly, bearded man and his wife with a fan are riding up in a carriage. We see the face of Lydia. The narration explains that Lydia was a Christmas present passed by John McKee to his wife, Margaret for their children. Lydia leaves her family and the narration says she raised seven McKee children. We see a young boy greeting Lydia as the sun sets. Then, the narrator says that Lydia raised their children. At night flyers are passed around, we see a closeup of one, torn promoting a lynching! It also notes “Toys + Games for the Kids.” The contrast is shocking. April 5, 1839, Lydia is giving birth on the floor of  a cabin. This is the birth of her son, crying, as she smiles. We see the McKee family, mother in purple dress serving tea to her daughter, the same age as the son, while Henry McKee reads his newspaper. He inherited the plantation from his father. 

A ball knocks against the house wall which gets the attention of Henry. He opens a window to shout. Henry sees Lydia’s son, Robbie, about to throw the ball. He offers to toss the ball when everyone else is working. The older Robert says he was a `quasi-slave’ and could be beaten or sold, but acting as a replacement son for Henry. They toss the ball to each other with the house painted white in the background. Henry also teaches him to fish which is like Robert and his grandson. They go out hunting, but Robbie hesitates to pull the trigger of his rifle as the ducks fly away. Henry asks why he didn’t shoot and Robbie says they looked happy. Closeup as Robbie says he has a question. This gentle scene shifts to Lydia’s angry face, a raging background of reds and purples at night, brilliant work by Salgado. She is mad that her son asked for his freedom. Lydia yanks his ear pulling him to the house. Robbie asks if he can learn to read and his mother says no to all of this questions. Lydia apologizes to the gruff face of Henry McKee and says, “I can fix this.” 

Salgado's colors turn hellish, orange and purples as Lydia takes her son to break his spirit. We see demonic figures of eyes and mouths, she is pulled away, two panels of young Robert looking at his mother's face. Powerful. The lynching is shadowy except a young girl who smiles at Robert as her parent pulls her and he smiles back. The shadowy figures and then a man with scars on his back. Young Robert turns to look at his mother. Closeup of the snapping rope. The young girl now only looks like a smiling demon. He looks on and the narration is powerful, "But all it did was make me defiant." Later, he is left in the cotton fields and asked his name. He says his name is just Robert and is told by another man that he will call him Robert Smalls. The man says he is Smalls because he looks like he never worked before. Shadow falls on Robert’s resolute face. Great work by Hill, it looks a thousand things are going on in Robert’s face in closeup.  

Five Telescopes+ out of Five! 

#DefiantTheStoryOfRobertSmalls, #LegionM, #StrangerComics, #MichaelBMoore, #RobEdwards, #SeanDamienHill, #AlexPaterson, #Blond, #MauroSalgado, #CaananWhite, #RobertSmalls, #LydiaPolite,   

Agatha All Along, Episode 5, Review!

The third trial of The Witches’ Road in episode 5 of Agatha All Along gets really dark! Re:cap - Episode 4; The second trail of the Witches’ Road focuses on Alice. Transformed into 70’s glamrockers, the coven has to rock out to destroy Alice’s demon, temporarily, it may come back. The exit is through the piano and the Teen is wounded by a spike on his guitar, but healed. The other witches talk in a circle. Jennifer says she was a midwife, Lila takes interest, she delivered Nicholas? Her binding was from attending a medical conference. She says it was a trap and she was bound without magic. I think she is bound psychologically by the Doctor; trauma prevents her from her powers. Alice says she was angry and disbelieved in magic when her mother died. Agatha is watching as the Teen wakes up and asks if she put the sigil on him. She says she doesn’t know, but the sigil will be lifted when it is not needed. 

He asks about her son, but then she leaves. Lila shows the vampire bite on her neck which she says before she knocked out his other tooth! We know there is a number of supernatural creatures in the MCU with Werewolf by Night. No Blade appearance yet. Agatha walks in the circle around the fire and Jennifer asks to see her battle scars. She rolls up her sleeve to show the knitting needle scar at her elbow from the Daughters of Liberty. A group of heroines from the 18th century who first appeared in Captain America #7 (2019). Rio says she has a scar, she did something she had to do to someone she loved, and it hurt the person. “She is my scar”, Rio finishes and Agatha leaves. Is it sacrificing Nicky Scratch? Lilia warns Rio about what she said in the sound booth. Rio walks up to Agatha and they hug. She tells Agatha, “That boy is not yours”! Agatha leaves her. 

Rachel Goldberg is the director of “Darkest Hour/ Wake Thy Power” and the last two episodes. The writer is Laura Monti who was the production coordinator for WandaVision. The dark, foggy Road covered with autumn leaves. A fox scurries away. Then, a black crow hops on a branch. A snake slithers on the ground. The fox enters the bowels of a tree as the fingers of one of the Salem Seven latches on. A whispered conversation between the Salem Seven. They are like the Nazghul in Fellowship of the Ring (2001). The Salem Seven crawl on the ground and one cups an obsidian in her hand, left by Lilia to summon Rio. Lilia breaks from her rest and warns the others about them. She explains that Agatha had killed her first coven including her mother, but she left the children who became the Salem Seven! They have a strong motive. Agatha rushes in to get the others back on the Road. They rush until they hear the screeches of the witches all around them! 

AGATHA ALL ALONG -- “Darkest Hour/ Wake Thy Power” --  JOE LOCKE, KATHRYN HAHN -- Photo: Chuck Zlotnick. © 2024 MARVEL./Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel  

Teen brings up a hexenbesen, the coven likes the idea, Agatha not so much. The screeches convince them to snap off large tree roots from a hillside. Lilia doesn’t like brooms as a stereotypical image of witches. They fashion the ends of the brooms and then begin chanting as they circle each other before exchanging brooms. Alice is ready to give her broom to Teen, but he has to find a proper tree root. An owl lands and then transforms into a Salem Seven! Others appear. Alice smacks the one over Teen. Agatha has them finish the ritual. Then, they start to run, before riding their brooms Harry Potter-style! The coven soars across the red moon. Great image. They are happy broom riding and Lilia says she hasn’t ridden one in centuries. Suddenly, the winds start to drop the brooms, Agatha says it is the Road! Rio cackles like the Wicked Witch of the West. 

Teen spots a cabin in the night, but a Salem Seven witch stands before it, and screams sending out swarms of insects! Agatha and the others crash through the insect cloud and stumble off their brooms. The coven rushes into the cabin and transformed into the 80’s! Teen looks like he walked out of Stranger Things with blue headband and red sweatshirt. The same outfit as Billy in WandaVision! Agatha doesn’t like her ponytail and football jersey! It is like the mother in Poltergeist (1982). The 80's style is not fun, no music cues, more like a gag. She says they are safe inside from the Salem Seven. Alice looks at her green workout outfit and asks how they are safe, “Kiss marry kill?” Funny! Teen lost his spellbook on the broom. Rio says it is Agatha’s trial. Lilia notes the blood moon. She says the trial is to speak to the dead. A Ouija board game flies out. I always thought it was interesting that the name is “Oui”, French for yes, and “ja”, German for yes. 

The alarms on their digital watches start to count down from 30. Teen breaks out the game and reads the rules. Lilia asks what is on the back of the instruction book and Teen reads, “For ages three and up”, this show can be really funny! The coven puts their fingers on the planchette, the piece that is moved around the board, Agatha calls for “Mother, maiden, crone.” I wonder if there will be an Agatha All Along edition of Ouija. Agatha asks if there is a spirit and the planchette goes to “Yes.” It moves to spell out “Mrs. Hart”! The planchette is dragged out of Lila’s fingers and then Agatha begins spinning her head! Agatha starts to speak like Mrs. Hart, about her cheerful life in the suburb, until they took her to die. Rio knows it is just an act. Agatha becomes more serious for the next session. Lights begin to flicker. The words spelt out is “Death” which is against the rules. It’s intention is to “Punish.” Agatha asks who does it want to punish and yes, “Agatha” is spelt again and again as Agatha tries to stop it.

She takes her fingers off and the game flies away! Papers fly as their is a screeching that has them all cover their ears. Lilia says she hated this the first time. Is it a message from an alternate time or some time in the future? This goes on until Jennifer says, “Punish Agatha!” Jennifer knows that it is not some spirit, but the coven’s task to punish her! Rio has her knife ready to slash Agatha’s neck. Jennifer goes to get a coil of rope, but Agatha is gone from the floor, and the lights go out! Rio lights a candle and the others find flashlights. Teen feels a drop on his shoulder.  He points his flashlight up and finds a demonic faced Agatha, pale with dark eyes, on the ceiling! The possessed Agatha twists upside down to crawl around like Kayako in The Grudge (2004). She threatens the Teen, but then Jennifer gets her attention so the witch chokes her! 

Lilia turns on the lights which ends the possession. Rio calls out for Agatha who is again missing. A cat clock and robot toy move. Then, a mist descends and forms into a ghostly woman, it is Evanora Harkness (Kate Forbes), Agatha’s mother! Forbes reprises the part from WandaVision. Agatha, in the upper floor, greets her mother. Evanora is angry that the coven joined Agatha. She says they have to finish the Witches’ Road without Agatha. Lilia explains that they have to punish Agatha. Evanora wants her daughter, but Rio defies her. Agatha asks her mother why she hates her. Evanora says she was born evil and says she should have killed her once born. A tear on Agatha’s eye. Strong acting by Hahn. Jennifer wants to leave. Agatha pleads for them to take her. Evanora possesses Agatha again. Alice blasts the possessed Agatha. Very cool to finally see magical powers. 

This knocks Evanora out of Agatha and she begins to take in the magic with her purple power. Lilia screams no as Alice is being drained of her power and life. Teen goes to the Ouija board, he asks who is it, and it spells out, “Nicholas Scratch”! The alarm beeps, time over, and Teen shouts out, “Nicholas Scratch!” This snaps Agatha back. She hears echoes of the young Nicholas saying, “Momma! Stop.” An attic ladder unfolds. Alice is on the floor withered. Teen tries to revive Alice and screams, “Don’t touch her!” to Agatha. Jennifer tells him that Alice is gone. Another Road casualty. Agatha begins climbing the ladder. She looks distraught on the Witches’ Road, but forms Alice’s fire before it fades. Teen is angry at her. The others pass saying that this will end in death. The coven seems less interested in Alice than Mrs. Hart, did they take her body for burial? There are some laughs, but the episode is not cleverly written as the others. Agatha’s trail hints at some dark truths in this fifth episode, but the costs are too heavy! 

Four Lockets out of Five! 

#AgathaAllAlong #RachelGoldberg, #LauraMonti, #KathrynHahn, #JoeLocke, #AubreyPlaza, #SasheerZamata, #PattiLuPone, #AliAhn, #KateForbes, #OkwuiOkpokwasili, #ChauNaumova, #BethanyMichelleCurry, #AthenaPerample, #AliciaVelaBailey, #BrittaGrant, #MarinaMazepa  

Happy Birthday Guillermo del Toro!

 Happy Birthday Guillermo del Toro! His first film was Cronos (1993) which was a horror movie involving a device to keep owners immortal. It co-starred his long time co-star Ron Perlman. He moved from there to The Devil’s Backbone (2001) which began his collaboration with cinematographer Guillermo Navarro and composer Javier Navarette. Del Toro entered the studio system with the horror movie Mimic (1997) which was a brilliant film about a CDC doctor who uncovers a strange breed of insect underneath New York. Next, he directed Blade II (2002), a masterful entry in the vampire action franchise.  Guillermo then directed Hellboy (2004) based on the Mike Mignola comic book. It featured Ron Perlman as the demonic anti-hero.  

Guillermo del Toro with Geppetto and Pinocchio at the Variety screening of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, 2023, author’s photo. 

One of his best films is El laborinto del fauno or Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) as it is better known.  A dark fantasy that blends Alice in Wonderland, fairy tales, and the harsh reality of the Spanish Civil War. Long time colloborator, Doug Jones, played many of the creatures including Fauno. It won the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Cinematography, and Make-up. He followed it up with Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). In 2008 he formed the production company Cha Cha Films with fellow filmmakers, Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Del Toro worked on a television series and later turned into a trilogy of books starting with The Strain (2009) with co-author Chuck Hogan. In 2013, he directed Pacific Rim (2013) merging his love of kaiju and mecha. He directed the pilot, “Night Zero” (2014) of the series The Strain when the series arrived for FX. The Gothic horror movie Crimson Peak (2015) was his next film. 

Scultures of legendary make-up artist, Jack Pierce, working on transforming Boris Karloff into Frankenstein’s Monster, Guillermo del Toro: At Home With Monsters, 2017, photo by the author. 

Guillermo del Toro made Trollhunters into a book in 2015 with co-author Daniel Kraus. The animated series Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia with Dreamworks Animation was finally realized in 2016 for Netflix. In 2017, Del Toro opened his house, so to speak with the touring exhibition Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters. He finished the year with The Shape of Water which won him the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture. Del Toro directed the thriller, Nightmare Alley (2021). He accomplished another lifelong dream with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature with co-director Mark Gustafson. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities was hosted by Del Toro in 2022. He is currently making another personal dream, Frankenstein! Happy Birthday Guillermo del Toro!

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Superman & Lois, “The End & The Beginning”, Review!

Season four of Superman & Lois brings the series to close with Lex Luthor unleashing Doomsday on Superman! Lex Luthor is freed from prison and brings Doomsday! The ultimate, brutal villain first appeared in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 (1992). It crashes into the farmhouse as Luthor walks away. Then, out into Smallville streets to Metropolis. Doomsday is pinned on a spire of a building. Then, it slams Superman down before taking him into the sky. "The End & The Beginning" is directed by Gregory Smith. Greg Berlanti is the writer. Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) revives, curls his fist, and punches Doomsday (Paul Lazenby) to the moon. The two mortal enemies face each other. Doomsday rips off two of his body spikes, Superman flies towards him, and they collide in an explosion. Darkness. 

We see the aftermath, a floating mass of blood and rubble. Then, the cape of Superman’s torn cape floats against the Earth. Jordan (Alex Garfin) extinishes the barn fire with his super breath. Jonathan (Michael Bishop) has found a ELT, the device that sends a signal only Superman can hear. They realize that this is why Luthor wanted his grandfather. Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) tells Jordan to focus on his voice not his father. Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz) exits a truck to see the destruction site. He made his debut in last season's “Injustice” (2023). Cudlitz is known for playing Abraham Ford in The Walking Dead. He is met by Amanda McCoy (Yvonne Chapman) says it has a been a month since he was in prison. Chapman plays Kyoshi in the live action Avatar: The Last Airbender. The character was introduced in Superman #2 (1987) and it is her introduction here. 

She gives him a key. He says things have worked for seventeen years. Luthor says she is the only one he trusts. He asks about Elizabeth. It is a dark room, with torn paper on its window, he tears it off and sees the Smallville Gazette building. Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh), tied up and gagged, is thrown out of a trunk. Gretchen Kelley (Rebecca Staab) and Otis (Ryan Jefferson Booth) have him prisoner. She first appeared in the episode, “What Kills Only Makes You Stronger” (2023). The character was introduced in Superman #2 (1987). I recalled seeing her at a convention promoting the infamous Fantastic Four (1994) movie, and she was the perfect Sue Storm. Booth plays a tough version of 1978's Superman's goofy henchman. He played King in 2021 and 2022 episodes of The Flash.

Night, Jordan can only hear a muffled sound. Lois walks away saying the radiation makes her brain foggy. The brothers talk to each other. Jordan worries and remembers the look on his father’s face. Jonathan says he will survive it. Jordan says he is not ready without him. Lois sees the stitched sign, “It went by so fast”, she flashes back with Clark joining her. Clark says his mother went to town for privacy. He says he’s in love with her. They talk about the Superman interview and then they kiss. Clark shyly says, “I never -“! This is so Clark, touching and funny. Lois says, “Get ready for having the best day of your life.” Lois activates the ELT. A trail is made on the mmoon as Superman continues the battle with Doomsday. It is brutal, swings, and masses of rock. They blast each other. Superman snaps off one of Doomsdays’ spikes. It roars at him! Superman flies towards the monster. 

Morning at Smallville, Lois is met by Luthor at the Smallville Gazette office, she wants to know where is her father. Lois shows him the ELT. He says she should have taken his offer. Luthor says she has been hidden behind Superman and her father. He asks her if she likes the small town. He points out his room. Luthor says almost losing his business and having his daughter turn against him. He sees the headline. At the Daily Planet, Lois watches a news report on criminals using Kryptonite weaponry, Clark walks in and says it was Luthor. She takes out a Kryptonite shard from his neck. Lois says they just got married. Clark says, “You’re stuck with me forever.” These are moments where the series shines, Clark married with Lois, usually the doom of television shows, this gives added dimension to the superhero and adds romance.  

Sam struggles in his handcuffs to a chair. Gretchen offers him water from a canteen. He says the DoD does not negotiate. Jordan blames himself for setting Sam up with Gretchen. Jonathan tries to tell him that it is not his fault. He gives his brother his jacket so they can go eat. Gretchen gets a phone call from Luthor. He says, “One to the head and one to the heart”! Sam knows that it is Luthor as Gretchen takes out her gun. He mentions this grandkids and daughter. He makes promises as he tries to slip out of the rope. Gretchen kisses him. She says she can’t hide from Luthor. Sam pulls free from the rope, struggles with Gretchen, and then headbutts her. Jonathan and Jordan are at the diner as Luthor walks in! He sits down next to Jordan. They know him. He says seventeen years ago he was put in prison by Superman. He shows a picture of his daughter, Elizabeth, the only person who loves him. 

SUPERMAN & LOIS -- “The End & The Beginning” -- ELIZABETH TULLOCH, TYLER HOECHLIN -- Photo Credit: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2024 The CW. 

Luthor says their mother took her from him. He clenches his fist. A younger, blond with full hair Luthor tells Lois not to run a story. He says she is protecting Superman. His threats don’t work on her. The sons tells their mother about Luthor. She forbids him from taking action against Luthor. She wants him to help her father. Sam tries to smash out of the door, uses a fire extinguisher, and finally breaks out. Then, he is knocked out by Otis. The moon, under it, a grave is dug by Otis, Sam is bound and gagged, he mentions that Gretchen. Luthor says he wanted to make it painless. He wants to show him the newspaper. Sam taunts him with his daughter. “He always comes back.” Luthor digs him into the grave and throws the paper. Otis shovels the dirt on Sam as Gretchen watches. I know the comic book, "Death of Superman" storyline, but the show has the parallel danger with Sam Lane in mortal danger.  

Lois is in a hospital bed, twitching, a nurse tells her that she has had a seizure! She is giving birth. Lois wants Clark to get Dr. Patel. Then, she pulls him back. Jonathan gets Lois’ attention. Jordan has heard a faint sound from his grandfather. Jordan hears the sonic signal and then hears Gretchen. They are walking to a truck. Jordan in a goggles and suit brings Lois. Lois slams Gretchen to the truck and told she is too late. She realizes that the duo buried Sam! Jordan uses heat vision to find Sam and then digs him out at super speed, wow. Lois hugs her father. Sam recovers in a hospital bed, his grandsons, and Lois are there. He asks about Clark. Lois sends her sons outside. Sam says he saw the headline. Luthor looks at the photo of his daughter. Gretchen and Otis drive up in the van. It is clear that Lex Luthor is ruthless with the obession of his daughter. 

Otis says Lois Lane showed up and tells him about the boy with super powers. Gretchen shows him the video of Jordan with his fans. Lois tells Sam that Luthor is coming after her. Sam says he let his guard down with Gretchen. He says Clark survived Luthor. Lois says that this time is not the same. The battle, Doomsday pounds Superman. Closeup of Doomsday’s fist slamming into Clark’s cheek. Superman is slammed into rock. His vision is distorted. Doomseday hurtles towards him. Superman lifts up, battered, his shoulder torn by Doomsday’s spikes. It is a brutal fight, CG matched with the stunts, but feels real with Hoechlin. Superman's eyes glare with heat vision, he screams and the asteroid there are on explodes. Doomsday’s fist is clutching a patch of red. Superman is suspended, eyes open, gone. Superman and Lois shines with "The End & The Beginning", the super hero battle is matched with the human drama, kidnapping, teenage sons, and romance. 

Five Kryptonite Crystals out of Five! 

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